Hella Rock Festival returns on September 5th, 2026 with a powerful and deeply personal announcement, confirming Phil Campbell’s Bastard Sons as this year’s headliners.
The appearance carries added significance, as legendary Phil Campbell was originally scheduled to headline before his passing in March earlier this year. Now, his sons Dane, Todd and Tyla will take to the stage to honour his legacy, delivering a high-energy tribute to his work with Motörhead in what promises to be one of the most unforgettable moments in the festival’s history.
“We knew straight away this year had to mean more, losing Phil Campbell hit the whole rock community hard, and we’ve worked closely with his family to make sure this is done right. Having his sons headline, alongside having Phil’s rig on display and backdrops from previous tours around the venue, means this isn’t just another show – it’s a celebration of his legacy, his music, and everything he stood for. Thus year is for Phil, and it’s for all the Motörhead and PCATBAS fans out there”
Hella Rock Festival is also proud to announce a new partnership with Road Crew Beer, bringing even more rock ‘n’ roll spirit to this year’s event. alongside the main stage chaos, 2026 will see the introduction of a second stage, the Road Crew Stage, dedicated to stripped-back acoustic sets, offering fans a more intimate side of the artists while still keeping the volume loud where it counts!
While tickets are going fast, there are still some available. Grab them while you still can here!
A massive week of new releases for us to dive into today, from metal to country to rock! Let’s dive right in!
Ella Langley: Dandelion
This finally dropped this last Friday to a hell of a lot of hype behind it. Langley has become one of the biggest names in country the last couple of years, so there is no denying this will be one of the biggest releases in the genre in 2026. I, however, have a bit of an up-down relationship with her music. There is no denying her talents as a vocalist, songwriter and musician. However, I find her almost overall a little slow for my liking. I had the same sentiment with her last album; some of the tracks are incredible in their own right, but as an album it’s a lot of the same sort of thing and is a bit of a struggle to get through the full hour in one sitting.
Tracks like the title one, ‘Be Her’, ‘Bottom of Your Boots’ and ‘I Gotta Quit’ are honestly career highlights for Ella. The Miranda Lambert-featuring ‘Butterfly Season’ is also fantastic. Most of the rest of it, as good as it is in its own right, I wouldn’t necessarily hurry to revisit as much. However, as I’ve said, none of it is bad by any stretch, and if you are into her particular brand of noise, you’re gonna love it. I do believe it’s her strongest album to date, and I think you’d be hard pressed to find many that disagree! And, it’ll probably grow on me more with subsequent listens. Even with my criticisms, it’s still a solid release, and I’d check it out if you are at all into country music! For the sheer force of nature that this release is alone, I can’t give it any less than 8/10
Lord of the Lost: OPVS NOIR Vol. 3
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read the full review here.
Bilmuri: KINDA HARD
The former Attack Attack! clean vocalist has been making waves with his solo project in recent years, and the hype for this release has been pretty high. However, try as I might, I sadly just can’t get into it. It’s just generic pop music but with ch0nky guitars behind it. Like, it’s fine, but I struggle to think much more than that. The riffing is good, there are some okay hooks, and the sax from Gabi is a fantastic touch as always, but the songs themselves are kinda meh. Songs like ‘TWICE’ and the country-esque ‘BACK, THEN’ are personal highlights. But I found all the songs blended together; all being so painfully similar and pretty bland. It was wholly forgettable, nothing sticking with me after the songs ended. If you enjoyed it that’s awesome, and as I said it isn’t bad by any stretch. But I shan’t be coming back to this any time soon. 4/10
Julia Pratt/JULITH: This is a Kindness
This is a damn interesting collaboration between two alt-pop rising stars. It’s definitely very different to the rest of this list in terms of style, but was still a fun release and I’m glad I gave it a listen! Both women are insanely talented, and have crafted something really interesting and unique together. I also love whole album collabs, really pushing how far they can work together to fascinating results. ‘Monsters Out of Men’ was a personal favourite track, both lyrically and musically fantastically written. It’s something I’d happily revisit again and I’m curious to hear what the pair are like on their own. While I do some digging, though, this gets a 6.5/10 from us. Not typically my sort of thing but damn good for what it is!
Florence Black: POURING RAIN
One of my favourite modern bands dropped their highly anticipated third album this last Friday. No pressure, but their last was our album of the year back in 2024… I somehow haven’t had the time to check out the singles of this one though so am going in completely blind. Let’s hope they can keep up with their stellar track record!
This thing comes out swinging. ‘COLOURED IN’ is heavy and fucking awesome, the perfect tone-setter for the album. It’s rather indicative of the journey the band have been on in recent years. BED OF NAILS was darker and heavier than WEIGHT OF THE WORLD, and this release continues that evolution. They’re travelling closer to that early 2000s alt/industrial/nu metal sound, and I am all for it. At this rate, their next album will be fully Tetrarch!
The rest of the album follows the openers suit in fantastic fashion. ‘HALF THE WORLD AWAY’ is their heaviest track to date and is awesome. ‘LADYBIRD’ and ‘TAKE MY WORD’ are massive radio singles waiting to happen. The title track is an amazing ballad-like song, the albums ‘WARNING SIGN’. And that closer, DAMN. However, every track that I haven’t named is also awesome, trust me! It’s an incredible 40 minutes of hard rock/alt metal, and one that I’d recommend absolutely anyone reading this check out at least once!
While not quite as earth-shattering as their previous release, it’s still a damn solid entry into their absolutely stellar discography, and an album I’ll surely be spinning for months to come. 9/10
Tenille Townes: The Acrobat
The first album since 2022 from the country star, and it’s a surprisingly-short, beautiful release. It follows the lead of some of her most successful tracks in being stripped-back, acoustic-focused numbers. It’s 32 minutes of emotion-filled, folk/Americana infused pop-country, and it’s impossible not to love! Her voice is so unique and captivating, and the lyrics throughout are utterly fantastic. From ‘the acrobat’ to ‘enabling’ to ‘what’s meant for you’, there are some incredible highlights throughout. However, there isn’t a bad song on the release, honestly. Much like with Bilmuri above, it is all pretty similar, which sadly drops it a little, but it’s all great and a very easy album to listen through. It would have been nice to have had a few band bits smattered throughout, be it some drums or strings or even keys, but I completely understand why the album was so stripped back, given its lyrical theming. I will certainly be listening again, and can’t give it any less than 7.5/10!
The Canadian-Swedish prog metallers follow up their highly acclaimed 2025 sophomore album barely a year later with this, and do so absolutely spectacularly! The intro track sets the tone of the album perfectly, and leads into the absolutely phenomenal ‘Welcome to Terra Corp’ masterfully. It’s heavy, melodic and epic all in equal measure, and is a fantastic pace-setter for the rest of the album. Tracks like the Charlie Griffiths-featuring, heavy ‘Hyperconverter’ and the technical masterclass of ‘Ivory Tower’ are both also huge highlights. However, the whole album is amazing! It has a fantastic flow to it, nearly 50 minutes going by in a flash. And everything from the writing to the playing to the production to the storyline throughout is truly excellent. And can we just talk about that artwork? GODDAMN, *chefs kiss*. It’s all ripped straight from an 80s sci-fi fantasy, and I can’t get enough.
