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Reviews

Pictures: HamaSaari Return with Their Awesome Sophomore Album!

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The second album from the French prog quartet dropped yesterday, and honestly blew me away! I had never so much as heard of them before they came across my emails, but sounded like something I’d be interested in so thought we’d take a deep dive together. Let’s get into it!

Opening the album on a dark acoustic guitar chord progression was a cool, unexpected choice. Jordan’s rather beautiful vocals soon come in over the top of it with a really interesting melody. The whole thing gives me slight Opeth vibes, surprisingly, feeling like it’s teasing bigger, heavier things. The big distorted guitars and drums and bass soon come in too, the track building perfectly, especially for an opener. The Karnivool influence is now in full swing, the soaring vocals fitting perfectly over some truly awesome guitar work. Everyone is working their asses off and getting a time to shine within the first two minutes of the album, it’s insane! The bridge in the middle is pretty cool, a great guitar melody coming in over the top of the rest, being very Adam Jones-esque. And it all dropping back to just the acoustic guitar steadily at the end was honestly incredible, almost cinematic. What a way to start an album!

‘The Wild Ones’ opens at a slower pace too, a simple, beautiful guitar riff to start us off. Once again, the rest of the instrumentation builds in; the simple yet effective drumbeat and low bass. It instantly gives off ‘Pieces’ vibes. It continues to build with the vocals, the second guitar part coming in between being incredible and adding so much depth and melody. It all builds to a HUGE distorted guitar riff, that and the ‘oh’s for the vocals acting as an amazing chorus. I’m definitely getting some of their Porcupine Tree influence now, though they’re definitely heavier. The vocals over the top of it for the second time round only added to the epicness of it all too, feeling almost Deftones too, surprisingly in a good way! It drops back down even more for the bridge, the beautiful clean guitar work coming back with some awesome light drum work. Once again, everyone in this band is so insanely talented at their craft, it really is something special! It all builds and builds again, eventually exploding into that awesome riff again and closing things out with a big, grandiose, Tool-like bang. This is an awesome song, and one that easily makes it onto our playlist!

Opening much like the prior track, ‘Our Heads Spinning’ channels a similar vibe and even has a similar structure and writing style as the previous songs. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially when it explodes into the catchiest, most radio-friendly chorus of the album. However, we’re almost halfway through the album now and all three tracks have definitely felt very similar. There are some incredible riffs in this thing, much like the awesome chorus vocals, and it’s another easy highlight, but I hope it’s not a cut-and-dry formula for them. It’s another big highlight track still though, and definitely one I’ll be spinning a lot moving forward! The harsher vocals in the outro were a nice touch, too.

‘Lost in Nights’ is another slower, impressively technical track that definitely channels some more Porcupine Tree energy. This time it’s all on the slower side, most of the heaviness left to other tracks. The same could be said for ‘Frames’, though the addition of Christelle Ratri was an awesome one, adding yet another excellent layer to the track! Then you have the beautiful, almost haunting acoustic song, ‘Under the Trees’. It’s another solid highlight, so simple with just an acoustic guitar and vocals, but absolutely incredible.

Closer ‘Home’ does channel a similar vibe to the previous tracks still, however it does feel a damn suitable end to the album! It’s packed full of awesome riffing and some really cool vocal melodies. It feels like it draws together everything from previously on the album perfectly, and is a darn good song in its own right!

Overall: This is a great prog release. It definitely has a couple of flaws, mainly in that it all follows a similar style and pacing, but there is no denying the bands talents as players or songwriters. If you are into the genre, this is an amazing release and this band should absolutely be on your radar. Each individual track on its own is phenomenal, and though I struggled a touch when it was a full collection, it is still well worth a listen!

The Score: 7.5/10

Reviews

Anthology II: Julian Taylor’s Second Collection is Just as Good as the First!

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This is an incredibly interesting release we have for you today. The second in Julian Taylor’s Anthology collection draws together tracks from his 30+ year career; from one-off new singles to collabs, re-recordings from old albums to even bringing back some stuff from his Staggered Crossing days. We’re big fans of him here at Overtone, but honestly outside of some of his bigger singles and his last release, I’m shockingly not too familiar with much more of his work. I haven’t even had the chance to check out any of his Crosses stuff, though I do think it’s very much up my street, apparently. So, with that being said, I thought this would be the perfect jumping off point for us. Though having plenty of older music, it isn’t strictly a greatest hits album, as there are still new songs on it. And hell, there was no way I wasn’t checking this out, so might as well do a feature on it!

