We thought we’d mix it up to start 2024 off with a bang and head down to the much praised Winters End festival. Hosted by the incredible Planet Rock and boasting one hell of a lineup of bands we are friends with and some new favourites, we couldn’t wait to tell you all about it!
We sadly didn’t quite make it in time for opener Loz Campbell. However, we know how good of a show she puts on so I’m sure she was excellent. Instead, our first band of the weekend were Hand of Dimes. It had been years since I’d seen them, them having played one of the early HRH’s I’d attended, but they were just as good as I remember. Forged from the brainchild and singer of Skin Nev MacDonald, they are a fantastic blues rock band. The crowd ate it up, too, loving every minute. They’re one of the older bands on a pretty young bill, but hold their own and play a short but damn enjoyable set!
Next up were not only a personal favourite band of mine, but one of the highlights of the weekend for me, South of Salem. The band are no strangers to the site. But, it had somehow been over a year since we had last seen them. Since then they have only grown bigger still, and are hot off the release of their second album. Honestly, they have somehow gotten even better.
Opening on their older stuff still was an interesting choice, but the crowd ate it up. And whenever they played their new stuff, it went over just as well. Heck, the crowd were even requesting tracks off the new album when asked what they wanted to hear. And the band play it all to perfection. They have evolved into some of the best, most polished showmen in the scene today. The band are going to be huge, and I would recommend anyone to go and see them ASAP!
Black Spiders were up next, and are an odd one for me. I was a big fan of the band in my teens, so was pretty hyped when they announced their return. We’ve seen them on a few occasions since then, and sadly the more I see them the less I’m into them. The first time at HRH was fun, but it’s felt a little like diminishing returns since then. They’re still good, incredibly talented players, but it’s a little like going through the motions. I don’t know if it’s more because they’ve been everywhere recently and I’ve seen them a lot, but even their new tracks didn’t land too hard for me. I know a lot of people there enjoyed them so that’s good at least!
Then we finally reached the first headliners of the weekend, the mighty Massive Wagons. What can I say that hasn’t already been said before? The band are energy and stage-presence personified, and Baz conducts his band and his full-orchestra of a crowd to perfection. And their songs really speak for themselves, at this point. They are one of the biggest bands not only in the NWOCR scene, but one of the biggest new hard rock bands in the UK currently. And seeing them live, there really is no doubt why. Rattling through new songs and classics alike, the crowd hung on every note. And, of course, the image of Baz crowd surfing in an inflatable boat will forever be seared into my mind now. In a good way, of course!
Now, I have a LOT of love for this band. I’ve been a fan of them for years and have seen them rise through the ranks of festival scenes and venues, and truly think they are on the cusp of absolutely exploding. They have also been so kind to us, sharing our posts about them and even stopping for interviews a couple of times (you can find one in the highlight video here). Their last album was also one of the first articles up on this site, which you can check out here. So, safe to say, anticipation is high with this album! Does it live up to the hype? Let’s dive in and see!
The album opens on lead single ‘START AGAIN’. It very much starts off where their last album leaves off, a fantastic groovy, heavy rock riff to get everyone’s heads bobbing. The guitar drops out during the verses, giving it a very early 2000s radio rock/nu/industrial metal feel to it. That 2000s feel very much continues through the chorus too, it being MASSIVE and arena-filling, albeit all too brief, and reminds me of the likes of Saving Abel and Seether. The bridge keeps it simple but still heavy rock. And that half-time bit in the outro is amazing! It’s the perfect high-energy track to open the album with and also to use as a single. It easily makes our playlist!
Next up is another single, ‘DON’T HOLD ME DOWN’ (yes, it’s their second album of shouting titles at you). It keeps the energy high, the drums driving a quick, stomping pace through another awesome riff. The riff almost has a Volbeat feel to it. It continues through the verse, the vocals fitting pretty perfectly over the top. It’s followed by dropping down huge for the pre, it being something that will go down a storm chanted live. It’s a shame it only comes around the once in the track! Then, exploding back in with a huge, powerful chorus, the dynamics and writing of this track are fantastic. The half-time drums in the bridge almost turned it into a breakdown, as did the almost screwed vocals. As good as it is, man I wish they’d have gone all out heavy with it. A final chorus then takes us home in style.
For a second I thought Danny Carey featured in the opening of the title track. The drums at the start are so ‘Ticks and Leaches’ or ‘Fear Inoculum’. A typically huge rocky riff soon punches the listener Square in the face over the top of it, though, reminding you exactly what band you’re listening to. Tristins vocals fill the gaps perfect in the verses when his guitar cuts out, again adding a fun bounce to it all. Meanwhile the huge, slower chorus is almost uplifting with the powerful backing vocals, and is infectiously catchy. I’m pretty sure that was a scream to end the chorus, too. I really want Tristin to cut loose and give us a proper growl, but with the way he’s evolving, it feels like it’s only a matter of time. Especially when the band venture close to breakdown territory with the heavy bridge. So far they are three for three with awesome tracks, though, and it’s another that easily makes our playlist!
The first non single of the album, ‘TAXMAN’, goes just has hard the other tracks. It’s faster and more rock’n’roll than I was expecting too, channelling more of a Motorhead energy. It’s a straightforward track too, balls-to-the-wall throughout. It’s a nice change of pace from the first few tracks, and we even get an awesome guitar solo from Tristin, plenty of wah making it sound sick. It’s another great track, and would do good as a later single!
Another single, and one that we’re very familiar with here at Overtone, ‘LOOK UP’, is up next. It’s a steadier, lighter rock track more in line with AC/DC or Airborne than anything else. It’s an insanely catchy track that has grown on me more and more after the initial shock of the lighter tone. It’s an easily playlisted track and honestly one of my favourites from the band!
