Browsing Tag

Incubus

Immerse yourself in the artfully metamorphic instrumentals in Blinded By Hope’s seminal prog-rock release, All We Know

Blinded by Hope

Emotion charters the path through the artfully metamorphic instrumental arrangement in one of the standout singles from Blinded by Hope’s debut LP, The Darkness That Surrounds Us.

The Australian innovators found their signature sound between the landscapes of prog-rock, melodic rock, and art rock to allow the seminal single, All We Know, which unravels as an emotionally resonant and sonically complex piece which takes you through the dark depths of human emotion via a backdrop of artfully progressive instrumentation.

From the opening notes, All We Know draws the listener into its profoundly reflective aura which swells around the alt-metal roots in the complexity of musical structures. But don’t let the gravitas in the release fool you, the track is as accessible as it is resonant as it vies for your attention through technical prowess and the emotional odyssey it represents.

The vocals echo the tender yet powerful style of Incubus, adding a soulful depth to the track. This vocal gravity anchors the song’s tumultuous ebb and flow, creating a captivating tension that is both stirring and poignant. The band’s focus on crafting a meaningful song, rather than just showcasing technical skill, shines through every note and lyric, making All We Know a superlatively compelling listen.

Stream Blinded by Hope’s music on Spotify, and keep up to date with news of the release via Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Infatuation takes the wheel in Amenazar’s latest slice of seductive soul rock, Get It On

If Incubus emanated the riff-driven raw sex appeal of Velvet Revolver and the soul of Chris Cornell, their records would run in the same red-hot vein as Amenazar’s latest single, Get it On.

The Kansas City prodigal sons of soul rock are renowned for their high-energy live shows; perceptibly, their alchemic approach to new-era rock n roll resonates just as well on the airwaves, given the intoxicatingly impassioned magnetism of Get It On, which allows the seduction to run as an undertone in the single which lets romantic infatuation take the wheel and drive.

The working-class emissaries of reverent alt-rock records should be on the radars of every rock aficionado keen to savour the best of contemporary rock. We can’t wait to hear what innovation they unleash next.

Get It On was officially released on May 19; check it out on YouTube and Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Robots! Attack! break free through a bitter-sweet epiphany in their melodic rock hit, Tangled

Robots! Attack! by Robots! Attack!

Taken from their debut eponymous LP, the standout single, Tangled, from the Memphis-based fourpiece, Robots! Attack! is a reverently evocative rhythmic trip back to the alt-90s.

The breeze of the midwestern melodies is brought down to earth by southern grit in the grungy amalgam of punk, rock and harder-to-pin-down alternative inclinations that allow the outfit to carry fleeting reminiscences to Incubus and Deftones in their magnetically imploring vocal harmonies and the softly angular guitar lines that are never all too far away from an off-kilter breakdown.

While the lyrics allude to our tendency to fictionalise the characters in our own stories and give them far greater roles than they were destined for, the accordance-soaked instrumentals abstract any bitterness from the bitter-sweet epiphany of realising that time with some protagonists is always finite.

Tangled is available to stream and purchase via Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

LUCID LIP soulfully speak on disillusion in their alt-rock single, Who Would Notice?

LUCID LIP

New York’s smoothest and synth-heavy alt-rock outfit, LUCID LIP, has unveiled their latest heartbreakingly smoky single, Who Would Notice? which taps into the same sense of disillusioned isolation that everyone with any degree of self-awareness has battled with lately.

The lyric, “What the hell does anyone want anyway?”, efficaciously captures the frustration of the irrationality of most of the people you encounter. While “I’m not here to sell my soul, but who would notice?” pulls you into the darkened ennui of depression’s grips. Metaphorically, of course.

Far more remarkably, nothing about the single resonates as self-piteous; there’s a comforting sense that the candour was used as a means of solidarity with the listener.

Who Would Notice? left the same evocative imprint as Incubus did on me back in my slightly less jaded teen years, with a touch of Faith No More’s The Real Thing (I don’t make Mike Patton references lightly).

Who Would Notice? will officially release on July 29th. Check it out on all major streaming platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lighters in the air for Phatt James’ latest melodic grunge single, Ahead of Line

The evocative rock raconteurs, which form the melodic grunge powerhouse, Phatt James’ are fresh from the release of their latest single, Ahead of Line, which is a sublime convergence of the styles of Incubus and Red Hot Chilli Peppers, with plenty of their own distinction injected in between. Production-wise, the instrumentals gravitate around inexplicably intricate gravitas while the vocals expose nothing but raw soul.

It is still early days for the Bridgeport, Connecticut hailing outfit after releasing their debut EP, Circle Bent, in 2019, but notably, if any new band has what it takes to stir the hearts of 90s and 00s rock fans, it is Phatt James with their familiar yet sincerely original sound.

