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!
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.”
The second album from the southern soul/country blues rising megastar drops this coming Friday to quite a bit of hype! The guy exploded onto the scene just last year with his critically acclaimed debut, especially when he was just 17 years old(!), so it feels like everyone has been waiting to see if he can follow it up with an equally good release. We got the chance to give it a bit of an early listen so desperately wanted to really sink our teeth in and see what the teenager has put together in barely a year. Let’s dive right in!
The album starts in a perfectly chilled way, with a low guitar melody backed by a simple beat. Ty’s vocals fit perfectly over the top, giving a country twang to the easy-listening pop instrumentation. And, while the track stays more stripped-back and slower, it builds in a few more instruments and definitely has a bigger-feeling chorus. Weirdly, I find myself drawing similarities to the likes of Cardinal Black and even The War & Treaty, that edge of soul and jazz and blues in there alongside the rest of the country, folk and pop. It’s a simple track but a beautiful one, and really sets the tone of the album perfectly!
‘Pedestal’ continues the same vibe perfectly, like a country-infused Newton Faulkner. It follows a similar formula to ‘Morning Comes’, but starting on just guitar and vocals makes it feel even bigger when the drums and the rest of the instrumentation comes in from the first chorus. I loved the little lead guitar licks too, being very bluesy, Ty showing off his incredible skills there, too. And at times his vocals and melodies even remind me more of that 90s alt rock sound, reminding me a little of Hootie & The Blowfish, Staggered Crossing and even Pearl Jam. While a little more relaxed than all those names, I really loved this track, and it easily makes it onto our playlist!
The pace and energy picks up for the bluesy ‘Don’t You Know’, showing off Ty’s range fantastically. Suddenly it’s more like Lenny Kravitz, and I’m fully down! From the great riff that runs through it to his more attitude-filled vocal delivery, the catchy hooks, the harmonies and those amazing horns, it’s all SO GOOD. And while I’d have loved the energy dialled up even 5% more, it’s still a fantastic track, and breaks up the album perfectly early on. It’s a song I am already desperate to see live, so hopefully he’s over I’m the UK soon! It’s maybe my favourite track on the album, and the second in a row that is a huge personal highlight!
‘Message to You’ slows things back down again. It’s certainly not an issue, as it’s a beautiful track in its own right and follows on from one of the more high-energy songs. The lyrics and vocals are bittersweet and packed full of emotion, fitting the tone of the track perfectly. Between it and ‘Woman’, they are the ballad tracks of the album. Both are excellent, slower, acoustic-based songs, and are put at pretty perfect places throughout the album; both feeling like earned emotional moments and helping the flow of the release. More amazing stuff!
The bouncy, bluesy energy returns perfectly with ‘Run Run Run’. Again giving off Kravitz vibes, it also has plenty of southern team and charm to it to cross over into country. It’s infectiously fun, and catchy as anything! It’s another absolutely excellent track that blends so many amazing sounds together like only Ty can do. His vocal style fits this sort of music amazingly too, almost more-so than the slower stuff. It’s also another one that I just HAVE to see live, and soon! And, though short, the guitar solo was also excellent, fitting the track to a tee. The talent on display is really off the charts. Honestly, I can’t get enough of it, and it’s yet another huge highlight on an album seemingly packed full of them!
‘Game Called Love’ is an almost Buffet-flavoured indie-country track, and is one that’s the perfect chilled vibe. It’s built for the beach, regardless of the lyrical content, and as someone who lives in the UK and as far away from the coast there as I can, alongside writing this review during a storm outside, this was absolutely what I needed! The subtle organ at times was a masterstroke, but all the instrumentation in this is so well put together and produced. It’s just a damn fun song, and one that will get even the most stubborn listeners dancing, or at least tapping their foot. I need this album to chill out, I’m starting to sound like a fangirl, aren’t I…?
Songs like ‘Leavin’ Carolina’, ‘Southbound’ and ‘Songs for You’ are more steady tracks like opening couple. All are good songs individually, as well as fitting the tone of the album perfectly. However, they certainly don’t stand out as much as some of the other tracks on the release. However, I honestly wouldn’t cut any of them, they all feel like they have their place here. The latter is probably my favourite of the trio.
