The incredible Jordan Davis is set to release his brand new third album tomorrow, and there was no way we weren’t checking this out early! Despite being a fan of his work, I’ve somehow never managed to check out a full album from the guy, so I’m excited to really dive in and see what he’s about, especially when he’s currently at the height of his career. He’s certainly one of the most interesting current newer guys, blending plenty of styles into his own sound. Without further ado, let’s jump in!
‘Her Way or the Highway’ opens things up pretty chilled, immediately giving off Kip Moore vibes in the best ways! It’s definitely country but has that awesome soft/pop rock feel to it too. It all builds perfectly to a MASSIVE chorus too, just made to be played to huge festival crowds. The lyrics are typical country stuff but so well written, fitting the vibe of the song perfectly. We even get a nice little guitar lead tucked away in the middle, too! It’s a really good choice to open the album, keeping the energy pretty high and telling the listener exactly who Jordan is and what they’re in for on this release. An easy early highlight track!
‘Bar None’ follows on from the opener perfectly, having the same energy as before but definitely leaning more into the country side of the style. The acoustic guitar work throughout is phenomenal, as are the harmonies on Jordan’s vocals, somehow making them even more catchy! It’s another fantastic chorus, too. It reminds me a little of ‘Tipsy’, but a bit more Americana leaning instead of hip-hop. It’s a simple track but amazing, and another that easily makes it onto our playlist. Two for two so far on awesome songs!
Next up is a beautiful ballad/duet, ‘Mess with Missing You no More’. It’s a great country breakup song, filled with some amazing vocals and lyrics and some great acoustic work again. Also, Carly Pearce is amazing on this song, her voice complimenting Jordan’s perfectly. We get another great guitar solo here too, short but channels the energy of the song in a great way. It almost gives off Slash vibes, which is definitely a good thing! It’s exactly what you’d expect from a radio country ballad; it’s been done a lot recently, but it’s still a fantastic song nonetheless. Definitely up there alongside the greats who’ve done a song like this recently.
The more pop sound returns with ‘In Case You Missed It’, giving off big Parmalee vibes. Still, it has a bit of a rocking chorus, it again being massive and hugely catchy. The same could be said about ‘Ain’t Enough Road’, ‘Memory Don’t Mess Around’ and ‘Turn This Truck Around’. All are great songs that are impossible to not have fun listening to, even if the latter is a little more of a ballad than the others. It’s a great style that I feel a lot of people still associate with the genre heavily to this day, and one that Jordan does amazingly.
Then, you have the slower, more acoustic ballads like ‘Son of a Gun’, ‘Jesus Wouldn’t Do’, ‘Keeping The World Away’ and ‘Know You Like That’. Again, all of them are amazing, providing a completely different feel to the previously mentioned tracks, and plenty of emotion throughout. The former and the latter are my personal favourites and, while it’s maybe one too many slower songs, they’re all good, and it’s a long enough release that I think it gets away with it. They’re also spread out pretty perfectly, the whole thing having a great flow to it and not feeling its length at all.
Songs like ‘Learn the Hard Way’ are slower still, but lean more on the pop end than the country, I’d say. They’re simple arrangements and have more electronic beats and sounds than a more acoustic style. While it is a sound that’s been around a little while now, towards the end of the bro-country era, I found myself associating it more with Redferrinor even Morgan Wallen. ‘I Ain’t Sayin’’, ‘Only All The Time’ and to a lesser extent, the closing track (though that feels like a combination of this and the ballad) are all pretty similar tracks. I tend to be a bit on the fence with this sort of style, but I ended up loving all of these tracks!
‘Good Gone Bad’ is an all out Southern rock song, and I fucking LOVE it. From the riffing to the massive feel to the overall drip of swagger and attitude, it’s all awesome and another massive album highlight! I know it’s definitely right up my street, but at the same time I’d recommend this to absolutely anyone into country, as it’s an excellently written track. Plus, it breaks up the album pretty perfect, being different to everything else on it and slapped almost right in the middle. Great stuff!
The last song to check out is another feature, this one with the amazing Marcus King. It’s another rocky number packed with some awesome guitaring and easily one of the best choruses on the whole album. Once again, the pair mesh so well, with this feeling as much a Marcus track as a Jordan one. Putting something such high energy so late on in the album is a great idea, and once again breaks things up perfectly before the slower closer. I’m sure this will come as no shock at all, but I loved this, and it’s another that easily makes it onto our Spotify; another big highlight!
Overall: This is an awesome album! I didn’t quite know what to expect heading into it, what side of Jordan we’d get, but there is plenty of variety throughout and it’s all done perfectly. I had a blast listening through in its entirety, and it certainly won’t be the only time I do that over the next couple of months. A must for any country or really rock fan out there, and it firmly roots him as yet another major player in the country world.
The amazing Florence Sommerville is set to release her debut album this coming Friday. The UK country star has been making waves with her singles, so anticipation is at an all time high already. Without further ado, let’s dive right in and check this out!
The album starts in perfectly chilled-out fashion with ‘(I’ll Be Your) Best Broken Heart’. It gives off a more relaxed, Americana/folk side of country music akin to the likes of Julian Taylor or Lanie Gardner or Taylor Rae. However, it also builds up perfectly into a bigger, catchy chorus just begging to be played to huge festival crowds. The harmonies are incredible and I feel like it’s going to be stuck in my head for days to come. We also get some amazing duelling guitar soloing coming out of the choruses, something that I wasn’t expecting but massively appreciate, showing off the talented blues playing of the band. It honestly gives me Santana vibes in the best ways. It’s a really great way to open the album and set the pace, and is a very easy highlight!
‘Fearless’, though not a Tay Tay cover, is somehow even more country, amazing for a Brit. The strings add a lot to it, but her vocals are also awesome, reminding me a lot of people like Paula Cole and Brandi Carlisle, but also simultaneously Alanis Morissette. Speaking of the former, it’s very much in that vein of early 2000s chilled country that I always seem to associate with shows like Gilmore Girls and Dawsons Creek. It’s a less massive chorus, keeping the more Americana/bluegrass feel, but is no less awesome and catchy. It’s a simple but amazing song written and performed beautifully.
Nearly our song, ‘Overton’, is another slower, chilled-out and stripped-back country banger. It shares a lot of similarities with the previous track but that’s far from an issue, as they’re both so good! I love that it slowly builds throughout too, more and more awesome elements coming in each new parts, and so much amazing soloing. This time I got more Knopfler vibes. It’s honestly a beautiful song, and one that I enjoyed a hell of a lot. Florence’s vocals are insanely impressive!
Single ‘Broken Pieces’ picks up the pace a little again, adding a bit of swing and swagger and attitude to the proceedings. It feels like something that should be played at a smoky jazz club, and doesn’t feel like a far-cry from the likes of Amy Winehouse or Lady Rose. It’s another infectiously catchy chorus too, the rest of the track building to it perfectly. It was a damn good choice for a single! It’s yet another massive album highlight, that’s for sure!
Following one single with another, ‘California’ slows things back down to an almost ballad-pace. It fits in perfectly with the rest of the album, especially ‘Fearless’ and ‘Overton’. However, it does still build into a slightly bigger chorus, and makes for a great relaxed single. And it’s once again catchy as another, and a track that I actually really want to see live, as it gave me enough goosebumps on track! Florence is knocking it out of the park with this release, so far!
The likes of ‘Out Where the Love Grows’, ‘Silly Little Things’ and ‘Forget the Water’ are all pretty similar slower, chilled-out vibes. They are all slightly different, like the latter just being Florence with a guitar and her powerful vocals, but all have a similar feel and emotional impact to them. The same could honestly be said for ‘Molasses’ and ‘Cut and Run’. They’re both two more incredible songs, with the latter honestly being one of my favourite tracks on the album; its chorus and the harmonies are INCREDIBLE… *chefs kiss*. But all share pretty similar DNA, and I don’t want to keep repeating myself and gushing over it like a fangirl, it doesn’t make for very good reading! Still, you should check out all of these tracks immediately!
‘Love Me Then’ and ‘Boots in the rain’ take a bit more of the country route. They’re still chilled tracks, but definitely have more of a traditional country feel, kinda like Brandi again. The latter again is amazing, almost giving Dolly vibes with the old-school country nature of the song. Two more awesome original tracks to round things out perfectly!
On top of all of these already awesome tracks, we get a whopping four amazing bonus acoustic songs. From the beautiful, powerful ‘Whiskey in the Morning’ to the interesting, amazing Guns n’ Roses cover to the two great tracks tucked between them, they’re more excellent additions. They fit rather seamlessly into the rest of the album, too. Incredible given they are another change of pace. It really highlights how amazing Florence’s vocals are; her range being insanely impressive and the perfect mix of soft and powerful. I would highly recommend getting or checking out this version, as these tracks are more than worth it!
Overall: This is an incredible debut album! It’s an amazing release anyway, but for a first full-length release from Florence, it is something truly special. It’s chilled-out throughout, but so powerful and beautiful in equal measure, and every song is as good as the last! She’s entering a scene at its biggest in the UK currently, and will surely leave a big mark with this release. I can see huge things in her near future and already can’t wait to hear where she goes from here. However, for now, I cannot recommend this album enough to anyone even slightly into country, folk or Americana!
I’m gonna start this off by saying that I LOVE this band. Between reviewing their last album, seeing them live and even chatting to the man himself, we’ve done a lot of coverage of them over the last year, and there was no way I wasn’t reviewing this album too. I’ll try to keep it reigned in, but if the singles are anything to go by, this is going to be another incredible power metal album!
Opening on their most recent single, ‘We Are Forelorn’ kicks things off with a bang! The epic, sinister vibe builds up throughout the intro and verse, definitely demonstrating the grittier tone Dr Dead mentioned in the interview. It all builds to a typically massive, catchy chorus, too. The gang vocals add so much and make it so easy to sing along to. Also, some of Dead’s high notes, not just here but on the whole album, are insanely impressive! We also get an awesome guitar solo tucked in the middle of the track, making me feel like the band as a whole are criminally underrated players. Again, what an amazing way to open the album!
