The Survival Code are a London-based rock duo comprising of Gary McGuinness on guitar and vocals and Simon Hartop on drums and vocals. The band has been around in many different formats since 2012 but it was in 2018 that they found their final line up and sound.

And boy, what a sound it is! Combining the best elements of alternative rock, emo rock, punk rock and metal, this duo have come up with a sound that is uniquely theirs.

The guitars are heavy and with clever use of distortion, the song has quite a fuzzy, almost grungey, feel to it. There is also quite a melodic sound to the guitars and the main riff that is prominent throughout the track will definitely get stuck in your head. The drumming is energetic and raw and has all the attitude of punk rock.

I love the vocals on this track. They are very reminiscent of Simon Neil from the band Biffy Clyro, strong and powerful with that slight edge to them and together with layered backups, the band has a great vocal arrangement.

One thing that stands out about this track is the fact that there are just two of them achieving the big sound that the song has, and this shows the sheer amount of talent that is on show here

This is a great track, and I will definitely be keeping my ears open for anything new these guys produce!

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Sloppy Joe’s come from Hamburg in Germany and are one of the upcomers in the New Wave Of Classic Rock genre. This trio has a hard-hitting yet refreshing sound, taking influence from the likes of Kiss, Guns N Roses and AC/DC while throwing their own style in at the same time. Forming in 2011, the band consists of Jesse Garon on guitar and vocals, Johnny Angel on bass and Pätzy Dävey on drums. They have performed over 150 live stage shows and have amassed a staggering 750k streams on Spotify since the release of their self-titled EP in 2013.

Live In Hamburg (Vol 1) is their latest EP, released on 28/10/2022 and is the first ever live EP the band have released. It compromises the best tracks from two shows recorded live in Hamburg, one in 2016 and the other in 2019 and the band states the EP “perfectly captures the atmosphere of a Sloppy Joe’s concert.”

And if this EP is an indication of what a Sloppy Joe’s gig would be like, then I want to be first in the queue!

Musically, these guys have everything spot on. The guitars are heavy, with riffs galore that will stick in your head and getting you tapping your foot at the very least. The drumming is energetic and the basslines give the EP a bit of funk to it. All members of the band work in complete harmony together and the music is tight. You really have to listen to notice that this is, in fact, a live EP.

The vocals are superb, strong and powerful and never once overshadowed by the music that is accompanying him, which sometimes can be the case with live recordings. The sound guys at the shows obviously got everything right and all parts of the band can be heard loud and clear.

I have previously reviewed the band’s single Get In The Ring, which was a heavy rock mixed with glam track. This EP, however, has a more punk feel to it, and that is in no way a bad thing, as this shows just how diverse this band can be.

The energy that is emitted from this EP is fantastic to hear and it obvious to hear that this is a trio of guys who really do enjoy what they do. The interaction with the crowd is obvious to hear and this proves that the fans enjoy what the band do just as much as the band do!

Fantastic debut live EP and am very much looking forward to more from this great band!

Track Listing:

1) Intro (Live)

2) Devil’s Music (Live)

3) Right Decision (Live)

4) Lonesome No. 1 (Live)

5) Make Some Noise (Live)

6) Some Broken Hearts Never Mend (Live)

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Roger Ricks is a Swiss musician who has one mission…and that is to change lives through his music. Facing tough times growing up, he found solace in music and taught himself to play the guitar. Today he is a multi-instrumentalist playing guitar, bass, keys, and singing, all while producing his music from his home studio. Through his music he wants to inspire people to find their own way of making a difference.

What A Place is his latest single and was released on 10/03/2023.

This is an absolutely fantastic track that has a very classic sound mixed with a bit of alternative. The guitars are heavy and the riffs fly at you from all angles, the drumming is energetic and the basslines give the track a very nice swagger. The guitar solo three quarters of the way through the track is wonderfully executed and the song really will get you tapping your foot.

Roger’s vocals are simply superb on this track. With their foundations firmly in the classic rock genre, there is also a grittiness to them that gives the track the alternative vibe. With backup vocals that compliment the lead perfectly, this track has lots of depth and there is plenty to listen to.

This is a fantastic track that I really enjoyed listening to. I really hope to hear some more new music from this guy in the very near future and in the meantime I am heading off to Spotify to find some older stuff.

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Neverless are a “skalternative rock” band from Sarasota, Florida and their self-titled album, Neverless, was released on 15/03/2023.

