Radical is a new independent Rock project from Seattle. The group was formed in 2020 by a veteran of that city’s legendary music scene. With a simple mission to make quality Rock & Roll music, Radical began releasing a steady string of singles last year. Averaging more than one new song every month, he has explored a deeply nuanced realm of cinematic Rock.
With a sound that is equal parts Grunge and Psychedelia, Radical creates a real mood. He cites a broad range of styles as influence; from the Seattle sound to Punk, Hip-Hop and Classic Rock. Of the thirteen tracks released so far, Radical has decided to group five of the most recent together into the “Free Radical EP.” The songs are of a theme, and when listened to together they build a groovy, mostly instrumental vibe.
“Wings” opens with a low piano and guitar intro. Once the beat drops the song kicks into a deep, rumbling groove. As the bass, piano and drums set the tone, lead and rhythm guitars paint a broad psychedelic tapestry. The song builds in intensity as it progresses before fading out on the drums. The Filter-esque “Horizons” follows with a grungy bass and drum groove and dark, distant vocals. As the tune progresses it builds into a trippy jam. Here and elsewhere on the EP, Radical finds a space somewhere between Nirvana and “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun” era Pink Floyd. It’s a great sound.
“Dream Season” takes that vibe into the atmosphere with ethereal guitars and vocals. As the rhythm section rolls on, these melodic elements expand the scope of the sound into a spacey dream scene. “Point Blank” creates a similar hypnagogic state but this time with layers of beautifully recorded guitar parts. With a combination of great tone and excellent playing, the first half of the song features clean melodic guitars. For act two, Radical stomps on the distortion pedal for a bit of quality Metal crunch.
The Heavy Metal theme continues on the final track, “Hello Darkness, Say Goodbye (Metallica tribute).” The tune opens with a clean, bluesy guitar reminiscent of the legendary band’s 1988 hit single “One.” Soon the beat drops and we roll into a hard and heavy slow churn. The song has a driving pulse with a hint of electronica. As Radical chants “Hello darkness, hello darkness” a big, Metal guitar riff raises the temperature before the song crashes to a close.
Check out “Point Blank” below. You can also hear the songs “Wings” and “Horizons” on the Deep Indie Dive playlist. Follow the links below the video to connect with Radical. Get on their socials and get in the loop on all of the current and future releases from this exciting project.