Trickshooter Social Club are an eight-piece (yes eight!) roots-rock band from Chicago who celebrate everything from country and rock to pop, punk, and blues. Their influences include the likes of Cash, Kiss, Social Distortion, Cheap Trick, Steve Earl, Tom Petty, and early Wilco, and they are not afraid to wear these influences on their sleeves.

Wilderness Radio is their latest EP and was released on 31/03/2023.

This is a genre-bending EP that not only blurs the lines between them but totally obliterates them. One minute you are listening to a full-on country number and the next it’s a classic rock track, the listener never knowing what is coming next.

The guitars range from classic rock riffs, heavy and totally in your face to that unmistakable twang of a country rock guitar and it is this diversity that really makes this EP stand out. The drumming is full on, energetic, the basslines are strong, keeping the songs in time and on track and the piano and keyboard work adds depth and dynamism to the songs. Stringed instruments at various points throughout the EP also add to that country/Americana sound that is the root of the band’s sound.

Musically, this EP is superb. Each and every musician compliments the others perfectly and the band play well together. Vocally, there is a mix of male and female leads, and this creates a stunning contrast. On some tracks, it’s the male who picks up the lead vocals and is backed by the female while on others, the haunting female voice takes the lead and is accompanied by layered backups.

The EP has four songs in total, but each is uniquely different to the others, and there is a variety in pace, with the last track being a beautiful ballad, that really finishes off the EP.

Trickshooter Social Club is the rock ‘n’ roll band you never knew you had to listen to! They will appeal to fans of country rock, classic rock, soft rock and blues, and everything in between. But please, don’t just take my word for it. Head on over to Spotify and check these guys and gals out.

Awesome EP and I look forward to hearing more from them in the future!

Track Listing:

1) Girl Vs Monster

2) Say Anything

3) Run All Night

4) Bury Me In Light

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Jack Lillian is a musician from California in the USA and Weeping Willow is her latest single, released on 22/04/2023. Playing “emotional stoner rock” this lady is taking all the bad labels that have ever been stuck on her and using them to fuel her psych-filled desert grunge rock sound. And boy is she doing a great job of it!

Weeping Willow is a fuzzed-out stoner rock, with elements of grunge and alternative rock thrown in for good measure. There are also some psychedelia influences in there too and this all makes for an interesting sound that is not only genre-bending but truly unique to her.

The guitars are loud with heavy riffs and distortion plays a huge part in the fuzzy sound that they emit. Even the solos are distorted, and this creates a great atmosphere to the song. The drumming is energetic and meaty and mixed with heavy basslines that also have that distorted sound the track has a very nostalgic feel to it as it nods back to the alternative and grunge sound of the 90’s.

Jack’s vocals are superb on this track. Her voice is strong and powerful, and she commands the song from start to finish. She has the perfect vocal range for this type of track and even the slight distortion on her vocals adds to the overall sound. The layered backups add a great depth and dynamism to the track and the harmonies work so well.

This is a great track that is raw and in your face, full of attitude and anthemic. The choruses are big and will definitely stick in your head long after you have finished listening to them.

I loved this track from the moment it started, and I think fans of all genres will too. Go and check out Jack Lillian and her music, I know you won’t be disappointed.

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Coma Beach are a punk rock/alternative rock band from Würzburg in Germany and were formed in 1993 by singer B. Kafka, guitarist Captain A. Fear and drummer M. Lecter, with bassist U. Terror and rhythm guitarist M. Blunt completing the line-up.

Their musical influences range from The Sex Pistols, The Ramones, Hüsker Dü, Joy Division, The Cure, The Jesus and Mary Chain to Guns N’ Roses, Therapy? and Bad Religion and they are not afraid to wear these influence on their sleeves.

I previously reviewed the band’s album, The Scapegoat’s Agony, and was eager to hear more from this great band. Jesus’ Tears was released on 16/06/2021 and although is only a track from just two years ago, it has a sound that could have been released anywhere in the last forty!

With funky basslines to open the track, these remain prevalent throughout the entire track and are a great combination with the heavy, punk guitar work. The riffs are fast, as all good punk riffs should be, and the drumming is frenetic and energetic.

The vocals are typical punk vocals, with shouty backups but there is also an edginess to the vocals that makes this more than just a punk song, and this shows the diversity of the singer and the band as a whole.

This track is raw and in your face and is a great way to be introduced to the band if you haven’t heard them before. It portrays their sound perfectly and leaves the listener under no illusions as to what this band is about.

Punk fans, old and new alike, should love this song so I recommend you all head on over to Spotify to check this track, the band and anything else they have produced out. You certainly will not be disappointed.

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I have previously reviewed music by Clay Joule, and I am always eager to hear more so when the opportunity to review the latest single, Drifters, came up I jumped at the chance.

