Formed in 2015 by Ryan Stringer (bass, vocals), Gino Klein (guitar, back up vocals) and Randy Camponi (drums, back up vocals) Signal Static is a three-piece hard rock band from Victoria, BC, Canada, and Objects Of Affection is their latest signal, released on 25/11/2022.

Combining hard rock, punk, and alternative with elements of metal, grunge and electronic music, this band really have created a sound that is all their own.

The hard rock elements have been slightly distorted to give a more edgy vibe and the dirty guitars bring in the grunge aspects.

The vocals are gritty and almost punk-like, but are strong and suit the track perfectly, and the back up vocals work well with the lead.

The time changes throughout the track are done to perfection as there is always something for the listener to hear and I love the abrupt ending of the song which leaves you wondering where the music went and wanting more.

This song reminds me a bit of Green Day and the like and if I weren’t sitting writing a review of it, I would definitely be up and bopping away to it. I had to settle for tapping my foot at my desk!

Please check these guys out. I definitely will be as I want to hear more from them!

This review is purely the property of The Metal Asylum

Phomea is the solo project of Tuscan multi-instrumentalist Fabio Pocci and Me And My Army is his latest album, released on 11/11/2022.

An indie, folk, electronica combination, the album is twelve songs featuring twenty different musicians (the “army” is the album title) including Alessandro Fiori and Flavio Ferrari.

There are also twelve images which have been generated by an algorithm, one for each song, and three different videos.

Due to Fabio’s tormented song-writing and authentic approach, he has been labelled the “grunge poet” and this is something with which I can whole-heartedly agree.

The lyrics are graceful in content and full of emotion and meaning and this is only accentuated by Fabio’s amazing vocal talents. Gentle, almost haunting, but with a grittiness to them that portrays the importance of the lyrics with ease, but with passion and feeling.

Taking influence from the likes of Radiohead, Bon Iver and Notwist, this is an album that will make you think as it poses the question…what is it to be human? “In a world in which intelligence is artificial and reality is virtual” are we actually able to answer this question?

Although not entirely acoustic, this album has a beautiful relationship between guitar and voice and each complements the other perfectly. Other instruments are featured and there are also some voice affects as well, which add dimension to the album, but I think even if they were all to disappear, the harmony between the guitar and the vocals would be enough to sustain the album and keep it at the level it already is.

The mix between acoustic and electric guitars works well, each being used for varied reasons throughout the album and the drumming is understated so as not to overshadow everything else.

I did really like this album, the thought-provoking aspect of it keeping me engaged and always interested. The track placing is perfect and the tempo changes from one song to the next means the listener never gets bored.

Please check out this impressive album. I will definitely be keeping my ear to the ground for any new releases!

TRACKLIST:

1. Take Control

2. Me And My Army

3. Unplease Me

4. Lover

5. Ruins Of Gold

6. JB

7. What About Us

8. Run ft. Are You Real

9. The Swarm ft. Flavio Ferrari

10. Perfect Stone

11. Dark ft Alessandro Fiori

12. Look At You

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It’s late on a cold, dark, rainy Monday afternoon and if there was ever a song that could lift the spirits, it would be this one from Foundry Town Survivors.

The Night Is Alive was released on 28/10/2022 and is a nostalgic look back at classic 80’s rock, albeit with a modern-day twist.

Whether you want to class this track a soft rock, AOR or classic rock, it is reminiscent of great 80’s bands such as Journey and Asia and could compete with the best of them.

Foundry Town Survivors is two lifelong friends and veteran musicians, Mark Tomorsky and Tommy Johnsmiller, and the band name is a homage to their working-class backgrounds. And one thing this pair is not afraid to do is wear their classic rock influences strongly on their sleeves.

Mixing electric and acoustic instruments these guys also throw in some homespun roots rock and Americana into their sound.

The vocals are impressive and are complemented by the harmonizing backup vocals. The guitar changes from bluesy one minutes to classic rock the next and the solos have that fantastic, nostalgic 80’s whine to them that really take you back in time. The piano work intermingled with it all works well and the percussion side of things is spot on, always keeping the song on track.

I really liked this song and I think it will appeal to a lot of people who yearn for the 80’s sound back again. Wonderful job guys! Looking forward to the next one.

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One thing I love about music is the diversity of it…and the new single from Lord Sonny The Unifier is certainly that!

