We had the pleasure of chatting to the amazing Zoltán Kőváry of The Trousers the other day about their latest album release, their sound and plans for the year. Check it out below!
How would you describe your sound?
It’s classic and vintage-based but not retro. We are starting from 70’s hard rock and garage rock like Sabbath, AC/DC, Motörhead or Iggy & The Stooges but also influenced by later bands like The Hellacopters, Alice in Chains, Queens of the Stone Age or Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.
You’re seven albums deep now; how would you compare last years Necessary Evil with your early work?
The sound is more professional and heavier, all the instruments have weight on this album. The songwriting got more mature and the melodies are catchy. We always try to create a “ten single record”, no fillers, no self-serving experimental pieces… Each song contains a hook in a different way. The rule is that there always has to be a riff, as AC/DC and Black Sabbath taught us, and a catchy melody in the refrain as Thin Lizzy showed.
Is there a particular theme or story around Necessary Evil, or is it all individual tracks?
As the songs were composed in the same period, they somehow relate to each other. Let me tell you an example. The Stones’ top albums between 1968 and 72 were Beggars Banquet, Let it Bleed, Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street. Beggars and Exile were done within a session, that is why they are very coherent in style and sound. Let it Bleed and Sticky are just a collections of extraordinary songs, but these albums are not more then the sum of their parts. The spirit of “Necessary Evil” therefore is closer to “Beggars Banquet” than to “Sticky Fingers”, if you know what I mean.
What is the writing process like for the band?
In The Trousers I am the songwriter. The boys: Pete Locke on guitar, András Lázár on bass and Samu Gulyás on drums, put their parts in the songs when they are fully composed. Usually I write albums within a few months, most of the time during the summer break. Necessary evil was different. The influence is coming from different directions; music, movies, relationships, crises. For example the death of my late brother, Peter, who was also a musician, influenced several songs on Animal gun (2022) and Necessary evil.
Do you have a personal favourite track off the latest album, and why?
I would pick ‘On the river again’. It is very special, because it doesn’t contain three parts as usual – verse, bridge, refrain – but four, as it has two refrains. I would consider it as one of the best songs I have ever created. Heavy riff and melodic vocals – the way we like it. I really love an 80’s US metal band called Dokken because their songs are based on the same idea, although the style is different. But Thin Lizzy and Alice in Chains are also similar from that point of view.
Is there new writing going ahead, even though the album is still recent?
I usually do not write for a while after an album release. I am waiting for the new inspiration. Maybe in the summer!
Do you have a busy year planned in terms of touring?
In the spring we will have several concerts in three countries including ours, Czech Republic and Slovakia, and will play with bands like Konflikt, Degradace, Zakazan Yovoce and Asphalt Horsemen. Can’t wait for it!
Any plans to swing by the UK for a show or two soon?
We have friends in a UK band called New Generation Superstars, and we have been planning a tour together for a while; I hope it will happen sooner or later!
Do you have a dream tour lineup you’d want to be a part of? Anyone you want to support or friends you want to bring along?
There are some awesome bands we would happily support like The Hellacopters or Gluecifer… These are bands with similar aesthetics and attitude, they are our heroes so it will be awesome. But we would play with anyone who has the rock n roll attitude! Formerly we have played with MC5, Black Stone Cherry, Tygers of Pan Tang, Dirty Honey, Atomic Bitchwax, Peter Pan Speedrock… Great memories!
If you could have written a song from history, what would it have been and why?
Maybe WW I; it really changed the landscape of modern Europe in a very tragic way, and we still bear the cross of it… It’s never enough to talk about these dramatic events that shaped our word. Of course there are events in our current culture that are similarly dramatic, but it’s too easy to fall into politics and I don’t want to.
The guitar virtuoso himself is back with his first solo album in nearly three years. Being a big fan of Mr Big, I’ve been excited for this since it first came across our emails, though I have to say I haven’t listened to much of his solo stuff in the past. We could be in store for anything! But still, if it’s anything like his band projects, we’re in for something special. Let’s dive right in and see what this is like!
Showing off his insane guitar talented right from the offset with some insane soloing, a great riff soon bursts in to start ‘Keep Your Feet Firm and Even’ off strong. The vocals soon come over the top and is surprisingly catchy for a verse! And still, it all builds to a HUGE chorus, the harmonies making it even bigger. It hooked me immediately and I already expect it to be stuck in my head for the rest of the day. We also get some more absolutely insane, blistering soloing tucked away in the middle of this. I love it dropping down to simple bass and drums to really highlight the guitar more, and builds up steadily again into the stomping stuff for the final parts. I love the melody of the main riff coming back as a solo too, real masterful playing and writing. And another big final chorus and solo takes us home in style. A fantastic way to open the album, and an easy early-album highlight!
‘Show Not Yourself Glad’ instantly kicks things up a notch into pure punk territory, and I’m all here for it! It does drop back in the verses to a more soft-rock style, and honestly the lyrics felt a little too on-the-nose for me. However, the harmonies are still fantastic, almost giving more of an ELO vibe. The two parts fit together far better than they have any right to. We also get some awesome soloing over a slower, stripped back bridge, feeling very reminiscent of his Mr Big days. His talent really is off the charts, and is highlighted perfectly here. And ending on that insane solo was definitely the right call!
‘Maintaining a Sweet and Cheerful Countenance’ keeps the pace high but dips back into his blues sound. I want to highlight his band at this point too, as both the bass and drums is going hard throughout, almost as hard as Gilbert goes. Once again the lyrics are a little blunt, repeating the song title an awful lot, but the instrumentation is so good it’s hard not to love it! The same can be said for tracks like, ‘Go Not Thither’, ‘Let Thy Carriage’ and ‘Turn Not Your Back’ all being blues and prog infused bangers. They have a similar structure of lower energy verses and sometimes choruses, while having some heavier instrumentation around them. And of course, the guitaring is the big highlight through them all! The latter is a big personal highlight of the album as a whole, giving off big Electric Boys vibes in the best ways. A track that easily makes it onto our playlist!
‘Orderly and Distinctly’ is a bit slower in pace again, and also feels a bit pop-infused as well as soft rock. It feels more like a ballad track of the album, and perfectly placed too to break up the higher pacing so far! It’s a pretty beautiful song, and the lyrics here are much more interestingly written than other tracks on the release. It gives more of a Floyd or even Beatles vibe, but definitely in a good way! And we also get another amazing solo tucked away in the middle, once again melting my face off. Another clear highlight!
Tracks like ‘If you Soak Bread in the Sauce’ and ‘Speak Not Evil…’ are fun, bouncy, bluesy soft rock songs. Again, both are great songs in their own right, but definitely fit together well as a similar sound. The musicianship throughout both is off the charts, and the only reason they’re pushed together here is so I don’t come across as a big old fangirl from repeating the same praise over and over. However, the latter is one of my favourite tracks on the album, and may have my favourite chorus Gilbert has laid down in a good while!
