A typically stacked week of new albums for us to check out, from country to metal. Let’s sink our teeth into them all!

Dierks Bentley: Broken Branches

The 12th solo studio album from the modern country legend, following up 2023’s Gravel & Gold. I’m just going to put it out there now, maybe slightly controversially, it’s not as good as that album is. I do, however, think it’s a grower. I’ve listened to it a couple of times over the weekend and it’s better for me the second time round, I think. Songs like ‘She Hates Me’, ‘Well Well Whiskey’ and the guest-featuring title track are awesome, and definite highlights. The more upbeat tracks are definitely preferred by me, and the start of the album is lacking a touch in that department. However, as an album overall, it’s another damn good offering from a guy who really can’t miss these days. If you’re a fan of Dierks or his brand of country music, it’s certainly worth checking out, but it’s sadly not something to massively write home about. A solid 7.5/10 from us!

Buckcherry: Roar Like Thunder

The 11th album from the Californian sleaze-revival band came out last Friday and honestly surprised me a little. I don’t mind their big songs but have never been the biggest fan, so went into this with Hinder-like low expectations. This album certainly beat them! The opener/title track is honestly one of the best songs they’ve ever done, while stuff like the AC/DC-esque ‘Come On’, ‘I Go Boom’ and ‘Hello Goodbye’ are all awesome too. Don’t get me wrong, there’s the typical cringe from the band too, like ‘Talkin’ Bout Sex’, but it wasn’t as present as I was expecting! And at just 10 tracks and barely half-an-hour, it’s short and sweet and way more killer than filler! If you’re a fan of the 90s-early 2000s era glam/sleaze/hard rock, it’s definitely worth checking this out, as it’s maybe the best thing they’ve put out in 15+ years! It’s not something I’ll listen to often, but it’s a fun release that I’ll definitely revisit at least a few times. A solid 8/10!

Sun After Dark: Tatkraft

The debut album from the mind of Benjamin König (former Lunar Aurora) is a damn interesting listen! Combining black metal with modern elements and dark tones, sounding almost as epic as Rotting Christ at times. Plus, it’s also sung in English, German and Bavarian, which honestly makes for an even more awesome time listening! Songs like ‘Waidmaans Hoffnung’, the chaotic ‘Schlittenfahrt’ and ‘Burning Blue’ are all great and personal highlights. However, the whole thing is great and has a fantastic flow to it, begging to be listened to as a whole collection over individual tracks. It’s a shame the duo have no plans to play the stuff live, as I could see this being a real epic experience to hear in a dark room or tent somewhere. It won’t be for everyone, but if you’re into the more prog-like dark, heavy stuff, this is definitely worth a try! It gets a solid 7.5/10 from me, and I feel like it’ll grow even more with subsequent listens!

Neil Young: Talkin to the Trees

It’s another Neil Young album, what more do you want me to say at this point? It’s the second we’ve checked out this year alone, and his apparently 45th overall. And this sounds exactly like anyone would expect a Neil album to sound in 2025. I suppose we get the Chrome Hearts with him on this album, which certainly added to the rockier highlight tracks like ‘Dark Mirage’, ‘Lets Roll Again’ and ‘Movin Ahead’. However, considering he has a band backing him throughout, a lot of it was still slower, traditional country stuff, much like his previous release. It’s not a bad release at all and certainly has some fun moments and songs, but do we really need more Neil in 2025? I would say it’s a step above Oceanside Countryside, but it’s hardly a career resurgence or highlight or anything like that. It’s just average, fine Neil Young, like he’s been putting out for decades at this point. If you’re a fan of his work it’s worth checking out, but if not I certainly wouldn’t be rushing to do so. 6.5/10

Star Circus: From the Wreckage

We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Check out our review of it here.

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard: Phantom Island

You never know what to expect from the Aussie rockers, but given the album artwork I wasn’t expecting a jazz infused 60s rock album. It’s good, and the whole thing has such a massive sound to it; all the instruments and the production on it working to produce a truly epic soundscape for the full 46-minute runtime. The band are so insanely talented they can make anything work, too. The horns throughout are a massive high point, making good, simple rock music simply great. It also follows on pretty perfectly from last year’s Flight b741, and y’all know how much I loved that album! It’s got a little bit of Lawrence to it, which is impossible not to love! It’s like what you’d imagine The Beatles would have evolved into by now. Songs like ‘Deadstick’, the ethereal ‘Spacesick’ and ‘Silent Spirit’ are all personal highlights, though there really isn’t a bad song on this thing. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love it if they went heavy again, but this is a damn good release that is impossible to hate, so I’m fine to have this while I wait! Shock horror, it’s another good album from King Gizz, a band that somehow never miss no matter the genre they release. It’s a solid 8/10 from us!

