We chatted to the wonderful alt rockers Spin Class about their latest EPand plans for the future. Check it out below!
How would you describe your sound?
We’re a rock band with influences spanning the Seven Seas. But our biggest influence is Bristol’s own The Barnacle Bouys – expect our album to be only Sea Shanties!
The EP seems to have done well! Are there any stories around it, or a theme running through?
Thank you! We are super happy with how the EP is performing so far and a huge thank you to everyone who’s shown it love. Our songs are about personal experiences always, tuck in and see if there’s anything you relate to!
What’s the writing process like for the band?
To be honest, we never write one song the same! Sometimes we start it in the living room, sometimes we fart something out in the rehearsal room – we’ll all bring ideas to the table and smash ’em together! But who knows what the process will look like moving forward! It’s always fun to switch it up.
How do you come up with the song titles? Nice to see the early 2000s craziness with them making a comeback!
We spin a wheel and use whatever it lands on!
What made you decide on an EP over another album? Is there a longer release on the horizon or has the streaming model made you want to put out shorter releases for the time being?
We haven’t done an album just yet but these songs just naturally felt like they belonged together! We try not to think too hard about it and feel it out! Right now we reckon we’ll focus on shorter releases and work our way up from there!
Have you tried to play in the jumpsuits before? I imagine it’d be a sweaty gig!
Hahah! We actually haven’t, seems like we are missing a trick there! We do wear them in our debut music video for our song Phat Spaniard, you can find us gallivanting on our YouTube channel!
Have you got a busy rest of the year planned?
The rest of the year we’ll be in the Bahamas!
Do you have a dream tour lineup you’d want to be a part of? Anyone you’d want to support or bring on the road with you?
We’ve been casting incantations to manifest a tour with Queens of The Stone Age “Bubble, bubble tour with Queens of The Stone Age and trouble”
If you could have written any song from the past, what would it have been?
I know it’s a bit mainstream, but Nocturne in E Flat Major op.9 No 2 by Chopin. We were obsessed when we first heard it on a rerun of 1971’s Top of the Pops.
The debut album from the UK indie-ish duo of brothers is arriving with a lot of hype to it, as the band have been gradually building steam for a few years now. I’ve heard the name everywhere but have somehow never really heard their music… until now! I thought they were definitely worth a full deep dive review, so without further ado, let’s dive right in!
‘Magic Box’ opens up the album perfectly, a great indie-rock guitar and vocal melody with more instrumentation building in over and over. It gives Drew Holcomb vibes, or even Jack Johnson. It sounds awesome, and is immediately catchy as hell! The backing vocals with the ‘ooo’s, harmonies and gang vocals add even more depth to it, too. The track is crafted to perfection, with every sound fitting excellently and it all forming something truly magical. It sets the tone of the album amazingly and is honestly one of my favourite tracks of the year. Immediately a huge highlight!
More quirky instrumentation comes in as a steal drum opens ‘Killer Spell’. Then we get more of the great Americana-indie stuff, building into a truly massive, arena-filling chorus. This one is much more James Bay, in the best possible way! The lead guitar bits throughout are awesome too, having so much feel to them and fitting the vibe of the track well. It’s another amazing track, and one that I feel is gonna be stuck in my head for days to come!
‘I’m on Fire’ strips things back and slows things down in a beautiful piano ballad. It’s maybe a touch early for a track like this on the album, but honestly, it felt completely natural here and fit the pace of the album perfectly. It builds incredibly to yet another HUGE chorus, the backing vocals and drums adding so much to the epicness of the track. It dropping back down for the bridge before exploding back in for a final chorus was masterful; powerful as it was beautiful. The band so far are three for three on excellent tracks!
The only track I’d heard before this, ‘Walk Away’, changes the pace again into a blues banger. The riff is amazing, and it building with the drum and bass and harmonies more and more into an infectiously catchy chorus! It drops out perfectly for a bridge before we get a double time, almost bluegrass-tinged guitar solo, which was sick! Still, it has that same indie feel to it at the same time, feeling very much like the same band. And I kinda liked it dropping back for the outro chorus, it almost bringing the track full circle. Banger after banger so far!
As if my mind hadn’t been blown enough already, ‘Evel Kinevel’ starts with a gospel chorus, god clap and everything, and was awesome! Then we get a great indie riff with Adams amazing vocals over the top. Once again, it builds perfectly to the now expectedly huge chorus, just made to be played to massive festival crowds around the world! It’s yet another song that I can expect to be stuck in my head for the next few days, and is yet another fantastic track!
Single ‘The Last Dance’ brings the blues riffing back, much like ‘Move Your Body’. Both are great, up-tempo tracks that definitely get you… well… moving your body! They definitely sound distinctly like Foreign Affairs while having a more indie-rock edge to them. And they break up the album pretty perfectly, keeping the energy up around the mid-point.
The next few tracks slow things down again with some great ballad writing. Whether it’s the Bay-like acousticness of ‘Baby Blue’ or ‘Adam’s Song’ or the piano-led nature of ‘Flowers in the Window’, it’s all so beautiful and powerful. I do have to say it does grind the pace of the album down to a crawl a touch, and is a lot of slower stuff all at once. I don’t know if it’s just my tiny attention span, but I think I’d struggle to listen to all four tracks one-after-another on many listens. All are incredible songs on their own, but when together it’s a touch much for me, and highlights how insanely stacked the first half of the album is. Still, if you like more of an easy-listening vibe, check out every single one of these. ‘Hummingbird and Me’ in particular is another massive highlight track.
The album concludes with a two parter; ‘One Minute’. Part 1 is amazing, the vocal delivery honestly giving me goosebumps at times. It’s the perfect nearly-two-minutes of folk-rock. Meanwhile part 2 is a full-length track packed full or a similar brilliant, beautiful, vulnerable level of emotion. They very much fit together like two pieces of the same puzzle, and while are incredible separate, are perfect together. How is it not one of the biggest tracks of the year already? If you check out anything off this album, let it be this; it’s truly phenomenal. The lyrics are incredible, and the instrumentation and delivery fit the gravitas of them perfectly. What a way to close out this release!
Overall: This is an incredible release! I went into it not really knowing what to expect and was utterly blown away by the whole thing. There are so many killer tracks on this, and practically no filler. The band blend genres seamlessly, and have put out something truly heartfelt and personal with this release. I am a new, huge fan of the band, and already cannot wait to hear what they do next. However, for now, I’ll be spinning this a bunch moving forward!
A stacked week of EPs for us to check out, from metal to indie to rock. Lets check it all out!
PRESIDENT: King of Terrors
The new mystery masked band (definitely not fronted by Charlie Simpson) have dropped their debut EP this weekend. Does it live up to the insane hype around them? Personally, no, but I’m certainly not the target audience for this sort of music. It’s very Sleep Token, and y’all know how I feel about them. It’s a touch more interesting and heavy than them, but still incorporates a lot of the same pop and electronic elements around the big riffs and occasional screams. It’s not bad, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t think it’s quite worth all the hype. ‘Fearless’ was a fun, almost Skillet-esque track, while the riffing in ‘Dionysus’ was good too. However, the good moments were few and far between, and there are only so many trap and hip-hop beats I can hear in metal before I immediately get bored of them. If you are into this sort of thing awesome, you’ll surely get a lot out of it, but it wasn’t for me at all. I can’t give it any more than 5/10, sorry lads!
Wells Ferrari: Wasted Time
The sophomore EP from the indie-Americana duo is just as good as their last, drawing together their last string of single releases into the perfect 23-minute release. The band’s sound is excellent, being a slightly more chilled out version of the likes of Mumford & Sons or even Evan Honer. The lyrics throughout are fantastic and packed full of emotion, while the pairs vocal harmonies are a solid highlight time and time again. From the excellent title track to ‘Bending’ to the epic ‘Cloud of Rain’, there are so many fantastic songs. However, there really isn’t a bad song on here; all of them are excellent. It’s the perfect release to throw on and sit back and chill-out to. The band are on track to become massive in the scene sooner rather than later, and this release will surely push them closer to that. If you are at all into the genres I’ve mentioned check this out as soon as you can! 8.5/10
Delilah Bon: PRINCELESS PRINCESS
Delilah follows up her phenomenal 2024 albumwith this four-track collection released between all her heavy touring schedule. It honestly feels like it acts as an extention of EHFF, bridging the gap between that and whatever is next. I do have to say it’s not quite as memorable as the album, but is still a damn good release! The opener/title track is awesome and been stuck in my head since I first checked it out. ‘CINDERELLA’ is a fantastic track too that I’m sure will go down a storm live. Meanwhile ‘BUSH’ is tongue in cheek and got a chuckle out of me, though I’m sure she makes some good points for women.
It’s impossible for Delilah to put out something I don’t love though, as her vocal ability is so insanely underrated. From her rapping to screaming, it’s all so good, and she’s very much kept it all turned up to 11. And she is PISSED throughout this, it making the delivery of her fantastic lyric writing even better. The instrumentation is great too, the electronic and heavy punk guitars fitting together perfectly, making an amazing backdrop for the vocals.
It’s a short release that has immediately made me come away wanting more, but for now I am more than glad to settle with this. A great addition to her already stellar discography! 8.5/10
Last Hyena: Suspect Your Elders
The first live gig we covered here at Overtone, this band have a special place in my heart for that. Add to that the fact that they are insane instrumentalists and songwriters, and I was damn hyped for this release. They didn’t disappoint at all, this is awesome! The mainly instrumental 16 minutes is a solidly awesome listen of proggy, mathy stoner rock, and blew my mind in multiple places. We even got some gang vocals on the opening track, a big highlight and made the track somehow even better. There isn’t a bad one on here, though. It certainly won’t be for everyone, but if you are at all curious I cannot recommend checking it out enough! The riffing throughout is top notch, and everyone is working their asses off from start to finish. A very easy 8/10!
House of Hosts: Reckoning
The debut EP from the hard rock/alt metallers is a home run right out of the gate! This is a fantastic release from start to finish, packed full of a big riffs, arena-filling melodies and some great screams here and there. I love this new generation of bands that are inspired by the likes of Godsmack, Nonpoint and Breaking Benjamin, and I would argue this release is up there with a lot of what those bands have put out! There’s even a slight hint of Tool at times, which I love! All four tracks are amazing and highlights in their own right, picking just one or two is impossible. If you are at all into hard rock or metal, stop reading this right now and check this release out immediately, it really is that good! I’m going to be spinning this a lot in the coming weeks and months, and I can’t give it any less than 9/10. If it was a full release, it may have even gotten top marks!
Eirra: Instructions Unclear
The indie-pop songwriter put out her debut EP this weekend, and it makes for a fun, chilled-out release! It’s not typically the sort of thing I listen to, but I honestly had a blast listening to this! From the quirky electro-pop of ‘Mona Lisa’ to the more acoustic indie-folk of ‘Soho’ and ‘Somehow, Someday’, there’s a hell of a lot to love. It’s easy to see why she’s a rising star pegged for big things in the future, and as a first non-single release, this is a fantastic start! If you are into the lighter stuff, check this out, you won’t be disappointed! Throw it on and just sit back and relax and get lost in it, I know I did! A surprisingly (for me) solid 8/10 from us!
A typically stacked week of New Music Mondays for us to dive into, with everything from metal to country. Let’s dive right in!
Glenn Hughes: Chosen
The former Deep Purple frontman (amongst plenty else) released his first studio solo album in nearly a decade last week. I’m always a little hit and miss when it comes to Glenn’s music, but I actually rather enjoyed this! I went in with no expectations and came out liking the album! ‘Voice in my Head’ is a great opener, while tracks like ‘Heal’, the Sabbath-y ‘The Lost Parade’ and ‘Black Cat Moon’. The riffing is the real highlight of the album but Glenn’s vocals fit perfectly over the top of it, making me not even mind them for once. It’s a really solid heavy blues album by a real legend in the genre. If you are at all into his previous stuff, or more sludgy rock in general, this is well worth checking out! I probably won’t listen to the album in full much, but the odd track will definitely be in heavy rotation moving forward! 8/10
Blessthefall: GALLOWS
Returning after a four year hiatus, the US metalcore quartet are taking no prisoners with their seventh album. It goes HARD and heavy, but also has plenty of big, melodic choruses and moments. The opener sets the pace for the album perfectly, but tracks like ‘Wake the Dead’ and ‘Y.S.A.B.’ that perfect the formula. Then there’s the three awesome guest-feature tracks. Caskets, Alpha Wolf and Story of the Year all bring different sounds to their collabs, and really help break up the album perfectly. My favourite is the insanely aggressive Alpha Wolf one, but that’s not a surprise given how much Iliked their last album! Then there’s the metalcore ballad ‘Light the Flame’ that somehow fits exceptionally well around the rest of the heavier stuff. And for once we don’t have a modern US metalcore album close on a slow soppy track, ‘This Ends with Us’ going just as hard as everything else!
The whole album is just sick, honestly! I have to admit I was familiar with the bands name and style, but not particularly with their music. With their last release coming seven years ago, it was before I majorly got into the modern metal sound. So, as a first real jumping off point, this is incredible, and definitely makes me want to check out more of their older stuff! Whether you’re a newb like me or a long-time fan, this album is worth checking out if you are at all into the heavier end of metal! 8.5/10
Lanie Gardner: Faded Polaroids
The sophomore EP from the pop country/Americana singer-songwriter has been a rather anticipated release for us here at Overtone! We checked out her debut album less than a year ago and had a great time with it. She also put out an EP back in only June that somehow topped it again. While said EP is integrated into this release, they are far from the only highlights of the release. Don’t get me wrong, ‘Takin’ The Slow Ride’ is still my favourite track she’s put out, but there are tonnes of highlights on this. Whether it’s other EP highlights like ‘Boys like You’ or ‘Buzzkill’ to new songs like ‘Boot Down’ or ‘Rattle and the Devil’s Whip’, there’s plenty to fall in love with here! It’s a modern sound, drawing comparisons to everything from Megan Moroney to Alana Springsteen to Lindsay Ell. Hell, the girls in country are killing it right now, and Lanie is quickly working her way up to join those other names! Her vocals are fantastic, and it’s clear she has a big hand in writing it as you can heat her emotion throughout!
Shockingly, the length barely bothered me here, too. Every song is excellent, and there wasn’t one I’d think of cutting, damn impressive on an 18-track album! It does loose a bit of momentum somewhere in the middle, but is broken up rather well with a couple of higher energy tracks. In yet another year jam-packed with awesome country releases, this is a definite standout. She is somehow getting better and better with each release, and I can’t give this any less than 9/10!
Tallah: Primeval: Obsession // Detatchment
The third studio album from the new-nu-metalers has a lot of hype to live up to! I loved their last release, as well as their debut, and feel they are one of the most underrated bands in metal today.
It’s certainly another interesting release! They seem to have gone even more quirky and proggy than their previous stuff, lean more into Mr Bungle Tool or (unsurprisingly) Dream Theater at times. Heck, there’s even just a touch of Alien Ant Farm at times, though that may be more Justin’s vocal delivery. Speaking of Justin, another INCREDIBLE vocal performance from front to back, being easily one of the best vocalists in the business today. However, that shouldn’t take away from the rest of the band, as they are working their asses off throughout. From some awesome riffing to expectedly excellent drumming to some awesome extra bits in record scratching and strings, it’s all incredible and fits so well.
As for the songs themselves, they’re fucking awesome. Whether it’s the opener, the Tooly ‘A primeval obsession’ into the perfect double-up of ‘_la|cuna_’ into ‘A primeval detatchment’, and then the final three full tracks being amazing heaviness, there is so much to love. And heck, any of the tracks I haven’t mentioned are also fantastic. 42 minutes goes by in a flash, and the release is a surprisingly easy listen throughout. I honestly thought at the start this would be a bit of a grower, and it still may be, but by the end of the first listen I already love it. None do it quite like Tallah, blending together so many different late 90s/early 2000s sounds but making them wholly unique to them, and it’s an album I’d recommend any metalhead out there listen to! Another 9/10
Fury: Interceptor
The fifth studio album from the hard rock/heavy metal Brits finally dropped to much hype on Friday, and honestly it deserved every bit of it! It feels a little lighter and blusier overall than their other stuff, but I think it may work in their favour. The band are all such talented musicians and their songwriting prowess is on full display throughout this release to match it. It’s also almost impossible to pick highlights, as the whole thing is awesome! It’s like the perfect combination of Metallica, Iron Maiden, H.E.A.T. and even a healthy hint of Battle Beast. Heck, then you have the almost country/Southern metal ‘Walk Away’, and there is plenty of variety throughout! The band have been building momentum for years now, yet still remain somehow one of the most underrated acts around. I have already spun this a couple of times through this weekend, and have no intention of slowing down any time soon! If you are at all into rock or metal, I cannot recommend this enough! 9.5/10
La Dispute: No One Was Driving the Car
The first album from the emo/post-hardcore band in six years, it’s clear they haven’t lost that special something that brought them to the dance. From the fantastic lyrics to Jordan Dreyer’s emotion-filled delivery to some awesome guitar work and proggy arrangements, this is definitely a La Dispute album. And hell, it’s a good one, at that! Anyone who’s checked them out prior knows that they are an acquired taste and certainly not for everyone, but their fans will surely love this just like I do. Don’t get me wrong, it’s long, even I was tapping out at times during its 75-minute runtime, especially when a lot of it is similar. However, the poetry of the lyrics and the constant shift in focus between the different vocal styles and big riffs kept me hooked over and over again. Tracks like the opener, ‘The Field’, the title track to the wonderfully prog epic ‘Environmental Catastrophe Film’, there are plenty of highlights. However, there isn’t a bad track on this thing! Don’t get me wrong, I do sometimes get the odd hint of a Kyle Gordon vibe at times, but if anything it just adds to the enjoyment!
If you are at all curious, check this out, you may like it as much as I did! While I wouldn’t recommend maybe if you’re full-on depressed/struggling, just turning this on in a dark room with some headphones on and really getting lost in it and feel it is quite the experience. A very solid 8.5/10 from us!
Liam St. John: Man of the North
The debut studio album from the blues-rock/Americana man and his band dropped last Friday, and is utterly fantastic! I somehow wasn’t familiar with him until I checked him out ahead of Long Road this year, and after seeing him I was pretty hyped for this album. It lives up to said hype in a great way, being a bourbon-and-sex drenched nearly-hour of blues-Americana. It’s a style that is already right up my street, and St. John performs it to near perfection! Taking clear inspiration from the modern titans in the genre like Gary Clark Jr, Jack White or even early Highly Suspect, while giving it his own twist and sound thanks to his Nashville roots. From the likes of ‘forefathers’ and ‘Off the Rails’ to ‘Everything I Had’ and ‘Landslide Over the Highway’, there are so many massive highlights. But, once again, there really isn’t a bad track on here! It’s a big collection, but definitely worth a full listen at least once if you get the chance!
My only ever so slight note is that ‘If I Were my Father’ was a rather subdued opener and a bit of an odd choice; something more up-beat may have made it even better! Still, hardly a big complaint, as the album is still incredible! If you’re into any of the styles or bands mentioned above, I cannot recommend this alvum enough! I’ll definitely be spinning this a fair bit in the weeks and months to come, and it gets a very easy 9/10 from us!
Leonie Jakobi: What Are the People Gonna Say?
The debut album from the German singer-songwriter rocker is honestly a fantastic release! It’s got a great up-beat, old-school punk-pop vibe that is sure to get you up and dancing! From the opener to the beautiful ‘What Happened to Us’, the rockin’ ‘Don’t Mind Me’ and ‘I Deserve to Shine’, there are plenty of massive highlights throughout. However, there isn’t bad track throughout! It’s impossible not to have a good time listening to this, and it went by in a flash. She’s building a solid hype around her with her touring the last couple of years, and this album will surely help that to push her to new heights! Her vocals are incredible, emphasised perfectly by the great mix throughout, and it all adds even more weight to the already fantastic lyric writing. If you like the lighter side of rock, this is definitely one for you! 8/10
FM: Brotherhood
The British hard/AOR rockers returned with their fifteenth album this last Friday. Honestly, I’ve never been hugely into the band in the past, but I did enjoy listening to them! Maybe it’s more live that I’m not hugely into them, because I had a blast with this from front to back! How I missed their last two albums is beyond me too, will definitely have to revisit Old Habits and Thirteen if they sound close to this. The first four tracks are AOR perfection, while songs like ‘Don’t Call it Love’ and ‘Because of You’ are also massive highlights. Yes, it is all a little samey, so 52-minutes is maybe a little overkill, but it’d be hard to cut any of the tracks as they’re all damn good! I’ve definitely become more of a fan of the band, and will be listening to this again pretty regularly for the rest of the year. It’s another feel-good release, and if you’re into more softer rock, check this out ASAP. Another very solid 9/10 in a great week!
