Browsing Tag

Guitar Rock

BlueMelt’s ‘Stardust on Your Dress’: A Nostalgic Riff-Laden Reverie

Posted on 27 January 2024

BlueMelt, spearheaded by the adept London-based Vito Tardia, has unleashed a sonic tempest with their latest single, “Stardust on Your Dress.” For anyone who kneels at the altar of rock, the track is a rite of passage. From the first note, you’re plunged into a whirlpool of nostalgia, driven by a lead guitar that dances with a fiery passion through the overdriven amplification.

The release masterfully blends the soul of classic blues with the grit of modern rock, creating a sound that is both raw and refined. The garagey texture of the track adds a layer of authenticity, a nod to the unpolished gems of rock’s golden era. As the guitar solos soar, they paint a vivid picture while the technical precision becomes a testament to Tardia’s skill and dedication to his craft. Each note is meticulously placed, yet there’s an underlying wildness that can’t be tamed.

Stardust on Your Dress is a journey back to the roots of rock, yet it propels the listener forward, hinting at the boundless potential of BlueMelt’s future endeavours. This track is a must-listen, not just for rock aficionados but for anyone seeking a taste of musical fervour that’s both nostalgic and exhilarating.

Stardust on Your Dress will officially release on January 26; stream the single on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Mike Wilkins delivered riff-driven vindication in his latest hard-rock hit, STRANDED

Posted on 3 January 2023

San Diego-hailing guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Mike Wilkins is back on fervid form with his latest hard rock hit, STRANDED, inspired by the cathartic freedom of cutting toxic ties.

It is a sure-fire hit of vindication for anyone who has had to disconnect from negative bonds. For people who need a little extra convincing to step into their own light away from the shadow of insidious others, the face-melting riffs, reminiscent of the ones carved by Glenn Tipton, George Lynch, and Phil Collen, will give you a positive shove forward with the force of a juggernaut.

With hints of 80s hair metal in the riff-driven hit, the choruses are easy to get caught up within, while the monolithic breakdowns crafted by the one-man powerhouse, who has previously worked with Tim Owens (Judas Priest), bind you even more tightly into this breakneck helter-skelter ride through virtuoso-level talent and relatable emotion.

The official video for STRANDED is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nick Campbell constructed a monolithic rock masterpiece in his instrumental single, Mission Undertaken

Posted on 26 September 2022

Starting with a melodic rock prelude, Mission Undertaken is a masterfully progressive exhibition of Nick Campbell’s ability to construct an immersive instrumental rock track. Mission Undertaken drives through tension-fraught build-ups and monolithic breakdowns to put you psychologically at the centre of his world-building doomy lead guitar work and the arrestive furore of his buzzsaw riffs.

Much more than just a technically talented instrumentalist, Nick Campbell is clearly also gifted when constructing an atmosphere that you will want to get lost in time and time again. Mission Undertaken is somewhat of a departure from the rest of his electronically composed works but whatever sonic tools are at hand, he’s deftly fluent in speaking to the rhythmic senses.

Mission Undertaken is available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Fearless Liars bring the groove in their alt-electro-rock promise of perpetuity, Always

Posted on 22 September 2022

Electro alt-rock provocateurs, Fearless Liars have remained a firm fixture of the Denver music scene since 1999. With their 2021 self-titled debut album, their groove-led guitar music gave international aficionados of experimentalism something to sink their melody-loving teeth into.

Retaining their alt-90s sound, the standout single, Always, made a playful promise of perpetuity through the rolling basslines, funk-chopped guitars and analogue synths that will be a hit with any Bis fans. Fearless Liars may not sound like a loveable outfit but after just one hit of Always, we’re obsessed with their enigmatic energy, which makes it easy to see why the independent DIY outfit has never fallen short of adoration in their long-spanning career.

Check out Fearless Liars on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

NYC instrumental rock raconteur Alec Berlin has unveiled his latest single, President’s Day

Posted on 24 August 2022

NYC songwriter Alec Berlin has been filling New York venues with his catchy rock hooks since long before telecasters were a twinkle in lockdown-born creative’s eyes. Now he is here with his atmospherically consuming single, President’s Day.

The instrumental track, led by his sublimely overdriven definitively rock guitars and bolstered by the steady percussive panache, takes you through a murky, almost lamenting soundscape, which builds into Foo Fighters-Esque crunchy crescendos and epitomises immersivity. Rarely do instrumental tracks invite you into such evocative depth, but that’s exactly what separates Alec Berlin from the rest.

