Death Valley Dreams – Self Titled EP

Ready for something special? Then we suggest taking a good deep listen to the self-titled debut EP from Death Valley Dreams. The five track treat is a gloriously rousing and dramatic roar fusing eighties seeded new wave and post punk with the kind of psyche/indie rock only modern imagination can conjure, and subsequently one riveting exhilaration of sonic contagion.

Hailing from Pennsylvania, Death Valley Dreams consists of long-time friends and band-mates, vocalist/guitarist Nick Coyle (The Drama Club, Stardog Champion) and guitarist/keyboardist Jon Nova (The Drama Club, An Albatross) alongside similarly established friends in bassist Ryan Dougherty and drummer Matt Rutkoski. Formed in the fall of 2015, it is fair to say that the quartet hit the ground running in creativity and an instinctive union of their talents as proven by this first release. The EP is a seriously accomplished and skilfully sculpted blaze of bold imagination and open passion leaving ears blissful and an appetite for more greedier than flies on a desert lying carcass.

Words Like Fire is the first pungent temptation of ears, the song from its first breath a swarthy flame of melodic suggestion aligned to a gentle caress. Just as quickly the instantly impressing vocals of Coyle bring a new bloom to the tempting, his alluring tones joining the potent lure into the arms of tenacious riffs and scything beats. Hitting a seriously catchy and forceful stroll blessed further by the pulsating moodiness of the bass and broader anthemic vocal calls through the band, the track simply bewitches ears as it incites bodily involvement. There is a touch of The Slow Readers Club and Original Mirrors to the encounter and China Crisis to its melodic suggestiveness but ultimately the song and in turn EP has a sound strikingly unique to Death Valley Dreams.

As equally dynamic and enticing is the following blaze of The Darker Years. The song is a flowing landscape of volatile and mellow exploits spun into another virulent hug with forceful cascades of fierce yet elegant infectiousness, vocal dexterity, and electronic revelry. As its predecessor, the track is in command of feet, hips, and emotions; its flirtatious enterprise forged in a muscular tempest of energy and vigorous resourcefulness before Turn Out Those Eyes offers its own inventive arousal of the imagination. With eighties keys gently swarming over its emerging frame, the song hits a stomping striding rhythm as vocals and guitars expressively flirt with ears, each courting a dark rumble spawned from bass, drums, and melancholy.

Fiery rock ‘n’ roll is tapped into with Take A Look At Yourself, that raw texture aligning with a lusty Futureheads meets The Psychedelic Furs carnival of anthemic celebration and contagion. The track, as so many, is simply irresistible, a puppeteer to full involvement from body and voice, and in turn the passions. The EP is one of those propositions which will not take no for an answer, and certainly had us whipped up into unbridled submission even before the closing charm lit Never Meant For Anyone adds another flavour to the Death Valley Dreams alchemy of persuasion. An emotive croon laying tender but shadow wrapped hands on ears and imagination, the track is a sombre yet warmly bright serenade with sultry sonic tendrils veining dark ambience. Emotion and drama only intensify as the song exposes more of its thick sentiment and discord, it emerging as potently rousing as the energetically incendiary exploits before it.

Simply superb, the EP is an early major highlight for 2016 from a band with the potential to turn the music scene on its head. The name Death Valley Dreams may have connotations of desolate and lonely times, and lyrically some songs seem to have a similar seeding, but the music is anything but bleak or cheerless. A must have proposition.

The Death Valley Dreams EP is available digitally from January 15^th worldwide.

https://www.facebook.com/DeathValleyDreams   https://twitter.com/dvdofficial

RingMaster 14/011/2016

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

For more exploration of the independent and promotional services check out http://www.zykotika.com/

Forever Still – Tied Down

As for a great many, Danish rockers Forever Still has been a persistently impressing pleasure through the release of songs and EPs since emerging with their debut release Breaking Free in 2013. Their sound is a virulent fusion of rousing intensity and seductive melodies fuelled by an emotional exploration unafraid to get into the darkest, disturbing corners of life. The last twelve or so months has seen the band working towards the release of their debut album; the release of two of the three EPs making up its strikingly impressive body ripe with the rich qualities which has drawn strong attention the way of the band. With the third offering in the trilogy making its first entrance as part of the new ten track adventure, Tied Down is one thrilling roar of melodic rock from a band destined to major things.

Hailing from Copenhagen, Forever Still revolves around the creative and songwriting union of vocalist Maja Schønning and multi-instrumentalist Mikkel Haastrup. As mentioned, the band first hit ears with their potent debut Breaking Free, subsequently breaching a broader expanse of attention with the following pair of Scars late 2014 and Save Me last April. Those two EPs were the first in the journey to create the band’s first album, the tracks within the two releases making up the first part of Tied Down with that final unreleased EP providing a quartet of new songs to explore and as it turns out, get equally gripped by.

