Keeping schtum, building up a fanbase and gathering songs for a cracking debut album: Irish band New Secret Weapon, whether by design or default, have done it the best way. Formed in 2007, NSW let it be known that they weren't looking for promotion into the premier league. They prefer to toil on the fringes, honing their blend of freeform rock/prog/jazz into tough-nut tunes that reference Black Sabbath, Frank Zappa, prog rockers (ELP here, King Crimson there) and whatever you're having yourself. Treats here include Tea Party (tougher than a quarry of granite), You're Still Losin' (early Black Sabbath shagging mid-period Led Zep), and The Epic of Gilgamesh (a glorious mishmash of askew time signatures, spoken word and folksy interludes). Subtle? No. Brilliant? Yes. newsecretweapon.bandcamp.com Download: Tea Party, You're Still Losin', The Epic of Gilgamesh