Tag Archives: alt rock

New Music Mondays: Shinedown, Kip Moore and More!

1st June 2026 Overtone Leave a comment

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 album and 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 list come 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!

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: All American Rejects, Periphery and More!

18th May 2026 Overtone Leave a comment

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…

Interviews & Features

Idolvein: ‘We have a pretty ridiculous bank of demo tracks!’

8th May 2026 Overtone Leave a comment

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!

Caelan, Ryan, Oli and Jack – Idolvein

Interviews & Features

Yonah: ‘I think the scene now is defined as more “indie rock” but there’s still folks doing the thing! I think the scene now is defined as more “indie rock” but there’s still folks doing the thing!’

24th April 2026 Overtone Leave a comment

The incredible indie rocker Yonah released his massive debut album today! Ahead of it, we sat and had a quick chat about it, the scene in New York and his touring plans! Check it all out below!

How would you describe your current sound?

I’d describe it as a reflection of my current taste, which is everchanging. My record Bird of Miraclesis rooted in my first major influences, which were mostly folk/indie rock music, but I like to think of my sound as something I can experiment with and mold from project to project.

How did someone from Manhattan get into writing this style? It’s not typically something I’d associate with the area as an outsider!

I have to give credit to my mother for this one! I grew up listening to two records until I got my first digital device when I was 11. We had an old Subaru Outback that my great grandmother used, and we would listen to a perpetual rotation of Bob Dylan’s The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan and Billy Joel’s Songs in The Attic. When I started playing guitar, my only reference for chords/style was Dylan. I’d also have to disagree slightly that New York is not the typical scene for this music–my major influences come from Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and Elliot Smith, who are all artists that spent a significant amount of time in New York. I think the scene now is defined as more “indie rock” but there’s still folks doing the thing!

The album is out at the end of the month, it seems to have some quite heavy themes, right?

Yes indeed! I think writing about the songs is heavier than the actual process. I didn’t really conceptualize the weight of what I was writing about until after looking at the songs in hindsight. It’s about death and god and identity. Arguably the top tier heavy topics of this lifetime!

What went into the decision to release an album over another EP or standalone singles?

I had a concept and I really didn’t want to bend to “the norm.” I understand it’s a risk but catalogue depth and vision is important to me. I prefer to test something I am truly proud of than run a bunch of tests. At this point I’ve also been working on a bunch of new music and have a ton of stuff I’m super excited to release following this record. I think I also just needed to do something substantial to mark this time of my life. It’s really an ode to much of my past and it would feel wrong to wait longer to talk about it.

Do you have a favourite track on the album, and why?

My favorite track varies between 2-3 songs but if I had to choose one it would be “Bugs Blood.” It was the first song I wrote for the album and, in a sense, it laid the foundation for the entire project. It’s about feeling small as a bug in the eyes of god, and it is my most religious song I’ve written. It also ended up being a pretty hard song to produce as we had to experiment with how “intimate” the record version should be. I had played this song mostly myself and a guitar until bringing it to Harper James (producer), and it became a holy puzzle to solve. In the end I’m pretty stoked about how it turned out.

Is more writing still going on in the background?

Always, it never stops, haha! I am addicted to working on new material and it’s a problem. I have the entire follow up record demos ready and I am compiling a bunch of single options/collaborations with new producers.

Do you have a busy live year planned to promote the album?

To be honest I couldn’t tell you what is in store other than for April. I’m hosting a house show for an early listen to the record and playing a show the night it releases. What comes next will be planned after. It is difficult for my brain to plan more than a couple shows at a time independently as I like to make my shows as intentional as possible. I’d like to start touring as soon as possible but for now the focus is local.

Any plans/hopes to come to the UK for a show or two?

Huge hopes, unfortunately nay plans. If someone can get me a gig I’d be there in a jiffy (DM’s wide open)!

What is the current scene like in NYC for this style of music?

I think the major breakout act in the city is from Hudson Freeman’s project. When his album came out it helped me feel like this style of music doesn’t exist in a total vacuum. There are artists and bands that I really dig in the city that I think are somewhat close to my vibe, such as Babe City, Robert Leslie, Ken Park, and Mer Marcum. It’s not the most straightforward sonic reference but I think my music lives somewhere in the in-between.

Do you have a dream tour lineup you’d want to be a part of? Any artists you’d want to support or friends you’ll bring with you?

YES. I am deeply in love with the band Babe City in New York. Recently a buddy of mine showed me their music and I fell in love. I really hope to play with them. I also recently made a friend by the name of Arin Reedy who makes the most beautiful music and I think it would be so fun to collaborate or tour together. Big dream tour would be to open for Big Thief or Adrianne Lenker, Cameron Winter, or MJ Lenderman.

If you could have written one song from history, what would it have been and why?

Wowow, I love this question. Probably “I’m On Fire” by Bruce Springsteen. Every time I listen to this song I think to myself “wait, I am on fire. I’ve been on fire. And I would’ve been even more on fire in the 80’s.” I like the idea of making a revolutionary song.

Interviews & Features

RiotWeekend: ‘I couldn’t care less what box it goes into aside ‘is it good’!’

26th March 2026 Overtone Leave a comment

We had the pleasure of chatting to the amazing alt-rock/pop-punkers RiotWeekend about their upcoming sophomore EP, their future plans and the state of the scene. Check it out below!

How would you describe your sound?

It’s a hard one to pin down! I joined the band in October ‘24, and listening to their first EP and learning the stuff, you had two very distinct sounds to it. The heavier and the more pop punk sound. We were recently on BSBTV; we won song of the month back in November and they said we can’t put an influence on this, they sound like RiotWeekend. Comments have come in saying Holly has a very 90s pop-esque vocal. Then alt rock, pop punk instrumentals. Somebody mentioned Evanescence and that made me think are we somewhere between that pop-punk, Blink-182, Simple Plan, but with a more Evanescence style vocal. I said to the guys are we like a UK version of ADTR. Not quite as heavy, but we mix that sort of metal and punk.

It seems to be a lot more of a prominent thing these days; bands not necessarily fitting into one specific genre. I don’t think it particularly matters as much any more!

From our point of view, ‘is it listenable and is it fun to listen to? Great’. I couldn’t care less what box it goes into aside ‘is it good’. The guys at BSB were saying you get a lot of guys pushing for that Being Me sound or that All Time Low sound, and they said it was refreshing to see artists do something that is their own.

The EP is out soon, you have a couple of songs out from it already, right?

So ‘Harry’ is the first single that we released back on the 1st of November. Then ‘Days in December’ was released in January, I don’t know why! We are also releasing ‘Smile’ as a single, and we have a video coming out of that as well!

What can we expect from ‘Smile’ and the other track, compared to the other singles so far?

‘Autumn Leaves’, much more pop punky. It fits in with ‘Never Again’ and ‘Fine’ off the first EP. ‘Smile’ is in line with ‘Harry’, and is jointly our favourite track on the EP. We’re really excited for that one to come out!

What’s the writing process like for you guys?

Most of the tracks that I’ve come to were already written. The main song written from scratch was ‘Smile’. It’s going to sound mad; we organised a writing session on the day and I had work, and by the time I got back Rabi and Rob had essentially completed the whole track. They programme the drums and then I make alterations, but they had essentially done the whole track in the day. We tend to find they get a riff and then just go with it!

Is there more writing going on even with the EP coming out?

Yeah! Without saying too much, it’s a bit of a secret, but there are a lot of tracks in the background. We want to keep the momentum going!

What made you choose an EP over an album or multiple singles?

For us it was kinda easy. A) three of the tracks had been there quite some time. There’s been a few changes of the lineup and we had these tracks in the background throughout that we wanted to get out. Rather than drop them one by one, let’s do them collectively with a new song, and then we’ll carry on work with the other stuff. This EP buys us a little time to do something else for the end of the year or next year. And B), they hadn’t dropped a song for quite some time!

As much as I like singles, it’s so much nicer to dive into a handful of tracks and really see what the band is about.

I mean, I don’t know too much about how the guys like to listen to their music, but I’m an LP guy. I still buy CD, I like having the sleeves and everything. I like listening to bundles of tracks all in one go. So I think the next one might be a bit longer!

What would you say the state of the scene is these days? We’re so focused on rock, metal and country that we don’t get to see much punk and alt often!

I think the problem Gilford way, there is a scene for the heavier stuff, the New Cross Inn do really well on metal nights, like proper death metal. It’s packed out! I think the biggest problem however, and there are some really great promoters and venues out there that I don’t want to offend, but a lot of them expect the artist to do things. That’s where it becomes difficult. Back in the day I used to put on shows and it was very much… I would find an artist that I knew would sell the venue out, maybe two, and then have one or two others who I expected nothing of. I’d build them up, and I had artists that built up and I could put on headlining them venues later on.

That doesn’t happen any more. We find promoters do hardly any promotion. You’ve got all these Facebook pages where you don’t see the posters put up unless you the band do it. So, yeah, it’s struggling, but we are noticing pop-punk, alt rock, is there. It’s popular!

