Garland Green are a punk band from Tasmania, formed in a garage, and with a “sound that mirrors the wild landscapes of their homeland.” Baby Blue is their latest single and was released on 20/09/2023.

Consisting of members Ben Fenton on vocals, Joel Browning on guitars, Luke Denniss on guitar, Nick Fenton on bass and Andrew Fannon on drums, the band are heavily influenced by the likes of bands such as Strung Out, Funeral For A Friend, New Found Glory and Rise Against, and they are not afraid to wear these influences proudly.

Recorded in Ben’s lounge room, the song is “an acknowledgment of the things you just have to look back on and laugh. Bad situations, tough times that turn into stories,” something that most people do at some point in their life.

With a foundation firmly in the punk rock genre, this band have created themselves a sound that also takes influence from a many others. Heavy guitar riffs ring out almost as soon as the track starts, and these are backed up by energetic drumming and meaty basslines. Musically the track is upbeat and is full to the brim of the original punk ethos and attitude. With catchy hooks and melodies to accompany the rawness the songs emit; this is an extremely catchy track that will have you humming long after you have finished listening to it.

The lead vocals, once again, have the raw energy and defiance of punk rock and, with a certain amount of quirkiness to them also, they really take control of the song. Strong and powerful the vocals are never overshadowed by the music and together they form a formidable sound.

A great track that needs to be heard by fans of punk rock (old and new), alternative rock and hard rock alike. Go check them out! You will not be disappointed.

This review is the property of The Metal Asylum

Blind Man’s Daughter is a melodic progressive metal band from Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, starting out in 2012 by founding member Ashley Wolfe, but it wasn’t until 2022 that the project really came to life. Working with local musicians, Blind Man’s Daughter soon grew into one of the most exciting sounds in the metal scene.

I have previously reviewed singles Mirage Harmer and Kyhell, and was eager to hear the full album, and boy what an album it is. Sundressed was released on 18/08/2023 and is an album that shares Ashley’s personal journey of self-discovery and the search for a purpose.

The album has ten tracks in total and is just over thirty minutes of melodic progressive metal with a cutting edge that means the band has created a sound that is fresh, compelling, and unique.

The music side of things is heavy, with progressive riffs thrown at the listener from all angles. The guitar work is simply sublime, with hooks and melodies that change pace and time not only throughout the album as a whole, but also during each track. This means that musically there is always something for the listener to hear, keeping them engaged and entertained by the song at all times. At times the music sounds quite chaotic, while at other times everything is more ordered and polished, but this is in no way a bad thing, as the changing music style is a charm of the song.

The drumming can appear quite haphazard, and the intricacies of the guitar work really work well together and, along with some meaty yet funky basslines, really create a great soundscape on which the songs are based.

Vocally, Ashley’s voice is hauntingly beautiful, almost hypnotic, and really pulls the listener into the music. She can transform her voice from soft and gentle, to soaring, to almost death metal like growls, but the one thing that remains consistent is that it is always powerful. Her voice combines with the accompanying music perfectly and there is sometimes an almost shoegaze like feel when the lyrics and the instruments become one with each other.

This band have really generated an awesome sound for themselves, one that is enticing and provocative but one that is also modern, fresh, and contemporary.

Please do check out Blind Man’s Daughter and their music. If modern, progressive yet melodic rock with elements of metal thrown in are your thing, then you are going to love this band.

Amazingly great album!

Track listing:

1) Mirage harmer

2) Sundressed

3) Saencer

4) Kyhell

5) Bloodmoon

6) Days Fall

7) Dust And Light

8) Dust

9) Nights Fall

10) Waves

This review is the property of The Metal Asylum

Meat in Space is a DIY rock project where all of the songs are written, recorded to tape, and produced by just one person, namely Shawn Stedman, who also happens to play all of the instruments on the songs too. Outta My Head is his latest single and was released on 21/09/2023.

Heavily influenced by the likes of Dinosaur Jr, Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins as well as garage rockers Jay Reatard and Ty Segall, Shawn has really used these heavyweights to come up with a sound unique to him.

Recorded in his bedroom, this track was born from a guitar riff and vocal melody Shawn heard in his head after listening to some garage rock, and it grew from there.

Kicking off with some very raw drums, heavy basslines and guitars riffs soon join the mix and the result is a splendid mix of garage, alternative and punk rock with a splash of grunge thrown in for good measure. There is distortion on the guitars, and this really adds to the effectiveness of the track, creating a fuzzy atmosphere.

The vocals are somewhat quirky, but really take influence from the pink rock genre. The repetitiveness of the lyrics creates a great choruses that will certainly get stuck in your head and you will be humming the lyrics and harmonies of this track long after you have finished listening to it.

I have reviewed music by Meat In Space before and this one is just as awesome as the previous, really leaving the listener wanting more.

So, if you like your music rock, and your rock more on the punk/alternative side, then check out Meat In Space. It may be just one man, but he certainly makes a lot of noise!

This review is the property of The Metal Asylum