Rock on Nova: from Cassette Rock to metal, the bands and playlists to know
A tour of rock on Nova: The Rock Spectrum and Cassette Rock playlists, Rock FM, and the bands behind them, from Static Pulse and Cruisers to Akira Nomura.
Nova is often described through its quiet side, the lo-fi and ambient music that fills cafés and reading hours. It also has a loud side, and it is bigger than most listeners expect: 213 tracks tagged rock, 181 tagged metal, 149 progressive rock, with grunge, punk, psychedelic and rock and roll alongside. This is a tour of that side of the catalogue: the two playlists that map it, the station that plays it all day, and the bands worth following.
Two playlists that map the territory
If you want one place to start, it is The Rock Spectrum. At 52 songs it is the longest rock list on Nova and it does what the title says: moves from melodic guitar rock through grunge and progressive to the heavier end, so you can find where your taste lives and then follow the artists from there. Cassette Rock, 19 songs, is the warmer, older-sounding cousin, the kind of rock that belongs on a car stereo with the windows down. For a darker mood, Depressive Rock gathers 18 slower, heavier songs.
Rock FM: the station
Rock FM is Nova's rock station, playing rock and only rock around the clock. Like the other Nova stations it draws on the catalogue, plays the same song to every listener at the same moment, and drops in short hosted segments between runs of music. It is the easiest way to hear the breadth of what is here, and because everything it plays is in the catalogue, a song you like is one tap from your library.
The bands
Melodic and classic rock
Cruisers, from the United States, make big-room rock with metal edges; Stadium Lights, Endless Nights is the one to start with. Ruthie Knox brings vocals and a jukebox swagger on Jukebox Fever and Shake the Night Away. Old Rebel Wolves and Riot in the Hallway cover the psychedelic and rock-and-roll ends.
Rock meets electronics
Static Pulse describe themselves as digital chaos and analog emotion, a nu-metal and electronic fusion. Across Vortex, Digital Ghosts, Off Pattern and Silent Voltage they are the most consistent band on this side of Nova. Core Frequency, from the Netherlands, is an electronic project built for gyms and hard training; Hit Harder Now and Pulse of Combat are 21 tracks each of pace and weight, which is why they appear in our post on gym music and tempo.
Metal and heavy
Akira Nomura, from Japan, released Guitar Sessions, 14 tracks of guitar-led metal with synth colour. Mythborn, from Norway, combines metal with opera and new age on Tales, Stone & Silence and Rise Again. Omen, Hammered and Lost Fight are the heaviest names in the catalogue, and Heart on a Stake adds a sadder, angrier strain.
Turkish rock
Some of the most distinctive rock on Nova is Turkish. Çatlak Motor make psychedelic rock that questions the stream of consciousness on Psychedelic Dreams and Faultline Machine. Düz Gitmiyor blend progressive rock with synths on Gri and Adı Yok. Aylin sits between ambient and electric guitar across five albums. We write about all of them in Turkish artists on Nova.
How to listen
Rock rewards albums more than most genres, because bands sequence them. Start with The Rock Spectrum to find a band, then open the band's album and let it run. The rock, metal and electric guitar tag pages are the other way in: every track with that tag, ready to play, with likes feeding your library. In the app the Up Next list follows the album or playlist you started from, and you can save a queue you like as a new playlist.
Rock in a venue
Rock is a strong choice for bars, record shops, barbers and the right kind of gym, and a difficult one for restaurants and offices. If you run a venue, Nova Business covers Rock FM and every rock album under the same public performance licence as the rest of the catalogue. The bar page has suggestions, and the sync feature means two speakers in two rooms of the same venue play the same song at the same moment.
Three albums to play through
If the playlists are the map, three albums are the territory worth walking end to end. Psychedelic Dreams by Çatlak Motor, for a record that sounds like nothing else on the service. Vortex by Static Pulse, for the fusion of guitars and electronics at its sharpest. And Guitar Sessions by Akira Nomura, for the sheer playing. Each is under an hour and each is better in order than on shuffle.
Frequently asked questions
Does Nova have rock music? Yes. More than 200 tracks are tagged rock, with metal, progressive rock, grunge and psychedelic rock alongside, plus the Rock FM station and playlists such as The Rock Spectrum.
What is the best rock playlist on Nova? The Rock Spectrum, 52 songs across the whole range, is the place to start. Cassette Rock is warmer and more classic.
Which Nova bands play metal? Akira Nomura, Mythborn, Omen, Hammered, Lost Fight and Core Frequency cover the heavy end, with Static Pulse fusing nu-metal and electronics.
Can I play Rock FM in my bar? Yes, with a Nova Business subscription, which includes the public performance licence for Nova music including the radio stations.
