Overnight Sensation is a collaboration between WILLJACK and Tom Tikka and upon its release on 14/07/2023 was a hit on two continents, reaching number 3 on the Canadian Top 100 Rock Chart and number 51 on the UK Top 100 Rock Chart!

The track features Will Jack on vocals, Willie Jack on guitar, Paul Ringrose on bass, Janne Sakso on piano and Tom Tikka on his trademark wah-wah guitar as well as providing infectious vocal hooks.

With a classic rock foundation from which to build, this track is a great easy to listen to song that grows in intensity and power as it progresses.

Starting off quite serenely with just some piano work and vocals, the song soon erupts into a really great rock song. With laid back guitars and gentle drumming coming in part way through the track, the main focus of this track are the vocals. Raspy and gritty, this guy has a strong and powerful voice and accompanied by layered backing vocals, the song has a great depth and a personality all of its own. The lead and backups perfectly complement each and it is this harmonisation that really makes this track stand out.

With a big finish to it, this track really is an epic song that would really appeal to fans of classic rock and alternative rock and, with a hint of blues in the guitar work, even blues fans will love this song!

Check it out! You’ll love it!

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Heavy On The Heart is an alternative rock band from Long Island, New York and had their debut live performance and single in early 2023. Consisting of Nikki Brady (Vocals), Costas Themistocleous (Guitar), Nick Kolokathis (Drums) and Andrew Nicolae (Bass) the band have created their own brand of alt-rock / pop-rock inspired music.

Not Now Love is their new single and was released on 21/07/2023.

With a very much pop-punk-rock base, this track is catchy and very nostalgic of this style of music that was around in the 90’s.

The guitars riffs are heavy but melodic at the same time and with the funky basslines and energetic drumming, this is a track that will soon have you dancing around the living room. The guitar solos are clean and expertly carried out and musically this track is top notch!

With vocals that are strong and powerful and that pack a bit of punch, the track is edgy and has plenty of attitude, and will appeal to a wide range of listeners.

With the professionalism and production that this band has, you would be forgiven for thinking that they have been playing together for years! For a relatively newly established band, these guys really have got the formula spot on!

Check them and their music out!

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Love Ghost is 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. They combine alternative rock, pop punk / rock with rap and hip/hop to create a sound that is almost a hybrid of nu-metal and metalcore.

Having already reviewed a number of tracks by this very prolific band, I was eager to hear even more from them and Haunted House does not disappoint.

With a more rap and hip/hop feel to this track, there are still the elements of rock and metal that drew us to the band in the first place.

With a driving beat, this track is upbeat with a great swagger that will certainly get you bouncing to it. Guitars and drums feature but are not the main driving force of this track like others this band has produced, but this just shows their talent and diversity as every song is completely different to the previous, a trait I always like in a band. No one wants to hear all a band’s tracks sound the same and I am sure any future songs by Love Ghost will take a completely different turn from everything else.

The vocals are main hip/hop and rap but there is also some clean singing that really creates a great contrast. The song has lyrics in both English and Spanish, something they have done before, and is a collaboration with Mexican artist FLVCKKA, the male and female vocals really working well together.

Another great track from Love Ghost. We wonder what is coming next from them?

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Apricity was born in Scotland but has since emigrated to Canada and takes creative inspiration from the likes of Garbage’s Shirley Manson, Alanis Morissette. And Blondies’s Debbie Harry, creating music that is upbeat, adrenaline-filled, and full of attitude.

Allison Wonderland is her latest single and was released on 20/07/2023.

A track about imagining and seeking the type of relationship, love and companion you most want, it is also a warning about creating your “perfect” person.

With a sound not dissimilar to early Avril Lavigne, this track has heavy guitars and pounding drums that really get you bouncing around the living room while listening to it. There is a funkiness to it too that adds a certain swagger to the track, and this really makes the hooks, melodies, and lyrics very catchy, and this will definitely be an ear worm once you have listened to it! But this is not a bad thing, by all means!

Apricity’s vocals are strong and powerful and have just enough grit to them to make them stand out from other female vocals. She sings with such passion and energy and there really is an abundance of attitude here, which is very reminiscent of the female alternative rock vocals of the 90’s.

This track manages to take you on a nostalgic trip back in time with its sound, while also remaining bang up to date with its modern and fresh feel.

This is a fantastic track that had me bopping in my chair as I was writing this review and is one that will certainly get you moving in one way or another.

Not only is this a really great track but there is a fantastic video to go alongside it and you can watch that video here:

This review is the property of The Metal Asylum

Parades Underground is Graham Warner (guitars, bass, drums, and clean vocals) and Simon Ayres (metal vocals) and was born from the ashes of a post-hardcore university band. Starting as a metal side project, the band has grown into the all-consuming entity it is today.

Allow The Flames To take Us All is the band’s latest EP and was released on 21/07/2023.
With influences such as Korn, System Of A Down, Kyuss, Refused, Machine Head, Nirvana and many more, the band’s sound is a great mix of many genres all mish-mashed together to create a sound that is unique to them.