‘Conscience is the Most Certainly Judge’ is another slower track, perfectly breaking up the rockier songs again. It’s a fun, bouncy song with a pretty decent chorus, but does scream ‘album track’ a little. Meanwhile ‘Every Action Done in Company’ is another prog-blues track that does Gilbert’s lyric-repeating technique to the max. Then you have the incredible riffing of ‘Spark of Celestial Fire’ and a straight-up blues track closes things off with ‘George Washington Rules’. All are good songs in isolation, with the closer being particularly fun and another highlight. However, they do reflect the extended length of the album, and none really bring much new to the release that we haven’t heard already. But still, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a good time listening to any of them, and the bands’ talents are that grand that they could make anything incredible!
Overall: This is a damn good release! As I’ve said multiple times throughout this, Gilbert is an insanely talented musician, and has surrounded himself with the same in his solo band, making this filled with some of the best playing around. And while some of the lyrics are great, overall it’s the weakest part for me. However, it does have some kick-ass, catchy-as-hell choruses! If you are a fan of any of his other work, you’ll surely enjoy this too, and I’d recommend it to anyone even remotely curious or big into 80s and 90s rock!
An absolutely stacked week of releases for us to dive into, from rock to metal to country. Let’s do this!
Megan Moroney: Cloud 9
Album number three from the current country megastar arrived to a LOT of hypethis last Friday. Being big fans of her last couple of releases, we were excited to finally hear this, especially after a slight mixed-bag of singles. However, the album as a whole is great, and nearly an hour goes by in a flash. From ‘Medicine’ to ‘Stupid’, ‘Liars, Tigers & Bears’ to ‘Change of Heart’ to ‘Who Hurt You?’, there are some really fantastic tracks throughout that I’d put up there with Megan’s very best, honestly. She is one of the best lyricists in the game today, be it tongue-in-cheek comedic stuff or more emotion-filled ballads. And while there is maybe one or two too many slower tracks on the album for me personally, I feel the up-tempo or rockier stuff is spread out pretty perfectly, always coming in when I start to lose a bit of interest.
While I wouldn’t still quite say it’s as good as her debut, I did enjoy it more as a whole than Am I Okay?. It’s easy to see why she has quickly become one of the biggest names in country; her output in the last few years has been incredible. Part of me wants to say ‘she’s not an album artist’ as her hits and singles each time are that good, but at the same time I’ve enjoyed every album she’s put out! I’ll definitely be spinning at least the tracks I’ve mentioned a bunch moving forward, and probably the album as a whole too. It gets another solid 8.5/10 from us, and the emo cowgirl definitely lives up to our hype for her release once again!
New Found Glory: Listen Up!
The first electric album from the Floridian pop punkers in six years picks up right where Forever and Ever x Infinity left off. The band feel like they haven’t lost a step in their nearly three-decade career, which is at very least admirable! I have to admit they were always the side of pop punk that I never got into quite as much, though I am nostalgic towards Sticks and Stones and Catalyst; both are banging albums still to this day! While this isn’t quite as good as those, tracks like ‘100%’, ‘Beer and Blood Stains’ and ‘You Got This’ definitely hooked me and are personal highlights. However, if you are into this sort of style, this is certainly an album worth checking out! It’s not something I’d throw on often, but I had a good time listening through it. We enjoyed their acoustic release a few years back, but it’s nice to hear the band get back to what they do best! A solid 7/10.
Sylosis: The New Flesh
The first studio outing from the UK melodic thrash/deathers since 2023’s A Sign of Things to Come. Max enjoyed that when it dropped, while I sadly didn’t get much time to sit with it. However, if it’s anything like this, their seventh album, I’d probably love it! It’s the perfect blend of metalcore and melodeath and, honestly, is fucking AWESOME. Think Hatebreed meets Orbit Culture. *chefs kiss*. It’s 47 minutes of brilliant brutality mixed with catchy melody, and it’s almost impossible to pick specific highlights. From the insane riffing to the mind-bending drums to the great growls and powerful cleans, it’s all so damn good, and paints the band as one of the most talented and underrated in metal today. I cannot recommend this enough to anyone who has even a slight interest in metal. I’d always heard the name around but they were a band I just hadn’t gotten around to listening to much. Well, I’m disappointed in myself, as they have a HUGE new fan in me! This is surely going to be high on our top albums listcome December! I can’t give it any less than 9.5/10, amazing stuff!
The Enemy: Social Disguises
The indie rockers returned with their first new album in over a decade this last Friday. I’m not hugely into the genre so came into it not expecting much, but was pleasantly surprised! Opener ‘The Boxer’ packs one hell of a punch and is a fantastic early highlight, while tracks like ‘Controversial’ and ‘Serious’ are other top tracks. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still probably not something I’d listen to often, but it’s definitely the good side of indie and I had a good time with it. Was it worth the 11 year wait? Who knows, you’d have to ask a fan who’s been waiting on it all this time. But it was certainly a good release, and well worth it for anyone into the genre. A solid 6.5/10 from us!
Mothica: Somewhere In Between
The alt metal rising star brought us a highly anticipated follow-up to her 2024 album this last weekend. It’s a great, all-too-short collection of five awesome radio rock songs. ‘WEAPON’ and the title track are personal highlights, but every song is awesome and they all fits together perfectly. Her vocals sound as amazing as ever, her lyrics are excellent and it’s very much an ‘in’ style right now. Hopefully it’s a stop-gap en route to a larger release, but for now I am more than happy to keep spinning this, especially at only 14-minutes in length! If you are at all into her particular brand of noise, I’d highly recommend checking this out, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as much as I do! 8/10
Mumford & Sons: Prizefighter
After a big ol’ gap in releases at the turn of the decade, we’ve now had two albums from the folk rockers in two years, aren’t we lucky?! We loved RUSHMERE, and I always have some nostalgia for the band as they got big while I was in school. So, for them to put out yet another great, beautiful, chilled-out release, I can’t not love it! From the opener to ‘The Banjo Song’ to ‘Begin Again’ and ‘Shadow of a Man’, there are plenty of highlights spread throughout. It does have a slight lull in the middle for 2/3 tracks, but none of them are bad at all, and I’d have not cut them either if it were up to me. It’s all just so beautifully written and packed full of emotion. Heck, ‘I’ll Tell you Everything’ practically reduced me to tears! Despite exploding onto the scene when they debuted, they feel somehow slept on these days, while they are every bit as good as they were back 15 years ago. Do yourselves a favour and check this out, regardless of what you are into, you may very well love it as much as I do! 8.5/10
Eye of Melian: Forest of Forgetting
We’ve already checked out this awesome release! Read the full review here.
Crowen: Through the Dying Mist
Following up 2024’s Where the Darkness Falls, this is an incredibly solid third EP for the melodeath band. ‘Ember Wraith’ sets the tone perfectly, while songs like ‘Line of Silence’ and the epic, melodic closer are all great too. And that’s not to exclude ‘I Am the Sorrow’, which is just as good as the others! If you are into the genre at all, I can’t recommend checking this out enough. How they aren’t bigger already is beyond me! They are all insanely talented and I already can’t wait to hear where they go from here. For now though, this gets a very easy 7.5/10!