A new song for the album, ‘Hunger’, starts everything out in perfectly chilled-out fashion. From the simple acoustic chords and the melody over the top to Julian’s effortless smooth vocals coming in over the top, it starts out beautiful and folky. Julian is such an incredible storyteller, and that is on full display right from the offset. The chorus is surprisingly catchy for how stripped-back the song is, the harmonies helping making it sound massive and even more beautiful. Lyrically it’s fantastic too, with Julian doing a great job bringing even more weight to Graeme Williamson’s already heavy lyrics. It’s a simple track, but the subtle layers to it make it still pretty grandiose. An amazing way to open the album, and an easy early highlight!

‘Don’t Let ‘Em (Get Inside of your Head)’ channels the same slower pace, but also has a slight bounce and almost attitude to it. And once again, the duel vocals/harmonies are a big high point of the track. Whether it’s the lower ones in the verse or the higher ones in the choruses, it’s all so good! Heck, it even ventures into rock territory a little with the chorus, it feeling almost Seal at times in the best ways! It has a real swaggering energy to it thanks to the infusion of blues into his sound. It’s another awesome track and one that easily makes our playlist!

The rock vibes keep running through 2025 single ‘Dedication’, definitely feeling like the most southern rock track so far. However, it still has plenty of Julian’s usual folk/Americana style through the verses. It’s a massive both pre and chorus, and I can already envision them being played to huge festival crowds over the summer! Plus, the all-female band be recorded this with honestly kick ass! So far Julian is three for three on awesome songs!

Songs like the Jim Cuddy-featuring ‘Tulsa Time’, Black Tape Levy track ‘Emily’, ‘Under Circumstances Like These’ and ‘Grow’ are all more up-tempo, rock-based tracks, and I love them all. Heck, the latter is a straight up rock song, giving off big Police or Lenny Kravitz vibes. Plus, the former is another massive highlight of the release, being so very catchy. All are amazing songs in their own right, though! In fact, all of the Staggered Crossing tracks on here are incredible, and I really hope that in revisiting them for this, we maybe get a return to this sort of sound in some capacity in his future work! Some of it is very Pearl Jam in the best possible ways. ‘A Million Works of Art’ is another late 90s pop-rock style highlight, while ‘Further Again’ is grunge greatness.

Then you have his more folky solo stuff earlier on like ‘Wide Awake’, ‘100 Proof’, ‘Stolen Lands’ and ‘Over the Moon’. Again, all are good songs, definite highlights of his more chilled-out solo career. They’re all beautiful, with the slightly more neo-traditional country based latter track being yet another highlight!

‘The Ridge’ was a track I felt like I wanted to talk about on its own. It’s the perfect blend of just about every other style on this release. It’s pretty up-tempo and blues-based, but also has elements of everything from country to rock to Americana. It feels fairly close to dark folk, almost Amigo the Devil-like. And plus, the lyrics for it are some of my favourite on the release. From them to the instrumentation to Julian’s delivery, it’s all great. Really good stuff, and another favourite new track I’ve discovered!

From ‘Ain’t Life Strange’ to ‘Weigh Down’, we have three songs that I am very familiar with, all being off the awesome 2024 release, Pathways. We reviewed that album when it dropped and loved it, so I don’t want to re-do a similar thing here. I will say that all three tracks are still great, standing the brief test of time well. The title track in particular is still a firm favourite of mine!

Overall: This is an absolutely fantastic collection of songs! Whether it’s his folky solo stuff or more alt-rock early 2000s output, it’s all amazing, and highlights just how incredible of a talent Julian is. At 21 songs in length, it surprisingly went by in a flash too, the changes of pace throughout being awesome; whoever put it together doing a great job. Whether you’re a fan of Julian’s work or not, I’d certainly recommend checking this out, it very much has something for everyone! It’s definitely made me a new fan of Staggered Crossing, I’ll be listening to them a lot more, but his solo work and collaborations are every bit as good. As a way to bridge the gap between his last couple of albums and what’s to come, it’s a really great release, and one I’ll certainly be coming back to again and again!

The Score: 8.5/10

Reviews

Angles’ Share: Does Nathan Evans & the SAINT PHNX Band’s Collaborative Effort Top Their Solo Efforts?