It’s just so hard getting people out these days, even if it’s a show geared to a younger audience, compared to pre-Pandemic times.

They’ll go up to the O2 and watch a band that is known. They almost forget that those bands started out where we are. We are noticing a slight pickup in cover bands and tribute acts. We’re playing Shinefest this year and they have some fantastic band, but a lot of them are tributes. Same with Gilfest. In fact the best show we played last year was with Not Green Day. We played to a packed venue and we did really well on merch sales! We’ve noticed to try and get on with a few of these tribute bands to help grow! We are seeing when we do that, the fans are there, they then get your name, and they’ll come and see you next time!

Have you got a busy rest of the year planned live?

Yeah, we’ve got the EP release on the 28th, the day after it launches! We’re in Gilliam on the 30th. We have the festivals, including Chesham Fringe Festival. There’s a couple of shows that we’ve working on in the background as well!

Do you have a dream tour lineup you’d want to be a part of?

If we’re talking establish bands and me personally: anything with Dallas Green, so Alexisonfire, You+Me. If it was a lineup of four it would be Alexisonfire, Thrice, Blink-182! A bit different, I know!

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Hunter Hayes, Lost Society and More!

9th March 2026 Overtone Leave a comment

Another massive week of new music for us to dive into, from metal to rock to country. Let’s dive right in! And, once again, welcome back Max and Owen to help out!

Hunter Hayes: Evergreen

The follow-up to 2023’s Red Sky, this is a fun, pretty beautiful 36-minutes of pop-country music. The opening/title track sets things up perfectly, while tracks like single ‘Wait’, ‘Every Piece’ and ‘Human Again’ are also big highlights. The whole album has a good flow to it though, and is a very easy listen. It’s very pop leaning, reminding me more of the likes of Shawn Mendez and Ed Sheeran than anything traditional-country-based. It’s not particularly my sort of thing, but I still had a good time listening to it. His vocals are great and fit the instrumentation perfectly, while his lyrics are more than passable. If you like a more pop-based sound, this is well worth checking out. I’d happily listen again, though I wouldn’t actively seak it out. It’s just a good album to relax to, and I sadly don’t have much else to add. You’ll know straight away if you’ll love it or not! 7/10

Lost Society: Hell is a State of Mind

Album six from the Finnish metallers isn’t what I was expecting, but honestly fucking slaps! I haven’t listened to them since their thrashy first few albums. So, to come into more of a modern metalcore/nu metal/radio metal sound was definitely a bit of a shock to the system. However, it’s not hugely a bad things. I’d have loved some more thrash/death metal from them, but this is so well done that it’s hard not to love. From the opener to ‘Synthetic’, ‘Kill the Light’ to the insane ‘Dead People Scare Me’ it’s packed full of highlights. It’s clear they have pulled from their Finnish counterparts in The Rasmus, Blind Channel and even Sweden’s Smash into Pieces with their big radio-hook choruses. Though, it still has a heavier edge than those, and still maintains some of the great melodic leads and big riffs from their early days.

There really isn’t anyone combining all these different styles currently, making this release pretty unique, keeping me hooked throughout. Even the acoustic ballad of ‘Is This What You Wanted’ was excellently done, and broke the album up pretty perfectly. And it’s a style and heaviness that I do feel is missing from some of the bands I’ve drawn comparisons to above, so it’s hard not to love this. I’m enjoying it more with each listen, and I liked it from the first! The production is excellent too, everything from the mix to the strings adding even more depth and massiveness to it. It almost adds a power metal edge to it at times. And, of course, the band are working their asses off throughout, playing and writing masterfully. It is epic from start to finish, and if anyone is at all into melodic metal, this is an absolute must-listen! It’ll definitely be a mainstay for me over the coming months, and I can’t give it any less than 9.5/10!

Black Stone Cherry: Celebrate

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

The Darts: Halloween Love Songs

The all-female horror-garage-rockers returned this last week with a follow-up to their excellent 2025 output, Nightmare Queens. They have become one of the most consistent bands on the circuit, putting out an album every year of the last four. And, the fact that they are all pretty fantastic releases too really screams to the bands talent. This one is no different, easily being up there alongside their very best. It’s the perfect mix of ‘Ballroom Blitz’, ‘Monster Mash’ and ‘Rock Lobster’, but with a modern flair and production to it! Heck, it also gives off big The Doors vibes in the best ways. And, more oddly, a splash of Pokey, though that may be the overall old-school feel. It’s a sound that isn’t nearly as prevalent these days as it should be, but The Darts do it so well that’s hard not to immediately fall in love with each release.

This is a fun 37-minutes of rock that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and definitely makes me nostalgic for a better time. From the opener to ‘Blood Run Cold’, ‘Every Night is Halloween’ to ‘Up in my Soul’, there are plenty of highlight tracks and songs to love. However, there really isn’t a bad one throughout, even if they do all carry a similar energy and blend together just a touch by the end. If you are at all a fan of any of the sounds or artists I’ve named previously, this is an absolute must-listen for you. I’ll definitely be spinning this plenty in the coming weeks and months, and it gets an incredibly solid 8.5/10 from us!

Insect Inside: Reborn In Blight

Max: A visceral and raw album that keeps punching has just been released by Insect Inside. It’s intense and might be exactly what you are looking for. The first track has this slow almost menacing build but from then you keep getting hit by the heavy and aggressive tone that persists through out the rest of the album. Now sure, this might not be everyone’s cup of tea, lets be honest here this kind of music can be a bit too much, but I love this stuff. I won’t lie I did have to look at the lyrics to know what was being said but the vocal tone is nuts. Setup you speakers well and put this on full volume, because this is expertly well done but on the bands side and the production as well, it is crisp. Now I know I say this a lot, but this one really should be given a go, because everyone in this band is very and I mean very talented. Its a certified Max recommendation. 8.5/10

Teenage Bottlerocket: The Invisible Man

I’m not sure why we have such a vague horror theme this week when we’re only in March, but I’ll take it! The new EP from the modern skate-punk legends comes just six months after their last album, and continues on their sound perfectly. Somehow we missed Ready to Roll when it dropped, but I have checked it out since and do love it! This is no different; four more awesome tracks that are unmistakably Bottlerocket. It’s maybe a touch slower than their album stuff, but is still just good, fun, lighthearted punk music. ‘You Made Me Get Called a Poser’ and ‘Pembrey’s Face’ are personal highlights, but the other two tracks are also good! It’s not even 10 minutes long as a full release, but I had a blast. I think it’s legitimately impossible not to have a good time listening to it! So, for that reason, it gets a very solid 8/10 from us!

Smag Pa Dig Selv: This is Why we Lost

Owen: Acid jazz trio, Smag På Dig Selv, bring us their second album ‘This Is Why We Lost’, following their debut in 2024. The danish collective comprising of two saxophonists and one drummer deliver a mix of electronic, ethereal and energetic tracks in this album. Stand out tracks include ‘Hits 4 Kids Vol. 3000’ a club anthem with an acid twist, and single ‘Like A Word I Never Knew’ opening the album on strong note. The combination of genres makes for an interesting listen, relying on the brass for melody and narrative while the electronic aspects handle the beat and rhythm of the sound. I’m sure for the artists there is some deeper narrative arc to the album but this fails to come across to the listener, however there’s some strong tracks sure to get people moving and some catchy melodies that will stick in your head 6.5/10

Russel Dickerson: Worth Your Wild EP

My complete befuddlement of Russels release schedule/strategy aside, this is a fun EP! I assume it’s a way of putting out tracks that otherwise may not make a full album release so get boosted by being on with a collection named after a big single. That or it just helps streams. He may be onto something, in that regard…

Either way, the other three tracks are good! ‘B.O.A.T.’, apart from the spelling it out, is a great ballad. ‘2 Limes, 2 Coronas’ is a big highlight of the release and the best non-title-track on here. Then ‘Spring Break’ finishes things off in great, radio-ballad fashion. If you are a fan of Russel, this is another fantastic release in a long line of them at this point! However, his style certainly isn’t for everyone, and if you don’t like his pop/vaguely bro country sound, you won’t be sold on him with this EP. It’s going to definitely be a release I revisit in the summer, but I’ll certainly be spinning it before then I imagine, too! He keeps trucking along dropping awesome new music every year, and is certainly getting to the point of being underrated at this stage. 7.5/10

Mother Crone: Embrace the Death

Finally following up on debut Awakening after a decade, this sludgy, doomy, vaguely proggy metal release is the perfect reintroduction to the band. Drawing inspiration from everyone from Pantera to Crowbar to even some hints of Pink Floyd, it’s an interesting release, for sure! It’s packed full of the heaviest of riffs, but also some damn catchy moments, especially with the harmonised vocals. From the opener to the slower title track to the truly grandiose ‘Inner Keep’ are all personal highlights. It’s not going to be a release for everyone, but if you like a longer release that really takes its time and earns every big moment, this is very much one for you. It’s like a heavier Candlemass, and I kinda love it! They’re all such talented players, and work their asses off throughout. Weirdly the only streaming platform I could find it on was Bandcamp, but I am more than happy to support any artist on there over anywhere else! It’s definitely an album I’ll be spinning again. 7/10

Sons of Town Hall: Of Ghosts and Gods

We’ve also checked out this release already! Read the full review here.

