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New Music Mondays: Equilibrium, Soho Dukes and More!

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A quieter week as we wind down towards the end of the year, but still eight awesome albums for us to dive into! Let’s check them out!

Equilibrium: Equinox

The German folk metallers returned with their first new studio album in six years this last Friday. I’m glad they’re back too, as this is an awesome release! It’s epic, heavy and melodic in all the right ways. I also love that while it’s still got plenty of traditional elements and sounds, it’s also modernised with some huge production and some synths. Heck, it even has elements of melodeath or metalcore in there too, which is truly awesome and an incredibly unique sound! Tracks like ‘Awakening’, ‘Gnosis’, the nu-metal-infused ‘I’ll be Thunder’ and the epic ‘Nexus’ are all personal highlights. However, every song on this is awesome and flows so well with a couple of great interlude tracks scattered throughout. It really does have something for everyone here, and if you are at all into metal I cannot recommend checking it out enough! The band have a big new fan in me, and I can’t give this any less than 8.5/10!

Soho Dukes: Nighthawks, Acrobats and Everything Under the Moon

Releasing just in time for their tour with the mighty Quireboys, the old-school rockers’ third studio album is somehow a step up from their previous two last year! It’s a throwback to the 70s and 80s in the best way, giving off vibes of everything from their tour headliners to Thunder to even Madness. It also gives a fair bit of Night Flight Orchestra vibes, which definitely isn’t an issue! It’s just a lot of fun, and impossible not to have a good time when listening. The instrumentation is amazing and honestly feels like some lost arrangements these days; the heavy focus on piano and sax being very appreciated! That’s not to say the rest of the band aren’t talented too, everyone works their asses off here, from drums to guitars to vocals. It’s also incredibly hard to pick highlight tracks, as I found myself loving every single song on this release! However, the Spike-featuring single ‘A Stone’s Throw’ is hard not to adore, given how big of a fan of Quireboys I am. It all has that big band feel to it that I love, and am absolutely desperate to see live already! If you are at all into old-school sleaze rock, this is very much the album for you. As I say, they’ve somehow topped their awesome previous two releases with this, and I can’t give it any less than 9/10!

Blut Aus Nord: Ethereal Horizons

This epic slab of French black/avant-garde metal goes hard from start to finish; a full 51 minutes of atmosphere, darkness and heaviness. And honestly, I kinda love it! Longtime readers here know that I’ve never been the biggest fan of straight-up black metal. However, when it has something different or extra about it, like here, I can’t help but enjoy it! It’s just seven songs, but each are as grandiose as the last, and all paint a fantastic picture of this album as a whole. Because of that, it is also incredibly hard to pick highlight tracks, the whole thing feeling more like one big piece. It’s certainly not for everyone, and even if you’re a fan of the style it’s still a pretty big undertaking. Still, if you have the time, this is a damn rewarding listen, and I’d certainly recommend sitting down and checking it out in full! It’s not something I’d revisit often, but still gets a solid 7/10 from us!

Treaty Oak Revival: West Texas Degenerate

The third studio album from the Southern rock band looks to follow up their highly successful 2023 release. It’s at very least an interesting style, that Koe Wetzel combination of post-hardcore/midwest emo with country. However, the more I listen to this sort of sound, the quickly I’ve gotten a little bored of it. It’s gotten old fast for me. Though, I do have to say I enjoyed this more than the last few Koe albums, it keeping the heaviness a bit more consistently throughout. Tracks like ‘Shit Hill’, ‘Withdrawals’, the Muscadine Bloodline-featuring ‘Misery’ and ‘Happy Face’ are all personal highlights. However, it is all pretty similar, and is slightly hard to get through in one sitting, I have to say. They are clearly a massive band with a huge fanbase, so if you like them then you’ll definitely love this new album! However, outside of the aforementioned tracks, it didn’t do a great deal for me, and I wouldn’t rush to revisit it, even if I’d happily have the album on again in the background. Not bad, but I can’t give it much more than 6.5/10, it was too samey!

Tickles: Sugar & Plastic Plates

The debut album from the noise rock quartet is a fantastic introduction to the band! It’s a damn popular sound at the minute, and it’s done to practically perfection here. It’s indie, hardcore and hard rock all mushed together, and is a lot of fun for its entire 37-minute runtime! I’m not typically into the Soft Play/Turnstile stuff all too much on track, but I loved this a lot from the very first track. Songs like ‘The Safest Car’, ‘Haunted’ and the rather epic closer are personal highlights, but honestly there isn’t a bad track on the album and it goes by in a flash! If you are at all into this sort of style of music, I cannot recommend this album enough. They have a big new fan in me immediately and they are definitely ones to watch; if they keep putting out music of this high quality, they’ll be a big name sooner rather than later! I can’t give it any less than 8/10!

Black Dog Moon: Hell and Back

This is a pretty great, interesting album, ever so slightly held back by a bad track arrangement. In the nicest way possible, ‘The Prophecy’, while not a bad song, is a terrible opener That honestly had me worried for the rest of the album. However, then that grungy, punky NWOBHM riff of ‘Neon Queen’ comes in and blows me away, every damn time. Then you have other up-tempo bangers like ‘1985’, ‘Heavy Shot of Love’ and the title track that are also awesome! And even other slower tracks like ‘Leaving Town’, the early-Maiden-like ‘Holy War’ and the bluesy ‘Gratitude’ are all just as good! However, the album definitely takes a bit of getting going, and goes out with an admittedly epic whimper. But, that doesn’t mean it isn’t still a great album. They draw together so many sounds and influences, from heavy metal to hard rock, punk to even some R.E.M., and the vast majority of the tracks are incredible and already lodged firmly in my head! For just their second album this is amazing, and has very much made me want to go back and check out their debut! Any rock fans reading this (all of you, surely), this is one for you, and I can’t give it any less than 8.5/10!

Mourning Wood: Murder of Crows

C’mon, with a name like that I couldn’t not check this out! The debut album from the Finnish classic metal four-piece perfectly blends a sleazy, AOR-based sound with their slightly tongue-in-cheek brand of humour. It’s a great old-school 80s sound and vibe, and tracks like ‘Feeling Good’, ‘Down in the Dirt’ and ‘A Grave Vacation’ are big personal highlights. However, it’s an incredibly easy, fun 32 minutes of an album, not taking itself too seriously and going by in a flash. If any/all of that sounds good to you, I’d definitely recommend checking this out as soon as you can! There’s not much else to say about the album honestly, it’s straight-forward in the best way and gets a solid 7.5/10 from us!

Corpus Delicti: Liminal

The first new studio album from the French gothic rock band in two decades, this release caps off the bands reunion in a massive, perfect way. The band somehow pick up right where they left off in 1995 too, with their brand of dark, grandiose post-punk/new-wave sound and writing. And, while admittedly this isn’t the sort of sound I find myself gravitating towards often, this band do it so well and I had a blast listening to it, doing so in one sitting! ‘Room 36’, the Dead Kennedys-like ‘Chaos’ and ‘Out of Steam’ are all personal highlights, but there certainly isn’t a bad track on here! The band are insanely talented songwriters and players, and it’s amazing to have them finally writing new music again. It’s so cool to hear this style of music coming back, and it’s definitely growing on me more and more with each awesome album being released into it. Check this out even if you aren’t necessarily into the genre, you’re bound to find something to love here! 8/10

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New Music Mondays: Danko Jones, Mélanie Pain and More!

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Another typically stacked week of awesome new music for us to check out this week, and it’s a rather heavy one! Let’s sink our teeth in!

Danko Jones: Leo Rising

The 12th studio album from the Canadian hard rock trio comes just two years after their incredible last release. Not only did we love Electric Sounds, but we’ve already checked out a couple of the singles and loved them too! Their balls-to-the-wall attitude and energy is so damn infectious, and it’s impossible not to have fun when listening to the band. That is definitely still the case here, too! It’s 37-minutes of punk-infused hard rock from start to finish across 11 awesome tracks. And while all are amazing, single ‘Diamond in the Rough’, ‘I Love it Louder’, ‘It’s a Celebration’ and ‘Too Slick for Love’ are personal highlights. It’s an incredibly easy listen from front to back though, and goes by in a flash. Danko is a riff machine, and his lyrics and delivery are full of attitude and just a lot of fun.

However, I do have one slight negative; it’s not quite as good as Electric Sounds. That would have been a tough task, as that has become my favourite album from them. This is still a great release, but it’s hard not to compare them a little. The singles and high points are every bit as good, but the album as a whole isn’t quite as banger after banger. Still, if you like the band or the genre in general, you’ll still love this just like I do! It gets a still-solid 8/10 from us, though it might get even higher with more listens!

Mélanie Pain: How and Why

The Nouvelle Vague frontwoman returned with her fourth studio release this last week. It’s a nice, chilled out indie-folk record.

You want more than that? Honestly, I’m struggling here, guys. It’s a pretty album, and an easy way to pass half an hour. Tracks like ‘Magnolia’ and ‘Senden Daha Güzel’ are good. However, it’s a little boring. Then again, it is not really my sort of thing. I completely see the appeal, and she has a cracking voice as well as a talent for lyrics writing. But I’ll probably never listen to this again. It didn’t do anything for me; it was too subdued and the instrumentation was barely anything. If you like it then awesome, and my deepest apologies for giving this a sad 3.5/10

Cassidy Paris: Bittersweet

The sophomore album from the young Australian classic rocker is every bit as good as her debut. Right from the offset it’s packed with catchy vocal hooks and some awesome AOR instrumentation. ‘Butterfly’ is a fantastic track and sets the tone for the album perfectly. Then you have tracks like ‘Nothing Left to Lose’, ‘Wannabe’, the bluesy ‘Give Me Your Love’ and ‘Brand New Day’ that are all massive highlights. However, there really isn’t a bad track on this album! It’s a touch long at 44 minutes, especially when almost all the songs have a similar sound and energy. However, I certainly couldn’t think of a track to cut, as they all very much have their place here. She very much fits in alongside Chez Kane in an awesome revival of this sound, and I am more than here for it! My only slight issue is with the mix, as it occasionally gets a touch muddy, and could have maybe sounded even bigger and packed a bigger punch at times. But still, it’s a very minor gripe towards an incredible rock album! If you are at all into an 80s style, check this out as soon as you can! A very easy 8.5/10

When Nothing Remains: Echos of Eternal Light

The first time the band have returned to the studio in nearly a decade, this is a slab of gothic/doom metal excellence. I didn’t know the band heading into this so didn’t know what to expect, but it wasn’t something so grandiose and cinematic. From the opening piano melody that builds steadily with the big drums and distorted guitars into true heaviness with the screams, it drew me in right from the offset. However, that also shouldn’t take away from the hauntingly beautiful clean vocals throughout too, fitting just as well as the screams. The rest of the release very much continues in the same feel and vein, too. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a pretty massive undertaking at over an hour, and is certainly not for everyone in terms of sound. But, if you are at all interested from my description, this is a damn rewarding listen and worth a full one, for sure! The band have created something special with this return release, and prove that they are damn good at crafting not only songs, but full albums. I’m not even usually into this sort of style, but I couldn’t get enough! It gets a solid 7.5/10 from us!

