Earlier this year, I completed a round-up review based around grunge music. It’s a genre that is sadly somewhat maligned nowadays, but there are some fantastic artists out there producing grunge music, so I thought it would be a good time to produce another chapter in this series! As always, you can find a full playlist at the bottom.
Review by Jane Howkins
Picture by HWY
HWY – Marionette
First up on this list is Manchester band HWY (pronounced highway) with their song Marionette. The track starts out with a bluesy riff, alongside some other spidery guitar lines with a more clean sound. The vocals are really emotive, having a fantastic range to them as they run through the music. The chorus kicks things up a notch, sounding incredibly heavy in an atmospheric way. The track changes massively at the end, turning into something of a punk song, which I loved.
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Attic Theory – Narrow Lines
Narrow Lines is a little different from the other songs on this list, as I also felt it had elements of modern rock and pop-punk, particularly with the fast, palm-muted guitar riffs that run through the verses. The vocals have a sense of raw melodicism, bridging the gap between the different genres perfectly. Attic Theory have created a really catchy tune here, yet it also rocks out, with the chorus having an incredibly anthemic sound. If you like your rock a little different, you should check this out!
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Joyce Tratnyek – Do You Think Of Me?
Do You Think Of Me? has a shoegazey vibe, having a fuzzy guitar sound from the very start. An eerie guitar line works its way through the track, slowly merging with the fuzzy effects and slow drum beat as it creeps along in a stylistic way. The female vocals work a treat, having a punky edge to them that I felt created a lot of emotion, drawing the listener in to Joyce Tratnyek’s amazing world. The track drops into a more acoustic number towards the end, making for a fantastic closing scene.
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Killing Aura – Resolution
Resolution is energetic from the start, featuring a chugging guitar riff that just oozes cool. The guitars work well with the rhythm on this upbeat tune, keeping the energy up throughout. The vocals have that perfect, raw grunge style that we’ve all come to know and love, with the track mixing in a little punk for good measure. It’s also really catchy, especially on the chorus, with Killing Aura’s song making you want to tap your feet along from the very start!
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Broken Romeo – Wait For Me
Wait For Me is a track that mixes elements of hard rock into the grunge genre, featuring some cracking vocals that have a huge range and depth to them. Broken Romeo’s track features chugging guitar riffs and some killer guitar lines, all set to make you bang your head along in time to the music! The chorus changes the song into a more melodic piece of work, adding a good change in pace, with the breakdown towards the end ramping the tension right up again.
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Prove You Wrong – Numb
We’ve featured American hard rock band Prove You Wrong a few times recently, so it felt wrong not to include them on their list, as Numb certainly fits into the grunge genre too! It starts out fairly slowly, with some haunting guitar melodies providing a nice rhythm alongside the bass and drums. The vocals drift over the music in lovely style, with some cool vocal effects towards the end of the track adding a surprising (yet welcome) change to the music. This track is a little different from the other stuff I’ve heard from the band, but it’s always good to hear a band trying something a little different.
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Huron Lines – Blacklight
Huron Lines are a band from the Ontario area in Canada, with Blacklight being their latest release. It starts out slowly, before a proggy guitar melody appears, combining with the rhythm section to exude a huge amount of energy. The vocals have a distant sound, but this actually works really well with the style of music, and the rawness provides an emotive quality. The tempo changes a little between the verses and the chorus, but the energy never really lets up on this banger of a tune.
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Kevin The Persian – Rock Is Dead
Despite this track being called Rock Is Dead, Kevin The Persian shows that it surely isn’t, opening with a blinding set of riffs. The guitars have a crunchy yet groovy sound, with the production quality sounding immense throughout. The track is blues-infused, mixing a number of rock genres together as well as grunge, with Kevin’s vocals also having a cool sound, particularly when they roar the title of the song out on the chorus. The guitar solos are very proficient, showing just how talented Kevin The Persian truly is!
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