Ahead of Line is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Flying Oceans lit up the Manchester music scene with their soul-stirring funk-rock fusion, Circles

Flying Oceans

The Manchester music scene became infinitely richer for the latest release from the funk-rock pioneers, Flying Oceans. If you can imagine what it would have sounded like if Incubus abstracted their plaintiveness and implanted unbridled soul, you will get an idea of the stirring alchemy that Circles delivered.

With the guitars consistently transitioning between roots-deep funk chops and jangly Marr-Esque rhythm and the seductively low basslines bringing just as much gravitas as Mr Bungle’s, Circles has all the makings of a playlist staple for anyone that wants to find a slice of aural solace in our disjointing times where it’s all but impossible to find rhyme or reason away from the airwaves.

Hear Flying Oceans’ latest single, Circles, here.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Cagri Raydemir bites the hand of ego-greed in his single, Attention Hunger

Attention Hunger is the latest intellectually scathing alt-rock track from the Munich, Germany-based artist, guitar virtuoso, songwriter and producer, Cagri Raydemir. With vocal reminiscences to Serj Tankian and an instrumental atmosphere that carries similarities to Incubus, any true alt-rock fan will allow Attention Hunger to resonate as a smorgasbord of dynamic alt-rock innovation.

It’s been a while since I had a quite literal jaw-drop moment at an instrumental interlude, but the one that brings in the outro in Attention Hunger gives Mr Bungle an Avant-Garde run for their money.

After releasing 12 albums and 3 EPs, Munich Germany-residing alternative artist has discernibly honed in on his craft to the point of peerlessness. It’s beyond refreshing to hear an artist with the ability to catch you broadsided by their talent.

Attention Hunger is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Darling Overdrive sprinkle some magical songwriting ‘Stardust’ with new EP ‘Cosmic Autumn’

Denver’s Darling Overdrive describe themselves as ‘rekindling the fire of late 20th Century Rock & Roll’. ‘Stardust’ initially has a little bit of a Goo Goo Dolls feel to it, opening up with some gently picked clean guitar over closed hi-hat sixteenths, before building, holding a little suspense before rocking out on the chorus with some nice staccato guitar chords and drum fills.

It’s reminiscent of The Calling, Hoobastank, or Lifehouse, that subtle blend of rock that’s an absolute shoo-in for acres of epic radio play right through the summer. That’s no criticism, either – it takes a very special kind of songwriting skill to maintain rock & roll credibility whilst generating mass-appeal, and to hit that perfect niche without falling into overblown Guns n’ Roses balladeering pomposity or Nickleback cheese takes some doing. Darling Overdrive seem to have done that effortlessly with ‘Stardust’, and the second track on the ‘Cosmic Autumn’ single ‘Surf’; top notch stuff.

Hear ‘Cosmic Autumn’ on Spotify; check out Darling Overdrive on Facebook.

Review by Alex Holmes

Snowflake Generation – Wake Me Up: Intricately Masterful Authentically Absorbing Indie

Indie newcomers Snowflake Generation have recently released their third single “Wake Me Up” if you want to restore your faith in Indie, look no further than this progressively blissful track.

The bitter-sweet melodies may leave your soul feeling a little sore, but it’s more than worth enduring the emotive weight which this single has to offer. If Incubus experimented with grungier tones and nuances of Pop Punk, the end result would undoubtedly share reminiscences with Wake Me Up.

It’s an intricately masterful testament to Snowflake Generations’ progress since their inception in Autumn 2019. There’s pretty much everything you could ask for from an Indie Rock track in Wake Me Up. Soaring guitar solos, undiluted emotion, and perhaps most importantly, the affirmation that Snowflake Generation are running with their own sound and their souls are the essence for it.

If I had a pound for every new Indie artist with as much authenticity as Snowflake Generation, I’d be pretty broke.

Get them on your radars. They won’t be up and coming for long.

You can check out Wake Me Up for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Brian Dalton – Drown: Orchestral, Soul Shattering Industrial Rock

Fans of bands such as Incubus, Nine Black Alps & Nine Inch Nails are going to want to devour Brian Dalton’s latest track Drown which was released on January 5th, 2018.

Down is a prolifically rounded track, which grips you like a vice and doesn’t let go until long after the flawless instrumentals have faded out. There really is no criticism to be found in Brian Dalton’s latest hit, which he’s mixed up from his earlier releases which possess a more mellow grunge undertone. His sensational vocal ability allows the track to soar from resonant melancholy to raunchy rock vocals that make your heart pound with the industrial beat. The orchestral cacophony that swoops into the progression after the last chorus to tear a little piece of your soul away with it, bringing this palpably pounding track to life. And all that is without mentioning the pensive lyrics that ring with poetry steeped in vehemence.

It’s not often I can refer to music as sexy without cringing, but there’s something zealously Godly and sensual about Brian Dalton’s command of sound. He certainly has the Eddie Vedder effect.

Check out the stunning official music video to Drown on YouTube now:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RG8qu0LcHYU&feature=youtu.be

Drown is also available to listen to via Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/track/0Nvq8juqMwJK0LEoijqHCy

Review by Amelia Vandergast.