‘Come on Over Baby’ is straight up classic blues in the best possible way. From some great acoustic riffing and playing to his New Orleans-drenched vocals and the build up into the massive, jazz-infused choruses, it’s all SO DAMN GOOD. Some of the guitar leads throughout are honestly phenomenal too, fitting the track excellently. The dynamics of the song are amazing, and make for a truly huge, well-earned final chorus. It’s a simple track so fantastically put together that it’s hard not to smile while listening to it. Old-school blues modernised into a 2026 package, and it’s impossible not to love it!
A piano leads ‘Through a Screen’, juxtaposing amazingly with the otherwise guitar-based album. It’s another ballad, but completely different to the others as it’s based much more around classical instruments. The strings swells are amazing, and it all once again builds to something truly magical at its crescendo. Once again, I can only marvel at the sheer talent on display from a writing and production standpoint. And I also love that it slowly strips back more and more to finish, closing out as it opened. Yet another fantastic highlight!
The only track on the album to feature a guest, the incomparable Marcus King does great on blues-funk number ‘Two Trains’. It’s got a great bounce and swagger to it, and both vocals complement each other perfectly. Also, the gospel harmonies through the choruses are fantastic, fitting the song so perfectly. It reminds me a little of mid-late 2000s Kid Rock, back when he wasn’t so cringy. And of course, a healthy dose of Lenny again for good measure. It’s another infectiously fun, really great track, and the fact that it has helped me get this far into the album without any semblance of fatigue is phenomenal.
The final three tracks round out the album excellently. They do feel like ‘Southbound’ et. Al, a little album track-y, but again all are that high quality that it would be a shame if they were cut from the release. The bluesy, almost TC3-like ‘Bad Guy’ is probably the stand-out from the three, but certainly none of them are bad. And ‘Good Morning Paris’ closes things perfectly with a moody folk-Americana sound that surprisingly feels like it brings in elements of most of the other tracks that precede it. And plus, the strings in the back end of it once again give it almost an epic feel to it. It’s a great way to close off, feeling like a true culmination of the last 16 tracks!
Overall: I didn’t know what to expect heading into this, but didn’t expect to love it as much as I did! For how long an album as it is, it is packed to the brim with standout tracks, and doesn’t once feel like it gets old or boring. Ty’s talent for songwriting and playing, across multiple instruments and sub-genres, is off the charts, and for a sophomore album to come out swinging this hard after such a big debut is incredible. If you are at all into any of the many genres this release covers, I cannot recommend checking it out enough. This will be certainly high on our albums of the year list come December, and I’ll be spinning it a lot in the weeks and months to come! The kid has an INSANELY bright future ahead of him!
We had the pleasure of chatting to Serg MP, bassist and vocalist of the technical thrash Ukrainians Violent Omen! Check it out below as we talk about their reunion after a decade, writing new music and hopeful plans for the future!
Firstly, what prompted the reunion of the band after all these years?
I had a conflict with drummer Yuri and guitarist/vocalist Dmitro. In fact, it wasn’t something spontaneous, because it had been building up for a long time. A band is like a family, and sometimes there are moments of crisis between members, so it would have happened sooner or later because there were misunderstandings and hidden resentments towards each other. Since we were still young and inexperienced, these misunderstandings turned into a huge public scandal and mudslinging. Now, with the passage of time, Yuri and I deeply regret allowing this to happen, because the band was at its peak with three albums and had great prospects, but unfortunately, we destroyed everything ourselves. Ten years later, I happened to meet Yuri near my home, and we were able to talk and resolve all our issues from the past. After that, we decided to create a new death metal band, Tria Prima, and only then did the idea of reviving Violent Omen come up. I hadn’t seen or spoken to Dmitro since 2014, when he left the band. When Yuri suggested that they get back together, he refused and said that he was ashamed that he had been involved in it and had accidentally ended up in Violent Omen. Dmitro was always strange, so I’m not surprised by his response.
‘Path of Illumination’ has not long dropped, what can you tell me about the track?
The new single is based on the book Angels and Demons by American author Dan Brown. Angels and Demons is a fascinating journey into a world of mystery and intrigue. I had this idea back in 2014 for a new album, but as you can see, it took more than 10 years to realise it, but better late than never. In fact, we planned to make another song the first single, but due to problems with electricity in the country caused by rocket attacks, our plans changed, because everything was already ready for the track ‘Path of Illumination’, and we really wanted to release our single on the band’s 17th anniversary, because it was very important and symbolic for us. In part, this track reflects the direction, and in part it doesn’t, because we ended up making all the songs on the album different so that they wouldn’t sound alike, and you’ll hear that for yourselves later, but at the same time, this track shows our crazy thinking, which is also present in other songs on the album.