The first thing that stood out to me about this album was the sheer amount of energy that emits from it. The music is upbeat, the lyrics are extremely catchy and if you are not bouncing around to this one, do you even like music?

A delightful blend of a whole host of genres from alternative rock, to classic rock, to skater rock and everything in between, there is also a hint of ska in there too, so this really is an album that has something for everyone and one that seems to have almost created its own genre.

With heavy guitars throwing rock riffs at you left, right and centre, with guitar solos that will send shivers down your spine, the drumming has the energy of punk rock and the bass lines gives the album a funky, groovey feel. Add into the mix the use of brass and woodwind instruments and you really have got a feel-good album that totally tears down the walls between genres. Distortion is used to great effect, from the very first song, and this sets the listener up in regards to what to expect from this album.

The vocals have the swagger of alternative / skater rock and the attitude of punk rock and its this edginess that really makes them stand out. The singers voice is strong and powerful with an added grittiness, and the backup vocals add a great depth to the songs. The singer can turn his hand to full on punk rock songs while also quite able to handle a rock ballad too and this, along with the great talent of the rest of the band, shows just how diverse they are.

The album has plenty of pace and energy to it and even the slower tracks have plenty of passion coming from them. This must have been a great album for the guys to record as you can literally feel the fun aspect in each and every track and to see these guys in a live setting must be immense.

A fantastic album that is bouncy, rocky and just totally in your face and with twelve tracks to get through, this will certainly keep you entertained. Absolutely awesome job from the lads and I look forward to hearing much more from them in the future.

Track Listing:

1 Enter Scene

2 Stomp

3 Bad Company

4 Red Light

5 Once And For All

6 Stuck In Place

7 Pheromone

8 Think For Yourself

9 Come Alive (In The Dead Of The Night)

10 Interlude

11 Goin’ Loco

12 Edge Of My Dreams

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What do you get if you cross early 70’s psychedelia with glam- spattered rock and roll from the likes of Mott The Hoople and The Faces and a classic 1970’s heavy rock sound? The answer is simply Mad Painter.

I have reviewed singles from Mad Painter in the past and was eager to hear what an album from this great band could offer, and I wasn’t disappointed. But, before I get into the actual review of the album, let me tell you a bit about the band themselves.

Mad Painter are a new band from Boston who have their roots firmly in the melodic rock traditions of the 1970’s and they cross early 70’s psychedelia with glam- spattered rock and roll from the likes of Mott The Hoople and The Faces and a classic 1970’s heavy rock sound to create a sound all of their own.

Splashed is their latest album and was released on 15/03/2023.

Being a multi-genre band and one that blurs the lines between genres, the listener is never sure where he is going to be taken with this album. Each track is completely different to the next, and the album jumps from one genre to the next at the drop of a hat. The two things that are consistent throughout the album are the progressive nature of the music and the psychedelic feel the album gives off. Both of these combined means there is always something for the listener to be engaged with and one play through really is not enough to hear all what this band and this album have to offer.

Heavy guitars are prevalent throughout the album as are pounding drums and funky bass lines but it’s the use of keyboards/synths and other instruments, such as cowbell and trumpets, that really gives this album its unique sound. Distortion throughout the album really adds to the psychedelic and progressive feel of the album and classic rock influences also make an appearance with the likes of the guitar solos.

Once again, the vocals are quirky but still very powerful and mesmerising, and on the slower ballads also very emotional. The female back up vocals are a great contrast to the male leads but the two work in complete unison together and compliment each other perfectly.

This album really does take the listener on a nostalgic journey back to the 70’s, crossing over many genres along the way, but it also maintains a modern twist that keeps the music fresh.  And with seventeen tracks to listen to, this album will keep you amused for well over an hour!

A great album that will have a wide appeal to a lot of listeners. Please check the music and the band out!

Track Listing:

1 Illusion

2 Parting Line

3 River

4 Stealin’

5 Highway Driver

6 Rock And Roll Samurai

7 Lie To Me

8 I’ve Been A Fool

9 Jacques

10 Let Him Go

11 A Friend In France

12 I Don’t Know

13 San Michel

14 The Moon

15 Love Is Gold

16 You nearly Stole My Heart Away

17 I Live For Love

This review is the property of The Metal Asylum

Suburban Cycle Gang is a trio of musicians from Cambridge, Ontario who are “trying to figure things out through their high-energy rock music.”  They are an indie rock band consisting of Dave Fox, Jerry Grey, and Eric St-Pierre and quickly becoming a band to watch in the Canadian music scene.

