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new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Neil Young, Accept and More!

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Another stacked week of New Music Monday this week, with everything from country to grindcore coming out! Let’s take a look, shall we?

Neil Young: Fu##in’ Up

Thank god, Neil’s music is back up on Spotify! That immediately makes this review a lot easier than his previous release last year. I would also argue it’s a marked improvement to the album from a few months ago. It’s a little more rocky and grungy than his last release, giving off early Bowie and even a touch of Soundgarden mixed with his usual country twang. Even the production is grungy as hell. I legit thought this was a live album at first, it was mixed so strangely. The more I listened though, the more I liked it.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not amazing, and his vocals clearly sound like they are struggling throughout. There are times where he legitimately sounds like an ill Kermit. I couldn’t even particularly pick out a highlight track or two, aside at a push the epic ‘Broken Circle’. However, it isn’t a bad album to stick on and listen to in the background, and is, above all else, fun. It won’t be for everyone, and probably won’t even be for anyone big into country, but it’s worth a listen if you’re curious! 5.5/10

Accept: Humanoid

We’ve already checked out this awesome album! See what we thought here!

Pet Shop Boys: Nonetheless

While not typically the sort of genre we highlight here, everyone loves a bit of Pet Shop Boys, including me, so I think there’s enough crossover to cover it! It’s electro-pop at its very best, and PSB haven’t missed a beat over 40 years later. It’s certainly not going to be for all of our readers, but songs like ‘Why am I Dancing?’ and ‘Bullet for Narcissus’ are great and just put a smile on my face. If you are a fan of the band’s past work, you are bound to enjoy this. And, much like Willy earlier, it’s a fantastic album to just stick on and jam out to in the background. It’s not the best album they’ve put out, or even the best album of the week, but it’s another fun listen from front to back! Check this out, you won’t be disappointed! 6.5/10

Charley Crockett: $10 Cowboy

One of the hardest working men in country music is back with his 13th studio album since his debut in 2015. His blues/soul infused sound is awesome and really roots him in a more neo-traditional sound. We even get some jazz with the horns on tracks like ‘America’. It’s a stripped-back, chilled-out style that really isn’t done much in the mainstream any more, so it’s certainly a refreshing sound. It reminds me of Don McLean or even Hank I to a certain extent. Heck, it also gave off Pokey Lafarge vibes, yet obviously slightly less creepy. His vocals fit so perfectly over the simple instrumentation, and make it all so captivating to listen to. Songs like ‘Good at Losing’, ‘Solitary Road’ and the aforementioned ‘America’ are all big highlights, but it’s a solid album from start to finish. If you’re a fan of an old-school sound, or just want something chill to listen to, check this out, you’ll love it like I do! 8/10

Alien Ant Farm: ~mAntras~

The early 2000s alt-rock legends are back with their first new album in nearly a decade. And, especially with their 2015 release mysteriously disappearing off streaming without a trace, now more than ever we need new AAF!

Now, for those who are only really familiar with the band from Anthology, this isn’t that, or quite as good as that. Having said that, it’s still fucking great. It’s got more of a post-grunge/post-Tool sound to it than their early stuff. However, that’s not to say that there aren’t a few big radio hooks scattered throughout on tracks like ‘Last dAntz’ and ‘No. 1’. And ‘Storms Over’ is very ‘Movies’. The more I listen to the album the more I’m starting to love it, too. They have the quirkiness of Faith no More while maintaining their original sound, mixed with just a touch of Chevelle. And some of the lyrics are depressingly relatable and hit hard, as well as being incredibly well written. The whole album is awesome, and all the other tracks that I haven’t mentioned yet are just as much highlights as the others I’ve already spoken about. I think the only one that didn’t quite land for me was the opener, sadly.

If you have ever been a fan of the band, even if all you’ve heard is their ‘Smooth Criminal’ cover, check this out. It’s incredible, and I can guarantee you’ll love this. I’ve always been a big advocate for the bands other music outside of Anthology, and this is another stellar release. I’m going to be listening to this a lot in the coming weeks and months, and I can see it being pretty high up on the albums of the year list come December. 9/10

Darkthrone: It Beckons us All

One of the godfathers of black metal, Darkthrone are back with their 21st studio album. While being quite a bit different from modern releases of the genre, not the least due to the relatively clean vocals and pretty average production, it still has plenty of the hallmarks of the genre they helped pioneer. It’s heavy and feels downright evil from the start to the very end. Some of the riffing is amazing, giving off heavy Slayer vibes. However, sadly, that’s about all that stood out to me about the release as a whole. It was bound to at this point in their careers, but it does feel pretty dated. The genre has moved so very far past this at this point, that it’s kinda insane that this a new release in 2024.

Having said that, I certainly didn’t hate it, and have always found the band one of the more enjoyable black metal collectives. I found myself having a good time listening to it, especially when it leaned a little more into the doom side of things. I wouldn’t turn this off if it came on again, and props to the band for keeping to their original style and sound across all these years. ‘Eon 3’ was probably my favourite track off it. It probably wouldn’t appeal to much of the modern black metal audience, but if you’re a fan of the early stuff in the genre or want more of a gateway, test-the-waters-with-your-big-toe kinda sound, you can’t go wrong with this release. It’s simply a bit bare bones as far as black metal goes these days, is all. 8/10

Iron & Wine: Light Verse

The folk singer-songwriter is back with his first post-pandemic album. It also marks the longest gap between albums in his career. While 43-minutes of low-energy, steady music isn’t 100% my sort of things, I’d be a fool if I denied that this is a good album. Mr Wine (first name Iron) is an amazing songwriter when it comes to epic, pop-infused folk music, and his vocal and playing ability is no sham either. Tracks like ‘Anyone’s Game’ and ‘Sweet Talk’ are big highlights for me. I did certainly feel the length though, it got to be a bit of a slog for this hard rock/metalhead by the last couple of tracks. Still, it’s the perfect album to chill out to. I had it on while I was cooking, for the most part, and I had a great time! He’s a massive name and I’m sure his fans will love it. And if you like the more folky side of indie-pop, check this out, it will certainly hook you in! I probably won’t listen to it in full again but the two or three songs I loved I’ll have on a lot! 7/10

Decide: Banished by Sin

OG death metal legends Decide are back and just as brutal as ever. This is nearly 40-minutes of crushing heaviness, from the riffs to the drums to the growls. If straight-forward death is your sort of thing then you’ve probably already been waiting for this, and I imagine it doesn’t disappoint! I was hooked in immediately from the fantastic riffing and arrangement of ‘From Unknown Heights You Shall Fall’ and it continued to be awesome from then on out. My only slight complaint, like with much death metal, is that it’s all pretty similar. There isn’t much along the way of dynamics to the album, it’s all one fast, heavy level. It’s a great level, don’t get me wrong, but does get a tad repetitive across a 40-minute album. It’s not a genre known for its diversity though, so fans of it and the band will probably expect that and love this. It’s still a damn good death metal record, and gets an easy 7.5/10 from us!

Full of Hell: Coagulated Bliss

It was only last year that we checked out the band’s collaboration album with Nothing, and already they’re back with more new music. Looking back on that release, I enjoyed it (or at least appreciated it) enough to give it 7/10. I sadly don’t have the same appreciation of this album. Sadly, this release didn’t quite capture my attention and love anywhere near as much. While the other release had atmosphere and depth and layers, this is very much just a grindcore album through and through. And grindcore is certainly not my sort of thing. The only track that had anything that made me pause and listen to it again was ‘Fractured Bonds to Mecca’. At least it’s short, clocking in at only 25 minutes. If you’re into the genre I’m sure there’s a lot to love, but on its own without something more interesting tacked on, it’s not for me. 3/10

MacKenzie Porter: Nobody’s Born with a Broken Heart

The country-pop artist is back with her highly anticipated new album, and her first big release in a decade. We’ve had plenty of singles to fill that time, and even an EP in 2020, but it’s pretty rare for a country artist to leave it this long between releases! We’ve had a whopping nine released before the full album dropped and, sadly, it jumped up to a whopping 19 tracks when it did. Don’t get me wrong, the songs are anything but bad, giving off early Taylor Swift vibes in the best ways. However, The First Few + 2 is pretty undisputedly a stronger release overall. But hey, gotta boost them streaming numbers for a profit instead, right?