How does it fit onto the album as a whole? Is there a certain theme or story behind the album?
No, it’s not a concept album, and each song is about a different topic. I am inspired by various topics, from the Aztecs to Japan’s Unit 731. I am very fond of history and its colorful characters. For example, the new album will feature songs about Billy Milligan and Killdozer, and each of these characters has their own dramatic fate that captivates you with its details and outcome. Incidentally, my inspiration for lyrics is similar to Steve Harris (Iron Maiden). The most interesting thing is that I never tried to imitate him in this regard; it just happened that way. I remember watching the movie Inception and being so impressed that I couldn’t wait for it to end so I could sit down and write the lyrics, and it happened many times with other songs. It’s cool when inspiration for ideas comes spontaneously and out of nowhere.
What’s it like getting together and playing in a room again after all these years?
My emotions are very positive because this is a huge event in my musical life. A lot of time has passed, more than 10 years, since I left the band, and there were still many unresolved issues within the band itself and between the members. But as you can see, time heals everything, and fate itself leads you to the right decision at the right time. To be honest, I thought it would never happen, but I was wrong. It will be very exciting to see the reaction of our fans when the long-awaited album is released! I am very pleased that this has happened!
Is the writing process still the same for the band now compared to back in the day?
No, because we have a new guitarist, and thanks to the new experience I have gained over the last 10 years, we have developed a new structure and approach to new music, which has become more sophisticated and professional. Previously, we took a simpler approach, especially to arrangements, but now we work hardest on arrangements to make them our strong point in music. Also, in the past, it was a completely different time, and we were younger and less experienced, but now we take this very seriously.
Do you have a favourite track on the upcoming album, and if so why?
I like all the songs in their own way, but I would probably single out the song ‘24th Faces of Lunacy’ about Billy Milligan. The song turned out to be my favourite crazy style in every way. It was the first song I wrote for the album, and it remained almost 90 per cent unchanged because it was already so cool and ready. It has everything! Two bass solos, a cool intro guitar solo, crazy vocals, technical and difficult riffs, as well as killer drums that bring it all to a climax. This song also has a special schizophrenic atmosphere!
Do you plan on doing some live shows to promote the album once it’s released?
There are no concerts planned for the near future because the country has been at war for four years now and there are no favorable conditions for this. Maybe in the distant future we will do some kind of tour if the opportunity arises. In the past, when times were better, we performed a lot and we didn’t have a single plan for preparing for concerts. Since we are a non-drinking band, we didn’t get drunk before concerts, but simply went on stage sober, put on a great show, and went to rest. Sometimes, right before the performance, I would play a couple of songs by Dark Angel or Raven on my player to get energized before the show.
Do you have a five year goal for the band moving forward?
Not really, because we’ve already done something unreal and recorded a new album. For us, the band isn’t a job, it’s more like an expensive hobby, so we don’t have any obligations, contracts or business models. But it would be nice to record another 1 or 2 albums in the next 5 years, that’s a realistic goal to achieve. Time will tell, but we are living in wartime and anything can change, and then there will be no time for the band.
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 with you?
For us, going on tour in Europe is already a dream, because it’s a complicated operation for a band from Ukraine without a big label. It would be cool to go on tour with Atheist or with our Luxembourgish friends Fusion Bomb, that would be awesome! There are many great bands that I’ve been friends with for years, and it would be great to go on tour with many of them and have a blast. Tour life is always fun!
If you could have written a song from history, what would it have been and why?
Almost all of my songs are about history, so they’re already written! And if we’re talking about something new that I haven’t gotten around to yet, I’d like to write a song about the Unabomber. Theodore “Ted” Kaczynski (1942–2023) was an American mathematician, social critic, and terrorist known as the “Unabomber”. He conducted a 17-year mail-bombing campaign (1978–1995) targeting people involved with modern technology, killing 3 and injuring 23, driven by an anti-technology ideology detailed in his manifesto I recently watched a cool series about him based on real events, and it made a big impression on me. So maybe you’ll hear a song about him on the new album, but I can’t promise anything.