Lovebites: Outstanding Power
After a rather confusing release build-up, this album feels slightly like it’s dropped a little out of nowhere. The buildup to it was all about its release in Japan on the 18th (a Wednesday, which was weird enough as it was). Then, when it hit the 18th, it was announced the band had signed with Napalm, that physical copies would drop on May 8th, but that it was going to be available on streaming that very day. Yeah, weird, right? But still, we have some sudden, awesome new Japanese heavy metal this week, so it’s hardly a complaint!
It’s old-school heavy metal riffing and drumming at its very best, with a healthy dose of power metal thrown in for good measure. It’s the perfect band for Napalm, and I’m shocked they haven’t snapped them up before now. The level of musicianship is off the charts, every band member being so damn good at their chosen instrument. I even started to get into the vocals by the end; a point of contention for some listeners, and definitely something that took a little getting used to. Tracks like ‘Silence the Void’, ‘Blazing Halo’ and ‘Reaper’s Lullaby’ are all personal highlights. They clearly read our review of their last album too, as we get an awesome, beautiful ballad in the epic ‘Eternally’. However, it may be a touch late in the album, potentially. Still, as a whole, it’s a damn good album. If you’re a fan of the band I cannot recommend checking this out enough, and I’d easily put it up alongside any of their other top releases. I’ll certainly be spinning some of this again soon, and I can’t give it any less than a 7.5/10
Jimmy Fretwell: Analog Dream
Considering for the most part this is just one man and his guitar, it is a damn good listen. He gives off big Willie Nelson vibes, but also has an air of Jack Johnson to him at times. Plus, he is a great rock’n’roll/blues guitarist and writer, some of the playing and riffing on a few of the early tracks being awesome, almost begging for a full band version alongside the acoustic one. And then you have the tracks with the incredible guests on that add even more to the sound. Whether it’s the fiddle and beautiful harmonies of Beth Chrisman or the extra guitar of Darrell Scott or Bill Kirchen, all three add even more depth to the sound. He’s an excellent songwriter and storyteller, and tracks like the opening three songs, ‘Barn on Fire’ and ‘Never Gonna be my Baby’ are all personal highlights. However, none of the album is bad, by any stretch! His delivery is also incredible, whether it’s fast-paced bouncy stuff or more emotion-filled ballads. It’s certainly not going to be for anyone, but it’s a beautiful, fun, stripped-back release, and Jimmy has a new fan in me! A very easy 7.5/10.
Struck/Down: Queue for the Cure
This debut album somehow combines together so many different sides of metalcore and its adjacent sub-genres together into something truly pretty unique. There’s the obvious comparisons to the likes of Killswitch and Atreyu, but also an edge of the heavier old-school metal sound as well as having a modern edge to it in terms of the production and some of the playing and composition. And, on top of that, there’s also elements of some Down/CoC-like groove metal too, which adds yet another incredible layer to the already awesome sound. And heck, at times the vocals give just a little bit of a young Brent Smith, alongside the obvious Howard Jones.
If you can’t tell already, I love this album. They’re a name I’ve seen around a lot over the last few years, but I sadly haven’t had the chance to check them out. I’m so glad that changed today. This is 10 INCREDIBLE tracks, all as good as the next. It’s impossible to pick highlights as I was hooked from start to finish. The riffing and breakdowns are amazing, the vocals are powerful and full of attitude and catchiness and the drummer is going hard throughout. We even get some awesome soloing to go along with the riffs, both guitarists being insane technical players. They have clearly (and deservedly) grown a great reputation of solid singles and EPs over recent years, and it really feels like they’ve picked the perfect time to put out an album; they feel at their writing peak right now. If you are even a passing metal fan, I’d recommend checking this out immediately, it has something for everyone. These guys are surely going to be massive in the years to come, and this album will be seen as the jumping off point for that. 9/10, amazing stuff!
Keeley: Girl on the Edge of the World
Album number four from the fuzzy, punk/alt rockers very much takes you on a journey, creating a huge, surprisingly warm soundscape throughout. While not typcially my sort of thing, it’s impossible not to get hooked in by the bands talent for musicianship and songwriting. ‘Crossing Lands’, ‘Who Wants to See the World’ and the beautiful ‘Fell in Love with a Ghost’ are all personal highlights. And, while it did drag a little as it’s not something I’m typically into, if you are into an 80s style such as this you’ll probably have a blast with the whole release! It is certainly not bad by any stretch and as I said, the members of the band are clearly all insanely talented. If you are at all curious, check this out! Another pretty solid 6.5/10 from us.
Exhumed: Red Asphalt
The San Jose death metal legends are back with album number 10. I have to admit, the classic 90s style of death metal is one that, try as I might, I just can’t get into. And, as usual, I think it mainly comes down to the mixing. I get that, especially at this point, it’s a stylistic choice and expected from bands like this, but I cannot get on with the tinny, background growls and questionable drum mix. I know there are plenty who can, and if you are one of those then you will definitely love this. But yeah, it is not my thing. I love Death metal, but not like this. ‘Shovelhead’ was probably my favourite song here, and even then I wouldn’t rush back to listen again. It’s a shame too as the band are clearly all insanely talented musicians. I’d probably get into it a lot more live, but on track I can’t give this any more than a 4/10, sorry.
Serpent Gates: The Veil of Darkness
This thrash-infused heavy metal release is an awesome debut album from the Finnish collective. Clearly taking inspiration from everyone from Iron Maiden to Judas Priest to Megadeth, they wear these on their sleeve while also feeling like it has a modern edge to it, especially when it comes to the excellent production. And, from the opener to the title track, ‘Down the Cross’ to ‘The Czar Will Fall’, it is absolutely packed full of highlights, there really not being a bad song on it. If I did have one note, I’d love to hear the band do a slower song; I feel like Anthony’s voice and the bands overall sound and talent would do an amazing ballad. However, for a debut album, going balls-to-the-wall from start to finish is probably a good idea, and there isn’t a track on this I’d cut in favour of something else! The band are all insanely talented and have crafted something amazing here for a first album. An absolute must for anyone into their old-school metal and a very easy 8.5/10 from us!
The Band of Heathens: Country Sides
The ninth official studio album from the confusing-historied folk rock band is a fun, chilled-out 40 minute romp. I somehow hadn’t really heard of them before, but had a great time listening to this! From ‘High on our Own Supply’ to the powerful ‘Lead Don’t Follow’ to ‘Take the Cake’, there is plenty to love throughout, and there really isn’t a bad song on it! If you like things on the more relaxed side, this is well worth checking out. It gives off big Uncle Luciusor even Drew Holcomb vibes, both in the best ways! There’s honestly not much else to say about it; the band are insanely talented with some cool playing and some amazing harmonies throughout, and are clearly good songwriters to boot. It’s a very easy 8/10 from us, and they’ll certainly be a band I’ll be revisiting in the future!
