Mystik Fool is the music project of Galen Deery, a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter from the foothills of the Appalachian mountains in Pennsylvania and was founded in 2018.

Under the self-proclaimed genre of “Spirit Jam”, Mystik Fool combines everything from rock to reggae, pop to folk, and medicine music to prog and the result is simply stunning.

It is not always easy to combine a multitude of genres and do it well, but this band has managed to do just that, and seemingly with ease.

The track starts off in a very sublime way with some atmospheric sounds, soft synths, laid back drumming and gentle vocals but it soon erupts into a beautifully crafted blend of alternative, prog and classic rock.

The music to this track has a very psychedelic feel to it with floaty guitar riffs mix with heavier riffs and the guitar solo that kicks in at around the three minute mark, which is firmly rooted in the classic rock genre, really does send shivers down your spine. The drumming is perfectly executed and is full of energy and the bass and synths that pad out the rest of the track musically is simply fantastic.

The vocals on this track really do make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. Gentle to start with, they soon build in passion, strength and energy and reach a crescendo just before the guitar solo kicks in. This guy has an absolutely amazing voice that really does pull you into the song and his ability to swap from one style to another with such ease shows just what a talent he really is.

I absolutely loved this song and could listen to it on repeat all day. Phenomenal track!

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Among The Masses are a band from Sweden and got together through their love of guitar-based bands such as Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Depeche Mode and The Cure. Based in Stockholm, they play a blend of new-wave, rock, nostalgia and 80’s influenced music. The band consists of David Liebe on vocals, Andrej Anderzon Möller on piano, keyboards, programming, and backing vocals, Mats Gabriel-Burman on bass and Kent Alfredsson on lyrics. Their secret weapon is gold and platinum award winning producer, Andreas Ahlenius, who is lovingly referred to as the “fifth member.”

Wrong Turn is their latest single and was released on 06/03/2023.

This track is slightly different for me to review but as soon as I heard the new wave / Smiths influence I knew I wanted to hear more of the song.

This track is a beautifully crafted blend of alternative rock pop, new wave and synth indie rock, something that will take the listener on a nostalgic trip back to the 80’s while also maintaining a modern twist to it.

Musically this track is awesome, the mix of electronic drumbeats with synth sounds and keyboards being a real treat for the ears. If you are a fan of bands such as the aforementioned Depeche Mode along with the likes of New Order and Talking Heads then this is really going to be a band for you.

The vocals really add to the mix, that 80’s sound once again being very prominent and with some haunting backing vocals, the track has a very atmospheric vibe to it.

This really is a great track and I only wished it was an EP or an album I was reviewing as I wanted to hear more from these guys.

Please check the song and the band out. If new-wave is your thing, then you are really going to love this!

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I recently reviewed The Qwarks previous single Nice While It Lasted and I was eager to hear more but first let me tell you a bit about who the band are.

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.

Brunch At The End Of The World is their latest single and was release on 10/03/2023.

The band play a fusion of stoner rock, psychedelia and alternative rock, and  have perfected a sound that is uniquely theirs.

This track is upbeat, with some funky guitars and bass lines and the drumming is laid back yet raw. The inclusion of some very psychedelic sounds and vocals near the end of the track provide a great contrast to the alternative rock stance of the rest of the song and this really keeps the listener on the4ir toes as it is totally unexpected.

The vocals are somewhat quirky, the singer swapping from very melodic singing during the choruses to something a bit more punky for the verses, and is accompanied by some great back ups vocals that really gives the track complexity.

Another really great track from the boys from Brighton and one that will, yet again, set them apart from anything else you have listened to recently!

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“Benjamin David is an alchemist, turning base metal into gold.” Well, that’s what his Spotify account says anyway and he confesses that his music is a combination of D’angelo’s track Voodoo and the track Bombtrack by Rage Against The Machine!

And one thing I agree with is that the music of Benjamin Davidcannot be assigned to just one genre, as there are influences from a multitude evident in this song alone.

Divine is his latest single, released on 10/03/2023 and kicks off in a very “poppy” way, with just piano and Benjamin’s voice up until about the one minute mark when it erupts with drums and guitars and his voice really comes into its own.

Leaning more towards indie rock, this track also has a certain glam to it that really does make for a great combination, and one that is not seen very often.

Musically this track is great. There is a swagger to it that will have you tapping your feet, and the catchiness of the beat and guitar work will stick in your head all day. Vocally, though, this track is awesome. Benjamin has a voice that breaks all boundaries, switching from pop to rock seamlessly and with ease. The vocals are polished yet still have a certain grittiness and power to them that lifts the song out of the pop genre entirely.