A more chilled out but still great week for new music this time. Join us as we check out everything from rock to metal to country!
Luke Combs: The Way I Am
The first release from the second-biggest country star in the world in 18 months and, to my honest shock, there’s some rock to this! After 2024’s Fathers & Sons, and to a lesser extent his 2022 and 2023 twofer albums, I didn’t expect him to ever go back to his more southern rock-infused roots but damn, I’m glad I was proven wrong! Opener ‘Back in the Saddle’ sets the tone perfectly, both sound wise and thematically. Songs like ‘My Kinda Saturday Night’, ‘Alcohol of Fame’ and ‘Can’t Tell Me I’m Wrong’ also carry on that energy perfectly! Even some of the slower, ballad-like tracks like ‘Miss You Here’ and ‘Wish Upon a Whiskey’ are definite album highlights.
However, as I’m sure you can tell by how many songs I just named already, this thing is too damn long. screw the algorithm, 73 minutes is too long for one album, especially when a lot of it is slower paced stuff. If this was even as much as half its length, it’d be up there as one of the best country releases of the year. But there is just way too much filler on here for it to be a solid album throughout. It was at least arranged well, with there being good songs spread throughout and me not getting bored for long. But it’s not an album as a whole I’ll be revisiting often, even if it is my favourite release from Mr Combs in seven years. If you are a fan of the guy or his brand of country music, this is well worth checking out, but be prepared to spend a while on it! It’s a solid 7/10 for now, and it could still grow on me with more listens!
Exodus: Goliath
We’ve already checked out this awesome release! Read the full review here.
Tyketto: Closer to the Sun
Another of our most anticipated albums of the year, and it certainly lives up to our hype! It’s nearly 50 minutes of catchy, fun AOR music, and a release I’d recommend to anyone! It’s also packed full of highlights, from ‘Starts with a Feeling’ to ‘Donnowhuddidis’ to ‘Closer to the Sun’ and ‘Hit Me Where it Hurts’. However, there truly isn’t a bad song throughout! How the world has managed to wait a full decade between studio albums I don’t know, but the 90s rockers show that they haven’t lost a step in that time. Danny’s vocals are still incredible, and the rest of the band are firing on all cylinders when it comes to both playing and writing. Plus,the production on the release is really top notch, everything being clear and shining through perfectly. If you are at all a fan of the band, I’d definitely recommend giving this a spin. There isn’t much more I can say apart from that it’s a damn good-time listen! It gets a very easy 8.5/10 from us!
Follow the Signs: Evolve
The new EP from the Irish metalcore band goes hard from start to finish, and I LOVE it. From the more 2000s sound of the opener to the Architects-like ‘Call to Rise’ to the epic title track, it’s all SO GOOD. However, the other two tracks are just as good as the one I’ve mentioned, too. It’s an absolutely incredible 16 minutes of heavy-meets-melodic metal music, and one I can’t recommend enough to anyone even slightly into the genre. How these guys aren’t bigger by now I don’t know, especially with two albums under their belts too. However, this follows Conflictions perfectly, and very much feels like a bold new chapter for the band! An incredibly easy 9/10 from us, great stuff!
Night Thieves: Metaxis
The highly anticipated debut album from the UK alt metallers dropped this last Friday. I remember loving their EP a couple of years back, and this continues that vibe and energy perfectly! They’re the perfect blend of Coheed and Cambria, Atreyu and Ward XVI, and it makes for an incredibly fun listen throughout. Tracks like ‘Mycelia’, ‘Running ‘(Out of Time)’ and ‘The Game’ are all personal highlights, but there really isn’t a bad song throughout. Oh, and Jessie Powell kills it on her feature on ‘See You on the Otherside’, her style perfectly meshing with Night Thieves’. The whole album has a fantastic flow and energy through it, 34-minutes going by in the blink of an eye. Heck, I didn’t even notice the transition between the two parts of ‘In Between’, that’s how well put together this is! It’s the perfect blend of heavy, melodic and radio-friendly, and I’d recommend it to absolutely anyone! I can’t give it any less than 8.5/10, and will definitely be spinning this plenty moving forward!