The Smith Street Band: Once I Was Wild

This is like Frank Turner if he leant more into his punk roots on his solo stuff. It took a touch of getting into, but by a couple of tracks in I was really enjoying this! The Australian punk/pub rock band’s seventh studio album is a fantastic listen packed with emotion-filled lyrics and delivery, catchy choruses and some fantastic, almost Midwest Emo instrumentation. And, despite it having some pretty bittersweet topics at times, it still feels upbeat and is a fun listen, incorporating plenty of mid 2000s indie influence into things too. I honestly cannot praise the lyrics and vocal delivery enough either, multiple times I had to restart the song as I had goosebumps. True emotion is getting harder and harder to come by in music these days, and this band deliver it hard throughout. It’s also incredibly hard to pick highlights; every track is just as good as the last. However, the lyrics to the title track are honestly incredible, and has definitely been a track I’ve revisited a fair bit over the last few days.

It’s insane to me that I’ve not checked these guys out before, they have a BIG new fan in me and I am now desperate for them to tour over here again soon! If you are at all into everything from pop punk to garage rock, folk-rock to Midwest emo, this is worth checking out as soon as you possibly can. I’m a little obsessed, and will definitely be checking out their previous releases ASAP. DAMN. 9/10

The Pretty Wild: zero.point.genesis

What a debut album! I only discovered the sisters-fronted modern metal/metalcore band a few weeks ago, but have already become a pretty big fan, and have been eagerly anticipating this release. It very much didn’t disappoint! Right from the INK-like opener this album is balls-to-the-wall in its heaviness, quirkiness but also it’s huge catchy hooks, and I am here for all of it! That is not only followed up by the awesome title track, but then the single that got me into them in the first place, ‘living ded’. It’s an INCREDIBLY strong open to an album! However, the quality doesn’t at all drop from then on out. ‘button eyes’ is a Coraline-inspired banger of a slower track, ‘priestess’ is brutally heavy and ‘OMENS’ is a great radio single. And even then, we’re only halfway through the album!

Yeah, this thing is awesome from front to back. It’s very Ice Nine Kills, but also has elements of more radio-ish bands like Spiritbox and even Bad Omens at times. They’re touring over here with Sleep Theory next year which is a great fit, and I may have to get tickets, for anyone who needs another comparison! The only thing missing is some awesome Sugarman-like lead guitar bits, but that’s more a personal preference; everything from the riffing to the drums, screams to cleans is fucking awesome. For someone who checks out a lot of new bands, these have got IT, and got it in spades. They’re going to be massive sooner rather than later, and this is an incredible starting point for that. I’m going to be spinning it a lot over the next however many months, and I can’t give it any less than 9.5/10. It’s rare I’m this excited about a new album and listen to it through in full multiple times in one day!

Bloodbound: Field of Swords

Studio album 11 from the power metal titans follows up 2023’s Tales from the North pretty perfectly. As you can tell, I very much enjoyed that release, and am so glad they’ve returned with a vengeance! It’s another 45-minutes of epic, heavy power metal spread across 11 awesome tracks. It still very much has the same issue as I had with their last album, it’s all pretty similar throughout, but that doesn’t stop it from being a good album! Tracks like ‘As Empires Fall’, ‘Land of the Brave’ and ‘Pain and Glory’ are excellent, and there really isn’t a bad song on the release! It’s just another solid, straight-forward early 2000s power metal album, and honestly it’s hard to say much more about it, in a good way! All the band are insanely talented and are really at the top of their craft when it comes to their genre at this point, able to release a great album in their sleep, I think! If you are into the genre this is one not to be missed! 8/10

Spock’s Beard: The Archaeoptimist

The prog rock underground legends are back with their first album in seven years, but they have certainly not lost a step in that time! Opener ‘Invisible’ is so very Styx in the best way. Then you have tracks like ‘Aforthoughts’, ‘St. Jerome in the Wilderness’ and the truly epic, 20-minute title track. Heck, and while I’m at it, the other two songs are pretty great too! Just six tracks spread across an hour definitely isn’t for everyone, but as a musician and a fan of this style, I absolutely loved it. And even if you aren’t, you at least have to appreciate the sheer talent on display here. Everyone is working their asses off throughout and is a true master of their craft. And, all five of them have come together to show that they are also incredible songwriters, to boot! If you are on the fence, they at least ease you in with a couple of shorter tracks, so it’s definitely worth giving it a try! An easy 7.5/10 from me, and while it’s not something I’d revisit particularly often, I’ll definitely be spinning it again.

Angelmaker: This Used to be Heaven

The fifth album from the Canadian tech-deathcore band goes hard, dude. Heck, the opening number is under two minutes and is heavier than a lot of their contemporaries I’ve heard recently. Honestly though, the band do deathcore in a fantastic way, really leaning into both ends of the genre plenty throughout. It’s hard to even compare them to other current titans in the scene like Lorna Shore or Slaughter to Prevail, as they all do things fairly differently. However, I would argue that that’s probably a great reflection of a genre that has really made a comeback in recent years, diversifying in the process. It channels the epic power-death of Lorna at times, and even has hints of the nu stuff from Slaughter at times, but also much more closely follows a modern Whitechapel than anything… which is amazing! It’s a genre that I’ve really gotten into a lot the last year or two too, and this is a fantastic demonstration of everything I love from it. From ‘Rich in Anguish’ to ‘Silken Hands’ to the epic, two-part ‘The Omen’, there are so many highlights. And even though it’s 46-minutes long, it goes by in a flash. For anyone into the heavier side of metal, this is one for you! Another solid 8/10!

Annisokay: Abyss – The Final Chapter

This is an odd release. Taking a leaf out of Atreyu’s book, the band have combined their recent EP outputs into a full-length album. However, it feels a little less planned-out and far more rushed than the former did. Part I came out over two years ago, and then we had nothing until April of this year when we got Part II. Then, seven months later, this drops to very little fan-fair. And then on top of that, it’s only got three tracks on it that weren’t on the previous two EPs, and two of them were put out as singles in August and October. Hilariously the one new track, ‘Silent Anchor’ is one of the best songs on the album. It feels more like an exercise in boosting streaming numbers over the epic conclusion of a years long project full of thought and passion.

As for the music itself, the band have always had a bit of an identity crisis. Sometimes it works for them, other times it doesn’t. The sometimes sound like a modern metalcore band, sometimes more alt rock akin to Smash Into Pieces or even blending in elements of power metal and even Spiritbox at times. I completely get that European bands are a lot more of a melting pot, but it does sometimes make for a jarring listen here. Tracks like ‘Ultraviolent’, the aforementioned ‘Silent Anchor’, ‘Get Your Shit Together’ and the Any Given Day-featuring ‘H.A.T.E.’ are definitely highlights. The rest all kinda blurs into one, outside of a half-decent breakdown or vocal hook. Honestly, the EPs on their own were pretty good too, but when pushed together into a nearly hour-long release it really highlights their flaws more and shows off the predictability of the band. Something that started pretty good just ends up bland and bloated. So yeah, while it’s not bad, at a time where alt/metalcore is really getting some bangers released in it, this is largely forgettable. If you like band it’s worth a listen, but I’d just stick with their last or the EPs, personally. 5/10

Humming Whale: Chasing Rabbits

This is like a more hardcore version of Tool, and it’s fucking awesome! It’s prog in nature, but definitely in a heavier vein and with more umph behind it. Think Tool meets modern indie-hardcore like Turnstile. However, they add plenty of other styles and influences too, from alt/nu metal to post grunge to even some more symphonic/power metal leanings. It’s an incredibly interesting listen that I couldn’t not check out from front-to-back in one sitting. Every track is incredible, and the album has a fantastic flow to it throughout, them all feeling different while slotting together perfectly. However, tracks like the title one, ‘Waves’ and ‘Rover’ are personal favourites. I know the band have been going for a good while at this point, but even then this being their debut album is mad, it’s such high quality! What a statement this release is, showcasing that they are here in a massive way immediately. They certainly have won me over in a big way, and I cannot wait to hear where they go from here. However, until then, and while I wait to hopefully be able to see them live at some point in the future, I’ll be spinning this plenty. The band are insanely talented and honestly, surprisingly unique, not something I can say all too regularly any more. Check this out if you are at all curious! 9/10

Netherwalker: Odyssey of Respair

Damn, this is giving big Lorna vibes! Don’t get me wrong, it’s a bit more on the tech-death side, and there aren’t as many crushing breakdowns, but in terms of epic, huge, heavy symphonic deathcore, both bands are right there together at the forefront of the sound. Oh, and this is another phenomenal deathcore release in a week packed full of great heavy music. The sheer thought put into not only the cinematic nature but the mixing and panning of the thing is incredible, and definitely something for other bands to take notes from. And it is also almost laughable heavy, in the best way possible. I barely unscrunched my face for the full nearly-hour. If I’m a wrinkly old man by 30, it’s because of these guys right here. And, while every track is awesome and the flow throughout is exceptional, ‘An Opulent Pilgrimage…’ and ‘Frost Troll’ are personal highlights. It’s another release that won’t be for everyone, but if you like deathcore this is certainly a release to be checking out! The sheer talent on display from every member of the band is incredible, and it gets a solid 8.5/10 from us!

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Cheep Trick, Of Mice and Men and More!

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Another stacked week of New Music Mondays, with some awesome albums released across metal, rock and country. Let’s dive right in!

Cheap Trick: All Washed Up

The whopping 22nd album from the hard rock/power pop legends is exactly what you’d expect from the band, especially this late into their storied careers. It’s certainly not bad, and the band very much still have ‘it’. However, said it is rather outdated and overplayed in 2025. Don’t get me wrong, tracks like ‘All Wrong Long Gone’, the foot stomping ‘The Riff that Won’t Quit’, ‘Bad Blood’ and ‘Dancing with the band’ are all awesome tracks and very much classic Cheep Trick. But there are a lot of bands these days that give off a similar vibe but are a lot younger, hungrier and, dare I say, better. It’s absolutely incredible that 55 years into their careers they are still steadily releasing new music of a high calibre, but it hardly reinvents the wheel. As a fan of the band, it’s nice to have some new music from them, and there isn’t a bad track on it. But as a journalist who listens to hundreds of albums a year, it’s simply alright. If you like them it’s definitely worth checking out, but I can’t give it much more than a 7.5/10

Of Mice and Men: Another Miracle

I’m shocked. An actually good, heavy OM&M album? In 2025? Am I in a parallel universe? But yeah, this is GOOD, dude! ‘A Waltz’ is a fantastic opener and sets the tone for the album perfectly. ‘Troubled Water’ continues it amazingly, and tracks like ‘Hourglass’, ‘Another Miracle’ and ‘Infinite’ are big other highlights. It’s taken more of a post-hardcore turn to it than their recent outputs, and almost has some slight Machine Head vibes in the riffs and the screams. Even the slower, more pop-metalcore tracks are good and enjoyable, which surprised me! It honestly feels like the most focused and concise album they’ve put out since Austin sadly stepped down, and I am honestly pretty buzzing about that. If you’re into their older stuff, or just a heavier end of metalcore in general, check this out, you’ll surely enjoy it as much as I did! I’m so glad good OM&M are back, and I will certainly be listening to this album again plenty over the next few weeks. A damn solid 8.5/10 from us!

The Devil Wears Prada: Flowers

Another long-running metalcore band, but sadly the inverse of the previous entry on this list. I loved their last album, and the EP that preceded it. However, this did very little for me. However, a lot of the praise I heaped on those releases don’t really apply here. They’ve shifted into very modern metalcore territory, feeling much more like BMTH or Bad Omens than a lot of their prior work. It’s pretty pop-centric, just with some heavy guitars and the odd breakdown thrown onto the end of the occasional track for good measure. It doesn’t feel like the same band wrote both ‘Nightfall’ and ‘For You’. Like, what the fuck happened? And why was there an extreme metal scream and breakdown in the ballad? Someone make it make sense, please. The closest to enjoying this album I got was ‘All Out’ or ‘My Paradise’ the rest were all so incredibly meh.

