A massive week for new music, spread across the rock, metal and country world! Even with us having a busy weekend, we managed to check out plenty. Let’s dive in!
In This Moment: Witch
The first album from the alt metallers since 2023’s GODMODE, and I unfortunately have a similar sentiment to this release as I did that one. It’s fine; completely passable radio metal, some fun industrial and nu metal elements to it. Tracks like ‘Crawl’, single ‘Sleeping With the Enemy’ and the Kim Dracula-featuring ‘Heretic’ are all good, but outside of that I found a lot of the rest was just kinda there. If you like the band or their style, you’ll probably enjoy it a lot. However, I feel like they have inspired (or at least been the building blocks for) a lot of interesting bands like SKYND and even Spiritbox to a point. But those bands have moved past this core sound and added some funner elements to it, kinda leaving ITM behind doing the same thing they’ve been doing for 15+ years now. As I said, it’s certainly not bad, and I wouldn’t turn it off if it was on. But I wouldn’t rush to put the full album on again any time soon, more just the odd tracks I like. It’s at least a little more memorable than GODMODE, so for that it gets a 6.5/10. Maybe/hopefully it’ll grow on me!
Little Big Town: It’s a Dying Art
We’ve already reviewed this awesome album! Check out the full review here.
Beartooth: Pure Ecstasy
The first album since Caleb broke the internet, and their follow-up to 2023’s The Surface, it’s at least heavy! And, honestly, I enjoyed this a hell of a lot more than I expected to! The opener/title track was excellent, the perfect punch in the teeth to kick things off. Tracks like ‘Bullshit’, ‘Sorry’ and ‘You’ are also awesome and certainly highlights, the latter almost feeling as aggressive as modern Architects in the very best way. It’s not all fantastic; there’s maybe one too many slower songs and ‘Stadiums’ is an experimentally-arranged song that I don’t think works. However, there is far more good than bad! This is the most I’ve enjoyed the band since their early days, and they have certainly returned with something to prove with this release! Hopefully they can keep this heaviness as it will surely gain them some momentum back and put them back on track as a modern heavyweight band. While I’m curious to see where they go from here, I’ll certainly be spinning a lot of this plenty moving forward. A solid 8/10 from us!
Mastodon: Marrow Deep
The first studio album since 2021’s Hushed and Grim, and first since the untimely passing of Brent Hinds, this is a surprisingly excellent release from the Atlantan metallers. It’s proggy, sludgy, heavy and melodic right from the off-set, and has some real career highs. The opener, ‘Snakes for Dinner’ and the proggy ‘A Vampire’s Demeanor’ are all excellent songs in their own right. And, while the release may be a touch long at 65 minutes, especially when a lot of it is similar, there isn’t a bad song throughout, and I honestly wouldn’t be able to cut any to tighten up the runtime! This feels like the most focused the band have been in a good few years, and I genuinely had a good time listening to this. The band are masters of their craft, and if you are into their style or any of the genres I’ve named previously, you’ll most likely love this! If it was a little shorter it may have scored a touch higher, but it still gets a solid 7.5/10! Hell, it may grow on me even more with more listens.
Everlast: Embers to Ash
The first solo record in nearly eight years from the House of Pain alumni is a big slab of music at 17 tracks, but is well worth a listen if you are into his more bluesy, acoustic based work. From ‘Never Coming Home’ to ‘My Hollywood’, ‘Rubber Bullets’ to ‘Peace of Mind’, there are some awesome tracks on here. His vocals are still as great as ever, and some of his writing is still top notch and packed full of emotion. Don’t get me wrong, it’s no Eat at Whitley’s or Whitley Ford Sings the Blues, but there is some good stuff on here and is a welcome return from the man after so long. If you are at all into his solo stuff, this is well worth a listen. I’ll probably not revisit the album as a whole much, but the stuff I like I really love. 7/10
Kamelot: Dark Asylum
We’ve also checked this album out in full, aren’t you lucky! Check out the full article here.
Wine Lips: TV Dinner
Album five from the psychedelic punkers is a damn fun 34 minutes of music! It’s rather urgent and balls-to-the-wall throughout, but it serves the release well and makes there never be a dull moment. Whether it’s single ‘Projector’, ‘Leach’ or ‘Fried V’, there is plenty of greatness throughout. The band are all insanely talented but also don’t take themselves too seriously, making for an album that is impossible not to like if you are into the punkier side of things. They have a new fan in me, that’s for sure, and I can’t wait to dive into their back catalogue and see what I’ve missed! For now though, this gets a solid 7.5/10 from us, good stuff!
The Warning: Everything’s Falling
Album five from the breakout Mexican rockers is every bit as good as their last. The trio are so good at blending heavy instrumentation with infectiously catchy, pop-infused hooks, and it’s no wonder they are becoming a huge name in both scenes in 2026. Whether it’s the singles, ‘Perfect Daughter’, ‘Why Do You Like it When I Cry?’ or ‘Waste Your Time on Me’, this thing is packed to the brim with amazing songs, with not a single dud or even lower quality track throughout. The women are really at the top of their game right now and show no signs of slowing down on their way to the very top. They feel fresh and unique yet also familiar in all the best ways, and this is certainly up there alongside their very best work. I’m going to be spinning this plenty in the weeks and months to come, and don’t be surprised to see it high on my albums of the year list come December. A very easy 9/10!
