Curated by Monk
So far this month, we have dedicated the Singles Club to profiling the depth and wealth of talent we have here in the Über Kingdom of Rock ‘n’ Roll, profiling almost 50 of the finest up-and-coming and established acts – as well as a couple of genuine legends – along the way. This week, we are keeping the momentum going, with our latest selection of singles to be released by ÜK artists over the course of the past few weeks…
And this time we start in our adopted home city of Belfast, a city known for Myriad Things – which also happens to be the name of the latest musical force to emerge from the Lagan’s shore, mixing retro heavy rock, desert rock, funk and psychedelia into a heady blend that takes us on a sonic trip ‘10,000 Miles Away’ from the harsh realities of the world in which we live today:
We traverse the country to the darkest depths of Norfolk, from where something doomy is emerging in the shape of Dark Matter, who are ushering us into the company of ‘The Children Of Tomorrow’, taken from their third album, ‘The Rectory‘, released this coming Friday (25 November):
Our next stop is the nation’s capital, from where multi-national London-based alt-metal quartet Hawxx bring their blend of dystopian guitars, acidic vocals, battle crying bass and progressive drums to their latest single, ‘The Worst Thing’. Definitely a bad name for the single, as it definitely doesn’t live down to its title:
We head north to Yorkshire, Halifax in fact, where we find alt-rockers L.O.E (or Last Of Eden), who are echoing the words of the Bard in declaring that ‘All’s Well That Ends Well’, which hopefully it will for this exciting young quartet, who release their new EP at the end of the week:
We’re travelling back through the mists of time next, where we find ourselves in the company of The Wolves Of Avalon, who invite us to ride into battle with the ‘Men Of Gododdin’ in this uncompromising and atmospheric slice of blackened folk metal, the title track from their new album:
A good old-fashioned sleazy glunk nonsense next, as Small Town Saviours swagger up to the bar with cocky snottiness, or maybe it’s snotty cockiness, and declare that they will make an ‘Enemy’ of anyone who doesn’t succumb to their brazen charms… Not ones for unnecessary conflict or confrontation, we’ll happily accede to their request to share their latest little charming ditty:
Next stop on our whirlwind of the ÜK is the ever febrile breeding ground that is Bristol, where ‘Lupines’ are freely wandering the streets, as they have been unleashed by stoner-infused alt-rockers Krooked Tongue, making a welcome return to the Club after almost a year away with this hypnotic swirler:
We head north of the border to Caledonia next, and all the way to the Shetland Islands, where pop punks Forgotten Sons are hoping they won’t live up to their name, but rather become household names as big as fellow countrymen Biffy Clyro. And they’ve laid down a clear marker on that latter path with their latest, catchier-than-a-dose killer – even if they do seem to spend their entire lives on their ‘Socials’…
Around this time last year, we declared Sheffield steelers Heriot to be “one of the most exciting, vicious and visceral new metal groups on the circuit”: well, they’ve spent the intervening time firmly cementing that reputation, and bring a highly productive and lucrative year to an end by really pushing the envelope with this electro-industrial remix of their pit-ripper ‘Profound Morality‘:
When you think of the British thrash scene, there is one band that stands head and shoulders above the rest, and they have done so for 40 fucking years! Onslaught show no signs of slowing down, as this new version of their classic ‘banger ‘Godhead’ emphatically proves:
The ÜK metalcore scene is undoubtedly more vibrant than at any time in its history, and the latest exponents of the craft are the immersive A Titan A Deity, who evoke all the best proponents of the genre while adding their own twist in a way which will have my colleague Jase W creaming his denims when he clicks the link to listen to this revelatory gem:
Our next stop on our whirlwind journey is Manchester, where we are being ‘Spat Out’ by alt-slackers Chew Magna, and their infectious slice of post-Britpop:
We’re digging up some Blackgold next, and the fun-poking nu-metal revivalists are determined to take things to another level with their latest offering, the video for which parodies everyone from Limp Bizkit to Slipknot and Ghost:
Enter Shikari have re-entered the fray this past week, proving that they’re not full of ‘Bull’ with their second single of the year, which is yet another collaboration, this time with Cody Frost, and proving that all concerned are determined to see 2022 out with a bang:
Back to UR’s birthplace of south Wales again, to team up with James And The Cold Gun, who are proving that there is plenty of fun to be had while ‘Chewing Glass’ with this atavistic and enervating slice of alt-rock infused power pop:
Mancunian post punks A Certain Ratio have always been known for their sense of experimentation, and they’re pushing the generic boundaries even further with the Afrobeat-driven ‘Afro Dizzy’, which features neo-soul singer Ellen Beth Abdi and revolves around drum samples recorded by the late Nigerian percussionist Tony Allen:
They say you shouldn’t mess with a classic song, but I suppose an exception can be made when you’re the artist who wrote it in the first place. Roger Waters has taken such a bold step with a reworking of ‘Comfortably Numb’, making it darker (by taking the tuning down to A Minor) and longer, and giving it a much more morose and claustrophobic feeling than the original:
We’re into our last trio of songs now, and taking us into this final section is trippy singer-songwriter Dan Kert, who performs under the name of Plastic Barricades, and is taking us on a suitably psychedelic journey into a lockdown-inspired world where we discovered that everything we could possibly want (or not) was available at the click of a mouse button:
Our penultimate offering is something of a Venomous Concept, as it is the newbie from the hardcore punk project featuring Kevin Sharp of Brutal Truth and Shane Embury of Napalm Death, who are definitely hearing some weird ‘Voices’ as they prepare to embark upon ‘The Good Ship Lollipop’: yes, that really is the title of their fifth album, which is being released in February. In the meantime, buckle up for what promises to be a scary, but hugely enjoyable, voyage of discovery:
Our final track sees us turning the clock back to reunite with a band featured in the first of this triptych of special features, as Rochdale punk rockers TOKEO continue to explore the stark realities of life amongst Manchester’s forgotten mill towns on their latest single, ‘King Of The Town’. And a right regal effort it is too, providing the perfect soundtrack with which to round out this series:
This special series of special features has only scratched the surface of the incredible amount of talent that exists in this corner of the Überverse, and we will continue to shine our spotlight on the darkest recesses of the Über Kingdom in order to bring the best of it to your discerning attention. So, until next time, all that remains for me to say is our traditional sign off: keep ‘er lit, keep ‘er lit and keep on rockin’ with your favourite website…
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