Rockstar Reviewer

Swedish Punk band Diamonds and Guns  released their latest single "Cheers To Us", an ode to friendship, which came out last month. The band formed in September 2018 and spent a year performing a handful of gigs due to a home demo, which started with the booking company UNDERGROUND. The band consist of Lead Vocalist Victor Ekvall, Lead guitarist Pontus Åberg, bassist Kim Johansson and the newest recruit drummer Thomas Norstedt. The band's brand of punk/punk rock 'n' roll brings a newfound attitude and charm to the genre. The band's name is a tribute to those West Coast influences. " Cheers To Us"  is charming and upbeat in the style of The Pogues . As soon as the first chords are struck, The listener is invited to bask in the memories and singalong. The strong melodies supplement a rhythm section that feels like a lockup in a smoky bar somewhere. Words By Anselm Anderson "Cheer To Us"  is available to stream via all major platforms. Diamond...

  South African/German singer/songwriter, Storm returns with "Say It To My Face", the hard-hitting follow up to "Part of the Plan", due for release on June 25th. the track features Ex-Delain guitarist Timo Somers. Storm is a dual nationality singer, born in South Africa, who has been making waves with her songs that focus on topics such as self-harm and animal abuse. Storm moved to the US to start recording and writing to help launch her career. "Say It To My Face" looks at standing up to bullies and manipulators that talk behind your back. The track inhibits symphonic and alternative roots through its' harmonic guitar intro and breakdowns, as Storm delivers another powerful performance over a gritty guitar riff and thunderous drums. The singer continues to shine with maturity as her voice grows through each song. Storm has the commercial appeal in her presence to be able to get these topics heard. Words by Anselm Anderson Say It to My Face” will be ...

  Edinburgh-based Psychedelic/Indie rockers Ghost Dance Collective have released their eagerly-anticipated second studio effort Dream Yourself Into the Real World, the follow up to the self-titled debut sees the band continue to blend 60's psychedelia, indie and pop music to create a retro feel. The Scotsmen achieved the honour of #2 on the top 5 Neo-Psych bands list, voted by judges in the Scottish New Music Chart , due to the success of that aforementioned debut album. Ghost Dance Collective also have the unenviable task of recording all their material in analogue, as a homage to their Summer of Love idols. The magical journey through this real world begins with the mesmerising "Tears In Her Eyes", Vocalist Liam Payne's tender vocals are accompanied by delicate keyboards and electric acoustic guitars. Next up is the slow tempo "Mean That Much To Me", an indie folk song with pop overtones. The jangle- sound is reminiscent of 60's guitar acts. The band...

  Canadian Southern Rock outfit Floral Park have just released their sophomore effort Meet In The Middle  this past Friday. The six-track EP is a follow up to last year's Look At The Moon. The band wrote, produced and recorded this out of 75 readily available songs recorded during last year's lockdown. They formed in 2019 in Newmarket, Ontario and soon caught the eyes of Maple Sports and Entertainment, following the release of their debut. They spent the pandemic creating music for up to four releases this year. Meet In The Middle is the first of these with its blend of blues, hard rock and roots to create a return to the good ol' day of rock 'n' roll. The opener "Bless My Soul" is a feel-good roots-rock song with boogie riffs and uplifting vocals that sets the mood for the remainder. "Sticky Sweet" follows with stripped back vocals and acoustics, which leaves this EP feeling appropriate for the summer weather. "Do It Again (40 days and 40 n...

Massachusets-based singer/songwriter and violinist Hannah Schzde has released the inspiring "Shine" The Mexican-born singer is renowned for writing songs about life and social issues through the celebration of dance and Latin Music. Schzde has performed in ensembles and on her own at some of Boston's prestigious venues such as The Middle East, Sally O’Briens, Once, The Canopy Room, Makeshift Boston, Oberon and The Sinclair. "  In 2018, Hannah released “Ni Una Más” as the lead single off her self-titled solo project in an effort to raise awareness and funds for the battle against gender-based violence and discrimination. October of 2020 saw the arrival of “Will Let You", a story about a Mexican woman living in New York. "Shine" is her latest single that sees Hannah's delicate and smooth vocals sing over carefully plucked Ukulele and violin to leave a skip in your step. The dreamy atmospherics tell a story about nature to help us forget about all th...

Taiwanese Extreme Metallers' Cthonic release a special live album Cthonic: Megaport 2021 via Spinefarm Records today (May 19th). The band made history with its first post-covid 19 performance in a country that proved successful in its battle against the turgid disease. The Megaport festival was held over two days in March that took place in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Cthonic formed in 2006 by singer Freddy Lim before he departed to take a seat in the Taiwanese Parliament. The band were joined on this tour by Audrey Tang , the group's biggest fan, who happens to be the Digital Minister in the Taiwan government. Cthonic combine modern symphonic black metal with traditional Taiwanese folk music. They are renowned for writing lyrics about folklore, mythology and enka, using instruments like Hena, Zhing and Pgaku flute. The show begins to thunderous applause as the ominous sounds of drums and string arrangements greet them. The orchestral version of "Tekao" settles any nerves ...

Swedish glam rockers' Velvet Insane has released a new single "Backstreet Liberace", taken from the upcoming album Rock 'N' Roll Glitter Suit. This new track sees the Scandinavian Three-piece teaming up with Dregen and Nicke Andersson (The Hellacopters, Lucifer etc) "Backstreet Liberace" is a fun throwback to the '70s with sweet pop harmonies, accompanied by boogie riffs and scintillating piano keys. The feelgood vibes will lead fans humming the chorus in unison with the affable frontmen The band comments: "We feel very proud about this song and that it breathes and swaggers like it was made in London in 1973, but with the modern sound of today. Smooth pop harmonies pumped up by heavy drums and barbed wire guitars, and with a chorus that hits you right where it hurts. On top of it all, we got Dregen and Nicke Andersson from The Hellacopters to jump in the back seat, giving us a helping hand in our purpose to keep rock ‘n’ roll alive. It can...