Clawfinger: Before we All Die
The first album from the European rap-metallers in a whopping 19 years finally dropped this last Friday and, honestly, it was nearly worth the insane wait! This is a heavy, chaotic and incredibly fun album that doesn’t at all feel like 40-minutes in length, going by in a flash. Single ‘Scum’ is an awesome way to open things up, while everything from ‘Tear You Down’ to the very 90’s ‘Going Down’ to the massive closer is all amazing too. It had some fun dynamics too, with some being more hip-hop focused while others were straight-up metal. It gave off everything from Stuck Mojo to Hed(PE) and I loved every moment of it. If you are at all a fan of the band or their turn-of-the-century sound, this is definitely worth checking out, and I’m so glad they’re back! 8/10
We chatted to the awesome Americana/folk duo about their sound, upcoming album and touring plans! Check it all out below!
How would you describe your sound?
It’s a mix of British and American folk influences–put Nick Drake and John Martyn in a crock pot with Bob Dylan and Simon and Garfunkel and you get close.
Quite an interesting name for a band, given that both parties are from seemingly different worlds. How did it come about?
We wanted to name ourselves after a boat that had crossed the Atlantic, given that we’re from England and America. We stumbled upon the story of a man named Poppa Neutrino who built a raft of junk called The Son of Town Hall (because those words were carved into a piece of wood toward the bow). We studied the man and became increasingly fascinated by his story, which we incorporated into the mythic world we created for ourselves.
The single drops next week, what can you tell me about it? Is there a certain story around the track?
There are stories behind all our tracks, many of them are found in the podcast Madmen Cross the Water. Sirens recasts the Greek myth onto the American frontier and plays upon the idea of mirages and false hopes, which all too often lead the weary, desperate traveler astray. More generally, though, it’s a song about looking for some kind of comfort and kindness in the world, wherever that can be found.
It is part of a wider release, Of Ghosts and Gods, releasing at the start of next month. How does the track fit into that? Is it all of a similar vein in terms of sound and story, or is it more focused per individual track?
Sirens is unique in that it features the Canadian trio The Pairs singing the part of the sirens in the choruses. So sonically, this song stands out a bit as no other track features any other vocalists. But the production is similar. There is a gorgeous string quartet on this track who play on much of the album. And conceptually, this song is very much part of the album’s story cycle, which follows the two protagonists around the world in adventure after adventure, managing to maintain their optimism and friendship no matter the trial or the setback.
What is the writing process like for the band?
We have a great deal of respect for each other’s gifts as a writer and trust in the other’s artistry. Often one of us has the start, but as we sit together and begin play and sing, the song very quickly transforms into something that sounds like us. It is an uncanny, almost magical collaboration, which I think can be sensed simply in the blend of our voices, which makes the writing process move very quickly once an idea is there.
Do you have a favourite track on the upcoming album?
That’s like choosing between children! It’s a tough one. ‘Antarctica’ is one of the more epic numbers on the album. At the start of it, you’d have no idea how soaring the song was going to end up. The production is a metaphor for the message of the song, which is about believing in a dream despite the odds and obstacles. Every great journey begins with a single step, as they say, and so too with this song, as it starts plaintively in unison and ends with strings and brass and percussion and lots of voices. I think the song is particularly relevant at this moment where so many feel unhappy with how the world is and want to be able to believe in something bigger and better. Our project creates a space for that.
Had quite the busy year of touring already in the leadup to the release, right? Does the business continue throughout the year?
Pretty much, yes. We’ve been getting more and more offers to play. The issue now is how to honour them all!
Any plans to play the UK again any time in the future?
Yes, we have a string of dates in June that we’re very much looking forward to.
What brought the idea for doing a podcast around?
Our show has always merged storytelling and song. And the stories we’ve created aren’t the typical singer-songwriter earnestly telling you how they wrote this or that song. We take audiences to New Orleans and talk about working in the circus or describe the storms at sea that nearly killed us. We’ve always been interested in how far we could take a tale. During Covid, we were unable to tour and so we began writing more elaborate versions of the stories, which ultimately became the podcast. If you see us in concert, I think you’ll find the pod to be a really beautiful way of going deeper into the fiction and turning us, ironically, into more real characters.
Do you have a dream tour lineup you’d want to be a part of? Anyone you’d want to support or friends you want to bring along with you?
If Tom Waits asked us to jump on his bus, we wouldn’t hesitate!
If you could have written one song from history, what would it be and why?
We love so many songs. But we’re pretty happy with how all of them turned out. We’re more interested in continuing to craft our music together and push the performing genre in as interesting and moving a way as we can.
Time for an interesting one! From the brain of Delain’s Martijn Westerholt, and featuring three incredible rock/metal/pop/symphonic musicians, the quartet have crafted some of the most interesting metal-adjacent music around in the last couple of years. It’s so hard to classify, given it is not quite metal but has elements, and orchestral and symphonic and very inspired by epic movie scores. Heck, eventhey themselves say they’ve created a new genre here. I’ve heard a couple of the singles and am excited to dive in and see what the rest of the release has in store!
The album starts with a beautiful piano melody from Martijn. ‘Of Willows and Shadows’ sets the tone of the release perfectly, building up so many layers, from the strings to percussion to the beautiful vocals. It feels suitably epic by barely 90 seconds in, the chorus sounding massive and surprisingly catchy for the style of music. It definitely has elements of Zimmer and even Elfman, but combined perfectly with a more symphonic metal structure and vibe, making it truly unique. The bridge is fantastic too, it really feeling like the track crescendos into something massive! It’s an absolutely incredible song in its own right, and the perfect way to open the album and hook in new listeners!
Single ‘Symphonica Arcana’ is a track I’m pretty familiar at this point, having listened a fair bit since its release and having had it stuck in my head at least a few times! That opening chorus is incredible and a definite ear-worm. Meanwhile, the instrumentation once again ebs and flows perfectly. And by the time the chorus comes back round it all feels huge, the strings and percussion being the vocals really putting it on another level. It was a truly excellent choice as a single as it incapsulates everything the band do so well, and is such a fantastic listen. If you haven’t checked this out already, what are you doing? Listen ASAP!
‘Child of Twilight’ focuses on some awesome guitar work to start things off, and the pace is a little higher than the previous tracks. It’s enough of a change of pace to keep me locked in and interested, which was nice! It almost has an Egyptian feel to it at times; it wouldn’t feel out of place in a Mummy movie. It’s another great chorus too, though every vocal part is so beautifully written and sung that it all stands out. Meanwhile, ‘Elixir of Night’ feels more like a whimsical childrens tale soundtrack, going back to the Elfman style perfectly. It’s also pretty short compared to a lot of the rest of the tracks, which honestly did it well. The more stripped-back instrumentation overall was fascinating, not reaching quite heights of the pervious tracks yet still felt monumentous. It’s yet another excellent song, and very much another early-album highlight.
The first single released from the album, ‘Blackthorn Winter’, is another that I’m fairly familiar with. It still doesn’t quite hook me in as much as ‘Symphonia Arcana’ for some reason, but is still a damn good song in its own right. The vocals remain a big high point of the release, and it is very much the same here. However, I also LOVE the violin solo tucked away in the middle of the track, adding even more depth and epicness to the song, as well as being beautiful in its own right. I cannot get over just how well crafted everything about this album is. Every moment, every note seems so very purposeful; the arrangements are phenomenal.
