Finding information about Deeprest is really not easy, because there just doesn’t seem to be much available about him. The mysterious artist, who obviously likes to remain somewhat anonymous, lets his music do all the speaking for him.

I have previously reviewed music by Deeprest and although this track, his new single Eyes Wide Shut, which was released on 21/06/2023, is slightly different to the previous, I still was very impressed with what I heard.

Leaning more to dance music than the previous track, this one has its foundations more in the pop rock genre but sprawls out into numerous others. There is a dark pop sound to the vocals which this time round focus more on melodic singing than it does hip-hop / rap vocals. The vocals are still quite quirky, and the lyrics bounce around in your head as the artist delivers them.

There are lots of electronic beats and sounds in this track, more so than on the previous track and this really gives the track a bouncy feel that will certainly get you moving.

This is a great track and will appeal to fans of pop/rock, hip-hop and even alternative/experimental rock.

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Brian Lambert is a musician, residing in Denton, Texas, the “friendly neighborhood rock and roller,” and his music captures the very essence of feel-good rock. Although he manages to encompass the heart and soul of the Lone Star State, he also manages to combine 80’s and 90’s rock with a modern twist, creating a nostalgic yet contemporary sound. As well as his solo work, Brian also produces other artists such as the Jr Moz Collective and is the lead singer in alt rock band The Star Crumbles.

I Don’t Believe In You is his latest single and was released on 23/06/2023.

Originally performed by the Jr Moz Collective, Brian has breathed new life into the song after being moved by its powerful message of standing up for what you know is right.

Opening with some funky bass lines, the track has a groove and a swagger right from the start, and this gives the track a real infectious feel, that really pulls the listener in and keeps them there. Synthesizers create a soaring backdrop for the track and the guitar and drum work are solid and performed well.

Musically, this song is fantastic, but it is the meaningful lyrics and the powerful way in which Brian delivers them that really makes this track stand out. Brians voice is captivating, and he uses it well to express the heartfelt message of the track.

Brian is undeniably talented, and this really shines through with this track. He has created a track that not only resonates with the listener but one which also leaves its mark due to his musicianship and artistry.

I loved this track and really can’t wait to hear more from him. Please check him out and see what you think!

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The Qwarks are a three-piece band from Brighton, and consists of Phil Johnstone on vocals, who effortlessly switches from a “narrative” style of singing to full on melodic harmonies, a sound that is reminiscent of the 60’s and 70’s, Simon Young on the bass, the funky basslines and tones being the underlying driving force behind the track, and Nick Flowers, whose energy on the drums is hard to miss.

The Tuba EP: Herbielife is the band’s latest EP and was released on 23/06/2023.

This EP is a collaboration with Herbie Flowers (hence the title) who is one of the most famous bassists of the 20^th century but is also a tuba player. He has played upright bass or bass for Blue Mink, T-Rex and Sky and has appeared on records by Elton John, David Bowie, Lou Reed, Paul McCartney, David Essex and many more, and I must say, the collaboration works really well!

One thing I can safely say about The Qwarks is that this is a band who are not afraid to experiment with their music. Fusing stoner rock, with psychedelia and alternative rock, this is also a band that have perfected a sound just for them. With funky guitars and basslines and energetic drumming that gives the EP a swagger, there is also a progressiveness about the music that is unlike anything I have heard recently (except, of course, other Qwarks tracks that I have reviewed!)

The inclusion of the tuba gives a different perspective to the rock genres and there is a diversity to this EP that shows, not only the perception of the guys involved, but also an appreciation of music in general.

Once again, the vocals are quirky with a mixture of melodic singing, punky shouting and almost the spoken word and the accompanying backups are of much the same style.

Overall, this is a funky, weird, wacky EP but one that must have been a lot of fun making.  Check out The Qwarks and their music, it should make you smile 😊

Track Listing:

1) Deckchairs

2) Biscuit Man

3) Sun

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Aaron “Aza” Brown is a singer / songwriter based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire and is currently the singer for the band The Wonderwhys. Having sung in various bands during the 90’s and 00’s, he took a fifteen-year hiatus from original music but is now back with the album he always knew he had in him.

Wasting Away is his latest single and was released on 23/06/2023.

A bouncy power pop / rock track this is a quirky song that is easy to listen to and will put you in a really good mood.