In The Cosmos, their first release since their 2019 album “Soft Balls Are Too Hard”, is their latest single and was released on 24/02/2023.

With some very swanky grooves, this is a track that knows no boundaries and cannot be classed in to any one genre. With genre-bending guitar work that ranges from classic rock to the psychedelic, the track will take you on a musical journey to an alternative world and back again.

With distorted guitars, crashing drums and cymbals and a funky bass line throughout, this song is really unlike anything you have heard before. The vocals are reminiscent of 70’s rock but with some distorted vocal effects too which really add to the atmospheric vibe the song has.

Throw into the mix some soul and groove and this is a track that really does have a sound all of its own.

The song is very busy, with there always being something for the listener to hear, and one listen through really is not enough to hear all that this song has to offer.

This really is a feel-good song and one that will have you moving about to in one way or another. I really liked it and will look out for more music from this great band!

This review is the property of The Metal Asylum

Study Of Us is a one-man synth alt-rock band from Suffolk in England and Still Alive is his latest single, released on 10/03/2023.

Still Alive is an insane mix of synth music with emo pop and punk rock.

The song has the energy of punk rock, the vocals of emo and screamo with a little bit of punk thrown in too and with the electronic synths crashing out beats left, right and centre, this could almost be considered a rave track too!

With the lines between genres not only being blurred but being totally obliterated, this is not a band that could be pigeon-holed anywhere! With a no-holds-barred vibe to it, this track is full of attitude, and one that I think would appeal to a lot of people.

The energy that comes from this track is immense, considering that the sound created is provided by just one man! I can imagine that to see this guy in a live setting would be totally awesome as I would think he would be running around the stage like a loon, all while keeping the audience very much entertained.

This is a totally bonkers track but one that really works. I loved it from the very first notes and I think a lot of other people will too. If you fancy listening to a track that is insane and totally off the wall yet full of talent and energy then this is the track for you!

Insanely awesome song!

This review is the property of The Metal Asylum

The Bellwethers are an originals rock band from Phoenix, Arizona formed in 2010 and if you would like to know more about their sound “think classic 70’s era psychedelic, punk and blues tossed into a blender ad turned on high!”

I have previously reviewed an old single of theirs which was released al the way back in 2018 but todays review is of their latest single Psychic Radio which was released on 10/03/2023.

Like the previous track, this is a great blend of classic rock with alternative and even some psychedelia thrown in for good measure.

The track starts off with a meaty bass line before vocals, drums and guitars kick in in earnest. The guitars have a slight distortion giving them a grungey yet stoner feel and the bass, which is heavy and very prominent throughout the track, really brings the psychedelic vibe.

The mix of female and male vocals on this one really makes the track stand and, again, slight distortion is used to great effect. The contrast between the female voice which is haunting and beautiful, and the male voice, which is more edgy and gritty is a real treat for the listener.

The song has a great swagger to it and even after just one play through you will be humming this for the rest of the day, as it really does pull you in and keeps you there as the track has quite a mesmerising feel to it.

Another great track from this awesome band. Check them out!

This review is the property of The Metal Asylum

Based in Nashville in Tennessee, Joshua was born in a small town near Chicago, and soaked up anything he could hear from the airwaves, before heading off on his own musical journey and Ashes is his latest single, released on 10/03/2023.

I have previously reviewed  couple of singles by Joshua, namely Tazewell County Line and No Stopping Us and with each song that I review, it becomes more apparent just how talented this guy is.

Ashes is a country rock ballad that shows off Joshua’s beautiful yet fragile and fragmented voice perfectly. Soft and gentle, his voice is still packed full of power and brings so much emotion to the song, and it really is the standout element of the song for me.

There is a steady drum beat throughout the song, along with acoustic guitars that accompany Joshua’s vocals. Electric guitars are added into the mix to provide a stark contrast and the unmistakable twang of the country rock guitar is evident throughout, especially with the guitar solos, which are expertly executed.

The track is a positive one with a message to all the listeners to rise from the ashes even after all your bridges have been burnt and even with the feelings of betrayal and regret of a broken relationship, you can get through it and live again. This is a theme that I think a lot of people will resonate with and Joshua conveys these feelings beautifully with his emotionally charged voice.

The song also features Zak St. John on drums, Michael Webb on the organ, Candace Devine on backing vocals and Tony Paoletta on guitar.

Absolutely beautiful song!

This review is the property of The Metal Asylum