With the weight of the world on our collective global shoulders over the last year or so, it's safe to say that times have been rather... heavy. One of the few silver linings within those dark clouds is that the burden is being channelled into some of the most colossal, passionate and downright rocking music ever made.
With releases from scene icons, rising stars and respected labels from Spinefarm to Ipecac Records galvanizing Townsend Music's roster of artist stores, we thought it was the perfect time for a round-up of music set to rock our worlds in 2021.
Thunder - All The Right Noises
By the rock gods! Released on Friday, Thunder strikes again with their thirteenth studio album All The Right Noises. It's a return to the full-throttle sound of Thunder that has seen them carve out a hugely successful 30+ year career at the forefront of British rock and has been lauded in the press as "an effortless masterclass in rock’n’roll light and shade".
"Well, if there’s one thing you can say for definite about Thunder’s thirteenth studio album, it’s that the roll continues." ★★★★ - LounderSound.com
Thunder today premiered the official video for the storming, bluesy, ‘You’re Gonna Be My Girl’, taken from the record. The line up on this album includes Luke Morley, Danny Bowes, Chris Childs, Ben Matthews and Harry James.
On Thunder's official store, we have a range of formats and special bundles including coloured vinyl, numbered vinyl, exclusive cassette, deluxe CD and more.
Serj Tankian - Elasticity
Featuring songs originally conceived for another System Of A Down record, now fully realized as a solo release, Serj Tankian's Elasticity EP is the latest evolution of one of the premier rock vocalists of the noughties.
“As we weren’t able to see eye to eye on the vision going forward with a SOAD album, I decided to release these songs under my moniker.” - Serj Tankian
The first listen provided by the official 'Elascity' video - a Toxicity-worthy vision of Kafkaesque societal paranoia -gives us a trademark SOAD riff built upon with surprisingly 80s synths and a vocal hook the size of California. Plenty to whet the appetite for when the whole EP drops this Friday (19th March) then...
Available now on limited edition Galaxy-Coloured Vinyl, black vinyl and CD alongside bundles with merchandise and signed screenprints, get them before they're gone!
Atreyu - Baptize
Baptize, the latest album from Californian metallers Atreyu is available to pre-order now from Spinefarm Records. Due out June 4th, the band have shared new tracks 'Underrated' and the imposing 'Warrior' featuring Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker.
“‘Warrior’ is song about persistence and never giving up.” - Atreyu
The band explain: “We hope this song can be the puzzle piece that helps people realize that we ALL have the capacity for greatness. Sometimes, greatness can exist in the shadows and lives buried under negativity, trauma, or anxiety. ‘Warrior’ is about searching through all of that endless darkness to finally find the sunrise.”
Unleash the warrior within you with the Cardinal Red Vinyl and Baptize Wind Vinyl colourways, alongside and a whole range of new merchandise on the official Atreyu store.
Human Impact - EP01
Human Impact are an American noise rock supergroup made up of members from Unsane, Swans, Cop Shoot Cop and Xiu Xiu, signed to Greg Werckman and Mike Patton's Ipecac Recordings.
EP01 serves up a collection of singles released after the band’s self-titled debut through the past year's pandemic, along with unreleased B sides. 'Recognition' is a potent slug of the band's sound: a distillation of the collective member's onerous noisecore back catalogues concocted during COVID-clouded times.
The limited-edition Crystal Clear Vinyl (only 1000 worldwide) is available to pre-order now.
Urne - Self Titled
Formed by ex-Hang The Bastard bassist Joe Nally and guitarist Angus Neyra there is no single way that London trio Urne describe their sound, it all comes back to one thing: heavy. There are shades of Metallica, Mastodon, Alice In Chains in there, hopping between sludge, tech-metal, doom and hardcore.
On their debut full-length, Serpent & Spirit this is writ large as the work of one of the finest new bands in the British metal underground. It comes with a weighty central concept based around the central character’s struggle as he’s pulled between good and evil, darkness and light.
Once you've scraped yourself off the floor from the power of 'Desolate Heart' you can pick up the album on Orange Double Vinyl and CD from the Candlelight Records Store.
You can shop our full rock discography over at the Townsend Music Store. And for a bit of fun, remember to let us know your 80's Rock Name in the comments on Facebook and Twitter.