The Dandy Warhols: Pin Ups
Owen: American band The Dandy Warhols bring us something slightly different this week, ‘Pin Ups’ is the latest addition to their discography and is a collection of 17 cover tracks from the bands favourite and most influential songs to their career. Taking its name from David Bowie’s 1973 cover album, ‘Pin Ups’ takes on some impressive songs mainly from the 70s and 80’s as well as a couple of curveballs. Including tracks from, The Beatles, Marilyn Manson, Bob Dylan, The Cure, New York Dolls, and many more. Each track honours the original whilst still allowing The Dandy Warhols to put their own spin on the song. Only time will tell if any of these covers will cement themselves and stand on their own two feet; its rare for covers to take on a new life with a new artist but it does happen, and fans of the band will certainly enjoy hearing the choices made with each track. Cover albums will always feel like a bit of a filler or a stop-gap, whilst this is a fun exploration of the bands influences I’m sure fans will be expecting some new original work from the group sooner rather than later. 7.5/10
Evermore: Mournbraid
Some truly epic power metal up next. Album number three from the Swedish six-piece, it builds on the bands legacy perfectly. Each band member plays and works their ass off through the full 50 minutes of this, and the result is something truly special. From ‘Underdark’ to ‘Titans’, ‘Armored Willi’ to the closer/title track, it’s all excellent! It reminds me of Hammerfall or even Maiden or Priest to an extent, but a heavier version of both. It’s that heaviness that makes it even better too, not fitting into the typical power metal mould but feeling pretty unique. It’s still got the huge, uplifting, arena-filled choruses, but also has plenty of thrash drumming and some blistering riffs and solos to boot. And I think the production helps took, making everything feel and sound MASSIVE. There isn’t a bad song throughout, and it’s an album that is well worth listening to in full at least once. It’s yet another fantastic album for this week, and another easy 8.5/10!
Poison the Well: Peace in Place
The melodic hardcore titans are back with their first album in almost two decades, and the first release since their 2020 reunion. Due to their long drought and years active, I wasn’t really familiar with them heading in. However, they definitely have a new fan in me, that’s for sure! This is 42-minutes of pure anger, aggression and moodiness, and I am down with every second of it. While ‘Primal Bloom’ and single ‘Weeping Tones’ are definite personal highlights, the whole album has a great flow to it, and is certainly worth a listen in full! The band are clearly talented, and do the heavy-sad thing to perfection. If you are into the heavier side of emo, this is definitely an album you need to check out immediately! Though moody, it’s a good fun listen, and gets a solid 7.5/10 from us!
Axel Rudi Pell: Ghost Town
The brand new solo album from the German guitarist continues his run of regular, excellent releases! It doesn’t reinvent the wheel or anything like that, being a similar brand of vaguely AOR-infused NWOBHM that he’s been putting out since his Steeler days. However, it’s a great album in its own right, just like his previous works. From the title track to ‘Hurricane’ to ‘Steps of Stone’, there is plenty to love throughout. It is maybe a touch long at nearly an hour, especially when it’s all a vaguely similar, plodding pace, but there isn’t a track that I’d happily cut from it! If anyone is a fan of old-school Priest or Michael Schenker, this is absolutely an album for you! It’s not something I’d revisit often, but I had a good time listening and it’s certainly a damn good release, up there alongside Axel’s upper tier. 7/10
Atlus: Art of Letting Go
The label debut from the fast-rising country star continues the momentum built by last years EPperfectly. Setting aside the fact that all 18 minutes of that release take up 1/3rd of this one, there are still some amazing new tracks to sink your teeth into, too. ‘Hold my Liquor’, ‘Sounds Like Alcohol’ and ‘Roses’ are up there alongside ‘Secondhand Smoke’ as top tracks, in my opinion! It’s just damn good country-pop, and the whole 45-minutes is incredibly easy to listen to, going by in a flash. It’s easy to see why he’s becoming such a big name. He’s an incredible songwriter, seamlessly infusing emotion and great lyrics into catchy pop hooks. While not typically my sort of style, Atlus does it in a way that is constantly hooking me in, and I’ll certainly be revisiting this release more than once in the coming weeks. A damn solid 8/10 from us!
