Review: Singles Round-up

Another week, another fresh batch of hot new singles ticking all the boxes here at DGM Towers. Here are a few examples of what we have been listening to over the last few days; as usual, click on the artist’s name in bold and follow the link to the YouTube video/social media page.

Has it really been almost ten years since Los Angeles-based genre-defying All Hail The Yeti released their self-titled album? Yep, it would seem so. After a few years of zero output, the sludge-meets-hardcore-meets-headfuck outfit returns with a new single and video, ‘Bury Your Memory’, which is part of a new EP, ‘Within the Hollow Earth’, which will be blowing minds from November 12th. So much going on here amongst the five-plus minutes that it will make your head spin. Always got a bit of a Corrosion Of Conformity vibe from AHTY, especially the nailed-on guitar work from Dave Vanderlinde which has always been pretty damn special, and on ‘Bury Your Memory’ it lights up the room whenever he strikes a chord. Vocalist Connor Garritty should be more of a household name in metal than he currently is, his traditional hardcore vocals are sizzling and full of menace and combine with bassist Nicholas Diltz’ clean vocals to stunning effect. If this was a points-based review then AHTY would get top marks simply for the ‘Wicker Man’/’Midsommar’ creepy-as-hell video.

“Ethereal”, and “otherworldly”, just two words that immediately spring to mind upon listening to (and falling in love with) ‘Anadem Gyre’, the spellbinding new single from Antiqva – the chamber black metal project founded by Xenoyr (NE OBLIVISCARIS) and everyone’s favourite Canuck (that is not Ryan Reynolds), Juno nominated singer/songwriter Lindsay Schoolcraft. In Lindsay’s own words “…“Anadem Gyre” is a more emphasised dark folk element from within our sound…” and by Lucifer’s beard, it is magical. Imagine if you will, renowned movie composer Trevor Jones taking some ‘shrooms before working his magic with Dougie MacLean’s mesmerising piece ‘The Gael’ for The Last Of The Mohicans soundtrack, and then realizing that it needed to be darker, more mysterious, with some cool Romanian chanting, and a creepy Cello, and really, really trippy: ladies and gentlemen, I give you ‘Anadem Gyre’. Mostly instrumental, Antiqva manages, with ease, to capture the listener’s attention and keep them enthralled through powerful instrumentation, and when the fleeting vocals do come in, they elevate the track (and the listener) to a higher plain. Special. Very, very special.

Alt-rock is quite a widespread description, and given that The 1975 have sometimes been described as “alt-rock”; it’s quite a far-reaching genre that can get a tad bizarre. Brisbane trio Dead Dirty Dinosaurs mesh alt-rock tendencies like a simple, repetitive guitar sound and almost spoken-word-like vocals, with some punk-ish tendencies (Joe Strummer-like vibes here and there), and even some shoe-gazing tropes. In other words, they are “alt-rock” while The 1975 are anything but, but until anyone is brave enough to start a genre called “plain old pish”, they will forever be the band that no one wants in their genre. New triple D single ‘Brainfire’ is kinda laidback – which makes sense now that Oz is gearing up for the Summer – almost to the point that it has a Madchester feel in places, something that the maestro himself Tim Burgess might produce. File under “Really interesting, and worth further exploration”, or FFO Pixies, Soul Asylum, and Mark Lanegan or Bob Mould-related.

Nine months into his one-song-a-month-for-a-year project known as ‘12/21’ and Ryan Hamilton finds himself on the run from the law while wearing sunburst orange prisoner garb, and given that Hamilton is a thoroughly lovely chap, then it’s surely a case of mistaken identity? Offering number nine is ‘Banditos’, Ryan’s take on a number written by his good friend Roger Clyne (of Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers) and one that continues the roll of uptempo shitkickers that the amiable Texan has been on of late. Fantastic pacing with Hamilton’s Texan drawl pushed very much to the forefront of everything that is packed into the three minutes plus of power-pop perfection. ‘Banditos’ registers high on the riffometer and everywhere you look, you will find top-quality, jangly riffs and power chords, and then the gloves come off on 02:21 minutes when Ryan basically says to Ben Marsden; “On my signal, unleash hell…”, and the Spangles/Warner E. Hodges guitarist let’s rip. Hard to listen to this one without smiling, and not just because of the video; Ryan Hamilton has that uncanny ability to tap into so many emotions, and in this case, it is happiness…and riffs. Big, flaming balls of fire riffs.

Although John Diva & The Rockets Of Love fly Old Glory at every opportunity and reek of ‘80s Sunset Strip hair metal, a sneaky peek under the bonnet might just discover more of a hint of Mom’s Schweineschnitzel or Currywurst rather than Mom’s apple pie. And if they do indeed hail from San Diego then surely it is the Sahn Di-Ah-go pronunciation? Tongues firmly in cheeks, and packing a knowing wink or two, these boys hark back to the glory days when Uncle Sam birthed this good-time, young dumb and full of…ahem…you know what, type of music that reigned supreme when MTV actually played music and the hairspray cloud over Los Angeles was so thick that aviator shades were mandatory. Nowadays, hair/glam/sleaze metal is a dirty word in ‘Murica, and it’s left to bands in Germany and Scandinavia to fly Old Glory for the genre, and John Diva & The Rockets Of Love are making it their mission to kickstart the party. New single ‘Voodoo, Sex and Vampires’ (lifted from the latest album ‘American Amadeus’) is a fun, catchy slice of simple, straightforward rock and roll, jam-packed with melodies, and maybe even a banjo thrown into the mix? The kind of song that instantly burrows deep into the listener’s psyche and one where the hooky chorus pops out at the most unfortunate moment…like when you are standing in line at the nine items or less checkout in Tesco.

Once Human? It’s been a while. Four, nearly five years since the sophomore album ‘Evolution’ was spat out into the world kicking and screaming, Logan Mader and Lauren Hart have set the wheels in motion for new album ‘Scar Weaver’ to land early next year. Earlier this year, lead single ‘Deadlock’ – featuring a guest vocal appearance from Mader’s former Machine Head bandmate, Robb Flynn – was met with positivity from all quarters, and now, Once Human delivers another new track; the pummeling ‘Only In Death’. Lauren Hart has always been one of the most consistent modern metal vocalists, and on ‘Deadlock’, and now ‘Only In Death’, it is fantastic to discover the staggering growth in her vocal range; her harsh vocals have developed immensely, and her cleans are better than ever – two years or so of being off the road have worked wonders. With heaps of down-tuned guitars and thunderous kick-drum action, ‘Only In Death’ is what modern metal needs to sound like as eighteen months of mayhem begins to bleed into two years of mayhem. The guitar work (as expected) is full of life, and the different tones offered by Mader and new guitarist Max Karon are exquisite, the track, however, belongs to Hart who is in the form of her life. Eagerly awaiting single number three.

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