Flotsam & Jetsam: Rats in the Temple
Following up their excellent 2024 release less than two years later, the heavy/thrash metallers once again prove that they are still at the top of their game decades into their careers. This is nearly an hour of insane riffing, drumming and soloing, backing some great, powerful vocals and melodies from A.K.. Tracks like ‘Damnation’, ‘Blame the Knife’ and ‘Last Rites’ are all excellent and clear highlights for me. And while, like a surprising chunk of this list this week, it’s probably a touch long, none of the songs are bad by any stretch. You know exactly what you’re getting into with a Flotsam & Jetsam record, and this is more of the same. That certainly isn’t a bad thing, though! It’s a damn solid album and, while I don’t feel quite as blown away as I did by I Am the Weapon, it is still a great addition to their discography, and a solid 8.5/10!
Ty Segall: Chrome
Following on from last year’s Possession, the garage rock revival pioneer is back with his fourth album in barely over two years. It’s somehow even quirkier than his last album, but honestly, I think it made it more interesting and enjoyable. And that’s coming from someone who enjoyed Possession! ‘Hospital’ is a wild open but sets the tone rather perfectly for the proggy, psychedelic style rest of the release, and is a personal album highlight. The likes of ‘Glass’ and ‘Let Go’ also feel like they fit that distinction for me. The whole album is heavier and a bit more experimental than the stuff I’ve checked out from him in the past, and it makes for an incredibly fun listen. Give this a listen if you are at all curious! A damn solid 8/10!
Olivia Prado: Dirty in the Sand
Following up her massive debut album from 2024, the LA-based singer-songwriter returns with another dose of pop-R&B. Now, as you can probably tell with everything else on this article, it’s not typically our sort of thing. However, I had a good time listening to this! It’s a simple 18 minutes of catchy, well-performed music, and Prado is clearly a damn talented artist. The title track is probably my favourite on the release, but all of it is worth a listen if you are into this style! It’s not something I’d put on often, but certainly wouldn’t turn off if it came on again. Give it a listen if you’re curious, a solid 6.5/10!
Xenith: To No Avail
The debut album from the UK melodeath band is a real epic collection of heavy music. And, spoiler alert, it’s awesome! The opening track alone is over seven minutes of amazing riffing, brutal screams and some amazing dynamics throughout. It sets the tone for the rest of the album perfectly. Speaking of the rest of the album though, it is just as awesome as the opening song! It’s 10 amazing Heafy-yet-melodic tracks each as good as the last. Having said that, personal favourites are ‘Bludgeoned’ and ‘Killer Instinct’ are personal highlights! The band are all insanely talented, and work together excellently. I feel like we don’t have enough new bands doing this style in the UK, and hopefully Xenith help change that. They have a very bright future ahead of them if they keep releasing music of this quality, and I already can’t wait to hear where they go from here! For now though I will certainly be spinning this plenty moving forward, and it gets a very solid 8/10 from us!
Black Spikes: Ydos
The first release for the Lithuanian modern folk metallers on their new home at Napalm Records, this thing is a grandiose, damn interesting album! It’s dark, heavy, proggy and plenty melodic all in equal measure, and sucked me in right from the jump. I definitely get the modern metal comparisons, as it does have elements of Spiritbox or Poppy in the arrangements and riffing, but it is also so much more than that. It combines it with a European folk edge that makes it a truly unique and fascinating listen. It reminds me closer of SKYND, but twisting the style in their own way. Or hell, even Igorrr with some of the riffing. The opener into ‘MOTINA’ is amazing, while the likes of ‘ZELVAR’ and ‘SENAS DEMONAS’ are other highlights. Honestly though the whole album is awesome, and well worth a listen in full!
Agni is one hell of a vocalist, providing some amazing screams and cleans throughout, while the rest of the band work their asses off to provide a massive, epic backdrop for her. If you are at all into the heavier or more proggy/grandiose side of metal, this is an album you need to be checking out ASAP! It’s a step up from their 2020 debut, and prove that the band are very much here to stay, and their ceiling is high! 8.5/10
Steve Cropper & the Midnight Hour: Watching the Tide
The posthumous release of The Colonel’s work is a bittersweet affair. It’s not been all too long since his passing and it’s clear he put a lot of work into it, so not to hear it go out is a real shame. However, it is a great album featuring a lot of his peers, and is a fitting tribute! From Clapton to Gibbons, Wood to May, there is absolute rock royalty throughout this, including Steve himself of course. And, on top of that, they all kill it, producing some awesome tracks alongside Cropper. ‘My Angels are Calling’ is a particularly beautiful, bittersweet number, while ‘Down & Out’ and ‘Tip Off to the Rip Off’ are other personal favourites. The whole thing is a damn good, blues-heavy album though, and well worth checking out if you’re a fan! As a final album, you couldn’t ask for much more! 8/10