A massive week for new music, from rock to country to metal. Let’s check it all out!
Kreator: Krushers of the World
The German thrash legends returned with their highly anticipated 16th studio album. Their previous effort, 2022’s Hate Über Alles, will certainly take some topping, so I’m curious to see where they go from this. Early reviews have been positive though, so I am definitely excited!
Honestly, it is yet another damn good album from the band! It’s 44 minutes of heavy, balls-to-the-wall thrash like only Kreator can do. Songs like ‘Satanic Anarchy’, ‘Tränenpalast’ and ‘Psychotic Imperator’ are all personal highlights. However, if you are into the band or the genre, like me, there really isn’t a bad track throughout. Much like a lot of their peers these days, they are very much still firing on all cylinders some four plus decades into their careers. I really think that this and their last album is up there alongside anything they’ve done in the past in terms of quality. Kreator have very much done it again, and shown why they are one of the most overlooked bands ever outside of mainland Europe. It’s another very easy 8/10 for the thrashers!
Soen: Reliance
Two and a half years after blowing me away with Memorial, the Swedish prog metallers are back with album number seven. And, what would you know, they’ve only gone and done it again! ‘Primal’ is the perfect opener, setting the tone for the album fantastically and hooking me in. Then you have tracks like single ‘Discordia’, ‘Huntress’ and ‘Draconian’ through the album that are also awesome, though there really isn’t a bad song on it. I sat down and listened through the full 43-minutes of this in one sitting, getting lost in the epicness, catchiness and heaviness throughout, never once losing interest. While similar to their previous work, it has been long enough since their previous albums that I have clearly been craving more of it without even realising. Also, it does feel a touch more focused on the heaviness, some of the riffs being killer and not nearly focused on enough! I would recommend this to anyone, regardless of what sort of music you are into. I can’t give it any less than another MASSIVE 9/10. Goddamn I love this band!
David Huckfelt: “I Was Born, But…”
Album number three from the folk activist, and first since 2021, is an incredibly chilled-out affair. Now, we’ll get the obvious out the way too: it’s pretty long. I feel like over an hour of slow folk music is too much, regardless of how good the quality is. There are some great lyrics throughout, and tracks like ‘Any Way the Wind Blows’ and ‘Who Do You Love?’I did enjoy. Honestly, when he leans into a bit more of an old-school blues sound, it’s excellent. However, the album as a whole very much struggled to hold my attention, especially when a lot of it was so similar. David is a great lyricist and a good songwriter, and there will definitely be people who love this release. I am sadly not one of them; it didn’t do much for me. If you like a more traditional folk/country sound, it’s worth giving a try, but I can’t give it any more than a 5/10. Fine, to listen to from time to time, but not my bag.
Mother Vulture: Cartoon Violence
The long awaited sophomore album from the UK hard rockers finally dropped this last Friday. It’s no secret I love them from their debut, so have been impatiently waiting for this for a while now. To say it doesn’t disappoint is an understatement! Opener ‘Mike Check’ sets the pace fantastically, and the band don’t let off the gas for the entire 41-minute runtime. Incorporating not only a bit of a heavier, hardcore edge to their sound, but also adding to the album some of the chaotic fun of their live show is honestly a stroke of genius. It still feels like Mother Vulture but feels incredibly fresh, a great evolution. It’s still packed with catchy radio-choruses and some amazing fuzzy stoner riffs, but has so much else at play too now. Georgi is honestly channelling his best inner Gerard Way throughout, and it’s fantastic! From ‘Sufferin’ Succotash!’ to ‘Slow Down’, ‘Double Down’ to ‘La Matadora’, it’s all SO GOOD. It all flows so well too, all the extra bits and touches they’ve added making it a true experience from front to back.
This is definitely one of the best albums of the year so far, regardless of how early we are into it. It also feels a step up from their debut, despite that one also being awesome. It’s another album I’d recommend to anyone even slightly into rock (everyone on this site, surely?) and will be one I’ll be spinning for weeks and months to come. Don’t be surprised to find it high up on our albums of the year list come December! 9.5/10
Gluecifer: Same Drug New High
I’ve been a fan of this band for a good while now, ever since ‘I Got a War’ came across my Spotify and I got a little obsessed. Their blending of punk, hard rock and glam is amazing, and it’s no wonder they are one of the most successful bands in their native Norway. So, ever since they reunited in 2018, I have been impatiently waiting for them to put out new music. Now, nearly 22 years after their last studio album, we finally get album six.