The other original single on the album, the recently released ‘Dawn of Avatars’, features the incredible Patty Gurdy and Troy Donockley as a guests. It starts out a little bigger than a lot of the rest of the album, instantly feeling grandiose. And it’s not long before both guests get highlighted, with Troy’s pipe-work prevalent early on and being a constant, great presence. Patty gets to shine plenty too, her hurry-gurdy playing adding yet another great layer on top of some already incredible instrumentation. It all combines together perfectly to create a truly excellent five minutes of symphonic music, and is another big highlight of the album. A track that easily makes our playlist!
Tracks like ‘Lady of the Night’, the title track, and honestly a lot of the rest of the album, continue the same path and vibe and sound that the first half of the release has set. It isn’t inherently a bad thing, every song is fantastic in its own right. However, I do feel like 12 tracks of a rather similar style is a little much for me, personally. I adore everything up to and including the title track, but the last few after that do start to make the album drag just a touch. Don’t get me wrong, I know this is very much my personal feelings and plenty will love a longer release. And as I said, musically each track is still phenomenal. It just felt like nothing we hadn’t already heard by that point of the album. At least ‘Nepenthe’ is on the shorter side and acts as more of an interlude to the closing track…
Speaking of, the bands cover of Bruce Dickinson’s ‘Tears of the Dragon’ is amazing. I also couldn’t think of a better way to close out the album. The band very much make the track their own, keeping the emotion and weight from the original while making it fit perfectly alongside the other 11 songs on this release. They somehow make it even more epic in the chorus too, the more basic rock band arrangement replaced by strings, bigger percussion and even some subtle horns. It’s a fantastic song as is, and this version is definitely up there alongside the original in terms of quality. And again, it’s the perfect way to close out such a huge album. Amazing stuff!
Overall: This is a really great album! It’s certainly not for everyone, it not containing many elements of traditional pop or rock outside of some of the structures. However, as someone who loves film scores and symphonic music, I absolutely loved it, and it was so fascinating to hear something like this even be possible, let alone crafted this well. If you are at all curious, I’d highly recommend checking out the release as a whole, though those first few tracks are really incredible. They are a band to keep a close eye on moving forward, and I’ll definitely be listening to this a fair bit in the coming weeks and months!
We had the pleasure of chatting to Elvis of the amazing Stone Sea the other day, talking about their newest album, the Irish music scene and their plans moving forward. Check it out below!
How would you describe your sound?
Groovy stoner blended with grunge grit and a hint of world music.
What caused the relocation from Brazil to Ireland back in the early days of the band?
It was a personal decision. Initially, I was only going to stay in Ireland for a year on an exchange program to learn English properly and experience new cultures. But I ended up loving it too much and stayed for ten years. I did miss the sun, though — so I eventually moved to Spain (laughs).
How would you compare the scene in Ireland compared to back home?
Brazil is huge — you could probably fit Ireland inside the state of São Paulo. For being so big, filled with people and rich in cultural diversity, I feel the rock scene is quite scattered. Venues are often far from each other, especially considering there are only so many that welcome original music. That makes it hard to organise and to really feel like there’s a cohesive scene. Ireland, on the other hand, is small, and venues are much closer together. That makes it easier to organise shows and for bands to know each other. I think it was much easier to get yourself seen there compared to Brazil.
You’re finally back with a sophomore album at the start of the year. What’s it like having a decade between LPs? How would you compare your debut to Ad Astra?
The difference is quite considerable! Origins was way rawer composition-wise. I think the experience of diving deeper into other cultures, being curious about harmony theory, and being open-minded about adding and experimenting with other elements made the songs more mature. I think the first songs were way more to the point, whereas now I like to really taste all the nuances of a feeling or a mental state, and you can clearly notice that in Ad Astra.
What is the writing process like for the band?
It usually starts with a musical idea — a riff that comes to mind and starts to develop by itself. I record these ideas on my phone, then at some stage I develop them further by adding additional sections or vocal melodies, for example.
Then, when I have the song done — or at least a chunk of it — I bring it to rehearsal and they help me shape it further by developing other sections or adding their flavour and influences on their instruments. The end result is always something that everybody’s happy with, unless I’m very stubborn about something specific (laughs).
Is there a certain story or theme running though Ad Astra? Or is it more individual stories?
They came about more as individual stories. Some songs date back to 2017, when the first ideas appeared — like Ad Astra itself. A few took a long time to fully develop, and they reflect different aches I dealt with over the years. Ad Astra is quite stoic in the sense that it observes these struggles from a more distant perspective, which is why I chose it as the album title. Also, because in a way we’re sending these experiences out into the universe.
Do you have a favourite track from Ad Astra, and why?
Pff… I don’t know. They’re all my babies — I can’t say I love one more than the others. But I can say that ‘Stain’ came out very punchy in the studio because Connor and I were very in sync. Musically, ‘Age of Tears’ is heavy as hell and super fun to play. I love how the production of ‘Alien’ turned out — it feels great to listen to. The solo in ‘Left to Be’ is probably one of my favourites I’ve written so far, and the lyrics of ‘Ad Astra’ are the ones I like the most.
The only one that doesn’t stand out as much to me personally is ‘Time to Change’. Don’t get me wrong — I love playing it live. But weirdly enough, it’s the one getting more and more streams. I guess because it’s more easily digestible, whereas I tend to prefer the more complex ones.
Busy rest of the year planned?
We’re currently in a writing phase. We already have seven new songs that we plan to record at some point this year. There are also some international shows being discussed, but we can’t confirm anything yet.
Do you have a dream tour lineup you’d want to be a part of? Anyone you’d want to support or friends you’d want to bring along?
I’d love to tour with Down — that’ll probably be my dream tour at the moment. Although that can change every time I think of it (laughs).
If you could have written one song from history, what would it be?
‘Wolf Moon’ from Type O Negative. I think Peter Steele was a genius to talk about the menstrual cycle in such a poetic way (honestly!)
We had the absolute pleasure to chat to Tom of the incredible Tailgunner in between tours to talk about their brand new album, all their touring, and shoot the shit about great bands! Check it all out below!
I imagine the last couple of years have been a whirlwind for the band, right?
Yeah, it’s so wild! It started three years ago and it’s really not stopped at all. It’s getting faster and faster, we have to keep one foot on the ground or it will spin out of control!
What’s it like to be signed to Napalm?
It’s great! I think we’re very fortunate. We had a label put out the first album, someone at that label believed in us. We had a great debut album with them and we made that album for no money at all. We went to them like ‘okay, we’ve proven our worth, give us some money’ and they were basically like ‘well you did it for no money last time, can’t you do it again?’. We said no, fuck you!
Napalm was the label we wanted to go to, I think they’re the world’s biggest metal label for a reason. The thing that’s really important to us is they don’t just have legacy bands that have made a name for themselves elsewhere 40 years ago. They have bands that they’ve taken from club bands to arena bands. I mean just look at Powerwolf! We’re a little different, but if we can have a career trajectory the same way, I’d be extremely pleased! With Napalm it feels like we’re in a place that we can grow, and we’re really happy with that!
You’ve just gotten home from touring Europe, right?
