Hotel Mira's new album, "Pity Party," makes an immediate, striking impact. Across twelve tracks, the collection delves into the turbulent world of intense relationships—the kind that feel essential one moment and dangerously volatile the next. Frontman Charlie Kerr, alongside guitarist Clark Grieve, bassist Mike Noble, and drummer Cole George, crafts a dynamic alt-rock soundscape filled with both emotional debris and moments of bright, sharp...

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...