The first Dead Feathers album – 2019’s ‘All Is Lost’ – introduced the world to a solid blues rock/heavy psych band. With a sound indebted to the last gasps of the 60s and steeped in a classic riffs, the record’s ten songs explored a darker tone and shared arrangements which sometimes sounded like Jefferson Airplane’s moody cousin (‘At The Edge’), as well as hinting at an admiration for the slow and vaguely psychedelic blues of Savoy Brown (‘Smoking Gun’). It even wheeled out some brilliant fuzzy fare (‘Horse And Sands’) and a heavier riff or two in a nod to the mighty Black Sabbath (‘Cordova’). Although never as lavish sounding as the best Ruby The Hatchet works, it was one of those records that guaranteed enjoyment for fans of the style, wherever they chose to drop the metaphorical needle.
Author Archives: Real Gone
DARKNESS IS MY CANVAS – White Noise
When it came to promoting their full length debut ‘White Noise’, Finnish prog metal band were taking no chances. The first digital single appeared almost a full year before the album itself, and they subsequently drip fed their potential fans different tracks over the following months. This was no hit and run PR campaign. What’s more, in an effort to attract a variety of ears, they ensured those early digital singles covered a lot of musical ground. It was a campaign that worked. For those who didn’t enjoy the melodic metal of ‘Drown’ – an In Flames meets progressive metal workout – there would be the epic ‘Inverted’, a tune where the band abandoned their metal stance and embarked upon a very unfashionable 70s sound. Hey, if that were good enough for Opeth, going massively retro could work for others, and in the case of this massively uncommercial single, it proved a master stroke for Darkness. If anything, it was that unexpected shift which genuinely stoked up the excitement for the album itself.
THE GENTS – Responsible Dog Walker EP
In 2022, Hamburg based punks The Gents released their ‘Chop The Rot’ EP. It’s three tracks were rough and ready, but always conveyed a great sound. By taking influence from garage rock, 80s hardcore and punk ‘n’ roll, their energy focused approach injected new life into familiar sounds, and a knack for a sharp musical hook gave their material a real bite.
GONE STEREO – I’m So Sick / Cool Kids
Following on from ‘Don’t Think About You’ – a single that got a huge amount of attention from online radio station SiriusXM (home of Little Steven’s Underground Garage) – this double hit from Long Island pop-punkers shows off their gifts for very strong melodies in a manner that’s just as effective. Armed with a massive love of early Sum 41, The Ataris and middle period MxPx, the band’s mix of sun-filled sounds and semi-angsty lyrics is in a classic mould, therefore instantly familiar, but that in itself very much works to the material’s strengths.
JOBY FOX – I Once Was A Hawk, Now I’m A Dove
Joby Fox began his musical career as a member of Belfast post-punk band The Bankrobbers, who released material on the legendary Terri Hooley’s Good Vibrations label. Musicians have to grow and change, obviously, and it’s impossible to remain angry at the world for a lifetime; but, that said, Fox’s 2023 solo album ‘I Once Was A Hawk, Now I’m A Dove’ is as different from his formative years as it’s possible to be. It doesn’t even align with his work as a member of Irish pop-rockers Energy Orchard. The album shares a soft, after hours vibe which, used to power songs which stylistically straddle folk, pop and jazz, makes it fit almost into an easy listening bracket. This is by no means a criticism; the laid back moods are perfect for Fox’s voice, which is just one of the record’s many strengths.