Originally from Cleveland, Alec Berlin moved to New York City twenty-five years ago has shared the stage with the likes of Elton John, James Taylor, Rob Thomas, Ben Folds, Kenny Wheeler and Rufus Wainwright as well as performing in dozens of Broadway shows including Rent, Wicked, The Lion King and Bright Star.
I recently reviewed his six track EP, Life In The Bog, and so jumped at the chance to review this track, Patchen Avenue, released on 17/11/2022.
Once again, this track mixes progressive rock with classic rock and alternative and even throws in some jazz and funk for good measure. There is the twang of country guitars as the track hits a crescendo and the mix of acoustic guitars with electric is awesome.
The drumming in the background keeps the song tight as I feel, if let, the amazing guitar work could just go off on a wander, and the synths and funky basslines add so much depth.
The track is an instrumental but there is always something going on to keep the listener entertained and this really does need more than one listen through to actually hear everything it has to offer.
At about five and a half minutes in length it really is a musical treat for your ears, and I am certain that hen you have heard it once, you will want to listen to it again and again.
A job well done here; I think!
This review is purely the property of The Metal Asylum
The Lunar Keys are a new four-piece rock band from Guildford and Maniac is their latest track, released on 25/11/2022.
Playing a mixture of “alternative rock and neurotic pop” these guys provide a nostalgic nod back to 90’s alternative, indie rock while also maintaining a contemporary sound.
With bouncing bass lines throughout the whole track (and who doesn’t love bouncing basslines?!), the track combines dirty guitars with crashing drums and cymbals, giving the track a big sound with that dash of grunginess that lifts it out of the pop/rock and into the more edgy rock genres.
The vocals are strong and powerful and there is an air of eagerness and enthusiasm about them. You can really tell the singer is enjoying the experience of singing the song and the grittiness to them gives the track a super edgy vibe.
This is an extremely catchy song with a big chorus, and I was dancing in my chair, writing this review as I listened to it for the fourth or fifth time in a row.
I really want to hear more from this band. They have struck a chord with me, and I think they could really do wonderful things.
Fantastic work guys, more please!
This review is purely the property of The Metal Asylum
Annabella is a Vienna based female fronted power duo consisting of the vintage doll Anna, the band’s mastermind who writes all the songs, and the singer Bella, who is responsible for the performance and the musical realisation.
Together they produce songs that process their own history in a naughty and snotty, yet sensitive and fragile way and they talk about taboos which women usually only discuss behind closed doors.
Replaced is their latest track and it was released on 02/11/2022.
Its hard where to place this pair in terms of genre but I would say they mix alternative with AOR and glam but give it a 90’s yet modern feel to it too!
The track is guitar-driven with crunching riffs and dirty guitars and the drums are strong and powerful. The vocals and lyrics are fierce, telling the story of someone who has moved on after a relationship breakdown, realising that they can be strong without that person, a theme a lot of people can relate to.
At just under three minutes in length, the song is punchy and catchy, and the bombastic chorus will be your earworm for the rest of the day.
I absolutely loved this track, and I will be keeping my ears out for anything new from these pairing as I am sure it will rock everyone’s socks off!
Awesome track!!
This review is purely the property of The Metal Asylum
Dream Of A Man In A Top Hat are two thirds of Boston 80’s post-punk band Native Tongue, who fuse psychedelia with modern technology to create a grooving, swaggering, psychedelic sound.
Featuring Lee Leffler (guitars, keyboards, vocals, and lyrics) and Michael Frackleton (drums, bass, percussions, keyboards, vocals, and lyrics) the pair have a partnership that spans decades, and this really shows in the music they make together.
I reviewed the bands previous single, Opposite Poles and really wanted to give this new one, released on 25/11/2022, a go too!
Just with the previous track this song has a fuzziness to it that I absolutely love, and this is created with distortion on the guitars and on the vocals. There is also a swagger to the singer’s voice that just sends the track in all different directions, and this is accompanied by an offbeat structure that leaves the listener wondering where he is going next!