Tardigrade Inferno: Hush

Album four from the cabaret metal band is another quirky, fun addition to their growing discography. The combination of horror/circus music with metal has taken off amazingly in recent years with the likes of Ward XVI and even elements of Ice Nine Kills, but these four are very much still running at the front of the pack. It also gives slight Bungle/FNM vibes, though that may just be the vocal delivery at times. There’s plenty to love throughout, too. ‘Deadly Fairytales’, ‘All in Your Head’ and ‘Hush’ are all personal highlights and absolutely amazing tracks in the genre as a whole. The band are all clearly talented though, playing their asses off throughout and crafting something truly interesting and unique. While it took me a song or two to get into, I was soon having a blast of a time and the rest of the album went by in a flash. If you are at all interested, I cannot recommend this enough; they will certainly have a solid, loyal audience, that’s for sure! I’ll definitely be spinning it again, and it gets a solid 8/10 from us!

Legionary: Never-Ending Quest for Purpose

Max: I’ll be honest here, for five tracks, it’s fine. It was however nothing insane. There were bits where I just couldn’t get the feel and the have to say the vocals weren’t really for me. However, I did enjoy the clean vocals specifically at ~ 1:20 in ‘Controllers of Perception’, that really was a highlight of the whole album for me. I would quite like to see where they go from here and what future releases show as whilst it wasn’t really for me, I think they are a talented group. A solid 6/10

Hässi: Keep it Stupid, Simple

This instrumental EP is honestly fucking awesome, showing off Hässi’s talents for playing and songwriting perfectly across its 12 minutes. ‘Bump the Hump Machine’ opens things up perfectly with a bouncy, fun energy, while displaying his insane technical ability. It has elements of funk rock to it that had me hooked right from the get-go. ‘Naked in the Chain’ continues that vein and sound perfectly, being another phenomenal instrumental track. And, I’m sure to the surprise of no one, the other two tracks are just as great. Though it’s all pretty similar, even for an instrumental release it doesn’t overstay it’s welcome, ending just in time and honestly leaving me wanting more. For a debut release this is amazing, and the perfect introduction to his playing and style. Even if you think you are not usually into purely instrumental stuff, give this a listen, I’m sure you’ll love it as much as I do. 7.5/10, amazing stuff!

Gravemass: This is the Way

Don’t make a Mandolorian joke… don’t make a Mandolorian joke…

Honestly, this is half an hour of brutal excellence. From the insane riffing to the thunderous, relentless drumming to the brutal screams, it’s all so good. It almost has a pretty hardcore energy to it too, none of the tracks overstaying their welcome, being balls-to-the-wall and straight to the point! And every song flows pretty excellently; every track being as good as the last! And, for a debut album and a band that seemingly haven’t been around all too long, this is amazing stuff! They should be a lot bigger than they are already, and hopefully this album pushes them to new heights! From the opener to ‘Harvest of Souls’ to the bands namesake track, there are definitely highlights. Though, as I said before, there isn’t a bad track throughout! And it still has an air of epicness throughout that made me even more hooked. They have a VERY bright future ahead of them, and if you are at all into a more death-leaning metal sound, I cannot recommend this enough. It gets an incredibly solid 8.5/10 from us!

William Clark Green: Watterson Hall

Owen: Watterson Hall is the seventh studio album from Texas country singer William Clark Green. With a back catalog of medium hits it feels like Green has found the recipe he’s sticking with. ‘Whole Lotta Lubbock’, the third track of the album encapsulates this feeling completely, generic lines about being from Texas, mention living in the country and the Ole Opry, call out a few more Texas towns, the crowd will be eating it up right? The rest of the album hits all the points you’d expect, a few slow songs and a few fast ones, but nothing much to tell them apart more than that. This is Country music played safe, middle of the road, inoﬀensive and easily packaged for radio. 3/10

Surfbort: Reality Star

The first album from the Brooklyn punkers in nearly half a decade is… certainly an album… I usually don’t mind a more old-school punk vibe of release, but sadly something about this didn’t really resonate with me. Looking at the bands ethos I’m not exactly their target audience, but even still, that usually doesn’t stop me from enjoying at least parts of it. Don’t get me wrong, the band are talented for the most part, and instrumentally it’s fairly decent; meandering between classic punk and a more indie-infused sound. I think it’s a toss-up between the at-times nonsensical, thrown together lyric writing or the generally unenthused delivery of them that kinda ruins it for me. There is definitely a market for this sort of thing, just look at how big Amyl and the Sniffers are getting, so I completely get that there will be those out there that love this. However, I am not one of those people. When my favourite track on the release is a minute-long skate punk number that just repeats the phrase ‘Hot Chicks Cold Beer’ for most of its runtime, that should tell you everything you need to know about my enjoyment of it. If you like the sort of style I’be described them as, they’re well worth a listen, but I can’t give it any more than a 3.5/10. Sorry guys.

Charlotte Sands: Satellite

Album three from the pop/alt rocker is a fun 28-minutes of radio rock! Her vocals are just as good as ever, and the songwriting throughout is the perfect blend of current-day pop and darker alt rock. I thought I didn’t recognise the name but upon seeing the album artwork for her debut, it all came flooding back. From ‘one eye open’ to the beautiful ‘Afterlife’ to ‘neckdeep’, there are plenty of highlights throughout. However, the whole album is pretty great, especially if you’re into the style. It’s no wonder she’s become such a big name in such a short amount of time, as she is consistently great on her studio work. A must-listen for anyone into a pop-rock style, and a very easy 8/10 from us. I’ll certainly be revisiting this sooner rather than later!

Karelian Warcry: Veripellot

To my slight shock, I actually really enjoyed this! Being pretty frumpy routed in black metal, I didn’t know what to expect, but the injection of death metal had me hooked in from the start, not letting me go until 50 minutes later. The riffing was amazing, and the screams were a lot more palatable than most black metal. And, on top of it all, the production on the album was incredible, something I can’t say much about genre! ‘Joukkohauta’ and ‘Unholan tuntemattomat’ are personal highlights, but the album as a whole has a fantastic flow to it! It’s criminal that these guys have been going so long and aren’t a bigger name, because the talent is definitely there! Maybe it’s because it’s their first big release in 15+ years, but even still, hopefully this album pushes them up the pecking order! It’s not something I’d listen to often, but I feel like whenever I do, I’ll have just as good a time as I did here. Check this out if you like the heavier stuff, it gets a solid 7/10 from us!

Aaron Watson: Horse Named Texas

The fifteenth studio album from the early 2000s country legend blew me away far more than I expected it to! The harmonised vocals that open the thing won me over immediately, and the whole of ‘Hardly Friends Barely Lovers’ is an awesome neo-traditional country track! That is followed up perfectly with a couple of slower, old-school tracks, with ‘Same Here’ being another big high point. Then you have tracks like the title one, single ‘Hit the Hay Runnin’’, ‘Drinking & Driving (You Crazy)’ and ‘Your Kinda Guy’ that are also big personal highlights.

However, my issue is, there’s another 20, YES 20, tracks alongside those I’ve named. This thing is 87 minutes and 26 songs long, which is just far too much. Even if it was half as long, it may still be a little too lengthy a lot of the tracks are slower, more ballad-like tracks, which is rather old-school and not an issue in general, but when there’s so many one after another, it didn’t do much to hold my attention. None of the tracks are bad on their own by any stretch, but as an album as a whole, the length makes it suffer.

I wouldn’t say I’d never listen to this again, as there are a good few awesome songs on here. If it came on in the background, I’d probably have a good time listening. However, I certainly wouldn’t seek out this album to put on very often. Aaron is a damn talented singer and writer, but I can’t give this any more than 5.5/10. Still, if you’re into older country, it’s worth a try!

Shatten: Gegenwart

The German alternative four piece put out their third longer release last Friday, and I enjoyed it a hell of a lot more than I expected to! The band have described the album as ‘exploring the state of the here and now’, and though I don’t understand the lyrics, I fully feel the emotion behind them and their delivery. It feels both bleak and uplifting at different times, sometimes even in the same song, taking the listening on a full journey. And, while it very much all feels like one big piece that is designed to be listened to together, the opener, ‘Raben’ and ‘Ein Toter mehr…’ are personal highlights. It has a definite air of the darker, 90s end of euro-pop, but also has a healthy dose of indie and alternative and even grunge. It’s another release this week that feels pretty damn unique! It’s melancholic while also still being rather chilled-out and easy to listen to. While not typically my sort of thing, the band certainly have a new fan in me, and I’ll be keeping an eye on them going forward. It’s a solid 7.5/10 our end!

