Three completely different EPs for us to check out today, from metal to punk to Americana. All are worth a listen but read on to see what we thought!
Europa Reign: Self-Titled
The debut EP from the alt metal band from just down the road in Wolverhampton is awesome, and a hugely impressive first release! It’s got an air of Mason Hill meets Earthtone9, and I love it! There’s a really nostalgic late 90s early 2000s post grunge edge to it too, but also it feels pretty fresh and different at the same time. His vocals are a little Sully Erna and a little Scott Stapp. the power and melody over a heavier, more technical and modern instrumentation being fantastic. Also, it’s impossible to pick out just a couple of highlights, as all five tracks on this are phenomenal. It’s right up my street musically, and is 23-minutes of perfect hard rock/metal. If you are in any way into any of the bands or genres I’ve mentioned already, I cannot recommend this enough! The band are insanely talented musicians and songwriters, and have a hugely bright future ahead of them if this release is anything to go by! I can’t give it any less than 10/10, amazing!
Instigators: Full Circle/The Sleeper
The UK punk royalty are back after decades away, returning to the stage a week ago at Rebellion in Blackpool and then releasing this revamped EP today! While none of it is new, I wanted to cover it as this is a rather huge deal, and a band I love! ‘Full Circle’ sounds better than ever, while classic ‘The Sleeper’ also sounds excellent with a new lease of life. As far as I’m aware the EP is only available in physical format, aside for the videos on YouTube like the one below. So, if you can order it or make it down to one of their shows, I highly recommend you pick up a copy! 8/10
Alan Fletcher: Let’s Talk About Love
The Neighbours star put out his brand new EP today, a follow-up to his 2023 debut album. Australian Americana is an interesting one, but it doesn’t not work. It’s simple but chilled-out, fun music in the vein of Julian Taylor or John Jenkins. There’s even a little bit of Ian Anderson to his vocal delivery, which I found pretty fascinating for this genre. He’s a good songwriter, the lyrics being pretty fantastic, and it’s a simple, good 12 minutes to sink your teeth into if you’re into this sort of style. My favourite track is probably the more bluesy/Willie Nelson-like ‘Table Service’, but none of them are bad! It’s a solid 7.5/10, and good for anyone just wanting to sit back and relax with some music!