Browsing Tag

Instrumental 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

Every Progression is a Prog-Rock Revelation in Tempus Cucumis’ Single, It’s Alright, The Sun is Shining Today

Posted on 22 January 2024

With their seventh album, Rêves, the progressive rock duo, Tempus Cucumis, exhibited how innovation can drive classic rock forward, not as a separation of what came before, but a sublime continuum you can follow and lose yourself within. With those classic rock cuts reconfigured into tantalising time signatures which teach you to predict the unpredictable with each progression, you hand over all sense of control to the cohesive coalescence of talents from Jeroen De Brauwer (guitars, drums, composition) and Lukas Huisman (keys, production).

The seminal single, It’s Alright, The Sun is Shining Today, uses timbres hotter than the tarmac on the Sunset Strip in July to pay an ode to the capacity of sun rays to salve the spectrum of human tribulation, which may sound like a stretch until you remember that, for the most part, we have the same basic requirements as a house plant, beyond the complexities our autonomy bestows on us. With twists and turns amidst the ebbing and flowing momentum, you can’t help but strap yourself in for the ride and succumb to every new corner the track meanders around, exposing an even more breathtaking sonic scene.

It’s Alright, The Sun is Shining Today is now available to stream on Spotify with the rest of the 9-track LP, Rêves.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Grab a seat at the table for Tuncratio’s atmospheric alt-rock instrumental, Feast of Nothing

Posted on 26 December 2022

There’s something in the atmosphere of Tuncratio’s seminal instrumental alt-rock single, Feast of Nothing. The intro instrumental framework threw me right back to when Alexisonfire was a prized possession in my CD collection. Feast of Nothing then progresses into a deeply evocative melodic piece with complex time signatures that compel you to lean deeper into the alluring sonic mise en scene that cinematically wraps up through a cinematically orchestral outro.

The Italian-born, Scottish-by-adaption multi-instrumentalist and producer entered the music industry in the early 2000s. Not one to feel sated in the confines of one genre, his music spans across multiple, often in the space of one track. In his eclectic range of influences, Smashing Pumpkins, Mogwai and Deftones often push to the forefront in his sonic signature scribbled across his discography. Tuncratio’s back catalogue currently consists of two LPS, two mixtapes and the EP, Elephant in the Room, from which Feast of Nothing was taken.

Feast of Nothing was officially released on December 12th; catch it on Spotify. Stay tuned for Tuncratio’s upcoming

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Drench Yourself in the Tonal Bliss of Robbie Lackey’s Single ‘Atoms’

Posted on 19 October 2022

Taken from his first solo instrumental album, Surrender with a Smile, which is due for release on October 22nd, Robbie Lackey’s standout single, Atoms, outlays ambient melodies that absorb you through their intricacy and ability to transplant you into a far spacier realm.

Painting all across the tonal spectrum in vivid yet euphonous colour, the Columbia Falls, MT-hailing musician and producer leads you on a psychonautic road trip that you’ll want to embark on time and time again for the cathartic escapism. With the rising cost of fuel prices, it’s probably best to stay inside and take trips of the mind, led by one of the most tonally-gifted guitarists of our time. His 20 years of playing guitar clearly paid off in Atoms; if we still lauded guitarists as much as Prince and Hendrix, teenagers would have Lackey’s poster on their bedroom walls.

Check out Robbie Lackey’s latest single, Atoms, 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

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

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

Abandon The Fall drop new instrumental melodic rock ‘Memories’

Posted on 31 March 2021

When we reviewed Abandon The Fall’s ‘Enemy’ single back in August 2018, Amelia Vandergast likened them to Linkin Park’s ‘Hybrid Theory’, saying ‘the vocals are stripped back and left emotionally bare around the resounding instrumentals’. In the case of ‘Memories’, from new EP ‘Infinite Seasons’, Abandon The Fall have taken that a step further and provided an instrumental track bereft of vocals altogether. It’s not, however, bereft of power or melancholy, that same electronic-meets-metal vibe that was there on the debut coming through across the track. There’s definitely that Linkin Park feel at times, but with thundering kick drums aplenty behind the shimmering, echoey guitars, there’s touches of Enter Shikari and 30 Seconds To Mars in here too. It’s a potent, powerful track with no loss of emotiveness from its instrumental-only nature.

You can hear ‘Memories’ on Spotify; check out Abandon The Fall on Facebook.

Review by Alex Holmes

Mute Sounds – Broken Pieces: An All-Consuming Alt-Rock Reflection of Chaotic Duality

Posted on 30 January 2021

Mute Sounds’ 2020 EP ‘Roads’ totally defies the notion of genre. It is far easier to define the progressively cinematic release in terms of sheer originality. But if you could imagine what it would sound like if Hans Zimmer teamed up with Motorhead, you’ll get an idea of what is in store.

The standout track ‘Broken Pieces’ is the perfect introduction to the artist’s experimental expression. Over-driven guitars gnaw away at the accordance in the panoramically evocative release between increments of evocative neo-classic keys, making Broken Pieces an all-consuming reflection of chaotic duality.

Mute Sounds is the project of multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, Rui Pedro, who permanently lost their voice after their second battle with severe throat cancer at the age of 28. They say that when one sense is lost, another strengthens, on the basis of Broken Pieces, that can also be said about methods of communication.

You can delve into Mute Sounds’ experimentalism yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chris Mike – Limerence: Theatrically Virtuosic Rock

Posted on 30 September 2020

It’s theatrical, it’s virtuosic, it’s ingeniously intense. It’s Chris Mike’s latest guitar-led instrumental track “Limerence”.

Rock aficionados will be enraptured before the first solo has time to make your jaw drop. But Limerence isn’t solely about Chris Mike’s fretboard wizardry. With symphonic elements amplifying the energy of the electrifying mix, you’re in for a raucously euphoric treat.

We might not be able to go to gigs right now, but even if I found myself front-row for my favourite artist, I’m not entirely sure I could be as blown away as I was when listening to Limerence for the first time.

There’s no amount of acclaim that Limerence is unworthy of. Not only is Chris Mike one of the most talented instrumentalists I’ve heard in 2020, there’s also plenty of distinctive flair around his rhythmically masterful shredding. I think I’ve found a new guitar hero.

Limerence is just one of the tracks which will be featured on the artist’s forthcoming album Socialholic which is due to drop on October 16th. You can pre-save the album via this link.

You can check out the official video to Chris Mike’s single Limerence for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast