Another absolutely stacked week of new music for the three of us to sink our teeth into. You know the drill, let’s dive in!
The Offspring: SUPERCHARGED
Joe: I remember reviewing Let the Bad Times Roll back when we started Overtone and enjoying it a lot. Heck, I’d have rated it higher in hindsight, too. That coupled with my undying love for the band from growing up with them, I was pretty hyped for this release! So, for it to be this mid kinda hurts. The opener was pretty terrible, though it does pick up a bit with ‘Light it Up’ and ‘The Fall Guy’. ‘Truth in Fiction’ is pretty good, too. However, generally this feels pretty lazy, uninspired and going-through-the-motions, not unlike Blinks return album last year. It’s not bad, but it feels like the band felt like they had to make an album, and make it sound like their popular stuff, so just doesn’t feel very interesting or fun. Clearly my expectations were just too high. There’s nothing that feels as big, fun or interesting as ‘Let the Bad Fimes Roll’ or ‘Army of One’. But it’s a passable pop-punk album that fans of the genre will at least get SOME enjoyment out of. It’s a solid 6/10 from me.
Jelly Roll: Beautifully Broken
We’ve already reviewed this album! Check it out here!
AD Infinatum: Abyss
Max: This is my first encounter with Ad Infinitum and I have to say I quite enjoyed it. Having not heard of them I must admit I thought they were going to be far more heavy. That being said, this albums bangs.
There is a lot of energy throughout and whenever the vocalist starts screaming, I have to sit there and just be entirely impressed. The vocals, both cleans and screams, are very impressive and very well done with an insane amount of control through out. And if they were a solo artist they would easily be able to fill and venue. That being said, I would be remised if I didn’t talk about the absolute skill happening on all of the instruments and the production. It is always nice when I can actually hear all of the instruments and they all clearly show what their purpose is and damn this album does this super well. By the end of the album I have to say I was left a little disappointed. Not by anything being wrong but by the lack of more. Now they are touring at the moment so I would genuinely recommend going to see them if possible and showing support as they are great. Hopefully i’ll be back to review their next album maybe with Joe. 9/10
Myles Kennedy: The Art of Letting Go
Charlotte: As a fan of Alter Bridge and the amazing albums produced with Slash and The Conspirators, I didn’t think there could be anything to match that level – but Myles Kennedy’s ‘The Art Of Letting Go’ took me by complete surprise. I would argue that, as a master of his craft, Myles Kennedy has produced his best solo album to date. His distinctive, sky-scraping, open-hearted vocals and significantly beautiful songwriting mark his position as one of the leading musicians we will hear in our lifetime.
The Art of Letting Go takes his sound to another level, mixing harder tracks with dialled up softer tracks without losing the bite and grit we all know and love. Highlights include title track ‘The Art Of Letting Go’, ‘Miss You When You’re Gone’ and ‘Eternal Lullaby’. 8.5/10
Decayed Existence: The Beginning of Sorrows
Joe: This absolutely brutal assault on the ears (in the best way possible, of course) is an awesome release from the Californian death metal outfit. Sure, it’s only five studio tracks and three live recordings, but damn, it’s 30-minutes of heavy awesomeness. The opener is fantastic, everything I love about the genre, and flows into ‘Baptized’ perfectly. There is no rest, it being balls-to-the wall throughout, and I love how much the live tracks only add to the studio stuff, showing off the band’s sheer energy and heaviness. It certainly isn’t going to be for everyone, but anyone who’s into the heavy stuff NEEDS to hear this. And damn, I am already pretty desperate to hear it live! It’s an easy 7.5/10 from me!
