Category Archives: News

Watch: Orchid Symmetry share new video for ‘Like The Sun’

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Formed just before almost the entire world went into a pandemic related lockdown, Orchid Symmetry have released a steady stream of digital singles and a couple of EPs since 2020. The best of the singles, 2022’s ‘Monsters and Demons’ eschewed most of the band’s heavier tendencies in favour of an ominous sounding riff that reworked alternative sounds from the 60s for a contemporary hard rock crowd. Parts of the melody sounded if they were distantly related to ‘House of The Rising Sun’, whilst other elements conveyed the all round moodiness of The Doors and the strange paranoia at the heart of Love’s ‘Forever Changes’. Despite taking various older elements and throwing them into a blender, a very natural vocal and occasionally abrasive guitar tone provided a more contemporary sound and also a very strong link with prior Orchid Symmetry tunes.

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Premiere: Rattle Bones share new video for ‘Desert Heart’

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When Rattle Bones released their debut single ‘Silver Bullets’ in January 2025, they immediately made a strong impression with their combination of hard edged guitar riffs and lyrical hooks. The band’s sound had a very retro appeal; there were moments during that number where the riffs took on a blues-edged swagger akin to Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Oh Well, Part 1’, but dropping into more of a hard rock bluster, the band conveyed even more of a fiery edge that suggested that these lads had been inspired by the legendary pre-grunge acts that ruled the hard rock airwaves between 1989-1991.

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Listen: Sun Below share new epic track ‘Mammoth’s Tundra’

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‘Mammoth’s Tundra’, the current single from Sun Below, first began life in 2023, before going through “significant changes” to wind up being the massive behemoth that kicks off the band’s 2025. The opening riff shares a slow, classic doom sound, instantly advertising the band’s heavy feel. After several bars, maybe at the point you’d expect a vocal to appear or the riff to do something dramatically different, Sun Below merely choose to heavy everything, whilst simultaneously slowing down to a sludgy crawl. The appearance of a vocal lends something Melvins-esque, before the doomy vibes slide into a slightly more melodic blues-doom sound, by which time, you’re either completely behind the band, or not. Working a Sabbath-on-steroids groove, the combo of drums and guitar latch onto an even deeper brand of doom, before the sludge comes back for a second assault.

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Watch: Detroit Run return with new video for ‘Invincible’

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Having formed in 2022, Liverpool’s Detroit Run have only been a presence on the alternative/melodic metal scene for a relatively short time, but over the past couple of years, the band have really made an impression. Past singles ‘Prototype’ (2024) and ‘Maniac’ (2023) were both flawless showcases for their sound – a driving, riff based approach, augmented with darkwave synths – but their current track ‘Invincible’ raises the bar.

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