Deathgoat: Dragged Into Realms Below

I love the description the band use for themselves: Filthy, rotten and unholy old school death metal. This album does exactly what it says on that tin. The Finnish bands sophomore album is an exercise in heaviness and brutality for its entire 35-minute runtime. It is slightly blackened with some of the riffing and atmosphere too which I appreciated. However, it is mainly just late 80s, early 90s death metal with slightly better production. If you like Barnes-era Cannibal Corpse, you’ll like this! It was a little repetitive for my liking at times, definitely feeling like I’d heard all the album had to offer by the halfway mark. And I do think the vocals could be a bit louder. However, both are pretty much staples of the genre at this point, so if you are into it you’ll surely love this. Highlights include ‘Dying to be Dead’ and ‘Clinically Undead’, with the riffing in both being big highlights. As it’s not fully my thing, but it is still very good, it gets a solid 6.5/10 from us! Nothing new but a damn good entry into the genre!

Ruth Lyon: Poems & Non Fiction

This was a cool, interesting release that I wasn’t expecting to like anywhere near as much as I did. Don’t get me wrong, it took me a little getting into; the first couple of tracks were good for chilling to but not especially my thing fully. However, as we reached ‘Books’ it felt like the sound was evolving and growing, me loving all the extra bits around her vocals, making it all sound surprisingly massive. By the time I’d hit the awesome, jazz-infused ‘Confetti’ I was all the way in on this album. It’s a very easy 36-minutes of a listen, being a relaxing, pop/soft/indie rock record. There is no denying Ruth is a talented musician and songwriter, and she proves it time and time again throughout. It’s not going to be for everyone, but it’s a damn good album and well worth checking out if you’re curious! A solid 7.5/10!

Still Dusk: Chronicles of Dystopia

The debut album from the Greek alt metal band is a really interesting release! Whether it’s awesome riffing, solid drumming, heavy breakdowns or the melodic, catchy vocals, the album is a blend of the very best bits of the genre. It’s packed full of awesome songs, too! From ‘Born to Believe’ to ‘Into Fractions’ and closer ‘Sugar’, there are some massive highlight tracks on here. Even the slower, ballad songs like ‘Midnight Run’ are awesome, breaking the album up perfectly and showing some great variety in the bands writing talents. It’s a damn strong offering as it is, never mind for it also being a debut album! If you are into anything vaguely alt metal, heavy metal or metalcore, this is certainly worth checking out, and the band certainly have a new fan in me! It gets a very solid 8/10 from us, and I already can’t wait to hear where they go from here!

Crow Black Chicken: Ghost Dance

My god, THE RIFFS. How is this the bands fifth album and I’m only just hearing of them? This is right up my street, and I fucking LOVE this album! A stonery, Southern blues rock record combining everything from Clutch to Skynyrd to Hendrix to Zeppelin to The Sword… pump this into my veins! From the incredible opener to more blues-centric stuff like ‘Fire and Blood’ and ‘The Longest Time’ to epic stuff like the closer, it’s nearly 40-minutes of awesomeness and packed full of highlights. My only slight issue is that nothing quite goes as hard or heavy as the opener; I’ve have loved another upbeat track somewhere throughout!

The band are all insanely talented players, and have crafted something truly special with this release. They have a big new fan in me, and I’m going to immediately have to go back and check out the rest of their stuff after this. If you are at all into any of the artists or genres I’ve mentioned previously, check this out immediately! The riffing and soloing alone is incredible, but everything else is to a hugely high calibre too. I can’t give this any less than 9/10!

Byzantine: Harbingers

The first studio album from the NWOAHM band in nearly eight years goes far harder than I think anyone expected it to! It’s heavy, epic and melodic all in perfectly equal measure. It has elements of metalcore, power metal and even a hint of black and death metal at times, making for an incredibly interesting listen. Songs like the Trivium-esque ‘Floating Chrysanthema’, the heavy ‘Riddance’ and ‘Harbinger’ are all massive personal highlights, but there really isn’t a bad song on the album. With all the changing styles and genres too, from straight up NWOAHM to more melodeath stuff to slower parts, it’s constantly interesting, and 42 minutes goes by in a flash! I cannot recommend this enough to anyone into the heavier side of metal, and it’s very quickly becoming one of my favourite releases from the band. It’ll surely make our albums of the year come December, and I can’t give it any less than 9/10!

Dillon Carmichael: Keepin’ Country Alive

The third album from the rising country star has felt like a long time coming, it being almost four years since his last offering. However, it very much lives up to every single bit of hype around it, it’s a fucking awesome country album! ‘Raised Up Wrong’ is the perfect opener, and then you have songs like ‘When She’s Drinkin’’, ‘No Matter How Hard I Try’, ‘Tiny Little Fiddle’ and ‘Heartbreak Waiting to Happen’ that are all massive other highlights. However, the whole thing is incredible and goes by in a flash, there not being a bad song on it. It’s just the perfect amount of rock in my country, and balances the more upbeat stuff with beautiful ballads perfectly. It’s exactly the kind of country album I always want, and it’s written and performed masterfully by Carmichael here. I have nothing negative to say about this, if you are all into country music, check this out as soon as you possibly can! I’m going to be obsessed with this album throughout the entirety of summer, I can already feel it, and it gets an incredibly solid 9.5/10 from us!