Erin Kinsey: Gettin’ Away with It
Joe: The rising star in the country scene is back with her sophomore album, just a year removed from the massive Bet My Heart. I remember checking that out after discovering her when reviewing the Restless Road album, but I was not expecting this release to up the ante yet again. ‘Matchmaker’ set the scene and tone of the album perfectly, being a highlight in its own right, but then to be followed by the likes of ‘I Ain’t Crazy’, ‘Tabs on Me’ and the title track… DAMN. Honestly though the whole thing is phenomenal, and at only eight tracks and 24-minutes (incredibly short for a modern country album) it is real definition of all killer, no filler. It has a bit more of a heavier rock focus and leaning to it, which makes it not only stand out among her peers, but makes it hugely enjoyable. I cannot recommend it to anyone enough, be it rock or country fans. If Bet My Heart was her coming out party, then this release solidifies her as one of the most promising up-and-comers in the country music scene, and I can see her being a huge name in the years to come. I can’t give this any less than a 9.5/10!
Ben Burgess: Hollywood Cowboy
Joe: The third album from the kinda-neo-traditional country star is the first one I’d heard from him, but damn if I’ve not now come out of it a fan of his! It somehow has both a chilled out air and a swagger to it in equal measure, something I think few are able to accomplish, let alone have done. The title track is an incredible introduction to Ben for me, showing off his immense talents and strengths and songwriting. Then there are songs like the insanely catchy ‘Great Again’, ‘Well Whiskey’ and ‘High Society’ that are also huge highlights from the album. It feels like a combination of Randy Newman and Luke Dick, and just a touch of Jack Johnson at times; taking the best parts of all of them and then turning the country up to 11.
There’s a lot of great, chilled out country music on here. My only issue is, like still a good portion of the genre this year, it’s a little too long. With 15 tracks at just under an hour, it’d need something special throughout to keep me interested, but I feel like it loses quite a bit of steam around the halfway mark. It’s still a fun listen, don’t get me wrong, and none of it is bad. But I found myself getting a bit restless and, sadly, bored in the back third. If it’s your style of country music you may be more forgiving, but I can’t give this any higher than a 7.5/10 when there are a number of tracks I’d happily have had cut.
Gorilla Riot: Salvation
Charlotte: Gorilla Riot’s ‘Salvation’ feels like they’ve taken the best elements of their previous releases and combined them together to make an awesome, bluesy, southern rock album. This is the band’s first release since their lineup changed in 2023, introducing Luci Vee on backing vocals and Matt Talbot on drums. The rich ‘heart and soul’ feeling doesn’t waver – if anything, they’ve mastered the gospel groove.
My only note on this album is the need for more highs and lows beyond the first few tracks. Selecting random songs to listen to never disappoints, but when you listen to the album in full you can’t help but itch for the band to throw in a curveball. Having said that, if you’re after a dirty blues album then Salvation answers your prayers.
Highlights include ‘Molotov Sister’, ‘Salvation’ (especially the addition of the organ), and ‘Wrong Side of Town’ – coincidentally the first three songs of the album. 7.5/10
Touché Amoré: Spiral in a Straight Line
Joe: The LA post-hardcore quintet returned with their first album since the world stood still, Lament. Sadly it’s very much not my sort of post-hardcore; I don’t really do the ambient sad boi stuff. I completely appreciate their talents and why people are into this sort of stuff, but I just can’t get into it at all. The closest thing to something I enjoyed was ‘Hal Ashby’ and that was probably because it was on the heavier end of the spectrum. In the same vein ‘Mezzanine’ was pretty fun too, and I can imagine it being very fun live. I’ve seen some love for this online over the weekend so my suspicions are confirmed that it’s good, it’s just not my sort of thing. So for that, it gets a tentative 6.5/10
Scars of Solitude: Under Disheartening Skys
Joe: The Finnish melodic heavy metal band are back with their second album, a whopping seven years after their first. Sadly that one is not on streaming services so I cannot hear it to compare. However, if that is anywhere near as good as this release is, I need to hear it! It’s 10 awesome tracks that blend together perfectly and make it almost impossible to pick any highlights. Having said that, ‘The Arsonist’ is phenomenal, and that chorus is going to be stuck in my head for days.