Austin Michael: Lonestar

Back with another album after nearly six years, his particular brand of stripped-back, chilled-out country with him. It’s old-school-meets-new-school in maybe the closest way I’ve heard, having a classic vibe while also feeling geared perfectly towards the currently mainstream landscape. While it’s not hugely my sort of thing, I did find myself enjoying certain tracks. ‘Cowboys Don’t Act Like That’, the rockier ‘Why Not Whiskey’ and ‘Least of my Worries’ and the surprisingly heavy ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ are standouts for sure, both in terms of quality and because they had a different vibe to them than much of the rest. Honestly, the latter two took me off guard a bit, as the rest of the album is more calm, radio-friendly and upbeat, but it’s certainly not a complaint! They definitely broke up the album in a good way, that’s for sure.

However, the tracks don’t quite make up for the album as a whole being a touch slow for me. It’s not a bad album at all, but overall is a little slow. There’s probably half this album that I‘l be happily revisiting, but can take or leave the other half. However, if you are into the slower side of country, it’s definitely worth giving a spin! It may grow on me, but for now it gets a still good 6.5/10

Toys that Bïte: You Have Been Warned

The debut album from the semi-tongue-in-cheek 80s revival rockers is nothing if not a lot of fun! Easily comparable to Van Halen, Night Ranger, Mötley Crüe and Aerosmith, its Sunset Strip-soaked sleaze/hard rock replicated to perfection. The band are insanely talented, with the Eddie-like riffing and soloing being excellent, and the vocals and drums fitting them perfectly. Tracks like ‘Genius Level Stupid’, ‘Ladies of the Night’ and ‘Hit That Like’ are a perfect example of how great this album is, but every song is as amazing as the last! And heck, anyone who has a song titled ‘Tits (Make Him an Animal)’ is automatically good in my book! It’s an album definitely worth a spin if you’re into 70s and 80s hard rock or hair metal, and one that has quickly won me over into a big fan of the band! I already can’t wait to hear more from them, honestly. It’s a blast to listen to from start to finish, and gets a very solid 8.5/10 from us!

Chicago Farmer: Homeaid

This was another album that unexpected blew me away! It’s got a real classic rock thing going on alongside the country, and it makes for one hell of a listen. Like it had elements of everything from The Doors, Lynyrd Skynyrd and even Led Zeppelin at times, as well as a more traditional sound at others. And, the more I listened, the more I fell in love with not just the album, but the band as a whole! From single ‘Peshtigo’ to ‘Mattress’ to the title track, there are some truly excellent songs throughout, though none of them are in any way bad! And it goes by in a flash, not feeling its length in any way. I’m already a little obsessed thanks to spinning it a fair bit this weekend, and am rather desperate for them to come over to the UK so we can see them live! How I haven’t heard of them before now when they’ve been going a while is beyond me, but they certainly have a new fan in me! Regardless of what you’re into, check this out as soon as you can, you won’t regret it! It’s laid back, fun but also plenty emotional, too. I can’t give it any less than 9/10, great stuff!

Jesper Lindell: 3614 Jackson Highway

This was a lot more jazz-based than I was expecting it to be. Going into it from a recommendation on a country site, I had no idea Jesper was a Swedish soul-rock artist until after I’d started listening. However, this is not me complaining, pump this shit into my veins, dude! Opener ‘If I was Money’ sets the tone perfectly and is a huge early highlight. Then you have tracks like ‘Rainy Night in Georgia’ and ‘I’ve Got a Thing About you Baby’ that are also all excellent. And the two tracks that feature guests, Michaela Holmberg and everyone’s favourite dad Phil Campbell, are just as good as anything else. So, if you haven’t guessed already, this whole album is excellent! It reminds me of Cardinal Black at times in the best way possible. It’s another artist I’m shocked I hadn’t heard before now, but am so thankful I have now discovered. I’ll be spinning this plenty moving forward, probably for the rest of the year! And, for that reason, it gets a very solid 8.5/10 from us!

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Larry Fleet, Story of the Year and More!

16th February 2026 Overtone Leave a comment

Another typically stacked week of new music, from rock to metal to country! Let’s dive in!

Larry Fleet: Another Year Older

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

Story of the Year: A.R.S.O.N.

I clearly had a different band in my head, because I was not expecting so much awesome melodic hardcore heading into this! The seventh album from the Missouran quartet is an old-school post-hardcore powerhouse from start to finish. ‘Gasoline’ is the perfect, aggressive opener, while tracks like ‘See Through’ and ‘Into the Dark’ are all massive highlights on top of that. Also, Jacob Shaddix does an amazing job on ‘Fall Away’, definitely another big high point. However, there really isn’t a bad track on the album, even the slower stuff that wouldn’t typically be my thing is amazing. It’s very emo but certainly in a good way; like My Chem mixed with I Prevail, with a surprisingly healthy dose of Mikey D riffing mixed in with it all. I had a great time with this, and will definitely be revisiting it again soon! Check this out if you are at all interested, and it’s a solid 8/10 from us!

No Worth of Man: The Killing Streets

The debut album from the modern metal/deathcore band really makes a statement; the band standing tall and proud and saying ‘we are here to take no prisoners’. This thing goes hard. From the heavy riffs to the crushing screams to the solid drumming, it all fits together perfectly to create something truly awesome. There isn’t a bad track on the album, but songs like ‘Those of Our Kind’ and ‘Alarmus’ are big personal highlights. My only slight complaint is that I’ve heard half of the album before in there 2024 EP. Don’t get me wrong, I very much enjoyed that release, but it would have been nice to hear a full collection of new songs from the band. Still, as an introduction to a band for new listeners, this is awesome, and I would fully recommend it to anyone into the heavier side of metal. The band are all hugely talented, and have a bright future ahead of them. Another solid 7.5/10

Angel Du$t: COLD 2 THE TOUCH

Album six from the Maryland melodic hardcorers goes a lot harder than their previous release, and is much better for it. I enjoyed BRAND NEW SOUL, this is much more up my street from a style perspective. The opening two tracks and ‘Zero’ are Turnstile-meets-Dog-Eat-Dog awesomeness, while ‘Jesus Head’ almost has a late 90s RHCP vibe to it. The album as a whole is amazing though, without a dud throughout. It blends Justice Tripp/Trapped Under Ice’s beatdown style with the more pop-friendly influence from the Turnstile lot who used to be part of the band. They’ve had considerable lineup changes in the last couple of years, but hopefully this is the solid lineup moving forward for a while, as it feels like the band are finally back on track and putting out music up their with their best.

It’s a release that blew me away a lot more than I expected it to, and is one I’d recommend if you are into any of the styles or bands I’ve mentioned previously. And, it’s another short album, which is always a win these days! I’ll definitely be revisiting it in the coming weeks, and don’t be surprised if it sneaks onto our top albums of the year list come December. 8.5/10

Pokey LaFarge: Travelin’ With Pokey LaFarge: Voice and Guitar, Vol 1

One of my favourite discoveries over the last couple of years, I’ve been excited for this to drop for a few months now. This solo EP dropped on his brand new record label and is a more stripped-back affair than we’re used to with his recent releases. However, he’s such a good songwriter, and him with… well… his voice and guitar, still makes awesome music. Opening on an awesome duet with the awesome Addie Hamilton before launching through five amazing solo rock tracks spanning everything from rock’n’roll to swing to country. ‘Walk Your Way out of This Town’ is a particular highlight. It’s all simple but beautiful and really great music, a solid 18-minutes of old-school sounds. It’s maybe not for everyone who’s typically a fan of the guy, but I really enjoyed it, and will definitely be listening again. It’s the perfect release to just sit back and chill-out to. A very solid 7.5/10 from us!

Hellgrimm: Resurrection

Another sixth album, this time from the Texan metallers. The band do a great job of blending together multiple different styles, from stoner to thrash to whatever Motörhead wanna be classed as today, and even elements of NWOBHM and melodic metal. They honestly remind me a lot of Rattlesnakes or Wailing Banshee. It’s a mystery why they aren’t bigger as they are clearly fantastic songwriters and musicians. My only slight nitpick is that maybe the mix could be slightly bigger, but I only really notice it on occasions around the vocals. Songs like ‘Reign of Terror’, ‘Dead Superstar’ and their big single, ‘Dog Trash Must Die’ are all big highlights. However, the whole album is enjoyable, including their Kreator and Stones covers! It’s not something I’d revisit as a whole massively often, but the individual tracks will surely be in my rotation for a while! I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on the band moving forward as they definitely have a new fan in me. 7/10

The Lone Bellow: What a Time to be Alive

The first studio album in going-on four years from the indie folk/Americana trio is another infectiously fun release. 46 minutes of chilled-out alt country and soft rock, giving off vibes of everything from James Bay to Kings of Leon to Drew Holocomb to even Zach Bryan. The band did a great job at choosing the singles as they are definite album high point, but tracks like ‘Common Folk’ and ‘I’m Here for You’ are definite highlights too. The whole album is excellent though, and has such a fantastic flow to it throughout. The harmonies on each song are amazing, and make every chorus huge and so very catchy.