It was honestly a slog of an album to get through too, 42-minutes feeling like a lifetime. You can tell their guitarist was all but left out of the writing process for this release, replaced by various pop producers and songwriters. I hate to be that guy, but the term ‘selling out’ comes to mind… There have been times that I have loved this band, but this is certainly not one of them. If you’re a fan, awesome, but this was not at all for me. It’s a 4/10, sorry.

Honestly, I don’t know who I’m less excited to see support Ice Nine Kills next month at this point, these or TX2…

Ross Harding: The Blood & The Blues

A friend of Overtone up next, with his highly anticipated debut full-length. I’m a big fan of his previous work, yet am not particularly up on the recent singles from this. However, it’s all excellent; a fantastic dark-blues release, filled with some amazing guitar work and plenty of catchy moments. Plus, from the title track to ‘No Rest for the Wicked’ to the acoustic ‘Black Rose’, there are so many massive highlights. However, there really isn’t a bad track on the release (though Thousand Tongues twice, bookending, Limp Bizkit style, is a bit much)! It’s certainly not going to be for everyone, but if you’re into the style, or think a mixture of Amigo the Devil and Clutch sounds good, I’d highly recommend checking this out! I loved it and will certainly be listening again plenty in the coming weeks. I am desperate to see him live too, but until then this gets a very solid 8/10 from us!

Dragon Throne: Tale of the Two: Dusk

The sophomore album from the Finnish epic heavy metal band is very much exactly that: epic. Seven tracks spread perfectly across just 30 exact minutes, it’s a fantastic listen from start to finish. It’s incredibly European in its sound, blending together the best parts of heavy, symphonic and power metal, but also with just a touch of a modern edge to all of it to set it apart. Once again it’s so hard to pick highlights, as with the interlude tracks and the extended length of the others, it really feels like it’s made to be listened to in full. It’s a big undertaking, but well worth it if you have the time and are into the styles of music. The band are incredibly talented and have crafted something special with this release. I only hope we’re getting a ‘Dawn’ in the near future! But for now, this gets an easy 7.5/10

Colter Wall: Memories and Empties

Surprisingly the only straight-up country release for us this week, but it’s a damn fantastic classic release in the genre! I’ve somehow never heard Colter’s music before now, but I’m immediately a big fan of him from this release. It’s just over half-an-hour of chilled-out, fun and yet still emotion-filled neo-traditional country music, and I am all here for it! From the opener to ‘Like the Hills’, ‘Living by the Hour’ to ‘The Longer you Hold On’, there’s a lot to love on here. And, like I said, the whole thing is great if you love a more traditional style! His voice is somehow like velvet while still having some weight and gravity to it, and fits each track so well. And his lyrics throughout are amazing. And, instrumentally, while all fairly simple, the arragement for each track is great, getting the most out of each sound with plenty of strings, drums and organs. If you can’t tell, I loved this, and hopefully he makes it over to the UK soon! 8/10

Eld Varg: Destroyer

Another sophomore album this week, this time from a band that really feel like they are doing their own thing. I really struggled to pin this down into a genre, and I mean that in the best way. From a traditional heavy metal base, the band build everything from power/viking metal to more of a groove and melodic sound, creating something pretty interesting and unique and honestly shockingly not done enough. Regardless of what it is, the riffs are HUGE, and there’s some damn catchy melodic choruses and moments throughout. From the title track through single ‘Black Starlight’ to the epic closer, the album is packed full of highlights. However, at just seven tracks packed into a tight 41 minutes, there isn’t a bad song on it, and it goes by in a flash! I’d seen the name gaining some traction across the UK but hadn’t had the chance to check them out before now. Well, they now have a big new fan in me, and I really can’t get over how awesome this album is! Check it out if you are at all curious or have even a passing interest in metal. 9/10

P.S. What a beautiful album cover!

The Man From Delemonte: Better Things

The return album from the Manchester indie-pop band, their first appearance back in three and a half decades. While it’s not typcially my sort of music, it at least made for a chilled-out, fun listen. Songs like ‘Monday Morning After’, ‘The Number One’ and ‘Spanish Town’ are personal highlights, but the whole release is a damn easy listen! It gives off slight Velvet Underground vibes, like that mixed with both a late 90s US indie sound and that old-school indie-punk scene, too.

It definitely grew on me more and more through my first listen, and expect it to keep growing with a second and third. It’s the perfect album to throw on and just relax to. My only slight issue is that it does feel it drags a little by the end; nearly 40 minutes of similar paced and energied music did lose my interest slightly by the end. Still, if you’re into the lighter stuff, this is definitely an album for you, and I’m damn glad they’re back and making new music again! They’re damn talented players and songwriters, and this is an easy 7/10!

Mike Patton & The Avett Brothers: AVTT/PTTN

Yet another incredible yet hugely unexpected collaboration from the Faith No More frontman. The Avett Brothers are an incredible folk-rock band who returned with a bang last year, and I honestly had no idea how a collab with one of the quirkiest modern artists would sound. It’s odd, as expected, but honestly an ever so slight touch safe given the two artists involved. There’s some more rock-focused tracks and some more folky stuff, for sure. However, it’s arguably less out-there than the Brothers’ last album, not something I’d expect from them and the brain-child of Mr Bungle. Still, Patton gets to show off his absolutely PHENOMENAL vocals throughout, and tracks like ‘Heaven’s Breath’, ‘Disappearing’ and the incredible, dark folk-blues rock ‘The Ox Driver’s Song’ are all amazing tracks in their own right. It might have been my fault for getting my expectations a little high, as this is still a damn good release if you are into this style. I just hoped for more of the latter track I mentioned and less slightly-safe, slower folk. If you are at all curious check this out, and I’ll certainly be listening to some of this again plenty in the future. 8/10

1914: Viribus Unitis

The sixth studio album from the Ukranian blackened death metal band sees them return to the studio after four years, following up the masterful Where Fear and Weapons Meet. Firstly, as the first album the band have released since the start of the war for their country, fair play to them, this is excellent. I also love the whole concept/lay out of the release; each track highlighting a year of WWI and significant battles in it (1918 gets three). It’s a really cool, creative way of putting out music. Between these guys and Sabaton, they’ve really taken over Iron Maiden’s mantle as metals history teachers!

As for the music itself, it is certainly an acquired taste. It’s definitely a style that has grown on me a lot over the last few years, but is not for the faint of heart! A lot of it I found myself loving, though. Both ‘1915’ and ‘1916’ are phenomenal in their own right, and all three parts of ‘1918’ are an incredible journey in their own right. I’ve found myself saying this a lot this week, but it’s another album designed to throw on all at once; a big task for a nearly-hour long release, that’s for sure, but well worth it in the end! If you are into epic heavy stuff, give this one a spin, you may love it even more than I do! Big Rotting Christ vibes at times in the best way! Even if it’s not a genre I’d listen to often, I really enjoyed it, and it’s another easy 7.5/10.

Putrevore: Unending Rotting Cycle

As if you couldn’t tell already by the band or album name, or the artwork, this is a heavy one. It’s 31-minutes of brutality that doesn’t let up for a second, old-school death metal at its finest. A lot of early Cannibal Corpse vibes, that’s for sure. I’m a little on the fence with it, honestly. The riffing and drumming is incredible, it all going hard throughout. I don’t even hate the vocals, honestly. Yeah, they’re a touch ‘cookie monster’, but they fit the tracks perfectly and actually do some interesting things with the mix on them at times. However, the mix of the album overall is still a little off sometimes, as is the case with a lot of grind stuff. It’s a big wall of sound, so it’s hard to pick out individual parts to really hone in on at times, especially when it’s all at a brake-neck pace, too. The band are clearly all talented, but it’s hard for them to all shine when they all go at 100mph from the very first note to the last. I feel like it’s the sort of music I’d enjoy a lot more live, as I can appreciate it all a little more and really get into the energy. Still, it’s certainly not a bad release into the genre; it’s probably up there with one of my favourite I’ve reviewed of it recently. ‘Morbid Procession’ and ‘Mortal Ways of the Flesh’ are probably my favourite on there. If you’re into the heavy side of metal, give this a go, you’ll surely enjoy it! A pretty solid 6.5/10 from us.

The Reticent: Please

This is an absolutely WILD album. Firstly, as someone who has suffered from depression as a teen and young adult, that intro hit HARD. Then you get the almost Tool-like opening tracks, with ‘The Night River’ being a particular highlight of mine. However, just as I thought I was understanding the album, I get slapped in the face with the tech-death ‘The Bed of Wasps’ (in the best way possible, of course!). If there’s one thing this album isn’t, it’s predictable, being the best kind of prog. Heck, we even got a Piers Morgan jumpscare on this thing!

As you can’t tell, I loved this album. The concept is of course one close to home and isn’t talked about nearly enough still to this day, but pulled off in truely spectacular fashion. The lyrics, the soundbites, all of it is great. And musically, it’s phenomenal. The closest thing I can compare it to is Between the Buried and Me, that combination of lighter prog and heavy metalcore/death elements, composed together perfectly throughout. From the various vocal styles to the awesome guitaring, drumming and bass work to a healthy does of piano for good measure, it’s all fantastic. It’s also impossible to pick highlight tracks as it all flows together perfectly and they all have their own place and high points of their own. I would wholly recommend it if you are at all curious, and it’s made me a big new fan of the band! Be ready for an emotional ride, though. A surprisingly easy 9.5/10!

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Drake Milligan, Finger Eleven and More!

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A pretty stacked week of new album awesomeness! Join us in checking it all out!

Drake Milligan: Tumbleweed

Of course we’ve already checked out this album! Find out review of it here.

Finger Eleven: Last Night on Earth

Somehow, this band have never really been on my radar. Potentially because it’s been nearly 11 years since their last album. However, I’m glad I’ve finally checked them out, because this is an excellent album! It’s like everything I’ve wanted the last two Bush albums to be; a heavy, slightly proggy radio-friendly alt-rock. Like that meets modern Chevelle and early Tool, it’s fucking awesome! The riffs are fantastic, and it’s packed full of catchy, melodic choruses and moments, too. It’s hard to pick highlights as all of it is amazing, and the arrangement of the tracks is arguably perfect, there not being a dull moment across the whole 40 minutes. I honestly can’t gush over it enough. They are very much from that generation of music that I love and have nostalgia for, so while I don’t know them that’s probably part of it. However, it’s truly an excellently written and performed album, and one that has made me a big fan of the band immediately. I’ll be going back and checking out their older stuff for sure, but while I don’t know I’ll also be spinning this a bunch! An incredibly easy 9/10! Check this out if you’re at all into that turn-of-the-millennium alt rock/metal sound!

Jake Owen: Dreams to Dream

Album number eight from the Florida country star follows up 2023’s Loose Cannon rather well. Going back, I didn’t like said album much. I do think I appreciate a more old-school style nowadays, and I very much appreciate that this is a well written, well performed album. But fuck is it a little boring. Tracks like ‘Long Time Lovin’ You’ and the ever so slightly rocky ‘Chill of December’ are personal highlights, but a lot of the rest is very similar and all pretty slow. And that for 44 minutes is a LOT of meh. As I said, I completely get that there are plenty of fans of this style out there, but I am very much not one of them. I sadly can’t give this any more than a 4/10 as an album as a whole, sorry!