Based in Secaucus, New Jersey, Clay Joule is a singer-songwriter who makes uplifting soft rock music and he writes songs about themes that are important in everyday life.

Drifters is his latest single released on 02/04/2023 and features the beautiful voice of Elisa Mammoliti,

Musically, this track is quite bluesy with some awesome rhythm and blues guitar work going on and this gives the track a certain swagger. The drumming is very laid-back, and the basslines are strong and keep the track together.

It’s the vocals that really makes this track stand out. The male vocals are, once again, soft, and gentle, with that little bit of blues grittiness to give the track an edginess to it. But combining the male lead with the beautiful yet haunting voice of Elisa really creates a contrast between the two leads. The two voices harmonise well together and compliment each other perfectly, creating a sound that would fit perfectly into a blues bar somewhere. I have visions of a dimly lit club, lots of smoke and the two singers as silhouettes on the stage! But hey, that’s just my interpretation of the track.

This is another great track from this talented musician and Elisa, and of the three I have now reviewed, I think this one has to be my favourite. Absolutely fantastic track and I think all blues, classic rock and soft rock fans will love it!

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I Panic is the brainchild of Dutch singer and multi-instrumentalist, Marcel van Tetering. He started I Panic way back in 1987 with two lifelong friends but they only played together for about a year. He retained the name and set up as a solo artist.

A self-taught composer and performer, he was influenced by many diverse genres as he grew up in his grandmother’s record shop sand this makes him exceedingly difficult to pigeonhole now. I have reviewed a number of his previous singles and couldn’t wait to review his latest Forgot To Tell Me, which was released on 20/04/2023.

This is another upbeat track from him and one that will certainly get you up and dancing around with its catchy lyrics and melodies.

A clever mix of ska, punk, rock and pop, this track really does have a unique sound to it that continues with quirkiness quality that I pointed out in my review of his last single.

Musically this track is great. With a combination of reggae beats with some odd beat guitar work and even some organ and synths thrown in for good measure, the drumming keeps the track moving at a great pace and the basslines keeps everything tight and together. There is a slight change of pace towards the end of the song, but you are soon thrown back into the ska/punk sound that the rest of the song does so well.

Marcel’s voice is perfect for this song and, with a hint of Mark Chadwick from The Levellers about it, just the vocals alone will have you bopping along in time, and this is certainly a track that will get stuck in your head the moment you hear. It.

What another fantastic track from this incredibly talented musician. Please, please, please go and check I Panic and his music out on Spotify. I highly recommend this track to everyone.

Photo Credit: Marcel van Tetering

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The Histrionics are a psych punk band from New Albany in Louisville and Downturn is their latest single, released on 30/03/2023.

Starting with some strong, funky basslines that become a prevalent feature all throughout the track, this erupts into a full-on grunge / stoner rock track that is very reminiscent of the 90’s grunge scene.

Heavy guitars are a driving force behind the track, and they are given an even fuzzier sound by the use of distortion, as weighty riffs are accompanied by blues infused alternative rock leads and feedback is also used to great effect.

The drumming is energetic and features lots of crashing cymbals, and it is slow and methodical in places while more frenetic in others.

The vocals on this track are impressive, dark, and brooding, the use of distortion here also creating a great effect. The chorus, in particular, is very catchy and will have you singing it on repeat for the rest of the day.

This is a great track and one that I think will appeal to fans of classic rock, stoner rock, grunge and alternative rock alike. Awesome job!

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I reviewed JJ McGuigan’s previous single Disconnected and couldn’t wait to review his latest single, Save My Life, released on 14/04/2023. But before I talk about the song, let me remind you who JJ McGuigan is.

JJ McGuigan was born in Wichita Kansas, and he found a passion for music at the age of thirteen when he received his first drum set. He later picked up guitar and started writing songs at the age of twenty. He was diagnosed with OCD at the age of sixteen, along with major depression, anxiety, and depersonalization and now is main focus and passion is writing songs with an emphasis on lyrical creation and being a mental health advocate.

He has had features on Indie Spoonful, Jamsphere, Find No Enemy, Indie Pulse Music and Music Talkers and is an award-winning songwriter who made it to the finals of the VH1 Save The Music Song writing Contest.

He is an advocate for mental health and most of his songs touch of the subjects of depersonalisation, depression, and anxiety.

Save My Life is a dark track with some hard-hitting lyrics, all brought to us by the enthusiastic and emotive voice that JJ has. Strong and powerful it has a little bit of added grit that place him firmly in the alternative rock genre, with influences from 90’s rock, classic rock, and hard rock.

The guitar work is heavy, with riffs that really punch you in the face and the solos are intricate and expertly executed. The drumming is energetic, with plenty of pounding bass drums and crashing cymbals and the basslines really keep the track together.

Not quite a ballad, yet not an upbeat track, there is an ambience to this song that makes it a great crossover alternative rock track. It is anthemic and, although not catchy in the normal sense of the word, the lyrics will certainly stick in your head.

