Speaking with the voice of a once-powerful sorceress who endured a humiliating exile returning with a vengeance to take over the world, binding an accomplice to her cause using her dark magic and mystic powers. 

Rising from the ashes, the anti-hero remains easy to root for and resonate with due to the powerful affect of the music and vocals. The song takes you by the hand on a journey that is at once intimate and grand, sweeping you from its initial clean guitar passages and angsty, emotional vocals to thunderous riffs and angry, nearly aggressive vocals. 

With the collaboration of an international team of all-star musicians, featuring Swedish drummer Mats Eriksson, keyboard player Raymond Hayden, and bassist Clif Chambliss, Hunsaker weaves a fantasy epic with finely refined and arranged musical landscape—so much, you cannot tell whether it’s the music that is in service of the story or the story is created to justify the grandness of the music. Heavily reminiscent of Breaking Benjamin, Brian Hunsaker brings to the front the best that melodic rock and metal have to offer. 

A collective of artists from Genova, Italy, that mixes rock, pop and electronic music, philosophy, art, science, and machines, Andrea Pizza and the Purble Mice is born of a vision, one that doesn’t see a clear-cut distinction between things we have put in different categories: humans, machines, emotions, thoughts, ideas, people. In their new album, released in late August this year, those ideas in all their messy glory are explored in a spacious, speculative, and musically experimental fashion. 

Led by vocalist and songwriter Andrea Pizzo, along with his wife Raffaella Turbino, who co-writes the lyrics, and joined by various friends and acquaintances like Roberto Tiranti and Riccardo Morello, as well as guest singers like Irene Buselli and Antonella Suella, the band has only released EPs and singles before this debut album, which functions as the first complete window view into their initial vision. 

The album opens with the song Ada, which is sung in the voice of English mathematician and writer Ada Lovelace, who was one of the first thinkers to imagine and conceive of applications beyond calculations for the machine. In the song, “Ada” says, “If you can give me poetry, give me logic/Imagination, mathematics are the language/Of unseen relation between things.” In a brilliant mathematicical, logical mind, the collective sees poetry, imagination, language and beauty. In that way, this song functions as a type of a thesis statement for the band’s vision, providing not only interesting music but interesting views of those we have been taught to see in only a certain light. Though in English, the vocalist, perhaps unintentionally, sings in a purely Italian cadence, which brings a certain foreignness to the song’s sound and voice. Not a failure, but rather another interesting aspect of a song that is all about fusions. 

More songs follow in the album that are interested in historical, scientific figures, such as “The Current War” that overlooks the rivalry between Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison. Imaginative, playful, and fun, the song mixes narration with lyrical singing. Its fun, punk-y sound, stands in contrast to “The ballad of Alan Mathison”, that takes a more melancholic, contemplative, and poetic direction. “Hidden Figures” and “Bombshell” are more songs that center known figures, giving them a different voice. 

“We are all bots” and “the Machine” are among the album’s songs that explore the possible aftermaths to such relationships with machines. The tracks that stand out the most, however, are “The Space and Beyond” and “”. The former is an adaptation of Versus de Naturis Rerum By Ambrosius Mediolanensis (Saint Ambrose), with added recitative text from The Three Laws of Robotics by Isaac Asimov. The song lingers than nearly all others in the fandom in the instrumental section, with no lyrics except for the recitations, becoming a definite unique standout. “Eternità,  on the other hand, might just be the most beautiful in the album. The lyrics, excerpted from the Homeric Mymn to Aphrodite translated into Italian by Ettore Romagnoli, make the only Italian singing in the entire album, strikingly performed by Andrea Pizzo and Antonella Suella in an operatic fashion. The result is an eerie, captivating track that is reminiscent of Florence and the Machine mixed with hardscore electric guitar solos. Overall, Andrea Pizzo is a unique, unusual voice, who alongside the rest of the collective, brings to us a fresh, experimental vision. 

Such is the case with Zach Adams, whose debut album “Dead Man Walking” is a sonic companion to their horror/fantasy novel “Dead Man Walking: Narrator’s Cut” that is also a mix of alternative and progressive rock. Self-produced through their own Splitting Adams Entertainment label, the album serves as a testimony to Adams’ creative fusion and desire for total control over their art. 

Released on the 1st of August this year, the album’s main aim is to offer a unique literary-musical fusion that combines lyrics, narration, hard rock and metal, and deepens the character’s introspection. For this reason, the album is, even more than other conceptual albums, fully resistant to a view that perceives each track as a standalone one. While the 12 tracks can definitely be enjoyed each for its own right musically, the appreciation for them comes from the full picture, not the individual components. 

Each of the 12 tracks offers a musical interpretation of the interiority of the novel’s characters. For context, the novel follows Isaac Falcone, a library assistant, who discovers his life is infested by otherworldly creatures. After being attacked by undead creatures, he is rescued by an elf and is forced to confront those malicious forces as well as a “penultimate evil” that threatens his reality.