Agonistic Front: Echos in Eternity

The next entry into the stellar return of hardcore music this year, one of the godfathers of the year put out another incredible entry into their now 13-album discography. It’s arguably not a surprise that this sort of music has had a surge recently due to the current state of the world, but it’s a great outlet for frustration and anger, which is what this release is full of. From the excellent opener ‘Way of War’ through ‘Matter of Life and Death’, ‘I Can’t Win’ to ‘Skip the Trial’, there are so many awesome songs! Every track is amazing though, it being a fantastic, tight 27-minutes of old-school hardcore music. While arguably not quite up there with their contemporaries’ releases this year like Biohazard or Stray from the Path, it’s still an excellent album in its own right and well worth checking out if you are at all into the style. They’ve had a real solid output over the last decade, and this is a great addition to their awesome discography. A very solid 8/10 from us!

Caskets: The Only Heaven You’ll Know

This is an album I really wished I liked. The third album from the post-hardcore alt metalcore Brits has plenty of stuff that I love on it. There is plenty of amazing heaviness, and more than a few awesome melodic moments, be it from the instrumentation or the big, clean choruses. However, for some reason it just doesn’t work together for me. I arguably preferred the slightly more pop-metal stuff over the heavier stuff, surprisingly. ‘Closure’ was my favourite track on the album by far, and it just gave me big ONE OK ROCK vibes. It was catchy but still had the chunky riffs, which some of the even lighter tracks don’t have. ‘Make me a Martyr’ is also a banger. However, the screams for the opening tracks (as much as I love Make Them Suffer) and a few of the rest of the tracks all blend together into a similar soundscape. It makes for a solid album, but did lose my interest again by the end after gaining it with the epic title track. It may grow on me more with more listens, and it certainly isn’t a bad album, but with what the band are like I certainly wanted to LOVE this, and I came away with just thinking its good. For now it gets a 7.5/10, but it may get higher with another listen or two! If you are a fan of the style or band, this is still well worth checking out!

Vincent Mason: There I Go

The debut album from the fast-rising country megastar somehow tops everything he’s put out so far, and that’s saying a lot! He somehow feels like the perfect blend of Evan Honer and Newton Faulkner, and has capped off the first stage of his career perfectly with this incredible release. It’s an incredible blend of country and the modern indie-Americana sound that has grown so popular recently. It’s a lot of fun, and is honestly packed to the rafters with incredible highlights! From the opening two tracks to ‘Anything Took Everything’, ‘Painkiller’ and ‘Wish You Well’, there are so many songs I’m already obsessed with. There honestly isn’t a bad song on here though, it’s 44-minutes of amazing, catchy country-esque music that goes by in a flash. If you are at all curious I cannot recommend checking this out enough, and it’s definitely made me a bigger fan of his, that’s for sure. An incredibly solid 9/10, and I’ll be listening to this plenty in the coming weeks and months!

Pupil Slicer: Fleshwork

The third album from the British mathcore trio looks to capitalise on the bands growing success since Covid, and does so in rather spectacular fashion! Firstly, THE RIFFS. Whether it’s main ones or breakdowns, the guitaring goes hard throughout, though that’s probably expected given the ‘math’ part. The vocals are taking a touch of getting used to, but it at very least fits the rest of the music well! I feel like it’s the sort of music that I’d fuck with a lot more in a live setting, but I still enjoyed it on track too. It’s chaotic, brutally heavy metal that combines math, industrial and even black metal alongside its hardcore roots. Tracks like single ‘Sacrosanct’, the title one and ‘White Noise’ are personal highlights. However, if you’re into this sort of music, you’ll certainly enjoy the album as a whole! While not completely my sort of thing, I more than get the appeal and appreciate the talent on display throughout, and definitely dig a good lot of it. So, it gets a solid 7/10 from us!

Luna Marble: Self-Titled

The highly anticipated debut album from the folky gothic blues rock four-piece finally dropped this last Friday. It’s damn good, and fits perfectly with the current NWOCR scene! It reminds me a lot of Brave Rival or These Wicked Rivers, but with their own 70s-tinged twist on it. I also love the mix, it feeling almost live, which in an era of super produced music  is a breath of fresh air. Tracks like ‘All of my Love’, the jazz-bass-solo-featuring ‘So Long’, ‘Redemption’ and ‘Waves’ are all huge highlights, though there really isn’t a bad track throughout! The band are so damn talented, both at their chosen instrument and as songwriters collectively, and I’d recommend this release to anyone, whether they’re into the genre or not! They have a huge future ahead of them, and this is a fantastic debut to jump off from. They have a huge new fan in me, and I can’t give it any less than yet another huge 9/10!

Midlake: A Bridge to Far

Album number six from the cinematic folk-rockers is certainly made for those who partake, so to speak. It very much gives me Grateful Dead vibes. And, to let you in on a little secret… I really don’t get Grateful Dead. I get the appeal, I do, but goddamn was this a boring release. I was done with it after the third track, and the nearly 40-minutes of this very much did me in. The closest thing to entertained I got was ‘The Ghouls’, and even that was a stretch. The band are talented players and songwriters, but I am definitely not the target audience here. If you like it awesome, but I’m going to give it a sad 3/10 and move on quickly.

White Lies: Night Light

The London-based indie/alt rock trio feel like they go all out on album number seven! I do like a bit of Simple Minds/Pulp style New Wave every so often, and this band bring that vibe to a modern sound pretty perfectly. It’s huge, catchy and truly epic throughout. From ‘All the Best’ to ‘Juice’ to ‘I Just Wanna Win One Time’, there are plenty of great songs throughout. It’s a very easy 43-minute listen too, it going by in a flash. It’s quirky yet catchy in equal measure, and I’m so glad that bands like this are still making music this great. While I was familiar with them, they’re another band that now have an active new fan in me, and I’ll be listening to this plenty in the coming weeks and months. An incredibly solid and unexpected 8.5/10!

Reviews

New Music Mondays: Brandi Carlisle, Soulfly and More!

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Another stacked week new albums for us to check out, from metal to country! Let’s dive right in!

Brandi Carlisle: Returning to Myself

The folk-Americana singer-songwriter seems to be on a bit of a resurgence recently, returning with her first new album in four years (aside the Elton collab). However, I’m glad she’s back, as this is an awesome release! There’s just something about Brandie, her lyrics and vocals are captivating, weather it’s slower, stripped-back vocals and guitar or the more rocky stuff that it builds to. It’s impossible not to love! The release is packed full of highlights, too, from single ‘Human’ to the gospel, Cam-like ‘A Woman Oversees to the rocky ‘Church & State’ and ‘No One Knows Us’. It’s a real early 2000s sound, but still feels fresh and fitting in 2025, especially with the emotion that Brandie puts into every single track. It does get a touch samey at times, don’t get me wrong, but if you are into her or the style of music, you will surely love this even more than I do! Her and her band are so insanely talented, and it’s impossible to get this any less than an 8/10!

Soulfly: Chama

The first new album from Max and co in three years, and it almost feels like they have something to prove with this release. This thing goes hard for just over half an hour, really taking no prisoners! His last couple of years reuniting Nailbomb has clearly renewed his heaviness, because this is wonderful, chaotic brutality. It also makes it very hard to pick highlight tracks, as it’s all pretty awesome, similar industrial/nu/groove metal, and doesn’t at all overstay it’s welcome. If you are into the band, any of Cavaleras other projects or just a more world-style of metal music in general, this is definitely one to check out! I’m just glad Soulfly, and by extension the Cavalera brothers, are still making awesome music after everything that’s gone on. The fact that it’s this good is really a bonus! A very easy 8/10 from us!

Alexandra Kay: Second Wind

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

The Acacia Strain: You Are Safe from God Here

Their first new music since 2023’s double album, the metalcore quintet are another band that go hard from the very first note to the last. I do like this old-school approach of metalcore that focuses on much more of the actual metal as opposed to more pop elements, like a good few modern bands have turned to. It also very much leans into the hardcore heavily at times, it making me want to throw people around pit in the best way. This is just brutal riffing and screams throughout, almost boarding on deathcore for a lot of it. Tracks like ‘A CALL BEYOND’, ‘MOURNING STAR’ and ‘HOLY MOONLIGHT’ are all personal highlights, though there really isn’t a bad song throughout! I’ve sadly never gotten round to checking them out too much in the past but I’m a rather big fan immediately after this release! I cannot recommend it enough to anyone into the heavier side of metal, and it gets a very solid 9/10

Just Mustard: WE WERE JUST HERE

The third album from the Irish alt/experimental rock band is… well… it certainly exists. This very much isn’t my thing, and while I don’t really get how they got 200k+ monthly listeners, at least plenty of people do ‘get’ and enjoy it! It’s 40-minutes of samey, droning art rock, and was very much a slog for me to get through. The band members are clearly talented individuals, but their songwriting did absolutely nothing for me. The best of the bunch was probably ‘SILVER’. If this is your sort of thing that’s awesome, but I definitely won’t be revisiting it again. I sadly can’t give it any more than 3.5/10

Sumo Cyco: NEON VOID

A band we here at Overtone are very familiar with up next! Not only did we review their last album, but we’ve also reacted to four of these tracks already! So, to say my hype for this album is high would be an understatement!

Well, safe to say it lives up to the hype! Of course the singles are great, but the album tracks we haven’t yet heard are also excellent! ‘FLIES’, ‘VOICES’ and the closer are up there with any other track on the album, and probably up there with some of the bands best! As much as I enjoyed that album, this feels a bit more focused and refined, everything sounding awesome and fitting together perfectly. It is a little similar throughout, but ‘STRONGER NOW’ also does a good job at breaking things up in the middle. Skye’s vocals throughout are perfect and, despite me wishing for maybe another scream or two, they fit the awesome nu-metal riffing amazingly. It’s honestly insane that the band aren’t a massive name in the industry by now, but after a seemingly complicated release through COVID, they seem back and more motivated than ever! This is an awesome album, one I’ll revisit a lot, and an easy 8.5/10!

Conjurer: Unself

Album number four from the British post metal band has a LOT of hype to live up to after their stellar 2022 output. However, I would put this about on par with Páthos, honestly! It’s just as dark and heavy and epic, and the contrast between the lighter and crushingly heavy moments are incredible. It goes from black metal to djent to death all with ease, and is an album that really begs to be listened to in full instead of individual tracks. Having said that, both ‘All Apart’ and the epic ‘Foreclosure’ are both personal highlight tracks, though the whole album is great! It’s certainly not going to be for everyone, but if you like a more epic sounding heaviness, this is certainly one that you need to check out immediately! It’s great to see the band slowly getting more and more praise and hype around them, and this is certainly an album I’ll be revisiting again soon. 8.5/10

Shiraz Lane: In Vertigo

Another band we are very familiar with, and another release that feels like it has been a long time coming and has finally arrived! The Finish heavy glam/AORers’ fourth studio album is fantastic from start to finish, giving off big early Santa Cruz vibes, which is never a bad thing. It boarders on metal perfectly, but still has plenty of soaring melody, designed to be played to huge arena crowds. It almost gives an air of Coheed and Cambria, which is really awesome! However, it still has plenty of Reckless Love, Bon Jovi and H.E.A.T to keep it firmly rooted in its genre. It’s another release packed full of awesome tracks, but between the two opening tracks, ‘Babylon’, ‘Sayonara Love’ and ‘Bullshit’ there are plenty of huge highlights for me personally! The band have always been talented songwriters and musicians, but this feels like somehow even a step up from their stellar last release. If you are at all into rock, this is an absolute must for you. The whole album is so easy to listen to, and goes by in a flash. An incredibly easy 9.5/10 from me, an album I’m going to be revisiting a lot!

