Category Archives: Alt Rock

Under Starling ‘Mongrel’ EP

Alternative rock band Under Starling have released their new EP ‘Mongrel’.The EP was recorded and produced with Graham Byrne & Christian Best. The band are having a launch party for the EP upstairs in Whelans on July 16th. The band has played support to many famous acts throughout the years such as Walking on Cars, Fangclub, and Bitch Falcon to name a few. Their own tours have seen packed-out shows in the likes of Fred Zeppelins, Dolans, Roisín Dubh, and Whelans.

In true Under Starling manner, ‘Mongrel’ overflows with passionate melodies, sincerity and refined musicianship. The band has a knack for creating compelling, infectious earworms that ooze cinematic arrangements and ‘Mongrel’ is a glorious collection of these powerful soul-igniting tunes. Throughout the EP we see the band showcase their sound in all it’s glory – an eclectic blend of indie and alternative rock with filtrations of R&B and intriguing pop undertones.

Boasting chiming guitars, ethereal synths, big choruses and buoyant beats,  ‘Icarus’ and ‘Big Fish’ capture a heart-fluttering rush of emotion through eloquent musicianship. The band craft each song wonderfully, allowing each element to flourish within the track’s expressive soundscape. Whether it is a bubbling beat progressing into a thunderous outburst within ‘Arrows’ or gritty guitars building into mosh-ready riffs in ‘Mongrel’; the band don’t rush the instrumentation. Instead, they carefully craft each component to create a cohesive and thrilling listening experience.

With themes of love, heartbreak, adversity, and perseverance, Under Starling build on natural emotion and past experiences to create a collection of tracks that ooze passion, sadness and love from every note. Each song on the EP discusses the emotions of adolescence and is inspired by life events the band experienced while growing up.

‘Mongrel’ is an exquisite EP from the heart set to intricate, cinematic arrangements and emotive vocals. Under Starling have nurtured their sound and allowed it to blossom into something beautiful.

Stream ‘Mongrel’ below 


Author: Danu

SamSeb Kierkegaard ‘Luna: Fantasy Named Happiness’ EP

SamSeb Kierkegaard has released his new EP ‘Luna: Fantasy Named Happiness’ which tells a whirlwind story of a boy from the city of Reality, Luna Moonlight the heroine, and Uncertainty the Monster. South Korean Alt-Rock artist SamSeb Kierkegaard is an exceptionally exciting creator, who explores the polarities of life through his incredibly intricate songwriting talents.

‘Luna: Fantasy Named Happiness‘ is a passionate collection of alternative rock tunes that boasts the atmospheric and mighty sound of SamSeb Kierkegaard. The EP ventures between exhilarating anthems like ‘Luna: The Invisible Irony’ to darker tracks such as ‘Luna: Luna Moonlight’ which is reminiscent of 90’s rock with metal flirtations. The EP is well crafted and cohesive as Kierkegaard takes the listener on a rollercoaster journey of emotions through expressive musicianship. His sound is theatrical and explosive with shredding guitar lines that move between warm chimes and soaring refrains while pounding drums and ethereal melodies keep the listener hooked on every note. With moments of jaunty rhythms flickering between eerie tones in ‘Luna Dependent Personality Disorder’ and light shoegaze psychedelia in ‘Luna: The Myth of Sisyphus,’ this genre-blending anthemic EP is a satisfying listen and a glimpse into the thrilling sound of SamSeb Kierkegaard.

Stream ‘Luna: Fantasy Named Happiness’ below 


Author: Danu

RIA RUA ‘Breathe’

RIA RUA has released her new single ‘Breathe’. RIA RUA is a modern Irish female hyperpop singer, songwriter and producer. RIA writes about power, love, obsession and control and she will be playing gigs in Ireland, Germany and Switzerland in 2022-23.

‘Breathe’ is a dark electronic powerhouse that rushes with the irresistible and wholly immersive sound of RIA RUA. Filled with swagger and attitude the track’s pounding beats pulse through thick asphyxiating soundscapes to create a luring and bewitching listening experience. The chorus exudes anthemic power enhanced by a catchy melody and EDM embellishments while the verses maintain a haunting and eerie quality.  ‘Breathe’ delves deep into RIA’s production wizardry – the result is a sonically rich and intriguing tune ready to enthral the listener.

Stream ‘Breathe’ below 


Author:Danu

Crosslight ‘Influenzers’

Crosslight have released their new single ‘Influenzers’. Dropping a new EP and coming off a UK tour, Crosslight will be lighting up multiple festivals this summer such as the Mangata Festival. After releasing their debut album, EP and supporting bands such as Scarlett Riot and The City Is Ours, Crosslight have prepared to take 2022 by storm with multiple releases ready to go.