Check this out if you are at all interested. I’ll definitely be spinning it again, and am already hoping we are getting an Interstellar II, though given the theming I’d think maybe not. Still, I’ve at least got their previous two albums to dive into more alongside this, and I gets a very easy 9/10 from us!
Black Oak County: Misprint
Firstly, thank you to the amazing Glamratfor turning me onto these guys. Secondly, holy crap, this is AMAZING. To get the obvious out of the way; this is definitely like a heavier Nickelback. And that isn’t a bad thing at all! It’s essentially nearly a whole album of ‘Burn it to the Ground’; excellent, groove-metal-adjacent riffing, solid drumming and some of the best and catchiest vocal melodies out there. And I haven’t been able to get enough all weekend! It’s packed to the rafters with hit after hit, making it impossible to pick highlights. Heck, over half of it has ended up on my personal playlist. It’s an almost perfect 41 minutes of heavy rock music that I would recommend to absolutely anyone. For a first full alnum from them for me to check out, I couldn’t ask for anything better. I was already becoming a fan but this has solidified that as much as it could. The band are insanely talented musicians and songwriters, and how they aren’t massive already is beyond me. Hopefully this is the album to push them to that point, as it is truly a special release. I’ll be spinning it for months to come, and would imagine anyone who listens will be doing the same! An incredibly easy 9.5/10
As Everything Unfolds: DID YOU ASK TO BE SET FREE?
Album three from the post-hardcore Brits is a fantastic release! It’s heavy and radio-friendly in equal measure, as well as being such a modern sound. The band fit perfectly alongside everyone from Spiritbox to Jinjer to ADTR and Hot Milk, and I would honestly say this release is up there with some of the best from any of those bands. Right from the opener it kicked ass, and songs like ‘GASOLINE’, ‘CUT THE LIES’, ‘SET IN FLOW’ and ‘WHAT YOU WANTED’ are all massive other highlights. The whole album is excellent though, and 41-minutes surprisingly goes by in a flash! The band have already been gathering a lot of momentum as of recent, but I truly believe this release has what it takes to push them to the top of the heavy music world. I’m sometimes a little fussy when it comes to the genre, only liking it if it’s really good, and this is really damn good. This is my favourite thing the band have put out by quite a margin, and it gets a very solid 8.5/10 from us!
I Am the Avalanche: THE HORROR SHOW
The Brooklyn-based emo-punk/post-hardcore band are back with album number five, and their first in nearly six years. It’s a genre I am generally a little hot-and-cold with, but I had a good time listening to this! From the heavy title track to ‘I’M NOT DEAD’ to ‘TRUE LEGENDS NEVER DIE’, there are plenty of highlights. However, the album has a great vibe and flow to it throughout, and at half an hour in length it’s an incredibly easy listen! There’s some great riffing and melodies, and some of the lyrics are honestly phenomenal. It’s packed full of emotion, be it darkness or a more uplifting feel, and really takes the listener on a journey. Honestly, it grew on me more throughout and, with more listens, it could even continue to do so! It almost has a touch of a skate sound in here too at times, getting some vague nostalgic vibes out of me. If you are into any of the genres I’ve mentioned already, do yourselves a favour and check this out! I’ll be spinning it again soon, and it may grow on me even more then, but for now it gets a solid 7.5/10!
We Three Kings: Stone Cold Kiss
The NWOCR duo are back with their sophomore album, another punk/indie-infused powerhouse of a release. We loved their debut back in 2024, and honestly this is right up alongside it in terms of quality! It’s packed full of energy, attitude and swagger; massive riffs, solid drums and some great, catchy vocal lines. While all nine tracks on here are amazing, personal favourites include ‘Nothing Without Me’, ‘Judas Take me Home’ and ‘Shotgun’. It’s impossible not to have a good time listening, and it urges you to tap your feet, headbang and dance along. It’s an album I’ll be revisiting plenty in the weeks and months to come, and it goes hand in hand with By Royal Appointment as must-listens for anyone into the punkier side of rock ‘n’ roll. A solid 8/10 from us!
Broadside: Nowhere, At Last
Album number five from the pop-rockers is… certainly one of the albums released this week. I get that it’s not typically my sort of style to begin with, but there have been plenty of artists like this win me over (my obsession with One OK Rocksprings to mind). It’s not a bad release by any means, and if you are into this sound you’ll probably love it. The vocals are great, and there are some catchy hooks and choruses throughout. Tracks like ‘Nowhere at Last’, ‘I Think They Know’ and ‘Dark Passenger’ are big highlights, and the latter two were great choices for singles. And while the rest of it is okay, it just feels a touch forgettable. I don’t know quite what’s stopping me from fully getting into it, maybe it’s just because others have done it better. It may grow on me with more listens, as it is a touch further through the first, and it’s at least inoffensive and easy to listen to. If you are at all interested, I’d definitely recommend giving it a spin and seeing for yourself! A tentative 7/10 from us, that could go up or down at any minute!
Pineland Moor: Self-Titled
The debut EP of the Finnish melodic metal quartet is the definition of all killer, no filler. It’s 18 minutes and four tracks of incredible talent, playing and songwriting. Whether it’s the opener or the proggy ‘Floating on Unknown’ or the excellent other two songs, it’s amazing from the very first note to the very last. I already want to hear more from them, but for now I am happy to just keep spinning this! If you are at all into the melodic side of metal, give this a spin ASAP, you won’t be disappointed! I can’t give it any less than 8/10
Mines: Nous
The second EP from the heavy rockers, finally following up their 2023 debut, this already hasn’t gotten nearly the love it deserves. It’s 20 minutes of phenomenal riffing and writing, as well as some really interesting vocal melodies and lyrics. I was hooked right from the opener, and ‘Vice of Kings’ may be up there with one of my favourite songs of the year so far. The whole EP is phenomenal though, a proggy, heavy masterclass in writing technical music. It’s right up my street, and has made me a massive fan of the band immediately. My gushing over it won’t do it the justice it deserves, just go and check it out and thank me later! It gives off vibes of everything from VOLA to Coheed to Devin, and I’m a little bit obsessed! 9.5/10, my only complaint is that it isn’t longer!
The Mechanist: Synthetic Sun
The debut album from the Yorkshire-based electronic-infused metalcorers goes hard. It’s equal parts ch0nky riffs and massive melodic cleans, as well as a healthy dose of crushing drums, screams and breakdowns for good measure. From ‘Engram’ to ‘Sungazing’ to the wonderfully chaotic, Adam Barkley featuring ‘Invasive Prosthetics’, there is so much to love here. However, if you are into modern metalcore, or even bordering on deathcore at times, this whole thing will be very much your sort of thing! I’ve spun it three times this weekend and it’s grown on me more and more each time! For a debut album it’s absolutely phenomenal, and a sign that this band are set to go far sooner rather than later. I need to see this live, but while I wait to do so will certainly keep listening to this pretty regularly. 8.5/10
Metal Church: Dead to Rights
After a rather massive lineup switch-up that has now brought us alumni of Flotsam and Jetsam, Vicious Rumours and Megadeth, the heavy metal titans are back with album 14. I remember enjoying their last album, and was pretty gutted to hear Lopes had been cut from vocal duties. However, Brian Allen kills it here, as do the rest of the band! It’s nearly 50-minutes of thrashy metal awesomeness, and is every bit as good as their fellow 80s counterparts also still releasing great new music. Single ‘F.A.F.O’ is a lot of fun, giving off ‘Toxic Waltz’ vibes, and the likes of ‘Deep Cover Shakedown’ and ‘Wasted Time’ are also massive highlights. However, there isn’t a bad song throughout. It more than lives up to not only their last album, but honestly the very best that they’ve put out over their nearly half-a-century careers. If you are at all a fan of the band or 70s/80s metal in any way, you have to check this out as soon as you can! The band feel rejuvenated with their latest incarnation, and I can’t give it any less than another solid 8.5/10!
Just a few days after Charlotte Wessels and her band returned from their biggest tour to date with Epica and Amaranthe, she reveals that she will be taking The Obsession on their first headline tour in 2027, spanning major cities across Europe and the United Kingdom! Not only that, but joining her will be Melissa Bonny, vocalist of modern metal outfit AD INFINITUM!
The tour will kick off on February 4, 2027, in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium, and conclude on February 27, 2027, in Charlotte’s hometown of Utrecht, the Netherlands. The full list of dates can be found below. Be sure to grab your tickets quickly at https://charlottewessels.nl/tour/
04.02.27 BE – Sint-Niklaas / Casino 05.02.27 UK – London / Islington Assembly Hall 06.02.27 UK – Glasgow / Slay 07.02.27 UK – Manchester / Club Academy 09.02.27 FR – Paris / La Machine Du Moulin Rouge 10.02.27 CH – Zurich / Komplex Klub 12.02.27 IT – Milan / Legend Club 13.02.27 DE – Munich / Backstage Halle 14.02.27 CZ – Zlín / Masters of Rock Cafe 15.02.27 AT – Vienna / Szene Wien 17.02.27 HU – Budapest / Barba Negra 18.02.27 PL – Krakow / Hype Park 19.02.27 DE – Leipzig / Werk 2 20.02.27 DE – Hamburg / Gruenspan 21.02.27 DK – Copenhagen / Pumpehuset 23.02.27 DE – Berlin / Lido 25.02.27 DE – Aschaffenburg / Colos-Saal 26.02.27 DE – Essen / Weststadthalle 27.02.27 NL – Utrecht / TivoliVredenburg Ronda
Charlotte Wessels on the tour:
“After the unforgettable Arcane Dimensions tour with Epica and Amaranthe, announcing our own headline tour across Europe feels surreal. It’s such an emotional next chapter. The energy we’ve shared with all of you over the past months has been incredible, and we can’t wait to take that even further, with longer sets, new songs, and deeper moments together every night. Finishing the tour in my hometown Utrecht, at TivoliVredenburg – Ronda, is something I’m especially proud of and looking forward to.”
Charlotte Wessels’ latest release, The Obsession (2024), has been widely praised for its dynamic range, artistic growth, and emotional depth. Ever Metal highlighted its “skyscraper melodies” and Wessels’ “masterful vocals,” while Blabbermouth noted the album’s impressive variety. Louder Sound described it as “an auspicious and metallicized spin on her dark fairytale aesthetic,” while Metal Sucks called it “a transcendent collection of moving yet forceful and complex compositions,” further cementing her reputation as a versatile and evolving artist. You can even check out our review of it here!
Another week, some more awesome new music for us to check out from across the spectrum. Let’s dive in!
Corrosion of Conformity: Good God / Baad Man
I’m hoping this album is a grower, not a shower. Unless what It’s showing is that Down should finally put out some new music again. The riffs are certainly there, and I liked a good bit of Pepper’s vocals, especially when he channeled his inner Mike Patton/Jello Biafra. However, something about it just didn’t hook me in, especially the opening few tracks. ‘The Handler’ was the first track that I found myself actively enjoying. Songs like ‘Lose Yourself’ and the bluesy ‘Handcuff County’ are also personal favourites. Honestly, the album was better later on when they leant into that side of their sound, with the opening half being a bit of a slog. As a fan of their 90s output, I much preferred their sludgy blues stuff to their experimental hardcore early sound, so did feel slightly let down when they didn’t get to their most popular grooviness until later on. While I get and appreciate what they were trying to do here, it didn’t really work for me, sadly. Also, this thing is over an hour in length; that’s just too long.
If you like all of their previous sounds, you’ll probably love this. However, if you like one over the other, you may get a bit of a culture shock with this release, like I did. As I said, it might grow on me more with more listens, and I do want to give it more of a chance in the coming months. Disc 2 (‘Baad Man’ onwards) is honestly awesome, and would have made an amazing 37 minute album. But I didn’t like much of Disc 1, so because of that, I give this a tentative 7.5/10. It could get higher with repeat listens, though!
Charley Crockett: Age of the Ram
We’ve already checked out this awesome release! Read our full reviewhere.
Michael Sweet: The Master Plan
The first solo album in seven years from the Stryper main-man, this is an epic 40-minutes of AOR music! The opener/title track is some Genesis-level grandiose movie score type stuff. It also sets the tone perfectly for another nine soft rock bangers! ‘Lord’, the truly epic ballad ‘Eternally’ and ‘Faith’ are also big highlights, but there isn’t a bad song on here. It’s a bit… incredibly… preachy, which definitely drops it down a notch or two for me, but musically it is still damn good. Don’t get me wrong, It’s not Stryper, but It’s still good music if you’re into the likes of The Police or Foreigner or even Seal. And if you can get past all the god stuff (or you’re genuinely into that, of course!). It’s good music that I sadly probably won’t revisit often. However, it still gets a solid 7/10. It would definitely be higher if I god-bothered.
Foreignwolf: Merely Mortal
The second EP from the alt-metallers comes nearly five years after their last. Honestly, they really stepped up with this release too, this thing is 14 minutes of absolute awesomeness! ‘Tyrant’ is the perfect opener, metalcore excellence. Then you have the slower, more epic ‘Hollow’ heavy single ‘Imposter Syndrome’ and the post-hardcore, almost emo closer. Each track is as good as the last, all feeling different to each other while still sounding like the same band. It’s one hell of a testament to the bands stellar writing talents. And, it all flows fantastically together, making it a must-listen in full at least once. If you are into the heavier side of things, check this out ASAP. The band certainly have a new fan in me, and I already can’t wait to see where we go from here! 8.5/10
Nervosa: Slave Machine
Max: So this was my first time listening to Nervosa, and I must say, I was not disappointed. This is a very solid album with an intensity that keeps you hooked through out with bouncing riffs that are simply fun. There is also a nice balance of melodic sections and filthy, intense moments so the album is able to appeal to a multitude of people whilst not disappointing anyone. From what I have read, this is only the second album since their current vocalist and founding member Prika Amaral took up the role, and it really is a great album so I will be sure to check out their previous album as well. a very solid 8.5/10!
Emma Harner: Evening Star
The debut album from the ‘math folk’ rising star is a beautiful, chilled out 36 minutes of acoustic-based music. While not strictly my sort of thing, there is no denying her talents as a musician and a songwriter. Tracks like the epic-building ‘Charlotte’ and ‘Cowboys Chords’ are standouts for me. However, if you are into this sort of style, It’s all an excellent journey and listen. In the nicest and most complimentary way possible, it is sad white girl music. So, if that resonates with you, this is well worth a listen! It’s not something I’d revisit often, but certainly wouldn’t turn it off if it was on again! A still-solid 6.5/10 from us, and I’m curious to hear where she goes from here.
