Another big week for new releases, from everything from rock to metal to country! Let’s not waste time and dive right in!
Marilyn Manson: One Assassination Under God – Chapter 2
The follow-up to 2024’s Chapter 1 certainly takes things in a weird direction. It feels a lot more classical goth than his usual nu-tinged industrial metal older stuff, the pace generally slower and the tone somehow even darker. Don’t get me wrong, it at least fits in well with its sister album, but this feels like it has less elements of classic Manson than its predecessor did. Outside of single ‘Front Toward Enemy’, this feels like a very different artist to the one who released Antichrist Superstar or Holy Wood. However, that doesn’t necessarily make it a bad album. Much like with Chapter 1, the opener is excellent, as is ‘Exit Wound’. He’s at least picked the singles well. Though, I don’t think I’d listen to any of them outside of the context of the album as a whole. It’s very much a release designed to be listened to in full, arguably proceeded by Chapter 1. Lyrically he is still fantastic, but the instrumentation lacked something throughout for me. It seemed to drone on without much memorable aside a riff or two. Maybe we need a return of Twiggy, or even John 5 at this point!
So, as an album as a whole, and taking into account the previous too, I at least had an enjoyable listen. But it is still a far cry from what made Manson such a popular figure, and if you’re a fan of his early work, you may want to brace yourself before you listen. As a combined grade for both together, I can’t give it much more than a 6/10
Ashley Cooke: ashley cooke
Album four from the modern country superstar comes just nine months after her last. We sadly missed that one back in November, but I do remember enjoying and still spinning 2023’s shot in the dark before that. This is another excellent release to add to her stellar back catologue. It’s pop/folk infused 2000s country, and it’s hard not to draw comparisons to early Taylor Swift, though I certainly mean that as a compliment! Tracks like ‘baby blues’, ‘excuses’, ‘sleepless in Seattle’ and ‘xs’ are all personal highlights, but there certainly isn’t a bad song throughout. Much like shot in the dark, it’s a little long, especially when it’s a lot of slower-style songs. However, it’s all that good that I honestly wouldn’t know what to cut to shorten it! If you are a fan of poppier, modern country, this is absolutely worth giving a listen! I’ll certainly be revisiting it again soon, and it gets a solid 8/10 from us.
Saliva: Breaking Through
Album 12 from the alt metal/early 2000s legends is exactly what you’d expect from the band, but I mean that in the best possible way! As a big fan of the band from my childhood, opener ‘Hit ‘Em Where it Hurts’ is fantastic cheesiness and instantly had me loving this release. Then you have tracks like the LP-esque ‘Breaking Through’, ‘Fight of my Life’ and the Johnny Van Zant-featuring ‘Longshot’ to close that is also awesome! The latter works perfectly with their guest, it certainly having a Southern twang to it. Don’t get me wrong, none of them were quite as fun as the opener, but none of the songs were bad by any stretch! It was maybe a touch long, especially when a lot of it was a little edgy in theme and vibe, but much like with Ashley before this, it’s not like I’d know which to cut out! I had a better time with it than I did their last album, and have spun most of it at least a couple of times over the weekend. A solid 7/10 from us!
Kris Barras: Monsters We Made
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read our full review here.
Mason Ramsey: Outlaw in Love
Album two from the disgustingly young neo-traditional country rising star is a great, chilled-out half-hour of music! His vocals are phenomenal and his songwriting is far more advanced than his just 19 years of age would indicate. From ‘Hey There Trouble’ to ‘Hypnotized’ to ‘Life Sentence’, there is a lot to love here, and honestly every song is at least pretty good! Despite the generally old-school style, it still has elements of modern pop-country too, like a combination of Garth Brooks and Kane Brown. Honestly, I find myself drawing a lot of comparisons between this and Blake Whiten’sdebut the other week, and it makes me feel like country is in very safe hands for decades to come! If you are at all a fan of country in any capacity do yourselves a favour and listen to this, you will surely find something to love. It’s an incredibly easy listen, and I can’t give it any less than 8.5/10!
Evil Island: Terraform the Afterlife
The debut album from the post-hardcore supergroup goes hard from start to finish! However, alongside its heaviness, it’s pretty fun and quirky, and really interesting written and arranged. It feels like it takes inspiration from everything from Dillinger Escape Plan to Strung Out, Refused to early Mr Bungle, and is a really wild listen. Right from ‘Melted Heart’, it sets a crazy tone and breakneck pace, and had me hooked until the very end! Songs like single ‘Tiger Baby’ and ‘Moonlight Doomlight’ are also big personal highlights, but the album goes by in a flash and has an excellent flow to it, certainly not having a dull moment. And it has something for almost everyone! The band have debuted with a huge splash with this release, and have a big new fan in me! I can’t give it any less than 9/10!
Josh Weathers: Niles City Sessions
This six-track release comes just a few months after his huge last album, and is another excellent addition to his discography. It opens on a fantastic rendition of the Fleetwood Mac ‘Dreams’, showing off his insanely impressive vocal range even better than ever before. Then we have the awesome, soulful ‘Love on a Roll’ and the fun ‘When You Honky Tonk’, though the other half of the release is also excellent! It’s a bit stripped-back compared to Neon Never Fades, but was recorded excellently in this session, giving a pretty good indicator as to how fantastic he and his band are as performers. While certainly not up there with his full studio works, it’s a damn fun shorter release that is well worth a listen if you are at all a fan of the guy! A solid 7.5/10!
Occult Master: Self-Titled
Another debut album, this time from the Finnish old-school metallers. It definitely has a traditional, 70s metal vibe to it, right down to the production and track structures. Having said that, a bit of it boarders on prog territory too, which makes it even more fun. The band are all insanely talented too, some amazing riffing, soloing and drumming across all nine songs. The vocals grew on me a lot throughout, too. ‘Island of Leper’ and ‘Sorry Soul’ are personal highlights, but if you like this kind of music you’ll surely enjoy all of it! I’m certainly curious to hear where they go from here, and it gets an easy 7/10 from us!
Racetraitor: Nobody Son of Nobody
More hardcore-ness this week, this time from the controversial American five-piece. It follows up their 2023 album which I didn’t really get. Sadly, this is the same. It’s heavy, that’s for sure, and for a band of this sound and persuasion to still be active these days is awesome. We certainly need more music with their message these days. But, that doesn’t mean the music is good. ‘Red Summer’ was probably my favourite from the release, but even that’s not a song I’d revisit all that often. If you are into this sort of thing, you’ll probably get some enjoyment out of it, but it’s not something I’d personally listen to. Maybe it’d win me over more live, as I imagine in that setting they are awesome! But, for this release specifically, it’s slightly better than the album. Maybe a 3.5/10, sorry guys!
Just Jayne: Jayne
A follow-up to their debut EP last year, the female country-pop trio knock it out of the park again here! It’s seven catchy-as-anything songs, packed full of great melodies and huge harmonies. The lyrics are pretty great throughout too, surprisingly packed with emotion, a slight rarity in the more pop side of country these days. From the opener to ‘Bad Day’ to ‘Death & Taxes’, it’s packed full of highlights! It’s every bit as good as their debut, and I am already excited to hear where they go from here! They have the potential to be a MASSIVE name in the scene sooner rather than later, and I hope they do a full-length in the near future. Until then, I’ll certainly be spinning this plenty, and it gets a solid 8/10 from us!
We had the pleasure of chatting to the amazing Kris Barras about his brand new album the other day, as well as his upcoming tour and his general sound! Check it out below!
Sadly the video didn’t save, so it’s just a written one for now. Maybe the audio will be dropped at some point!
The album is out soon! Is there an overall story, or is each track kind of its own thing?
There’s no like concept for the album. There are, yeah, eleven individual tracks. I always like to have like a cohesive sound throughout the album, and I do think I think we’ve got that with this. I think there’s a lot of different flavours on there, but I think there is overall like a cohesive sound, but, yeah, it’s not like a like a concept album or anything like that!
I did notice that we’ve had five singles so far, and they’ve all been towards the start of the album. What went into that decision, if there was one?
It’s really interesting that, because someone else asked me that one! The track listing was decided before the singles. I didn’t get involved in choosing what the singles are. I don’t normally do that. I put forward the ones that I think would be good. I think with the album there’s some obvious choices. You know, like ‘Monster We Made’ is the title track, it makes sense for that to be a single. ‘Riot of One’ makes sense to be a single, but a track like ‘Beautiful Lie’, I never imagined that being a single.
But I don’t choose, I find it hard to judge my own own music. In my opinion, a song that I’ve spent in some cases quite a long time writing and then recording it, and that being like a year ago, I find it a hard process, and you know, I’ve got fortunate enough to have people involved that are much more knowledgeable and experienced than me. I’ve got fantastic management, great record label with Earache, and a really, really good radio plugger like Austin Collins, who works with some of the the biggest names in rock and metal. And you know, I like to get their opinions, you know? They they know what will work, and ‘Beautiful Lie’, for instance, is the the head of Earache Records, Digby, it’s his favourite song on the album, and he absolutely loved it, and and that’s one of the reasons that got pushed through, and that’s great!
It was actually just coincidence. I wrote the the track listing and submitted that before any other singles were were chosen.
What can we expect from the other half of the album?
I’m really looking forward to people hearing it. I think there’s there’s a lot of different flavours on this album, there’s a lot of different elements, and there’s some stuff on there that people might not expect, or they wouldn’t necessarily have heard me do before. Some of the guitar work and the solos and stuff, I’ve really gone back to what I used to do in my teenager years, some of the more shreddy stuff, like stuff like guys like Steve Vai and Satriani and stuff, and bringing out some of those influences.
Typically, I’ve always had a token softer ballad song on each album. This one’s got three that could maybe sit into that category. Each one’s a little bit different. One of them in particular is just pretty epic. It’s got orchestral stuff and a big guitar solo over a big orchestral arrangement that that just sort of produced it. There’s some cool stuff in there, and yeah, I’m looking forward to hearing. I feel like the singles, whilst they probably are the strongest standalone tracks for what you need from a single, I don’t feel like they necessarily sum up the album, you know what I mean? Like, we’re at an EP, and don’t feel like they sum up like the Monsters We Made album. I feel like you need to hear all eleven to get a feel feel for the album.
Your debut KBB album came out just over a decade ago now. Is there any kind of comparisons you can draw from that release to this one?
I mean, if someone had never heard me before and listened to the first album, and then listened to this new one, they they wouldn’t even think it’s the same. It’s like the two have absolutely no connection whatsoever! I started off more in the bluesy rock world. I gradually got like a little bit heavier. The 2019 album, Light It Up, was still in the blues rock world, but had a lot more like classic rock elements. Then COVID hit, and, we didn’t know if the world was ended. A lot of stuff I was writing was just a bit heavier.
The thing is, I love playing blues music, but it’s not that’s not my entire identity. And I think people have struggled with this over the years with trying to understand me as an artist. It’s like there’s a lot of people in the blues world, they play blues music, and that’s all they can do. Maybe they’re much, much better than me at it. But that’s all they can do. That’s not me. I’ve played in metal bands all my teens. I was playing in jazz bands in in my early 20s. I’ve played a lot of different styles of music, and I spent a lot of time studying different styles of music when I was younger, and I think like these influences wanted to come out. With my 2022 album Death Valley Paradise, I was much more in like the modern hard rock world. Halo Effect, we went another step further again, probably taking more like modern metalcore influences, particularly in the production. This one, the way I see it is kind of sitting in between those two albums, like pulling it back a bit from Halo Effect. It’s not quite as heavy, and I just see it as kind of straight modern hard rock.
What’s the the writing process like for you? Do you do a lot of it yourself and kind of bring it to the band, or are the band a bit more involved as well?
It’s changed a bit over the past few albums. So, Josiah, who’s the producer, and he plays rhythm guitar and keys in the band, I’ve got him a lot more involved with the songwriting on Halo Effect, and on this album, And we work really, really well together. He’s my best mate, he’s a great guy and amazing producer, and his songwriting is really, really coming into its own over the past few years.
The process is is very, very different from song to song. Some of the songs started life as just me on my guitar singing some lyrics and then turned into a chorus, and then we develop it from there. Other songs, like ‘Riot of One’ for instance, he wrote the main riffs on that, sent it over to me and was like, “I’ve got this idea for like, kind of a big sing-a-long type song”. I’ve got a few of those. It’s obviously just instrumental that he gave me. And I sat with that and then ended up writing the lyrics and the melody. He gave me a stear in the right direction, gave me a little kick up the bum and said, ‘Right, go and write a big chatty sing-a-long banger.’ And so lots of different processes, I think that that’s a cool way to approach it, to keep it fresh and to keep new ideas coming.