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The collaboration between the Scottish folk-pop icon and the Glaswegian alt-pop brothers has already proved rather fruitful before, with the massive 2024 single ‘Home’. Both have enjoyed huge success before and after that, but have since come together again not just for another single, but a whole album. Their styles mesh so well as seen by the singles released so far, and I cannot wait to hear if they keep that same vibe and quality up through a full-length release! Strap yourselves in guys and girls, this is gonna be a fun one!

The albums namesake opens things up; a simple acoustic guitar and catchy vocal line setting the pace perfectly. The rest of the instrumentation builds in amazingly, the bass drum and some slide guitar and subtle strings coming in more and more through the verse. It all then explodes fantastically into the chorus, the harmonies making it sound MASSIVE and somehow making it even more catchy than it already would have been! It gives off vibes of everything from Mumford & Sons to Dan Davidson to James Bay, that big Americana/folk-country sound that blew up a decade or so ago and has been going strong since. It’s a simple track but an absolutely phenomenal way to open the track and introduce people to the trio’s sound! Absolutely a highlight this early on!

‘Arabella’ leans even more into the band’s folk stylings, and the Scottish really shines through here immediately. The slower opening leads into a faster, infectiously catchy chorus, and the bouncy, up-tempo folk keeps up throughout. It’s a surprisingly short song at just 2:17, but packs such a punch regardless, and feels like the perfect length for the music crafted. It’s the perfect blend of old, traditional folk and a modern pop leaning, and it makes for such a fun listen. Another amazing song!

‘Milarrochy Bay’ has more of that pop-folk sound to it, almost giving off slight Ed Sheeran vibes. However, those perfect vocal harmonies in the choruses are inherently country, giving off big vibes of Parmalee or Restless Road. It’s a huge, arena-filling chorus, and one that’ll be stuck in my head for days to come. It’s another big highlight track, and one that easily makes it onto our playlist!

Things slow down a bit with ‘Happy Place’ rather needed to break down the album a little, keeping it interesting. It feels more like an anthem, more ballad-like, yet is still catchy and a lot of fun. The lyrics here are also incredible. It’s also the first track to hit the three minute mark so far, it definitely feeling like a great radio-hit. It’s just a damn good, well written song that feels impossible not to love given how many bases it hits. Another one off this release that is a must-check-out!

‘Islay’ keeps the slower pace, kinda giving me ‘Iris’ vibes, if it was more folk and more Scottish. It gives off a similar vibe to the previous song, but also reminds me a little bit of The Pogues, for some reason!

Tracks like ‘The Tide’, ‘Blood and Bone’ and ‘All Roads’ have a similar slower pace and vibe, even if the former does have the trios rather typical faster chorus. None are bad tracks at all, and are spread pretty perfectly through the album that it breaks up the pace well. However, if I didn’t lump at least a few together here somewhere, I’d repeat myself a bunch and look like a crazy-obsessed fangirl! So yeah, check these tracks out if you like some slower folk!

Of course they’ve done their own version of ‘Cotton Eye Joe’. And, of course, it kinda slaps! A slower, more folk take on the classic bluegrass track is a genius idea, and has also finally taught me the words! It fits the collaborations’ style perfectly, but also still carries the same energy as the original. It’s a song I love anyway, and this is a great take on it which is a lot of fun, and definitely worth a listen!

‘The Wedding’ has a great bounce to it, being a short but sweet track based around the (maybe slightly overused these days) Arabian Riff. Make no mistake though, this is still a great, fun song! Meanwhile ‘Drinking Song’ is so very traditional folk in the best possible ways. I love that sort of style with a modern product on it, it feeling massive alongside being written amazingly. It’s another big highlight, and another one that easily makes it onto our Spotify.

The closing track is another short, simple folky track, and draws the elements of the album together perfectly. It’s chilled-out, acoustic and light-hearted, and incredibly catchy thanks to those vocal harmonies. At barely two minutes, it’s rather indicative of the album as a whole, and all the instrumental build is so good. Definitely a pretty grandiose way to close things out!