‘WARNING SIGN’ is yet another change of pace, being a slower, ballad-type track. Honestly, it works perfectly with the bands style too, and is a beautiful addition to the album. Sure, it has some distortion to the guitar and bass still, but it’s a lighter track for sure. The chorus is MASSIVE, reminding me of some of the lighter Alter Bridge ballads in the best way. I can’t stop listening to this track, it’s amazing, and another of my favourite the band have ever done. Another one for the playlist!
Tracks like ‘BEAUTIFUL LOVER’ and ‘THE FOREST’ are two more steady-paced songs. Both are excellent, with Tristin letting out his Welsh more on the former as his voice really reminded me of Kelly Jones at times. Meanwhile the latter is another great ballad, having almost a folky feel with the bouncy, acoustic sound. His vocals are FANTASTIC over the top of it too, fitting just as perfectly as the heavier stuff. It almost has an air of Newton Faulkner to it. I absolutely adore the variety in this album. I’m never once bored, and it’s arranged in such a way to keep it constantly interesting. Two more awesome songs.
‘THE WAY HOME’ is another foot-stomping hard rock track that definitely take a note from Phil Campbell’s successes. Meanwhile ‘SOLID 9’ is more closer to the sound I’ve come to expect from the band. Then ‘ROCKIN’ RING’ gets pretty heavy, almost having a hardcore-sort of vibe with Tristin’s harsher, more distorted vocals. It’s again practically a scream, I love it. All three are amazing songs and again really show the talent and variety of the three’s songwriting ability.
And with that, we sadly reach the final track already. ‘BACK TO THE END’ is certainly an interesting way to close out the album, too. It’s Creed. There isn’t any other way to describe it. And it’s certainly not a bad thing. It’s a dark, acousticy ballad with an incredible chorus. I’m not normally into slower album closers, but this works perfectly. It’s not only an amazing way to close the album, but is an incredible song in its own right. It’s another track that I can’t get enough of, and while I usually get shouted at for putting so many songs on one album onto our playlist, screw it, have another one! Everything about this song is amazing, check it out immediately!
Overall: Wow. What a fantastic album this is! Every track was amazing and, as I’ve said before, it spanned a lot of different sounds and styles. The band have experimented with this second release and everything they tried paid massively. They’ve somehow even topped their huge debut album. This band are going to be MASSIVE, and this album will certainly be a contributing factor to that. It’s easily going to be one of our top albums of the year, and I can’t not give it…
The Alchemy are back with their third album this week. I have to admit, outside of the name and the stuff I’ve found on Spotify, I have absolutely no idea what to expect here. But hey, going in blind is always fun, right? Let’s dive right in!
A HUGE sound opens ‘Birdsong’, the high production value being evident immediately. It’s a wall of sound that builds perfectly but doesn’t at all feel too overpowered like it can tend to. We head into a stripped-back verse, the vocals sounding perfectly over the top of the simple drums and bass. The chorus soon comes in, another awesome riff behind it, the drums fitting perfectly behind it, and the vocals being infectiously catchy. The backing vocals are awesome and main riff is a real earworm. It feels very Lower than Atlantis in the best ways. The bridge is simple yet effective, dropping down and building up to a huge final chorus. It’s a fantastic way to open the album and introduce themselves to new listeners!
‘Lovesick’ continues the epic feel and sound and production, as well as another awesome main riff. It follows a similar formula to the previous track, a stripped back verse leading into a huge, arena-filling chorus. Again, the vocal harmonies and multi-track are a big highlight. Also, the slightly heavier approach to the bridge was great. If it had quietened down at first, it could have almost been a breakdown! It’s a really great track and easily makes it onto our playlist!
The album slows up a bit for its title track, it having more of an electronic, almost You Me At Six feel. The emphasis shifts from the big crunchy riffs and even more onto the insanely catchy vocals. It feels a bit more pop/indie than the previous stuff. It’s not quite as much my sort of thing, but it’s still a banging, very catchy song!
The same could be said for ‘True Love’s a Waste of Time’, ‘Real Life’ and ‘Sun Bleached’. It’s kind of a tale of two halves, as there are heavier tracks and riffs later on like the amazing ‘Brothers’ and the dark, closer ‘Hollywood’. Both tracks are amazing and real highlights of the album for me personally. It’s really interesting to bookend the album with the bigger sounds and riffs, leaving the poppier, more indie stuff in the middle. It’s really interesting and well put together honestly, and I feel like I’ve taken a journey listening to it through.
Also on the album is single and acoustic ballad, ‘Summer’. It gives me early 2000’s vibes, very Incubus, 311 or even Everlast. It’s a beautiful and incredibly well written song. The vocals are pitch-perfect and full of emotion, and the simple instrumentation behind it is amazing. And the band still manage to squeeze in some of their off-the-charts vocal harmonies, making it all somehow even better. This is not only one of the best tracks on the album, but easily one of the best ballads of the year I’ve heard. Fucking awesome stuff.
‘Normal People’ returns the band to the higher pace rock vibe, and it can’t be just me that hears U2 a lot in here? Between the huge sound, the style of guitaring and the vocal melodies, it really reminded my of Bono and co. Surprisingly enough too, I’m not particularly a U2 fan but I LOVED this. It’s the biggest, most radio-friendly chorus on the album, and the ‘woh’s following the guitar melody is a genius idea. And the bridge, while simple, is amazingly effective and still pretty heavy. Another track that easily makes its way onto our playlist!
Finally, ‘Glass Houses’ has a very early 2000s Red Hot Chili Peppers feel to it. It has elements of rock, funk and indie all mushed together, and it’s a really interesting sound. It’s another simple yet incredibly effective track too. The chorus is awesome, and that riff that kicks in after the choruses are heavy. It’s a lot of fun and another track I’d highly recommend listening to.
