In recent months, we’ve been using music discovery platform Groover to find new rock and metal bands from all around the world. However, sometimes the bands don’t respond to our requests, so we put together a quick review of those that go unanswered.
Our June roundup features nine artists from Australia, France, the UK and the US, ranging from stoner rock and metal to brass-led rock. So read on and listen to all of these bands on our GigRadar Groover Spotify playlist.
Augmented Hearts – Conjuring Catalysts
We’re pretty disappointed the St. Louis band didn’t get back to us as we love their diverse atmospheric metal sound. Augmented Hearts offer up a “double guitar attack” flanking engaging yet powerful vocals backed up by “a thunderous rhythm section.”
Their latest release Conjuring Catalysts explores the internal battle between external expectations and personal desires, creating an intense and dynamic journey. And on the track they say it: “Offers a unique mix of ethereal melodies and heavy breakdowns. It’s perfect for fans of genre-bending, introspective music that dives deep into identity struggles and self-realization.” It’s also the final track of their EP, The Weight To Be Honest, which was released at the end of April.
Conjuring Catalysts opens up with a cool guitar lick that kicks into life with driving drums and heavy chords, then drops into Jenny’s light vocals and mellow guitars. Light guitars support vocals through a pre-chorus before heavy instrumentals join in for the chorus lines “I’ve never known the weight to be honest, Sinking further into your void, But you’re conjuring catalysts, Demanding metamorphosis.” It drops back into a laid-back verse and a second chorus gives way to pulsing synths and big backing guitars, setting up a big final blast of the chorus.
You can follow Augmented Hearts on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and check out their music on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.
ADORE – Twisted Echoes
French band ADORE offer up a dramatic, diverse sound that fuses alternative rock with electronic elements. Founded in 2015, vocalist Adrien, bassist and vocalist Alice, guitarist Lionel and drummer Quentin draws influences from American and British rock bands like Royal Blood, Imagine Dragons, Grandson and Muse.
Their latest track Twisted Echoes opens up with an effects-ridden light guitar that continues under Adrien’s laid-back French vocals. Stabbing electronic sounds kick in as it builds up to a big chorus of English vocals “Sarah, you don’t have to be cruel, You don’t have to be sorry, Not all of us are your tool, Let me expect the glory, Yeah I’m tired of my life, Being stuck in misery, You don’t have to be cruel, You don’t have to be sorry.” Alice takes on the lead vocals through a second verse that again builds up to a big chorus, which repeats then drops into a mass of guitar and synth sounds setting up a final chorus.
You can follow ADORE on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, and check out their music on Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud and YouTube.
A.D.A.M. Music Project – Punch Out
The ADAM Music Project was founded by Adam DeGraide with the aim of collaborating to create a unique sound. He teamed up with Dameon Aranda and the pair feature a variety of singers and musicians to create songs inspired by video game characters.
They sent us Punch Out, which comes from the album of the same name released back in March. The song was inspired by all things boxing, with a specific nod to the Nintendo video game of the same name. It opens up with a stabbing guitar riff with electronic blasts, giving way to engaging vocals that builds up to a big singalong chorus “Ring the bell, It is time that I sent you straight to hell, Cause you know, You know I’m gonna Punch It, Fueled by rage in this cage, I duck, I cut, you can’t escape, And you know I’m gonna punch it, then punch out.” A second chorus gives way to a cool guitar solo setting up a final blast of the chorus over a piercing guitar lick.
You can follow ADAM Music Project on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, and check out their music on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.
Big Band Of Boom – Energy Vampire
Big Band Of Boom have crafted a thrilling sound that fuses guitar-led rock with a horn section in their mission to redefine what we know about heavy guitars and big-band brass. The band brings together some of the best bands in Birmingham and is led by Tom from the Electric Swing Circus.
Their latest single Energy Vampire opens up with a light guitar lick that gives way to heavy horns teeing up an engaging opening verse. A cool line “I try to drink enough wine that I might just make it past nine,” with backing vocals chanting “energy vampire” as it builds in intensity. The brass joins in again as it flows into a big energetic chorus that ends with big brass before dropping into another alluring verse, before coming to a lively ending.
You can follow Big Band Of Boom on Facebook and Instagram, and check out their music on Spotify, Bandcamp, Apple Music and YouTube.
