Another stacked week of massive and great new music, from rock to metal to country! Let’s dive into it all!

Weezer: Weezer (Gold Album)

After the band finally took a much-needed break from writing/releasing following 2022’s middling SZNZ collection, they returned with their highly anticipated 20th studio album. Honestly, it proves if nothing else, quantity is definitely not directly proportional to quality. This is their best album in a while, easily since ’21s Van Weezer. It’s rather fitting too, since this is their first return to a self-titled release since 2019’s polarising (Black Album). The album starts on a massive high with ‘Say Yes’, while single ‘We Might as Well Be Strangers’ is also a banger. Heck, it’s a solidly great 32 minutes of rock music, with the only low-light being single ‘C.E.O.’ (the video is excellent but the track really hasn’t grown on me since its release). It’s some really good moody, melodic, punk-infused rock like really only Weezer can do. It’s the closest they’ve come to sounding like their early 2000s peak, and it was definitely a welcome return! I’m sure it will have its critics, but I’ve had a blast listening to it multiple times over the weekend. It’s a harmless album that doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but certainly reinforces it! One of the easiest 8/10s I’ve ever given.

Dan + Shay: Young

Album six from the country duo finally dropped to a lot of hype this last Friday. If y’all can remember, we LOVED their last album, so this has definitely been a big one I’ve been waiting for this year. And, given how excellent the singles have been, we were even more excited!

The album certainly doesn’t let me down, that’s for sure! While the title track was maybe a little of an odd choice opening the release, it being a slower ballad track, it is still great. And, following it up with the massive, amazing, emotional single ‘Say So’ was a great call. ‘Marry You Again’ is a catchy pop-country banger of a love song that was another excellent choice for a single. Them adding another harmony into ‘The Old Guys’ with Cody Johnson worked incredibly well too, and is another excellent song. The closer is also a beautiful, bittersweet, piano-lead song, and another huge highlight.

The rest of it, while all great, is a touch on the slow side. They can get away with it because their lyric writing, vocals and harmonies are all excellent, but I’d have liked a couple more up-tempo tracks like from Bigger Houses, honestly. They are so very good at making fantastic, sappy love songs, so the wife will be happy, at least! It’s all first dance music, through and through. I do hope it grows on me, like the other did. It’s certainly not bad by any stretch, but it is a step below their last. But, I will certainly be listening to it again plenty moving forward, that’s for sure! So for now it gets a tentative 7.5/10

Chelsea Wolfe: The Dark

Just two and a half years removed from her critically acclaimed last album, the gothic musician is back with her ninth. Her beautiful, haunting dark-folk sound is back on full display, a style I feel only Wolfe can do like this. Honestly, it’s a welcome return to the sound after her recent more electronic/industrial sound. From the opener to ‘Swallower’ to ‘I’m Not There’, there’s some really great songs on here. Honestly, the album begs for a full listen from front-to-back, though. There is no denying her skill, as a songwriter or a vocalist, as her lyrics and delivery throughout are excellent and the production on the whole release is phenomenal. Honestly, it feels like a strange comparison, but the grandiose nature of the album almost gives off Seal vibes at times. That is a big compliment though, trust me!

I know a lot of people loved She Reaches Out…, but this is the most I’ve enjoyed a Chelsea Wolfe release in a while, at least since her Converge collaboration. If you are all into the darker, more epic side of folk-rock, I cannot recommend this album enough!  While I probably wouldn’t listen to the individual tracks on their own too much, I cannot deny how incredible of an album as a whole it is. It’s a truly special release that I’ve already spun twice this weekend, and will be doing so plenty in the future! And, for that reason, I can’t give it any less than 8.5/10!

