In the wake of the pandemic, and after nearly two decades together, Circa Survive had to take a look at themselves and reassess their existence as a band and direction musically moving forward. Two Dreams (Rise Records) is the culmination of this journey the band took. Unfortunately, it came alongside the tragic news of the group going on an indefinite hiatus as well, as the members venture into new creative avenues.
I Prevail, when they revealed themselves to the world with their breakout Taylor Swift cover, could only be described as bursting onto the scene. Since then the post-hardcore group has become one of the most exciting bands out today. Smashing out more hits in two albums than some bands accomplish in their whole career. In their last release Trauma, the band delved into different external influences bringing rapping into their songwriting, will True Power carry on this trend?
From the gang vocals, jangly guitars and infectious sense of hope of ‘Iconoclast’, Watford-based punks Nervus’ new album The Evil One (Get Better Records) gets under your skin. It is their fourth album and the pop, alternative and americana influences help to create an absorbing record.
Like a lot of us out there, the lockdowns during the pandemic gave Florence Welch a lot of spare time to kill. When reading about the UK during the middle ages, Welch discovered ‘choreomania’ or dancing to exhaustion or even death, and thus became the soul theme to the band’s fifth album Dance Fever (Polydor Records). Now, some thirteen years since the act’s debut album, Lungs, Florence and The Machine have become a household name, having headlined grand festivals such as Glastonbury, and the real question is where can the group go from here.
It feels as if it has been a long, long time since Puppy released their debut album, The Goat to the world – although the pandemic may have something to do with that considering it has only been three years. When the album was first released, the trio stunned us with an eclectic mix of heavy sludgy, grungy riffs combined with even more eclectic vocal harmonies you’d find somewhere on a Weezer or a Wheatus release. The combination of the two has allowed the band to access the best of both worlds, appearing on some heavier lineups, while still being able to go onto support acts like Creeper. Whether the three-piece will be able to keep this up with their sophomore release is another matter.Continue reading
GGGOLDDD, based in the Netherlands, have for the past decade been releasing material that defies genre conventions and blurs the boundaries between all manner of musical styles, from Metal, to post-Punk, to Pop, to Trip-Hop. Their fifth full-length release, This Shame Should Not Be Mine (Artoffact Records) is based around deeply personal themes to vocalist Milena Eva, who uses this record, conceived during the 2020 lockdown, to address traumatic events including sexual assault.
There are a lot of great storytellers in the world. For over fifteen years as a solo artist, Hardcore kid and childhood Heavy Metal devotee Frank Turner has mined the considerable depths of his life experience to bring his raw delivery, and his unique take on the human condition. His transparent honesty as a person and artist has earned him a lot of love from fans, and respect in general from his peers. At the end of the day, he’s just a regular guy, sharing his story. Much like the rest of us, but sorting it out one verse, one song, one album at a time.
I think we have to be clear from the start… At The Movies will not be for all of you. Mastermind behind this all-star Heavy Metal film soundtrack covers machine (yes, for the uninitiated, this really is a collective who work remotely together to re-do songs from Hollywood soundtracks) Chris Laney, guitarist of The Pretty Maids, is very clear that the purpose of ATM was a group of friends “looking for something to have some fun with (during lockdown)… asking ourselves all the time… can we get away with this?”
And so they set about reinterpreting hit songs from movies. But not the rockier songs, for where would be the fun and bile-induction in that? While Volume I – re-released at the same time to partner its sister act (#SorryNotSorry) – focused on the eighties, The Soundtrack Of Your Life Volume II (Atomic Fire) bites the bullet and rolls down its jacket sleeves, musses up its hair a little and steps into the world of the Hugh Grant RomCom and takes on some of the nineties movie megahits. For better or for worse. Continue reading
Genre blending alt-Rockers Warbly Jets will release their new album Monsterhouse, due out November 12, 2021). The band pulls in all of their influences, and every conceivable instrument to concoct their mix of catchy, and funky tunes. With a slew of infectious singles, and next level songcraft and production values, the Los Angeles based duo have put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this new release. In that spirit, the band is giving fans an inside look at their creative process and studio skills with their Making of Monsterhouse Documentary, which you can watch in full, here at Ghost Cult!
One of the titans of the North American summer Music Festival season is Riot Fest, and we were damn glad to see it come back strong in 2021. Especially after Lollapalooza did such bang up numbers coming back, and kept the safety methods strongto minimize the effects of the pandemic, you knew Riot Fest was going to go hard, and bring it big time. Even with the departures from the lineup of Nine Inch Nails, Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, and others, it was as stacked a lineup as the fest has ever had. If you’ve ever been to Riot Fest, Lollapalooza, Coachella or any other festival, you’ve witnessed the power of live music bringing people together. At Riot Fest 2021, we learned that even a global pandemic is no match for a community this passionate and devoted. What makes Riot Fest particularly special, though, is the integration of bands and artists from several generations, and the consequent mingling of their fans. Whether you’re twelve or sixty years old, there’s someone on the lineup for you.