Browsing Tag

London Rock

John Arter & the Eastern Kings Built a Red and Blue Striped Monument to Resilience in ‘The Many Ways’

Posted on 29 April 2025

The Many Ways by John Arter & the Eastern Kings, which wound its way onto the airwaves on April 24th, is steeped in Americana reverence, puts the emotive vocals front and centre, and carries the timbre of a roots-deep Eddie Vedder through the instrumental arrangement as it crescendos through overdriven guitars and a percussive pulse that keeps you anchored in the eye of the affecting storm.

Clearly an outfit who have learned the art of intricate arrangements that visualise the pain manifesting through the lyrics and vocals, John Arter & the Eastern Kings are so much more than a breath of fresh air; when it comes to the real deal, they hold all the agony-streaked cards. As an anthem of resilience that allows pain to permeate every sonic pore, The Many Ways is a testament to the trials we all endure as we follow our thorned paths.

John Arter leads Eastern Kings with a voice that floods rooms and leaves an indelible mark. Together, the band orchestrate a sound built on cinematic energy, layered emotionality, and a rare synergy, brought to life with rousing guitar solos and the haunting textures of live violin arrangements. With their fusion of country, folk, and classic rock spirit, Eastern Kings are proving that while trends come and go, raw authenticity remains a vital force.

The Many Ways is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Don’t Light Rock’s Funeral Pyre Yet, Everafter Instigated the Ultimate Resurrection in ‘Born to Rock’

Posted on 17 July 2024

Everafter, stalwarts on the UK rock scene since their formation in East London in 2010, have consistently evolved and sharpened their sonic arsenal. The band, initiated by the Daperis brothers, Alexis and Stefan, alongside Tim Wiltshire, rose from the remnants of a previous endeavour to forge a premier hell-bent-for-distortion outfit which has blazed across many of London’s iconic stages.

Their Born to Rock EP, recorded at Soundlab Studios with Matt Williams, is the ultimate attestation to their dedication to standing at the vanguard of the hard rock revolution. The title single is a monumental anthem that celebrates the intensity of rock through explosive energy, intricate guitar riffs, and relentless rhythms that demonstrate the technical talent and passion of Everafter. Unlike Tenacious D, there are no tributes here, anyone born to rock can gaze into a sonic mirror when they hit play.

With razor-sharp melodic hooks implanted in the high-octane currents of the single, the only way this track wouldn’t go down well live is if the entire crowd was lobotomised.

Stream the official lyric video for Born to Rock on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Serenity Club launched an attack of anthemic alt-rock reclamation with ‘Taking Back My Life’

Posted on 28 June 2024
The Serenity Club

With pop-fuelled alt-rock choruses that will be euphony to be the ears of the Foo Fighters between verses that reanimate rugged 90s Britpop swagger, The Serenity Club’s latest single, Taking Back My Life, is an unforgettably emboldening anthem of reclamation.

The high-octane synthesis of volition, redemption and serotonin is set to put the London-based triadic powerhouse on the map ahead of their debut five-track EP, Obsession Submission, which is due for release later this summer. The timely release of the single also means that it incidentally coincides with the General Election; I couldn’t think of a better track to listen to on the way to the polling station.

Hints of 90s-era Manic Street Preachers (think along the lines of Slash n Burn, You Love Us, and Kevin Carter) resound throughout the vivaciously fuelled guitar licks and the razor-sharp hooks that don’t stop at pulling you into the centre of this intensely liberating hit. They open the doorway to one of the most determined-to-embed earworms you’ve ever encountered as they work alongside the unflinchingly dynamic vocals of Mit Inajar.

With an exhilarating sound that Wembley Stadium could scarcely contain, The Serenity Club has exactly what it takes to take their career to stratospheric heights this summer; just try standing in their way.

Taking Back My Life will be available to stream on all major platforms, including Bandcamp, from June 28th.

Discover more about The Serenity Club via their official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

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

London’s FOURA.M mainlined livewire energy into their alt-rock debut, Bombers

Posted on 11 August 2023

With a scuzzed-up and brashy guitar intro that will throw you right back to At the Drive-In’s moment of glory when their live performance of One-Armed Scissor on Conan became a global phenomenon, the intro to the debut track, Bombers, from FOURA.M, will capture your attention in an equally as visceral way.

Marketing themselves as ‘Dad Rock straight outta London’ scarcely does the frenetic fourpiece justice. Their influences reminisce with alt 90s and 00s tones, but nothing about Bombers feels remotely dated; the evocative pulls of the Foo Fighters-esque melodies and touches of Royal Blood in the production sealed FOURA.M a place amongst the other acts who are giving rock a fighting chance of surviving the Gen Z obsession with electronica.

If you see as much potential in FOURA.M as we do after bearing witness to their strong debut, keep your eyes peeled for their live tour dates around London.