Yeah! We were out with Hammerfall, playing Spain, Portugal, Switzerland. Had a really amazing time with them! A fantastic band to tour with and the nicest guys, the crew, the tour manager, the bus driver, everyone! And the great thing about that tour was that us and Hammerfall are cut from the same cloth, it was just this rolling caravan of heavy metal nerds, basically! We could talk to them about all these artists and they’d be like ‘wow, this is a young band that are coming from the same place that we are’.
What’s the scene like over there compared to here?
I don’t know, honestly I don’t pay too much attention to what was going on in each individual country. There’s plenty of bands around in the scene! I think there’s more of a love for heavy metal in mainland Europe than in the UK. We’re fortunate to be from the UK as it allows us to have a fanbase here; if we were from the mainland I don’t think we’d do as well here as we do. But I think sometimes because the UK gets credited with making heavy metal music, it maybe gets given more credit in terms of quality and ingenuity. I think mainland Europe aren’t so proud. If it’s good, they don’t care if it’s been done before.
The album’s out on Friday [time of recording], right? Is there any overarching story to it in terms of writing, or is each track its own thing?
With our debut, that was written largely by myself and it was the first time I’d ever written songs. I never expected to be a songwriter. With Guns for Hire’s success it proved to me that maybe I can write songs, maybe people want to hear them, so I felt more confident. Also, we’d been out on the road, played over 100 shows, shared staged with legends. I think it’s very difficult for that stuff not to rub off on you. It made me more collaborative and more focused. The first album, I almost look at it as album zero, like a pilot episode, almost.
In terms of the overarching theme, there’s a theme of the album lyrically of dealing with your own mortality. It’s certainly not a concept album but there’s a lot of that theme. And to put it as more of a positive message, that through heavy metal and through art, you can live forever. The marks we leave on this world last longer than we do and that’s okay!
Has the rest of the band been involved in the writing this time around?
Yeah, absolutely! Because I’d wrote most of the first album before the band existed, that’s just how it all fell. This time we have the lineup; it’s been a hell of a lot more collaborative. I’m really proud of the others for stepping up! Zack [guitar] has four or five co-writes on this record. That’s amazing! And the album is all the better for the fact that Craig, Zack and Rhea have all wrote for it.
I imagine it’s cool to get everyone else’s inspirations in there, too!
This is it! You listen to Iron Maiden, for example, it’s Steven Harris band and all that, but some of the best songs for me are written by Adrian Smith. It would be crazy for me to tell anyone ‘hey, sit this one out’!
What was it like working on it with KK Downing?
He made us think twice… or 200 times… about everything. But that was the one lesson for me is that every single second, every single note, counts. He made us really consider every single thing we put down on track. Nothing was throwaway or ‘that’ll do’. We considered every last thing, sometimes to the point of madness!
Exactly, it’s having a fresh set of ears on it, especially from someone who’s been doing this as long as KK!
That’s it! If we couldn’t quite decide on something, having KK Downing as the final say, is not a bad person to have in that position!
Have you got any thoughts on the current state of the UK music scene?
I think there’s some really great bands coming through! A band that are doing great things currently are Rattlesnakes. Their singer Rowena, she reminds me of a young Dickinson or Dio or something! I’m really impressed by those guys. They said to us that having Guns for Hire come out and be successful showed them that actually you can be from the UK and play heavy metal and actually do well. Hopefully the success of us and those guys and other bands coming through will have even more bands continue to come through!
There are definitely more bands doing it, it really feels like a renaissance of the sound! Wailing Banshee are another great one coming through!
Love those guys! They supported us in the first show we played in Manchester! Great band!
Have you heard of Ominous Moon, from Essex? They’re like a blackened speed metal, definitely worth checking out! Really cool band!
You’ve got quite the busy rest of the year planned, right?
I leave tomorrow! I’ve been home for four days, just got back from Planet Rock Winters End, then the UK tour starts on Friday. That’ll run until the end of February. Then hitting the festival season really hard! Just announced two dates with Accept. Then there’s a lot more for the rest of the year that is booked and set to be announced. I think a lot of people will be very happy!
I don’t know how you find the time. If I was at home for just four days I don’t think I’d be able to move to do a full months tour!
Yeah, I mean I’ve not guilt tripped myself too much. Your pattern goes so far wrong that you come home like you know what, I’m not even going to try and sort that problem out until I’m up. If I’m honest, my days have consisted of waking up at like 11, having something to eat, doing press for like five/six hours, smoking a joint and then just chilling out for the rest of the night!
You said you’ve played with some legends already, is there any other dream tour lineup you’d want to be a part of?
Oh for sure, there’s so many bands we’d love to play with! I know Megadeth are doing their farewell tour, we’re hoping to talk to the right people about that! Obviously Iron Maiden. Whether that would happen I’m not sure. Priest is maybe more realistic, I’d love to play with Priest. I think one for me which could be a real possibility, at least I’d like to think so, is Helloween. I’m a huge, huge Helloween fan, they’re the reason I started playing, so if we could open for them that would really feel like a full circle moment for me. And, we’ve played with them before, but I’d love to do a full tour with Airbourne, love those guys!
Another typically stacked week of new music, from rock to metal to country! Let’s dive in!
Larry Fleet: Another Year Older
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read our full review here.
Story of the Year: A.R.S.O.N.
I clearly had a different band in my head, because I was not expecting so much awesome melodic hardcore heading into this! The seventh album from the Missouran quartet is an old-school post-hardcore powerhouse from start to finish. ‘Gasoline’ is the perfect, aggressive opener, while tracks like ‘See Through’ and ‘Into the Dark’ are all massive highlights on top of that. Also, Jacob Shaddix does an amazing job on ‘Fall Away’, definitely another big high point. However, there really isn’t a bad track on the album, even the slower stuff that wouldn’t typically be my thing is amazing. It’s very emo but certainly in a good way; like My Chem mixed with I Prevail, with a surprisingly healthy dose of Mikey D riffing mixed in with it all. I had a great time with this, and will definitely be revisiting it again soon! Check this out if you are at all interested, and it’s a solid 8/10 from us!
No Worth of Man: The Killing Streets
The debut album from the modern metal/deathcore band really makes a statement; the band standing tall and proud and saying ‘we are here to take no prisoners’. This thing goes hard. From the heavy riffs to the crushing screams to the solid drumming, it all fits together perfectly to create something truly awesome. There isn’t a bad track on the album, but songs like ‘Those of Our Kind’ and ‘Alarmus’ are big personal highlights. My only slight complaint is that I’ve heard half of the album before in there 2024 EP. Don’t get me wrong, I very much enjoyed that release, but it would have been nice to hear a full collection of new songs from the band. Still, as an introduction to a band for new listeners, this is awesome, and I would fully recommend it to anyone into the heavier side of metal. The band are all hugely talented, and have a bright future ahead of them. Another solid 7.5/10
Angel Du$t: COLD 2 THE TOUCH
Album six from the Maryland melodic hardcorers goes a lot harder than their previous release, and is much better for it. I enjoyed BRAND NEW SOUL, this is much more up my street from a style perspective. The opening two tracks and ‘Zero’ are Turnstile-meets-Dog-Eat-Dog awesomeness, while ‘Jesus Head’ almost has a late 90s RHCP vibe to it. The album as a whole is amazing though, without a dud throughout. It blends Justice Tripp/Trapped Under Ice’s beatdown style with the more pop-friendly influence from the Turnstile lot who used to be part of the band. They’ve had considerable lineup changes in the last couple of years, but hopefully this is the solid lineup moving forward for a while, as it feels like the band are finally back on track and putting out music up their with their best.