Next up is a one-two-punch of the other two singles ‘One of Us’ and the Feurschwanz-featuring title track. Both are absolutely amazing songs and classic-feeling Dominum tracks. I’ve covered both already over on our YouTube channel, I’ll drop the video below. However, I can’t pass up the chance to gush over them even more. The choruses for both are up there with some of their best and the instrumetation overall is incredible. It’s songs like this why I fell in love with not just the band, but the genre in general, and I cannot recommend either enough!
A folkier vibe runs through ‘Killed by Life’, which tracks given that it was penned by guitarist Tommy Kemp, also of Winterstorm fame. Spoiler; it’s another awesome song! It also feels a little more polished than the previous few tracks, more radio-written, not that that is a bad thing! The chorus is huge and massively catchy and the structure is pretty simple. However, the riffing is still amazing, and the overall production is incredible on it! While not my favourite track on the album, it is still awesome and definitely enjoyable!
Honestly, I got the same sort of feelings from ‘Die for the Devil’, outside of the folk element. It reminded me the most of their debut album the most of any song so far. From the steady, low verses building into the HUGE radio-choruses, it’s standard Dominum in the best of ways! It’s simple but awesome and another fantastic power metal offering!
‘Don’t get Bitten by the Wrong Ones’ is a bit steadier, feeling almost ballad-like. It also gives off vibes of Motionless in White’s ‘Werewolf’, which I also love. The synth-led verse is incredible, fitting behind Dead’s vocals perfectly, and the chorus is going to be stuck in my head for days to come at this point! It’s another huge highlight on an album packed full of them, and is another track that easily makes it onto our playlist! It’s another track that I’d definitely recommend!
Pretty much everything I said above also applies to ‘Happy Deadly Ending’. What an absolutely BANGING chorus, goddamn. And don’t get me wrong, the rest of the song is also amazing, but that chorus is truly on another level. I’m going to assume this is the newly single to be released with the album, as it could be an absolutely massive song given the chance. The basic Dominum formula is there again but done to absolute perfection, and is another HUGE album highlight. This is modern power metal at its best!
The other three original tracks on the album are more standard Dominum affairs in the best ways possible. ‘Can’t Kill a Dead Man’, ‘This is not a Game’ and ‘The Gardians of the Night’ are a trio of great power metal tracks that fit so perfectly with thus album and the Dominum sound in general. Dr Dead’s impressive vocals and huge choruses are of course highlights, but all the instrumentation is top notch, too. The only reason they are clumped together here is so I don’t keep repeating myself and coming across as even more of a fangirl! All are fantastic tracks that I’ll certainly be listening to again!
Closing out the main album is the band’s cover of the Scorpions classic ‘Rock you Like a Hurricane’. I love their rendition, heavying up the track and managing to make it sound almost like one of their own. Additionally, for those getting/listening to the special edition, you also get a second disc, this one featuring a recording of their set at Graspop earlier this year. While I haven’t heard the actual recordings yet, having been there to see it in person I can assure you it’ll be awesome!
Overall: I absolutely loved this! I knew I would, but I think it even defied my lofty expectations. Every track is fantastic, while there are some that are easily going to be among their greatest hits in however many years’ time. I can’t recommend this enough, not just to fans of the band or genre, but to any music fan in general; it really is that good. It has mass appeal as well as the heaviness and it is certainly a development on their previous release. Check this out immediately!
A pretty stacked week of New Music Mondays this week, featuring some massive names in rock, country, metal and even rap! Let’s dive in!
HARDY: Quit!!
So, it seems like a rather controversial opinion these days, but we loved HARDY’s last album. To the point where it almost feels unfair that he’s put another out just over a year later! However, it’s hard to complain about more music from the master country songwriter, and if the singles I’ve heard already are anything to go by, this will be another amazing album!
HARDY’s first foray into a full rock album is certainly still a damn interesting, fun listen. There’s still a hint of country every now and again, but has more of a radio rock sound, for the most part. I hate that the closest comparison I find my brain keep trying to make is MGK. It’s certainly better than his last album, though. Songs like ‘ROCKSTAR’, the darker, heavier ‘JIM BOB’ and ‘PSYCHO’ are all great.
However, I do think that without the crutch of the inventive album story and concept from Mockingbird, a few of the tracks do fall a bit flat. Outside of a few great lyrics, chorus hooks and breakdown riffs, the songs are largely forgettable. And heck, a couple even boarder on cringy, sadly. They even manage to completely misuse Daddy Durst on ‘SOUL4SALE’, not giving him anything to work his rapping or screaming with, instead giving him and almost ’Behind Blue Eyes’ ballad to sing on. I loved the fusion of rock and country on his last album, but this has gone to show that, outside of a few songs, he cannot write straight rock songs as well as country ones. It’s not bad by any stretch, but barely comparable to Mockingbird and not something I’ll be revisiting much outside of the singles and a couple of other tracks. It’s a bit of a disappointment for me, sadly, but still gets a solid 6.5/10
Eminem: The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce)
The rap god himself is back with another album, the first since 2020. You’d have to have been living under a rock if you didn’t see the massive impact that ‘Houdini’ had, everyone saying that Slim Shady was back and the song very much implying the same. Though I was a child, I grew up at the time when Shady was at the top of the world, and absolutely adore those first three albums. So, if the whole thing is gonna be like that, I’m down. And while I’ll be sad if this is indeed a swan song for this style of Em’s work, hopefully he goes out with a bang!
It’s certainly back to the older style, it feeling like a continuation of The Eminem Show. There’s a lot to love on here, too. Between ‘Brand New Dance’, ‘Antichrist’, ‘Habits’ and the lead single are all massive highlights. Heck, I even really enjoyed ‘Guilty Conscience 2’, it bordering on 2edgy4me but did get a chuckle or two and I always like when Em does the battle-inside-his-head tracks. He’s still fantastic at his craft too, spitting bars pretty quickly and writing the melodies well, as well as plenty of clever lyrics.
It’s not all perfect, though. Firstly, at over an hour and 19 tracks, it’s a slog to get through. I know Eminem Show was long too, but this isn’t quite at the quality of that to warrant it being this long. And, as I touched on before, a few of the tracks still have that edgy-for-edgys-sake feel to them. In Em’s defence, nowhere near as many as on previous albums, but the feeling of him saying controversial stuff just to please his fans and cause a media buzz did shine through occasionally.
However, overall, it’s not a bad album, and very much feels like a return to form for a guy who has spent so long away from it. I completely get wanting to change things up and make what sort of music you like, but the fans have been crying out for this for a while, I do think it delivers for the most part. I really enjoyed it, and will certainly be listening to a good few songs from it again in the coming months. 8.5/10
P.S. why does Em hate ‘midgits’ so much on this album? 😅
Graphic Nature: Who Are You When No One is Watching?
Nu-metalcore sounds like something right up my street, and somehow, though I’ve seen the name around everywhere, I’ve not managed to check the Kent band out before, until now. It was everything I wanted and more, too. It’s crushingly heavy, but still has plenty of catchiness and some melody, as well as some amazing riffing. It also has a surprising amount of electronic influence to it, the record scratching being a nice touch! and whether it’s hardcore screams or more lower growls, Harvey Freeman is a criminally underrated vocalist. And those breakdowns… DAMN.
It’s 42-minutes of perfect modern British metalcore, like the perfect blend of early Architects and Vexed, of course with a healthy dose of Slipknot in there for good measure! Songs like ‘Blinded’, ‘Something I’m Not’ and ‘Low’ are all huge highlights but, honestly, there isn’t a bad track on the album. It’s angry and aggressive and heavy in all the best ways, and is right up my street. If you’re into the heavy stuff at all, check this out, I promise you’ll love it as much as I do! I’m gonna be listening to this a lot moving forward, and I HAVE to see them live now, this would pop off. It’s a very easy 9/10 from me!
Megan Moroney: Am I Okay?
Megan is in a similar boat as HARDY; releasing another album just a year after her breakout one. The difference is, however, that this not only feels like an extension of Lucky, but also holds up to the quality, being another awesome release. I’ve been a big fan of the singles she’d put out beforehand, from ‘Indifferent’ to ‘Man on the Moon’, but they are backed up by some fantastic album tracks like the title one and ‘I Know You’. I do feel like 14 tracks is just a touch too long, especially when a lot of them are the similar acoustic-ballad style and tempo. However, having said that, I wouldn’t know which couple of songs to cut, as they are all excellent.
When I first listened I thought ‘this is great, but not quite as good as her debut, it hasn’t impacted me the same’. But given that I’ve got half of it on my playlist already, and that I feel like her debut grew on me more and more with subsequent listens, that it just isn’t the case. The emo cowgirl has done it again, knocking it out of the park and proving that she is going to be a massive name in the country world for years to come. And, for the second year in a row, she’s guaranteed to be pretty high up in our albums of the year list, easily! 8.5/10
Thirteen Goats: Capricorn Rising
The BC death metal band are back with album number two. We checked out their debut back in 2022 and honestly, I remember enjoying the album a lot more than I’ve given it credit for in the review. And, unsurprisingly, this is another awesome release! It’s packed full of awesome, heavy riffs, and some incredible clean and harsh vocals, all of which have pretty catch, melodic moments to shine through. ‘Sign of the Goat’ is an incredibly strong album opener, but honestly there isn’t a bad track on the album, with plenty of other highlights, including ‘A Wolf in Shepherd’s Clothing’ and ‘Permission to Die’. They also have a pretty cool image and theme, leaning fully into the pagan/satanic stereotypes of the genre. It’s 42-minutes of a brutal, heavy assault, and is massively enjoyable. It’s not going to be for everyone, but for those into the heavy end, I’d certainly recommend checking it out! And, while I would say it is better than their debut, it’s also a testament to how heavy this site has made me, that I love this now! 8/10, great stuff!