Having said all of that, my favourite tracks on the album are probably ‘Rough Ride for a Cowboy’ and ‘Walk Away’,which weren’t even a pre-release tracks, so what do I know? Don’t get me wrong, songs like ‘Pickup’ and ABSOLUTE BANGER that is ‘Have Your Beer’ are also highlight tracks. I just feel like this album is a great collection of songs, but there is an amazing collection of songs hidden amongst it if the fat as trimmed. A few of the tracks all sound pretty similar, and a couple could certainly have been cut to make the album stronger. Having said that, no song is inherently bad, and plenty of them are amazing. Despite being the ‘in’ genre at the minute and being insanely competitive, this album deserves to be up there in the discussion of the best album of the year in the genre come December. It really is that good. I don’t think it will get nearly the props it deserves, but it gets an easy 9/10 from me. It would have gotten full marks if it wasn’t an hour long!

Stormborn: Zenith

Much like Accept earlier in this article, this album is some more awesome modern heavy metal. The Kentish band’s first album in a whopping 12 years goes hard right from the intro track to the very last note, and I love it! Whether going for NWOBHM, power metal or even sneaking some death metal screams and breakdowns into a few of the tracks, the band blend every style together masterfully. ‘Land of the Serpent King’ is pretty Painkiller-like while ‘Fear of a Monster’ and ‘Serpentine’ have more of a modern Iron Maiden vibe to them. It’s actually quite a South American sound that the band have harnessed, and I’m going to be very excited if it makes the trip back across the pond. Tracks like ‘Dawn Will Come Again’, ‘Death Incarnate’ and the ones mentioned above are all massive highlights. And the epic, near-nine-minute closing track… damn. However, there truly isn’t a bad song across the entire album. And clearly care was put in to make this an actual album, instead of a collection of songs. It’s seven full tracks and two interludes, all of it being arranged masterfully. This band deserve to be so much bigger than they are, and I’m so hoping this is the album to do so. I can’t get enough of it, and will be listening to it a lot in the coming weeks and months, I’m sure! 9/10

Attic Theory: What We Fear the Most

The debut album from the Liverpudlian alt rock/grungers proves just why Planet Rock awarded them Best New Band. It’s got a similar early 2000s arena-filling rock feel that the likes of Those Damn Crows and Any Given Sin are doing so well at the minute; the huge vocal hooks and chunky riffing. And yet it does have that post-grunge/late 90s quirkiness tinge too, which is why they fit in so well when playing with the likes of Terrorvision. There isn’t a bad song on the album, but tracks like the opener, ‘Narrow Lines’ and ‘Dare to Dream’ are personal favourites! Also, the acoustic ballad ‘Million Little Things’ was beautiful and honestly gave me goosebumps. The vocals are the perfect mix of Eddie Vedder and Scott Stapp, and they complement the playing incredibly. And, they fit well with friend of Overtone, Candlebox’s own Kevin Martin (interview here) on recent single ‘Papier-mâché’.

The band very much wear every inspiration on their sleeve, yet have somehow created something that sounds wholly unique and modern. It’s a really interesting listen that I think is going to grow on me more and more with each passing listen. I would recommend this album to anyone, not just those that are fans of the aforementioned bands and genres. There is truly something for everyone here, and it’s one hell of a listen as a whole album. I’ve been toying with what to give it for days now, and the more I listen to it, the more I fall in love. So, for that reason, it gets 9.5/10!

Reviews

New Music Mondays: Pearl Jam, The Ghost Inside and More!

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It’s gonna be a tough week for any album on this list, releasing on the same day as the musical megastar Taylor Swift. I won’t be reviewing that album but I have checked it out. It’s the same boring, slow, atmospheric nothingness that her last few albums have been. I’m a fan of her first few albums, but this lowest-common-denominator ’pop’ music is not for me. But hell, here are a few albums that hopefully will be!

Pearl Jam: Dark Matter

While the band’s insane pricing for their 2024 UK tour still leaves a sour taste in my mouth regarding the band, I’m still a fan of their music, and this album is no exception. Don’t get me wrong, they’ve always been the most boring of the ‘Grunge Big 4’ to me, and this is no different. It’s straight-forward rock music with a bit more fuzz and heavy blues to it. But it certainly isn’t bad. I’d heard the single and title track before the album was released and it remains a firm highlight of it. Other highlights include ‘Waiting for Stevie’, the punky ‘Running’ and the chilled ballad ‘Something Special’. It’s nothing new from the band, however, and while I certainly wouldn’t put it up against their early albums, I wouldn’t say it’s above their previous one or Lightening Bolt, either. It’s not a bad album, and is a fun, relaxed rock listen. However, it does feel a tad like the band are going through the motions, releasing an album for the sake of it. I’d honestly put it up there with Vedder’s last solo album, so this gets an easy 7/10 from me!

The Ghost Inside: Searching for Solace

These always seem like the lost modern metalcore band to me. I see their name everywhere, know they’re getting big and are supposed to be great, but I’ve never found the time to check them out. That changes today, given that this is their first album since 2020 so the first one I’ve been able to review!

Honestly, it’s pretty good. However, at the same time, I’m kinda okay with the fact that I’ve not listened to them really until now. They are parts of an incredibly popular, rather saturated genre these days, and I wouldn’t say it did anything out of the ordinary or all that interesting. As I said, I’m not particularly familiar with the band, so they may have pioneered the sound that has since been made hugely popular by the likes of Bad Omens and even BMTH to an extend. However, as most likely a new listener to the band with this album, it’s good, often-times great, metalcore that doesn’t bring anything new to the table. I found myself, like usual recently, gravitating to the all-out heavy tracks like ‘Death Grip’, ‘Wrath’ and ‘Split’. That’s not to say the cleaner, lighter, poppier parts and songs aren’t good, and I’d argue they are done much better by Ghost Inside than by Bad Omens, but the style is done so much recently that it kinda bores me now.

I completely see the appeal of this band. They are playing a very ‘in’ style of metal these days and they do it incredibly well. There are a few tracks that I love on here and I certainly wouldn’t turn off the album if it came on again. But it does feel more like a collection of a few songs I love mixed with a few I’d happily never listen to again. If you are a fan of modern metalcore, I’m sure you’ll love this. I’ve seen plenty of love for it already on social media, in fact. It’s not bad at all and is objectively great. But for me, it’s no I Prevail; it doesn’t quite reach that upper echelon of modern metalcore for me. 8/10

My Dying Bride: A Mortal Binding

Yorkshire’s own premier doom metal band are back with their first new album in four years. I’m a relatively new fan of the band, but really loved this album! ‘Her Dominion’ is such a perfect opener, setting up the heaviness of the album. Meanwhile follow-up ‘Thornwyck Hymn’ has a more theatrical, clean-vocalled sound and even some beautiful strings, giving it a truly epic feel. However, with each passing track, I loved them more and more. There are only seven of them, but they clock in at a total of 54-minutes. Each track feels like its own epic journey, while it all combines together to form one incredible piece. It’s certainly an album that’s designed to listen to in full. However, the highlight for me is the truly epic, 11+ minute ‘The Apocalyptist’. If you listen to anything off the album, let it be that one, it demonstrates everything the band do so amazingly on the release.

Having gone back and listened through a number of their previous releases, I have to say that this is certainly up there with some of their best. There isn’t a bad song on it and they all fit together perfectly. I don’t understand how this band aren’t towards the top of the metal world, they’re so good. If you like doom metal or just the heavy stuff in general, check this out, you won’t be disappointed! 9.5/10

Elvie Shane: Damascus

Taking a leaf from Jelly Roll on his sophomore album, Elvie combines country, soul, rock and hip-hop together masterfully. And, just like Whitsitt Creak last year, I can’t get enough of this. From the rocky opener, ‘Jonesin’’ and the Bon Jovi-like ‘Forgotten Man’ to the slower stuff like ‘Baptized’, ‘Pill’ and ‘Winning Horse’, all the styles Elvie does he nails. Also, massive shoutout to the Little Big Town featuring ‘First Place’, as it may be my favourite track on the album. And, at only 13-tracks, for an album like this it isn’t even that long! There isn’t a bad song on it, either. It’s just a fun listen from start to finish and there is never once a dull moment; it’s put together and arranged perfectly. There really isn’t much else to say, if you’re a country fan you’ll love this one! I’ll sure be listening to it a lot moving forward! 9/10

High on Fire: Cometh the Storm

I’ve heard the name floating around for years at this point and haven’t had the chance to check them out outside of a song or two. I had it in my head that they were more of a NWOBHM band, so to hear an album heavily inspired by early-Roots era Sepultura was a very nice surprise! It’s got elements of thrash, stoner and doom in there too, but the almost tribal riffs are very Sepultura-like. Tracks like the opener, ‘Sol’s Golden Curse’ and ‘Hunting Shadows’ are all big highlights for me. However, if you’re into the epic stoner metal style like me, you’ll probably love the whole album. Honestly there isn’t much more to say about this. It’s a solid metal album that didn’t at all feel like it lasted nearly an hour. Heck, the closing track on its own is 10-minutes of doomy goodness. I’ll certainly be listening to the band a lot moving forward, and this album will be at the forefront of that. 8/10

Anne Wilson: REBEL

Okay, so yes, I know that generally speaking, country as a genre has a lot of roots in Christianity. I get that the religion is a much bigger thing still in the US, especially in the areas where country is biggest. But damn, this album is God-bothery as fuck. I have no issue with people believing and living by whatever religion they want to, but I’m not a fan of being near-endlessly preached to for nearly an hour. And I know that she is an overtly Christian musician releasing music through a Christian record label. But bands like Skillet, Demon Hunter and P.O.D are also self-identifying Christian bands, yet have found that they can sing about other topics as well, not just their religious beliefs. I am far from Anne’s target audience, I know that, but musically and vocally she’s amazing, and I do think she’s limiting herself with how she writes her lyrics and how the label markets her.

