Browsing Tag

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Micheal Fordays – ‘Can’t Stop’: A Riotous Shockwave of Symphonic Ska Punk Force

Posted on 28 January 2025

From the initial riff, Micheal Fordays proves there’s nothing ordinary about his seminal track, ‘Can’t Stop’. Blazing in with a fervour that pays no heed to stylistic confines, the performance sears itself into your senses. I never knew how much I needed to hear metal-injected symphonic ska punk, but now that I have, I’ve found my new sonic obsession.

Imagine a world where Apocalyptica meets Rancid, and you’ll envision what kind of riot Forday incited with ‘Can’t Stop’, which feeds a protestive, indomitable discourse through the equally as unreckonable instrumental arrangement.

This unrelenting energy was forged early on. Fordays honed his craft as a youngster, listening to rock guitar heroes before taking influence from horn players. His passion took flight in garage bands and, eventually, in the high-school-founded Mind Over Four, who laid down six albums on six labels while travelling across the US, Canada, Mexico, and Europe. Their impossible-to-pigeonhole sound was too metal for punk followers and too off-kilter for hard rock crowds, yet it fed Fordays’ determination to push limits until all sense of creative constraint falls away.

That boundary-bending ethic also propelled him into KMFDM, where he contributed his guitar chops on tour and appeared in the ‘Juke Joint Jezebel’ video and ‘Beat By Beat’ documentary. Under the Micheal Fordays moniker, he’s released a string of records from ‘Balls and Blind Faith’ to 2023’s ‘The Mind and Echoes’, all marked by an unshakeable creative vision. If ‘Can’t Stop’ is anything to go by, the forthcoming 2025 release will hold nothing back.

Stream Can’t Stop on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Follow Micheal Fordays on Facebook to keep up to date with his latest releases and news.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Find resolve through the rhythm and lyrical reflections in Flame’s seminal alt-indie release, ‘Heat’

Posted on 21 January 2025

The standout single ‘Heat’ from Flame’s alt-rock EP, Pride of the Lamb, which paints in colours from all across the alternative spectrum, ensues with a barrage of folkish rhythmic intensity before establishing a melody in the arcanely beguiling atmosphere.

The seraphic on the senses release transcends sound and moves into the remit of transformative meditation through the ethereal timbre of the lead vocals which refuse to bleed into the instrumentals in true shoegaze fashion as they relay mantric messages, guiding the listener towards transformation.

Flame lights fires through the trailblazing authenticity within their sonic signature, which pairs the textural motifs of grunge with the cathartic consolation of melodic rock as they build insurmountable walls of sound, brick by brick, note by note, while sharing a singular vision of leading the listener away from their ego.

Hit play and feel something primal within you wake in the presence of the Edinburgh-based alt-rock powerhouse who have exactly what it takes to stand at the vanguard of the post-shoegaze revolution in sound.

With one of the most distinct voices on the indie rock circuit, Flame is perceptibly in the minority of artists who favour their expression over commercial appeal, but there’s nothing within their debut EP that says they can’t have both; it’s pure evocative perfection.

Stream Heat as part of the 5-track EP on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Defy gravity with the interstellar psychedelia in Olek The Vyne’s debut alt-RnB single, Labels

Posted on 17 January 2025

Olek, The Vyne’s debut single, Labels, pulls you from the mundane and drops you into a vibe-soaked alternate dimension. Rooted in trippy alt-RnB yet transcending genre conventions, the track’s interstellar pulse melds with Olek’s lush, honeyed harmonies to create an intoxicating panorama of affectionate warmth.

It’s an invitation to surrender to a smooth, mellifluous flow capable of altering states of mind while reflecting on the lyrical underpinnings which advocate for embracing the messiness of relationship dynamics and finding peace in uncertainty.

The Houston-grown experimentalist, who is set to be known for pushing boundaries and colouring outside the lines, lets his mastery of intimate storytelling shine in Labels. Inspired by his personal journey and longing for meaningful connections, Olek crafts lyrics that cut to the emotional core while his reverberant vocals smooth over hypnotically rich instrumentals.

The track’s magnetic pull stems from the boldness of its experimental alt-RnB framework, which invites vulnerability and raw expression. As a flag planted firmly in the ground for his artistry, Labels is a testament to his ambition and the precision of his craft.

Labels will be available to stream on all major platforms, including SoundCloud, from January 17th.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dreams of Zephyrus synthesised the chill of disconnection with their alt indietronica release, Stone Cold

Posted on 13 January 2025

With their latest single, Stone Cold, the indie experimentalist Dreams of Zephyrus tore down genre confines until there was nothing left but rubble and an opportunity to explore a brand-new intersection of ethereal indietronica.