President’s Day is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

congo64 is comfortably numb in his post-punk-chilled alt-rock single, I Can’t Feel Your Feelings

Posted on 12 July 2022

Taken from his debut album, Daddy’s Weird, congo64’s lead single, I Can’t Feel Your Feelings, is a highly addictive aural oddity, consisting of layers of 80s post-punk, grungy overdriven rock and 60’s harmony-laced pop.

It takes a lot for a single to send me down a psychological rabbit hole. But with the crooned post-punk chorus, “I Can’t Feel Your Feelings”, you can’t help but consider the reality of the alienating experience of connection when nothing brings resonance. If you can’t relate, consider yourself as lucky as a lottery winner.

Intriguing substance and titular poetry aside, congo64 notably succeeded in crafting a familiar yet grippingly distinctive sonic palette that won’t fail to enthral any seeker of experimental revivalist alt-rock.

I Can’t Feel Your Feelings is now available to stream on Soundcloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

‘Judgement Day’ is upon us in Danny Vash’s seminal rock hit.

Posted on 28 May 2022

With enough filth in his guitar licks and enough vitriol in his vocal lines, the US rock artist, Danny Vash has exactly what it takes to draw in fans of Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Metallica with his standout single, Judgement Day.

The multi-award-winning single delivers exactly the kind of life-affirming vindication that rock and metal fans can only ascertain through sonic means. Yet, this is no average vintage rock revival. Danny Vash’s signature intellectual lyrics instantly broadside you with their resonance as they reflect on the inescapable nature of our mortal coil, which will inevitably lead us all to judgement day. We may scrutinise ourselves every day, giving little thought to our capacity for redemption, but if any track can empower you through your own free will while you still have sand to spare, it’s Judgement Day.

Judgement Day is now available to stream via Reverb Nation.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Abandon the Fall – Compass Rose: Relentlessly Mesmerising Instrumental Alt Rock

Posted on 1 April 2021

‘Compass Rose’ is just one of the interstellar instrumental tracks to feature on Abandon the Fall’s latest alt-rock EP ‘Infinite Seasons’.

With the morosity of the National resonating in the quiescent interludes, when the track builds up to the breaks, you’ll be on the edge of your seat as Abandon the Fall plays havoc with your emotions and takes control of rhythmic pulses.

Compass Rose is a relentlessly mesmerising single that never leaves you feeling over-faced by the layers of viscerally-charged instrumentals. Instead, it leaves you leaning deeper into the soul of the single which is easy to find in the distinctive guitar notes which linger over atmospheric electronic effect.

Compass Rose is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

DigB uses their Malaysian roots to rhythmically revitalise Rock in “Vortex”

Posted on 16 October 2020

It was a pleasure to get acquainted with Indian Alt Rock virtuoso DigB through the official music video to their standout single Vortex.

By fusing elements of Rock with the rhythmic roots of their hometown of Malaysia, you can expect the guitar licks to ensnare you with their blissfully paced canter. After signing with Bentley Records, USA, that’s a sure sign of even bigger things to come from the solo artist who has enough dextrous flair to transfix fans of Ritchie Blackmore.

Artists create music for a wide range of reasons, for some, it’s fame, for some, it’s expression, but for Dig8, you palpably get the sense that his soaring dynamically sonic soundscapes are born through nothing but passion and dedication to the art form.

You can check out the official music video to DigB’s single by heading over to YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Skender Beck is set to release his atmospherically swathed single ‘Stop’

Posted on 5 October 2020

Skender Beck is a Kosovan-born singer-songwriter now living and working in the US; ‘Stop’, from his debut album ‘Stars Aligned’, is a proper, old-school slice of stadium-style AOR in the vein of U2 or the Kings of Leon.

Beck was a childhood musical theatre and television star In his native Kosovo, studying theatre before moving to New York to continue his education at the prestigious Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, and that education stands him in good stead here; dealing with loss and leaving, inspired by Beck’s own journey from troubled Kosovo, conflict, and longing, ‘Stop’ is a deep, theatrical ballad, swathed in atmospheric reverb, in a retro, well-produced, Simple Minds kind of way. Fans of grown-up, adult-oriented rock music won’t go far wrong with Skender Beck.

‘Stars Aligned’ is out in October; in the meantime, you can catch up with Skender Beck here.

Review by Alex Holmes