‘Influenzers’ is a mighty alternative rock banger from Crosslight. The band create a catchy fierce tune that boasts gritty riffs, pounding drums and dark soundscapes. Heavy alternative rock elements blend with metal moments and electronic embellishments as the band create a thrilling wall of sound filled with angst. Crosslight display their refined and expressive musicianship throughout as mammoth outbursts and growl-filled screamer vocals inject ferocity between the smoother vocal elements and pop flirtations on melody. ‘Influenzers’ is an invigoration listening experience.

Stream ‘Influenzers’ below 


Author: Danu

Eyes of Caelum ‘Laced in Gold’ EP

Eyes of Caelum have released their debut 6 track EP, ‘Laced in Gold’. Eyes of Caelum are a five-piece Indie Rock band from the UK, and winners of ‘Upload of the Week’ for BBC Introducing South West with their single release, ‘Human Touch’, also available on their new EP. Hailing from the South West, the band started writing during the long UK lockdown, and have since recorded with some of the best producers in the UK, to establish their sound.

‘Laced in Gold’ is an impressive indie-rock EP that showcases the catchy, passionate tunes of Eyes of Caelum. The band blend heartfelt melodies with shredding guitar riffs, soaring melodies and pummeling rhythms to create a stadium-ready wall of sound that is a joy to listen to. ‘Human Touch’, ‘Winter Sun’ and the swaggered blues dipped ‘Red Band Cigarettes’ all pound through the ears at a relentless pace evoking images of crowds at gigs bellowing back the lyrics. The band capture a sense of freedom and adrenaline within these tracks through ethereal guitar pines and well-placed bass grooves that are a goosebump-inducing delight.

The brisk pace of the EP makes for an invigorating listening experience and there are many memorable moments throughout. A fine example of such memorable moments is the beautifully expressive bittersweet guitar melodies. Whether it’s a majestic, desert- esque guitar display in ‘Laced In Gold’ or a cinematic embellishment in the brooding ‘This Town’, the guitar gives a euphoric irresistible quality to the songs.

‘Laced in Gold’ is a satisfying and cohesive body of work from Eyes of Caelum. The energy, passion and vigour bursting from this EP is admirable. Each track is ecstasy to the ears and equally spectacular with each subsequent listen.

Stream ‘Laced in Gold’ below 


Author: Danu

Cory Pensa ‘Night Light’ Album

Cory Pensa has released his debut album ‘Night Light’. An album which has taken 3 years in the making to be released, Cory created the entire album himself, playing each instrument and mixing the album afterwards. Using his own home studio in Northern NJ, Cory has been able to build his album from the comfort of his own home.

‘Night Light’ is a blazing album of alternative rock that boasts the tight, cohesive and mighty sound of Cory Pensa. Pensa takes catchy melodies and backs them with shredding guitar hooks, pounding drums and vibrant bass grooves to create an album that explodes with an array of pop-punk anthems, rock smashers and dark brooding grunge moments. The album flows seamlessly to create a satisfying listening experience. From the heavy onslaught of thrashing drums and soaring guitars in ‘Satisfied’ to the gritty rush of  ‘Afraid Of The Dark’, the album surges with adrenaline and vigour. As ‘Night Light’ rolls through themes of resilience, youthful fun and hope the instrumentation remains tight throughout and with heavy outbursts and little anthemic gems such as ‘Bonfires’ keeping a sing-along vibrance. It’s a thrilling album to listen to.

Cory Pensa has created an impressive mosh ready album brimming to the seams with rich, dynamic musicianship.

Stream ‘Night Light’ below


Author: Danu

TV People ‘You Were Loved’

TV People have released their new single, ‘You Were Loved’.  TV People are an alternative rock band from Dublin. Since forming in 2019, the band have honed their craft across the live scene, playing in some of Ireland’s most iconic venues, including Whelan’s, Mike the Pies and The Button Factory. The band have collaborated with Dan Doherty (Darklands Audio), Christian Wright (Abbey Road Studios) and Grammy-award winning mixing engineer Caesar Edmunds (Battery London), and have garnered support from the likes of BBC Radio 6, BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio Ulster, Amazing Radio, RTÉ and 98FM, and more. The band will release their second EP later this year, with continuous singles to be released in the coming months. 

Deeply personal and rooted in dark undertones ‘You Were Loved’, is a compelling track from TV People. The band layer chiming guitar over jabbing drum progressions, pulsing rhythms and jarring basslines while the lyrics depict the pain inflicted by the loss of a close family friend. The instrumentation wrestles between soft twinkling guitars and heavier tones throughout, as deep baritone vocals ask “I’ve tried to leave this behind, Why can’t I?

