We chatted to the amazing Trevor Portz of the extreme(ish) metal band Ashen Horde! Check out as we chat about the bands sound, their latest album and dream tours!
How would you describe your sound?
While it’s a mouthful, I tend to go with progressive, blackened death metal… it’s more or less accurate. It’s probably easier to just say extreme metal, but I don’t feel like that gives enough detail to catch people’s attention! Ultimately, the motivation behind Ashen Horde has been to make metal music that doesn’t really conform to any single subgenre, but listing everything we incorporate takes it from “mouthful” to “stupidly verbose and pretentious,” haha.
You’re on album five now, how has your sound changed or evolved in the last 12 years since your debut?
As the primary songwriter, it’s kind of hard to say… I’m probably too close to it, and I just write whatever sounds right to me! I do feel like the songs have become a bit more cohesive and less disjointed, but depending on the reviewer, it’s clear that not everyone agrees! We’ve definitely incorporated more and more melody over the years, especially with the addition of Karl on lead vocals. He’s able to deliver all the harsh shrieks and gutterals, of course, but has an incredibly powerful singing voice that has allowed me to indulge in all sorts of new things. I’ve also leaned into making the solos more driven by melody than flash. I’m really not a shredder, so I’ve redirected my focus into writing memorable, melodic leads that contrast a bit with the more brutal or dissonant riffs elsewhere in the songs.
What is the writing process like for the band?
The music always comes first (minus a rare occasion when I have a cool title or line to inspire a song). I tend to write one of two ways: sitting with my guitar and messing with different chords and things certainly accounts for a good chunk of it. But almost more commonly, I’ll write when I’m just out and about. I like to jog, hike and bike, so I’ll often work through arrangements while I’m doing that. I actually do a lot of work in my head before I fall asleep at night, too. It’s a nice way to decompress. Of course, if I have a really cool idea that I don’t want to forget, I have to make the decision to get up and record it, or hope I remember it in the morning!
Do you have a favourite track from the album?
That’s tough… I think it changes pretty regularly. At this moment in time, I’d say it’s ‘Backward Momentum’. That one’s got some really interesting riffs, and I was very happy with how the clean vocals turned out. I’d been inspired to put cleans over the blast beats by Opeth’s “The Lotus Eater.” It goes a bit against convention, and I think it gave that track a really different vibe. The extended solo on there is also my favorite on the album. It was a pain in the ass to write and play, but I’m quite satisfied with it! I threw in some jazzy blue notes here and there to give it some added weirdness.
Busy year planned touring to support the release?
Compared to the past 12 years where we never toured, yes! But ultimately, it was a very small amount. We played a couple shows in May to support the album, but that’s it for now. Those were, in fact, our first-ever shows! But we are looking to do something longer for early next year. I think we’d all love to do it sooner, but other band commitments, day jobs and regular life have made it impossible…
Any plans/hopes to come over to the UK?
That’s the dream! I was born in London, and have always been a bit of an Anglophile. I mean, my favorite band of all time is the Wildhearts. (While I’ve seen them live in New York a handful of times, it feels like a necessary pilgrimage to catch them (or any of the offshoots) in the UK.) So yes, if we can make it happen, I’d be beyond excited. I’d love to do a week where we just drive around and play all over the UK!
Do you have a dream tour lineup you’d want to be a part of? Anyone you want to support or friends you want to bring along with you?
For Ashen Horde, being first on a bill with Enslaved and Ihsahn (solo or with Emperor) would blow my mind. Throw in a reunited Immortal and I’d question my ability to breathe long enough to remember my own songs, haha! My other band, Abhoria, was fortunate enough to open for Abbath last year—when he did the Immortal-only set—so I do feel like I’ve had a taste of the dream… and I want more!
If you could have written one song from history, what would it be and why?
This answer would probably change based on the day or even my mood, but at this moment in time, I’ll say ‘Fell on Black Days’ by Soundgarden. That is a damn-near perfect song, and I would love to write something that hits me that hard every time I hear it.
