Trumbiten’s ‘Emotions’ EP (released in the spring of 2021) presented a huge step forward for the Swedish father/son metal duo. They’d previously entertained their audience with some well chosen covers, but this release marked the debut of their own self-penned works, and its three tracks more than delivered in terms of both riffs and hooks. Their decision to take a few old fashioned metal traits and mix them with sounds befitting of bands like In Flames also suggested that, unlike some DIY metal bands, they had tastes that weren’t purely stuck in the 1980s.
Watch the new performance video from The Pineapple Thief
Bruce Soord has kept himself very busy over the past few years. He’s released two solo album, collaborated with Jonas Reingold on The Wisdom of Crowds, and still found time to record new material as part of The Pineapple Thief.
KILLER HEARTS – Skintight Electric
The debut EP from Killer Hearts provided a quick jolt of retro brilliance back in 2019. Taking the trashiness of the New York Dolls debut, the sheer drive of Dictators’ proto punk noise and a bit of extra oomph, its four songs were a fast and sweaty treat. The end mix made the lead guitars seem razor sharp, and the way the vocals seemed half buried in noise often made it hard to pick out the finer points of any lyrical concerns, but all things considered it was a great tribute to the world of 1970s proto-punks and hardened Stooges wannabes.
DR CHRIS & THE REDEEMERS – Devil In The Backseat / Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
When a band places a bottle of Makers Mark rather prominently in one of their promotional photos and advertises themselves as a blues band, chances are, you’ll get no big surprises when it comes to the kind of sounds they make. For Dr Chris & The Redeemers, the big twist comes from their location. This band comes well versed in the Texas blues, but deliver their rootsy grooves and Stevie Ray Vaughan inflected riffs from the heart of Adelaide. In terms of all round authenticity, though, they hit everything absolutely square on. Their debut release ‘Devil In The Back Seat’ is a superb piece of blues, which doesn’t so much present itself like the sound of 2021, but a brilliant throwback to 1990.
Watch the new video from Half Past Two
As the good weather in the northern hemisphere prepares to bid people goodbye, it’s a little late for ska band Half Past Two to be delivering a summer anthem. Nevertheless, the Californian ska/pop/reggae/punk band bring a feel good style to their new track ‘Scratched CD’.