Sacrifice & Bliss

Photo courtesy of  Samantha Regen

Infectiously catchy experimental Rock duo, Sacrifice & Bliss release their outrageously good new single Kyrie, out Friday 28th April 2017. Ralph gave it a pre-release spin on the Radio KC Indie Show last Sunday and the Electro-Rock innovators from London are set to hit the ground running this spring, touring alongside fellow Indie-Rock tastemakers Dantevilles.

Sacrifice & Bliss are inventive and enigmatic, with all instruments spiking excitingly throughout Kyrie providing a glorious tickle on the balls of your eardrum (yes, they exist – it’s science). This huge synth-laden Rock banger combines light and darkness to great effect with medieval & gothic influences triumphantly merged with rampantly upbeat electro synths. 

Unbelievably, with such a vast array of influences from Sly and The Family Stone to Radiohead, Sacrifice & Bliss have created something truly original whilst providing a curiously fulfilling helping of familiarity.


Kyrie is packed full of the now trademarked and contagiously addictive riffs that fans have come to expect from guitar genius John K Lucy. Adapted from a Gregorian chant and with lyrics throughout Kyrie sung in part Greek, part Italian and part English, the distinctive vocals of co-songwriter and bassist Roger Hany put him as the front-runner for your new favourite frontman with soaring highs that Matt Bellamy of Muse would be jealous of.




Frontman Roger Hany explains that Kyrie was written about “the giving of yourself to that which is bigger or greater than yourself”.

Capturing the attention of the masses with sold out shows supporting the likes of 90’s Britpop icons My Life Story, 60’s Rock icon Arthur Brown and Folk Rock favourite’s Blackbeard’s Tea Party, it’s no wonder the duo have already been picked up by BBC Introducing and 6 Music with previous single Hit Me achieving multiple track of the week status’ across 40+ radio stations.



Sacrifice & Bliss live dates as follows...

18/03 Watford, Flag Supporting Dantevilles
23/03 Liverpool, Shipping Forecast Supporting Dantevilles
24/03 Glasgow, McChuills Supporting Dantevilles
26/03 Birmingham, Sunflower Lounge Supporting Dantevilles
27/03 London, Servant Jazz Quarters Supporting Dantevilles
28/03 Bristol, Louisiana Supporting Dantevilles
30/03 Stowmarket, John Peel Centre Supporting Dantevilles
01/04 Southampton, Joiners Supporting Dantevilles

Alkanes

With their debut EP A Different Kind Of Perfect lined up for release on March 18th it's looking like 2016 will be a good year for Aberdeen based outfit Alkanes.

Following the demise of Inverness band Purple Divide in 2013, guitarist Dale looked to challenge himself with a new project. After experimenting with his song writing, he set his sights on a project a little heavier than Purple Divide.

With a particular focus on big dynamic riffs and drawing influence from bands such as Arcane Roots, Biffy Clyro, Muse, Oceansize and Fightstar, Dale began to develop what was to become the sound of Alkanes.

Comprising Dale himself on guitar & vocals, Gary Wilson on drums & vocals and Jack Molyneux on bass and formed in 2014, Alkanes hit the ground running and have shared the stage with some of the UK’s finest up and coming acts in the Rock and Metal scene including Carnivores, Axis Of, Emilio Largo, Bear Arms and ACODA. The band also headlined The Lemon Tree in Aberdeen in September 2015.


The five-track EP A Different Kind Of Perfect kicks off with the moody, atmospheric guitar-driven Pulling Teeth and it's a definite leaning to being heavier than some of their contemporaries. 

Persistance To Existence on the other hand has more of a Chilli Peppers feel to it. A nicely balanced rock track that will have multi-genre appeal. The pefect pick as the single.



Third track in and A Different Kind Of Perfect punches you in the ears from note one, reminding me of a favourite band of old from Wales called Budgie. Whilst I cite the previous track as my favourite pick for a single, this one's my favourite of the five. It's currently on repeat here in the dog-house.

The EP rounds off with the choppy Brown Tape and a Zepplin-es que vocal that delights whilst Music In The Grooves for me leans more towards an Audioslave vibe.

All proceeds from the sale of the single goes to Diabetes Scotland, and pleasure it brings to the table will go directly to your aural sensory receptors!




Fri 18th March - INVERNESS
Mad Hatters + wecamefromwolves

Sat 19th March - GLASGOW
Box Glasgow


Sun 20th March - ABERDEEN
Downstairs




OFFICIAL EP LAUNCH

With First Order and Audio Cynic


Tickets for the EP Launch available to buy at alkanes.bigcartel.com 

I WANT TO MAKE A SINGLE DONATION TO DIABETES SCOTLAND

• £ 10
• £ 25
• £ 75

Choose your own amount £ 

Token Joker

Ralph's not averse to rocking it out, so when the new Token Joker single Green hit the turntable whilst making up the playlist for his Indie Show on Radio KC last week it was volume up to 11 and time to check them out more closely for the blog.

The single (taken from their Just Part Of The System EP out earlier this year) is brash, ballsy, sexy, down right dirty and in your face, old school, guitar thrashing (and breathe) rock 'n' roll. With lead vocalist Liam Walsh sounding like a modern day version of the legendary Roger Chapman this release is a feast for the ears.

Recorded in March with world renowned producer Paul Reeve (Muse, Razorlight, Supergrass) at Airfield Studios in Cornwall, and the equally renowned Simon Heyworth (Mike Oldfield – Tubular Bells) the eagerly anticipated new release finds Token Joker pushing their distinct brand of dirty and contagious rock 'n' roll to new heights of adventure and virulence. 

The bulging basslines of Michael Jackson, the thumping swings of drummer Rupert 'Roddy' Waldron, and the dramatic craft of lead guitarist Chris 'Snakey' Dearing alongside the magnetic enterprise of Leon Welsh and Matt Coleman, have united to take Token Joker to a new plateau. 

The Vaulted Skies

Photo by Pete Bilk

There seems to be a trend just now for bands to lean on the influences of the 80's whilst bringing to that era a modern twist and very much at the forefront of that is Saint Albans band The Vaulted Skies.

The Strange EP, released recently is a concoction of mean and moody vocals over swirling guitars and orchestral synths.








Hardly surprising as The Vaulted Skies list amongst their influences Radioead, The Cure, Muse, Joy Division and many more of that ilk. 

Lead track Vampires thumps into an OMD -esque anthemic soundscape.

Caroline Slipped Across The Sky continues the anthemic vein with soaring vocal overlaid on solid musicality, whilst Hungware is all moody drums, soaring guitar and plaintive lyric.







Versus Heart continues the plaintive mood and emphasises The Vaulted Skies strong lyric writing ability and musicality. It culminates with the bouncier Does Anyone Else Feel Strange which will transport you back to some smoky, beer stained dungeon of a bar with sticky carpets watching Depeche Mode in their formative years. 




The Vaulted Skies are on a roll with this EP and judging by recent reviews are also ones to catch live.  

Upcoming gigs...

Love Music @ The Dog and Whistle - Hertford

• Thursday, April 16, 2015
• 8:00pm  11:59pm
• The Dog & Whistle 

With support from Ned Dylan (Band) and Lawful Rebel

The Doctor's Tonic @ The Green Room

• Saturday, June 13, 2015
• 7:30pm  11:59pm
• The Doctor's Tonic 

Supporting D.M.O.

Hallowe'en @ Trestle Arts Base

• Saturday, October 31, 2015
• 7:00pm  11:59pm
• Trestle Arts Base