It’s a shame too, as the opener/title track starts things off so strongly. ‘REBEL’ is certainly a highlight. Of course Lainey Wilson’s magical touch continues too, as ‘Praying Woman’ is a banger despite the lyrics. The same can be said for ‘Songs About Whiskey’. The Jordan Davis-featuring ‘Country Gold’ is also great, reigning in the bible-bashing to a minimum. But yeah, overall it was lot, and I struggled to get into a few of tracks when they were so constantly heavy-handed.

As I’ve said previously, I’m not against religion, and musically it’s pretty good; standard country stuff. She’s a fantastic vocalist and really isn’t a bad songwriter. But this personally isn’t for me as a whole. I’m sure it will appeal to plenty of people though and they’ll love it. But please don’t @ me as I give this a 4/10

Folterkahmmer: Weibermacht

The symphonic black metal band are back with their sophomoric album, and I have to say it’s pretty fucking great. I’m not sure how a German band ended up starting in New York, but when we get music this good I couldn’t care! Also, thought it would be a bit of a laugh putting them here on the list, given their general lyrical content, contrasting with Anne Wilson prior.

Those who check out a lot of our NMM series know that I struggle getting into straight-up black metal. It usually has to be cut with something else in order to keep me interested. Honestly, the various styles this band have added to it is the real perfect combination. I was hooked right from the epic opener, and tracks like ‘Küss Mir Die Füsse!’ and ‘Algolagnia’ certainly helped! Heck, their cover of ‘Venus in Fur’ is awesome and a really interesting take on Velvet Underground. The atmosphere and darkness the band create is fascinating, and the fact that they put out such a solid release in only seven original songs is a testament to the band’s writing. It’s certainly not for everyone, and even I won’t be listening to it constantly. However, it is incredibly well written and performed, and if you’re into black metal with a folky, operatic twist, you’ll surely dig this. It’s an album worth listening to in full to appreciate fully, and after doing so I can safely give this a 7.5/10

Praying Mantis: Defiance

the NWOBHM/AOR legends are back with their 13th studio album. the band have been insanely consistent with their output and quality this millennium, and this release is no different. I’m a pretty big AOR fan, and this is really the template in which that genre was built. From the soaring, powerful vocals to the solid guitars and drums to the heavy synth focus to the catchy, stadium-filling choruses, it does it all perfectly. There isn’t a bad song on the album, but personal highlights include the title track and ‘Never Can Say Goodbye’. Heck, we even get a really good cover of Rainbow’s ‘I Surrender’, a hard feat to accomplish to live up to Joe Lynn Turner! If you’re into the more epic, glam/sleezed-tinged side of rock music, this album is definitely for you. I’ll certainly be spinning this again a fair bit in the coming weeks! 8/10

Wyatt Flores: Half Life

So, I ummed and arred about whether to feature this here or not. Apparently it’s an EP. However, eight full tracks spanning nearly half an hour sounds like an album to me. Especially when my other option was Craig Campbell (whose release was also great) at just six full tracks and an intro & outro. apparently that one is an album but this one isn’t. Bollocks. I’m calling this an album, just like the Castellows one, and am reviewing it.

It’s fucking awesome. I’m really enjoying this resurgence of chilled-out, stripped-back country music into the mainstream thanks to the likes of Zach Bryan, and this is up there with his last release, for me. It’s all not much more than a couple of guitars and some simple drums backing his vocals, but it all fits so perfectly. ‘Wish I Could Stay’ is not only the perfect example of how well the instrumentation boosts Wyatt’s vocals and lyrics to epic levels, but is also an incredible song and one of the most beautifully bittersweet tracks I’ve ever heard. It literally gave me goosebumps. However, every track on this release is excellent, honestly. He’s a phenomenal lyricist and the delivery and instrumentation around them are both impeccable. He’s one of the ones I’m most excited to see at The Long Road this year, and even more so now after this release. I’d recommend this album to anyone, not just country fans, that’s how good it is. 10/10, it couldn’t be anything else!

Reviews

Witchburner: Earthblood Return to Melt Faces with Their Sophomore EP!

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The Finnish Sludgy-doom metallers are set to release their brand new EP on Thursday. I’m not at all familiar with the band and they only appeared to burst onto the scene last year. However, I love the genre they play and am excited to hear this. And, at only three tracks long, I couldn’t not check it out!

The title track opens the EP perfecto with a sludgy, heavy wall of sound and an excellent riff. It speeds up heading into the verse, almost turning into a thrash/death metal track. The vocals very much reinforce that point too, it being a pretty gritty scream. It slows up into a pretty awesome, groovy bridge riff around the 1:30 mark, it almost having stoner metal vibes when it drops out to just guitar and bass a couple of times. We also get some cool little drum solo bits in the middle, everyone being given a chance to shine throughout. It continues to be heavy throughout, there being multiple awesome riffs in the last two plus minutes that honestly by the end of it my neck hurt from headbanging so much. And the screams in the breakdown at the end… *chefs kiss*. It’s a fantastic way to open the EP, and easily makes our playlist!

‘Sons of Heavy Rain’ opens on one hell of a doom riff or three, and I love it! The main riff through it kinda reminds me of Judas Priest from the 90s onwards too; that awesome technical style and a little lighter than the previous track. The solo over the top matches the feel and vibe perfectly, too. The heaviness of course comes back in with the harsh vocals, but it almost gives off Entombed-style death’n’roll more than anything else. Especially with all the guitar melody and soloing throughout. It has a pretty catchy chorus too with the backing vocals giving it a big hand in that direction. It all combined together perfectly to sound heavy, epic and catchy all at the same time. I honestly can’t get enough of this track, everything about it is awesome. From the vocals to the balls-to-the-wall drumming to the insane guitaring; riffs and pinch harmonics and soloing galor, it’s all amazing. So far the EP is two for two on playlisted tracks!

The final track on the far-too-short EP, ‘Swamp Hammer’ does the Batushka thing of having a slow, low, atmospherically distant riff go on for arguably too long. How very, very stoner-doom of them. As it picks up we get an AWESOME riff that keeps pretty stonery. Even with the harsh vocals giving it a death edge, it’s still undoubtedly sludgy and doomy. And again, multi-tracked vocals make for a pretty catchy chorus! Some of the low growls in the back at times too, damn. There’s a fantastic guitar solo tucked away in the middle, technically fantastic and fit the style of the song perfectly. And we even get an INSANE bass solo too, just as good as the guitar one. This song utterly blew me away and I don’t care, all three of these go on our playlist. Shit, that was awesome.

Overall: As you can probably tell, I loved this! It’s of course a rather niche genre, but I’m big into the style and these guys did all of it to perfection. All three tracks are as good as each other, and all are incredible. I HAVE to see ‘Swamp Hammer’ live, my god I hope they tour near me soon. It’s not going to be for everyone, but if you’re a fan of metal at all check it out, it may definitely surprise you. It’s not often I give this out for EPs, but it can’t be anything else…

The Score: 10/10

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Blue Oyster Cult, Tyler Hubbard and More!

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A pretty stacked week as always this week, with everything from rock to country to metalcore. Let’s check it all out!

