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The Top Albums of 2025!

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Here we are, that time of the year again! The month where I go insane and try to rank 100 out of the over 500 albums I’ve listened to this year into the order in which I enjoyed them the most. It’s equal parts subjective and objective, and I’m convinced I’ve left off so many excellent albums, so if your favourites aren’t here, I’m sorry and they are most likely awesome! Without further ado, let’s dive into the chaos, shall we?

100 – Eli Young Band: Strange Hours

Yep, that’s how strong we’re starting. I told you it’s been a tough year! The Texan country band put out their seventh studio album back at the start of August, and it’s been a mainstay in my rotation since then. It was the perfect summer album, combining catchy vocals and harmonies with their brand of country which perfectly combines pop, rock and Americana. I’ve been a fan of the band a few years now, and this is easily my favourite release from them in that timeframe. It’s a strong album from start to finish, being an incredibly easy 43-minutes of chilled-out, catchy country to listen to! It’s so well written and put together, the perfect inoffensive release into the genre that covers pretty much all bases. So, if you even have a passing interest in the genre, I’d definitely recommend checking it out! We gave it a solid 9/10 upon release, and I very much stand by that now!

Listen to: Nothing on the Wild, All Good with Me, and Everybody Else

99 – Circus 66: Elements

Album #2 from the UK hard rockers blew me away back in March, and upon revisiting it for this list, I was blown away once again! It’s nearly 50 minutes of awesome, foot-stompin’, sleazy guitar riffing and soaring vocals, and I love it! The band are all insanely talented, everyone getting their time to shine plenty throughout, and have crafted an excellent collection of NWOCR tracks here. It’s impossible not to have a good time listening to this, and I cannot recommend it enough to any rock fans out there. It’s insane to me that they aren’t a massive band already, but they have killed it with this release and are very much looking like 2026 will be a breakout year for them! It’s very easy to hear why we gave it 9/10, and why it makes it onto our list!

Listen to: Replace the Pain, We All Need Saving, and Love on the Other Side

98 – An Evening With Knives: End of Time

This proggy alt metal release from towards the start of the year came five years after their previous studio album, and showed just how much the band had grown and matured. It’s heavy, groovy and melodic in all the best ways, and somehow combines together elements of everything from stoner and desert rock to prog to heavy metal to plenty in between! The trio are insanely talented, all playing their asses off from front to back, and have produced something truly special with this release, managing to sound pretty unique at a time when that is almost impossible! If you are into anything from QOTSA to Tool to even Machine Head and Devildriver, do yourselves a favour and check this out ASAP! It got a very easy 9/10 from us when it dropped, and I fully stand by that rating now, showing just why it made the cut for this list!

Listen to: Pride of Lions, Death and The Mistake

97 – Trick or Treat: Ghosted

This epic slab of old-school heavy metal mixed with more old-school power metal is just as fantastic now as it was in April when it first dropped. Combining sounds like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Hammerfall and their spooky, horror theming works perfectly, and makes for a solid album as it is. Then you take into account just how phenomenally talented every band member is, from the vocals to the drumming to the soloing and riffing, it’s all so good, and it’s so very easy to fall in love with this release. It’s stacked to the brim with awesome tracks, and even some awesome guest appearances from Adrienne Cowen and Christopher Bowes. 45-minutes still now goes by in a flash even after a few listens. If you’re into power metal you’re probably already checking it out from reading this, but if not I’d definitely recommend it to just about any music fan. It’s got someone of the biggest choruses of the year. Yet another very solid 9/10 from us, and incredibly deserving of its spot on our list!

Listen to: Craven Road, Bloodmoon, and Evil Dead Never Sleeps

96 – The Rasmus: Weirdo

The 11th studio album from the pop/alt metal band goes far harder than I feel almost anyone expected before it released! From genuinely heaving riffing to being packed full of their typically arena-filling choruses, it very much felt like a return to the top after a few years of honestly a little middling releases. Don’t get me wrong, it is still a touch cringy at times lyrically, but that is almost part of the charm with this sort of music! It’s barely half an hour and an incredibly easy listen, and a release I’d recommend to anyone into more of a poppy hook! It’s a sound I feel nostalgic for despite never really getting into it much in my teen years, so for anyone who was more into the band or stuff like Him, it would probably get even higher. It got another incredibly solid 9/10 from us and is more than deserving it’s spot on this list!

