Beth Gladen – “Subdued Madness”
“Subdued Madness” hits with urgency. Beth Gladen channels the frustration many Americans feel right now and turns it into a tight, punchy rock record. The theme is clear. Chaos outside. Pressure inside. A country drifting into darkness. And people stuck in their own heads trying to make sense of it.
The sharp guitar riffs drive the track forward from the first seconds. They feel tense and restless, like something is about to snap. The drums push with steady force, giving the song backbone. Then Beth’s vocal comes in smooth but firm. That contrast works. Her voice doesn’t scream. It controls. That control gives the song identity and keeps it from sounding messy.
The structure is clean. Verses build tension. The chorus lands strong and catchy without feeling forced. You can imagine a crowd shouting it back live. It’s the kind of hook that sticks after one listen.
What makes this track work is focus. It doesn’t try to overcomplicate the message. It captures a specific mood. Confusion. Anger. A search for light. That “subdued madness” feeling many people carry quietly.
If this is a preview of where Beth Gladen is headed, she’s carving out a lane for politically aware rock that still knows how to move.
Saint Escape – “Look At What You Made”
“Look At What You Made” goes straight for the throat. Saint Escape leans hard into metal territory here, but they keep it tight and controlled. The energy is wild. The execution is sharp.
Produced and mixed by Joe Rickard, known for his work with Starset, Three Days Grace, and Breaking Benjamin, the track carries that polished punch modern rock fans crave. The guitars grind with weight. The drums hit hard but never drown the mix. Every breakdown feels intentional.
Lyrically, this is a direct shot at toxic authority figures who shaped childhoods through fear and control. It’s a release. A call-out. A refusal to stay trapped in narratives built on manipulation. The message is clear: you don’t own us anymore.
The vocals seal the deal. There’s grit, but also control. You can close your eyes, put on headphones, and let it take over. It feels familiar in the best way. You hear shades of early 2000s nu metal, yet it still sounds current. That balance is tough to pull off, but Saint Escape makes it feel natural.
I’d say this isn’t background music. It demands movement. It demands volume. It feels built for heavy rock and nu metal playlists that thrive on intensity with purpose.
The Spent Priests – “There Will Be Blood”
“There Will Be Blood” feels like someone kicking open a rusted metal door and daring you to step inside. The Spent Priests don’t warm up. They strike. Fast tempo. Guitars snarl. Drums punch like they’re trying to crack the floor beneath you.
The track moves like a bar fight set to rhythm. Sharp hooks slice through the noise, the kind that stick in your head long after the speakers cool down. It’s loud, but not messy. Think of it as easy listening for the hard of hearing. It hits hard, yet every riff lands clean.
You can hear shades of Queens of the Stone Age in the grit, and flashes of The Stooges in the primal swing. Still, this isn’t imitation. It’s crooked, raw, and very Brooklyn. The sound feels like sweat dripping from a low ceiling in a packed club while the crowd moves as one body.
Niall Tackney calls it their opening shot. That makes sense. The song doesn’t ask for space. It takes it. No polish for the sake of polish. Just fire.
Put this on with headphones and you’ll feel your neck start moving before you notice. It’s the kind of track that makes you nod hard enough to lose track of time. Pure rock energy, no filter, no brakes.
Wuzy Bambussy – “By Candlelight”
“By Candlelight” feels like stepping into a quiet room where the only light comes from a single flame flickering on a wooden table. From the first note, Wuzy Bambussy pulls you in gently, almost like someone whispering a secret you weren’t meant to hear but are glad you did.
This is the second single from their upcoming LP The Ghost & The Rhythm, and the musicality here stands out right away. The melodies weave around you like soft threads, subtle but intentional. The rhythms sway rather than push, giving the track a floating quality. It doesn’t rush. It breathes.
Kat Harrison’s voice is the heart of it all. Smooth, intimate, and confessional, her vocals feel like a letter read aloud in the dark. Imagine wearing headphones late at night, lights off, and letting her words settle into your chest. There’s an undying love running through the lyrics, one that stretches beyond time. It feels human. Fragile but strong.
The structure holds everything together with care. Each section flows naturally into the next, like pages turning in a well-loved book. Nothing feels forced.
“By Candlelight” isn’t loud. It doesn’t need to be. It glows quietly, steady and warm, even when the night feels endless.
Kregg - Sideways
“Sideways” feels like driving alone at night with the windows down, city lights blurring past while your thoughts refuse to sit still. It’s melancholy hard rock, but controlled, focused, and clean.
The verses sit on tight palm-muted guitars that move like a steady heartbeat under the surface. Smooth vocals glide over them, almost restrained, like someone holding back what they really want to say. Then the chorus opens up wide. The sound expands. Guitars ring out. Emotion spills forward. It’s that moment when you finally say what’s been sitting in your chest for months.
The bridge stands out. It shifts the mood just enough to keep you locked in, like the quiet pause before the final push. When the high notes hit, they don’t feel forced. They rise naturally, still smooth, still controlled. You hear power, but you also hear precision.
With production support from Ralph Patlan and drums from Red’s former drummer Dan Johnson, the track carries that polished alternative rock edge without losing emotion. This marks the artist’s tenth release, with more already in motion. “Sideways” doesn’t just sit in your playlist. It lingers, like a late-night thought you can’t shake.