The title track, for example, which can be seen as a “theme song” for the protagonist, is actually in the voice of the antagonist, who is singing to the protagonist. The song opens with a contemplative, slow music, only to get immediately harsher, louder, more chaotic and disruptive, itself becoming a window to the musical voice of the antagonist. 

“Drown”, on the other hand, focuses on the mental struggles of the protagonist, which shows through the musical composition that alternates between rapid and angry to nearly soft and timid, reflected as well in the vocals. Other tracks offer a more playful view of everything, like “They Want You to be Afraid!”, which embraces a synth-heavy, nearly alien-astic approach and vocals inspired by the metal tradition. Others, like “Becoming Hollow (Am I?)” favor a more classic and progressive rock soundscape. 

All the tracks are heavily atmospheric, an aspect that arises from both the album’s connection to a plotted novel, one that mainly centers otherworldly concerns, and its characters, and from Adams’ geographic heritage in Alaska’s harsh winters and its unforgiving landscapes. Those reflections and associations lead to a textured musical soundscape that spans the whole album. An ambitious project with various connections and inspirations, Adams’ debut album is promising to what can be expected from the artist, and enjoyable in its own right. 

Based in Princeton, American Grim is a quartet consisting of Ryan Grim on vocals, Brendan Healy on drums, Michael Morello on guitar, and Maddie Veil on

Synth. While love for hard rock and music in general is what brought this group together, they’re also united by fascination for the extraterrestrial. Those two aspects are brought to the forefront in this latest single of theirs, released on the 11th of May earlier this year. 

Released in close proximity to other projects by the band, like a comic book and feature film both titled “Roswell Remains”, the song, though it stands alone quite well, can somewhat be considered a part of a wider creative universe exploring Roswell by the band. As fascinated by the cinematic exploration of extraterrestrial lore as by conspiracy theories rooted in real events, the song brings many elements together. 

The song opens with theremin sound effects, the sound most associated with aliens, mostly through older cinema and TV, but quickly merges it with guitar and drums. The general sound of the song is one that alternates between the theremin and hard rock instrumental play, merging them often, but still allowing each a moment of dominion. The overall effect is unique and playful. The release will catch the attention of any extraterrestrial-enthusiast, hard rock fans.

A mostly Classic Rock band, the song sounds—as it aims to, perhaps—as if it has arrived to us directly from the 60s. Whether through the direct heavy influences from the Rolling Stones, most clear in David James’ guitar riffs and playful solos; the distant affinity with the Beatles and the Whos, shining through the lyrics and Micael Johansson’s vocal style; the flirting with the Psychedelic tradition through the Leslie speaker effect in the bridge, or the cover art itself, colorful and vaguely transgressive,

the song is soaked in the 60s, mish-mashing various figure-heads and movements that creates a mosaic-like song that is nostalgic, yet contemporary. 

The song tells a redeemed story, where the speaker has already found a more meaningful life that contrasts with previous hardships. A story that is told beautifully and made easy to resonate with.

Distinctly, the element that shines through the most is the song’s engagement with the shoegaze sub-genre in its moments of dreamy, ethereal sounds, though the release mainly follows the Classic Rock sound. An element that one wishes the band leaned into more, especially with the potential Californian music already has for such a style But as it stands, the song is easily fun, enjoyable, and a pleasure for Classic Rock fans everywhere.

 

Though the band inception was sown in 2011, when the frontman on guitar and vocals, Jared William Gottberg, started it with his highschool drummer friend Derek Talburt, with bass player Tony Bates joining in soon after, it took the band until 2018 to actually manage to release anything  and play shows due to a bizarre series of unlucky events, including: a robbery during a tour, laughably bad management, and legal issue over the band’s name. 

Ideas for their first album have always been played with during that period, but the actual seed for “Dopamine Machine” was sown between 2018 and 2020, when Jared met producer and engineer David Montuy Robles while recording for a different project, and decided to co-produce the band’s debut full-length album. 

Recording alone, done in Mexico City, was done by early 2022, but the band decided to support the album in different ways before continuing working on it, strengthening their public and artistic image first. So, the individual members’ artistic lives extend far beyond The Party After, with the front man alone having a solo career, a duo, and a five piece band as well, playing over 200 shows a year between all of them. All those reasons contribute to the level of maturity and inner diversity of the album, despite it being a debut album of a (functionally) young band.

Operating within the genres of Grunge, Hard and Alternative Rock, as well as Stoner Rock, the album expands over ten tracks. Their goofy brand of other-worldly animated characters, while distinct and fun, doesn’t fully indicate the seriousness of the music you will find in the album. Not without playfulness, mind you, but both on the musical level and the lyrical/storytelling/thematic one, it’s easily noticeable the amount of attention and thoughtfulness granted to every aspect and every track. In the band’s own words, “the themes themselves come from the soul-wrenching process of discovering how littered with turmoil the chasing of one’s dreams can actually be.”

