Join us for an absolutely amazing week of new albums! I was not expecting this as we got this close to the holidays, but y’all are in for a treat with these releases!
Cory Marks: Sorry for Nothing
The Canadian country-rock singer-songwriter is back with album number three, over four years after his last. Honestly, while it’s exactly what you’d expect from the artist and genre, it’s a pretty good album overall. It’s quite an ‘in’ genre again these days thanks to Hardy, and this is… well… certainly another entry in that sound. It’s crazy to me that a genre drenched in rock and rebellion can still play it so safe. The lyrics are kinda hollow, the usual country tropes of drinking and heartbreak. And the instrumentation is pretty basic, not doing anything especially new. It’s the very definition of average in the genre…
So why do I love it so damn much?! It’s simple: because all of that makes for a good fun listen. I sat and listened to the album from front-to-back three times over the weekend, and I loved it every time. It’s pop-country with a bit more of a focus on guitars, and my big dumb ears just ate that shit up. Stuff like ‘Whiskey For Sale’ and ‘Drunk When I’m High’ are classic country rock tracks that were a lot of fun. ‘Lit Up’ gives off heavy ‘San Quentin’ (Nickelback) vibes and I’m all here for it. And the “harder” (lol) mix of ‘(Make My) Country Rock’ does indeed go hard, with Travis Tritt, Sully Erna and Mick Mars all helping make it kick so much ass. Heck, we almost get a scream from Bad Wolves’ DL in ‘Guilty’. Then in between them all are slower, more traditional country tracks, but all are amazingly well written and performed. Corey’s vocals are on point throughout, and he really makes every track stand out from each other. And, at only 12 tracks (and two extras) it doesn’t overstay its welcome, it all being killer. I wasn’t expecting to love this so much, but it gets an easy 9/10 from me!
P.S. that over of ‘Learn to Fly’ is awesome!
Odd Crew: Dark Matters part 3
Just over a year ago now we checked out part two of this trilogy. I remember loving it and have revisited it since, as well as checking out 2022’s Part 1. However, it has been a while for either, so I thought I’d check it out twice, once on its own, and once in the context of the collection.
Either way it’s a great release, but it does feel completely different when listened to after the other two. It feels a lot more straight-forward than both of those former releases. The tracks overall are shorter and a bit more basic in structure. It’s more of a Chevelle album than a more proggy, Tool style. Not saying that’s an issue by an stretch, just interesting that it’s different. Said difference does work too, as it makes this very much feel like a grand culmination. However, it also still very much sounds like Odd Crew, and does fit in with the same dark sound that they have developed over these years. I also love the synergy between the artwork, a nice touch!
In terms of the album and tracks individually, there’s plenty to love! Highlights for me include ‘Stranger Things’, ‘Turning Tables’ and the sludgy/grungy ‘The Sandman’, but there really isn’t a bad track on it really! This whole series is a must for metal fans, and I can’t recommend the trilogy enough! It’s another solid 8.5/10!
DeWolff: Muscle Shoals
Psychedelic Southern rock is exactly what I wanted, and Dewolff deliver it in spades with this release. Nearly 20 years as a band and multiple great albums under their belts, the band are somehow still firing on all cylinders, arguably sounding better than ever! It’s also incredibly hard to pick a highlight track or two. It’s 50-full minutes packed full of fun riffing, catchy vocals and harmonies and a just overall chilled-out feeling. It somehow feels like the perfect combination of an old-school style and sound with a modern twist to it, too. If you have even a passing interest in traditional blues or psychedelic rock, I would highly recommend checking this album out! I enjoyed it from front to back, and will certainly be listening to it a lot moving forward. It’s an easy 9/10 from me!
J.R. Carroll: Dark Cloud
The debut solo album from the longtime Zach Bryan keyboardist channels a lot of similar energy as his bandmate and artists like him, such as Wyatt Flores and Evan Honer. I love it. It has a similar laid-back yet emotion-filled vibe to it, the traditional elements like the acoustic guitars and fiddle being the main focal point, as well as the vocals. Tracks like the opener, ‘Too Late to Change it Now’ and the bittersweet ballad to his father, ‘In the Shadow’ are all huge highlights. However, the album is only 36-minutes long and 10 tracks, so there really isn’t a bad song on the release. It’s a concise, beautiful country album that fits perfectly into the modern climate of the genre. Carroll is going to be a big solo name sooner rather than later, and this is going to contribute to that in a huge way! 8.5/10
Asterise: Tale of a Wandering Soul
The sophomore album from the Polish power metal band is already up there with some of the coolest artwork I’ve ever seen, and the fact that the music lives up to that is a bonus! Don’t get me wrong, it’s exactly what you’d expect from a power metal band; it’s pretty standard stuff for the genre. But the band are all insanely talented songwriters and players, and it’s impossible not to love. The insane soloing in ‘Twisted Ferryman’ is a huge highlight point of the album, as is the sheer epicness of ‘Raven’ and the insanity and powerful Rob Halford-highs of ‘Drifting into Darkness’. It’s an incredibly solid album from front to back, though. Don’t get me wrong, if you aren’t a fan of power metal, this probably won’t do much for you. However, I really damn enjoyed it! It’s a solid 8/10, and I can see this pushing the band to big new heights!
Until I Wake: Renovate
I remember checking out the Buffalo natives’ debut album a couple of years ago and finding it good but not quite living up to the potential I thought the band had. Well I’ll be damned, because this sophomore release not only exceeded said potential, but blew me away. From the crushingly heavy to the more anthemic, pop-leaning stuff to the hip-hop inspiration, it’s all a huge improvement over their debut. It gives a combination of I Prevail, From Ashes to New, Stray from the Path to even some early 2000s nu-metal and metalcore, such as Papa Roach and Nonpoint. From the absolutely incredible opener (something they are very good at) through tracks like ‘Hole Hearted’, ‘Pressure’, The Reverence’ and ‘Cast Away’, there is so much incredible music to love.
My only slight issue with the album is how front-loaded it is. The first half is much stronger than the second half, in this humble writer’s opinion, and I feel like spreading out the bangers throughout a bit more may have helped. However, I say that as a fan of their heavier stuff over their more radio-metalcore side, so I understand my opinion certainly won’t be shared by everyone!
However, this is an excellent album overall, and really feels like a coming out party for the band. They already have a growing fanbase, but I can see that getting exponentially bigger after such a strong release. They certainly proved me wrong, and have a big new fan in me for it! This is yet another easy 9/10 this week, and don’t be shocked if it finds itself high on our albums of the year list this time next year!