Syncolima: Move Mountains
The third album from the British stoner metal band is maybe the best they’ve ever released! The band’s talent was never in question, but is once again on full display throughout this whole 40-minutes. They feel like they’ve really come into their own here, confidently blasting out amazing riffs and some great vocal hooks over and over. Tracks like ‘Mistakes Were Made’, the title track and the perfectly titled ‘Kill All the Billionares’ are all personal highlights, but the whole album is awesome! Plus, the production is top notch, definitely a step up from their other stuff. It’s not wonder the band are gathering some serious momentum, and this release will surely only add to that! 8/10
Swollen Teeth: Ask Nothing
The debut album from the masked metal collective is dark, heavy and quirky, all in equal measure. It’s definitely got the nu metal and brutality of early Slipknot, but a bit more of hardcore punk edge to it too, almost Turnstille-esque. Tracks like ‘Money and Greed’, the ‘Purity’-like ‘Foster’ and the hardcore ‘Ask’ are all personal highlights, but every track on here is a bit of a banger! They’re just so interesting, fitting right in alongside Tallah above as an exciting new twist on nu-ish metal. It’s an incredible release from a band that are already making waves, and it immediately makes me want to hear more of what is to come. Check this out if you are at all into this side of metal. 8.5/10, good stuff!
Jonah Kagen: Sunflowers and Leather
Somehow a massive name in country/folk that I hadn’t heard of until this weekend, Jonah has instantly made me a new fan of his work! Straight off the bat, yes, it’s another nearly hour-long, 16-track release, and it certainly has times where it drags. However, his vocals are captivating, especially when the harmonies come in behind, and his lyric writing is truly phenomenal. It’s like a combination of Evan Honer, James Bay and Mumford and Sons, it’s awesome! The one-two-punch of the opener into the title track is incredible, as are tracks like ‘Black Lung’, ‘The Reeper’ and ‘Burn Me’. He’s done a fantastic job of picking the albums singles and, while there are some slight lulls, these six tracks and others more than make up for that.
He fits in rather perfectly in with the currently indie-Americana rising scene alongside the likes of Wyatt Flores or Crowe Boys, but also very much does things his own way. This is fucking amazing, and well worth checking out regardless of what you are into. He has a huge new fan in me, and it’s yet another big 9/10! Heck, it may even get higher with more listens, too!
The second edition of Hella Rock festival took over the HMV Empire in Coventry last weekend, bringing seven incredible bands with it! We had the pleasure of heading down to check it all out, and knew we had to shout about how great it was!
Mystiek opened things up in style. They tore the Empire a new one with their insane energy right from the gate. Being pretty heavy but still having some catchiness and melody to them, they were the perfect way to kick off the day! It was somehow the first time I’d really heard them, but they almost immediately made a new fan in me. They’re all clearly talented musicians, and put their all into their performance here!
After some brief technical issues. Eddie & The Wolves took to the stage. It’s no secret at this point that I am in this band, so of course I’d praise the set. However, I had a blast on stage, and the rest of the band seemed to, too! Thank you so much to James and the rest of the Hella Rock team for having us on and being so accommodating, and for every single person that showed up early to check us out! I thought we sounded pretty good, and it was fun to play a shorter set full of energy throughout after a summer of slightly longer sets. Of course, let us know what you thought in our comments though, especially if you disagree!
Outlaw Orchestra followed swiftly suite and blew the roof off the place! Any longtime readers know we love these guys, and it’s been too long since we’ve seen them live! They were on top form again here, and it was so great to hear some of their new songs make it into their set! The band have grown into some of the best performers on the circuit in recent years, with multi-instrumentalist Pete Briley bouncing all over the stage while his brothers-in-arms were stuck behind the kit and at the mic. And, to top it off, they are all such incredibly talented musicians. From the regular rock fair to box guitars, banjos and plenty of percussion, there was never a dull moment! Their Southern rock stylings made them a unique addition to the bill, and they certainly stood out in the best way!
Not long after, another excellent trio took to the stage in Apriori. The fact that these bands can pack so much of a punch and huge sound into their arrangements is incredible, and it would be a rather running theme throughout the night. The keys packed out the songs fantastically, and brought an air of AOR to the heavy blues sound that set them apart in a big way. They look the part and play it just as well, putting on one of my favourite sets of the day!
Electric Black were fan favourites heading in, and on the day! They were the closest thing to straight-up hard rock on the day, and put on a show to match that. It was like stepping back into the 80s in the best way, putting on a performance reminiscent of the likes of GnR or Electric Boys, or modern counterparts like The LA Maybe. The band very much came, saw, and kicked ass! They showed off their talent for both playing and songwriting perfectly, and had plenty of stage presence to go alongside it. They have been around a little while now and their live shows are like a well-oiled machine, being polished in a way only a rough hard rock band can be!
Tattoo Molly took the stage like they had something to prove, and they did just that! Only their second show under their new lineup, you wouldn’t have thought that they’d had minimal prep time as they smashed it out of the park to the hometown crowd. While it took the new frontman Tim a little to warm up, everyone else put on an immediately electric show, and he soon warmed up to join them! It was a great setlist full of their biggest and best hits, performed masterfully to an adoring crowd. Even with the bands leader also being the organiser for the festival, Tattoo Molly have owned the festival for two straight years now, making the most of their slot!
Fury have returned with a vengeance this year, it feels, and their live shows match up to that. On the verge of dropping their massive new album, the band are firing on all cylinders currently, in a major way! The powerful pairing of Julian and Nyah’s vocals soar perfectly over the heavy, NOWBHM-inspired riffs, making for a fantastic mix of old and new. Speaking of old and new, the band played a great spread of their fantastic back catalogue, thrilling with every track. They have been gathering a wealth of momentum over the last few years and it’s insane that they aren’t one of the biggest bands in the UK currently, especially when they put on shows like this. Still, seeing them in a smallish venue like this is incredible, and the sound for them made it even better!
Finally, the mighty Virginmarys took to the stage. Veterans of the scene by this point, they are no strangers to packed out clubs, and played their asses off accordingly. The fact that they have been so warmly accepted into the NWOCR scene is amazing, and it was clear a large swath of the crowd have been eagerly anticipating the bands set. The fact that it is just two of them making this much noise is mind-blowing, and a true testament to their talent! I love this bandyet it was somehow the first time I had seen them live, and I was hugely impressed! Opening on crowd and personal favourite ‘Just a Ride’ was a masterful choice, and playing a lot off The House Beyond the Fires made it even better. They’re headliners and a respected band in the scene for good reason, and they put on one hell of a set to close things out!
And there we have it folks, an excellent day of live rock music! Eight incredible bands that I cannot recommend checking out enough, both live and on track. Tickets are already on sale for next year’s edition of the festival, get them while they’re hot and while you still can. If this year is anything to go off, it’ll be another stellar lineup and will most likely sell out fast!
After last week off due to being at The Long Road, we return this week with a massive two week edition of New Music Mondays! With so many awesome albums out in that span, let’s check them all out!
Deftones: Private Music
So, I’ve made little secret to it over the years that, outside of a couple of tracks, I don’t ‘get’ Deftones. I’m going to preface this by saying that this is better than Ohms. I remember reviewing that at my old place and hating it. However, that isn’t saying much. It’s weird too, as I like a lot of the elements on their own. The guitar tone is incredible and some of the riffs are great. The drumming is solid. There are even times I don’t mind Chino’s breathy, whining vocals. But put it all together, and it just feels so incredibly dull to me. Very little stands out from not only each other, but the rest of Deftones’ discography. It makes it feel monotonous, and for me it’s only really good for ambient music in the background. So, I thought it would be easier for me to list the parts I liked than keep being negative: the Soft Play-esque ‘locked club’ was alright. The riff from ‘infinite source’ was good. ‘Milk of the Madonna’ is the most Deftonesy track I’ve ever heard and was probably the best song on the album… and that’s it.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s fine. There are a lot of people who will surely love this. I just don’t quite get how they’re this massive, arena-filling band when they put out the same boring thing over and over. If you like this, awesome, but it sadly isn’t for me, no matter how hard I try to get into it. I can’t give it any more than 5/10; completely average and unremarkable.
Russel Dickerson: Famous Back Home
We’ve already checked out this album! Check out our full review of it here.
Bryan Adams: Roll with the Punches
The Canadian arena rock legend continues to be one of the most underrated studio performers in the world this late in his career. This is a 35-minute masterclass of 80s sleaze-drenched, arena-filling rock that honestly holds up against any of his younger peers. Heck, I’d argue album opener ‘Rolling with the Punches’ stands up there among his extensive greatest hits catalogue. Then you have songs like the blusey ‘A Little More Understanding’ and ‘How’s That Workin’ for Ya” that are also big highlights. However, the album is pretty damn short and packed full of highlights. We enjoyed his last release, but this somehow feels like it’s on another level again. He has no right still putting out music this good when he’s going on 70, but I’m so glad he is because I loved this and am such a big fan of his entire catalogue. If you are at all a fan of the guy, I cannot recommend this enough! A very solid 8.5/10 from us!
Dinosaur Pile-up: I’ve Felt Better
The return album of the British alt-rockers has been a long time coming. Matt Bigland struggled extensively over the last few years with a chronic illness (which he explained in length on their socials), so not only is this him returning to the music landscape after that, but a lot of it details his feelings surrounding it over the last few years. A lot has changed for him and the band, but one thing is for certain: DINOSAUR PILE-UP ARE BACK. Heck, we checked out and reacted totheir debut single, so knew it back then, but the whole album is a true testament to not only their talent, but resilience. The title track is a great punk track. ‘My Way’ is back to the bands classic sound in the best way. ‘Big Dogs’ is silly heaviness in the best ways. ‘Quasimodo Melonheart’ is a ridiculous love song, and definitely the name of my next dog.
There are so many highlights, but there really isn’t a bad song on the album! The 40 minutes went by in a flash every time I’ve spun it, and it somehow keeps growing on me. It somehow feels both nostalgic, but completely fresh, like only Dinosaur Pile-Up can do. It’s the perfect area of a heavier, punkier Foo Fighters, but with some hip-hop influence thrown in for good measure. If you’re a fan of the band, or any of that sounds good to you, I cannot recommend this album enough! I’m so glad they’re back, and it’s an easy 9/10 from us!