TV People are a musical marvel, the band’s ability to create expressive soundscapes that mirror the emotion within the lyrics is awe-inspiring. ‘You Were Loved’ is a fine example of this. The tracks soundscape twists and coils with dark punk elements and grunge-like tones highlighting the themes of anger, sadness and confusion wonderfully. ‘You Were Loved’ is a heartbreaking and beautifully crafted tune from TV People.

About the track, Paul said: “The lyrics of ‘You Were Loved’ were written after the death of a close family friend who took their own life during the past year. Writing them was a way for me to process the feelings of anger, sadness and confusion that overwhelm me when I think of their life and death. The song helped me to get a lot of anger out of my system and express the underlying heartbreak and love that I feel when I think of them.” 

Stream ‘You Were Loved’ below 


Author: Danu

InRetrospect ‘Safe Haven’

UK metalcore band InRetrospect have released their fourth single ‘Safe Haven’ from their new EP.InRetrospect have shared stages with Lastelle, Invisions, Death Blooms, Graphic Nature, Blood Youth, Monasteries, Gassed Up and more, and also played at Burn It Down Festival in 2021. The band’s previous singles have deservedly garnered support from BBC, Amazing Radio, Primordial Radio, Distortion Radio, and more. Furthermore, the band have had support from Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, Pandora, Tidal and Apple music, surpassing 200,000+ streams on Spotify alone. 2022 sees the band continuing to tour intensely, sharing stages with the likes of We Struck Gold, Tyrants and more.

‘Safe Haven’ roars with the intense and compelling sound of InRetrospect. The band take their heavy metalcore sound and flourish it with melodic choruses and raw brooding verses to create a thrilling listening experience. With gravelly vocal screams over jagged guitar riffs and pummeling drums, the track boasts a heavy and thunderous wall of sound. The song travels at a neck-snapping speed up to the soaring emotive chorus which provides a slight release from the dense instrumental onslaught. Blending angst, rampant basslines and emotive lyrics; “An event so disturbing even earth began to give, What happened to love, What happened to peace” with expressive soundscapes ‘Safe Haven’ is a fantastic new single from InRetrospect.

Stream ‘Safe Haven’ below 


Author:Danu

Mark Daly & The Ravens ‘Gotta Run’


Mark Daly & The Ravens
have recently released their new single ‘Gotta Run’. From performing at the MTV EMA Awards with The Voodoos, hitting #1 on the Scottish New Music charts with his Autism Awareness charity solo single ‘Your World’ to his songwriting work with Geoff Tate-led supergroup, Operation: Mindcrime; and recently performing on the Monsters of Rock Cruise 2022 alongside the likes of Alice Cooper, Buckcherry and more, Irish Rock musician Mark Daly’s career has been as varied as it has been exhilarating. His last single, ‘Don’t Look Back’, was the first with a new line-up of like-minded musicians that joined him to create Mark Daly & The Ravens. In the summer of 2021, Mark teamed up with Avantasia guitarist and world-renowned producer Sascha Paeth to begin work on a brand new Hard Rock album called ‘Peace in the Panic’ which is set for a release this year.

‘Gotta Run’ is a fiery, swagger-filled tune that boasts the colossal rock sound of Mark Daly & The Ravens. The band take a brawny drum foundation and douse kinetic guitars, riveting bass lines and blues sprinkled panache on top to create a tune that is a glorious assault on the senses. The song is well crafted as the band blend classic rock elements with earworm melodies to create that big arena rock sing-along before the song unfolds into a swirling frenzy for the manic crescendo. With rasped vocals and dynamic energy pulsing throughout ‘Gotta Run’ is a satisfying rock stomper that displays the magnificent sound of Mark Daly & The Ravens. 

Stream ‘Gotta Run’ below 


Author: Danu

Abrasive Trees ‘Moulding Heaven With Earth’


Abrasive Trees
are back with their latest release ‘Moulding Heaven With Earth’.  The track was recorded at Penquit Mill Studios in Devon by producers Lucy and Matthew Board (Pale Blue Eyes) and written by the Scottish-born guitarist Matthew Rochford. 

‘Moulding Heaven With Earth’ is an intense instrumental piece that boasts Abrasive Trees’ expansive and immersive sound. The band weave sweet-toned guitar between heavy drums to create a thick intricate wall of sound that builds into an intoxicating grunge infused crescendo enhanced by dark eerie atmospheres and raw alternative elements. Showcasing evocative soundscapes and a poetic spoken work opening ‘Moulding Heaven With Earth’ is an impressive display of Abrasive Trees’ musical talent.  

Stream ‘Moulding Heaven With Earth’ below 


Author: Danu