California-based metalcore force Alex Sandra offers up a rally cry for self-worth and resilience, fusing raw lyrics with an aggressive but catchy sound that she describes as “power, resilience and rage.”
The band is the solo project of Moscow-born Georgian-American artist Aleksandra Marshaniia, who helps us tick our 61st country off the GigRadar map. Alex is building a community and a safe space for trauma survivors to share their stories and raise awareness. Working with regular session musicians, she’s crafted a metalcore sound that blends crushing riffs, emotional intensity and bold experimentation and, in her words, focuses on “trauma, resilience, and refusing to be boxed in.”
On the sound she’s created, Alex told us: “People say it’s heavy, but I always joke that it’s still not heavy enough. But in all seriousness, the core of the Alex Sandra sound is big, powerful choruses and emotion-first vocals. I scream only where it matters — I look for those emotional moments where the rasp and tension in my voice actually mean something. Listeners often compare my vocals to Otep and In This Moment, which I take as a huge compliment.”
Our latest taste of this is LOWEST, which was released last month. It opens up with light guitars and the sound of rainfall, which give way to Alex’s engaging light vocals. That flows into a big singalong chorus “When the time stops, The noise disappears, When you feel safe, The void it pulls you in, I always ask mysеlf will I get through this, The pain it drags me down into my lowеst.”It slows again for another verse that continues into another powerful chorus, which ends with a smash of heavier guitars that tee up a final blast of the chorus bringing the track to a heavy conclusion.
On the track, Alex said: “People really connect to the emotion and the energy. This one especially resonates with listeners who already know my music. LOWEST is heavy, melodic, and honest. It’s about hitting rock bottom and deciding to get back up on your own terms. If you haven’t heard it yet, expect big guitars, dynamic vocals, and a chorus that hits like a punch in the chest. The verses are melodic and very emotional – they pull you into the story before the song explodes.”
LOWEST is the latest release from Alex’s ongoing waterfall album release. The most recent release before it was CRISIS, which starts out with a much more feisty intro giving way to edgy vocals that lead into a catchy chorus “For what it’s worth I say fuck the silence, I’m fucking done with the neglect and violence, A system error all around, a broken guidance, Out of control this world’s in a crisis. A second chorus drops into building vocals, ending with a big scream and lively guitar chords setting up a final chorus.
There’s more of the same with the lively SO YOU CAN’T and WHAT’S INSIDE, which features a cool breakdown of rhythmic guitars and rolling drums teeing up a powerful outro. And there’s plenty more music to dig into, including two EPs, OCD Boy and just a phase, which includes the excellent Barbie Girl, released earlier this year and a series of singles over the last couple of years.
The Alex Sandra sound has been shaped by bands like System Of A Down, Linkin Park, Guano Apes, Architects, Falling in Reverse and Wage War.
And on what inspires her to write music, Alex explains: “I write from real experiences – trauma, identity, resilience, and how society tries to box us into roles. My songs usually come from anger or a breaking point, and then they turn into empowerment. Every track is me taking back the narrative: shame, body politics, mental pressure, not being seen – and turning it into strength. It’s a healing journey.”
Alex is halfway through releasing her debut album BIOMASS, which will be out in full by the Spring of next year. She’s also got shows through the rest of this year, including at Smash in Sacramento on Saurday (6 December), The Ice Cream Shop in San Jose on 17 December and The Starry Plough in Berkley on 27 December. And there’s more to come next year, including a regional California tour in the Spring before a bigger US tour through the Autumn.
As Alex tells us: “Right now, I’m focused on creating the strongest music of my career, building the community around it, and preparing visuals and videos that match the sound. I’m also enjoying the moment. Connecting with people who genuinely love my music brings me a lot of joy. It’s healing, fulfilling, and cathartic. These are people who know what struggle feels like, and they accept me for who I am. That connection is absolutely priceless.
“My plan is to bring the album to the stage with full production, not just small bar shows. Sit tight – it’s about to get very fun.”
You can follow Alex Sandra on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and check out her music on Spotify, Bandcamp, Apple Music, Soundcloud and YouTube.
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