Another week, another collection of awesome EP releases in the rock, metal and country world. Let’s look at some!

Delain: Dance with the Devil

Okay, I’mma have to stop ragging on country now, this is easily the longest EP I’ve checked out! I completely get where they’re coming from though, with the three studio tracks and then the live releases. It’s a way of underlining and highlighting the band’s still-new vocalist, adding her voice to the old tracks in a legacy, yet inventive way. And while there are a whopping 15-tracks on this thing, I’m really only going to focus on the three studio tracks at the start. However, the live tracks are also fantastic, demonstrating how tight the band are and how well Diana has fit in. Also, the instrumental tracks to close were a fun addition.

Now, I have to admit that when the band returned with a new singer and album last year, I wasn’t blown away. I thought it was good, but lacked the spark and intrigue that the band had with Charlotte fronting. Whatever that spark was, they’ve found it here. The opener and title track I’d put up there with any of the band’s prior hits, it really is that good. And honestly, ‘The Reaping’ isn’t hugely far behind it! And while I question the intention behind the re-recording of ‘Sleepwalkers Dream’, there is no denying Diana pulls it off fantastically. All three tracks combine together to breathe new life into the power metal band, and sure proved me wrong from my thoughts last year! This is easily an 8/10!

Georgie Nevada: The Bright Side of the Dark

The debut EP of the rising UK country star is an absolutely amazing listen, and a must for any fans of the genre. Or for any rock or blues fan, for that matter! It’s five excellently-written radio-rock tracks with a country twang to them, and draws from plenty of different sounds and inspirations. I heard everything from The Cadillac Three and Kyle Daniel to Miranda Lambert to Bad Touch to even a bit of Highly Suspect at times, and I can’t complain about any of that! Whether it’s the boot-stomping rock of the opener/title track or the slower, more acoustic-ballad of ‘A Day that Makes Sense’, there is plenty of variety and plenty to love. Honestly, there isn’t a bad track on the EP, it’s impossible to pick specific highlights! Georgia has got a huge future in the burgeoning UK country scene, and this release further proves that! I’d check this out if you are in any way into country, rock or even pop! 9/10

Verbannt: Falsche Versprechen

Another change of pace again in the article as we check out the London black metallers debut EP. It’s rather full on, let me tell you that much! It’s full-on, even for a black metal album, and definitely took me some getting into. However, the band are all insanely talented, both as players and songwriters, and it’s a damn good release in the genre, that’s for sure! I also feel like the timing of an EP detailing the racism immigrants still face in a country they weren’t born in when our brothers across the pond just had that election result is horribly perfect. It’s certainly not gonna be for everyone, and was a lot for even quite a seasoned black metal listener like myself at times, but if you like the genre it’s definitely worth checking out. It’s one hell of a debut release, and shows the sky is the limit for the band 7/10

Sol Invicto: Loosely Aware

This release has been a pretty long time coming, and is highly anticipated at this point! The love-child of Deftones’ Stephen Carpenter and Eric Bobo of Cypress Hill have been teasing something for years, making this announcement just over a month ago, and it’s finally here! Rounding out the lineup is Sikth’s Dan Foord on drums and Sean Plague of Plague to Pyres offering his scream.

And honestly, if you’re into quirky-heavy alt-death metal, it is certainly worth the wait! I definitely hear the Deftones and also the Sikth in there, and it also has heavy elements of Mr Bungle I feel. Sadly, outside of Sikth neither band is really my sort of thing, and I didn’t get that much out of these three tracks. I completely get the appeal of it, and I imagine I’d love it live, but I’ve listened to the tracks multiple times and something just isn’t clicking for me. The band are super talented, but I almost feel like it’s not the combination of members of the bands that I’d actually want to hear together, if that makes sense? Still, it’s not bad by any stretch, and gets a 6.5/10!