š Breakthrough Artist of 2022:
Welsh five-piece rockers Scarlet Rebels are consistently proving why they are one of the finest up and coming talents in the UK music scene right now. In their relatively short existence as a band under the name Scarlet Rebels, (known as V0iD prior to 2018) the band from Llanelli, have already gone on to sign for iconic record label Earache Records, and saw their second studio album āSee Through Blueā (2022), debut at #7 in the Official Top 40 UK Album charts last year.
The band consist of Wayne Doyle (vocals/guitar), Chris Jones (lead guitar), Josh Townshend (guitar ā and son of The Who's guitarist Simon Townshend and nephew of The Who's guitarist Pete Townshend), Wayne 'Pricey' Esmonde (bass) and Gary Doyle (drums). They released their impressive debut album āShow Your Coloursā back in 2019, via Rock of Angels Records, which brought the band to the attention of those within the industry, and they where in high demand, making appearances at many UK rock festivals and touring relentlessly right up until the covid lockdowns of 2020. Despite the halt on the live scene this didnāt slow the band down, during the pandemic restrictions they recorded āLIVE: Made in Sonic One', a live EP recorded at Sonic One Studios in Llanelli, which was once again meet with great critical acclaim.
The 2022 album release āSee Through Blueā was written by the band during the pandemic, and like many artists releasing music over the past few years, they took inspiration for the albumās 11 songs from the frustrations and rage about the current global economic and political uncertainty. In true Springsteen fashion, used their music to speak boldly about the issues that we have all been facing. Despite this content, and clear political statement from the albumās cover design, which depicts a silhouette of a famed political figure stood at a podium with a long cast shadow of the devil behind, the album isnāt all doom and gloom. As lead singer Wayne Doyle says "There's a lot of defiance and hope on this album.ā Tracks such as āIām Aliveā and āTake You Homeā address the issues of metal health, and offer a strong sense of purpose, hope and belief.
The album sits firmly as one of my personal favourites of 2022, and I also had the pleasure of seeing the band perform tracks from it live at last years Winterstorm Festival in Scotland. They were fantastic live, true showmen, super-talented musicians, and one of the most impressive rising UK acts of 2022. Go see them live if you can, you wonāt be disappointed.
Album: See Through Blue
Released: 28th January 2022
Label: Earache Records
Website: https://www.scarletrebels.com
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