Bombers hit the airwaves on July 28; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

BlueMelt grunged up classic rock in his latest single, Fading

Posted on 27 June 2023

‘Fading (Surrounded by Stars)’ is the latest riff-charged rock reinvention from the London-based multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Vito Tardia’s one-man project, BlueMelt. After honing his talent in progressive rock and power metal bands, Tardia moved to the front of the stage with his monolithic talent and found his rightful place.

His bluesy rock guitar work against his grungy vocals, which carry a touch of Alice in Chains in their evocative dynamism, created a bold fusion that reinvented the rock revival wheel. Since making his debut as a solo artist in 2020, Tardia has received strong support from local, international and independent press. Seemingly, we’re not the only ones taken with his utilisation of his technical ability in his emotion-driven hits that tease you with nostalgia before tantalising you with innovation.

Stream Fading on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Trashy Power Pop Went Nuclear with Continental Lovers’ EP, Dale Arden Vs the World

Posted on 22 July 2022

Articulating thoughts on the UK provocateurs Continental Lovers with any degree of objectivity got shunted out of the realms of possibility with the release of their affably trashy power pop EP, Dale Arden Vs the World.

The dopamine rush is as sweet as the visceral vintage bursts of audiophilic guitars creating a nuclear reaction with the infectiously hooky lyrics. Amplifying the dynamic animation between the six tracks to the nth degree is the sheer vocal stridency that does away with the tired clichés and the banal sense of indifferent pretension that somehow ended up in trend.

Singer-songwriter and guitarist Joe Maddox is as intuitively clever with subverting his lyrics for resonance as he is with his guitar solos that bend your mind as much as the strings. As the perfect testament, the concluding single, Dale Arden, unfolds as a raucous whirlwind of empathetic affection for Flash Gordon’s love interest. The celebration of feminine strength, also evident in St. Joan, is enough to make anyone with a functioning soul emotional.

If there was any justice in our clusterfuck music industry, the Dale Arden Vs the World EP would be hot enough in the charts to make Prince Andrew sweat.

Snag it on Bandcamp or add it to your Spotify playlists.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jo-Jo & The Teeth gave us the couture of glam rock n roll with their blisteringly hot pop-rock anthem, Don’t Get Too Heavy

Posted on 18 May 2022

‘Don’t Get Too Heavy’ from the London-based outfit, Jo-Jo & The Teeth is the only riff-slicked pop-hooked rock n’ roll debut you need to hear in 2022. A rebellious streak runs right through the glam rock earworm, but like every good hit, it does plenty more than just show its teeth.

If you amped up the visceral attitude in Stevie Nicks’ vocals to 11, they’d still pale in comparison to the hooky veracity of Jo-Jo O’Donoghue’s blisteringly hot pop-rock vocal lines. That’s probably blasphemy, but I’ll prepare to repent for it to do Jo-Jo & The Teeth justice. It’s the least I could do given that she has given rock n roll an Americana iteration of Peaches.

Don’t Get Too Heavy is the lead track from the forthcoming self-produced debut album, No More Good News; I already want it on my turntable.

The official music video for Don’t Get Too Heavy premiered on May 6th; watch it on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The alt-rock powerhouse, Silence in Surrender, is ‘Coming Up’ in the first single to be released from their forthcoming album.

Posted on 4 March 2022

South West London’s riffiest prodigal sons of hard rock, Silence in Surrender, have teased what it is to come in their forthcoming album with the release of the first single, Coming Up.

As soon as I hit play, the virtuosic furore shunted me right back to the early 00s metal and hard rock scene; as the dynamic track progresses, they keep the instrumental curveballs coming with the infusion of thrash and the Seattle sound.

I never thought I would see the day when a track could appease fans of Mastodon, Bring Me the Horizon, Faith No More, Velvet Underground and Pixies simultaneously, but Silence in Surrender delivered that and a whole lot more with Coming Up. It appears that they’re the only one that got the memo about bringing the sex appeal back to rock too – the guitar solos should come with an X-Rating.

Coming Up is due for release on March 4th. You can check out the official music video via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

San Raquel deliver sheer funk-rock salacious soul in their latest single, Redrawn Lines

Posted on 24 February 2022

The London-based alt-rock outfit, San Raquel, is in fine form once again in their latest single, Redrawn Lines. After forming a decade ago, they’ve continued to hone in on their eclectically absorbing experimental style that pulls in funk-rock, proto-punk and Hendrix style solos.

The seductive semi-crooned vocals in Redrawn Lines are sure to serenade any fans of Chris Cornell; in the instrumentals, there’s a untameably wild Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ style furore that raises Redrawn Lines to anthemic heights. With the warm guitar notes against the handclaps, steady rhythmic percussion and relentlessly dynamic basslines, it’s impossible not to drink in a little of the salaciously demure funk-rock energy.

Redrawn Lines is now available to stream via SoundCloud. It is the first single released from their new EP, Where You End, and I Begin, which is due for release on April 8th.

Review by Amelia Vandergast