Listen to: Creatures of Chaos, Dead Ringer, and You Want it All

95 – Lacuna Coil: Sleepless Empire

The symphonic/industrial metal powerhouses very much returned to form in 2025, and this album is a huge indicator of that! This thing is catchy, heavy and packed with banger after banger. From the soaring operatic vocals to the harsh screams, both fit so well over the awesome, almost nu-metal infused instrumentation. It’s another album that goes hard from start to finish too, every song being as good as the last. They were a band I somehow didn’t get into much in my youth, so as a first full album by them I’ve check out, I’m a little obsessed! The only reason it is this low down is because it is so an insanely high quality year for new music! It still got another incredibly solid 9/10 from us, and if you’re even passingly into metal, I’d highly recommend giving this one a try!

Listen to: Oxygen, Scarecrow, and Hosting the Shadow

94 – Sleep Theory: Afterglow

Very much the breakout stars of 2025, the debut album from the metalcore upstarts has already set them up to be a huge name sooner rather than later. They channel massive early ADTR vibes in the best ways, especially since said band have taken a nosedive in recent years. It’s full of ch0nky riffs, huge choruses and some great screams, and is a fantastic 40-minute listen. I actually hadn’t revisited it too much since it’s May release, but having checked it out again while writing this list, I fell in love with it all over again. It’s incredibly radio/mainstream friendly, but that isn’t at all a bad thing. The band have worked their asses off on socials the last couple of years to make this a big release, and it has paid off in spades. However, the quality of the music is also high, certainly contributing to their fast success. If it was slightly more adventurous and innovative, it would have ended up even higher on the list but still, making it on here shows how high quality it is! I gave it 8.5/10 when it dropped, and I still agree with that now, but it may even sneak up to more like a 9 on some listens!

Listen to: Hourglass, Fallout, and Just a Mistake

93 – Cardinal Black: Midnight at the Valencia

This is a modern soft rock masterpiece. End of discussion. It gives off massive Genesis or Seal vibes, but definitely with a current day edge to it. Over half a year later and Tom’s vocals still give me goosebumps at times throughout. However, the arrangement of every song compliments his voice perfectly, everyone being incredible musicians and songwriters. While the band have certainly been on a lot of tongues the last couple of years, this truly felt like the year that Cardinal Black really broke out. And, this album is definitely a big reason for that! It’s fucking beautiful, and it’s an album that still makes me feel the same as I did the first time every time I spin it. The only reason it’s a little lower than maybe expected is because it does get a little samey after a while. However, when that similar stuff is all banging, it’s impossible not to love it, still! This got a whopping 9.5/10 from us and it’s hard not to still agree with that sentiment now!

Listen to: Ride Home, Breathe, and Morning Light

92 – Tanner Usrey: These Days

The first of a healthy handful of bands in this vaguely indie country-Americana sound that has gotten so big the last couple of years on this list. The fact that it is at this point in it certainly doesn’t diminish its quality either, as this is a fanatic release! It’s incredibly varied too, from blusy Southern rock to more of an indie flavour to even a more traditional country style. And, no matter the sound, it’s performed brilliantly and packed full of emotion from start to finish. My only slight complaint is that the pacing and arraignment of it is a little slow at times. However, every song is excellent, and it honestly has some of my favourite tracks of the year on it, the exceptional very much outweighing anything slightly less-so. I’d easily put this up there with his debut album, even if it hasn’t had quite as much love! We gave it a solid 9/10, and it more than earned its spot here!

Listen to: If you Call me Again, Bad Love, and With You

91 – Zach Top: Ain’t in it for my Health

Yes, I know, people are going to be BIG MAD for this being so low down on this list. He’s an absolutely massive artist for sure, and this is one hell of an album. My main bug to bare is that, as much as I love a classical country vibe typically, a lot of this is a touch on the slower side. That’s inherently not an issue at all, but it does get a touch old through the 50-minute length. However, there is no denying the HUGE talent on display throughout, from a songwriting, vocal and playing standpoint, and it’s easy to hear why he’s one of the biggest names in the genre currently. If you are at all a fan of traditional country music, this is well worth checking out. If it wasn’t for the genre having such a strong year again, this would certainly be higher up. We gave it a very solid 8.5/10, and it may have crept even higher than that since its release!

Listen to: Guitar, Splitsville, and Flip—Flop

90 – Pridian: Venetian Dark

The first debut album to make it onto our list this year, and it’s an awesome slab of modern metal from the Estonian four-piece. It’s the perfect blend of heavy, chuggy riffing, crushing drums and some awesome screams. Yet, it also still has moments of levity and cleanness throughout, the band clearly hugely talented to be able to put it all together! This thing came out all the way back in May and has spent the rest of the year pretty firmly in my rotation, blowing me away each time. It’s heavy, melodic and also rather menacing and gothic throughout, being an awesome combo! This is somehow one of the albums that we missed the week of its release, but it gets an incredibly deserving 9/10 now, and easily earned its spot on this list! Check it out if you are at all into melodic metal.

Listen to: Cyanide Dreams, Ruin, and Void Resonance

89 – Slaughter to Prevail: GRIZZLY

One of the most hyped albums of the year, at least in the deathcore scene, and to my shock it was a bit more of a grower on me than an immediate hit. Don’t get me wrong, it hits hard right from the first listen, but something about it didn’t hook me in immediately. Maybe it was because, much like my issues with Falling in Reverse or Electric Callboy in recent years, we’d heard a good chunk of the album before its release, and had sat with it for a while. So, while none of it is at all bad, it did feel ever so slightly underwhelming.

However, coming back to this album a couple of times since, I’ve definitely grown to appreciate it more! Alex is one of the best vocalists and frontmen in the game today, and the band behind him have crafted nearly an hour of crushingly heavy (but still fun) deathcore. If you are a fan of the heavier side of metal, I cannot recommend this enough. They deserve all the praise they get and the size they have climbed to, and this album very much cements them at the top of their style. As you could probably guess by this point, it got a 9/10 from us when it released, but it may be even slightly higher than that now!

Listen to: Russian Grizzly in America, Viking, and Lift That Shit

88 – Julia DiGrazia: All In

Another massive debut album, this time from a woman who’s already becoming a powerhouse in country. Having gotten her first big break on her and Evan Honer’s (more on him later) cover of Tyler Childers’ ‘Jersey Giant’ back in 2022, her rise has already been meteoric, and capped off perfectly by this collection. Whether it’s blues/southern tinged country rock, classic country or more of an Americana sound, it has a bit of everything across it’s just 30-minute runtime. Every track is as good as the last, and makes for such an incredibly easy listen. She’s already becoming a massive name in the scene, and it’s incredibly easy to hear why. If you haven’t already, give this a spin, you’ll surely love it as much as I do! It got a massive, and rightly deserved, 9.5/10 in our review, and if it wasn’t such a strong year, it would have gotten even higher on our list!

Listen to: Rollercoaster, Two Truths and a Liar, and Life’s Been Good Lately

87 – Kyle Gordon: Kyle Gordon is Wonderful

This was maybe the hardest album to place on this list. It nearly didn’t make it at all, as comedy music seems to be such a controversial topic these days. However, Kyle has crafted something truly special here, and it’s an enjoyable release with or without the fantastic comedy wit, so there was no way it wasn’t sneaking on here. I was already a fan of his, but the concept and creativity of this release really blew me away. 10 different genres from 10 different ‘artists’, detailing the most “Wonderfully Ridiculous Songs of All Time”. Whether it’s Europop, nu metal, indie or traditional country/bluegrass, Kyle is an INCREDIBLE songwriter, and does each style so well. I challenge you to check this out and try to tell me you don’t love it, I honestly think it’s impossible! It was another one I missed out on reviewing when it dropped, but I can’t give it any less than 9/10! I’ve spun it a lot in the last eight months since its release, and I don’t think I’ll be stopping any time soon!

Listen to: We Will Never Die, Crawl to Me, and My Husband’s Ghost

86 – Lorna Shore: I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me

The other kings of modern deathcore very much do their own thing, and sound fantastic doing so! This thing is over an hour spread across just 10 songs, and is much symphonic/power metal as it is anything else. It’s epic, grandiose and wildly ambitious, and the band pull it off like only Lorna could. From the crazy heaviness of the blastbeats and breakdowns to Wills now iconic vocals, the band followed up on Pain Remains pretty perfectly! If you are into the band or genre at all and somehow haven’t checked this out already, do so as soon as you can! It won’t be for everyone, but I loved this, and the genre has very much grown on me over the last year or two thanks to bands like Lorna and Slaughter. It got a very easy 9/10 back in September, and it’s hard to argue against that after another few listens! It more than earns its spot on this list, and could have been higher if there weren’t so many excellent heavier albums alongside it!

