I’m back! Many thanks to the young pup Arrowsmith whilst I had a much-needed refit. I’m raring to go and keen to bring you some new choons, starting with…
THE ANIX
The Anix’s electrifying new album, Voltage has arrived in my inbox, and I must say I’m very pleased, not to say a pleasantly surprised, with it…
The album channels the darker side of modern life, blending alternative and electronic rock into a brooding, atmospheric soundscape. The album explores themes of isolation and introspection, with tracks that feel like drifting through an empty city at night. Gritty guitars and haunting synths weave together to create a melancholic, yet immersive, experience. With singles Gravity and Shadow, Voltage showcases The Anix at his most introspective, crafting a sound that delves deep into the shadows of the urban experience. Sinking Alone is a captivating nod to nineties grunge while also exploring contemporary themes of isolation. Panic blends synth, drums, guitar, and bass (you know, in, like, ‘a song’) to create a sound that is both expansive and deeply introspective, offering listeners a gateway into the artist’s private experiences… But it’s the superb Xray that hits hardest with your humble interlocutor; a captivating mix of darkwave and eighties Europop, if you’re of a certain age (like me) you won’t fail to fall under it’s spell. Well worth a listen!
GHOSTSMOKER
Incarnate is the first taste of Ghostsmoker’s debut album, Inertia Cult – a record of earth-shaking sludge and blackened doom, set to come out on March 21, 2025 via the ever-dependable Art As Carthasis.
Following the release of their 2022 EP Grief, Inertia Cult represents an evolution for Melbourne’s Ghostsmoker. Their newly refined, collaborative approach to recording has allowed the band to hammer out powerful riffs, tighter song structures and further experiment with mood and atmospherics. Comparisons to Conan, Thou, Bongripper and ISUA are warranted. Each of Ghostsmoker’s riffs ring with monolithic, thunderous power, generating the kind of sonic intensity that only comes from years of amplifier worship.
Opening with haunting howls chased with bone-crushing riffs, the song wages a careful balancing act between loud, hulking instrumentals and haunting ambient inspired sections, each one underscored by slamming drums and wild lashes of fuzz from every string struck. The final product is both hypnotic yet rhythmically punishing, a balancing act that, on face, is hard to achieve.
Says the band’s vocalist Nathan Brunning: “Incarnate is about being stuck in a loop of despair and not being able to move forward through your grief and trauma… During the very early stages of writing for the album, my brother passed away suddenly which had a significant impact on the lyrical themes on the record. Our drummer Brayden’s father also passed away while we were in the studio recording the album, and the rest of us rallied together to finish the job in dedication to our friend who was going through such a painful time in life, and his father, who was his biggest supporter. The above, the hurdles of everyday life, relationships failing, new ones forming etc all ultimately fed into making this album what it is.”
INCA BABIES
At the end of last month, Manchester’s indie trailblazers Inca Babies release their ninth album since forming in 1983. They step up their traditional mix of post-punk, death-rock, psychobilly and jazz-blues on this Ghost Mechanic Nine album, previewed by the singles Ghost Mechanic 9 and Spacewalk.
Recorded and mixed with Simon ‘Ding’ Archer (The Fall, PJ Harvey) in Salford, frontman Harry Stafford is joined by Rob Haynes (The Membranes, Goldblade) on drums, Jim Adama (bass) and Kevin G. Davy (trumpet) and the quartet reconnect with their roots, where The Gun Club and The Cramps meet.
A vibrant part of Britain’s early postpunk / goth /death rock scene, Inca Babies amassed a steady following through tours, seven singles and four albums, all of which entered the UK Indie Charts. They also recorded four sessions for BBC icon John Peel‘s show between 1984 and 1988 before calling it quits that year. The band reformed in 2007 and hasn’t looked back since.
Ghost Mechanic Nine is Inca Babies’ first record in three years (after Swamp Street Soul), continuing their explosive exploration of alternative musics, while paying tribute to the strong riffing and cool, dead-pan delivery of the dark wave scene at the time.
The Incas most recently shared the single Ghost Mechanic 9, a driving guitar blast, whose powerful sound recalls the Incas’ early music. With its singular hypnotic bass rhythm, it could have fitted neatly on their 1986 album Opium Den. Earlier, they released Spacewalk, a timeless Rockabilly groove inspired by Link Wray, Alan Vega and Brian Setzer (set to a Sci-Fi space opera), together with its B-side Monster In The Deep.
ALCOHOLIC VORTEX
Alcoholic Vortex is proud to unveil and share their debut album, Space Traumas Part l: The Alcoholic Menace. After a long period of dedication and focus, this release marks the beginning of a new era for the band, aiming to establish themselves as an innovative force in the national thrash metal scene.
Space Traumas Part l: The Alcoholic Menace is a work that immerses fans in an intense cosmic narrative. Composed between February and April 2023, and recorded, mixed, and mastered in February and March 2024 at Hangar 408 Studio, the album was produced by Arthur and Nilson Oliveira in collaboration with the band. Mixing and mastering were handled by Arthur Oliveira.
The album tells the story of Warren Jackson, a headbanger abducted by an alien race that destroyed their own planet, Yarel, through relentless exploitation of resources. The Yarels use Warren as a biological weapon to weaken the inhabitants of Nebulla, paving the way for their domination.
Released independently on April 27, Space Traumas Part l: The Alcoholic Menace is the band’s debut work, featuring aggressive and technical sounds, cutting-edge riffs, and a unique narrative.
That’s it for this time around. Look out for a bumper Christmas edition next time when we look back at some of our fave bands from the last year of morsels!
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