Overall: This is an awesome album! I had no idea what to expect heading into it, but I’m hugely impressed by what I found. The production throughout is top notch and the songwriting and playing is phenomenal. Sure, there were a couple of tracks that didn’t resonate with me as much as the others, but there is a LOT I love on this album. And, as a whole as I’ve said already, it’s incredibly well put together. These guys have hit their stride with this album, and I can see it pushing them far!
UK modern hard rockers Violet Origin are set to release their debut EP on Thursday. Being compared to the likes of Black Stone Cherry, Alter Bridge and Bruce Springsteen, I was already excited. And the band themselves have said ‘It’s like classic rock and a carnival ride had a musical lovechild’. I’m not familiar at all with this band, so am excited to check it out!
‘Doubt’ opens the EP on a punky feel with the drums and a steady, uplifting riff. The vocals fit the mood perfectly for the verses, it all having very Neck Deep/Mayday Parade vibes. It all builds perfectly to a hugely catchy chorus too. The harmonies on the vocals are fantastic and add an almost skate-punk edge to it, reminding me more of Social Distortion. A simple guitar lead part acts as a bridge between the second and third choruses, too. It’s a real basic radio formula and structure, but honestly is done to perfection here. This is a fantastic introduction to the band and easily makes our playlist!
‘On the Line’ starts at an equally steady pace from the drums, a bluesy, sleazy riff coming in over the top. The track overall has a lot more of am old-school hard rock feel to it, the verses being bass driven with some awesome stabs from the guitars. And of course, the vocals over the top work perfectly. It’s almost an AC/DC kinda vibe. Still, it builds to another huge, arena-filling chorus, the backing vocals and added instrumentation being awesome. We get an awesome solo in the middle of the track, too, the guitarist showing off his impressive talent. It was technical yet fit the track perfectly. And a final great chorus takes us home. It’s another fantastic track!
The final track on the EP, and it’s title one, again has a fantastic riff running through it. This one immediately gives the song a bit more of an indie feel, though. The pace is a bit higher than the others, having plenty of punk energy, too. And for some reason the vocals reminded me a bit of Ozzy on this track. The chorus is a bit more chilled out, this having much more of a stomping, swaggering rock track vibe than an anthem. The solo was again great, too. A third awesome track!
Overall: This EP was great and over far too quick. I desperately need to hear more from this band, and already cannot wait for their next release. I’d also LOVE to see them live, I feel like all three tracks would go down so well in a packed little room. All three songs are awesome and I’ll definitely be listening to them again a lot. My only slight issue was the mixing/mastering. It let the tracks down ever so slightly, but not enough for them to be unenjoyable. I cannot wait to see where these guys go next, they have a bright future ahead of them!
Another big week in New music, featuring everything from indie to death metal. Joi
The Hives: The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons
Owen: It’s been 11 years since we have heard an original release from Swedish group The Hives. Having spent the last couple of years appearing at festivals big and small, it wasn’t unexpected, but when a band haven’t released anything in a decade it’s hard to keep the hope. 12 tracks of high frequency, fast-paced, shout-along punk rock, The Hives have created a riot from start to finish. My only complaint is that each track feels like a safe bet from the band. If it ain’t broke… I know, but it feels like any decision they took was a safe choice. The exception to this is the track ‘Stick up’ as it is the only track on the album that could possibly be fit into another genre. ‘Stick up’ leans more into the world of Blues and the shift in vocals to a more Tom Waits sound was a great addition. Overall, the high energy and electrifying nature of the album makes me hope we don’t have to wait another decade until we hear more from The Hives. 7/10
URNE: A Feast on Sorrow
Joe: I was a HUGE fan of this band’s debut album. After getting turned onto the band by Trivium’s Matt Heafy, I did a very positive review (you can find it here). So, with lofty expectations and anticipation, will they beat an 8.5/10 with their new release?
Opener ‘The Flood Came Rushing In’ took a moment to really grow on me, the more hardcore style vocals and almost punk edge to the speed and attitude throwing me off. However, the slower and cleaner, Machine Head style breakdown in the middle and all the awesomeness that followed really blew me away. It sets the tone for the whole album pretty perfectly, too. ‘To Die Twice’ and the title track channel that early Gojira energy that I was waiting to hear again. Meanwhile single and album highlight ‘Becoming the Ocean’ is a more black metal take on Machine Head’s sound.
And we have to talk about the two prog tracks, ‘A Stumble of Words’ and the closing song. They are everything I want out of this genre of music, and I love them both so much. They’re heavy, brooding, and the perfect blend of black metal, death metal and doom. The riffing is amazing, the vocals are perfect and the structuring and writing is off the charts. The former track in particular may be my favourite that they’ve done, and I’m desperate to see it live.
It’s an incredibly well rounded album that doesn’t feel like over 50 minutes at all. If you’re a fan of the heavier side of metal, I’d recommend checking this out ASAP. It’s going to be in the discussion for album of the year come December, I’m sure. And it does in fact beat the last album, getting a 9/10!
The Sherlocks: People Like Me & You
Charlotte: Indie rock band The Sherlocks have skyrocketed to become a well-loved band in the alternative scene in the past few years, and their latest album People Like Me & You will undoubtedly act as a catalyst in their journey to stardom. Taking inspiration from Yorkshire legends without feeling like copycats, The Sherlocks bring a fresh sound to the genre. Tracks like ‘Sirens’ and ‘Don’t Let It Out’ are predicated to be crowd-loving anthems for their loyal fan base in their upcoming tour. 7.5/10
Public Image Ltd.: End of World
Joe: This was… ooooo… this was bad. John Lydon and Keith Levene’s lovechild dropped their 11th studio album last week, and first in eight years. I’m not the biggest fan of Sex Pistols or The Clash outside of a few songs, so have actively avoided this band for as long as possible. I’m probably going to piss off a lot of people with this review.