Blue Oyster Cult: Ghost Stories

The legendary rock band are back with their 16th studio album. The gap between the last two albums was a whopping 19 years, so it’s so nice to see the band clearly finding their passion for writing again, returning with another only four years later. And, what’s even better… it’s good! Is it as good as some of their best work? Not quite. But for a band that are going on six decades at this, they are doing a phenomenal job. Buck and Eric’s vocals still sound just as great together as they did in the 70s, and come up with some awesome, catchy vocal hooks and melodies. Tracks like ‘Cherry’, ‘Soul Jive’ and the jazzy ‘Shot in the Dark’ are personal highlights. Heck, we even get a great punk track with ‘Kick Out the Jams’. However, honestly, there isn’t a bad track on the album. It’s great, fun, chilled out soft-bluesy rock, and if you’re a fan of the band already you’ll love it, I’m sure! It probably won’t make our Best Albums of 2024 list, but it’s a damn good album and one the band should be damn proud of after all these years. 8/10

Tyler Hubbard: Stronger

We’ve already reviewed this album! Check it out here!

Mark Knopfler: One Deep River

I’ve been a fan of the Dire Straits frontman for years at this point. Not to age him drastically (heck, not that he’ll read this), but my Grandad is a big fan of the man and passed on that fandom to me in my early teens. And, being not only a soft rock fan, but a wannabe guitarist in a blues-rock inspired band, of course said fandom continues to this day. And the album was exactly what I was expecting; chilled-out rock music filled with incredible guitar work and some awesome vocal lines. I enjoyed it all, but standout tracks were definitely ‘Scavenger Yard’ and ‘Before my Train Comes’. Honestly, I don’t really have much else to say about the album. As I said, if you know Mar’s work, you’ll know exactly what to expect heading into it. It’s slower, lower-energy Dire Straits. If that’s your sort of thing, you’ll like this, just like I did. However, I know it certainly isn’t for everyone. Still, it’s an easy 7/10 from me!

Kris Barras Band: Halo Effect

The UK rock frontman (and former cage fighter, bet you didn’t know that?!) Kris Barras and his band are back with their fifth album. I’ve been a fan of his work for a while now, ever since ‘Hail Mary’ came out and hooked me in. So, know this comes from a place of love when I say… this is fine. Don’t get me wrong, there are certainly some good songs, and some that stand out the more I listen to them. The foot-stomping ‘With You’, anthemic ‘Reflections’ and the almost power metal single ‘Secrets’ are all clear favourites of mine. However, there is so much music out these days that sounds like this that it risks getting lost in the shuffle a little. The heavier NWOCR sound, Alter Bridge/Black Stone Cherry mixed with early 2000s dad/butt rock, is being done very well by so many bands at the minute. Whether it’s Those Damn Crows, Florence Black or Stone Broken, or so many other bands not in the UK, there is tonnes of this style that is great. And this is also great, don’t get me wrong, but does it stack up to some of the best? Potentially not.

It’s growing on me more with subsequent listens, don’t get me wrong, but I’m going to struggle to work out what score to give it. The riffs are awesome and go hard from start to finish, Kris’s vocals are as good as ever, and it does have some massive, catchy choruses. I hate to be THAT fan, but I did find myself enjoying their older, more blues-oriented sound. It set them apart from the pack a little more while this just sounds like everything else. Still, again, it’s not a bad album, and I’ll most likely be listening to a good few of the songs a fair bit moving forward. 7.5/10

Imminence: The Black

The metalcore Swedes are back with their first album in three years. I have to admit, I am very much in two minds with it. When it goes hard and gets heavy, I love it. Tracks like ‘Desolation’ and ‘?’ are amazing thanks to the heavy guitars and brutal screams. Even when the vocals get cleaner in parts of the tracks, it still has a heavy edge to it all. Heck, ‘Heaven Shall Burn’ is essentially a deathcore song. The strings in it were also an excellent touch. However, other tracks, such as the opener or ‘Death By a Thousand Cuts’, suffer the knock-on effect of Bad Omens’ Tik Tok popularity. Don’t get me wrong, variety isn’t an issue and is even encouraged. However, I’m not a fan of the kinda winey, radio-bait sound of these songs, Bad Omens and BMTH’s modern stuff. I’m sure I am in the minority with that opinion, given the popularity of the style, but give me heavy or give me nothing, please! Heck, even just a more interesting ballad would have been nice!

Still, there is certainly enough on here that I liked and to keep me entertained. There are a good number of songs that I’ll certainly have on a lot in the coming weeks and months. However, as an album as a whole, it isn’t for me. If you are into any of the bands I previously listed though or that lighter, more atmospheric/pop end of metalcore, this will certainly be for you! 7/10

Týr: Battle Ballads

I never feel like there’s enough Viking metal on this page, so damn am I excited to inject some more into it! The bands ninth studio album goes just has hard as their last few does. The first release after the critically acclaimed live album A Night at the Nordic House, it had to pull out all the stops, and that’s exactly what this does. Right from the intro it is epic, folky heavy metal music, and I loved it until the very last minute. Tracks like ‘Unwandered Ways’, ‘Hangman’ and the title track are all massive highlights. Also, big shoutout to the beautiful ballad sung in their native tongue, ‘Torkils Døtur’, it’s awesome.

Don’t go into this expecting Amon Amarth as it’s certainly lighter than that, more of a NWOBHM meets power metal vibe. However, it certainly channels a similar energy and epicness and passion. It’s a solid album from start to finish and one that I will most certainly be listening to again. Now I just need to hear all of these live with an orchestra behind them, too. I’m not asking for much! 8/10, this was great!

Gun: Hombres

The British hard rockers have certainly enjoyed one hell of a career resurgence in recent years, thanks in large part to being an adopted uncle/godfather to the ever-growing NWOCR scene. This album certainly continues their impressive run of momentum. It’s a great album that perfectly fuses the modern sound and style with that of the 80s sleazy hard rock that inspired them. The Axl Rose-inspiration is clear in the vocals, as is Slash’s in the guitaring, while it also has a touch of the likes of Motley Crue and Love/Hate, but all modernised to fit with the current sounds. Honestly, it sounds like a new version of UYI-I, or what Chinese Democracy should have sounded like.

Tracks like ‘Take me Back Home’, ‘Lucky Guy’ and the very British ballad, ‘You Are What I Need’ are all perfect examples of what I mean, and are all big highlights of the album. However, the more I listen to the album, the more I fall in love with every track. There is a lot to love on this album, and there really isn’t a bad track on it. Being a fan of the band for a while, I can confidently say that this is up there amongst my favourite albums from them. Any rock fans should check this out, they certainly won’t be disappointed! I’m gonna be cranking this a lot in the coming weeks and months. 9/10, great stuff!

Tom Killner: Borrowed Time

British blues guitarist/singer/legend Tom Killner is back with his third studio album, and first in over half a decade! It certainly doesn’t feel that long ago, but also feels like a long time coming. I’ve been waiting rather impatiently since it was announced last year, so can’t wait to finally be hearing it in full!

It’s an awesome, chilled out rock album, that has a hell of a lot more to offer than basic blues. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of that too, on tracks like the opener and recent single ‘Light it Up’. However, tracks like ‘One Day at a Time’ have a more chilled-out, almost easy listening feel. Then ‘On the Other Side’ and ‘Borrowed Time’ have definite Lynyrd Synyrd/Blackberry Smoke country vibes combined with the blues, too. All the songs mentioned previously are certainly highlights. However, there isn’t a bad song on the album, and the whole thing is one big highlight, honestly. It’s clear a lot of love and dedication was put into this album, and I can’t fault it at all. I’m on my third listen through already this weekend which, given how much else I have to listen to, is a real testament to how great this release is. If you’re a rock, blues or country fan, or even if not, check this out, you won’t be disappointed! I have to. It’s an easy 10/10!

ERNEST: NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

The country superstar is back with his third record, and first in two years. Settle in, ladies and gents, it’s another long country album! It’s 26 tracks, nearly an hour-and-a-half, and honestly a little bit of a mixed bag. I’m a big fan of Jelly Roll, but damn if the opening track that features him isn’t just straight cringe. And the variety in the sounds, while good and greatly appreciated in this long of a release, does come across more of a ‘I used to write songs for others and haven’t quite found my own sound yet’ case. The song he does with Morgan Wallen, ‘Hangin’ On’, for example, just sounds like another Morgan song. Then again, his duet with Lainey Wilson is beautiful, and he and HARDY do a really interesting cover of Radiohead’s ‘Creep’. And the more upbeat, quirky tracks on here, like ‘Why Dallas’ and ‘Smokin’ Gun’, are definite album highlights. However, there is a LOT to this album, and a fair number of the tracks towards the back end are covers. I’d have much preferred he cut some of them out, did an EP or something with them instead, then load everything he had in the studio into one long release. It’s not a bad album at all, and if you’re into the more radio-style of country music, you’ll find plenty to enjoy. I just don’t think it’s anywhere near as consistent as it could be. 7/10

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New Music Mondays: The Black Keys, Alpha Wolf and More!