Dayseeker: Creature in the Black Night

When I complained earlier about metalcore bands focusing heavily on pop, these were one of the main ones I had in mind. I passed on their last album to Max as he’s a fan, but instead you can suffer my review of this sixth album from them. It’s fine. But it is essentially pop-rock music with the very occasional metal sprinkled over the top. And it’s a shame too, as when they go heavy it’s great. Rory has a great scream to him, and while the riffing is pretty generic, it’s at least good. But the rest of it between, and it’s most of it, is such boring, slow, synth-pop that it makes it more than a slog to get to anything good. It’s baby’s first metal band, the new gateway band, and it’s probably the reason they have 2.5M monthly listeners. Much like with Just Mustard, if you like it, awesome. However, this honestly bored the fuck out of me. The only real saving grace was ‘Cemetery Blues’, and even that’s a bit of a stretch. 3/10, sorry not sorry.

Galactic Empire: Cinemetal

The Star Wars-themed metal band are back with album number four; producing another epic, heavy 43-minutes of cinematic metal. However, this time they have branched away from the solely Star Wars theme, this time including plenty of massive, blockbuster hits metal-fied by the masters. While not technically original music so I wouldn’t normally cover it here, it’s so damn impressive from not only a playing standpoint, but from a composition one, that there is no way I’m not highlighting it. Plus, it’s a fucking awesome release with some of my favourite movie themes transposed into my favourite genre, so how can I not gush over it? Of course, it’s some of the greatest non-Star Wars scores ever produced, so they are all incredible, but a special shoutout to ‘Avengers’, ‘Back to the Future’ and ‘Lord of the Rings’, which I feel transposed the best. The band are all insanely talented individuals, and I’d recommend absolutely anyone checking this out, as you’re bound to have listened to at least one of the tracks before now! It’s awesome, and gets a solid 8.5/10 from us (high for instrumental and/or covers!). Now I NEED Jurassic Park!

Brainwave: Ill Intent

This is every thrash/death-heads dream album. A 28-minute all-out assault of heavy, fast, evil riffs, some of the best drumming in the game and some truly awesome screamed vocals to back it all up. I’d never heard of the band before but DAMN, I’m so glad I managed to dive in here with their debut album. Every time I thought I’d heard it all, they just slapped me in the face with another fantastic riff or moment, keeping me constantly interested and almost constantly headbanging. Tracks like ‘The Truth’, ‘Another Foe’ and the title one are massive personal highlights. Then you have the almost more hardcore/crossover ‘Sad Man’s Parade’ due to a fantastic feature from Martial Law. There really isn’t a bad song on the album though, with each being just as good as the last. I feel like I haven’t had a huge amount of straight-forward thrashy albums this year, so this of this high quality is a huge, awesome breath of fresh air. If you are at all into the heavier side of metal, this is very much a must for you! A very easy 9/10 from us!

Mammoth: The End

Album number three from Master Van Halen is honestly a banger! It’s no secret that I’ve never quite got his solo stuff so far, but this album very much feels like a step out of whatever shadow he was still under, feeling like he’s finally comfortable with his own sound and writing. It feels a little darker and heavier than his previous stuff, more like Alter Bridge as opposed to the hard rock of his previous two releases. I was hooked in front the opener, and tracks like ‘Same Old Song’, ‘I Really Wanna’ and ‘Something New’ kept me fully on the line! His talented as a player or really songwriter has never been in question, but this rougher sound is definitely more up my street, and I finally ‘get’ it. If you are into his previous stuff, please let me know if you like this too, I’m genuinely curious if I’m just the weird one. But yep, another album I’ll be spinning a lot in the coming weeks and months, and a very solid 8.5/10 from us!

Jet Jaguar: Severance

The second album from the Mexican classic metal four-piece is a long awaited, yet excellent, follow up to their 2020 debut. It almost boarders on power metal in its level of epicness, and clearly draws inspiration from everything from Maiden to Priest to Helloween. The band also go hard from start to finish on this album, ripping through eight tracks (and two bonus ones) in heavy, grandiose fashion, it going by in a flash. Tracks like single ‘Mach 10’, the title one and ‘Disposable Minds’ are all personal highlights. However, there really isn’t a bad song on here, with even the bonus tracks being awesome! It’s a sound that has come back in a big way in recent years, and Jaguar are up there as doing it as good as almost any other! A very solid 8/10 from us, and they have a new fan in me!

Vanguardian: III: Inhumanity

I had no idea about the band heading into this, but from their name, font and artwork, I expected a folky black metal thing. I wasn’t expecting this crazy mix of Burning Red-era Machine Head and Cradle of Filth, with a prog dash added in for good measure, at all! I have to admit it took a slight bit of growing, but the more I listened the more I enjoyed it. I think the biggest hurdle for me was the mix; it’s a little abrasive when I think a bigger, fuller sound would have enhanced the album even more. However, some of the riffing and drumming is phenomenal, as is the bass, and some of the screams are perfectly timed for the track, sounding awesome! Tracks line ‘Peripherals’, ‘Dead Space’ and ‘Electric Sorrow’ are personal favourite, but there isn’t really a bad song on it. It’s an interesting listen for sure, and one that I’d certainly recommend checking out if you’re interested. I enjoyed it and do think it’ll grow on me more with another listen or two. For a debut album it’s great and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on them going forward, that’s for sure! 7.5/10

Reviews

Gareth, Juliet Rain and More: EPs Galore!

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An awesome collection of new EPs for us to check out this week!

Gareth: Bluebird

The second EP from the fast-rising Irish country star follows up his excellent debut just under six months ago. It picks up perfectly where that release left off, giving us another 21 minutes of incredible country-pop from start to finish. It’s insane that he’s only fully been on scene the last couple of years or so, as his songwriting is phenomenal and is honestly up there with any early-mid 2000s big name in the genre. It’s impossible to pick highlights too, as every track is just as good as the last! However, I do have to give a special shoutout to the duet with Joss Stone; their voices complimenting each other perfectly and it honestly giving me goosebumps! If you are a fan of a slower, more folk-edged contemporary country style, I cannot recommend this enough! It’s easy to see why he’s becoming a big name already, and I can just see him going up and up more with each release! Another incredibly easy 9/10 from us!  

P.S. his ‘Iris’ cover is as amazing on track as it is live!

Juliet Ruin: Regime

The third EP from the melodic metal band and long-awaited follow-up to Dark Water finally dropped today, and is yet another awesome release from the quartet! The bands post-hardcore/metalcore style is a breath of fresh air, a style not many bands seem to still do these days aside for the likes of Ashen Reach or Skarlett Riot. And, while it’s a completely different release to the previous in this article, it’s another that doesn’t have a bad track on it, it being impossible to pick highlights! Everything from the riffing to the drums to the insane solos is incredible. And the vocals… DAMN, *chefs kiss*. Both the cleans and the screams are amazing, Jess and the guys being all criminally underrated together. If you are at all into any of the genres or bands that I mentioned, or even stuff like melodeath, I cannot recommend this release enough! It’s criminal that the band aren’t far bigger by now, but this EP will surely put them on that path. It’s another very easy 9/10!

Emmett Jerome: It Ain’t Me

Another country-infused sophomore EP this week, this time from the Canadian Americana/folk artist. he perfectly follows up last years Rocky Mountain Son with this collection of rock-drenched country-Americana. From the awesome opener to the beautifully Zach Bryan ‘Bottle Song’ to the more blues rock ‘Write to Me’, there is so much to love on this thing. However, there really isn’t a bad track on it. Emmett’s vocals and lyric writing are the focal and clear high point throughout, and it’s clear we have yet another star in the making here. It’s a more chilled out take on the wider country sound than much of the rest of the list, but if that is your thing definitely give this a spin! A solid 8/10!

Alkemia: Alkemia EP

I had no idea what to expect heading into this EP. However, I’d have never been able to predict post-grunge but with more hardcore, stoner vocals, in Finnish! However, after some slight getting used to, I found myself really enjoying it! It’s has elements of so much different stuff, from the aforementioned post-grunge, hardcore and stoner, to more punk vibes and even a touch of death’n’roll at times. It’s nothing if not a damn interesting and FUN listen. Personal highlights are ‘1+1’ and ‘Kääntöpuoli’, but every track has plenty to enjoy from it! If you are into the heavier, quirkier and moshier side of things, this is well worth checking out! The band have a new fan in me and, with this being their debut EP, I’m super curious to hear where they go from here! 7.5/10

Noah Rinker: The Pines

This is a surprisingly epic release. While rather Americana/folk overall, like a Mumford and Sons, it also has a healthy dose of indie and even soft rock splashed in for good measure. It’s a style that, while probably done plenty before, still feels rather fresh in Noah’s hands. Tracks like ‘Tumbleweed’, ‘The Pines’ and ‘Matches & Gasoline’ are all personal highlights. His vocals and lyrics are honestly incredible. I do have to say, however, that while every track is good, they do all sound pretty similar. Thank god it’s just an EP, because I think I was flagging a little by this’ 22-minute length, never mind anything longer! But still, if you like this sort of music it is a fantastically solid release in the genre, and well worth checking out! 7.5/10

Ars Onirica: 2.5 Nighttime EP

Following up 2019s I: Cold and 2022’s II: Lost comes the I assume midway point before the third album from the Alexandra Sforza prog metal solo project. It’s an incredibly well rounded project, both the light and heavy moments done amazingly. From the distorted riffs and powerful drums to the more introspective lower moments, it’s nothing if not interesting. It’s a very easy 20 minutes of metal spread across 20 minutes, too! It’s really creatively put together too, with Dawn and Dusk bookending the release, and a three part ‘Nightmare’ track in the middle. It’s little creative touches like that that I really love! And Alexandra’s vocals, be it cleans or screams, are another big high point of the release. The whole EP just begs to be listened to in full, and very much rewards those that do. It feels like the perfect blend of ASP and In Flames. It’s sometimes not typically my sort of style all the time, but this is an absolutely phenomenal EP and one I will definitely be revisiting pretty often. I hate that I’ve only just discovered the project, but I really hope this means that he’s working on another album for the near future. For now though, this gets a very easy 9/10 from us!

Buffalo Traffic Jam: Take Me Home

Another slower, grandiose indie-Americana release, this time the second EP from the fast-rising Montana duo. Firstly, the vocals throughout are absolutely phenomenal, giving off big Shane Smith vibes in the best ways; the lyrics and emotional delivery giving me goosebumps on multiple occasions. Tracks like ‘Black Eyed Suzie’ and the closing two are big personal highlights, but there really isn’t a bad track on the EP! I did, however, check this out off the back of the Noah release, so was a touch burnt out by the style by the end. Still, it’s incredibly well written and performed, and they definitely have a curious new fan in me! 7.5/10

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New Music Mondays: All Time Low, Chris Young and More!

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Another awesome week packed full of some awesome albums, from metal to rock to country. Let’s check them out!

All Time Low: Everyone’s Talking!

A singular single from this album convinced me and my wife to get tickets to their tour next year. Just to put into perspective the quality I’m expecting here…

The 10th studio album from the Maryland modern pop-punk legends lives up to my hype, that’s for sure! The band have matured like a fine wine; gradually evolving from their more rougher, punkier beginnings to this uber-polished, perfectly mixed arena-rock-infused awesomeness. It very much feels like the band have added elements of everything from Bryan Adams, Owl City and even Kip Moore and more pop-rock artists to their core sound, and it makes for an incredible listen. I remember loving their last release, but this very much takes everything that was great about it and refines/perfects it.

