North Star Union has released "Echoes of decay", a slice of melodic heavy metal that feels less like a standard studio tracking and more like something dug out of the permafrost. There is a curious quality to Icelandic composer Myrmann’s work here; because he handles all the instrumentation and composition himself at Midgard Studio, the track possesses a singular, frighteningly cohesive nervous system. It...

Bad Valentines offer up their new EP, "Memory Tattoos," and these four songs arrived like a bundle of stubbornly persistent wildflowers pushing through cracked pavement. This Helsinki quintet, veterans of the Finnish indie scene, isn't peddling easy comforts; they’re dragging the raw, beautiful mess of existence into the flickering neon glow of their glam-punk-pop leanings. https://open.spotify.com/album/225MfCZIbTNTA5m9tOollK?si=CeZ8sF8qTwWuZ1dLciMy-g The EP itself feels like being buttonholed by someone with...