Mr Big: Ten
The hard rock band are back with their (surprisingly) tenth full length release. It is their first in seven years and, given that they are on their final tour, I imagine it will be their last. Talk about going out with a bang, too. For those who are a fan of the band, this is right up their usual street of funky, blues-infused, fun rock performed and written to perfection. Opener ‘Good Luck Trying’ is a great example of this, and is also a fantastic track. The rest of the album continues the same quality too, being plenty of highlights, from ‘I Am You’ to ‘Courageous’. It’s the perfect blend of Bon Jovi and Electric Boys; catchy choruses and melodies and some awesome playing, of course the legendary Paul Gilbert being a big high point. If this truly is the bands last hurrah, they have produced one hell of an album to go out on, it feeling like a true culmination of their near-40 year career. It’s hard not to love this album, and I’d recommend it to any rock fan! 8.5/10
The Bridge City Sinners: In the Age of Doubt
2024 is the year of spooky banjo time, and this band are very much leading the charge alongside Amigo the Devil. Spoiler 1: Amigo is very high on our list of top albums this year so far. Spoiler 2: I think this album will be, too.
Don’t get me wrong, it certainly won’t be for everyone. But fuck, I loved this. The further through I got, the more and more ended up on my playlist. I think currently I have over half of the album on it. Dark/neo-folk is quickly becoming one of my favourite genres, and it’s in large part thanks to songs like ‘Doubt’, ‘Crazy’ and ‘Sinner’s Saloon’. Every track on this album is incredible, though, and it’s been put together in the perfect arrangement.
Libby Lux has one of the best vocal ranges of any genre currently, going from jazzy Amy Winehouse to Danny Filth at the drop of a hat. Meanwhile, the rest of the band are so insanely talented, crafting some real interesting melodies and rhythms, even more impressive without a drummer present. We need more fiddle and double bass in darker music.
It’s 34-minutes of awesomeness, and I can’t get enough. I’ve had it on a good few times already this last weekend, and I doubt that will be changing much in the coming weeks and months. It’s a truly special release that I would recommend to anyone, regardless of your usual music taste. I can’t not, it’s gonna be 10/10.
The Mourning: Hush
The sophomore album of the Florida-based prog metal band is true masterclass in technicality and talent. ‘Chaos Machine’ opens the album up perfectly, showing off the bands skill, style and sound. It’s like Periphery, Polyphia and Coheed and Cambria all met and had a baby, and I am all for it! The sheer mind-blowing talent continues throughout the whole album too, all 51-minutes being incredible. You can tell I’m not at all jealous, right…? It’s so hard to pick out highlights as they are all so good, but also do share a similar sound and formula, for the most part. Having said that, the Tool-esque ‘I Feel the Rain’ was awesome and very different! It’s an incredibly interesting album and certainly one for anyone into prog or djent at all! It gets an easy 8/10 from me! Hopefully it’s not another six year wait for another album, as these guys could be massive in the sub-genre!
Johnny Blue Skies/Sturgill Simpson: Passage Du Desir
This is a real interesting release. Sturgill returns after what was thought to be a career-ending injury and retirement under a new moniker, and having more of a chilled out, traditional blues sound than his previous five releases. Sadly, I don’t like it quite as much as his Sturgill stuff. However, I admire the crap out of him for his reinvention and going in a new direction, especially when he still had a huge fan base for his more country stuff. I’m curious to see what bigger fans of the guy have to think about the album, I must admit!
Songs like ‘Scooter Blues’ and the countrier, emotional story of ‘Who I Am’ are awesome, and massive highlights of the album. I love that he gives the tracks more room to breathe too, some going seven plus minutes, feeling very bluesy. It’s certainly not a bad album, it’ll just take some getting used to. It’s certainly a good album to relax too, almost having an easy listening air to it all. It certainly grew on me more the more I listened, and will most likely continue to do so moving forward. But, for now, it gets a solid 7/10 from me!
A pretty stacked week of new music this week, featuring lots of country alongside some awesome metal and pop-rock! Let’s dive in!
Bon Jovi: Forever
I know a lot of people shit on post Crush/Have a Nice Day Bon Jovi, but I’ve gotta say I really enjoyed this album. As a soft rock/AOR album four decades into their career, it’s a fantastic release. Jon’s vocals sound better than they have in years, and the song fit pretty perfectly into his current range. And the rest of the band, while it’s relatively simple instrumentation, all hold up their ends.
Whether it’s 80s tinged rock stompers like ‘Living Proof’ and ‘Walls of Jericho’, or the softer, acoustic ballads like the opener and ‘Hollow Man’, there are plenty of highlights. Heck, another controversial opinion here, I’m sure, but a lot of this is so very close to country. You listen to ‘We Made it Look Easy’, imagine it with a southern drawl instead of a New Jersey AOR voice, and maybe a mention of a tractor or beer in there, and tell me it isn’t a country track! We even get a couple of classic Bon Jovi piano ballads sprinkled through, too!
Now, is it up there with their first four/five albums? No. But I think that’s more of a case of lacking in massive, career-defining hits than it being bad. It’s a real solid album from start to finish without a weak track on it. I’ve listened through a couple of times now and am enjoying it more and more, adding a lot to my personal playlist. It’s the best album I’ve heard them release in a while, and if you’re a fan of any era of the band, or rock in general, give this a chance, you won’t be disappointed. 8.5/10
Carly Pearce: hummingbird
The modern, neo-traditional country star returned with her first studio full-length in three years last year. A couple of points to begin with. 47-minutes is almost pushing it, length wise. Also, what’s she got against capital letters?
The music itself is fine. Honestly, it’s probably good, but there is so much of this style that I think is being done slightly better these days that it’s hard to get into this too much. Songs like ‘truck on fire’, ‘woman to woman’ and the Chris Stapleton featuring ‘we don’t fight anymore’ are good, but the album did drag on slightly for me. It’s a mixture of an Ashley McBride style with a more early 2000s country sound added in for good measure. It’s not a bad album by any stretch, but just with the amount of country that is released currently, and with how much we cover here, it doesn’t stand out, falling in amongst the backdrop of other country white-noise. The highlight for me was the strings, the fiddle player and guitarists being massively talented and adding a lot to each and every song on the album.
Overall, it’s good music that I would happily listen to again and wouldn’t turn off if it came back on. But it isn’t going to be up in our top albums of the year come December, that’s for sure. 6.5/10
Evergrey: Theories of Emptiness
The prog metallers are on album 14, and still find a way of keeping their style and sound incredibly interesting and enjoyable. The heaviness of the instrumentation contrasts perfectly with the catchy clean vocals throughout, a somehow perfect blend of Gojira and Dream Theater. And some of the soloing throughout is incredible! It’s really hard to pick out highlight tracks as they are all so good, but goddamn are ‘Misfortune’, ‘We are the North’ and ‘One Heart’ INCREDIBLE. And of course I cannot do this review without mentioning the amazing ‘Cold Dreams’ with Katatonia’s Jonas Renkse.
It does kinda have the same issue as the previous album in this list, in that it feels just a touch bloated. However, with being a massive metalhead, it’s less egregious of an issue. And, generally, I feel the songs are of higher quality than Carly’s ones. This is a very good metal album, and if you’re into the more European, proggy sound, I cannot recommend it enough. It fits together well as an album too, with a brilliant closing track. It gets an easy 8.5/10 from me!
Seasick Steve: A Trip a Stumble a Fall Down on your Knees
The blues legend is back with his 14th studio album. For fans of the man or the genre in general, it is more of the same, and exactly what you’d expect. And, for once, that isn’t a bad thing. This is a damn fun and enjoyable listen, and a very well put together album. Tracks like ‘Internet Cowboys’, ‘Backbone Slip’ and ‘Let the Music Talk’ are awesome, and honestly feel like potential career highlights. It’s not going to be for everyone, but as an old-school blues I enjoyed the lighter Billy Gibbons swagger that this album has throughout. It’s pretty similar to all of his previous stuff, but fits in pretty perfectly with the rest of his discography. And, at over 70 years old, the fact that his voice is still so awesome and powerful, and he’s still writing such great music, is a real testament to his talent. It’s an easy 7.5/10 from me!
The Omnific: The Law of Augmenting Returns
This has maybe the best album opening I’ve ever heard in my life. The ridiculous a Capella into some utterly dirty, awesome bass playing, and said bass playing continuing for a further 43-minutes, is insane awesomeness. Why don’t we get more instrumental prog metal bands that are just two bassists and a drummer? And I don’t even say that as a bassist, but some of the sounds and creativity they produce would surely be evident to anyone. Their playing ability is off the charts and mind blowing, going from Meshuggah-like death prog to essentially jazz in the same six-minute track. This band are to bass what Polyphia are to guitar. Every track is phenomenal, and they all blend together on the album so well. Even if you aren’t into instrumental stuff or proggy, djenty metal, check this out, I can guarantee you’ll at least be impressed. I’ve had my mind blown a little bit here, and I’ve already listened to it through twice, with surely many more to come. It has to get a 10/10, damn.
Jesse Daniel: Countin’ The Miles
This is neo-traditional country at its best. Whether it’s Marty Stuart, Garth Brooks or Willie Nelson, the album, and Jesse as a whole, wears his inspirations on his sleeve and pays tribute to them perfectly. So, if you’re into stuff like that, you’ll love this! while it’s not something I’d listen to hugely often, songs like the opener, ‘Restless’ and ‘Lonesome Blues’ are major highlights of the album for me. The two features, Ben Haggard and Jodi Lyford, also fit their tracks, and Jesse’s style, perfectly. It’s just a good, fun listen all round. In terms of albums like this too, it’s up there with some of my favourites, and is better than any of the legends’ that he emulates more recent albums. I’d happily listen to this again, and have added a fair bit of it to my country playlist so probably will sooner rather than later. If you’re a more traditional country fan, you’ll love this, so I’d highly recommend. It’s an easy 7.5/10 from me!