Another great track from an incredibly talented musician and a song that everyone needs to hear.

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The One Tonic is the brainchild of Salt Lake City based artist Matt Soren and having had his fair share of turmoil throughout his life, he now donates a proportion of all net proceeds from ticket, product, and merchandise sales to support organizations that strengthen families and lift individuals out of addiction, mental illness, and other curve balls.

I have reviewed a number of the band’s singles and I was not disappointed by this latest offering, This Fight, the new single which was released on 19/04/2023.

More subdued than previous songs, this track has a very ambient and relaxing feel to it. With its roots in the alternative rock genre, this track also draws influence from other genres, such as classic rock, synth rock and emo rock to create a sound that is unique, individual, and ever so slightly quirky,

Musically, this track is beautiful. Soft drumming and melodic guitarwork is accompanied by gentle synthesizers to create the background of the song. Synth work is blended with piano towards the end creating a crescendo of sound as the song reaches its peak and the piano is a prevalent feature throughout the entire track, adding to the haunting vibe the music gives off.

Vocally, Matt’s voice is strong and powerful, and even its quirkiness adds to the atmospheric sound of the track. He can switch from dark and powerful singing to the more subtle and gentle tones with ease and seems at home doing both.

This track really shows just how diverse this talented musician is and I had to listen to this song on repeat as just one play through wasn’t enough, as the passion and emotion that is emitted from the song, by the music, the vocals, and lyrics, is just breath taking.

This is another formidable track from The One Tonic but please, do not just take my word for it. Head on over to his social media profiles and see for yourself!

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Hollow River is a Canadian Pop-Punk-Rapper whose sound blends fast, upbeat guitars and rhythm sections with lyrics that are dripping with vivid imagery and Back Bay Dropout is his latest EP, released on 19/04/2023.

With a hybrid sound that crosses many genres, this is a very quirky EP that has some intelligent lyrics and very catchy melodies.

Combining everything from alternative rock to pop-punk to emo/skater rock, rap is also included to create a crossover sound that is unique. Electric guitars are a driving force behind the EP, as are the pounding drums and funky basslines, but electronic sounds and bites are also added to give the songs depth and dimension.

However, it’s the vocals that really make this EP stand out, which switches between rapping and melodic singing, using distortion in places to create a grungey feel. This creates a two-sided feel to the EP that is a great contrast to hear, and the singer switches between the two easily and seamlessly. Both singing styles are strong and powerful, if a little quirky, but this really gives the EP an individuality that so often is missed. Influences from the likes of Eminem and other rappers as well as alternative rock vocalists can be heard throughout the EP, and this shows the diversity this guy has.

With infectious melodies, heartfelt lyrics, and a great musical arrangement, this is a fantastic EP that will appeal to a wide range of music lovers, from rap fans to alternative and classic rock fans alike. Head on over to Spotify and hear for yourself the talent and skill set of this much sought-after artist!

Track Listing:

1) Aspartame

2) The Way I Want To

3) I’ll Break Them Down

4) Ignite

This review is the property of The Metal Asylum

LaQuinta Prince aka Bad Ass Beauty is an R&B vocalist who is now stretching her skills into the genre of rock (and doing an extremely excellent job of it too!) She was educated at the esteemed Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, and cites her musical influences as spanning from Led Zeppelin to Chaka Khan, Beyonce to In This Moment.

I have previously reviewed two of her singles and was eager to hear more!

Broken is Bad Ass Beauty’s latest single, released on 21/04/2023 and I was not disappointed.

Driven by funky basslines, this track is another full-on rock track infused with elements of dance, trance, and R&B. The guitars are heavy, with riffs galore and the rolling drums that accompany the guitars really will get stuck in your head. This track is upbeat and will definitely get you tapping your foot, although banging your head would be a better thing to do.

Despite the heaviness of the track, there are also some electronic beats and bites throughout that really adds dynamism to the song.

The vocals are, once again, immense and it hard to believe this lady has her roots in the R&B genre. Her voice is strong, powerful, and perfectly suited to rock and metal music. There is plenty of swagger and attitude in her voice to carry off the rock sound and her range is extraordinary, switching easily from one style to another. The vocals are layered, and this really does give the track a phenomenal depth.

There is a change of pace about halfway through the song, but the listener is soon launched headfirst back into the track, the basslines really pulling you in, almost hypnotically.

I said in a previous review that this is a woman with balls, and I still stand by that statement. To take on the rock world with her background would not be an easy feat to do but this lady really is storming it, turning the rock world on its head with her unique blend.

Another great track from a seriously talented artist who really should be listened to everyone. I highly recommend everyone head on over to Spotify to check out Bad Ass Beauty and her music! I’m sure you will love it.

This review is the property of The Metal Asylum