Overall: This is a really awesome collaboration and release from start to finish! Every song is amazing in its own right, while it all flows together pretty perfectly, making for a really easy, chilled-out listen. And, as I’ve said already, the trio work so damn well together, to the point where if I didn’t know any better, I’d assume they’d always been a full band. If you are at a fan of either artist, or just a folk/Americana fan in general, this is well worth checking out. It’s not normally my sort of style, but I found myself loving it from start to finish, and will definitely be spinning it again in the weeks and months to come!

The Score: 8.5/10

Reviews

Human Herds: Are UUHAI the Next Big Mongolian Metal Band?

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The debut album from the Mongolian folk-rock-metal band has been rather highly anticipated, as they have been gaining a lot of momentum lately. The singles that have dropped prior have all been great, and I am so curious to hear if the rest of the album lives up to them. They’re already signed to a major label so clearly are doing something right, and I’m sure this release will show just how earned that shot is!

The opener perfectly builds everything up, starting ominous before adding in more strings, more drums, and their incredible throat singing as it goes. It sets the tone perfectly and epically, and leads so fantastically into the title track. Speaking of, ‘Human Herds’ goes hand in hand with ‘Beginning’ to make an excellent introduction to the album, and to the bands sound for anyone jumping on board with this debut album. The two different vocals, the low and high, work so well together. They somehow root the band in their throat-singing style while also giving it a melodic, catchy, almost power metal edge. Plus, the harmonies between them are awesome, too! And not only that, but we get a pretty metal bridge, with some amazing string soloing. It’s am amazing song from start to finish, and I love that it follows the traditional song format; being radio-friendly while also still having plenty of Mongolian folk stuff. An excellent start to the album and a track that easily makes the playlist!

‘Ancient Land’ picks up the pace and rockiness a little, definitely feeling closer to a traditional metal song. However, it still has plenty of their folk stuff infused too, particularly with the string focus and throat-singing vocals. It all builds to an awesome chorus, being surprisingly catchy still despite it being in a different language and a completely different vocal style than the West is used to! It’s a really interestingly crafted track, and it’s so cool to see both sounds collide so well! And still, it ends up getting pretty epic by the outro, feeling powerful and grandiose, finishing the song off perfectly. Another great track!

The bands namesake is up next, leaning back heavily into the folk to open it up. It builds perfectly, soon busting into a pretty metal riff just like the previous song. The vocals almost have a growl edge to them for the opening of the verse too, sounding awesome and only adding to the heaviness. The chorus is another catchy as anything one, and honestly reminds me of Gojira’s ‘The Chant’ from, well, the chanting! We even get some awesome, Metallica-style guitar soloing in the middle, adding even more epicness to it all. This is an absolutely phenomenal song, and another easy highlight!

Tracks like ‘Dracula’ and ‘Khar Khulz’ are more metal-infused, stomping rock tracks. The pace, the energy, the structure, all of it is a lot more metal leaning than the folk stuff. It’s awesome! Heck, ‘Uvdis’ also has a bit of a similar feel, though slower. Though, it’s so incredibly similar to ‘Sad But True’, especially The Hu’s cover of it, that I almost convinced myself it was another reimagining of the track at first. It’s very Metallica, and a great song, but was hard not to compare. All three break up the album well though, and are great songs in their own right. Heck, ‘Khar’ is another personal highlight of mine!

‘Khurai’ is an absolutely incredible, epic song all about the build-up. It almost feels like more of a soundtrack than something you’d hear on a metal-adjacent album, but I love it! It won’t be for everyone, but it fits into the album perfectly and sits between the two rockier tracks incredibly well, adding to the relistenability.

‘Paradise’ is a lighter hearted track that, while still having rock elements, definitely feels more folk. It’s another different, really interesting song, and another I couldn’t not love. It’s another MASSIVE highlight track for me, and gives off slight Volbeat vibes in all the best ways. It’s huge, catchy, and with plenty of great playing and vocals throughout! If you check out any track from this release, make sure it’s this one!

The album closes like the opener, ‘Secret History of the Mongols’ being the closest track to compare to The Hu on the release. It’s a great song in its own right, and is a pretty grandiose way to close out a pretty epic album. It fits well with the rest of the tracks, but honestly I did feel like it wasn’t anything we hadn’t heard already. It’s definitely not a bad song, but there are other tracks on here that certainly stood out to me more. It’s not quite an ‘album track’, but does seem like a slightly interesting choice for a single. I imagine it has helped draw more listeners though; even I’d checked out the track and video before this review! A fitting conclusion!