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A stacked week of New Music Mondays this week! Join us as we check out everything from country to punk to death metal to grime!

The Black Keys: Ohio Players

The Ohioan alt-rock duo returned with their 12th studio album. I haven’t listened to them now in probably a decade, at least since I was a teenager, and they’ve changed a fair bit since ‘Gold on the Ceiling’, that’s for sure! There’s a lot less of a focus on rock, or at least the higher tempo, more energetic end of it that they had on their early work. It’s a much more softer indie rock. However, that isn’t an issue at all. Bands evolve, and this certainly isn’t a bad album. It reminds me a lot of some of the slower stuff off RHCP’s Stadium Arcadium.

However, having said that, I’m finding it hard to pick out specific highlights. None of the tracks stand out to me massively over others. I don’t think I’d go out of my way to listen to individual songs again, but I’d happily stick the whole album on again and again if I wanted to chill out or was on a long car journey. It feels designed to be listened to as a whole, which is a nice change of pace in today’s musical climate. I still wouldn’t put it up there with El Camino or Attack & Release, but it’s a damn fun album and if you like a softer, indie rock sound, you’ll love this! 7.5/10

Alpha Wolf: Half Living Things

I was semi-curious about this release, having heard a couple of the singles before it’s release. “The one with Ice T” I loved from the start; it was right up my street. But then I heard “The slower, ambient, Bad Omens type one” and it dropped my hype all the way down. The two tracks are one after another towards the midpoint of the album, and while I appreciate the band slowing things down and changing things up, adding some dynamics and pacing to the album, it does kinda reflect the best and average of it.

However, as an album overall, it’s chaotic, heavy brilliance. It has the manicness of modern nu-metal, heavy Tallah vibes. However, it also has the heaviness and aggression of new-wave metalcore. It’s a fascinating, amazing combination, to say the least. Outside of the aforementioned slower track, actually titled ‘Whenever You’re Ready’, the whole album goes hard and produces MANY highlights. Songs like ‘Double-Edge Demise’, ‘Mangekyõ’ and ‘A Terrible Day For Rain’ are all personal highlights, alongside the Bodycount-esque ‘Sucks 2 Suck’. However, it’s a great album overall, and even the slower one is growing on me with more listens. If you like you metal with heaviness, chaos and attitude, this is certainly the album for you. It’ll be high in our list of best albums come December, I’m sure! 9.5/10

The Libertines: All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade

The indie/post-punk legends are back with their fourth album, and first in nearly a decade. With how big of a name they are, I really thought they’d have had a bigger output than this! However, the band clearly favour quality over quantity, and this release is no different! It’s an incredibly well put together, thought out, polished album. Every track is as good as the last, and if you’re into the band or the genre as a whole, you’ll love it! It’s not especially my thing overall, but it’s a good album to throw on in the background or chill out to. Highlights for me include the opener, ‘Man with the Melody’ and ‘Be Young’. For a band this deep into their career, it might be a touch predictable, but given that I haven’t listen to a lot of them before now aside their big songs, I enjoyed it! 7/10

Ingested: The Tide of Death and Fractured Dreams

We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Find our review of it here!

Blacktop Mojo: Pollen

The fifth album from the Texan hard rock band would fit them in perfectly with the newer crop of NWOCR bands. The opening two tracks give off big These Wicked Rivers, Bad Touch and The Answer vibes, southern rock-tinged goodness. Heck, ‘As the Light Fades’ is a straight up Blackberry Smoke style country rock song! However, at the same time, tracks like ‘I Can’t Tell’ and ‘Red Enough’ go back to their post-grunge roots, reminding me more of Seether, Hoobastank or even Those Damn Crows.

And, I loved every second of it all. Anyone who knows Overtone knows how much we love all of the bands and genres already mentioned above, and this album does all of it so well! Whether it’s ‘Weary I Roam’, ‘I Can’t Tell’, ‘Born to Lose’, ‘Something’s Changed’ or any of the tracks I’ve previously mentioned, all are massive highlights. Heck, there truly isn’t a bad song on the album! I love how varied it is, feeling constantly different and interesting while still somehow all sounding distinctively Blacktop Mojo. I am endlessly jealous of bands that can genre-hop like this across the same album, and it makes for one of the most entertaining listens I’ve had this year so far. I’mma be listening to this a LOT moving forward, and I’d recommend it to anyone! I can’t give it any less than 10/10. Wow.

Bob Vylan: Humble as the Sun

Long-time readers here will know my general feelings around Bob Vylan. For those who don’t want to help us out and click the link, essentially I don’t get why he’s been so feverishly taken in by the UK rock scene. It baffles me. It’s grime/hip-hop and doesn’t go as hard or heavy as other bands on the periphery of rock like Prodigy or even Die Antwoord. But the acceptance into the scene (they’re even headlining Primordial-fest this year) is the reason I’m leaving this review. I guess there’s a guitar a fair amount through it? Either way, it isn’t rock, just ‘punk-infused’ at times at a push.

Having said all of that, it isn’t even bad music. It’s not hugely my sort of thing, but I’d rather listen to this than most of the tripe on mainstream radio these days. And there are a good few decent tracks on the album. Heck, ‘Hunger Games’ even has a decent riff in it, and the lyrics are punk AF. There’s some meh on it too, don’t get me wrong, but I certainly enjoyed it more than his last release. And I’ve heard he’s supposed to be amazing live, which I can imagine given the style and attitude. Maybe that would win me round to being an actual fan. For now, it’s more passing, morbid curiosity and the odd enjoyment! 4/10

Chayce Beckham: Bad for Me

The debut album of the country star is a phenomenal release. While still following a familiar radio structure to so many of his peers recently, there is a certain not only traditional but also rock edge to his sound, which I LOVED. Whether it’s strings, electric guitar or acoustic drums, it all combines together perfectly to make a definite country-rock-pop sound. ‘Devil I’ve Been’ is the perfect opener for the album and showcases exactly what Chayce is all about in both style and tone. Then you have tracked like ‘Waylon in ’75’, ‘Drink you Off my Mind’ and ‘Something Worth Holding On To’ that are all fantastic tracks and more easy highlights.

He reminds me of a combination of Luke Combs, Shane Smith and, surprisingly, Keifer Sutherland. And, massive props to him for keeping this at only 13 tracks. There are far too many country albums that are far too long, so this is a wonderfully refreshing release. Every track is amazing, and all of them flow together perfectly; it’s really well arranged. I’mma certainly be listening to this a lot moving forward, and I’d recommend it to any country fan out there! 9/10

Hawkwind: Stories from Time and Space

I sadly knew I wouldn’t like this heading into it, and it certainly didn’t change my mind. While I do enjoy a lot of elements and styles of prog rock, ‘space rock’ is not one of them. How this band was how Lemmy started his career is beyond me. I completely get that this band has many, many fans that will likely love this, but I am not one of them. I got bored pretty quickly and really had to fight to listen to the whole album. The closest thing to good for me was most likely ‘The Starship’. An hour of this music was just too much for my tiny brain to bare. 3/10

Strung Out: Dead Rebellion

A band that I have been vaguely familiar with for a few years now since Spotify recommended me a couple of their songs to me. Sadly I haven’t had the chance to check out much more from them since, so I’m excited to check out the tenth album from the band.

Their style has mostly stayed the same in the two decades since they released the music I know. However, the combination of punk with hard/radio/dad/butt rock is great and somehow still feels fresh all these years later. The riffs are awesome and touch on metalcore at times, the drums keep a quick, punky pace and the vocals and lyrics are great throughout. The band clearly inspired the sound of bands like Rise Against and Billy Talent (alongside Bad Religion of course), while still being able to sound pretty unique. Songs like ‘New Gods’ and ‘Resistance’ are big personal highlights for me. Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t reinvent the wheel or anything. But it’s a solid album and when I haven’t listened to one of theirs in full before, I found myself enjoying it! Fans of the band will have to let us know how it compares to their others! I’ll certainly be checking them out after this, too! For now, 8/10

Feeder: Black/Red

The alt-rock Brits returned with their 12th album last week. We checked out their last one (find it here) and, as you can see, really enjoyed it! Sadly, I didn’t come away with the same pumped, excited feeling after this release. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad album. But it kinda just feels there, as opposed to something that demands my attention. There are still some good riffs and a couple of catchy hooks, but nothing stood out to me as a whole, really. ‘Vultures’ is probably the closest to a song I’d listen to over and over.