Toxic Shock: Future is Calling
Max: I’ll be clear, I didn’t like this at all. It’s not a genre I particularly like and whilst this album is far from the worst thing ever, it doesn’t change my perspective. It not an objectively bad album by any means, I just found it very boring. The first few tracks were good they gave me hope but the last few tracks really weren’t great, and the last track in particular, “Sex Beat”, just didn’t land with me at all. I can’t give it any more than a 5/10
Enquire Within: Doomsday Profit
The UK metallers are back with a follow-up to their absolutely stellar 2024 EP, and I for one have been damn excited since I first heard about it! And honestly, it lives up to my hype for it. This thing is fucking awesome! All nine tracks on it are excellent too, making it almost impossible to pick highlights. It has a great flow to it as every song feels unique enough to keep it interesting throughout, while still all feeling distinctly Enquire Within. Having said that, the modern Machine Head-like ‘Rebellion’ definitely has my heart! From the solid drumming to the amazing riffing and breakdowns to both the harsh and clean vocals, it’s all fantastic, and kept me hooked throughout! The band are really making waves in the underground scene, and with output like this It’s incredibly easy to hear why. If you are at all into the heavier stuff, from alt metal to metalcore to melodeath, this is an absolute must-listen! A very easy 9/10 from us!
No Terror in the Bang: Existence
Following up their 2024 album, the French prog metallers go hard with this five song collection! I wasn’t familiar with them heading in, but they immediately have a HUGE new fan in me! ‘Moon’ was the perfect opener, having me hooked in from the start and not letting me go for the full 20 minutes of the EP. The heavy ‘Goat’ and the epic closer are also big highlights, but every track on this is amazing in its own right. It’s clearly inspired by the likes of Jinjer but, honestly, I enjoy this even more, evolving that sound and taking it to new heights! I honestly can’t get enough of this release, and it’s insane to me that they aren’t a much bigger name already. Check this out if you are at all interested; it isn’t long and shows off exactly what the band is about. Another solid 8.5/10
Luke Grimes: Red Bird
The second album from the rising country start, we actually loved his debut in 2024. Sadly, this one is taking a little more getting into. Don’t get me wrong, songs like the opener and ‘Drink Drink Drink’ are great, and the beautiful duet of ‘Without You’ is also damn memorable. However, a lot of the rest of it is pretty slow overall, a folk/Americana/classical sound. Don’t get me wrong, his self-titled album is also pretty slow and similar at times, but I think overall there’s a bit more to it, or at the very least it’s longer so there’s more room for varied sounds. And from memory even the slower tracks felt like they had a bit more to them, a slight more of a radio hook. I enjoyed Red Bird, but outside of the aforementioned songs it just makes me want to listen to his other stuff. If you want a chilled folky album to throw on and relax to, this is absolutely that. It’s also packed full of plenty of emotion, which is always great to hear. As I said, it isn’t a bad release at all, but is a bit of a tough second album. Hopefully it grows on me with more listens, but for now I can’t give it any more than 7/10
Codefendants: LIFERS
This is 30 minutes of glorious, 90s-inspired chaos, and I loved every second! From punk to hip-hop to hardcore to metal, the band very much wear their inspiration on their sleeve, and it’s amazing to hear it all blended together like this. ‘Crime Wave’, is apparently how they’re describing their genre, which honestly kinda fits. I somehow missed their debut back in 2023, but this sophomore album is a lot of fun, and a real breath of fresh air from Fat Mike, Sam King and Ceschi Ramos. Heck, I even got touches of modern, MCR-like emo in there in the slower, more ballad-tracks. From ‘Rivals’ to the pop-punk ‘Crime Wave’ to ‘The Right Wrong Man’, there are some massive highlights on here. However, the album has a fantastic flow to it that makes it an easy full listen, and none of the songs are bad.
It’s nostalgic for me, growing up with all the sounds individually, yet still feels like something wholly new and interesting. If you’re a fan of stuff a bit more out there, but still with some attitude, edge and something to say, this is very much the album for you! I’ll be listening to it a lot moving forward, and already it gets a solid 8.5/10 from us!
Shelby Stone: Silveryear
The debut album from the emerging Texas red dirt country singer-songwriter dropped this last Friday, and is a full 71-minutes of greatness! She combines typical darker country with a heavier rock edge perfectly, arguably more successfully than bigger names who attempt it like Brantley Gilbert and Koe Wetzel. Heck, the epic opener sets the tone for this perfectly, building to a massive, metal-boardering soundscape that rivals that of DOROTHY or The Pretty Reckless, as much as the earlier stages are more Bridge City Sinners. It’s an absolutely phenomenal track that had me hooked from the get go. From there, ‘Killing Time’ continues the vibe perfectly, adding a bit more country to the proceedings, and ‘Burns Blue’ being an early up-tempo banger. Then you have the likes of ‘This Time Around’, ‘Fire Escape’ and the boot-stompin’ ‘Dynamite’ that are all massive highlights in their own right. However, not only is there not a bad song throughout, the extended length goes by in a flash, a true testament to Stone’s insane talent as a musician and songwriter! While it maybe had one or two too many slower tracks in a row at times, Shelby’s powerful vocals and emotional lyrics still kept it all incredibly interesting.
As you can tell, I can’t rave about this release enough! This is an absolutely incredible album that has made Stone a massive new fan in me. How she isn’t an absolutely massive name already is beyond me. She straddles the line between country, rock and even modern pop seamlessly, and has crafted something truly special with this release. I’ll be spinning it plenty moving forward, and I can’t give it any less than 9.5/10. Amazing stuff!
Nottingham locals Phoenix Lake headlined a packed line up at Saltbox, hot off the release of their debut album ‘Seraphina: The Fall From Eden’. Friday night drew a good crowd to the bar-venue in Nottingham, and with four bands taking the stage that evening it wasn’t long before that crowd got energetic.
Opening the night and getting room on the right level were 7eventh Sea, another Nottingham based metalcore band with heavy riffs and high energy breakdowns. Their thirty minute set was impressive from start to finish, their track ‘Falsified Dreams’ was a particular standout from the set. Vocalist Stee Owen had a commanding stage presence and skilled vocals to back it up, and drummer Aaron Gregory was incredibly tight throughout the dynamic and technical set. Fans of Lorna Shore and While She Sleeps keep an eye on these lads over the next few years.
With the room filling as more people arrive, Aethoria took the stage next. Hailing from Ipswich this hard rock group are a perfect accompaniment to headliners Phoenix Lake. Very similar in style and sound, but with their own attitude and a good hit with the crowd in the room. After some initial technical problems with the microphone, vocalist Mecia had the room in the palm of her hands for the rest of their time on stage. A confident band with a solid sound, raising the energy once again in the room.
The crowd are raring to go by this point two solid sets down and two bands left to perform, next up: Black Lakes from South Wales. Entering the stage draped in black cloaks and kilts alike the five piece metal group started strong with some high energy tracks. It appeared a good portion of the crowd were fans and had come down to check them out, and their energetic frontman knew how to play to the crowd well. While they performed well I think due to the strong showings of the other bands Black Lakes were the weakest set of the night. Their strong start felt like it waned as the set progressed, leaving me expecting more of a band this high in the billing.
