Another week of the music industry trying to kill me with SO MUCH new music being released. However, spoiler alert, a lot of it is amazing. Let’s see which ones, shall we?
Bruce Dickinson: The Mandrake Project
The first solo album of the Iron Maiden frontman in nearly two decades, Bruce very much proves that he still has it on his own. There is no way a man in his mid-60s should still sing and write this well. He really is one in a million, and proves that he is just as suited to doom metal as he is NWOBHM. Don’t get me wrong, there are times where it still feels like modern Maiden, especially in ‘Many Doors to Hell’. However, that really isn’t a bad thing, as I love me a bit of Final Frontier and Book of Souls. But yeah, there’s so much doom riffing throughout, while some of Brice’s lyrics, melodies and attitude-filled delivery add so much on top of it all.
There are plenty of highlights, including ‘Rain on the Graves’, ‘Fingers in the Wounds’ and the epic ‘Shadow of the Gods’. The latter is a beautiful, piano-led ballad too, something that Bruce would never quite get to do wkth Maiden. Also, after mentioning Book of Souls earlier, I have to give a huge shootout to the re-vamped opening track from it on here, ‘Eternity has Failed’. The reimagining/sequel is really awesome, and a worthy addition to the original. There really isn’t a bad track on the album, though I have to admit that I did start to feel the length of it by the end, sadly. 10 songs as just under an hour is par for the course with Maiden AND doom metal, but it still doesn’t stop it from being a lot. Having said that, I couldn’t think of a song that I’d suggest cutting, so what do I know? It’s a great album and lives up to the hype surrounding it. 8.5/10
Kaiser Chiefs: Kaiser Chiefs’ Easy Eighth Album
The English indie rock legends returned with (surprisingly) their eighth studio album this last Friday. Honestly, I hadn’t checked out much from the band since their MASSIVE 2007 album, so it was a nice surprise that this is a good, fun album. There’s a surprising amount of funk/disco influence throughout, which certainly broke up the usual indie formula nicely. Highlight tracks include the opener, ‘How 2 Dance’ and ‘Jelousy’. Don’t get me wrong, I found myself getting bored after around midway through. But I’m not biggest indie fan, and there is definitely more indie the deeper into the album you get. But for a chilled-out album to whack on in the background, it’s good! I wouldn’t turn it of if it came on again, so for that, it gets a 6.5/10
These Wicked Rivers: Force of Nature
We’ve already heard this album. Check out our full review of it here to see what we thought!
Ministry: HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES
This album has been a long time coming. I had it on my release list like, six plus months ago, and it’s kept getting pushed back and pushed back. So, to my shock, it actually came out on Friday. This better be worth it, Al… especially for the final ever Ministry album…
It’s certainly a Ministry album, that much is for sure. An incredibly interesting, heavy and thought provoking industrial album that still feels as boundary-pushing and dangerous as it did in the the 80s. Tracks like the crossover-thrash-esque ‘New Religion’ and single ‘Goddamn White Trash’ are personal highlights. However, I found myself really enjoying the whole album. I’m not typically a massive fan of the more old-school, punk-infused industrial sound, but Ministry knocked it out of the park once again here. If this truly is their last hurrah, they are most certainly going out with a bang. 8/10
New Years Day: Half Black Heart
The alt metal Californians are back with their fifth studio album, and first in half a decade. It’s a very modern album, feeling like it has definitely elements of metalcore and modern,In This Moment or even Spiritbox-like metal, as well as having a more radio-friendly, hard rock edge mixed in. It’s a fun listen for sure, and is definitely a great modern metal album, following on and evolving the foundations that the likes of Breaking Benjamin built, occasionally going a tad heavier. Tracks like ‘Vampyre’, ‘Hurts Like Hell’ and ‘Burn it All Down’ are personal highlights.
However, it does feel like it’s missing something, though I have no idea what. All of the tracks kinda blended together, and although there were tracks I enjoyed more than others, none of them especially stood out. All the tracks are good but feel just a tad generic; there’s nothing that hasn’t been done before. It’s not a bad at all and I’d not turn any of it off if it came on again. And I’ll certainly listen to it again. It’s simply that none of it blew me away. Still, 7/10, it’s good!
Yard Act: Where’s My Utipia?
The spiritual successor to Blur and Gorillaz are back with their sophomore album. I remember checking out their debut (find it here) and loving it. Does this one live up to their first release?
Honestly, I’d put it up there at times. It’s more ambitious, that’s for sure. It experiments with more sounds, influences and styles, and the result is a really interesting, engaging listen. And, while there is certainly some of the humour from the first album on here, it also gets a lot darker in feel and tone at times. Tracks like ‘Down by the Stream’ and ‘Grifter’s Grief’ have almost Don’t Hug Me, I’m Scared vibes, especially with the creepy album artwork. The juxtaposition of the dark themes with the light, bouncy music is masterful.
However, having said all of that, I don’t think it’s quite as groundbreaking or impactful for me as their debut. While there are definite highlights, the main ones for me being ‘We Make Hits’ and ‘Blackpool Iluminations’, it feels more of an album-as-a-whole art piece, as opposed to a collection of amazing songs. That’s certainly not a bad thing, but it just doesn’t feel quite as enjoyable as their first album. It’s still a great album though, and one that I’ll most certainly be listening to again a fair bit. It’ll probably grow on me with more listens, but for now it gets an easy 8/10 from me!