More artists than not have made art directly dealing with what the experience of making art is like. What is unique about The Party After is the album was actively being made and thought of from their first moment, becoming itself a cynical testimonial object to the turmoils the band faced to get to the point of releasing this album. The one track that embodies this the most is “Blast Off”, a party-sounding track that details the self-destruction involved in chasing dreams, with Jared’s smoky, strained vocals playing off to the hard bass and drums. 

Looking at the experience from a different direction, “One for All” comes with a somewhat softer melody but with the same consistently hard bass and drums. The vocals have more of a forefront confidence as well. Other highlights from the album include “What You’re Waiting For”, which has a more distinct 80s-like overall sound, compared to the earlier two tracks, with sections leaning into hard rock, and “Symmetrism” that is one of the more emotional and emotive tracks, without too much sentimentalism. “Celebrating Nothing”, the final track, is one of the most distinguishable in the album, a worthy track to end on. Internally diverse, the melody is composed with more layers and complexity. Jared’s vocals and line-readings varying from desperate to contemplative, angry, smug adds to the complex soundscape. Overall, the album is telling of the level of experience behind it and only positively indicates what we should expect from the band’s second album.

Musically influenced by Metallica, Iron Maiden, Manowar and lyrically by Led Zeppelin, Fontaines D.C, and Joy Division, the band is working toward creating a unique musical identity for our new virtual world that is at once an internally-diverse combination of the best that has come without a nostalgic return or recreation of any. 

Merging hard rock and progressive genres, the song is written by Bozhidar Popov, who is also the composer and lead guitarist, and Marie-Louise Anastas. Essentially about internal struggles and battles, the song’s composition mimics that complexity in its own design. Music theory lovers and experts will find much to marvel at and love in this song. That said, the track doesn’t alienate regular hard rock fans, who will also find much to enjoy, especially the energetic rhythm and emotive melody. 

With a near-obsessive self-development, studying, and experimentation, Rage Unfold is one of the most promising indie rock bands in the scene. “My Division” creates an overall enjoyable listening experience with something to offer to everyone.

As the band has been working on this track for a long time (while working on “Mannequin Deposit”) and has even played it live multiple times, the track functions somewhat curiously in its bridging between their past work and their future releases, including the album the band is currently working on. As such, it’s also the first single that features guitarist Burnie Eckardt (Dynoride), making it function as the premiere for a new dynamic and new lineup as well. 

More influenced by 80s reinterpretations of the 60s psychedelic music rather than the OGS directly, the song has a certain nostalgic distance to it that perfectly complements its fragile, delicate melody and vocals. With falsetto-like vocals reminiscent of Sufjan Stevens, vocalist Alex Riggen is the heart of the song, adding a touch of softness that immediately evokes affection from listeners. 

Yet, the musical work, Eckardt and Riggen’s guitar, Ozzie Woods’s bass, and Nick Pompou’s drums add an unsettling layer to the song that it a uniquely situated experience, mirrored by the low-saturated musical video of the band singing in dog masks. Overall, the new track is promising to what the band is preparing for their coming album and to what their style is evolving to be.

Released earlier this year on the 28th of June, “Dawn of a New” is the first installment of a new concept record “Absolutely Nothing”. The concept album follows a narrative journey starting in the desert in search of a mysterious black stone.

Though the band hasn’t released anything that is purely thrash metal since their first EP, it continues to be a major influence on all their work, including this new release.  That is most apparent in X and Daniel Justo-Sanchez’s aggressive, urgent vocals (and the latter’s drums as well), and in the rapid melodic pace. 

Thematically fitting however, the song also utilizes underestimated instruments in the metal scene like the Persian Tar and Ney, that help create a distinct desert sound in the song. It all sets the mood for the beginning of a journey in a dry desert, with an edge of danger and the excitement of the unknown. Overall, the release is a high-energy attractive piece that sets the mood well for the album coming next year.

With an official music video coming soon, “You’ve Got a Hold on Me” is the second installment in the project OMENS II, which is a work-in-progress to be finished sometime in 2026. Yet, the singles, both released and unreleased, that make up the project, aren’t supposed to be viewed as smaller parts of a larger picture. 

Like “Any Means”, “You’ve Got a Hold on Me” is supposed to be a song that can stand alone. And it does. The song details a passionate, self-destructive experience with a dangerous woman, a desirable loss-of-control that can happen in unique encounters. 

Musically, it’s also different. Trev Tuminski’s vocals and guitar solos (alongside Mike Keller) still takes a central room on the stage, but this time, leaning into a more desperate, strained dimension that stands in contrast to the angry vocals and guitar of “Any Means.” Mike Onufreychuk and Don Jacks’ respective bass and drums set up the rapid pace of the single, taking us along this tumultuous experience.

Overall, “You’ve Got a Hold on Me” is a single that quickly establishes itself with the listener with ease. It’s a song that you want to put on repeat whenever you’re feeling restless or excited about venturing into the unknown.