Overall: This is a great release, and a phenomenal debut album! It’s still a pretty new genre in of itself, and UUHAI have already established themselves at the forefront of it with this. It’s a damn fun listen, and an album I will certainly be revisiting in the weeks and months to come. If you are at all curious, I’d definitely recommend checking this out. They are certainly going to be a big name in the future, and this will be the album that is pointed to as the jumping off point to that!

The Score: 8/10

Reviews

The Genghis Khan EP to End All Genghis Khan EPs: Nanowar Return as Silly and as Amazing as Ever!

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The Italian power parody metal band have gained a lot of momentum and a cult following over the last few years, including us here at Overtone! Not only did we love their last album, but had the pleasure of seeing a lot of it live, too. So, to say expectations around this EP are pretty high would be a bit of an understatement. Still, I have no doubt the band will deliver, and am excited to dive in and check it out!

The (I guess) title track opens things up in pretty epic, Nanowar fashion. Some great vocals, backed by some ambient sounds, builds rather perfectly, especially when the guitars and drums come in. The band immediately infuse the comedy too, fitting in far too many words and syllables and getting a chuckle out of me. Still, the lyrics are fantastic though, and it instantly gives Iron Maiden history teacher vibes! It all builds to an awesome Egyptian-style, heavy riff, and we even get a return of some screams from them for the first time in a while, sounding awesome. A typically massive chorus is another high point of the song, firmly routing the band in their power metal roots, still. And of course, we get some awesome soloing in the middle, showing off why Mohammed is one of the most underrated players around today. It’s silly, epic and fantastic in a way that really only Nanowar can!

To my shock, ‘Feet & Greet’ immediately changes the tone, leaning more into an electronic-based intro, giving off not just industrial metal vibes, but clearly very much inspired by Rammstein. It also features some fantastic screams from the incredible Mikael Sehlin of Amaranthe. He fits the band and sound like a glove, and I love the alternating between them and the cleaner, robotic vocals. And, of course, it’s got another infectiously catchy chorus, one that I immediately want to see live! The lyrics are as silly as you’d expect from the band, and honestly that bridge had me laughing out loud. It’s another absolutely incredible song, and one that easily makes this years playlist!

‘IRIDE’ changes pace a little again, fully leaning into the cheesy power metal stuff. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still some heavy Priest in there, but it’s much more Dragonforce. Not that any of that is a bad thing! It’s the closest to their older music, I’d say, but it’s still a damn good song. If you like a more straight-forward sound, this is definitely a song for you! Then the closing track, ‘Kotlin’, stays power metal, but a lot more Sabaton in its tone. It’s another fun track, but isn’t quite as quirky as the first two. They’re just different, and it’s great that Nanowar can do both so well! They’re also both so damn catchy!

Overall: This is an awesome little release! All four songs are awesome, with the first two being up there with anything they’ve put out recently. I’m impatiently waiting another full-length release from them, but this is very much a great way to fill the time before that happens. If you are at all into the band power metal in general, check this out, as they are far more than just a comedic band at this point! And truly, we now cannot get another Genghis Khan EP.

The Score: 8/10

Features, Reviews

Ice Nine Kills, Creeper, Devil Wears Prada and TX2 Rock Nottingham Arena!

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It is no secret that two of these bands are very close to my heart. So, to be able to see INK get to headline arenas in the UK was already something special, but to do so alongside one of the best modern bands in Creeper was truly something else. I had tickets for this show from the moment they went on sale, and have been super hyped for it ever since. There was no way I wasn’t writing this review, so let’s dive right in!

TX2… the old adage is if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all…

I really wanted to enjoy The Devil Wears Prada. I’ve definitely enjoyed them in the past on track, even if not as much recently. The band are very clearly a talented bunch of musicians, playing well and crafting some good sounding stuff. However, for the most part their music isn’t really my sort of bag when it comes to modern metal/metalcore, especially when most of their short setlist was made up of newer material. Plus, the band felt just a little bit like they were more going through the motions here. I get that they were second of four bands on that night, but the place had packed out fairly considerably for their set, and I was left a little bored and distracted while they were on. It was probably more just me, as the pit looked pretty good, but I sadly wouldn’t rush to see them again live.