A typically stacked week of New Music Mondays, with everything from rock to metal to country putting out great stuff! Let’s dive in and check it all out!
The Black Keys: Peaches!
The 14th album from the garage/blues rock revitalists is a lot of fun! It’s 10 scrappy, technically awesome songs that flow together rather perfectly. It’s exactly what you’d expect if you know the band in any way! We somehow missed their album last year, but did enjoy 2024’s Ohio Players. There’s just something about Keys’ particular style of jam band; it’s never normally my sort of thing but I end up having a blast whenever I listen to them. Tracks like ‘Stop Arguing Over Me’ and ‘You Go to Lose’ are big highlights for me. However, a release like this BEGS for a full listen-through in a single sitting, and I honestly think doing it that way adds to every song, and the product as a whole. Yeah, the tracks are all a touch similar, and 44 minutes is maybe a touch too long unless you are really into the genre. However, I can’t think of a song to cut, they all fit so well. And, if you are into the band or the respective genres, you’ll love it from start to finish!
The duo work so effortlessly well together some two plus decades into their careers, and show off once again why they are two of the most underrated players and songwriters in the game today. I’ll certainly be spinning it again in the months to come, and it gets a solid 8/10 from me!
Kacey Musgraves: Middle of Nowhere
Following up 2024’s massive and critically acclaimed Deeper Well (we had… some thoughts… on it), was going to be no easy task. However, to my shock, I ended up rather enjoying this; it’s a damn solid country-pop release! ‘Middle of Nowhere’ opens the album on a high, and the tongue-in-cheek ‘Dry Spell’ is so well written it’s impossible not to enjoy. Then you have tracks like ‘Abilene’ and ‘Mexico Honey’ that are also damn solid songs. I love that the middle of this release is dominated by some awesome guest appearances too, everyone doing so well and adding their own amazing flare to each song. ‘Horses and Divorces’ with the wonderful Miranda Lambert was probably my favourite, though Willie Nelson’s was also good. Don’t get me wrong, Kacey is to middle-aged divorced women what dad rock is to 30-something white dudes, but I still found myself enjoying in. Maybe I’ve gone soft. However, I certainly wouldn’t turn this off if it came back on again, and will most likely be listening to a few of the tracks of my own volition moving forward. 7/10
Sevendust: One
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read our full review here.
KNEECAP: FENIAN
Despite liking their punk attitude and leanings, I never really got KNEECAP… until now! This is a damn solid release, and I had a blast listening to it! It gives off vibes of Pendulum or even Prodigy at times with the instrumentation, while there’s some truly great rapping and memorable choruses throughout. Tracks like ‘Carnival’, ‘Liars Tale’ and ‘Gael Phonics’ are personal highlights. Don’t get me wrong, it all sounds pretty similar, and 14 of the same sort of songs did get a touch old late in the album. But, even with them switching between English and Irish mid-line sometimes, making it hard for me to follow some of their bars, the emotion and anger is still very much present throughout. It was a really captivating listen. As someone who doesn’t know much by them, I’ll at least be listening again, and may be pressed to give their previous stuff another try! If you’re a fan of them, or the heavier side of hip-hop/house/rap in general, I’d highly recommend giving this a spin! Another solid 7/10, and one I’ll certainly be revisiting at some point.