It reminds me of Bush’s last album, like even down to the colour scheme, as well as feel and sound. However, it didn’t have the same impact on me or stand out nearly as much as The Art of Survival. I’m sure it will have fans, and I didn’t hate it; I wouldn’t turn it off if it came on. But I shan’t rush to listen to this again. 6/10, not bad.

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The Tide of Death and Fractured Dreams: The Album to Launch Ingested to the Top of Their Genre?

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The death metal Brits, Ingested, are back with their eighth studio album. We checked out their previous album (Find it here) and while I remember enjoying it, I haven’t once gone back for a listen since. But, when I heard about their new album coming out, I was pretty excited, and knew I’d have to dive into it in more depth this time. Let’s do this!

The heaviness starts immediately; the listener being punched in the face by the massive riff to open single ‘Paragon of Purity’. It’s immediately crushing, especially with Jason’s incredible screams over the top. Whether early Cannibal Corpse low or more of a higher modern scream, he pulls them both off here in the first minute to perfection, and they both fit the music incredibly well. I can’t get over the slower, stompier riff behind the chorus. Though then again, 99% of this track made my face scrunch up in the heavy face. It’s brutally heavy and the perfect way to open an album like this. It’s showcases everything the band are about and do so well. The riffs, the screams, the melodic guitar leads, all of it is *chefs kiss*. And that breakdown at the end, FILTHY.

We get little reprieve with ‘Endless Machine’. If anything it goes even harder than the previous song, the vocals giving such a heavy edge to the crushing riffs and plodding drums. We even get a great little guitar solo tucked in the middle of this, technical and fitting the track perfectly. Meanwhile, the insane heaviness of everything after the solo was incredible. It’s another awesome song and one that easily makes our playlist!

‘Where No Light Shines’ opens fittingly ominously; a high guitar melody ringing out over ambient sound. It isn’t long before the huge riffs and screams come in, but it all sounds so perfect over the top of the melody, almost like it’s a missing piece of the jigsaw. It builds and builds into utter, brutal chaos before dropping out into a filthy riff around the 1:30 minute mark. Brutal face again. The band somehow create such dynamics while still having it all be crushingly heavy, it’s amazing. And of course it has a brutal, incredible breakdown that very much melted my face. This band do heavy so very well, and I honestly cannot get enough!

Sylosis’ incredible Josh Middleton lends his talents to ‘Expect to Fail’. It’s another crushingly brutal track in the veins of the others so far, but Josh does add a fun new dynamic to the proceedings. The same can actually be said about a lot of the rest of the album. While it’s certainly all great, a lot of the tracks do sound similar and blend together a touch. Having said that, I really liked the inclusion of the clean vocals in the chorus of ‘Starve the Fire’. It added a layer of catchiness to the heaviness that I wasn’t expecting. It made it another easy highlight track of the album. Heck, Mark Hunter of Chimaira also does a great job at that in ‘In Nothingness’. As much as I love their heaviness, the contrast of the odd cleaner vocal is incredible and really makes the track memorable.

The two other tracks that stood out to me were ‘Numinous’ and the epic closing song. Both are on the slower end of the bands sound, which instantly piqued my interested. And while the former does get heavier, it still maintains a slower, groovier edge. Meanwhile, ‘A Path Once Lost’ is just clean guitar and vocals for well over two minutes. Once again it explodes in out of nowhere, punching the listener in the face with the awesome heaviness. And yet, it still has some clean vocals, almost making the track sound Karnivool-like which is awesome! It’s an excellent song and the perfect way to close this epic and heavy of an album. Oh, and it’s another easily playlisted highlight track.

Overall: I loved this! I typically don’t get into stuff this heavy for a full album, but this one held my attention throughout and constantly kept things interesting. The riffing, drums and screams were all incredible and crushingly heavy, while the odd moments of levity between them were incredible. I wasn’t too familiar with the band before now outside of that review of their previous album, and they certainly have a new fan in me! They’re going to be major players in the heavy music scene sooner rather than later!

The Score: 8.5/10

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New Music Mondays: Cheryl Crow, Sum 41 and More!

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Two weeks in a row now that we’re inundated in new country albums. Yet again, I’m not complaining! We still have some power metal, metalcore and good old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll spread through, too! Let’s dive right in!

Sheryl Crow: Evolution

I’ve never been the biggest Cheryl Crow fan in the world. This album hasn’t changed my mind. Don’t get me wrong, she has an absolutely incredible voice and some great hits from back in the day. But man, her albums have always been a bit of a slog. And, 30 years after her breakout hits, she still sounds like a combination of Shania Twain, Lenny Kravitz and Alanis Morrisette. I do find it slightly ironic that the album is called Evolution yet sounds exactly the same as everything else she’s put out. It’s 2024, do we really need any more of this late 90s/early 2000s pop rock?

I honestly couldn’t pick this out of a lineup of any of her other songs. All of the tracks kinda blend together, and most of the lyrics were juvenile at best. The only real one I found that stood out and I enjoyed was the closer, ‘Waiting in the Wings’. And even then, it’s probably because it was the most country-leaning track. None of it was bad, per-say, but it just feels like a wholly unneeded album. Still, if anyone reading this is a fan of her other work or any of the other artists I named in a big way, you’ll probably enjoy it. It’s not a bad album, just a safe, boring one. 3.5/10

Sum 41: Heaven :x: Hell

The final album from the pop-punk legends is a bittersweet affair. Having grown up with the band, it’s horrible to hear their last hurah (for now, at least. This is the music industry, after all…). However, what a fantastic swan song. It’s a 20-track, double album that spans all of the styles and sounds the band have covered over their illustrious career, and I love it. Whether it’s heavier, Anti-Flag-style songs like ‘Future Primetive’ or the AMAZING single ‘Rise Up’ or more typical pop-punk stuff like ‘I Can’t Wait’ or ‘Dopemine’, it’s all awesome and packed full of highlights.

Don’t get me wrong, a couple of the songs are a little Ticket to My Downfall, which isn’t a good thing. It may be a little too long, controversially. However, it’s new, final Sum 41, so I still loved it. The band are going out on a high and at the top of their games, which doesn’t happen often these days, and I admire the crap out of them for that. If you are a fan of the band or pop punk in general, I cannot recommend this album enough! I’mma be listening to it a lot going forward. 9/10

While She Sleeps: SELF HELL

Considering I was a metalcore kid, I never quite ‘got’ WSS. I was hoping that would change with the inevitable yet slower-than-usual transition into more of a BMTH sound, especially given that they seem to have gotten stuck around Sempiternal, but that sadly hasn’t happened. I got pretty excited too because when I first stuck it on, I really loved the intro track and where it was headed. Then sadly, that destination was nowhere, building up to stop, and then the following track being anti-climactic, Linkin Park-esque nothingness.

Don’t get me wrong, there were tracks I enjoyed on here. ‘RAINBOWS’ and the heavier, Malevolence-featuring ‘DOWN’ are two songs I’ve listened to a lot over this last weekend. ‘ENEMY MENTALITY’ is a fun, almost modern BFMV, too. However, there is a lot of meh on this album, including multiple interludes that feel like they go nowhere. I know the band are getting quite big and have a lot of momentum currently, but this release doesn’t reflect that at all to me. Hopefully actual fans of the band enjoy it more than I do! 6/10

Rage: Afterlifelines

We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read the full review of it here!

Aaron Lewis: The Hill

The Staind frontman is back with another helping of his country-based solo work. If you can get past the overly patriotic, questionably political and generally cringy lyrics, it’s a pretty decent album. His voice is just as well suited to country as it is radio/dad rock. Tracks like ‘Spinnin”, ‘Only In My Mind’ and the bouncier, rockier ‘Outlaw’ are all big highlights of the album. However, with just his vocals, guitars and strings, it does get a tad samey and drags a little by the end. None of it is bad, but I wish we’d have had a little more dynamics, or heck, even some drums, just to fill things out a little more or add to the dramatics. Still, I’ve seen a lot of people praising the album so far and rightfully so, it’s a good country release! 8/10

Asomvel: Born to Rock ‘n’ Roll

One of the fastest rising stars in the UK underground rock scene currently, Asomvel finally released their highly anticipated new album last Friday. And, surprising to I’m sure no one, it’s fucking awesome! It’s the perfect blend of Motorhead and Airborne, yet also feels like a modernised version of both. It’s dripping with attitude and has a real old-school feel to it while somehow still fitting in perfectly with today’s music and climate.

It’s a balls-to-the-wall, foot stomping album from start to finish, and is full of energy and adrenaline. Of course, there is something to be said of it all being similar, and I have certainly called out other releases for doing just that in the past. However, the 45-minutes went by in a flash and I loved every minute of it! There isn’t a bad song on the album, but tracks like the opener, ‘Cold Day in Hell’ and ‘Outside the Law’ are all massive personal highlights. If this is anything to go by, this hand are going to be MASSIVE in the very near future. Any rock fan out there will love this just as much as I did. I’d recommend it to anyone! 9.5/10, great stuff!