Nightmare: Encrypted
This is an awesome blend of power metal and melodeath. It had me on its hook right from the opening track, and songs like ‘Voices from the Other Side’, ‘Wake the Night’ and the title track are all massive highlights too. However, every track on the release is pretty great! The blend of styles, as well as of the powerful clean vocals with the great screams, is awesome, and keeps the album consistently interesting and entertaining. The band are all hugely talented musicians and songwriters. They’ve been around for a while too, so it’s kind of insane that I haven’t heard of them before now. This album has certainly made me want to go back and check out the rest of their discography. My only slight issue with the album was the fade in intro that felt weird, but it’s a very small gripe to have over an otherwise solid release. If you’re into either genre, I’d definitely suggest giving this a try. I’d love to see any of this live, too, I feel like it’d be amazing. It gets a solid 8.5/10 from us!
Evan Honer: Fighting For
This was like Zach Bryan meets Wyatt Flores in all of the best ways. It also came out of nowhere for me. I’d never heard of the kid before this review and he blew me away. I honestly had goosebumps for practically the whole album. The emotion and lyrics were phenomenal, as was the simple, folky instrumentation and his perfect vocals/delivery. It’s almost impossible to pick highlights as it’s all incredible, but I both love and hate how hard the lyrics to ‘Nowhere Fast’ and ‘Take me as I Come’ hit. Heck, the latter even features Wyatt, in a truly perfect pairing.
It’s such an amazing release that for once, the length isn’t an issue. It’s simple, similar music, but it’s so good that nearly an hour goes by in a flash. This is Americana-indie-pop at its very best, and it’s certainly up there with the Flores release. I imagine it’ll be up there with Zach Bryan’s too, when that releases later this year. If you are a fan of the style of the music, you will adore this as I do. And even if you aren’t, check this out; you’ll probably still fall in love. For the second time this week, it’s another 10/10
LØLØ: falling for robots & wishing i was one
So, clearly I am kinda out of touch with the pop-punk world, these days. I found this girl on TikTok, giving a rather entertaining story about one of the reviews of this album. So I figure I’d give it a go, check it out, only to find she has 1M Spotify listeners and has played some pretty big gigs. Moral of the story: I’m old (he says, being the same age as her!).
As for the album itself, it’s certainly made for the younger generation. It feels very Olivia Rodrigo or Stand Atlantic. And it’s certainly on the poppier end of pop punk these days. However, it’s a fun listen. Songs like ‘faceplant’ and the massive single ‘u turn me on’ were highlights for me. I had a good time listening to the album and full; it’s well arranged and put together, and the mixing and production is incredible. However, generally, this isn’t my thing. I don’t get the hyper-sexualised lyrics in a lot of pop these days, I feel like it takes away a lot of other potential emotion from the lyrics. If anything, it just made me cringe a bit instead of feel anything. But then again, I know I am certainly not the target audience of the music. It’s an objectively good pop-rock record that will do well with plenty of people, and as a debut album is fantastic. Her vocals, while similar to a lot of big singers these days, are good, and fit the music well. So, from all of that, I think it’s fair to give it a 6.5/10 from us.
P.S. if you end up reading this LØLØ (lol, why would you see this?) plz don’t call me out on TikTok!
Josh Meloy: Where you Came From
The modern country legend is back with his first album in over four years. It’s a fun listen, incorporating not only blues, but also just a touch of Randy Newman and even Fleetwood Mac to the sound, too. It’s a damn fine release, with tracks like the emotional ‘Killin’ Me Inside’, ‘My Last Dime’ and ‘1000 Miles’ being highlights. His vocals are also AMAZING, so raspy but powerful and fit the tracks perfectly. It’s a good album, but we’ve officially reached the point of the early summer where the country albums come thick and fast, and this was the fourth/fifth I’d check out this week; I got a touch burnt out by it. Heck, at least it’s a short album, as country is concerned, only 11 tracks and 36 minutes. Josh is an incredible vocalist and songwriter, and these songs will no doubt grow on me more and more with more listens. And even still, this album is easily an 8/10. Check this out if you like lower country/blues stuff!
A pretty heavy week of NMM this time, but still with some great lighter country and indie and blues stuff thrown in for good measure too. It’s a fun one, so let’s dive in and check it out!
Also, while it’s technically a covers album so I won’t cover it in the list (see what I did there?), shout out to the new Slash record. It’s easily the most I’ve enjoyed an album Slash has put out in over a decade at this point, which says a lot about the GnR guitarists songwriting these days… Everyone he worked with sounded awesome, fit the songs, and they all really made them their own. It’s a fun listen and I’d recommend it to anyone!
Now, on with the list…
Kerry King: From Hell I Rise
The Slayer guitarists much anticipated solo album is finally out, and sounds almost exactly what you’d expect it to. Evil riffs, lightening-quick drums and some very fitting lyrics. While Mark’s vocals are mainly a bit more harsh than Tom’s were, there are times where they have almost the same delivery and sound eerily similar. The main difference, thank god, is that Kerry’s soloing is 10x better than it was in Slayer. It’s no longer a wall of high, whammied screeching, but actually has something to it, even if half the time it’s very Kirk Hammett.
But I actually enjoyed this album a lot more than I was expecting to. Kerry always felt like the weak link of Slayer, in my opinion, but this is a solid thrash/death metal record. Tracks like ‘Idle Hands’, ‘Crucifixion’ and ‘Toxic’ are awesome, but I really enjoyed every song on it. It’s a great album from front to back, and I’ll certainly be spinning it again a good few times over the next few weeks and months, I’m sure. Kerry very much still has it and it’s just made me wish we had more Slayer releases towards the back portion of their careers. They’ve won me over with this album, and I’mma have to see them at Graspop now! 7.5/10
Don McLean: American Boys
The fact that the American Pie legend is still putting out new music on a semi-regular basis is crazy. The fact that it’s still pretty high quality is even more insane. It’s so very old-school country, with a healthy dose of blues rock on top, and is a fantastic summer chill-out album. Even when it address some pretty heavy topics like George Floyd, it does so with style and swagger (if it’s a little blunt). But songs like ‘Thunderstorm Girl’, ‘Truth and Fame’ and ‘I Shall Find my Way’ are all personal highlights, but if you’re into the style I’d wholeheartedly recommend the whole album. Don still sounds excellent and his band work their asses throughout. It’s made me more excited to see him at The Long Road in August, so it’s done it’s job pretty well indeed! Traditional country fans will love this, as will old-school blues fans, so check this out if you fall into either category! 7/10
Cage the Elephant: Neon Pill
The US alt/indie band are back with their first new music in half a decade, their longest dry spell between albums. I’ve known the name for years, but haven’t ever really checked them out aside for ‘Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked’. However, I know plenty of talented musicians from Bowling Green (mainly country, admittedly) so I’m sure it’s good.
Good it certainly is! Don’t get me wrong, it’s very different to the single from their debut album, but of course a band are going to evolve across 16 years. It’s a lot more electro-based than what I was expecting, more resembling Twenty-One Pilots’ music. Then again, that’s kinda how indie in general has gone the last five plus years or so, so they’re just changing with the times. Still, I enjoyed it, and songs like ‘Rainbow’, ‘Neon Pill’ and ‘Ball and Chain’ are all massive highlights. Still, it’s a good album overall, too. I had it on while cooking and fit the mood pretty perfectly. It’s not 100% my sort of thing, but they constantly kept it interesting with funk, pop, rock, indie, hip-hop and other influences blended together in a great melting pot. If you’re into vaguely indi-rock infused pop, check this out, you won’t be disappointed! 7.5/10
Elvellon: Ascending in Synergy
We’ve already checked this album out! Find our review of it here!
Marty Friedman: Drama
The best guitarist Megadeth ever had (and that’s barely a contentious point, sorry to the others) is back with another of his completely different solo albums. This one is a bit more what you’d expect from the virtuoso than some of his solo work, him showing off his insane talent, soloing over the top of classical piano and soft rock. As a semi-aspiring guitarist, I cannot help but love, yet be massively jealous of, his work here. Not only his playing, but his songwriting and crafting and producing is all on point. And at times, it’s truly beautiful. The highlight track for me is ‘Triumph’, a reimagining of his 1992 hit from album Scenes. People may be familiar with it, as it itself is a reimagining of ‘Thunder March’. However, this is far and away my favourite take on the piece. Then straight afterwards, he changes things up and we get another highlight in the straight-up rock song, ‘Thrill City’. Then you have the one track with English lyrics on the album, ‘Dead of Winter’ featuring Like a Storm. It’s another great track, an almost power/symphonic metal ballad.
Of course, this album won’t be for everyone. When 80% plus of it is instrumental, a lot will surely judge it immediately and not listen. Both ‘Dead of Winter’ and the Spanish ‘2 Rebeldes’ are incredible songs with lyrics though, and are well worth checking out if you can’t do instrumental stuff. But then, if you are a musician in any way, or like more classical composition, you have to check out the rest of the album too. It’s SO GOOD. This man is such an incredible, underrated force within the music world, and I can’t given this album any lower than a 9/10, unheard of for an instrumental one on this site!
The Avett Brothers: Self-Titled
This is a real mixed bag of an album, both in my personal preference and in style overall. One track can be folk, the next punk, the next indie, the next rock, and sometimes it makes for quite a jarring transition. The opening track is admittedly weird AF, but then we headed into the almost Barenaked Ladies/NOFX combination of ‘Love of a Girl’ and I got excited. Then it drops back down into slow folk again immediately, and I nearly got whiplash. Don’t get me wrong, I admire the hell out of a band that can play and blend multiple different styles, but my issue is that at times this doesn’t even sound like the same band. And I’m not even against their folky, indier stuff, either. Songs like ‘Cheep Coffee’ and ‘Same Broken Bones’ are just as good as their random, upbeat country song, ‘Country Kid’. But as an album, it’s a very strange collection of nine tracks. It may grow on me more with more listens, and I’ll certainly be listening to it again, but for now it gets a solid 7/10 from me!