‘SUCKERPUNCH’ is of course already one of my favourite tracks by the band now, but it is far from the only highlight. From singles like ‘The Weather’ to tracks like ‘Falling for Strangers’, the heavier punk ‘Little Bit’ and the Ruston Kelly-featuring ‘Tread Water’, there is so much to love. However, there really isn’t a bad track on the album, all 15 songs being awesome and the 40+ minutes going by in a flash. They were a band I never minded as a kid but never quite got into much, but these last couple of albums have made me fully in on the band. If you are at all a fan of them, or of a more punk-pop sound, I would highly recommend checking this out as soon as you can. I’ll certainly be spinning it a fair bit in the coming months, that’s for sure! 9/10

Chris Young: I Didn’t Come Here to Leave

No pressure here, but this album has a LOT to live up to. I LOVED his last album last year, and the fact that he’s followed up on it barely a year later is definitely a bold move. Thankfully, Chris’ 10th album is yet another banger of a release from the country star! He has an incredible songwriting ability (I assume alongside others), be it country ballads or more southern rock-style boot-stompers. And honestly he has one of the best studio vocals in the whole genre currently. Don’t get me wrong, it’s another pretty long country release (thankfully not to Wallen levels), but there is so much awesomeness that the 14 tracks still go by in a flash! From the opener to ‘I Feel a Cold One Coming On’, ‘Pour Some Whiskey on it’ to single ‘Boots on the Ground’ to beautiful, bittersweet ballad ‘Just Keep Living’, there is so much to love. I have to say it’s not quite as good as Young Love & Saturday Nights, but it’s a damn solid followup and as I said, with barely a years turnaround between the two it’s an incredibly impressive release. Country has had one hell of a year again, and this is certainly going to be up there with one of my favourite releases in the genre in that time. And heck, it still feels like it’s growing on me with more listens! But for now, it gets a damn solid 8.5/10

The Last Dinner Party: From the Pyre

I have made no secret over the last year or two about not ‘getting’ this band. Though people throw around the term ‘industry plant’ maybe a little too easily these days, it definitely reeks of ‘throwing enough family money at it until it takes off’. You know, the GVF/Taylor Swift approach. We missed their debut album last year just before they exploded, but I remember checking it out due to the massive hype on socials and wasn’t too into it. Hopefully this sophomore release changes my mind…

It didn’t. This is music for early 20s, rich white girls that want to be hippies. It gives ‘music to listen to while spending daddy’s money on Vinted’ vibes. Don’t get me wrong, if that’s your thing, great, but it isn’t mine, sadly. And it is sadly too, because I did actively want to like this album. The Midsomer-like theming is an interesting concept, but never feels fully realised. There are flashes of its potential brilliance, especially in the one-two-punch of ‘Rifle’ and ‘Woman is a Tree’. However, then the pop edge comes in and reigns it all back in. And, honestly, because of that, this is a damn boring album. It feels a lot longer than 42 minutes, the album dragging and being a real struggle to get through in one sitting.

I know that some will probably be pissed at this review, but it’s just my opinion; there will be plenty who love this and I’m so glad they will get something out of it that I don’t. I know I am very much not the target audience, but at least I tried, right? Heck, at least the women are talented players and vocalists; I just find them painfully dull songwriters. And for that, it gets a 3/10 from me.

Sabaton: Legends

Fuck yeah, this is more like it! We’re big power metal fans here at Overtone and of course there are few modern bands doing it better than Sabaton. I loved their last album, but I really feel like this may be even better! ‘Templars’ opens the album perfectly, while tracks like ‘Crossing the Rubicon’, ‘Maid of Steel’ and ‘The Cycle of Songs’ are also big highlights for me. Of course, I have the same issue with this as I have with a fair few power metal albums in that it does all sound pretty samey. It’s 45 minutes of pretty similarly paced and sounding music, and even if it’s all great, it does get a touch old by the end. Still, if you are a power metal fan, of course you’re gonna love this! It’s a damn solid album from some of the best songwriters in the genre, even if they do stick to their standard formula a little too safely. The new metal history teachers show here why they are still one of the best around, and it’s an easy 8.5/10 from us!

Broadie Christ: Big feelings

The sophomore album from the Toronto singer-songwriter is a damn chilled-out, easy listen. Though described as indie rock, I’d argue there’s a lot more to this than that! It’s as much alt and soft rock, as well as just a genuinely quirkier edge. The easiest way I can find to describe it is a combination of Pinegrove and early Randy Newman, and I mean that as the uttermost of compliments! The more I listened, the more I fell in love with the album. The opener didn’t hook me, but ‘IDWTBfriends’ is great, and by the time I reached ‘Pretty City’, ‘Sea Legs’ and ‘Now I Can’t Dance’ I was hooked. As I said, it’s a very easy listen, and 40-minutes went by in a flash. He’s a fantastic lyricist and storyteller, and the instrumentation written around it fits the tone perfectly, as well as being a lot of fun. It’s the perfect album to sit back and relax to, but also really dive in deep to if you get the chance. I’d highly recommend checking it out if you are at all curious, and it gets an incredibly solid 8/10 from me!

Preacher Stone: By the Horns

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

Tol Morwen: At the Gates of Valhalla

I love folky power metal, and this sophomore release is no exception! However, this does generally feel a little more technical than a lot of their contemporaries, some of the riffing and drumming being incredible. However, it still has the same level of epicness. It’s also heavy, having elements of black/death/extreme metal, especially with the screams. The atmosphere created throughout is phenomenal though, and instantly had me captivated. ‘Fate of the Gods’ is a more atmospheric black metal track, while ‘Ragnar’ is a straight up Amon Amarth style viking death metal song. Both are massive early highlights, while songs like epic single ‘The Shieldmaiden’ and ‘Rise of the Ancient Gods’ are also excellent. However, there really a bad track on this! It’s not for everyone, and at over an hour spread across just 10 tracks, it’s a big undertaking. However, I loved it, and if you are into the heavier, more grandiose side of metal, I would definitely recommend you check this out immediately! The band are so incredibly talented, and it’s yet another easy 8.5/10!

Biohazard: Divided We Fall

The hardcore punk legends returned with their first new album in 13 years this last Friday. Yeah, it’s a big deal. Especially when they returned at arguably the perfect time, given the state of the world, and clearly have plenty to talk about! Oh, and the album also slaps from start to finish! It’s angry, aggressive, slamming hardcore for a full nearly 40 minutes, and I love it. It just makes me want to throw people around in a pit and dance around through the whole thing. The riffing, the drums, the vocals, the lyrics, even the soloing, all of it is perfection for the genre, and I honestly can’t get enough. It’s so hard to pick highlights too, as each track is as good as the other. Most of it ended up on my personal playlist! It’s the perfect combination of Bodycount, Hed(PE) and Pro-Pain, so if you are into any of those bands, or just hardcore in general, I cannot recommend this album enough! Heck, even if you aren’t, check this out immediately, you might find one of your new favourite albums. I can’t give this any less than 9.5/10, and I’ll definitely be rocking this a lot in the coming months!

Of Monsters and Men: All is Love and Pain in the Mouse Parade

13 years after the Icelandic folk-rocky quintet’s massive breakout debut, they are back with their fourth studio album, and first of the post-pandemic era. Honestly, outside of their big hits I haven’t listened to much. In the nicest way possible, I can kinda see why. This is a boring release, dude. Much like with Last Dinner Party, this will most likely have plenty of fans, but I sadly found myself losing interest fairly quickly and often when listening to this from front to back. Don’t get me wrong, tracks like ‘The Actor’ and ‘Styrofoam Cathedral’ are good in isolation, but in the context of the album it dragged sooooo much. Please don’t kill me, OM&M fans (I also don’t like the other OM&M much, sorry), but yeah, I can’t give this much more than 4.5/10. They’re all talented players, but it really isn’t my thing.

Daedric: As the Light Left

The sophomore release from Kristyn Hope is yet another modern-alt metal/metalcore masterclass. We absolutely loved her last album back a couple of years ago, but honestly she may have gotten even better in the time since! ‘The Other Terror’ opens things up perfectly heavily, while ‘Sand Tiger’ shows off a bit more of her more alt side (though still has some great screams). The rest of the album continues to skirt that line perfectly, too. Heck, ‘Dark Legacy’ gives big Skynd vibes in the best ways. It’s hard to pick highlights, but ‘Night Mother’ and ‘Dreamweaver’ are tracks that I have already revisited multiple times over the weekend. Honestly, this is everything I wished Spiritbox was, and it’s insane to me that Kristyn isn’t on the same level as them at this point. I’mma throw it out there, this is better than Tsunami Sea, @ me. I cannot recommend this enough to anyone into more of a modern metal sound, and I’m honestly shocked she managed to top her explosive debut! She’s an utterly fantastic vocalist, both cleans and screams, and her songwriting has really gone to yet another level with this album. It’s one of the easiest 9/10s I’ve ever given!

William Prince: Further From the Country

Album number five for the Canadian folk/country singer-songwriter is a damn fun listen. I love that he very much does his own thing and has his own sound, not following the current trends in the genre. It makes it stand out a lot from his contemporaries, and is a fantastic, more folk-based sound in its own right! From the writing to the arrangement to the mix, it all almost has an epic air to it. From the opener to ‘Flowers on the Dash’ to the beautifully dark-folk ‘Thousand Miles of Chain’ to the awesome closer, the whole thing is packed full of amazing songs! And, at under 40 minutes, it makes for an incredibly easy listen! It’s definitely one to throw on and relax to. William is a criminally underrated vocalist and songwriter in the genre, and he has an instant new fan in me from this! I’m definitely going to have to go back and check out his previous work, but for now this gets an incredibly solid 8.5/10

Shadows of a Silhouette: For Those That Know

Time for some indie now, as the local boys and good friends of ours put out their highly anticipated debut album this last week! What an album it is, too! It’s definitely on the heavier side of the genre, with the riffs taking center stage in a big way throughout. It gives off big QOTSA or early Royal Blood or early Black Keys vibes in the best ways. It’s also packed full of highlights, too. Between the opener, ‘No Matter Where I Go’, ‘Mona Lisa’ and ‘Hostages’, there are plenty of highlights, but there really isn’t a bad track on the release! The band are incredibly talented and it’s easy to see why they are gaining so much momentum already. The genre isn’t typically my sort of thing but I really loved this from start to finish, and would recommend it to anyone even slightly curious! It’s been a while since I’ve seen them live so must do that again, as I have a feeling all of this would sound incredible in a live setting. But, for now, I shall happily settle for having the album, and it gets a very solid 8.5/10!

Wretched: Decay

The first album from the melodic deathcore quintet in over a decade feels like it has something to prove, and they more than do this with this release! This is over an hour of brutality, technical riffs, great screams and some HEAVY breakdowns. It’s another album that’s almost impossible to pick highlights from, as it’s all so good, as well as all being a similar style, sound and aggression. However, ‘The Crimson Sky’ probably has the most of a bit of everything this album has to offer! If you are into the heavier end of metal, this is definitely one for you. It has everything from Machine Head to In Flames to The Zenith Passage in here, and it’s awesome. It’s not for the faint of heart as, like I said, it’s 65 minutes in length, but it’s well worth a listen through in full if you’re interested! I’m so damn glad this band is back to studio work, and they have put out honestly one their best releases to date after all this time off. A very solid 9/10 from us!

Features, Reviews

ONE OK ROCK and Paledusk Tear Down Manchester Apollo!

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WOW. What a fucking show! My first time at the venue and also my first time seeing either band. I was at least pretty familiar with the headliners, but didn’t know Paledusk that well. I went into the evening expecting to enjoy it, but I wasn’t quite expecting the level of performance throughout!

Firstly, the Apollo was packed. The gig got downgraded from Manchester arena to this venue, and the result meant that it was sold out and packed full of die-hard fans who showed up early to get down close. We queued well over half an hour, and we arrived 20 minutes after doors. Everyone was ready, that’s for sure!

