Blind Man’s Daughter is a melodic progressive metal band from Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, starting out in 2012 by founding member Ashley Wolfe, but it wasn’t until 2022 that the project really came to life.

Mirage Harmer is the band’s latest single and was released on 26/05/2023.

With a progressive metal sound at its core, this track also takes influence from a few other genres, jumbling them all together and coming up with a sound that is anthemic, big and cutting edge.

With heavy guitars producing some great riffs, there are also some really intricate guitar passages and solos. Slight distortion on the heavier riffs creates a sludgy feel that really hits you in the stomach, while the solos are cleaner and expertly executed, showcasing some extreme guitar talent.

The bass guitar, with strong and meaty basslines, is very prominent as are the drums that can range from laid-back and quite serene to full-on and hard-hitting as the pace and timing of the track changes from one minute to the next. Musically, there is so much to listen to on this track, that just one play through is not enough to hear all that the song has to offer, and we haven’t mentioned the vocals yet!

Ashley’s voice provides strong female vocals to accompany the musical arrangement, and her voice can range from soft and flowing to aggressive growls, something she does seamlessly and with ease. She portrays the emotion of the lyrics with power and takes total command of the track from start to finish.

This is a fantastic song that really does have something for everyone. The progressiveness of it is what sticks out the most to me about it, but another listener might see it in a completely different and that is the brilliance of music. It means something different to everyone and is all about the interpretation.

Awesome!

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5 Peeps And The Battery are a five-piece band from Berlin, featuring Lilly on vocals and keyboards, Philip on rhythm guitar, Norman on bass, Perino on drums and Max on lead guitar and Gemini is their latest single, released on 26/05/2023.

The band is one that doesn’t want to be too predictable and has taken on the challenge of giving pop-rock a make-over since they first got together in 2021.

Gemini is a combination of a multitude of genres, from alternative rock and indie rock to pop and with even an element of funk thrown in for good measure.

With meaty basslines providing the funkiness, a prominent feature throughout the entire song, the guitars and drums are laid back but still hold the song together, which is very much driven by the bass and the vocals, the two having a great mix.

Lilly’s voice is strong and melodic and is the perfect fit for the rest of the band as well as the song. With plenty of attitude, she also has a swagger that borders on a funk-jazz style, but this combination really works well in this song.

The song has two distinct themes, one being the two-faced Gemini star sign, nice and sweet on one side yet devilish and reckless on the other, and the second, more importantly, that you should always be yourself, and this is something that many people need to hear.

The song has a bounce to it that is infectious and will leave you humming it for the rest of the day, a definite earworm that’s for sure!

Great track and a job well done!

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Mark Winters is a Texas-based rock singer / songwriter who first picked up a guitar to play his wife a song on their anniversary, and in the process discovered the joy of connecting with people through music.

Boundary Layer Radio Remix is his latest single and was released on 26/05/2023. With musical roots in rock, blues rock and pop, Mark cites John Mayer, Tom Petty, and Jason Mraz as significant influences, and this track has elements of it all.

With a foundation in classic rock, this track spreads its way into Americana and rock-pop and even has a hint of country rock about it too, creating a great sound that is quite unique.

With guitar work that is quite reminiscent of The Shadows at certain points, the song has quite a laid-back yet upbeat feel to it. The guitars have a hint of a country twang to the during the solos and the drum and bass sections are solid, keeping the song tight and on track.

Mark’s voice is awesome on this track. Suited to classic rock, country rock as well as pop-rock, his vocals have a distinct quirkiness to them that really adds to the charm of the song. Accompanied by layered backups, the choruses are big, and the song has a real depth to it.

This is a great, easy to listen to song that will appeal to a wide range of listeners. Please check Mark and his music out and see what you think.

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Dave Belding is a Long Island based artist and Purge And Flourish is his latest single, released on 26/05/2023.

The song is about “self-reflection and finding strength to continue changing one’s character,” Belding explains and is an introspective look at his own personal journey, a theme that a lot of people can connect with.

Not afraid to experiment with his music, this track is a very atmospheric one that is raw, emotional, and totally haunting.

With an alternative rock foundation, tentacles have spread out and drawn influence from a multitude of genres and this has created a big sound that is entirely unique to him. Guitars and drums form the basis of the instrumentation, but the inclusion of electric synths and other sounds really gives the track a progressive, even psychedelic, feel.

Dave’s vocals are haunting, his voice strong and powerful but with a rawness to them that adds a sensationalism to the track. Layered backups accompany him, and this makes for a great depth, allowing the emotion of the lyrics to really spring forward.

The track builds in intensity and emotion as it progresses, his voice really becoming the focal point, and with lyrics that really pull the listener in, the is a great song that showcases Dave’s amazing talent.

Fantastic song that is different and really does have its own personality. I can’t wait to hear more!

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WHITEROOMNIGHTMARE is the brainchild of self-taught musician Paul Anketell and the man from Northern Ireland has been making music for about two years now. He says on his Facebook page that he “makes music that is too heavy for some and not heavy enough for others!” But he thinks it is “just right.”

I’m Sorry It’s You is his latest single and was released on 26/05/2023.

I have previously released music by WHITEROOMNIGHTMARE, and in contrast this one is a slower paced track that deals with the topic of feeling overwhelmed by bad news stories.

