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YONAKA – ‘Seize The Power’: Album Review

Don’t Wait Till Tomorrow, get listenin’.

Brash and brazen English-quartet, YONAKA have returned with their second album release, Seize Your Power. With no attempts to slow down after their triumphant debut of Don’t Wait Till Tomorrow back in 2019, the rife punk-ists return with a vengence for heavy riffs and hard punches as Call Me A Saint and self-titled, Seize Your Power takes the band down a path of eclectic electronica, which ultimately shapeshifts into some of their most powerful songwriting they’ve done so far.

Aired with a mist of maturity within its run-through, Seize Your Power demonstrates the bands’ ability to bend their sounds to the current, but still keeping it fresh within their own sound.

Although not as boomy and nowhere near as rocket-fueled as their debut – and no where near the same running time – it still holds its head high however, with a sense of satisfaction of finally finishing. It may be a far cry from the frenzy mish-mash of Don’t Wait Till Tomorrow, but this does come with its own advantages … With the band beginning to gain traction through staying prominent, maintaining track records and creating euphoric music, it seems that they are starting to get it.

Clique can be shafted, though. Big no from me.

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Artist Spotlight: Badflower

Committing blood, soul and mind to their art, Badflower are a cathartic Los Angeles-bred quartet that you require to be on your rock radar.

Hailed for their triumphs of their debut album, OK, I’M SICK in 2019, their rock stardom catapulted to them to unimaginable scenes, as they achieved commercial success with their hauntingly powerful punches of Ghost, Heroin and The Jester.

The confessions of musicality are in droves as the album implores the discussion of sleep, sex, sadness, mania and pain in doses of hot flashes. Relevant, fresh and fresh, Badflower are continuing to be the thorns in our side as the rock powerhouse we have to listen to as part of our rock ritual.

Recent releases of 30 and Family in 2020 has allowed them to clock up to 280 million streams collectively, and they only plan to go further with their music.

Even if you don’t believe the hype as such, be sure to not miss it – because you can be sure you will. I almost did.

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Song of the Day: Pacific Avenue’s Something Good

Drawn from their 2019 debut EP, Strawberry Skies, it emphasises our love of summer, traditional holidays in the sun, and taking life one relaxing day at a time.

The Australian 4-piece brings fantastic contemporary indie flavours and blends of timeless rock that stays fresh in the sunlight. “Something Good” is the epitome of their work so far, as it demonstrates their knack of rock calling and have become one of the best emerging talents in the Aussie country.

Plenty to bring too, with their recent flurry of excitement, Easy Love – which is another timeless indie summer classic.

You could very well argue how oversaturated we are already with summer indie tunes. But, there’s definitely a reason as to why there’s so many compilations abound.

We simply can’t get enough of ‘em.

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Could the delay in lockdown “irreversibly damage” the music industry?

With a possible delay in the lifting of lockdown from the 21st June due to a spike in cases from a certain variant from the landscapes of India – it could well and truly see the music industry in UK “being left behind.”

With transparency needed more than ever from the Government, we are looking to Boris Johnson and what he has to say about it at a news briefing scheduled for tomorrow (14 June.)

If the lockdown is confirmed to be delayed for another two months or so, this can see over 5,000 events being cancelled, which again, would cost millions to the music industry.

Wishing for a summer of music we all want, the Government must cooperate and deliver an understandable plan of return as, anything past the expected date of 21st June, is ultimately new ground for us all.

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Sleep Token – ‘Sundowning’ Album Review

Eternally divinine, Sleep Token are one of the most unique new underground acts in the heavy rock and progressive metal heading to leave its quarters of worship and share its beauty with us.

Definitive, powerful and expertly put together, Sundowning is one of my favourites that I just keep coming back to, simply to relive. I implore everyone else to do the same.

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But, don’t be put off by the glorious display of devil-like incarnations, this album is not to be trifled or spited with. Like inhabited spirits, they simply create abounding music – and simply worship those creatives before them.

Like carefully aligned pieces of music, for me, the album invokes a masterpiece – and I love it. Beautiful melodic performances, a sorrowful vocalist, the precisely-timed chaos of the arching drums, and the illusion and mystery that invokes such a piece is enough to upkeep conversations going about just how strong the progressive-metal scene is in the UK.

The sheer anonymity of the British collective just adds further to the mystery, too. Songs such as, The Offering, Dark Signs and The Night Does Not Belong to God are somewhat showing their worship to an ancient deity that can only be identified by ‘Sleep’, who appeared to the band’s lead singer, ‘Vessel’, in a dream.

I know about it just as much as you do, but you’ve got to admit it’s pretty darn cool. But where frantic progressive-metal reins in their expressiveness, moments of fleeting beauty appear so softly in the ambient tranquil of such songs like, Levitate and Give.

The album does not begin to falter though, with elements of rage – maybe due to the lack of worshipping to their inhabitants – driving us straight into Gods and Say That You Will. The full 12-listing of the album ends with a beauty that I can’t stop repeating – Blood Sugar. A chorus of melodic piano, a hymn of vocals and progressive rhythmic art, it’s a worthy contender to end it right.

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If they’re planning on delighting the Gods with this as The Offering, the Vessel, and his collaborative collective, should be mightily satisfied with their efforts.