Any feelings of disappointment were quickly dispelled when headliners Phoenix Lake took the stage. Coming out to a roaring crowd the Nottingham band felt the hometown love in Saltbox as they tore into their hour long set. Vocalist Lana Phillis doesn’t have to rely on just her impressive vocal talents to hold her own on stage with the rest of the band, interacting seamlessly with the crowd and letting the other band members take their moments to shine. A healthy dose of tracks off the new album was to be expected as the band tours the UK to promote its release.
Luckily for us the album is brilliant and the new songs sound great live. The group obviously revelled in having a home town crowd show so much support, it will be great to see what lofty heights the four piece can reach off the back of the album. Phoenix Lake are on the road around the UK throughout April and the beginning of May, be sure to check them out as they rightfully show off what they have created together! A truly amazing night packed full of incredible music!
The whopping 16th album from the modern classical country star dropped today, to a hell of a lot of hype! We’ve checked out a couple in recent years, and I’m becoming a big fan, so when this came across our desk I wanted to deep dive into it and really see what it is about. Especially since it seems like such a concept/theatrical release. Let’s dive in, ladies and gents!
After a brief intro track, Theme I setting the tone perfectly, ‘Lonesome Dove’ is a fantastic opening song. The classic country sound is encapsulated perfectly by Crockett, and this is so very Hank I or Haggard. It’s simple and steady, but so fantastically written and performed. The acoustic chords and basic drumbeat are a backdrop for Charley’s powerful vocals and amazing lyrics. And still it’s a catchy chorus, especially the last one when the backing vocals join it. It’s a great, chilled way to open the album!
‘Rancho Deluxe (Main Theme)’ is a simple two minute track that keeps the same vibe going, as well as continuing the story and theme of the album to perfection. He’s such a fantastic storyteller, definitely up there with the best among the oft-forgotten art in the mainstream currently. And instrumentally, while it is rather basic by today’s standards, it all still slots together perfectly, and the overall product of everyone’s work is excellent. And it almost feels like another intro track to ‘My Last Drink of Wine’, which I loved.
Speaking of that track, it’s the first highlight of the album, for me! Starting off the same as the other tracks, it actually picks up the pace a little into a memorable chorus. It’s more something you can dance to, which is always fun. Also, the piano coming in for the second verse was excellent, adding to the old-timey feel but also completely fitting in with the rest of the song. In fact, the almost constant instrumentation between each part is fascinating writing, and kept me hooked throughout. We even get a great little guitar solo to close things out! It’s an excellent traditional country track, and one that easily makes it onto our playlist! It’s probably the closest to a radio-friendly track so far, too.
‘Fastest Gun Alive’ is another steady track, but another great, radio-hook of a chorus! The same can be said for ‘Crazy Woman Ridge’ and ‘Me & Shooter’. All are awesome tracks that are up there alongside ‘Last Drink…’ for me as firm album highlights. However, they all also feel different from each other, with the latter being an excellent bluegrass song! I love that they are spread throughout the album too, keeping it constantly varied and interesting. However, I do think it’s in tracks like these are where his band shine through the most as they have the most to do, and that big-band-country style is definitely a big favourite of mine. If you are going to check out any songs from the album, let it be these four. However, they are far from the only good songs on the release!
Meanwhile, songs like ‘Diamond Belle’, ‘I Shot Jesse James’, ‘Sweet Mother Texas’ and ‘Billy McLane’ are more slower, simpler tracks again. They are very much more focused on just Charley’s vocals and guitar, even if there are some other basic instruments adding to the overall sound. None are inherently bad songs by any stretch, and I like that they are generally a bit more spread out throughout, not slowing the pace down for extended periods at once. Once again, the latter is probably my favourite of the trio, it having the most to it with the piano being prominent too, and the lyrics were damn interesting!
We also get a few more interlude/story tracks. Two more ‘Life & Times of Billy McLane’s and another ‘Rancho Deluxe’ keep the story flowing excellently. It’s a bit of a lost art form these days, especially in the country scene, but it makes the whole album a must-listen from front-to-back, and without them I would genuinely say the release wouldn’t be as good. Plus, ‘… (End Theme)’ is honestly one of my favourite songs on the album, another easy highlight. My only slight confusion comes with there being another six tracks after it. Despite the storyline going on, it still feels like maybe it would have served a better purpose being the album closer!
‘Kentucky Too Long’ is another fantastic song that feels a bit more riff based, clearly drawing on more of a blues inspiration. The riffing is excellent, as is the soloing throughout, and the track as a whole feels like some combination of Merle, ZZ Top and even Lenny Kravitz at times. It’s still a chilled-out, stripped-back song, but is once again something different on an album that is fairly long, so it is more than welcomed. And, as I said it, it’s a damn good song in its own right! Another song that I would highly recommend, especially if you are into more of a blues vibe!
Then, there are a few shorter tracks sprinkled throughout. ‘Remembering Pat’ is an interesting song from a lyrical standpoint, and honestly I’d have taken more than 45-seconds of it. ‘Border Winds’ is a fun little vocal melody with just a slight guitar part behind it, while ‘Powder River’ is another fun outlier of a track that channels more of that bluegrass or real old-school western vibe to it. It’s another one that I’d have happily taken as a whole song, but am still glad of its inclusion here. It also bleeds rather perfectly into its following track, ‘Low Down Freedom’. Said song continues that same sort of vibe, definitely once again having a blues edge to it, even if it’s a steadier tempo and more chilled for the most part. However, it’s another that has an incredible chorus to it, designed to be played to huge festival crowds, and that repeating blues riff is AWESOME! Another huge highlight on an album seemingly packed full of them!
The final track on the album, ‘Cover my Trail Tonight’, feels like it draws together everything before it, somehow capping off something so grandiose excellently. An overall dark Western feel, packed full of some amazing lyrics and instrumentation. The guitaring is just as big of a high point as the vocals, too. It’s everything Crockett is about rolled up into an under four minute package, and is another one that is an absolute must-check-out!
Overall: I absolutely loved this! Having gotten into him the last couple of years or so, I can safely say this is my favourite thing I’ve checked out from him. It feels like the most concise things he’s put out in recent times, wild given the releases sprawl, and it has more than a couple of songs that I would put up there with his very best! Charley’s talent is undeniable, and I’m so glad he’s finally getting the recognition he deserves for it. If you are into a more classic country sound, this release is an absolute must!
For more than 50 years, George Thorogood and The Destroyers have remained one of the most consistent—and consistently passionate—progenitors of blues-based rock. And no one knows that better than the millions of fans who’ve seen them live. Formed in 1973 by guitarist, singer, and songwriter George Thorogood and drummer Jeff Simon, the Delaware-based band honed their sound on stages across the Northeast, building a devoted word-of-mouth following through their high-energy performances and blistering grooves.
The band have announced the final tourof the UK, as part of The Baddest Show on Earthtour of North America and Europe. There will be just two shows:Monday 29th June 2026 at University of Wolverhampton at the Civic Hall, followed by Tuesday 30th June 2026 at indigo at The O2 in London.
