Rustbelt Rock Review

By: Z.M. Delgado

Rustbeltrockreview.com

Volume #139: Singles Collection: Fuzzy Vandelay, Temple Witch & Tundra

05/24/2024

Good evening friends and welcome to another edition of the Rustbelt Rock Review. Recently I’ve noticed there are a lot of new songs circulating around the ether. Not full albums, mind you. But rather a slew of singles have been emerging. Always exciting, as lovers of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal, new music in our scene is what we live for. So I’ve kept my ear to the ground and picked up on some wicked vibrations that I have found to be rather interesting. As such, I have decided to highlight some of the new jams that have caught my attention and share them with you. So without further adieu here are three of the coolest tracks I’ve heard lately:

Fuzzy Vandelay – “Favorite Lies”

Fuzzy Vandelay has something powerful brewing here. “Favorite Lies,” the first single from a forthcoming effort, is honestly gorgeous. It is a longer composition, clocking in at nearly 6 minutes, giving the song ample time to develop. The vocals are clean; the lyrics heartfelt and at times quite haunting. The chorus is steeped in feeling, with backing vox adding a desperate, pleading layer to the recording. It begins melodic and stays that way for the majority of it’s run time. All the while building toward a heavier and emotional climax with a faster pace and much heavier screams. All in all, I think this song is fantastic and I can’t wait to hear the album that is has been spawned from. Keep your ears open for this single, scheduled to drop June 14th.

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Temple Witch – “Knew it Once”

Temple Witch returns with “Knew it Once,” the first cut from their second album “Ocean Thousand, Mountain Thousand.” In true Stoner/Doom/Sludge fashion this song is slow, heavy, chuggy and simply nasty to it’s core. The vocals are coarse and grating; roaring over the plodding music. I particularly enjoy the drum work on this one, as it hits hard despite the songs slower tempo. About halfway through, the song undergoes a change, things pick up and get a good bit more cataclysmic. A wave of powerful sounds wash across the speakers as this song thunders onward. Things drop back down in speed for the final minute of the recording, returning the song to it’s rumbling origins. I have to say, I have seen Temple Witch a couple of times and this new material is definitely some of the finest they have produced. Make sure you don’t sleep on this track.

Tundra – “Hell’s Heroes”

Lately it seems you can’t take three steps in the Cleveland Scene without bumping into Tundra. With a string of excellent shows under their belts, these young bloods have already begun to build a reputation in the underground. Now, with the release of their second single “Hell’s Heroes,” they are looking to further tantalize their fans. This Traditional Heavy Metal track slams from it’s first notes. With big Guitar riffs, hammering Drumwork and an aggressive in your face Vocal cadence, the song blazes. The Bass thrums, the lyrics beg to be sang along with and don’t even get me started on that closing guitar solo, which is a thing of beauty. This recording has captured the fire that Tundra brings every time they perform. Perfectly showcasing just why this song has become one of their hallmark tracks. Without a doubt this is a “Must Hear” single for Cleveland’s most distinguished Heavy Metal aficionados.

So there you have it, Rustbelt. Three new singles from different corners of our Scene. I hope this edition inspires you to check out these new tracks. I highly recommend each of them, as they are all solid in their respective subgenres. On that note I will bring this edition to a close. Keep chasing Life, Love and the Pursuit of Heaviness… and thanks for reading.

Until next time, Rock on, Rustbelt,

-Z.M. Delgado

Rustbelt Rock Review

Rustbeltrockreview.com

5/24/2024

Links:

Fuzzy Vandelay

https://www.fuzzyvandelay.com/

Temple Witch

https://youtu.be/pjdZKnk_DZs?si=A9tm3rsRvBrn4Ex6

Tundra

https://tundracleveland.bandcamp.com/

Vol #139: Singles Collection: Fuzzy Vandelay, Temple Witch & Tundra

Volume #145: Wraith -“Fueled by Fear”

Vol. #133: Beast Killer -“Dystopian Now, Dystopian Me”