Nuclear Blast Records have had a storming year, and they continue their hot streak with the release of Hell Is Where The Heart Is by Oceans. The four piece whose members hail from Berlin and Vienna released their debut EP Into The Void in 2019 followed by Cover Me In Darkness, a second EP in the same year featuring their interpretations of tracks from the likes of Alice In Chains, Deftones and Radiohead, before dropping their debut LP The Sun And The Cold in 2020.
Gaupa burst onto their native Sweden scene with their self-titled EP in 2018, and quickly built up a fine reputation and steady following in their home country. They released their full-length debut album Feberdrom in 2020 which caught the attention of Nuclear Blast Records, who added them to their roster of Swedish bands. But Gaupa certainly doesn’t fall into the typical “Metal” category that you might expect when looking at their label mates. In fact their roots sit firmly in the stoner rock genre, but on Myriad, their second LP and debut for their new label, they far exceed being pigeonholed into just one sound and have created a record befitting of its title, with a plethora of intriguing styles to be found within.
Since relaunching Bush in 2010, the Gavin Rossdale and Chris Traynor partnership (Traynor taking on the right-hand role in the band once Rossdale resumed performing under the Bush banner in the stead of the retired Nigel Pulsford) have, in an understated way, added to the band’s legacy, producing five albums, and a slew of consistently decent tunes.
Check out our 5 Minute Review of the new album from Slipknot – “The End, So Far” – releasing on Roadrunner Records on September 30th, 2022.Continue reading
Based in Hannover, Germany, duo Might was formed in 2020 by Ana Muhi (vocals/bass/piano) and Sven Missullis (vocals/guitar/drums) and are part of the Exile On Mainstream roster which has been/is home to the likes of The Hidden Hand, Trialogos, Gore and Dälek.Continue reading
New Zealand newcomers Banks Arcade describe themselves as a heavy metal boyband. That might sound like an oxymoron, but there truly isn’t a more accurate way to describe their sound. Their debut album, Future Lovers (UNFD), utilizes tried and true methods – intro designed to establish atmosphere ahead of a set blended seamlessly into the first track, a few radio-friendly bangers, and a closing epic while also implementing innovative musical components. A winning combination. Continue reading
After making a name for themselves in the local Brighton scene playing the small venues and intermittently releasing fuzzy rock singles, Sick Joy are here to introduce themselves to the rest of the world with their debut album. Having been described as being one of “British rock’s most promising young bands”, there’s a lot to be proved in this release.
Since The Dillinger Escape Plan disbanded in 2017, their enigmatic frontman appears to be a man on a mission, allowing his creative juices to flow and taking the opportunity to musically expand and collaborate like never before. Continue reading
Italian stoner rockers Oreyeon release their third album Equations For The Useless (Heavy Psych Sounds), a potent mix of stoner, grunge, heavy rock, and lengthier progressive compositions. This album notably draws on the influences of years gone by not only in style but was also recorded live, an approach to a recording I’m very much a fan of.
Valley Of The Sun transport us to a desert vista with their hard-hitting, classic blues rock fourth album, The Chariot (Ripple Music) The topographical downside is a straight-ahead tendency to skim the surface of the sand without revealing psychological depth or any hints at complicated thinking below.Continue reading