Crunching guitars and pounding drums are still a major feature in the track but it’s the eccentricity of the track that really makes it stands out. Music is meant to be experimented with and these guys are certainly not afraid to do that, as they mix all manner of sounds and sonic bits and bobs, producing a sound that is all their own.
Another great sauntering track from a great duo. I’m looking forward to the album!
This review is purely the property of The Metal Asylum
Having already reviewed Scarlet Joy’s single Queen And Thief, I was really excited to be able to review the whole album. Mourning Pages was released on 25/11/2022 after the band previously releasing numerous singles from the album, enabling listeners to really see what this band is all about before dropping an album on them.
A three-piece band from Lincolnshire, they are made up of Sophia Woodcraft on vocals and guitar, Tom Latham on bass and Drew Moore on drums and the album was recorded at Sophia’s mum’s farmhouse near Spilsby.
Says Sophia of the album; “The title ‘Mourning Pages’ was inspired by a daily practice I do recommended by Julia Cameron called ‘Morning Pages’ from her book ‘The Artists Way’ It is a practice I have been doing for years that gives me so much clarity and I wouldn’t be without it now, so much gets worked out on those pages. It seemed fitting to use the pages as inspiration for the album’s title. To honour all that has been let go of all that has been left behind, the loss of so many people, versions of myself, lovers, habits, mourning everything that these years have either taken from me or I’ve chosen to discard, it has all at some point gone through those pages.”
As with Queen And Thief, the album does not concentrate on just one genre and mixes alternative, indie, hard rock with 90’s rock, but adds a more modern edge to it, creating a sound unique to the band.
Sophia has a great voice that works well with this type of music, powerful and strong at times yet haunting and softly melodic at others. The lyrics are poignant and emotional, and this is portrayed beautifully through Sophia’s vocals.
The guitars switch from soft and clean to raw and grungy, typical of that 90’s alternative rock sound and this gives them an edge that sets them apart from other bands of the same vein.
The bass and drum sections are sound and keep everything running perfectly and accurately, the sound being always kept tight.
Placement of the tracks on the album has been superbly done, with each track leading perfectly on to the next and the timing and pace of, not only each track, but the album as a whole is faultless.
Touching on dark subject matters, the album is brooding, epic and intense, while always maintaining an upbeatness to it that keeps the listener engaged.
I would highly recommend that people go and give this great band and album a listen. I certainly am looking forward to what else they offer us in the future.
TRACK LISTING:
1) Lost At Sea
2) Rescue
3) Cut Diamond
4) Queen And Thief
5) Enough Is Enough
6) Kiss It All Goodbye
7) Leaving Footprints
8) Golden
9) Another World
This review is purely the property of The Metal Asylum
Koburg is a Winchester based artist and Strike Back is her latest single, released on 05/08/2022.
A one-woman band who writes, performs, and records all her own music, she has already released two albums, The Enchantress and Position Of Power, to rave reviews and extensive radio play.
Undertaking all vocal duties as well playing all the instruments, Koburg also taught herself to play the cello and violin during lockdown to add more orchestral components!
With a symphonic, melodic, and at times progressive sound, the song opens with just the sound of a piano before everything bursts into life for a big inro, before slowing down again as the female vocals kick in.
The song has a classic sound and, being inspired by her own struggles with myalgic encephalomyelitis and agoraphobia and overcoming the obstacles associated with these, something I personally can relate to, the song is intensely personal and moving.
The powerful and captivating vocals pull you in and hold you there, never relenting their grip on you and the song, as a whole, is driven by heavy guitar riffs and pounding drums!
This is a fantastic track and one that really did take me by surprise. I had to listen to it on repeat for a while as it felt so deeply poignant and emotive. I listened to more tracks from this wonderful artist as I was writing this review and I must say I love all of it.