‘Penge’ is maybe the worst opening track I’ve ever heard. And, sadly, it doesn’t get much better after that. Unlike my previous review, this one definitely did feel like it was over 50 minutes long. I wanted to turn it off by the third track, yet I still had 10 to go. Johnny’s never had the best voice in the industry, but my god it felt like he was struggling at times here, sounding like a strangled cat. The instrumentation for the most part is fine. If you like basic 70s/80s new-wave with a touch of early punk, that is. And while there were a couple of catchy moments throughout, the lyrics were pretty terrible for the most part.
If you found yourself liking this, great. I understand why the band have fans, but I am certainly not one of them. 2/10, I shall continue ignoring this band now.
Caskets: Reflections
Joe: The UK melodic hard rock/metal band put out their sophomore album on Friday. While the Pierce the Veil/Asking Alexandria sound does feel a tad dated in 2023 for a new band, it’s still a good album. The modern-ish sound simply doesn’t have the edge or intrigue that the genre has developed these days. While BMTH lead the genre, there are bands like Bad Llama that do it heavier, or Stray From the Path that add rap elements. There are a lot of bands doing this sound and unfortunately this may get lost in the pack a little bit.
Still, having said that, there are some great, enjoyable tracks on the album. ‘In the Silence’ and the lead single, ‘Guiding Light’ are both a lot of fun. And as an album, it’s very well put together and easy to listen to as a whole. If you like the genre you’ll probably love this, but I’m kinda burnt out by it at this point. 6.5/10
Phil Jamieson: Somebody Else
Charlotte: Grinspoon’s Phil Jamieson has released his debut solo studio album Somebody Else, an album fuelled by nostalgic lyrics. Phil Jamieson combines alternative rock/pop riffs with that iconic 80s new-wave feel to create an album that may very well cement his sound as a solo artist. I struggled to get into it too much, though. 3/10
The Black Skeleton: The Rear View
Joe: The melodic rock band have released their much anticipated debut album. It’s a very interesting blend of styles, giving off vibes of The Cult, RHCP, Iggy Pop, Bowie and others, yet with a modern edge to it all too. The rock ‘n roll and punk elements match up perfectly with the catchy, huge choruses and hooking melodies. Heck, single ‘Swear’ channels grungy Alice in Chains energy in the best ways. And the slower stuff like the title track almost gives off Matchbox Twenty/Stone Temple Pilots vibes. ‘Puppy Run’ is a funky, jazzy masterpiece.
It’s so hard to pick just a couple of highlights off the album as it’s all so different and so good. The variety is amazing and made it such an easy listen. There’s something for everyone here, and the band definitely have a new fan in me. 9.5/10
Werewolves: My Enemies Look and Sound Like Me
Joe: This whole album is a wonderful slap in the face right from the first second. Opening into an evil fast riff complete with a blast beat, the death metal band aren’t fucking around. From then on, it’s heavy, thrashy goodness from start to finish. There is some slight variety; ‘Destroyer of Worlds’ is a Seasons in the Abyss style plodding track, yet is still insanely heavy. It’s my favourite track on the album as it is the most different one, the rest being all out death metal. It’s great, and if you’re into the genre you’ll surely love it. It did wear a little thin for me by the last few tracks, though. 7.5/10
Hail the Sun: Divine Inner Tension
Joe: Straight up, this album is amazing. It’s mathy, heavy and yet channels a lot of pop, punk and even desert rock energy as well. I remember checking out the latest Blood Command album last year (review here) and it’s very similar to that. However, I enjoyed this a lot more than that album. Right from the album opener and title track the band had me hooked and didn’t let go throughout.
Donovan Melero has such an interesting, phenomenal vocal range through both cleans and scream that is hard not to compare to Kellin Quinn. Meanwhile some of the riffs and lead runs from the duel guitarists are amazing. Tracks like the opener, ‘Chunker’ and ‘I Saw You Hanging’ are all massive highlights, but honestly the whole album is great. I can’t really pick any faults here. It’s a solid post-hardcore album and worth checking out by any even passing fans of the genre. 8.5/10
Local boys for us, Smoke Over Elsewhere, have been going from strength to strength in the UK underground rock scene for a couple of years now. Their blend of southern with the usual UK rock sound has turned a lot of heads. Their debut EP came out earlier this month and, after their previous two singles, I can’t wait to hear it. Let’s check it out!
Opener ‘Told You So’ builds up perfectly through a great bass and drum line, adding in the guitars before exploding into the HUGE main riff. The verse is fun while the chorus is simple yet dripping with attitude and swagger. There isn’t necessarily a huge, arena filling feel to it, it reminds me more of some of the Appetite for Destruction album tracks, ripping through awesome riffs and brief vocal sections. It’s a hell of a lot of fun as a track and skirts the line between hard rock, southern and heavier indie perfectly. A great way to open the EP!
‘Fire Blind’ channels the same heavy, hard southern rock swagger and riffing as the previous track. I LOVE the playing that’s going on through the EP, and especially here with the inclusion of the slide guitar. The chorus here is pretty catchy, and has more a doom/stoner vibe to the delivery. An almost Monster Magnet or High on Fire type feel. Honestly, there wasn’t much I could think of saying about the track outside of it’s a great song that’s definitely worth checking out.
Another great riff forms the basis of ‘Crazy’. If there’s one thing that’s a clear highlight of the EP and band in general, it’s these sleazy, hard rock riffs. It’s another great chorus in a simple yet incredibly effective track. The drum fill was great in the middle, too. It’s all one level and tempo and there really isn’t a massive amount to the track, but that’s if anything part of its charm. The band don’t need to do anything flashy or reinvent the wheel, they just play good rock music!
Closer ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Woman’ is practically exactly the same as the previous track, and the two before that. It’s the origin of the EP’s title, and it’s an infectiously catchy chorus surrounded by of course great instrumentation from the band. It’s my favourite track on the album and easily makes our playlist. It’s the perfect way to conclude this short, straight to the point EP!
