New York punks Radio Blast are one of those bands that wear their influences proudly. Not only does their brand of timeless pop punk owe a huge debt to the sounds made by Ramones back in the 70s, but almost everything they do suggests a massive love of Screeching Weasel. Their band name comes from one of Ben Weasel’s most classic songs; the artwork used their 2019 EP ‘Let’s Rock’ that bears a striking resemblance to the first edition of SW’s ‘My Brain Hurts’ and even the slightly off key backing vocals on that EP’s ‘Teenage Crush’ could’ve been directly inspired by any number of Weasel songs. What this means, of course, is that fans of the genre know exactly what they’re in for…and Radio Blast are yet another great band in a very long line of Ramonescore acts that value catchy hooks at almost every turn.
Aussie rockers Hoodoo Gurus ‘Get Out of Dodge’ on brilliant new single
In July 2020, Australian band Hoodoo Gurus gave fans their first taste of new material with the single ‘Hung Out To Dry’. They’ve now shared another track from their forthcoming album (scheduled for release in 2021).
Check out the new video from The Shang Hi Los
New for 2020, The Shang Hi Los brings together the talents of Jen D’Angora (Jen & The Delinquents), Dan Kopko (Watts) and Lee Harrington (The Neighbourhoods).
Watch: Sacrilege share new video for ‘In Hell’
In the summer of 2019, Sacrilege released ‘Court of The Insane’, a shamelessly old fashioned metal album that managed to be one of the worst discs of the year. Workmanlike riffs dredged up from 1984 coupled with lyrics like “Am I guilty of the things what they say / And who are they anyway?” led to an unintentionally funny listening experience.
Moving forwards, the veteran UK metal band’s contribution to 2020 is a re-recording of an old song titled ‘In Hell’, for which they’ve shared a brand new video.
ZAKK SABBATH – Vertigo
Black Sabbath’s debut LP turned 50 years old in February 2020. The band did not release an expensive box set to mark the occasion (they left that for the October anniversary of ‘Paranoid’, where the 5LP reissue was prohibitively expensive and the CD box set was just a quick repackaging of the 40th anniversary edition). There wasn’t even a notable vinyl reissue of the seminal debut recording – but to be fair, as welcomed as that would have been, no vinyl pressings sound anywhere near as good as the original Vertigo spiral label edition. Instead, fans and press were invited in limited numbers to go to a pre-arranged location in London and listen to the album in pitch darkness.