Speaking about The Baddest Show on Earth, Thorogood says, “When the lights go down, the downbeat hits and the audience erupts; all bets are off. The Destroyers are at their best when we play for the people, and these are some of our favourite—and rarest—performances from the past five decades. You wanted the baddest, you got it.”
Today, George Thorogood and The Destroyer – which currently consists of Jeff Simon (drums, percussion), Bill Blough (bass guitar), Jim Suhler (rhythm guitar), and Buddy Leach (saxophone)—have played more than 8,000 live shows. Career highlights include their record-breaking 50 States in 50 Dates tour in 1981; numerous high-profile tours alongside The Rolling Stones, Sammy Hagar, and ZZ Top, among others; over 15 million albums sold worldwide; plus landmark performances at Live Aid and Saturday Night Live.
Another massive week for New Music Mondays, with plenty of releases for us to check out across rock, metal and country (and also some pop for good measure)!
Black Label Society: Engines of Demolition
The first album from the legendary biker metallers in a whopping five years, it marks the longest gap between releases the band have ever had. Obviously Zakk has been busy with Ozzy stuff over the last few years, so it’s more than understandable. However, this is a very welcome return! I’ve been a fan of the band for honestly as long as I can remember, and remember enjoying Doom Crew Inc. when it dropped. Honestly though, this may be even better than that! Of course the guitaring throughout is off the charts, the riffing and soloing is expectedly excellent. However, the whole band are playing great across every track, and there’s plenty of catchy, memorable memories alongside them. From ‘Gatherer of Souls’ to single ‘Broken and Blind’ to ‘Pedal to the Floor’, it’s packed full of a great songs! It’s sludgy and doomy and heavy; it’s exactly what you’d expect from a BLS album. However, we still get a slower, ballad track in ‘Back to Me’ tucked in the middle, just as good as the others! It’s maybe a touch long at 50+ minutes, but there aren’t really any tracks that I’d cut. It’s a fun heavy metal album that I’ll definitely be revisiting again soon! 8/10
Ty Myers: Heavy on the Soul
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read the full review here!
Chez Kane: Reckless
Album three from the 80s glam throwback woman is one I’ve been impatiently waiting for since she first announced it, and it’s every bit as good as I’d hoped for! Powerzone was awesome a few years ago, and I still spin it to this day, and this builds on everything that was great about that album and turns it up to 11. It’s 41 minutes of arena-filling off power-ballads, dripping in synth and swagger. The opener/title track sets the tone excellently, and tracks like ‘Strip Me Down’, ‘Love Tornado’ and ‘Street Survivor’ all carry on that energy amazingly. However, there really isn’t a bad track throughout, and it has a really excellent flow to it all! It’s catchy, sleazy and incredibly horny in all the best ways, making for one hell of a fun listen. None of these tracks would sound at all out of place on the Rock of Ages musical, and I’m so glad people like Chez and Sam Millar are continuing on this vibe!
If you are at all into the 80s Sunset Strip sound, this is an absolute must of an album. It’s certainly going to have me hooked for months again, and it’s insane to me that she isn’t a bigger name given her insane talent! Every chorus is massive and so very catchy, just begging to be played to huge festival crowds as well as neon-soaked dive bars. And shoutout to her band too, who kill it just as much as she does! I feel like it will continue to grow on me with more listens somehow, even though I’d easily put a good half of these up there alongside her biggest hits. I can’t give it any less than another solid 9/10!
Flea: Honora
I didn’t know what to expect from the Red Hot Chili Peppers bassists debut solo album. Somehow, experimental jazz-funk both was and wasn’t it. Either way, sadly this is pretty bad. I’ve been thinking for a few months now that I want to try and get into jazz because I feel I’d enjoy it. Then I hear ‘Morning Cry’ and all that goes out the window. And don’t even get me started on his spoken word nonsense on ‘A Plea’. It feels like Flea felt it sounded like Zack de La Rocha, but it came across far more Lulu. And, on top of that, this thing is 50 MINUTES LONG. That’s a lot of crap. Heck, there may be someone out there that is really into this and loves it, but that someone certainly isn’t me. Not even Nick Cave could save this thing, it’s a mess, and a slog. At least everyone involved is at least talented, even if, in this writers opinion, it’s not fantastically written. You can tell Flea’s playing a mile away, and some of his basslines are at least fun. The slower ‘Thinkin Bout You’ is probably the most enjoyable song. Hell, at least it’s better than the last couple of RHCP albums, right…? 2.5/10, not my thing at all. At least it’s finally over.
Whey Jennings: Baptized by Fire
Some real old-school country now, with the grandson of legend Waylon himself putting out his second studio album. It’s 40 minutes of classic country tracks, just like his granddaddy played, but also gives slight vibes of Drake White or even Drew Holocomb too for good measure! Tracks like ‘What Lovin’ You Does’, his duet with Karen Waldrup and ‘Copperheads and Butterflies’ are all personal highlights. However, if you like a traditional style, you’ll love every track of this, I’m sure! His vocals are awesome, and his lyrics and delivery are packed full of emotion. It’s exactly what you’d expect heading into it, and I personally had a great time listening to it. He’s continuing on his family legacy perfectly here, and it gets a solid 7/10 from us!
To say it lives up to the hype is an understatement! It’s heavy, melodic and packed full of awesome melodies and emotion. ‘Smile’ opens things perfectly, having some truly brutal screams and breakdown riffs, as well as a more alt chorus. Then you have songs like ‘Birth of a Sun’, ‘Skin’ and the closer/title track that are all also excellent. However, there isn’t a bad song throughout, everything around these tracks also being pretty good. It’s like Spiritbox meats Hot Milk in the best way possible! And, having said that, I would say some of the writing here, both lyrically and riff-wise, is arguably better than both bands. All four of these guys are extremely talented musicians and songwriters!
There’s no wonder the band have gone from strength to strength in recent years in the UK, and this album caps that off wonderfully, but also surely starts a band new, even bigger chapter for the quartet. If you are at all into the alt/modern metal scene, this release is an absolute must! It’s impossible not to see huge things for them in the years to come, and this gets a solid 8.5/10 from us!
Hellripper: Coronach
Max: An 8 track, 45 minute adventure that keeps you gripped and having fun throughout. The latest Hellripper album really is a work of art, the riffs, screams, well to be honest really everything is very very good. Now don’t worry I’m not going to say that this is the best album ever and that Hellripper has perfected their craft but what I am saying is, if you have ever held off on listening to Hellripper because you weren’t sure if you were going to enjoy it, well now’s your time to start listening. Honestly there wasn’t a single track that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy and I really think its a great set of tracks. 9/10
Will Carter Band: WCB
Album number four from Mr Carter, though it seems second as a collective, is a fantastic throwback to the late 90s early 2000s alt country sound! Think Hootie & The Blowfish, Blake Shelton or even Matchbox Twenty. Right from opener ‘Don’t Need Much’ I was hooked on this thing, and tracks like ‘X’s on my Hands’, ‘Can’t Sleep Without You’, and ‘Ain’t All That Lonely’ are all huge personal highlights. The whole thing is excellent from start to finish, though, it having a great flow and going by in a flash. How these guys aren’t a bigger name by this point I have no idea, but if anything is right with the world this will be the release that puts them on the mainstream radar! It’s fun yet at the same time packed full of emotion, the whole thing being written expertly. If you are at all into county or southern rock, this is an absolute must listen. Easily an 8.5/10, and it may grow on me even more with more listens!
