A quarter of a century ago, Modesty Blaise released a self titled album full of retro pop gems that took cues from various touchstones from the past, including The Beach Boys and The Zombies, and recycled them with love. A second record, ‘Melancholia’ improved on the formula, and at its best, the record flaunted a huge budget and equally big hooks. In terms of that kind of musical pilfering, Jellyfish became absolutely worshipped in the power pop community, and by comparison, Modesty Blaise have sort of become also-rans. That deserves to change.
Tag Archives: new video
Watch: Le Mur share new video for explosive new track ‘Porno’
Spanish band Le Mur sound like a force of nature on their current single ‘Porno’. With immediate effect, the arrangement introduces a slow, heavy riff that mixes the tones of post metal with a grungy undertone, bringing out the very best in Pedto’s aggressive tones.
Watch: Vancouver pop punks Chief State share new video for ‘April Showers’
At the end of 2025, the release of the ‘No Brakes’ single found Vancouver’s Chief State in great form. Sounding like a tribute to the melodic punk sounds of the late 90s, the track fused the thunderous rhythmic qualities of peak No Use For A Name with the poppier edges of Sum 41, utilising strong harmony vocals throughout. Although a really melodic chorus should’ve been the track’s best feature, the already impressive performance boasted an even better middle eight where the pop punk riffs gave way to something a little sharper, showing how tight the band’s rhythm section could be.
Watch: Divided By Design share new video for ‘Collapsing Reality’
When it comes to “bringing the riffs”, Divided By Design really don’t mess around. ‘Collapsing Reality’ (taken from the band’s current album ‘Stages To Osiris: Rebirth’) moves through various complex moods, exploring different aspects of very technical progressive metal, providing a brilliant showcase for each of the musicians, but particularly capturing guitarist Liam Stephenson in absolutely blistering form.
Watch: Night Thieves share new video for ‘Mycelia’
During the last weeks of 2025, London based alt-metal crew Night Thieves released ‘Obsidian’, a rather grandiose sounding single that blended the gothic tones of Within Temptation with the emo-ish/technical edge of early Linkin Park, creating a perfect hybrid sound that really suited Jess Moyle’s vocal style.