In the summer of 2023, Dutch metal band Rise of The Wood released the ‘Sleep’ EP, an excellent three tracker that signified their long overdue return, but also a rebirth. Their first new music in six years, ‘Sleep’ was also the first Rise release to feature vocalist Leo Gstrein. His confident tones immediately outshone any of the work on the band’s 2017 debut and the music sounded much better all round. This suggested that band’s decision to take time out to regroup had been more than beneficial.
Tag Archives: grunge
THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #103
This visit to the Singles Bar ends with some of our noisier picks from recent times, taking in a love letter to 90s grunge, a crushing metallic riff with alternative leanings and even a slab of old school thrash, but that’s not to say we’ve overlooked other musical interests. With a disco/electronica infused workout, a quirky track from an up and coming Irish singer-songwriter and some pure pop from a now familiar voice, the usual musical detours that have helped our weekly column retain interest are still very much present. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy…
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THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #99
This week’s Singles Bar features a wealth of different musical styles. A dip into the world of melodic punk brings a fresh take on a well known tune, a melodic rock band bring a massive 90s vibe on a very strong track, and a singer songwriter blends soul, pop and world music on a brilliantly understated performance. Elsewhere, you’ll find a fun country tune, a huge sounding throwback to the grunge glory days, and more besides. It’s a selection that, hopefully, will share something of interest for most listeners… As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy!
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RISE OF THE WOOD – Sleep EP
Rise of The Wood’s debut album – 2017’s ‘First Seed’ – shared some impressively fuzzy sounding riffs, capturing an overall sound that mixed stoner rock with a few good old rock ‘n’ roll thrills, but despite a huge amount of chutzpah, never really felt like essential listening. It was a record with some great ingredients and a great energy, but compared to similar fare from other bands, it lacked a little something in the songwriting department, and was sometimes blighted by a shouty vocal that didn’t always suit the music in hand. Taken on its own merits, though, it wasn’t without charm: ‘Hyperspeed’ played like a superb tribute to peak Corrosion of Conformity; ‘Faded Horizon’ captured the darkness of Alice In Chains tunes like ‘Nutshell’ very well, and ‘Hell Yeah’ fused stoner metal elements with a groove laden approach that showed how easily the band could handle a great riff. It was a flawed record, yes, but not without entertainment value.
Listen: Hello Enemy share new track ‘Hit Or Miss’
Between the arrival of a new album from Silver Dollar Room and a new single from up and coming band Wird, it’s started to feel as if the last quarter of 2024 is spawning a grungy revival. Here’s something else that fits the bill. Aussie rockers Hello Enemy can be heard channelling Silverchair on bits of their current single ‘Hit Or Miss’.