Venom: Into Oblivion
The first album from the black metal pioneers in nearly eight years, the band very much picking up right where they left off. If you’re familiar with the bands sound at all, you’ll know exactly what to expect here, and it hits that right on the head. It’s fine. While I completely appreciate and admire the bands contributions and influence on metal music, but this is nothing we haven’t heard before. It’s good first-wave black metal/thrash, but both genres have moved so far past this sound since the 80s, and I do think for good reason. It’s actually rather wild to me that the band are on album 16 and haven’t really strayed too far away from their original sound, just gotten better production. Tracks like ‘Lay Down Your Soul’ and ‘Metal Bloody Metal’ were personal highlights, but much of the rest I could kinda take or leave. It’s good for what it is, but I’d rather just go back and listen to their first three LPs. I sadly can’t give it any more than 6.5/10
ERNEST: Deep Blue
Where did this come from?! I LOVED this album. Don’t get me wrong, I certainly don’t hate his previous work, and last years Cadillac Sessionswas also not bad, even if he wasn’t the highlight of that. However, he’s always struck me as a bit of a mixed bag of a songwriter, at least when it came to his own work. Well, he’s finally found his sound, and it’s Jimmy Buffett levels of tropical country awesomeness. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still a few Morgan Wallen-esque songs scattered throughout, but overall it’s a precisely written album. Every song fits together perfectly and the album has an excellent flow to it. I honestly wasn’t expecting 44 minutes to go by so quickly and easily. It’s just a great album to throw on, sit back and relax to. From the opening two songs to ‘Somewhere in the Caribbean’ and ‘End of the Night’ to ‘Boat Named After You’, there is so much to love. However, every song on here is amazing, and the whole thing is worth spinning from start-to-finish at least once! Hopefully we are getting more of this sound moving forward from ERNEST because DAMN, I loved this. I’ll be listening to this plenty moving forward, and this gets an easy 9/10!
Haste the Day: Dissenter
The first studio album since the metalcore band’s second reunion in 2023, and this thing goes hard from start to finish! It’s both hugely heavy and beautifully melodic in equal measure, and is so very well put together. ‘Shallows’ sets the tone perfectly, while tracks like ‘Grave’, ‘Gnasher’ and the epic closing single are all personal highlights. It’s very much that heavier modern end to the genre, blended with emo and leaning more on the hardcore side of things. It’s no wonder they have Silent Planet guest on a track, as it’s very similar music. It also gives off slight Deftones vibes at times. If all of that sounds good to you, this is definitely an album worth checking out! It’s not typically my side of the genre, but I still had a good time listening to this, and wouldn’t be opposed to checking it out again in the near future. A solid 7.5/10 from us, though it may get higher with more listens!
Jenny Colquitt: Pockets Full of Rain
Goddamn, this thing made me cry at work. Need an even more glowing endorsement than that? Fine by me! This is 41 minutes of beautifully, masterfully crafted music, having me hooked from start to finish. A lot of it reminds me of the Lily Allen ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ cover; powerful piano-based ballads. However, then Jenny can hit you with some huge vocals that are more akin to Sara Ramirez or even Amy Lee, and gives me goosebumps every time. From the opener to ‘Waiting for the Sun’, the almost murder-folk epic ‘Peace Man’ to the epic grand finale/title track, there is so much to love. And ‘The Water’… *chefs kiss*. It’s honestly one of my favourite tracks of the year, and I need to see it in a big theater backed by a full orchestra, it is that epic and good.
I could gush about this album all day. Her vocals are incredible, providing exactly what the track needs in the moment, be it power or tenderness. And the emotion on display from both the delivery and the lyrics, and also backed up by the instrumentation, is amazing throughout. And even the production/arrangement, the mix is phenomenal and every instrument is so excellently placed. This isn’t my usual brand of music, sat somewhere between ‘sad girl’ and epic soft rock, but I am homestly a little obsessed. How she isn’t a bigger name already is beyond me, but she has a HUGE new fan in me off the back of this release. I can’t give it any less than 9.5/10, and I’d urge anyone reading this to check it out immediately!
Onra: After Dark
Nestled confusingly between an EP and an album, this release follows up 2024s Nosthaigia rather perfectly. The chilled out electronic music sits comfortably between hip-hop, R&B and funk, and is impossible not to have a good time when listening. Personal highlights include ‘That Kind of Girl’ and the sexy-jazz infused ‘Ecstacy’. However, the whole album has a great flow to it, there not really being a dull moment. It certainly won’t be for everyone, but I didn’t think it would be my thing and I had a great time listening to it. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on Onra moving forward, as well as listening to his previous work ASAP. He’s a fantastic French producer, and I can’t give this anything less than 7/10. Good stuff!