Mutes: …Buried Where You Stand
The Birmingham post-punk trio are back with album number four. While individually each track isn’t especially my sort of thing, the album as a whole is really damn good. It reminds me a lot of early Placebo, in all of the best ways. It also gives slight Mother Mother vibes, especially when that band turns to their heavier side. The guitars are grungy and distorted to high heaven, giving it an almost dangerous edge and making the songs drip with attitude. And, despite the distortion to the vocals too, there is still plenty of catchiness and great hooks throughout, especially with the backing-vocal-filled choruses. And yet the band can switch up in an instant into a more calmer, indie-folk feel and back again at the drop of a hat, showcasing their playing and writing talent perfectly.
Songs like the opener, the grungy ‘Another Moon Song’ and ‘Great White Nothing’ are all big personal highlights. However, as I said before, if you listen to this album as a whole, it really shines brightly. If you’re into all things psychedelic, indie or even desert rock, this may be the album for you! The band’s talent is off the charts, so even though it won’t be a regular listen for me moving forward, it’s an easy 7.5/10
Cognative: Abhorrence
The fifth album from the tech death New Jerseyans came out last Friday, and is a full-on assault on the ears from the first second to the last. And, of course, I mean that in the best possible way. It’s technical death metal at its very best, and really builds upon what the band have put out so far in an excellent way. The guitaring is an insanely massive highlight of the album, but that’s not to take away from everyone else in the bad, who work their ass off throughout. Tracks like ‘Insidious’, ‘Ivory Tower’ and ‘Savor of Suffering’ are all huge highlights on an album stacked full of them. It’s certainly not an album for the faint of heart, but if you’re into the heavier side of metal, I’d certainly recommend checking this album out in full! It’s certainly one of the better albums I’ve heard in the genre, not that I’ve checked out many so far! 8/10
Troy Redfern: Invocation
This is an awesome heavy blues rock album. Troy’s seventh studio release is so very Love/Hate in all the best ways. It’s just as much sleaze as it is blues, and packed full of awesome riffs, blistering soloing and some really catchy vocal hooks. It’s like all eras of Slash’s career blended into one sound, it’s amazing. Songs like ‘Getaway’, ‘The Calling’ and ‘All Night Long’ are personal highlights, but honestly this whole album is just hit after hit.
The NWOCR scene has such a talent on their hands with Troy, and this could very well be the album that helps break him out into the massive star he deserves to be. The fact that this is his fifth album in four years, too, and the songwriting and playing is still to this high quality is insane. I’mma be spinning this a lot going forward, and would recommend the whole album to anyone! It’s a very easy 9.5/10 from me!
Devitalized: State of Agression
The deathcore band’s debut album goes hard. It has more of a hardcore and metalcore edge to it than the big bands of the genre these days, which I loved just as much as the power metal-infused likes of Lorna Shore. The riffing is heavy and awesome, the drummer goes HARD throughout, and the screams fit perfectly and sound awesome over the top of it all. Heck, even the clean vocals on tracks like ‘Karma Sutra’ sound great and fit amazingly, causing the contrast between the two to make the screams even heavier! And of course the ever-imressive Tom Barber kills it on ‘Godslayer’, giving off instant Darko vibes in the best ways.
It’s hard to even pick highlight tracks, partially because they’re all awesome, and partially because in my new-to-deathcore ears, they all blend together and sound kinda samey. That’s hardly a complaint, though. The album as a whole is a great listen and certainly worth checking out in full if you’re a fan of the heavy stuff! 8/10, this is sick and I have to see it live!
A pretty stacked week of music to check out this week, from hardcore to country. Let’s dive in!
Knocked Loose: You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To
Knocked Loose are one of the most ‘in’ bands in metal currently. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, though, I just don’t get it. Hardcore punk has never been much of my sort of thing to begin with, and this is no exception. It’s wall of low, heavy noise throughout with very little outside of that aside a couple of dropped-down parts here and there, mainly designed to make the heavier bits even heavier. Don’t get me wrong, the riffing is great for its mainly unga-bunga style, and the real highlight is the breakdowns. Any time a riff comes back but slower, it almost convinces me that I like this band, it’s that good. Then Bryan’s vocals come in over the top and ruin it again. He has a very iconic style of scream that isn’t for me. It’s like nails on a chalkboard for the most part, especially when it’s over more ambient parts.
The big single off the album currently is ‘Suffocate’, featuring the amazing Poppy. It was certainly one of the better songs on the album, aside for Poppy trying the same scream style, but that breakdown… DAMN. I also found myself really enjoying the closing track, ‘Sit & Mourn’. It had more of an atmospheric black metal feel to it which I loved, it surprisingly fitting well with hardcore and arguably meshing with their sound perfectly. The biggest disappointment for me was ‘Slaughterhouse 2′. The original was one of my favourite tracks from Motionless’ last album, and was one of my favourite Bryan performances, almost winning me over to his vocals. This pales in comparison, and doesn’t feel similar in any way aside that it features both singers and that now-iconic breakdown callout again at the end.
Overall, it’s not a bad album. I can see the appeal to people, for sure. It’s heavy, angry music, and I’d imagine it’s AMAZING live. But, on track at least, it’s not for me. Outside of the couple of songs I’ve mentioned already, I’m in no hurry to listen to this album again. Then again, if it was on, I also wouldn’t turn it off, a lot of the time. It gets a solid 5/10 from us, not bad but not my thing.
Powerman 5000: Abandon Ship
The oft overlooked industrial/nu metal band returned with their first album since 2020 on Friday. It’s pretty much exactly what you’d expect from the band, be that good or bad. For some reason I was never the biggest fan of the band. This record didn’t change my mind, either. It’s a lot more industrial than nu metal this time round, almost having a gothic edge to it. But it’s still Powerman, and it all sounded pretty similar throughout. Plus, some of the lyrics were kinda Charlie Kelly, and not especially in a good way. Stuff like the opener or ‘Bloodsuckers’ are lyrically kinda cringy. At least the instruments are good though, if basic! There wasn’t much that stood out as ‘good’ on this album, just a lot of slightly-below-average. If you’re a fan of the band, you might like this, but it isn’t for me. 4/10
Kings of Leon: Can we Please Have Fun
The kings of US indie are back with a follow-up to 2021’s fun When You See Yourself. If you’re a fan of the band’s later work, you’ll like this, as it’s very much more of the same. I didn’t mind the last album, I remember reviewing it at my old place. It’s a good chill-out/background album. This is the same. It’s actually crazy that they are such a massive band, because they are objectively kinda boring. Gone are the days of them writing songs like ‘Sex on Fire’ or ‘Use Somebody’, their music these days being a lot more understated, stripped-back and less radio-friendly. They’ll sadly never seemingly write another Only by the Night. However, songs like ‘Nowhere to Run’ and ‘Don’t Stop the Bleeding’ are great, and would pop off even more on a more interesting album. Again, it’s not bad, it’s a fun listen, but to sit down and analyse instead of having on in the background, it was hard. Still, it’s an easy 5.5/10!
Scotty McCreery: Rise & Fall
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read our review here!
Six Feet Under: Killing for Revenge
Now, I have been a pretty outspoken during my time at Overtone in my opinion that I did not like the Chris Barnes era of Cannibal Corpse. I’m of the opinion that the band massively improved when Corpsegrinder joined, and as such have never really gotten on with Chris’ band after CC, Six Feet Under. However, I am very much in the business here of being proven wrong, and am going into this album with a completely open mind, as always.
The riffing and drumming throughout the whole album is awesome, I’ll certainly give it that much. It’s traditional death metal done to perfection. And honestly, I’ve heard Chris’ vocals be a lot worse. At least the mixing on this was better than on some of their releases. But I still find it so hard to get too invested when I not only cannot tell what the hell he’s trying to say, but also feel very little emotion from the monotone wall of sound that is his growls. The album isn’t one I’d turn off if it came on again, but I also certainly wouldn’t go out of my way to find it out again. Old-school CC fans will probably find a lot to love here, and it’s probably the best Six Feet Under album I’ve checked out; I could actually make it through this one in one sitting. It’s still not really my sort of thing, though ‘Ascension’ was probably my favourite track. From a purely personal standpoint, 3.5/10
Sebastian Bach: Child Within the Man
So, outside of being in the running for one of the worst album artworks of the year, this is actually a pretty banging album. Given that it’s been a decade since the former Skid Row’s last solo album, and the fact that he’s become someone who loves to argue with other artists over Twitter in recent years, I was ready to write this album off pretty handily. However, I’ll be damned if it didn’t win me over in a pretty big way. The more I listened, the more I kept putting songs on my own playlist, finding it very hard to pick just a couple of highlight tracks.
The riffing is awesome throughout, and Seb’s vocals sound back on point for the first time in years. I know that may be some studio magic too, but it’s almost made me want to try and see him live again to see if he holds up to the track these days! It all feels like the perfect combination of Skid Row and Sixx A.M.. It’s heavy rock at its best and, like Mick Mars’ solo debut, fits really well among the new crop of awesome rock bands. Anyone who’s a fan of rock music should check this out, especially if you’re a fan of the 80s sleazy style he played back then. I love it, and will certainly be listening to it a bunch going forward. 8.5/10
Thank god, I feel like I’ve been real negative this week…
Unleash the Archers: Phantoma
The Canadian power metallers are back with their sixth album this week, and first since the end-times. I’ve been a fan of the band for years at this point, but this album kept going under my radar until it’s release. Safe to say, however, I’m excited to be checking it out!
It’s certainly in keeping with the band’s previous style they’ve developed, fitting in well with their back catalogue and feeling like the natural progression from Abyss. However, part of me kinda wished it was a touch heavier, like their older stuff. Don’t get me wrong, songs like ‘ph4/NT0mA’, the melodeath, scream-featuring ‘The Collective’ and the epic ‘Give it Up or Give it All’ are all awesome. And honestly, the more this album went on, the more I loved it. However, in this sort of style of power metal, I do think bands like Metalite and even, to a lesser extent, Dominum, have done it better over the last six months. It’s not a bad album at all, and if you’re a fan of the band or the genre there’s an awful lot to love here. I just think my power metal fatigue has hit me hard suddenly. Still, it’s a solid 8/10, I just hoped for slightly more heaviness at times!
