Rambling Man's Reviews

German Psychedelic Blues act Sound of Smoke have released their first full-length LP, titled Tales  via Tonzonen Records. The seven-track release is a follow up to debut EP Eleutherumania. The band, hailing from Freiburg, Germany, consist of lead vocalist Isabell Bapte, guitarist Jens Stover, bassist Florian Kiefer and drummer Johannes Braunstein. The album blends blues, 70's psychedelia and soulful vocals to create a fresh retro sound. The LP begins with the Billie Holiday cover "Strange Fruits", Bapte does the song justice with a sultry and tender timbre over distorted guitar breaks that reverberate like a songbird on a summer's morning. Next up is "Witch Boogie" with a riff like Norman Greenbaum's 'Spirit in The Sky". Bapte's deep vocals soothe over thunderous drums and bassline that roll along like Bapte's vocals on this track. Isabell Bapte reminds me of a young Grace Slick full of emotion and feeling. The guitar work is equally imp...

  Austin Rockers Cowboy Diplomacy is set to release its new single 'Dark Days' this Friday, Feb 18th. The song was inspired like so many, by the Covid-19 Lockdown. The track focuses on finding brightness and light during dark times. The follow-up to 'Easier When I'm Stoned follows similar struggles of finding hope during challenging times. Cowboy Diplomacy is a southern rock and blues band, hailing from Austin, TX. They have quickly established themselves as 'One to Watch' with several award nominees and features in local magazines in their hometown. They released their debut album, Burn Down the Road' in 2019 to much acclaim, including an appearance on KUTX'S Jack Anderson show. 'Dark Days is a southern roots track with a positive message to us all. Frontman Ian Cochran's deep vocals open the song and a piano intro. Cochran's vocals are warm and rich with hope and optimism, as he breaks into the chorus. The steel guitar and piano supplemen...

    Alt-rockers   Van Go Go have recently released a new single and video for "Watch It Burn" . The track's guitar-driven rock is punchy and energetic with a strong message about moving on from a toxic situation. The catchy pop choruses and huge riffs are as catchy as the video, inspired by Marvel Comic's Ghost Rider. Lead singer Nathan MacKinder says of the inspiration behind the track. "With "Watch It Burn", we really wanted to put together a straight-ahead rock song with power guitars and booming drums, the type of rock song we all grew up with that a kid can learn to play in his basement and blast at maximum volume.” He continues, "Outwardly "Watch It Burn" may sound like it's about giving up, but it's more about moving on from a toxic situation. Some people are so bullheaded that they will let their whole world burn down around them before they admit that they made a mistake. I initially wrote the song about the current polit...

  Uk Alt- Rockers' FOXHAUNT have released their latest EP,  Mindset,  this past Friday. The quartet hail from York, England and consists of lead vocalist Ollie Swift, guitarist Thom Clayton, bassist Nick Dawson, and drummer Jamie Scott. The band count Linkin Park and Alexisonfire as many influences on their brand of pop, punk, and rock music with electronic elements. The band have gained considerable support over the years with coverage in Planet Rock and BBC Introducing. 'Mindset'  harks back to the days of rock bands singing huge pop choruses and massive riffs. The opener "Enemy" covers the topic of a person losing control of their own perspective and looking for someone to blame. The dazzling keys in the intro soon follow with large, thunderous guitars and soothing vocal melodies that concludes with pounding drums and a dreamlike instrumental. Next up is "Parallels", which is more of a commercial pop track. Vocalist Swift's tender voice blends w...

 LA- Based quintet Once Human return with their third studio effort, Scar Weaver , due out next Friday (Feb 11) via EarMusic Records. The modern metal outfit was formed in 2014 by ex-Machine Head guitarist Logan Mader and vocalist Lauren Hart. Bassist Damien Rainaud, drummer Dillon Trollope and newest recruit, second guitarist/songwriter Max Karon complete the line-up. Karon has brought a new creative force to the band's brutal and resilient style of metal with dynamic guitar breaks and lyrics based on pain, trauma, and darkness.  One of the key components of this is the versatility of Lauren Hart's vocals that blend emotive clean vocals with hallowed harsh vocals. The opener "Eidolon" is a testament to this. Hart snarls through all the rage and vitriol of a caged beast over sonic grooves and earth-shattering drums to send this album into full gear. Next up is "Deadlock", a track that features Mader's ex-colleague in the guise of Machine Head vocalist Ro...