GALLERY CIRCUS

Black Sabbath have got a lot to answer for. Not only did the Brummie bat biters’ mountainous riffs give rise to heavy metal in the early seventies, they’re also fuelling the fire of a hard-rocking indie revolution. Bored of the trebly post-punk that swamped the late noughties, a host of young bands are getting into walls of Marshalls and the power of the distortion pedal.

No doubt inspired by Arctic Monkeys‘ adventures in the desert with Josh Homme, North East duo Gallery Circus pick up where “Arabella” left off on their explosive new track “Supercell”. Pounding drums, Himalayan guitars and a vocal that comes across like a camera-shy Bret Michaels, this is 21st Century rock at it’s most powerful.

As if The Black Keys had burned their Muddy Waters and Leadbelly records and started taking their cues from Muse and Motley Crue, Gallery Circus are revitalising post-grunge rock with their incandescent power chords. Loaded with more charge than the Energizer Bunny, “Supercell” tips its hat to the behemoths of the seventies without any of the histrionics; the hammer of the gods hits back here.

Words by Toby Rogers

Tipped by Ach from Killing Moon and Nick Roberts from BBC Newcastle