Another few great EP releases this week for us to check out. Let’s not waste any time and dive straight in!
Nobody: Shadow Compaions
This is a hugely fascinating listen, as I really struggled to classify it and it combines so many influences and sounds. The main basis is that of both old-school gothic rock and folk music. However, it shares some vague DNA with everything from dark Americana/spooky banjo time, blues, and even some loose power, doom and black metal structures and sounds. It’s like a combination of Sisters of Mercy, Jethro Tull, Amigo the Devil and ASP, and I’m loving it! It’s all done by one man, Finland’s own Tuomas Kauppinen, mainly singing over acoustic guitars, but there are plenty of other elements and layers throughout. It’s four tracks that, as described by Tuomas, ‘study an old, gnarled family tree, beaten and crooked from violence and yet sprouting with new life that promises redemption’. It’s a fantastic concept that fits the music perfectly. Tuomas’ lyrics are amazing throughout, and his songwriting in general is stellar. It’s not going to be for everyone, but I loved all four tracks and found it impossible to pick highlights. Do yourself a favour and give this a listen through, you might be pleasantly surprised! 8.5/10
Brett Eldredge: Lonestar Lovers
The modern country legend is back with his first non-Christmas studio work since 2022’s Songs About You. It’s a short five tracks and 15-minutes, but is a welcome return from the chilled-out Americana artist. Songs like ‘You’ll be Mine’ and ‘Forget About You’ are awesome, and definite personal highlights. It’s a little slower than I was expecting, but is a damn enjoyable release if you just want to sit back and relax. Brett is not only a great songwriter, but his vocals are on phenomenal form throughout this entire thing. It’s not going to be my favourite EP of the year or anything, but I’ll surely be going back to this at least a couple of times throughout the year. I’d recommend it to anyone into the slower side of country/Americana, and it’s a solid 7.5/10!
Circle of Origin: Guilty ’til Proven Innocent
We this is fucking awesome! What an absolutely amazing debut EP from the Doncaster natives. Feeling like it combines everything from Black Label Society to Alter Bridge the early 2000s hard/radio rock scene of Rev Theory, Soil and Nonpoint to even a little smattering of doom, it’s an incredible sound to be hearing in 2025, and something that feels genuinely and surprisingly fresh. Heck, there’s even a touch of BFMV in some of the guitaring and writing, especially when it slows down. It’s a collection of five fantastic tracks all as good as the last, there really isn’t a bad song on the release. Plus, it was arranged perfectly, it flowing incredible well together. The vocals are amazing, as are the riffs and soloing, and the drumming fits everything else incredibly. The band have a big new fan in me, and given that they aren’t too far from me, I’m determined to see them live as I imagine this will all be amazing in a live setting! I can’t recommend this enough to anyone reading this, whether you’re into rock, metal or otherwise. It’s a solid 9.5/10!