It has a real gothic, melancholic tone to it all, reminding me a lot of Lacrimas Profundere but without the screams. And for those that aren’t familiar with them, I’ll give the same description as I put for their last album; like a heavier, better Him. The band have been pretty steady in releasing singles, both for this album and otherwise, for a few years now, but this is one hell of a return to a longer release. If you are a fan of any of the styles or bands I’ve mentioned above, I cannot recommend this album enough, you’ll surely love it. And the band are all clearly talented too, with some truly awesome metalcore riffing and soloing from the guitars to accompany the catchy, powerful vocals and driving drums. The band certainly have a new fan in me, and I can’t give this any less than 8/10!
Justin Moore: This is My Dirt
Joe: The modern country legend himself is back with album number eight, just one year removed from Stray Dog, which we loved. Honestly, it doesn’t add much to the formula from the last album, but is another damn solid release. It’s Keith Urban-style stadium country through and through, and is a lot of fun to listen to, despite the somewhat cheesiness half the time. There are some absolute bangers on here, like ‘Put a Boot in It’ ‘The Getting By’ and ‘Redneck Love’. Then you have the guest appearances from some of the best names in country right now in Randy Houser, Blake Shelton and Dierks Bentley, all of which are also huge highlights of the album. As I said, it’s exactly what you’d expect if you’re a fan of Justin or this particular brand of radio-country, but that certainly isn’t a bad thing. I really enjoyed it and will certainly be listening to it a good few more times, especially when it’s only 38-minutes long! It’s another easy 8.5/10 from me!
Takeaway Thieves: Diamond Point
Joe: The punk-tinged NWOCR scene stalwarts are back with their second album, and somehow it’s even better than their first! It’s jam-packed full of swaggering, fun riffs, catchy choruses, and some incredible solos; as well as some generally amazingly written tracks all-round. From ‘I’LL BE WAITING FOR YOU’ to ‘FIND MY WAY HOME’ to ‘GYPSY’ and ‘TRUE STORY’, there is plenty to write home about. However, there truly isn’t a bad track on the album. It’s 33-minutes of sleazy, punky hard rock awesomeness. My only curiousness is why the opening track wasn’t all capitalised like the rest of the album. I’ll have to do some digging!
It really feels like a step up for the band, who could now easily mix it up with the upper players in the genre. I really hope it gets the love it deserves to get from the community, because I’mma be spinning this a lot moving forward, and will definitely have to try and see it live whenever they are nearby. I wasn’t ever not a fan, but I am certainly a bigger one after hearing this album. It’s an easy 8.5/10
A Circus: Self-Titled
Joe: The old-school supergroup sure do show their previous projects are big inspirations, it sounding very much like a combination of Rainbow and Michael Schenker. However, the debut LP of the combined efforts of Shane Gaalaas and Ronnie Romero goes far harder than it has any right to when both are decades into their careers. The riffs are bluey goodness, the soloing from the guitar and keys are utter insanity, Shane’s drumming is solid, and Ronnie’s vocals are as strong, beautiful and powerful as ever. The one-two punch of ‘Burn the Witch’ and ‘A Snow Covered Road’ going straight into the beautiful ballad ‘Two Ghosts’ is absolutely amazing. Those three tracks and the intro alone is enough to make this album great, and we still have another five more incredible tracks after that!
I cannot get over how good this is. It’s like Deep Purple from back in the day when they were on fire, and is nearly 40-minutes of excellence. Everyone works their asses off throughout and show that they are all some of the most underrated musicians around. If you are a fan of classic or blues rock, this HAS to make it onto your list of albums to check out, and I’mma be listening to it obsessively for the next few months, I feel. Hopefully the band continue to focus on this project, as it’s arguably better than anything else they have going on (sorry Elegant Weapons, love you too!). It gets an easy 9.5/10 from me!