I imagine it’s a different approach as well for this compared to something like, Hollow Souls or Supersonic Blues Machine?
Yeah, for sure. I mean, Hollow Souls, he’s involved with even more so because that’s actually like a joint venture. Like, Kris Barras band, technically, I’m a solo artist, but Hollow Souls, we started that together. Obviously we’ve got Phoebe with Hollow Souls, and it’s a different element. So we consider, obviously female lead vocalist, but also guests being involved. So that changes the writing process a bit with that, because we’re sometimes writing a song with with a special guest in mind, or we’re writing a song with a female vocalist in mind, which changes things. She likes to sing in different keys to what I would actually write songs in, so then we’re trying to write songs that would work for her, and so that’s kind of like a different approach, which is which is cool where it’s all in joint!
You’ve got quite a extensive tour plan for pretty much the rest of the year, right?
Yeah, so around the album release we’re doing an acoustic in-store tour, which is going to be cool. Josiah’s coming with me, he’ll be playing the piano. We’re doing like two of these a day, visiting like local independent record stores, and we basically do like a half-hour, 40-minute set, and then meet people and sign anything they want signed, and that kind of thing. They’re good fun. We did it on the last album, it’s the first time I’ve done it on the Halo Effect tour, and yeah, I really like doing like the stripped-back version of the songs. Vocally, I prefer singing the songs that way, I feel like I maybe do a better job vocally like singing over a piano rather than over a heavy band.
It’s going to be hard, you know, two a day with the some pretty crazy journeys. It’s it’s a pretty pretty intense thing, but hopefully it’ll be good fun.
Would you ever consider releasing a studio version of any of the strip-back tracks?
Well, we’ve recorded four of them. I don’t really know what the record label plan is. I think they’ve added like a bit of a bundle where you get a couple of them. I don’t know what the full plan is, whether there’s going to be a deluxe version or not. I don’t really get involved in it. But I’ve recorded four of them, piano versions, and I’m sure they’ll see the light of day at some point.
I assume it’s a full electric tour in October?
That’s right, yeah. Full band, nothing too crazy with that tour, it’s just around the UK. I can’t even remember how many dates, 10 dates or something. It’s our first headline tour in the UK for two years when that comes around. It’ll be good to get out there and have a blast!
Have you got much in the works for next year?
I’ve not even thought about it. I mean, again, I don’t really get involved in that stuff. There might be stuff going on that I haven’t yet told about. I mean, for me, it’s been a bit weird releasing an album in the summer. I’ve not done that before. Like, doing festivals and doing an album at the same time, it’s a different experience. So I’ve just been focusing on that, and then this tour in October, and not really thought about what happens after that. I guess it depends on how well the album’s received, and how well the tour does, and what opportunities come after that, you know? So, who knows!
Do you have a dream tour lineup you’d want to be a part of? Anyone you want to support, or any friends you want to bring along?
I mean, I’d love to open for Alter Bridge. I think that would be sick! Something like that would be really, really cool. I think we’d be like a good fit, I think we’d probably go down quite well with their fans. Yeah, that would that would be a pretty cool tour to do!
A slightly steadier but no less awesome week of new releases across the rock, metal and country world! Let’s dive in and check it all out!
Electric Callboy: TANZNEID
Despite my feelings about bands putting out nearly the entire album as pre-release singles (especially when the first came out over two years ago), this is a fantastic album. We’ve loved reacting tosome of the singles, and stuff like ‘RATATATA’ and ‘Let the Good Times Roll’ are also great. Hell, the title track has grown on me a lot since it first dropped, and is now one of my favourite tracks on the album. And the two previously-unheard tracks, ‘Heartaid’ and ‘The Saviour’, are also awesome, with the latter being another firm favourite! There truly isn’t a bad track throughout.
The band can honestly do no wrong at this point. They are all such insanely talented musicians and songwriters that everything they touch turns to gold. It feels like the perfect follow-up to Tekkno, taking everything that worked from that release and dialling it up to 11. I think as a whole it’s a more consistent release than anything they’ve put out before, even if I’d struggle to pick a favourite between this one or their last. It’s just a hugely fun metal album that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and is a release that I would recommend to absolutely anyone. They deserve every bit of ground the band have gained in recent years, and are well on their way to being one of the biggest artists of their generation in the metal world. I can’t give this any more than a 9.5/10, and it very well could have gotten perfect marks if I’d have heard less before today.
Erin Kinsey: Suede
Whether her debut album or not (I would still contend that was 2024’s Gettin’ Away with It), this is another truly incredible country release from her. ‘High Water’ opens things excellently, while single ‘House Arrest’ is a firm highlight of not just this release, but her whole discography! Then you have tracks like ‘Tie Me Down’ and ‘I’m Done’ that are other big highlights, as is the Dylan Marlowe duet ‘Say I’m Wrong’. However, the whole album is amazing, there not being a bad song throughout! It’s an incredibly easy half-hour of music, and feels perfectly paced, the slower couple of songs at the end somehow feeling exactly what the release called for. Her vocals and songwriting throughout are amazing, and her band kill it on every single track. As you can tell, I’m a huge fan of her, but she is certainly one of the bright sparks of the country world, and is set to be a huge name sooner rather than later, if her output here has anything to say about it! This is slightly less rocky than her previous release, but no less awesome, and shows how versatile she is as a performer and writer. I’ll certainly be spinning this plenty moving forward, and it gets a very solid 8.5/10 from us!
Cancer Bats: Give Me Dirt
Somehow two decades into their career releasing music, there is still no one that sounds quite like Cancer Bats. They walk the line perfectly between hardcore punk, stoner metal and NWOAHM, and it’s a really awesome sound. And, while I remember enjoying their last album, I LOVED this one! It’s balls to the wall for its entire 38 minute runtime, and is packed full of amazing riffs, catchy vocal moments and plenty of heaviness. Tracks like ‘Stay Stuck’, ‘Don’t Trip’, ‘Long Tooth’ and ‘Prognosis’ are all personal highlights, but there really isn’t a bad song throughout! The band are criminally underrated at this stage in their careers, and I’d recommend this to anyone with even a passing interest in a more hardcore style. I’ll certainly be spinning it a fair bit moving forward, as I’ve already listened three times just this weekend! Another huge 8.5/10 from us!
Xandria: Eclipse
The brand new album from the German symphonic metallers is another excellent addition to their discography! We lovedThe Wonders Still Awaiting back in 2023, and this is an absolutely brilliant follow-up to that album. The title track kicks things off phenomenally; one of the best and catchiest choruses they have ever laid down, and the epic vibes are present right from the offset. Then you have tracks like ‘The Grand Delusion’, ‘Northstar’ and the monumental ‘The Last Generation’ that are all huge highlights. Hell, there isn’t a bad song throughout, honestly. The album is, like the last one, a touch on the too-long side, but I couldn’t think of which tracks I’d cut from it to make it shorter! The band are so incredibly talented, and have crafted yet another amazing symphonic metal album with this release. The story they weave throughout is captivating, and the band never give it a chance to get boring. If you are at all into this side of metal, this album is an absolute must! 8/10
Evan Honer: 4 songs
This short collection of, you guessed it, four tracks is a little different to what one may come to expect from Evan’s music, typically. It’s still great, don’t get me wrong, but is a fair bit more stripped-back overall than his last couple of albums. Still, his lyric writing is just as phenomenal as ever, and his delivery is second to none in any genre currently. ‘say anything’ is a fantastic song that easily sits up there alongside his best. Also, the Medium Build-featuring ‘pull me out’ is incredible, too. The other two songs are awesome too though; the release has gotten better and better to me with each listen. It’s if anything just made me want more. It’s a fantastic EP but does feel like a little stop-gap on the way to his next full-length. It does feel a little weird that we most likely aren’t going to get an album from him this year, after three on the trot. Still, if you are a fan of his or the indie-Americana style, give this a spin. It’s short and sweet and excellent! 8.5/10
Kye Alfred Hillig: Widowmaker Express
The second album from the indie-folk singer-songwriter this year, following his return from semi-retirement, is another deeply personal, vulnerable release. It’s a stripped-back release, mainly focusing on Kye’s guitar and vocals, though there is the odd keys or strings parts in the back to fill out the sound. It only adds even more weight to his lyrics and delivery though, both of which are heartbreaking and phenomenal in equal measure. ‘Disease of the Heart’, ‘Coyote Skins’ and ‘Romance Whinnies on the Reins’ are all personal highlights. However, if you are into this sort of style, you’ll more than likely love all of it! I had a surprisingly great time with it; Kye is a fantastically songwriter and vocalist. And I’ll leave you to do some reading about the subject matter, because man is it heavy, but I felt every word, and it gave me goosebumps more than once. A very solid 7.5/10 from me, and I already can’t wait to check out The All-Night Costume Company!
Flowers of Rust: Crude Exhibitions of the Soul
The sophomore album from the post-black-metallers is a dark, bleak half-hour of music. And that is said with the uttermost love and respect, as I am sure that is the intended sound! The band are all clearly talented musicians and songwriters, and have crafted a cohesive sound through the seven songs that never once got old. It’s not typically my sort of style but I actually had a good time listening to this, with ‘Sour Mercy’ and ‘Mother Atrophy’ being personal highlights. My only slight issue was the production didn’t quite hit at times; if it had more of a Rotting Christ feel to it it would have been massive. Still, it didn’t take away from the release too much for me. I feel like live it would hit even harder, and be truly awesome! If you are into the heavier side of metal, this is well worth giving a spin. 7/10 from us!
Charlie Worsham: Once Upon a Second Time Around
I was somehow not familiar with Charlie before being sent this album. However, I have come out of it an absolutely massive new fan of him. Holy crap this thing is awesome! His first full-length in nearly a decade, this album is all killer from start to finish! ‘Powers That Be’ sets things off excellently, while tracks like ‘Wrap my Porch Around’, ‘Grass’ and the title one are all awesome in their own right. Then you have the guest features; two of the biggest names in the country world right now in Miss Lainey Wilson and Steven Wilson Jr., alongside The Travelin’ McCourys tagging onto their own version of ‘Wrap my Porch Around’ to end things. The former is a beautiful duet, and a fantastic, emotion-filled ballad. Meanwhile Wilson’s song somehow feels like the perfect combination of both artists’ sounds, and is another firm highlight. And the more acoustic, bluegrass version of ‘Wrap…’ is a great take on an awesome song!
As you can surely tell by now, I loved this! He’s got a sound that is somehow both old-school and modern and pretty chilled-out, definitely giving hints of Buffett as well as his modern neo-traditional counterparts. It’s twelve tracks that go by in a flash, the whole thing is such an easy listen. If you are at all into country music, this is absolutely a release you need to be checking out! I can’t give it any less than 9/10, amazing stuff!
The Anchoress: As We Once Were
Album three from the Welsh indie rocker picks up right where 2021’s The Art of Losing left off. It’s another big collection, 14 tracks across 50 minutes, and is dripping in coolness and swaggering vibes. ‘Throw Over Your Man’ is a great opener, setting the tone for the release excellently, while the likes of ‘All I Really Want is Peace’ and ‘What You Did’ are also good songs. Her vocals are incredible, and the harmonies add to that even more so, the vocals being by far the main highlight and focus of the release. It’s an interesting album, that’s for sure, and at least kept me interested throughout despite this not really being my sort of style. If you like the lighter, pop/folky side of indie, this is worth a listen. Otherwise, I’m not sure I’d actually recommend it. Still, I didn’t have a bad time with this, so it gets 6.5/10 from me!
Billy Morrison: HOLLOW
The hard rock legend of Billy Idol and The Cult fame released his fourth solo album this last Friday, and it’s a bit good! 46 minutes of chunky riffs, awesome leads and some massive, catchy vocal melodies. The tracks that he’s on his own for, like the title one or ‘Tearing Down the Walls’, are great, but the guests really add another layer of awesomeness to this album. The combination of Sully Erna and Nuno Bettencourt on ‘Becoming’ was one I never thought I needed until hearing it, and am now a little obsessed. ‘The Tailor’ features Manson and is industrial/nu metal goodness. The hip-hop-legend-featuring ‘No Suspects’ is a lot of fun and still pretty heavy, ‘Leave no Trace’ has a country tinge to it with Duff McKagen, and the Dexter Holland-featuring ‘Never Gonna Change’ is a straight-up punk song. I love that Morrison changes his style depending on who he’s playing/writing with, a real testament to his incredible talents. It kinda reminds me of Slash’s 2010 release, which is a big compliment, honestly! It’s an album I’d honestly recommend to anyone, as there is something for everyone throughout. I’ll certainly be spinning it again plenty moving forward, and it gets a solid 8/10 from us!
Suffer: Soul From Flesh
The first EP from the UK deathcorers since their debut album back in 2022, this release is an all-out assault for 20 minutes. All four tracks go HARD (and the intro ‘III’ lays it all up perfectly). It’s certainly not for the faint of heart, but seasoned listeners of the heavier side of metal will surely find a lot to love in this, just as I do! The riffing and drumming are all excellent, as are the screams, but honestly the breakdowns are where it’s at here. The one to close our ‘Pendulum of Vengeance’ is brutal, and makes the song a big high point of the release. That certainly shouldn’t take away from the other tracks though, which are just as great. Whenever I need some heavy on, this will certainly be a go-to for a while! I can’t give it any less than 8/10, great stuff!
Casey Barnes: MADE FOR THIS
Album six from the country rocker knocks it out of the park, honestly! It’s half an hour of catchy radio hooks, fun lyrics and some surprisingly great instrumentation. The title track hooked me in immediately, while songs like ‘SHE DOES’, ‘ROUGH AROUND THE EDGES’, ‘TIPTOE’ and ‘BUY THAT GIRL A BEER’ kept me that way. And hell, even the slower ballads were great, breaking things up excellently. He is certainly a big name in the scene, but how he isn’t one of the biggest when his output is of this sort of quality is wild to me. He’s got that great combination of early 2000s country, a rock tinge and a more modern bro/pop country edge that is just born for massive radio play. Either way, I loved this from start to finish, and will be spinning this plenty in the weeks and months to come! If you have even a passing interest in country, give this a spin, you won’t be disappointed! 9/10
We’re back with another one of these! Sadly, we are only human, and we can’t quite get to every single album and EP each week it release. However, we listen to plenty more, and here is a handful of our very favourites from the ones we haven’t yet written about!
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra: [SKA] SHOWDOWN
A band that I actually didn’t know about until chatting to Suburban Legendsa couple of months back, they are quickly becoming a bit of an obsession of mine. Not only am I a big fan of the genre in general, but these guys do it so damn well! Whether it’s the punkier edge that got me into the genre to begin with or the slower, more jazz-leaning end, the band showcase that they are utterly phenomenal at both throughout this entire release. I also love that they alternate between the two styles with each track, keeping it constantly interesting and making nearly 50 minute so insanely interesting. It’s honestly impossible to pick highlights, it’s all so good! It’s impossible to have a bad time listening to this, and I’ve spun it a LOT over the last couple of months. The band are all such talented songwriters and musicians, and how they aren’t global superstars at this point is beyond me. Check this out immediately, no matter what you are into, you won’t be disappointed! Spoiler alert, this is very high on our albums of the year list so far. 9.5/10
Bite Down: Violent Playground
I found this while searching for a band of the same name as the album title, and what a find it was! This is absolute brutality from front to back, and an excellent 23 minutes of hardcore/metal music! Whether it’s the excellent riffs, crazy drumming, amazing screams or truly crushing breakdowns, it’s all written and performed to perfection! Also, at such a short release, it’s truly impossible to pick highlights, each track being as good as the last! Having said that, the tracks that feature guests in Orbit Culture and HÅRD are both spectacular, and utilise the other people so damn well. The band deserve so much more love than they are getting, though have certainly carved out a rabid fanbase for themselves among the underground scene, in large part due to this debut album. If you are into anything on the deathcore or heavier hardcore side of things, do yourselves a favour and give this a listen ASAP. It gets a very easy 9/10 from us, and don’t be surprised to see it high on our top albums listcome December!
Morgan Myles: Laced
The much-anticipated second studio album from the rising country star dropped back in Feb, and is another release that has not gotten nearly enough love! I’ve been a little obsessed with it since I first heard it, and have spun it a good few times in full in the last few months. It’s a throwback sound to the 90s and early 2000s country world, and I fell in love right from the opener. From Shania to Reba to Miranda, she wears her inspirations on here sleeve perfectly. Tracks like ‘Love is Lonesome’, ‘Que Sera Serenade’ and the title track are also big highlights, but there really isn’t a bad song on the release! Heck, the vast majority made it onto my personal playlist. Her vocals are amazing, as is her writing. If you are at all into country, this is an absolute must-listen. I’ve not gotten sick of it yet, and feel like I won’t for the rest of the year at this rate! 9/10
Ondt Blod: Bauta
The third album from the Norwegian hardcore punk rockers is every bit as good as their previous two. Longtime readers here would know my complicated relationship with hardcore, but this is the absolute best way to be doing it, honestly. It has elements of crossover thrash, straight up punk, old-school hardcore, and plenty of melody to go with it. It’s also packed full of massive highlights, from ‘AUX’ to ‘Mortal Enemy’, ‘Máddu’ to ‘Flamma’ and everything in between! As is a growing trend with this list, the band deserves so much more love and attention than they are getting, as they really are something special. I’ve spun this a bunch since I first heard it, and it has not once gotten old in that time! Heck, I don’t speak the language but still feel every bit of emotion put into the vocals. It’s yet another incredibly solid 9/10 from us!
Colton Bowlin: Grandpa’s Mill
I’ve seen a LOT of love for this release in the country scene, and rightfully so! It’s old-school country through and through, and Colton has really captured lightning in a bottle across this 41 minutes of music. And, while every song on it is amazing, personal favourites include ‘Don’t Come Home’, ‘Dirty River’, ‘State Lines’ and ‘Set me Free’. Colton’s voice is incredible, and his lyric writing is up there alongside the very best. He’s a classic storyteller and up there alongside the likes of Zach Top and Braxton Keith as the very best of the revival sound. Even if you aren’t typically into the older country sound, this is well worth checking out, it would surely win over even the firmest of skeptics. It feels modernised as well as traditional, and is a very easy 12 tracks to listen to! I’ve spun it a good few times since it dropped, and it’s a solid 8.5/10 from me!
Forcefed Horsehead & Shaving Werewolf: From Horrid to Worse
Collab albums seem to be becoming a rather popular thing these days, and if they’re all this high quality I’m all for it! What is interesting is that the bands take four tracks each instead of all eight being both. However, both bands fit together well, and it has surely worked in shining a light on both individually! It’s certainly not going to be a release for everyone, but if you are a fan of death metal, grindcore or hardcore in general, this is certainly one to check out. It’s only 25 minutes, but an all-out assault through that whole runtime, in the best way possible! ‘The Will of the Many’ and ‘Smoking the Crack of Dawn’ were personal favourites of mine, but none of it is bad by any stretch. The two bands are all insanely talented, and have put out something rather special with this release. A solid 8/10, and definitely my go-to heavy release the last month or two!
Joshua Sinclair: Dirty Dirty
Album six from the country rocker is a fantastic, fun release from start to finish. ‘Black Rose’ had me hooked from first listen, while tracks like ‘Check One Two’, ‘Hank’ and ‘Sundays are for Shots’ are also big personal highlights. As with everything on this list though, there really isn’t a bad song throughout! It’s a real early 2000s sound in the best way possible, and is such an easy listen. I honestly don’t have much else to say about it other than check this out as soon as you can if you are in any way interested! I’ve since gone back and checked out his other stuff and he has a big new fan in me. Hopefully he gets the attention and love he so sorely deserves soon, as he is one of the most overlooked talents in the scene. 8.5/10
Paul Cauthen: Book of Paul
Album six from the old-school country superstar is a fun, awesome 40 minutes of music! His vocals are as amazing as they have always been, and instrumentally it’s as good as any modern classical revivalist. He did a fantastic job picking the singles, as both ‘Texas Swagger’ and ‘Dark Horse’ are big highlights, but both tracks features, both Jake Worthington and Delaney Ramsdell, are also excellent! If you like an older sound as opposed to the modern radio sound country has, this is very much an album you need to hear immediately! It’s just a lot of fun, and goes by in a flash. A very easy 8/10, and an album I’ve spun a lot since its release.
Kröwnn: Santa Somnia
This is an awesome metal album, and a welcome return after six years from the doomy quartet. From ‘You Died’ to ‘Skullknight’ to ‘Permadeath’, this is packed to the brim with awesome tracks. However, there really isn’t a bad song throughout, and it flows together perfectly, like any good doom album should! It’s an absolute must for anyone into the genre, and has been on regular rotation for me since it dropped back in February. They deserve so much love in the scene, and hopefully this release helps them build that up, as I’d love to see them make it out to the UK for a show or two at some point! The band are all insanely talented, and have crafted something truly awesome with this album. 8.5/10
The Imaginary Band: Self-Titled
Some more country/folk/Americana and, as I’m sure you’re aware given the purpose of this article, another excellent release! And, it’s yet another band that are criminally underrated, and this album hasn’t had nearly enough love since its release at the end of March. Andrew Christopher and co are all hugely talented, and have crafted a great, chilled-out half-hour with this release. From ‘If You Only Knew’ to ‘Smoke Song’ to ‘Polka Hands’, there is plenty to love, and there really isn’t a bad song throughout! If you are at all interested from my words give this one a listen, you’re bound to enjoy it as much as I do! A very solid 7.5/10 from us, and a release that I’ll certainly be spinning plenty more still through the summer!
Black Veil Brides: VINDICATE
How we missed this back in May I don’t know. While I’ve never been the biggest fan of the band generally, there was no denying their huge popularity when I was a teenager, and I did enjoy their big tracks despite the cheesiness. And, their recent lean into their old heavier side has served them well the last few years. The same can be said for this album! The opener/title track SLAPS, as does single ‘Hallelujah’ and ‘Woe & Pain’. Then you have ‘Alive’ that goes harder than arguably anything they’ve done before, and they even convinced Robb Flynn to be on ‘Revenger’, and it’s pretty sick! There are times where it goes a little too cheese for me, but for the most part the album as a whole is excellent, the best they have put out in a VERY long time. The band have blended the 2000s and modern metalcore styles together perfectly, and the result is a lot of fun. 8.5/10, awesome stuff!
Elles Bailey: Can’t Take My Story Away
The fifth album from the modern blues superstar is every bit as good as her last two! The title track is excellent, and opens the release in spectacular fashion. Then you have songs like singles ‘Better Days’ and ‘Take a Step Back’, and ‘Angel’ that are all equally amazing. The whole album slaps though, spanning up-tempo blues/jazz rock and slower ballads perfectly, all providing an excellent backdrop for Ellles’ effortlessly powerful vocals. It’s an incredibly easy listen, and 46 minutes goes by in a flash. This is another album that I’d recommend to absolutely anyone, and I can’t give it any less than 8/10. It’s been a regular revisit for me for the whole year, and I’m sure it will be the same for you!
Sticks N’ Stones: Diggin’ For Daylight
The sophomore album from the Canadian brothers comes just a year after their debut, and packs one hell of a punch! The band are a fantastic blend of classic rock and modern metallic metal, and it makes for an awesome 35 minutes of amazing riffs and catchy melodies. Hell, we even get the odd great growl throughout, fitting the sound surprisingly excellently! It reminds me of everything from Alter Bridge to Mammoth to Florence Black in the best ways. From ‘Saviour’ to ‘Feel Again’ to the truly epic ‘Last Goodbye’, it’s packed full of highlights, but every song is amazing in its own right! The band are already gathering some amazing momentum, and have a massively bright future ahead of them if they keep putting out music of this quality! It is right up my street, and the band have a huge new fan in me from this release! 9.5/10, and I’ve already gone back and listened to their equally awesome debut!
Archspire: Too Fast to Die
I have seen that this is already a lot of peoples album of the year in the heavier circles of metal. And, honestly, it’s hard to argue with that. This is 40 minutes of technical, brutal death metal performed by some of the very best in the genre. The sheer pace that Oliver Rae Aleron Peters can scream at is second to none, and is a phenomenal talent in of itself. However, the other four members kill it just as much at their respective instrument. The whole album is beautiful chaos from start to finish, but personal favourites include ‘Red Goliath’ and ‘Limb of Leviticus’. If you are into the heavier end of metal, this is absolutely an album for you, and it may be my favourite the band have ever point out at this point. It has been on regular rotation for me since April, and I can’t give it any less than 9/10!
Angine De Poitrine: Vol.II
I feel like I can’t go without talking about the breakout band of the year finally, can I? These guys are suddenly massive and everywhere, which is insane given that it is instrumental, technical prog/jazz rock. Still, they have clearly captured lightening in a bottle, sitting at nearly one million monthly listeners on Spotify alone, some four months after this album dropped. So, we’ll get the obvious out the way immediately: holy crap are the duo talented! From the playing to the arrangement, it’s all phenomenal. And, while I didn’t really ‘get’ it at first, after a couple of listens it is certainly growing on me. Don’t get me wrong, it can certainly get repetitive at times, especially when it’s six songs, each based around the same sort of riffing, spread across 36 minutes. But, the pair are so talented it almost makes up for all of that! It’s impossible to pick specific highlights as it’s all like one big piece, so if you are interested, certainly give this a full spin! 8/10 for now, and it may continue to grow on me more with more listens!
M.ILL.ION: Legend
The latest album from the Swedish melodic hard rock band follows up 2021’s Back on Track perfectly. It’s a grandiose 37 minutes of amazing riffs and catchy, arena-filling vocal lines. Right from opener ‘Kingmaker’ I was hooked, and through highlights ‘Bad Lovin’’ and ‘Private Dancer’ to the epic closer, it’s a real tour de force of modern AOR. If anyone is into that 80s style that the band started in, this is absolutely the release for you, and it shows that the band haven’t lost a step in their nearly four-decade careers. I’ve listened to this a few times since I got told about it, and it hasn’t once gotten tired since. A very solid 8/10 from us!
Dust: Thoughts of a Falling Man
This is the second album from the Italian metalcore/melodeath band, and honestly feels like the second coming of Trivium. This album reminds me a LOT of Ascendency in all the best ways, and I honestly haven’t been able to get enough of it the last four months. ‘Before You Awaken’ is the perfect opener, setting the tone for the rest of the album excellently, but honestly every song that follows it is just as good! The whole thing is packed full of incredible riffs, solid drumming and some surprisingly catchy vocals for them being so harsh. It’s almost criminal that this didn’t get the love it deserves when it dropped, so I can only ask that if you are at all interested, give this a spin, you’re sure to love it as much as I do! I can’t give this any less than a 9/10, and already can’t wait to hear where they go from here!
Vanderlust: The Human Farm
This is an incredible, proggy metal release. Nestled somewhere between Dream Theater and Tool, the album takes the listener on a phenomenal journey through its whole 47 minute runtime, and hits plenty of awesome musical beats along the way! Tracks like ‘The Turning Point’, ‘Battlefield’ and ‘Reborn… Again’ are personal highlights, but the whole album is great. It flows perfectly, and the concept and story behind it is really excellent. We don’t get enough releases like this these days, it channeling both Mindcrime and The Metal Opera in its sound and execution. If any of that sounds like your sort of thing, give this thing a spin, you will surely love it! And it is another that is absolutely worth listening to from front-to-back, not that that should really require saying! A solid 8/10 again from us!
Another packed out week of great new music across the rock, metal and country world. Let’s dive in!
Motionless in White: Decades
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read our full review here.
Niko Moon: ROOTS
The first album from the country-pop singer to not feature his signature face logo on the cover, it somehow feels different to his previous albums while still having that signature Moon style and charm. We sadly missed his previous album last year, but LOVED BETTER DAYS before that. While this release doesn’t quite blow me away as much as that one did, it is still an excellent release! It does feel a little more country than his previous stuff, or at least leans more into his red clay roots and a healthy does of bro country. However, it also gives off big Buffett vibes still, as well as everything from AJR to even Bublé at times! Tracks like ‘RICH MAN’, ‘GET COUNTRY’, ‘COUNTRY SONG’, and ‘ONE WAY TO FIND OUT’ are all big highlights, as is the soulful ‘LAY IT ON ME’. However, I didn’t have nearly as much fun as I did with BETTER DAYS, and it if anything has just made me go back and listen to that release instead. It’s not a bad album, that’s for sure, but for how hyped I was to check it out, it did let me down a touch. It’s a lot of similar sounding stuff for 44 minutes, too. I’d not turn it off if it came back on, but I won’t be rushing to re-listen immediately, either. It may grow on me the more I sit with it, but for now it gets a 7/10
Protest the Hero: Within
The Canadian prog/tech metallers are back with their first album in over six years. To say that they haven’t lost a step in that time would honestly be an understatement! It’s 35 minutes of chaotic brilliance; insane riffing, fantastic drumming, catchy vocal melodies, and a healthy dose of screams, too. ‘Mouthpiece’ is a phenomenal opener, while every other track is just as excellent. The broadway-meets-Coheed ‘Fishhook’ is excellent, as is ‘Liberty Spike’, while ‘Grandfather’s Axe’ is one of my favourite tracks the band have ever done! The band are so insanely talented, and how they’ve had such a consistently excellent output over their 23 years of releasing music is beyond me. It’s not going to be for everyone, don’t get me wrong, but I’m a little bit obsessed with this release! It’s up there with Fortress for me, and is easily their best album since. I’m going to be spinning it a lot in the weeks and months to come, and would recommend anyone even slightly interested to check it out ASAP. I can’t give it any less than 10/10, GODDAMN.
Aaron Lewis: Give my Country Back
I actually remember liking ThatguyfromStaind’s last solo country album. Yeah, it was a little corny, but it at least fit well with his voice and his writing style. I’d heard the talk about the title track of this album when it dropped, so I was grimly curious to check it out…
It was just as bad as I expected. It’s a shame too, as I was lured into a false sense of security with opener ‘The Door’; it wasn’t half bad! However, then the heavy-handed patriotism started, and I very quickly tapped out. The title track is indeed that bad, but the rest of the album isn’t much better. Even the artwork is cringy, honestly. I don’t want to get bogged down by the obvious politics of it all, but safe to say from my perspective, it’s not a good look.
And, almost as egregious as all of that: it’s slow and a little boring. I know Aaron’s not exactly known for up-tempo stuff in general, but a lot of this blurred together for me. There’s some stuff on here that is honestly good, like the aforementioned opener and ‘A Showman’s Heart’, but they are bogged down by a lot of mid-or-worse stuff. If you are a big fan of Aaron’s previous releases, it may be worth giving a spin, but I wouldn’t recommend going in with particularly high expectations. Musically it’s at least inoffensive, but yeah, it’s hard to get into overall. 3/10
Tesla: Homage
The legendary hard rockers returned this weekend with their first new album since 2019. I’ve been a fan of them for well over a decade at this point, and rather enjoyed Shock upon its release, so I’m so glad they’re back with studio music again. What a return it is, too! Though we tend not to do covers albums on this series, this was done so well and is such a fun release it was impossible not to rave about! It’s almost an hour of blues/AOR-infused rock music like only Tesla can do. And, what’s more, the band make every track feel distinctly them, putting their own signature spin on things. To the point where if you weren’t already familiar with the songs, you may be fooled into thinking they were Tesla’s themselves!
The opening two tracks show their range enough as it is, and both are awesome songs in their own right. Then you have stuff like single ‘Spread Your Wings’, ‘Night Moves’, ‘Give a Little Bit’ and ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’ that are also huge highlights. However, there isn’t a bad track on here, and it’s just a damn fun listen all round. Each track perfectly showcases Jeff Keith’s ever-impressive vocals, and the rest of the band play their asses off throughout, too. If you are at all a fan of old-school rock, blues or soul, or just Tesla in general, this is certainly worth a spin. It’s a goos stop-gap while I impatiently (hopefully) wait for new music, and is a solid 8/10 from us!
Mercers.: The Liminal Tapes
This debut EP from the hardcore/nu-metal-ish Brits is surely set to catapult them far right from the jump. This thing is pissed off and aggressive, but also plenty melodic too! Heck, ‘New Stockholm’ somewhat purposefully(?) has some Muse elements to it, which were awesome! It’s 17 minutes that fit together perfectly, and all four tracks are as good as the last. It’s honestly so hard to pick highlights. You really do have to check this thing out in full at least once, it’s that good! It’s quirky and unique, and written and performed by four people who are masters at their craft! The closest comparison my brain is making is Tealdear, and that is very exciting to me! Do yourselves a favour and give this a spin, you won’t be disappointed. I can’t give it any less than 9/10, the creativity is off the charts!
Nearly Skulls: These Shadows of Our Wilder Selves
The first new album in three years from the ‘grumpy dad rockers’, it does follow up their awesome EP from earlier this year, PAX AMERICANA. We loved that album, and this release builds on that perfectly. It’s another dose of 90s rock nostalgia in the form of REM or their more punk-infused counterparts, but this time it’s a full nearly hour instead of 20 minutes. Tracks like ‘Some Change’, the Pucifer-like ‘On the Network’, ‘Dinosaurs’ and ‘The Ocean’ are big personal highlights. However, there isn’t a bad track throughout, the album being a fantastic, chilled-out affair and an incredibly easy listen. If you’re into this sort of style, I cannot recommend it enough, and it’s a fitting follow-up to PAX. There is maybe one or two too many tracks on here, if I had to offer one criticism, but I wouldn’t know what songs to cut, and after three years it’s hard to fault them throwing it all out there! 8/10, great stuff!
Haken: in a fever dream
Returning to the studio following 2023’s excellent Fauna (it did in fact grow on me with more listens), the prog metallers once again knock it out of the park on this shorter release. The opener is the perfect prog track, building for much of its longer runtime into a huge, heavy crescendo. Meanwhile single ‘delerium’ is more like a 2000s alt metal track. ‘bleeding sky’ and ‘lotus’ are a mixture of the two and classic Haken awesomeness. Then you have the slower ‘eclipsed by you’ tucked perfectly in the middle of it all. It’s 26-minutes, long for an EP, but the perfect amount of music from the band. It’s arranged perfectly and is such an easy listen, going by in a flash. I’m so glad the band are back to releasing new music, and if you are at all a fan of the band or the wider genre, this is definitely worth checking out! Front to back it is excellent, and the opener and closer in particular are up there alongside some of the best tracks the band have ever produced. I can’t give it any less than 9/10!
Some Velvet Morning: TELL THE SUMMER HANG ON
The first new studio album in over five years from the rockers, and it’s a rather epic half-hour! The opener sets the tone for the soft-rock release perfectly, while songs like ‘Before I Met You’ and the grandiose, Western-style ‘The Architect’ are also big high points. The band are clearly all incredibly talented musicians and songwriters, and they get plenty of time to shine both individually and together throughout. However, it does get a little samey towards the end, I do have to say. Those of you more into this sort of old-school style than me will probably get a bit more milage out of it. It’s sadly not a whole album I’d eagerly revisit, but a few of the tracks I will definitely be spinning again! 6.5/10, it wasn’t as much for me as I’d hoped!
As It Is: Self-Titled
The follow-up to the pop-rockers huge 2022 release, I WENT TO HELL AND BACK, their brand new, self-titled album is another infectiously fun release. Right from opener ‘I’m So Alive!’ I was getting modern All Time Low vibes in the best way possible, and it set up the rest of the album fantastically. The singles, like ‘Do You Remember?’ and ‘Marilyn’, are great, even if they do front-load the album a little drastically. However, album tracks like ‘Lose Your Way & Find Yourself’ and ‘What if it All Works Out’ are just as fantastically. The band are really at the top of their game right now, and if you like this style even a little, you’ll surely love it as much as I do! Their last release grew on me with more listens but this one doesn’t have to, it hooked me right in from the opening moments! This will certainly be one I’ll be spinning plenty in the weeks and months to come! 8.5/10
Loathe: A Stranger to You
Five years after their last release, the ambient sister album to their breakout I Let it In and It Took Everything, the experimental metalcore rising stars finally return with a full new album. Firstly, at 14 tracks and 54-minutes, it’s a big ol’ release. And, surprisingly to me, it may take a few listens for me to truly get into. It’s especially surprising as I remember enjoying I Let it In… a lot, and still do. The band are well known to blend genres, which usually I’m down with. However, as someone who’s not really into the whole droning shoegaze thing, they maybe leant a little too hard into that side of their sound for me here.
The opener was interesting, but ‘Block of Flats’ went on far too long for what it was. That was especially sad as it features Static Dress, and I LOVED their last album. ‘Fortress Down’ pulls it back a little for me, but it’s nothing more than fine. Songs like ‘Gemini’ and ‘Gifted Every Strength’ are good, but they are spread fairly too few and far between. A lot of it is dull, or Deftones turned up by 1000%. None of it quite gives me the feeling that ‘Gored’ or ‘Two-Way Mirror’ did, or still do. As I said, it may grow on me with more listens, but it also feels a little bit like the last Zeal & Ardor album, and that sadly didn’t. If you liked this album then awesome, I’m honestly glad! I certainly want to like it, and feel like I should, but certainly found myself struggling. I’m curious to see what other people’s reactions to it are, as I can’t give it any more than a 5/10, sadly!
Imperium: Exodus Unknown
The highly anticipated debut album from the UK thrashers is just as good as I expected, if not better! From the first notes to the last, it’s a brutal assault of awesome riffing, drumming and some surprisingly catchy vocal melodies. The opener is a big highlight, as is the epic almost-ballad ‘The Gun’. The Demolition Man himself even provided an excellent feature on ‘Tread the Serpent’! But honestly, the whole album is excellent. There’s a surprising amount of dynamics to it, with some fun and interesting tempo changes to go alongside all the rest of the excellence. The band very much wear their inspirations on their sleeve, whether it’s legends like Slayer and Kreator to more homeward bands like Evile. If you are a fan of any of these bands, or the wider genre in general, give this a spin, I promise you won’t regret it! Another album I’ll be spinning a lot moving forward, and a very solid 9/10 from us!
An absolutely massive week of new music for us to check out across the spectrum. Let’s dive in!
Muse: The Wow! Signal
It’s always interesting when we get new music from the Devonshire trio. One of the biggest artists of my childhood, they are still one of my favourite bands now. You never quite know what to expect from them, and even the singles have been pretty varied. However, all have been great, so to say I’m hyped for this release would be an understatement. Plus, it’s their first new music since 2022’s Will of the People, and damn did we love that album!
Well, it certainly doesn’t disappoint! This is a 45 minute journey through the very best of rock, pop and even metal. All four main singles have been fantastic, and fit even better within the context of the album. The rest of the tracks are just as awesome too, the whole release having a grandiose, epic feel to it like only Muse can do. ‘The Sickness in You & I’ is maybe my favourite track on the album, and up there in the upper echalone of their music for me already. Heck, the Gojira-like breakdown at the end is honestly phenomenal. Then you have the Ellie Goulding-featuring ‘Hush’, and the equally Bond-esque opener, and the beautiful, epic closer, and the album as a whole is so incredibly solid. It also feels like a culmination of their career so far, honestly. ‘Cryogen’ is a straight-up Origins of Symmetry track, ‘Be With You’ would comfortably fit on Resistance or 2nd Law, ‘The Dark Forest’ would fit perfectly on Black Holes and ‘Unravelling’ is very much a ‘Drones’ track. Then you have the out-there ‘Nightshift Superstar’ that is straight-up disco-rock in the best way.
I may be becoming across as a fangirl, which I certainly am, but I cannot adequately tell you how great this album is. It’s excellent from front to back, and after 45 full minutes (twice already this weekend, I may add) it has just left me wanting more. It’s my favourite release from them since at least Drones, but it is more varied and well-rounded than that album, so may grow on me even more than that with more listens. Surely it’s not their best release since Black Holes, right..? Almost all of this has ended up on my personal playlist, and it’ll likely end up very high on our top albums of the year list come December. I can’t give it anything less than 10/10. Wow indeed!
The Pretty Reckless: Dead God
Momsen and co. finally brought us a followup to 2021’s massive Death by Rock and Roll this last Friday. I’m going to say right from the jump that that album grew on me in a big way the more I listened for the months after. Hopefully this one does too…
While I wasn’t a fan of the cold open, single ‘For I Am Death’ is a great track. Stuff like ‘Dragonfire’ and the Audioslave-like ‘Dark Days’ are also pretty good. However, the rest kinda blends together; not much stood out and I found myself getting a little bored. The band are damn talented, but they haven’t really evolved much in their 16 years of releasing music, I’m kinda over it now. They’ve never been an ‘album band’ per say, yet the closest they came was their last release. This feels like a step back in that regard. A few good tracks and then stuff that will be breezed over and forgotten about by the next cycle. In the nicest way possible, like I said in my review of them from Download: if it wasn’t for Taylor Momsen being involved, I don’t think anyone would care. If you like this album that’s awesome, and as I said I do hope it grows on me like their last did. But for now after a spin or two, I can’t give it much more than 7/10. Not bad but my least favourite of their albums so far.
Cody Johnson: Banks of the Trinity
One of the biggest international country stars around currently, and well and truly cements himself as just that with this release! It’s the perfect combination of early 2000s radio country with a modern edge to it, and even at over 50 minutes it goes by quickly and easily. It’s packed full of highlights too, from the opener to the Brothers Osborne featuring ‘Fool Proof’, ‘I Have’ to ‘Kissing a Married Woman’ to ‘Thank Somebody Country’. There is certainly a bit of downtime throughout, but he’s so good that even the slower or not quite as good tracks are hugely entertaining. He even manages to get away with some of the typically country-cheese lyrics from being such a great vocalist and songwriter. And it helps that his band work their asses off throughout, too. While I do still prefer Ain’t Nothin’ To It as an album as a whole, this is up there with his last couple as a close second. If you are at all into country, give this album a spin, you certainly won’t regret it! 8/10
Butthole Surfers: After the Astronaut
The alt/noise rock legends are back with their first studio work in two and a half decades. Though the tracks were originally recorded back in ’98, it’s at least given a modern mix and production to set it apart from their previous stuff. Having said that, you can still tell at times that it was written at the turn of the century, certain elements like the scratching giving it away. However, it is interesting that some of the topics and issues they sing about are still relevant today, all these years later. It’s honestly kinda sad. While not quite my sort of thing typically, I have always found the bands work interesting, and this was another release I found myself enjoying. ‘Jet Fighters’, ‘Venus’ and ‘They came In’ are all tracks I found myself enjoying and will certainly listen to again, even if I won’t repeat the album as a whole all too much. If you like the quirky stuff, this is worth a listen, but it certainly won’t be for everyone (most people). Still, there is no denying their impact to music, and this release fits in perfectly with the rest of their discography. 6/10
American Aquarium: New Ways to Lose
Fuck, I forgot how much I love this band! They are like country’s answer to Social Distortion or The Pogues, and I can’t get enough. Southern punk, almost. Honestly, the whole thing from front to back is incredible, too. Much like Muse, most of this ended up on my personal playlist, and I’ve spun it multiple times over the weekend already! It’s impossible to not have a good time listening to this, even when your getting your heart broken by the bittersweet ‘Favourite Hello’, and 34 minutes goes by in a flash! And, as such, it is impossible to pick just one or two highlight songs, all of them are fantastic in their own right. It may be my favourite album from the band, which is honestly saying a lot! It’s chilled out, rocky and emotional all in the perfect measures. If you are a fan of any of the bands or genres I’ve mentioned already, do yourselves a favour and check this out ASAP, you’re sure to love it as much as I do! I cant give it any less than 9/10, and it may grow on me even more through the rest of the year!
Hawxx: The World Splits Open
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read the full review here.
Boneripper: Radiant In Ruin
The sophomore album from the Netherlands metallic hardcore outfit goes hard right from the offset! ‘Oracle of Lies’ sets the tone of the release immediately, as well as being a big early highlight. Then you have tracks like ‘Damnation’, ‘Borrowed Breath’ and ‘Refuse Persist’ that are also bangers in their own right. However, the whole album is fantastic, there not being a bad song throughout. And for a fairly long album (12 tracks) it goes by in a flash, not at all feeling its length. I like the couple of interlude tracks thrown in too, making the album feel more alive, and the closer in particular was excellent.
The band are all hugely talented and so damn good at what they do. Wearing their inspirations on their sleeve, they straddle the line between beatdown, metallic and metalcore amazingly, the closest comparisons for me being the likes of Hatebreed and even Pro-Pain. I was new to the band upon checking this out, and they have a big new fan in me! I am already desperate to see some of this live (a trip to Europe sounds perfect right now) and I can’t give it any less than 8.5/10. Amazing stuff!
Willow Avalon: Pink Pocket Pistol
This third album in three years from the neo-traditional country artist, and it has a tough job following up Southern Belle! Spoiler alert: it sadly doesn’t quite reach those heights. Don’t get me wrong, tracks like ‘Easy on the Eyes’, ‘Hell in a Handbag’ and all three with guest features are great. She is still a fantastic lyricist throughout, too. However, I found a lot of this was just a touch slow, and as such it all blended together a little for me. None of it is bad by any stretch, and if you like an old-school, chilled out sound you’ll probably love this. However, her last release felt like a bit of a breath of fresh air, an exciting blend of old and new, and this isn’t the follow-up I’d hoped for. As I said, there is definitely some fun, great stuff on here, but as an album as a whole I won’t be revisiting it all that often. She still has a hugely bright future ahead of her, but it doesn’t quite live up to my hype for it, given her previous output. Still, the tracks I named are awesome, and fitting additions to her discography! 7/10
CJ Wildheart: Devil
The punk legend followed up his 2025 release in quick fashion with another banger of a release! If you know CJ, you know exactly what to expect from the album, and I mean that in the best way! Between ‘The Art of Being Free’, ‘Diva’, ‘One of the Boys’ and ‘Twenty Two’, there are some tracks up here that I’d honestly put up alongside his best. It’s punk through and through, whether it’s his older brand of Wildheartsy stuff, or a more Celtic tinge to it. As much as I loved SLOTS, I may like this even more! If you are at all into punk, this is an absolute must-listen. It’s just a lot of fun, showcasing that CJ still very much has it decades into his music career! I’ll be spinning this a fair bit moving forward, and can’t give it any less than 8.5/10!
Georgia Webster: EVERYTHING MUST GO!
Album two from the country pop rising star is a chilled-out affair, and a very easy listen. At only eight tracks across 27 minutes, it goes by in a flash, and has some great stuff up there with some of her best. ‘2 YEARS’, ‘SYDNEY’ and the closer are all personal highlights, but there certainly isn’t a bad track on the release! She fits perfectly alongside other modern popish artists like Olivia Rodrigo, and is most certainly going to keep getting bigger and bigger the next few years. It’s certainly not going to be a release for everyone reading this article, but I had a good time listening to it, and will certainly be spinning it a fair bit over the coming summer. For now, it gets a solid 7.5/10 from us!
Druidess: Trip Meadow
The Newcastle-based doom/stoner metallers dropped their highly anticipated debut album this last Friday. Spoiler alert, it’s a bit good! It’s seven incredible tracks packed full of insane riffing, solid drumming and some catchy-as-fuck vocal melodies. It immediately reminds me of The Sword’s heyday (goddamn I miss when they were pumping out great music), but also has elements of everything from Clutch to Red Fang to Orange Goblin. And as I said before, every song is as good as the last, it being nearly impossible to pick highlights. Having said that, the proggy, epic title track is pretty rather excellent! Everyone involved in this is so talented; from the playing to the writing to the production, it’s all excellent. As far as debut albums go, this is fantastic, and the band are going to go incredibly far if they keep up this quality. It won’t be for everyone, but if you like your metal sludgy, epic and massive, give this a spin, you won’t regret it! 8/10
Amberian Dawn: Temptation’s Gates
The first album from the symphonic metallers with new singer Nicole Willerton at the helm, this feels like another big step forward in the bands already sprawling discography. The first studio work from the outfit since 2020 (aside their 2022 ABBA tribute album), it shows how far the band have come in that time, refining their sound into the genre’s purest form. Nicole is the perfect fit, her vocals being a huge high point of the release, while the other four compliment her perfectly and work their asses off throughout. From ‘The Vision of Dreaming’ to ‘Unchained’ (those screams were unexpected and awesome!), ‘Undying Colours’ to the epic closer, it’s all so good. My only complaint would be that it’s a little samey throughout, but when it’s this good it’s hard to be that mad about that! If you are into the genre, do yourselves a favour and give this a listen. Another very easy 8/10
James O’Hurley: A Beggars Belief
This four track EP follows his album from last yearrather perfectly. Combining two live-recorded tracks from said album with two brand new ones, it’s a short yet great blues release! It’s rather stripped-back and chilled out, but offers a different perspective on the rising star. The new tracks fit perfectly alongside the other two, and it creates an awesome 15 minutes of music. ‘Roulette’ is a personal favourite, it almost having bond-song levels of grandiose to it. However, all of it is great. If you are a fan of James or blues rock as a whole, this is well worth giving a spin! I’ll certainly be listening again, that’s for sure! 7.5/10
Taxi Girls: Static
Some more punk for us this week, this time the debut album from the Montrèal four-piece. It’s a lot of fun, and gives off big Distillers vibes in the best ways. From the opener to ‘Auto Hysterics’, ‘Kill Your Darlings’ to ‘Don’t Leave me Hanging’, there is so much to love throughout. It’s somehow the perfect blend of old-school and modern punk, but also has a unique vibe to it as well that is very Taxi Girls. I’d never heard of them before I got emailed about this release, but they have a big new fan in me, and are set to be a big name in the scene sooner rather than later! They encapsulate that DIY punk energy that the likes of Amyl and Wet Leg have brought to the dance before them, with the added bonus of actually making good-sounding music on top of that. If you are all interested, give this a listen, you’ll love it as much as I do! A very easy 8.5/10
Stonecast: Expand Crimson Chaos
Firstly, what a badass artwork! And, while we’re at it, what a badass album! The bands first since 2019’s I Earther, while it still maintains it baseline of traditional heavy metal, they experiment a lot through their 46 minutes here. The opener is straight up Doom metal, and it’s awesome! ‘A Ce Lieu’ has more of a thrashy, groove metal edge to it. ‘King of Hell’ goes in more of a metalcore/melodeath direction. The title track has an air of power metal to it, even. Between these, ‘Against the Tide’ and the closer, there is so much awesomeness to love throughout. There isn’t a bad track across the entire release, and it goes by surprisingly quickly. The band are all insanely talented musicians and songwriters, and have crafted their most cohesive and best album to date with this! I’d recommend it to absolutely anyone into metal, and I can’t give it any less than 9/10!
Fox N’Vead: Playing the Game
Album three from the North Carolinian four-piece perfectly blends alt rock with their country/southern background, and continues to grow their discography amazingly. The title track was slightly rocky for me, though they are clearly all accomplished blues players. However, ‘Waiting’ is a phenomenal southern-tinged hard rock track that called back to the early 2000s rock scene when it was so prevalent perfectly. Tracks like ‘Waste Away’, ‘High Agenda’ and ‘Grounded’ are also fantastic. There are some tracks that I don’t enjoy as much as others; the slower, softer ones don’t quite hook me in as much. However, overall it’s a damn good album! It’s up there alongside their previous two, the group building up an incredibly strong back catalogue. They feel wholly unique, finding a fun niche for their sound that works for me more often than not, and I’ll certainly be listening again! If you like the rockier side of country, or the alt side of Southern rock, give this a try! 8/10
THE FELL’s lineup brings together some of the best in the industry: dynamic vocalist Toby Rand (Juke Kartel, Rockstar: Supernova, AshenMoon), legendary bassist Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big, David Lee Roth, The Winery Dogs), acclaimed multi-platinum producer/guitarist Mike Krompass (Smash Mouth, Dead Romantic, Nelly Furtado, Everybody Loves An Outlaw), and explosive drummer Nick Chiarore (Steve Vai, Slash, Dead Romantic).
Now, the modern rock powerhouse are pleased to share they’re heading out for their first U.K. headline tour together this autumn. The 10-date stint will include 2 festival appearances and 8 headline shows across the country.
THE FELL UK Tour Dates:
Fri 27th Nov – TROON Winterstorm *
Sat 28th Nov – PORTHCAWL Planet Rockstock *
Tue 1st Dec – BRISTOL Thekla
Wed 2nd Dec – SOUTHAMPTON The 1865
Thu 3rd Dec – MANCHESTER Band On The Wall
Sat 5th Dec – LONDON Downstairs at The Dome
Sun 6th Dec – NORWICH Waterfront Studio
Tue 8th Dec – NEWCASTLE The Grove
Wed 9th Dec – LEEDS Brudenell Social Club
Thu 10th Dec – WOLVERHAMPTON KK’s Steel Mill
* festival date
Tickets go on sale tomorrow (Friday 26th June) @ 10am (BST) and are expected to go quickly, so don’t miss them!
On the string of dates, guitarist and founding member Mike Krompass enthuses:
“We’ve been eagerly anticipating this moment for a long time. The U.K. has always held a special place in our hearts, and finally bringing The Fell to our first U.K. festival shows and headline run is incredibly exciting. We’re thrilled to see familiar faces, meet new fans, and deliver a show to remember.”
THE FELL draw their name from Old English, where ‘fell’ meant a rugged highland or mountain. Rooted in Celtic heritage, it speaks to their shared backgrounds. It’s a symbol of enduring strength, untamed spirit, and the peaks they climb together in music and in life.
Fusing soaring vocals, elite musicianship, and massive, modern rock production, THE FELL deliver hard-hitting, emotionally charged anthems that connect with fans across generations. Their sound is both cinematic and immediate, anchored in timeless rock energy but elevated by contemporary edge and sonic depth.
A MASSIVE week of new music for us to check out, with huge releases from some of the biggest names in the rock, metal and country worlds. Let’s check it all out!
Shinedown: EI8HT
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read our full review here.
Kip Moore: Reason to Believe
We’ve also checked out this release! Read our review here.
JAYLER: Voices Unheard
The debut album from one of the fastest rising stars in the UK rock scene finally dropped this last Friday. Now, I want to get the positives out first. These kids are all incredible talented musicians. Their playing and songwriting skills are well beyond their age. Tracks like the massive single ‘Riverboat Queen’, ‘The Getaway’ and ‘Lovemaker’ are all big highlights, though there isn’t a bad song throughout!
However, I personally don’t need another Led Zeppelin clone. We’ve tried this revival sound so many times, whether it was Wolfmother, Kingdom Come, Rival Sons or Greta Van Fleet, all to varying degrees of success. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a Zep fan, but it all kinda screams ‘we have Zep at home’. As I’ve said, it’s good music in its own right, I just wish they did something interesting with the sound. I’d love to hear that Robert Plant voice over something not blues rock, like Michael Poulsen does with that Elvis sound. Hopefully they’ll evolve like the previously mentioned bands do on subsequent releases and come into their own; they’re still incredibly young, after all! Hell, maybe I’m just jaded from people, including some media outlets, already touting the term ‘saviours of rock’, like they do any time one of these bands come around, and like it has ever needed saving.
As I’ve said, it’s certainly not a bad release. It’s exactly what you’d expect, and if you like this sort of thing you’ll most likely love it. The band have an INSANELY bright future ahead of them, that’s for sure. But after decades of similar sort of music, it’s hard not to get a little bored by it these days. So, sorry boys, I can’t give it any more than 7/10
All Them Witches: Red Rocking Chair
This thing is wild from start to finish! It’s stonery blues metal/hard rock for a full 43-minutes; plodding pace, awesome riffs and epic arrangements and vocals. It definitely has other elements to it, touches of indie acid and psychedelic, as well as a healthy dose of prog for good measure, but this release is stoner all over. Heck, opener ‘Red Rocking Chair’ is an awesome, heavy starting off point, and sets the quirky tone early. Then there are songs like the straight-up blues ‘Aethernet’, ‘Turn on the Light’ and the epic closer that are all other big highlights. The album takes the listener on a fantastic journey, and 43 minutes went by in a flash! The band are are hugely talented and have crafted something truly interesting with this release, constantly keeping me hooked despite the generally plodding pace throughout. Somehow I hadn’t heard them before but they have a big new fan in me! A solid 8/10 from us!
Devin Townsend: The Moth
As much as I’ve enjoyed the odd track here and there over the years, as well as loved his last albumand plenty of SYL stuff back in the day, DAMN, I definitely ‘get’ it Heavy Devvy, now. This thing is epic, chaotic and brilliant, for a solid 70 minutes (excluding The Afterlife mixes on the deluxe), and I can’t seem to get enough. It’s like Danny Elfman if he made a metal film, and it’s no wonder Devin has considered this his “life’s work” the last decade plus.
Honestly, I can’t gush over the album enough. Everything about it, from the North Netherland’s Orchestra and Choir and all their awesomeness throughout to Devin’s criminally underrated, powerful vocals, to the occasional and well-earned heaviness to the arrangement as a whole, be it instrumentally or track-by-track, it’s all phenomenal. The release has such a perfect flow and energy to it throughout that over an hour goes by in an instant. And having so many interlude and shorter tracks between the more epic songs is a master-stroke, honestly. This is a metal opera through and through, to the quality not heard since Avantasia’s debut. From ‘War Beyond Words’ to ‘Enter the City’, ‘Stay There’ to ‘The Big Snit’ to ‘Stained Hearts’, there are plenty of tracks I’d listen to on their own. However, this release begs to be listened to in full, at least once. What a phenomenal, insanely creative release, and one I can’t give any less than 10/10 to!
Willie Nelson: Dream Chaser
Y’all know the drill by now. Huge legend, one of the hardest working musicians of all time, album number insanely high. Of course we’re fans of Willie here, and this album is a surprisingly great entry into his discography, especially given that the man isn’t far off 100 years old! The opener/title track is excellent in every way, while songs like ‘We’d Make a Good Movie’, ‘Whiskey Wants me To’ and ‘After All’ are all awesome too. It’s a great collection of both slower and more up-tempo tracks, and alternating the way this does was a great decision, keeping it constantly entertaining. It’s easy to see why he’s such a legend in the business and, honestly, this may be my favourite of his modern albums! It still shocks me to be putting stuff like this about a Willie Nelson release in 2026, but I can’t give it any less than 8.5/10. Amazing stuff, and fantastic traditional country!
Dogstar: All In Now
Not-Wyld-Stallyns put out their second album since their 2020 reunion, firmly establishing them as a mainstay in the alt-rock world at this point. We enjoyed their last album, so I have been curiously hyped since this was announced!
It’s another damn good post-new-wave rock album! It’s a light-hearted affair that is impossible not to have a good time when listening to. Channelling vibes of everything from grunge to punk, pop to hard rock, they somehow both feel old-school and accessible, while also feeling pretty unique in this day and age, a hard task to accomplish! Personal favourites include the title track, ‘Siren’ and ‘Shards of Rain’. However, the whole album is great, and each track flows into the next so effortlessly. Much like with their last album, it’s not something I’d revisit too often, but I’d happily throw on and relax to every now and again. If you like your lighter end of rock, this is very much the album for you, and is another entry into their now very solid discography! Another solid 8/10 from us! Such a shame they clash with Pretty Wild at Download…
Oh, and all hail our lord and saviour, Keanu Reeves.
Redshift: Down the Wire
This anti-AI prog metal release is the third from the UK trio, following up 2023’s INSANE Laws of Entropy. It’s every bit as great as I expected, and a worthy follow-up to Laws. Single ‘The Singer’ is incredible, while the chaotic, prog masterclass of ‘The Machine’ and the Derek Sherinian-featuring ‘The Rogue’ are all big other highlights. However, all six tracks here are as good as the last! The sheer talent on display from everyone involved throughout is truly mindblowing, and they have once again blown me away with their skill of playing and songwriting. I feel like it fits rather perfectly alongside the rest of their discography, and is impossible to pick a favourite out of the three. Instead, it just makes me want to listen to it all back-to-back! Either way, I’ll certainly be spinning this awesomeness again, and it gets another incredibly solid 9/10 from us!
Kiefer Sutherland: GREY
The Lost Boys/24 and now country legend put out his fourth album last week. It’s a chilled-out affair from start to finish, packed with bittersweet lyrics and vibes, great acoustic instrumentation, and the odd catchy chorus from Kiefer’s now trademark rasp. I have to admit it’s still a little odd hearing someone with a (rumoured) networth of $100 million sing from the perspective of a working man, but somehow he makes it work, more often than not! Tracks like single ‘GOODBYE CALIFORNIA’, ‘SIMPLER TIME’ and ‘THE BOTTLE LET ME DOWN’ are personal highlights. Sadly, outside of those tracks, this album is generally a little too, melancholic and depressing for me. There will certainly be people who love this as a whole, and I can appreciate it for sure, but I’m not one of them. He’s always been on the slower end, but this is more stripped-back and hopeless than ever. Maybe it’ll grow on me, but I do generally prefer his more Randy Newman-esque up-tempo stuff, generally. It’s not bad, but not something I see myself revisiting all too often. For now, it gets a 6.5/10 from us.