With wavy indie dream pop textures building around the vocal lines that reach out like a melancholic clarion call atop the saturated-in-effects polyphonic keys and interstellar motifs, Stone Cold is firmly rooted in Avant-Garde territory while simultaneously reaching out to listeners with the affecting songwriting and lyrical delivery style of Phoebe Bridgers and Angel Olsen.

The juxtaposition between the playfully warm instrumental layers, which seem to suspend you in the animation of the melodies, and the piercing ache of the harmonies reaches the epitome of haunting. Exploring the heart-wrenching experience of feeling someone withdraw affection and feeling the temperature drop, the single builds a sanctuary for anyone looking to steal back some affection into their soul.

Stone Cold was officially released on January 9th; stream the single on all major platforms, including YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Avant Garde Expressionism went pop in PRI//’s single, See No Evil

Posted on 26 December 2024

With ‘See No Evil’, the independent artist and innovator PRI// cements their position as one of the most fearlessly uninhibited expressionists in alt-pop’s terrain. The lo-fi Avant Garde pop single is an entrancingly distorted dive into the artist’s singular creative world, blending artful dissonance with a touch of classic pop accessibility. Atop experimental beats that feel like the sonic equivalent of broken glass refracting light, PRI// drops layers of autotuned harmonies, anchoring the abstract chaos with a trace of familiarity. The accompanying music video only deepens the immersion, offering a raw glimpse into the unfiltered ethos driving this London-based maverick.

Since bursting onto the scene earlier this year, PRI// has uploaded over 80 songs online, each a condensed burst of raw emotion and sonic experimentation. Whether through the ghostly minimalism of Come Back Darling or the grunge-laced adrenaline of Begging, PRI// balances tension and release with an intuitive grasp of storytelling, both musical and lyrical. Drawing on influences as varied as Madonna’s remix culture and Tori Amos’ lyrical introspection, See No Evil is as cathartic as it is boundary-pushing.

Crafted in snatched moments with limited tools—an old Depeche Mode drum machine, acoustic guitars, and a self-taught flair—PRI//’s DIY ethos imbues their work with visceral authenticity. Yet, their ambitions stretch far beyond the lo-fi aesthetic, weaving together music, videos, and a rich visual world influenced by icons like Bowie and Grace Jones.

Stream the official music video for See No Evil on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Master Splinter is ‘Unbound’ in the chaotic liberation of their latest alt-rock crusade

Posted on 25 December 2024

The shackles fall away in Master Splinter’s latest single, Unbound, a track that affirms their status as Portland’s ultimate emissaries of mind, body, and soul-melting sludgy stoner-rock chaos.

As a departure from their previous releases, Unbound is a lyrically abstract release which lets their signature blend of monolithic guitar riffs, dynamic basslines, and intricate percussion carry the spellbinding conversation while the lyrics breathe into the tempestuous mix as thematic abstractions.

It’s as unpredictable as it is entrancing—a visceral concoction that melds East-inspired mysticism with the raw intensity of Midwest grunge. Opening with opium-scented, hypnotic tones, Unbound evolves into an intricate vortex of progressive rock textures, ascending around grungy, Eddie Vedder-esque croons that carry enough smoky potency to leave you reeling.

The climactic moments are tightly controlled chaos, like a ship steered by an expert hand through a riot, reinforcing Master Splinter’s fearless approach to orchestrating dramatic vignettes.

Master Splinter’s unorthodox approach to hard rock strips away monocultural boundaries, crafting a sound that is equal parts primal and sophisticated. As the track crescendos, the constrictive tethers of typical genre constraints are shattered, leaving listeners adrift in an aural maelstrom, allowing Master Splinter to round out the year of faultless releases on a monumental note.

Unbound was unleashed on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, on December 13.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Orizon waxed lyrical on the distorted gospel of twisted faith in ‘thanks/sorry/fuck you’

Posted on 20 December 2024
Orizon

With thanks/sorry/fuck you, a seminal single from Orizon’s sophomore album Unchrist, the Melbourne-based experimentalist crafted an Avant-Garde symphony of conflicted thoughts and chaotic cohesion.

It’s an invitation to stare into the sonic abyss of a mind wrestling with a triality of contradictions and witness how the track builds on drill foundations, brashy boom-bap beats, and jagged synth lines that buzz like electricity sparking between frayed nerves. The track mirrors the unrelenting tension as gospel vocal samples surface intermittently, a warped and distorted reminder of the artist’s roots in Catholicism, where sin and salvation continually collide.