This is a great track. It’s catchy and anthemic, with a big chorus that includes fantastic back up vocals, giving the track great depth and dynamism. The song has peaks and troughs throughout, the verses building up to the crescendos that are the choruses and this keeps the listener engaged in the track at all times.

This truly is a mesmerising song. Awesome job!

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WHITEROOMNIGHTMARE is the brainchild of self-taught musician Paul Anketell and the man from Northern Ireland has been making music for about two years now. He says on his Facebook page that he “makes music that is too heavy for some and not heavy enough for others!” But he thinks it is “just right.”

What You’re Made Of is his new single and was released on 10/03/2023.

“’What You’re Made Of’ is a pep talk for anyone agonising over whether or not to follow their dreams…. ignore the haters and naysayers and do what you love,” says WHITEROOMNIGHTMARE of the track, something that we all need to hear every now and then.

This is a hard-hitting track that kicks off right from the very start. The guitars are heavy, with riffs flying at you left, right and centres yet melodies come at you from all angles too. There is a certain dynamism to the guitar work that shows the talent of this guy. The pounding drums are a great accompaniment to the guitars and together these give the track a great blend of alternative rock and hard rock with some heavy metal influences thrown in there too.

The vocals are very distinctive on this track. Paul’s voice is soft yet so full of power and grittiness that he totally commands the song with the vocal and the contrast of his voice against the harshness of the instrumentation is great to hear, total opposite but completely working in unison together.

This is a great track, and I can’t wait to hear more from this Irishman. Please check out WHITEROOMNIGHTMARE on social media and Spotify and see what you think!

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Shockpowder is another artist I have reviewed a few times before, namely for the singles The Drowning And The Sunset and Nonsensical Dream, and I was excited to hear more from him.

Shockpowder is a shoegaze project with metal influences founded by Joshua Scurfield in 2015 and My Garden is his latest single, released on 10/03/2023.

A song of two halves, this track kicks off in quite a serene way with some laid back drumming, and some soft guitar work but do not let you lull you into a false sense of security as at around the two minute mark, the song erupts with heavy guitars and pounding drums, revealing the metal influence behind his music.

It is during this part of the song that we really see the shoe-gaze element of the song, as distorted guitars almost merge with the haunting, sometimes inaudible, vocals that were missing from the first part of the song.

Where the first part of the song is more polished and cleaner, the second half has a fuzziness to it that really does take us on a trip back to the grunge era of the 90’s, and all the while there is still a modern twist that keeps the track up to date and fresh.

The most astounding part of this track, as with his previous, is that everything is done by just one person. He creates such an anthemic and big sound that you could be fooled into thinking he is accompanied by other musicians, and this, I think, is just where his talents are showed off to the maximum.

Another great track from this awesome artist. Don’t believe me? Then please go and check out his Spotify. Shoegaze fans will absolutely love him!

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Aldís Fjóla is an Icelandic musician from Borgarfjörður eystra in East Iceland. Having shared the stage with different bands since she was sixteen, she has now started her solo career and is writing from her own life lessons and disasters, themes that many people will resonate with. She is inspired by the people around her and uses her music to confront her traumas.

Pipedreams is her latest EP and was released on 10/02/2023.

And what a great EP it is!

Blending a multitude of genres there is no one style of music that can define this talented woman. With a hard rock foundation, influences from alternative rock, grunge and even indie synth rock creep in.

The guitar work is heavy when it needs to be, with riffs galore being thrown into your ears, but can also be more melodic at times too. The drumming and bass sections are much the same too, erupting during the choruses throughout the EP and funky basslines also give the EP a groovey vibe.

The vocals on this EP, however, are outstanding. With a strong rock-influenced base, there is a quirkiness and a grittiness to them that really makes them stand out. Deeper than a lot of the vocals of her contemporaries, her voice really does suit the style of music that she is producing. Her vocals are actually quite haunting and mesmerising at times, especially on the title track Pipedreams, and this just shows the diversity she has.

It is not easy to fuse together so many different genres of rock, and to be able to do it well, but Aldís does it effortlessly and with ease.

The EP varies in pace as it progresses but this creates a very ambient atmosphere and really does draw the listener into the music.

An absolutely brilliant EP and I can’t wait to hear more from her in the future. Awesome!

