Another trip to the legendary Nottingham venue for a stacked lineup of incredible hard rock and metal bands! Having seen half of them multiple times before, I was certainly excited to see them again, while the half I’d not seen had me just as pumped! Without further ado, let’s dive into just how great it was!
The legendary Californian nu/alt metallers Adema were up first. A band that I’ve been a fan of since my teen years but never had the chance to catch live, they certainly did not disappoint! They didn’t have a huge amount of time, but they worked their asses off and put on a fantastic show regardless. It was heavy on their incredible debut, but we still got a cheeky track from both Unstable and Insomniac’s Dream. The massive hit ‘The Way You Like It’ was of course a massive highlight, but closer ‘Giving In’ was also awesome, and a big crowd favourite! Tim is back on lead vocals once again and sounds just as great as ever, while whoever they had on drums also killed it, just like the other the other two. I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to see them, but I already need to get to another of their shows, especially if it’s a longer set!
Next up were a band we’re very familiar with here at Overtone, South of Salem! It had actually been a little while since we’d seen them, and this very much reminded me of how much I love them! It was another set that was maybe a touch short, missing one or two of my favourites from their debut. However, the set was still stacked with banger after banger. From opener ‘Lwt us Prey’ through the awesome ‘Static’ to perennial closer ‘Cold Day in Hell’, the whole half an hour was amazing. Heck, we even got a cheeky cover, the band doing Savage Garden’s ‘To the Moon & Back’ perfectly, paying homage to the original while still sounding like SoS. Each member of the band worked their asses off throughout, and fromtman Joey Draper is such a commanding presence, the crowd eating out the palm of his hand from the very first minute. The band have been killing it for years now, and hopefully we are getting album three and a big headline tour soon!
Next up were my most anticipated band of the night, Finger Eleven. I have been a big fan of them for years, but somehow fell even more in love with them after last year’s Last Night on Earth. So, hearing ‘Adrenaline’ and ‘The Mountain’ live was truly something else! Having said that, I was actually a little surprised we got ‘Slow Chemical’ but DAMN, it was amazing to hear in a live setting! Just another incredible wrestling theme I’ve seen live, and my gosh do I miss when WWE had entrances like this again. And, of course, the likes of ‘Quicksand’, ‘First Time’ and ‘Good Times’ were also so great to hear live! Both guitarists put their all into the performance too, and Scott sounded as good as ever vocally. He may have been a little too stationary, but it actually kinda complimented their music well, and he still had some great crowd interaction! They fit perfectly on this bill and played a great set that was over all too soon. Shame the crowd were a little low energy for it, but outside of that it was excellent!
Out of the three times I’ve now seen Soil, this was the best one yet! It was still rather Scars-heavy like their last tour, but the album is packed full of so many bangers it’s hard to complain! The book-ending the set with ‘Breaking Me Down’ and ‘Halo’ will always be perfect, and the likes of ‘Unreal’ and ‘Black 7’ are incredible too! However, we had a little more variety than before. ‘The Hate Song’ and ‘Way Gone’ from their criminally underrated last album were amazing live, as was their new single ‘Enemy X’. And the likes of ‘Pride’ and ‘Redefine’ are always welcome additions to their live shows!
Speaking of the show, the band worked their asses off throughout! I touched on it when seeing Drowning Pool at Download, but Ryan’s vocals are stronger than they’ve been in years, and he was on top form as a frontman here! Meanwhile the rest of the band brought the energy in a big way, and were clearly having fun up there. They were a fitting headliner for the show, putting on one hell of a set for over an hour, and closing things out with a bang! And, what’s more, the crowd we’re big into it, marching the bands energy. Hopefully this renewed momentum and new track means another album is finally on the horizon soon…!
And there we have it, folks. A night packed with amazing hard rock and metal music, put on by four incredible live bands! I cannot recommend any of them enough, either on track or live, and this certainly won’t be the last time I see all of them, I’m sure!
Another absolutely MASSIVE week for new music across the rock, metal and country spectrum. Let’s dive right in!
Kings of Leon: O My Beloved
The 10th album from the southern/garage/alt rock legends comes barely two years after the critically acclaimed Can We Please Have Fun. We somehow missed that one here, but I do remember enjoying ‘21’s When You See Yourself when it dropped. This is more of the same; 50 minutes of chilled-out, well written music in a style that only the band can do. Despite the slower, relaxed vibes, they’re so good at making such grandiose soundscapes, almost having a jam band-esque feel. Tracks like ‘Cold Blue Dawn’, ‘Make it Count’ and the closer are personal highlights, but if you are a fan of the band or their sound you’ll most likely love all of it! It’s an album I’d certainly say is made for a full listen, just stick your headphones on and get lost in it. They’re a band that I never seem to actively seek out, but always love when I listen to them, and I’ll definitely be spinning this again soon! A solid 7.5/10 from us!
Carnifex: More Than Misery
Following up 2023’s massive Necromanteum was always going to be a hard task, but Carnifex rise to the occasion with maybe their most crushingly brutal release to date! From the title track through ‘Roses & Rotting Corpses’ to the grandiose, crushing closer, it’s incredible for its full 43-minute runtime. It’s certainly not for the faint of heart as it is some of the heaviest music out there, but if you like your metal brutal, this is absolutely the album for you. The band are all so incredibly talented at what they do, and for music like this to have such amazing production too is honestly rare. There isn’t much I can say about it as you know exactly what to expect if you know the band, but they more than deliver, and give us a release every bit as good as their last! A very easy 8/10 from us!
Blacktop Mojo: Discount Fireworks
Those of you who have been here a while know how much I LOVE this band. From playing with them on their first UK tourto being obsessed with their last album, it’s safe to say I’m a big fan. And, as a big fan, I have been impatiently waiting for this album since it was announced!
Thankfully, this somehow lives up to even my insane hype for it! It’s 40 minutes of incredible riffing and powerful, catchy vocals, and I can’t get enough. And, honestly, each track is as good as the last! From the stompin’, rockier opening two to the slower, more epic ballad-like following two tracks, I was hooked immediately. Then there’s the powerful lead single ‘S.A.D.’, the massive ‘Put Down the Dog’ and the grungy ‘Lay Here and Die’ that are all also phenomenal. However, that shouldn’t take away from the rest of the songs, which are all really fantastic. Everyone in the band is criminally underrated, both as songwriters and players, and I’m so glad they are getting the love they so sorely deserve in recent years! I will say that currently, it is maybe a tiny step below their last release, however that may be purely because I haven’t had time to spin it religiously like I did with that, and I’ll surely be doing the same with this in the coming months. It’s an album that I would reconnect to absolutely anyone, so check this out as soon as you possibly can, I’m sure you’ll love it as much as I do! A very solid 9/10 from us!
Hatebreed: Fatal Paradox
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read the full review here.
Comeback Kid: Chosen Hell
This is half an hour of beautiful, brutal chaos. The modern hardcore legends’ first album in nearly half a decade goes HARD from start to finish, and I’m a little obsessed! It’s a style that’s really grown on me since back then, so much so that I’m actually shocked I gave Heafy Steps such a low rating. I haven’t revisited it in a while, so I will have to do so and see if it’s sadly average, or just as good as this awesomeness and I’ve just evolved. It makes me miss Stray From the Path a little less, and will certainly fill that void for me for the next few months! And, honestly, every song was as good as the last. As much as I wanted to praise the opener, Courtney LaPlante-featuring ‘Shedding Season’ and the crushing ‘Tunnel Vision’, but honestly that would be a disservice to every other amazing song on here. Sure, it has the same ‘issue’ that I had before where it is all pretty similar. However, it is all excellent and is exactly what you’d want from the band, as well as flowing damn well. It’s heavy, overflowing with attitude but still has some catchiness and melody from their punkier roots. So, if any of that sounds like it’s your sort of thing, spin this ASAP! I can’t give it any less than 9.5/10, amazing stuff! Comeback kids indeed…
James Blunt: Airplane Mode
Jade: I must admit that other than ‘You’re Beautiful’, I can’t say I have actually checked out anything else from James Blunt. So this album had me pleasantly surprised. It’s all very easy listening, kind of gave me the same sort of vibes that I get from Mika, especially his later albums. I also got hints of Take That, the feel and sound of the album had some very similar aspects. Two songs in particular, ‘Weight Of It All’ and ‘Dancing In My Head’, brought me to tears. I was not expecting to be sat crying at a James Blunt album, but here we are. Aside from those songs and ‘Circles’ I will admit the rest of the album didn’t really grab me. None of it was bad, it just didn’t quite grab my attention as much as some other recent album releases. I do think I’m going to have to go back and check out some of his other albums now and bring some more James Blunt to my playlist! 7/10
Cult of Luna: In the Shadow of Your Shadow
Album 10 from the proggy post-metal Swedes is the long awaited follow-up to ‘22’s classic The Long Road North. To the surprise of surely no one, they once again knock it out of the park here! Of course the singles are awesome, with the recent ‘Sadness Will Reign’ being a particularly highlight. However, every song is great, and as fans of the band will already know, it is very much designed to be listened to in full. It’s certainly not a release for everyone, but if you are into the sort of style, the band really are second to none! The talent and songwriting is once again off the charts, and it’s so easy to just get lost in the dark, epic soundscapes. It’s one that’s well worth throwing headphones on in a dark room for the full 71 minutes! It gets another very easy 8.5/10 from us!
Bryan Adams: How’s it Goin’
I am honestly shocked by this man’s output some 45+ years into his career. And not just the quality (though that is high) but the quantity too. The fact that this is the third album we’ve reviewed by him, the last as recently as 14 months ago, is truly admirable, and is a testament to just how much he loves what he does. What I wasn’t expecting what him embracing the current musical trends and putting out a country album. However, it works for his style and sound, and is a damn fun release! It’s pretty stripped back and folky, being on the Bob Dylan or Keifer Sutherland side of the sound opposed to the modern vibes. It’s a chilled-out listen, and I loved every minute of it! Tracks like ‘Highway 16’, the perfectly political ‘51st State’ and ‘Canada’s Wild Eastern Edge’ are all personal highlights. And, while the album is maybe a touch slow overall, there isn’t a bad song on it, and I had a good time throughout! It is easy to see why he is one of the highest selling artists of all time, and he has once again added another impressive rung to his incredible discography here. 8/10
Sam Barber: Outlier
Jade: You can really tell that a lot of thought and feeling has gone into each song on this EP. The lyrics are really beautiful and you can feel all of the emotion. I have really started to enjoy more of the folk rock, kind of Americana type of genre. I recently got into Evan Honer and Wyatt Flores for it’s more moody, raw feel. I’m getting that same vibe from Sam and I feel like I’ve been able to get a glimpse of his soul from listening and really taking in these songs. Like with Evan and Wyatt this style of writing songs is just so raw and I feel like you can’t find a huge amount of artists like this…even with the music industry being so dense these days. A couple of my favourites are ‘Turn The Light Off’ and ‘Northern Weeds’. They were the stand outs for me, but all 6 songs were incredible. What a talented guy! 9/10
Rainburn: thirty-seven
Album three from the Indian prog trio is a really interesting 37 minutes of music! From big riffs to catchy, melodic vocals to some beautiful cleaner soundscapes, the album has it all, and combines it all together seamlessly. The bands talent is off the charts, both separately and together, and everyone gets plenty of time to shine throughout. The guitar solos in particular blew me away! And, while the album has a great flow and is absolutely designed and encouraged to listen to in full, ‘defy’ and ‘kings’ are personal highlights. Plus, the concept and story the release follows is fascinating and fits the genre and sound so well; frontman Vats Iyengar questioning faith, love and human it after an ordeal being surrounded at sea. You feel every single bit of the emotion and thoughts behind his words, and the instrumentation compliments it perfectly. It’s maybe not for everyone, but if you are at all interested I’d certainly recommend giving it a spin! A very easy 7.5/10 from us!
Little Angels: Big Bad & Back
The return release from the UK hard rock underground legends is their first new music in a whopping 34 years. Honestly a full reunion something I hoped for but never thought we’d get, let alone new music from the quintet, so I am certainly excited! And, the fact that it’s an awesome collection of music also helps! It somehow picks up right where Jam left off in ‘92, the bands amazing blend of classic rock, AOR and sleaze being so infectiously fun. ‘All for One’ is a phenomenal, grandiose opener that feels like it could have easily fit alongside their 90s output. Then there’s the likes of the Doris Brendel-featuring ‘You Want Love’ and the closer that are also incredible! However, the remaining two songs are also great, there really not being a bad song throughout. The band are firing on all cylinders across the full 21 minutes, everyone sounding just as good as they did in their youth! I truly hope this isn’t the last time the band are in the studio as they could honestly pump out an album that could rival anything in the UK rock scene today if this release is anything to go by. I am so glad the boys are back, and this gets a solid 8.5/10 from us!
Nihilo: Abyss
The death metal Swedes are back with album six, and go just as hard as ever before! It’s half an hour of brutal riffs, lightning quick drumming, great screams and incredible solo work, and every death metal fans dream. And, from ‘Voidbound’ to ‘Inherent Cracks’ to the closer, there is some really great stuff on here. Having said that, though, the whole album is pretty great, going by in a flash. It can be a touch samey at times, but that’s the genre, and if you aren’t into it I maybe wouldn’t recommend. However, this is an absolute must for more traditional death fans, or just those into the heavier side of metal in general. The band are all incredibly talented, work well together, and deserve to be so much bigger than they are currently. Hopefully this is the album to push them to the next level! A very easy 7/10 from us!
Asia: Indigo
The legendary classic/prog rock supergroup are back with their first new album in 12 years. Granted, it is just Geoff Downes of the original lineup, with the new three joining in 2024. However, the heart of the band is clearly still very much there, as this very much sounds like an Asia record! Over an hour of anthemic prog rock, showcasing the sheer volume of incredible talent the four members have, both at playing and songwriting. Whether it’s ballads like ‘Change of Heart’ and ‘Hymn for the Fallen’ or rockier numbers like ‘Life in the Sun’ and ‘Night and Daty’ it’s a fantastic range of sound. The real high is the three-part ‘Tattoo Indigo’ though, worth giving the full album a spin on its own! The album as a whole is a little long for me, especially given how much of it is slower power ballads. However, if you like the bands sound and style, you will most likely love all of it! There is certainly more good than bad, but it’s not an album I’d revisit as a whole all too much, more just the odd track. 6.5/10
Prong: Self-Titled
The New York groove metallers are back with album number 15. We were big fans of State of Emergencya few years back, and the same sentiment is very much carried forward into this release! It feels like the band have gone a bit more towards their thrashy, hardcore roots with this release; less massive riffs and a more brakeneck pace throughout. However, it’s still a damn good release, and another great addition to their storied discography. From ‘New Commission’ to the slower, melodic punk ‘Uncertain Truth’ to ‘Simulated Drowning’, there’s some really awesome stuff on here, too! The band are all so damn talented, and are still going hard four decades into their careers. I do have to say I don’t think it’s got quite as many memorable moments as their previous album, but it is still a lot of fun and a release I’d recommend to anyone even vaguely interested or into the faster side of metal. I’ll certainly be listening again, and it gets a solid 8/10 from me!
Mystical Death: Across
What a debut album this is! 37-minutes of technical, brutal progressive death metal, going hard from start to finish. The playing and creativity his off the charts throughout, blowing me away on multiple occasions. Tracks like ‘Laniakea’ (with it’s surprising, sexy horn solo), the jazz-introed ‘Empathy’ and the epic, operatic ‘Thalassa’ are all personal highlights. However, the whole album is awesome and certainly worth a listen if you are interested; it goes by in a flash! It’s an incredibly interesting release, the progginess complimenting and adding to the heavy parts excellently. The band have a very bright future ahead of them if this is only the start of their output. I’m excited to hear where they go from here, but for now will be spinning this plenty moving forward! 8.5/10
Mack Geiger: Dying in This House
A highly anticipated neo-traditional country debut album, Mack very much lives up to the hype with this! It’s the perfect mixture of Brooks & Dunn and Zach Top, and is impossible not to have fun when listening. ‘His & Hers’ is sets the tone perfectly, while the likes of ‘Just Called to Let you Know’ and ‘Walk a Straight Line’ are also fantastic songs. I do have a similar personal issue with this than I do a lot in this classic country revival style in that it opens with a bang and then is followed by a fair few slower tracks for the rest of the album. However, Mack is so damn talented a musician and songwriter that I still enjoyed all the slower stuff, and the album didn’t at all feel its length! If you like this sound even slightly, this is absolutely worth checking out, and I’m sure it will grow on me even more with more listens. And, having said that, it still gets a damn solid 8/10 from us!
Alex Little: Conversations in my Head
The sophomore EP from the Vancouver-born songwriter is a fun, quirky three tracks! Having elements of everything from traditional punk to indie, folk to rock, it feels pretty unique to Alex, and is an incredibly easy listen! Hell, it has just a dash of horror punk to it with the melodies and keys/organ work too, which I loved. Because of that, it’s also impossible to say if any of the tracks are better than the others, as they almost feel like they are written to be listened to all at once. She is one hell of a songwriter, and her voice fits this style perfectly. Having said that, the band behind her are also killing it throughout. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I’d certainly recommend it to anyone even slightly interested! I can’t give it any less than 7/10, good stuff! It’s a style that feels like it’s making a bit of a comeback in recent years, and Alex is doing it just as good as anyone else!
Fools & Sages: Between the Stars
So, full disclosure, I have been familiar with a lot of this for a while now. I jammed with the band for a couple of years in their early days, so have heard a lot of the demo versions of this. However, hearing it fully realised, and most with vocals finally over the top, is something else! It’s 35 minutes of massive, grandiose soundscapes, interspersed with HUGE, ch0nky riffs and the odd incredible soundscape. They very much nail what they intend to, being a perfect mixture of old-school Alter Bridge and VOLA. I have to say the heavier tracks like ‘Ascend with Me’, ‘Sever the Ties’ and the title track/closer are personal favourites, and I’m so glad all these riffs made the final cut. However, the slower stuff like ‘All That Could Have Been’ and ‘Always’ are also great songs in their own right! Connor is an incredible songwriter and guitarist, and some of Gracie’s lyrics and vocal runs are amazing. And credit to ? and ?, who also kill it throughout.
If I had one minor note it would be that they could maybe use some harsher vocals over some of the heaver parts, but that is very much a case of personal preference and I’d imagine it doesn’t take much away, if anything, for most. It’s an amazing debut album, and the band have a very bright future ahead of them! I need more already, but will happily settle for listening to this a bunch more times while I wait. 8.5/10
Tori Darke: Who I Am
The first EP from the Australian country-pop mainstay follows a slew of singles in recent years, but is somehow the first longer form release from her since 2015. I’m glad we’ve finally got a collection of tracks from her though, as this is awesome! It’s like it’s ripped straight out of the early-mid 2000s country scene, reminding me of the good era of Taylor Swift or Carrie Underwood. Single ‘Prettiest Wreck’ is one hell of an opener, but the likes of the title track and ‘Buy My Own Beer’ are just as good! It’s an incredibly fun and easy 15 minute listen, and one I’d honestly recommend to anyone. It’s awesome and very much deserved that she is getting some real international acclaim nowadays, and she has a big new fan in me this year, that’s for sure! It’s a very easy 8/10 from us, and it’s an EP I’ll be spinning plenty moving forward!
Steven Wilson: Requiem for a Village
The prog rock legend is back with solo album nine. At the very least, it is better than the last one we checked out from him. There’s some fun riffing on the likes of the title track and ‘Wheel’, and it actually gets pretty heavy at times! Hell, I didn’t even hate the vocals for at times, it all reminding me of MJK’s various projects more than anything else. Do I finally ‘get’ it…? Don’t get me wrong, not all of it was quite my sort of thing; the likes of ‘The Same River Twice’ and ‘A Basket of Beas’ were a little on the weird side for me. However, it’s certainly not a bad album, and even worth the length if you are a fan of his style! I guess the concept of it is good too, with David Tennant doing a masterful job weaving the story of the release with his spoken word parts. Don’t get me wrong, I’d have preferred the heavier, hard rock style stuff throughout instead of its meandering into quirky folk, but even that had a certain charm just from its sheer unapologetic craziness and creativity. It’s at least made me curious enough to give his older solo stuff a second chance, and slight hope that I will enjoy his next release even more. A tentative 5.5/10
We had the pleasure of chatting to Mr Baby Lasagna himself, Marko Purišić, about their brand new album, their upcoming European tour, and his future plans! Check it all out below!
I think a lot of people will still probably be most familiar with you from Eurovision. How would you describe your current sound to people who are only really familiar with that one track?
Goofy-ass metal, I would say. I think we definitely got back to our roots, which is like metal and rock music definitely. And I think our attitude is maybe what can give us some kind of a window to maybe separate ourselves from other artists, and that is maybe our kind of lightheartedness or goofiness or whatever. I think that’s kind of the best way to describe what we’re doing. I think there’s moments of like seriousness in those kind of moments, but I think I’m way too biased to be the one judging that kind of thing, so maybe people other people should take a lesson and see what we’re all about!
What made you transition back to metal? Obviously you mentioned it’s where you started out!
Yeah, definitely, maybe like 15 years ago. I would say that Eurovision phase would mostly would be considered from myself a transition because everything kind of just happened and I didn’t have an album, I just had songs on my computer laying down. Those are the songs that I wrote for other artists and they just didn’t go through. So I was like, this is now hot, I gotta have an album. I’m not 100% satisfied with it, but you know you gotta put something out and I think it’s the right thing. But then now that we have time, we are going back, although we never left, to the things that we truly love, which is mostly metal and rock music with subgenres of like hard style techno and stuff like that.
I didn’t realize you were a songwriter as well. I feel like it’s a little rare these days in kind of rock and metal to find people who do still songwriter for the people.
Yeah, I think it’s also rare. So when I actually got the award for the best selling album in Germany, not for me but for the band that I wrote for, a Gothic metal band. So that was kind of weird. But I can understand and I appreciate when people even from rock music, they’re now older and they’re tired and they feel like they’ve already written all that they can write, so they’re looking for help. They’re still really involved in songwriting, it’s just that they need that kind of first idea, the first brick on which they will build their own kind of approach. It’s not the usual kind that you are used to, to maybe, I don’t know, Sabrina Carpenter or whatever. Like pop music where they just come to the studio, here’s your new song and go with it.
Speaking on the album, it seems to have gone down really well. I’ve read a few reviews outside of my own and everyone seems to be loving it!
Yeah, I was kind of surprised with it. Not that I didn’t expect it or… you never know when you release it. As I said again, I’m way too deep into it to know what it’s like objectively, like what’s the response going to be. I was hoping for it, but I think it’s good. The only objection I would make to myself is that I don’t have the moment in album, like everything is good, but nothing jumps up, jumps out. I think in the third one we’ll have that better maybe something. I don’t know, that’s what I feel like!
Yeah. I feel like maybe a couple of again, just because I wasn’t familiar with your stuff pre-Eurovision, I feel like a couple of the the screams and stuff like that stood out. But, yeah, I suppose if you’re more familiar with your stuff…
Yeah, I think it kind of lacks a good moment, like a good part in the song that really stands out. All of the songs are like, yeah, good, nice, but none of them is like, oh, this is the one. I feel like I’m sounding like the guys from NoFX right now. I remember them releasing an album and journalist asking them, well, tell us about your new album, and they were like “it’s okay, the last one was better, but this one will do”!
No, I know what you mean though. I suppose as well if you’ve been sitting on the songs for quite a while, and I’ve spoken to a few artists where they’re like, the amount they played it in the studio and then rehearsing for it for a live setting, you kind of just get a bit desensitized to it almost.
Yeah, man. And it was kind of a tense situation for us because, you know, now all of a sudden you have kind of expectations, you have people listening, which you didn’t have so far, that can bring some pressure. Although it’s pretty under the surface, I think we did a good job with what we had and I think we can stand behind that album!
Is there a theme or story running through it or is it more kind of, you know, separate tracks?
Yeah, as a songwriter, I never got used to writing an album as a whole, I was always writing song by song by song. But I can see now looking back on the album and listening to it, there’s a lot of stuff. So the first album was really commenting a lot on society and blah blah blah. The second one now is really self-involved more. I think it’s just because of Eurovision and everything that happened, our lives turned one day to the next, we’re totally different. Everything is now different and there’s a whole lot of attention hear in Croatia on us, and it kind of brings a lot of feelings, a lot of emotions, it changes you as a person. And I think the whole theme running throughout the album is kind of that; like wrestling with something new within yourself. The best thing I can hope a listener could get from that album is hope. And I know I was writing a lot of songs, for example, “Face On Your Phone” as a fuck you. So it gives them hope, give them strength to oppose everything that’s bothering them in life, so that’s that’s what I hope!
What’s the writing process like for you? Is it mainly you? Or do you guys all just kind of get together in a room and hash it out?
Yeah, we when we started writing this album, we rented a really nice villa and we were like, “now we’re going to write an album and it’s going to be so cool. That’s like what the big bands do!” We go we got there expecting to write, I don’t know, it would be great if we write five songs, six, seven, oh my god, maybe 10. We ended up writing one song, ‘End the Party’. And yeah, I got to tell you, I even told my boys that I kind of hate writing in a group. For 10 years I was writing alone and now it’s so weird. Crossing off each other’s energy… I need to learn that and I’m willing to learn that, but I just locked myself in the room and started to play with instruments as I usually do. The only thing that’s different is that guys themselves also write song without me and then we collaborate more later and so we did it like that. I literally have anxiety, like they would say hey, let’s have a writing session, I would be like, oh my god, it’s so stressful for me. I don’t know why, even though I’m best friends with those people, but it’s just weird. When you get used to it writing alone for 10 years, it’s weird just canceling it all of a sudden!
You’ve kind of touched on it already, but there’s more writing going on I assume, right?
Yeah, I mean there’s nothing else that I can imagine myself doing right now. And I want to do this for as long as I can. The life that we’re now living is basically what I dreamed of since I was nine years old. So, of course, I remember thinking about the third album and writing it in my diary, what I wanted it to be, on the day when we released this one. So everybody was excited and listening to the new songs and you’re so detached from what’s going on in the general reality of the fans, because with with my own head I’m already in the third one. And that’s like a songwriter’s disease, I would say, because I’m trying to write as many songs as I did before. I remember in 2021 I wrote 200 songs in one year, 240, something like that, so it eas a few songs a week. So, you know, my mind is already what’s next!
The tour starts soon, right?
Yeah, next week! By the end of next week we have a first date in Milan. I think it’s worth mentioning here that we’re coming to UK again, which is amazing, because we love UK and we still have some UK dates to announce. I think we’re coming 20th or 21st or 19th, I don’t know, to Manchester and London in November. Both shows are going really well, which I’m super excited about because having a good audience in UK feels like a privilege. UK is a big market so I’m really happy about that. And I can say if you liked our concert last year when we were last there on tour, I promise you’re going to absolutely love this one. We did everything differently, it’s going to be perfect!
Is there any kind of comparisons you can make between the scene out here compared to back home?
Oh, definitely. First of all, I love playing outside of Croatia just because of hear in Croatia… now it’s getting better and it’s going to get better with time, but the ‘Rim Tim Tagi Dim’ hype grew bigger than Baby Lasagna, than everything, it was just big of a song. And when you play here, people visiting your concert were not necessarily a fan of yours, they were fan of ‘Rim Tim Tagi Dim’ and they were just waiting for an hour to play that songs. As I said, it’s been now two years, so I think it’s it’s kind of getting in the right direction where we are doing solo gigs and people are are actually listening to our songs.
But yeah, playing in the UK is different. It’s where people know your songs, and last year or the year before that we played 2000 Trees festival, which was so perfect for us because a lot of people didn’t know us there and it ended up being packed. We were on some forest stage and by the end of it a few thousand people were singing to us, which was like the biggest honor because we are new here. They were singing like, “Oh, Baby Lasagna”. That’s cool. And that was one of my favorite moments ever in music that I’ve been to, and it brought tears to my eyes. So yeah, I would say we have a special bond with the UK, and last year London was sold out, I think this year Manchester will be and maybe London too, so we’re excited!
You seem pretty active and up on the whole social media game. Is there any advice you could give for a band or artist just starting out on that side of things?
Post and run! I’m talking to you right now on my main phone and I’ve got another phone that’s turned off where I have all my social media. And I just record a video, post and just close it and stay away. I can’t do it for me and it eats me alive. I can see myself like going down spiritually and emotionally at some point, just draining myself, so I’m definitely careful with it. I’m trying my best to stay active on it because I think it’s a cool way to, you know, work on your relationship with the fans, but at the same time it’s not good for you. I would be definitely careful with it.
I’m glad that you you said that I seem to be on it because I feel like, “Ah, you’re not doing enough, ah, you haven’t posted in three days” and oh my god, because I see people having teams, social media managers and blah blah on my level. Maybe it could work, but I don’t know. At the same time it’s just why would I hire somebody. But I don’t know, it’s all confusing a bit!
The metallic hardcore legends return this coming Friday with their ninth studio album. Being a whopping six years since Weight of the False Self, and having put out some excellent singles from this so far, the hype for this release is at an all time high! We’re big fans of the band here at Overtone so have been waiting rather impatiently for the chance to sit down and do a deep dive. So, without further ado, let’s do just that!
The album very much starts as it means to go on with ‘Kill Count Increase’. It’s heavy and brimming with attitude and swagger from the jump. A massive intro riff complete with some incredible drumming soon gives way to a massive verse. Jamey’s vocals sound just as fantastic as ever, only adding to the aggression of the track. It all leads to a pretty catchy chorus; simple and at the same level as the rest of the song, but the backing vocals add another great level to things. And sitting at not even 2:30, it’s in and out perfectly. The intro riff gets reprieved for a crushing outro breakdown, and somehow gets even heavier half-timed by the end. It is a fantastic Hatebreed track, and is an excellent way to kick things off!
Single ‘The Carrion Choir’ continues right where the opener left off. One of my favourite riffs on the album kicks it off before another balls-to-the-wall verse speeds through and into a massive, chuggy, almost groove metal chorus. It still very much feels hardcore and sounds like Hatebreed, but I do like them mixing it up a little in their structures and formula. The closing breakdown is absolute FILTH too, having me crowdkilling around my own kitchen both times I span it while writing this up. It’s everything that the band do so well, and a huge highlight of the album. It was a fantastic choice as a single, and a track that easily makes our playlist!
The first non-single, ‘Decisions Become Destinies’ gives big early 2000s Hatebreed vibes, both in the lyrics and the composition. I love it! The bass-led intro and the guitars coming in after was a great touch, as is the space and gaps between the massive drums and guitar chords for the chorus. It’s the best dynamics of any track so far, the changes between each part keeping me constantly interested and blown away. Again, it still feels like Hatebreed but goes beyond the typical hardcore genre into something really only they do. Hell, we even get a great (albeit brief) guitar solo tucked away in the middle before it drops back down to that awesome bassline again. I honestly adore this track and can’t gush over it enough. If you check out any song from the release, make sure it’s this one. Another massive highlight!
Tracks like ‘Total Invincible’, single ‘Make the Demons Obey’ and ‘None Left to Save’ are all more balls-to-the-wall hardcore tracks. The latter is probably my favourite of the three; the chorus being awesome and pretty catchy and melodic in its own way. I also love that it has plenty of room to breathe at six plus minute, really giving that breakdown riff at towards the end plenty of space to build, getting truly epic by the end of it. And then for them to just come in and kick our ass with another, slower breakdown at the end after a bit of silence, and some almost black metal guitaring, was really great and an amazing touch. It’s a fantastic way to close out the main portion of the album, and is another firm highlight! Having said all that, the single was also a lot of fun; your typical Hatebreed stuff and a track I am DESPERATE to see live! That chorus riff and vocal is CHONKY.
Then you have the likes of the title track, ‘Still a Threat’ and ‘Truth is a Lion’. While all are still heavy and very much in fitting with the band and albums sound, they have a bit more of a melodic edge to them than your typical hardcore sound. The former is another excellent pre-release single, while the other two have some pretty great guitar work throughout, almost giving Slayer vibes at times. All are great tracks in their own right, but you do very much know what you’re getting into with the band, and they do blur together just a touch on a full album listen. However, when it’s a sound like this, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as I’d certainly recommend spinning it in full!
‘Sacrifice Season’ features the incredible John Tardy of Obituary fame, lending his voice perfectly to the chaos. It gives a new depth to the track, again giving slightly more Tom Araya vibes in his delivery and sound, it fitting perfectly over the heavy hardcore instrumentation. It feels weird calling it a duet, but the two’s vocals do fit rather excellently together! And the instrumentation behind them is, of course, more heavy awesomeness. It’s another great song, everything working so well together!
The final track on the release is their cover of Corrosion of Conformity’s ‘Poison Planet’. It’s 85 seconds of pure anarchy; a breakneck pace with everyone working their asses off throughout! Jamey’s delivery is incredible, but the rest of the band also kill it with the sheer insane pace of the song. It’s a great rendition of the track, doing justice to the original yet modernising it with its production. Honestly, early CoC doesn’t get enough love these days, so hopefully this shines a light on the bands heavier roots!
Overall: This is another stellar release from the band! They have not lost even a fraction of a step in the six years since their last album, delivering everything you’d want from them in spades. There isn’t a bad track throughout and, as I said, I’d honestly recommend giving the album a spin in full as it does have a great flow to it. If you are at all a fan of the band or the style, give this a listen ASAP. It’s crazy that over three decades into their careers, they are still just as good as they’ve ever been! I’m sure to be listening to this a hell of a lot moving forward!
An absolutely MASSIVE week of new releases for us to dive into today, with some of the biggest names in rock, metal and county dropping music. What are you waiting for? Join us in diving in!
Nickelback: Everything Under the Sun
I have impatiently waiting for this albumfor most of the year now. Four insanely good singles each as good as the last had me hyped up massively to hear the other eight songs. And, honestly, they live up to said hype! From ‘Chasin’ Famous’ to the guest-packed ‘Lift Somebody Up’ to their early post-grunge stylings on ‘Bottled Dreams’, there are some fantastic, upbeat “album tracks” on here. And even some of the slower ones like ‘Simple Song’ are fantastic. There is maybe one too many slower songs throughout, especially in the early run between ‘Bones for the Crows’ and ‘Chasin’ Famous’, but it’s a style that Nickelback are known for, and really play to perfection. While it’s not quite a perfect album, well over half of the release is highlight worthy, and I did enjoy it more than their still-great last release. It may not be up there alongside Right Reasons or Dark Horse or Silver Side, but it is not far behind them, and I do feel like it will still grow on me with even more listens! And regardless, the singles are still phenomenal! An easy 8.5/10 from us!
Queens of the Stone Age: Perfecth
QOTSA are an odd one for me. There are songs and even full albums that I love from them, but I feel like it has been a while since I have truly gotten into something from them. Their ninth album is an interesting one for me. All semblance of the hard/desert rock sound that had made them so big has finally been fully stripped away, replaced by this soft, jazz-adjacent rock that Homme has tried to squeeze into every album to this point. However, that’s all this album is. No big riffs, no heaviness, just a plodding pace, twiddly guitaring and some big, grandiose vocal layers.
Having said all of that, I actually didn’t hate it. It’s probably the most I’ve enjoyed one of their albums since …From Clockwork. From the perfect build of the opener to the acoustic, Latina-flavoured ‘From the Cliff’ to single ‘Easy Street’ there is some good, interesting stuff on here. It’s not exactly what I want from the band, but Homme is a masterful songwriter and certainly hasn’t produced a bad album here. I’m curious to see the general consensus on this, as well as if it will grow on me more with more listens. It’s a quirky departure from their previous sound, but it may very well pay off for the band, and it still somehow feels like them. 5.5/10
Kaitlin Butts: Hello Honky Tonk
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read our full review here.
Enslaved: Mið
Following up on 2023’s critically acclaimed Heimdal, the Norwegian extreme metallers once again return with a brutal, dark slab of music. It follows on from the rest of their discography, having a type melodic edge to the style that only Enslaved can do, while still maintaining the bleakness and heaviness of their black/extreme metal roots. The tribal and clean vocals are a fun, quirky touch, and the guests add some fun interesting dynamics and twists too. It is far more than just a straight-up heavy album, with ‘Mountain’ in particular feeling like latter career Opeth over any sort of black metal. However, it’s just as awesome as the balls-to-the-wall stuff like ‘Tales of Trees’, and is a true testament to the bands talent for writing. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not an album for everyone, but if you are a fan of the band or are at all interested, give it a spin! 6.5/10
RATTLESNAKES: Shadows in the Night
The debut album from one of the shining lights in the heavy metal revival in the UK scene finally dropped this Friday. It had a lot of hype surrounding it and, I’m not just saying this because I love the guys, but it deserves every bit of it. Each of these 10 tracks are as good as the last, and all flow together perfectly. It’s a phenomenal throwback 70s/80s release, but also feels modernised in the best ways, through both the writing and the production (shout-out the amazing Audiomage!). Because of that, I’d honestly recommend this to anyone, regardless of what genre they are into.
Speaking of the tracks themselves too, they are all incredible. It’s impossible to pick just a couple of highlights as honestly, they could all be massive radio and live hits in their own right. Everyone is working their asses off throughout, with it being packed full of amazing riffs, huge choruses and blistering solos from start to the end. And Rowena still remains one of the most criminally underrated vocalists around today, blowing me away on every track here. As great as their debut EP was last year, this takes that formula and turns it all up to 11, being somehow even more excellent! It’s easy to compare them to the titans and pioneers of the sound, but honestly they build on the old-school formula and create something unique to them. The scene is gaining some real momentum recently with the likes of Wailing Bansheeand Absolva, and these guys are right up there with those leading the charge. I can’t give it any less than 9.5/10, do yourselves a favour and give this a listen ASAP!
Dustin Lynch: Clean Slate
Jade: If you are a lover of modern country, something a little cheesy and super catchy, then you’ll probably enjoy this album as much as I did! It’s up there with some of my favourite country artists such as Kane Brown, Brad Paisley and Blake Shelton. Which makes total sense considering these are all artists Dustin Lynch has toured with.
Dustin has very strong vocals packed full of that unmistakable country twang. All I will say is that with the ever growing condensed column of country artists now all with a very similar sound, it does necessarily not stand out all too much. However, make no mistake, this doesn’t mean I don’t like the album. I am an absolute sucker for this exact genre of country music, it probably makes up about ninety percent of my playlist at this point! I will have to keep an eye out for a UK tour, as I need to know if he is as good live as he is on track!
A couple of my favourites were ‘Real Fine Reason’, ‘She Don’t Know’, ‘Built Us A Life’, and the one that reminded me most of Kane Brown… ‘One Tennessee’. However, I would recommend listening to every song on this album, it really is that good! 8.5/10
Against the Current: Till Death & Back
The first album in over five years from the pop rockers is a welcome, powerful return! It’s just over half an hour of catchy melodies, catchy, soaring vocals and just enough rock instrumentation to add some interesting intros and bridges. If it is your sort of genre, it is absolutely an album I’d recommend! Between ‘Dead Man Walking’, ‘Heavenly’ and ‘Stuck’, there is plenty to love, but there honestly isn’t a bad track throughout. It’s not 100% my thing, especially when a lot of it was pretty similar in terms of feel and pace. However, there is no denying the quality and the talent of everyone involved, and fans of the band will most likely love it! It’s a welcome return to the studio from a band who have always felt like they are on the cusp of being global megastars. Whether this is the release to take them to that level or not, I’m not sure, but it’s one I’ll happily revisit again, and it gets a solid 7.5/10 from us!
Ministry: Hate to Go – Takeout or Delivery
We’ve also reviewed to this in full, aren’t you lucky?! Check it out here.
Fuel: Pendulum
Another release after a half-decade drought, the US alt rockers pick up right where they left off with album seven. They’re a band that never really felt like they got their flowers in the UK, or really for their still-great later discography in general. But, with how excellent this is, I really hope they finally do from Pendulum! It’s a fantastic collection of heavy melodic hard rock, giving vibes of everything from Alter Bridge to to Finger Eleven to Shinedown, and feels like a real shot in the arm for the band. Having said that, it also still has an early 2000s vibe to it in the best way possible. ‘Want It’ opens things up excellently, while the likes of ‘Bad at Love’, ‘Enemy’ and ‘Everything’ are also amazing. However, there isn’t a bad song throughout, and there is plenty of variety throughout too! Piano ballad ‘Innocent’ is beautiful and gave me goosebumps, and even their cover of ‘Hotel California’ was good, even if I was a touch saddened by the solo. This is far better an album than I expected, and will be one I’ll certainly be spinning plenty in the weeks and months to come! It’s exactly the sort of style I like, and as you can probably tell, I loved it from start to finish! A very easy 9/10 from me!
Blind Channel: Painstream
The return album from the Finnish nu metallers after their 2024 hiatus, they have revived with one less member, vocalist Joel Hokka closing not to return to the fold. That in itself is a shame, as he was certainly a high point of their sound on their first five albums, as mixed feelings as I had for them. Sadly, whether it was Joel’s absence or other factors, this didn’t do much for me. It felt less attitude-filled nu metal and more like modern metalcore, a sound I’m not hugely into generally. It isn’t bad at all, and if you are into that style of music you’ll probably get a lot out of this, but I did prefer their more nu-leaning stuff. It just feels a little too much like it’s TRYING to be those other bands, if that makes sense? Having said that, tracks like ‘Youthanasia’ and ‘Me Versus Me’ were good and worth a listen, regardless. But, outside of that, it was just a touch bland. Niko’s cleans and screams are both great, but the instrumentation leaves a little to be desired at times, and it just lacked a fun element that their previous works had had. It may grow on me with more listens, but I am sadly not rushing to do that any time soon. 5/10, distinctly average.
Shogun Mojo: Self-Titled
The debut album from the new hard rock supergroup is a damn fun 37 minutes! The brain-child of Tommy Thayer and Dan Reed, it’s certainly better than anything we got from the former’s tenure in Kiss, and Dan Reed is one of the most underrated musicians around, period. You can hear both musicians style and writing throughout too, and they gel together excellently! The two singles are awesome, but tracks like ‘Nothing to See Here’ and ‘Fight for the Light’ are also amazing. However, the album is an incredibly easy listen, going by in a flash and it all flowing together perfectly. If you are a fan of DRN or just the softer side of 80s/90s rock, this is an album you need to check out immediately! As I said, it’s just a good fun release, and impossible not to love, like most of Dan Reeds stuff. A very easy 8/10 from us, and an album I’ll be spinning plenty moving forward!
Red Light Acid Test: FRAYED
The debut album from the British hard alt rockers finally arrived this last Friday, and is a damn fun 40-minutes of music! It’s packed full of chunky riffs, great melodic moments and massive choruses, and ties together their almost years worth of single output perfectly. The band manage to combine and straddle so many different genres across this release, from desert rock to punk, indie to stoner, but it somehow all still feels like them, a true testament to their writing abilities! Songs like ‘Patience’, ‘Senseless’ and ‘Relapse’ are personal highlights, but there really isn’t a bad song throughout. If you are at all interested or into the desert-punk side of rock, this is well worth giving a spin! The band definitely have a new fan in me, and I’m already curious to see where they go from here! Until that point though, I’ll certainly be giving this another listen or three? 7.5/10
Darkest Hour: Suffer Divine
Max: I’ll tell you what; this was quite a good album! Now sure, its not the most unique album or reinventing an aspect of the genre, but it was front-to-back a lot of fun. And it is really clear that whilst they have reached their eleventh album as a band (which is insane) they aren’t slowing down nor are they getting dull. If anything they are just showing their knowledge and expertise over their art, something that a lot of bands strive to do.
Personally I felt that there was little to do with pushing boundaries throughout this album. So, whilst every song if good, there was nothing that particularly stood out and made me want to come back for aside from the comfort and easy listening and generally great stuff the album provides. I think that in order to push my score higher to the 9s or 10s there needs to be something more, something that hooks people in, be that a unique sound or a boundary push. With all that said, this is a good album that didn’t have a dull song throughout in my opinion, making it very hard to give this anything lower than a 8/10!
Big Red: Big Sur
The debut album from the Joseph Scarisbrick-led power trio is a really interesting slower indie/blues release! I had no idea what to expect heading in, but came away a big new fan of the guy and band as a whole! The sheer emotion and vulnerability in Joseph’s lyrics and vocal delivery is incredible, giving me goosebumps plenty throughout. The arragements are simple, but fit the tone of the album phenomenally, ranging from simple and beautiful to chunky, heavy, grandiose soundscapes. It really combines so many different sounds, from indie to 2000s pop-rock, desert stuff and even a little Midwest Emo thrown in for good measure. I see why he wanted this to be a separate project instead of trying to fit it into his other bands!
Opener ‘Nightmare’ had me hooked right from the jump. Then you have songs like ‘The Creek’, ‘Not That Guy’ and the two-part title track that are just as excellent. However, as you can probably tell by now, the whole thing is really fantastic, and I could gush about it all day! It’s not a release for everyone, but if you are at all curious I would definitely recommend giving it a full spin; the album as a whole has a great flow to it! I’ll be listening to this plenty in the weeks and months to come, and I already can’t wait to see where the trio go from here. 9/10, amazing stuff!
White Rose Motor Oil: Spider
Now for a duo that I have been a little obsessed with since I first discovered them off their amazing last album. I have been impatiently waiting for this release since they announced it, and thankfully they didn’t even slightly disappoint! It’s 41-minutes of amazing country/Western/Americana music, and the band aren’t going to get nearly enough credit for this release, much like they didn’t with The Gift of Poison. And, while every song on here is awesome, the likes of single ‘HIT IN THE FACE!’, ‘A Happier Man’ and ‘Looking Good’ are personal highlights. It’s another album that is a lot of fun, and almost had a bit of an old-school punk feel and vibe to it at times, which also was a great addition. While not exactly an album full of radio-friendly songs, if any of the sounds I’ve described earlier are your sort of vibe, do yourselves a favour and check this out, you certainly won’t be disappointed! It fits in more somewhere between a Striking Matches, Bridge City Sinners, Sierra Ferrel and a touch of American Aquarium, so no wonder it’s great! It’s every bit as good as their previous full studio release, and gets another massive 9/10 from us.
Outlaw Orchestra: Ruff Round the Edges
Emerging from a bit of turbulent time from the band after 2/3rds of the band sadly took a step back earlier in the year, Dave has actually pulled out a fantastic release with this, barely two years after their awesome last album! I remember talking to the band last year and they mentioned about wanting to do a last album then, so I’m curious to know how much Pete and Ryan contributed to this, or if it’s a new band/session players backing. Regardless, I had a great time with this!
‘Hay Belly’ is up there among my favourite songs the band have produced, and is a fantastic opener. ‘Ghost Train’ is another fun boot stomper, ‘Vacation for the Mind’ is a fun soft/blues rock track, and ‘Ride Brother Ride’ rounds out the studio portion of the release excellently. Then you have live renditions of crowd favourites in ‘Too Much Willie Nelson’ and ‘Bag of Bones’ that are both also excellent, and a lot of fun. I’m not sure if this classes as a new album or more of a longer EP, but regardless it’s good! I’m glad the band are still releasing stuff, and hopefully it continues in the future, but for now I’ll happily be giving this a few more listens in the weeks to come. 8/10
We had the pleasure of sitting and chatting with the wonderful Aaron of the blues-rock power couple When Rivers Meet the other week. Check out as we chat about their latest album, upcoming tour and much more!
Your latest album dropped a few weeks ago, it seems to have gone down really well! Have you managed to see much of the fan and critical response?
We really have, and honestly, it’s been quite overwhelming in the best possible way. We always put so much of ourselves into making a record, so once it’s out there, you never quite know how people are going to connect with it.
The response from the Rapids has been incredible. We’ve had so many lovely messages, comments and conversations with people telling us which songs have connected with them and what the album means to them.
We’ve also been really pleased with the critical response. It’s lovely to see the album getting recognised, but ultimately, we’re just grateful that people are listening to real music.
Is there a certain theme running through the album, or is it more on a track-by-track basis?
I think there’s definitely a thread running through the album, but it wasn’t something we set out to create as a concept album. A lot of the songs came from different experiences and emotions, so each track has its own story and its own place on the record.
There are definitely themes of love, relationships, resilience, letting go and finding your own strength running through it. There’s also a sense of independence and standing our ground, which is something that’s really important to us, both personally and as a band.
You recently welcomed a child together. How has that changed things in terms of the music? I know at least the closing track of the release seems to be about it, and as a future father certainly touched me!
Becoming parents has definitely changed things for us, but in a really positive way! Music has always been such a huge part of our lives, and now we have Bobby, it’s about finding that balance between being musicians and being Mum and Dad.
And yes, the closing track ‘Bring Life’ is very much connected to that! It’s quite special knowing that something so personal to us can resonate with other people, particularly those who are about to become parents themselves.
Has your sound changed or evolved much from your early EPs to now?
Yes, definitely. I think our sound has naturally evolved as we’ve grown as musicians and songwriters. Our early EPs were very much rooted in traditional blues, with quite a raw, stripped back sound. Over the last 3 albums, we’ve explored more of our rock influences, and our music has become, heavier introducing dual guitars, Keys and extra harmonies into the mix.
We’ve also become much more confident in our songwriting and production. We’ve also opened up to co-writing with our producer and drummer on the last two albums, and I think that’s allowed us to experiment more without losing what makes us sound like When Rivers Meet.
We’ve never really wanted to put ourselves in a particular box. We love blues, rock, Americana and all sorts of music, and those influences have gradually found their way into what we do. But at the heart of it.
Have you got much of a tour planned for the rest of the year to support the albums release?
Absolutely! We’ve just finished our September and October Rhythm Rust & Static trio tour, which was our first tour back since having Bobby, and it was brilliant to get out playing live again.
We’ve now got our biggest tour of the year coming up in November and December, the Backbone Tour, where we’ll be heading out across the UK with our full six-piece band.
You’re rather involved on the social media side of things, do you have any advice you could give to a band or artist just starting out, in that regard?
I think the biggest piece of advice we’d give is to be consistent and be yourself. Social media is such a powerful tool for independent artists, but it’s important to remember that it’s not just about promoting your music, it’s about building a connection with people.
Do you have a dream tour lineup you’d want to be a part of? Anyone you’d want to support still or friends you’d want to bring along?
There are so many bands we’d love to share a stage with! We’ve been really fortunate to support Blue Öyster Cult at the London Palladium last year, and we’ve been invited back to support them in Glasgow next April, which is fantastic.
We’d absolutely love to tour with someone like The Black Crowes, Rival Sons,Thunder, G’N’R to name but a few. They are all incredible live bands, and we think our music would sit really well alongside theirs.
As for bringing people along, we’ve met so many brilliant musicians and made some great friends over the years. One of the best things about touring is getting to share those experiences with other artists, so putting together a tour with some of our favourite people would be pretty special!
If you could have written one song from history, what would it be and why?
That’s such a difficult question because there are so many incredible songs out there! But I think we’d have to go with The Chain’ by Fleetwood Mac. It’s such a brilliantly written song, the way it builds, the emotion behind it, and that iconic bass line. It’s one of those songs that manages to be quite simple in places but incredibly powerful. We love music that takes you on a journey, and that song does exactly that. It’s timeless!
Pick up tickets to the Backbone tour here while you still can!
The industrial metal legends are back with a brand new album, their 17th and supposed final ever. They are a band I have loved for decades at this point, and have covered in varying capacity on this site in the past, so there was no way I wasn’t going to dive in to Al Jourgensen and co.’s final release head first. The singles so far have been pretty great, so I am very curious to see what the rest of the album holds!
The album opens perfectly with ‘Crickets’. A massive drumbeat soon has the guitar and bass explode in with an expectedly awesome industrial metal riff, Al’s vocals fitting excellently over the top with his signature grit and reverb and effects. It stays at a similar level for the chorus but honestly is still pretty catchy with its call-and-response vocals and melody. The spoken word bits and audio clips fit excellently with the tone of the song and the band too, and add another great dynamic to the song. It’s everything you’d expect from Ministry in the best possible way. It’s simple yet incredibly effective, bringing to the table great riffs, vocals and a suitably punk-esque level of attitude and message!
Similar vibes continue through ‘Voices of Hate’, that opening/main riff being incredible! It’s so heavy and the breakneck pace had me instantly hooked. The drums behind it go hard too, and Al’s harsh, almost screamed vocals fit into the mix perfectly. Again, the audio clip playing over the top is also great, and the sentiment is fantastic. I know there will be plenty that disagree with it and even get angered and offended by it, but as an outsider looking in it’s almost impossible not to see it this way, and it’s amazing to have bands still willing to stand up and fight against it. Especially when it’s an older band with nothing left to prove, like Ministry. Oh yeah, and straight after all that, we get an awesome guitar solo, just for good measure! It’s a really fantastic track, one that I’d arguably put up there alongside some of the bands best in recent decades, and it’s a song that easily makes our playlist!
More awesome riffing and drumming follows in ‘Clown Car’, the balls-to-the-wall drum pace being particularly excellent! Al’s vocals are a little higher in the mix this time which was nice, as as much as I loved the vibe of the last couple of tracks, his voice could get a little lost at times. They’re a little cleaner too, and the delivery reminds me of more like Ice T, which is certainly a good thing! To be honest, it’s essentially a crossover thrash song, and I’d absolutely LOVE to see this live. And that almost groove-metal breakdown riff after the solo… *chefs kiss*. It’s another massive album highlight on a release so far packed full of them!
The first single from the album, ‘We Hate’, is up next. The pace is slower, more of a boot stomper, but it doesn’t lose any of its heaviness or swagger. Al’s gritty vocals sound great over the top of it, again having the volume cranked on them. And once again, the lyrics here are fantastic, filled with passion, anger and truth. It’s got all the hallmarks of a Ministry track, from the riffing to the tones, writing to the message, so makes for a fantastic choice for a single! The guitar soloing in particular is another real high point alongside the lyrics/vocals. The only slight downside is the AI music video, but we just ignore that and listen to the song on its own, right? It’s a great song in its own right, even at the five plus minute runtime. The band are so far four for four on excellent tracks on this album!
‘Delete’ is a fun track about our social media consumption. The intro minute was fun with all the voiceover, the instrumentation fitting perfectly behind it. The rest of the track is very much typical Ministry, and is of course a lot of fun and damn good! It does feel ever so slightly “old man yells at clouds”, but it does still fit the theme of the album well. I just love industrial metal, and Ministry and some of the very best to do it, even nearly 50 years into their careers!
‘Grifter’, another great anti-Trump song, slows the pace down perfectly at the mid-point of the album. It’s a plodding track with a great driving bassline at its core and some simple, solid drums. The synth stuff was a nice addition, and the guitar still gets plenty of time to shine throughout. It gives much more focus on Al’s vocals too without so much going on too, and it’s maybe his best performance on the whole album. It’s completely different to the rest of the release, almost having an AIC-like grungeness to it all. It’s another massive highlight of the album for me, and a song I’d recommend to absolutely anyone!
The pace picks up a little for ‘The White Man Lied’, but still feels a little lighter than the early album stuff. It’s almost a blues vibe with the intermittent vibe and steady drums, but also reminds me a lot of later Rob Zombie. It still has the usual spoken word stuff in there, and the message is another fantastic one, but it does have an appreciatedly different vibe again. I am being kept far more interested in this album than I expected to be, and I love it! Another good song!
The final two singles follow suite next in ‘Singularity’ and ‘Burned Out’. The enemy crescendos again, a heavy, groove metal riff leading the former. It’s a little less chaotic than a lot of the rest of the album, still feeling like industrial metal and like Ministry, but a bit more radio friendly and a great choice for another single. It’s yet another fantastic song! The latter also had a similar vibe; a steady pace, a big focus on the great riffing and catchy vocals, and a real White Zombie feel. It’s a simple track that is a lot of fun and is good in its own right! And again, the lyrics are so very poignant, and it really is sad to think of the state of the world in 2026.
Album closer ‘We’re Still Here’ surprisingly ties together everything before it perfectly! It’s a little slower but still industrial, a heavy and dark feel to it. However, it is also uplifting, especially from the midpoint, and carries a message of hope despite everything that has been spoken about before. It’s a fantastic writing and producing choice to put a track like this at the end, closing things out on a high note after so much anger and sadness. And, as a song in general, it is so masterfully put together and composed. It really feels like a finale, even more incredible given this is their last album. It honestly gave me goosebumps, and is another song I’d recommend to anyone!
Overall: This is a really good album! I’d expect nothing less from the industrial metal legends, but it is my favourite they have put out in a while, honestly. There isn’t a bad song throughout, while there are a few I’d easily put up there alongside the top tracks from the band, period. I’ve harped on about the theming and message plenty, but it really is a rather refreshing thing to hear these days, and fits in perfectly with Ministry’s ethos. And, the instrumentation was incredible throughout, too! If this truly is their swan song, what a way to go out!
Album four from the rising country powerhouse is set to drop tomorrow, and has a lot of hype surrounding it! We’re big fans of herhere at Overtone, so we have been impatiently waiting for the perfect time to do a full review since it came across our emails. The singles so far have been fantastic, and I have high hopes that the album continues that trend. Hell, her last albumwas great enough, but can this one be even better?
After an extended, spoken word intro track that sets up the story and tone of the album expertly, single ‘I Wanna Be Bad’ kicks things off fantastically. However, I don’t want to breeze fully over the introduction though, as it really was incredible and a vibe that only really Mrs Butts can pull off. The simple Western guitaring behind her southern twang and excellent delivery felt as much like it was from a musical as an album, and is really fun, interesting and great. Then, of course, the release’s lead single is classic Kaitlin in the best way possible. Her vocals are incredible throughout, her range and power on full display. The verse builds in intensity perfectly into a catchy-as-anything chorus, and one that has been stuck in my head since the very first time I heard it. The dynamics of the track are great too, with the bouncy stabs and fliddling in the second verse adding even more fun elements to the track. Between that and the drop-down for the last verse, very much feeling like an old-school country rock stomper, it’s just so good. And how a track can be so excellent at its short length is a true testament to her incredible abilities. There’s no wonder this track has gotten so much love already, and it’s a very easy early highlight!
‘The Bartender’ slows up the pace a little, feeling a bit more chilled-out but no less Western-rock. It feels a little more modern than the previous song, almost giving an air of Jon Pardi or Randall King in the best possible way. And it’s still injected with Kaitlin’s theatrical flavour perfectly through her vocals and writing. All the harmonies on the chorus are amazing, somehow making it even more catchy, but the focus is very much still on Butts’ fantastic delivery, and rightfully so! The longer track length serves the song amazingly too, though it would be a crime if it doesn’t get some radio love despite being four plus minutes. The soloing from the fiddle in the middle was fantastic, fitting the tone of the song excellently and being pretty damn technical in its own right! It’s another really amazing song, every bit as good as the previous, and I’m a little obsessed with this album already!
Another single, ‘Never Really Mine’, is the first ballad-track of the album. Kaitlin’s phenomenal vocals ring hypnotically over some simple acoustic guitaring, and her signature tongue-in-cheek delivery of a break-up song is amazing. The simple arrangement of the track really serves the emotion of the lyrics and delivery perfectly, but it also still builds into a rather massive soundscape by the end. It again feels like a style that only Kaitlin is doing these days, and she’s gotten me hooked on every note of this, despite me usually favouring a faster pace. Three for three so far on incredible songs, and it seems like there is no chance of slowing up any time soon!
‘I Make Cowboys Cry’ picks up the pace and energy again. The verse is a little stripped back, but leads to a massive, boot stompin’ chorus, and another hugely catchy one! It’s another song with a bit of a modern edge to it, but still has plenty of Western influence, as well as some rocky vibes and pacing. And once again, Kaitlin’s vocal delivery is incredible, from the big notes in the verse to the quick lyrics of the chorus, it’s all so good. I really want to see it live, I imagine her pulling it off in that sort of setting would be even better! Instrumentally it’s great too, with some fun strings and drumming throughout. It’s another song that easily could have been a single, and is the perfect follow-up to the slower previous track!
Slowing down again for ‘The Joker’, having a similar vibe to ‘Never Really Mine’. It’s another sad break-up song, but delivered in a more bittersweet way, making it still a fun track. It’s the simplest arragement so far, but I really love the multi-tracked vocals for the final chorus, rounding it out perfectly, especially giving the theme of the song!
Tracks like ‘Still Got It’, ‘That Makes One of Us’ and ‘Hell I Don’t Know’ are more beautiful, slower, ballad-like songs. Once again, all are done with Kaitlin’s signiture sound and twang, and are so well written and put together. They have a real traditional country edge to them, with ‘That Makes One of Us’ being my favourite of the bunch and another firm album highlight in general! Then again, the latter has some of my favourite lyrics on the whole album, and it just being her and a guitar is fantastc! They fit the album perfectly and are rather excellently placed, breaking up the more fast-paced numbers. They don’t even feel like “album tracks”, as all are just as good as all the rest on this collection!
The final single from the album, ‘What More Could You Want’, is another slower song. Howeger, this time it’s piano-led, which was another subtle but amazingly produced change of aound and lace. By the time we hit the chorus with the fiddle and Kaitlin’s massive vocals I was nearly in tears; it’s such a powerful song. The lyrics hit home in a big way, and the presentation of the song is phenomenal. It’s the most vulnerable Kaitlin gets on the album, and it really blew me away. And that key change… *chefs kiss*. What an amazing song and choice for a single. Goosebumps, and easily one that makes our playlist! If you listen to any song on this release, make sure it’s this one.
Then you have tracks like ‘Everybody Wanna Sing a Country Song’, ‘Crazy I Can Be’ and ‘Bacon Naked’ (best song title and lyrics ever) that are all on the more up-tempo, rockier side. All are once again fantastic in their own way, and both fit in perfectly with the album yet also stand out within it! The former is the closest thing to an “album track” on here, but is still great. Meanwhile, the other two are fantastic songs; lighthearted and have some great dynamics to them. And as I said before, they are spread perfectly across the album with some slower stuff between, making the whole record constantly interesting. I cannot gush over this release enough, as even the latter few tracks still go just as hard as the rest!
The closer, ‘Midnight I’ll Always Be Yours’, honestly feels like it draws together everything that came before it in a perfect little bow. It’s a little slower, but closes out the story of the album, and is packed full of Kaitlins signiture vocals, lyrics and delivery. And it has a rather epic, finality vibe to it that I really loved! It’s very Western, but still has a modern twist to it; very much the feel of the whole album! I don’t even mind so much that it’s a slower song at the end, as it fits perfectly with everything else. A fantastic close to a fantastic release!
Overall: I absolutely adored this album! There is just something about Kaitlin’s style, vocals and aura that is so captivating, and it has translated to an album even better than ever before with this release. Every song on it is amazing, while there are a good few up there alongside the very best she has ever put to track. From the vocals to the writing, instrumentation to the production, it is all phenomenal. I cannot recommend this album enough to absolutely anyone into country music, and it will be on heavy rotation for me for at least the rest of the year!
An absolutely massive week for new music this week, featuring some massive names from the rock, metal and country worlds. Let’s check it all out!
Brothers Osborne: Watertown
Album five from the country duo is certainly an interesting release. I’ve been a massive fan since their debut and we LOVED their last album. This one, while I don’t think opens very strongly, is definitely a grower! I’m a CoJo fan, but ‘Born and Raised Hell’ was an oddly chilled way to open a Brothers Osborne album, and single ‘R.I.P.’ feels a lot more fitting. It’s a massive, catchy and infectiously fun country rock track like only the pair can do, and is an easy highlight. Then you have the likes of ‘High’, ‘Stubborn’, chilled, summery single ‘Bottle it Up’ and the Stephen Wilson Jr. featuring ‘Tough Kid’ that are also big highlights.
However, I do have to say, a lot of this is on the slower side. I know they have always had a more chilled-out side, but it is usually used to compliment the rockier songs. This feels predominantly slower, though. None of it is bad by any stretch, but it does mean I enjoyed it a little less than their self-titled release, or ones before that. I completely appreciate this will be the sort of sound they wanted to play for this record, and they still get plenty of time to show off their incredible talents. It may grow on me, but for now after a first listen, I do have to say I’m ever so slightly disappointed. Still, it’s a solid slower country albums with a couple of songs still having their fun rock flair near the start. Up to ‘Doors’ is a really excellent album, but the pace certainly slows after that. 7.5/10, but hopefully that goes up with another few spins!
Polyphia: BE NOT AFRAID
We’ve already checked out this awesome new album! Read the full review here.
Tony Iommi: From the Dark
Somehow the first solo album in over two decades from the Black Sabbath legend, this is over 40 minutes of excellent doom riffing and writing, and I love it! Tony’s riffing is phenomenal, as expected, and Jorn’s vocals fit over the top perfectly, being a criminally underrated singer these days. And, the rest of the band kill it too. Karl Brazil kills it behind the kit, especially given his change of pace, ans Fury/Mercyful Fate’s Becky Baldwin is one of the best bassists on the scene today. The whole album is excellent and flows fantastically, it going by in a flash. Songs like ‘Black Times’, ‘Beyond the Dead’ and ‘Return of the Arbalist’ are personal highlights, but honestly the other five tracks are just as phenomenal! It’s almost criminal we haven’t had a full release from him in 13+ years, and I’m so glad we’ve finally gotten more of his powerful, evil riffing again. It’s an album that took me back to my youth in the best way possible, and is one I’ll certainly be spinning again plenty moving forward. A very easy 8.5/10 from us!
LOCASH: CHRIS & PRESTON
Album six from the country duo comes barely a year after the excellent Bet the Farm, and continues that momentum amazingly! It’s exactly what you’d expect from the pair, and is a fantastic half-hour of pop-adjacent country music. And, while the likes of ‘These Days’, the Parmalee-featuring, Rupert Holmes’s-inspired ‘Let the Country Music Play’, ‘YES’ and ‘Fish Her Off My Mind’ are all personal highlights, there really isn’t a bad song throughout! I don’t know what it is, but the band scratch all the right itches in my brain, and I can never get enough of them! It’s just the right amount of rock, pop and country cheese all rolled into one, and the pair’s voices and writing compliment each other perfectly. I think it’s honestly impossible to dislike the band, and the fact that they have pumped out such a crazy amount of high quality music in just 18 months speaks to the sheer talent involved! I can’t give this any less than 9/10. It’s maybe slightly less packed full of bangers as their last record, but only barely, and is still a release I’ll be listening to a lot of the rest of the year!
Beyond Extinction: Three Swords
Following up on their excellent debut album last year, the Essex death/extreme metallers once again kill it with another four tracks! Heavy doesn’t even begin to cut it; the brutality and aggression of the riffs, screams and drums is downright evil and disgusting in all the best ways. And, every track is as good as the last, each song flowing effortlessly into another and making for 16 minutes that goes by in a flash! Having said that, single ‘The Estuary’ is particularly incredible, and my favourite on here. The band honestly kill it throughout, all getting their own chance to shine, and the songwriting speaks for itself. It’s certainly not going to be for everyone, but I loved every second of it. I can’t recommend it enough to anyone even slightly into the heavier side of metal. It’s every bit as good as their album, and honestly the conciseness may make it even better for me on repeat listens. Another very easy 8.5/10 for the band!
Stand Atlantic: GODBREATH
Album five from the alt rockers picks up perfectly from where 2024’s WAS HERE left off! It’s half-an-hour of catchy, pop-punk infused hard rock, and I enjoyed every second. The band are so seasoned and polished at this point, playing and writing their style excellently alongside some top notch production. While tracks like ‘NEXT2U’, ‘So Cool’ and ‘HeadRush’ are personal favourites, there really isn’t a bad song throughout. If you are a fan of the band or this sound, you will surely love this! With this style being bigger than it’s been in well over a decade, this album could very well be the one to push the band to the stratosphere, and it is certainly good enough to do so! While not quite as strong as their last album, mainly because it doesn’t have as many memorable tracks and moments, it is still solid release, and one that gets an easy 7/10 from us.
Baby Lasagna: End the Party
The second studio album from the Eurovision alumni is a damn fun party metal release! We missed his debut and, though I remember enjoying his entry in the show, I honestly didn’t know what to expect with this. So, because of that, I was rather blown away! However, even without my expectations, it’s still a damn good album in its own right! ‘Anyway’ opens the record excellently, while the likes of ‘My Show’, ‘Sedated’ and the title track are all other massive highlights. However, every track on this is excellent, and it flows excellent. It’s far heavier than I expected it to be after ‘Rim Tim Tagi Dim’, with there being some awesome screams and huge riffs and breakdowns throughout. It’s very much a modern metal/metalcore sound, but also with a healthy dose of everything European; think Electric Callboy but with a twist of both Bad Omens and even some power metal and Europop. If you are at all interested I cannot recommend checking it out enough, and I’m going to be listening to this a LOT moving forward. Another very easy 9/10 from us this week!
Jacob Hackworth: What Took You So Long
The debut EP from the breakout country star is a beautiful, chilled out 20+ minutes of music. While it’s generally a little short and not fully my sort of thing when it comes to the genre, there is no denying how great it is, and how bright a future Jacob has! Single ‘I Wanna Quit’ is a massive highlight, as is ‘Help Yourself’. It’s very much a modern, Morgan Wallen-esque pop country sound, so if you are into that sort of vibe then this is well worth a listen! I’m at the very least curious to see where he goes from here in terms of his style, sound and career, and I certainly wouldn’t turn this off if it came on again. So, while not inherently my thing, I think the shorter length helped its case, and it gets a solid 6.5/10 from us!
Mason Hill: World so Wonderful
We’ve also reviewed this album in full, aren’t you lucky?! Check it out here.
