Another roundup of the EPs from this week sees three awesome releases that you just HAVE to check out. See what we thought of them below!

Russel Dickerson: Bones the EP

The bro-country legend is back with his brand new EP. It follows his Summer Collection of singles, which I’m honestly shocked none made the cut on this. However, I get why they didn’t, and get the theme and name behind the release. While there’s a bit bigger sounds and almost rock at times, this EP is generally a touch slower and more stripped back, more bare BONES… see…

However, while far too short, it was a damn enjoyable EP! I’d already heard the title track, not just on streaming but also him playing it live at The Long Road last week. It’s a fantastic song, both live and on track. However, my favourite is probably ‘Those Nights, These Days’. It has a slight pop-rock edge to it that I can’t help but love, and the chorus is infectiously catchy. Russel’s vocals are effortless great, and his personality somehow shines through in any style of music he records. Sure, it’s pretty chilled out for what we cover here, and for most country music in general, but it’s an enjoyable listen and definitely leaves me wanting another full album from the guy! 8/10

Forlorn Hope: Valour, Pt. 1

This is a really interesting release. It’s obviously power metal, and the comparisons to modern Iron Maiden are also pretty clear. However, the closest band I keep coming back to are the excellent, oft-forgotten Emperor Chung. It’s like more technical, (dare I say) interesting power metal, and I’m all for it! Front the incredible opener to the epic closer and all three insane tracks in between, it’s a perfectly solid release without a bad song on it. It’s a truly phenomenal release that really sets the band apart from others in their scene and on their level. And honestly, it wasn’t nearly long enough, and I’m already impatiently waiting for Pt. 2! 9/10

WORN OUT: LOW

This is an excellent melodic hardcore release. Right from the offset of opener ‘Deeper’, it goes hard and heavy, and doesn’t relent until the EP is over. The riffing is incredible, as is the drumming, and the vocals are packed full of emotion and anger, and screamed perfectly. It’s like the perfect combination of Refused and FEVER333, and I loved every second! Heck, there’s even some Spiritbox/ old-school iwrestledabearonce in some of the screams. And while it’s hard to pick highlights on something so short, especially when every track is amazing, I found myself gravitating towards ‘Lose Sleep’ on subsequent listens. And honestly, with these heavier releases, it almost pays off more for them to be shorter. This is in and out in just over 15-minutes, slapping you across the face and getting out before the sound gets old or grating. It’s a damn fine release that anyone into the heavier side of metal should certainly check out. And damn do I want to see this live immediately! 8/10