Having previously reviewed a track by French singer / songwriter Mary KilS I was intrigued to see what else she could do, and I must say she didn’t disappoint.

The previous single Long Silence was a ballad, and I was interested to see if this was the same. It was not!

Kicking off with a funky bass line that remains throughout the whole track, this song is a bit more upbeat than the previous one.

The vocals are still haunting and being sang entirely in French only adds to this, but there is a slightly rockier feel to them.

The bassline that I have just mentioned is fantastic, I always think bass guitars should feature a lot more than what they seem to, and mixing it with the electronic synths and crunching guitar riffs works really well.

The guitar work behind the vocals is just magnificent, obviously performed by an incredibly talented musician but the arrangement of the solos and the words gives the impression that the guitar and the vocalist are having a conversation.

Alternative / pop rock at its finest and another brilliant track from this French lady who deserves for her music to be heard by more people.

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If you fancy listening to something a little bit quirky, then please give Les Jeux De L’amour by Candiac a go!

A recently formed trio, including Simon Dechêne, Yoland Houle & Charlé, from Canada, Candiac is a new and lively musical collective led by singer/songwriter Charlé. Playing surf rock, candy pop, indie, garage rock and with the energy of punk, this really is a band that should appeal to everyone.

Les Jeux De L’amour is the band’s debut album, was released on 15/09/2022 and is sang entirely in French.

It’s always refreshing to hear a band doing something different and mixing the alternative rock/pop rock sound with the French language was a stroke of genius as it just works so well. And the singers voice only adds weight to this as he is fantastic vocalist, mixing punk, rock, and pop effortlessly, using multi layers and big backing vocals to really bring the songs to life.

Having a classic yet cinematic vibe, each track on this album could be the opening or closing credits to a tv show or movie and every one could stand alone away from the album and still have the same effect that they do as a collection.

The mixture of clean and fuzzy guitars along with fantastically awesome guitar solos keep the rock element to the album and the bass and drums sections is sound and tight and keeps everything together rather nicely.

The placement of the tracks on the album is perfect and the production is excellent, meaning there is always something for the listener to hear.

With hooky and catchy choruses and melodies this is a great feel-good album that will make you want to hum, sing, and get up and dance and has been produced by some extremely creative musicians.

Quirky, eccentric, and maybe even a bit odd, this is a fantastic album and I highly you go and give it a listen and see if you are not bopping around trying to sing along to it (easier, obviously, if you can actually speak French!)

Track Listing:

1) Juste te dire I     

2) Juste te dire II

3) Laisse-moi sur mon feeling    

4) Au cœur de Limoilou   

5) Ça s’appelle moi

6) Tant qui restera de l’amour   

7) Toute la nuit      

8) Noémie    

9) Non non non     

10) Hey Buddy       

11) Le Hook-up (Pourquoi je fais de la musique)     

12) Lover boy

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Its always nice to review something different to what you normally review, and this is what I got with this album from Sun King Rising.

A jazz, blues, soul inspired Americana-style of rock, Sun King Rising is the musical moniker of singer/songwriter and pianist extraordinaire John Blangero. Coming from New Castle, Pennsylvania, John started piano lessons at the age of five, joining his first rock band at fourteen years old, and it wasn’t long before he was composing and singing his own music.

Released on the Peacock Sunrise label, the offshoot label of Nick Katona, the album is a classic rock album from the late 60’s with a modern, soulful twist, and with a big brass section and huge backing vocals there is also a hint of Motown.

The album covers many themes from love lost, love found, family, historical burden, faith, betrayal, sin, and redemption and at times crosses over to the dark side which always keeps the listener engaged and not quite sure what is coming next. The album is a collection of Blangero’s southern noir stories set to music. Says Katona “with this album Sun King Rising has made a quantum leap. Musically and lyrically Signs and Wonders rocks hard while engaging the imagination. Its is thematically coherent, complex, and sophisticated.”

Recorded at Pittsburgh Maplewood Studio by David Granati, they managed to put together a 5-piece band, a horn section and backing vocals from the city’s most acclaimed singers and produced a big sound that blurs the lines between multiple genres.

Heavy guitars are still a big feature of the album, as are impressive wah-wah guitar solos, pounding drums and fantastic bass lines but the added use of synths and the brass instruments really gives the album breadth and depth and layered musical genius.

John’s voice has a broad range and its rough and readiness is a stark contrast to the subtle and delicate piano and brass sound, which is then a contrast to the rock feel the guitars bring into it.

This is a good album and I think it will appeal to a wide audience. 60’s rock fans will love it, soul inspired rock fans will love it, and blues fans will love it.

John describes his music as “the new wave of southern rock and soul” and I think that is the absolute perfect way to sum up. If you are a fan of musicians such as Bob Seger and Joe Cocker, please give this album a listen. I don’t think you will be disappointed!

Track Listing:

1. Bitter Waters Sweetened

2. No. 6 Magnolia Avenue

3. Lanterns On The Levee

4. Buried In The Blues Again

5. Jubal Takes A Wife

6. She Was A Blonde

7. One More Story To Tell

8. Low Wine And Cruel Ruin

9. Anchorless

10. Alabama Nocturne

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Miky Dunn is a UK based solo artist, who has been performing in various projects, even a Beatles tribute band, since he was fifteen years old and Sycophantic Romantic is his debut album, released on 04/11/2022.