As the track evolves, Orizon’s steady and scarred bars hold their ground amidst unpredictable turns. Breakbeats tear through the production like the rapture battering stained glass windows, while moments of erratic electronica ensure the listener never settles into comfort.  The crescendos may be cinematic, but there’s little resolve to be found here as Orizon stands as a Lynchian figure in the experimental hip-hop sphere.

While his previous projects—Stories of the Supreme and RADIO (INPINK)—toyed with loneliness and love, this final instalment tackles religion with raw introspection. Each note feels like an exorcism, but Orizon doesn’t stop at self-purging. He challenges listeners to confront their own faith and struggles with belief.

With thanks/sorry/fuck you, Orizon redefines what experimental hip-hop can achieve—not by neatly slotting into a niche, but by allowing unfiltered creativity to dominate. This is what happens when an artist lets the truth cut deep.

thanks/sorry/fuck you hit all major streaming platforms on December 20th; find your preferred way to listen and connect with Orizon via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kilravock unchained a sludgy industrial rock wrecking ball with ‘Incompatibility’

Posted on 14 December 2024
Incompatibility ][ Working Class Hero by Kilravock

The latest single, ‘Incompatibility’, by the alternative artist Kilravock, sonically storms through the gates of multiple genres. The raucously riled juggernaut is fuelled by the fire of industrial metal, sludged up through strokes of stoner doom rock, and finds its chameleonic stripes through the influence of progressive rock. It’s an onslaught of chaos that places Kilravock in the same league as Combichrist and Rammstein without bowing to any mechanised predecessor’s rulebook.

Omaha-based Steven W. Smith—known for his contributions to The Alliterates, Lucid Fugue, Megaton, and Valley of Shadows—has morphed into a one-man powerhouse under the Kilravock moniker. From instrumentation to production, everything you hear is of Smith’s own making, lending the track an undeniable sense of personal authenticity as it distils Smith’s frustration with society’s rigid frameworks and his lived neurodivergent experiences into a landscape of deep, sorrowful vocals and raw, frustrated howls.

Throughout, Kilravock’s grip on the melodic weight ensures that even though you’re pummelled by vicious distortion and messy reflections of discordance, you’re never lost. Instead, you’re locked into the insanity, granted permission to unchain your own chaos, and left with an aftertaste of brutal truth.

Incompatibility is now available to stream and purchase via Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Music Architect unchained their originality in their alt-pop tour de force, MINE

Posted on 3 December 2024

The lead title track from The Music Architect’s double A-side release, MINE, pulsates with organic originality through a myriad of transgressions in aural aesthetics, making the earworm impossible to pigeonhole.

Attempting to scribe the artist’s sonic signature in words is no simple task; it’s all about the vibe; the vibe that allows you to sink into a seductively cinematic panorama of unfeigned emotion, painted with alt-electro pop motifs, rare lashings of funk flirtations, drips of disco, and the neon-lit synaesthesia of synthwave.

In a music landscape often saturated with formulaic compositions, The Music Architect blazes their own trail by favouring expression over commercial appeal yet manages to hit a home run in both ballparks. The palpable urgency in the vocal performance, which is as chameleonic as the instrumental arrangement, sweeps you up with the force of a riptide in its visceral embodiment of desire.

The 19-year-old New Zealand-based producer and artist has been crafting and releasing music since the age of 14. Their debut album, Depressed But Well Dressed, dropped on Spotify in 2022. Since then, they’ve explored a spectrum of genres—from the indie rock tones of Garden of Mind to the dance and RnB vibes of the 2023 album Metanoia. Now ephemerally nestled in the alt-pop arena with MINE, the Avant-Gardist is becoming increasingly harder to ignore.

Stream MINE on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Head Wound annihilated the airwaves with their electro-punk hit, D.B.V.T.Y

Posted on 24 November 2024

On November 15th, Head Wound stormed the alt-punk scene with their joint EP with the local act Soft Exit. Head Wound’s contribution to the Split EP will undoubtedly cause plenty of people to check if Mike Patton has spawned another moniker.

The frenetically electric opening track, D.B.V.T.Y, is a rollercoaster of transgressions, from the seductive electronic opening salvo which throws back to the salacious appeal of Alec Empire to the prowling basslines that echo Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster to the Fantomas-esque outburst of sheer insanity which chews up typical time signatures and spits them out as relentless attacks of glitchy garage punk.

As the ferocious synthesis of punk, post-hardcore and math rock veers to its outro, you realise you never knew the true definition of aural intensity until you witnessed the juggernautical power of Head Wound. The Kuwait-based powerhouse isn’t just pushing boundaries, they’re launching an all-out assault on them until they’re bruised, broken and barely distinguishable.

Stream D.B.V.T.Y as part of Head Wound’s debut LP on all major platforms, including Spotify, Bandcamp and Apple Music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast