A stacked week of EPs for us to check out, from metal to indie to rock. Lets check it all out!
PRESIDENT: King of Terrors
The new mystery masked band (definitely not fronted by Charlie Simpson) have dropped their debut EP this weekend. Does it live up to the insane hype around them? Personally, no, but I’m certainly not the target audience for this sort of music. It’s very Sleep Token, and y’all know how I feel about them. It’s a touch more interesting and heavy than them, but still incorporates a lot of the same pop and electronic elements around the big riffs and occasional screams. It’s not bad, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t think it’s quite worth all the hype. ‘Fearless’ was a fun, almost Skillet-esque track, while the riffing in ‘Dionysus’ was good too. However, the good moments were few and far between, and there are only so many trap and hip-hop beats I can hear in metal before I immediately get bored of them. If you are into this sort of thing awesome, you’ll surely get a lot out of it, but it wasn’t for me at all. I can’t give it any more than 5/10, sorry lads!
Wells Ferrari: Wasted Time
The sophomore EP from the indie-Americana duo is just as good as their last, drawing together their last string of single releases into the perfect 23-minute release. The band’s sound is excellent, being a slightly more chilled out version of the likes of Mumford & Sons or even Evan Honer. The lyrics throughout are fantastic and packed full of emotion, while the pairs vocal harmonies are a solid highlight time and time again. From the excellent title track to ‘Bending’ to the epic ‘Cloud of Rain’, there are so many fantastic songs. However, there really isn’t a bad song on here; all of them are excellent. It’s the perfect release to throw on and sit back and chill-out to. The band are on track to become massive in the scene sooner rather than later, and this release will surely push them closer to that. If you are at all into the genres I’ve mentioned check this out as soon as you can! 8.5/10
Delilah Bon: PRINCELESS PRINCESS
Delilah follows up her phenomenal 2024 albumwith this four-track collection released between all her heavy touring schedule. It honestly feels like it acts as an extention of EHFF, bridging the gap between that and whatever is next. I do have to say it’s not quite as memorable as the album, but is still a damn good release! The opener/title track is awesome and been stuck in my head since I first checked it out. ‘CINDERELLA’ is a fantastic track too that I’m sure will go down a storm live. Meanwhile ‘BUSH’ is tongue in cheek and got a chuckle out of me, though I’m sure she makes some good points for women.
It’s impossible for Delilah to put out something I don’t love though, as her vocal ability is so insanely underrated. From her rapping to screaming, it’s all so good, and she’s very much kept it all turned up to 11. And she is PISSED throughout this, it making the delivery of her fantastic lyric writing even better. The instrumentation is great too, the electronic and heavy punk guitars fitting together perfectly, making an amazing backdrop for the vocals.
It’s a short release that has immediately made me come away wanting more, but for now I am more than glad to settle with this. A great addition to her already stellar discography! 8.5/10
Last Hyena: Suspect Your Elders
The first live gig we covered here at Overtone, this band have a special place in my heart for that. Add to that the fact that they are insane instrumentalists and songwriters, and I was damn hyped for this release. They didn’t disappoint at all, this is awesome! The mainly instrumental 16 minutes is a solidly awesome listen of proggy, mathy stoner rock, and blew my mind in multiple places. We even got some gang vocals on the opening track, a big highlight and made the track somehow even better. There isn’t a bad one on here, though. It certainly won’t be for everyone, but if you are at all curious I cannot recommend checking it out enough! The riffing throughout is top notch, and everyone is working their asses off from start to finish. A very easy 8/10!
House of Hosts: Reckoning
The debut EP from the hard rock/alt metallers is a home run right out of the gate! This is a fantastic release from start to finish, packed full of a big riffs, arena-filling melodies and some great screams here and there. I love this new generation of bands that are inspired by the likes of Godsmack, Nonpoint and Breaking Benjamin, and I would argue this release is up there with a lot of what those bands have put out! There’s even a slight hint of Tool at times, which I love! All four tracks are amazing and highlights in their own right, picking just one or two is impossible. If you are at all into hard rock or metal, stop reading this right now and check this release out immediately, it really is that good! I’m going to be spinning this a lot in the coming weeks and months, and I can’t give it any less than 9/10. If it was a full release, it may have even gotten top marks!
Eirra: Instructions Unclear
The indie-pop songwriter put out her debut EP this weekend, and it makes for a fun, chilled-out release! It’s not typically the sort of thing I listen to, but I honestly had a blast listening to this! From the quirky electro-pop of ‘Mona Lisa’ to the more acoustic indie-folk of ‘Soho’ and ‘Somehow, Someday’, there’s a hell of a lot to love. It’s easy to see why she’s a rising star pegged for big things in the future, and as a first non-single release, this is a fantastic start! If you are into the lighter stuff, check this out, you won’t be disappointed! Throw it on and just sit back and relax and get lost in it, I know I did! A surprisingly (for me) solid 8/10 from us!
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 Iliked 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!
Another stacked week of New Music Mondays for us to check out, with massive, great albums in the rock, metal and country scenes. Let’s dive in!
Alice Cooper: The Revenge of Alice Cooper
This is the first Alice Cooper band, not solo release, in over half a century. An absolutely WILD thought that I also never thought would happen, so it certainly has a fair bit of hype around it! Four of the original members getting back together is an exciting prospect, and this marks Alice’s 30th studio album, with 22 of them being his solo work. I have now run out of insane facts, so let’s get into the album…
It certainly feels like old-school Alice Cooper, and in the best way possible! It’s dark, gritty, swaggering blues with a horror edge, and is fucking awesome! I’ve loved his previous solo albums, but this just has something about it that I love; the cheesiness of the horror-aura adds so much to his music that does feel relatively lacking in some of his newer stuff. Songs like single ‘Wild Ones’, ‘One Night Stand’, the more light-hearted ‘Crap that Gets in the Way of your Dreams’ and ‘Intergalactic Vagabond Blues’ are all personal highlights. And, even with this thing being 14 tracks and nearly an hour long, it goes by in a flash and is a very easy, fun listen! I’d argue it’s honestly up there with some of their best work, and it’s so nice to hear the quartet working together again after all these years. It’s insane that pushing 60 years into their careers, they are still putting out music this good! I’d recommend to anyone who’s a fan of Alice’s work, and it’s a solid 8.5/10!
Cody Jinks: In My Blood
The fastest turnover Cody has had for studio albums in a while now, it comes just over a year removed from Change the Game. It’s very clear that I’m a big fan of the guy, and have been excitedly anticipating this since he first announced it. It didn’t disappoint either, as this is nearly 50 minutes of awesome emotion-filled, neo-traditional country music. Crazily, my favourite tracks seemed to be the alternate ones, too. Don’t get me wrong, every track is great, but from literally ‘Lost Highway’ onwards, every alternate song stood out to me and hooked me in. That’s a lot of huge highlights on an 11-track album! His vocals are just as good as ever, and his lyric writing at times is up there with some of the best modern artists; the amount of emotion and vulnerability is insane. While I don’t think there is a single song on this as strong as ‘Change the Game’, I do believe as an album as a whole, I do prefer it, and it’s growing on me more still with each listen! A must for any country or even blues-infused rock fan reading this, and another incredibly easy 8.5/10 from us!
Tim Minchin: Time Machine
One of my favourite comedians of all time put out his second solo studio album this last Friday, following up 2020’s Apart Together. It begins as another release on the more serious side, as he has been gravitating towards in recent years. It’s very much on the soft rock side, a lot of acoustic guitar and piano, but is full of emotion, typically fantastic lyrics and some really epic arrangements. And what’s nice was that we got some older songs finally recorded in the studio, like personal favourites ‘Darkside’ and ‘Rock n Roll Nerd’.
That was when I looked into the album and realised the whole thing is songs Tim wrote just before he broke out two decades ago. That explains the mixed bag of emotions, as well as some slightly dated ideas. The classic comedy-set tracks are amazing as ever, and awesome to hear studio versions of. ‘Song of the Masochist’ is also a great addition which makes you wonder why it was never released before now. Plus, slower stuff like the opener and the jazzy ‘Moment of Bliss’ (mainly for the soloing) are also amazing songs in their own right, and fit well on this release. However, others, ‘Ruby’ and ‘Pop Song’ spring to mind, that feel off; like they’re performed so straight-faced and seriously, not letting his keen wit and huge personality shine through them.
And that’s where my issues with this release lie. It’s not a bad album, by any stretch, but Tim is so adamant on not being labeled as a ‘comedian’ any more (I get it, it can get to novelty act teritory) that it has resulted in this whole release feeling overly serious and neutered, even in its more light-hearty moments. There is no denying the sheer force or nature that is Tim’s talent, but the songs we’ve heard before pale in comparison to their more fun live counterparts, and for a large part the new stuff is forgettable, aside for ‘…Masochist’. As I said, not a bad album, and it may grow on me more with another listen or two, but not what I’d hoped for after five years of no new releases. 7/10
Tyler Childers: Snipe Hunter
The seventh studio album from the modern country megastar is a fun, rock-infused nearly hour of awesomeness. There’s a slight 2000s indie rock edge to it too which was a nice addition; Tyler having a pretty unique sound for sure. It’s like Neo-traditional mixed with Hootie and the Blowfish, which is awesome! I was somehow not too familiar with him, having missed his last album or two that released since we started Overtone, but I enjoyed a lot of this! From the opener to ‘Bitin’ List’ to ‘Down Under’ to the title track, there are plenty of high points! Yeah, it’s a little on the long side and there were probably a couple of tracks that I would have cut personally, but Tyler’s vocals have so much weight and emotion to every type of song he delivers, it’s hard not to get wrapped up in it all. It’s very traditional, but definitely in a good way. If you’re into your old-school country, this is well worth a listen, and I’ll certainly be spinning it again over the summer! 8/10
Shadecrown: 0
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read the full review here.
The Dirty Nil: The Lash
The Canadian alt rockers follow up Free Rein to Passions with yet another amazing studio release! ‘Gallop of the Hounds’ is a phenomenal, perfect opening track, setting the tone for other bangers like ‘Do You Still Want Me?’ and ‘Hero Narrative’. The bands unique blend of alt rock, punk and Midwest emo is amazing, and this album makes me remember why I fell in love with their previous album after not listening to it in so long. It’s a short, sweet album that doesn’t overstay its welcome and certainly leaves me wanting more. It’s a lot of fun to listen to but is still packed full of emotion, as well as some killer riffs. It’s not going to be for everyone, but I love this sort of thing and it gets another very easy 8/10 from me!
Roulette: GO!
The Swedish AOR legends put out their highly anticipated follow-up to 2019’s Now! the other day, and added another awesome chapter to their legacy. As a big fan of this style of music, of course I loved this, and Roulette do it better than almost anyone in 2025. From the incredible opener to ‘Strangers’ to ‘Don’t Be Sorry’, there is plenty to love here, and there really isn’t a bad song on the release. It’s 35 minutes of old-school, melodic rock goodness, and should be checked out by any rock fan out there! The band have been going a while but didn’t release much studio stuff until recently, but are quickly gaining a global following and it’s easy to see why! They’re hugely talented songwriters and players, and the album is produced perfectly. They have a huge new fan in me, and this gets a very easy 8.5/10
Patty Griffin: Crown of Roses
The folk/Americana legend put out her 12th studio album this last Friday, and once again gave us a fantastic, chilled release. It’s slow, for sure, but is another short release at only eight songs, and each is great in its own right. The strings swelling on ‘The End’ in particular gave me goosebumps, especially with the emotional lyrics on top of that. Patty has always been an acquired taste and, while it’s not an album I’d revisit all too often, I completely get the appeal and the talent on display. It’s exactly what her fans would expect from a release, and is another great addition to her discography. A very solid 7/10!
Enuff Z’Nuff: Xtra Cherries
The whopping 18th studio album from the glammy hard rockers is about what you’d expect from this at this point in their careers. Firstly, massive props for being so insanely hard working; very few bands have this consistent an output across five different decades. Having said that, you’d think a band having been going so long would think a piano ballad to open one of their albums is a bad idea. ‘Heartbeat’ starts things off on an odd note here, but ‘No Cold Feelings’ gets everything on track again pretty quick! Songs like ‘Heavy Metal’, ‘Take it or Leave It’ and ‘Star Star’ are all big personal highlights, too. It’s a fun, light, sleazy hard rock album. I also enjoyed it far more than their previous album, clearly the time off between releases helped! If you’re into anything from Quireboys to Oasis, check this out, it’s a fun listen! A pretty solid 7.5/10 from us!
Paul Weller: Find El Dorado
The legendary Jam guitarist is back with yet another solo album, following up last year’s 66. I really thought I’d reviewed said album as I remember the artwork and listening to it, but clearly I didn’t type it up. I wasn’t hugely into his last release, but for whatever reason I got into this one more. It’s yet another slow acoustic folk/soft rock release this week, but it’s well written and performed, and was nice and chilled to throw on in the background! It’s definitely too long at 55 minutes, but tracks like ‘El Dorado’ and ‘Pinball’ are still great. It could have easily been a pretty great EP for me, but like with Patty Grffin, I fully appreciate why this will have a lot of love as a whole as it’s very well written and played. It all just blurred into one for me pretty quickly. Not something I’ll be revisiting personally, but it isn’t bad by any stretch and I didn’t have a bad time listening. 6.5/10
No Shelter: Remission/Resolve
This is a pretty interesting release! The third album from the German band combines hardcore with death/black metal in a way I haven’t actually heard before. It’s dark but still has that edge of anger and dangerousness that comes with hardcore. It results in some truly awesome riffing and breakdowns throughout, and the screams fit it all perfectly. It’s another short and sweet release, being the perfect 30-minute assault to the senses, and while there isn’t a bad song on it, personal highlights for me included ‘Voice of Madness’ and ‘Doomed’. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it heading in as the production and mixing felt a little grating, but by the end it felt like even that was a fitting design choice that only added to the album. While it won’t even be for all fans of heavy out there, if you’re at all curious I’d highly recommend checking this out, you might love it as much as I do! One of the most surprising 8.5/10’s I’ve ever given, good stuff!
Julia DiGrazia: All In
The debut album from the young and fast-rising country star is honestly amazing. Opener ‘Rollercoaster’ sets the tone and pace of the album perfectly, and is a huge highlight in its own right. It’s a rock-infused banger, just like ‘With You’ is. Then you have more bluegrass stuff like ‘Leave You Behind’ and the Americana duet of ‘Two Truths and a Liar’. Heck, ‘Life’s Been Good Lately’ is almost a 2000s, early Taylor Swift country-pop banger. It’s all centered around the country sound at her core, but Julia keeps it consistently interesting and fun. It’s a true testament to Julia’s fantastic songwriting ability, even at such a young age and newness to the scene. Heck, I’ve named a solid half of this album by name and they are by far the only good tracks on the release; every song is incredible. I went into this album completely blind and was absolutely blown away from start to finish. An absolute must for anyone into country or its adjacent genres. Julia has a huge new fan in me and I’m definitely going to be spinning this a lot in the coming weeks and months. A very easy 9.5/10, she’s going to be a HUGE name sooner rather than later!
Another week and we have three completely different yet awesome EPs to check out. Let’s dive right in!
Tallboy: House of Glass
The debut EP from the UK alt-metallers draws together their previous three singles and adds on two more brutal songs to create a fantastic 18 minutes of heavy goodness. There’s elements of hardcore, metalcore and even nu metal throughout, all combining together in a fantastic, heavier version of a modern metal sound that certainly feels unique! Heck, the vocals actually remind me of Robb Flynn a lot, which I love! It’s so hard to pick highlights too as every song is SO GOOD. The band are insanely talented; from the riffs to the breakdowns to the brutal screams and more cleaner (but still harsh) vocals to the drums and bass going hard throughout, it’s all amazingly put together and performed. If you are at all into the heavy side of metal, this is absolutely the release for you. The band have hit the ground running in a major way with this EP, and the sky is very much the limit! A very solid 9.5/10 from us!
Clayton Mullen: Varsity Blues
Following up on his sophomore album from last year, Varsity Blues is five tracks in a pretty similar pop-country vein to that. The opener/title track is great and has a surprising amount of rock-edge to it, even if that rock is of the Camp variety. ‘Love on the Radio’ is radio-country goodness and one hell of a stadium-filling chorus. Both are big highlights of the release, but honestly it’s all damn solid. I think the shorter form of release helped my enjoyment of Clayton’s stuff; as just five-tracks meant I couldn’t exactly get bored of the style. If you’re into the more pop/radio side of country, this is well worth checking out! It’s come out at the perfect time of the year, and I’ll certainly be spinning this a fair bit through the summer. 8/10
theholeofmark: Show Your Heart Again
I was going to say that this sort of stuff isn’t really my thing. However, we’ve covered plenty of this stylerecently and I’ve loved all of it, with this being no exception! It’s a great combination of soft rock, easy listening and jazz, and is a great 20 minutes of easy-to-digest music. There isn’t a bad song on the release, but I found myself enjoying the title track and the almost Broadway-style ‘The Anniversary’ a little more than the others. Still, as I said, the whole thing is amazing and such a fun, easy listen. Mark (I assume?) is an insanely talented vocalist and songwriter. And I only thought about his butt for most of this review, what a crazy artist name! It’s not going to be for every reader here at Overtone, but I really enjoyed it and he has a big new fan in me! An incredibly easy 9/10!
An absolutely stacked week of New Music Mondays, featuring some massive names in the metal, rock and country world for us to check out!
Slaughter to Prevail: GRIZZLY
The highly anticipated third album from the Russian deathcore band finally dropped this last Friday and, spoiler alert, it’s a bit good! It’s 50 minutes of brutal deathcore goodness, and is a lot of fun to listen to! It’s was also well worth the wait. From the crushing riffs and breakdowns to Alex’s brutal screams and Evgeny being one of the most underrated modern drummers, the musicality is off the charts. Like that breakdown at the end of ‘Banditos’ should say it all really… DAMN. It’s a massive early highlight track, as are the likes of the stomping ‘Babayka’, ‘Lift that Shit’ and the epic ‘Behelit’. However, there is hardly a bad song on this thing. The closest thing to ‘bad’ is the track featuring BABYMETAL, but that’s mainly because I sadly just don’t think the two bands fit together all that well. However, they rectify the guest issue by having an absolute blinder of a song with Ronnie Radke, ‘Imdead’.
My only real issue with the album is that we’ve heard over half of it before its release, with the first single having released nearly three years ago. Still, unlike the pitfall Falling in Reverse had, the album tracks around the older sings are still pretty fantastic, sometimes actually outshining some of the bigger songs. It somehow lives up to the lofty expectations that it had been set, and solidifies the band up to be one of the biggest in the heavy scene. If you are a fan of anything death or core-y, this is most certainly the album for you, and it will certainly be high on our albums of the year come December. An incredibly solid 9/10!
Dylan Gossett: Westward
The modern country star releases one of the highest anticipated debut albums of the year; an insane feat given that he’s already sat on nearly five million monthly listeners. His rise has been something to behold, his first release only coming three years ago, so the pressure is on quite a lot for this release. It’s a very good album, that’s for sure. It fits in pretty perfectly with the current scene too, being reminiscent of the likes of Zach Bryan, Wyatt Flores and Evan Honer. It’s Mumford and Sons-like, folk-pop infused country with fantastic, emotion-filled lyrics and fantastic delivery of them, a far-cry from the bro-country scene that preceded this movement. It’s chilled out and beautiful throughout. It’s packed full of awesome songs too, from ‘Cicada Choir’ to ‘Snake Eyes’ to ‘Roll of 35’. I firmly believe it’s impossible for a song to be called ‘Adeline’ and be bad, too. There isn’t a dud on the whole release, honestly. However, it is a touch long. Just over an hour of 17 pretty similar tracks is a little more for this easily-distracted writer, even if he enjoyed every song in its own right. It’s still an incredibly solid debut album, though, and firmly establishes Dylan as not only someone with staying power, but a future megastar in the scene. I’ll certainly be listening to this again, and I feel it will grow on me even more. For now though, it gets a still-solid 8/10
Bush: I Beat Loneliness
The tenth album from the London-based alt-rockers continues their run of form of pretty-decent-if-slightly-bland releases. We quite enjoyed The Art of Survival, and this very much feels like more of the same; a slightly darker and heavier version of their 90s sound. It’s fine, and worth a listen if you’re into the band or the style/genre, but it’s nothing groundbreaking or really too memorable. Tracks like the title one, ‘I Am Here to Save Your Life’ and ‘Footsteps in the Sand’ are all highlights personally. However, I did feel like I practically listened to the same song on repeat for 46 minutes, aside for the occasional stripped-back one. If you’re a fan of the band I’d recommend checking this out, you’ll probably like this too. But if you aren’t, I’d steer clear, as it’s very much just more of the same. Slightly disappointing that it all blurred into one for me, but it still gets a 7.5/10 from us.
Daron Malakian and Scars on Broadway: Addicted to the Violence
The first album in seven years from the System of a Down guitarist and his solo band, yet it somehow still isn’t the longest gap between albums. Still, a lot has changed since 2018’s Dictator, with System even having released new music (even if it was just two tracks for charity). However, Daron and co are no less quirky and angry, producing something that very easily could have been released alongside their debut nearly two decades ago. It’s a brief 36-minutes too, and goes pretty balls to the wall throughout. Tracks like ‘Satan Hussein’, ‘Destroy the Power’, ‘Your Lives Burn’ and the very SOAD ‘You Destroy You’ are all person highlights, but there isn’t exactly a bad song on this thing! The album is packed full of awesome lyrics, quirky vocals and so many great riffs. It’s punk but with Daron’s flair from SOAD, just like their previous works. And, unlike Bush above, the band don’t exactly have an extensive back catalogue, so adding to the sound they have built still feels interesting and fresh. It’s not something I’ll revisit as a whole often, but it is certainly far from bad, and if you are a fan of the bands previous stuff you’ll love this. It gets a pretty damn solid 8/10 from us!
Florence Sommerville: Endless Horizon
We’ve already checked out this awesome country release! Check out our review of it here.
Joe Bonamassa: Breakthrough
The blues master is back with his 17th studio album and follow-up to 2023’s Blues Deluxe sequel and is just as fantastic a player and songwriter as ever! Anyone who knows me knows I’m a big blues guy, and this is the very best of the very best, insane for someone two and a half decades into his career. From the title track/opener to ‘I’ll Tale the Blame’, ‘Life After Dark’ to ‘You Don’t Own Me’, there is so much to love. From the foot-stompin’ rocky numbers to more slower, smoother stuff, he’s a true master of his craft and does it all so well. From the incredible riffing and soloing to his perfectly-fitting vocals and lyrics, to his band that are far from slouches too, it’s all amazing. I do have to say it’s not quite as good as Deluxe 2, but that shouldn’t reflect at all negatively on this album, it’s still awesome. It’s so fun and easy to listen to, and is an album I’ve already revisited a couple of times this weekend, let alone moving forward. No matter what you are into, if you are a musician, check this out immediately! 8.5/10
California Irish: The Mountains Are my Friends
The debut album from the Answer frontman Cormac Neeson’s side project finally dropped this past Friday. It’s far more chilled out than his main bands work, and gives off much more Americana/folk vibes; expected given the band and album title. And honestly, as a full album to throw on and relax to, it’s perfect. It’s a fantastic road-trip or cooking album, that’s for sure. However, it’s 40+ minutes of pretty samey songs, and does get old about halfway through for me. Even a track called ‘Something Different’ is ironically the same slow paced, Fleetwood-esque folk as the other nine songs. The closest thing to a standout track for me was single ‘Julie Ann’. ‘Sunday Morning’ isn’t bad, either. Overall though, it’s not an album I’d revisit often unless I wanted something like this as a full listen. I wanted to like it more as I am a fan of Cormac’s work, but my tiny attention span sadly had other plans. If you’re a folk fan I’d definitely recommend giving this a listen, but it was sadly a bit much for me. And it’s very much a me issue over anything else, the band have produced something awesome here and they are all clearly talented players and songwriters. Still, a solid 7/10 from us!
Cam: All Things Light
One of my biggest ‘sad white girl music’ guilty pleasures is up next, with Cam putting out her fourth album, continuing her five-years-between-releases trend. Coming off the back of the huge success of her help writing COWBOY CARTER, as well as her giving us one of the best sets I’ve ever seen at Long Road a couple of years back, anticipation for this release has been pretty high in the Overtone camp.
I think it’s taking a couple of listens to get into, but I think I’m definitely getting into this release in a big way. I don’t think it helped that I’m not into the opening track; it doesn’t make an impact in any way. And also, overall, I don’t think it has a big heavy-hitter of a standout single like ‘Burning House’, ‘Dian’ or ‘Otherside’. However, that’s not to say there aren’t great songs on here. Single ‘Alchemy’ has grown on me massively since my first listen, ‘Slow Down’ is an utterly beautiful throwback track, ‘Kill the Guru!’ is great, and ‘Look at the Pretty Girls!’ is maybe the standout on the whole album. The rest of it is a little slower and, while beautiful, is taking just a little getting into. Heck, it took me seeing her live to get into a lot of her stuff the first time, and now I’m obsessed, so clearly I just need her to come back over here for a tour! The harmonies are a huge high point, and Cam’s vocals and lyrics are incredible, too.
So, all things considered, I think it gets a tentative 8/10 from us. I really wanted to give it higher because of how much I loved her previous stuff, and it may very well grow on me more and get higher with more listens. But for now, it’s a solidly good album, but doesn’t quite live up to her previous two.
Margarita Witch Cult: Strung Out In Hell
The sophomore album from the Birmingham stoner/sludge rock trio very much does what the band promised; turns everything from their debut up to 11. Of course everything from the riffing to the soloing is incredible, but the rhythm section is also working overtime throughout, everyone playing their asses off. And, while the vocals can always be a bit hit and miss in the genre, they knock it out of the park on this record – sounding great, fitting the tracks perfectly and providing some catchy moments. Tracks like the opener, ‘Witches Candle’ and ‘Mars Rover’ are huge highlights. However, there isn’t a bad song on the album, and if you like this genre you’re going to love this as much as I did! The band have gained a lot of traction over their short careers so far, and for good reason, and this album will surely push them to the next level yet again! It’s heavy and melodic and swampy in all the best ways, and gets a solid 8/10 from us!
Styx: Circling From Above
The prog rock legends return with their first new album since 2021s Crash of the Crown. And, honestly, I loved it. Though I am objectively ‘too young’ for this band and type of music, I had plenty of family who were big into it so it definitely has a nostalgic edge to it for me. I mean the fact that the band are over half a century into their career and still have enough juice in the tank to write and play and sound this awesome is truly incredible. It’s just a damn full album packed full of awesome riffs and melodies and percussion, showing that the seven-piece really are at the top of their craft. Songs like ‘Build and Destroy’, ‘It’s Clear’, ‘Everybody Raise a Glass’ and the folk-infused ‘Blue Eyes Raven’ are personal highlights, but the whole album has a great flow to it and there isn’t a bad track on it. Also, it somehow feels like both a perfectly long album, while also only being 40+ minutes; there’s not a single song I’d cut or even rearrange. I love this from start to finish, and if you’re into the style they play I really can’t recommend this album enough. It’s fun, technical, catchy and just plain awesome, and a true showcase of one of the best bands of all time a whopping 18 albums in. I can’t give this any less than 9/10, amazing stuff!
Trisha Yearwood: The Mirror
The country legend returned with her first new album in six years last week, and showed that after 34 years she hasn’t lost even half a step. ‘Bringing the Angels’ is a great, uptempo, rock-infused 2000s country track like only Trisha can make, and sets the tone for the album, perfectly. Then you have tracks like the boot stompin’ ‘Little Lady’, the beautiful rock ballad ‘The Record Plays On’ (duetted with Charles Kelley) and the fun, Jim Lauderdale-featuring ‘The Shovel’ that are all massive highlights in their own right. Don’t get me wrong, it does feel a touch long, and there are many one or two too many slower tracks on the album. However, for the most part, it’s arranged pretty well in that I didn’t feel the length aside for a couple of points towards the end. It’s a great release from an icon in the genre, and a fitting continuation of a career that no one would blame her for retiring from. Some good, fun songs, and even the slight mixed-bag nature of it still warrants a solid 7.5/10 from me!
Ba’al: The Fine Line Between Heaven and Here
If you hadn’t already guessed by the band and album title, this is epic, atmospheric black metal, and done to perfection! Long time readers here will know this isn’t particularly my sort of thing, but it’s done so well that I can’t help but enjoy and appreciate it. Heck, the epic, proggy, 13 minute opener is a masterpiece of the heavier end of metal, and there’s still another five tracks after that! It’s heavy and dark throughout, but also has some pretty killer riffs and some quieter parts of levity too. The dynamics of the whole album are great, and it really begs for this thing to be listened to in full at least once. It’s not something I’d revisit the individual tracks for often, but the album as a whole is definitely worth spinning and checking out if you are at all into the genre. And the emotion on display throughout is incredible, it really making you feel and leaving an impact. Shocking even myself, it gets a solid 7.5/10, good stuff!
Virgin Vampires: Whores and Judaism
The sophomore album from the dark, electro-gothic trio comes less than a year after their debut, and develops their sound even further, really carving out their own niche within the scene. They feel more confident in their direction with this release, with songs like single ‘At the Cemetery’, ‘The Curse of the Pharaons’ and ‘Medusa’ being favourites of mine. However, much like Ba’al above, I’m not the hugest fan of this style, so while I can very much appreciate it being great, it does go a little long for me. 40+ minutes of very similar music, especially in this genre, doesn’t work for my tiny attention span! Plus, the production of the album took a little getting used to, it being rather quiet and compressed, with their debut arguably sounding better on that front. Still, it’s not a bad release by any stretch, and if you’re into anything like The Cure or Birthday Party Massacre or artists like that, this is worth checking out! 7/10
P.S. the artwork is AMAZING.
The Island: LIMINAL
Another sophomore release, this time from the Manchester-based post-Tool band. They have plenty of elements of alternative, grunge and prog, but the closest thing I found myself immediately associating it with is Tool. That’s hardly an issue either, as both them and this album are amazing! It also reminds me a little of some of the quirkier stuff from the HARDBALL a couple of hers ago, which I also loved! The faster stuff definitely has more of a grunge or even stoner vibe, which is sick. From the incredible opening track to ‘The Irascible’ to the chaotic ‘The Crucible’ to the slower, epic closer, there is so much awesomeness here from a band that don’t take themselves too seriously. It’s certainly not going to be for everyone and is (potentially purposefully) a little rough around the edges, but it’s a lot of fun to listen to, and I’d highly recommend checking it out if you like the quirkier side of things! 8/10
Another week and a handful of awesome EPs for us to check out, from country to metal! Let’s dive in!
Scotty McCreary: Scooter & Friends
The modern country legend follows up his 2024 albumwith this awesome little collection. Five great country tracks, three of which featuring amazing guest features, and it’s hard not to have a good time listening! The opener with Hootie & The Blowfish is an amazing song that combines both acts sounds perfectly, and Darius’ vocals are always incredible. ‘Swim Up Bar’, despite the Gulf of America reference, is Buffet-like goodness. And the closer is your typical 2000s country fun. All three are massive personal highlights, but the other two tracks are far from bad, too. Both Charlie Wilson and Lee Brice do a great job on their tracks, both bringing such different energies. Heck, the fact that all five songs sound pretty different is a fantastic testament to Scotty’s talents in writing and performing. It doesn’t quite live up to Rise & Fall, but it was never trying to. It’s just a fun 17-minutes of music made with his friends. Definitely worth checking out if you’re a country fan, and is a solid 8/10!
Spin Class: Dinner at Derek’s
The heavy, stonery/grungy indie rock band’s second EP is fantastic, and definitely a step up from their already awesome debut. It gives me vibes of everything from Wolfmother to Black Sabbath to QOTSA to Nirvana to Soundgarden to Royal Blood, and plenty in between! The riffing is heavy, the drumming is awesome and the melodies from the vocals and guitars are catchy throughout. All four songs sound unique and different from each other while at the same time feeling like they all come from the same band and fit together on the release perfectly. It also feels like something pretty damn fresh and different; there aren’t many bands out there doing this sort of sound currently! And all four tracks (with the title one being a short interlude) are incredible in their own ways, making it almost impossible to pick out highlights. The band are insanely talented musicians and songwriters, and have crafted something truly special. No matter what style of music you are into, check this out, you will certainly find something to fall in love with. 9.5/10, I need more of this pumping into my veins immediately!
P.S. is the vocalist the reincarnation of Chris Cornell? DAMN DUDE, what a voice and singer!
In/Virtigo: PREVAIL
The sophomore EP from the Calgary natives comes a solid half-decade after their debut release, and the band very much return with a vengeance! This is an AWESOME sleaze-filled hard rockin’ release, and is four incredible songs all as good as the last! From the bouncing, swaggering riffs to the arena-filling vocals and melodies, it’s incredibly well crafted, written and produced. It’s like a modernised version of Skid Row and Buckcherry, and is eerily comparable to early Santa Cruz in the best way possible. How this band aren’t massive already is beyond me, but the release of this EP will surely catapult them up a few levels! It’s another release packed to the brim with awesome songs, and if you’re into any of the bands or genres I’ve named already, I cannot recommend you checking this out enough! I feel like it would be incredible live too, so hopefully they can make it out to these shores at some point soon. For now, I’ll settle for this release, that is a very easy 9/10 from us!
Brett Eldredge: Kiss Me in the Moonlight
A short release this time, with just three tracks and sub-10 minutes. However, this is a fantastic EP! It was also completely different to his last, and not at all what I was expecting. While a country artist, this had a lot of Latin influence and sound to it, feeling pretty unique and original, and also not something we normally check out here so it really blew me away. From the flamenco guitaring to the horns and Latin beats, the opening track is amazing and feels like it’ll be stuck in my head for days to come. The other two songs are a bit slower but still have the same sort of feel to them, and the addition of the brilliant Pedro Capó on ‘St. Tropez’ adds even more awesomeness to the song. As I said, it’s not something we usually cover here, but I had a blast listening to this, and have done so multiple times just today. If you are at all curious check this out, you won’t be disappointed! 8.5/10
Alfa Pentatonik: Gamma II
We sadly missed the part I of this back in March, however, checking them both out together now was awesome, and definitely the right way to consume them. Don’t get me wrong, though, this EP definitely stands on its own as a solid release, too. It’s heavy electronic stuff, think Prodigy or Pendulum, but then with deathcore screams and growls over the top. And we still get some awesome riffing and guitar soloing too, it being an incredible, creative blend of genres. There also isn’t a bad track on this thing, it being an incredibly solid 20+ minutes of heaviness and catchy melodies. I cannot rave enough about how cool of a sound this is, and I’ll certainly be listening to it plenty moving forward. It gets a very easy 8.5/10 from us!
A day after our trip to Download (not reviewing it, it feels weird to review one day of a three day festival) we headed up to Birmingham for a night of folky, dark metal goodness. Three awesome bands packing out a small, hot venue that’s been recently refurbished and reopened; it was set to be a good night! Let’s dive into all three and let y’all know just how awesome they were!
Kicking off the night were the gothic metallers Reliquia. They were the only band I hadn’t checked out beforehand, but they came away with a big new fan in me! They’re a sort of style I love; the epic, dark, gothy-doom sound, and reminded me a lot of bands like My Dying Bride. It had all the best elements of doom and black metal, but also sounded pretty unique. And for a venue as small as it was to get a sound as massive as the band produced was amazing, so big props to the sound guy as well as the band for producing a great show. The band are all hugely talented, playing perfectly along with their organ-and-bass backing track as well as writing some awesome songs. And they really grew into their performance, too. They seemed a touch nervous at first, but as the packed room got more into it so did the band, with Gregg in particular being a great frontman by the end. He also had some of the best live vocals I’ve heard in a while; from low singing to awesome screams they were all great. As I said, they won me round pretty quickly into a new fan, and I’d recommend checking them out if you haven’t already!
Next up were the reason we were there, the incredible LN. After seeing them at Winters End back in February and falling in love, we knew we had to see them again ASAP. To the shock of I’m sure no one, we once again were blow away by the band! They’re one of the most interesting bands in the UK underground scene today, as well as being one of the best live bands around. Their studio work is phenomenal and translates perfectly live, especially in such an intimate setting. There was no denying the crowd were there for them, and they played off it perfectly. Heck, they even got a pit going, which I was not expecting at all! LN is such an engaging and magnetic frontwoman, having the crowd in the palm of her hand throughout. Everyone else also put on a great show though, as well! From their popular older stuff to new preview songs and latest single ‘Hellfire’, it was a fantastic set, too. They band are clearly going to go far fast, and it’s so cool seeing them in these small venues before they blow up!
Headlining the night were Scotlands own Trowsholm. Right off the bat it was an interesting collection of people; a viking, a wizard, someone in a matching short, shirt and bucket-hat combo and a thrasher… seems like the start of a bad joke! However, it made for one hell of a party mood right from the offset, and the band kept said mood high through the whole set. They were potentially the heaviest band of the night, and at very least the highest energy and paced, and it made for an awesome headline set! It felt almost like a heavier Alestorm, so impossible not to love! They travelled far to be at the gig and made sure it was worth it as they put on a show from beginning to end. They were the least ‘my thing’ of the night but I still had a blast, as did the still-packed-out crowd around me! They were polished and professional while still feeling fun and more light-hearted, and I can’t recommend them enough!
Overall, it’s was an absolutely amazing night of live music! All three bands knocked it out of the park and fit so well on the same bill together. I cannot recommend seeing all three of them enough if they come close to where you are, and I already want to see all of them live again already! And plus, shoutout to the venue, which was awesome, and is helping keep rock and metal alive in one of the most important cities for it!
The Swedish prog-metal band are back with their 13th studio album, a follow up to 2023’s Sky Void of Stars. We quite enjoyed that album, so have to admit the anticipation for this one is pretty high. Plus, with us being sent it through early, we knew we wanted to check it out as soon as we could! If it’s anything like the previous album, I feel like we’re in for a treat! Let’s check it out together!
‘Thrice’ starts out the album perfectly for Katatonia; teasing heaviness before dropping down immediately into a quieter verse. It has a slight Tool-meets-Coheed-and-Cambria-meets-VOLA feel to it which I love, the proggy riffing and overall ethereal sound being incredible. The big riffing comes back in soon after, sounding absolutely massive, and leads into an awesome, proggy chorus. Both the riffing and drumming throughout this part, and the album as a whole, is utterly incredible, showing off the sheer technical talent of the band. The whole track feels like one extended buildup to that HUGE breakdown riff in the middle. The production on it is awesome, everything shining through and it all sounding so massive, even though not a huge amount is going on. And the fact that it leads back to that awesome chorus so seamlessly is again such a testament to their talents as songwriters. It’s an amazing song, and a great way to open this release!
‘The Liquid Eye’ as a similar opening to the previous track, but the tom work was awesome and I think I liked it a little more. I also feel like it takes a little more time to build up, doing so with the awesome riffing before hitting that huge chorus, sounding so good! It’s an interesting structure but feels slightly more settled and easier to follow than the opener, which might be why I like it more. We also get some awesome guitar soloing tucked away in the middle, not much but fitting the track perfectly. And the slower piano outro takes us home in style, sounding more like a grand finale, yet we’re only two tracks in!
The drum and bass intro for ‘Wind of No Change’ was a nice change (pun not intended) of pace. Add in the gang/choir vocals over the top of it, and this thing is epic as hell right from the offset. The awesome guitar riff builds up over the top too, but then it sadly drops back down to a similar verse as the others. I don’t mind the style, but it doesn’t work for this song; in my opinion it needed to keep going up and up. Still, it’s a good verse, and builds back up to the typically massive chorus perfectly. Once again, the atmosphere throughout is fantastic, as much due to the production and everything going on as the writing. The more plodding pace is excellent. And the solo in this is one of my favourite on the album, despite it being a touch short again. Outside of my one gripe it’s another amazing written and played song and a second that easily makes it onto our playlist.
‘Lilac’ has a plodding pace similar to the previous track, but has a bit more of a natural build and structure to it than ‘Wind…’ in my opinion. It’s good, but then the distorted guitars and soloing comes in and it’s great. And some of the riffing and drumming across the whole track… *chefs kiss*. It doesn’t at all make me jealous that I wish I could write like this… All the dynamics throughout are phenomenal, the band really making the most of every sound and riff and concept. It feels like one of the most naturally put-together songs the band have done to date, too. It’s great, and the third highlight in a row!
By the time I reached ‘Temporal’, as much as I was enjoying myself, it was starting to feel just a touch repetitive. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good song, but it has the same formula of heavy intro into lighter verse and then a heavier, technical chorus. Then we get some heavy bridge in the middle with some great soloing. It’s a great formula, but one already used pretty similarly four times already on this album.
As if to rub it in, immediately after ‘Temporal’ the tone and feel of the album shifted. The following few songs were different, taking on more of a stripped-back, ballad nature. Don’t get me wrong, there is still heaviness throughout, but it had much more focus on the slower, cleaner sound and atmosphere. “Departure Trails’ feels like the ballad of the album, reminding me of the slower verses of something like ‘Pisces’. ‘Warden’ continues down that same path, but the dirty bassline adds more grit to it. Also, by the second chorus it sounds bigger, adding in so many more excellent elements. It’s certainly another highlight track! Meanwhile ‘The Light Which I Bleed’ is like a slower version of the opening tracks, while ‘Efter Solen’ is a phenomenally beautiful ballad track of just Jonas’ incredible vocals over a piano. It gave me goosebumps and is another huge highlight.
The closing track, ‘In The Event Of’, returns to the bands core sound. However, after a prologued break, it made the song more palatable in one run, and was awesome! It’s an epic track, and the perfect way to close out an album of this magnitude. The chorus is awesome, as is the riffing and drumming, and everything about it made for a fitting finale to an album like this. However, it is also a damn good song in its own right!
Overall: I enjoyed this! Just to get it out the way, I don’t think it was quite as good as Sky Void of Stars, but it is still a damn good, atmospheric prog metal album! Everyone in the band are insanely talented, and have produced some awesome songs, riffs and moments across this whole thing. If you are a fan of the band or the genre, check this out immediately, you won’t regret it! I’ll certainly be spinning it more in the coming weeks and months, that’s for sure!
Another week and three more awesome EPs for us to check out, from metal to country! Let’s dive right in!
Detroit Run: Defiance – Part 1
The UK alt rockers return this week with their highly anticipated sophomore EP. Combining sounds of everything from Linkin Park to The Five Hundred to modern Bring Me the Horizon, but also having an interesting lighter and heavily synth-edge that makes them feel completely fresh, it makes for a damn fun listen! The two singles are awesome, as is the anthemic ‘Prototype’. However, the whole thing is fantastic, and worth listening through from start to finish at least once! From the multi-layered vocals to the heavy guitars to the uplifting, huge synths, it all sounds great and works so well together. The production on it is incredible too, everything getting it’s time to shine and sounding MASSIVE. The band have been a bright light in the UK underground scene and are already gathering much deserved momentum, which this release will surely see them gather more of. I already can’t wait to hear part 2, whenever that is due to come out! A solid 8/10
Brake Loose: Frenetic
The Dublin-based, 80s-tinged rock quartet have been around for a little while now, gradually putting out singles and growing their audience and sound, so safe to say this debut EP has plenty of hype and anticipation surrounding it! It’s easy to see why too, as this is a great collection of five punky rock songs! It somehow feels like the perfect blend of Billy Idol and Misfits, and I’m all for it! Having said that, then you have ‘LOVE ON FIRE’ has more of an early late 90s feel to it, like Alice in Chains or even Manson. Heck, every song on here has a different vibe and feel to it, yet all somehow also feel like the same band at the same time. It’s a real testament to the band’s writing talent, and made for an incredibly interesting listen! Like I wasn’t expecting the breakdowns and screams of ‘kiss me bye bye’ at all, it coming perfectly out of the left field, like better Sleep Token!
There isn’t a bad song on here either, every single one is a highlight in its own right! How I haven’t checked out this band before now is beyond me, as I’m already obsessed! And being a new fan, it didn’t really affect me that a couple of the tracks on this release have been out for a while. I immediately want more of this, but for now this EP will surely be on repeat or me plenty over the coming weeks and months. The band deserve to be massive, and hopefully this release will push them into that sort of direction. As you can probably tell, I loved this, and it’s a very solid 9.5/10 from me!
The Castellows: Homecoming
Hey look, I got it in the right article this time! As you can no doubt tell by that article, I am very much a fan of this country trio. That didn’t change with this release! It’s another beautiful neo-traditional country/Americana blend packed full of incredible harmonies, catchy choruses and some really great string work throughout. Songs like ‘Sheltered’, ‘Freeway’ and the incredible duet(?) with Flatland Cavalry, ‘Place They Call Home’, are all big highlights. However, the whole release is packed full of them; there really isn’t a bad song in the release! The sisters have something truly special together, and it’s no reason they are becoming fast rising stars in the scene. I have to say I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as their previous EP, but that may be more because I’m familiar with the band heading in this time over the quality of the release. It is still a phenomenal release that I would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in country music. It’s a very easy 9/10 from us!
The wait is finally over! I know myself, alongside of a lot of readers/fans of Overtone, have been eagerly anticipating this album since the moment it was announced, so to finally be able to sit back and review it is a bit of a surreal moment. Especially after being so accepted into the bands community and getting to chat to the duo just last week (interview pending, sorry!). The singles I’ve heard have been excellent, and they already have a track record of putting out some awesome stuff. So, a sophomore album a decade in the making, this is the band new LessDMV album. Fuck, I’m excited!
The eerie, epic intro track, ‘| E |’ leads perfectly into the heavy, massive start of ‘Hysteria’. That scream and the power metal riffing and drumming is awesome, immediately leaving me not knowing what to expect. Julian’s clean vocals soon come in for the verse, an awesome multi-track going on, a subtle high, softer vocal adding an amazing level to it all. The low growled vocals in the pre are awesome too, showing off his absolutely incredible range early on, and then the catchy chorus comes in perfectly afterwards. It’s all on a similar level which I actually love, as it has a sense of urgency that an opening track should have. The bridge riff gives off big early BFMV vibes in all the best ways, and then we get a melodeath heavy screamed part that blows me away even more! This song is wild and a great taster of a bit of everything the pair do so well, which is exactly what you want from a first track. And, it’s an amazing song in its own right, and one that instantly makes our playlist!
‘Straight from Hell’ picks up right where the opener leaves off, yet has a bit more of that BMTH Sempiternal-era synth vibe to it. I like that it drops down for the verses though, it being just Julian’s incredible voice backed by keys and synths. It adds another layer of variety to the album already, but still feels so very LDMV. It also builds perfectly and beautifully into a massive, arena-filling chorus. It’s still heavy but feels pretty ballad-like, which I love! And, having said that, we still get a heavy breakdown in the middle with an incredible scream in it. It’s another awesome song that fits perfectly with the prior one, and is another one that’s a must check out!
The heaviness returns with THAT riff to open ‘Gone’, but I love that it also still has the keys behind it, feeling like it combines elements of both the tracks before it. It all has a layer of evil and eeriness to it, from said keys to Julian’s low vocal delivery in the verses. And it once again builds perfectly into a surprisingly beautiful, uplifting chorus, though it also fits the track seemingly perfectly. It gives off ever so slight Corey Taylor vibes for the first time on the album, like one of Slipknot’s more modern, slower songs. I cannot get over how awesome the chorus is, it made to be played to huge festival crowds around the world! It’s menacing throughout, outside of that chorus, and I can’t not praise how incredible it is to write two sections that fit when they really shouldn’t. Yet another excellent song!
‘The One’ is the first acoustic ballad of the album. It’s another stunningly beautiful track, and a fatactically emotional love song. The distortion builds perfectly into the absolutely massive chorus, but that doesn’t at all take away from the emotion or beauty, it arguably enhancing it even more. It’s a chorus that’s going to be stuck in my head for days to come too, it’s so good! And honestly, the solo gave me goosebumps. It fit so well and carried the emotion on perfectly. This is an absolutely incredible ballad and an absolutely MASSIVE album highlight. I’mma stop gushing over it so my fangirling doesn’t get to the extreme but yeah, certainly another one for our Spotify!
After another brief interlude track we get more synth-metal awesomeness in ‘Ghost’. It’s very gothy, feeling like a slightly heavier HIM, complete with a couple of awesome screams! It’s a very similar feel to ‘The Light’ after it, though the latter is a touch slower and even more gothic. Both are excellent tracks and I love that it’s the kind of sound that the album settles comfortably into; a bassline by which it goes heavier or lighter. And neither truly feel like album tracks, either, as both could easily be singles in their own right!
‘Requiem’ opens on a Marching drumbeat, with Julian’s insane lows coming in, accompanied by some slight piano. It once again has an eerie feel to it, in the best way. I love the simpleness of the track, too. The first chorus feels epic while not really adding in any more parts than the verse. Heck, it isn’t until the second chorus that everything finally explodes in, sounding massive and so grandiose. It feels like a perfect (yet far too late) time to praise the incredible mix throughout this album; everything shines through perfectly and fits together excellently. This song really lets Julian flex his insane vocal range, going from powerful lows to stunning highs and everything between. And, you guessed it, it’s another beautiful song!
It’s wild to me that we’re this far into the album before we reach the first single on it, ‘The Sanctuary’. It’s a song that I’ve managed to sit with for six months now, and it’s just as incredible now as it was the first time I heard it. I love the driving synth in the intro, giving it an almost 80s vibe to it. And it has arguably the best chorus on the whole release, so damn catchy! It’s a goth-rock radio hit if I’ve ever heard one, that’s for sure! It’s hard to talk about it without repeating what I’ve been saying for months, but just know it’s an excellent song and definitely another worth checking out!
‘| A |’ gives way to the excellent recent single, ‘In the Dark’. It’s another song that I have spoken about a lot, even doing a reaction video for it. So, if you want to hear me gush all over this track, I’d recommend checking that out, as I can’t gush over the track any more concisely than there!
‘Insanity’ is another electronic-based track, even having a trap beat behind it. I have to admit, it isn’t really my sort of thing. However, at least they do it better than Sleep Token! And those couple of low notes Julian hits… DAMN. It’s an impressive song none-the-less, and is yet again something completely different on an album that is never the same or boring. Heck, the fact that I’ve only clumped two songs together into the same paragraph in this whole review is utterly wild, and a true testament to the variety of this album!
The final single on the album, ‘To Believe’, is somehow one that I hadn’t checked out until this review. However, it’s another incredible, beautiful track, and a damn good choice for single! It feels like a blend between ‘The Sanctuary’ and ‘The One’ in that it’s synth-driven but still has a ballad feel to it. It’s uplifting as hell and is another strong contender for best chorus. Heck, that high harmony in there is amazing, again adding so much depth to the already massive sounding vocals. The whole song is another incredible highlight on an album honestly packed full of them.
The final track of the album (excluding the closing ‘|R|’), ‘Summer Rain’, is an amazing way to close things out. The multi-layered, harmonised vocals from the offset are incredible, making it sound massive even though it’s just those and drums for the most part. The Linkin Park-like guitar riffing helps build things up through the choruses and bridges, but the song stays lower throughout, not quite exploding into that high gear. I actually like it a lot, as it has a sombre feel to it and still feels epic, fitting the style and sounds of the rest of the album rather perfectly. It’s a simple yet incredibly effective song that builds into a truly incredible soundscape by the end. I tend to prefer a big explosion, go out with a bang and all that, but this felt so incredibly fitting to everything else that I loved it. It’s not a song I’d necessarily listen to on its own often, but in the context of the album it’s perfect. And it rolls amazingly into the extended, epic closing interlude!
Overall: WOW. I’ve been a fan of Julian and LessDMV’s work for a while, but I wasn’t expecting to like it quite this much! Especially when most of it was brand new to me; some of my favourite tracks by them being standalone singles instead of making them album tracks too. The whole thing flows perfectly together, and is packed full of excellent song after excellent song. And as I’ve said before, they’re all so different that it keeps it constantly interesting, and let the pair really stretch out their creative wings. I’d urge absolutely anyone to check this out immediately, and it’s definitely going to be high up on our albums of the year list come December!