Crossing multiple genres from alternative, grunge and indie, there is also a hint of pop and country thrown in there at times.

The title track was written as a homage to the 90’s indie scene and Miky wondered if he could write a whole album with the same sound and this I think he has done very well indeed.

Heavy in places but still with a mellow, chilled out vibe, the use of fuzzy guitars and layered, harmonising vocals on this album has given him a sound all of his own.

His unique, distinctive vocals which have that noticeable indie “whine” really bring depth to the album. And when I say indie whine I in no way mean this to be a bad thing. The 90’s indie scene was thriving on vocals such as Miky’s and this album does a great job in transporting you back to that time.

There is great use of distortion, on both guitars and vocals, throughout the album, enough to give a bit of grittiness to it but not overly done in any way as too much wouldn’t have worked here.

The placement of the tracks works well, as does the timing and the pace of the tracks. Each track has good pace changes to keep the listener engaged and the album as a whole makes great use of time and tempo changes.

This album is heavy, it’s mellow and its groovy and one that would suit any lover of the 90’s indie/alternative scene to the ground.

Track Listing:

1 Dissident Narrative

2 Vanity

3 Human Harvest

4 Requiem

5 Voices On The Wind

6 An Ode To A Fool

7 Sycophantic Romantic

8 Annihilator

9 Drone

10 Just Cause

11 Dynamo

12 Holding Back The Dark

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What do you get when you take two thirds of Boston 80’s post-punk band Native Tongue, age them thirty plus years and throw in some modern technology? Why, you get the band Dream Of A Man In A Top Hat of course!

Featuring Lee Leffler (guitars, keyboards, vocals, and lyrics) and Michael Frackleton (drums, bass, percussions, keyboards, vocals, and lyrics) the pair have a partnership that spans decades, and this really shows in the music they make together.

Fusing psychedelia with whirring basslines, textured and layered vocals and dirty guitars, this duo have produced a sound that can only be described as “cool, grooving, swaggering, psychedelic, experimental, wild, chaotic and unique.” (Just some of the words various other music journalists have used!)

Although using creative, distinctive, and gritty vocals with crunching guitars and pounding drums, the band’s sound is made up of so much more. Original, raw, and mysterious, this track is full of noises, jingles and clatters in the background that gives it a very experimental vibe, but one that works well.

With its offbeat structure and heavy distortion on both guitars and vocals, the track has an overall fuzziness to it that its just sublime.

I can imagine sitting with a beer, swinging in a hammock on a porch somewhere, listening to this, totally chilled out, and it’s not often I feel that!!

This review is purely the property of The Metal Asylum

If you ever wanted to hear what alternative country rock mixed with the energy of punk rock sounded like, then check out The Mars McClanes!

A Portland, USA based band, they cleverly combine the catchy, rock n roll vibe of country rock with the oomph of punk and the grittiness of alternative/indie to create a sound that is just phenomenally unique.

The track tells the story of that character at the party that we all love (to hate!), the one telling the tall-tales, name dropping and hinting at their wealth and connections. Yeah, you know the one! But this is a great theme that allows for some fantastic song writing and lyrics.

Kicking off with some Folsom Blues basslines and guitar work, the track has a very rock n roll vibe and will soon have you bopping around to it.

The lyrics are bold, sometimes funny, and the vocals have a country rock twang while remaining strong and powerful. Musically, this track is simply perfect. The musicians involved are obviously talented and work really well together, creating a sound that is tight.

Despite the bounciness of the song (ooh I like that word….bounciness!) the lyrics have a certain angst to them, but the chorus is catchy and the harmonies on the vocals give the track depth.

Versatile and creative, this is a fun song and says co-writer Brian Corley “I don’t think I’ve ever had more fun working on a song,” and this really shows!

The song was released on 12/08/2022 and I can’t believe I haven’t come across it before now. Absolutely loved it! More please!

This review is purely the property of The Metal Asylum

Having come across Love Ghost before, I really wanted to review their latest single Homesick which was released on 11/11/2022.

A Los Angeles based band they have the iconic pop punk sound of the late 90’s / early 00’s but with their own unique twist.

Each track they release is something different from the last and this one is no exception.

Documenting the journey we all go through to find ourselves, this is a bold and strong track that still maintains enough rawness to be called a rock ballad.

An acoustic emo track, the song starts slowly with haunting vocals and a strumming guitar but heavy riffs and pounding drums soon kick in to portray the emotion in the theme of the song.

But despite the aggressiveness of the music, the track preserves that gentle vibe, and this is done mainly through the great vocals of the singer, who has a classic emo sound, enough swagger to give the track attitude but emotional and full of feeling too, but also through the real, honest lyrics of the song, which is introspective and sentimental.

I really do like this band and regardless of their intensive touring schedule, they still manage to churn out amazing tracks like this one.

An “enigmatic and ethereal band,” this is one I will definitely be keeping on my radar for future releases!

This review is purely the property of The Metal Asylum