Curated by Monk
Holy fuck, where is the time going? It seems like only a blink of an eye since we were trying to recover from the new year hangovers and yet here we are beginning the merry month of March, with Spring supposedly just around the corner to chase away the winter darkness… and at ÜRHQ that can mean only one thing – another excuse to indulge in some musical madness and share with you, our beloved readers, our pick of the hottest sounds that have been spinning on our death decks and burning up our eardrums over the past week or so! So, let’s jump straight in, shall we?
Acres ‘Bloodlust’ (Solid State Records)
The synthcore synergists serve up the first sample of their upcoming new album, which will see them introduce us to both ‘The Host‘ and a darker side of their sound next month:
Amongst Liars ‘The Insane Ones’ (Self-Released)
The Eastbourne quintet return with the first cut to be extracted from their third studio album – although they are going to make us wait a full year to hear the entire elpee, so we’ll have to settle or this acerbic commentary on current events, the release of which is accompanied by a short run of dates later this month:
Behölder ‘A Pale Blood Sky’ (Black Lion Records)
Not to be confused with the now defunct Midlands metallians of the same, albeit umlaut-less name, these D&D-inspired doomsters are preparing to take us on a trip deep into the temple of the tyrant with their upcoming debut album, from which this is the first roll of the dice (sorry):
Crymwav ‘Sense Of Adventure’ (Electric Pudding Recordings)
This latest offering from the LA-based gothic punks – their name is pronounced ‘Crimewave’ – actually its roots in the fertile Ladbroke Grove area of London, and is the second taster to be served up from their forthcoming debut album, scheduled for release over the summer (if we actually get one!):
Deafheaven ‘Heathen’ (Roadrunner Records)
The second track to be served up as a taster for the new album by the San Francisco blackgazers, which is due for release at the end of the month:
Floral Image ‘The Score’ (Fuzz Club)
The Norwich psych cadets return to the Club with this second sample of their upcoming debut album, due for release at the end of April:
Hard To Explain ‘S!ck’ (SODEH Records)
The Derry nu-metal spitfires as they deliver what they understatedly describe as a “typical break up song”, but one filled with plenty of venomous Northern Irish humour:
Hot Milk ’90 Seconds To Midnight’ (Music For Nations)
The Salford punks take lyrical inspiration from both Betjeman and Rousseau on this opening salvo from their just announced second album, which is scheduled for release at the end of June, and comes accompanied by a video featuring none other than comedy legend Frank Skinner:
Huntings ‘Yes I Am’/’Howl’ (Self-Released)
The fraternal Dublin grungers follow up last year’s debut album with this new double A-side offering that once again sees them exploring the darker side of their Nirvana-meets-Joy Division sound:
Jon Gazi ‘Statia’ (SBAM Records)
The Mad Caddies bassist is pioneering is own new genre, which he has christened “rockalypso”, as he combines the ska punk for which he is known with the carnival calypso sounds of his native Virgin Islands, enlisting the help of buddies such as Mark Bush of The Dirty Heads along the way:
Opia ‘The Fade’ (Hammerheart Records)
The British/Spanish gothic doomsters present the second preview of their upcoming debut album, due at the end of April:
Quaint ‘Trip Inside’ (Self-Released)
These young Glaswegian alt/indie rockers claim influences as diverse as Pink Floyd, The Smiths, Oasis, Wunderhorse and Fontaines D.C.:
Ritual Effect ‘Blindside’ (Self-Released)
The Dublin post-grunge trio return with another standalone offering, addressing the deeply personal issue of loss and the associated grief:
Root Zero ‘Tumbleweed’ (Self-Released)
These Welsh progressive metallers will take us on a trip somewhere over the ‘Dark Rainbow’ when they release their debut album in May:
Stay For Tomorrow ‘Breathe’ (Self-Released)
The Dunfermline alt-rock quartet are something of singles specialists, eschewing the full-length format in favour of short, sharp bursts of energy, and stray into power ballad for their latest exemplar:
Templeton Pek ‘Paradigm’ (SBAM Records)
The Birmingham punk rockers return with this first taste of their as-yet-untitled new album, which doesn’t yet have a release date but no doubt will be worth thhttps://open.spotify.com/album/2rvKZbkwl5mqZr68sGvMqFe wait when it eventually sees the light of day, hopefully later this year:
The Birthday Massacre ‘Sleep Tonight’ (Metropolis Records)
The Canadian dark gothic popsters find themselves haunted by their own ghosts in this first sample of their upcoming new album, being released next month, which will be followed by a full tour later in the year:
The Man-Eating Tree ‘To The Sinking’ (Noble Demon)
The band with the best name on this week’s playlist, these gothic rockers – made up of former and current members of Ghost Brigade, Poisonblack, Mors Subita, Entwine and more – explore the borderline between sleep and wakefulness with this second sample of their upcoming new album, their first in a decade:
The Marches ‘Feel It All’ (Self-Released)
We’re well used to marches here in ÜR’s home city, but fortunately this variety is of the pop-rock kind, as this Ayrshire quartet draw influences from the likes of Carole King, Fleetwood Mac and The Bangles as well as contemporaries such as Haim and Wolf Alice to bring some California-style cool to our playlist:
The Speakeasy ‘Troubled Waters’ (Self-Released)
The Montreal pop/skate punks steer a clear course with this first taste of their latest EP, due for release later this year:
Türbowitch ‘Moshpit At The End Of The Day’ (Self-Released)
This Budapest-based speed-punk-thrash brigade have one simple mission statement, and that is to “make the metal scene violent again”, and they certainly do what is says on the tin with this early sample of their second album, which they currently are in the process of recording:
So, there you have it, our latest dynamic and eclectic selection. Hopefully we’ve opened your ears to some new sounds, and pointed you in the direction of some fine tuneage to kick your week, and month, off in style and get you exploring further into the weird and wonderful world that is the rock ‘n’ roll Überverse… Until next time, remember: keep ‘er lit, keep ‘er between the hedges and keep on Über Rockin’ in the free world \m/
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