- Shadows Calling – The Other Side of Me [1/1]
- Elktooth – Elktooth [1/2]
- King’s Gambit – Hardwater [1/2]
- Skeleton – Seven Gates of Hell [1/2]
- Glis – Winterwerk, Vol. 2 [1/9]
- Witchz – The Collapse [1/9]
- Midnight Fracture – Ghost Inside [1/16]
- EPHMRL – As We Collide [1/16]
- Ninety Five – Welcome [1/18]
- husk – Mirror [1/22]
- Cryblood – Fall [1/23]
- Solely Veil – Reverie [1/23]
- December Morning – Stolen Days [1/23]
- Virtue in Vain – Nothing is All I Am [1/23]
- Remergent – Transcendence [1/26]
- Saint Social – Saint Social Acoustic Remix EP [1/28]
- Hortus – Szepty [1/30]
- Lo Cloud – Sleepwalker EP [1/30]
- The Venusian – Lost Record [2/2]
- ghostbells – Catacouture [2/5]
- Paeon – Pull [2/6]
- Half Awake Eyes – Half Awake Eyes [2/11]
- Announce the Apocalypse – Waiting for Daylight [2/13]
- RewØund + Fear Decay – Dream With Me [2/13]
- Unseen Faith – Fractured Will [2/13]
- Forever Odyssey – Searching for Paradise [2/19]
- Blessings of Mara – After Despair [2/19]
- Moon Medallion – Radiation EP [2/20]
- Scoria – Do You Feel You’re Normal? [2/20]
- Crispin Earl – The Sleep Token Edition [2/27]
Shadows Calling
EPs Released January to June 2024
There have been quite a few EPs released so far this year, and I decided to put a list together at the halfway point (June). I’m sure I’ve missed several, but these are the ones I have found. Please keep in mind that my focus is the lesser known indie community. If you have an EP to add to this list, feel free to drop a comment!
Note: I will be doing a separate post for the full-length albums released within the same time frame.
- FOURPL4Y: FOURGOTTEN [1/5]
- MONOWHALES: Who’s There to Hear Me Out? [1/18]
- Penny Fountain: Attack of the Ducks [1/19]
- Defects: Lockdown [1/24]
- Sever Red: Sick and Tormented [1/26]
- Only Love: Death’s Night Shift [1/26]
- The Throwaway Scene: On Death & Dying [1/26]
- Seethe: Cavalier Dualities [1/29]
- Retina Sky: Without Hope We Wither [2/2]
- The Companies: Maybe We Should Let Me Go [2/5]
- Six Scars: The Silence and the Withering [2/16]
- Have I Weather: Zeepbel [2/19]
- BOOGEYMVN: 404: Error Unknown [2/19]
- Ty Dy: Sing Through Strings [2/23]
- 1016: Gettysburg [2/25]
- Violet Dawn: From Basement to Dawn [3/16]
- Shadows Calling: These Scars [3/22]
- The Up & Up: It Starts With You [3/29]
- Perfect Nightmare: This is War [4/3]
- Bryce Evans & the Black Cats: Moonlight [4/4]
- Patient Sixty-Seven: What If It Never Gets Better [4/5]
- The Haunt: Do Not Resuscitate [4/5]
- Anemera: Unconventional Wisdoms [4/5]
- Slave to Sin: Control and Beliefs [4/5]
- The Buyers: Metamorphosis [4/11]
- Key Suspects: Speaking in Tongues [4/12]
- Princess: Wishes for an Untimely Demise [4/12]
- Abigail Circus: 3 Ring Sideshow [4/13]
- Glis: Ascension [4/18]
- Seaside Massacre: Shells [4/19]
- Wilde Owl: Pictures of Richard [4/19]
- The Lazy Ghouls: Louder Than Bombs [4/24]
- Back From Zero: FIVE [4/26]
- Old Ways: Cryin’ Poor Mouth [4/26]
- Waverly Drive: Push My Luck [5/10]
- faulty wires: Punk Isn’t Dead…But Maybe It’s Disabled [5/14]
- Voltaire’s Ghost: Nemesis [5/14]
- Pandemic Unleashed: Return to Ashes [5/14]
- Saint Social: Don’t Let the Fire Die [5/15]
- The Ovtfit: Sunshine [5/17]
- Noiz Ritual: Embrace the Noiz [5/21]
- Pern: Barely Breathing [5/22]
- Lavender Scare: BITES [5/31]
- Ashen Skies: Ashen Skies [5/31]
- Ian Cuthbertson: I’m on a Walk [5/31]
- Central: Solstice [6/3]
- Common Vision: Where Solace Meets the Misery [6/7]
- Cruel Mourning: Cruel Mourning [6/21]
- Naked Sunday: Rise [6/21]
Shadows Calling Showcase Their Versatility on New EP, ‘These Scars’
Shadows Calling is a female-fronted alternative rock band hailing from Cork, Ireland. They released their debut EP, Spirit Shifter, in early 2023. Now, the five-piece outfit is back with These Scars, a four track EP that dropped March 22, 2024.