Overall: This is exactly what I was expecting. And, for anyone going into this expecting a straight forward hard rock album with a bit of blues and Southern edge to it, you’ll feel the same. I have to say though, this release is definitely less southern than their previous two tracks, which was slightly disappointing. Still, it was a lot of fun and a collection of tracks that I would LOVE to see performed live. Each member is a master of their craft and came together to create something really great here. Hopefully we get a full length soon!
A slightly smaller week of new music this week, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less awesome. Check it out with us!
Enter Shikari: A Kiss for the Whole World
Confession time: I never ‘got’ this band. I’ve heard they’re very good live and from seeing videos I feel like I’d enjoy them. However, on track they do next to nothing for me. I struggle to put them into a genre outside of ‘not for me’.
This album didn’t change my mind.
Don’t get me wrong, some of the riffs, like the ones on the title track or ‘Goldfish’ are good. However, it seems to pull together the worst parts of pop-punk, Prodigy and general pop/indie, and blends them together into a boring mess of meh. Again, it would probably do a lot more for me live, as I’d have LOVED tracks like ‘Bloodshot’ and ‘Giant Pacific Octopus’ if they’d have just gone a little harder and heavier. It was too close to Twenty-One Pilots but without the good hooks and lyricism, when I was hoping for something a little closer to Skindred. But hey, that’s on me.
I know fans of the band are going to hate me for this, but I’m simply going off personal preference… 4/10
Jethro Tull: RokFlote
Well, we’re here again. Just under 15 months since we covered Jethro’s triumphant return album, we have a new one. I have a lot of mixed emotions, and not many are positive. I was not prepared for this today.
It’s certainly weird, and it’s certainly Jethro Tull. And it’s one hell of a mixed bag. There are some great elements throughout, like the first minute of ‘Ginnunagagap’ or the flute and guitar melodies in ‘Wolf Unchained’. Heck, the folk-rock parts in each track when it’s flute and guitars are fantastic. However, Ian Anderson sounds tired. He has every right to be, he’s in his mid-seventies. But it just took away any energy the tracks had as soon as his vocals came in.
It doesn’t feel anywhere near the passion and quality of their previous release. While I went as far as to actually enjoy some of that, this felt like a struggle to get through for the most part. It was boring outside of the odd flute melody. However, I still feel like I’d appreciate it a lot live, so there’s that I guess. 3.5/10
The 69 Eyes: Death of Darkness
The moody goth legends are back with their 13th studio album on Friday. Fans of the band know exactly what to expect of the band by now, it’s exactly what you’d imagine a band that got big in the early 2000s goth scene would sound like. Think Him, ASP, Birthday Massacre etc. It’s good.
Typically I’m not a huge fan of this sort of music, but the band did well to win me over with tracks like ‘Drive’, ‘Something Real’ and ‘Gotta Rock’. There’s a bit more of a glam/Misfits/even GnR nature to some of it which definitely drew me in. And the harsher vocals contrasted well with the Peter Steele lows. There are a lot of elements and sounds throughout that really held my attention. There was even some dark country/folk in ‘This Murder Takes Two’ for good measure. Plus, the aforementioned track features legendary tattooist Kat Von D and, no matter your feelings on her personally, there is no denying that she can sing and adds a lot to the track.
I found myself loving it by the end and wanting to check out the rest of their back catalogue. A damn fun listen and a great find for me; they have a new fan in me! 8/10
Angus McSix: Angus McSix and the Sword of Power
We’ve already reviewed this awesome album! Check it out here.
Alice Howe: Circumstance
Country time. And unfortunately the only one covered this week. However, Alice does a damn good job of representing the genre with her sophomore album. Though it’s a little slower than the typical music we cover on here, it’s a fantastic album to chill out to. Tracks like the opener, ‘Things I’m Not Saying’ and ‘Travelin’ Soul’ are all big highlights of the album. If you like the more traditional, slower side of country, you’ll love this. I’d LOVE to hear it live. 7.5/10
Portrayal of Guilt: Devil Music
This is not an EP. 10 songs spanning 31-minutes is an album. Fight me.
Max: This was super intense and there was so much going on that was just fantastic to listen to; from the intense blast beats on the drums to the intensity of the vocals. There was so much energy throughout the entire album which made it a lot of fun to go through. Whilst I don’t think there was one stand-out song on the album, the entire thing was amazing and was a lot of fun. The guitars were also amazing and carried so much of the album with the speed and skill that is demostrated throughout. 8/10
Phaeton: Between Two Worlds
Max: So this album was a little unexpected. It is an instrumental album. This was actually quite good as it was a nice breath of fresh air after doing several weeks of similar genres. In my experience, instrumental albums can be hit and miss. However, this album was really good. There was a lot going on, but not enough that it became difficult or too intense. The guitars did a really good job making sure that the album wasn’t boring. The only issue was it would have been nice to have a greater focus on the drums and bass but it would seem like this isn’t the focus of the band so you can’t knock them for it. 8/10
Signs of Chaos: Blindsided
Max: This was an interesting album, and not in a bad way. This album had a lot of technical skill from the guitars to the drums and then the screams. This ranged from the speed and intensity of it all with the vocals changing their tone quite a lot to the guitars going from fast and heavy hitting riffs to very well done and thought out solo’s. The only issue was that every now and again some parts of the mix felt like they got lost in the rest of the music which was dissapointing as it was all very very good. Overall this band deserves a lot of praise and far more attention than they have at the time of writing. 9/10
Alt rock singer/songwriter Burridge. recently released her second EP, Here Are Your Words (read our review of ithere). We got to speak to her about it, alongside her plans for the future. Check it out down below!
How would you describe your sound?