Tied Down opens with the mighty roar and anthemic insistence of Scars which from the off is a pleasingly unpredictable and ferocious proposal. Additionally featuring Jens Berglid on drums and Dennis Post on guitar, the track immediately presents a grouchy and volatile incitement soaked in the gripping voice and delivery of Schønning. Even having devoured previous releases hungrily, her vocal prowess never fails to impress each and every time and especially shinning and exciting in the album opener backed by the equally dramatic tenacity of Haastrup. Continuing to create an enthralling web of spicy grooves, intensive energy, and a growling resourcefulness as potent as the raw emotion driving the song, the song makes for a formidable start to the album.

The pair of Once Upon A Nightmare and Miss Madness quickly and strongly back it up; the first of the two exploring a slightly mellower landscape but being no less imposing in its emotive flame amidst skilfully evocative textures. Post appears again as bass and guitar collude with a flavoursome electronic enterprise, Schønning standing magnetically astride the tempestuous melodies and dramatic climate escaping song and sound. Almost intrusively majestic, the thick and impassioned encounter makes way for its classically elegant, power balled seeded successor, the song a keys and vocal led beauty skilfully tempered but inflamed further by the moody bass and guitar suggestiveness of Haastrup and Anders Bo Jespersen.

Awake the Fire steps up next, instantly gripping ears and appetite with a tangy groove which in turn sparks an energetic swagger to a boisterous stroll of hefty rock ‘n’ roll cored by a great rolling rhythmic enticement. Post appears again alongside the craft of Haastrup, the pair stirring up air and ears with their almost toxic web of enterprise within a spicy tapestry of melodic incitement and bruising anthem building rhythms. Throughout the album it is easy to suggest Evanescence and Lacuna Coil as hints to what is overall the Forever Still uniqueness in sound, and here Poets Of the Fall also comes to mind briefly as a clue to the melody rich body of the song.

The following Breathe In leaps from a great electronic teasing into a more lively but controlled canter, that early pulsating coaxing still a pungent lure alongside the tempting tones of Schønning and around the tempestuous blazes of sound and energy which erupt to further reward ears. Those rugged squalls also lead to bracing moments of carnivorous aggression with Schønning and band flirting with an Otep like confrontation before the outstanding Save Me takes over. A striking mellow but expectantly inflamed seduction compared to the last song; it is also soaked in emotional turmoil with thunderous tempests of heart and intensity seeded in the poetic melodies and harmonies caressing the imagination. As all tracks, the kaleidoscope of emotion is open; melancholy and despair as ripe as loneliness and hope, love and darkness across Tied Down.

With Anders Bo Jespersen in addition, the first brand new song, Your Light, bounds from a sonic mist with muscular rhythms loaded with punchy beats and a raw edged line of riffs which spark spice heavy grooves and melodic drama. In no time attention and appetite are greedy, especially with the virulent prime hook which connects the calm and more climatic layers of the song. A quick want for more of the band’s new exploits is rife by its end and fed by Alone. Emotively intimate with its first breaths, epically cinematic in a few more, the track continues to impressively entwine both contrasts as an industrial air also invades the thick theatre and sonic beauty of the encounter; the outcome a metal bred Bond theme ready in the waiting.

Break The Glass boldly rumbles as it pulsates next, the bass offering a growling belly to a riveting blend of electronic and melodic expression soon walled by aggravated riffs and speared by whipping beats. Schønning owns the song, as all, from the first second, her tone and presence the puppeteer to the dancing piano crafted melodies and passion rich adventure shaping the increasingly thrilling temptation.

Tied Down is brought to a close by its title track; a song also revealing individual character through a weave of calmly reflective and rigorously forceful endeavour bred in increasingly inventive and infectious ingenuity. It is an epic close to a towering release which even with around half of it strongly familiar through the earlier EPs, makes a major impact reinforced by the creative might of the new tracks.

Forever Still is a giant in waiting with Tied Down the perfect key to force that lock.

Tied Down is available from January 15^th through all stores and @ http://www.foreverstill.bigcartel.com/

http://foreverstill.dk/  https://www.facebook.com/Foreverstill  https://twitter.com/foreverstilldk

Pete RingMaster 14/01/2016

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

For more exploration of the independent and promotional services check out http://www.zykotika.com/

1968 – Self Titled EP

Taking the year as inspiration to name and sound, 1968 are poised to release their new self-titled EP and hopefully whip up thick attention to match the rich textures of their sound. With fiery grooves swinging from grouchy riffs and rhythms uncompromising in their addictive tenacity, the UK band’s rock ‘n’ roll is lava like persuasion crawling over and swallowing the senses with volcanic intensity from within an increasingly magnetic release.

Formed in 2013 out of an online meeting between guitarist Sam Orr and vocalist Jimi Ray and their mutual attraction to late sixties heavy psychedelic rock, the Cheshire hailing 1968 quickly grew with the addition of drummer Tommy Drury and on bass, Tom Richards known as The Bear. As each member brought their prowess and individual influences, the band bred its own invitingly tempestuous and creatively volatile invention with, as proven by the new release, imposing riffs, invasive rhythms, and a nostalgic yet fresh sonic/melodic intoxication leading the immersion and seduction of the senses.