With a rock foundation, this track sprawls out into many genres, creating a great sound for Aza that really is unique to him. There are hooks throughout the track that you will be humming to yourself long after you have finished listening to the song and there is also a great summer vibe to it.

Musically, the song is spot-on, great hooks and soft riffs that really give the track a swagger that you can’t help but move along to. Vocally, the track is just as awesome. Aza’s voice is soft yet strong and accompanied by layered back ups that really do complement his singing style, the song has a great depth to it too.

This was my first track to review of the day and I must say it definitely put a smile on my face. Check out Aza and his band The Wonderwhys and see if his music does the same to you 😊

Aza also has a link to get the track for free if you give him a a little like on FB, IG, Twitter or TikTok:

https://hypeddit.com/azabrown/wastingaway

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Andy Smythe is a singer/songwriter based in Greenwich and has for the past twenty years been stealing the hearts and minds of all that hear his songs. Even Mike Scott from The Waterboys says of him; “Beautiful voice – songs straight from the heart.”

Prodigal Son is Andy’s latest single and was released on 23/06/2023.

The track is an easy to listen to song, that starts of quite serenely and calmly but one which builds in intensity as the song progresses.

With laid-back drumming and piano playing, the guitar work is also accompanied by some strings of all types, creating a real orchestral feel to the song. The stringed instruments provide the solos for the song, and this really creates depth and dimension to the track.

Andy’s vocals are soft and gentle yet quite haunting and hard-hitting at the same time and accompanied by some layered backups, the vocal arrangement on this track really is top-notch.

This is a great track, and the perfect first song if you haven’t heard of him before. This is a fantastic crossover of rock and power pop and takes the listener on a nostalgic trip around different genres. Blurring the lines between genres, as Andy has done here, shows just how talented he really is, and I really look forward to hearing more from him.

Awesome job!

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MAL is an original rock power trio from Van Nuys, California and, having previously reviewed music by them I was eager to hear more.

Madness As Lift is their latest single and was released on 23/06/2023.

This track has a slightly different feel to the previous track, which was more based in classic / alternative rock. This one, however, has a more experimental feel to it and the progressiveness of the music really does add another dimension to the song, really standing out as a difference from the previous track.

With a distortion on the guitars, which burst into life for the choruses, there is a fuzziness that borders on psychedelia to the track, and this really gives the song character.

Musically, this track switches rom fairly laid back to in-your-face rock and this shows just how diverse and talented this band is. This was evident in the previous track I reviewed but is even more so in this one.

As with the music, the vocals switch, with ease, from laid back and mellow to full on screams, and this creates a great contrast in singing styles throughout the song, always keeping the listener on their toes.

This is a great track and one that should be listened to more than once to hear everything it has to offer. Fans of psychedelia, classic rock, prog rock and maybe even the odd stoner rock fan, are going to love this track!

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The Candy Republic are a four-piece indie – pop – rock band, based in Devon and consist of members Ian Pirrie on guitars, synths and vocals, Grit Girl on vocals, Cheech on drums and Alison People on piano and keyboards. With influences such as The Velvet Underground, Bowie, Kraftwerk, Tubeway Army, LCD Sound System, Sonic Youth the band have created a sound that is unique to them, blurring the lines between genres.

Army Of Robots is their latest single and was released on 23/06/2023.

With fuzzy, distorted guitars, the track almost has a grunge feel to it while also maintaining an edgy feel, and riffs are thrown at the listener from all angles. The bass lines are funky, giving the track a swagger and the drumming keeps everything together and tight.

The male vocals are very quirky and use distortion to give the song a shoegaze feel, the music and the words merging together, and with the addition of the female backups, there is a great depth to the track.

This is a great track, their debut, and one that I think will appeal to fans of alternative rock and shoegaze as well as classic rock alike. Please check out The Candy Republic and see what you think!

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Space Owl is a collaboration between bassist Bob Lovelace, drummer John Ewing, and keyboardist David Appelbaum along with guitarist Ari Joshua, a jazz, rock, experimental, improvisation musician who “wields an enlightened presence, boundless creativity, and visceral virtuosity.”