Stonetrip: The Fight
Following up on their 2023 debut album, this EP brings together the Australian rockers’ single output since then, adding on a fourth track for good measure. All four tracks are amazing too, all as good as the last! It’s pop-infused alt rock, but also has some great blues and hard rock moments throughout too! It’s just a lot of fun throughout, blending together so many different sounds and even decades. ‘Beautiful You’ is probably my favourite, but every track on this is amazing, honestly! The Australian rock scene is proving time and time again recently that it’s still one of the best in the world, and this release is a great example of that! This is a great EP that immediately leaves me wanting more, and has earned the band a big new fan in me. Another incredibly solid 8/10 from us!
Morgan Evans: Steel Town
Owen: Australian country singer Morgan Evans brings us his third studio album ‘Steel Town’. Following Evans’ divorce from US singer Kelsea Ballerini the album is described as a journey through the stages of grief experienced. The album opens with the title track a love letter to Evans’ hometown of Newcastle, New South Wales, followed by the promotional single released in October 2025 ‘Beer Back Home’ which brings up the nostalgic feelings of returning to your hometown. The tone starts to shift as we move further into the album with songs like ‘Two Broken Hearts’ and ‘Another Drink Coming” as we start to hear more of the dark sides of Evans’ experience. The rest of the album is much of the same.
Ultimately, the album feels quite flat, especially with Evans stating this was a cathartic exercise for processing a divorce. It’s clear Evans has some talent with song writing but this album sounds like every other mass-produced country album released in the past 5 years, and yes even though he is an Australian native of course there’s a song about Texas on this album. I can’t help but feel there is a missed opportunity here to do things differently, show us a side of country music without Nashville influence. 5/10
Misty Route: Ethos
The sophomore album from the Greek alt metallers comes a whopping five years after their debut, yet they prove that this was easily worth the wait! It’s packed full of killer riffing and some truly catchy vocal hooks and melodies. It also feels pretty prog at times, at least in a kinda post-Tool way. Right from opener ‘Hail’ I was hooked, taken on a 40 minute journey of epicness. It’s truly impossible to pick individual highlights too as it’s all so good and flows together perfectly! Honestly I can’t rave about this band enough, and if you are even slightly into the genre or styles I’ve mentioned above, check this out ASAP. The band have a massive new fan in me, and I already can’t wait to hear where they go from here. For now though, I’ll be spinning this plenty in the weeks and months to come. 9/10, amazing stuff!
Tyler Nance: Midwest Memoir
The highly anticipated debut album from the neo-traditional country rising star is every bit as good as the praise being heaped on it! I fell in love with this thing from the opener, and it just kept blowing me away the more I listened. Put it this way; out of the 16 individual tracks on it, nine of them ended up on my personal playlist. Yep, it’s that solid throughout. It’s 50 minutes that doesn’t feel it’s length at all. It feels like the perfect blend of so many different artists, from Ian Munsick to Zach Bryan to Koe Wetzel, but then also feels wholly unique at the same time. It’s packed full of great instrumentation and moments, catchy melodies and plenty of emotional weight, making everything feel massive. And plus, all three (five?) of the guests kill it, adding so much to the tracks they are on, making them even more memorable.
This album is an absolute must for any country, Americana or indie-folk fan out there. It’s easy to see why he’s such a big name already and is only just putting out a debut album now. 9.5/10, WOW.
We had the pleasure of chatting to the amazing southern rockers Otis the other week about their recent single, plans for 2026 and what they make of the UK. Check it out below!
How would you describe your sound?
Oh yeah man, we get thrown into the blues and classic rock pot, as well as the Southern one! It’s kinda weird for us, the Southern rock thing, because really all rock comes from the south. Little Richard, Elvis… it took this combination of gospel and blues and standardised country music to make all those things happen. But we’re grateful for anybody who listens to us and they can call us whatever they want!
We’re happy to do it. And we’ve really been welcomed into the classic rock community. We’ve spent a good amount of time playing with bands like Foreigner and Cheep Trick and UFO. On the Southern rock side we’ve played with Wet Willie and members of the Almond Brothers… we’ve been very lucky that the older guys have seen the spark in us and said to come out with them and learn the ropes!
I feel like genres blend a lot more these days. You can fit into all sorts and people are a bit more open-minded about it!
Yeah, absolutely! Especially in the UK and EU, it seems more welcoming to loose Classic rock bands. In America, at least radio-wise, you had a rock hit 30 years ago, or you’re more active rock like Shinedown or Nickelback. But for what we’re doing, we’re kinda in that in-between place and they don’t know what to do with us on the radio over here!