RiotWeekend: Table4Four
The sophomore EP from the UK alt-rockers/pop-punkers builds perfectly on their 2022 self-titled debut. It’s 14 minutes of fun, catchy rock music that fits perfectly in alongside anyone from Simple Plan to Paramore to even ADTR! Heck, we get a breakdown in ‘Harry’, which was unexpected awesomeness! What’s more, all four tracks are as good as each other, it being an incredibly solid release from front-to-back! And it’s pretty varied too, each song having a different vibe and pace to it while all still feeling distinctly RiotWeekend. It’s a true talent to be able to write like that, and the band have shown it off perfectly twice now! This is a damn good EP, and one I will definitely be spinning plenty moving forward. 8/10!
Check out our interview with the band about the release here!
RAYE: THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE.
An album that isn’t something that we’d usually cover up now. Having said that, we’d done everything from Bruno Mars to Eminem to Lady Gaga in recent years, and this very much channels that similar alt-pop vibe to it. And heck, I was listening to it anyway, so figured I might as well write out my thoughts!
Firstly, she’s such a talented, fascinating artist, and it‘s easy to hear why she’s become such a big name in a short amount of time. Perfectly blending everything from pop to jazz, soul to R&B, it’s a truly unique sound and such good fun to listen to. And, it’s packed full of awesome songs! From the excellent, emotional opener ‘I Will Overcome.’ to the epic ‘I Know You’re Hurting.’ to the swinging ‘I Hate the Way I Look Today.’ to the huge single ‘WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!”, there is a lot to love throughout. A lot of it is amazing though and, though it definitely feels its bloated length, it’s a chilled-yet-emotional listen that held my attention a lot throughout. Arguably the only full disappointment was ‘Click Clack Symphony.’, I thought having the legendary Hans Zimmer involved would have produced something a bit more epic and interesting and dynamic. However, overall it is an epic release, and well worth the time if you have a spare 73 minutes! I probably won’t do the full thing often, but the few songs I loved will be on regular rotation! 7/10
The Pale White: Inanimate Objects of the 21st Century
Max: So this one was strange for me, it is quite far from what I normally listen to so at first I have to say I didn’t really enjoy it that much. Its fine, its easy to listen to, but not really for me. By my third time listening, I think I started to get it a bit more. There is this fun blend of styles and feelings throughout. The melancholic tone that some parts have can really hit you in the feelings but then the bouncing alt riffs and grooving bass and drums bring you back up. it really is a roller coaster that I ended up really enjoying. For a track recommendation, I would say either ‘Float Away’, or my favourite which is ‘Mannequin’ (I don’t know how to put in to words the feeling it gives, it’s something that I think you need to experience with no input from the outside). 9.5/10 (really its good)
Final Coil: 1994
Following up their 2024 album, the bands first foray into EP territory is a lot of fun! It’s very much a product of the year it’s about, full of grunge and alt-metal energy and riffs. ‘Instant Fix’ is a great opener, and the Rob Zombie-like ‘Woke’ is another career highlight. However, each of the four songs is awesome, and flow together perfectly. From the riffing to the drums to the vocals, it’s all amazing! If you are a fan of the band this is well worth checking out, and is a great stop-gap (hopefully!) between longer releases. A solid 7.5/10 from us!
Ashley Monroe: Dear Nashville
An eight-track surprise drop from the modern country star on Friday has given us a great listen over the weekend! And, it’s a pretty honest, heart-felt and reflective listen, at that. Starting the release with a song titled ‘I Hate Nashville’ is a ballsy move in 2026, and it is a huge highlight of the album. Then you have songs like ‘Haunted’ and ‘Having it Bad’ which are also big personal highlights. It’s another release that follows her slower, chilled-out country vibe, much like with last year’s Tennessee Lightning. It’s very Paula Cole or Miranda Lambert in all the best ways. It’s not something I’d revisit often, but is perfect for throwing on and relaxing to, especially in the coming summer months! And that first song really is an excellent track, up there alongside her hits, thanks for sure. 7/10, good stuff!
Party Cannon: Subjected to a Partying
The crazy Scottish death metallers returned with a brand new EP (alongside some remixes and lives) this last Friday. It’s exactly what you’d expect from the band, or if you heard the words ‘classic death metal’. It’s like if Cannibal Corpse kept Barnes but had more modern production these days. If all of that sounds like your sort of thing, definitely give this a spin. As I’m sure you can tell by my dancing around the subject, it isn’t hugely mine. I honestly kinda preferred the remixes to the original tracks, though do have to say the vocals over the top of them may have been fun! And honestly, it seems like something I’d much prefer live, the recordings from Glasgow sounding awesome. But yeah, sadly on track it isn’t too much of my thing, as fun and hilarious as the themes are. Still, if you like old-school death metal, this is well worth a spin! It’s run, regardless, but the vocals sadly don’t do much for me. 6/10
Siege Perilous: Becoming the Dragon
The debut album from the epic, Colorado-based power metallers is a true journey from start to finish. From soaring melodies to insane harmonised guitars to the solid drumming and powerful vocals, it’s 44-minutes of grandiose heavy metal through and through! ‘As the Dragon Falls’ (feat. the awesome Fabio Lione) is a huge high point of the album, as is ’Chieftain’ and the epic closing track. It reminds me a lot of Fellowship or even Dragonforce, that epic huge power metal built more for its huge moments and soundscapes. The band are insanely good songwriters, and for this to be a debut album makes it feel like we have some truly special things to come in the next few years! They’re ones to watch, for sure! However, for now, this is an excellent release for anyone into the genre even a little bit! 7.5/10
Numbskull Narrative: The Gutters
The brand new EP from Galway’s own ‘noisy boys’ is three awesome heavy, hardcore-tinged tracks. From the sludgy breakdown riffs to the heavy screams, there are some incredible moments throughout, and at only nine minutes it is very much all killer, no filler! I’m always a bit on the fence with modern hardcore stuff, but the heavier edge to this definitely won me over! Some of the playing actually reminded me of Zakk Wylde or Dimebag, which was awesome to hear with this sort of drums accompanying it! It’s impossible to pick highlights as all three are great in their own right. The band definitely have a new fan in me, and this gets an easy 8/10 from us!
Calder Allen: Fault Lines
Album three from the fifth generation Texan is a short, chilled romp through some beautiful old-school country music. At only eight tracks long it goes by in a flash, and each song perfectly bleeds into the next. Highlights include the rocky title track, ‘Carry On’ and ‘Norwood County Line’. But, as I said, each song blends seamlessly together, and none of them are bad by any stretch! The more I listened to this, the more I fell in love. It’s a damn good country/Americana album that reminds me of everything from Drew Holcombto Luke Dick to even hints of Jack Johnson. He’s another artist that has a new fan in me this week, and I can guarantee that if you check this out, you’ll enjoy it as much as I do! It’ll be an album I revisit plenty throughout the year, especially over summer, and I can’t give it any less than 9/10!
