As many of you probably know by now, I’m a big fan of rock music, seeing it as one of the most versatile genres out there at the moment. As such, I’ve decided to create a round-up review based around music from the genre. Whether you like your rock hard and heavy or you prefer it a little lighter, there should be something for everyone here!
Review by Jane Howkins
Photo by Carley Varley
Carley Varley – Better Without Me
First up is Carley Varley, an alt pop/rock artist based on the South Coast of the UK. Whilst Better Without Me has some poppy elements, it’s still heavy enough to belong here. The verses are stripped-down for the most part, elevating Carley’s vocals above the instrumentation. The chorus introduces some heavy guitars, crashing around the vocals in a melodic way – you can really feel the emotion within the chorus vocals. I found myself reminded somewhat of the noughties pop-punk movement, although the track definitely belongs more on the rock side of things.
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Superdamned – Hypertension
Next up is a slightly heavier track, produced by Superdamned. Hypertension starts with an immense guitar riff, backed by a cool bassline and some huge percussion. The guitars are used in a fantastic way, adding a catchy vibe as the higher guitar lines kick in. The vocals add a grungy quality to the track, showing yet another rock sub-genre that Superdamned are capable of writing for. The energy never lets up, making you want to mosh along from the very start of the song!
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Gabrielle Ornate – Phantasm
Phantasm starts out with a truly immense guitar riff, sounding really anthemic when mixed with the backing vocals. Gabrielle Ornate’s lead vocals soon arrive – they’re extremely powerful, showing a cool sense of attitude as they soar over the music. The chorus brings the opening riff back, as Gabrielle sings a catchy refrain over the music – it’s incredibly catchy, getting stuck inside your head straight away! This was one of my favourite songs on the entire list!
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Matt Jacques – Back To Haunt You
Back To Haunt You has more of a classic indie sound, particularly with the way Matt Jacques uses his vocals – they’ve got a really amazing sound, crooning their way over the flowing guitar lines. The percussion is rather busy, working well with the guitar melodies on this upbeat number. Despite the fast tempo, the song has a rather melancholy vibe, due in part to the main chord sequence used. Matt’s vocals raise higher on the chorus, sounding soulful throughout.
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Come At The King – It’s A Good Life
Come At The King’s offering starts immediately with a killer guitar riff, sounding just as catchy as it is heavy. This groove-laden rock song lends itself well to both the hard rock and indie rock scenes, sounding perfect throughout. It’s A Good Life oozes cool from the very start, with the riffs pushing the song along to its satisfying conclusion. The chorus raises the energy even higher, having a very danceable quality – these guys would sound amazing at a festival! I can’t wait to hear more from Come At The King!
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Sam Scherdel – Brave Mistake
Brave Mistake is more of a pop-rock song, absolutely laden with synths that are very reminiscent of the 80s scene. Sam Scherdel’s offering has a nostalgic quality, particularly in the way the little guitar melodies are added, building up over the course of the verses. The chorus explodes in a huge burst of energy, having an incredibly anthemic sound that will make you want to start singing along straight away. This genre-bending song is perfect for those into their softer rock.
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Doll Riot – Mrreowrr
Doll Riot is a band we’ve featured a few times before, combining punk and grunge together in a fantastic way. Mrreowrr is no different, sounding epic from the very start. The buzzsaw riffs really help to characterise this amazing song, with the fast pace making it remarkably different from anything else on this list. The track breaks down in the middle of the song, allowing the angsty female vocals to take pride of place here. The political, feminist nature of the lyrics works well with the sense of attitude pervading the song – Doll Riot are a band demanding to be heard!
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Katie Drives’ song is quite poppy at first, but don’t let first impressions deceive you, as there’s plenty here for any rock fan to get into. The riffs on Ghosts work well with the steady rhythm, seeing Katie’s vocals soar over the music perfectly. The vocals are lower on the verses, raising up higher on the chorus, showing a great range for this pop-rock star. The fingerpicked electric guitars on the verses give the music a grungy vibe, with dual vocals at different pitches adding a unique flavour to this brilliant tune.
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acari – Distant
acari’s track is one of the most unique on this list, as it actually has a lot of r&b and soul elements, sounding rather poppy at times. However, Distant has still got a great sound, with the funky guitar lines that drift through the song getting inside your skull straight away! acari’s vocals are smooth and soulful, sounding absolutely effortless on this amazing tune. If you’ve got more of a varied music taste, this should be perfect for you!
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Silas Armstrong – Silver
Silver is another softer rock song, featuring a driving rhythm made up of some lovely little guitar motifs, as well as the throbbing bass in the background. Silas Armstrong has a great voice, with the backing vocals that open the song up also accompanying the lead vocals on the chorus in a stylistic fashion – just try and listen to this without wanting to sing along! It’s infectiously catchy at times, showing that rock doesn’t always have to have huge riffs. The saxophone was also a welcome surprise.
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Georgia Hoareau is just 18 years of age, making her music sound all the more impressive due to how accomplished it is! She describes herself as a bedroom pop singer, but her music does have elements of rock, nonetheless. Oh Well starts out with some amazing riffs, before the slightly mellower verse appears, building up towards the pop-punk-esque chorus. Georgia’s vocals sound really unique as well, making the track truly stand out! This will appeal to those into pop, rock and pop-punk.
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Stealing Airwaves is a perfectly apt title for this track, as I certainly predict Stone Portal doing just that! Some incredible riffs open the song up, before the grungy vocals appear on the first verse. The lead guitar performs a solo-style riff throughout the track, working well against the heavy backdrop created by the rhythm section. The chorus is anthemic and will have you singing along in no time – I wouldn’t be surprised if this song propelled Stone Portal into the bigtime!
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The Infinity Process – Dystopia
Now it’s time for something a little heavier, in the form of The Infinity Process’ Dystopia. Down-tuned riffs are the name of the game here, giving the music a dark atmosphere. It’s actually more of a metal song at times, although the female vocals add a melodic quality, reminding me a little of bands such as Within Temptation. The mix of melody and heaviness works really well, showing a band capable of combining multiple sounds within their music in a fantastic way.
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Paging Doctor Moon – I Just Wanna
Pittsburgh band Paging Doctor Moon make gritty, soulful and introspective music that would also be welcome in the dream-pop and indie genres, having a slightly softer side to their music than some of the other artists on this list. I Just Wanna opens up fairly slowly, with just the vocals and a pretty electric guitar melody, before the percussion, bass and piano are added later on. The vocals have a lot of emotion within them, drifting effortless across the wonderful backdrop the music creates.
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NORDIR – Perfect Imperfection (2010)
Perfect Imperfection (2010) kicks off with a fast drum beat, before a spiky electric guitar melody arrives. Everything sounds really tight, with all the instruments fitting alongside the upbeat tempo well, creating something that will have your feet tapping along in no time. The vocals are reminiscent of the 80s post-punk scene, adding another arrow to NORDIR’s amazing bow. This is one of the most unique tracks on this list, so make sure you check it out below!
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Robbie Rapids – Jasmine Girl
Regular readers of these pages should be aware of Robbie Rapids by now, as we’ve featured him a few times. If you’ve somehow missed him, Jasmine Girl is the perfect introduction! It’s actually one of my favourite songs on this entire list, featuring some beautiful bluesy guitar licks, alongside a gorgeous organ playing in the background. The track has quite a melancholic vibe, but it suits it well, with Robbie’s vocals crooning over the music in style. It’s a little softer than some of the other offerings here, having an old school rock and roll flavour.
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