Browsing Tag

New York Rock

Trish Discord & Devon Aviles electronically augmented alt-rock with the broodingly vindicating single, Ever So Holy

Posted on 8 March 2024

Trish Discord and Devon Aviles are both forces to be reckoned with respectively; combined, they’ve sent electrifying shockwaves through the alt-rock domain with their dark and broodingly vindicating track, Ever So Holy. The intro is a masterclass in mood setting; the massive waves of synth bass, coupled with a haunting melodic lead, create an industrially tinged atmosphere that is as dark as it is scintillating.

As the track progresses through its rhythmic cascade of unpredictable volition, it morphs seamlessly, throwing hooks left, right, and centre to pull you into the track’s magnetic core with the same force as the most infectious artists in the pop-punk domain.

The production style is a high-wire balancing act; a complete yin-yang of raw elements and polished cultivation. The huge guitars and compressed drums bring a traditional rock feel, while the electronic components narrate a new chapter in the alt-rock genre.

Vocally, Trish Discord channels the spirit of Evanescence, Nightwish, and Within Temptation, while simultaneously carving out a unique niche and guiding the listener through the tumultuous sonic landscape. In short, it’s a symphonic riot that ignited a revolution in the electronica landscape.

Ever So Holy was officially released on February 29th; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lunacy Commission created a a riff-roaring ride of hard-hitting euphoria with their debut single, Shadow of a Doubt

Posted on 12 June 2023

With touches of Stone Sour and Foo Fighters around the razor-sharp post-hardcore/pop punk hybrid hooks, the debut single, Shadow of a Doubt, from New York’s freshest outfit, Lunacy Commission, is a riff-roaring ride of hard-hitting euphoria.

Any fans of Downstrait, Papercut Massacre, and the Veer Union won’t want to hang around before implanting Shadow of a Doubt on their playlists and saving a spot on their radar for Lunacy Commission.

Their juggernautically strong debut may have set the bar high, but we have no doubt that the best is yet to come from the instrumentally stitched tight outfit, which finished cutting their teeth while playing in the punk band The Show-Offs during middle school before remerging on the airwaves in their new outfit formed during lockdown.

Shadow of a Doubt hit the airwaves on the 2nd of June; hear it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Proto-punk bites back in Underdog’s seminal punch-drunk alt-rock track, Over and Over

Posted on 10 January 2022

Over and Over (Northern Lights) is the seminal proto-punk track from Boston’s most boisterous alt-rock powerhouse, Underdog. It may be harder for new artists to register as obsession-worthy from the first hit, but the college radio rock vibes mixed with the lo-fi scuzz and energy that stems from the frustration that resounds around monotony makes a riotously magnetic track out of Over and Over.

Thankfully, the band that has been charting as the top alternative band in Boston since establishing in 2013 didn’t allow their creativity to buckle during the quarantine. Their album, Trans Global Amnesia, is due for release in the Spring of 2022. Any fans of the New York Dolls, The Heartbreakers and the Ramones will want Underdog on their radars – it is only a matter of time before their moniker becomes unfitting.

Over and Over is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Embark on an aural space odyssey with Sunset Afire’s doomy cinematic track, Red Sails

Posted on 21 December 2021
Singularity by Sunset Afire

Doomy, groovy, cinematic tonal palettes feel more fitting than ever, and that’s just what the Brooklyn, New York-hailing post-hardcore outfit, Sunset Afire, delivered with their album, Singularity.

The standout single, Red Sails, is an atmospheric introduction to the nihilistically fuelled minds behind the vicious yet sublimely composed furore in the seminal album.

Rather than going full pedal to the metal, Sunset Afire knew exactly where to throw the fire into the single with the gorgeously layered male and female vocals and where to strip it back to build the tension. Red Sails doesn’t go full-on space odyssey rock opera; instead, it keeps grungy nuances at the heart of the progressively electrifying track that we can’t wait to hear more of. They’ve definitely made an ever-lasting impression with their elevated experimentalism.

Red Sails is now available to stream and download via Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Mainline introduce us to ‘The Unholy Idol’ through the barbarous furore in their debut album.

Posted on 1 October 2021

On October 1st, 2021, the New York-hailing four-piece Mainline delivered the psyched up classic rock revival album of the year, The Unholy Idol. Right from the first single, Sanctum, the vintage tones pull you into the grip of their unassimilated anthemic rock prowess.

You will soon see how they came about their moniker with their ability to make you feel like you’ve just mainlined adrenaline through track two, Out of the Shadows. The 10-track album is almost wall to wall with anthems, but they still found space to exhibit their dynamism as alt-rock alchemists. Standout singles include the grunge influenced title-single, The Unholy Idol, and the bitter-sweet serenade, A Distant Memory. The concluding single, No Warnings, No Signs, is where Mainline prove that they can rip through solos just as well as any of the accoladed guitar heroes and seal a place in your memory.

Any fans of Metallica, Iron Maiden, White Snake and Black Sabbath won’t want to sleep on this release. Classic rock revivals are in no short supply on either side of the pond, but when we say that Mainline are reminiscent of Metallica, that extends beyond sonic appeal and runs through to their ability to leave you enlivened. With Mainline, you get the sense that creating energising anthems that can easily become party rock hits comes naturally.

The Unholy Idol is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast