Category Archives: new music mondays

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Liv Sin, Anchor Lane and More!

Though there are no ‘big’ bands releasing music this week, there is plenty of awesome stuff to sink your teeth into! Check it out below!

Liv Sin: KaliYuga

This has always been really hard for me to categorise. I’ve been a fan of the band for a few years now and have never quite worked it out, which is quite a good thing actually. Is it metalcore? Hard Rock? Industrial? The answer to all three questions is annoyingly Schrodinger-y; simultaneously ‘yes’ and ‘no idea’. All I know for certain is that it’s awesome.

Liv’s voice is a massive highlight as always, sounding like a blend of Wednesday 13, Doro and Johannes Eckerström. She really sounds one of a kind though, especially in the current climate where a number of female vocalists are beginning to sound similar. That’s not to take away from the rest of the band, though, who work their asses off throughout the album. Whether it’s huge riffs, insane drums or soring choruses, this album has a bit of everything, and does it all amazingly.
Highlights include the opener, ‘King of Fools’ and ‘I Am the Storm’. 8.5/10, this was awesome and I’ll definitely have it on repeat for months.

King Kraken: MCLXXX

We’ve already checked out this awesome album! You can find the full review and score here.

Fucked Up: One Day

This was lighter than I was expecting. When I saw the words hardcore punk I expected the usual wall of noise, which this still was, but it was a surprisingly upbeat, melodic wall of noise. Parts of it felt like New Found GLory or even Flogging Molly with harsher vocals, and gave me a strange sense of 90s nostalgia. Tracks like ‘Found’ and ‘Falling Right Under’ were clear highlights for me. My only slight issue is that it does get a little repetitive by the end of its 40-minute runtime. Even still, it’s a solid 7.5/10 from us!

Also apologies, their videos are age restricted because of the band name and because YouTube suck.

Elle King: Come Get Your Wife

Time for some country now, as Elle King released her third album last week, and first since 2018. It’s a good country album that occasionally ventures into rock territory. As much as I’m not hugely into the message, ‘Try Jesus’ is an undeniable, Shania Twain level bop. Tracks like ‘Worth a Shot’ (with the legendary Dierks Bentley), ‘Out Yonder’ and ‘Bonafide’ are all awesome excellent tracks. The album keeps it interesting too, switching between the slower and rockier tracks throughout. I do [refer the rockier side of it, but it’s all good! 7.5/10

Anchor Lane: Call This a Reality?

Two full reviews for this week, aren’t we treating you?! Again, find our review of this stellar album here.

…And Oceans: As in Gardens, So in Tombs

Oh yeah, black metal time again. I’ve actually seen a fair bit of love for this album already online, and have to agree, to be honest. In terms of black metal it’s a very good album. There was enough going on dynamically here to keep my attention, with the odd dropped-down parts in between the balls-to-the-wall heaviness.

Now, don’t me wrong, I still don’t think I particular ‘get’ black metal aside for the odd track or band, but I can definitely appreciate good black metal and have grown to know it when I hear it. And this is it. 7/10

White Reaper: Asking for a Ride

The garage punk band are back with their fourth studio album. To be completely honest, I’ve been a fan of the band for a while now and this may be my favourite album by them. It’s fast, catchy and drips with attitude. At times it’s Rancid, at times Anti-Flag, and at times even channels Kill ‘Em All era Metallica vibes. I cannot get enough of the opener/title track, while ‘Fog Machine’ and ‘Pages’ scratch that nostalgic Tony Hawks Pro Skater itch in my brain. Meanwhile ‘Pink Slip’ and others take more of a modern day, US indie vibe, which I also love. There isn’t a bad track on the album, and for anyone reading who’s into the lighter/punker side of things, this album is a must. 8.5/10

Idle Ruin: The Fell Tyrant

Time for some evil-ass death metal. The opening riffs of ‘Shackled for Adornment’ set the tone of the album perfectly, the rest of it being equally as malevolent, quick, dark and heavy. So, you know, the standard death metal schtick. Still, if you’re a fan of the genre like I am, you’ll love it. It’s hard not to love ‘Delta Hexatoxin’ for the sheer balls-to-the-wall energy from the offset, complete with a blegh within three seconds. Between that and all the riffs, it’s a highlight track for sure. ‘Orbitoclast’ and the sometimes-slower ‘Diabolical Severance’ are also both very good! 7.5/10

Astral Moon: Into Solar Abyss

This was odd in the best way. It felt like if David Bowie made a doom metal band. Or, if you want, a heavier, good Type O Negative. I kinda very much love it! Doom guitar riffs have always been some of my favourites, the slower Sabbath feel combined with the incredible guitar tones making for a great combo, like here. Then you have the low, entrancing vocals that fit it all perfectly, and the drummer working his ass off providing the perfect beats for it all.

‘Intergalactic War’ is one hell of a first song, with one of the most satisfying solos I’ve heard in ages, alongside some fantastic bass work. Even proggier tracks like ‘Nuclear Sarcophogus’ and ‘Into Solar Abyss’ are awesome, and I’m usually kinda fussy with prog. The storytelling in both tracks is immense, and really sold me on the album as a whole. Then you have tracks like the epic closer (shoutout to Count Witchfinder, gonna have to find more of their stuff) which is also amazing. 8.5/10, this album slaps. That is all.

The World is Quiet Here: Zon

The perfect storm of chaos and heavy. Not even a minute into the intro track before the heaviness and crazy riffs kick in. Some clean vocals begin it and I honestly had to Google as it sounds a lot like Howard Jones. It wasn’t the Killswitch Engage alumni, but damn if Tyler from TWIQH doesn’t have as impressive a power and vocal range. And if the opening track seemed crazy, it’s got nothing on ‘White Sun’. From the insane riffs to great low growls and powerful AF cleans, it’s an amazingly talented, loved assault on the ears.

And, for anyone in the know, yes, it does. It’s proggy, djenty goodness and honestly Tyler is maybe one of my favourite new vocalists after just a couple of tracks. I refuse to believe the low spoken word stuff is him, that’s inhumanly low, especially when you know he can also sing beautifully high and scream like a demon. What the hell. It’s not fair! He goes almost Mike Patton at times.

Also, we have to talk about ‘Osscury’. Not only are the vocals insane, but everything about the track, from the slow build of the proggy nature to that riff that hits about five minutes in, is incredible. It feels like everything Devin Townsend has ever tried to achieve but done effortlessly better and rolled up into eight minutes. Every track on this album is phenomenal, but ‘Osscury’ stood out to me as the cream of the crop.

9.5/10. Wow.

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Måneskin, New Found Glory and More!

Måneskin: RUSH!

The band that all the young people are obsessed with due to their (sometimes) punk attitude and catchy Eurovision song a couple of years back, Maneskin are back with their first album since exploding into superstardom. There is a LOT of hype to live up to this release, but does it manage to?

In this humble writers opinion… no, no it does not. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fine. There isn’t anything inherently wrong with it (aside the massively bloated length), and I’m sure the kids on TikTok will go mad for it. But for the sheer amount of love this band get, it’s nothing special. There are a lot more rock bands that get nowhere near as much love that I would say have released better music.

Having said that, there are some good tracks on here. ‘GOSSIP’ is a fun, catchy track and Morello does a typically amazing job for his guest spot. Tracks like ‘IF NOT FOR YOU’ and closer ‘THE LONELIEST’ are fantastic ballads. ‘LA FINE’ is, well, exactly that.

There is also some right drivel, though. ‘BLA BLA BLA’ is the worst track I have ever covered here at Overtone, and I covered Devin Townsend’s Puzzle and Snuggles. ‘BABY SAID’ feels like a worse Arctic Monkeys track. And the odd ‘KOOL KIDS’ (where Damiano attempts a terrible English accent) seems to be attacking a large portion of their own fanbase.

Fans of pop music will probably love this as they will like to think this is them being a rock fan. However, it is practically pop music. Some of it is good pop music, some of it is god awful. In the band’s own words, ‘you’re not iconic, you’re just like them all’… I’ll see myself out! 4/10

New Found Glory: Make the Most of It

One of the most underrated pop-punk bands ever, New Found Glory returned with their 12th album this week. I have to say, it’s lighter than I expected. It’s a LOT of ballads. Like seven ballads and seven live recordings. It made me go and have a look to see if it was an official album, but the band are classing it as one so so am I.

However, it’s a good album. The slower pop-punk style has grown on me in recent years, in large part thanks to Simple Plan, and this knocks that style out of the park. The harmonies are a huge highlight of the album, as are the choruses in general. But the album is so simple yet so very effective, it’s hard not to praise it all. Even the live tracks were slower, acoustic tracks. It’s a chilled out, fun but emotional album that I already have stuck in my head due to how catchy it is. 8/10

HARDY: the mockingbird & THE CROW

This fucking thing is 17 tracks long and goes on for over an hour. No matter how good it all is, can we STOP WITH THE BLOATED COUNTRY ALBUMS NOW PLEASE?

It’s generally a good album. However, it’s all very bro/stadium country. When you think of any country music released in the last 15 years or so that isn’t a fun partying song, I can guarantee it sounds like all of this. I got bored around five tracks in and it never really regained my attention.

That is, until THE CROW arrives, and turns this review and this reviewer both on their respective heads.

Wow. Okay. Give me a minute to just word vomit as after three days I’m still trying to process it properly.

The first half of the album (exactly half too, I know), the lower case half, is slower country stuff that he writes for other people, FGL etc. Then, he sheds the mockingbird persona, writing his own style of music and becomes the final form of Kid Rock. It’s fucking awesome. Just check out the transformation video below, it explains it all perfectly and sounds incredible. Then, it features everything from country rock to pop-punk to straight-up metal for the rest of the album, and I can’t get enough. ‘RADIO SONG’ is not only a satirical track making fun of country norms, but has an ironically fantastic chorus and a HEAVY FUCKING BREAKDOWN featuring Jeremy of ADTR. What more could you want?

I’ve rambled on enough about this album but honestly, check it out. As a fan of creative, out-of-the-box storytelling, especially in music where it is not done all too often any more, I loved the concept for this. And the music fully backed it up, too. Everyone will find something to love on here. And, while I still think the album could trim the fat just a little with a couple of tracks, I still can’t not give it a rare 10/10

Katatonia: Sky Void of Stars

The Swedish prog metal titans are back with their 12th studio album. While I have to admit I wasn’t too familiar with the band outside of the name, I really enjoyed this! I have a sometimes strained relationship with prog since starting Overtone, but this band kept things interesting enough throughout with changing riffs and dynamics. ‘Colossal Shade’ hooked me in immediately with that stomping, mid-tempo riff and remains a favourite track of mine on the album. ‘Birds’ was a beautiful faster track, sounding almost ethereal and had some catchy elements. The closing two tracks are also fantastic, feeling suitably epic. While not quite as mind-blowing as the previous album on this list, it’s still a damn good album and a must for anyone into proggier stuff. 8/10

Black Star Riders: Wrong Side of Paradise

The spiritual successor of Thin Lizzy put out their fifth studio album last Friday. So, if you’re a fan of the old band or its newer incarnation, chances are you’ll love this. However, that’s hardly a bad thing. Single ‘Better Than Saturday Night’ wouldn’t seem out of place among Lizzy’s greatest hits, it’s that good. However, I struggled to hear Joe Elliott on it, if Spotify didn’t tell me I would have never known. Tracks like ‘Green and Troubled Land’ and ‘Burning Rome’ are also personal highlights of mine. It’s honestly hard to find something to talk or complain about, it’s simply a good, solid Black Star Riders album. It’s nice to hear Ricky sounding as good as ever after his health issues during the pandemic! 7/10

Check out our interview with Ricky himself here.

Twilight Force: At the Heart of Wintervale

Our first power metal album of 2023 on this page, and it’s a damn good one! If you heard power metal and saw the album artwork before reading this, you’ll know exactly what to expect. Soaring vocals, quick drumming and lead lines and enough epiness to make Howard Shore hard. Whether it’s the massive, quick opener or the epic, slower ten-and-a-half minute epic ‘Highlands of the Elder Dragon’, this is maybe the most epic music I have ever heard. If anything, it was a little too fantasy storybook for me. It got a bit too musical theatre/Christmas movie for me at certain points. Still though, I cannot deny the bands talent for playing and songwriting. 7/10, it definitely won’t be the last tie I listen to a couple of these tracks.

For I Am King: Crown

This album has come out at the perfect time. Not only have Lorna Shore pushed deathcore deeper into the mainstream than the sub-genre has ever been before, but female screams are also at the height of their appeal and popularity due to bands like Jinjer, Spiritbox and Cage Fight. With any luck, For I Am King could ride this phenomenal album to the top because of this.

‘Liars’ was a standout track to me, a very good choice for the album’s lead single. It’s brutal, heavy and yet somehow maintains a catchy, melodic edge to it all. That’s pretty much the story through the whole album, too. Crushing riffs and breakdowns, insane drums, and harsh yet earworm vocals. Tracks like ‘Barriers’ and ‘Bloodline’ are also personal highlights of mine, but there isn’t a bad track on the album. 8/10

Tidal Wave: The Lord Knows

Well, this is damn fun groovy, grungy slab of desert rock nestled in with the heavier stuff, isn’t it? The bastard love child of Queens of the Stone Age and The Sword, I love it. It’s all about the fuzzy riffs and big sounds, but the Mastadon-like vocals are also impressive and fit so well. The album is chock full of highlights too, I can’t pick just one or two tracks to name. From the QOTSA-esque opener to the faster paced, heavier single ‘ End of the Line’ to the slower, plodding epicness of ‘By Order of the King’, it’s all excellent. This will be one I’ll be listening to on and off for the rest of the year, and the band have a huge new fan in me. 9/10

Oak Pantheon: The Absence

This is one of the first atmospheric black metal bands I think I’ve truly ‘got’. While I still wouldn’t sit down and listen to a track on a one off too much, I really enjoyed listening to the album in full and it gave me a new appreciation of the black metal genre. From the slow build of the acoustic-based intro to the absolute bop that is ‘Listen!’ (it has clean vocals in it *shocked face*), this was an extremely well put together and dynamic album. Even the shorter tracks had enough melody to them to keep me gripped throughout. ‘Dissociate’ was another banger, as was ‘Decisions’. But of course, the proggy epic ‘Silence We Plead’ is still awesome too. 9/10, am I a black metal fan now?

SKÁLD: Huldufólk

This is a new one for us, as it bares really no basis at all in rock music. However, it is dark AF folk music that feels heavier than some of the music on this list, which earnt its place. If anyone has played or watched THe Witcher at any point in their lives, it’s essentially the music from that. It’s fucking AWESOME. There’s even screams in here, so it’s practically metal, right? It also gives me heavy The Hu vibes with the chanting, tribal-style vocals. It’s hard to pick specific highlights as it all sounded pretty similar, but it was all enjoyable and I’d definitely recommend if you want something out of the ordinary! 7/10

Did you enjoy the article? Check out more of them from our Instagram here.

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: VV, Obituary and More!

The first full week for New Music Mondays, and it’s full of some great releases. You know the drill by now, check them out!

VV: Neon Noir

The HIM frontman released his muchly anticipated debut solo album on Friday. It’s about what you’d expect, to be honest. As someone who never quite ‘got’ HIM back in the day, I hate to say that this didn’t do much for me. I never quite got into the whole ‘love rock’ thing they had going on and always found myself preferring bands that leaned heavier into the goth side of their sound.

Having said that, it is objectively not a bad album. If you like HIM, you’ll love this. Single ‘Run Away from the Sun’ is still incredibly catchy and a decent synth-pop-rock track. I personally just got pretty bored of it by a few tracks in. 4/10

Obituary: Dying of Everything

The death metal legends’ 11th album is an assault to the senses in the best way. It’s old-school death metal, I don’t know what else you want me to say. If you like their earlier stuff, as well as bands like Death or Slayer, you’ll love this. It’s fast, aggressive and all the band are massively talented to be able to play and write this sort of thing. I’m a big old-school thrash head so tracks like ‘Barely Alive’, ‘Without a Conscience’ and ‘My Will to Live’ are all amazing. 7.5/10

Check out a similar band here.

Margo Price: Strays

Country/blues/pop-rock singer-songwriter Margo Price is on her fourth album with this release, and it’s maybe her most ambitious yet. A lot of it is stripped back, steady country music, but it also somehow has a polished pop edge and a rock sound at the same time. It’s honestly hard to pick highlight tracks as it’s all so superbly written and genuinely interesting. There isn’t much out there like this, especially not up to this standard. However, ‘Light Me Up’ feels like the best showcase of exactly what Margo is about so would be a good place to start for a newcomer. Also, the Dolly Parton-esque single ‘Lydia’ is phenomenal, made even more impactful and epic thanks to the string backing. A good album, and a great start to the country year! 8/10

Ropes Inside a Hole: A Man and his Nature

So this is an odd one. Honestly for the first five minutes of the bands sophomore album I thought it was going to be a similar situation to Beautiful Death; a slower, dark, atmospheric album, but this time with lyrics. Then, I was suddenly slapped in the face by atmospheric black metal. There aren’t any screams or anything like that, the sporadic vocals stay clean and almost ethereal, very much another background instrument. But the instrumentation itself gets heavy.

And, due to the prog elements of the album, it is constantly changing up between clean, stripped-back, slower parts and epic, distorted heavy sections. However, also due to the prog elements, I found myself getting bored after the 3rd track or so. I can definitely appreciate how amazing the music is and will happily listen to it again if it comes on, but it’s like Tool without the amazing lyrics and soaring vocal hooks, something’s missing. Still, if you like proggier music and insane musicianship, check this out. Especially ‘Feet in The Swamp, Gaze to the Sky’, from the heavy riffs to the sexy sax, what a track. 7/10

Ahab: The Coral Tombs

Not gonna lie, I only really started my death/black metal journey over the last year or so, so extreme, proggy blackened death metal like this is a little much for me, it’s not really my jam. However, the slower, quieter and more stripped-back bits were pretty enjoyable, in a dark, atmospheric kinda way. And I cannot deny the sheer talent that the band have for being able to play and write like this, it’s definitely one hell of a skill.

If you like this sort of thing, you’ll probably love this, but I didn’t quite ‘get’ it. Because of that, I’m sorry, but I have to give it a 3.5/10

Beyond The Black: Self-Titled

I’ve loved this band for a few years now, since Heart of the Hurricane came randomly across my Spotify. So, when I was doing the research for this weeks New Music Monday and saw they had a new album out, I was pretty excited.

For the most part, it lives up to the hype I put on it. The band have been one of the most underrated symphonic metal bands in the world the last few years, and this shows why they should be towards the top of the genre. It’s filled with beefy riffs and huge, epic choruses. There are also some insane lead guitar lines and vocal harmonies throughout. It’s also yet again almost impossible to pick standout tracks. Every track is incredible and a highlight in its own right. From the heaviness of ‘Reincarnation’ to the beautiful ballad ‘Wide Awake’, all of it is top notch. This is already going to be a tough album to beat this year, and it’s only the second week! 9/10

Screamer: Kingmaker

The heavy rock/mythological AOR boys are back for their fifth studio album, and honestly, it’s pretty good! It’s very reminiscent of the NWOBH, I assume that’s why they self identify so much as being in Sweden’s modern equivalent. It’s a great mix of Judas Priest, early Iron Maiden and Tygers of Pan Tang. Of course single ‘The Traveller’ is a huge highlight, but tracks like ‘Ashes and Fire’ and opener ‘Kingmaker’ are also great. It’s just a great classic metal album, and if that’s the sort of thing you like then you’ll love it. 8/10, these guys should be so much bigger than they are.

Crom: The Era of Darkness

This was one hell of an epic album. Think Iron Maiden if it was injected with a healthy dose of power metal. The instrumentation was a massive highlight throughout, there being some insane riffs and lead parts, as well as the drummer working harder than anyone not in a death metal band. There’s some amazingly huge, catchy choruses on the album too, from the opener to ‘Higher Ground’ to ‘Bridge of Paradise’. There were also some pretty great extreme metal growls thrown in for good measure, sounding awesome and very fitting.

My only slight issue is that it’s maybe a tad too long. The tracks are good, but the album is nearly an hour in length. Though that may have just been because I had another eight albums to listen to this weekend too…

Either way, this was very good, and I’d highly recommend checking it out! 8.5/10

Degradations: Masque

The sophomore album and first in six years from the melodic deathcore band, Masque goes hard. I wasn’t familiar with the band prior to this, but given the quality of this album, I’d imagine it was worth the wait! The whole album is awesome from start to finish, a masterclass on how to write fast, aggressive, heavy music. Tracks like ‘New World Vulture’ and the epic closer/title track are personal highlights of the album for me. 8/10, this was fucking awesome!

Did you enjoy the article? Check out more from our Instagram here.

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Iggy Pop, Anti-Flag and More!

We’re back! Now that the holidays are done with and out of the way, bands are starting to put out music again, and we have a whole new 12 months to look at! And for some reason, though there aren’t many releases in this first week of the year, it’s quite a punky one! Let’s check it out!

Iggy Pop: Every Loser

This impressed the hell out of me. I know he is affectionately dubbed the ‘Godfather of Punk’, but the man is like three million years old at this point (give or take a couple of months) so to hear that he can still go this hard is fantastic. ‘Frenzy’ is an angry punk masterpiece while single ‘Strung Out Johnny’ feels more of a new-wave track.

That’s how the album goes, there’s a surprising amount of depth. Tracks like ‘Neo-Punk’ and ‘Modern Day Ripoff’ are straight up punk while tracks like ‘The Regency’, ‘Morning Show’ and ‘All the Way Down’ are slower, more reflective tracks. It’s an incredibly well written album over all and full of great tracks from both sides. I’m hard pressed to find anything wrong with it, even the interludes are fun and felt fitting. 7.5/10

Check out more punk here.

Anti-Flag: LIES THEY TELL OUR CHILDREN

I’ve been a fan of this band for years, ever since that song was on the Shaun White games. The band also have one of the most consistent back catalogue’s of anyone, with everything from their debut to recent releases being stellar.

They keep up the streak with this one. They have always been some of the best lyricists in the game, and this is up their with their last album in terms of flawless anti-establishment sentiment. Going after the government and the worst parts of modern society’s way of thinking is something I can 100% get behind, and it is done masterfully here.

Plus, nearly every track featuring a different guest artist gave it all a different feel to it and most really added a lot to the tracks. Even the track with Rise Against’s Tim Mcllrath, ‘THE FIGHT OF OUR LIVES’, has grown on me a lot listening to the album since I first heard it as a single. The track is very Rise Against, which is cool. The band have seemed to attempt to adopt the style of the guest’s music into their sound for each track, which is both interesting and insanely impressive.

It’s hard to pick out a highlight here as every track is really great. If you’re in any way a punk fan you’ll love this just like I did. These guys don’t get nearly enough credit as being solidly one of the best things in the rock scene for over two decades now. Everyone reading this, check out the album immediately, it’s fantastic. 9/10

Beautiful Death: Finis

So, this was a weird one for us. Acoustic instrumental stuff isn’t usually our vibe here at Overtone. However, this was all so dark and ominous, it was essentially atmospheric black metal without the distortion and extreme vocals. I put this on a fair bit in the background over the weekend and honestly love it. It’d work so perfectly as a soundtrack to a movie or game, especially an epic or horror. I don’t have too much to say about this given that it’s all pretty similar, but it is all great! 7/10

And there we have it, everything from the first week of the year! Check out some of last weeks from our Instagram here.

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Green King, Adam Warner and More!

Leave a comment

The last of these before the holidays, it’s only a short one this week. However, there is still some great new music released, so let’s look at it!

Green King: Hidden Beyond Time

Firstly, this is a damn good debut album. Surprisingly enough, this won’t be the first time I’m saying that this week, either.

This is a great combination of heavy metal sounds. There’s a lot of NWOBHM in there, some sludgy stoner/doom stuff, and a LOT of early Metallica thrash. His voice reminds me a lot of a young Hetfield. But then the riffing, while a bit more upbeat, remind me of a combination of Mercyful Fate, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. Tracks like ‘Gates of Annihilation’ and ‘Steel and Ice’ are definite highlights, but it’s also just a strong album overall. If you’re going to listen to them, check out the whole album. At only 7/8 tracks and just over half an hour long, you have no excuse!

If you’re a fan of any of the bands or genres I’ve named above you need to check this out, you won’t be disappointed. 8/10.

Adam Warner: What We’re Known For

Time for some country now, which seems rare in winter. Adam‘s third album is his most ambitious yet, and looks set to catapult him to new heights. His country/blues swagger is on full display on tracks like the title one, ‘Catchin’ Hell’ and ‘Got Started’, while tracks like ‘Split a Beer’ and ‘Like Daddy Did’ shows off his slower, balladier side. And of course single ‘Reason to Redneck’ is a massive highlight, being infectiously catchy and surprisingly well written given the lyrics. Also, of course his cover of the Charlie Daniels Band’s incredible ‘Long Haired Country Boy’ is amazing, too.

Check out more country content here.

Unlike a lot of country albums these days, too, it’s incredibly well structured and balanced. It’s not overly long, just 12 tracks and 35-minutes. And there’s a pretty decent ratio (and spread out too) of ballads and rockier tracks. This is one of the better country albums that I’ve reviewed by far, and I’ll be listening to this a lot over the next few months! 9/10

Highway Queen: Bitter Soul

Another great debut album this week. Opening straight into the foot-stomping, hard rock anthem ‘Hey!’, it sets the tone and pace right from the offset. From the dark heaviness of ‘Get on Your Knees’ and ‘?’ to the more AOR-leaning, melodic ‘Here I Am’, the band clearly have a lot of talent and wear their inspiration on their sleeves. There’s some fantastic riffs and a lot of amazing melodic vocals throughout the entire album, and it’s one hell of a debut. The title track and the slow, epic closing track ‘Own Will’ are also massive highlights to a great album. 8/10, the band have a new big fan in me!

Bloodclot: Souls

The heaviest band to close out the year, how fitting. It’s a great thrash album and VERY Slayer. The opening and title track of the album could be ripped straight off South of Heaven and I love it. However, it does also have some awesome Gojira like riffs thrown in there for good measure, too. ‘Unhinged’ is just over a minute of thrash awesomeness and ‘Infectious’ was a more hardcore punk track, and a lot of fun. Plus, their cover of Bad Brains’ ‘How Low Can Punk Get’ is awesome and fun too! A great follow-up to their debut and I’d highly recommend them for anyone into the faster stuff! 7.5/10.

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Deathless Legacy, Rioghan and More!

Another week where I’ve heard of just one of the six bands releasing new music. I love weeks like this as I usually find some great new bands to become obsessed with. Let’s see which it is this week, shall we?

Deathless Legacy: Mater Larvarum

I loved this from the opening track. I’m usually a bit on and off with the whole power/symphonic metal thing, but this had something about it, an edge that really kept it interesting for me.

There were a fair amount of different sounds to it, too. From Nightwish to smatterings of Fleetwood Mac to even Ward XVI, there’s a lot of great styles. Heck, ‘Moonless Night’ is very early-Meliora era Ghost and I LOVE it for that. It’s a definite highlight track. Then you’ve got tracks like the opener and the insanely good ‘Coven’ which are also amazing and highlights. I have noticed that the heavier, riffier tracks seem to be my favourite ones, but honestly they’re all good songs! The band have a new fan in me for sure from this album! 8/10

Jamie Porter: Rock N Roll Soul

Check out our full review of the album, alongside the score, here.

Rokets: Break Free

A breath of early NWOBHM Judas Priest next with Rokets’ new album. It has elements of Clutch, Volbeat desert rock and sleaze too added in for good measure, but British Steel definitely seems like the main template.

I’m honestly struggling to say much about this. It’s not that I don’t like it by any stretch, I really enjoyed listening to it and would happily do so again. But none of it was terrible, nor mind-blowing, it was just a solid rock track. It didn’t stand out, aside from having me commit the name to memory as a ‘good band’. Still though, as I said I’d happily listen to this again and most likely will be doing a fair bit heading into the new year. ‘Destroyer’ and ‘Night Time’ were personal highlights. 7.5/10

Faceless Man: Road to Darkness

This was all about the riffs, and goddamn were the riffs tasty. Don’t get me wrong, the vocals were enjoyable enough, somewhere on the death metal spectrum, but the spoken word elements were a little odd, honestly. I get that they added to the horror element of the album, and I loved the opening intro track building up, but generally the vocals didn’t land to me. The screams were better than the clean vocals.

‘Welcome to Paradise’ and the slower ‘Smile at Me’ were highlights of the album. The rest of it is still heavy and fun, though. It’s clear the band are heavily influenced by Disturbed, and could definitely get there one day. But, in the nicest but bluntest way possible, the vocals have got to change. 4/10

Arrayan Path: Thus Always to Tyrants

I also found it really hard to pick a highlight track or two from this. The opening three songs are amazing and fit what the band were going for perfectly. I’d recommend them to anyone wanting to get into anything prog or power/Egyptian/Roman metal, as they really are stellar. Then there’s the epic ‘Raid of the Achaemenids’ and ‘The Legend of Evagoras’, two power-prog masterpieces. They almost feel like rock-opera style stuff, think heavier Phantom of the Opera. It’s really fucking fantastic. I can’t praise this album enough, damn, I need to check out some of their older stuff. They have a new massive fan in me! 9/10

This was an odd, yet greatly fun, proggy power metal album. I actually loved the heavy focus on the vocals, it’s rare to have frontman take the sort of risks they are here these days, and it lead to some really cool melodies and harmonies. That shouldn’t take away from the rest of the band, though. The lead guitars were awesome and the drums and bass held it all down perfectly at whatever speed was required.

Rioghan: Different Kinds of Losses

This could be a niche reference, but this album reminds me a lot of the German band ASP. It’s that kind of epic, dark, semi-industrial, Tool-ish sound, and some of the vocal melodies in particular really remind me of their frontman.

I’m again struggling to pick particular highlights from the album, but that’s because they’re all so different and interesting. You want slow build, epic prog? Straight up rock? Awesome acoustic parts? Soring, beautiful female vocals? brutal extreme metal screams? This album has all of that and more! It’s not often I recommend a full album but stop reading this right now and give this album a listen from front to back. I promise you will not be disappointed, it really is that good! 8.5/10

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: NOFX, Hammers of Misfortune and More!

Here we are. The last month of 2022. What an insane year it’s been for new music. However, while most bands are winding down for the holidays, there are still a few putting out stuff for us to check out. Let’s look at it!

NOFX: Double Album

At least this is better than their last album. Slightly. And heck, at least it wasn’t an ACTUAL double album, just ten tracks across 27-minutes. Some of it was pretty good. Other tracks… ouch.

The album opens strong enough with ‘Darby Crashing Your Party’ and ‘My Favourite Enemy’. Neither of them quite measure up to peak NOFX, but they’re not bad punk tracks. Plus I have to say, the bass is awesome in both! However, then we reached ‘Don’t Count on Me’ and it’s confused straddling of comedy and depression. A couple of lines got a dry chuckle out of me, but the overall feel and presentation of the song is honest and kinda pretty sad. It feels like Mike on his last legs and, given that the band are calling it quits soon, it just makes the track even more depressing. And not in a good way.

‘Johanna Constant Teen’ was a fun, short burst of punk awesomeness, but honestly the rest of the album from here felt like average at best. Nothing stood out, just as it did something would put me off the track again. I get writing from the heart and all that, but these are tales of a not fun few years being played off as fun, upbeat punk songs. Someone give Mike a call, make sure he’s okay. 4/10

Hammers of Misfortune: Overtaker

I have to admit, it’s odd hearing an extreme metal band with clean vocals. Unfortunately, it results in this sounding pretty messy overall. I’m not sure if my headphones are on the way out, but the production sounded horrible for me. I struggled to hear the vocals, and it felt like everything else was turned up as loud as it possibly could be. As a result, this was a wall of noise, so much so that it was hard to pick out a highlight.

Despite that, at least the band members were clearly talented. There were some fun riffs and, much like other extreme metal bands, the drummer works their ass off to keep the insane pace and kept their beats and fills interesting throughout. There was some fun lead guitar work too on tracks like the title one, which also had a pretty good ominous feel to it at times. It was probably my highlight of the album. There was just so much going on all at once most of the time that it was hard to get through in one sitting. 3.5/10. Sorry, this wasn’t for me.

White Lung: Premonition

I must be in a bad mood this weekend, because this isn’t my sort of thing either. Again, the band were clearly talented, especially the guitarist for some of those prog/math riffs. Everyone else did a good job at their chosen parts, too. It just didn’t do anything for me. Say what you want about me being some easily industry-led shill, but I do like a catchy, anthemic chorus. There wasn’t really one here. It’s like ambient black metal, but without the black metal part. It’s ambient punk/indie rock.

Again, there is nothing wrong with this album. If you’re a technical musician or like that sort of sound you’ll find something to love here. The slower tracks like ‘Under Glass’ were closer to highlights for me. 4.5/10

Destroyer 666: Never Surrender

The Australian thrash/death band are back with their sixth studio album. Being a fan of this band from my later thrash-kid days, it’s nice to hear they’ve very much still got it. This somehow channels early works from Slayer, Death and Venom, blending them all together into one brutal offering. Tracks like the title one, ‘Guillotine’ and the epic closing track, ‘Batavia’s Graveyard’, are all big personal highlights. It’s just a good, classically heavy album, and the band has an extraordinary talent for writing songs. 7.5/10, good stuff!

Check out some more thrashy stuff here.

Despite Exile: Wound

These guys have quietly released one of the best melodic deathcore albums of the year this week. Having never heard of them before this list, they very much have a new fan in me. Whether it’s the balls-to-the-wall aggression of tracks like ‘Sceptre’ or slightly slower epics like the utterly fantastic ‘A Pale Glimmer of Light’, this album is awesome from start to finish. If you’re into the heavier stuff at all, check this out, you will not be disappointed. 8.5/10

Obvurt: Triumph Beyond Adversity

This is straight up death metal, and it’s a lot of fun. It’s a group of insanely talented individuals coming together to make fast, very angry music. If you’re a fan of the genre you’ll know what to expect. Heck, it’s VERY At the Gates, even down to the odd stripped-back, odd, jazzy interlude in the middle of a couple of the tracks. Of course single ‘Invisible Enemy’ is a highlight, but so is the slower, proggy ‘Life and Death’. It shows the band has some depth to their songwriting and that slow build opener is awesome. The whole album is worth a listen, though, but it’s maybe not the best jumping off point for someone looking to get heavy. 7.5/10

Did you enjoy the article? Heck over to our Instagram here to check out more!

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Elder, High Command and More!

For the first time in the year plus of New Music Mondays, we’ve finally reached a week where I’m not particularly familiar with any of the bands on the list. Six almost completely unknown bands put out albums, so I’m excited to dive in and hopefully find some new great bands to be obsessed with!

Elder: Innate Passage

There are two types of prog music. There’s the ever changing, constant insanity of bands like Rush or Iron Maiden’s epics, throwing in different riffs and parts every couple of minutes. Then there’s the type that stretch an entire riff out for a solid ten minutes and squeeze every last drop out of the same concept before moving onto the next. This is an example of the latter.

Time for me to feel and sound like a hypocrite. While I typically like it when bands play around with the same riff and get different sounds out of it all. But five one-riff tracks spanning 54 minutes is a little too much for even me. The talent of the band is clearly on full display and very high, it just got a little too much and repetitive for me. Ironically, ‘Endless Return’ was a highlight track of the album, though! The clean riff is awesome and it builds perfectly for over two minutes into the great heaviness. 5/10 I’d not stick it on optionally much, but I also wouldn’t skip a track!

High Command: Eclipse of the Duel Moons

I’ve not heard an album open on such a punch to the teeth since Vugar Display of Power. The title track is a tour de force of power and aggression. Also, this band were one of the few I’d heard the name of previously, but I don’t know why I didn’t know they were crossover thrash. I had a lighter sound in mind, but I’m very glad they sounded like this instead.

Again, it’s a collection of incredibly talented musicians making great tracks together. The slower, proggy awesomeness that is ‘Imposing Hammers of Cold Sorcery’ is a definite highlight, as is the similarly paced ‘Chamber of Agony’. It turns out, although I do like balls-to-the-wall thrash too, I clearly enjoy it when the bands do things a little different and create some dynamics in their tracks, even just for parts of it. I love ‘In the Court of the Dragon, but ‘Shadow of the Abattoir’ is my favourite track on the album. ‘The Four Horsemen’ is one of my favourite Metallica tracks because it combines both thrash and slower elements together masterfully. It’s the same with these tracks.

I don’t want to crap on the other tracks though, the faster, thrash tracks are also amazing. This is a damn good album, and I’d highly recommend it if you’re into the heavier side of metal. 7.5/10, good stuff.

Finnegan’s Hell: One Finger Salute

Described as Sweden’s answer to The Pogues, as well as being the leading light in the New of Swedish Celtic Punk movement (something that I didn’t know existed but will have to check out more of now), the band return with their fourth album. It’s about exactly what you’d expect from the genre, and a lot of fun.

The anthemic, straight-to-the-point title track is a clear highlight. The opener is also great, some of the vocal melody even reminding me of some more recent Bruce Dickinson stuff. ‘I’ll Make it Up to You’ is also typical Celtic punk awesomeness. It’s honestly nice that after two albums of proggier writing, we have an album that’s ten tracks and only 25 minutes long. Heck, only one song clocks in at over three minutes. It was the perfect pallet clenser.

I’ve always loved the genre, and this is a great album to add to it. It’s packed full of great, fun tracks and in no way overstays its welcome. I feel like this band would be a lot of fun to see live, especially playing a few of these tracks! 7/10

Black Paisley: Human Nature

The latest band to put out an album into the rather saturated NWOCR scene, Black Paisley still put out a damn good album for their fourth release. The Swedes are clearly good songwriters, with tracks like ‘Not Alone’, ‘Mojo’ and ‘World’s Turning’ all being great. It’s a good album and the band definitely deserve more recognition, especially over here where the NWOCR movement has taken over half of the underground scene.

However, there is so much ‘classic rock’ out there these days and we’ve covered so much of it over the last year and a half that I’m starting to get rather burnt out from it. Like there are a lot of bands in the scene that do things different and mix up the formula in their own way, think Ward XVI or Mason Hill or South of Salem, that I LOVE> But it just means that straight-up classic rock doesn’t do much for me currently. I’ll probably come back around and absolutely love this album in the new year, and I’m definitely going to be listening to it again and checking out their older stuff. However, for now I’ll give it a 6.5/10. Sorry guys.

The Riven: Peace and Conflict

When this album started I was very tempted to write some extended version of ‘see above’. However I’ll be damned, this band really won me over, and quickly! ‘The Taker’ is a fantastic, high-energy anthem while slower tracks like ‘Sorceress of the Sky’ are amazing and show off great versatility from the band. Plus, who cannot be impressed by the sheer brilliance of musicianship on display in ‘La Puerta del Tiempo’?

It’s nothing mindblowing, but it’s a damn good hard rock album and one I’ll definitely be listening to some more. 7/10

Mother Vulture: Mother Knows Best

Another band that I knew pretty much by name only, thanks to being on festival bills I’d been to or toured with other bands I’ve checked out. However I had never had the chance to check them out properly. I regret that massively. This was fucking awesome.

A fuzzy, desert/indie rock take on classic rock, this was amazing from start to finish. From the anthemic opening track to other radio-rock bangers like ‘Honey’ and ‘Shifting Sands’, this album is made to be played hard and loud in front of thousands of screaming fans. I named those three tracks while, in honesty, the whole album is its own highlight. Whether you’re into rock, indie or metal, check this out, as you will for sure find something to love. These guys blend all of it together masterfully with this album, and honestly, if given the right marketing, it could and should catapult them into the stratosphere. 9/10 CHECK THIS OUT.

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Disturbed, Nickelback and Much More!

One of the last big weeks of New Music Mondays for this year. From pop rock giants to plenty of metal and even a touch of country, we’ve got something for everyone this week!

Disturbed: Divisive

I have to admit, the title of the album worries me. I’ve been a fan of the band pretty much my entire life and wasn’t too big of a fan of their last output. I felt like the band tried too hard to capture the magic of their ‘Sound of Silence’ cover on half of it, while the other half felt heavier. While I’ve enjoyed the singles so far from the album, I’m worried this may go the same route now.

They kinda hit the nail on the head, though. It’s a surprisingly uplifting album in terms of lyrical content. Sometimes it works well, like on clear highlight ‘Unstoppable’ or ‘Take Back Your Life’. However, other times, like ‘Hey You’ and ‘Love to Hate’, they come across as more cringy. Heck, ‘Bad Man’s lyrics remind me of something you’d hear on Always Sunny in Philidelphia, they’re that cringe. Is it just me?

The rest of the elements are typical Disturbed. Big, chunky riffs that are great in the moment but all blend into one when listening to the album from front to back. The drums hold down the beat and groove well while John Moyer continues to be criminally underutilised in the band. Seriously, check out his work in Adrenaline Mob, especially ‘Feel the Adrenaline’, you’ll get a whole new appreciation for the man. ‘Don’t Tell Me’ was an okay ballad, and Ann Wilson had a passable guest vocal slot on it.

There are some definitely highlights, like ‘Unstoppable’ and ‘Part of Me’, but it’s all very typical Disturbed. If you’re a fan of the band you’ll get some enjoyment out of it, but they don’t really evolve their sound at all. It feels like Believe, a couple of good tracks but ultimately a pretty safe album. 6.5/10

Nickelback: Get Rollin’

I don’t care what anyone says, I fucking love this band. One of the first bands I fell in love with as a kid (All the Right Reasons is still one of the best albums ever released) and people only hate them because it’s ‘cool’ to do so. And heck, that consensus has even began to shift in recent years after their surprisingly heavy Feed the Machine album. They’re like the John Cena o rock music, for my whole two wrestling nerds out there reading this. The singles so far, the ballad ‘Those Days’ and heavy masterpiece ‘San Quentin’ have been well received and the hype around this album is actually pretty high, not just from me.

Tucked between the album’s two big singles as a sleazy, heavier rock track, ‘Skinny Little Missy’. It’s another highlight track and reminds me of ‘Something in your Mouthing terms of lyrics, feel and groove. Then we get one of the bands odd yet awesome country rock tracks in most recent single ‘High Time’, which is another banger. ‘Vegas Bomb’ is a fun heavier track, too.

However, then the band does its Nickelback thing and plays just so many ballads. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good ballad, and Nickelback do them as well as anyone. However, I’d have quite enjoyed some variety in the second half of the album. Tracks like ‘Does Heaven Even Know You’re Missing’ and ‘Standing in the Dark’ are still album highlights. However, having another heavier track may have pushed this album into legendary territory. But, for me at least, 3/11 tracks being heavier felt ever so slightly difflating. It will probably grow on me, but for now I’ll give this an 8/10

Smashing Pumpkins: ATUM – Act I

I hate that I’ve not been doing this music journalism thing for too long and this is already my third disc of Smashing Pumpkins to review. At the best of times they’re okay. However, I always found Billy Corgan to be similar to Rivers Cuomo in thinking that he’s gods gift to music. As a result, both put out far too many albums or far too bloated albums, like SZNZ or CYR.

At least this album is a little bit of an improvement to their 2020 effort. While a lot of it is slower almost synth-pop (not the sort of thing I’d personally want from a former grunge band) there are a few tracks that stand out from the formula. ‘The Good in Goodbye’ is almost classic Smashing Pumpkins, and definitely the best track of the album. Also, for a band that rather obviously inspired 21 Pilots, it’s really interesting to hear the aforementioned band then inspire Smashing Pumpkins on ‘Steps in Time’. It’s a fun, American indie/pop-rock track, and for once the electronics actually help the song.

However, the rest of the album felt like the same slow, atmospheric stuff that CYR was. I know it’s the first of three acts so hopefully the others pick up the pace a little. But for now, at least this one is better than the previous. 6/10. I still think he should stick to promoting wrestling…

Candlemass: Sweet Evil Sun

We’ve already had the pleasure of reviewing this awesome album. Check out the full review and the score here.

The Real McKenzies: Songs of the Highlands, Songs of the Sea

It still blows my mind that the Celtic-Punk style took off so much more in North America than it did in Scotland and Ireland, where the bands sound like they should be from. The Real McKenzies have always seemed to be the distant 3rds in the genre behind Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly, but that does by no means make them inferior. They very much prove that here, too.

The band are at the very top of their game throughout this album. From the slow, anthemic folky intro track, ‘Scotland the Brave’ through punkier numbers like ‘The Green Hills of Tyrol’ and ‘Leave her Johnny’, the album starts very strong. And of course, w2e cannot forget the amazing rendition of ‘Drunken Sailor’. Also, The Last Gang’s Brenna Red is a MASSIVE highlight of the album on ‘Swansea Town’. Her raspy, punky voice fits so well with the slower Celtic instrumentation.

There really isn’t a band track on the album, and if you like the sub-genre or the other bands I’ve named, you’ll absolutely love this. It’s a genre that isn’t given nearly enough attention and credit and for a band that have been going for a while now, this is definitely up there with some of their best work to date. 8.5/10

Tallah: The Generation of Danger

The other leading light in the new nu-metal resurgence are back with their second studio album. Heavier than their counterparts in Tetrarch, the band also draw from a wider source of inspiration with this second release. Whether it’s hardcore, industrial or straight up death metal, there’s a lot going on alongside the nu-metal core. However, it’s beautiful, perfect chaos. ‘The Hard Reset’ is a fantastic example of this, an absolute anarchy of heaviness in the riffs and verses, but a clean, catchy, almost Linkin Park-esque chorus.

‘The Impressionist’ is a little more accessible but instrumentally it’s still complex and awesome. Also, the rapping is a really great touch, especially when Justin Bonitz adds so much emption into his vocals, be it anger, sadness or all out rage. Plus, his screams are fantastic, some of the best I’ve heard all year. He has such an inane vocal range. I would say he’s a highlight of the album, but honestly the rest of the band are just as insanely talented as he is. The riffs are amazing, be it ch0nky or doing some insane pinches or Gojira scraps.

It’s another album without a bad track on it, and Tallah are a band that could (and should be massive in the near future if they keep up this energy, songwriting and raw emotion. If you’re into heavy stuff, the first two Slipknot albums or nu-metal in general, you’ll love this, it was fantastic. 9/10

Soen: ATLANTIS

An interesting one now, and one that I felt myself falling in love with more and more throughout the album. A prog supergroup formed from ex-Opeth and Death members, the band has taken on its own live in recent years due to their undeniable talent in songwriting and playing ability. Despite having the typical arrangement of a rock band, the strings are actually the major focus of the album, aside for the vocals. Just check out opening track ‘Antagonist’ to hear what I mean. It’s beautiful, powerful and epic, while showcasing the band perfectly.

From there it somehow only gets better. ‘Trials’ and ‘Illusion’ are particular album highlights, as is their incredible cover of Slipknots ‘Snuff’. I very much implore you to check this album out when you have a minute. It’s something completely different to a lot of what is out currently and it’s definitely not an album to be missed. I’m going to be listening to this a lot in the coming weeks and months, and it’s honestly bordering on a masterpiece. 9/10

Kira Mac: Chaos is Calling

NWOCR’s new big thing, Kira Mac finally releases her much-anticipated debut album, and the first release she’s put out since her amazing appearance on The Voice. With her incredible, soulful voice and her amazing band backing her up, this was a great album, and one hell of a debut.

Some of it was pretty heavy, reminding me of Nita Strauss’ solo efforts, while other tracks reminded me a lot of Dorothy. The title track was a massive highlight for me because of that riff, and tracks like ‘Mississippi Swingin” and the heavy, blues juggernaut that is ‘Downfall’ are also awesome. She’s a name that is generating a big buzz in the UK scene and for very clearly good reason. She’s going to be massive, and a strong debut like this starts her off amazingly. 8/10

Thy Listless Heart: Pilgrams on the path of no Return

The brand new doom metal band put out a pretty damn fun debut album. The sludgy riffs and prog elements were particular highlights for me. The vocals didn’t do too much for me, I understand they serve the means to an end but they felt a little flat for me. However, when they were used to build up the track, like the opening of ‘The Precipice’, it’s a whole different story, they’re awesome. In fact, that whole track was phenomenal and a definite high point of the album.

The lyrics and instrumentation are a huge highlight, and the proggier element almost gives hints of Tool at times. And anyone who reads much of our content knows how much I love Tool! ‘Confessions’ is another highlight of the album, especially the heavier choruses with the growls. It adds a fun other dynamic to it all.

Overall a good album and a great debut for a prog-doom metal band! 7/10

Isaac Hoskins: Bender

The Oklahoman native put out his third album last Friday. It’s a really good album in the vein of some of Texas’ best country artists. Tracks like the opener, ‘Panhandle Wind’ and ‘Off the Wagon’ are all big highlights of the album. I’m honestly shocked that he hasn’t become a big name by now (his first album was in 2009) as he has some amazing talent. It’s just good old-fashioned country music; steady, emotional and full of talented musicianship. If you’re a fan of the likes of Willie Nelson and Hank Jr., you’ll love this. 7.5/10

Did you enjoy our reviews? Check out more of our content from our Instagram here.