I’d not checked the band out much outside of a song or two here and there, but I’m definitely going to have to go back and check out their back catologue, as I had a blast listening to this. Hopefully they come over to the UK soon too as I’d love to hear all of this live. Until that time, I happily just keep spinning this whole thing, though! 8/10, and it may grow on me even more with more listens!

Gorgol Bordello: We Mean it, Man!

We’ve also checked this one out, aren’t you lucky?! Check it out here.

Converge: Love is Not Enough

I’m sorry, but this album FUCKS. The mixture of aggressive death metal, hardcore and sludgy riffing is amazing and makes me want to punch everything. The first new studio release from the band since their collab with Chelsea Wolfe back in ’21, and their first solo release in nearly a decade, this had a lot of hype to live up to, and smashes all of it to pieces. Everything about it is awesome, and is the perfect 30 minutes of aggressive, brutal, OG metalcore. It’s impossible to pick highlights, I listened to this whole thing through a couple of times and loved every second of it (though ‘Beyond Repair’ goes maybe a minute too long). I am so damn glad these guys are back to releasing new music again, and am already desperate to see all of this live. If you’re into heavy, this is ABSOLUTELY the album for you. I’ve claimed a few times the last 12 months or so that hardcore is back in a big way, and weeks like this just keep proving me right. I can’t give it any less than 9.5/10, damn.

Max Jackson: Dangerous in Denim

The first studio album in nearly six years from the country star, and it at very least lives up to the hype! While the opener is a little too ‘Panderin‘‘ for me, her unique brand of stadium-country is a lot of fun, and makes for a very easy half-an-hour listen. Tracks like ‘Goin’ Nowhere Now’, ‘We Invented Love’ and the Shania-like ‘1990 Somethin” are all personal highlights. However, the more I listen, the more I fall in love with the album. It’s impossible not to have a good time listening to it, and Max has such a fantastic voice and vocal delivery that it keeps it fun, and emotional where needed. And, instrumentally it’s great, some real high points from the drums, guitars and bass throughout, too. Plus, the back-half of this album is truly awesome. Even revisiting ‘Red Dirt ROCKNROLL’ within the context of the album as a whole after, it has certainly grown on me. I would highly recommend this to any 90s or 2000s country music fan reading this, and Max has certainly gained a new fan in me! A very easy 8/10 from us!

Frozen Ocean: Askdrömmar

The first album from the Russian black metaller in a full decade is honestly pretty fantastic, and I’ve never been the biggest black metal fan! It’s not straight-up black metal, there’s some vague electronic and even gothic elements to it too, which definitely helped keep my interest. Tracks like ‘Bortkastade dödsrunor’ and ‘Jag sover’ are personal highlights. However, there isn’t a bad song throughout, even if the album as a whole does get a bit repetitive towards the back half. However, Vaarwel is an incredibly talented musician, and that sort of tunnel-vision is going to happen when there is just one working on a project. If you are into the genre at all, this is well worth checking out! As I said, I enjoyed my listen to it, and certainly wouldn’t turn it off if it came back on again. It gets a 6.5/10 from us!

Clay Street Unit: Sin & Squalor

The debut album from the folk/Americana collective dropped to a lot of hype and expectation on Friday, and lives up to all of it! The big-band feel is always something I love, and they have it in spades here. The hints of bluegrass in the instrumentation keep the pace bouncy and light, while the voice grounds it in country, adding some emotion, depth and some HUGE choruses. It has elements of the likes of Wyatt Flores, White Buffalo, Uncle Luscious, Zach Bryan and American Aquarium all perfectly blended together. It’s also packed full of awesome songs; 40 minutes of incredible music that’s nearly impossible to pick highlights from. From the opener to ‘Where Have you Gone?’, their duet with Lindsay Lou to the more ballad-like ‘Left Unsaid’ to the beautiful closer, it’s all so good. If you’re a fan of all things vaguely country, this is an absolute must-check-out! I can’t give it any less than 9/10, excellent stuff!

The Beautiful Darkness: Pain to Purpose

The debut EP from the mind of Nerys John blends so many different styles together, and does so incredibly interestingly. From folk to grunge to goth to punk to melodic hard rock, they really touch on a bit of everything through the release. Honestly, it’s a great introduction to the group! They have a cool, interesting sound to them, and constantly keep you guessing what’s coming next while listening. ‘The Narcissist’ is possibly my favourite track of the five, but all certainly have their charms. Generally it’s a touch slower pace for me as a whole, but that doesn’t mean it is any worse an EP. This will have so many fans, and I can see a bright future ahead for them, this being the perfect jumping off-point for that. Nerys’ vocals are incredible, and the band that she’s found are all hugely talented players. Another solid 7/10 from me!

Temple Balls: Self-Titled

Album five from the hard rock/AOR Finns is just as massive as their previous outings. Sounding like the natural evolution of Santa Cruz, H.E.A.T. and Van Halen, the band channel an awesome rock energy throughout, driven by pounding drums and awesome riffs. It’s nearly 40-minutes of sleazy goodness, arena-filling choruses and a fantastic bounce that will keep your head bobbing throughout. The band are insanely talented at their chosen instrument, and are also fantastic songwriters. From the opening two numbers to ‘We are the Night’ to ‘Stronger than Fire’, there are so many massive highlights on this thing, though there isn’t a bad song throughout. They fit perfectly in this revival of hard rock in Europe recently, and would fit awesomely into the NWOCR scene in the UK, so hopefully we can get them over here soon so I can see this live! However, for now I am more than happy to keep spinning this awesome album, and would urge any rock fan out there to do the same. A huge 8.5/10!

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Karnivool, Mayhem and More!

9th February 2026 Overtone Leave a comment

An absolutely packed week of NMM this week, with plenty of releases across the rock, metal and country worlds for us to check out. Let’s dive right in!

Karnivool: IN VERSES

The first new album from the modern prog legends in nearly 13 years finally dropped this last Friday, to plenty of hype! Honestly, it about lives up to said hype, too! ‘Ghost’ is an excellent opener, setting the tone well. ‘Drone’ follows it up perfectly too, being an easy album highlight! However, the whole album is pretty amazing from start to finish, there not being a bad song on it. Heck, the band have been sat on All it Takes for years now, and it’s still a banger! Don’t get me wrong, and hour plus of steady paced, similar stuff may be a little much for some, but I just sat back and got absorbed into it all, and it truly took me on a journey. Do yourselves a favour and stick some headphones on in a dark room and thank me later. It’s not quite Tool, but when Tool are so slow at their output these days, Karnivool are a fantastic alternative. The band are insanely talented songwriters and players, and have put out a release to rival any of their three previous. If you’re a prog fan, this one is certainly for you! 8/10

Mayhem: Liturgy of Death

The black metal legends returned once again this last weekend with album number seven, their first since 2019. If you are familiar with the band at all, you know exactly what to expect here. Brutality, epicness and darkness for a full 48 minutes. As a celebration of four decades as a band, it’s a fitting addition to their discography. As a throwback black/extreme metal release, it’s probably great. As an album for me personally… I can take it or leave it. It’s certainly not bad by any stretch, and the band are clearly all talented players and songwriters. The production on it is also surprisingly great for the genre, which is also a plus (even if it is a bit ‘wall of sound’-y at times). But as a style as a whole, it just isn’t by bag. I like it in small doses, or if something is added to the black metal to keep me interested, but nearly 50-minutes of the same feel and pace is a little much for me. The closest to a highlight track for me was either ‘Despair’ or ‘Funeral of Existence’, though all the rest were pretty similar. Again, if you like the genre or band, you’ll probably get a lot out of this. However, it didn’t do a great deal for me overall, so I can’t give it any more than a 4.5/10. I want to like it more, if that helps. Maybe I’d get into it more live.

Silversun Pickups: Tenterhooks

The first album in four years from the American alt rockers is an odd one for me. I like the overall vibe of it; it’s got some great riffs, tones, melodies and overall playing. And the vaguely proggy writing at times feels like it is right up my street. However, for whatever reason I just wasn’t hooked into this. Maybe it was the more generally indie vibe to it? I remember checking out their last album when it dropped and looking back I clearly got bored of that one too as I didn’t even give it a score! I would say I enjoyed this one more as I at least liked stuff like single ‘The Wreckage’ and ‘Thorns and All’. There is no denying the band are damn talented, and there is a massive audience that will love this. However, it sadly just didn’t do much for me. It may grow on me more with more listens, but with all the amazing releases already this year, I’m not in a huge rush to revisit this. A solid 5.5/10 for now; certainly not bad but incredibly average.

Puscifer: Normal Isn’t

Somehow MJK’s most consistent output these days, the experimental rock band put out their follow-up to 2020s Exsistential Reckoning last Friday. And, to the shock of no one, they are just as odd and quirky as ever. First things first, it is certainly not for everyone. It wouldn’t normally be my sort of thing, but I am such a big fan of Keenan and his ‘stream of consciousness’ is captivating with this project. It’s like the lighter end of NIN’s stuff, which generally I don’t go for much, but I love it here. Tracks like the title one, heavier single ‘Self Evident’, ‘A Public Stoning’ and ‘ImpetuoUs’ are all personal favourites. However, there isn’t a bad song on here and it has a great flow to it, the nearly-hour going by in a flash.

