SWEETS is an alternative rock band from Limerick, Ireland, whose roots are firmly entrenched in Limerick’s prolific music scene and features members of much-loved, critically acclaimed acts Tooth, Giveamanakick, Windings & Japanese Jesus. The band features long-time collaborators Liam Marley (guitar/vocals) and Lorcan Bourke (drums) who along with close friends Keith Lawler (guitar) and Bertie Kelly (bass) officially formed the band in 2021.

Dead Ends is their latest single, released on 20/01/2023 and only their second release, with the plan to release an album towards the end of 2023.

So, what of this release, Dead Ends? It’s a track that combines alternative rock, noise rock, classic rock, hard rock and grunge and the end result is a sound unique to them.

The guitars are fuzzy and distortion plays a big part in the track, giving it a grungey vibe and the drumming is loud and energetic. The vocals also use distortion to a degree, the multi-layers giving the song depth and dynamism, and the vocal style reminds me very much of Killing Joke.

There is a very nostalgic feel about the song as it is very reminiscent of the post punk genre of the 80’s but at the same time there is a very industrial feel to the track, while still sounding quite modern.

I realty liked this track and I am very much looking forward to listening to the album when it is released at the end of this year!

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Ten years ago, Linda was singing on progressive rock albums, but after an eight-year break from music, she came back in 2020 with her new project, combining her love of music and her love of flying.

Little Foal is her latest single, about empowering women to fly, was released on 12/08/2022 and features Nika. It is a single from her upcoming album Linda – Trip To Myself.

The opening riffs immediately grab you and you know this is going to be  belter of a track. This is a classic sounding anthem that will soon have you pumping your fist into the air as the riffs and melodies take over you.

With crashing cymbals, pounding drums and high-gain guitar riffs, this track has the vibe of classic rock with a modern-day twist. The guitar solos are superb, the drumming is energetic and the basslines are funky, just how classic rock should be!

The dual vocals with Nika are powerful and strong and the two harmonize well with each other. The higher notes are hit with ease and both ladies have a wide vocal range.

The song is full of energy, with the verses really building up to the big sounds of choruses, and you will certainly be bouncing around to this one.

Great, rocking track that all fans of classic rock will love. I can’t wait to hear what the album has to offer now!

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October Noir has always been a firm favourite of The Metal Asylum and when we were approached by drummer, Tyler Fleming to do a review of their single Endless Lonely, we literally jumped at the chance!

For those of you who have never heard of October Noir (and if that’s you, why have you never heard of them? Go and give yourself a stern talking to!), they are a gothic / doom band from Pensacola, Florida and formed in 2016. They have released three albums (with the first being remastered in 2022) and nine singles to date and Endless Lonely is the first single from the upcoming album “Letters To Elizabeth” due for release on September 22^nd, 2023.

And what an absolutely beautiful track it is!

The band have been likened to Type O Negative over the years and, although they do have a similar sound, October Noir take the doom just that little bit further!

The guitars are heavy, with both powerful, crushing riffs and great solo work, the drumming is energetic, big on sound and the basslines are strong. The band has had some line up changes over the years, but they appear to have found the right combination now and getting a sound like they have from just three of them is absolutely phenomenal.

Tom’s voice is just extraordinary. He switches from the deepest of doom vocals (you think Pete Steele had a deep voice, you’ve not heard anything yet!) to almost high pitch screaming with such ease and panache, its practically inhuman!

The song has quite a melancholic feel to it (come on, this is gothic doom music!) but the emotion that comes from this track is remarkable. The vocals, the instruments, everything just works so well together that its hard to believe this reincarnation of the band has only been together since 2021!

The song itself, is over seven minutes long but its seven minutes of pure, exquisite gothic doom! There really is only one word to describe this track and that is……BEAUTIFUL!

We are so looking forward to the album coming out and, hopefully, we might even get the chance to review that for you too!

October Noir…you really have pulled out all the stops on this track! Absolutely bloody loved it!

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Trend Kill Ghosts, formed in 2018, are a classic power / melodic band from Brazil and their music carries a message to “inspire people to “kill their ghosts” and pursue their goals.”

Prisoners In Our Minds was released on 13/01/2023 and features Roland Grapow, known for his time in German power metal band, Helloween and also for founding the band Masterplan in 2001.