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Brantley Gilbert, Chelsea Grin and More!

Not a huge week, not that we’ll get many now as we head towards the holiday season, but there’s still plenty of new music to sink our teeth into. From rock to metal to country, let’s get into it!

Brantley Gilbert: So Help Me God

This was unfortunately quite a slow country album. I’m a big fan of Gilbert’s sludgy brand of country rock, but I found it hard to get into this. It was all rather slow and acoustic, which is fine, I love a good country ballad, but it’s not what I got into Brantley because of. Heck, in some turn of über double-irony, ‘The Worst Country Song of All Time’ is one of the most enjoyable tracks on the album, despite the lyrics. ‘Son of the Dirty South’ was an awesome song and finally what I was expecting, but I shouldn’t start to enjoy an album over halfway through it. However, afterwards it very quickly gets back to the slow tracks again. Again, I’m not opposed to slower country tracks, but when it’s a whole album of them nearly, it does tend to get boring. When Brantley is cutting back and having fun, it’s the most fun I have listening to the whole album. Definitely his worst album for me. 4.5/10

Chelsea Grin: Suffer in Hell

No prizes for guessing this album is heavy as balls. The first part of their afterlife-inspired double album is filled with crushing riffs and some of the most brutal screams in the industry today. However, it will be now impossible to not compare this band with Darko US. And, I have to admit, I prefer the Darko album. It’s nothing at all against Grin, their talent for playing and songwriting is off the charts on this album. It’s simply that it’s straight-up deathcore, like they’ve always done, while Darko brings a new, interesting edge to the sound. When the band go a bit more sinister and dark on tracks like ‘Deathbed Companion’, it definitely holds my interest more. However, when bands like Whitechapel, Lorna Shore and even Darko themselves have put out some of the best deathcore albums ever these last few years, it’s a high standard to live up to, and I’m not sure this one does.

I still really enjoyed the album and I do think it’ll continue to grow on me through the next month or so. However, for now I’m going to give it a 7.5/10

P.S. sorry P67, ‘Crystal Casket’ gets my bleh of the year. That one at the end is filthy, as is the riff and breakdown in the song. A real highlight track of the album!

He is Legend: ENDLESS HALLWAY

The illegitimate lovechild of Cane Hill and Alice in Chains. Somehow, that means the album sits in an odd void between the modern nu metal revival and the mid-naughties radio rock of Shinedown, Rev Theory and Burn Halo. I love every band and genre I’ve just named so, of course, I fucking love this.

I was not familiar with this hand at all before now and this album has immediately made me a fan and want to check out more of their back catalogue. The riffing is so heavy and chuggy, it wouldn’t sound out of place on a Gojira album, but the clean, low vocals give it a fantastic radio edge. Tracks like ‘LIFELESS LEMONADE’, ‘HONEY FROM THE HIVE’ and the utterly amazing ‘CIRCUS CIRCUS’ (yes, they are another band that shout at you) are massive highlights on an album chocked to the brim of them. There’re even elements of Mike Patton or Mushroomhead on the latter track, alongside the usual Korn and Tetrarch.

If you haven’t checked this band or, more importantly, this album out yet, do it right now. There honestly isn’t a bad track on it. 9.5/10 holy crap, a new obsession of mine.

Epica: The Alchemy Project

Symphonic metal always works well with guests, and Epica may very well be at the top of the symphonic scene in recent years. After last year’s FANTASTIC Omega, the band return with an experimental side album featuring a guest on every track, hence the album title.

Safe to say it’s pretty amazing. Most of the guests are a little heavier than the band, such as Fleshgod Apocalypse, Bjorn ‘Speed’ Strid and God Dethroned. However, every single vocalist played off Simone Simons’ beautiful vocals perfectly. Simone’s soaring, operatic tones always mesh well with the heavy, chuggy instrumentation and Mark Jansen’s powerful lows and growls. However, when adding in even heavier artists and vocals on top, it somehow makes everything even more epic and enjoyable. It all combines together to form something truly enjoyable and special, and I hope this isn’t the last time we get one of these Alchemy Projects. Highlights include ‘Wake the World’ and ‘The Final Lullaby’ but honestly, any track off the album could have made that selection. 9/10

Enuff Z’nuff: Finer than Sin

Glam/Sleaze’s answer to Oasis are back with their first album in just a year. Having seen them a couple of times over the last few years, I really enjoy them live. However, I’ve never managed to get into them on track, and this album didn’t change that. It’s pretty much all at the same steady, subdued pace throughout that doesn’t appeal to me too much. It’s so massively produced and polished, drawing comparisons to Def Leppard’s Hysteria, that when talking about drug abuse and other dark topics it’s a very odd contrast. It all reminds me of Terrorvision but just less fun.

‘Lost and Out of Control’ or ‘Hurricane’ were probably highlights. It’s not a bad album by any means, I just found myself getting distracted and bored though it, outside of these two tracks. 6/10

Randy Houser: Note to Self

The first guy I discovered when I finally started to dip into country by myself. I do feel slightly hypocritical now, as this is on the slower end of country. However, this was so well written and there were some truly awesome tracks on it. From ‘Workin’ Man’ to ‘Out and Down’ to ‘Country Round Here Tonight’, there is plenty to love with this album. I’m struggling to even say much, if you like country music, no matter the style, you’ll love this. Heck, I’d recommend anyone listening to this to check it out, as I love this. 8.5/10, this was awesome.

Warkings: Morgana

The most power metal band to ever power metal, now. Warkings seem to be the butt of a lot of jokes in the dub-genre’s community, but honestly I really enjoyed this. However, that may have been more because of Morgana Le Fay’s impressive harsher vocals every few tracks, as they were definitely my favourite songs on the album. ‘Monsters’ is my favourite track on the album, but ‘Immortal’ and even ‘The Rite’ are close followers. While the latter doesn’t include Morgana, I do still think they should try and find a harsh vocalist going forward, because the contrast between the vocals added a new layer of fun and awesomeness to the tracks. You know exactly what to expect with Warkings, straight up power metal, ‘no nonsense’ or anything outside of that, and for that this album is definitely good. 7.5/10

Cassyette: Sad Girl Mixtape

2022’s answer to Avril Lavigne while also adding a bit of Billy Eillish to the rock scene… I do love Casseyette. This album blends the two previously named artists perfectly while adding an edge seen in Dorothy’s music. While generally the album gets a little boring by the midpoint for me, I can fully understand and appreciate the importance of her music. She is the perfect gateway for young people, especially women, to get into rock music. I’m personally curious to see the generation in a few years time having come up on this and see what it gets them into.

Plus, while most of it is rather pop and punkish, she still hits us with the likes of ‘Die Hate Cry’ out of nowhere, brutal, heavy and full of harsh vocals. It definitely caught me by surprise after the first few stellar pop-punk opening tracks. If you’re into pop-rock, or even metal given the last few tracks on the album, check this out, you won’t be disappointed. 8/10

REMINA: STRATA

We’ve already covered this awesome album. Check out the review and score here.

Did you enjoy our article? As always keep up to date on all of our content here.