Helloween: Giants & Monsters
Album 17 from the German power metal legends is just as awesome as one would expect. It’s that early power metal sound that is rather removed from its modern counterpart, sounding somewhere between Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and H.E.A.T.. Still, they have plenty of similar contemporaries now, and have stayed on the same great trajectory as bands like Accept and Hammerfall. This is a fantastic album, and goes to show why they are regarded as one of the best in their scene. From the opener to ‘We Can be Gods’ to ‘This is Tokyo’, there is so much awesomeness on this release! However, there really isn’t a bad track on it. It’s 10 tracks and almost an hour in length, but a must listen to for any metalhead out there. The band are insanely talented and the sheer fact that they’ve got such a killer discography that keeps growing in size and quality speaks for itself. In a time where power metal is arguably stronger than ever, Helloween have still set themselves apart here and put out something different and great! 8/10
Three Days Grace: Alienation
The first studio release from the TDGX2 era is somehow still exactly what you’d expect from the band, thirty years into their album-releasing careers. Somehow Adam and Matt’s vocals, while just about distinguishable, are so similar that it doesn’t really feel like the two singers thing was needed at all. So, while it’s a novel idea for an alt/dad rock band to have two leads like they’re a European power metal band, it doesn’t make a whole lot of difference to their sound. They could have put this out with either Adam or Matt and it would have been the exact same. Tracks like ‘Mayday’ and ‘Deathwish’ are still good songs, and up there alongside some of the bands more recent hits, but as someone who’s not a huge fan of them as is, it’s nothing that’s made me want to listen to them any more than I already do. I remember checking out their last album with just Matt and, honestly, they’re about on the same level. It’s another solid but slightly forgettable 7/10
Old Dominion: Barbara
When I first checked this album out on the way to Long Road, I have to say I wasn’t hugely into it. I think it may be because I loved their last release a lot. And, while this one isn’t a huge step away, there are certainly differences. It feels a little more mature in terms of writing; it feels less trying to get a radio hit and more chilled-out and old-school/Americana based. Having said that, there are still some amazingly catchy choruses, even if they don’t feel as big. But there are also slower, more introspective tracks like ‘Man or the Song’ (my favourite lyrics on the album) that I feel we didn’t get as much of on their last record. So, while I don’t think it’s quite as good as Memory Lane, it has grown on me a lot on a second and third listen. From the opener to ‘Talk Country’ to ‘Sip in the Right Direction’, there are plenty of massive highlights on here. None of the tracks are bad though, the album is just different and needed a little adjusting. Matthew Ramsey’s vocals sound better than ever, and the instrumentation throughout is great! I’d recommend it to any fan of the band or country in general, as it’s still a solid release. It may grow on me more still, but for now it gets a solid 8/10
We Came as Romans: ALL IS BEAUTIFUL… BECAUSE WE’RE DOOMED
The seventh album from the US metalcore titans is a pretty damn solid modern release. It’s very Bad Omens or BMTH and honestly… meh. I completely get that I am in the minority here, the band has so many massive fans, but from the basic dropped riffing, heavy synth-focus and weird screams, it’s just not my thing. Tracks like ‘lake of fire’, ‘Red Smoke’ and ‘no rest for the dreamer’ are pretty good and definite highlights. However, it just feels a tad… bland? Why would I listen to this when I could be listening to something a bit more interesting like Architects or Electric Callboy or (pre-controversy) I Prevail? Everything on this album has been done before and arguably better by other bands. And that isn’t inherently an issue, as I said at the start it’s still a solid modern metalcore album. It’s just not for me, and not one that I’d hurry to listen back to. I’m just trying to justify the score so I don’t get too many angry WCAR fans in the comments… 7/10
Nova Twins: Parasites & Butterflies
The third album from the alt rock duo dropped this last Friday. It’s no secret I’m not really a fan of the girls’ work. So who knows, maybe I’m in a good mood this weekend… but I actually quite liked this! The opener was meh but ‘Piranha’ is a fantastic alt rock track, packed with catchy hooks and heavy riffing. It sets up a run of mostly pretty enjoyable songs for the next half an hour. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all great, but stuff like ‘Soprano’, ‘Sandman’ and ‘Hide & Seek’ are all pretty damn good tracks! I’m not sure if I need to go back and revisit their previous releases or if this is actually a marked jump in quality, but either way I wouldn’t be opposed to listening to a good half of this again, and a fair bit of it made it onto our playlist. It’s still not fully my sort of thing, but I certainly get the hype around the band a little more now. If the album was a little more consisted for me, it would get higher, but for now a solid 7/10. It may grow on me with more listens, too!
Pendulum: Inertia
The electro-rock masters are back with somehow their first studio album in 15 years. We’ve had a couple of EPs to fill the gaps, but it’s nice to finally have a nearly hour-long release to sink our teeth into! If you know the band you know exactly what to expect, and they don’t at all deviate from that. It’s both a good thing and a bad thing, I’d say. The tracks without guests are your standard drum-and-bass Pendulum affair; not bad but would be far better live than on track. Having said that, the heavier ‘Save the Cat’ is pretty sick. The real greatness comes from them working with guests, as it arguably always has. From Wargasm to Scarlxrd to Bullet for my Valentine, their collabs are all pretty awesome. However, the latter reminded me that I’d heard it before, and when I did some research it did put a slight sour taste in my mouth. Half of this album is their previous two EPs. It’s a long album so isn’t a huge issue, but does feel slightly unnecessary. Especially when said tracks are some of the best on the release. On top of that, we’ve had four new singles pre-release, so actually out of 16 tracks, we’ve only gotten four new ones. I know that in this tiny attention span day and age, singles are sadly king, but I find it hard to get hyped about listening to a new album when I’ve heard a lot of it before.
As I said, it isn’t a bad release, and fans of the band will most likely love it. But at this point I’d have happily taken another EP with some of the decent new songs, over an album that just mushes everything from their reunion together. It’s not bad and well worth a listen, but as someone who much prefers this style live to on track, it doesn’t do a great deal for me. 6/10
Feurzchwanz: Knightclub
Another album we’ve already reviewed in full, aren’t you lucky?! Read it here.
Margo Price: Hard Headed Woman
An album I’ve been pretty hyped for since I heard of its release due to how much I loved her 2023 output, the outlaw country/Americana once again knocks it out of the park here! It’s 40-minutes of amazing neo-traditional country music, written and delivered perfectly by Margo. From the opening couple of tracks to things like ‘Losing Streak’, ‘Wild at Heart’ and ‘Kissing You Goodbye’ there is so much awesome, high energy and tempo country-Americana. Also, her duet with Tyler Childers is amazing, their voices and styles meshing perfectly together! From all of that, it does make it sound like there is a bit of a lull in the middle, which isn’t untrue. There’s a couple of slower ones together which, while are both excellent songs, do grind the album’s pace to a halt when paired together. Still, it barely affected my enjoyment of the album at all; it’s an enjoyable listen throughout! If you are at all into Margo’s music or just country in general, I cannot recommend this release enough! She’s one of the most criminally overlooked artists in the genre, and I’m so glad she’s back with more awesome new music! 8.5/10
Walker Hayes: 17 Problems
Four years on from his massive breakout hit ‘Fancy Like’, I’m still not sure if Walker is an industry plant or not. Firstly, did bro country not die out with Florida Georgia Line? And plus, what makes the pretty cringy lyrics even worse is that the guy is going on 50 now, but still writing/singing like a teenager. What’s worse is that there is actually probably all the elements of a great country-pop album in here, just hidden under all the rubbish. There are flashes of Old Dominion at times, which y’all know I love already, but the pop and vague hip-hop elements ruined all of that. There is clearly a big market for this kind of country still, but it’s not even particularly well-done bro country. Like if it was new FGL I may have fucked with it, but this really was a struggle to listen through, especially for 17 tracks. The opener was probably the best track on it, and that was kinda just passable for me. If you like it more power to you, but I can’t give it any more than 4/10. In hindsight, me giving his last album7/10 was rather generous, but it’s at least less cringy than this!
Hot Mulligan: The Sound a Body Makes When it’s Still
This is a real mixed bag for me. I remember checking them out in the lead-up to Slam Dunkthis year and enjoying them, so was at least a little hyped for this album. However, yeah, it’s kinda just there at times. It combines some of my least favourite elements of the genres it draws from; Midwest emo, punk and indie. Heck, there are some awesome math rock guitar licks… in 4/4. However, having said that, as an album as a whole I found myself having a good time listening, even if at times I was surprised by that fact. It starts a little rocky, but tracks like ‘Island in the Sun’ (not that one (woop woop)), ‘Monica Lawinskibidi’, ‘Cream of Wheat of Feet Naw Cream of (feat.)’, ‘Carbon Monoxide Hotel’ and the beautiful, bittersweet ‘Slumdog Scungillionare’ all big personal highlights. I also love that at least bands like this are carrying on the trend of absolutely wild, nonsense and hilarious song titles.
Despite my complaints, the more I listen the more I enjoy this album. It’s not completely my bag, and it is a touch long at 16 tracks. However, I had a good time listening to most of this once I settled into it. It’s certainly not bad, and the band are clearly talented. I probably wouldn’t spin this often aside a random track every so often, but if I was in the mood I’d probably still chuck this on and just get lost in it. It may grow on me even more, but for now it gets a pretty decent 7.5/10
Wolf Alice: The Clearing
The alt/indie rock Brits have become a force to be reckoned with in the scene in the decade that they’ve been releasing music, and this album really demonstrates their size and the reason they are at that point. It’s a massive, sweeping, ambitious release that honestly tops their previous ones with relative ease. This is coming from a guy that didn’t really consider himself a fan of the band either, so the fact that they’ve impressed me this much shows the quality of this release. It just feels BIG, from the production to the quirky writing to the impeccable use of the instrumentation. And Ellie Rowsell’s vocals here… DAMN. Talk about an underrated vocalist! She may be what has drawn me into this album the most, honestly. As I said, everything about it is technically great, but Ellie’s vocal range, power and delivery, coupled with a star power that shines bright through the music, had me hooked. From the absolutely incredible opener to the folky ‘Passenger Seat’ to the heavier ‘White Horses’, there’s plenty to love here!
Is it perfect? Not for me personally. However, they’re another band that I very much ‘get’ now, and had a good time sitting back and appreciating everything this had to offer. It’s another album that does have a significant lull in the middle, but I think it’s less egregious with a band like this that are a little more both chilled-out and experimental. I’d definitely recommend this album, and will definitely be spinning the tracks I’ve named previous, if not the whole album, a good few times over the coming weeks and months. A very solid 7.5/10 from us, and clearly I need to give the bands back catalogue another try!
A MASSIVE week for new albums this week, with so many huge bands and artists dropping new music this weekend. Let’s dive right in!