This track really is a masterclass in power metal and being a big fan of the genre, is a song that really drew me in.

The guitars, lead and bass, are fast yet melodic and clean, the riffs are heavy, almost drilling into your very soul, and the solos are just out of this world. The drumming is energetic and, at times, frantic and keeps the (fast) pace of the song perfectly.

The vocals in this track are simply stunning. The singer’s voice can change from deep and powerful to high pitched scream at the drop of a hat and he does this with ease. He is accompanied by layered back up vocals that consists of a huge chorus of voices and this, along with the musical composition of the track, gives the song an orchestral sound.

This is a great power metal track and one that I think, no, I know, will make it on to one of the radio shows we also produce. This really deserves to be heard by a lot more people and I, for one, will be heading over to Spotify and Youtube to see what else I can find by this simply awesome band! I suggest all you power metal fans out there do the same too!

Fabulous track! (Can I listen to it again now?)

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Having previously already reviewed The Richest man Alive by The One Tonic, I was intrigued to hear what else this band produced.

The One Tonic is the brainchild of Salt Lake City based artist Matt Soren and We Can’t Fail is their latest single, released on 19/01/2023 (today!)

Matt has had his fair share of turmoil throughout his life and 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.

This track lets you know what it is all about from the moment it starts with an introduction of heavy electronic beats, which gives a very industrial feel to the song, and these are continued throughout the track especially during the choruses.

Energetic drums back up the synths and guitars are brought in to combine it all together. As well as the huge swaggering electronic beats, there are also little snippets of electro that pop up throughout the song and this really gives the track depth and dynamism. The band’s previous track had a distinct 80’s feel because of the synths used, but this time round, synths give the track an almost futuristic vibe.

Once again, the vocals are quirky and edgy and this really works well with the song and really give it an anthemic ambiance that will make you want to listen to the track on repeat.

This is another great track that successfully manages the crossover between rock, dark wave, synth and just about everything else. It is heavy when it needs to be but softer and more melodic at other times.

I loved this track and I think this will appeal to a wide-ranging audience. If you didn’t check out The One Tonic from my last review, then please go and do so now! You will not be disappointed.

Great track!

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Who is The Palfreyman Collective? Well, the answer to that is simple! The Palfreyman Collective is songwriter David Palfreyman and an array of talented musicians and is a new project on the scene and Slow Burner is their new single, released on 12/01/2023.

I have previously reviewed the album, but it is nice to now be able to review a single from that album.

Slow Burner is  a combination of classic rock, hard rock and all things rock, with a little bit of jazz thrown in for good measure.

The song starts off quite gentle, showcasing the singers awesome voice with just a little bit of background music at first before the track really does kick off and all instruments suddenly burst into life.

The guitar work is a great mix of classic and blues, with heavy riffs when they are needed and clean solos. The drumming is energetic and dominant and I can really imagine the drummer hitting those skins hard! Once again the basslines are subtle and solid and the inclusion of a saxophone part way through the track really adds a dynamism to the song, creating the jazz element previously mentioned.

I said in my last review that the singer is a “powerhouse” and I still stand by this on this review. His voice is strong and powerful, with a gritty edge to it that really rocks this song up and the backup vocals compliment his perfectly.

This is a great, rocky little number that will really get you dancing around. Whether you are singing into your hairbrush along with the catchy lyrics or you pick up your air guitar to play along with the solos, this track will certainly get you moving in one way or another!

A great track (from a great album, titled The Palyfrey Collective if you wanted to check it out) from a great band!

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The Breakdown are a melodic rock band based in London and was founded by a group of teenage friends from around the South East. Reuniting after a chance encounter 15-years later, the band began just three weeks before the nationwide lockdowns and during this time, they worked together remotely, not being able to rehearse together for another year.

When It Comes To Things Like Love is their latest music, released on 07/01/2023.

A clever mix of 80’s New Wave and 90’s alternative rock, this is a band that can take you back in time with the press of a play button, all with that necessary modern twist to keep their music fresh and up to date.

Slightly distorted guitarwork starts the track off before the rest of the instruments kick in, giving us a big dollop of this band’s uniqueness. Funky basslines that show their faces every now and then, and energetic drumming are great accompaniments to the guitars, and the vocals really do complete the package. The strong male lead, reminiscent of the likes of The Smiths, adds to the nostalgic vibe the track has, but there is also a slight edginess to his voice that keeps the sound new.

