Alex Lifeson’s Envy of None to release 7″ with all proceeds going to Ukraine Emergency Response

This week sees the release of the much anticipated debut from Envy of None. The new band features ex-Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson and ex-Coney Hatch man Andy Curran, and promises to be one of the year’s big albums on the prog rock calendar.

In addition, the band are issuing a strictly limited (500 copies) worldwide single of ‘Enemy’, with all monies earnt being donated to the UNCHR Ukraine Emergency Response. The news comes barely twelve hours after David Gilmour’s announcement that a reconvened Pink Floyd had recorded a new track and would be donating all profits to aid the Ukraine crisis. [Watch the new video here.]

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THE GENTS – Chop The Rot EP

Taking the grubbiness of classic Mudhoney and injected it with the spirit of old school punk and a pinch of early Motorhead, German punk ‘n’ roll trio The Gents whip up a speed driven storm on their 2022 EP ‘Chop The Rot’. Although speed is often the key to bringing a genuine excitement to their material, also a great pleasure to be had when hearing the band approaching most of their work at full volume. This results in the kind of release that would appeal to a broad spectrum of punk fans.

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FORTUNE – Level Ground

At the peak of AOR’s popularity in the 80s, there were a lot of great bands and artists whom, for whatever reason, never quite made the big time. They had the major label deal; they had the songs, and yet, struggled to make it into the first division with Journey and Survivor, and secure that place in record buyers’ long term memories. Perhaps it was just that in those days the melodic rock scene was over subscribed. The lack of sales for albums by Aviator, John Philip and Baxter Robertson – to give just three examples – certainly had nothing to do with a lack of talent.

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HAGALAS – As A Unit EP

Finland’s Hagalas are often promoted as a death metal band, but as with so many Scandinavian acts, their music has far more depth, and more of an interest in actual melodies than your average death-based act. Yes, the four songs on their ‘As A Unit’ EP come weighted down by some very aggressive vocals, but most of the time, frontman Kailie Kohonen’s approach doesn’t even venture into the old school growls and grunts associated with the genre. In fact, it’s fair to say that plugging them as a death band is to sell them short. Very short.

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