Another week has passed, and we're delighted to reveal that The Pineapple Thief are the latest band to win music's equivalent of The Squid Game, our Tracks Of The Week competition. So congratulations to them, for their single The Frost beat out stiff competition from Ace Frehley and the Kris Barras Band in what was surely an episode for the ages.
This week it'll be even better. For we have eight more contenders ready to duke it out for no prize whatsoever, apart from the glory. So don't forget to vote when you reach the foot of the page, just so no one gets upset. Thank you.
The Karma Effect - Livin’ It Up
Coming over like a millennial Black Crowes with an 80s sheen, new Earache signees The Karma Effect make a strong opening case for their second album (coming out in 2024) on Livin’ It Up. With their unabashedly retro threads and tight, energised fusion of classic sounds, are they Britain’s answer to Dirty Honey? Based on this they certainly have that sort of vibe, which we can definitely get on board with. Let’s see what the full record’s like.
Lucifer - Slow Dance In A Crypt
Deathly dreams in black and white now, with the Stockholm-based rockers’ sensual, spooky taste of their next album, Lucifer V. If graveyards, soft witchy vocals and George A Romero-style cinema do it for you, you’ll lap up this and it’s accompanying video up like a ravenous vampire. Adding 60s pop and rock’n’roll textures to their distorted, Sabbathian palate, it’s a softer but no less enticing precursor to the full set of “nine unholy hymns”, set for release in January.
Palace Of The King - A Run For Your Money
Aussie rockers Palace Of The King delve into their soulful, funky side – while keeping at least one boot firmly in fuzzy, riffcake rock territory – on this final single from latest album Friends In Low Places. Not unlike 21st century American beardos Crobot, which is a good thing in our book; sassy enough to dance to, heavy enough to get a bit of a headbang going. As party tracks for rock-favouring crowds go, you could do an awful lot worse. Plus the chorus is a big ol’ singalong waiting to happen.
Sebastian Bach - What Do I Got To Lose
Holy crap! The former Skid Row frontman’s comeback single – co-written with Myles Kennedy and (Alter Bridge producer) Michael ‘Elvis’ Baskette – really rocks. You can feel the Kennedy/Baskette fingerprints all over its lean, mean grooves and melody, and Bach’s big-haired hey day in its tearaway rock’n’roll spirit. The music video…well, you can tell he’s been gone ten years (we kind of want to know who decided that a bikini-ed woman suggestively washing a car would fly in 2023…) but musically, on the evidence of this, Bach is back with a bang.
The Gems - Undiscovered Paths
The Swedish trio show a more modern, Halestorm-y ingredient in their musical soup (hitherto very much on the old-school side), on this driving, moody hard-hitter. Great vocal harmonies, too. “It's a more vulnerable track,” they comment, “very melancholic, yet hopeful. A deeper knowing that it's all going to be fine, when you feel that you are at a crossroad and everything feels unclear. This is our reminder that there's always a light at the end of the tunnel.”
South Of Salem - Vultures
These rapidly rising Brits make a guy-linered, barrell-chested hard rock racket on this cut from their upcoming album (hows this for fun title?) Death Of The Party, all deft chops, from-the-gut vocals and rivers of black hair dye. Fans of Avenged Sevenfold and Zakk Wylde will like it a lot. “Vultures is a classic heavy metal track with huge hooks and a blistering dual lead,” the band say. “Lyrically it’s a song is about the people that only want you when they need something. It deals with lies, deceit and manipulation, and how cutting ties and knowing your self-worth will soon separate the true friends from the vultures."
Big Big Train - Oblivion
New Big Big Train singer Alberto Bravin was gently introduced to fans of the band on this year's Ingenious Devices album, which saw him performing late frontman David Longdon's part on a live version of 2021's Atlantic Cable. Formalities over, the fruits of his studio work with the band can be heard on Oblivion, the first track to emerge from next year's album The Likes Of Us. It's a fairly straightforward rocker – more Wassail or Made From Sunshine than East Coast Racer – but BBT have always done short and sharp alongside the epics – and the slow, swelling section that kicks in just north of the 3-minute mark suggests that there'll be plenty to intrigue on the new collection.
Liliac - Heaven And Hell
Five-piece brother/sister band Liliac's latest release is a cover of Black Sabbath's classic Heaven And Hell, and while they don't take any risks with the arrangement, it's still notable for the performance of singer Melody Cristea, who steps up to tackle Ronnie James Dio's vocal and absolutely kills it, then throws in some unexpected flute at the end to ramp up the medieval vibe. RJD would surely approve. Catch them on tour in the US with John 5 in the first week of February.