Halestorm: Everest
The sixth studio album from the hard rock quartet dropped last Friday with a lot of hype surrounding it. I’d somehow managed to miss the singles so far, so was shielded from how dark, weird and ultimately SLOW this release is. It’s wild to me that they open the album on maybe the heaviest, fastest and best riff they’ve ever done, and then the chorus utterly ruins the energy and song. At times it’s hard to believe this is the same band that wrote ‘Love Bites’ and ‘Uncomfortable’. All attitude, swagger and actual rock feels stripped away, and it feels like a band just trying to write big arena choruses for maximum radio play. It really is ballad after ballad. I never thought I’d say this but I actually miss hyper-sexual Lzzy, this constantly love song version isn’t the one. A lot of it feels disjointed, and honestly the only song I felt was a highlight was ‘Rain Your Blood On Me’. I really want to like this, and it’s not exactly bad, but not at all what I want from my Halestorm, unfortunately. It all seemed forgettable; blurring together and nothing really sticking with me. If you like it, that’s amazing, and I’m sure a good few people will, but this isn’t for me. 5/10
Charlotte: As a longtime Halestorm fan, I could instantly see the shift in the band’s direction with their new release ‘Everest’. There’s something about the album as a whole that stands out amongst the rest – it’s the dramatic extreme between melodic and heavy grit, both instrumentally and vocally. One second I’m hearing soft and soothing, the next I’m hearing anthemic and electric. And whilst this isn’t irregular of Halestorm, to hear and feel five different moods in one song is.
One thing is for sure, Everest feels more dark. It’s eerie. It’s mournful. It’s raw. It’s broody. It’s apocalyptic. It’s almost purposely unsettling – is that their point? To take us on a literal rollercoaster journey? Are Halestorm fighting against the need to have a “vibe” for the album like many artists do? It’s unfamiliar and unexpected to us all. After the success of ‘Back From The Dead’ I was anticipating a similar heavy album. And the album artwork for ‘Everest’ only developed this feeling further.
Halestorm are fearless and will always be unapologetically themselves. ‘Everest’ is a bold, captivating album that takes you through twists and turns of emotions – never letting you feel settled for long. It’s ferocious and shapeshifts before your eyes, or ears, I should say. It might take some time for fans to get their head around a change in direction for this album, but I wouldn’t be surprised to hear arenas chant the lyrics to Rain Your Blood On Me this winter. 8/10
Good Charlotte: Motel Du Cap
The first album from the generational pop-punkers in seven years has a lot of hype and build to live up to. I have to say I don’t think I’ve ever listened to a full album (never ‘got it’ as a child, I’m sorry!), just the big three or four hits that Kerrang! had on all the time. So, I have no point in comparison when it comes to the overall quality of the album. And, having said that, this is… fine? It’s exactly what I’d expect from a Good Charlotte album, which is both good and bad for their eighth release. Singing the same cringy emo vocals when you’re pushing 50 is a bit much, and not evolving your sound after 30 years of a band is rather wild. But, having said that, with me not being hugely familiar with their work, it’s still good Good Charlotte. Songs like ‘Stepper’, ‘Mean’ and ‘Bodies’ are all great. Plus, there are a good few tracks featuring guest artists, all of which knock it out of the park and fit the sound perfectly, definitely leaning more towards the pop side of their genre. Luke Borchelt’s powerful, soulful vocals on ‘Deserve You’ in particular are another big album highlight.
So, for my first full Good Charlotte album, it’s not bad. It’s slow overall, but surprisingly beautiful, and it made the rockier songs hit harder as a result. If you’re a fan of the band, you’ll probably love this. While I won’t necessarily revisit the release as a whole often, there are certainly some tracks that I’ll be spinning a lot for the rest of summer. 7/10
Charley Crockett: Dollar a Day
One of the hardest working men in country is back with his second album of the year, and 15th overall. And, while we still enjoyed Lonesome Drifter, this one sadly didn’t do a great deal for me. Songs like ‘Ain’t That Right’ and ‘Tennessee Quick Cash’ are great. However, there is a lot that sounds pretty similar, and have definitely been done before, not just by Charley but for the last 70+ years. It’s not bad by any stretch, and is nice nostalgia still for the ‘good old days’ of country. He’s a fantastic true neo-traditional country/Americana artist, but it’s sadly nothing new, I’ve heard it all before, and better. If you like the style I’m sure you’ll enjoy this, and it’s certainly not bad, but it’s not something I’ll be coming back to often! I sadly think I’m getting a touch bored of his style, as neither this or his last live up to $10 Cowboy. I can’t give it any more than a 6/10, I’m afraid.
BABYMETAL: METAL FORTH
The collab-heavy fifth studio album from the J-metal trio is an interesting one, for sure. 7/10 tracks feature some of the biggest names in modern metal (and Tom Morello) and, while cool, it does feel a touch cheep. While cool, it feels more like a way to get more eyes on the release and more streams, as opposed to having fun with their friends and peers. It arguably would have come across more genuine if it was all collab tracks. Heck, ‘Song 3’ came out on both this and Slaughter to Prevail’s album within weeks of each other, which is super weird.
Having said that, it’s still a pretty decent album. ‘RATATATA’ is one of the biggest and best songs in metal the last few years, and any album with Tim Henson playing is automatically better. And I have to applaud BABYMETAL for their ability to shift their sound; every track featuring someone sounds more like that artist than them. But that might also be why the album feels disjointed. It doesn’t feel like a BABYMETAL album, and makes the three tracks that are just them stick out like a sore thumb, and makes them instantly album-tracks. It’s a shame too, as ‘KxAxWxAxIxI’ is actually a really interesting electro-infused track and a big highlight of the album. The other two are pretty good too, and I’d arguably rather have taken a full album of that style over some songs that have been floating around for a couple of years, now.
As I’ve said, it’s certainly not a bad album. There are so many great songs on here. However, it feels more like a disc you’d get out of a magazine back in the day than an actual BABYMETAL album. It’s good and a lot of fun, but not quite the truly amazing album I genuinely think the band have in them to truly take them up to the top. It may grow on me more with more listens, but for now it gets an 8/10
Dropout Kings: Yokai
This is a bittersweet one. The rap metal Arazonans lost their vocalist to suicide back in May, after having already completed his parts of the album, so it was released in his memory. It is, at least, a fantastic album, though. ‘Black Sheep’ is an amazing, attitude-filled opener, while tracks like the cleverly written ‘F.T.W.’, ‘Devil Fruit’ and the trappy title track are also huge highlights. However, this whole album is pretty excellent, from front to back! It’s just over half an hour of great rap/nu metal, packed full of some great, angry lyrics and delivery, as well as some pretty catchy melodies, and of course the brutal riffing at times to tie it all together! It’s another album that isn’t for everyone, and will surely piss off most traditional metalheads. However, I really enjoyed it, giving off big vibes of FEVER 333 and Stray From the Path. This is an awesome album that I’ll definitely be spinning again a good few times in the next few months. A solid 8/10
Ashley Monroe: Tennessee Lightening
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read our review of it here.
Attack Attack!: Attack Attack! II
The crabcore legends are back with their first new album in 13 years, and a sequel to their 2010 breakout release. The band have been putting out pretty regularly EPs since their reunion, but this is the first full length release from them since then, so the hype is rather large. I never quite ‘got’ it the first time round, but have since been able to go back and appreciate those three albums a lot, especially for a product of their time and how they influenced the scene. So, to finally have a full 30+ minute release from the band is awesome, and the fact that it’s also pretty decent just adds to that! It’s still silly, chug-heavy goodness, and honestly feels like they never left. And the breakdowns are still great now, despite them being much more the norm than they were back in 2010. The album certainly puts its best feet forward with the opener, insanely heavy, Ramos-featuring ‘Dance!’ and Electric Callboy-esque ‘Chainless’ all being incredible highlights. However, there really isn’t a bad song on the album. Heck, ‘i complain on r/metalcore’ is maybe the best song title of the year.
I think the overall perception of this sort of music has gotten a lot more positive in recent years, in large thanks to EC mentioned above, and this release really has the potential to be a massive, fantastic one this year. Heck, I didn’t come in with very high expectations, but came out having a LOT of fun listening to it, and will definitely be doing so a lot moving forward. It’s certainly silly, certainly heavy, and also catchy as anything and has some actual genuine emotional moments too. I can’t recommend this enough, especially those to have written them off for years. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but 9/10, this is awesome!
Bailey Zimmerman: Different Night Same Rodeo
The sophomore album from apparently one of the biggest names in country currently dropped on Friday. I know the name but honestly haven’t been really exposed to his music before now, so I’m curious to see what all the fuss is about! Strap yourselves in too, we’re going for the full 18-track, hour-long ride.
I get it. It is damn good! ‘Comin’ in Cold’ didn’t go where I expected but was still good, a neo-traditional/Americana-infused country banger with one hell of a chorus and fiddle solo. I also don’t know what a Diplo is, but his song ‘Ashes’ after the opener is good! Everything from ‘Lost’ through to ‘Everything But Up’ was also incredible. If we’d have had those 12 tracks, this album would be honestly perfect. However, the back end, those last four(!) songs, are a bit of a slog, mainly due to them all being slower when other tracks on the release have done it better. They aren’t bad per say, as aren’t tracks three and four, but there is definitely a little bit of filler alongside all the killer, and when the album would be a decent length without them, it really isn’t needed.
Overall though, this is a damn good country album! There’s some great pop ballads and some equally amazing boot stompin’ rocky numbers, with Bailey’s writing and incredible vocals fitting both perfectly. It’s easy to see why he’s a massive name, and this second album surely cements him as a mainstay at the top of the country world. He has a massive new fan in me, and I can’t give this any less than 9/10. A must for any country fan!
Lord of the Lost: OPVS NOIR Vol. 1
The goth metallers return with their first new album in nearly two years, an uncharacteristically long gap for the band in recent times. However, this is part one of an at least double-header, with the second volume expected to also drop by the end of the year, so we’ll let them off a little, at least! It also helps that it’s a damn awesome album, too! I know their last fully original one, Blood and Glitter, did amazingly well thanks to the title track being part of Eurovision, and we enjoyed it too, but this one hits different, and is arguably higher quality. It’s a little darker and heavier, the riffing being a surprisingly large highlight. It doesn’t quite have as massive a chorus/hit as the Eurovision banger, but there are so many highlight tracks through this, with there not being a bad song throughout. Also, while it has a lot of guest features like the BABYMETAL album, but they feel more like LotL tracks than equal-collaboration singles, and from Within Temptation to our friendsFeuerschwanz, they’re all so good! If you are at all into the band, the genre or just the European metal style in general, I’d definitely recommend this album! It’s my favourite album from the band since Thornstar, and it’s made me very hyped for volume 2 already. It’s yet another damn solid 9/10 from me, and a pretty unexpected one at that!