Listen to: Prison of Flesh, In Darkness and Forevermore

85 – Dillon Carmichael: Keepin’ Country Alive

Four years after Dillon’s breakout success with Son of a, he returned in a major way with this album back in June. It’s Southern rock tinged modern country music, and a lot of fun across its 14 songs! It feels like it would have fit perfectly into the mainstream scene a decade ago, somehow combining the bro-country style of FGL with more of a Blackberry Smoke or TC3 flavour. Then again, he has plenty of Jon Pardi vibes to him too, it making sense that he supported him the other year. Yes, it’s a touch cringy and stereotypical when it comes to lyrics and theming at times, but that almost adds to the charm when it’s this good. From the powerful vocals to the catchy melodies and choruses to some awesome riffing and instrumentation throughout, it’s impossible not to fall in love with this! There really isn’t a bad track on the album, and three-quarters-of-an-hour really goes by in a flash. If you have even a passing interest in country music, this is a must to be checking out! It got a massive 9.5/10 from us, and you only have to listen to see why! It more than deserves this slot on our list!

Listen to: Raised Up Wrong, When She’s Drinkin’, and No Matter How Hard I Try

84 – Ghost Hounds: Almost Home

Perfectly combining old-school rock’n’roll, soul and country music, the fifth album from the Pennsylvanian natives has honestly been a little underrated this year. I’m not sure if it’s due to it being the first release since their change in vocalist, with Tre Nation personally scouting out SAVNT to replace him, but this is an incredible release that just hasn’t got the love I feel it should have. There are some genuinely excellent blues rock tracks, be it boot-stompin’ or more slower, emotional ballads. However, to address the elephant in the room, it’s not quite as high as I expected it to be because it does drop off a fair bit by the end. The first half of it is excellent, but the second half is maybe one too many slower tracks in a row. Still, just think how good those opening six songs are that it makes it this high on our list! And still, the latter tracks aren’t bad, I just wish the album was a little better arranged! If you are into blues or southern rock, or more of a slower country style, this is well worth checking out. It was another easy 9/10 from us, and well worth its spot here!

Listen to: She Runs Hot, Past the Point of Rescue, and You’ll Never Find Me

83 – Phear: Save Our Souls

This powerful explosion of melodic metal is somehow the third album from the Canadian band, and they have a big new fan in me this year because of it! It’s the perfect mix of heavy riffing and drumming and catchy, melodic leads and vocals. It vaguely reminds me of Fozzy back when they were good, around Sin and Bones. I was a little late to this, not checking it out until the start of summer, but it blew me away and I have since gone back to check out both their other releases. That’s how good this is, and it’s honestly their best release to date. The band are so talented, both as songwriters and players, and they have crafted something brilliant here. We don’t get enough of this sort of sound any more, though it is making a comeback in the last couple of years, and these guys are continuing it on perfectly! If you are at all into a more melodic side of metal, think Metallica meets Alter Bridge, I cannot recommend this enough. It’s another easy 9/10 from us, and I already can’t wait to hear where they go from here. Hopefully it’s not another five years, next time!

Listen to: Aftershock, Narcosynthesis, and Bleed

82 – Jonah Kagen: Sunflowers and Leather

Another entry into the ‘emotional indie-Americana’ category for this list already! This whole thing is bittersweetly beautiful from start to finish, the perfect blend of Zach Bryan and Evan Honer. And somehow and nearly an hour and 16-tracks long, it still goes by in a flash and is an incredibly easy listen! The lyrics throughout are a massive highlight, but the instrumentation fits them all so very perfectly. I’d somehow never heard of him before this release, but he’s another that’s won me over massively and has a big new fan in me because of his 2025 release! And, anyone who is into any of the sounds that I’ve mentioned previously, check this release out ASAP. There are still a couple better releases in this style, in my opinion, but it still more than deserves this spot on the list, and got an easy 9/10 back in September!

Listen to: Sunflowers and Leather, Black Lung, and The Reaper

81 – Mark Morton: Without the Pain

This was not the album I expected from the Lamb of God guitarist this year. His last solo album back in 2019 was a groove metal romp featuring some of the biggest names in hard rock and metal. Switching gears, his second solo release does the same but with country, and honestly it’s just as good! From Jaren Johnston to Matt James, Cody Jinks to Charlie Starr, there are some massif names attached to this, and all do a great job of bringing Mark’s tracks to life, vocally. It’s an incredibly fun album that is definitely heavy on the rock and southern elements, but still is distinctively country. Mark could certainly have a career in the genre if he ever chose to leave LoG, not that I ever hope he does! I’m pretty sure it appeals to both country fans and those into a more heavier sound, so just about everyone reading this should check it out! Despite talking to Matt James about it when I played with him, I still missed this release when it dropped. However, it’s one of the easiest 9/10’a I’ve ever given, and a fitting end to part one of our list!