Wolves in the Throne Room: Estuary
The first new studio album from the US black metallers in over half a decade picks up right where their previous works left off. It’s exactly what you’d expect from a modern black metal album and, while I am usually indifferent towards the base genre, I actually quite enjoyed this! Don’t get me wrong, I’d very much still prefer it live than on track, but I had a good time with the tracks here too. The band’s talents are off the charts, both in terms of playing and songwriting, and the dynamics throughout were really fantastic. And each track flows into another pretty effortlessly too, making the insane 50 minutes spread across just six songs surprisingly palatable. Because of that, it’s hard to pick sole highlight tracks, but I’d definitely recommend giving it a full listen if you can. It’s certainly not a release for everyone, but if you like black metal this is well worth checking out! An easy 7/10 from us!
Hector Gannet: The Great Shakedown
Album three from the “modernist folk” Brit is a damn fun collection of tracks! I wasn’t familiar with him before this, but I had a great time with it. It’s quirky and interesting and feels pretty unique in terms of its sound and delivery. The sheer depth of production and instrumentation is fantastic and makes it all sound and feel huge, and the writing around it is great! It has elements of everything from jazz to folk, easy-listening to rock, and reminds me of everything from The Cat Empire to Tom Seals to even a bit of Tim Armstrong. Tracks like the opener/title track, singles ‘Seven Signs’ and ‘The Mother Tongue’ are big highlights, but the whole album has a definite appeal to it. There is maybe one too many slow songs in the latter half, but that’s where his folkier side and lyric writing really takes president, and is still fantastic! It’s another release that isn’t for everyone, but is well worth a listen if you are interested! 7.5/10
Ghostemane: AM:FM
The trap metal pioneers ninth studio album comes after a far longer gap between records than any of his previous, with there being a whopping six years since ANTI-ICON. He shows that he has not at all lost a step in that time with this release! His unique blend of nu, industrial, gothic metals and hip-hop is so interesting and fun, and leads once again to some really awesome moments through this 33 minute album. Tracks like ‘Deux Ex Machina’, ‘Miazma’, ‘Cyberia’ and ‘Noose Knot’ are all fantastic, but I honestly loved every song on here. It feels like what Manson would be putting out if he hit the scene in the 2020’s, but there is plenty of other influences too, from Static-X to SOAD, Fear Factory to P.O.D. to early Slipknot.
So yeah, if you can’t tell, I LOVE this! It’s right up my street and everything about it is awesome. Even if you are slightly curious do yourselves a favour and check this out, it’s a release I’d recommend to anyone! Even with the slight energy lull in the middle, it’s still fantastic. It’s arguably the best release he’s ever put out, and it’s another album that gets a huge 9/10 from us this week!
Alex Henry Foster: The Fragile Beauty (Of New Morning Hopes)
Solo album six from the Your Favourite Enemy frontman is a dark, reflective prog/alt rock collection. It gives big Placebo vibes in the best ways. It’s another fantastically interesting listen, packed full of some amazing lyrics and vocals, and some really fitting instrumentation. However, I do think an hour of gloomy, trash tempoed music at once was a bit much for me. The opener and ‘Springtime’ are personal highlights. And, while the rest of the album isn’t bad by any stretch, it’s a release that is very much designed for a full listen, as there aren’t many songs that stand on their own much. It’s incredibly well written and if you are into this sort of style it is absolutely worth giving a spin. It may still grow on me, as I do want to give it another listen, but for now it still gets a strong 6.5/10 from me!
Ignea: Monumental
The modern metal Ukrainians add to their already impressive discography perfectly with album four. It’s massive and grandiose, packed full of soaring vocals, melodic moments and huge soundscapes. And, from ‘Dreams of Lands Unseen’ to the Combichrist-featuring ‘Prefab’ to ‘What Buildings Dream of’, there are some truly fantastic songs throughout! The bands ability to shift between brutal heaviness and huge melodic moments is insanely impressive, and on show throughout the whole album perfectly! It may honestly be their strongest overall release yet, having a bit of something for everyone. They are definitely a band to watch as I can see this pushing them to even greater heights, and it gets a very easy 7.5/10 from me!
LEADFEATHER: Catch the Silvertrain
The sleazy/bluesy UK rockers chase their 2025 debut EP with another corker here! Six tracks all as good as the rest, and that are every bit as good as anything from Roll the Dice. It’s easy to see why the band are gaining quite a bit of momentum already, as they are all such talented musicians and songwriters. It’s another release that it’s incredibly hard to pick highlights from, as every song is so good. From the boot stompin’ openers to the acoustic ballad in ‘The Answer’, it’s all excellent! If you are at all into any of the genres this release or band encompass, this is an absolutely must-listen! They have found their home comfortably in the NWOCR scene, and it won’t be long before they are at the very top of it if they keep putting out releases like this! 8.5/10
The Flower Kings: HOPE
More prog, this time from the Swedish legends. Being the middle part of a trilogy of albums started last year, I did go back and check out LOVE before this. Honestly, the two pair up perfectly together, even if it does make for 129 minutes of music overall! Prog is always a fun one for me as I don’t listen to enough of it but can certainly appreciate a good band doing it well, and this is certainly it! The band are all absolutely massively mind-blowingly talented, and I love that they have written just four tracks here and split some up into multiple parts, giving everything so much time to breathe. Don’t get me wrong, it can get weird at times, and is an album that definitely isn’t for the faint of heart or those new to prog. However, I found myself getting lost in it, and having a lot of fun in the process. I’m very curious to see where they go with part three, but will happily be spinning this again in the future too! 7/10
The instrumental prog titans themselves are back with their first album in nearly four years. I enjoyed that when it dropped, and have become an even bigger fan since then with more listens and a couple of live sets. The singles so far for this album have been great, and there is a lot of hype for this release since it was announced. You’re excited, I’m excited, so let’s dive right in!
The album starts perfectly as it means to go on, with an insane guitar riff. The tone on the guitar is incredible, and the grandiose nature of the buildup with the other elements give off big rock opera vibes. Weirdly the closest thing I find myself comparing it to is Marianas Trench, which is certainly not a bad thing! The electronic beat coming in behind it was an interesting choice, suddenly switching gears perfectly into Igorrrterritory. It’s somehow not quite what I expected from the band, but I’m already loving it! Of course Tim and Scott kill it from the jump, but Clay and Clay also get plenty of time to shine too. The dynamics of the track are off the charts, keeping me constantly alert and interested despite the instrumental nature of the band. And, having said that, the choir towards the end of the touch was catchy, and a nice touch! It’s an excellent way to start the album, and a firm early highlight!
Lead single ‘WITH EYES TO SEE’ continues with the electronic elements. The R&B/house/disco elements and beat fit surprisingly excellently alongside the bands own instrumentation, and add an interesting element and twist we haven’t heard hugely much from the quartet. Honestly, it works really well, and makes for a damn fun listen! It also makes it seem like the guitars have a little harder work making some creative ways to play around it all. And the guitaring is honestly so interesting and different throughout the track, I’m a little obsessed. It feels like Tom Morello in its levels of out-there-ness. And some of the drops get pretty heavy too, especially in the latter portions. It’s a really interesting, creative and fantastic track, and was such a good choice for a single! Another easy highlight, and one that easily makes the playlist!
‘SCREWTAPE’ has some insane guitaring to open it, but carries the same energy and swagger as the previous song did. It does so in a little more brief a manor, and I feel the guitars get to show off a bit more throughout compared to ‘WITH EYES…’. Some of the playing in the second half is honestly mindblowing, just like everything they have put out before. It’s the closest to old-school Polyphia we’ve gotten so far, yet still fits in excellently with the vibe of the rest of the album so far. Honestly, it reminds me just a touch of STATICA, but if that EP was done well. Another great song!
Another single, ‘POWER IN THE BLOOD’, is another fantastic showcase of utter guitar godness. It’s three and a half minutes of insane playing from everyone involved, but Tim and Scott are very much at the forefront of it again. Having said that, some of the drum work is also incredible. And again, like the opener, the dynamics here are excellent, dropping down and building back up again perfectly. At one point it felt like it has a callback to ‘ABC’, which I really loved, and it fit with the track amazingly. It’s a fantastic song overall, and another fantastic single choice. More classic Periphery, injected with this new electro tinge for good measure!
The slower pace and Asian instrumentation to open ‘THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO’ was a nice touch. However, outside of that it followed a pretty similar vibe and theme to the other tracks. The same could be said for the brief ‘NEAR DEATH’, and ‘J-BOMB’. All are great songs in their own right, but on a 12-track instrumental album, there are bound to be a couple that feel a bit more like “album tracks”. It doesn’t at all take away from the quality of the songs, or the sheer phenomenal talent on display throughout them, just that there isn’t quite as much to talk about from them, and they are all a touch on the similar side.
‘MARK OF THE BEAST’ has a bit of a west-coast hip-hop vibe to its opening, alongside everything else going on on this album. It made for a lot of fun. Weirdly, however, it also has some of the heaviest moments on the album! It’s another song that has enough variety and of a different feel to it to really stand out, and is another firm personal highlight of the release!
The final single from the album, ‘CAN YOU FEEL IT’, is another fantastic song that easily could be a big radio hit. It’s like Polyphia’s answer to a 90s club banger, and it works so well. It’s very much in the same vein as ‘WITH EYES…’ earlier on, but is such a fun, interesting style that it’s impossible not to love it. And, being later on in the release, it makes for a fun return to the house/R&B-heavy formula. It’s easy to get lost in the sounds and massive scape they create, but alongside that is some truly incredibly playing by everyone involved. Amazing stuff!
The final three tracks from the album are more of what you’d expect the band and this release. Again, all are good, with the closer being particularly excellent, but there is only so much you can do with this style and without vocals. If you are into the band this is of course music you absolutely have to check out, but they do feel like a little left-over tracks chucked towards the end of the release. Still, I would happily listen to all three again, and they round out the album well!
Overall: This is another really great release from the prog rockers! It feels like another creative leap from the quartet, doing something rather different compared to their previous work. There are some that are easily up there among some of the top tracks the band have ever produced, and there certainly isn’t a bad song throughout! I was slightly sad when I saw they didn’t have any guest vocalists on this release, unlike their previous album, but I honestly didn’t miss it that much. The band are so talented they make it so easy to not need vocals on their songs. I would definitely recommend this to anyone, regardless of what you’re into, and I’ll definitely be listening again!