Shape of Water: Petrichor
The Manchester art rock band have been gathering quite the momentum in the underground UK rock scene, and a lot of us have been impatiently waiting for the follow-up to 2022’s incredibly Amor Fati. It finally dropped this Friday and is everything I was hoping it would be! It’s completely different to anything else coming out, reminding me of a mix between Muse, Nine Inch Nails and Pulp, as well as plenty else I can’t put my finger on. Tracks like ‘Last Goodbye’, ‘NAKED’, ‘Letting You Go’ and ‘She Never Sleeps Alone’ are all massive personal highlights, but there really isn’t a bad song on the release! It has a really fantastic flow to it, too, 40 minutes going by in a flash. The band are insanely talented, especially for a 2/3 piece! They’re another band that won’t be for everyone, but if you are at all curious they are well worth checking out, and this is everything as good as their previous release! 8.5/10
Jonas Brothers: Greetings From Your Hometown
While definitely not something we’d typically cover here at Overtone, my partner is a big fan of the trio and, having listened to the pre-release singles, they are kinda bangers. Hell, they were on Camp ROCK back in the day, so they count, right? It’s 45-minutes of great, catchy synth-pop-rock, just enough alternative to the very mainstream stuff to keep it interesting. It’s like middle part of Fall Out Boy’s career meets just a touch of Bruce Springsteen and a healthy dose of the likes of BOYS LIKE GIRLS. The brother’s vocals have always been a big highlight of their music, their harmonies being incredible. Songs like ‘Love Me to Heaven’, ‘Tables’ and ‘Waste No Time’ are all great and big personal highlights. Don’t get me wrong, it very much isn’t going to be for everyone here, and generally the album was a touch slow in the middle, but if you’re curious there’s enough here to have fun with! An easy 7/10!
As December Falls: Everything’s On Fire But I’m Fine
One of the biggest bands to come out of our local area in a while, the emo/alt rockers’ fourth album dropped to much hype today! Said hype is more than warranted too, this thing is fucking awesome! Right from the opener/title track to singles ‘Bathroom Floor’ and ‘Therapy’ to the incredible closer, it’s all amazing. And it’s essentially an EP, being only 19 minutes across seven songs. It does, however, mean that it’s all killer and absolutely no filler. It’s a fantastic modern sound and if anyone’s into pop-punk, alt rock or mid 2000s emo, I can’t recommend checking this out enough! It’s very Hot Milk, early Paramore, Avril Lavigne and All Time Low, in the best way! They are on the quick up-and-up anyway, and this release definitely continues their momentum in the best way possible. I’m gonna be listening to this a lot moving forward, and it’s up there with some of their best stuff, for sure! Another incredibly solid 9/10
Another stacked week of New Music Mondays for us to check out, with massive, great albums in the rock, metal and country scenes. Let’s dive in!
Alice Cooper: The Revenge of Alice Cooper
This is the first Alice Cooper band, not solo release, in over half a century. An absolutely WILD thought that I also never thought would happen, so it certainly has a fair bit of hype around it! Four of the original members getting back together is an exciting prospect, and this marks Alice’s 30th studio album, with 22 of them being his solo work. I have now run out of insane facts, so let’s get into the album…
It certainly feels like old-school Alice Cooper, and in the best way possible! It’s dark, gritty, swaggering blues with a horror edge, and is fucking awesome! I’ve loved his previous solo albums, but this just has something about it that I love; the cheesiness of the horror-aura adds so much to his music that does feel relatively lacking in some of his newer stuff. Songs like single ‘Wild Ones’, ‘One Night Stand’, the more light-hearted ‘Crap that Gets in the Way of your Dreams’ and ‘Intergalactic Vagabond Blues’ are all personal highlights. And, even with this thing being 14 tracks and nearly an hour long, it goes by in a flash and is a very easy, fun listen! I’d argue it’s honestly up there with some of their best work, and it’s so nice to hear the quartet working together again after all these years. It’s insane that pushing 60 years into their careers, they are still putting out music this good! I’d recommend to anyone who’s a fan of Alice’s work, and it’s a solid 8.5/10!
Cody Jinks: In My Blood
The fastest turnover Cody has had for studio albums in a while now, it comes just over a year removed from Change the Game. It’s very clear that I’m a big fan of the guy, and have been excitedly anticipating this since he first announced it. It didn’t disappoint either, as this is nearly 50 minutes of awesome emotion-filled, neo-traditional country music. Crazily, my favourite tracks seemed to be the alternate ones, too. Don’t get me wrong, every track is great, but from literally ‘Lost Highway’ onwards, every alternate song stood out to me and hooked me in. That’s a lot of huge highlights on an 11-track album! His vocals are just as good as ever, and his lyric writing at times is up there with some of the best modern artists; the amount of emotion and vulnerability is insane. While I don’t think there is a single song on this as strong as ‘Change the Game’, I do believe as an album as a whole, I do prefer it, and it’s growing on me more still with each listen! A must for any country or even blues-infused rock fan reading this, and another incredibly easy 8.5/10 from us!
Tim Minchin: Time Machine
One of my favourite comedians of all time put out his second solo studio album this last Friday, following up 2020’s Apart Together. It begins as another release on the more serious side, as he has been gravitating towards in recent years. It’s very much on the soft rock side, a lot of acoustic guitar and piano, but is full of emotion, typically fantastic lyrics and some really epic arrangements. And what’s nice was that we got some older songs finally recorded in the studio, like personal favourites ‘Darkside’ and ‘Rock n Roll Nerd’.
That was when I looked into the album and realised the whole thing is songs Tim wrote just before he broke out two decades ago. That explains the mixed bag of emotions, as well as some slightly dated ideas. The classic comedy-set tracks are amazing as ever, and awesome to hear studio versions of. ‘Song of the Masochist’ is also a great addition which makes you wonder why it was never released before now. Plus, slower stuff like the opener and the jazzy ‘Moment of Bliss’ (mainly for the soloing) are also amazing songs in their own right, and fit well on this release. However, others, ‘Ruby’ and ‘Pop Song’ spring to mind, that feel off; like they’re performed so straight-faced and seriously, not letting his keen wit and huge personality shine through them.
And that’s where my issues with this release lie. It’s not a bad album, by any stretch, but Tim is so adamant on not being labeled as a ‘comedian’ any more (I get it, it can get to novelty act teritory) that it has resulted in this whole release feeling overly serious and neutered, even in its more light-hearty moments. There is no denying the sheer force or nature that is Tim’s talent, but the songs we’ve heard before pale in comparison to their more fun live counterparts, and for a large part the new stuff is forgettable, aside for ‘…Masochist’. As I said, not a bad album, and it may grow on me more with another listen or two, but not what I’d hoped for after five years of no new releases. 7/10
Tyler Childers: Snipe Hunter
The seventh studio album from the modern country megastar is a fun, rock-infused nearly hour of awesomeness. There’s a slight 2000s indie rock edge to it too which was a nice addition; Tyler having a pretty unique sound for sure. It’s like Neo-traditional mixed with Hootie and the Blowfish, which is awesome! I was somehow not too familiar with him, having missed his last album or two that released since we started Overtone, but I enjoyed a lot of this! From the opener to ‘Bitin’ List’ to ‘Down Under’ to the title track, there are plenty of high points! Yeah, it’s a little on the long side and there were probably a couple of tracks that I would have cut personally, but Tyler’s vocals have so much weight and emotion to every type of song he delivers, it’s hard not to get wrapped up in it all. It’s very traditional, but definitely in a good way. If you’re into your old-school country, this is well worth a listen, and I’ll certainly be spinning it again over the summer! 8/10
Shadecrown: 0
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read the full review here.
The Dirty Nil: The Lash
The Canadian alt rockers follow up Free Rein to Passions with yet another amazing studio release! ‘Gallop of the Hounds’ is a phenomenal, perfect opening track, setting the tone for other bangers like ‘Do You Still Want Me?’ and ‘Hero Narrative’. The bands unique blend of alt rock, punk and Midwest emo is amazing, and this album makes me remember why I fell in love with their previous album after not listening to it in so long. It’s a short, sweet album that doesn’t overstay its welcome and certainly leaves me wanting more. It’s a lot of fun to listen to but is still packed full of emotion, as well as some killer riffs. It’s not going to be for everyone, but I love this sort of thing and it gets another very easy 8/10 from me!
Roulette: GO!
The Swedish AOR legends put out their highly anticipated follow-up to 2019’s Now! the other day, and added another awesome chapter to their legacy. As a big fan of this style of music, of course I loved this, and Roulette do it better than almost anyone in 2025. From the incredible opener to ‘Strangers’ to ‘Don’t Be Sorry’, there is plenty to love here, and there really isn’t a bad song on the release. It’s 35 minutes of old-school, melodic rock goodness, and should be checked out by any rock fan out there! The band have been going a while but didn’t release much studio stuff until recently, but are quickly gaining a global following and it’s easy to see why! They’re hugely talented songwriters and players, and the album is produced perfectly. They have a huge new fan in me, and this gets a very easy 8.5/10
Patty Griffin: Crown of Roses
The folk/Americana legend put out her 12th studio album this last Friday, and once again gave us a fantastic, chilled release. It’s slow, for sure, but is another short release at only eight songs, and each is great in its own right. The strings swelling on ‘The End’ in particular gave me goosebumps, especially with the emotional lyrics on top of that. Patty has always been an acquired taste and, while it’s not an album I’d revisit all too often, I completely get the appeal and the talent on display. It’s exactly what her fans would expect from a release, and is another great addition to her discography. A very solid 7/10!
Enuff Z’Nuff: Xtra Cherries
The whopping 18th studio album from the glammy hard rockers is about what you’d expect from this at this point in their careers. Firstly, massive props for being so insanely hard working; very few bands have this consistent an output across five different decades. Having said that, you’d think a band having been going so long would think a piano ballad to open one of their albums is a bad idea. ‘Heartbeat’ starts things off on an odd note here, but ‘No Cold Feelings’ gets everything on track again pretty quick! Songs like ‘Heavy Metal’, ‘Take it or Leave It’ and ‘Star Star’ are all big personal highlights, too. It’s a fun, light, sleazy hard rock album. I also enjoyed it far more than their previous album, clearly the time off between releases helped! If you’re into anything from Quireboys to Oasis, check this out, it’s a fun listen! A pretty solid 7.5/10 from us!