The song is quite upbeat in nature although the lyrics might tell you differently!

I liked this song and I think if you are a fan of 80’s post punk, 90’s alternative rock and 00’s indie rock then I think you will too!

Looking forward to the next one.

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Based in Nashville in Tennessee, Joshua was born in a small town near Chicago, and soaked up anything he could hear from the airwaves, before heading off on his own musical journey and No Stopping Us is his latest single, released on 06/01/2023.

I had reviewed Joshua’s previous single Tazewell County Line and I was eager to see what else he had come up with.

No Stopping Us is more upbeat than the previous track, the swagger of country rock really evident in this one. It starts slowly but very soon the drum beat speeds up and the song really kicks off.

The guitar playing by Joshua, once again, has that twang that is so prevalent in country rock music and acoustic guitars accompanied by electric is a real treat for the ears.

Joshua’s vocals are beautiful on this track, a mix of classic rock with country and his voice really pulls you into the song.

It’s a catchy little song that will leave you humming for the rest of the day and if you are not tapping your foot to it, at the very least, then take a look at yourself and ask yourself if you even like music?! As I said in my previous review, country music isn’t one of my top genres but even I was sitting in my chair bopping away to this!

If country rock / Americana is your thing, then you are going to love this track. Go and check it out and see if I’m not wrong!

Another great track from this exceptionally talented artist!

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I had previously reviewed Roxercat’s single I Changed Today and I was excited to hear what the EP sounded like, and at 26 minutes and 41 seconds long, the six tracks are a lovely blend of classic rock, rock n roll and AOR.

First of all though, let me recap you on the band. Roxercat are a three-piece prog rock band from Nashville, Tennessee led by singer Price Jones who is joined by guitarist Stan Lassiter and bassist Bill Francis, and Pearls is their latest EP, released on 13/01/2023.

As I said in my previous review, the band have only been playing together since 2017, but this is not reflected in the music they produce, which is well put together, tight and the production is, once again, awesome.

A mix of ballads and more upbeat tracks, this EP covers everything, and the order of the tracks is great, as no two songs are the same, always leaving the listener wondering as to what is coming next.

Price’s vocals are simply stunning and this is shown more on this EP than on the single, more songs gives the listener more tracks to appreciate her strong, powerful voice that seems to be just at home singing a ballad as it does belting out a rock number.

The guitar work is, once, again, fantastic and the use of slide throughout the EP adds just a little bit of oomph. The percussion side of things is spot on and the drumming is laid back when it needs to be yet energetic at the same time.

The use of organs and synths gives the EP depth and the backing vocals that support Price work really well.

Overall the EP has a classic rock feel, with a slightly country undertone to it. Bluesy guitar work is thrown in for good measure and there is even a funk jazz vibe to it at times too.

As a debut EP, this is absolutely fantastic and I can only imagine the music this great band will go on to create. If you didn’t check Roxercat out after my review of their single, then I urge you to now!

Superb!

Track Listing:

1) Pearls

2) Crime

3) Baby I Tired

4) I Will Not Lie

5) I Changed Today

6) 2020

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The Silent Era is a London based four band and Heavy Cure is their latest single, released on 13/01/2023. Comprising of Chris (guitars), Nic (bass), and Conor (drums) they are joined by Bri on vocals. They formed in the latter part of 2021 and playing live gained the band support from fans before they decided to drop this, their debut single.

The track has a doomy, atmospheric intro before it kicks off in its entirety with its melodic riffs and distorted female vocals. The band say themselves that they love reverb and distortion and this is used to great effect during the track.

The guitars are dirty, giving the track a grungey, fuzzy feel to it and this is only backed up by the singers edgy vocals, reminiscent of the sound of the 90’s. Her voice is powerful, hitting the high notes as well as the low, yet there is also a gothic, haunting hint to it too.

The track has quite a laid back feel to it but this does not mean that it isn’t heavy in places, as the choruses burst into life after more subdued verses.

This song is a great combination of alternative rock, grunge and post punk, hopping from one genre to the next with every note. It is hard to believe that this is the band’s debut single as they have seemingly already cemented themselves a sound that is entirely their own.

If this is what is to come from this young band then I can’t wait to hear more from them!

Great track!

This review is purely the property of The Metal Asylum