Curated by DJ Astrocreep
It’s DJ Astrocreep back on the decks of doom at the Über Rock virtual bar. We may still be in lockdown but there’s no reason we can’t still rock the fuck out! With no further adieu, it’s time to deliver our latest pick of the singles we’ve received over the last couple of weeks.
Let’s start off with Cypher16 as they ‘Push Through The Water’, a heavy alt-rock band that have their sophomore full-length release out soon. An up-tempo number with plenty of riffage and a sing-along chorus to get the blood pumping – the perfect way to start the feature off!
Some dark melodic rock to follow now with Birmingham’s Devilfire and ‘Dead Man Walking’, a track that sounds like a modern take on the ’80s LA strip acts, much to their credit. An adrenaline-fueled track that will make you want to pump your fists along throughout!
A classic prog sounding band now in The Tangent, with single ‘Life On Hold’, which fuses eclectic elements of funk and electronic with their usual jaw-dropping musicianship, in a manner that you would expect from the 70s era prog greats.
Sticking to a similar era, we have Silverbacks who have a punk/no wave single in ‘Up The Nurses’ just out. Layered guitars that emulate the Pixies loud/soft approach, with plenty of melodic hooks and metronomic rhythm section and bubblegum vocals creating a great track that will earworm you mercilessly.
Leeds’ I Like Trains are beginning to make a real name for themselves with their psychedelia-infused post-punk approach, with ‘Dig In’ being showing all the downplayed anger at things that the original movement did, with a sound that comes across like Joy Division on acid. A fantastic number!
Yorkshire based stoner merchants Psychlona are a band I found at last year’s Doom vs Stoner festival and was mightily impressed by and it’s good to hear with latest single ‘Blast Off’ that they’ve continued on such a strong footing. There is such a classic Hawkwind feel to this track that I could easily believe it was them if I didn’t know otherwise.
Taking things a bit heavier now, we have post-hardcore Fall of Messiah, another band making a quick return to the Singles Club, this time with ‘Young Pines’, a track that mixes post-rock-esque guitars into a hardcore rhythm section, creating something of real beauty in a savage manner.
Tallah were included in our ‘Video Of The Week’ selection at the beginning of this month, and definitely seem to be channelling their inner Slipknot in latest single ‘The Silo’, a song that would fit in well alongside the likes of later era Slipknot singles such as ‘Psychosocial’ and their ilk.
Some punk’n’roll action now with German troop Pabst, who have featured here a couple of times already this year. They are mixing as much punk into their blood pumping rock and roll as you could possibly hope for into ‘Legal Tender’, a tale of being an artist trying to make ends meet in the current climate, taken from their just-released ÜR-approved album ‘Deuce Ex Machina‘.
Monk jumping in here briefly to introduce another band making a welcome return to the hallowed pages of Über Rock, this time after a phenomenal five year absence, in the shape of the wonderful The Bloody Nerve, who are beginning the roll-out of their forthcoming new concept album, ‘All Blood, No Treasure’, with lead single ‘A Million Arms’, the first in a series of episodic releases leading up to that of the full lengther itself. Putting aside all the fancy creative concept stuff for a moment, this single is worth the listen just for Laurie Ann Layne’s absolutely stunning vocals alone:
Some more heavy alt-rock now as Mallavora present an intoxicating mixture in ‘Favourite Mistake’, a tale of addiction and retraint set to a backdrop of dual melodic vocals, heavy riffs and an almost cinematic sound, that wouldn’t sound out of place alongside the likes of Biffy Clyro’s ‘Living Is A Problem…’.
IDLES are a favourite of a few of our team and ‘Grounds’ is another perfect example of why. An at times minimalist approach to a noise-punk track which won’t earworm you so much as drill straight into your hippocampus and refuse to leave.
Superfecta share ‘A Little Secret’ with us with their new track – that they have some pretty fucking awesome sounds to share! Hard rock with rhythmic hooks and a sing-along chorus – what more could you ask for?
Too Much Future have their debut single out and it’s a real doozy! ‘Braying (pt. 1)’ demonstrate a bass-driven art-rock sensibility with their approach worthy of garnering attention from a multitude of places. A cohesive, likeable track that lets each member demonstrate their musical ability without overstaying its welcome.
Fuzzy guitars, distortion and a steady pace bring Hull’s Let Man Loose, more previous Singles Club inductees, back to the fore with ‘Victory Lap’. A highly likeable and approachable heavy rock sound that will appeal as much to those into their more mainstream rock as the aficionados of something a bit more out there with their psychedelic noise.
Taking the heaviness back up now, we have metalcore act Ghost In Decay, telling us about their ‘Broken Home’, a track that combines all the aggression you would expect from the genre in a style that still manages to infuse some post-hardcore elements in their own manner.
Unleash The Archers are rightfully being recognised as one of the hottest bands on the planet at the moment, with ‘Abyss’ demonstrating perfectly how their approach to power metal is taking the world by storm. Plenty of riffs, hooks and soaring vocals lend themselves perfectly to a track that will bury itself deep in your head!
Machine Head are an act that should need no introduction, nor should guest co-vocalist on ‘Stop The Bleeding’, Jesse Leach of Killswitch Engage. Together they’ve combined to create a double a-side single in response to the killing of George Floyd, telling of their frustration and anger with the ongoing situation. Musically it seems to be a mix of both their bands’ respective styles, making for an energetic anthem to scream along to.
Our penultimate track of this session sees us take in Californian act L.A. Witch with ‘I Wanna Lose’, an old school, melodic garage rock sounding track that is perfectly mixed and played by the talented trio, with melodic guitar hooks flanked by power chord playing and a more than able rhythm section.
Finally, let’s finish with something soft to see us out, with Seattle mainstay Sami Chohfi, who warns about things that will ‘Dirty Your Soul’ in an uplifting acoustic ballad that just oozes positivity.
So, that’s us for another fortnight. Hope you’ve enjoyed at least some of the offerings we have brought you this time around. Monk will be back in two weeks’ time, so until then, we’ll leave you with our usual message: keep ‘er lit, keep ‘er between the hedges – and keep ‘er rockin’ ‘n rollin’ \m/
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