Listen to: Hell & Back, Without the Pain, and Dust

Part 2 ->

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Glenn Hughes, Blessthefall and More!

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A typically stacked week of New Music Mondays for us to dive into, with everything from metal to country. Let’s dive right in!

Glenn Hughes: Chosen

The former Deep Purple frontman (amongst plenty else) released his first studio solo album in nearly a decade last week. I’m always a little hit and miss when it comes to Glenn’s music, but I actually rather enjoyed this! I went in with no expectations and came out liking the album! ‘Voice in my Head’ is a great opener, while tracks like ‘Heal’, the Sabbath-y ‘The Lost Parade’ and ‘Black Cat Moon’. The riffing is the real highlight of the album but Glenn’s vocals fit perfectly over the top of it, making me not even mind them for once. It’s a really solid heavy blues album by a real legend in the genre. If you are at all into his previous stuff, or more sludgy rock in general, this is well worth checking out! I probably won’t listen to the album in full much, but the odd track will definitely be in heavy rotation moving forward! 8/10

Blessthefall: GALLOWS

Returning after a four year hiatus, the US metalcore quartet are taking no prisoners with their seventh album. It goes HARD and heavy, but also has plenty of big, melodic choruses and moments. The opener sets the pace for the album perfectly, but tracks like ‘Wake the Dead’ and ‘Y.S.A.B.’ that perfect the formula. Then there’s the three awesome guest-feature tracks. Caskets, Alpha Wolf and Story of the Year all bring different sounds to their collabs, and really help break up the album perfectly. My favourite is the insanely aggressive Alpha Wolf one, but that’s not a surprise given how much I liked their last album! Then there’s the metalcore ballad ‘Light the Flame’ that somehow fits exceptionally well around the rest of the heavier stuff. And for once we don’t have a modern US metalcore album close on a slow soppy track, ‘This Ends with Us’ going just as hard as everything else!

The whole album is just sick, honestly! I have to admit I was familiar with the bands name and style, but not particularly with their music. With their last release coming seven years ago, it was before I majorly got into the modern metal sound. So, as a first real jumping off point, this is incredible, and definitely makes me want to check out more of their older stuff! Whether you’re a newb like me or a long-time fan, this album is worth checking out if you are at all into the heavier end of metal! 8.5/10

Lanie Gardner: Faded Polaroids

The sophomore EP from the pop country/Americana singer-songwriter has been a rather anticipated release for us here at Overtone! We checked out her debut album less than a year ago and had a great time with it. She also put out an EP back in only June that somehow topped it again. While said EP is integrated into this release, they are far from the only highlights of the release. Don’t get me wrong, ‘Takin’ The Slow Ride’ is still my favourite track she’s put out, but there are tonnes of highlights on this. Whether it’s other EP highlights like ‘Boys like You’ or ‘Buzzkill’ to new songs like ‘Boot Down’ or ‘Rattle and the Devil’s Whip’, there’s plenty to fall in love with here! It’s a modern sound, drawing comparisons to everything from Megan Moroney to Alana Springsteen to Lindsay Ell. Hell, the girls in country are killing it right now, and Lanie is quickly working her way up to join those other names! Her vocals are fantastic, and it’s clear she has a big hand in writing it as you can heat her emotion throughout!

Shockingly, the length barely bothered me here, too. Every song is excellent, and there wasn’t one I’d think of cutting, damn impressive on an 18-track album! It does loose a bit of momentum somewhere in the middle, but is broken up rather well with a couple of higher energy tracks. In yet another year jam-packed with awesome country releases, this is a definite standout. She is somehow getting better and better with each release, and I can’t give this any less than 9/10!

Tallah: Primeval: Obsession // Detatchment

The third studio album from the new-nu-metalers has a lot of hype to live up to! I loved their last release, as well as their debut, and feel they are one of the most underrated bands in metal today.

It’s certainly another interesting release! They seem to have gone even more quirky and proggy than their previous stuff, lean more into Mr Bungle Tool or (unsurprisingly) Dream Theater at times. Heck, there’s even just a touch of Alien Ant Farm at times, though that may be more Justin’s vocal delivery. Speaking of Justin, another INCREDIBLE vocal performance from front to back, being easily one of the best vocalists in the business today. However, that shouldn’t take away from the rest of the band, as they are working their asses off throughout. From some awesome riffing to expectedly excellent drumming to some awesome extra bits in record scratching and strings, it’s all incredible and fits so well.