I’d put it up there alongside their previous release in terms of quality, if not slightly higher, making this maybe the best thing Maynard’s released in nearly a decade. That’s not to take away from the other two members, who work their ass off throughout and are insanely talented, too. But, make no mistake, Maynard is the star here. His vocals are still so incredible some 40 years into his career, and his lyric writing is as good as ever. He almost sounds angry at times, the first time in years; definitely a refreshing throwback to his hayday.

This is certainly an album I’ll be revisiting a fair bit moving forward, and I’d recommend to anyone even a little bit curious. While I impatiently wait another decade plus for new Tool music, this will more that satiate that hunger! 9/10

Tailgunner: Midnight Blitz

We’ve already checked out this awesome release! Read the full review here!

Melissa Carper & Theo Lawrence: Havin’ a Talk

This is an incredibly fun collaboration. The old-school country pair fit like two puzzle pieces together; it feeling pulled straight out of the 30s and 40s as both of them have such the perfect throwback style. Melissa’s voice is like it’s coming straight out of a gramophone, while Theo’s is a smoother, Sinatra type. They contrast amazingly, and very much do exactly what they advertise; have a talk throughout! It’s certainly an acquired taste, but from the opener to ‘Dat Ain’t Right’ to ‘Joyous Time’, I enjoyed my listen! The pair and the musicians they worked with on this are all super talented, and have crafted something that isn’t heard too much these days. The closest comparison I can make is probably The Tailspins, who I also love! If you’re at all curious give this a spin, you may be surprised how much you like it, like I was! I’ll definitely be keeping a close eye on both artists moving forward, and it’s an easy 7.5/10 from me?

Ablaze: Slow Death

This new EP from the post-hardcore collective goes hard. It wastes no time in getting into the heaviness, ‘No’ being chaotic awesomeness, a mess of mathy riffs, solid drums and some great screams. ‘Life’ follows that up with an awesome riff and some almost proggy heaviness, a definite release highlight. And the other two tracks are just as good, honestly. The closest comparison I can make outside of the post-hardcore scene is Tallah, which is definitely a compliment. The talent on display between the guitaring, bass, drums and vocals are all off the charts, and they have crafted something truly creative and unique with their sound. If you are at all curious, I’d highly recommend checking this out, the band certainly have a new fan in me! 7.5/10

Paganizer: As Mankind Rots

More brutality this week, this time curtesy of the death metal Swedes. I tend to find myself getting into straight-up death metal a little easier than black metal, and something about this release hooked me in even more than usual. It’s 40-minutes of straight-to-the-point heaviness, packed full of amazing riffing, drumming and screams. And, much like with Mayhem further up, the mix is surprisingly excellent for a heavier album. Tracks like ‘Devoured’, ‘Put on Your Gasmask’ and ‘Afterworld’ are all massive personal highlights. Don’t get me wrong, it is all a touch samey, but when it’s this high quality that’s hardly an issue. If you like the genre or the heavier side of metal at all, I’d definitely recommend giving this a spin. It gets a solid 7/10 from us!

Lakelin Lemmings: Get Around Boy

The debut EP from the rising country star is a fun collection of modern radio hits. It’s very much in the same vein of Megan Moroney, Cassadee Pope or even early Taylor Swift, but also feels pretty modern and easily distinguishable as Lakelin. All five tracks are awesome, if a little similar, and it’s hard to pick just one or two as highlights! There’s some amazing vocal performances and lyric writing from Lakelin throughout, and her band do a great job playing around her, too. She’s got an incredibly bright future ahead of her, even in the saturated country music scene, and this is a fantastic jumping off point for that! Any fans of the genre should get on this immediately, and it gets a solid 8/10 from us. I already can’t wait to hear more from her!

Cartoons Can’t Die: Rebirth

The debut album from the djenty, deathcorey collective goes hard and chaotic from start to finish. It honestly took a little bit of getting into for me, but I think it was more down to me not quite enjoying the opener as much as other tracks. ‘Kinslayer’ is an awesome, almost melodeath-style track, while ‘The Loss of Something Dear’ and the deathcore ‘Godless’ were also personal high points. And, while a lot of the rest of the album is still good, those tracks in particular stand out more to me. I think maybe the mix has something to do with it; if it had a heavier hand of overall production it could be something truly incredible. Still, as a debut release this is amazing, and the band have crafted something incredibly interesting and unique. There is no denying their playing talent, and some of their arrangements are phenomenal. They have a curious new fan in me, and if you like things a little proggy, give this a listen! A solid 7/10!

Big Bad Train: Woodcut

The UK prog rockers are back with album 16, and it is just as impressive as their other work. True, old-school prog, this thing feels very much like Jethro Tull or Yes, and certainly not in a bad way. It has definite elements of Dream Theater in there for good measure, too! The talent in playing and writing on display throughout is off the charts; even the staunchest of haters would have to agree with that. ‘The Artist’ is an insanely good opener and introduction, while epic tracks like ‘The Sharpest Blade’, ‘Warp and Weft’ (holy crap that acapella bit!) and the surprisingly short (yet still grandiose) closer are all big highlights. However, there really isn’t a bad song throughout. It’s not a small undertaking at 65-minutes, but it has a fantastic flow to it and begs to be listened to in full to really get an appreciation of the release as a whole, interludes and all. I somehow hadn’t heard of them before but they have a big new fan in me, and I’ll definitely be spinning this again in the months to come. A very solid 8.5/10!

Cj Hooper: Over Yonder

This is a fantastic little country release! It combines a lot of elements and sounds, very much wearing its inspirations on its sleeve. From the southern rock opener to the almost murder-folk ‘Hard Times’ to the Man in Black-esque ‘Rain Song’, there is plenty of variety through each track. Heck, ‘Damage Plan’ even gives off Social Distortion vibes, which at least tracks as they are a more punk Johnny Cash. The whole thing has a slight punk vibe overall, having some pretty powerful lyrics and definitely doing stuff against the norm. Plus, his vocals are amazing, having so much weight and emotion behind every word. I’d never heard of Cj before but he immediately has a big new fan in me, and I’ll definitely be going back and checking out his debut from last year soon! I would definitely recommend this if you are at all curious, and it’s another release that gets a massive 8.5/10

Demonic Resurrection: Apocalyptic Dawn

The new EP from the Indian symphonic metal band goes surprisingly hard! It’s much more death/extreme metal leaning than I was expecting given its symphonic tag. And, it’s not typically the amount of sound you’s expect from India. However, neither are knocks on the music as this is a great three tracks, and a welcome return after a few years of no releases. It’s technical, heavy and still has the epicness of a symphonic release, plenty of strings and stuff working their magic in the back. All three songs are amazing; performed, written and mixed perfectly. It’s an awesome release that is the perfect introduction into the band for people otherwise unfamiliar, like myself! If you are into the heavier side of metal, this is more than worth a spin. A very solid 8/10 from me!

P.S. some more incredible artwork this year here, too!

Lily Löwe: BEAUTIFUL DISASTER

The sophomore album from the Norwegian modern rocker is a pretty great follow-up to her 2022 debut! It’s nearly half an hour of massive choruses and vocals, backed by some fun riffs and drums. It’s very DOROTHY, or even Gaga, in the best ways. And, honestly, all nine songs of it are as good as the last! It’s impossible to pick highlights. It’s very radio-friendly and pop-infused, but also has some great heaviness at times, and the focus is pretty heavy on the rock instrumentation throughout. It’s insane to me that she isn’t a bigger name, as she could easily take the US and UK by absolute storm if she got a break. A lot of this is going to be stuck in my head for days to come, and she’s another artist that has gained a massive new fan in me! Her vocals are amazing and her writing is great too. And shoutout to the rest of the band once again, who are killing it throughout. I cannot recommend this enough to absolutely anyone, check it out immediately! 9/10

Big Richard: Pet

From the artist name, I certainly wasn’t expecting four women playing Americana/bluegrass music. However, this was sick, and I’m so glad I checked it out! The setup, while rather simple, lends itself to giving everyone time to shine on their instruments, and the vocals fit perfectly over the top of it, powerful and beautiful in equal measure. It’s got a slight darkness to it, feeling like a combination of Poor Man’s Poison and The Castellows. The opening track sets the perfect tone moving forward, and songs like ‘Alaska’ and the epic instrumental ‘Circus Jerk’ are also big highlights. However, there isn’t a bad song throughout! It may get a touch long-in-the-teeth with it being 40+ minutes of similar-ish music, but if you are a fan of traditional folk and bluegrass, you will surely love this a lot. I had a lot of fun with it, and will certainly be revisiting certain songs plenty, even if I don’t return to the album as a whole quite as much. Still, overall it’s great, and I can’t give it any less than 7.5/10!