The Afghan Whigs: Soft Control

The first new album in four years from the alt rockers is a fun 36-minutes of catch melodies, creative riffing and amazing vocals and harmonies. I wasn’t too familiar with the band heading into this, but ‘Jungle Roux’ had me hooked immediately with its soulful, heavy-indie vibe. That was followed excellently by single ‘House of I’, while tracks like the grandiose ‘Mariah Luster’ and the jazzy ’77’ are also big highlights. If you’re into the style though, you’ll enjoy the whole album, just like I did. It’s quirky, that’s for sure, and there’s barely anyone out there doing this kind of sound still today. The closest comparison my brain kept making was Dogstar. So, if all of that sounds like your sort of thing, what are you waiting for, give this a listen! It’s probably not something I’d revisit too often, but I had a good time listening to it and am definitely curious to check out more of the band’s stuff. A solid 7/10 from us!

Ian Munsick: The Mountain Goat

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

Cutthroat LA: The Purge

The first new music from the American melodic hardcore band since their 2023 debut album, this EP picks up excellently where that left off! This is an awesome 18 minutes of hip-hop-infused hardcore/thrash, with each of the five tracks being as good as the last. The opener has plenty of hardcore and crossover vibes to it, while single ‘Purge’ is much more straight-up thrash. Meanwhile ‘Bullet Proof Mind’ and ‘Feeling Disconnected’ straddle that line perfectly, being amazing songs and almost remind me of Hed(PE) or even Body Count in the best way! If any of this sounds even slightly up your street, I can’t recommend checking this out enough! The band have a big new fan in me, and I really wish I could see it all live! I already can’t wait to hear where they go from here, but for now will happily be spinning this plenty moving forward. A very easy 8.5/10 from us!

Famous Strangers: Self-Titled

This is one hell of a debut album! It definitely fits alongside the likes of Rattlesnakes and Tailgunner with this resurgence of NWOBHM revival bands, and I am all for it! It’s packed full of awesome riffs, blistering solos and some really excellent, powerful vocals. We even get some harshness and screams throughout, adding almost a metalcore/melodeath element to it, in the best way possible! And there truly isn’t a bad song on the album, all seven being as excellent as each other! Whether it’s the balls-to-the-wall opener, the bluesy ‘Please Her’ or the more melodic metal ‘Far Away From Home’, there is plenty of variety, and it’s all amazing in its own right. At only seven tracks it goes by in a flash, too! The band haven’t been a thing for all too long, and this may already be an early breakout success for them, if there is any justice in the world. They already have a massive new fan in me from this album, and I truly cannot wait to hear where they go from here! I’ll be spinning it a lot in the coming weeks and months, and don’t be surprised to see it make our albums of the year list come December. A very easy 9/10 from us!

Brandon Leake: Intimacy

Album five from the Californian poet is a different release for us generally, but that doesn’t make it any less great! It gives off big 90s hip-hop vibes, and I love it. Having said that, it also reminds me of Hamilton, but either way is fine by me! The lyrics are expectedly awesome, but the delivery and the instrumentation is just as good! Opener ‘I’ve Got’ is honestly a phenomenal track, and sets the tone perfectly for the rest of the release. Tracks like ‘Fear’ and ‘Shine’ are also great and, while the solely spoken word stuff isn’t typically my sort of thing, there’s no denying they are well written and performed. The story throughout is awesome and a fascinating listen, keeping me hooked thoroughly unexpectedly (even if it was a little too religious for me). If you are at all curious, give this a try, you might find yourself enjoying it like I did! 6.5/10. It sounds low but is high for something that I normally wouldn’t go for!

Mob Rules: Stories From the Verdant Vale

Coming just a year after their last massive album, the German power metallers once again knock it out of the park with this release. Honestly, thank god they didn’t wait another seven years like before! While only a short five-track EP, it’s a truly excellent release, and a welcome return from the studio after a surprisingly short break. Opening on a reprise from their debut album was a master stroke, and it leading into the big new single ‘Master of the Black Crow’ was an excellent choice. It almost has some modern Maiden vibes to it, though very much still sticking rooted to their epic power metal roots too. The other two singles are awesome while the new one, ‘Masquerade Ball’ is just as good as the rest! The whole thing flows perfectly and goes by in a flash. The band don’t get nearly the love they deserve, so if you like anything even vaguely close to power metal, give this a spin! A very solid 8/10

Ken Pomeroy: Tonight’s News

Another EP, this time a chilled-out one from the amazing Native American folk singer-songwriter. I remember enjoying her last album when it dropped, and this is another stellar release to add to her discography! Tracks like the opener and ‘Late for the Sky’ are personal high points, but there certainly isn’t a bad song throughout. It’s 20 minutes of beautiful, simple and stripped back folk music. Her vocals are amazing, and her lyrics throughout the EP are also great. Plus, the rest of the instrumentation fits the vibe perfectly. Much like with her album, it’s a solid 7/10, and I’d recommend it to anyone into folk stuff!