Marauder looms up on the EP first, an emerging sonic mist filling air and ears before a brooding bassline and spicy grooves entangle around punchy beats and the instantly alluring grizzled vocals of Ray. Swiftly thoughts of Black Sabbath through to Red Fang come to mind as the track swings and saunters purposefully across the senses and into the imagination. Its toxic sultriness also has hints of the raw ferocity found in bands such as Possessor and XII Boar if not with the fierce and aggressive rabidity they possess. As a sign of things to come, the mesmeric roar continues to evolve and soar into fresh adventure; smouldering climates and seductive flames with psych rock veining wrapping the senses as intensity and energy ebb and flow to pleasing success.

With only the fade out a personal niggle, the great start to the EP is matched by the anthemic weight and grooved revelry of Green Sails. In some ways less imposing than its predecessor and in others a more rowdy exploit with punk attitude to its breath and growling tone, the song casts gripping grooves and incendiary rhythms to bridge sixties and modern heavy rock swagger and imagination within its contagious rumble.

Final track HMS Conan provides a nine minute exploit with stoner-esque bait and devilry within a bluesy old school shuffle. Fuzzy and beguiling, the track moves from a rousing stomp with dexterous grooves and sonic devilment through a dirty garage rock lined stroll into a noise fuelled, volcanic dive into dark depths of salacious and intimidating rock ‘n’ roll. It is magnetic stuff, on first listen seeming too long but with every encounter seeming to grow and blossom into something persuasively masterful with hooks and twists to get a lust on for and claim the EP’s pinnacle.

The 1968 EP is a major grower, strong on first appearances but becoming more essential with each and every listen. It does feel like the band is still finding its true sound and that only adds to the excitement in anticipation of big things for the band ahead. Right now though, pleasure is more than seriously taken care of, especially with impressing sonic warriors like HMS Conan leading the way.

The 1968 EP is available from 15th January, via Black Bow Records and available through all digital platforms.

https://www.facebook.com/1968Band   http://Twitter.com/1968Band

Pete RingMaster 14/01/2016

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

For more exploration of the independent and promotional services check out http://www.zykotika.com/

Campfires – Self-Titled EP

Formed in 2015, Scottish pop punks Campfires are a band which in many ways rose from the ashes of rockers Autumn In Disguise who called it a day two years earlier. From that band, vocalist Mike Hendo, guitarist Stephen Napier, and drummer James Forbes have returned alongside guitarist Yogi McGregor and bassist Craig Donald, and introduced themselves again with one thoroughly enjoyable self-titled EP.

Having enjoyed success with their previous band through tours and festivals like Download and Sonisphere alone, in the words of Hendo, the band“…all really missed playing live and touring, so we finally got back in a room together and we couldn’t be happier about it. The whole purpose of this new band is to get together as friends, write songs that tell a story and play fun shows. We felt like that was similar to sitting round a camp fire and telling stories – hence the name.” There is an energy and freshness of spirit to the Aberdeen hailing band’s sound which backs that up, like a rediscovery of fun and energy which as much fuels the four tracks making up the vibrant release as the individual prowess and sharp songwriting.

New single Same Streets starts things off, barging rhythms and rosy melodies grabbing ears beside inviting riffs. Hitting a lively stroll within moments, Hendo’s vocals make an additional potent lure backed by other tones within the band. With guitars and bass collude for a feisty and energetic persuasion there is maybe no particular element which delivers a major surprise within the song but, as its breath and energy, the robust and impassioned roar holding ears makes a very pleasing proposition before The Hardest Part swings in with similarly tenacious and emotively loaded enterprise. Arguably even catchier than its predecessor with a good blend of vocals backing Hendo again as the rhythms of Forbes especially grip, the song quickly has feet and voice keenly involved.

Pure Gold follows suit, bounding in with hefty swipes from Forbes and a brooding bassline from Donald as Napier and McGregor spin a magnetic web of sonic enticement around persistently strong vocals. With those rhythms becoming even more boisterous with every twist and explosive rally, the song is a raucous but controlled slice of magnetic pop punk only inspiring a want and intrigue to hear more.

Track by track the EP gets stronger and impresses more, the trend continuing into the outstanding Like A Cancer. It exposes a heavier edge to the band’s lures and more aggression to its attitude early on but soon the forceful coaxing mellows out into a brightly resourceful and thickly welcoming temptation where hooks and melodies almost duel for attention within the excellent contagion. Within each track it is the unpredictable and inventive twists and the addition of unexpected textures which really bring them alive and no more potently than in this final offering.

Actually there is a bonus of an Instrumental to bring the EP to a close, a keenly enjoyable piece but the EP’s meat is elsewhere and very flavoursome. Big surprises are not quite on the menu yet with Campfires but enjoyment is as much a given as the sound of crickets in a moonlit wood.

The Campfires EP is available from January 15^th

https://www.facebook.com/campfiresband   https://twitter.com/campfiresband

Pete RingMaster 14/01/2016

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

For more exploration of the independent and promotional services check out http://www.zykotika.com/