I would say it’s just generic angry girl rock. I don’t know. I’ve always struggled with… you know when people are like ‘oh, my band is this genre’, I don’t really understand strict genres. A lot of the music I listen to crosses over so many genres. Or maybe I’ve just not got a very good ear for them! But yeah, I’d just say it’s generic angry girl rock.
The EP came out recently, it seems to have gone down well?
I think so! I’ve had some good feedback and some good streaming numbers which is apparently what it’s all about nowadays! So yeah, I think it’s gone down okay!
And is there a specific story running through it?
So there kind of is and isn’t. There wasn’t meant to be. But my first EP, if you listen to it from start to finish, is kind of a journey from me being early 20s, discovering the world and realising God, this is an experience. Then with this EP I’ve not released in order of when I wrote the songs, but the whole thing is me getting to grips with ‘okay, life is not always great, how are we going to work it out’. So, there is a story, but it isn’t linear, it’s kind of everywhere. But then so is life, so it’s fine!
And do you use session players, I assume?
So my producer, Sean Kennedy, plays everything. He’s a genius. I can’t ever thank him enough. I’ve worked with him since I was 22, so like nine years. I’ll go in and Ill hum a tune or I’ll take my guitar and I’ll play something really badly and sing along and he’ll be like ‘no, that’s great, we can make a song out of it’. He’d just pick up his guitar and he just gets me, he gets exactly what I want things to sound like.
But I do have a full live band now. We are a band so we’re gonna start writing together. Kieran, my guitar player, is an incredible songwriter so we’re gonna start. Maybe the next EP or album or whatever we’re going to do, we’ll do it together instead of just me. I’m excited to do that as I’ve never done any co-writing before.
Are you aiming for an album next or EP or more singles?
I don’t know. I never like to force writing. I’ve never sat down and been like ‘I need to write a song because I’m recording next week’. It’s always ‘I’ve written a song, lets get it recorded’. If we start writing stuff together and suddenly we come up with a huge album worth of songs that we feel is great and has out sound then lets do it.
But I’m quite happy to just keep dropping singles every now and then. That way it keeps you relevant. Unless you’re like, Fleetwood Mac where you can disappear for 10 years and then suddenly drop an album. Wehn you’re at my stage you’ve just got to keep as relevant as possible so singles might be the way forward. Maybe we’ll then compile them all onto an album. But we’ll see, you never know what can happen in this industry. It could all change overnight! It’s just about being reactive and proactive.
Do you have a general plan for the next 5 years? Any goals?
I have like realistic goals, and then I have huge goals. I would love to record with Dave Grohl, that’s my pinnacle. But I just want to go out and play as many shows as possible. Now that I have a band and I don’t have to just do acoustic shows, I just want to play everywhere, anywhere that will have me. What I want is to play all the really dirty, small venues that no one else wants to play. I thrive off it, I love it! Like wow this is gross, let’s do it! It’s that like nothing to lose attitude where I can try new things, I can throw myself on the floor I can climb things, whatever. That’s what I want to do anywhere, I don’t mind if it’s central London or a tiny village in North Wales, let’s go!
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Shinedown have been around for over two decades now. That makes me feel old. With seven albums now out, they have definitely experienced some highs and lows. They used to be my favourite band in my late teens, but their last two albums have certainly made them drop off from th
After a brief, electro-synth intro track that had my expectations worried immediately… we head into a punk/almost thrash track. ‘No Sleep Tonight’ definitely caught me off guard, but in the best way possible. It reminds me of a Volbeat track, that’s the closest comparison I can make. It’s not at all reminiscent of the last Shinedown album which is the best thing I can say, honestly. The chorus is catchy, the riffs are a heavy mix of punk and Metallica and it’s even got a surprisingly technical solo from Zach Myers. This easily makes the playlist, the best track the band has put out since Oblivion.
The album’s lead single ‘Planet Zero’ still doesn’t quite do it for me. There’s another fantastic riff or two from Zach and Eric Bass, but the vocal melody doesn’t hook me in. Brent Smith was my favourite vocalist for a long time, his lines on tracks like ‘Unity’ and ‘Fake’ are perfect. So comparing those to this, there is a clear lack of catchiness. Still though, it’s not a bad song, and it at least had me excited upon its release that Shinedown were to lean back into their rock side than the pop end.
Another short electrical interlude leads to the first slower track on the album, ‘Dysfunctional You’. Outside of the dreadful opening line, I enjoyed this song. It was still lead by the odd piano tone the band have used the last three albums or so, but there was enough guitar in there too to give it a rockier edge. Also, the lyrics were great, building on some of the best of Attention Attention. It doesn’t quite kick into that top gear I was expecting/hoping for, it stayed at a similar level throughout, but damn if the lyrics didn’t win me over big.
A heavy riff kicks off ‘Dead Don’t Die’ and Brent soon comes over the top with some of his rarely used these days attitude and swagger, giving a fantastically bouncy melody over the sludgy riff. It also explodes into a HUGE chorus that reminds me a lot of ‘Cut the Chord’ and ‘Devil’. I’m actually shocked this didn’t make the cut as a single as it’s the best track on the album so far. Zach channels his inner Tom Morello for his guitar solos, another huge, awesome highlight of the song. Playlisted.
Check out our review of Halestorm’s latest album here.
Interlude number three continues the strange, space themed concept of the album. I’m actually enjoying it. It’s tying the album together a lot better than most Shinedown albums are, and if they can keep this feeling throughout it’ll definitely be worth multiple back-to-back-listens. Plus, I’m curious to know where the story is going and what the meaning behind it is, so I’m not skipping a thing!
‘America Burning’ opens on some weird electronic-sounding banjo, if I’ve got that right. Between the effects on the instrument and on Brent’s voice, it’s definitely an odd intro. It EXPLODES into a huge pre and chorus, full of catchy vocals and backing jabs. I’m shocked, this album has been heavy so far and the album tracks have been the best part of it all. The solo is awesome, starting with an acoustic before the electric comes in over the top. The melody of it is infectious too; the noodling will be stuck in my head all night. Another fantastic song.