Track Listing:

1 Wasted

2 Burn

3 Rearview Mirror

4 Pipedreams

5 Crossfire

6 Brenndu brýr

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I have already reviewed a couple of singles by Sarantos and so was quite happy to review this one too. I am always eager to see what else an artist has to offer and Sarantos didn’t disappoint.

Let me first remind you who Sarantos is. Sarantos is, according to his website,  a “DIY international award-winning solo music artist, top 5 iTunes UK charting singer songwriter, #1 iTunes South Africa charting folk and country artist, proud nerd, multi-instrumentalist, book author, comic book nut, radio show host, poet and part time spy!” He is also an “alien who landed here to infect the human race and spread the disease of music!”

Now while all of the above might be a little hard to believe, there is one thing that he is certainly and that’s a very talented musician and he says his music is for all “the nerds and loners out there and anyone else who’s ever been misunderstood.”

Sarantos went through some personal hardships when his father passed away from lung cancer and Another Surgery is about how he looks on every surgery he has to go through is another chance to spend a little time with his father. The lyrics are dark and haunting and, once you realise what the song is actually about, listening to it is quite hard and emotional.

The track starts off as a soft ballad, just vocals accompanied by piano and laid back drumming but the song picks up momentum and as it does this, more emotion is emitted from the track. Acoustic and electric guitars join in on the music side of things, their fuzziness adding to the emotion of the song and Sarantos’s voice becomes stronger and more powerful.

This must have been a hard song for Sarantos to write and perform but he does it in the most beautiful way and many people will be in tears at the end of it, as it could remind them of parents they, too, have lost.

Another great track from this extremely gifted artist.

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Where’s Gladys is a Boston-based duo, consisting of Art Papas on guitar and lead vocals and Alex Reinart on drums and backing vocals. The two of them take it in turns on the keyboards and bass. They are heavily influenced by rock music stretching from the 1960’s all the way through to today and their sound is driven by Art’s guitar work and Alex’s unique style of drumming.

Where’s Gladys is the band’s debut EP and took a total of three years to produce, as it took the guys a very long time to assemble a group of sings that told the right story.

The EP as five tracks, each different from the previous, that cover a wide range of genres from drum-driven indie rock to gritty garage rock, to retro and soulful ballads and upbeat pop/rock.

The EP has a certain atmosphere to it and this is one of the charms of the EP. There is a slight haziness to it produced with the clever use of distortion of the guitars, which are raw at times, yet polished and clean at other times. The solos are punchy and expertly executed and there is a hint of psychedelia created by the guitars that only adds to the ambient nature of the EP.

The rest of the music side of things is spot on. The drumming is laid back when it needs to be but more upbeat when required and the drum and bass section holds the tracks tightly together.

With its foundations firmly in the indie / alternative genre of rock, there are also heavier rock elements creeping in that shows these two guys could probably turn their hands to any type of rock music they wanted to and there is a great mix of upbeat and slower tracks, meaning the listener is always engaged in the music.

This is a great breakthrough EP for the duo and one that will taken the listener on a nostalgic trip through rock music from the 60’s up to the present day. The modern twist to the sound keeps the music up to date and fresh, while also reminding us of times gone by.

Great debut EP. Let’s hope the can continue the momentum with an even greater album!

Track Listing:

1 Out Of Air

2 World Stopped

3 Let That Set In

4 So Insecure

5 Sleepwalk

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Betty Moon is a songwriter, music and film producer who lives and works in Los Angeles California where she operates Evolver Music Inc. Her music has been featured in a variety of television shows and films including Californication, Dexter, Bounty Hunters, Teen Mom, Walking the Dead, Last Gasp and the film Butter starring Mira Sorvino.

I previously reviewed her single My Only One, loved it and couldn’t wait to hear more from this talented lady.

The song opens with some funky bass lines giving the track some immediate groove before Betty’s strong vocals kick in. The guitars keep up with the funky sound and slight distortion is used here to help with this.

Electronic beats pop up throughout the song, giving the track that 90’s vibe that was evident on the previous track too and the guitar solos are, once again, epic.

Betty has an incredible range in her vocals, from low sultry tones to the more high pitched ones, and she does it all with a great command and ease. Her voice totally pulls the listener into the song and the music accompanying her keeps you there.

I loved this track, its rocky, its groovy and its totally bombastic! This very talented lady had amassed a huge following on social media and Spotify before but this song could just gain her a load more.

Excellent track!

Photo Credit: Evolver Music, Inc.

This review is the property of The Metal Asylum