The Now: Too Hot to Handle
We’ve already checked out this awesome album. Read our full review here!
Blind Channel: EXIT EMOTIONS
The Finnish nu metal band and Eurovision alumni are back with their fifth album. It’s no secret I didn’t like their last album, though it did translate a lot better live at Graspop last year! And honestly, this album is at least a step in the right direction. From the chunky riffs to some decent screams and vocal flow, musically it’s pretty good. Being the perfect blend of From Ashes to New and old-school Papa Roach, the band certainly have settled down into a specific style and genre.
It feels generally less cringy than their previous release too, at very least lyrically. It’s still not quite my thing, it’s very pop-oriented. Plus, none of it is quite mind-blowing or interesting enough to keep my focus for long. There are certainly highlight tracks, like ‘DEADZONE’ and ‘HAPPY DOOMSDAY’, but generally it was all just… fine. I get that there are definitely fans for this sort of music, but honestly the two bands I compared them to earlier are putting out better music than this still, in my opinion. I wouldn’t exactly turn off any of it if it came back on, but I’m not rushing to listen to any of it again. It’s good, but I can’t give it much more than 6.5/10
Suldusk: Anthesis
When I read dark folk/blackgaze, I was not expecting to also read Australia. However, it clearly works well, as Suldusk’s sophomore album is pretty damn good. It’s insanely atmospheric and epic, while maintaining the heaviness usually attributed to the black metal genre. Some of the riffs throughout are fantastic, and the gaze/folk elements keep it interesting enough for a typically non-black metal fan like myself to enjoy it. It’s still not something I’d go out of my way to listen to, but I certainly wouldn’t turn it off and as an album as a whole it’s fantastic. I feel like I’d LOVE it live. And still, tracks like ‘Verdalet’ and the epic closer are definite personal highlights. If you’re a fan of the genre, you’ll find a lot to love here. 6.5/10
Shane Smith & The Saints: Norther
Oh wait, what? ANOTHER full review this week? Aren’t you a lucky bunch! Check it out here.
Firewind: Stand United
Gus G and co. are back with their 10th studio album, offering up another awesome slab of power metal. Lets get the obvious out of the way: the guitaring is awesome. From the riffing to the soloing, Gus shows off why he is easily Ozzy’s most underrated guitarist ever. The rest of the band work their asses off too though, Herbie Langhans’ powerful vocals fitting over the top of it all perfectly. Tracks like the opener, ‘The Power Lies Within’ and the Accept-like ‘Fallen Angel’ are all huge highlights for me. Those who are familiar with the band will know exactly what to expect here. That is both a good and a bad thing. It’s certainly enjoyable but doesn’t exactly expand the bands sound or push any boundaries. It’s a fun album, but not my favourite from the band, so I fear outside of a couple of the bigger songs, this album will be quickly lost to time. However, for now, it’s still good, so gets an easy 7.5/10
Azell: Death Control
The doom/sludge infused death metal band arrive with their much anticipated debut album. It’s crushingly heavy and brutal and a great listen if you’re into this sort of thing. The duo create such an incredible sound for just two people, and their screams mesh so well together, especially when they go one-after-another. Their talent is undeniable, but I have to say it’s not quite my sort of thing. It’s quite an insane statement too, as I love both death and doom metal. However, when they are combined with nothing else included, it’s amazing but a little samey. I feel like I’d get along with it a lot better live than I do on track. Having said that, tracks like ‘A.M.’ and ‘Chemical Chains’ are great and I’d definitely listen to them again. However, the album as a whole is a bit much for me. 5.5/10
Kyle Gordon: Kyle Gordon is Great
Well, this is one hell of a ride! A ride filled with whiplash and a lot of laughs. Spanning seven different genres across eight tracks, going from country to pop to emo to jazz, if it’s anything it’s certainly interesting. Don’t get me wrong, musically, there are certainly tracks that are better than others, and styles that fit this site more than others, too. However, the comedy almost always lands, and the concept is so interesting and fun that I couldn’t not give it props on here. I discovered him the other day through TikTok from his track, ‘Wanderin”, and it’s certainly a highlight. So is ‘The Irish Drinking Song’ and ‘My Life’. Honestly though, there is a lot more good than bad, and I’ll certainly be listening to this album again a lot, never mind the individual songs. It’s a great laugh and I’d recommend checking it out regardless of what you’re into, you may very well love it too! It’s fun, well written, genre-hopping and creative as hell, so I’mma have to give it at least a 9/10
Devastator: Conjurers of Cruelty
A second local band this week, yet this one a lot heavier than These Wicked Rivers. The black thrash band returned with their second album last Friday, and it’s certainly a good’en. The band skirt the line between the two sub-genres perfectly, too. My favourite track is ‘Black Witchery’, below. It sounds like something that would have been on Kill ‘Em All’, yet has brutal black metal screams over the top. It’s awesome. The band also clearly draw a lot of inspiration from Slayer, especially when it comes to the riffing. It fits so well with screams over the top, feeling like a real evolution of thrash, rather than a death metal variant. Other highlights include ‘Sharpen the Blade’ and ‘Walpurgisnacht’. However, there really isn’t a bad track on the album, and if you’re into the heavy stuff you’ll certainly love this! 8.5/10
Also, huge shoutout to Ben Gaines for the incredible production on this album, knocked it out of the park yet again!