Musicians, bands and artists of all calibres and genres are struggling at the moment so please take a moment and go and check out this fantastic lady and her music. You will NOT be disappointed!
Fantastic work, Koburg, please keep it up!
This review is purely the property of The Metal Asylum
Having previously reviewed Mother Vulture’s single Monster Crunch, which I loved immensely, I absolutely leapt at the chance to review the whole album. And boy what an album it is!
Mother Vulture are four guys from Bristol, and they play “hectic blues punk with a live show so chaotic it will leave you with horrific injuries. For fans of being happy, achieving your dreams and not dying.”
The band have been making a name for themselves on the underground live scene for a few years now and Mother Knows Best is their debut album, released on 25/11/2022.
The album is a thirty five minute rollercoaster of a ride from start to finish, seamlessly mixing hard rock and alt metal with a punk aggression and they have a contemporary sound with an old school attitude.
The album has big, fat, juicy riffs, the guitars dirty and fuzzy, frantic and chaotic drumming mixed with almost bluesy bass lines, and the whole thing crunches and pulsates throughout. This is a fun rock band whose mission is to entertain, something they appear to be exceptionally good at!
Vocalist Georgi Valentine has a fantastic range and can switch from classic rock vocals to hardcore growls at the drop of a hat. You can tell just from hearing his voice on the album that he is a great frontman, charismatic and willing to jump about all over the stage!
This is a hard-hitting, high energy and fast-paced album, twelve tracks of groove infused rock and roll guaranteed to get you up and dancing around and its no wonder Mother Vulture are one of the most sought-after bands on the festival goers’ scene.
This album really is a full-on rock assault on your listening gear, and I bloody loved it! In fact, if I didn’t have to write the review I would be up and headbanging right now!
If you like your rock heavy, punk inspired and in your face, then this is the band for you! Check them out on all the socials, I am certain you will not be disappointed!
Track Listing:
1) Fame Or Shame
2) Monster Crunch
3) Honey
4) Rabbit Hole
5) Big bad
6) Shifting Sands
7) Mr Jones
8) Vile Breed
9) Not Yet
10) Put me Down
11) Interlude
12) Homemaker
This review is purely the property of The Metal Asylum
There is not much information on the intaweb about the lady behind Feedbag and I can only assume this is because she wants to remain hidden and mysterious. Always a good thing in my opinion but I did find this on her Spotify profile. She says about herself; “long, long ago out of the depths of Stagnant Pond, Feedbag was forged. Slimy and primal, she emerged from the pond with fragments of songs in her head. Over the millennia, the songs slowly took shape and have at last reached their final form. She lives to share them with you.”
And sharing them she is doing, in the form of a six track EP, approximately 13 minutes in length and titled Flesh Freaks, which was released on 25/11/2022.
Its very hard to pigeonhole what genre this EP should fall in, so I am not going to as that is something I am not very keen on anyway. But, in my opinion, Feedbag combine the darkness of gothic and dark wave music with the riffs of post punk.
But its not really the accompanying music that stands out in this EP, but rather the female vocals, that are hauntingly beautiful while at the same time instilling a sense of melancholy and fear. The vocals and backups are layered to add great depth to the tracks and at times there is almost a sense of multiple singers.
In most of the songs there is an industrial soundtrack backing up the vocals and makes for a wonderful contrast while still complimenting each other.
The EP contains a cover of the 90’s track Kiss Me, but this is a darker, more gothic yet slower version of the Sixpence None The Richer track and I think it is done really well. It certainly doesn’t feel out of place on the EP.
The placing of the tracks is superb, and the listener is transported on a journey, to where is down to the listeners imagination, but this is certainly an EP you could lose yourself in.
Relaxing and laid back, it still has that edgy, euphoric vibe that is associated with dark wave / gothic music, but in an opposite way.