I wasn’t too familiar with the openers heading into the show. I knew the name and had checked out a couple of tracks before the show, but that was about it. However, they have a HUGE new fan in me from this set! Firstly, the sheer energy and showmanship on display throughout their 40-minutes was insane. I’ve seen fewer spin-kicks in a Bruce Lee movie than I saw guitarist Daidai; the guy was all over the stage with them! Then you had frontman Kaito’s infectious energy too, throwing himself around with almost as little regard. He also held the crowd in the palm of his hand throughout. I thought they may have struggled given the heaviness compared to the headliner, but the crowd were more than down to bounce around and even got a pretty decent circle pit going when instructed. I’ve also never heard a crowd cheer a breakdown before, but it was pretty fun to see every time!

And we haven’t even spoken about their music yet! Their quirky, whacky, heavy, melodic music. It was all over the place in the best way possible! They are all insanely talented players, performers and vocalists, and I immediately want to be seeing them back over here again ASAP.

Then, after a brief changeover, the headliners took to the stage. It at first seemed a little odd when it was barely 8:05, but they tore the roof off the place for a solid two hours! After a fantastic little video package set the tone for their latest release, they exploded on with recent hit ‘Puppets Can’t Control You’. Now, y’all know I loved DETOX, so the fact that they played almost all of it was incredible. From personal favourites like ‘N.A.S.T.Y’, ‘Tropical Therapy’ and ‘Delusion:All’ to more unexpected cuts in ‘Party’s Over’ and ‘The Pilot </3’, it was all incredible live and sounded so very close to the track. But don’t fear, because old-school fans still had plenty to sink their teeth into. From ‘The Beginning’ to the beautiful, empowering ‘Stand Out Fit In’ and perennial set closer ‘We Are’, the setlist was honestly damn near perfect!

And the performance… GODDAMN. Honestly, I was looking forward to seeing them at the UKs biggest arena, but seeing essentially a stadium-level band back home putting on that caliber of show to a 4k cap venue was truly something special. The band played, sung and headbanged their hearts out from the very first note to the very last. And, because of that, the crowd fed them that very same energy back. I can’t recall a time when I had been part of a crowd so loud and passionate, except for maybe Drake Milligan, and even then it wasn’t for the full show. The crowd felt like just as much a part of the show as anything else; singing every word back to the band and jumping around and clapping constantly. I can honestly say it was one of the best sets I’ve seen from an all-round perspective, and not one I’ll ever forget!

And there you have it, folks. Two of Japan’s biggest and best rock bands playing a more intimate show in one of the UKs honestly best venues (aside for the tiny amount of toilets, wtf?). The sound for both was great, even when under the balcony, so massive props to the sound guys too! I honestly cannot recommend seeing either band enough, they both blew me away for somehow both different and similar reasons. Honestly, if I wasn’t working tomorrow I’d be on the first train down to see them in London, they were THAT good. Hopefully both manage to make it back over here soon, be it together again or separate, as I’d be right there buying tickets the moment they went on sale! If you get the chance to see them live, take it, but even if not, you have got to listen to them on track too!

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New Music Mondays: Testament, Yellowcard and More!

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Another stacked week of awesome new albums for us to check out, from rock to metal to country! Let’s dive in!

Testament: Para Bellum

The thrash legends are back with their first new studio album in over five years. It’s been a loooong wait, but they’re back and most certainly taking no prisoners! Opener ‘For the Love of Pain’ sets things up perfectly and is a banger in its own right. Honestly it was wild/awesome for me for Chuck to scream through all of it. I love his powerful cleans but his screams, alongside the backing, is fucking incredible! It’s essentially a death metal track, even complete with some Gojira scrapes. We get some cleaner vocals on ‘Infanticide A.I.’, another huge highlight track that keeps it heavy and perfectly combines their older sound with this heavier new edge. And then barely four tracks in the album slows down into a beautiful acoustic ballad in ‘Meant to Be’. It’s another fantastic, epic song from an album that constantly keeps you on your toes.

The rest of the album is pretty standard fair, alternating between their more old-school thrash style and the heavier, screamed they’ve added here. Both ‘Room 117’ and ‘Nature of the Beast’ are other solid highlight tracks, but there really isn’t a bad song on this! The band have always been criminally underrated,  but they once again continue their streak of excellent modern albums with this. If you are in any way a fan of thrash or just metal in general, check this out ASAP! I can’t give it any less than 9/10, amazing stuff!

Yellowcard: Better Days

The pop-punk titans are back with their first studio album since their 2022 reunion. I have to admit they were never really a band I ‘got’ in my youth; the whole slightly heavier, emo-pop-punk thing didn’t do much for me, them always feeling like a poor man’s Good Charlotte/Simple Plan. However, I did enjoy this more than the new Good Charlotte album, that’s for sure. It’s very old-school Yellowcard, so if you’re a long-time fan of the band you’ll surely love this. The lyrics are sometimes pretty cheese these days, especially for a bunch of guys in their mid-40s, but they at least semi-acknowledge their age. Plus, I can never get over how much a full-time fiddlist in a pop-punk band works far better than it should. Tracks like the Matt Skiba featuring ‘Love Letters Lost’, ‘Bedroom Posters’ and ‘Skin Scraped’ are all personal highlights. It’s got more energy than a lot of their counterparts have these days, which is certainly appreciated, and it’s definitely an album I’d happily revisit again. It may grow on me more still, as it has through the full-album listen, but for now it gets a still-solid 7.5/10

Rhett Miller: A lifetime of riding by night

Solo album number nine from the Old 97’s’ frontman, and it’s an incredibly chilled affair! It’s very folky, mainly just Rhett’s acoustic guitar and vocals, with a few other minor parts like extra strings or a piano. His vocal delivery gives slight Lou Reed vibes at times too, which was interesting and certainly not a bad thing! There was a great nit in the middle with ‘Come as Your Are’ (feat. Turnpike Troubadours’ own Evan Felker) followed by Be Mine which I loved! There’s also a more flamenco-style one later on, ‘All Over Again’, which is excellent! However, overall, it is a touch too slow for me. He’s an incredible songwriter and if you like this sort of thing it’s definitely worth a listen. I enjoyed my listen, but I wouldn’t rush to revisit it, if that makes sense? Still, it gets a solid 6.5/10 from me as it was damn well crafted and performed!

John 5: Ghost

The eleventh instrumental studio album from the Marilyn Manson/Rob Zombie/Motley Crue guitarist dropped last Friday. I remember checking out his last solo release back in the early days of the company and enjoying it. It’s an interesting release, for sure. It feels like it goes back to his industrial roots a little more at times than a lot of what I’ve heard from his solo stuff, but there is plenty of insanely technical soloing too that I am very familiar with from him! He is a criminally underrated guitarist, rather pigeon-holing himself into a somewhat basic guitaring genre with nu/industrial metal when in reality he’s up there with the likes of Yngwie. Tracks like ‘Deviant’, ‘La Express’ and the jazzy ‘Moon Glow’ are all personal highlights, but every track is pretty great! Instrumental stuff certainly isn’t for everyone, but if you are at all curious or a fan of his playing on other projects, this is worth a listen! A solid 7/10 again from us!

Sanguisugabogg: Hideous Aftermath

Described by frontman Devin Swank as ‘their most death metal and most focused and brutal record to date’, there’s a lot of hype riding on the Ohioan Brutalists’ third album. It is certainly brutal, and certainly death metal. And, honestly, it’s fucking awesome! This level of heaviness is always something I find myself admiring from a distance, I’m a melody boy at heart, but there was definitely plenty I found myself enjoying throughout this surprisingly long release. Tracks like ‘Felony Abuse of a Corpse’, ‘Heinous Testimony’ and the rather epic ‘Paid in Flesh’ are all personal highlights. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not something I’d revisit a whole bunch, but if you are into the heaviest of metal it’s up there with the best of the bunch. It’s everything I wished early Cannibal Corpse was, though I think a lot of that has to do with the great mix and the fantastic screams! I would love to see this live, but on track it does get a bit much for me (especially with its length), as excellently crafted as it is. So, for that, it gets a solid 7/10

Serpent God: Denial

The debut album from the Finish melodeath/doom metal band honestly knocks it out of the park for them right from the get go. It’s heavy, dark and epic all in equal measure, and makes for a fantastic listen from front to back! There’s more than a healthy dose of extreme/black metal in here too, and the whole release has such a fantastic flow to it. It’s almost impossible to pick highlight tracks as they all click together perfectly, begging the listener for a full listen every time. It’s not for the faint of heart; not only is it heavy and dark but 50 minutes in length, but it rewards the listener massively throughout with some truly awesome songwriting and instrumentation. It won’t be for everyone, but if you’re into the dark, epic side of heavy metal, this is definitely one worth checking out! A very solid 7.5/10!

Captain Kaiser: Belgian Boy

Album four from the (surprisingly) Belgian alt-punk band is set to be their biggest yet! From a purely sonic standpoint, and given that I hadn’t listened to them before now, it’s pretty fantastic, and it’s easy to see why they are gaining momentum! The vague Turnstile/Viagra Boys sound is awesome. Heck, there’s an air of the quirkier side of Biffy at times, which I loved! The opener was slightly rough for me, not being a huge fan of the style, but both ‘Roadkill’ and ‘Room Service’ won me over in quick succession. Then you have tracks like ‘William’ and the title track that are also big highlights! The more I listen the more I love it, it’s a really damn good album! It’s not something I’d choose to go for often, but I’m so glad I checked this out in full and world urge anyone into punk to do the same! The band are insanely talented songwriters, and are going to go far if this album has anything to say about it! 9/10

Frayle: Heretics & Lullabies

The third album from the atmospheric metallers is arguably their best work to date. The sheer epic soundscape produced throughout is incredible; everything from the arrangement to the mix making it sound MASSIVE. It reminds me of Skynd but more gothic and atmospheric, almost having a shoegaze edge to it all. ‘Walking Wounded’ is the perfect album opener for it, and tracks like ‘Souvenirs of Your Betrayal’ and ‘Run’ are definite highlights. I also really enjoyed their cover of the Lana Del Rey hit ‘Summertime Sadness’, really adding their own fantastic, ominous twist on the track. My only slight issue is that it all sounds kinda similar. I’m sure if this your favourite style of music you’d love it, but nearly 45-minutes of similar sounding tracks sadly wasn’t helped by my tiny attention span! Still, it’s a damn good release, and certainly one worth checking out if you like the more gothic stuff! 7.5/10

Leilani Kilgore: TELL YOUR GHOST

Aaand the award for the most metal artist name not attached to a metal artist goes to…

In all seriousness though, Leilani’s debut studio album slaps! The blues/punk tinged hard rocker blasts the listener with big riffs and catchy vocal melodies throughout the entire 38-minute runtime, showing how excellent of a songwriter she is! And not just that, but her vocals are fantastic, as is the instrumentation throughout, the guitaring being a particular high point. From foot-stompin’ rock numbers like the opener and ‘CREEPIN’’ to more plodding blues tracks like ‘SPANISH MOSS’ and ‘BURN’ there is so much awesomeness and plenty to love! It’s an incredibly well-rounded album that goes by in a flash and there really isn’t a bad track on it! I’d never heard of her before but she already has a massive new fan in me! It’s very easy to see why she’s exploded onto the scene and is a quick bright light in the underground, and I can’t give it any less than 9/10!