Vhäldemar: Sanctuary of Death
The viking metallers returned with their seventh studio album last Thursday. The Nordic-themed power metal/NWOBHM is always a fun listen, as vaguely outdated as the style is these days. Everyone is clearly talented and has worked their ass off throughout the album to make it a great release. However, in a year and musical scene that is really pushing the boundaries (we just had ‘Ronald’ released, for example), it’s hard to get too into this. Still, songs like ‘Dreambreaker’, the title track and ‘Forevermore’ are awesome and massive highlights of the album. It will certainly appeal to people who love the genre, but I don’t know, maybe I’m finally starting to get burnt out by power metal. Still, it’s an objectively great album that I certainly would happily listen to again. It’s the perfect blend of Powerwolf and Saxon, and is a very fun listen. 7.5/10
Alex Key: Outdated
The modern country star returned with his third studio album this last week. It’s a very neo-traditional sound, and he’s fantastic at it. It’s easy to see why he’s a top 40 artist already, even at only 26 years old. His low, powerful vocals are incredible, and make him easily comparable to the likes of Drake Milligan and Randall King. There’s a real resurgence of this sort of style, especially from the younger lot in the genre, that it’s fantastic to see that country should be in great hands for years to come! Songs like the opener, ‘Heart-Tender’ and the silly ‘What do Honky Tonkers do in Heaven?’ are all personal highlights. If you’re into country, however, the whole album is well worth a listen. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a touch slow, there’s maybe one or two too many ballads on it. However, it’s only 12-tracks (thank god), and I wouldn’t know which to cut, honestly! It’s certainly going to be listened to by me a lot going forward, and Alex has a new big fan in me! It’s an easy 8.5/10!
Anyone who has been on this site for any decent length of time knows how much I adore Frank Turner. Heck, just check out how much I gushed over his last album. He was a huge part of my teen years, and has helped me through a lot. So we all knew I HAD to review this latest release too. I’ve been impatiently waiting for this since it was announced, and the singles have done a good job at adding even more to that hype. So, without further ado, let’s dive in!
Frank’s poetic, powerful lyricism cuts through immediately, his vocals opening first track ‘Do One’ over his acoustic guitar. It’s a song about accepting yourself and fuck everyone else, a topic that Turner does perfectly. The rest of the band explode in with the chorus, adding the punky distortion element to the sound. It’s a fun, interesting dynamic for sure, as the distortion drops back out for the verses. Meanwhile, the chorus is catchy as anything, especially with the backing vocals. It’s all typical Frank stuff, but it’s so good and the perfect way to open an album like this. It immediately made our playlist!
‘Never Mind the Back Problems’ turns the punk dial up to 11, a short, sweet, sub-two-minute, bouncy, dancy banger. It’s something I’m already desperate to see live, as I feel like it’d have the whole crowd going nuts. It’s a fun song, Frank and his band working their ass off and sounding like they’re enjoying themselves. We even get an awesome little Celtic-style guitar solo tucked away in the middle of it. It’s a sprint of a track and fucking awesome! It gives off big Flogging Molly/Dropkick Murphy’s vibes in all the best ways. And once again, Frank’s lyrics are on point, and it’s another catchy song!
As if trying to give the listener whiplash, ‘Ceasefire’ drops the pace back down, it being more of a modern indie ballad than anything else. Having said that, it also gives off ever so slight Bryan Adams/Bruce Springsteen vibes. It’s not a bad song at all, and once again the lyrics are a major highlight of it. However, compared to the previous couple of tracks, this is less my sort of thing.
Thankfully ‘Girl from the Record Shop’ ups the energy and punk vibes again. It’s a modern, 90’s radio punk sound compared to ‘Never Mind…’, but it’s still a massively fun, dancy track. The same can be said for the likes of ‘No Thank You for the Music’. In fact, said track is another huge highlight of the album, and another that makes the playlist. It’s fun and catchy and impossible not to tap your foot to. Both tracks are awesome, and go back to Frank’s roots the most out of any other tracks on the album. It’s almost a shame we don’t get a tad more punk-infused folk throughout, but the rest of the album is that good it’s hard to complain too much!
Tracks like ‘Pandemic PTSD’ and ‘International Hide and Seak Champions’ sound like only really Frank can. They draw together all of his inspirations, be it punk, folk, indie, rock’n’roll, and fuse them perfectly. They’re closer to the sound of some of his biggest songs; think ‘Get Better’, ‘Recovery’ or even ‘Haven’t Been Doing So Well’. The former is a horribly relatable song with an awesome riff running through it. Having said that, I did think we’d have gotten away from songs about the pandemic by now. Meanwhile the latter is just as catchy, an arena-filling, massive chorus about running away with your partner and starting a new life together. It’s a beautiful, fantastic rock song that I’m sure that more than a few of us have thought about following through with over the years. It’s another that makes it onto our playlist with ease!
Single ‘Letters’ is another very Trank T song, reminding me more of something off Be More Kind than anything. It’s an interesting, bittersweet track, and one just brimming with emotion. Of course the lyrics are captivating, but some of the bass work during the verses is also incredible here. Honestly it sounds like the plot of a movie, which is a real testament to the visual storytelling ability of Frank. In terms of the instrumentation, it’s pretty standard stuff, but it’s a fantastic song really boosted up to a top level by the lyrics.
‘East Finchley’ is an emotional ballad, and one on par with any other he’s done, outside of ‘Wave Across a Bay’. It opens on this massive sound of guitars and drums, it setting a dramatic tone right from the offset, before dropping down into the more acoustic, slower, stripped-back style that the rest of the song follows. And once again, Frank’s visual storytelling on this track is truly phenomenal. It’s an amazing, emotional song that honestly gave me goosebumps. Check this out!
‘The Leaders’ is one-and-a-half minutes of bouncy, acoustic pop-punk that sadly spits a lot of truth. It’s a complete tear down of governments in general, as well as a rebellion anthem, but written in such a fun, catchy way that it’s hard not to dance along. And we get a sweet harmonica solo in the middle. It’s a fun, infectiously catchy song that is another that I can’t help but sneak onto the playlist!
By the time we’d reached ‘Show People’, I’d been given that much awesomeness that a few slower, indie-folk tracks lost my interest just a tad by the end of the album. Don’t get me wrong, the final four tracks on the album are all awesome, with ‘Somewhere Inbetween’ being a particular highlight for me, given how close to home it hit. The closing/title track is also a beautiful, emotion-filled piano ballad. In my humble opinion, however, it would have been nice to have something a bit more upbeat in the final third of the album, as well as these. Throw ‘Girl From the Record Shop’ in the middle here and it would have held my attention just a little more. Still, all four tracks are amazing, and ‘Undefeated’ is the perfect, epic closing track for the album. The horns in the final chorus are incredible.
Overall: I enjoyed this! I feel like I have such an interesting relationship with Franks music post Ten for Ten (as do a lot of people, I imagine) that it’s so hard to compare any of it to that first decade too closely. Be More Kind is incredible, No Man’s Land is experimental brilliance, and FTHC is actually one of my favourite albums by him and felt like a return to form after Covid caused a few years of collab and different albums. I don’t get the same immediate feelings with this album as I did with FTHC, though. Undefeated is a great release, don’t get me wrong, but it doesn’t hit quite as hard for me. There aren’t as many instantly classic songs on this, but it does feel like an album with more of a sense of direction. Frank has self-admitted to getting older and changing with age, and I think I’m going to need another few lessons to follow him in that change. It’s still a great album, for sure, but lands closer to Be More Kind and Poetry of the Deed than Tape Deck Heart or England Keep my Bones. I very well may change with subsequent listens, but right now outside of the few standout tracks, I wouldn’t hurry back to listen to the album as a whole, still, Frank has done amazingly here, and I can’t give it anything less than an…
Another stacked week of New Music Monday this week, with everything from country to grindcore coming out! Let’s take a look, shall we?
Neil Young: Fu##in’ Up
Thank god, Neil’s music is back up on Spotify! That immediately makes this review a lot easier than his previous release last year. I would also argue it’s a marked improvement to the album from a few months ago. It’s a little more rocky and grungy than his last release, giving off early Bowie and even a touch of Soundgarden mixed with his usual country twang. Even the production is grungy as hell. I legit thought this was a live album at first, it was mixed so strangely. The more I listened though, the more I liked it.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not amazing, and his vocals clearly sound like they are struggling throughout. There are times where he legitimately sounds like an ill Kermit. I couldn’t even particularly pick out a highlight track or two, aside at a push the epic ‘Broken Circle’. However, it isn’t a bad album to stick on and listen to in the background, and is, above all else, fun. It won’t be for everyone, and probably won’t even be for anyone big into country, but it’s worth a listen if you’re curious! 5.5/10
Accept: Humanoid
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! See what we thought here!
Pet Shop Boys: Nonetheless
While not typically the sort of genre we highlight here, everyone loves a bit of Pet Shop Boys, including me, so I think there’s enough crossover to cover it! It’s electro-pop at its very best, and PSB haven’t missed a beat over 40 years later. It’s certainly not going to be for all of our readers, but songs like ‘Why am I Dancing?’ and ‘Bullet for Narcissus’ are great and just put a smile on my face. If you are a fan of the band’s past work, you are bound to enjoy this. And, much like Willy earlier, it’s a fantastic album to just stick on and jam out to in the background. It’s not the best album they’ve put out, or even the best album of the week, but it’s another fun listen from front to back! Check this out, you won’t be disappointed! 6.5/10
Charley Crockett: $10 Cowboy
One of the hardest working men in country music is back with his 13th studio album since his debut in 2015. His blues/soul infused sound is awesome and really roots him in a more neo-traditional sound. We even get some jazz with the horns on tracks like ‘America’. It’s a stripped-back, chilled-out style that really isn’t done much in the mainstream any more, so it’s certainly a refreshing sound. It reminds me of Don McLean or even Hank I to a certain extent. Heck, it also gave off Pokey Lafarge vibes, yet obviously slightly less creepy. His vocals fit so perfectly over the simple instrumentation, and make it all so captivating to listen to. Songs like ‘Good at Losing’, ‘Solitary Road’ and the aforementioned ‘America’ are all big highlights, but it’s a solid album from start to finish. If you’re a fan of an old-school sound, or just want something chill to listen to, check this out, you’ll love it like I do! 8/10
Alien Ant Farm: ~mAntras~
The early 2000s alt-rock legends are back with their first new album in nearly a decade. And, especially with their 2015 release mysteriously disappearing off streaming without a trace, now more than ever we need new AAF!