Creeper will never not be good live. The only time I’ve seen them recently was back at 2000 Trees where they blew me away, and they did that here once again! The band were on top form, blasting through the top hits of both parts of Sanguivore without barely pausing for breath. And how could they, when they barely had 30 minutes to work with? That is my only complaint about the show, is that in stacking the lineup, the openers didn’t get a whole lot of time to show what they’re about. Still, Creeper made the most of it, and even despite some early technical issues, put on a blinder of a show! From new bangers like ‘Blood Magik’ and ‘Headstones’ to previous album classics ‘The Ballad of Spook and Mercy’ and ‘Cry to Heaven’, there wasn’t a dull moment!

The band performed masterfully, too. Will has become an effortlessly charismatic frontman in recent years, taking what could be a cheesy gimmick and making it actually cool. Meanwhile, the renewed focus on Hannah with Mistress of Death has added a great dynamic as she is a born stage performer, too. And not to take away from the rest of the band either, who all played their asses off and had such fantastic stage presence, fitting the theme perfectly. They are about ready to take on venues like this on their own, and more than deserve it after their recent studio output and solid live shows. But for now, this was an amazing set, and I already look forward to seeing them again soon!

This was my third time seeing Ice Nine Kills. First back in a smaller club, then main stage at a major festival. Both times were awesome, and both times they upped the ante in terms of stage show. This, however, was on another level. They were made to play these huge arena stages, and they brought enough props and fire to prove just that. From the usual mask changes and prop axes and knives to new stuff like plenty of pyro, smoke and their backing screens. Everything was so perfectly and meticulously planned out, every track having a story and a show to it in its own right. Speaking of the screens, using them to play a little vignette to introduce every song was masterful, and fully on brand for the band. It’s a show that can only be put on at this sort of size of venue, and now I never want to see them on a smaller one again!

As for the set itself, it was pretty damn perfect. It was fairly similar to what I’ve seen before, but given that they are still on the Silver Scream duos’ album cycle, that was to be expected. However, the three new tracks they’ve released since I last saw them were all phenomenal, even the middling ‘Great Unknown’. Heck, both ‘The Laugh Track’ and closer ‘A Work of Art’ were incredible and so chaotic in the best ways, being easy set highlights. And, not only did we get their incredible ‘Walking on Sunshine’ cover live (the bass of RBF were there for the whole show, making it sound even more awesome!) but we also got a fantastic cover of The Mighty Mighty Bostones’ big hit. And, all the classics were just as good too, and performed to perfection by the band. Everyone on the stage was so damn talented, the songs being pretty technical throughout, and played them all amazingly well. And, for the first time watching them, it honestly felt like a more cohesive band, and less of just Spencer and backing. It was nice, and made the show even better! It was somehow the best set I’ve seen from them, and easily one of the best I’ve seen all year!

So there you have it, folks! Two of my favourite current bands playing blinding sets to a packed out arena crowd, what more could you want? Yes, while I wasn’t a huge fan of the opening two, I am just one guy with my own opinion, and I’ve seen plenty of love for both online too. But honestly, I cannot recommend Creeper and INK enough, both are INCREDIBLE live and are going to be the future of heavy music for years to come, mark my words! The next possible chance you have to check either out, do it!

Reviews

Josiah Kaye, Wounded in Forest and Kakihara: EPs Galore!

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Though we are in the home stretch of the year, we still have some awesome EPs being released for us to dive into. Let’s check them out!

Wounded in Forest: Antihuman Artist

The debut EP from the Finnish death metallers is a 22-minute powerhouse of heaviness. The riffing is awesome, the drumming relentless, and the duel vocalled screams lend themselves perfectly to the sound! It’s a pretty traditional sound for the genre, but the varied screams and shrieks definitely add an interesting element, as well as the great production giving it a more modern feel. Tracks like karaoke the Son of a Bitch’ and ‘Godspeed Filthy Warrior’ are personal highlights, but there isn’t a weak link on this whole release, it going by in a flash! It’s certainly not a release for everyone, but it’s a must for anyone with even a passing interest in death metal. It’s a very easy 7.5/10 from us!