Foot – Walking Into Walls All Week
Heading across to the other side of the world, Foot are one of Australia’s leading active stoner and desert rock bands. The Melbourne quartet, led by guitarist, vocalist and creative constant Paul Holden, is all about driving fuzz grooves, melodic vocals and dynamic changes in a heavy yet engaging sound.
Their latest single, Walking Into Walls All Week, is about dissociation and not really knowing how to fit into the modern world. It opens up with a fuzzy guitar riff that kicks into life over driving drums and continues under echoey vocals. It flows into cool laid-back vocals supported by fun descending guitars before dropping into a lively verse. The laid-back vocals return, ending with repeats of “I’m walking into walls all week,” then the pace drops with light guitars joined by distant rolling drums setting up a big final riff bringing the track to a heavier conclusion.
You can follow Foot on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and check out their music on Spotify, Bandcamp and YouTube.
Gender Crisis – twelve
London band Gender Crisis offer up a post-hardcore meets metalcore sound that intriguingly, in their words, combines “hyper-masculine aggression with hyper-feminine campiness.”
Their latest single Twelve, released last month, opens up with low guitar noises that give way to a cool spinning lick supported by chords and drums. The pace drops with delicate vocals and heavier guitars join in as it flows into a chorus of “How could I ever love you, Look what you did to me, How could I ever love you, Look what you did to me, ‘Cause I, I still struggle to sleep at night, With the thoughts that you left inside of me, Hold me close, Whisper secrets and sew my mouth closed, If I ever told another soul.” A second chorus drops into spoken vocals “You asked me if I loved you, I said yes, I lied, Because you were double my age and you were twice my size,” which ends with screamed vocals and a final blast of the chorus.
You can follow Gender Crisis on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, and check out their music on Spotify, Bandcamp, Apple Music and YouTube.
Local Hero – Fight For Your Life
In fairness to this American hardcore band, the email they gave us didn’t work so they never received our interview questions. Connecticut-based Local Hero deliver a deliciously raw, no-frills aggressive sound that fuses classic East Coast hardcore energy with a modern edge and a DIY approach.
Their second single Fight For Your Life aims to channel the chaos of modern life and the current political climate into three blistering minutes of pure catharsis. It dives straight into heavy vocals over a stabbing riff and driving drums, which give way to big shouted vocals over rhythmic guitars with a big cry of “Live for tomorrow and fight ’til you die.” It picks up pace with lively guitars and more intense vocals, dropping back into the chorus shouts.
You can follow Local Hero on Facebook and Instagram, and check out their music on Spotify.
motionyear. – Misspent
North Shore pop-punk band motionyear. offer up an energetic sound that they describe as “Emotionally charged. Sonically sharp. Universally resonant.”
The Massachusetts band’s latest track Misspent channels 2000s emo-pop and modern alternative rock in what they summarise as “Jimmy Eat World meets The 1975 in a moment of reckoning.” It opens up with a fun stabbing guitar with rolling drums that kicks into a lively little opening riff. That drops into a laid-back verse that intensifies with call-and-answer vocals, then the pace slows before flowing into a big catchy chorus. A second chorus ends with drawn-out vocals before intensifying with big layered vocals ending with the line “Go ahead and talk your shit, I’m over it” teeing up a final chorus. They’ve since followed it up with Turning Pages, which comes from an upcoming EP.
You can follow motionyear. on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and check out their music on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.
Sophia Mengrosso – Medicate Me
American dark opera vocalist Sophia Mengrosso has crafted a fascinating sound that blends gothic metal with classic opera. Her powerful vocal melodies are supported by heavy guitars and drums creating immersive soundscapes.
Sophia sent us Medicate Me from her debut album Unforgiven, which was released in April. The track opens up with engaging vocals supported by a meandering piano line, before a burst of guitars drop back into the piano supporting laid-back vocals. It picks up pace as guitars return and dual vocals lead a big chorus “Medicate me ’till I say, I don’t want to hear you, Hesitate or I won’t pray, For you anymore, I won’t let you take me away again, I cannot stand to feel.” It drops back into engaging vocals over piano and light rolling drums, with guitars creeping in as it builds back up to another engrossing chorus. That winds down into light vocals with the piano returning, building up to a final chorus. If you’re into dramatic metal and symphonic rock/metal then we firmly recommend Sophia’s album a listen.
You can follow Sophia Mengrosso on Instagram, and check out her music on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.
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