Paul Weller: Find El Dorado
The legendary Jam guitarist is back with yet another solo album, following up last year’s 66. I really thought I’d reviewed said album as I remember the artwork and listening to it, but clearly I didn’t type it up. I wasn’t hugely into his last release, but for whatever reason I got into this one more. It’s yet another slow acoustic folk/soft rock release this week, but it’s well written and performed, and was nice and chilled to throw on in the background! It’s definitely too long at 55 minutes, but tracks like ‘El Dorado’ and ‘Pinball’ are still great. It could have easily been a pretty great EP for me, but like with Patty Grffin, I fully appreciate why this will have a lot of love as a whole as it’s very well written and played. It all just blurred into one for me pretty quickly. Not something I’ll be revisiting personally, but it isn’t bad by any stretch and I didn’t have a bad time listening. 6.5/10
No Shelter: Remission/Resolve
This is a pretty interesting release! The third album from the German band combines hardcore with death/black metal in a way I haven’t actually heard before. It’s dark but still has that edge of anger and dangerousness that comes with hardcore. It results in some truly awesome riffing and breakdowns throughout, and the screams fit it all perfectly. It’s another short and sweet release, being the perfect 30-minute assault to the senses, and while there isn’t a bad song on it, personal highlights for me included ‘Voice of Madness’ and ‘Doomed’. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it heading in as the production and mixing felt a little grating, but by the end it felt like even that was a fitting design choice that only added to the album. While it won’t even be for all fans of heavy out there, if you’re at all curious I’d highly recommend checking this out, you might love it as much as I do! One of the most surprising 8.5/10’s I’ve ever given, good stuff!
Julia DiGrazia: All In
The debut album from the young and fast-rising country star is honestly amazing. Opener ‘Rollercoaster’ sets the tone and pace of the album perfectly, and is a huge highlight in its own right. It’s a rock-infused banger, just like ‘With You’ is. Then you have more bluegrass stuff like ‘Leave You Behind’ and the Americana duet of ‘Two Truths and a Liar’. Heck, ‘Life’s Been Good Lately’ is almost a 2000s, early Taylor Swift country-pop banger. It’s all centered around the country sound at her core, but Julia keeps it consistently interesting and fun. It’s a true testament to Julia’s fantastic songwriting ability, even at such a young age and newness to the scene. Heck, I’ve named a solid half of this album by name and they are by far the only good tracks on the release; every song is incredible. I went into this album completely blind and was absolutely blown away from start to finish. An absolute must for anyone into country or its adjacent genres. Julia has a huge new fan in me and I’m definitely going to be spinning this a lot in the coming weeks and months. A very easy 9.5/10, she’s going to be a HUGE name sooner rather than later!
An absolutely stacked week of New Music Mondays, featuring some massive names in the metal, rock and country world for us to check out!
Slaughter to Prevail: GRIZZLY
The highly anticipated third album from the Russian deathcore band finally dropped this last Friday and, spoiler alert, it’s a bit good! It’s 50 minutes of brutal deathcore goodness, and is a lot of fun to listen to! It’s was also well worth the wait. From the crushing riffs and breakdowns to Alex’s brutal screams and Evgeny being one of the most underrated modern drummers, the musicality is off the charts. Like that breakdown at the end of ‘Banditos’ should say it all really… DAMN. It’s a massive early highlight track, as are the likes of the stomping ‘Babayka’, ‘Lift that Shit’ and the epic ‘Behelit’. However, there is hardly a bad song on this thing. The closest thing to ‘bad’ is the track featuring BABYMETAL, but that’s mainly because I sadly just don’t think the two bands fit together all that well. However, they rectify the guest issue by having an absolute blinder of a song with Ronnie Radke, ‘Imdead’.
My only real issue with the album is that we’ve heard over half of it before its release, with the first single having released nearly three years ago. Still, unlike the pitfall Falling in Reverse had, the album tracks around the older sings are still pretty fantastic, sometimes actually outshining some of the bigger songs. It somehow lives up to the lofty expectations that it had been set, and solidifies the band up to be one of the biggest in the heavy scene. If you are a fan of anything death or core-y, this is most certainly the album for you, and it will certainly be high on our albums of the year come December. An incredibly solid 9/10!
Dylan Gossett: Westward
The modern country star releases one of the highest anticipated debut albums of the year; an insane feat given that he’s already sat on nearly five million monthly listeners. His rise has been something to behold, his first release only coming three years ago, so the pressure is on quite a lot for this release. It’s a very good album, that’s for sure. It fits in pretty perfectly with the current scene too, being reminiscent of the likes of Zach Bryan, Wyatt Flores and Evan Honer. It’s Mumford and Sons-like, folk-pop infused country with fantastic, emotion-filled lyrics and fantastic delivery of them, a far-cry from the bro-country scene that preceded this movement. It’s chilled out and beautiful throughout. It’s packed full of awesome songs too, from ‘Cicada Choir’ to ‘Snake Eyes’ to ‘Roll of 35’. I firmly believe it’s impossible for a song to be called ‘Adeline’ and be bad, too. There isn’t a dud on the whole release, honestly. However, it is a touch long. Just over an hour of 17 pretty similar tracks is a little more for this easily-distracted writer, even if he enjoyed every song in its own right. It’s still an incredibly solid debut album, though, and firmly establishes Dylan as not only someone with staying power, but a future megastar in the scene. I’ll certainly be listening to this again, and I feel it will grow on me even more. For now though, it gets a still-solid 8/10
Bush: I Beat Loneliness
The tenth album from the London-based alt-rockers continues their run of form of pretty-decent-if-slightly-bland releases. We quite enjoyed The Art of Survival, and this very much feels like more of the same; a slightly darker and heavier version of their 90s sound. It’s fine, and worth a listen if you’re into the band or the style/genre, but it’s nothing groundbreaking or really too memorable. Tracks like the title one, ‘I Am Here to Save Your Life’ and ‘Footsteps in the Sand’ are all highlights personally. However, I did feel like I practically listened to the same song on repeat for 46 minutes, aside for the occasional stripped-back one. If you’re a fan of the band I’d recommend checking this out, you’ll probably like this too. But if you aren’t, I’d steer clear, as it’s very much just more of the same. Slightly disappointing that it all blurred into one for me, but it still gets a 7.5/10 from us.
Daron Malakian and Scars on Broadway: Addicted to the Violence
The first album in seven years from the System of a Down guitarist and his solo band, yet it somehow still isn’t the longest gap between albums. Still, a lot has changed since 2018’s Dictator, with System even having released new music (even if it was just two tracks for charity). However, Daron and co are no less quirky and angry, producing something that very easily could have been released alongside their debut nearly two decades ago. It’s a brief 36-minutes too, and goes pretty balls to the wall throughout. Tracks like ‘Satan Hussein’, ‘Destroy the Power’, ‘Your Lives Burn’ and the very SOAD ‘You Destroy You’ are all person highlights, but there isn’t exactly a bad song on this thing! The album is packed full of awesome lyrics, quirky vocals and so many great riffs. It’s punk but with Daron’s flair from SOAD, just like their previous works. And, unlike Bush above, the band don’t exactly have an extensive back catalogue, so adding to the sound they have built still feels interesting and fresh. It’s not something I’ll revisit as a whole often, but it is certainly far from bad, and if you are a fan of the bands previous stuff you’ll love this. It gets a pretty damn solid 8/10 from us!
Florence Sommerville: Endless Horizon
We’ve already checked out this awesome country release! Check out our review of it here.
Joe Bonamassa: Breakthrough
The blues master is back with his 17th studio album and follow-up to 2023’s Blues Deluxe sequel and is just as fantastic a player and songwriter as ever! Anyone who knows me knows I’m a big blues guy, and this is the very best of the very best, insane for someone two and a half decades into his career. From the title track/opener to ‘I’ll Tale the Blame’, ‘Life After Dark’ to ‘You Don’t Own Me’, there is so much to love. From the foot-stompin’ rocky numbers to more slower, smoother stuff, he’s a true master of his craft and does it all so well. From the incredible riffing and soloing to his perfectly-fitting vocals and lyrics, to his band that are far from slouches too, it’s all amazing. I do have to say it’s not quite as good as Deluxe 2, but that shouldn’t reflect at all negatively on this album, it’s still awesome. It’s so fun and easy to listen to, and is an album I’ve already revisited a couple of times this weekend, let alone moving forward. No matter what you are into, if you are a musician, check this out immediately! 8.5/10
California Irish: The Mountains Are my Friends
The debut album from the Answer frontman Cormac Neeson’s side project finally dropped this past Friday. It’s far more chilled out than his main bands work, and gives off much more Americana/folk vibes; expected given the band and album title. And honestly, as a full album to throw on and relax to, it’s perfect. It’s a fantastic road-trip or cooking album, that’s for sure. However, it’s 40+ minutes of pretty samey songs, and does get old about halfway through for me. Even a track called ‘Something Different’ is ironically the same slow paced, Fleetwood-esque folk as the other nine songs. The closest thing to a standout track for me was single ‘Julie Ann’. ‘Sunday Morning’ isn’t bad, either. Overall though, it’s not an album I’d revisit often unless I wanted something like this as a full listen. I wanted to like it more as I am a fan of Cormac’s work, but my tiny attention span sadly had other plans. If you’re a folk fan I’d definitely recommend giving this a listen, but it was sadly a bit much for me. And it’s very much a me issue over anything else, the band have produced something awesome here and they are all clearly talented players and songwriters. Still, a solid 7/10 from us!
Cam: All Things Light
One of my biggest ‘sad white girl music’ guilty pleasures is up next, with Cam putting out her fourth album, continuing her five-years-between-releases trend. Coming off the back of the huge success of her help writing COWBOY CARTER, as well as her giving us one of the best sets I’ve ever seen at Long Road a couple of years back, anticipation for this release has been pretty high in the Overtone camp.
I think it’s taking a couple of listens to get into, but I think I’m definitely getting into this release in a big way. I don’t think it helped that I’m not into the opening track; it doesn’t make an impact in any way. And also, overall, I don’t think it has a big heavy-hitter of a standout single like ‘Burning House’, ‘Dian’ or ‘Otherside’. However, that’s not to say there aren’t great songs on here. Single ‘Alchemy’ has grown on me massively since my first listen, ‘Slow Down’ is an utterly beautiful throwback track, ‘Kill the Guru!’ is great, and ‘Look at the Pretty Girls!’ is maybe the standout on the whole album. The rest of it is a little slower and, while beautiful, is taking just a little getting into. Heck, it took me seeing her live to get into a lot of her stuff the first time, and now I’m obsessed, so clearly I just need her to come back over here for a tour! The harmonies are a huge high point, and Cam’s vocals and lyrics are incredible, too.