The pairs mutual love of the metal genre has been the driving force behind their musical journey.

With only one instrumentalist in the band, Graham is a very skilled musician and combined with the aggressiveness of Simon’s metal screams and growls they really are a force to be reckoned with.

With heavy instrumentation, the guitar riffs and pounding drums really kick you in the stomach, the rawness in the music very clear to hear, and recorded in Graham’s room, the duo have used their music to express their thoughts into four very strong songs.

The vocals are a two-sided thing, with clean vocals being supplemented with almost death metal like growls and this really does make for an interesting combination, the two styles completely different yet somehow still in synch with each other. There is almost a punk element to the vocals, giving the EP lots of attitude and angst.

There is also a hint of progressiveness in the music, and this gives the listener plenty to concentrate on, and with the four tracks lasting just under thirteen minutes in total, this album is also very intense.

An excellent release by this duo from Rendlesham in the UK. Its their third EP so check out the previous two and see what you think!

Track Listing:
1) Breakneck
2) Allow The Flames To Take Us All
3) The Foolish Hope pt II
4) Red Tent

This review is the property of The Metal Asylum

Hailing from Phoenix, Arizona, Jane N The Jungle is an alternative / hard rock band fronted by singer Jordan White, and Bed Of Roses is their latest single, released on 21/07/2023, and is a track that will feature on their upcoming EP.

With a foundation in alternative and hard rock, this track once again spreads out to cover a multitude of genres blurring the lines between them and creating a sound unique to the band.

Having reviewed tracks by Jane N’ The Jungle before, this one is slightly different to the others in that it is more melodic and not quite so “in your face”, but this doesn’t take away from it still being a great track.

The guitars are heavy when they need to be, mainly during the choruses, which have extremely catchy lyrics and melodies, but at other times they are a bit more laid back, and this makes for a great contrast throughout the track. The solos are clean and have a very alternative rock vibe to them.

The drums are once again energetic with lots of crashing cymbals, and this keeps the song tight and on track.

Distortion is used on Jordan’s vocals during the verses, giving them a very 90’s feel, and the backup vocals really complement the leads, giving the track a great depth that really keeps the listener engaged.

This is a really great nostalgic track that maintains a fresh vibe by including a modern twist. Awesome stuff!

If you have not checked out this great band before now, why not? Head on over to Spotify and do it now! Go on! You won’t be disappointed!

This review is the property of The Metal Asylum

PolSky is Kris Warren, Alex Robertson, Ben Warn and Chris Norman and together they make up the alternative rock / post-punk band hailing from London in the United Kingdom. After a string of well-received singles, Executive Functions is the band’s debut album and was released on 13/07/2023.

Influenced by “corporate zombies, elderly love affairs, prefrontal cortex function, video game addiction and the human obsession with shouting louder than everyone else,” the album is a glimpse at the beauty, ugliness, thrills, and desperation of the modern world.

With twelve tracks lasting a total of just under forty-five minutes, the album is a beautiful mix of alternative rock and post-punk with a touch of new wave thrown in for good measure.

Funky basslines mix with guitar riffs and rhythmic drums to create a sound quite unique to this band and with the inclusion of some electronic beats and synths, there really is quite a sentimental feel to the album as the listener is transported back to the new wave era of the early 80’s.

Despite the nostalgic vibe the album has, there is also a modern twist to it that keeps the music bang up to date and rejuvenating a genre that will appeal to a whole new generation of new fans.

The vocals on the album are quite quirky, sometimes sounding like they are straight from the 80’s while at other times appearing to belong to an alternative 90’s band and this is the magic of this album. Noone is quite sure what kind of track is going to come next, as each song is totally different to the previous and this keeps the listener engaged with the music at all times.

This album really has something for everyone, ranging from indie to electronic pop, to pop and rock. The pace of the album is constantly changing, with some funky dance-floor fillers along with some more melancholic tracks that will have the ability to transport you away to other time and dimension.

This is a fantastic album that not only blurs the lines between genres, but totally obliterates them. If you are a fan of bands such as The Cure, Bloc Party, Roxy Music, LCD Soundsystem, Duran Duran, Joy Division, Talking Heads, Jamie T, The Cribs, White Lies, Everything Everything, then you are going to love this album.

Go check it out!

Track Listing:
1) Welcome To The PolSky Corp.
2) Switchboard Operator
3) Rounds
4) 100 Million Ways To Die
5) Culture
6) Song For The Silver Surfer
7) Apopalypse Now (Ode to Cracky)
8) Halcyon Daze
9) In Love At The Cinema
10) Cupboard Love
11) Nimbus Cumulus
12) Rainbow Road

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I recently reviewed Maximilian Wentz’s last album, Mare, and being very impressed with it, I was eager to hear more from him. But first, let me recap on who Maximilian Wentz is.

A singer /songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Haverhill, Massachusetts, Maximilian Wentz combines elements of rock, metal and Latin music with elements found in acoustic pop. He has German roots on his father’s side and Latin roots on his mother’s and, in my opinion, this combination makes for some pretty great music production.