Now, for those who are only really familiar with the band from Anthology, this isn’t that, or quite as good as that. Having said that, it’s still fucking great. It’s got more of a post-grunge/post-Tool sound to it than their early stuff. However, that’s not to say that there aren’t a few big radio hooks scattered throughout on tracks like ‘Last dAntz’ and ‘No. 1’. And ‘Storms Over’ is very ‘Movies’. The more I listen to the album the more I’m starting to love it, too. They have the quirkiness of Faith no More while maintaining their original sound, mixed with just a touch of Chevelle. And some of the lyrics are depressingly relatable and hit hard, as well as being incredibly well written. The whole album is awesome, and all the other tracks that I haven’t mentioned yet are just as much highlights as the others I’ve already spoken about. I think the only one that didn’t quite land for me was the opener, sadly.
If you have ever been a fan of the band, even if all you’ve heard is their ‘Smooth Criminal’ cover, check this out. It’s incredible, and I can guarantee you’ll love this. I’ve always been a big advocate for the bands other music outside of Anthology, and this is another stellar release. I’m going to be listening to this a lot in the coming weeks and months, and I can see it being pretty high up on the albums of the year list come December. 9/10
Darkthrone: It Beckons us All
One of the godfathers of black metal, Darkthrone are back with their 21st studio album. While being quite a bit different from modern releases of the genre, not the least due to the relatively clean vocals and pretty average production, it still has plenty of the hallmarks of the genre they helped pioneer. It’s heavy and feels downright evil from the start to the very end. Some of the riffing is amazing, giving off heavy Slayer vibes. However, sadly, that’s about all that stood out to me about the release as a whole. It was bound to at this point in their careers, but it does feel pretty dated. The genre has moved so very far past this at this point, that it’s kinda insane that this a new release in 2024.
Having said that, I certainly didn’t hate it, and have always found the band one of the more enjoyable black metal collectives. I found myself having a good time listening to it, especially when it leaned a little more into the doom side of things. I wouldn’t turn this off if it came on again, and props to the band for keeping to their original style and sound across all these years. ‘Eon 3’ was probably my favourite track off it. It probably wouldn’t appeal to much of the modern black metal audience, but if you’re a fan of the early stuff in the genre or want more of a gateway, test-the-waters-with-your-big-toe kinda sound, you can’t go wrong with this release. It’s simply a bit bare bones as far as black metal goes these days, is all. 8/10
Iron & Wine: Light Verse
The folk singer-songwriter is back with his first post-pandemic album. It also marks the longest gap between albums in his career. While 43-minutes of low-energy, steady music isn’t 100% my sort of things, I’d be a fool if I denied that this is a good album. Mr Wine (first name Iron) is an amazing songwriter when it comes to epic, pop-infused folk music, and his vocal and playing ability is no sham either. Tracks like ‘Anyone’s Game’ and ‘Sweet Talk’ are big highlights for me. I did certainly feel the length though, it got to be a bit of a slog for this hard rock/metalhead by the last couple of tracks. Still, it’s the perfect album to chill out to. I had it on while I was cooking, for the most part, and I had a great time! He’s a massive name and I’m sure his fans will love it. And if you like the more folky side of indie-pop, check this out, it will certainly hook you in! I probably won’t listen to it in full again but the two or three songs I loved I’ll have on a lot! 7/10
Decide: Banished by Sin
OG death metal legends Decide are back and just as brutal as ever. This is nearly 40-minutes of crushing heaviness, from the riffs to the drums to the growls. If straight-forward death is your sort of thing then you’ve probably already been waiting for this, and I imagine it doesn’t disappoint! I was hooked in immediately from the fantastic riffing and arrangement of ‘From Unknown Heights You Shall Fall’ and it continued to be awesome from then on out. My only slight complaint, like with much death metal, is that it’s all pretty similar. There isn’t much along the way of dynamics to the album, it’s all one fast, heavy level. It’s a great level, don’t get me wrong, but does get a tad repetitive across a 40-minute album. It’s not a genre known for its diversity though, so fans of it and the band will probably expect that and love this. It’s still a damn good death metal record, and gets an easy 7.5/10 from us!
Full of Hell: Coagulated Bliss
It was only last year that we checked out the band’s collaboration album with Nothing, and already they’re back with more new music. Looking back on that release, I enjoyed it (or at least appreciated it) enough to give it 7/10. I sadly don’t have the same appreciation of this album. Sadly, this release didn’t quite capture my attention and love anywhere near as much. While the other release had atmosphere and depth and layers, this is very much just a grindcore album through and through. And grindcore is certainly not my sort of thing. The only track that had anything that made me pause and listen to it again was ‘Fractured Bonds to Mecca’. At least it’s short, clocking in at only 25 minutes. If you’re into the genre I’m sure there’s a lot to love, but on its own without something more interesting tacked on, it’s not for me. 3/10
MacKenzie Porter: Nobody’s Born with a Broken Heart
The country-pop artist is back with her highly anticipated new album, and her first big release in a decade. We’ve had plenty of singles to fill that time, and even an EP in 2020, but it’s pretty rare for a country artist to leave it this long between releases! We’ve had a whopping nine released before the full album dropped and, sadly, it jumped up to a whopping 19 tracks when it did. Don’t get me wrong, the songs are anything but bad, giving off early Taylor Swift vibes in the best ways. However, The First Few + 2 is pretty undisputedly a stronger release overall. But hey, gotta boost them streaming numbers for a profit instead, right?
Having said all of that, my favourite tracks on the album are probably ‘Rough Ride for a Cowboy’ and ‘Walk Away’,which weren’t even a pre-release tracks, so what do I know? Don’t get me wrong, songs like ‘Pickup’ and ABSOLUTE BANGER that is ‘Have Your Beer’ are also highlight tracks. I just feel like this album is a great collection of songs, but there is an amazing collection of songs hidden amongst it if the fat as trimmed. A few of the tracks all sound pretty similar, and a couple could certainly have been cut to make the album stronger. Having said that, no song is inherently bad, and plenty of them are amazing. Despite being the ‘in’ genre at the minute and being insanely competitive, this album deserves to be up there in the discussion of the best album of the year in the genre come December. It really is that good. I don’t think it will get nearly the props it deserves, but it gets an easy 9/10 from me. It would have gotten full marks if it wasn’t an hour long!
Stormborn: Zenith
Much like Accept earlier in this article, this album is some more awesome modern heavy metal. The Kentish band’s first album in a whopping 12 years goes hard right from the intro track to the very last note, and I love it! Whether going for NWOBHM, power metal or even sneaking some death metal screams and breakdowns into a few of the tracks, the band blend every style together masterfully. ‘Land of the Serpent King’ is pretty Painkiller-like while ‘Fear of a Monster’ and ‘Serpentine’ have more of a modern Iron Maiden vibe to them. It’s actually quite a South American sound that the band have harnessed, and I’m going to be very excited if it makes the trip back across the pond. Tracks like ‘Dawn Will Come Again’, ‘Death Incarnate’ and the ones mentioned above are all massive highlights. And the epic, near-nine-minute closing track… damn. However, there truly isn’t a bad song across the entire album. And clearly care was put in to make this an actual album, instead of a collection of songs. It’s seven full tracks and two interludes, all of it being arranged masterfully. This band deserve to be so much bigger than they are, and I’m so hoping this is the album to do so. I can’t get enough of it, and will be listening to it a lot in the coming weeks and months, I’m sure! 9/10
Attic Theory: What We Fear the Most
The debut album from the Liverpudlian alt rock/grungers proves just why Planet Rock awarded them Best New Band. It’s got a similar early 2000s arena-filling rock feel that the likes of Those Damn Crows and Any Given Sin are doing so well at the minute; the huge vocal hooks and chunky riffing. And yet it does have that post-grunge/late 90s quirkiness tinge too, which is why they fit in so well when playing with the likes of Terrorvision. There isn’t a bad song on the album, but tracks like the opener, ‘Narrow Lines’ and ‘Dare to Dream’ are personal favourites! Also, the acoustic ballad ‘Million Little Things’ was beautiful and honestly gave me goosebumps. The vocals are the perfect mix of Eddie Vedder and Scott Stapp, and they complement the playing incredibly. And, they fit well with friend of Overtone, Candlebox’s own Kevin Martin (interview here) on recent single ‘Papier-mâché’.
The band very much wear every inspiration on their sleeve, yet have somehow created something that sounds wholly unique and modern. It’s a really interesting listen that I think is going to grow on me more and more with each passing listen. I would recommend this album to anyone, not just those that are fans of the aforementioned bands and genres. There is truly something for everyone here, and it’s one hell of a listen as a whole album. I’ve been toying with what to give it for days now, and the more I listen to it, the more I fall in love. So, for that reason, it gets 9.5/10!
It’s gonna be a tough week for any album on this list, releasing on the same day as the musical megastar Taylor Swift. I won’t be reviewing that album but I have checked it out. It’s the same boring, slow, atmospheric nothingness that her last few albums have been. I’m a fan of her first few albums, but this lowest-common-denominator ’pop’ music is not for me. But hell, here are a few albums that hopefully will be!
