Salad were one of the most underrated indie bands of the nineties. With one foot in the noisy indie camp – leading to more than one support slot with Carter USM – and the other within the Britpop family, their quirky lyrical concerns and melodic vocal phrases gave them the potential to be huge. Although the band never really rose above cult status, those who liked them absolutely adored them.
Over the couple of years before the global pandemic forced everything into lockdown, UK blues rock band Big River found their profile steadily rising. The release of their debut album ‘Redemption’ showcased a band who were much better than their early singles – all huge riffs and overtly macho lyrics suggested – when mixing their grittier elements with a few more AOR-centric rockers and a couple of soulful rock ballads.
Italian power poppers Radio Days waved goodbye to 2020 with an excellent three track release, ‘I Got A Love’, presenting two very sharp self-penned tunes and a spirited cover of The Jam’s ‘In The City’. Although bite-sized, the release gave fans everything they could hope for from a new Radio Days disc.
In the summer of 2020, thrash/rap metal/crossover legends made their long overdue return with the ‘Violition’ EP. The band’s first new studio release since 1992, at least two of it’s songs were “classic” Mordred, heavy on the riffs, but even bigger on the grooves.
In an era where digital singles and playlists have gained as much traction as full albums, American death metal band Eye of The Destroyer have promised “new music once a month for the foreseeable future.” This could be a good move for the band, since at a time when gigs are still off the table, it keeps them out there in the minds of underground metal fans.