Another interlude leads to a second slower track ‘A Symptom of Being Human’. It’s so refreshing to hear a guitar led ballad by the band for a change instead of the constant leaning on electronic and backing sounds they have done since starting on Amaryllis. It makes them feel more like a rock band. And ALL of their biggest and best ballads have been guitar-based, in my opinion. It opens on just Zach’s acoustic and Brent’s vocals giving some more great deep-dive-into-depression lyrics. The piano comes in behind for the chorus but doesn’t overpower anything. Neither do the beautiful strings that come in after. The track builds perfectly throughout and is stunning, honestly. My favourite ballad since ‘I’ll Follow You’. Playlisted.
So we’re halfway through the album now and I just have to say… this is a really good album so ar. What the fuck, Shinedown? Where was all of this the last decade? They’re making a good case for jumping back up to being one of my favourite bands again.
Usually two slow tracks in a row would feel a bit meh on a rock album, but when it’s twenty tracks long I can let it go a bit. ‘Hope’ also feels like something ripped straight from Amaryllis in the best way. Heck, it sounds like the title track itself, which I love. It’s got that Bon Jovi/Nickelback (sorry for swearing) country-rock ballad feel to it and honestly it’s just a really good, uplifting song. 7/7 so far!
I’m sure you guessed it by now, but ‘Clueless and Dramatic’ is another very good track. A fun, bouncy riff opens it up and plays on and off throughout. The vocals aren’t quite as fun or catchy as some tracks on the album. I feel like it may be down to the lyrics trying to be slightly too complicated, taking away from the earworm-effect a little. Still, it’s a damn good rock song.
Arguably, in this writers humble opinion, the album should have finished.
”Sure is Fun’ is, well, it’s exactly that. Fun. However, it’s the closest thing to the Shinedown of the last two albums, and it’s really not my sort of thing. It’s the same with the following track and another single, ‘Daylight’. Both are good, very catchy tracks in their own right. But they are so very Imagine Dragons-esque pop ‘rock’ and just not the Shinedown I first fell in love with at all. It’s heavily indie inspired, between the simple instrumental, ridiculous, catchy vocal melodies and those wohs. As I said, neither track is bad and if you like it awesome, but this isn’t what I listen to Shinedown for.
At least we finally get some more heaviness for the final single, ‘Saints of Innuendo’. I LOVE this track until this chorus. The riff, verse and pre are all incredible (and heck, the chorus is great too). However, the chorus doesn’t fit the rest of the track at all. It sounds like two different songs pushed together. Still, it’s a damn good song and I feel like I’d love it live with that breakdown. It’s certainly better than the two tracks either side of it!
‘Army of the Unappreciated’ is okay and enjoyable. However, with Brent pulling an Ozzy Osborne and following the guitar melody with the vocals for the most part it screams album track. Then we reach the worst song on the album, the closer, ‘What you Wanted’. While yes, it does serve as a fitting end to the narrative after the interlude before, but I can hear this being on a mainstream pop radio station. It feels like a mixture between modern pop and a Broadway musical. It’s not a rock song at all, and a terrible way for a rock band to close a rock album. It’s well written don’t get me wrong, it’s catchy, the lyrics are good and it builds perfectly. However, this is the furthest Shinedown have gotten from sounding like their first album before, and it doesn’t do anything for me.
Overall: Definitely a tale of two parts. However, the first, better part was much longer than the bad parts, and there were even a couple of okay gems towards the end too. Tracks like ‘No Sleep Tonight’ and ‘A Symptom of Being Human’ will go down as some of the best songs Shinedown have ever written, while only two or three of the 13 official tracks aren’t really my sort of thing. I wouldn’t say they necessarily even dampened my enjoyment that much. They aren’t bad songs, just different. There is plenty of album to go around so if I don’t like them still after a few listens, I’ll happily just skip.
An absolutely HUGE week for New Music Mondays. 12 massive albums from some of the biggest names in rock and metal all out on the same day. I don’t know what it was about May 6th, but I’ve been waiting for it for a while. Without further ado, let’s get to it!
Halestorm: Back From the Dead
Back from the dead indeed. After four years the band returned with their follow-up to 2018’s Vicious. The two singles from the album were both fantastic, setting the scene for the rest of it perfectly. However, you are going to have to wait just a little longer for my review and score, as there is no way I’m NOT doing this in depth! It should be on the site and socials within a couple of days, so keep an eye out!
Three Days Grace: EXPLOSIONS
One of the leaders of the affectionately dubbed ‘butt-rock’ sub-genre, Three Days Grace have been around over two decades at this point and show no sign of slowing down. I have to admit, I haven’t really actively listened to this band since One-X all the way back in 2006. So, it was nice to find myself rather pleasantly surprised by this album!
All the elements of butt-rock are here, the basic, heavy guitar riffs, the electronic melodies to help build the track and the edgy lyrical content. However, it is clear it is being written by a band that know exactly what they are doing, and do it exceptionally well. While the opener and lead single was a little too edgy for me, tracks like ‘I Am The Weapon’ and ‘No Tomorrow’ are just as good as anything else they’ve put out. Even the slower tracks like ‘Lifetime’ and ‘Redemption’ are fantastic, even if they are pretty depressing lyrically. Still, the emotion is definitely there, in every track. It’s made me want to check out the albums from them I’ve missed and I’ll definitely be listening to this a lot in the coming weeks! 7/10
Simple Plan: Harder Than it Looks
The Canadian pop-punkers have done a lot more than just ‘What’s New Scooby Do?’. The band have had some amazing, huge tracks over their now six album career. Their latest looks to continue that trend, being packed with huge, catchy, arena-filling choruses and vocal lines… and not a great deal else. Don’t get me wrong, the instrumentation is fine, but there isn’t really any of it that I would consider memorable. It’s a usual issue with pop punk, but it’s more prevalent in more anthemic bands like these or Good Charlotte. Still, tracks like the opener and ‘Million Pictures of You’ are good fun and highlights of a fairly standard, samey album. 6.5/10
Fozzy: Boombox
Another album I have to do an in-depth review of I’m afraid, as I have been a Jericho fan for as long as I can remember. Still though, from what I’ve heard so far, it’s going to be pretty good, and certainly better than their last couple of albums!