Barrel: Triptych

Yet another amazing debut album for us to check out from last Friday! The Finnish metallers crafted nearly 40-minutes of heavy riffs, powerful vocals and some great melodies throughout, not to mention some surprising growls here and there for good measure. It’s borrows from plenty of different styles too, from melodic hard rock to thrash to doom to NWOBHM, and honestly feels like something pretty unique when combining each sound. The opener almost every element of this perfectly, and then you have songs like ‘Scavenger’ and ‘Signs for Kings’ that are a bit more focused but are certainly massive highlights. Also, the ballad ‘War’ is epic brilliance. The whole album is excellent though and clearly crafted with love, it flowing perfectly and having a couple of great little interlude tracks to add even more depth. The band have only been around a few years at this point but are surely set for big things in the next year or two after this release. They’re all insanely talented, and have crafted something both old-school and modern here. I can’t give it any less than 8.5/10, amazing stuff!

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Buzzcocks, Softcult and More!

2nd February 2026 Overtone Leave a comment

Another week, and some more awesome rock, metal and country release for us to check out!

Buzzcocks: Attitude Adjustment

The punk rock royalty returned with their 11th album this last Friday, their first in four years. It’s fine. For a band that formed a whopping half a century ago now, I at least have a lot of respect and admiration for Steve Diggle for what he’s done for the scene and who he and the rest of the band have influenced over the years. But this was honestly a tough listen. It feels and sounds incredibly outdated, showing that Steve hasn’t evolved at all as a songwriter after all these decades. It’s the same early-punk/power-pop as they were writing in the 70s. I know that will certainly appeal to some people out there, but the rest of the music world has very much left the band behind at this point. There are modern bands writing better stuff in this style, while punk got a lot more interesting after the bands heyday, in this writers humble opinion.

The closest to a highlight track I had was ‘Seeing Daylight’, but honestly I struggled to get hugely further through the release without losing interest. There are certainly going to be fans of this out there, the band are still sat on 600k+ monthly listeners, but I am sadly not one of them outside of a couple of older hits. This did nothing for me, and I can’t give it any more than a 3.5/10. Technically fine, but painfully dull.

Softcult: When a Flower Doesn’t Grow

The debut album from the self-professed riotgaze band is certainly interesting. Once again it’s not my sort of thing, I don’t ‘get’ any shoegaze at all really, but I at least see the appeal of it a bit. It’s not something I’d go out of my way to listen to, but if it came on in the background I’d probably have a good time listening. The band are clearly talented, and there’s some good drumming and riffs at times throughout. I think the vocals are my main issue; having them in that droning style throughout didn’t pull me in, despite some good lyrics. The run of ‘Naive’ through to ‘She Said, He Said’ was the best part of the album for me, but the whole thing is pretty solid overall, an easy 30-minute listen. If you are into a punkier, indie edge to shoegaze, this is definitely a release for you. A solid 6.5/10 from us, and it may grow on me more with more listens.

Francis Rossi: The Accidental

The new solo album from the Quo legend is a fun, if long, release! Opener ‘Much Better’ sets the tone perfectly, and songs like ‘Back on Our Home Ground’, ‘Going Home’, and ‘Beautiful World’ are all big highlights too. However, 14 tracks across nearly an hour, especially when all are a similar vibe and pace, is a lot. I love Quo as much as the next guy and it’s always great to have more songs that so distinctly like them. And when we aren’t getting new Quo any more, I’ll happily take Rossi doing the exact same sound for his solo ventures. So yeah, it’s a damn good rock album, and is a lot of fun to listen to. Very simple and to the point. But it does get a touch repetitive around the halfway mark, let alone by the end. I’d definitely recommend checking this out if you’re a fan of the band, or just into old-school rock music in general. It’s a solid 7.5/10 from us!

Kanonenfieber: Soldatenschicksale

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

HANABIE.: HOT TOPIC

The highly anticipated new EP from the Japanese metalcore band combines together a few of their latest amazing singles, alongside two new tracks, to create an awesome 15-minutes of heaviness! ‘ICONIC’ dropped recently and has been a mainstay on my rotation, while ‘Spicy Queen’ has been stuck in my head the last eight months since its release. And older track ‘GIRL’S TALK’ is of course a banger. Then you have ‘…About you’ and the closing track that are every bit as good as the others. The video-game-esque latter is honestly a big highlight of the whole thing from how utterly left field it is. The bands chaotic energy and heaviness is off the charts, yet they still have plenty of melody and catchiness to boot. There is no one out there like HANABIE., and they always make for a fun listen. They clearly don’t take themselves too seriously, which is refreshing these days. If you’re into the wilder side of metalcore, I’d definitely recommend checking this out! 8/10

Emily Scott Robinson: Appalachia

The folk/Americana singer-songwriter returns with her first studio album in nearly five years, and has produced something just as beautiful as ever. It’s 40 minutes of chilled-out, emotion-filled acoustic music, and I loved just getting totally lost and eveloped in it. It’s not tyically my sort of thing, at least not to enjoy this much, but something about Emily’s incredible vocals and lyric writing had me hooked. It’s almost impossible to pick highlights, though all three duet tracks are utterly phenomenal, giving even more depth to her sound. If you are into relaxed Americana-folk, this is certainly a release for you. Not one I’d revisit often, but certainly one I’d happily listen to again! 7.5/10

The Chuck Norris Experiment: Hot Stuff 3

Another in the Swedish punk-infused hard rock band’s collection of b-sides and it goes far harder than it needed to! Their ‘Stairway to the Stars’ cover opens the release perfectly, setting a great tone moving forward. That’s swiftly followed by album highlight ‘Hammersmith Palais’, with other album highlights like ‘The End of the Great Credibility Race’, ‘Habit to Support’ and ‘Electrify Me’ being spread through the album. However, the whole album is a great, fun release, and begs the question how a lot of these tracks haven’t made it onto full releases in the past. It’s impossible not to have a good time listening to this, and the band are so very underrated! If you are at all into the band or just the wider heavy punk genre in general, I’d definitely suggest giving this a listen! I can’t give it any less than 8.5/10. I wish more bands still did this style, and I’m so excited for them coming back to the UK this year!

Danny Dela Cruz: So Long As There Are Stars

The debut solo release of the former Inglorious/Thrxnes guitarist is a real showcase of his sheer phenomenal talent. Five amazing instrumental tracks that show the breadth of his playing skills, and all excellent in their own right. Instrumental stuff is certainly not for everyone, but this is definitely worth checking out if you are even a little bit curious. Clearly inspired by greats like Vai, Sambora and Malmsteen, he firmly plants himself up alongside all of them with this release. ‘Life’ and ‘As the Pages Turn’ are personal highlights, but the whole release is amazing from start to finish. I’ll definitely be throwing this on again in the coming weeks and months, and it gets a very solid 7.5/10 from me. And to put that into perspective, that’s high from me for both an instrumental release and an EP!

Tinsley Ellis: Labor of Love

The blues guitarist followed up 2024’s Naked Truth excellently with this stripped-back release. The vast majority of it just Tinsley’s guitar and low, powerful vocals, but he packs so much punch and emotion behind it all that I was hooked throughout. From ‘Long Time’ to ‘The Trouble with Love’, ‘Sweet Ice Tea’ to ‘Too Broke’, there is plenty to love here. However, there isn’t a bad song throughout. Once again, it isn’t a release for everyone, and it does get a touch samey by the end, but Tinsley is such a good songwriter that it’s hard not to still have a good time listening. If you’re an old-school blues fan, check this out ASAP! I’d love to hear him with a bit more of a band behind him at some point, but this is also still great regardless! 7/10

TarLung: Axis Mundi

The Austrian sludge doom trio released their first new album in nearly five years last Friday, and go just as hard as ever with it! This thing is packed full of incredible riffs, solid drumming, heaviness and some amazing growled vocals. And they give everything plenty of room to breathe too, just eight songs spread across the 38-minute runtime. ‘The Valley of Nowhere’, ‘Sea of Drowned Souls’ and the title track are all huge highlights, but every song in this fits and runs together perfectly. The band are so insanely talented, and it’s criminal that they aren’t bigger than they are at this point! If you like your music heavy and sludgy, this is certainly an album you need to be listening to! They have a big new fan in me, and I will certainly be spinning it plenty in the weeks and months to come. A solid 8/10 from us!

Gitika Partington: Twelvefold Number 1-13

Yep, a whopping 13 full-length albums, all in the same day! We had the privilege of chatting to Gitika about the feat last week, and it makes me appreciate these even more than I already do. Each has a slightly different feel to it, though all keep within her vague folk/easy-listening style, and each certainly have highlight tracks. ‘They Dance an Eleven’, ‘Virginia Wolfe’, ‘Own My Shit’ and ‘I’m the Only One Who Knows’ are a handful of the songs that stood out to me. It’s an insane achievement to release this massive a volume of work anyway, but for a good portion of it to be high quality and enjoyable is even better. It’s certainly not my sort of thing normally, but I’m so glad I was sent through the presser for it as I did have a good time listening. If anyone’s at all interested, it’s worth a listen. And, while I probably won’t revisit the project outside of the odd song here and there, I didn’t hate it at all. Gitika should be hugely proud of what she has managed to accomplish here, and in terms of the music itself, I happily give it a solid 6/10, though it would be higher for the sheer balls and confidence in the work she has!