Released on 04/11/2022, Howl is a mixture of different genres and assorted styles.

The Brooklyn-based alternative band throw in some psychedelia as well as some classic rock, some punk rock and even some grunge affects to achieve a sound that is unique to them.

Citing themselves as “70’s classic rock meets 21^st century Biker Club” there certainly is an eclectic mix here. Distortion on the guitars and the keyboards gives the track a grunge rock vibe, but the keyboards also create a psychedelic feel.

The drumming throughout this track is fantastic (an accolade that seems to be missed a lot of the time), the guitars are down-right dirty, and the synths really make you want to get up and dance to this track.

The vocals are quirky, adding to the individuality of this band, and the chorus is big and strong.

This track has a strange blend of nostalgia and futurism, taking you both to the past and the future at the same time while also flinging you into outer space.

Great track from a great band who I intend to find out more about!

This review is purely the property of The Metal Asylum

Brixton-based Silas Armstrong is a name that is quickly emerging on the music scene, and he has already amassed more than 240,000 streams off the back of his debut EP, So Much For Love, and the follow up, Live At Fiction Studios in 2021.

Already from a musical background, he has played drums for indie rock band Kid Champion, as well as playing keys for tropical pop group Youth Club and indie rock outfit Rocky Nti, with which he toured Europe supporting Panic At The Disco, he is now concentrating on his own song writing.

I’m Not Ok is his new track and was released on 28/10/2022.

Fusing everything from soul, rock, indie, and pop, this track starts somewhat as a ballad straddling both the pop and rock genres.

The song builds as it goes on, changing from the soft and gentle to the raw and aggressive, with the use of distorted guitars giving the song an edgy feel. Silas’s voice is perfect for the track as he has a range that would suit both the pop and rock genres and the lyrics are delivered full of emotion, powerful and strong.

Silas states he plays “emotional pop with the energy of my upbringing” and this works well in any of the previous stated genre. Concentrating on the struggles of mental health issues, this track deals with matters that are all too prevalent in today’s society and this means a lot of people will be able to identify with the content of the lyrics.

This was a great track, thought-provoking and relevant. I urge everyone to check this out and I look forward to hearing what else Silas has to offer us.

This review is purely the property of The Metal Asylum

What do you get if you cross early 70’s psychedelia with glam- spattered rock and roll from the likes of Mott The Hoople and The Faces and a classic 1970’s heavy rock sound? Look it up in a dictionary and you will see a picture of band Mad Painter.

A new band from Boston, Mad Painter have their roots firmly in the melodic rock traditions of the 1970’s, which is very evident in their music and Illusion is their latest track, released on 13/11/2022.

Taking you on an auditory journey, this track crosses many genres, from psychedelic to rock to electronic and back again. The use of distorted guitars takes you back to the sounds of the late 60’s and early 70’s and the electronic synths mix it up with late 70’s progressive vibes.

The combination of male lead vocals, which are strong and obviously rock influenced, with female backing vocals is great, adding a depth to the track that is in addition to the already multi-dimensional sound the music creates.

Changing tempos throughout the track keeps the listener engaged and, again, is a shout out to the progressive rock influences the band has.

This is a really great track. and I can’t wait to hear more from them!

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Tatum Quinn is a Canadian singer/songwriter and Short Supply is her latest single released on 10/11/2022.

With a Brit-pop/rock vibe and a backbeat reminiscent of something put out by the likes of Joan Jett or Patti Smith, this is a great track that, I think, will appeal to a wide audience, from rock fans to pop alike.

Tatum’s voice is strong, and layered with the back up vocals, she has a great sound, which is gutsy and full of attitude. She is very versatile, ranging from pop tones to indie/rock sounds, combining everything perfectly.

The chorus has a heavier sound than the lighter verses, but it is still catchy and anthemic. There is a certain amount of distortion on the guitars which gives the track a gritty edge, taking it away from the pop genre.

Her Facebook page states she plays “raspy, rock orientated performances,” and it’s the excellent mix of pop, rock and indie that really makes this song work.

And finishing off with the line she does (go and check out the song if you want to know what it is!) shows this girl ain’t for messing with!

I really liked this track. Check it out for yourself and see if you do too!

This review is purely the property of The Metal Asylum

DCxPC is a collaboration that books and releases music from live shows for multiple bands and 18^th November 2022 saw Volume 5 – The Goons Live AT The Black Cat 2001.