Silverstein: Misery Made Me
The pop-punk/emo/post hardcore(?) band hit double digits on their discography last week. This sort of music was never really my thing as a kid, in fact I actively avoided most ’emo’ music aside the odd AFI song. So, because of that, I know the band by name only. However, I did enjoy this album. The band managed to put together some interesting different styles throughout. I didn’t think the opening track was that heavy at all and leant heavily into pop-punk so it had me wondering where the post hardcore was. Then the heavy second track came in and I understood a lot more.
Tracks like ‘Ultraviolet’, ‘It’s Over’ and ‘Slow Motion’ also perfectly blend these two styles. The tracks have some awesome catchiness blended with the heaviness too. I’m actually pissed at myself for not giving this band a chance sooner, I’ll definitely be checking them out more! It’s an effortless style of arena-heavy-rock that bands like Asking Alexandria and BVB have tried to varying degrees of success recently. Awesome stuff! 8.5/10
Ibaraki: Rashomon
Trivium frontman and all-round metal legend Matt Heafy finally put out his solo album last week. This is said album. Oh, and it’s death/black metal, so I have been even more excited! Opening on a seven-and-a-half minute death epic for an essentially debut album is a ballsy move, but Heafy pulls it off masterfully. Insane riffs and a harsher scream than I have heard him use in a while, as well as still some of his powerful cleans, start the album off strong.
Then there’s the all out assault of ‘Ibaraki-Doji’ and the darkly beautiful black metal slow build of ‘Jigoku Dayu’, both of which are massive highlights. Oh, and Behemoth’s own Nergal also makes an appearance on the awesome ‘Akumu’, another highlight. There is also guest appearances from the legendary Ihsahn of Emperor and even My Chemical Romance Frontman Gerard Way. Oh, and yes, you guessed it, both tracks are also awesome. Especially the latter, which sees the usually clean vocalist scream his fucking lungs out. I honestly didn’t think he had it in him, that was awesome. Heafy does a good job of managing to make it sound not too much like Trivium, but still have that recognisable edge to it. While I wouldn’t put it quite up there with Court of the Dragon, it is still an insanely strong album. 9/10
Otoboke Beaver: Super Champon
I don’t understand how these girls have over 100k monthly listeners. Then again, the punk scene is and always has been weird. I’m going to be honest with you, I didn’t make it through the whole album. I couldn’t. The vocals were barely in tune and the lyrics were SO VERY REPETITIVE. For a guy who complains about the Killers’s magnum opus ‘Mr Brightside’ being ‘lazy’ for having the same verse twice, this band make them look like J.R. Tolkien. I don’t get it, it sounds awful. If you like it please let me know on our socials what I’m missing, because this was not good. 2/10
Depressed Mode: Decade of Silence
The doom metallers returned after… well… a decade of silence (13 years, to be exact). I’ve already reviewed this very good album, so you can check out what I had to say, alongside my score, here.
Terror: Pain Into Power
This is the first ‘beatdown hardcore’ band I believe we have (at least knowingly) covered here at Overtone. While I feel like I have heard the term somewhere before, it doesn’t sound like my sort of thing so I suspect this will be a review of my first time listening to a whole new sub-genre today, rare these days.
It’s alright. Better than I expected it to be, given the name of the subgenre. It wasn’t anything special but there were a few good riffs, like the one at the end of ‘Boundless Contempt’. And it didn’t overstay its welcome either, being just 18-minutes spread across ten songs. Even the lyrics weren’t terrible. It’s not the best thing I’ve ever listened to but I’ll happily listen to it again. 6/10
Puppy: Pure Evil
This was somehow a more doom version of Smashing Pumpkins. The intro track made me think the album was going to be pretty slow and heavy, but then ‘The Kiss’ flipped it all on its head. It’s an interesting blend of styles: doom/stoner, metal, grunge and even some desert rock. I enjoyed it a fair bit, with ‘Spellbound’ being my particular album highlight. 6/10
I Am The Night: While the Gods Are Sleeping
It’s black metal. That alone should tell you exactly what to expect. I’ve really tried, guys. I’ve been doing NMM for over seven months now and have since listened to a fair amount of black metal. It’s the only sub-genre that does absolutely nothing for me. The musicians in this band are clearly very good at what they do, and the vocalist has one hell of a scream on him, but the actual songs kinda bore me. This is what people think of when they use phrases like ‘all metal just sounds the same’ and ‘you can’t tell what they’re saying’ and you know what, they’re absolutely right. I am the Night are a solid band and probably a great black metal band, bit it isn’t for me. 3/10
Stand Atlantic: f.e.a.r.
I nearly didn’t cover this. Then I remembered I covered Avril Lavigne in one of these and realised I kind of had to. It is still guitar based, even if it is more pop than rock. It reminds me very much of the likes of Olivia Rodrigo or Gayle in its melody, just with slightly more guitars. It isn’t a bad thing and is certainly catchy. It’s simply very basic catchiness and the lyrics are not really my sort of thing. It’s clearly inspired by modern female pop and punk (like AS IT IS) alongside the likes of Avril and P!no. It simply doesn’t quite live up to those influences. Tracks like ‘Deathwish’ and ‘Don’t Talk’ are pretty decent though and definite highlights. 5.5/10