Wooden Shadow: Age of Tree
Now for an actual, fully fledged EP. It’s a fair bit different to the previous entry, though! 15 minutes of incredible, heavy pagan/death metal, all produced by one insanely talented guy! How the same guy not only wrote all of this, but also performed it all, honestly blows my mind. Even if it was crap, it would be impressive, but the fact that it is also amazing folk-death metal makes it honestly phenomenal. It’s heavy, melodic and even has some theatrical elements and feel to it throughout. All four songs are amazing, and the intro track is also awesome. If I had one vague complaint, the cleans aren’t quite as good as his screams. However, it takes almost nothing away from how amazing this release is! If you’re into the heavier end of metal, give this one a spin, you won’t be disappointed! 8.5/10
American Football: LP4
This is a weird one. The first album from the Midwest emo band in seven years, and only their forth overall across their 15 active years. It’s usually a style I quite like, but I couldn’t get into. It felt a lot more like a New Wave/soft punk vibe, almost like a Pulp or Soft Cell, than what I expected. The highlight for me was probably the proggy single ‘Bad Moons’, especially with the lyrics. However, the rest was pretty similar, and not really my sort of bag. Especially when it ran for nearly 50 minutes, too. Don’t get me wrong, the band are insanely talented, and I’m sure they’re good songwriters too, but this style bored the hell out of me. If you are into the band or the sound, you will probably get a lot out of this. However, I can’t give it any more than a 4/10, sorry guys.
Bird: Strange as Folk
Following up on 2025’s Heads or Tales EP, we get another awesome glimpse into the folky singer-songwriter’s world. It’s a simple four tracks (and a remix) that really highlights her strengths; the fantastic lyrics and production/dynamics. Also, her vocals throughout are beautiful, fitting the tone of the songs excellently. Everything feels perfectly put together. The ‘Lay Lady Lay’ cover is a big highlight, both mixes, as is the duet with Jane Ellen Bryant to close things out. If you are into things a little more chilled and slower paced, this is absolutely the release for you! And, while it’s not especially my sort of thing, it has definitely left me wanting more! 6.5/10
Cage Fight: Exuvia
The highly anticipated sophomore album from the aggressive heavy metal quartet is every bit as amazing as I’d hoped for! We loved their debuta few years back, and this continues their track record on PERFECTLY. ‘Oxygen’ is the perfect tone-setter, while y’all should know how much we love‘Pig’ already! The awesomeness keeps rolling after that with ‘Pick Your Fighter’ (feat. the incredible Julian Truchan of Benighted) and the excellent single ‘Un Bon Souvenir’. And hell, all of that’s just under half the album. The other six songs are just as excellent, with the title track and the slower ‘Élégie’ being other high points. Honestly, there isn’t a bad song on the album, though, and 40ish minutes goes by in a flash! The band are all insanely talented, with Rachel Aspe being one of the most underrated vocalists around today. If you are a fan of stuff on the heavier end, this album is an absolute must, and will surely be another stepping-stone to the top for a band so incredibly deserving of it! Another easy 9/10!
Ashen Horde: The Harvest
Album five from the prog-black metal band is 40+ minutes of twists, turns and heaviness that I couldn’t help but love. I tend not to be into black metal all that stuff, but then the clean singing came in, the vocals powerful and catchy. They also work perfectly when in harmony (if you can call it that?) with the screams. It gave the tracks some incredible dynamics, and made it really interesting to listen to, especially over the usual black metal style. It almost gives it a metalcore edge to it at times, which was really cool to hear! Especially when the instrumentation also goes into chuggy or breakdown territory as well as the usual genre tropes. Tracks like ‘Entropy and Ecstasy’ and ‘Apparition’ are personal highlights, but every song on here is as good as the last! The band are so insanely talented, both as musicians and songwriters, and have crafted something truly special here. They have a huge new fan in me, and I can’t give it any less than 8.5/10!