Memories 1 – The Storm is his latest EP and was released on 14/07/2023.

It seems Maximilian has picked up where he left out and produced yet another totally awesome EP. With four tracks totalling seventeen and a half minutes, this is an EP that has so many twists and turns that the listener has no chance of ever disengaging with the music. There is always something to listen to as Maximilian takes the listener on a journey through a multitude of genres, from hard rock to death metal, to metalcore and back again!

Musically this EP is top-notch. The guitars range from heavy and guttural, kicking you right in the stomach with riffs and hooks, to more melodic and the inclusion of acoustic guitars at various points throughout the EP really gives a great contrast in musical styles. The drumming is, once again, pounding with lots of crashing cymbals and booming bass drums and this shows the energy the EP has.

Once again, it is Maximilian’s vocals that really steal the show here. Changing from clean, melodic vocals, such as on the final track of the EP, Beyond Comprehension, the only ballad, to deep, throaty growls and black metal screams, and then to a more alternative rock style, there is such a variety of vocal styles that the listener would be forgiven for thinking there was more than one singer!

With three tracks of fast, in your face, melodic metal / metalcore, the final track, as mentioned above, is a ballad and this really finishes the EP off in a fantastic way. The sound this guy creates is simply stunning and even some full bands would struggle with the range and variety on display here, not only from one track to the next, but during each individual track too.

I loved this EP and have had it on rotation for quite some time now, and with each play through, the tracks just seem to get better and better.

If there is one artist you check out today, please let it be Maximilian Wentz! You really will not be disappointed!

Track Listing:
1 Devastation
2 I Never Thought
3 Fangs Of The Beast
4 Beyond Comprehension

This review is the property of The Metal Asylum

I have previously reviewed music by The Survival Code, and I am always eager to hear more from them. This one is, yet again, a great track that does not disappoint. But let me remind you who The Survival Code is.

The Survival Code are a London-based rock duo comprising of Gary McGuinness on guitar and vocals and Simon Hartop on drums and vocals. The band has been around in many different formats since 2012 but it was in 2018 that they found their final line up and sound.

Haunted By Myself is their latest single and was released on 14/07/2023.

And what a track it is! I was impressed by previous releases by this duo but this one has got to be my favourite so far!

Erupting into life as soon as it starts, the guitars are heavy and pounding, slight distortion giving a fuzzy feel to them but at the same time there are melodies and hooks that really pull you into the music. The drumming is, once again, really energetic, and hard hitting and with plenty of crashing cymbals, there is a rawness and attitude to it.

The vocals are gritty and powerful, and the backing vocals really give the track depth and dimension. With a nostalgic nod back to alternative rock and emo rock of the late 90’s, the band also manages to maintain a freshness and modernness to the song that keeps their sound up to date.

I loved this track, and I listened to it three or four times, and the thing that always amazes me about The Survival Code is just how big a sound they manage to achieve with just the two of them! Just sheer talent, musicianship, and hard work.

Well done The Survival Code! Another top-notch tracks that should be on everybody’s playlists!

This review is the property of The Metal Asylum

Void Pleasantries is an alternative rock / grunge rock band from Scotland, comprising of members John and Ross McKellar, Thomas Shaw, George Paterson, and Connor Kyle and When In Rome is their latest album and was released on13/07/2023.

The band class the album as “the sound of us growing up,” and is a new record made up of old songs and features the best of their first two EPs plus some previously unreleased songs.

The album kicks off with the track Tedious Lie and this is a great starter for what goes on to be a fantastic album. The track is upbeat, loud, and thunderous, a token of what the rest of the album is about.

It is hard to define which genre this belongs to, so I am not going to try but there are obvious influences from alternative rock and the distortion used on the guitars and the vocals at certain points throughout the album really give a direct nod to the grunge genre.

The guitars are melodious yet heavy with riffs and hooks galore that really do pull you into the music. As previously mentioned, distortion gives them a fuzzy feel, and this makes for a really great sound. The drumming energetic and the meaty basslines shining through really do hold it all together.

The vocals are very reminiscent of the 90’s alternative rock / grunge sound and with backups in much the same vein, there is great depth to the tracks. The singer’s voice is strong and powerful yet there is a gentle grittiness to it too that really makes him stand out with a charisma that really takes us back in time.

The album, as a whole, is a nostalgic trip back to 90’s alternative rock and grunge and is an album that shows the genres are still alive and kicking, as Void Pleasantries have added a modern twist that keeps their music fresh and up to date.

The album is very upbeat and should certainly get listeners jumping around the living room when they hear it as faster tracks far outweigh the slower ones.

For all intents and purposes, this is the band’s debut LP, and one that should set them on the road to much bigger things. Fantastic album and I certainly look forward to much more from Void Pleasantries in the very near future.

Track Listing:
1) Tedious Lie
2) No Good Reason
3) I Will Name It
4) Be The Hunted
5) What Did You Say?
6) Retract
7) Emerald
8) Lose My Mind
9) The Meddler (live)
10) What You Want

This review is the property of The Metal Asylum