Rain Diary: Night Church
This gothic collective are back with their first new studio release in a while, and honestly sound better than ever! The title track sets the moody-yet-catchy tone perfectly, and every track that follows it fits thematically fantastically, and is great in its own right. It all feels like one art piece instead of individual tracks, though ‘Dark Flowers’ and ‘End of the World’ are personal favourites. It’s hard to even compare it to other artists, as it feels like something wholly unique, which made it an incredibly easy listen despite the length! Each member of the band are insanely talented, with the two vocals of course being the big highlight. It won’t be for everyone, but I had a good time listening to this, and it’s a solid 8/10!
Rock ‘n’ rollers Tuk Smith & the Restless Hearts are pleased to share a string of 2026 tour dates this summer. The 7-date stint will see them kick things off at Maid Of Stone festival before taking in the sights of London, Southampton, Wolverhampton, Leeds, Glasgow, and an as-yet-unannounced show. This follows a busy 2025 from the band, touring with Danko Jones and blessing Planet Rockstock with their Nashville-tinged melodies and riffs!
Mr Smith himself shared:
“I’ve always had a special place in my heart for the UK ever since I first started playing here a decade ago with my previous band. This is my first proper UK tour as a solo artist and I’m just as excited now as I was back then!”
In case you missed it, Tuk also put out an incredible EP just last year! We loved it, and you want to buy it, find it here!
Tuk Smith is the kind of rock ’n’ roll ambassador you didn’t think existed anymore. Punk maverick from rural Georgia, Biters frontman, producer and solo artist, he’s seen the best and worst of a music industry in constant flux. By turns it’s left him critically acclaimed, poised for stadiums, dropped, burned out, back in the game and beloved by those for whom rock is still everything. Now based in Nashville, and with his own label Gypsy Rose Records, he creates from a more real place than most.
“I want to do something that means something to people,” Tuk says, “because a lot of shit nowadays is so disposable and so plastic. I just don’t connect with that. I’d like to do things that impact people positively. It’s a weird time on the planet, so to have songs about hope, but not be cheesy about it, it’s something I think we need with songwriting. That’s the kind of music I want to hear.”
Again, there’s that dichotomy he speaks of. “Rock ’n’ roll is essentially the illusion of not giving a fuck, right? Like, you know Axl Rose was doing sit-ups and jump rope, and Paul Stanley was on a cardio machine, and they come out and act like it just happens. The point is I sit at that piano many hours, working on this stuff.”
We had the pleasure of chatting to the amazing alt-rock/pop-punkers RiotWeekend about their upcoming sophomore EP, their future plans and the state of the scene. Check it out below!
How would you describe your sound?
It’s a hard one to pin down! I joined the band in October ‘24, and listening to their first EP and learning the stuff, you had two very distinct sounds to it. The heavier and the more pop punk sound. We were recently on BSBTV; we won song of the month back in November and they said we can’t put an influence on this, they sound like RiotWeekend. Comments have come in saying Holly has a very 90s pop-esque vocal. Then alt rock, pop punk instrumentals. Somebody mentioned Evanescence and that made me think are we somewhere between that pop-punk, Blink-182, Simple Plan, but with a more Evanescence style vocal. I said to the guys are we like a UK version of ADTR. Not quite as heavy, but we mix that sort of metal and punk.
It seems to be a lot more of a prominent thing these days; bands not necessarily fitting into one specific genre. I don’t think it particularly matters as much any more!
From our point of view, ‘is it listenable and is it fun to listen to? Great’. I couldn’t care less what box it goes into aside ‘is it good’. The guys at BSB were saying you get a lot of guys pushing for that Being Me sound or that All Time Low sound, and they said it was refreshing to see artists do something that is their own.
The EP is out soon, you have a couple of songs out from it already, right?
So ‘Harry’ is the first single that we released back on the 1st of November. Then ‘Days in December’ was released in January, I don’t know why! We are also releasing ‘Smile’ as a single, and we have a video coming out of that as well!
What can we expect from ‘Smile’ and the other track, compared to the other singles so far?
‘Autumn Leaves’, much more pop punky. It fits in with ‘Never Again’ and ‘Fine’ off the first EP. ‘Smile’ is in line with ‘Harry’, and is jointly our favourite track on the EP. We’re really excited for that one to come out!
What’s the writing process like for you guys?
Most of the tracks that I’ve come to were already written. The main song written from scratch was ‘Smile’. It’s going to sound mad; we organised a writing session on the day and I had work, and by the time I got back Rabi and Rob had essentially completed the whole track. They programme the drums and then I make alterations, but they had essentially done the whole track in the day. We tend to find they get a riff and then just go with it!
Is there more writing going on even with the EP coming out?
Yeah! Without saying too much, it’s a bit of a secret, but there are a lot of tracks in the background. We want to keep the momentum going!
What made you choose an EP over an album or multiple singles?
For us it was kinda easy. A) three of the tracks had been there quite some time. There’s been a few changes of the lineup and we had these tracks in the background throughout that we wanted to get out. Rather than drop them one by one, let’s do them collectively with a new song, and then we’ll carry on work with the other stuff. This EP buys us a little time to do something else for the end of the year or next year. And B), they hadn’t dropped a song for quite some time!
As much as I like singles, it’s so much nicer to dive into a handful of tracks and really see what the band is about.
I mean, I don’t know too much about how the guys like to listen to their music, but I’m an LP guy. I still buy CD, I like having the sleeves and everything. I like listening to bundles of tracks all in one go. So I think the next one might be a bit longer!
What would you say the state of the scene is these days? We’re so focused on rock, metal and country that we don’t get to see much punk and alt often!
I think the problem Gilford way, there is a scene for the heavier stuff, the New Cross Inn do really well on metal nights, like proper death metal. It’s packed out! I think the biggest problem however, and there are some really great promoters and venues out there that I don’t want to offend, but a lot of them expect the artist to do things. That’s where it becomes difficult. Back in the day I used to put on shows and it was very much… I would find an artist that I knew would sell the venue out, maybe two, and then have one or two others who I expected nothing of. I’d build them up, and I had artists that built up and I could put on headlining them venues later on.
That doesn’t happen any more. We find promoters do hardly any promotion. You’ve got all these Facebook pages where you don’t see the posters put up unless you the band do it. So, yeah, it’s struggling, but we are noticing pop-punk, alt rock, is there. It’s popular!
It’s just so hard getting people out these days, even if it’s a show geared to a younger audience, compared to pre-Pandemic times.
They’ll go up to the O2 and watch a band that is known. They almost forget that those bands started out where we are. We are noticing a slight pickup in cover bands and tribute acts. We’re playing Shinefest this year and they have some fantastic band, but a lot of them are tributes. Same with Gilfest. In fact the best show we played last year was with Not Green Day. We played to a packed venue and we did really well on merch sales! We’ve noticed to try and get on with a few of these tribute bands to help grow! We are seeing when we do that, the fans are there, they then get your name, and they’ll come and see you next time!
Have you got a busy rest of the year planned live?
Yeah, we’ve got the EP release on the 28th, the day after it launches! We’re in Gilliam on the 30th. We have the festivals, including Chesham Fringe Festival. There’s a couple of shows that we’ve working on in the background as well!
Do you have a dream tour lineup you’d want to be a part of?
If we’re talking establish bands and me personally: anything with Dallas Green, so Alexisonfire, You+Me. If it was a lineup of four it would be Alexisonfire, Thrice, Blink-182! A bit different, I know!