It’s a release that blew me away a lot more than I expected it to, and is one I’d recommend if you are into any of the styles or bands I’ve mentioned previously. And, it’s another short album, which is always a win these days! I’ll definitely be revisiting it in the coming weeks, and don’t be surprised if it sneaks onto ourtop albums of the year listcome December. 8.5/10
Pokey LaFarge: Travelin’ With Pokey LaFarge: Voice and Guitar, Vol 1
One of my favourite discoveries over the last couple of years, I’ve been excited for this to drop for a few months now. This solo EP dropped on his brand new record label and is a more stripped-back affair than we’re used to with his recent releases. However, he’s such a good songwriter, and him with… well… his voice and guitar, still makes awesome music. Opening on an awesome duet with the awesome Addie Hamilton before launching through five amazing solo rock tracks spanning everything from rock’n’roll to swing to country. ‘Walk Your Way out of This Town’ is a particular highlight. It’s all simple but beautiful and really great music, a solid 18-minutes of old-school sounds. It’s maybe not for everyone who’s typically a fan of the guy, but I really enjoyed it, and will definitely be listening again. It’s the perfect release to just sit back and chill-out to. A very solid 7.5/10 from us!
Hellgrimm: Resurrection
Another sixth album, this time from the Texan metallers. The band do a great job of blending together multiple different styles, from stoner to thrash to whatever Motörhead wanna be classed as today, and even elements of NWOBHM and melodic metal. They honestly remind me a lot of Rattlesnakesor Wailing Banshee. It’s a mystery why they aren’t bigger as they are clearly fantastic songwriters and musicians. My only slight nitpick is that maybe the mix could be slightly bigger, but I only really notice it on occasions around the vocals. Songs like ‘Reign of Terror’, ‘Dead Superstar’ and their big single, ‘Dog Trash Must Die’ are all big highlights. However, the whole album is enjoyable, including their Kreator and Stones covers! It’s not something I’d revisit as a whole massively often, but the individual tracks will surely be in my rotation for a while! I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on the band moving forward as they definitely have a new fan in me. 7/10
The Lone Bellow: What a Time to be Alive
The first studio album in going-on four years from the indie folk/Americana trio is another infectiously fun release. 46 minutes of chilled-out alt country and soft rock, giving off vibes of everything from James Bay to Kings of Leon to Drew Holocomb to even Zach Bryan. The band did a great job at choosing the singles as they are definite album high point, but tracks like ‘Common Folk’ and ‘I’m Here for You’ are definite highlights too. The whole album is excellent though, and has such a fantastic flow to it throughout. The harmonies on each song are amazing, and make every chorus huge and so very catchy.
I’d not checked the band out much outside of a song or two here and there, but I’m definitely going to have to go back and check out their back catologue, as I had a blast listening to this. Hopefully they come over to the UK soon too as I’d love to hear all of this live. Until that time, I happily just keep spinning this whole thing, though! 8/10, and it may grow on me even more with more listens!
Gorgol Bordello: We Mean it, Man!
We’ve also checked this one out, aren’t you lucky?! Check it out here.
Converge: Love is Not Enough
I’m sorry, but this album FUCKS. The mixture of aggressive death metal, hardcore and sludgy riffing is amazing and makes me want to punch everything. The first new studio release from the band since their collab with Chelsea Wolfe back in ’21, and their first solo release in nearly a decade, this had a lot of hype to live up to, and smashes all of it to pieces. Everything about it is awesome, and is the perfect 30 minutes of aggressive, brutal, OG metalcore. It’s impossible to pick highlights, I listened to this whole thing through a couple of times and loved every second of it (though ‘Beyond Repair’ goes maybe a minute too long). I am so damn glad these guys are back to releasing new music again, and am already desperate to see all of this live. If you’re into heavy, this is ABSOLUTELY the album for you. I’ve claimed a few times the last 12 months or so that hardcore is back in a big way, and weeks like this just keep proving me right. I can’t give it any less than 9.5/10, damn.
Max Jackson: Dangerous in Denim
The first studio album in nearly six years from the country star, and it at very least lives up to the hype! While the opener is a little too ‘Panderin‘‘ for me, her unique brand of stadium-country is a lot of fun, and makes for a very easy half-an-hour listen. Tracks like ‘Goin’ Nowhere Now’, ‘We Invented Love’ and the Shania-like ‘1990 Somethin” are all personal highlights. However, the more I listen, the more I fall in love with the album. It’s impossible not to have a good time listening to it, and Max has such a fantastic voice and vocal delivery that it keeps it fun, and emotional where needed. And, instrumentally it’s great, some real high points from the drums, guitars and bass throughout, too. Plus, the back-half of this album is truly awesome. Even revisiting ‘Red Dirt ROCKNROLL’ within the context of the album as a whole after, it has certainly grown on me. I would highly recommend this to any 90s or 2000s country music fan reading this, and Max has certainly gained a new fan in me! A very easy 8/10 from us!
Frozen Ocean: Askdrömmar
The first album from the Russian black metaller in a full decade is honestly pretty fantastic, and I’ve never been the biggest black metal fan! It’s not straight-up black metal, there’s some vague electronic and even gothic elements to it too, which definitely helped keep my interest. Tracks like ‘Bortkastade dödsrunor’ and ‘Jag sover’ are personal highlights. However, there isn’t a bad song throughout, even if the album as a whole does get a bit repetitive towards the back half. However, Vaarwel is an incredibly talented musician, and that sort of tunnel-vision is going to happen when there is just one working on a project. If you are into the genre at all, this is well worth checking out! As I said, I enjoyed my listen to it, and certainly wouldn’t turn it off if it came back on again. It gets a 6.5/10 from us!
Clay Street Unit: Sin & Squalor
The debut album from the folk/Americana collective dropped to a lot of hype and expectation on Friday, and lives up to all of it! The big-band feel is always something I love, and they have it in spades here. The hints of bluegrass in the instrumentation keep the pace bouncy and light, while the voice grounds it in country, adding some emotion, depth and some HUGE choruses. It has elements of the likes of Wyatt Flores, White Buffalo, Uncle Luscious, Zach Bryan and American Aquarium all perfectly blended together. It’s also packed full of awesome songs; 40 minutes of incredible music that’s nearly impossible to pick highlights from. From the opener to ‘Where Have you Gone?’, their duet with Lindsay Lou to the more ballad-like ‘Left Unsaid’ to the beautiful closer, it’s all so good. If you’re a fan of all things vaguely country, this is an absolute must-check-out! I can’t give it any less than 9/10, excellent stuff!