So, thank god, it’s fucking awesome! Right from the opener, ‘The Idiot’, I was hooked, and I wasn’t let go until the very last note. Being the perfect blend of everything from Alice Cooper to Turbonegro, The Ramones to White Zombie, and I love it. The band somehow haven’t lost a step in all their time away, even if they have still been playing live together a lot recently. There isn’t a bad track on the release, but songs like ‘Armadas’, the Cult-like ‘Pharmacity’ and the lighter punk ‘Another Night, Another City’ are personal favourites. But damn, this whole thing is so good, and incredibly easy and fun listen, as well as having their typically thought-provoking lyrics. I’d recommend giving this a listen if you are in any way a rock fan, and I am so dam glad they’re back to writing and releasing music again. I’d honestly put this up there with any of their previous albums. Hopefully we don’t have another two plus decades between long-form releases, but until we get more, I will happily be spinning this to death. I can’t give it any less than 9/10!
Nathan Evans & THE SAINT PHNX BAND: Angels’ Share
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read our review here.
In a House of Heartbeats: Divination of Dreams
The UK underground dark rockers released their highly anticipated debut album this Friday. It’s a post-rock, gothic, proggy journey, and an awesome one at that! Firstly, let’s get the obvious out of the way; this certainly isn’t a release for everyone. It’s not for the feint of heart, either. It’s 50+ minutes of almost wholly instrumental, broken up slightly by some spoken-word parts. That alone is a lot, but when the music is also drawn out, repeated riffing, shoegaze and doom metal soundings, for sometimes 10+ minutes per track, it can certainly get a lot. Honestly, at times I struggled a bit. ‘A Head Full of Ghosts’ was probably my favourite track; it had some fun Tool vibes to it. I also liked the build-up of ‘Parasomniac’. However, as talented as they are, I struggled to keep my interest through much of the rest. It will certainly have its big fans, but I sadly do not think I’m one of them. I do, however, fully appreciate the art crafted here and the talent of the individuals involved. It’s an awesome release that just isn’t for me. So, for that, I can’t give it any more than 4/10, sorry guys!
DZ Deathrays: Easing Out of Control
Following up on 2023’s R.I.F.F seemed like a hard task, given its critically adored status, but honestly the Australian dance-punkers knock it out of the park again with their seventh album. This is half an hour of pure fun punk rock, and is surely impossible not to like. From ‘Sideways’ to ‘First Night Fever’, there’s plenty to love, and there isn’t a bad song throughout! It’s very much fitting into the Australian garage rock scene, and it’s easy to see why they are some of the brightest lights of it. It’s a damn fun listen and one I’d recommend to anyone even vaguely into punk music. I’ve spun it a couple of times this weekend already, and will definitely be spinning it plenty in the months to come. I can’t give it any less than 8/10, and it may grow on me even more in the weeks to come!
Langhorne Slim: The Dreamin’ Kind
The eighth studio album from the indie-Americana singer-songwriter is an excellent 38-minutes of music. It’s a style that I’m a little up and down on at times, but this is definitely a release that I’m big into! It’s pretty chilled-out throughout, and it a great one to throw on and relax to, it going by in a flash. From the opener to ‘Rickety Ol’ Bridge’ to ‘Dance on Thru’, there’s a lot to love. It’s kept constantly interesting too, with everything from blues to Western getting a nod throughout. It’s a little slow at times, but the songwriting is so good it’s so easy to get lost in it all and listen through from start to finish. It won’t be for everyone, but it’s a good album that I certainly enjoyed checking out, and would happily play again! 7/10
Edenbridge: Set the Dark on Fire
The whopping 12th studio album from the Austrian symphonic metal quintet sees them return to their former label in Streamhammer, as well as promise their heaviest album to date. It’s certainly heavier than their previous album, and is pretty damn epic in nature and composition. And, while it’s a pretty long release, I had a good time with it from start to finish. Tracks like ‘Cosmic Embrace’, the plodding ‘Our Place Among the Stars’, ballad ‘Bonded by the Light’ and well, all of ‘Spark of the Everflame’ are personal highlights. The band are all hugely talented players and songwriters, and the sheer size of the production throughout all combines together perfectly to make this a massive album. It is a touch samey by the end, sadly, and I did find my attention drifting away somewhat, but that massive four-part track to close really got me hooked back in again. If you are into the style or genre, this is definitely an album I’d recommend! I’d happily give it another spin, though with the sheer volume of great symphonic metal around these days, I don’t think I’d rush back to it as much. 7/10
Asterise: Twilight Opera
The Polish power metallers follow up their 2024 sophomore album with this epic EP. It’s epic and grandiose, giving off more Dragonforce vibes than Sabaton, not that that is at all an issue! They’ve gone full Metal Opera and I love it! I’d have honestly just taken the amazing title track and called it a day, but we still had another three awesome songs on top of that. ‘Eclipse’ is a mid-tempo, heavy stomper, ‘Hope’ is a powerful ballad and ‘On my Way to Heaven’ combines everything before it together perfectly. As much as I enjoyed Tale of a Wandering Soul, this feels like somehow another step up in terms of songwriting and production. I LOVED this, and I think the shorter release format helped a little. Having said that, insanely, I already want another full album from them! I’ll definitely be spinning this plenty while I wait for that to happen, though. If you are at all into power metal, this is an absolute must-check-out. I can’t give it any less than 8.5/10, great stuff!
