Dan Hillier
Having released just in time for their tour with Alpha Male Tea Party, ‘Personal Space’ see’s the Manchester alt-grungers False Advertising return in fine form. The group’s first original work since the release of their LP Brainfreeze back in 2019, ‘Personal Space’ is a gritty, hooky and ultimately magnetic display of the qualities that make False Advertising just so effortlessly brilliant, to be put openly and simply. “It’s funny that ‘Personal Space’, a song originally been written about wanting to build self confidence, has now taken on a double meaning in light of the pandemic”, states singer and guitarist Jen Hingley on the track. “I’m sure everyone has felt walked over, overlooked and like you’re forever being told to take up less space and make less fuss, I’m really tired of those feelings and hoped that by sarcastically shouting about them it might go some way towards empowering myself and others to stand up for ourselves. Or, people might simply interpret the song as being about a trip to the supermarket during the pandemic and trying to maintain social distance, it works for that too!” – Dan Hillier
Featuring members of At The Gates, Disfear and The Haunted, Swedish death metallers The Lurking Fear wowed with their debut Out Of The Voiceless Grave in 2017 and have unleashed the first single from forthcoming second album Death, Madness, Horror, Decay, ‘Death Reborn’. It’s a short, sharp blast of brutality with frenetic drumming, churning riffs and urgent, barbaric vocals. Of the song, vocalist Tomas Lindberg says “’Death Reborn’ was one of the last tracks to be finished for the album. A pure old school death metal storm, that main riff just blew me away when I heard it, and I knew we had to make space for it on the A-side of the album straight away. The lyrics were quite instant as well, as the track had a certain attitude that needed to be conveyed in the lyrics as well. Still drawing main influence from the Lovecraft universe, but with an added extra aggressive twist. And, I know it is short…approx. one minute, but if you have three great riffs like these, why make it complicated.” – Will Marshall
The group’s second track with Leah Kirby at the helm, ‘They/Them’ is a vital and empowering blast of fiery punk energy that’s delivered as a raging love letter to non-binary people the world over. One part celebratory of non-binary culture and one part rallying against how non-binary people still aren’t legally recognised by the UK government, the single sees the band whipping up their home-brewed and signature ragejoy sound to once again document a topic often misunderstood and erased by the population at large. Animating the track and it’s topic further still is the track’s respective music video. Shot backstage at The Non-Binary Cabaret by film-maker Bobo Lai, the video is an inclusive invitation to the joy of non-binary freedom and see’s Leah Kirby conducting their transformation into their drag alter-ego Cyro. Great fun, but above all else, it’s critically important – Dan Hillier
Breaking new ground in the bands raw and sonically brutal punkability factor; Dead Sara‘s familiar audible adventurist rollercoaster vibes are a welcomed addition to the current musical landscape. As they round up their latest string of singles for the Ain’t It Tragic album cycle, the boisterous pill-pusher pounder ‘Gimme Gimme’ conveys a boundless sense of understandable nonchalance towards the unnerving aspects of reality. Considering the troubled times these past two years have provided us all with, the effects of the pandemic took quite understandable toll on the Los Angeles Hard Rockers; The band found a rather ironic paradigm forming throughout the writing process, as their biggest inspiration came from an overwhelming feeling of indifference, as well as the perpetual state of sitting in the feelings of frustration, hopelessness and defeatism. Although their latest track delves into realms of the non-prescribed kind of drug trips and emotional detachment from the real world, we can’t help but find that this addictive banger is one we’ll keep on rotation for quite some time. – Bennie Osborne
Roaring out of Des Moines, Iowa the rabble-rousing quintet Vended have announced their debut EP and released a new single from it; ‘Burn My Misery’. Stylistically it’s immediately apparent that sons of both Corey Taylor and Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan count amongst its members; there’s a nu-metal groove and stomp that’s immediately identifiable and vocalist Griffin Taylor carries some similar inflections. That’s not to say they’re a carbon copy at all; they’ve got an identity their own, barbed riffs and vicious vocals are anchored by a thumping low end rhythm section. – Will Marshall
Whilst NYT LIV may be a relatively new proposition for many, it’s unlikely the Danish alt-hardcore group will remain an obscure entity for long, especially with material such as this. Taken from the their forthcoming debut Den Døde Sol, ‘Mens Livet Fosvinder’ – which literally translates to ‘When Life Slips Away – is a bleak and desolate establishment of the group’s sound and outlook on life. Harkening thoughts of Gallows, Modern Life Is War, This Is Hell and debut era Kvelertak, the track and the body of work it’s taken from is a harsh documentation of social indignation that does away with metaphorical fantasy in order to bare further witness of the grim lyrical contents. With Den Døde Sol having been mastered by Brad Boatright (Nails) and produced by Jacob Bredahl (LLNN), NYT LIV are a grim act for an increasingly cold age. – Dan Hillier
Can’t Swim dropped one last belter of a single before their new record Change Of Plans released on Friday, featuring Beartooth’s Caleb Shomo, ‘Set The Room Ablaze’ sees the band re-tread the more hardcore rooted ground of prior EP Foreign Language whilst also offering a fresh change of pace from the more melodic two previous singles from this new record. Can’t Swim are swiflty proving themselves to be one of the most exciting and versatile bands on the scene right now, expect big things from this New Jersey outfit in the years to come. – Elliot Grimmie
Switching up their synth-pop hungry soundscapes within the realms of Alt Rock fantasias; PVRIS are back in full force with their compelling pro-maverick sermon ’My Way’, which preaches the importance of a sound mind, body and soul in the wash up period of cantankerous and reproachful internal battles that plagued their past, present and future selves. This big-up banger extraordinaire acts as a second part introduction to the Bay Staters latest reinvention, rumoured to be known as the SWEAT BLVVD TEARS era; as their first single since the release of their critically acclaimed 2020 third LP – Use Me, ‘Monster’ explores the decimation of self via negative internalisations off the back of outer expectations and unwarranted opinions. To say that we are excited to learn more about the bands currently scheduled dynamic slow burn to ascendancy, would be a colossal understatement. – Bennie Osborne
Known for their lovable zany brand of iconic tomfoolery; the Romano Hard Glam-Rock bolides Måneskin seek to appeal to the masses, reject the incessant calls to conform and embody their individualist ethos with their latest tongue-in-cheek stomper ‘MAMMAMIA’. Inspired out of the sudden attention from their triumphant win at the Eurovision Song Contest with the early 2021 single ‘Zitti e buoni’; the Italian anarchists sought to make light of their extended stay in the international pressure cooker and the intense onslaught of scrutiny, via unleashing their carefree and flamboyant retort through a manner of unmistakable sarcastic exuberance. All of this plus their unflinching desire to maintain an unfiltered sense of self, dismantling the expectations of contemporary mainstream musicianship, as well as continuing to champion their many legions of fans with their unquestionable allyship, just reinforces that these Gen Z proprietors of the true spirit of rock ‘n roll are the modern epitome European Rock excellence. – Bennie Osborne