So, all things considered, I think it gets a tentative 8/10 from us. I really wanted to give it higher because of how much I loved her previous stuff, and it may very well grow on me more and get higher with more listens. But for now, it’s a solidly good album, but doesn’t quite live up to her previous two.
Margarita Witch Cult: Strung Out In Hell
The sophomore album from the Birmingham stoner/sludge rock trio very much does what the band promised; turns everything from their debut up to 11. Of course everything from the riffing to the soloing is incredible, but the rhythm section is also working overtime throughout, everyone playing their asses off. And, while the vocals can always be a bit hit and miss in the genre, they knock it out of the park on this record – sounding great, fitting the tracks perfectly and providing some catchy moments. Tracks like the opener, ‘Witches Candle’ and ‘Mars Rover’ are huge highlights. However, there isn’t a bad song on the album, and if you like this genre you’re going to love this as much as I did! The band have gained a lot of traction over their short careers so far, and for good reason, and this album will surely push them to the next level yet again! It’s heavy and melodic and swampy in all the best ways, and gets a solid 8/10 from us!
Styx: Circling From Above
The prog rock legends return with their first new album since 2021s Crash of the Crown. And, honestly, I loved it. Though I am objectively ‘too young’ for this band and type of music, I had plenty of family who were big into it so it definitely has a nostalgic edge to it for me. I mean the fact that the band are over half a century into their career and still have enough juice in the tank to write and play and sound this awesome is truly incredible. It’s just a damn full album packed full of awesome riffs and melodies and percussion, showing that the seven-piece really are at the top of their craft. Songs like ‘Build and Destroy’, ‘It’s Clear’, ‘Everybody Raise a Glass’ and the folk-infused ‘Blue Eyes Raven’ are personal highlights, but the whole album has a great flow to it and there isn’t a bad track on it. Also, it somehow feels like both a perfectly long album, while also only being 40+ minutes; there’s not a single song I’d cut or even rearrange. I love this from start to finish, and if you’re into the style they play I really can’t recommend this album enough. It’s fun, technical, catchy and just plain awesome, and a true showcase of one of the best bands of all time a whopping 18 albums in. I can’t give this any less than 9/10, amazing stuff!
Trisha Yearwood: The Mirror
The country legend returned with her first new album in six years last week, and showed that after 34 years she hasn’t lost even half a step. ‘Bringing the Angels’ is a great, uptempo, rock-infused 2000s country track like only Trisha can make, and sets the tone for the album, perfectly. Then you have tracks like the boot stompin’ ‘Little Lady’, the beautiful rock ballad ‘The Record Plays On’ (duetted with Charles Kelley) and the fun, Jim Lauderdale-featuring ‘The Shovel’ that are all massive highlights in their own right. Don’t get me wrong, it does feel a touch long, and there are many one or two too many slower tracks on the album. However, for the most part, it’s arranged pretty well in that I didn’t feel the length aside for a couple of points towards the end. It’s a great release from an icon in the genre, and a fitting continuation of a career that no one would blame her for retiring from. Some good, fun songs, and even the slight mixed-bag nature of it still warrants a solid 7.5/10 from me!
Ba’al: The Fine Line Between Heaven and Here
If you hadn’t already guessed by the band and album title, this is epic, atmospheric black metal, and done to perfection! Long time readers here will know this isn’t particularly my sort of thing, but it’s done so well that I can’t help but enjoy and appreciate it. Heck, the epic, proggy, 13 minute opener is a masterpiece of the heavier end of metal, and there’s still another five tracks after that! It’s heavy and dark throughout, but also has some pretty killer riffs and some quieter parts of levity too. The dynamics of the whole album are great, and it really begs for this thing to be listened to in full at least once. It’s not something I’d revisit the individual tracks for often, but the album as a whole is definitely worth spinning and checking out if you are at all into the genre. And the emotion on display throughout is incredible, it really making you feel and leaving an impact. Shocking even myself, it gets a solid 7.5/10, good stuff!
Virgin Vampires: Whores and Judaism
The sophomore album from the dark, electro-gothic trio comes less than a year after their debut, and develops their sound even further, really carving out their own niche within the scene. They feel more confident in their direction with this release, with songs like single ‘At the Cemetery’, ‘The Curse of the Pharaons’ and ‘Medusa’ being favourites of mine. However, much like Ba’al above, I’m not the hugest fan of this style, so while I can very much appreciate it being great, it does go a little long for me. 40+ minutes of very similar music, especially in this genre, doesn’t work for my tiny attention span! Plus, the production of the album took a little getting used to, it being rather quiet and compressed, with their debut arguably sounding better on that front. Still, it’s not a bad release by any stretch, and if you’re into anything like The Cure or Birthday Party Massacre or artists like that, this is worth checking out! 7/10
P.S. the artwork is AMAZING.
The Island: LIMINAL
Another sophomore release, this time from the Manchester-based post-Tool band. They have plenty of elements of alternative, grunge and prog, but the closest thing I found myself immediately associating it with is Tool. That’s hardly an issue either, as both them and this album are amazing! It also reminds me a little of some of the quirkier stuff from the HARDBALL a couple of hers ago, which I also loved! The faster stuff definitely has more of a grunge or even stoner vibe, which is sick. From the incredible opening track to ‘The Irascible’ to the chaotic ‘The Crucible’ to the slower, epic closer, there is so much awesomeness here from a band that don’t take themselves too seriously. It’s certainly not going to be for everyone and is (potentially purposefully) a little rough around the edges, but it’s a lot of fun to listen to, and I’d highly recommend checking it out if you like the quirkier side of things! 8/10
A pretty quiet week for new music, but what we did get is all awesome! Let’s check it all out!
Dropkick Murphys: For the People
Firstly, I’ll stand with you, Dropkicks! Ken for President!
But no, in all seriousness, this was exactly the sort of album the world needs right now. And, with it being an incredibly quiet week for new releases, it almost feels like a sign for everyone to listen to it! Whether it’s punkier stuff like the opener, ‘The Big Man’ or ‘Kids Games’ or more Celtic-folk stuff like ‘Chesterfields and Aftershave’ and the closer, there is so much awesome stuff on here. We also got a FANTASTIC reappearance of legend Al Barr on ‘The Vultures Circle High’. After two other albums, it was nice to hear him back, even just for a singular track. Having reviewed Ohemah Rising on this site a couple of years ago, as well as being pretty familiar with their couple before that (as well as their big ones), I have to say this might be my favourite release from them since SIGNED and SEALED. It feels the most confident and sure of itself; the most classic Dropkicks album yet still feeling modernised. There isn’t a bad song on the album and it’s consistently interesting and fun through its 43-minute runtime. If you’re a fan of the band, the Celtic style or just punk in general, I cannot recommend this enough! I’ll definitely be listening to it plenty over the next few months, and it could end up pretty high on our list of albums of the year, come December! 8.5/10
Warkings: Armageddon
We’ve already checked out the awesome album! Read our full review of it here.
Jesse Welles: Pilgram
The third album from one of the hardest working folk/country rock artists around just this year dropped last Friday. It marks his 18th across the 13 years he’s been actively releasing stuff, a hugely impressive feat. What makes it even more impressive is that the quality is still there; this is a great release! From tracks like ‘Change is in the Air’ to ‘Forever, Whatever’ to ‘GTFOH’, there are so many powerful, impactful and unique tracks that are definitely highlights! Then you have his tracks with guests; both Sierra Ferrell and Billy Strings do awesome and add so much to the already awesome songs they are part of. I discovered him earlier this year through TikTok, reminding me a lot of a big favourite of mine, Beans on Toast, and I have to say that the first full album I’ve managed to check out has impressed me massively. His lyric writing is incredible, as is his vocal style, and the simplicity of the tracks only make them more impactful! The folky style isn’t for everyone, but I cannot recommend this release enough to anyone. I loved it and will certainly be listening to a lot of it plenty again. Another 8.5/10 from us!
Rimmar: Raises
The debut album from the Italian visionary guitarist Marco Rinaldi is a solid first release! Not only written and arranged by the guy, but also produced by him too, it’s a testament to the sheer talent of the man. And the quality of the album, an epic concept centred around rebirth and transcendence, combining classic and prog metal with synthwave and electronic elements, is damn high! It feels like the perfect blend of Iron Maiden and Queensryche, but modernised at the same time, and really takes you on a journey from the first note until the last. Songs like ‘Mighty Messenger’, the stomping ‘Planet Mars’ and the more industrial ‘Vortex’ (feat. Fabio Lione) are all personal highlights. However, the whole album is pretty great, and fits together perfectly as a whole concept. If you are at all curious it’s well worth checking out, it’s a fantastic album and yet another amazing debut release! Marco is a very talented guy and has put together something special here. I can’t wait to hear where he goes from here, but for now this album gets a solid 8/10 from us!
We as a Company: First Summer
The Italian stoner/doom/indie rock band made the executive decision to not have this release, or any of their stuff, on Spotify, which given the current climate is admirable. And so, while none of it will end up on our playlist, it is still a damn solid release. It’s like if stoner/doom met Oasis or Enuff Z’Nuff or even Pinegrove, and I’m kinda all here for it! Songs like the opener, the heavy ‘Tears Away’ and the beautiful closer are all personal highlights. However, the whole album has a great flow and arrangement to it, making for an incredible easy full listen. It’s not going to be for everyone, but I found it a fascinating combination of styles and will almost definitely be revisiting this at least once or twice again soon. I’d probably recommend it to an indie fan more than the rest, but if you are at all curious, do yourselves a favour and give this a listen! A solid 7.5/10!
Wytch Hazel: V: Lamentations
The medieval-inspired NWOBHM revival band put out, surprisingly, their fifth album this last week. Honestly, it’s damn good! And while yes, it has elements of early Priest or Maiden, it shares more DNA and sound with the likes of UFO or Uriah Heep. Heck, with the folky elements involved from the old-school theming, it even has riffs and elements that resemble Fleetwood Mac or even Jethro Tull. It makes for a really interesting, unique combination, and an incredibly easy listen. The band are amazing songwriters, the huge choruses in particular being fantastic. Songs like ‘Run the Race’, ‘Elements’ and the epic ‘Elixir’ into ‘Woven’ are all personal highlights, but there isn’t a bad song on the thing! I can’t believe it’s taken me five albums to finally hear this band, but they certainly have a big new fan in me! 45-minutes went by in a flash, and I’ve already listened to it multiple times this weekend. A very easy 8.5/10 from us!
