Rage Doll – “LOW BLOW” single review

Let me tell you this. Rage Doll is not a band for those on the conservative side of the political/social spectrum. Not only does the duo play music that would give the white, old dudes an apoplexy attack, but they wear their Eastern European/South Asian heritages as a badge of honour. Loud, unapologetic and unorthodox, the band has been making noise since 2022 and they are making a big mark on British contemporary music.

Single cover, Rage Doll photographed by Seanen Middleton

Official bio: Alternative duo Rage Doll are back with new single “LOW BLOW”, an unusual meeting point between Slavic and South Asian musical traditions through modern alternative music and trap production. Since forming in 2022, the band has developed a sound that moves between alternative rock, modern metal, trap and global musical traditions. “LOW BLOW” brings these influences together through a story of love, betrayal and hindsight, balancing seductive yet gritty melodies with heavy distorted guitars, South Asian textures and a coquettish hook sung in Russian. Representing a new era and direction for the duo, based around movement, experimentation and catharsis.

Rage Doll has been described as a “dark pop meeting industrial metal with a sprinkle of EDM and thrash”. If this slogan doesn’t pick up your musical interest, then I truly pity you. You must be boring as a door knob and your hobbies surely include reading The Sun and watching paint dry. Forgive the sarcasm, but the only cure is Rage Doll’s newest offering “LOW BOW” in huge quantities, tabloid press detox and three Hail Mary’s. Not the drink, the prayer. We truly hope this will help.

The duo emerged just after the pandemic and consists of vocalist and lyricist Tatiana and producer and guitarist Akin. There is also drummer Ethan that supports them during their live shows. Before “LOW BLOW”, the band released seven well received singles that got them played on the BBC Radio 1 with Jack Saunders, BBC Radio 1 Introducing Rock with Alyx, BBC Introducing London with Jess Iszatt and BBC Introducing Essex with Melita Dennett. If my research is correct, they are currently working on their first proper release, but sadly I was not able to confirm whether that’s an EP or a debut album.

Rage Doll photographed by Seanen Middleton

“Low Blow” represents the best in the independent (self releasing/self managing) alternative music trend where new bands unashamedly mix several genres and subgenres in one track. Rage Doll perfectly fits among other acts such as Delilah Bon, ALT BLK ERA, Ruena, UGLY CLUB or CELAVI that are not afraid to experiment, think outside of the box and try something new, like singing in their native languages while making metal music. CELAVI, for example, come from Bangor in Northern Wales. They incorporate elements of Celtic mythology into their scenic image and songs and they sing in Welsh. Japanese-British quartet Re:O adds elements of Japanese rock and visual kei to the Western traditional hard rock and nu metal, also singing in Japanese and English. And Rage Doll are going even further by including South Asian traditional sounds with Russian language. The end result is extremely original and highly pleasing.

“LOW BLOW” stands at 2 minutes and 34 seconds. It is slower, quieter,and more refined than the output of their counterparts which tends to be energetic and loud. I’m not afraid to use this word, but the track is extremely radio friendly – BBC 6 Music could add it to their afternoon playlist and nobody would bat an eyelid. I absolutely love what they are doing. The leading lady, Tatiana is a highly versatile singer: she is an alt if I’m not mistaken, her voice has a very warm timbre and goes quite low on the register. She can convincingly convey a lot of different emotions in a short track and even if you listen to the song over and over again, you can still find something new. She can shout, shriek, sing classically and probably could growl too, if she wanted. I’d actually would like to hear her do that!

Tatiana’s partner in crime, Akrin is responsible for the melody and production. They both do their jobs to the T, with a great result. “LOW BLOW” will completely blow you away, in the best sense of the word. Highly recommended. Also, don’t forget to check the band’s YouTube channel for their videos. With minimal budget, the duo create fascinating, highly cinematic mini movies.