Smoke AxD (aka Smoke All Day) brings together artists previously associated with Madball, Crown of Thornz and Hatebreed, which, in hardcore terms, sounds like it should be pretty amazing. On this EP, those musicians bring some massive riffs, as you’d expect, and the vocal performances often attack like a concrete sledge. There are a lot of moments where the material sounds like something unearthed from the late 90s, so they’ve got that classic/nostalgic angle covered too. So, why then, do the five songs on this EP sound so…frankly uninspired?
Monthly Archives: January 2025
THE HOLY KNIVES – I Don’t Wanna Win EP
On their 2018 full length ‘Year Of The Dog’, rock duo The Holy Knives shared some very full sounding, atmospheric songs. The material had a definite core sound: bits of melodic garage rock could be found meshing with even older influences, resulting in tunes like ‘Memory Book’ sharing a huge vocal against a hefty drum beat, ‘Loose Tooth’ working a wobbly twang against a massive croon, taking a little more of an atmospheric indie rock stance and, in an unexpected twist, ‘Lucky Day’ sounded like an old Chris Isaak number remixed by Portishead man Geoff Barrow. It was the kind of record that set solid foundations for future works.
On their 2020 EP ‘Always Gone’, the cinematic elements of the Holy Knives sound used keys to create something even more retro, and by the time of their 2023 single release ‘Keep On Lyin’, even more of a groove had been established, showing how even though this duo had a sound that worked for them, Kyle and Kody Valentine certainly weren’t shy of embracing a natural musical progression.
THE BIG DEAL – Electrified
Serbian band The Big Deal released a very confident debut in 2022’s ‘First Bite’. Although their music wasn’t particularly original, the album’s best tracks showcased talented musicians, capable of sharing a huge sound, and whose brand of melodic rock and metal consistently hit the mark with strong callbacks to Pretty Maids and other Euro fare.
Following the album’s release, guitarist Srdjan Brankovic made a great contribution to Ronnie Romero’s ‘Raised On Radio’, but then seemed to disappear. Considering he guested on a number of albums up to this point, his relative quietness came as a surprise, but his fans will certainly welcome his return here, and find plenty to enjoy within his work on this second release from The Big Deal. Much like before, the best material places Brankovic’s guitar playing rather highly in the end mix, but there’s very much the feeling that this is a genuine band project, rather than merely just being the Srdjan show with a few in-house hired hands.
MUCK AND THE MIRES – Zoom Breakup EP
In the summer of 2023, Muck and The Mires released the ‘Cool Imposter’ single. With a blend of 50s kitsch, late 60s garage rock guitar and one of the most repetitious hooks ever, it quickly marked out a place as one of their strongest tracks to date. Their 2024 EP ‘Zoom Breakup’ doesn’t quite summon the same fire – although always enjoyable in their own way, it would’ve been a tall order for its six numbers to reach the same heights of shameless infectiousness – but the release is certainly a more than welcome addition to the veteran band’s catalogue.
IAN BLURTON’S FUTURE NOW – Crimes Of The City
Ian Blurton’s 2019 album ‘Signals Through The Flames’ presented nine tracks of well crafted melodic hard rock and metal. The performer’s old soul brought a classic sound to the fore, with tracks that took influence from Black Sabbath (‘The March of Mars’), Blue Oyster Cult (‘ICQ’), ‘The Cage’ era Tygers of Pan Tang, and most notably on album standout ‘Days Will Remain’, a hefty nod to the vintage sounds of Judas Priest from 1978.
‘Crimes of The City’, the second release under the band name Ian Blurton’s Future Now (following 2022’s ‘Second Skin’), owes a similar debt to various classic rock and metal influences, but if anything, is even more effective. Delivering ten riff filled numbers in a little over half an hour, it leaves nothing to chance and no room for obvious filler.