Ash Tustain: Piece of Me

We’ve also done this album in full too, aren’t you lucky? Check it out here!

Preacher Stone: V

The southern rockers are finally back with their first new album in eight years. The hype around it has been pretty massive, with three huge, awesome singles having been dropped already. I can’t wait to hear the rest!

It’s just as good as I was expecting it to be! ‘Hard Life PhD’ is the perfect opener, setting up the sound and feel of the album fantastically. Tracks like ‘Ain’t as Easy as it Looks’, the stomping, swaggering ‘Horse to Water’, and ‘Dance with the Devil’ are also personal highlights. However, there really isn’t a bad track on the album! It’s also put together really well, with every track flowing perfectly one after another. I didn’t get bored at all and listened to it all in one sitting like no time passed at all! If you’re into anything Southern or hard rocking or even country, check this out, you won’t be disappointed! 8/10

Dylan Scott: Livin’ My Best Life (Still)

I guess a sequel album of sorts, as ‘…Still’ clearly follows on from Dylan’s 2022 release in a major way. It continues the bro country/rock country sound and trend of his previous two albums, so if that’s your thing, you’ll surely love this! Honestly, I thought this was right up my alley going into it, but personally, the album was… fine? None of it was bad, don’t get me wrong. It’s always nice to have a darker, rockier, Brantley Gilbert-like sound in country, and Dylan and the musicians he’s used are all fantastic performers and writers. But it’s a slightly outdated country style these days, the lyrics being a touch on the cringy side at times. And there is a lot of music that sounds like this that I don’t think this album will quite cut through the white noise. Tracks like the opener and ‘Killin’ Some Time’ are personal highlights, but a lot of it sounds similar and blended together. I wouldn’t turn off the album if it came on. However, I don’t think I’d go out of my way to listen to it in full much again after this. Especially at 24 TRACKS. MY GOD COUNTRY, STOP THIS. 6.5/10

Beyoncé: COWBOY CARTER

I never thought I’d be writing about Beyoncé on this site. However, given that this is advertised and claims to be a country album, I thought I’d give it a crack.

Lol, this was shit. If you’re a Beyoncé fan you’ll probably enjoy it, but if you’re a country fan, keep a wide birth. To call it country is laughable and almost insulting to the genre. It’s an R&B album that claims to be country because it’s an acoustic guitar at its heart instead of a clean electric one or electronic samples. And the fact that it’s probably going to be the ‘biggest country album of the year’ makes me sick. I’ve heard the dreadful, nonsensical ‘TEXAS HOLD ‘EM’ so much on social media and, unlike most songs that go viral, I haven’t even been Stockholm Syndromed into liking it. That’s how bad it is. The covers were the best part and that’s because she was nowhere near the writing process for them. And heck, if you want to listen to ‘Joline’ or ‘Blackbird’, I highly recommend listening to the original instead.

This will certainly have the mainstream media in love with it, but as a country fan, this is terrible. Honestly, it may be the worst album I’ve ever reviewed, and I don’t say that lightly. 1/10

Reviews

Piece of Me: How does Ash Tustain’s Solo Debut Compare to Dig Lazarus?

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The Dig Lazarus frontman, Ash Tustain, has decided to venture out on his own, plugging away at a solo album the last year or two and building plenty of hype for it in the process. I’m a huge fan of his band and we’ve become pretty close to them through this channel, so I’ve been rather impatiently waiting for this for a little while now! We got it across our emails and I knew I had to do a review of it ASAP, so let’s dive right in!

‘Supposed to Be’ opens on a pretty decent chord progression, the rest of the instruments filling out the sound perfectly. It gives off immediate early late1990s/early 2000s radio-rock vibes. Think Hootie & The Blowfish or Third Eye Blind. Not at all what I was expecting for a usually heavy blues/grungy frontman! It’s a nice change of pace though, and shows off Ash’s impressive range. His vocals fit perfectly over the top of the chilled instrumentation, too, almost having a Brit-pop edge to things. The multi-tracked vocals for the chorus are perfect for the track and immensely catchy. The lyrics are fantastic too, pretty uplifting and upbeat. It’s a fantastic song, and a great choice for an album opener!

‘Borrowed Time’ jumps straight into the infectiously catchy chorus, hooking the listener in immediately. The track still has a chilled-out feel to it, the rest of it all feeling like it builds perfectly to that excellent chorus. It’s going to be stuck in my head for the rest of the day, I’m sure of it! The rest of the track is of course awesome, but everything from the vocal melody to the lyrics to the chord progression of the chorus is definitely where it’s at. It easily makes our playlist!

Check out our interview with Dig Lazarus here!

Tracks like ‘Love More Than I Hate You’ and ‘Eggshells’ have more folky feels to them than the more pop-rock of the early album. The former really reminds me of some of the more reflective Frank Turner tracks, and I love it. The strings in the back of the chorus are a beautiful touch, too. It’s the second in a row that makes our playlist and is a massive highlight of the album. Meanwhile, the latter closes the album in rather epic fashion.

The likes of ‘Three Words’, ‘Are you Awake’ and ‘Let You Go’ go back to the radio-rock-pop formula from the opening tracks, and again, simply nail it. They’re all amazingly enjoyable songs, with the emotional ballad ‘Are you Awake’ being my personal favourite of the three. The lyrics for it are fantastic and the delivery of them from Ash is incredible. 

The other three songs on the album, ‘Booshelf’, ‘Warning’ and the title track, all draw more from Ash’s rock roots. The former perfectly skirts the line between grunge and early 2000s alt-rock, giving off heavy Staind vibes in the best ways. However, it still maintains the bouncy, Brit-pop-style chorus, which was really interesting and made for a fun listen! Meanwhile the title track is much more of a straight-up rock song, an awesome riff running through it and it’s dripping in swagger and energy. It also has an awesome, foot-stomping chorus, another song that easily makes it onto our playlist! The penultimate track on the album is similar, though has a slower, suaver pace to it. All three songs are amazing and all are highlights, filling the gap between more Dig Lazarus music for a tad longer.

And check out a review of his band live here!

Overall: I loved this! It’s a pretty relaxed album for the most part, and is compact as anything. Only 10 tracks long, it feels like every song was meticulously selected as there really isn’t a bad one on it. It’s been arranged amazingly too; it flows well yet never once gets boring, the style and tempo changing in the perfect places. Ash has done a fantastic job here and has a really promising solo career if he wanted to carry on down this path! 

The Score: 8.5/10

Reviews

Afterlifelines: Double-Album Awesomeness from Rage!

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The legends of power metal, Rage, are back with their whopping 26th studio release. Rarely, if ever,have a band been this consistent with musical output over the course of four decades. And, it’s even rarer that a band stay this consistently high quality throughout almost that entire time, too! I’m a big fan of the band, and we haven’t had any new music from them for three years at this point, so I’m excited to dive in! And strap yourselves in guys, it’s a double album, so this one’s gonna be long!

After a suitable epic intro track, the guitars ring true immediately with a sick opening to ‘End of Illusions’. I know old-school fans will hate me for this, but it really did remind me of ‘Hail to the King’. Especially with the rest of the instruments building in. It builds into a massive, lightening quick riff, almost thrash at the pace it sets. Both the drumming and guitaring is off the charts immediately, not at all making me jealous of their talent. The vocals fit perfectly over the top, adding an almost NWOBHM vibe to the proceedings. And the chorus is big, open and pretty damn catchy. The few screams fit perfectly too, and the one after the second chorus leads into the heavy breakdown amazingly. What a breakdown riff too, damn! It also had a sick guitar solo over it, because why not, and then the final chorus takes us home in style. This was an awesome way to open the album, and an easy choice for our playlist!

The epic, heavy riffs continue immediately with ‘Under a Black Crown’. The guitars almost have a black metal feel to them, which was awesome. A speedy pre leads to another awesome, infectiously catchy chorus. I prefer this to the previous one, and the vocals are very much giving off Paul Di’Anno vibes. It’s certainly a good thing, as it’s like a heavier early-Maiden style. We get another incredible breakdown in the middle of this too, them definitely being a massive highlight of the album so far. I love that the power metal just takes a sharp turn into deathcore for a few seconds, more genres need to adopt the tactic! It’s another great song, as the chorus is going to be stuck in my head for hours to come, I’m sure!

Check out a similar review here!