Southall: Kinfolk
This is another awesome collection of southern rock tracks from the Stillwater natives. The band found their winning formula years ago at this point and have perfected it more and more with each release. From single ‘Southwestern Son’ to ‘House Money’, title track to the closer, there is so much to love here. And, at just 34 minutes long, it goes by in a flash, in and out without any chance of getting bored. It’s a lot of fun, but also has some emotion through the couple of ballads. It’s just a damn good southern rock album, and is impossible not to have a good time with! I really hope these guys tour here again with the new release, as they kicked ass at The Long Road and I’d love to see them again! For now though, I’ll certainly be spinning this plenty again, especially through the summer months. An easy 8/10
Austin Snell: Colors
The pop-country singer-songwriter is back with another EP, less than a year after Home Sweet Hell. While ‘Daddy’s Eyes’ is a bit slow to open things, it’s beautifully written and full of emotion. Then you have the slightly rockier ‘Everything But Ok’, kicking the release into a higher gear and giving me a chorus to be stuck in my head for days to come! Then you have ‘My Favourite Scar’ and the single/title track that are also excellent! I feel like seven songs is maybe a little long for an EP, but this is pretty much all killer. If you like a more radio-country sound, this is definitely worth checking out! It’s easy to hear why he’s becoming such a big name in a short amount of time, and this is another great addition to his growing discography! 7/10
Album number three from the anti-war black/death metal band is set to drop on Friday, and I couldn’t be more excited! We loved their last album, to our surprise, so when we saw this one come across our emails there was no way we weren’t doing a deep dive! Join us in checking out all the glorious heaviness!
The album opens in a pretty punk way, with a marching drumbeat over the top of what I assume is some sort of old war speech. It all builds perfectly, the screams exploding into the chorus alongside some insanely fast drumming. The same break-neck pace keeps up through the verse, staying heavy and feeling like the perfect blend of death, black metal and hardcore punk. The pre is low and menacing too, building perfectly back into that massive, surprisingly catchy chorus. And, while I have no idea what is being said, I do like the concept of the band using its music to commemorate all those who have fallen in wars, outlining the true horrors of them. A particularly poignant message in these current worrying times. It’s a really excellent track to open the album on, and definitely a big early highlight for me!
‘Heizer Tenner’ once again builds masterfully in its intro; some ambient stuff and a low guitar riff running before it explodes into the massive black metal stuff. It’s very in-your-face I’m the best way and sounds pretty epic, almost giving off Rotting Christ vibes. I love the more straight-forward verses too, going more death metal and then adding in the black metal stuff for the choruses. The dynamics throughout are incredible, dropping down and building back up throughout, keeping it constantly interesting. That scream on its own near the end is incredible too, having so much emotion and anger in its delivery. It’s another damn good song!
After a brief interlude track, we get the AWESOME, stomping riffing of ‘Kampf und Sturm’. It almost feels industrial, adding yet another great element to their sound. Of course it then heads quickly into the chaotic black metal stuff, but that riff was a really great, unexpected addition. And that slower almost-breakdown in the middle is AMAZING, too! This is another incredible song, and one that easily makes it onto our playlist!
Starting sinister with that riff, ‘Die Havarie’ keeps a slower pace, once again reminding me of the newer Rotting Christ stuff. It sounds awesome, again setting a brilliant atmosphere as it builds and builds. Once again, we get plenty of heavy black-punk afterwards, but the scene the intro sets is amazing. The heavy, slower pace still returns for the pre-choruses too, bringing it back in an awesome way! Then we get an almost power metal-infused chorus, which is also excellent! It’s a real epic song throughout, drawing in so many different sounds and influences yet sounding like nothing else really around today. Yet again, it’s another fantastic heavier metal song!