Static Dress: Injury Episode
The UK post-hardcorers put out their highly anticipated sophomore album last Friday. They have grown a lot since their debut, both in terms of size and songwriting. I definitely have revisited Rouge Carpet Disaster a few times since 2022 when it dropped, but this feels like a step up for them. Opener ‘questioning’ is alt and heavy awesomeness, and sets the tone for the rest of the album perfectly! Then you have tracks like ‘Pharmacy Film’, the Underoath-featuring ‘Nostalgia Kills’ ‘lip critic’ and ‘Classic.Death.Pose.’ that are all huge highlights. Honestly though, this album slaps from start to finish! It gives vibes of everything from MCR to Coheed, 3TEETH to Loathe, but also with something else that makes them feel pretty unique. It’s elements of post-hardcore, industrial, nu, punk and emo all perfectly infused together, and I can’t get enough! I’ll be revisiting this a LOT moving forward, and don’t be surprised to see it getting pretty high on our albums of the year listcome December. 9/10
The Real McKenzies: Paul McKenzie Sings on Yer Bike
The Canadian Celtic punk legends are back with a follow-up to 2022’s awesome Songs of the Highlands. And wouldn’t you believe it, it’s another banger of an album from one of the most underrated bands around from the 90s and 2000s! The three singles are incredible, while tracks like ‘The Mad Trapper of Rat River’ and the almost polka/ska ‘Liver Spot’ are also huge high points. It’s barely half an hour and goes by in a flash, as well as begs you to swing and dance along. It’s impossible not to have a good time with it, especially when the band don’t take themselves hugely seriously. There isn’t much else I can say about it aside for if you’re into fun punky vibes, you absolutely MUST give this a try! 8/10
Alana Springsteen: I HOPE THIS HELPS
The sophomore album from the Virginia singer-songwriter feels like it’s been a long time coming. Her debut only came out three years ago, but I guess it’s been a long three years! We enjoyed her particular combination of country music and sad-girl-pop then, and this release perfectly continues on from that. Honestly, it did take a little bit of getting into for whatever reason, the first couple of tracks didn’t hook me, but from ‘sad hour’ onwards it really clicked for me. ‘love to see it’, ‘diy’, ‘no man’s’ and single ‘black sheep’ are all big highlights for me. And, though it’s another longer release, I felt it was less overwhelming this time round. Whether it was the fact that a couple of the tracks were short interludes this time round, or that my favourite songs were spread throughout, who knows. All I know is that that five less minutes mad a big difference, and definitely in a positive way.
It feels like a more focused and refined album, exactly what you want from a second release. It’s easy to see why she is one of the fastest rising stars in the genre today, as she is already incredible consistent with her releases, this being every bit as good as her debut. Another very solid 8.5/10
Blackmarket: Radical Views
This EP feels like it’s been a long time coming, following up their 2021 self-titled album. However, it’s an excellent 12 minutes of anger, heaviness and nu/industrial metal awesomeness. All four tracks are as good as the last too, and all combine together to give a full showcase for the bands range and style. ‘Bleed’ and the title track are personal highlights, but that doesn’t take away how excellent the other two songs are! The band feel like they have carved an awesome niche for themselves, no one sounds like this, and it will surely serve them excellently moving forward! If you like any of the genres that I’ve described above, this is well worth checking out! My only complaint is that there isn’t more of it! Hopefully we won’t have to wait as long next time for new music, and if it’s a new album, even better! For now I’ll definitely be spinning this plenty, though. A solid 8.5/10
Rodney Atkins: True South
The 2000s country legend is back with his first new music in seven years, and picks up right where he left off with Caught Up in the Country! It kicks off strong with the Outlaw country-rock title track and ‘Helluvit’, while tracks like ‘Hole in One’, ‘All Y’all’ and ‘Silver Bullets’ are all other big highlights. Having been a fan of his for a long time now, it’s exactly what I hoped for and expected, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Covering sounds from Brantley Gilbert to Russel Dickerson to more of a classic sound, it’s an awesome 40 minutes that, even if it has maybe one too many slower songs, doesn’t once get boring! My only issue was there was maybe a slight bit too much cheesy, typical country stuff in the lyrics. However, it’s Rodney Atkins, so it was rather expected! Plus, he offsets it perfectly with some of the other tracks packed full of genuine emotion. He is back in a big way, and I’m just glad we finally got a new LP from him! If you’re into the more radio side of country, especially from the 2000s/2010s, this is absolutely an album for you! 8/10
Guided By Voices: Crawlspace of the Pantheon
Another year, another album from the old-school indie rockers for us to check out. I’ve lost track of how many we’ve covered, now. Much like with Nelson above, I fully commend and respect their hard-working nature, their last album dropping just eight months ago and this being their 42nd studio album. Unlike the Willie album, however, I didn’t enjoy this too much. It certainly had its moments, like the Foo Fighters-y opener, the outro of ‘One Last Blow’ and ‘Chariot Ride’ itself was fine too. However, it was all just so… meh, so boring. It’s nothing I haven’t heard from the band before, and I came into it some 30+ albums into their career already. Unless they do something drastically different, I’m not covering another of their releases, I feel too mean giving them back scores on the regular. It’s not bad by any stretch, it will certainly have its fans, but it isn’t for me at the best of times, never mind when I’ve heard them do it before and better. Another 3.5/10
Malummeh: Self-Titled
The first release since their reformation in 2022, the Finnish old-school metalcore/melodeath EP goes HARD. It’s 18 minutes of anger, heaviness and incredible musicianship. The riffs are incredible, the drumming is insane and the screams are brutal and amazing. And yet, there are still catchy, more melodic moments spread throughout too, arguably only making the heavy bitter heavier. Opener ‘Dethroned’ sets the pace of the release perfectly, while ‘October’ is also heavy greatness. However, that doesn’t take away from the other two tracks, which are also awesome. It’s an amazing return from a band that still have the chance to be a pretty big name in the scene, especially when they are putting out stuff of this quality. Heck, my only complaint would be that there wasn’t enough of it! Hopefully they keep making new music, as I already can’t wait to hear where they go from here. A very solid 8/10 from us!
Joshua Ray Walker: Ain’t Dead Yet
Embodying the hard-working traditional country attitude that Willie champions above, this is Joshua’s eighth studio album in his relatively short seven years of releasing music. It’s also impressive that it’s at this high a quality, given how high-paced he’s working at. Tracks like ‘Shoot Me Straight’, ‘Outlaw’ and ‘Stepping Stones’ all big high points. However, at just 10 tracks and 33 minutes, it’s an incredibly easy listen throughout. Joshua has such a unique but fantastic voice, and it had me hooked from start to finish. Well, that and his witty, emotion-filled lyric writing! Though it does have a modern edge to it, certainly on the production side of things, this is certainly a release for anyone into the old-school style of country music! I had a blast, and can’t give it any less than 8/10!
Burning Rope: Dissolution
The sophomore album from the former Catfish members dropped this last Tuesday, and is a fantastic bluesy rock release! It’s 47 minutes of awesome riffing, solid drumming and some great, catchy vocal melodies. It has elements of everything from Hendrix to Joanne Shaw Taylor to Dire Straits, and is a lot of fun! From the opener to ‘Second Time Around’ to ‘Houdini’, there is plenty to love throughout! The band are all incredibly talented, still at the top of their respective crafts. If you are at all into this sort of music, you know exactly what to expect and will probably have a great time with this! Being a blues guy myself I enjoyed it, and will happily be spinning it again in the future. A solid 7/10 from us!
Melanie Herrera: A Fearful & Wondrous Thing
The debut album from the ‘storybook pop’ singer-songwriter really takes the listener on a journey! It’s a full nearly 40 minutes mixture of everything from pop to rock, folk to funk to soul, and everything in-between. I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did, but I had a blast with this! From ‘Cool Girls Party’ to the emotion-filled ‘You’re Doing Great’ and ‘Call You Baby’, there’s a lot to love. Each track is good in its own right though, and the album as a whole as a great flow to it. It certainly won’t be for everyone reading this, but if you have even a passing like of pop music, it is well worth a try! I’ll definitely be spinning it again, at least over the summer, and it gets a solid 7.5/10 from me!
The usually stacked week of new music for us to check out, from metal to country to rock! Let’s get right into it!
The All-American Rejects: Sandbox
Somehow this is only the fifth album from the alt/pop rockers, and their first since 2012’s Kids in the Street. A lot has changed in 14 years, both in the music industry and in the band itself. Heck, the world experienced Humpadoo since their last release! So, to say there’s been a fair bit of hype around this release may be an understatement. I’m a fan of the band and have been since my childhood, so I’ve certainly been excited about the prospect of new music from them, even if the singles have been slightly hit or miss…
The album as a whole is reflected rather perfectly by the singles. None is bad, per-say, but there definitely tracks that I love and ones that I am not as into. Singles like ‘King Kong’ and the title track are great, as are songs like ‘Eggshell Tap Dancer’ and ‘Staring Back at Me’ are also big highlights. However, there are a few that, while good, I can take or leave, personally. The songwriting and style has matured (of course, Tyson and co aren’t in their 20s any more), getting a little darker, more indie and more introspective. It’s at least interesting to hear this side of the band, while there’s enough of their older sound to keep their OG fans interested. I feel like as an album it may take more than a couple of listens to get into fully, and it may grow on me even more in that time. However, for now, I had a good time with it, and it gets a solid 7/10
Periphery: A Pale White Dot
Following up 2023’s critically acclaimed V, the djent masters followed it up on Friday with, you guessed it, their eighth studio album (go figure). It’s more of exactly what you’d expect from the band; heaviness, plenty of catchy melody, crazy arrangements and technicality off the charts. They very much keep their title of ‘your favourite metal bands favourite metal band’, at least from a playing perspective. Heck, their OG fans, the ones Miss Sabrina Carpenter sings about, hate it, so that should be enough of a glowing recommendation as is! They cover just about every base of their song across a brief-for-them 47 minutes, and it’s hard not to be blown away by it! Tracks like ‘Talk’, ‘Heaven on High’ and ‘Everyone Dies Alone’ are all personal highlights. However, the whole album has a great flow to it, going by surprisingly quickly.
It still blows my mind that the band aren’t bigger, even with them being quite a niche sound. However, this is honestly up there alongside their best stuff, in this writers humble opinion, and could easily push them up to another level. If you are a fan of the band, or the genre they all-but created, do yourselves a favour and check this out ASAP! It’s clear the impact they’ve had on the genre, with a lot of bands taking inspiration from them, but no one does it quite like Periphery. It’s a step above Djent is Not a Genre for me, and will certainly be in my regular rotation for the next few weeks. I can’t give it any less than 8.5/10!
Robin Beck: Living Proof
The first new album from the AOR singer in nearly a decade, and it’s yet another banger! The title track/opener is the perfect introduction, while songs like ‘Karma’ and the catchy-as-anything ‘Na Na Na’ are other big highlights. The whole album is great though, being solid all the way through and going by in a flash. It’s insane that a woman in her 70s still has this powerful and amazing a voice, and the songwriting around it is just as excellent. It’s insane to me that she wasn’t a bigger name in the US or the UK back in the day, as she’s always put out bangers. However, I’d put this up there alongside any of her previous stuff, so hopefully this will finally be the album to push her to that top level. I’ll be spinning this release plenty moving forward, and would recommend it to anyone into the softer, anthemic side of rock, get this in your ears immediately! A damn solid 8/10 from us!
49 Winchester: Change of Plans
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read the full review here.
Pro-Pain: STONE COLD ANGER
I’m sorry, but this is fucking EXCELLENT. The first new studio release from the hardcore thrashers in over a decade, and the quartet show that they have not lost even a fraction of a step in that time. The guys are PISSED, and it makes for a raw, angry and fantastically written record. The opener sets the tone excellently, and it’s almost impossible to pick highlights as every song is as good as the last! The only slight weak-link for me is ‘UNCLE SAM WANTS YOU!’, as it leans more into the punk/hard rock territory with the riffing, but it does have some of the best lyrics on the release. How they aren’t at the top of the heavy world I’ll never know, as they’ve always had an incredibly solid back catalogue. Maybe them returning after some time away from the studio will finally get them more of the recognition they very much deserve! All four of them are so incredibly talented, from the riffing to the drumming, vocals to the lyrics to the arrangement. It’s nestled perfectly between Hatebreed, Machine Head and American Headcharge, and I loved every second! I’m so glad they’re back, and I can’t give it any less than 9.5/10. Check this out immediately!
The Karma Effect: Cruel Intentions
Album three from the NWOCR stalwarts honestly may be their best yet! They take inspiration from the early originators of the scene, as well as the expected 70s and 80s influences, and build it all into something uniquely their own. From the opener to ‘Raised on Rock N Roll’, ‘Bad Manners’ to ‘Waiting on a Miracle’ to the closer, the release is packed full of incredible songs. The whole thing has not only a driving stomp and swagger to it, but a sense of urgency to it. It feels like the band have a chip on their shoulder, something to prove, and it makes for fantastic listening. They seem as cohesive as ever, with every band member working their asses off and getting plenty of time to shine. They have already been fast-rising, but this release will surely push them to even greater heights! An incredibly easy 9/10 from us!
Russel Jamie Johnson: Self-Titled
This is a damn good debut album! Nestled somewhere between blues, soft rock, indie and soul, it’s a sound that feels like it’s made a big comeback in recent years, and I am all here for it! His vocals are good and his lyrics are fantastic, both combining together to create a fun, emotion-filled listen throughout. Tracks like ‘Who We Used to Be’, ‘Come for a Drive’ and the closer are all excellent and personal highlights. However, while none of the tracks are bad, I do think even at it’s short-ish runtime, it does drag just a touch in the middle. A lot of the songs sound similar in terms of style and pacing, so while all are great in their own right, I think I’d take them as individual tracks over an album as a whole, on occasion. Though, when it’s all so well written, it’s a rather small complaint, really! If you’re into any of the genres I’ve mentioned, this is well worth a listen, and I’ll certainly give it another try at a full-listen soon; it very well grow on me even more! However, until then, this gets a solid 7/10
Acid Reign: Daze of the Week
I’m being treated, I never get two thrashy albums in the same week any more! It’s been a little while again, with their last studio work, The Age of Entitlement, coming out back in 2019. However, it’s another stellar thrash album! From the title track to ‘Alonely’ to single ‘Sorrowsworn’, there’s some truly awesome stuff on here. Heck, there really isn’t a bad song throughout. If you’re a fan of the genre I’d definitely recommend checking this out, it’s a good classic throwback release to its 80s/90s heyday. The band are all damn talented musicians and songwriters, and have crafted one of their strongest releases to date with this. I’ll definitely be spinning this again in the weeks and months to come, and it gets a very solid 8/10 from us!
CASANDRA: ISLA TRANQUILITA
The follow-up to her 2025 self-titled album, this brief EP is a great, chilled-out slice of alt-pop. While not typically my sort of thing, I found myself enjoying it a lot! Her lyrics and delivery are phenomenal, being a tribute to her late great aunt, and it all juxtaposes well with the lighter, bright instrumentation. The opener and ‘SOLUTION’ are personal favourites, but the whole EP is so well put together and goes by in a flash. If you’re at all interested, I’d definitely recommend giving it a spin, you might be surprised like I was! A rather easy 7.5/10 from me!
Best Band: The People’s Club
The energy and vibe put forth by the band name very excellently reflects the style of this album. It’s a chilled out, fun and silly 41 minutes of punk, and I’m all here for it! Heck, even the artwork perfectly fits the tone of everything; the MS Paint-style of all of their albums is honestly incredible. Musically, it won’t be for everyone, but I actually had a blast listening to this, the band have a new fan in me! It feels a little Mighty Boosh in the best way possible. From ‘Bog House’ to ‘Head Full of Juice’ to ‘Another Decay’, there’s some definite highlights, too. And, while none of it is bad, it does drag a little towards the end, with it all being pretty similar in vibe and pace. Still, as I said, it’s a good fun listen, and worth giving a try if you’re into a more old-school punk vibe. 6.5/10
Braxton Keith: Real Damn Deal
Somehow this is the debut album from one of the biggest rising stars in country today. I have to admit I’d seen the name around a fair bit but had never had the chance to check him out, so always figured he’d been around longer than he has been. It’s easy to hear why he’s such a fast success, though! This is a fantastic traditional country album! Right from the opener I was hooked, and wasn’t let go for a solid nearly hour. Songs like ‘I Dreamed You Dreamed of Me’, ‘Little Bit by Little Bit’ and ‘Prescription’ are all big other highlights, but there really isn’t a bad song throughout. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a touch long, and certainly lulls a little at times due to its generally slower pace. However, each track on its own is excellent, and the top songs are truly excellent. If you’re a fan of an old-school country sound akin to Zach Top or Riley Green, this is an absolute must of an album for you! I’ll be spinning at least a good chunk of it again pretty regularly, and give this a pretty solid 8/10
Shakey Graves: Fondness, Etc.
Album five from the Americana artist is a beautiful, bittersweet release. It’s a chilled-out, stripped-back affair, especially compared to a lot of stuff on this list, but I couldn’t help but fall in love with it from the very first track. It feels dark yet somehow also uplifting and relaxed in equal measure, and really feels like a vibe that only Shakey can do. Songs like ‘When the Love is New’, ‘The Boilermaker’ and the closer are all fantastic and big personal highlights. However, the whole album just has such an excellent flow to it, even having a couple of instrumentals across its short, nine-track run. It’s the kinda thing to throw on and just sit back and relax to, or you can really dive into the incredible lyrics and get lost in them, too. No matter how you consume the album, it’s a great release into the indie-Americana world. I can’t wait to see him live later this year, and will certainly be listening to this plenty in the run up to that. I can’t give it any less than 7.5/10, and it’ll probably grow on me more with more listens!
Frozen Sand: Fractals: A Light Among Shadows
Album two from the prog metallers follows up on their debut that dropped nearly a decade ago. Continuing on the Fractals monicker and theme though, it very much feels like the perfect continuation. It’s also nearly an hour of brilliant technical playing, heaviness and some damn catchy, melodic vocal lines. In other words, the perfect prog metal release! Also, it’s another album that is absolutely stacked from front-to-back, there not being a bad song throughout and it begging to be listened to in full. However, ‘Fracture’ itself is absolutely amazing, being one of my favourite metal tracks of the year so far, honestly. The band are so darn talented and if this album doesn’t push them to many more ears globally, that’s actually a crime. It’s a pretty ballsy move to put out a prog metal album the same day as Periphery does, but honestly I think these guys do it even better! The riffing is utterly phenomenal, and everything from the drums to the screams to the powerful cleans all compliment it so well! This thing is amazing, and gets an easy 9/10 from us!
Toria and the Terror: The Operating Table
This trio of fuzzy horror-punk tracks is a great collection that immediately leaves me wanting more! I absolutely love that it’s a style that is coming back in a big way the last couple of years, especially with female vocals, immediately reminding me of The Darts. This is definitely up there alongside that album in terms of quality, all three tracks being as good as the last, and having just such a campy, cool energy to them. And, between the vocals, the instrumentation and the arrangement, it’s all so good, and all fits together to make the perfect horror vibe. In case you couldn’t tell, I loved this! The band have a big new fan in me, and I’ll be listening to them a lot moving forward! I can’t give it any less than 8.5/10, great stuff! Now I just need a full album…
We had the pleasure of chatting to the amazing alt-metallers Idolvein about their recent single output and their tour! Check it all out below!
How would you describe your sound?
Pretty eclectic really. Whilst we always aim for something catchy that’s going to separate us from the next band, we’ve written various tracks across the rock and metal spectrum. We’ve ranged from some frenetic tech metal, synth-led style material to some more post-hardcore/hard rock style tracks too. Our latest single even takes a lot of influence from blues guitarists and some soundtrack style stuff, so we never feel particularly compelled to limit ourselves to a specific sound.
You dropped “Where We Became Spirits” nearly a year ago, how has it been since then?
It’s been good! The tracks on that EP were really just a way of us establishing our sound and the overall aesthetic we’ve wanted to use to present this project. Since then, we’ve tried to build upon what we started with those songs, creating a diverse group of singles that are releasing throughout 2026.
You also just dropped a new single the last couple of weeks, right? “Enrapture Me” seems to be doing really well!
Thank you very much! The response has been great so far and people seem to be enjoying the change-up in vibe. Whereas our first single this year “Today’s the Day I Die” somewhat bridged the gap between last year’s EP and the sound we’re starting to develop now, this latest track feels like a bit of a standout because it’s a lot different to what we’ve previously released. Whenever we’ve played it at a show, it’s tended to grab attention as it usually tends to be the most atmospheric song on the night and feels pretty unexpected at a metal show.
Is more writing still going ahead now?
With the recording of all this year’s planned releases now complete, it is something we’re beginning to start actively looking at again. We have a pretty ridiculous bank of demo tracks that’ll likely be worked on further, plus we often have new riffs and ideas circulating between us all the time. It probably won’t be too long until we’re starting to consider the next step with recording more material.
What is the writing process like for the band?
Historically, it’s started with either Jack or Caelan bringing some form of instrumental track to the table in the form of a demo. This then gets shaped and potentially restructured by whatever vocal parts come next, then it’s a collaborative effort between everyone to finalise their parts before the song’s recorded in the studio. There are obviously exceptions to the rule where someone may take the lead on putting pretty much everything together, but usually it’s a little more collaborative.
Had quite the run of shows already, right? I saw some photos from both Derby and Notts, looked like great gigs!
They were good fun! Those were our first two shows of the year. In Nottingham we opened for WREX alongside Ruena, who both put on an amazing show. In Derby we celebrated the release of our first single of the year, so that was cool as well. We brought along an Idolvein branded Costco cake for everyone to chomp on too, so that definitely helped bring the vibes.
Busy rest of the year planned in terms of shows? Saw the co-headline with Endscape, how was it?
That was a great tour! We had a lot of fun playing alongside those guys and we hope to see them on another show soon. Later this month we’ve got shows in Cheltenham with Black Orchid Empire and Mansfield with Syncolima, both of which we’re very excited for, plus a tour in July with our friends in Infirm of Purpose. There’s some more stuff planned for later in the year too which hasn’t been announced just yet. It’ll be an exciting rest of the year!
What do you think of the state of the scene currently?
It’s a tough one because there’s so many great bands out there, plenty of which we ourselves have been fortunate to play with at this point, but the nurturing of both live and original music has dwindled so much over time that a lot of bands are struggling to justify the time, effort and resources required. We’ve thankfully managed to land on a pretty cohesive group where we’re all looking to move in the same direction, but even a strong collective can struggle when the current landscape so heavily favours the soulless pursuit of social media acknowledgement in place of artistic integrity. That also doesn’t begin to factor in the growing number of AI tracks finding their way onto platforms and generating horrifically large numbers of streams from unknowing listeners.
With that said though, there’s enough talent in the scene, plus support from publications like yourselves to help overcome the growing challenges and turn the tide!
Do you have a dream tour lineup you’d want to be a part of? Anyone you’d want to support or friends you’d want to bring along?
The obvious heavy hitters right now would be touring with bands like Bring Me the Horizon and Bad Omens, but it’d be cool to have some sort of all over the place all day event. Us and Endscape can open up the day, then Giant Walker, Lowlives and The Five Hundred, probably Philip Sayce to bring some blues licks, after that Novelists, Bilmuri, Meshuggah, Bring Me the Horizon and John Mayer, then Tate McRae to end the night with some pop vibes. Stylistically very cohesive, of course…
If you could have written one song from history, what would it be and why?
Probably whatever’s got the highest streaming numbers right now. We could use the royalties to fund some more stuff for the band and record more of our music! Otherwise though, something like ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’’s always a good shout. Generational tune.
Thanks very much for taking the time to interview us! We always appreciate anyone who takes an interest in our band. If you’d ever like to hear some previews of our upcoming tracks or projects we have coming up, please email us at deceivedaudio@gmail.com. We’d be more than happy to share new stuff for any early access reviews, interviews, etc. Thanks again!
