After the last 18 months that we have all had, we could all do with a party and that’s exactly what Promise Game offers with their new single ‘Any Reason To Party.’

This is a track which, if possible, would burn into the skin. Such pessimism trickles through too, even though there is a lovely upbeat overlay, with poppy elements trying to shroud out the despair these musicians feel. It is not an urgent tug of war between love and hate, but at moments, love becomes a growth that will not subside, dreams become knotted in disillusionment. And when those soft instrumentals come into play, the song rapidly changes pace, and the lyrics channel light aggression.

Colour & Shape’s new EP will get you moving from the first track. I noticed my head slowly nodding along from the first track ‘Equilibrium’ which brings a new lease of life to easycore. The track is mainly led by pitch perfect clean vocals but features equally impressive screams and group chants throughout of which took me back to my teenage years and reminded me of ‘Swimming With Sharks’ by The First.

By challenging the state of decay and this inglorious world, Severed Illusions do not do things by halves. The band, are a heavy outfit, dredging through pain, and embarking on creating a storm with their evocative, burgeoning sound.

Two Eyes Open is the brain child of singer/songwriter Dustin Parlier, beginning during the pandemic in early 2020.Hailing from Charlotte, NC, Two Eyes Open are welcoming in the summer with alt track The Ceiling. Inspired by anthemic, riff-oriented bands with their roots in grunge and punk, such as Foo Fighters and Sum 41, respectively. The track was self-produced by singer/songwriter Dustin Parlier out of his bedroom in Charlotte, NC, with tutelage from Andrew Sullivan (who produced his December 2020 single, “Haunt”). Originally written in 2015, “The Ceiling” is finally out there for the world to hear. Two Eyes Open have been busy making a name for themselves in the scene (note: collabs with Cheer Up Dusty, Passionflower, Win by 2), and it's no surprise that with tracks like The Ceiling, it's really starting to pay off. A reverby riff sets things off nicely in the Ceiling, and Dustin's grungy vocals introduce a welcome bitterness to the tracks reflective lyricism. 

This is a heavy release full of instrumental muscle and soaring vocals. Next Stop Olympus charge forward with majestic urgency too, screaming for solace in a world ever-changing. Their style and grace are different, and they seem committed to the scene and the cause, creating sounds which offer the metal fan something wholesome to confide in. Such tension has been implemented in their EP "Heart, Mind & Hell", which is a collection of 5 songs that are brooding and highly infectious in subject and symphonic importance.

Parlour Suns formed in June 2020 and by February 2021, they had recorded 5 tracks at Momentum Studios with Josiah Manning as the producer, which were later mastered by Grant Berry of Fader Mastering. These songs are set to be released throughout 2021 and the band hopes they are received well by fans of both Pop-Rock, Alt. Rock, and Pop Punk genres.

This poppy effort spearheads riffs aplenty and triggers a sense of nostalgia. Throughout the Heroes Of The 90s by Johnny Randale, there are also battering ram like drumbeats, and lyrics that convey anecdotes pinpointing drunken dazes, times where moments grew and prospered. 

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Punk echoes here, it reverberates, and this band plays their hearts out for the saints and the sinners. Unwired Society also delivers high intensity and powerful riffs to entertain and to startle placid hearts, their music is fast-paced, harsh, but does not become dull or repetitive. The charge is real too and lyrically the punk outfit look for answers in a world under severe weight and strain, a world frankly on its knees.

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