Let me explain that last bit. Gothic/dark wave music is always associated with black yet the colour that springs to mind when I listen to this EP is white, white doves, white flowing dresses, and snow.
I could have just been letting my imagination run away with me there, but isn’t that what music is about?
Track Listing:
1) Intro
2) Blood
3) Kiss Me
4) You Think I Ain’t Worth A Goblin But I Feel Like A Million Ghosts
5) On Stagnant Pond
6) Smack My Brain Up
This review is purely the property of The Metal Asylum
After spending most of the day listening and writing about the softer side of rock music it was time to get my psych on with MRMT (MYSTICRAREMRTOAD) and their new track Loving The Fungi, released on 09/11/2022.
An instrumental, the track is avant garde and psychedelic and mixes guitars and drums with electronic synths and beats to create something very experimental.
Funky bass lines are very prominent throughout the song as are sound effects that only add to the eccentricity of the track.
Parts of the song are straight up rock melodies and riffs and wouldn’t be amiss in the middle of a classic rock song but other parts are dark and atmospheric, just sounds and noises but done really well.
The time and pace changes during the track give it an almost progressive feel and there really is something anthemic about the track as a whole. There are different segments to the song that alone wouldn’t make any sense but all together the track works really well.
I really did like this track. It is somewhat quirky and wouldn’t appeal to everyone, but I think if a lot of you gave it a listen you might actually like it too.
Music needs more experimentation and with bands like MRMT willing to do just that, music can become as diverse as the musicians want it to be.
Fantastic job Mr Toad!
This review is purely the property of The Metal Asylum
Oh, my friggin’ God!! What an absolute stomper of an album!
Ok, let me just compose myself enough to write this review so I can tell you exactly why I just said what I did!
Wrath is the professional name of Texas native, but Brazil based, genre fluid and multi-instrumentalist producer Nick Giardino and Red Dragon is his latest album, released on 19/11/2022, and the only question I have about that is why have I not heard this until now??
With this album, Wrath delves into the hybrid world of cybergrind. I had personally never really heard of cybergrind but according to the Urban Dictionary it is “a form of grindcore that, aside from the instruments used by ordinary grindcore, uses computer generated sounds and/or drum machines and other synthetic instruments to create an insanely fast and brutal sound,” and I have now discovered that I absolutely love it!
An instrumental album, it kicks in right from the off with heavy riffs and pounding drums overlayered with the electronic synths that just give that extra punch!
This album mixes groove metal guitar riffs and double kick drums with electronic drums and dubstep bass drops and the result is outstanding. The industrial vibe the album gives off would make a superb soundtrack for a futuristic vampire or horror film and it makes you want to bang your head and bop around at the same time.
Metal in places, techno in others and dance-infused in others, each track takes the listener on a high-speed journey through multiple genres, and you just never know where you will end up.
Changes in tempo and pace are happening all over the place, and not just between tracks as each song is an absolute whirlwind, full on speed one minute, then slightly more chilled (if you can be chilled listening to cybergrind!) the next then back up to breakneck velocity.
The album has a very chaotic sound with everything going on at once, but it really does work as the listener never knows what direction he is going off in next. It really is a fest for the ears as there is so much to take in and it really needs a couple of play throughs to really catch it all.
The use of distortion is rampant throughout the album, but it would never have that industrial, mechanised, metal feel without it, so this is only a good thing.
I must say I think I am in love with this album, I enjoyed it THAT much! After days of listening to music that was on the “softer” side of things shall we say, this album really was like a breath of fresh air.
Please, please, please go and check out this album. I think, no I KNOW, you will not be disappointed.
More please Wrath!! You have a definite fan here!
Track Listing:
1) Of the Gods
2) Fire Spin
3) Earthquake
4) Eruption
5) Fire Style
6) Red Dragon
7) Outrage
8) Jörmungandr
9) Caro
10) Eternatus
This review is purely the property of The Metal Asylum
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