SINGLE REVIEW: Weekly Round-Up 16/06/25 - 22/06/25
Bent Heavens - Happy Insanity
Bent Heavens make a chaotic and charismatic entrance with debut single 'Happy Insanity'—a jittery, genre-blurring alt-rock track that turns personal unrest into a call for collective mischief. Written and produced by frontman Grant Harris, it blends classic and electronic elements with jagged riffs, a punchy rhythm section and lyrics that bounce between delusion and defiance. Bold, wired and weird in all the right ways.
The Marshlanders – My Lord Jesus
'My Lord Jesus' crawls through the undergrowth like something ancient and half-forgotten — thick, brooding, and beautifully unsettling. The Marshlanders summon a dark, guitar-driven mystique that feels more like windswept fens and black soil than blazing deserts. Deep, earthy baritone vocals anchor the track, while ghostly soprano harmonies flicker across the gloom. Slide guitars add a slow, serpentine lilt, dragging the song into something murky and ceremonial. It’s downtempo, but never dull — a spellbinding, slow-motion march through a spiritual fog. Heavy in atmosphere, rich in tone, and quietly gripping.
ANONYMALZ – MONZTER
A chaotic, sticky slice of misfit pride, 'MONZTER' is the first unhinged howl from ANONYMALZ — a masked, genre-mutating collective making music that feels feral and theatrical. It’s not just a song; it’s a scrappy manifesto for the weirdos, the overlooked, the too-much and not-enoughs. Riffs snarl and twitch like they’ve been let loose in a power station, while the beat lurches with something that’s part-dancefloor, part-back-alley rumble. Vocals veer from urgent and cracked to strangely sweet, like a punky pep talk whispered under strobe lights. It’s grimy, electrified, full of character — a Frankenstein’s monster made from scraps of indie, noise rock, electroclash, and messy, joyful rage. Unhinged in the best way, and definitely one to watch.
File Under Humanoid – Fuel the Flame
'Fuel the Flame' hits hard with sharp, aggressive guitars driving forward through a tense, almost fractured sonic space. The vocals deliver a compelling mix of spoken word and uneasy melodies, adding a raw, offbeat energy that complements the track’s theatrical mood. Backed by a heavy, deliberate rhythm section, the song moves with a sense of brooding intensity, capturing the feeling of struggling to hold ground as everything around feels like it’s breaking down. The pounding drums and shifting tempos build suspense, reflecting a fight for survival in a fractured digital world where surrender isn’t an option. It’s a powerful statement of resistance, wrapped in a dark, art-rock package that demands attention without compromise.
SOPE – DYBIRL
UK-based indie folk/pop duo SOPE deliver a hazy, melodic journey on ‘DYBIRL,’ where scratchy acoustic guitars wander with effortless grace. Ethereal vocals float softly but gain weight through grander moments of layered harmonies, lending an almost gospel-like warmth and honesty. The sound carries a clear Bon Iver influence but with a catchier edge that keeps it grounded, never drifting too far into the clouds. Uncomplicated acoustic instrumentation lets the vocals shine front and center, while brief off-kilter skits add intriguing quirks that keep things fresh. The track builds to a full-band crescendo, turning into a celebratory swell that lifts the whole piece to an emotionally satisfying peak.