The two part ‘Der Füsilier’ is a masterclass of all things heavy. The main vein of black metal is plenty present, but it has a lot of death, hardcore and noise (pun intended) throughout too! It’s 10 minutes of epicness, and both parts fit together perfectly. I imagine the story being told is really cool, and I’m going to have to track down the lyrics and translate them! The two parts are definitely worth a listen together, and are once again high points of the album.
The final two tracks on the album, ‘The Yankee Division March’ and ‘Die Fastnacht der Hölle’ are both awesome heavy songs again, and the perfect way to cap off an album like this! I liked the little Rammstein nod in the latter track, it definitely being my favourite song from that band. Both songs are amazing, and while their sound did get a little similar this late into the release, it was hard not to still love it. The closer is honestly one of my favourite songs on the release, though all of them are amazing!
Overall: This is a damn good, damn heavy album. The band are such incredibly talented musicians, and Noise is such a fantastic songwriter, that they really keep going from strength to strength. As much as I loved their last release, this may even inch ahead of it into my favourite! If you are at all a fan of the heavier side of metal, do yourselves a favour and check this out immediately! I need to see them live soon!
The lucky thirteenth album from the Polish death metal quartet is set for release this coming Friday, bringing the bands particular brand of brutality back to the scene. I’ve been at least semi-familiar with them for years now, knowing the name and the odd earlier song alongside their previous album, which we reviewed! So, I’m pretty excited to check this out, four years on from their last release. Join us in checking out my second full foray into the world of Hate!
The title track opens things with a suitably ominous, dark acoustic guitar chord progression. The strings and extra bits do such a good job of building up the tension before the heaviness explodes in with a MASSIVE scream and some huge riffing and drumming. It honestly feels pretty black metal from the get go, which is never a bad thing and was kinda expected! It’s immediately heavy, the instrumentation and the screams through the verse being crushingly so. I can’t help but immediately notice how fantastic the production is on it too, everything sounding huge and it being a far-cry from a lot of other death metal bands in the scene. It makes it sound incredible, and as someone who has a weird relationship with death metal, it has certainly eased me into loving this! I love that it drops back to the lower bit with the spoken word too, giving the track some great dynamics. And to follow it off with a mind-blowing guitar solo was also a great choice! And I love the final couple of minutes of the track, it almost feeling proggy in the amount of parts it has. It’s a really awesome way to open up the album, setting the stage perfectly!
‘Iphigenia’ continues the epic feel and heaviness awesomely. And again, it kicks off with more blackened metal riffs, which sound fantastic! The riffing throughout this entire track blew me away, to be honest, with the clean and heavy contrast bit after heading into the chainsaw-like work in the verses all being phenomenal. And the epic, blackened death metal vibes throughout the song are incredible. It reminds me a little of Rotting Christ, and y’all know how much I loved their last album! Again it’s on the longer side so it gets to really give everything chance to breath and meet the most out of each part. It’s a huge highlight of the album for us, and one that easily makes it onto our playlist!
Tracks like ‘The Vanguard’, ‘A Ghost of Lost Delight’ and ‘Alfa Inferi Goddess of War’ all share a similar feel to the aforementioned tracks. None of that is a bad thing at all, as it’s all such awesome music, and this style is sometimes hard to deviate from and feel natural. But it’s a struggle to talk about this style over and over without it reading really boring or like I’m a massive fangirl. All three tracks are awesome and well worth checking out if you like the genre!
‘Perun Rising’ has a bit of a different vibe to it, but that may be because of the tribal intro track, ‘Rite of Triglav’. The riffing feels a bit more open though, it still being heavy but having a different atmosphere. It’s a nice (slight) change of sound and another easy highlight of the album for me!
The closing couple of tracks, ‘Prophet of Arkhen’ and ‘Ageless Harp of Devilry’ are two more awesome, blackened death metal tracks. Again, both songs are awesome, with the former being another solid highlight of the record. But again, they somewhat sadly sounded pretty similar to almost all the rest of the album. It’s all fantastic, but I would have liked a slight bit of variety, even if to help me spice up the writing somewhat!
