Retro-flavoured Swedes The Night Flight Orchestra (ft. Soilwork, Arch Enemy, Mean Streak members) are still at it with their seventh album Give Us The Moon (Napalm Records). With an insanely catchy AOR style, with an unabashedly high level of seventies and eighties-style cheese front and centre. Half the tracks here sound like they belong in some long-forgotten, coming-of-age film from 1985. Continue reading
From the fuzzy Alt Rock and early Foo Fighters vibe of “Vienna,” German rockers Birds View’s second album House of Commando (Drakkar Entertainment) starts as it means to go on. Influenced by ‘90s alternative rock acts such as the aforementioned Foos, Soundgarden, and Queens of the Stone Age, HOC is primed with propulsive, straight-to-the-point songs that do not outstay their welcome. Continue reading
Do you ever listen to modern music and think to yourself “What happened?” and “Where is the danger?” Well, Rock’s newest heroes are here to kick your teeth in with the fury that they had in `76! Tuscany, Italy’s Death Wishlist is a throwback to a simpler time of true Punk Rock spirit and raw unapologetic vibes! Their debut album “You Are Next” is out this week, April 19th, 2024, via the Area Pirata label, but you can stream it here at Ghost Cult now!Continue reading
When Swedish Europop-metalcore (they’re a difficult band to put a tag on considering how distinct their sound is!) sextet Amaranthe announced their arrival with 2011’s self-titled semi-classic album, it was hard to imagine them, as great as their first shot was, still being around thirteen years later. Continue reading
The renowned venue Le Poisson Rouge hosted an unholy night of Heavy Metal, in the heart of New York City. A triple bill dubbed “The Satanic Panic Tour” – featured Lucifer, Coven, and Early Moods. It was the perfect environment for this tour. The bands did not disappoint, giving a modern throwback feeling of heavy metal.Continue reading
Life is a cabaret, old chums, with the scintillating Take Back The Night (Sumerian Records). A power-packed, credulity-stretching showcase of strong, strong pop-rock songwriting and arranging courtesy of Starbenders; this album is full of punky attitude and thrusting ambition.
Turn On. Tune In. Drop Out. That’s the overarching feeling with the newest Greta Van Fleet, Starcatcher (Lava/Republic Records). Starcatcher has swirling browns and oranges reminiscent of the seventies. It evokes lava lamps and black light posters. There is an earthiness to Starcatcher, a richness in tone. It’s an album that is felt as much as it is listened to. Starcatcher’s sound is as close to analog as you can get in this digital age.
Consisting of desert rock pioneers from the legendary acts Yawning Man and Fu Manchu, supergroup Yawning Balch releases an ever-prolific debut entitled Volume One via Heavy Psych Sounds. Just like the album title, Yawning Balch embarks the first volume of their musical career’s trajectory through this debut.
Norwegians Saint Karloff formed in 2015 and their debut full-length All Heed the Black God followed in 2018. The latest album Paleolithic War Crimes (Majestic Mountain Records) comes as something of a bittersweet release following the sad loss of bassist and founding member Ole ‘Karloff’ Sletner in 2021 (RIP). The writing for this record had started in 2019 with Ole very much on board and to quote the band ultimately, “reflects a band in transition and exploring new paths, but at the same time it retains that proper heavy Karloff-vibe.”
Tanith have perfectly the sound and feel of seventies Hard Rock and Heavy Metal with their latest album, Voyage (Metal Blade). Imagine traveling in a VW bus that is painted with brightly colored dragons and wizards with plenty of magic smoke billowing out the windows. Tanith would be the soundtrack of choice as you travel back in time.