As for the songs themselves, they’re fucking awesome. Whether it’s the opener, the Tooly ‘A primeval obsession’ into the perfect double-up of ‘_la|cuna_’ into ‘A primeval detatchment’, and then the final three full tracks being amazing heaviness, there is so much to love. And heck, any of the tracks I haven’t mentioned are also fantastic. 42 minutes goes by in a flash, and the release is a surprisingly easy listen throughout. I honestly thought at the start this would be a bit of a grower, and it still may be, but by the end of the first listen I already love it. None do it quite like Tallah, blending together so many different late 90s/early 2000s sounds but making them wholly unique to them, and it’s an album I’d recommend any metalhead out there listen to! Another 9/10

Fury: Interceptor

The fifth studio album from the hard rock/heavy metal Brits finally dropped to much hype on Friday, and honestly it deserved every bit of it! It feels a little lighter and blusier overall than their other stuff, but I think it may work in their favour. The band are all such talented musicians and their songwriting prowess is on full display throughout this release to match it. It’s also almost impossible to pick highlights, as the whole thing is awesome! It’s like the perfect combination of Metallica, Iron Maiden, H.E.A.T. and even a healthy hint of Battle Beast. Heck, then you have the almost country/Southern metal ‘Walk Away’, and there is plenty of variety throughout! The band have been building momentum for years now, yet still remain somehow one of the most underrated acts around. I have already spun this a couple of times through this weekend, and have no intention of slowing down any time soon! If you are at all into rock or metal, I cannot recommend this enough! 9.5/10

La Dispute: No One Was Driving the Car

The first album from the emo/post-hardcore band in six years, it’s clear they haven’t lost that special something that brought them to the dance. From the fantastic lyrics to Jordan Dreyer’s emotion-filled delivery to some awesome guitar work and proggy arrangements, this is definitely a La Dispute album. And hell, it’s a good one, at that! Anyone who’s checked them out prior knows that they are an acquired taste and certainly not for everyone, but their fans will surely love this just like I do. Don’t get me wrong, it’s long, even I was tapping out at times during its 75-minute runtime, especially when a lot of it is similar. However, the poetry of the lyrics and the constant shift in focus between the different vocal styles and big riffs kept me hooked over and over again. Tracks like the opener, ‘The Field’, the title track to the wonderfully prog epic ‘Environmental Catastrophe Film’, there are plenty of highlights. However, there isn’t a bad track on this thing! Don’t get me wrong, I do sometimes get the odd hint of a Kyle Gordon vibe at times, but if anything it just adds to the enjoyment!

If you are at all curious, check this out, you may like it as much as I did! While I wouldn’t recommend maybe if you’re full-on depressed/struggling, just turning this on in a dark room with some headphones on and really getting lost in it and feel it is quite the experience. A very solid 8.5/10 from us!

Liam St. John: Man of the North

The debut studio album from the blues-rock/Americana man and his band dropped last Friday, and is utterly fantastic! I somehow wasn’t familiar with him until I checked him out ahead of Long Road this year, and after seeing him I was pretty hyped for this album. It lives up to said hype in a great way, being a bourbon-and-sex drenched nearly-hour of blues-Americana. It’s a style that is already right up my street, and St. John performs it to near perfection! Taking clear inspiration from the modern titans in the genre like Gary Clark Jr, Jack White or even early Highly Suspect, while giving it his own twist and sound thanks to his Nashville roots. From the likes of ‘forefathers’ and ‘Off the Rails’ to ‘Everything I Had’ and ‘Landslide Over the Highway’, there are so many massive highlights. But, once again, there really isn’t a bad track on here! It’s a big collection, but definitely worth a full listen at least once if you get the chance!

My only ever so slight note is that ‘If I Were my Father’ was a rather subdued opener and a bit of an odd choice; something more up-beat may have made it even better! Still, hardly a big complaint, as the album is still incredible! If you’re into any of the styles or bands mentioned above, I cannot recommend this alvum enough! I’ll definitely be spinning this a fair bit in the weeks and months to come, and it gets a very easy 9/10 from us!

Leonie Jakobi: What Are the People Gonna Say?