P.S. INSANELY beautiful album artwork, some of the best I’ve seen in a while!
HyperioN: Cybergenesis
The first album from the Italian heavy metallers in nearly six years, it is clear they’ve spent a lot of that time working on this. It’s damn good! 40-minute of incredible riffing, solid drums and soaring, catchy, powerful vocals. ‘Rewire, Rebuild’ and ‘Grain of Sand’ are personal highlights, but there really isn’t a bad track on it. It’s a great modern take of NWOBHM, combined with a power metal edge which has become so popular these days. There is no denying the bands talent, and despite it being another album that also feels a little samey by the end, it’s still a damn good release and one I’d highly recommend for anyone interested. I wasn’t aware of them until now but they certainly have a new fan in me! A solid 7.5/10 from us!
They Might be Giants: Eyeball
I had no idea this was dropping until I got an email about it. It’s hard not to be excited though, as I’m a big fan of the quirky duo and it’s about the first thing they’ve put out since 2021’s BOOK. Three odd tracks like only TMBG could produce, and barely eight minutes (and that’s with a remix of the title track added on too), it’s a quick, fun listen! The jazzy instrumental ‘Peggy Guggenheim’ was probably my favourite track, but all three certainly had their merits. If you’re into the band you will certainly enjoy this, though it definitely won’t change anyone’s minds who’s on the fence about them. I enjoyed it, and hopefully it acts as a fun little stopgap before another album! 7/10
Funeral Home: Your Funeral
The debut album from the death’n’roll Finns is glorious, fast-paced heaviness from start to finish. It’s a touch more melodic than its trad-death counterparts, but also has edges of hardcore and some bouncy punk riffs too. I definitely like when it leans into the rockin’ parts; tracks like ‘My Kingdom is Hell’, ‘Sacrificial Goat’ and ‘Graveyard Blues’ are definite highlights for me personally. However, there isn’t a bad song on here. The band are incredibly talented, and this is a phenomenal release for a debut. If you are into the heavy stuff with a touch of a fun edge, this is certainly the album for you! This will definitely stay in my rotation for the coming weeks, and I already can’t wait to hear where they go from here! 7.5/10
Low Gap: Geneva
The long awaited sophomore album from the country brothers finally dropped last weekend. Set to be the release to push them to the next level, the hype behind it is pretty high. And honestly, as more of a traditional, Americana-infused release, I definitely see the appeal. The duo work so damn well together, and have crafted some beautiful, catchy songs throughout this 44-minute journey. And some of the lyric writing is phenomenal, giving me goosebumps in a very bittersweet way. ‘Cuyahoga River’, the rockier ‘Churches’ and the amazing ‘Monsters (Take 2)’ are all huge highlights, and all for very different reasons! Also shoutout to the ever-amazing Julia Digrazia killing it as a guest on ‘Beattyville’! And ‘Heroes’ is far too beautiful sounding for how depressing it is, but an absolutely phenomenal song.
If you can’t tell, this album grew on me through my review! I know generally all you have to do to win me over is hit me with some deep, relatable lyrics (or a breakdown but not applicable here), but on top of tracks with that they also have some just awesome country songs. So much of this ended up on my personal playlist, and the versatility through the release from country rock to Americana to folk ballads; all the while the duo showing they can write each style perfectly. They certainly have a new fan in me, and I have a feeling this will be a release I’ll be revisiting at different times throughout the year. I’d recommend it to any country fan out there, and I can’t give it any less than a very solid 9/10!