This debut album from Temptress was a long time coming. The Texan band returned to the studio following the release of their debut EP in 2019, but soon had their work halted by the global pandemic. The album’s recording was finally finished in 2021, after which Temptress signed with Metal Assault Records. Instead of getting the material out straight away, everyone waited until the time was right, and ‘See’ eventually saw the light of day in the first quarter of 2023, over three years on from its inception.
THE PIGEON BOYS – Detox/Retox
Following a string of digital singles and an EP, this album by Austrian punks felt a long time coming. Not only because the gradual release of singles built up interest slowly, but also because the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic delayed the planned recording of the bulk of the material. Better late than never, The Pigeon Boys finally released their first full length in the summer of 2022.
DEATH PILL – Death Pill
Combining elements of hardcore punk, classic thrash metal, a little crust/d-beat intensity and the attitude of the Riot Grrrl movement of the 90s, Death Pill are genuine musical force. Throughout this debut full length, the Ukrainian three piece appear musically diverse, and although the way they jump between hardcore punk and thrash-based metal might sometimes seem as if they’re splitting loyalties between two audiences, in reality, their sound is a perfect crossover.
REDBUD – Long Night EP
Texan indie pop band Redbud began releasing music via Bandcamp during the lockdown of 2020, and it was immediately clear that their sound had something special. Their early digital singles ‘To The Moon’ and ‘Opal’ conveyed elements of retro dream pop and light psych-tinged Americana in a way that felt both familiar and fresh – an oxymoron if ever there were – and vocalist Katie Claghorn’s hazy and ethereal vocal style had an immediate appeal.
CROWN OF MADNESS – Elemental Binding EP
Canadian duo Crown of Madness released their debut EP in March 2022, and for those paying close attention to the metal underground, it introduced a band with an interesting approach to an extreme sound. Their harsh combination of old school death metal and a sheet of black metal coldness would be enough to please a lot of genre fans, but occasional nods to goth and doom lent their more brutal aspects a little balance via some strangely mournful riffs.