Caustic Waves: Echoes

Another debut album, this time from the Glasgow-based soloist Neil Thomas. Firstly, the fact that one man has produced such an intricate, fantastically written and produced is nothing short of phenomenal. Blending together his alt-metal and power-pop sounds of previous works KEITEL and The Chinaskis, but infusing it with a 90s/early 2000s edge and influences like Incubus, Tool and Deftones, Neil has produced something pretty damn unique with this release! Tracks like ‘Artificial Lies’, ‘Escape Your Fate’ and ‘Insignificance’ are all personal highlights. However, having grown up around the time that inspired this release, I absolutely adore this style and truly think there isn’t a bad track on the album! 44 minutes goes by in a flash and it’ll definitely be an album I’ll be revisiting plenty over the coming weeks and months! Hopefully he can get a band together because I am already desperate to see this live! For now, I’ll happily keep listening, and this gets yet another very solid 9/10!

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New Music Mondays: AFI, Waylon Jennings and More!

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A MASSIVE week of new music for us this week, with everything from rock to metal to country getting awesome releases! Let’s check it all out!

AFI: Silver Bleeds the Black Sun…

I clearly haven’t listened to AFI in a while. Where is the punk? Where is the edge? This is just straight up The Cure or Pulp. It’s still emo, but very much in a more soft rock/pop vein than I was expecting. Don’t get me wrong, tracks like ‘Holy Vision’ and ‘Ash Speck in a Green Eye’ are good and definite highlight tracks, but this is completely different compared to the band they used to be. I have read that Davey has struggled vocally recently and had to change up their setlist and style live, but I wasn’t expecting the instrumentation to shift to a much lighter style to coincide with that. Even going back to visit Bodies, sure it’s less punk than their early days, but it still feels like the same band, just progressing and aging. I guess after hearing Bodies Bleeds… makes more sense, as it feels like a less jarring change. However, I remember enjoying their self-titled release back in 2017, and this is a far-cry from that, for sure.

It’s not a bad album, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not what I expected or wanted to hear from AFI, that’s for sure. This kinda sound is coming back a bit, but at least when Creeper do it they add their own twist on the style, don’t just release a Cure/Billy Idol retread. If you go into this release as a fan of their early stuff, like me, be prepared for it to not meet your expectations. Though, I’m sure there will be plenty that love this album! It may grow on me, but for now I can’t give it much more than 6/10

Waylon Jennings: Songbird

The third posthumous studio album from the outlaw country legend continues his legacy rather perfectly, and shows just how fantastic of a musician and songwriter he really was. The fact that these were written at the height of his popularity and I guess never deemed good enough to make it onto a release back then is insane, given how great all this is! From the title track to ‘I’d Hate to go Searchin’ Them Bars Again’ to ‘After the Ball’, there are tracks on here that I’d put up there alongside some of his best work, honestly. The whole album is good too, it being an easy, chilled out 30-minutes of awesome traditional country music. It certainly won’t be for everyone, especially with how the country scene has gone since these were written, but if you are at all curious I cannot recommend it enough! It’s a damn solid album, and a damn solid 8/10!

Orbit Culture: Death Above Life

Album five from the Swedish melodeath band sees them take on the tough task of trying to follow up the utterly incredible Descent. As you can see, we adored that album, so I’ve been pretty hyped for this since it was announced. And, thank god, it very much lives up to my hype, that’s for sure! The band have found the perfect balance of crushing heaviness and catchy melody, and have once again put it on full display with this release. I’ve honestly found it impossible to pick highlight tracks as well as it’s all SO good. Almost all of it ended up on my personal playlist. How the band aren’t one of the biggest names in the metal world already I will never understand, as they are easily one of the best. Their talent for playing and writing is off the charts, and I’m just shocked/blown away that they managed to follow-up their last awesome release with another banger! Its nearly-hour runtime goes by in a flash and I honestly cannot recommend the album enough to anyone even slightly into metal. They’ve done it again, another 10/10 from me!

Thrice: Horizons/West

The long awaited sister album to 2021’s East finally dropped last Friday. I never quite ‘got’ Thrice, but I have to admit this is quite a banging album! It’s the perfect blend of alt rock and hardcore and industrial, and makes for a fun listen from start to finish. I love tracks like ‘Gnash’ and ‘Holding On’ but honestly, the whole album is definitely worth a spin in full. It has a really great flow to it, and definitely all feels Thrice! It’s dark, heavy and even beautiful at times, and I’m so glad they’ve returned with this as it’s made me want to go back and try their previous work again. If you are at all curious, check this out, you certainly won’t be disappointed! 8/10

Evil Scarecrow: Silicon Tea

The return album from ‘one of the UK’s most absurd yet standout heavy metal acts’ kinda came out of nowhere for me. The band’s fifth album was announced alongside single ‘The Future Machine’ back in August, yet little fair was made about it online aside for another single dropping last week. Still, the album released on Wednesday and, being a big fan of the band as is, I dove right into it on the day!

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a damn good silly death metal album. The band are incapable of writing a bad one at this point, let’s be honest. However, out of the nine tracks on it, five have been put out as singles, one of which has been out for nearly four years now. It definitely makes the release feel a little disjointed and, sadly, rushed out, somehow. But, as I said, it’s still great, with tracks like ‘Shred the Evidence’, the incredibly silly, doomy ‘Shoptimus Prime’, the now old-school ‘Master of the Dojo’ and the unnecessarily ‘Welly in the Mud’ being big personal highlights. None of the tracks are bad by any stretch, though. The comedy is maybe a touch too on the nose at times, especially when they’ve been doing this for 20+ years now, but it still got a few laughs out of me! If you like heavy, death/doom metal and music that doesn’t take itself too serious, this is definitely a release you need to check out! I had a good time listening to it and will definitely be doing so again a fair bit in the coming weeks and months! 7.5/10

Cory Marks: Sorry for Nothing Vol. 2

I very nearly missed this, which I’d have hated as I LOVED Vol. 1 at the back end of last year. This is a pretty fantastic sequel to that release, being the perfect mixture of country, southern rock and early 2000s post nu-metal alt rock! ‘Hangman’ is the perfect opener, setting things up excellently, and is followed up by half an hour of banger after banger! Tracks like ‘Change the Game’, ‘Wild Ride’ and ‘A Different Kind of Year’ are all personal highlights, but there really isn’t a bad song on it! And it’s pretty short and sweet, making it the perfect release to pair up with its sister album. Both very much feel like the same project, and I can wholeheartedly recommend listening to them both together! It’s great that Cory is finally getting the attention and love he deserves, and it’s because he keeps putting out awesome albums like this! 9/10

Michael Schenker Group: Don’t Sell Your Soul

I have never been album to get into Schenker’s solo stuff. I’ve even seen it live a couple of times over the years and it’s still not done much for me. This release sadly has not changed that. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fine, but it’s a touch… bland… dated, almost. I completely get his huge influence on the world of rock music today and have a huge amount of respect for the guy, but he’s never really evolved as a songwriter or player, it feels. Like this could be any 70s/80s AOR band. If that’s all you listen to you’ll probably love this, but there has been so much awesome music in that style over the last 50 years, and this isn’t quite up there with all of it. ‘Danger Zone’ and ‘It’s You’ are personal highlights, but outside of those I did sadly get a little bored and restless while listening to it in full. I’m sure plenty will love this release, and as I said, it’s not bat all. It’s well written, performed and crafted, it just little for me. 5/10, bang average.

Adam and the Hellcats: 9 Lives

The third album from the UK underground, rising hard rockers is a fun 40-minute listen, that’s for sure! The band have a great combination of the modern rock revival sound and a more old-school punk vibe, especially with the duel male and female vocals. It’s channels everything from Wildhearts to X to Rancid to White Raven Down. The trio of ‘Another sad song’, ‘Made in Bristol’ and ‘The Dead are walking’ is incredible and one of my favourite 12 minutes of any album this year. Don’t get me wrong though, the rest of the album is also awesome! I’m seeing the bands name all over the place currently, and their output is a great reflection of why that is! If I had one ever so minor complaint, the mixing at times takes me out of it. However, that’s almost part of the charm with punk music, and it’s barely an issue for the most part. If you are at all a fan of any of the genres or bands I’ve mentioned previous, I cannot recommend you check out this album enough! 8.5/10

Erotic Secrets of Pompeii: Pitchfork Libra

The sophomore album from art rock/post punk quintet comes barely 18 months after their debut, and continues the same fun, chaotic energy from that release! ‘Ten Ton Delirium’ sets the insane tone of the album perfectly, while tracks like ‘Zygote’ and the Dead Kennedys-esque ‘Speak Medieval’ that are also big personal highlights. The whole album is Damon solid though, and worth a full spin at least once. It’s like a combination of Mr Bungle and The Hives, and makes for an incredibly fun listen! We don’t get enough bands that are this sort of style any more, and I’m already a little obsessed with them. They’re all incredibly talented musicians and songwriters, and have a huge new fan in me! It won’t be for everyone, but if you are into the quirkier side of rock/punk music, this is certainly worth a try. It gets a very solid 8/10 from us!

The Mansters: Snapshots from a Shitshow

What an old-school punk/hardcore masterclass this is! It’s barely even an album, it’s just 18-minutes, even spread across 13 tracks. However, it is a balls-to-the-wall release packed full of fast riffs and drumming, aggressive vocals and enough great messages and lyrics to keep me obsessed throughout. From the cheeky ‘Badeland Hardcore’ to the skate-punk ‘Lessons in Giving Up’ to ‘Panicboy 2’ and ‘No Money, I’m Worried’, there is plenty to love, especially with the run-time being so short! The band have a great talent for crafting their style of songs, transporting the listener back to the late 90s/early 2000s in the best way. We don’t have enough new music like this, as even the greats have slowed down drastically in their output in recent years, so any time I get to hear some more of it I can’t not love it! If you are at all into punk, you need to check this out ASAP. It’s a lot of fun and something I’ll definitely be revisiting plenty in the near future! 8.5/10

Carter Faith: Cherry Valley

The debut album from the young, rising country star had a lot of hype behind it when it dropped on Friday, and it’s safe to say it more than lives up to said hype! She’s got an absolutely fantastic voice, and it fits perfectly with the neo-traditional country music she performs. It gives off big Kaitlin Butts or Willow Avalon vibes in the best ways! From ‘Sex, Drugs & Country Music’ to ‘Bar Star’ to ‘Betty’ to ‘Drink Up, Baby’ and ‘Burn my Memory’ there is so much to love. The whole album is amazing though, and doesn’t feel it’s nearly hour-long runtime at all! It’s easy to hear why she’s gotten to be such a big name over the last few years, and I truly believe that this release will set her up for HUGE things in the coming years to come. If you are all into old-school country music, you need to be listening to this immediately! This is front-to-back amazing, and one of my favourite country release of the year, easy! It gets a very solid 9/10 from us!

Unmaker: Status Zero

The Irish modern death-thrash metal band released their sophomore album this last Friday, and honestly blew me away with it! It goes hard from the very first second, not slowing down in pace or energy for its entire near-hour runtime. From the guitaring to the drums to the screams, it’s all some of the best I’ve heard all year; the band are insanely talented! Tracks like ‘Head of the Snake’, ‘Kill the World’, ‘Napalm’ and the Gojira-y ‘Katmuda’ are personal highlights, but the whole album really is incredible! The whole thing is very Kreator, but also has just a splash of the likes of Machine Head or Alien Weaponry too, an amazing blend that works perfectly together! I’d never heard of the band before now but they are another on this list this week that now has a massive new fan in me! I cannot recommend it enough to anyone even slightly into the heavier side of metal. Hopefully they are able to come over here to tour soon, as I NEED to see this live. An incredibly solid 9/10 from me!