The Beautiful Darkness: Pain to Purpose
The debut EP from the mind of Nerys John blends so many different styles together, and does so incredibly interestingly. From folk to grunge to goth to punk to melodic hard rock, they really touch on a bit of everything through the release. Honestly, it’s a great introduction to the group! They have a cool, interesting sound to them, and constantly keep you guessing what’s coming next while listening. ‘The Narcissist’ is possibly my favourite track of the five, but all certainly have their charms. Generally it’s a touch slower pace for me as a whole, but that doesn’t mean it is any worse an EP. This will have so many fans, and I can see a bright future ahead for them, this being the perfect jumping off-point for that. Nerys’ vocals are incredible, and the band that she’s found are all hugely talented players. Another solid 7/10 from me!
Temple Balls: Self-Titled
Album five from the hard rock/AOR Finns is just as massive as their previous outings. Sounding like the natural evolution of Santa Cruz, H.E.A.T. and Van Halen, the band channel an awesome rock energy throughout, driven by pounding drums and awesome riffs. It’s nearly 40-minutes of sleazy goodness, arena-filling choruses and a fantastic bounce that will keep your head bobbing throughout. The band are insanely talented at their chosen instrument, and are also fantastic songwriters. From the opening two numbers to ‘We are the Night’ to ‘Stronger than Fire’, there are so many massive highlights on this thing, though there isn’t a bad song throughout. They fit perfectly in this revival of hard rock in Europe recently, and would fit awesomely into the NWOCR scene in the UK, so hopefully we can get them over here soon so I can see this live! However, for now I am more than happy to keep spinning this awesome album, and would urge any rock fan out there to do the same. A huge 8.5/10!
I would say that this is a bit out there for Overtone, but we already have one review of the wonderful man on here! Still, I wasn’t planning on reviewing this. However, both acts put on such a great show that there was no way I couldn’t rave about it! So, let’s dive right into the show, shall we?
My one gripe of the evening to start things off… why were doors at six if nothing was going to happen until eight? It’s an awful lot of time to drag people into a venue for and just leave them waiting around. They could have easily had a second support band on in this time!
Speaking of support, Jack Garrett was actually someone I wasn’t too interested in heading into it from the tiny bit I’d checked out beforehand. However, talk about winning me over! He is insanely talented, both as a musician and a performer, and I think he got more than just me on his side, as the whole crowd was loving it by the end. Being a one-man-band will never not be impressive, and Jack did it in such a fantastic, fascinating way that it was hard to take my eyes off him while he was blowing my mind. From drums to guitar to keys to vocals, we got a bit of everything, and he was a virtuoso at every bit of it! And, on top of that, he’s an excellent songwriter, as I loved each one he played! His unique blend of indie, pop and blues was infectious, and impossible not to love. To the point where, honestly, I’d have LOVED it with a whole band. The loop pedal stuff is certainly impressive, but I think it lost a little bit of the emotion of the tracks at times, and at times it was clear he was struggling with his stage levels of it all. I completely get wanting to do it all yourself, but I’d have somehow loved it even more with him being a vocalist/guitarist/occasional pianist, with other band members also taking the rest of the parts. Still, it was a great set, and he definitely has a new fan in me!
Having seen Mika at a smaller venue, I had no idea what to expect heading into this. However, I certainly wasn’t expecting the AMAZING show that we got! Starting the show descending from the heavens in a giant industrial hamster wheel was definitely not on my 2026 bingo card. Neither was him strapping himself into it later on and spinning around above the crowd mid-song. However, both added so much to the show, as did the rest of the mechanical stage theming. Add to that the pyro, confetti and the giant inflatable megaphone and rainbow, and it was one hell of a stage show!
As for the music itself, it was just as good as you’d expect it to be! His backing band are absolutely phenomenal musicians, complimenting the main man perfectly while also putting on a good show in their own right, when they could. And, as for Mika, he still has one of the best voices in the game today. His vocal range, even live, still blows me away each time, and his charisma is magnetising. He has more energy and flexibility than I do, and I have a solid 14 years on him! As, setlist-wise, it was everything as good as when we last saw him. Opening with two off his latest album was a slight gamble, even though that’s what the tour was and it sounded incredible. But the moment ‘Relax’ hit, the crowd were locked IN dude, bouncing around and singing along to the very end. And, because of that, I felt like the rest of Hyperlove was received better after. Tracks like ‘Spinning Out’ and ‘Excuses For Love’ were amazing live, and fit perfectly around crowd favourites like ‘Lollipop’ and ‘We Are Golden’. Add to that we got him bring back ‘Popular Song’ (because of course), him taking to the stands during ‘Big Girl’, and the one-two-punch of ‘Grace Kelly’ into ‘Happy Ending’ to close out the main set, and it was a tour de force of everything Mika does brilliantly. By the time ‘Yo Yo’ hit, the crowd was spent, in the best way possible! And absolutely phenomenal set!
And there we have it, yet another incredible night of live music so far this year. Both artist were completely different but phenomenal in their own way, and had the crowd in the palms of their hands through the whole night. How this was Mika’s first time headlining arenas in the UK I do not know, but that man owned the stage as if he’d been on there his whole life. I cannot recommend either artist enough, both on track and live, and have listened to both plenty over the weekend!
We had the pleasure of chatting to the awesome Chuck Ransom the other day about the release of their new B-Sides collection album, as well as their upcoming trip back to the UK! Check it out below!
How would you describe your sound?
Action hard rock! That is a good name for what we do.
What made you put out a B-sides release, let alone a number of them? Is there any reason as to why some of the tracks didn’t make it on a full release?
This is actually the third album with B-sides, covers and unreleased material! Many of the songs are taken from tribute albums to different bands and artists that we are honoured to have been a part of, and some songs are simply taken from singles and B-sides from singles. All these songs are recorded in between album sessions.
Have the tracks changed since they were first written/performed?
Yes a bit, we usually start up with an almost finished song, and then add some tweeks & hooks. It is usually the solo parts that gets some extra love and changes.
Is there writing going on for the next full release, too?
Yes, we got 7 out of 12 songs ready for our next album. We aim for a 2027 release!
Got a pretty year so far for festival appearances, including coming over here for Call of the Wild, right?
Yes, we hope to be able to book a few more shows in the UK around the Call of the Wild festival, we love playing the UK!
And yes, we got some nice shows booked in Finland, Spain and Germany too for 2026.
You were last out here back in March, right? How does the scene in the UK compare to back home?
Yes, we played Hard Rock Hell in Great Yarmouth, which was a exellent event, very well organized!
The Swedish scene is a bit different from the UK scene. We find the UK audience to be more alert and into the music, Sweden is a bit more posh.
And in Sweden a nice hotel, food and drinks are standard, which is not always the case in the UK!
Have you got a busy rest of the year planned outside of the festivals announced?
Yup, we will spend this year on finnishing album no. 12.
Do you have a dream tour lineup you’d want to be a part of? Anyone you want to support or friends you want to bring along?
A Hellacopters / Gluecifer / Turbonegro tour is something we would love to support! It is so weird that they are not doing this.
If you could have written one song from history, what would it be?
Money wise I would go for “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby and personally since it is the best song ever written I would go for “Honey Bee” by Tom Petty.