Pearl Jam: Dark Matter
While the band’s insane pricing for their 2024 UK tour still leaves a sour taste in my mouth regarding the band, I’m still a fan of their music, and this album is no exception. Don’t get me wrong, they’ve always been the most boring of the ‘Grunge Big 4’ to me, and this is no different. It’s straight-forward rock music with a bit more fuzz and heavy blues to it. But it certainly isn’t bad. I’d heard the single and title track before the album was released and it remains a firm highlight of it. Other highlights include ‘Waiting for Stevie’, the punky ‘Running’ and the chilled ballad ‘Something Special’. It’s nothing new from the band, however, and while I certainly wouldn’t put it up against their early albums, I wouldn’t say it’s above their previous one or Lightening Bolt, either. It’s not a bad album, and is a fun, relaxed rock listen. However, it does feel a tad like the band are going through the motions, releasing an album for the sake of it. I’d honestly put it up there with Vedder’s last solo album, so this gets an easy 7/10 from me!
The Ghost Inside: Searching for Solace
These always seem like the lost modern metalcore band to me. I see their name everywhere, know they’re getting big and are supposed to be great, but I’ve never found the time to check them out. That changes today, given that this is their first album since 2020 so the first one I’ve been able to review!
Honestly, it’s pretty good. However, at the same time, I’m kinda okay with the fact that I’ve not listened to them really until now. They are parts of an incredibly popular, rather saturated genre these days, and I wouldn’t say it did anything out of the ordinary or all that interesting. As I said, I’m not particularly familiar with the band, so they may have pioneered the sound that has since been made hugely popular by the likes of Bad Omens and even BMTH to an extend. However, as most likely a new listener to the band with this album, it’s good, often-times great, metalcore that doesn’t bring anything new to the table. I found myself, like usual recently, gravitating to the all-out heavy tracks like ‘Death Grip’, ‘Wrath’ and ‘Split’. That’s not to say the cleaner, lighter, poppier parts and songs aren’t good, and I’d argue they are done much better by Ghost Inside than by Bad Omens, but the style is done so much recently that it kinda bores me now.
I completely see the appeal of this band. They are playing a very ‘in’ style of metal these days and they do it incredibly well. There are a few tracks that I love on here and I certainly wouldn’t turn off the album if it came on again. But it does feel more like a collection of a few songs I love mixed with a few I’d happily never listen to again. If you are a fan of modern metalcore, I’m sure you’ll love this. I’ve seen plenty of love for it already on social media, in fact. It’s not bad at all and is objectively great. But for me, it’s no I Prevail; it doesn’t quite reach that upper echelon of modern metalcore for me. 8/10
My Dying Bride: A Mortal Binding
Yorkshire’s own premier doom metal band are back with their first new album in four years. I’m a relatively new fan of the band, but really loved this album! ‘Her Dominion’ is such a perfect opener, setting up the heaviness of the album. Meanwhile follow-up ‘Thornwyck Hymn’ has a more theatrical, clean-vocalled sound and even some beautiful strings, giving it a truly epic feel. However, with each passing track, I loved them more and more. There are only seven of them, but they clock in at a total of 54-minutes. Each track feels like its own epic journey, while it all combines together to form one incredible piece. It’s certainly an album that’s designed to listen to in full. However, the highlight for me is the truly epic, 11+ minute ‘The Apocalyptist’. If you listen to anything off the album, let it be that one, it demonstrates everything the band do so amazingly on the release.
Having gone back and listened through a number of their previous releases, I have to say that this is certainly up there with some of their best. There isn’t a bad song on it and they all fit together perfectly. I don’t understand how this band aren’t towards the top of the metal world, they’re so good. If you like doom metal or just the heavy stuff in general, check this out, you won’t be disappointed! 9.5/10
Elvie Shane: Damascus
Taking a leaf from Jelly Roll on his sophomore album, Elvie combines country, soul, rock and hip-hop together masterfully. And, just like Whitsitt Creak last year, I can’t get enough of this. From the rocky opener, ‘Jonesin’’ and the Bon Jovi-like ‘Forgotten Man’ to the slower stuff like ‘Baptized’, ‘Pill’ and ‘Winning Horse’, all the styles Elvie does he nails. Also, massive shoutout to the Little Big Town featuring ‘First Place’, as it may be my favourite track on the album. And, at only 13-tracks, for an album like this it isn’t even that long! There isn’t a bad song on it, either. It’s just a fun listen from start to finish and there is never once a dull moment; it’s put together and arranged perfectly. There really isn’t much else to say, if you’re a country fan you’ll love this one! I’ll sure be listening to it a lot moving forward! 9/10
High on Fire: Cometh the Storm
I’ve heard the name floating around for years at this point and haven’t had the chance to check them out outside of a song or two. I had it in my head that they were more of a NWOBHM band, so to hear an album heavily inspired by early-Roots era Sepultura was a very nice surprise! It’s got elements of thrash, stoner and doom in there too, but the almost tribal riffs are very Sepultura-like. Tracks like the opener, ‘Sol’s Golden Curse’ and ‘Hunting Shadows’ are all big highlights for me. However, if you’re into the epic stoner metal style like me, you’ll probably love the whole album. Honestly there isn’t much more to say about this. It’s a solid metal album that didn’t at all feel like it lasted nearly an hour. Heck, the closing track on its own is 10-minutes of doomy goodness. I’ll certainly be listening to the band a lot moving forward, and this album will be at the forefront of that. 8/10
Anne Wilson: REBEL
Okay, so yes, I know that generally speaking, country as a genre has a lot of roots in Christianity. I get that the religion is a much bigger thing still in the US, especially in the areas where country is biggest. But damn, this album is God-bothery as fuck. I have no issue with people believing and living by whatever religion they want to, but I’m not a fan of being near-endlessly preached to for nearly an hour. And I know that she is an overtly Christian musician releasing music through a Christian record label. But bands like Skillet, Demon Hunter and P.O.D are also self-identifying Christian bands, yet have found that they can sing about other topics as well, not just their religious beliefs. I am far from Anne’s target audience, I know that, but musically and vocally she’s amazing, and I do think she’s limiting herself with how she writes her lyrics and how the label markets her.
It’s a shame too, as the opener/title track starts things off so strongly. ‘REBEL’ is certainly a highlight. Of course Lainey Wilson’s magical touch continues too, as ‘Praying Woman’ is a banger despite the lyrics. The same can be said for ‘Songs About Whiskey’. The Jordan Davis-featuring ‘Country Gold’ is also great, reigning in the bible-bashing to a minimum. But yeah, overall it was lot, and I struggled to get into a few of tracks when they were so constantly heavy-handed.
As I’ve said previously, I’m not against religion, and musically it’s pretty good; standard country stuff. She’s a fantastic vocalist and really isn’t a bad songwriter. But this personally isn’t for me as a whole. I’m sure it will appeal to plenty of people though and they’ll love it. But please don’t @ me as I give this a 4/10
Folterkahmmer: Weibermacht
The symphonic black metal band are back with their sophomoric album, and I have to say it’s pretty fucking great. I’m not sure how a German band ended up starting in New York, but when we get music this good I couldn’t care! Also, thought it would be a bit of a laugh putting them here on the list, given their general lyrical content, contrasting with Anne Wilson prior.
Those who check out a lot of our NMM series know that I struggle getting into straight-up black metal. It usually has to be cut with something else in order to keep me interested. Honestly, the various styles this band have added to it is the real perfect combination. I was hooked right from the epic opener, and tracks like ‘Küss Mir Die Füsse!’ and ‘Algolagnia’ certainly helped! Heck, their cover of ‘Venus in Fur’ is awesome and a really interesting take on Velvet Underground. The atmosphere and darkness the band create is fascinating, and the fact that they put out such a solid release in only seven original songs is a testament to the band’s writing. It’s certainly not for everyone, and even I won’t be listening to it constantly. However, it is incredibly well written and performed, and if you’re into black metal with a folky, operatic twist, you’ll surely dig this. It’s an album worth listening to in full to appreciate fully, and after doing so I can safely give this a 7.5/10
Praying Mantis: Defiance
the NWOBHM/AOR legends are back with their 13th studio album. the band have been insanely consistent with their output and quality this millennium, and this release is no different. I’m a pretty big AOR fan, and this is really the template in which that genre was built. From the soaring, powerful vocals to the solid guitars and drums to the heavy synth focus to the catchy, stadium-filling choruses, it does it all perfectly. There isn’t a bad song on the album, but personal highlights include the title track and ‘Never Can Say Goodbye’. Heck, we even get a really good cover of Rainbow’s ‘I Surrender’, a hard feat to accomplish to live up to Joe Lynn Turner! If you’re into the more epic, glam/sleezed-tinged side of rock music, this album is definitely for you. I’ll certainly be spinning this again a fair bit in the coming weeks! 8/10
Wyatt Flores: Half Life
So, I ummed and arred about whether to feature this here or not. Apparently it’s an EP. However, eight full tracks spanning nearly half an hour sounds like an album to me. Especially when my other option was Craig Campbell (whose release was also great) at just six full tracks and an intro & outro. apparently that one is an album but this one isn’t. Bollocks. I’m calling this an album, just like the Castellows one, and am reviewing it.
It’s fucking awesome. I’m really enjoying this resurgence of chilled-out, stripped-back country music into the mainstream thanks to the likes of Zach Bryan, and this is up there with his last release, for me. It’s all not much more than a couple of guitars and some simple drums backing his vocals, but it all fits so perfectly. ‘Wish I Could Stay’ is not only the perfect example of how well the instrumentation boosts Wyatt’s vocals and lyrics to epic levels, but is also an incredible song and one of the most beautifully bittersweet tracks I’ve ever heard. It literally gave me goosebumps. However, every track on this release is excellent, honestly. He’s a phenomenal lyricist and the delivery and instrumentation around them are both impeccable. He’s one of the ones I’m most excited to see at The Long Road this year, and even more so now after this release. I’d recommend this album to anyone, not just country fans, that’s how good it is. 10/10, it couldn’t be anything else!