The Night Eternal: Cold Velvet

The third album from the dark heavy metallers is every bit as good as their previous two! It’s like a gothier (somehow) Mercyful Fate, but with a modern edge and production to it. Heck, it has a very early goth tone to it at times, think Type O or even Sisters of Mercy, which was awesome. It’s a lot of fun! Opener ‘Where This World Ends’ kicks things off excellently, while the likes of ‘Caught in a Spell’ and ‘The Watcher of the Burning Veil’ are also awesome. However, the more I listened to this album, the more I fell in love. Everyone song is as good as their last, and the vibe throughout is amazing. At 41 minutes spread across just eight tracks, it may be a little much for some people, but I’m the opposite! It felt epic and grandiose and pretty fresh, there not being many that sound like this at all! Although I had checked out a little of their other work in preparation for this, I can safely say this is their best yet, and they have a big new fan in me. I saw they are touring near me at the end of the year, I am gonna have to get tickets! Another easy 9/10, this is awesome!

Speed Stroke: Damage Control

The first album in nearly six years from the Italian Hard ‘n’ Heavy band is a lot of fun! It’s almost 40 minutes of catchy, heavy sleaze that it none-stop awesomeness from start to finish! The band are insanely talented, both as players and writers, the album packed full of amazing riffing, solid drumming, insane solos and some catchy, massive vocals, both in terms of melodies and harmonies. It really channels that awesome European heavy sleaze sound excellently, like the heyday of Santa Cruz, Crashdiet or Dust Bowl Jokies. And, on top of that, every song is as good as the last, making it impossible to pick set highlights. The whole album goes by in a flash so it’s well worth listening to the album as a whole! If you are at all into this sort of style, I cannot recommend this release enough! I’ll certainly be spinning it plenty moving forward, and I can’t give it any less than 8.5/10. Heck, it may grow on me even more with more listens and end up even higher in the future!

Silica Gel: Ballad of You

This is a wild, quirky album from the Korean psychedelia four-piece! While this sort of thing isn’t my typical go-to, the likes of Angine de Poitrine have really gotten me into it more than I expected, and I can appreciate the hell out of all that goes into art like this. It very much is art, and the talent and creativity that goes into stuff like this is insane. The band do a great job of straddling the line between experimental psychedelia and more of an indie vibe, too. The opener is craziness, while the likes of ‘Melatonin 88mg’, ‘Molecular Gastronomy’ and ‘BIG VOID’ lean a little more into a poppier side, and are really excellent tracks. It’s fantastically creative and well put together, and I fell in love the more I listened! It flows amazingly, the production throughout masterful. It’s certainly not for everyone, but if you’re at all curious it’s well worth a listen! It will most likely grow on me even more with more listens, but for now it still gets a massive 8.5/10.

Oddland: Unilluminate to Illuminate

Album four from the Finnish prog metallers wasn’t at all what I expected heading into it, and I mean that it in the best way possible! Right from the tribal-meets-jazz-meets-metal opener I was hooked, not let go until 40 minutes later when the album finished! While ‘Freefall’ and ‘Red Canvas’ are highlights, there really isn’t a bad track throughout, and it’s all arranged excellently. It reminds me a lot of the likes of Haken and The band are all hugely talented, and have crafted something special here together, all working alongside each other perfectly. This is an absolute masterclass in grandiose, melodic heaviness, and is yet another amazing album from this week! The band have a massive new fan in me. My only slight gripe is that some of the songs are maybe a little similar structurally, but when they’re all this good that’s hardly an issue! I can’t give it any less than yet another huge 8.5/10