One half of the title track, ‘Afterlife’ is up next. It opens on a really awesome riff, giving off heavy metalcore vibes. The vocals fit perfectly over the top of it, all building to a bigger, more power metal chorus. However, the lead guitar lines through it are so very early BFMV/Killswitch Engage that it very much retains that metalcore edge. I love it; the two styles blend together rather perfectly and I’m shocked we haven’t had more of it before now. The now typical breakdown and shredding guitar solo ring true to fill the gap between choruses, showing off the insanely high musicianship in the band. The harmonies in the solo were also incredible. It’s another song that I just have to put on our playlist!

Tracks like ‘Dead Man’s Eyes’, ‘Mortal’ and ‘Toxic Ways’ are all great, but it was at this point that I was starting to feel the length of the album a little. Honestly, the whole rest of the first ‘disc’ is all pretty similar. I completely get that after 40 years as a band, the trio have a very refined sound, and it’s a fucking awesome one at that, so of course that’s what they’re going to write. As I said, none are bad by any stretch; in fact, all are awesome, to put it lightly. Heck, ‘Justice Will be Mine’ is one of my favourite tracks on the album and another easy highlight. Clearly, the concept of the album is too much for my impatient brain!

Speaking of the concept, it all changes with ‘disc’ two and ‘Cold Desire’. Opening on a beautiful piano and string arrangement instead of a crushing riff, it’s more like orchestral folk than power metal. Having said that, it still has a dark, almost Nightmare Before Christmas vibe to it. The metal soon comes in to accompany it, a massive riff and drumbeat filling out the sound. It still has all the prototypical big choruses and heavy riffs of the first half of the album, but the symphonic parts add a hell of a lot more to the sound, filling it out and making it suddenly a lot more power metal-y.

Also, check out our review of the band’s previous album here.

Much of the rest of the album has a similar feeling, too. As I said, that isn’t a bad thing, I just run out of things to talk about when an album is a lot of the same!

The two tracks that buck that trend are ‘Dying to Live’ and the proggy epic, ‘Lifelines’. The former is the ballad of the album, a beautiful acoustic track enhanced no end by the orchestral arrangement behind it. It still builds in the distorted guitars and drums around the halfway point, but the slower pace and more emotional delivery and feel keeps it a ballad. It’s amazing, and another huge highlight of the album!

Meanwhile, ‘Lifelines’ feels like it combines every sound that has come before and after it into an incredible near-10 minutes of music. Want huge riffs and heavy breakdowns? Check. Want epic, arena-filling choruses and bridges? You got it. Want beautiful orchestral pieces and stripped-back, cleaner rock parts? Sure, it’s here too. It’s a truly fantastic song and one of the most impressive prog-power metal songs I’ve heard. If you can stand the length, check this out!

Overall: This was amazing. Though I have been slightly critical of the In Your Honor-style structure of it, it’s a fantastic idea for the band to do, and they pull it off masterfully. I truly think there isn’t a bad song on the album; it’s 90+ minutes of pure metal awesomeness. It is certainly a tall task to get through it all at once, and one I will probably not attempt again in all honesty. However, I’ll be listening to a lot of these tracks a lot in the coming months. If you are a fan of the band or genre in any way, you’ll love this!

The Score: 8.5/10

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Dragonforce, Kacey Musgraves and More!

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Another stacked week of New Music Mondays, covering everything from country to death metal. Let’s check it out!

Dragonforce: Warp Speed Warriors

The British power metal legends returned with their first album in half a decade this last Friday. Any fans of the band already should know exactly what to expect. They have unashamedly stuck to pretty much the exact same sound and formula throughout their careers, the ACDC/Slayer of power metal, if you will. However, every single band member is insanely talented players and songwriters, with Li of course having reached guitar god status years ago. And while, even five albums in now, I can’t quite get into it as much without ZP’s vocals on it, Marc is the best I’ve heard him on this album, and it’s easily the best he’s fit.

The album has plenty of awesome tracks, too. The Gloryhammer-esque ‘Power of the Triforce’ and epic, slower, movie-soundtrack-like ‘Kingdom of Steel’ is a fantastic one-two punch early on. ‘The Killer Queen’ is also a big highlight. However, unless it is a tongue-in-cheek parody song, I have to say ‘Space Marine Corp’ is one of the cringiest songs I’ve heard in a while. But still, in general it’s a great power metal album, and honestly up there with some of the bands best work. Everyone does a great job and it’s packed full of awesome songs. 8/10

Kacey Musgraves: Deeper Well

The country/Americana/folk singer-songwriter is back with her fifth studio album. Considering how massive a name she is, and I certainly knew the name, I can’t think of a song she’s done that I’d heard. Though, having listened to this, I may have heard loads of her stuff and just forgot about it. It’s very… okay. It’s simple and slowish, which does contrast interestingly with the massive choruses of stadium country or even the likes of Chris Stapelton or Drake Milligan. Reaching this size without that is at least admirable. But it’s just like more boring, less well-written Cam. I had this whole album on while I was doing work and honestly couldn’t tell you a single standout track or thing about it. It’s not bad, per say, it’s simply rather dull and not really my sort of thing. 4/10 is the highest I can give it, as it isn’t badly written and I’m sure plenty will love it!

Scott Stapp: Higher Power

We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read our full review here!

Mad Caddies: Arrows Room 117

The Caddies have been one of my favourite bands for close to a decade now, so when this album was announced, I was understandably excited. Having almost completely abandoned their punk roots at this point, the bands slower, chilled-out, almost easy listening ska/reggae sound is still a huge amount of fun to listen to. The closest they get to punk is on the Social Distortion-esque ‘Backroads’ or ‘Baby’. Heck, the latter even has a slight country tinge. Outside of that, it’s just relaxed ska indicative of their SoCal style. If anything I find it admirable that a band nearly three decades into their careers are continuing to evolve and write what they want to. Too much recently have we heard punk bands try to go back to their agro, adolescent roots to, more often than not, middling results at best.

The album is packed full of highlights, with there not being a bad song on it. However, personal highlights include the previously mentioned songs, ‘Palmtrees and Pines’ and ‘Everywhere You Go’. Honestly though, the whole album is good and worth a listen through from start to finish. If you’re a fan of ska, Reggae or punk, you certainly won’t be disappointed. It’s the first release of original music in a decade, and it’s a worthy successor to Dirty Rice! 9/10

Necrophobic: In the Twilight Grey

The Blackened death metal Swedes put out a pretty interesting and good album to mark their 10th release! It’s very much like if Amon Amarth had a baby with a black metal band, and I kinda love it. Tracks like the opener and ‘Stormcrow’ blew me away and were clear highlights! Having said that though, there really isn’t a bad track on the whole thing. Honestly, there isn’t much to say about the album aside for that if you like any of the genres or bands I’ve already named, you’ll probably love this. I’m not even typically a black/blackened metal fan, but this was interesting enough for me to love. If you’re a fan of the heavy, you’ll like this! 7.5/10

The Black Crowes: Happiness Bastards

The southern rock legends are back with their ninth studio album, and first in a decade and a half. Honestly, it was so good to hear the band were coming back at all after all their issues in the last decade or so, but to have new music released is truly awesome. And what an album it is, too! Whether it’s the classic Crowes sound like their opener, a more punk-infused sound on ‘Rats and Clowns’ or all-out acoustic-country-ballad goodness with ‘Wilted Rose’, there’s plenty to keep someone entertained. The latter also features everyone’s favourite country lady at the minute, Lainey Wilson, and is a fantastic song!

It’s one of the strongest return albums I’ve ever heard, and every track is really amazing. Songs like the opener and ‘Dirty Cold Sun’ are also huge highlights. It’s awesome to hear a band that clearly influenced some of my more local favourites like Bad Touch and The Answer back and going strong again. If you’re a fan of southern or hard rock, or country or rock just in general, I’m convinced you’ll love this album as much as I do! 8.5/10

Luke Dick: Lockeland

I spent the entire album trying to work out if this classed as country or not. I came to the conclusion that a) it doesn’t matter, and b) it’s closer to an acoustic easy-listening, Jack Johnson-esque sound most of the time. Either way, it’s a great listen. It’s an incredibly relaxed album with some beautifully written lyrics and guitars. It’s short too; only eight tracks and 27-minutes. It’s only just an album, but it also makes it nearly impossible to pick out highlights. It’s the antithesis of all killer, no filler, and each track feels meticulously selected. Having said that, I haven’t stopped listening to the opener or ‘True Companion’ all weekend! It’s certainly an album worth listening to in full, though! It’s certainly not going to be for every reader, but I loved it! 8.5/10