The debut album from the German singer-songwriter rocker is honestly a fantastic release! It’s got a great up-beat, old-school punk-pop vibe that is sure to get you up and dancing! From the opener to the beautiful ‘What Happened to Us’, the rockin’ ‘Don’t Mind Me’ and ‘I Deserve to Shine’, there are plenty of massive highlights throughout. However, there isn’t bad track throughout! It’s impossible not to have a good time listening to this, and it went by in a flash. She’s building a solid hype around her with her touring the last couple of years, and this album will surely help that to push her to new heights! Her vocals are incredible, emphasised perfectly by the great mix throughout, and it all adds even more weight to the already fantastic lyric writing. If you like the lighter side of rock, this is definitely one for you! 8/10

FM: Brotherhood

The British hard/AOR rockers returned with their fifteenth album this last Friday. Honestly, I’ve never been hugely into the band in the past, but I did enjoy listening to them! Maybe it’s more live that I’m not hugely into them, because I had a blast with this from front to back! How I missed their last two albums is beyond me too, will definitely have to revisit Old Habits and Thirteen if they sound close to this. The first four tracks are AOR perfection, while songs like ‘Don’t Call it Love’ and ‘Because of You’ are also massive highlights. Yes, it is all a little samey, so 52-minutes is maybe a little overkill, but it’d be hard to cut any of the tracks as they’re all damn good! I’ve definitely become more of a fan of the band, and will be listening to this again pretty regularly for the rest of the year. It’s another feel-good release, and if you’re into more softer rock, check this out ASAP. Another very solid 9/10 in a great week!

Syncolima: Move Mountains

The third album from the British stoner metal band is maybe the best they’ve ever released! The band’s talent was never in question, but is once again on full display throughout this whole 40-minutes. They feel like they’ve really come into their own here, confidently blasting out amazing riffs and some great vocal hooks over and over. Tracks like ‘Mistakes Were Made’, the title track and the perfectly titled ‘Kill All the Billionares’ are all personal highlights, but the whole album is awesome! Plus, the production is top notch, definitely a step up from their other stuff. It’s not wonder the band are gathering some serious momentum, and this release will surely only add to that! 8/10

Swollen Teeth: Ask Nothing

The debut album from the masked metal collective is dark, heavy and quirky, all in equal measure. It’s definitely got the nu metal and brutality of early Slipknot, but a bit more of hardcore punk edge to it too, almost Turnstille-esque. Tracks like ‘Money and Greed’, the ‘Purity’-like ‘Foster’ and the hardcore ‘Ask’ are all personal highlights, but every track on here is a bit of a banger! They’re just so interesting, fitting right in alongside Tallah above as an exciting new twist on nu-ish metal. It’s an incredible release from a band that are already making waves, and it immediately makes me want to hear more of what is to come. Check this out if you are at all into this side of metal. 8.5/10, good stuff!

Jonah Kagen: Sunflowers and Leather

Somehow a massive name in country/folk that I hadn’t heard of until this weekend, Jonah has instantly made me a new fan of his work! Straight off the bat, yes, it’s another nearly hour-long, 16-track release, and it certainly has times where it drags. However, his vocals are captivating, especially when the harmonies come in behind, and his lyric writing is truly phenomenal. It’s like a combination of Evan Honer, James Bay and Mumford and Sons, it’s awesome! The one-two-punch of the opener into the title track is incredible, as are tracks like ‘Black Lung’, ‘The Reeper’ and ‘Burn Me’. He’s done a fantastic job of picking the albums singles and, while there are some slight lulls, these six tracks and others more than make up for that.

He fits in rather perfectly in with the currently indie-Americana rising scene alongside the likes of Wyatt Flores or Crowe Boys, but also very much does things his own way. This is fucking amazing, and well worth checking out regardless of what you are into. He has a huge new fan in me, and it’s yet another big 9/10! Heck, it may even get higher with more listens, too!

Reviews

Famous Back Home: Russel Dickerson is Back!

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The country-pop sensation himself is back with his fourth studio album and follow-up to last year’s Bones. Coming in at the tail end of the bro-country era, he quickly established himself and has become a household name, and not just back home! We even had the privilege of seeing him at The Long Road last year, and had a blast. So, of course we wanted to give this release a full review and really sink our teeth into it!

‘Dust’ is a beautiful, chilled-out way to open the album. It perfectly sets up Russel’s sound and what he’s all about; the perfect country-pop song! A simple acoustic guitar and electric drums verse builds to an expectedly massive, catchy chorus, like Dickerson does so perfectly. The lyrics are a little cheese-country, but so well written that it’s easy to look past. It’s a simple radio-friendly pop song, but an awesome Russel Dickerson song and the perfect way to open the album!