Guitars are still a very prominent feature of this track, and with a slight distortion on them, the track has a hint of a grunge vibe to it. With layered guitar sounds, the track has lots of depth and there is also a lot of emotion expressed just through the guitar work. The drum work is not as ferocious on this track although they are ramped up when they need to be.

Paul’s vocals are what sets this song apart from other tracks. His voice is soft and gentle but there is also a rawness and a grittiness there that lets him take complete command of the track. His voice is powerful enough not to let the instrumentation of the song overshadow him, his voice, and the music in total harmony. There is a slight quirkiness to the vocals, but I think this only adds to the atmosphere of the song.

Another great track from this incredibly talented artist!

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Indigo Daydream is the creation of multi-instrumentalist and film maker, Nick Cheshire. Says Nick; “Indigo Daydream was created following an experience I had during lockdown. After a head injury, whilst laying in an MRI listening to the surreal beat of the machine, I decided to create something positive from a challenging experience and so Indigo Daydream was born. I’m trying to create music with a surreal edge. Like waking up from a dream.”

Influenced by artists such as Tame Impala, Slowdive and Mazzy Star, Indigo Daydream uses a combination of alternative rock, psychedelia, and shoegaze to create a hypnotic sound that is quite unique.

Strawberry Fields Forever, a cover of the classic Beatles hit, is a whole new take on the original. Already quite a psychedelic track, Indigo Daydream takes it one step further with the psychedelia and has produced something that is how the original should have sounded (and I am not putting the Beatles down here, I am a big fan too!)

Using a combination of electric guitars, drums and synths, the result is a swirling, ambient track that really pulls the listener in. A shoegaze element is used by including washed out vocals that merge with the music, and layered backups really give the song a great depth.

What an awesome track this is and is a great cover that really stamps its on mark on the original.

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Hail is a Southampton based symphonic metal singer and Oblivion is her latest single, released on 26/05/2023. This is the sixth single she has released and the first in a trilogy that she will be releasing this year, detailing loss, grief, and despair.

Oblivion is a haunting track is about the numb feeling that comes with grief. Says the singer; “You don’t feel alive anymore. You’re living, but you’re not there,” and I think this is a theme that a lost of people can resonate with.

The track starts quite serenely but soon erupts into a frenzy of symphonic and operatic metal. Thrashing, heavy guitars are a prominent feature and these mixed with the singer’s poignant and melancholy vocals really creates a sound that is full of atmosphere and emotion.

The piano part way through the song gives the listener a little breathing space before they are launched headfirst back into the track, and as the song finishes with a little piano work, this really adds to the atmospheric nature.

This is a great track and I really want to hear more from this fantastic artist. If symphonic, operatic, and gothic metal are your thing then you are going to love Hail. Check her out on Spotify and give her some support.

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Akilla is a melodic death metal band from Cambridge in the UK and consists of members vocalist and guitarist Ross Wilson, drummer Ginger Taylor, guitarist David Hill (also from the band Elimination) and bassist Kathryn Hailes (Atorc). Formed in 2017, there has only been a few singles released to date by the band due to struggles to maintain a consistent line-up, but now they are ready to release their debut album, The Gods Have Spoken, on 2^nd June 2023.

The eight-track album was written, recorded, and mixed by the band, with the exception of drums and mastering which were performed by Jack Helliwell at DC Studios, and every track on the album deserves its place there.

Kicking off with the atmospheric Winds Of Winter, this track really sets the tone for the rest of the album and shows the listener exactly what this band is about. There really is no better opening song than this to kick off this great album.

With heavy and furious riffs, guitars are one of the main driving forces behind this album. The sludginess of their sound really creating something dynamic and breath-taking for the band. Intricate guitar solos are interspersed throughout the album, and this really makes for a great contrast and it’s this mixture of the two that has the ability to kick you right in the stomach.

Strong basslines and ferocious double-kick drumming keep the tracks together perfectly and, together, they form an impenetrable foundation for the band.

The sound is completed with guttural vocals that are as frightening as they are hypnotising and these really pull you into the songs, conjuring up images of sea-faring Vikings and the like, really setting the imagination on fire.

Changes in timings and pace of the songs takes the listener on a sonic journey, fiving them time to breath, fleetingly, before throwing them back into the deepest darkest aspects of melodic death metal once more. But, this is more than a death metal album, the intricacies of some of the music being quite progressive too, and it is this that really makes this album stand out as truly epic and cinematic.

This really is a classic debut for the band and one that should really set them on the path to some big things. It has just about everything you could want from a melodic death metal album. It’s doomy, it’s gloomy, it’s heavy, and most of all it’s totally in your face!

I don’t give marks out of ten for album reviews anymore but if I did, this album would definitely receive an eleven!!

Immense album and I hope to hear more from them in the (near??) future! Don’t keep us waiting so long next time guys, although this album is DEFINITELY worth the wait!

Track Listing:

1) Winds Of Winter

2) Serpent & The Son

3) Queen Of Heaven

4) Song Of The Seafarers

5) Blood & Bone

6) Cosmica

7) The Gods Have Spoken

8) Echo

This review is the property of The Metal Asylum