This album was recorded in 2001 during the Goons tour with The Varukers and Molotov Cocktail but was never released until now.

Formed in Washington DC in the early 90’s, The Goons formed a seminal part of the hardcore punk scene, and this can be clearly seen from this album.

Raw and unpolished, as any punk album should be, this is frantic and full of energy from start to finish. Even as just a listener of the album, I can imagine the sweat and vigour that would have been created at this gig. The album brings across all the right vibes and energies from the show completely.

The frantic drumming and dirty, fast guitars are accompanied by classic punk vocals and the shouty backups add to the anarchic sound this band have.

Each track is short and to the point, the whole fifteen tracks of the album lasting just twenty-nine minutes, and there is always something going on that keeps the listener interested.

I listened to this album a good number of times and on each occasion couldn’t believe how quickly the album ended, never once getting bored with what I was hearing, and there are bigger punk fans out there than me!

This is a great album that any hardcore punk fan should listen to, whether they are from the original punk era or have come to the genre later, as the intensity and sheer force that comes from this band is awesome.

So, all you punk fans out there…. go and check out this album! You’ll be silly not to!

Track Listing:

1) White Tide

2) RTD

3) I’m Alright

4) Human Wheel

5) Nation In Distress

6) G.I. Bill

7) Breakdown

8) Young Man

9) America Hates Its Youth

10) Storm Troopers Of Good Faith

11) Hey You

12) Revenue Machine

13) What You Wanted

14) Every Day

15) Ozone Alert

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Friendly Fire is a four-piece band based in Jacksonville, Florida and Beyond The Neverglades is their newest full-length release.

Formed in 2016, the band had their fair share of ups and down when band member Chad O’Quinn passed away suddenly just weeks before the vocals for their album were recorded. The band regrouped and, with some new members, the album Terminal Wanderlust was released one year after O’Quinn’s passing in October 2019.

And now, Beyond The Neverglades sees them stomping back to the forefront, having released the album on 11/11/2022.

A punk-inspired album, this is one that is full of energy from start to finish and one that is bound to have you pogo’ing around your living room from the moment you put it on.

Mixing 70’s punk rock riffs, with the distortion of alternative and indie rock and the screaming vocals of emo rock, this band have created a sound that is unique to them.

The great use of distortion on both guitars and vocals gives the album a raw, edgy vibe that takes us on a nostalgic trip back to the late 90’s/early 00’s when bands such as My Chemical Romance, Jimmy Eat World, Blink 182 and so many more were prevalent.

These guys, however, take it that one step further back with influences from the 70’s and 80’s punk sound.

The dirty guitars have a great sound, and the solos are amazing. The drumming is frantic (as all good punk drumming should be!) and the vocals could have been drawn from any decade of the past forty or fifty years, with traditional punk back-ups adding that extra punch!

This is a great album and one that I think will attract listeners of all ages and genres. Not all out punk, but also not stuck in the emo category, this album straddles many genres, and this will be its appeal.

So, punk(inspired) lovers everywhere, go and check out this gem of an album, you’ll be glad you did!

Track Listing:

1) The Ballad Of Blind Blake

2) Headphones

3) Despair Tunes

4) Park

5) Nucleus

6) Ageing Kerouac

7) Death Of A Poet

8) Rise

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Charlie Edwards aka I’ve Tried Sleeping is a singer/songwriter/guitarist and multi-dimensional artist from Spokane in Washington and Some Kind Of Mother is his latest single released on 07/10/2022. It is from his self-titled album also released in 2022.

The track is a mixture of alternative, indie and classic rock with a touch of 80’s inspired rock thrown in for good measure.

Charlie’s vocals are haunting, soft and gentle yet slightly husky and gritty to give a certain rawness to the track, which is full of emotion and feeling.

The track, itself, is a salute to those who struggle with issues that plague us under the surface and as mental health issues are very prevalent in today’s society, many people will be able to connect with the lyrics. Three words are repeated many times throughout the track and these words, Don’t Give Up, are the three words that stand out to me!

There are funky bass lines in this track, and these are cleverly mixed with classic rock guitars and electronic riffs and keyboards. The drumming is rhythmic, and this gives the track a certain bounce to it.

There is also a profound change of pace part way through and there is always something new and fresh to hear at any point during the song.

I really liked this track and the theme of it hit home hard to me and I am sure it will to a lot of people.

This review is purely the property of The Metal Asylum