Mountain Song, which “was composed after a journey shared between friends to the pinnacle of a treacherous mountain peak, overlooking a valley adorned with glistening lakes, rocks, evergreen trees, and giant boulders,” is the band’s latest single, released on 20/06/2023, and aims to capture the essence of timeless moments and lifelong connections.

With over a decade of experience creating their own brand of original psychedelic rock, Space Owl have, once again, created a captivating sound that draws the listener in with the music and keeps them there with the lyrics, which do not appear until about two thirds of the way through the track, giving the early impression the song is actually an instrumental.

With swaggering hooks and riffs, the guitar work is clean and enticing and combined with some funky basslines and raw drumming, there is a very progressive feel about the band’s sound, and time and pace changes throughout the song also contribute to this vibe.

The vocals are gruff but strong and this adds to the psychedelic feel of the track and with layered backups in much the same style, there really is a great depth to the song. There is so much going on in the track, that just one listen through is not enough to hear all that it has to offer, and there is always something new to hear.

This is a great track and will appeal to fans of psychedelia, stoner rock, classic rock, and blues alike. Check out Space Owl and see what you think for yourself!

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American rock band Alapaha Shine is the brainchild of L Brandon Blair, from Lake City, Florida, and this self-titled EP was released on 23/12/2022. The band formed in 2022 and has so far released one EP and a few other singles that will eventually all be included on another EP.

The band is a one-man band with L Brandon Blair taking charge of all vocals, guitar, bass, and drum duties, with a revolving mix of supporting musicians. Influenced by a wide range of bands from Aerosmith and Guns n Roses to 90’s bands such as Stone Temple Pilots and Soundgarden, and even modern bands like Whiskey Myers, The Cadillac Three and Tyler Bryant and The Shakedown, the sound this guy has created is a mix of just about everything rock, from grunge, to blue and even a little bit of country / southern thrown in for good measure.

Totalling just over 22 and a half minutes in length, the EP has five standalone tracks, each one different from the previous.

Kicking off with the rocky, yet funky and bluesy Hometown, each track mixes different genres to create a distinctive sound, keeping the listener interested and engaged in the music at all times.

The guitars are heavy in places but also more laid back when they need to be. Slight distortion is used at various times throughout the EP to create a grunge vibe to the track, and there is even the twang of a country guitar to be heard too.

Funky yet meaty basslines give the EP a swagger and a groove that is infectious to the listener and the drumming, while energetic, maintains the pace and speed of the songs perfectly.

The vocals are very classic in style, strong and powerful yet able to cope with the slower paced lyrics too, and with the added grit to his vocals, L Brandon Blair is able to propel himself right into the hard rock and rock n roll genres with ease.

This is a great EP that will appeal to fans of classic rock, rock n roll, alternative rock and just about all other types of rock alike. It is upbeat and with catchy hooks and lyrics it is certainly one that will stay in your head long after you have finished listening to it.

I very much look forward to further music from this exceptionally talented musician!

Track Listing

1) Hometown

2) The Other Side

3) Better Now

4) One Less Thing

5) Old Friend

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I have previously reviewed music by Golem Dance Cult so let me first remind you who this band are.

Golem Dance Cult is two friends called Charles and Laur who started a band together many moons ago when they were teenagers. After following their own musical journeys, they reunited in 2021 for a new musical adventure together and called it Golem Dance Cult. Laur is the drummer and percussionist and shares the vocal duties with Charles who also plays bass, guitar, cigar box, harmonica and various traditional instruments while also carrying out the programming, sampling, and production!

This track has a slightly different feel to the previous one, with more goth undertones and dark pop / post-punk imagery. Looking at the world through the eyes of a dog and having the choice of either following orders or revolting against the master, this track also includes references to and extracts from “Le Chien Andalou” by Luis Buñuel and “Wolf Blood A Tale Of The First” by George Chesebro.

With a glam rock vibe mixed with some psychedelia this track also draws influence from art-rock and the blending of the music with the vocals really creates an atmosphere to the song.

There is also a video to accompany the track that encapsulates the whole ambience of the track perfectly. With shots of the duo mixed in with various reels and videos of dogs, the psychedelic aspect of the music transforms itself to the screen too, some of the scenes weird and whacky!

This is a great track, and video, and with some very catchy hooks and lyrics, this is a song that will certainly stick in your head!

Awesome job by the guys once more!

This review is the property of The Metal Asylum