Contrasts: False Idol

The debut EP from the modern alt/metalcore Welsh collective dropped on Friday, and honestly blew me away! It perfectly walks the line between brutal heaviness and huge, arena-filling melodies that few bands can truly pull off well. And, because of that, all four of these tracks are amazing! It’s impossible to pick highlights as all are as good as the last. Even the slower ballad ‘Armageddon’ is awesome, and fits the tone of the release excellently still. These guys already did some great stuff in Upon Those Dying and Giving in to Ghosts, and they are very much continuing that trend here! I can see big things ahead in the bands’ future, and this is a fantastic jumping off point for all of that. I can’t give it any less than 8/10, great stuff!

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Alter Bridge, Zach Bryan and More!

12th January 2026 Overtone Leave a comment

The first big week of New Music Mondays of the year, join us as we check out some of the awesomest album and EP releases in rock, metal and country!

Alter Bridge: Self-Titled

Following a return to form with 2022’s Pawns & Kings, the band very much continue in that same vein with album number eight. I’ve seen a lot of love from other outlets for this, and while it took a little getting going for me, after a couple of listens I can see why! The first couple of tracks, while perfectly good, didn’t hook me in much. However, the one-two punch of ‘Power Down’ and ‘Trust in Me’ were excellent, and harkened back to the bands early couple of albums in the best ways. From then on out, I was hooked! From Tremoni once again being a riff machine to Myles’ effortlessly incredible vocals to both rhythm guys working their asses off, it’s classic AB at its finest. Songs like the now-obligatory Tremonti one, ‘Tested and Able’, beautiful ballad ‘Hang By a Thread’ and single ‘Playing Aces’ are all massive other highlights. However, after a couple of listens there really isn’t a bad track on the album; it’s an hour of excellent hard rock music that only Alter Bridge can do!

While I don’t think it has the strongest individual tracks from their careers, as an album as a whole it’s incredibly solid, and one I will definitely be revisiting time and time again. Plus, I do think the singles will grow on me even more if/when I see them live. If you are a fan of the band or hard rock in general, this is an absolute must. 9/10

Zach Bryan: With Heaven on Top

Firstly, kudos to Bryan for still releasing ‘Bad News’ after the backlash from half of his fanbase and everything that’s gone on over the last week. The cajones it must have taken is commendable, and it’s stuff that definitely needs to be talked about still!

As for the album itself, I think it’s impossible for me not to love Zach’s music. This was on my most anticipated albums of the year list for a reason, and it certainly lives up to a lot of that hype. There are some absolutely fantastic songs on this release. ‘Appetite’, ‘Say Why’, ‘Dry Deserts’, and ‘Always Willin’’ are up there with any of his best tracks, in this writers humble opinion. They are by far the only good tracks here, too. His lyrics are incredible; he’s one of the best storytellers in the game today. The emotion he conveys in his work is truly incredible. And the addition of the strings and brass add so much to the sound, making everything so epic and impactful and somehow adding even more to the emotion.

However, this is a LONG album. The guy never leans and, though this isn’t still as egregious as American Heartbreak, being his second longest album at 78 minutes is still insane. And, there is definitely some slower stuff in here that sounds more like filler. The last four songs are average, and some of the stuff after ‘Bad News’ didn’t do much for me, either. There is an absolutely perfect Country-Americana album in here, just like his last three, but it is bloated and needs some of the fat trimming.

It is unmistakably a fantastic album, don’t get me wrong. While stick not quite as good as his self-titled effort, it’s every bit as great as Great American Bar Scene. There’s a reason he is one of the biggest artists in the world, and his work really does speak for itself over and over again. I just wish he’d let go of a couple of songs so we got a more concise release. So, though I do have critiques on this album, I will still be spinning a lot of it for the rest of the year, and would recommend it to anyone even slightly interested. I can’t give it any less than an incredibly solid 9.5/10

OCT: On Company Time

It’s finally here. I’ve been obsessed with this band for a solid year plus at this point. Every single has been excellent. So to finally have a full album release from this is so damn exciting.

What’s even more exciting is that it’s fucking awesome! And yes, we’ve heard a lot of the songs off it already across the last couple of years, but the new ones are just as good, honestly. ‘Pop! Pop!’ is glorious, pop nonsense, ‘Meat n’ Cheese’ has been teased so much I’m already obsessed, while both ‘Bathhouse Homies’ and ‘Tall Warm Glass of Milk’ are excellent, as expected. Every song is amazing, and this is such a fun 34-minute listen. While the comedy is flawless, they are absolutely phenomenal musicians, vocalists and songwriters on top of that, crafting something truly special with this album. It’s 80s cheese-pop but with some of the catchiest choruses and harmonies that I’m sure I’ll be hearing all year. I am already addicted to this album, and am sure I’ll be spinning it plenty for months to come. If you are in any way curious, I cannot recommend it enough! I’m both shocked and not at all shocked, but this solidly gets the first 10/10 from us of 2026!

UUHAI: Human Herds

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

Beyond the Black: Break the Silence

The German symphonic metallers returned with their sixth studio album last Friday. If you know the band or the genre, you’ll know exactly what to expect here. I’ve been a fan of them since 2018’s Heart of a Hurricane, and I loved their self-titled release a couple of years back. While I don’t think this is quite as good as both of those releases, it is still a damn solid metal album. From the opener to the typically-incredible ballad ‘Ravens’ to the LOVEBITES-featuring ‘Can You Hear Me’, there are some amazing tracks on here. Heck, there isn’t a bad song throughout. However, for whatever reason, the album as a whole didn’t catch me the way I expected/hoped it would. Maybe it felt a touch safe? They are as big as they have ever been so are clearly doing something right, and it wasn’t like this wasn’t enjoyable. It’s a damn solid symphonic metal album, and I liked the more electronic elements added into their sound recently, but I wouldn’t quite put it up there with the two previously mentioned albums. For that, it gets a still-solid 8/10 from us!

Coleman Jennings: Ride On

An awesome sophomore EP from the old-school country artist. From the lyrics to the emotion-filled vocal delivery, it was very quick and easy for me to get hooked. The title track opens things up perfectly, while ‘Marinaville’ is another bop. At just 17-minutes long, it is short and sweet and none of it is bad. It’s not going to be for everyone, but I really enjoyed it, and would recommend it to anyone even slightly into an older-school country sound. I’d love to hear a longer form release from Coleman, but the fact that he’s getting this big already says it all! 7.5/10

Nanowar of Steel: The Genghis Khan EP to End All Genghis Khan EPs

We’ve also checked out this amazing EP! Review here.

Bullet: Kickstarter

The seventh album from the hard/sleaze rockers is a lot of fun, and a great thing to turn on and just rock out to. It’s very AC/DC and the genre of bands that spawned from being heavily inspired by them, so if you’re into that you’ll love this, too! From the title track to ‘Open Fire’, ‘Avenger’ to ‘Strike At Night’, it’s all damn good. It’s 40 minutes of balls-to-the-wall rock that knows exactly what it is. It certainly doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but as far as bands like this go, these are up there with some of the front runners with albums like this. I wouldn’t revisit it a lot, but I certainly wouldn’t turn it off if it came on again; it’s an incredibly easy listen. I’m sure a lot will love this, and while I still had a good time, I feel like a 7/10 is pretty fitting!

Krushor: Taste of Hatred

The debut EP from the thrash-death metallers is 13-minutes of sheer aggression, and I fucking love it! Four amazing tracks packed full of amazing riffing, drumming and harsh vocals, what’s not to love? All four tracks are as good as each other, and for a debut release it shows that the sky is very much the limit for the Finnish quintet. The band are all incredibly talented, and all have a time to shine throughout. If you are at all into the heavier side of metal, I cannot recommend this release enough! It gets a very solid 8/10 from me!

Orchid Throne: Buried in Black

This is an absolutely awesome prog-metal release! It incorporates everything from doom to death to alt to folk, and does it all masterfully. It’s hard to even find a band to compare it to; maybe all the eras of Opeth rolled into one, but even tat doesn’t quite do it justice. It’s dark and epic and everyone works their asses off throughout, all being at the top of their craft. Heck, I’d have been happy to have just taken the epic opener ‘Dreamworld’, but we still got six excellent tracks after that too! My only slight issue would be the mix, it didn’t sound quite as big as it could have, but it’s a minor gripe and may be as much of an issue with my speakers than the album itself. It’s another release that won’t be for everyone, but it grew on me the more and more I listened, and for another debut album it’s really something special. A very easy 8.5/10, definitely a band to keep an eye on!