Next up is one of the handful of singles, ‘Sippin on Top of the World’. It’s got ever so slightly more of a rock edge to it, with the acoustic drums and a great guitar lead opening things up. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still about as rock as the Jonas Brothers, but it definitely has slightly more of an edge to it than the opener. The stripped-back verses lead to another huge, stadium-filling chorus. It’s easy to see why it’s such a big single already too, and was one hell a choice as one! It’s an excellent country song overall, and a very easy early highlight!

‘Happen to Me’ slows things down a little again, the guitar sound honestly giving a touch of a y’allternative vibe to it, especially with the pop-punk pre. It’s a nice change of pace for the album already that I honestly wasn’t expecting. It once again builds to another awesome, massive chorus, and immediately it’s another track that easily makes it onto our playlist.

‘Worth Your Wild’ is the most Russel Dickerson song I think I’ve ever heard, and I love it! It’s that perfect blend of country, pop and rock that he does so well, and is one of the best choruses he’s maybe ever done. It’s another that was an incredibly good choice to be a single, and has clearly done very well for him already! The lyrics here are pretty great too, and we even get a cheeky little guitar solo tucked away in the middle! It’s a strong contender for a ‘song for the rest of summer’ and is up there with one of my favourite he’s ever done, honestly.

The pace and energy chills back out massively for ‘Heard it in a Country Song’. It’s incrediblely simple in its arrangment of just some Spanish guitaring, basic electric drums and Russel’s amazing vocals. Honestly, it gives off slight Buffet vibes, but of course more modernised. Somewhere between that and Latin pop, and makes for a really interesting listen. There’s a surprising amount going on in the track too, with some piano and organ chiming in at times throughout, but it’s all so chilled it’s easy to miss. I love it as a change of pace as much as a track on its own!

Tracks like ‘Sunrise in my Silverado’, ‘For a Truck’ and ‘Love that I Love You’ are all more typical Russel songs and exactly what you’d expect from the pop-country legend at this point. All three are excellent tracks, with the latter specifically being another huge high point on the album, but there isn’t much variety through them. Still, they’re easy to listen to for sure, fit the album perfectly and are of course more beautiful love songs to his wife.

‘Never Leave’ is the ballad of the album, a stripped-back, simple, slower track that mainly focuses on Russel’s vocals, minimal instrumentation behind it. It’s a beautiful track, with the lyrics being a real focal point and being solid. And, while we’ve had slower tracks already, this again has a different feel and is another great change of pace. It’s Russel’s best vocal performance on the album, and if you like the slower stuff this is definitely one to check out!

‘Bones’ feels like a slightly cheek addition to the album, as it was the main track from his EP last year. It’s a good song and still fits onto the album pretty perfectly, but has obviously been out over a year in multiple different incarnations now. It might have been cool to have had it reworked for the album somehow, but then it may not have fit on the release so well.

’16 Me’ is another slower ballad-like song, but has a little more going on on it than ‘Never Leave’. Then, the albums title track and latest single takes us home in style, somehow feeling like a combination/culmination of most that came before. It’s on the slower end again, but that chorus is incredible, and it feels like the track builds towards it and around it perfectly. It’s another fantastic choice for a single and a really great way to close out the album, even if the last handful of songs have been on the slower side, now!

Overall: This is another really great addition to his growing discography. It feels like the man can’t put out anything bad at this point, and I’d put this up there alongside any of his other releases in terms of quality. He’s certainly not for everyone, but you know exactly what to expect heading into the album with him and he delivers every time, including here. It’s packed full of fun, catchy, emotional moments, and I’d recommend it to any country fan out there!

The Score: 8/10

Reviews

Learn the Hard Way: Jordan Davis’ Best Album to Date?

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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 Redferrin or 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 Score: 8.5/10

Reviews

Endless Horizon: Florence Sommerville Knocks it Out of the Park with her Debut!

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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!

The Score: 9/10

Reviews

The Dead Don’t Die: Do Dominum Top Their Epic Debut?

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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!

The Score: 9.5/10

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: HARDY, Eminem and More!

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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!

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New Music Mondays: Bon Jovi, Early Pearce and More!

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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!

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Kerry King, Don McLean and More!

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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!

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New Music Mondays: Knocked Loose, Powerman 5000 and More!

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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!