A stacked week of EPs for us to check out today, with EIGHT spread across metal, rock and country. Let’s dive right in!
Toranaga: A New Order
The UK thrash underground legends themselves are back with a new EP, 35 years removed from their breakout album’s release! The collection, featuring two brand new songs alongside two re-recordings, is a real tour-de-force of traditional thrash goodness, and I love it! And while I do love the balls-to-the-wall stuff, my favourite track on this is probably the title one, it’s slower, plodding menace sounding awesome and giving off big Seasons in the Abyss vibes. However, every song is pretty damn awesome. Mark’s vocals sound just as amazing as before, and it’s so nice to hear a band like this return to the scene! It’s a strong scene at the minute too, and they’ll fit in with it perfectly. If you are at all into the genre or the heavier side of metal at all, check this out, you won’t be disappointed. A very solid 8/10 from us!
Harri Larkin: Slowburn
This is a fun, light-hearted indie-rock release; a great collection of four catchy, soft songs! It’s not even typically my sort of thing, but I couldn’t help but love it. The passion and talent in her songwriting is on full display throughout, and results in every song being pretty damn great! From the two awesome singles in the middle to the opener and closer, I’m obsessed with all four tracks! Her vocals are amazing, and fit perfectly with the instrumentation. It reminds me of The Exile Club in that it has that slight blues/jazz infusion into the otherwise softer indie rock, making for a truly interesting, unique listen. I’d never heard of the Sheffield native before, but will definitely be listening to her and her band more as they have a new fan in me! This is an easy 8/10 from us!
Evan Bartels: To Make You Cry
The first non-single studio release from the country-Americana singer-songwriter since 2021, this is an emotional journey from the man himself. Evan sings with such emotion, making you feel every note from his voice or guitar, the only two elements really present throughout the whole release. And my god is the title fitting, I was most certainly crying from the very opening track. The atmosphere and sound created by just one man in his cabin is utterly phenomenal, and Evan proves that he’s one of the best storytellers out there today. It’s impossible to pick highlights too as every song is incredible and the whole thing NEEDS to be listened to in full. His voice is hauntingly beautiful, especially when he pushes it and gets more powerful at just the right moments. It gives off big Zach Bryan vibes, but more stripped-back and less pop. No matter what you’re into, check this out, just trust me. It’s depressing, but in the best possible way. I can’t give this anything less than 10/10, what a phenomenal piece of art!
Marble Ghosts: The Greatest Divide
The Canadian alt metal band recently signed with Self-Made Records to put out this, their sophomore EP, and what a release it is! Blending together everything from metal to hard rock to grunge, the band sound pretty damn awesome. It reminds me of a combination of Ashen Reach and Return to Dust, something I didn’t realise I needed until just now! And whether it’s the powerful vocal style of Layne Staley or the metalcore riffing of Matt Heafy/Corey Beaulieu, everyone is truly a great musician. From the opener to ‘Trafficked’ to the heavy, chugging ‘Gloom’, there is so much awesomeness going on. However, there really isn’t a bad song on this. The band did a great job following up their last years debut perfectly, and really are going from strength to strength! They’re gonna go far if they keep up with this sort of output, and get a very easy 8.5/10 from us!
Häxan: Death of Me
The Welsh NWOCR trio return with their highly anticipated new EP, following up their highly acclaimed 2020 debut album. So yeah, it’s been a hot minute since we got some new music, but the band have not lost even a fraction of a step; this is awesome! Arguably, it’s even better than their album, showing some fantastic evolution and proving that they have been long overlooked in not just the UK scene, but on a global stage. The Mötorhead-like ‘Sirens’ is a particular highlight, as is the heavy ‘Burn Alive’. However, each of these five songs are awesome! If you are at all into rock music, which should be everyone reading this, I cannot recommend this enough! I’ve already rocked it a couple of times this week and I am sure it’s going to be a regular addition to my rotation for months to come! It’s a very easy 9/10 from us!
Zach John King: Slow Down
The sophomore EP of the fast rising country star is a great modern release in the genre. It has elements of a more old-school sound, but also feels pretty damn modern and built-for-radio, in both its writing and production. Whether it’s higher-energy stuff like the opener or beautiful, slower ballads like ‘I Deserve a Heartbreak’ or ‘Hole in the Wall’, it has a bit of everything, and does it all so well! The whole EP is great too; 18-minutes of sheer country awesomeness. Don’t get me wrong, it may have been nice to have got another higher-energy track like ‘Lose You’ on here, but every other song is that good it’s really a small complaint. It’s easy to see why he’s become a pretty big name in the scene in just a couple of years, and if he keeps putting stuff out of this quality, the sky is very much the limit! It gets a solid 8.5/10 from us!
Idolvein: Where We Become Spirits
The debut EP of the multinational, East Midlands-based alt metal band already has a lot of hype surrounding it, and lives up to all of it! Combining everything from industrial to post-hardcore to modern metal to I guess some jazz-fusion (y’all know I love a good sexy sax), the band feel pretty unique and are clearly damn creative songwriters! And whether it’s brutally heavy or more ambient, almost ethereal moments, the band do it all perfectly, shifting between both sounds effortlessly. And it’s yet another release on this list where there truly isn’t a bad song on it! It’s not going to be for everyone as it is on the quirkier side, but if you’re into anything from 3TEETH to Alexisonfire to any of the genres I’ve mentioned prior, check this out, you won’t be disappointed! Another solid 8.5/10!
Phantom Elite: MANTIS
This is an incredible modern metal release. The follow-up to the international band’s 2023 album, it’s four amazing new tracks, plus an intermission (and a remix of the lead single). All of it works perfectly together to create a cohesive, tight, awesome 18-minutes of both heaviness and catchy melodies. Honestly, it feels like everything I want Spiritbox to be, but never quite get. The opener and ‘Good Guy’ are personal highlights, but that isn’t a knock on the other two tracks at all! The band are insanely talented songwriters and musicians, and Marina is easily one of the most underrated vocalists in the scene today; her versatility is incredible! The band have a new fan in me (discovered them the other day on TikTok, hence their appearance here) and I cannot recommend them enough to anyone into the modern metal style! It’s a very easy 9/10 from me!