You’ve just returned with a new single, right?
We have! We released a song called ‘I’m Wicked’ on February 5th. We won Classic Rock Magazine’s track of the week when it came out! There was tough competition so we really appreciate people getting in there and voting!
So far so good, people really seem to be enjoying the song! Last weekend was the first time we got to play it live so that was a lot of fun!
I know it’s been a couple of years since you put out a single, what prompted new music now?
Man, we were going wide open ‘till about 2020. Then I had thyroid cancer, I had to get it removed and take radiation treatment, and the original guitarist for the band went over to play bass for Black Stone Cherry, and the drummer wanted to stay home and do the family thing. So, we brought two new guys into the band and started touring and releasing music again in 2023. We released ‘There’s a Break in the Road’ in 2023, ‘Last Fool in the Line’ in 2024, didn’t release anything last year but released ‘I’m Wicked’ this year.
It’s good to get some new music out there, and we’re working to try and get a full release out! Doing all the behind the scenes business stuff to make that happen. People seem to really be digging what we’re doing, so we want to get some new music out!
That was going to be my next question! Are you looking for end of the year for a longer release?
That would be great! We don’t really have a date down yet but it’s something that we’re working on. All the music we love listening to is in album format, and it’s kinda hard to release music in the single format because people only get a little glimpse of what you’re able to do. When you put a record on and you listen to it front-to-back you get a really clear picture of what a band is about.
I have found it’s so much effort to keep up with the crazy single release schedule Spotify wants you to do these days, there’s so much that goes into each release.
Oh man, it’s exhausting! And really expensive, too! Ideally they want you to release a song every three months or so to keep the numbers where they need to be. At a point you have to look at yourself and go ‘am I putting out music out at the right pace for me and for the right reasons, or just keep the numbers happy?’. We always want to serve the music and put out the best thing we can, but you do have to kinda play the game sadly.
What’s the writing process like for you guys?
We’re a get in the room and hash it out kinda band. I may have a riff or some lyrics or an idea but I try not to develop it too far because once the other three guys get a hold of what’s going on it always changes into something far better than I’d have gotten to on my own! A lot of times I do end up using that root idea, but they manage to take it somewhere completely unexpected, which is a lot of fun. We all feed off each other during the writing process just like we do live. I think that’s the cool thing about being a band over being an artist, you can showcase that. With bands that we love like Humble Pie and Faces, it’s that interaction between those players live in a room that makes it so unique!
I imagine it’s still a nice groove writing with the newer band members?
Oh yeah, I think this lineup of the band, our songwriting has really improved. The two new guys, they’re so energetic and they were into what the band was doing beforehand, and then ended up being in the band, so it gives them even more of a renewed energy!
You’re right in the middle of a run of shows, right?
Yeah, tomorrow actually [at the time of recording] we’re playing with a band called The Damn Shames and Nigel Dupree. This will be a lot of fun as I’ve known Nigel, son of Jesse James Dupree of Jackyl. I’ve never got to see him play, and he’s never seen me play! Then we have a show in Ohio, so the touring’s kicking up for us! We’re still doing the weekend thing, which works for us as a lot who see us are blue-collar people, they can’t really swing going out on a Tuesday night. We’re weekend rock’n’roll warriors!
Have you got a busy rest of the year planned?
Yeah, there’s new shows coming in every day, so from now until November we’re gonna be hitting it! Hopefully some time to get back to the studio and get some songs down and get this record out!
Do you have any plans to come back to the UK any time soon?
Yeah, we’ve been over twice and really enjoyed our time, we’d love to come back! It’s just finding the right opportunity and make as much of an impact as we can while there. It’s tricky; we wanna go everywhere and see everybody but it’s hard to do! We wanna do festival stuff and club stuff, we’ll eventually make it happen. I know people want to see us!
Have you got any comparisons you can make of the scene here compared to back home?
For us we feel a lot more respect when we come over and play for y’all. There’s so much to compete with over here, with people on their phone or watching the game, but over there people just have a greater reverence for live music. Not that people don’t enjoy it over here, I guess our type of music is just something that doesn’t get seen as often over there. So we feel very respected when we come over there!