Josiah Kaye & The Bonnevilles: Winter

While we don’t typically talk about cover releases often, this is a fantastic collection of countrified tracks for, to state the obvious, the winter season, and is a really great listen! From the traditional ‘Silent Night’ to ‘Silver Bells’ to more modern stuff like a better version on 1975’s ‘Wintering’, it’s packed full of fantastic, fitting tracks. And somehow, a basic Americana-folk arrangement still somehow carries a festive feel to it throughout. It’s a simple, beautiful release that honestly I’d happily listen to not just for the festive season. If you’re into country-folk stuff, and aren’t a grinch, do yourselves a favour and check this out! His vocals are incredible and it’s insane that this is my first introduction to Josiah, I’ll have to keep a closer eye on him for his original stuff. 8/10, it would have gotten even higher if they were original tracks!

Kakihara: Love Songs, Pt. 2

The first release from the Scottish hardcore band in a couple of years honestly threw me through a loop a little. Firstly, where is part 1? Secondly, I didn’t expect hardcore heading into this, but I was blasted by crazy heaviness for a solid just eight minutes across its five tracks. Honestly, it’s fucking awesome! Any regular readers of this site this year will know just how much I’ve gotten into hardcore, and this is no different, capping off the year in aggressive, heavy style. The flow through the whole thing is exceptional; I barely knowing where one track ends and the other starts without looking. And from the crushing instrumentation to the brutal vocals, it’s all performed so well! I can’t pick highlight tracks, it’s all one big performance and all of it slaps. Do yourselves a favour and check this out ASAP, you won’t be disappointed! 9/10, DAMN.

Reviews

Chloe Loader, Torch Us and Of Concrete Gods: EPs Galore!

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Another three awesome EPs for us to check out this week, from country to melodeath! Let’s dive in!

Chloe Loader: Fearlessly Wild

The debut EP from the UK country upstart is a fantastic early 2000s style release! Opener ‘Head on Down That Highway’ travels big Ashley McBride or Reba vibes, while ‘Cowgirl Boots’ is a bit more a boot-stompin’ southern rock track. Meanwhile ‘Lesson From You’ is a fantastic, heartfelt ballad, as is ‘Last Best Man’. And don’t get me wrong, the other two tracks are excellent, as well. There isn’t a bad song on this; it’s a very easy 20 minutes of listening. Every song is fantastically written, having a very classic vibe to it. And Chloe’s vocals are honestly incredible, her power and range is off the charts, definitely making for a big highlight of the release. For a debut release this is amazing, and a very clear indicator that Chloe is going to be a big name in the UK country scene sooner rather than later. If you are at all a fan of the genre, check this out immediately! It gets a very easy 8.5/10 from us!

Torch Us: To Non-Existence

The Finnish melodeath band are back with their sophomore EP, following up 2024’s Derailed rather perfectly. It’s only three songs, but 15 minutes of sheer awesomeness. From the riffing to the screams to the incredible drums and melodies, it all works so damn well! It’s very much an early In Flames vibe in the best way possible! If you have even a passing interest in the subgenre, check this out immediately, as this is honestly one of the best shorter releases in it. I cannot pick a favourite track as they are all awesome in their own way, and everyone works their asses off throughout all of them. It’s a genre that really need a mainstream metal comeback by now, and this very well may be the band that could make that happen! I can’t give it any less than 9/10!

Of Concrete Gods: The Art of Suffering

The third EP from the stoner/grunge metal band comes a full two years after their (some would call album) Hurt EP. In that time the band have somehow grown into even better songwriters and musicians. This whole thing is a powerhouse of riffs and catchy vocals for a full almost half-hour. From the opener/title track to the heavy-punk ‘Diatribes and Disappointment’ to the more lighter, proggy closing track, it’s all awesome! It gives off as much early 2000s alt metal as it does anything modern, but all the sounds combine together perfectly to make something truly great here. It won’t be for everyone, but I loved this EP a lot and will definitely spinning it plenty in the weeks to come. If you are at all a metal fan, check this out, you won’t be disappointed! A very easy 8/10

Reviews

Edit the Tide and Leave no Witness: EPs Galore!

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Another week, another trio of awesome EPs for us to be checking out. Let’s dive right in!

Edit the Tide: The Space Between Seconds

The sophomore EP from the US alt metallers is an awesome slab of catchy vocals and awesome riffs. Heck, a lot of the playing borders on math or prog, which makes for even more of an interesting listen! And vocally it’s amazing, being catchy throughout and still having some grit and screams where needed. There’s even some hardcore elements alongside the melodic parts, there being so many awesome sounds that combine together surprisingly perfectly. It’s hard to pick highlight tracks too, as every song is as good as the last. It has an excellent flow to it too, the peaks and troughs providing an amazing dynamic from start to finish. If you’re into anything from early 2000s radio metal (Breaking Benjamin and Crossfade) to more proggy stuff, I cannot recommend this enough. I loved it and the band certainly have a big new fan in me! I can’t give it any less than 9/10!