Shadows Calling boasts a group of musicians who delve into the many aspects of the rock and metal genres, paired with singer Jen Vaughan’s powerful vocals. The band utilizes a vast array of sounds and melodies on These Scars, which clocks in at 17 minutes and balances the fast-paced and upbeat with the slow, dark, and moody.
The EP kicks off with “Dead Long Enough,” a heavy opener with tasty guitar parts that will make listeners want to bang their heads and sing along. The song is a 2:47 driving piece that would be at home on any modern rock playlist. Shadows Calling switches gears with the title track, “These Scars,” which has a deliciously gritty groove that brings to mind such classic metal acts as Metallica and Black Sabbath. Jen toys with the rougher edge of her voice throughout, showcasing a range that is expertly manipulated to match the tone set by the music.
“The Lost” is another nod to the vintage, melodic with a hint of funk, and Jen’s vocals positively soar. I can’t put my finger on exactly why, but this is my favorite of the four songs. The EP closes with “Ships,” and here again the band ventures into different territory. This epic track takes the listener on a journey. The music itself runs through a hard rock start, a nasty heavy metal breakdown at its heart. Listeners are then granted by a brief interlude of nothing but bass and the ethereal facet of Jen’s singing before the song ends on a guitar fade out.
Shadows Calling has packed a punch with These Scars, making a statement that they will not be ignored with four catchy, captivating tracks that will grab you and not let go. For any fan of hard rock, metal, and/or grunge, this EP is a must-hear!
Be sure to follow Shadows Calling on their socials so that you don’t miss any updates or new music! The band has had quite a year, and I believe they have a promising future ahead.
2023 Albums/EPs You May Have Missed
Here’s a list of albums/EPs released by indie artists in 2023 that may have flown under your radar! It’s far from comprehensive, but this is a good start for anyone seeking new underground music.
- The Obstacles – Fish in the Blue (Released 1/16/23)
- Blaine the Mono – Virago (Released 2/11/23)
- Gravehuffer – Depart From So Much Evil (Released 2/17/23)
- AGBAT – Darkest Parts (Released 2/24/23)
- Call of Sirens – Gaia EP (Released 2/24/23)
- When Hearts Wither – This Is Where It Ends (Released 2/25/23)
- god.i.am – Hanc Aeternum, Infinitum Nihil…23.23 EP (Released 3/2/23)
- Lifting Curses – Pistanthrophobia (Released 3/3/23)
- Tops of Trees – Treehouse Sessions: The Coolside EP (Released 3/4/23)
- Feral Housecats – Fall in Love With Trash (Released 3/5/23)
- Shadows Calling – Spirit Shifter EP (Released 3/6/23)
- Pebble Bra – Change & Get Better EP (Released 3/17/23)
- Steam Slicer – Echoes of Infinity EP (Released 3/24/23)
- Dillynn Salazar Band – There’s Nothing Left for Me to Lose EP (Released 3/27/23)
- Jim Daniels & the Mayhem Brothers – Moonshine (Released 3/30/23)
- Tops of Trees – Treehouse Sessions: The Hotside EP (Released 4/5/23)
- Seethe – Psalms of the Dead Better Left Unsung and Unread (Released 4/14/23)
- Burial Extraction – A Shadow of Things to Come (Released 4/28/23)
- The One Divided – The Spark (Released 5/6/23)
- Electric Tardigrade – New Start (Released 6/8/23)
- Freaky Things – Nightweaver: Magic Songs, Vol. 1 EP (Released 6/23/23)
- Effing and Blinding – Just Another Rock Band EP (Released 6/29/23)
- Bone Locker – The Road (Released 6/29/23)
- Six Hours For A Lifetime – 360 (Released 6/30/23)
- Electric Tardigrade – Electric Tardigrade (Released 7/3/23)
- Showdown – Showdown EP (Released 8/4/23)
- The Immaculate Crows – Zombie World (Released 8/16/23)
- Seethe – Delenda: A Black Rose on the Epitaph (Released 8/18/23)
- East Second – Some of That EP (Released 8/28/23)
- East Texas Adrenaline – 1000 Miles EP (Released 9/1/23)
- RedPrint – The Plan EP (Released 10/11/23)
- The Midsummers – Sincerely Yours EP (Released 10/20/23)
- Revolution Rabbit Deluxe – Control Freaks (Released 10/28/23)
- Steam Slicer – devenir (Released 11/3/23)
- RONAN – Better Before You (Released 11/3/23)
- River City Rejects – River City Rejects EP (Released 11/10/23)
- Feral Housecats – The Unherdable EP (Released 11/19/23)
- Ghidora – Spirit of Vengeance (Released 11/28/23)
- Beyst – Skin Walker EP (Released 12/1/23)
- Son of a Gun – Timeline (Released 12/7/23)
- Freaky Things – Tales of the Lovesick Sleepwalkers EP (Released 12/8/23)
- neuroshock – The Reactance Bias (Released 12/11/23)
- Neanderthal – Relentless Aggression: The Bassment Tapes EP (Released 12/24/23)
Song of the Day — Shadows Calling: “Eraser”
From Shadows Calling’s most recent EP, Spirit Shifter, which dropped March 6, 2023.
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