This debut from American death metal band Throat Locust might only present three tracks, but in terms of being an effective CV, ‘Dragged Through Glass’ suggests immediate greatness. Taking elements of a classic death metal sound derived from Entombed, Bolt Thrower and Death, and fusing that with some of the heaviest groove metal touches ever, they have the subtlety of a truck, but in extreme metal terms, they could be the best band to emerge since Eaten By Sharks released their debut in a pre-pandemic 2019. Considering the release claims to be only a demo recording, that says a lot about how strong they already sound.
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MAD MOJO JETT – Get Your Mind Straight
Imagine a band that takes the energy and ferocity of The Cramps and fuses that with the DIY charm off 60s obsessed garage rockers Gallows Birds, adds a little surf rock cool, a pinch of R&B infused pub rock and a smidgeon of The Real Kids’ proto punk, and the chances are, you’d end up with something that sounds a bit like Mad Mojo Jett. That might sound a little messy in theory, but scratch below its fairly raucous surface, and you’ll discover a band with a timeless appeal. A pandemic collaboration between Joe Holland (Low Rats), Eric Levy (Jet Kick) and Monet Wong & Madalyn Rowell from The Toxenes, this is a quartet that’s big on energy and even bigger on garage rock thrills, creating a sound that’s retro yet timeless. Their musical moods value rawness, but the songs latch onto some major hooks along the way.
BANG BANG FIRECRACKER – Speak Evil EP
Like most bands, British metal act Bang Bang Firecracker found themselves having to drastically rethink all of their plans at the beginning of 2020. The global pandemic meant they couldn’t promote their debut album ‘Welcome To The Slaughterhouse’ effectively, but guitarist/vocalist Kieron Berry’s writing went into overdrive, and the band soon found themselves in possession of a superior follow up. Instead of releasing a full album, the decision was made to split the record into three EP releases as a way of keeping everything fresh, and it’s a move that’s really worked in the material’s favour. Although the first EP, ‘See Evil’ was potentially hampered by a truly terrible song (‘G.F.Y.’), it was clear that the band’s gift for a riff had come on in leaps and bounds since the debut LP, and the core of the material showed the kind of band capable of taking the traditional elements of metal and thrash into new and interesting places. Its follow up, ‘Hear Evil’ more than made good on that promise by adding some really muscular basslines to a great sound, and also showing Berry’s song writing in a more mature light.
The Real Gone Sampler 2022
It’s been another massive year at Real Gone. Over the past twelve months, we’ve shared well over a hundred reviews, introduced people to a world of new bands, and even seen the return of a few old favourites with some of their best albums ever.
Our audience have been really supportive. Visitor numbers have been more than consistent with previous years, and the response to a few of the reviews has been overwhelming. It’s been a great reminder of why this website continues to exist.
Real Gone’s End of Year Round-Up 2022
2022 has gone extremely quickly. With most people back at work in their offices and gigs being a regular occurrence, everything has felt far more like those old pre-2020 days. Almost as if to celebrate a shift back towards “normality” (though we’re no means out of the woods with regard to viruses) lots of our favourite bands went into overdrive, and a few of them even produced albums that are up their with their finest work.
Below, you’ll find Real Gone’s ten favourite releases of 2022, along with a few others that really stood out. It really has been a great year for music; some of the stuff we’ve not included was also of a very high standard, and it really felt like there was something new to explore every week.
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