A massive week of New Music Monday this week, featuring metal gods and massive upcoming names in rock and country. Find it all below!
Judas Priest: Invincible Shield
The 19th studio album from the metal legends and godfathers is honestly amazing. Let’s be honest, the band have very few misses in their career, and while I wouldn’t go as far as to say Firepower was one, it was my least favourite of the modern Priest albums. This, however, is excellent. It feels like a return to the Painkiller or Angel of Retribution style in the best way possible. And, it’s also packed full of fantastic songs. Tracks like ‘Devil in Disguise’, ‘Gates of Hell’ and ‘Trial By Fire’ are personal highlights. However, there truly isn’t a bad song on the album.
A band that have been going for five-and-a-half decades have absolutely no right being as good as this still. Heck, Rob’s vocals are on point, sounding like he hasn’t aged in 20+ years. At a time where we’ve had amazing releases from their peers like Saxon and KK’s Priest, I’d honestly put this release a cut above the rest. I know it won’t get the props it deserves as it’s come later in their careers, but if this was released around the same time as Painkiller, I do think it would be held to similar regard. It feels like a true culmination of their releases, pulling together sounds from their early work, later work and even hints of Turbo. And the more I listen to it, the more I fall in love. It’s easily a 9.5/10
Luke Grimes: Self-Titled
The debut album of another of the fastest rising modern country stars finally came out this last Friday. I have to admit I hadn’t really heard of him before this review, but he definitely has a new fan in me. There’s a lot of slower, steadier, more traditional country on here, which was awesome. ‘God and a Girl’ was a particularly highlight of that side of the album. Then there’s more upbeat stuff like the opener, ‘Black Powder’ and ‘Wait for the Rain to Die Down’. All three are also definite highlights. However, there isn’t a bad track on the album, and the whole thing is a highlight, really. It’s an incredible, chilled-out album that is perfect to sit back and relax to. And honestly, it’s put together perfectly, an album that deserves to be listened to in full. His voice is incredible, and some of his music and lyric writing is amazing. He’s gonna be a massive name in the genre, I’m sure, and this album will be just the start of it. It’s another easy 9/10
Kill the Lights: Death Melodies
The 2000s metalcore supergroup are back with their sophomore album. Honestly, it may be their best work yet, too. I loved their debut, but the band build on it in every way here and deliver a real old-school metalcore powerhouse of a release. ‘Hear you Scream’ is the perfect album opener, with both Jay and James’ vocals leading the charge, backed by some awesome, heavy instrumentation from the rest of the band. The addition of Jay on bass and harsh vocals has done AMAZING things for the band. As I said, I loved The Sinner, but they feel very much complete and firing on all cylinders now.
The band just keep on tearing through great track after great track after the opener. ‘Die Alone’ is another great one, while lead single ‘Broken Bones’ is an incredible, Fever/Scream Aim Fire-style track. Honestly though, there isn’t a bad track on the album. The other three singles are all excellent while the album tracks are arguably just as good. The band do the heavy just as good as the slower, more introspective stuff; and it’s all arranged pretty perfectly throughout the album. It’s honestly some of the best work any man has done in their respective careers, and will be an album I’m going to be listening to a lot in the coming weeks and months. Would you believe it, it’s another 9/10
Outcast Syndicate: Uncoiled
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read our full review here.
The End Machine: The Quantum Phase
This is a really fun, interesting listen! Reminiscent of Priest above with clear NWOBHM influences, there is also some early 2000s AOR/sleaze in here and almost hints of both NWOCR and prog at times. It sounds like a strange combination, but one that works pretty perfectly. The band had me hooked right from the excellent opener, and didn’t let me go even once throughout this nearly hour-long journey. The two singles follow and are just as massive, epic and hugely catchy, as well as having some awesome playing from everyone involved.
But the more I listened the more I fell in love. Every track was as good as the last, and I really struggled to pick highlights to put on our playlist. They draw everything from Priest to Skid Row to Whitesnake to Inglorious to Queensryche into their sound, and it creates something incredible. If this had been released in the 80s, it would be one of the biggest albums of it time. I just hope it gets the props it deserves in this day and age. I’d recommend this album to anyone, and anyone reading this should check it out immediately. I can’t not; it’s a 10/10
Skeletal Remains: Fragments of the Ageless
Incase you couldn’t guess from the band/album name, this pretty brutal death metal. It has the listener in a vice grip from start to finish, and everyone plays their parts to perfection; they are clearly all insanely talented. Some of the riffing and guitar soloing to me was amazing, and a real highlight of the album. If you like the heaviness you’ll certainly like this album, and tracks like ‘Cybernetic Harvest’ and ‘Void of Despair’ were personal favourites. Honestly, there isn’t much I can say about it; it’s straight up death metal, you know what to expect. It’s in your face and full-on throughout, so if you like that thing you’ll like this. I got a tad bored a few songs in, I prefer my heavy having slightly more dynamics. It’s good, but I can’t give it much more than a 7/10
Sawyer Brown: Desperado Troubadours
The band’s combination of country, Americana and soft rock is infectiously fun, and made for an amazing listen for this album. It got just as much influence from Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen than it does from Charley Patton and Little Texas. And considering it is the first album the band have released in well over a decade, it’s pretty great. Heck, the band certainly don’t sound like they are four decades deep into their careers! Much like most of this week, there really isn’t a bad track on the album. Personal highlights are the opener, ‘The One I’ve Got’ and ‘Goodnight and Good Morning’. It’s almost impossible to hate this, it’s just a good time to listen to. It’s fun, chilled out country-blues music, and done to an insanely high calibre. I’ll be listening to this a lot in the coming weeks, I’m sure! 8.5/10
Cell Press: Cages
The sludgy, doom-infused hardcore band released their much-anticipated debut album this last Friday. Long time readers here will know it’s sadly not my sort of genre. Having said that, anyone who does like the genre will most likely love this, as it is very well executed. It’s a very well written and performed album. And heck, ‘Kissed by a Morose on Mont Royal’ is a banger. Again, there will be plenty of people who love this sort of thing, and objectively I can tell it’s a great release. It’s simply not for me. So, for that reason, it can’t get any higher than a 5/10
Bleachers: Self-Titled
The New jersey-based indie-pop-rock band are back with their fourth album. The band are heavily inspired by the 80s pop and soft rock sound, with a lot of this drawing clear influences from Billy Joel and Elton John. However, that isn’t a bad thing. Songs like ‘Modern Girl’ and ‘Self Respect’ are awesome, and definite album highlights. It’s not all great, there are certainly some tracks that are a little too slow/simple indie pop for me. And at 14-tracks and almost 50 minutes in length, it’s pretty long, with the highlights sadly scattered sparingly throughout. If you’re into the style, like with the last band, there is surely a lot to love. However, outside of a few tracks, this kinda bored me a little bit. It’s a solid album, but not for me. 5.5/10
Greystone Canyon: Iron & Oak
The Australian southern-metal band return with their first album in six years, and it’s a doozy! Tracks like ‘Price on your Head’, ‘Breathe Again’ and ‘Reborn’ are all awesome! However, every track is fun, interesting and very catchy. It has everything from Ozzy to Skynyrd to plenty of early 2000s post grunge/dad rock too, all of which I love and blends together rather perfectly! A lot of it reminds me of Breed 77 or early Shinedown with a southern edge, which is awesome. Then there’s more than a hint of Black Label Society too, which never hurts! If you’re fan of any of the bands I’ve named already, or any of the genres already listed, check this out, I’m certain you’ll find something to love! 8/10