P.S. STUNNING artwork!

Leave no Witness: HELL AND BACK

A debut EP this time, from the West Midlands metalcore quartet. Combining their two biggest singles to date with two brand new tracks, it’s a powerhouse of heaviness for 17 straight minutes. Of course both remastered singles are awesome, but both ‘Familiar’ and ‘Heartless’ are up there alongside them, with the latter being a big highlight of the release as a whole. The band are all insanely talent; from the awesome riffing to heavy drumming to both the melodic screams and brutal screaming. I’ve heard the name around before but am shocked I haven’t checked them out before, as I LOVED this. They’re like an early Bullet but very much brought forward into the modern metal scene. So, if that sounds as good to you as it does me, check this out ASAP! An incredibly solid 8.5/10!

Rane Rautiainen & Paha Kaksonen: Ilman pimeyttä valo ei ole mitään

So just to put this out there, I have no idea what any of these words say or mean. However, I almost don’t need to, as I had a blast listening to this anyway! The pair have produced a great, fun, foot-stompin’ hard rock album, combining elements of sleaze, punk and AOR together perfectly. From the opener to ‘Uusi mies’, there’s plenty to love here, and there really isn’t a bad track on the release! The riffing is a big highlight of point, but the catchy vocals are certainly up there, too! I had no idea who either artist were before this review, but am so glad that they seem to work together regularly, as they fit so very well together. If you are at all into a sleazier side of rock, this is certainly the release for you! I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for the pair more often, and it gets an easy 8/10 from us!

Reviews

Hunter Brothers and Analog Amara: EPs Galore!

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Three more awesome EPs for us to check out this week, from country to metal! Let’s dive in!

Hunter Brothers: All Kinds of Country

This is an incredible country release, combining both pop and rock elements perfectly. It’s got some of the catchiest choruses and melodies I’ve heard all year, every track made to be a massive radio hit. The vocal harmonies throughout from the brothers just add to that, too. All six tracks are absolutely incredible, there not being a single weak link in the chain. However, ‘Keep on Truckin” and ‘Homegrown Night’ are personal highlights. However, then you have the boot-stompin’ opener, featuring the awesome Lathan Warlick who adds a bit more of an R&B feel to it. Shantia also does awesomely on ‘Better Days’, and their cover of that iconic Jackson 5 song is also incredible, giving off big Rascal Flats vibes. I’d somehow never heard of the band before this came across my email, but they have a HUGE new fan in me, and I immediately want to hear more! For now though, I can’t give it any less than a 9/10!

Analog Amara: Slowly Falling Apart

The debut EP from the dark alt metal band is an awesome collection of vulnerable tracks that fit together like the perfect puzzle. From former American Idol contestant Amanda Hawkins to Authority Zero drummer Jim Wilcox, there’s plenty of star power here, and the trio work incredible together, writing five great gothic metal songs. It’s hard to believe that they’ve only been working together for three years, as it’s all incredible well crafted, performed and even mixed! It feels like a combination of Phoenix Lake, Lacuna Coil and Him in all the best ways. And from the opener to ‘Is it All’ to ‘So Far Away’, there are plenty of highlights throughout. It’s a fantastic debut release and could easily push the band up a few notches in the scene. If you are at all curious, it’s well worth checking out, and gets a solid 8/10 from us!

RaeLynn: Jingle Jangle Rock

Well, it’s that time of the year already. Goddamn, I was not expecting to be covering Christmas music already. Still, DAMN, what an EP! The genre always works surprisingly well with the topic, something I never feel like I expect even if we get some new in it every year, and this is no exception! The opener is going to be stuck in my head for the rest of the day, while ‘Redneck Christmas’ is a lot of fun, packed full of fun, tongue-in-cheek stereotypical lyrics. And, her version of ‘Run Run Rudolph’ is fantastic too, adding her awesome country-rock twang to the original. I’d somehow not heard of her before now, but I’ll definitely be checking out her other stuff now as I’m a big fan! And, I’ll surely be rocking this more and more over the next two months! A damn fun listen, and a very easy 8.5/10 from us.