Overall: This is a damn good, heavy, atmospheric death metal album. There is plenty to love on the release, especially if you are into the genre, and my slight complaint around the similarities shouldn’t stop you from checking this one out. The band are an absolute powerhouse of riffs, lyrics and heaviness, and have proved why they are one of the most respected in their style over and over, and again here. Again, I’s highly recommend if you are into anything on the heavier side of metal. It’s an incredibly solid album from a band that have such a consistently great output!
Another mega release week for albums, with some incredible collections across most genres! Let’s go ahead and dive right in!
The Darkness: Dreams on Toast
The British hard rock royalty are back with album number eight. I’ve always been a fan of the band; Permission to Land was one of the soundtracks to my childhood, and I really enjoyed Motorheart when it came out. Having said that, I do feel like this is on a whole new level to the latter. Opening on the one-two punch of the surprising ‘Rock and Roll Party Cowboy’ and one of the best singles they’ve put out in ‘I Hate Myself’, it’s a damn strong start. Then you have the band almost embrace this recent country resurgence with tracks like ‘Hot on my Tail’ and ‘Cold Hearted Woman’. Both feel completely genuine though, and very Darkness despite the change in sound a little, and even some fiddle in the latter. All are huge highlights of the album, but then so are the likes of the foot-stomping ‘Mortal Dread’, the EOL-like ‘The Longest Kiss’ and the beautiful ballad ‘Walking Through Fire’.
Considering the album is only 10 tracks long and I’ve already named seven of them, that should really show just how fantastic this release is. And guess what… the other three songs are great too! The band have felt like they’re on a bit of a resurgence in recent years, and this album has really capped off that feeling in a huge way. As Justin says in this ‘we never stop making hit albums’. That is very true, and this is very much another HUGE hit from the band. It may be too early to call this, but this may be my favourite Darkness album since One Way Ticket, if not Permission to Land itself! I’d recommend it to absolutely any music fan out there, and I can’t give it any less than 10/10!
Arch Enemy: Blood Dynasty
The melodeath legends are back with another album, a followup to 2022s Decievers. We really enjoyedthat album when it released, and I’ve been a fan of the band since my teens when I first got into the genre. Heck, we even reactedto the lead single from this when it dropped. So, safe to say anticipation for the album was pretty high here at Overtone.
If you’re a fan of the band, at very least their modern sound with Alyssa, you’ll know exactly what to expect with this, and will surely love it. It’s all big, heavy riffs, some great melodic leads, incredible powerful screams and stellar drumming throughout. ‘Dream Stealer’ is of course a massive highlight, as is ‘March of the Miscreants’, the more old-school ‘Don’t Look Down’ and the beautiful, surprisingly clean and almost symphonic power metal ‘Vivre Libre’. Honestly, the range demonstrated with the inclusion of the latter track is incredible, not only breaking up the album perfectly, but it being a true highlight of the bands discography, in my opinion, due to the musicality and lyrics fitting so well together. A good portion of the die-hard fans will hate it, but I love it!
Honestly, it’s an incredible album from start to finish. I found myself adding more and more of it to my personal playlist with subsequent listens; there isn’t a bad track on it. I loved Decievers, but they’ve really hit their post-Loomis stride with this release, and it does feel a step higher. It’s heavy and epic in all the best places, encapsulating not only what’s best about the genre, but the European scene in general. It gets another incredibly solid 9/10 from us!
Buster Shuffle: Together
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read the full review here!
CJ Wildheart: SLOTS
This is a damn interesting release for us. We covered his former brother-in-arms’ latest album a couple of weeks back, so it’s very hard not to compare this to that album. However, both are great in their own right, and honestly feel and sound pretty different! This one is a lot more old-school punk and skater, as opposed to Ginger’s heavier sound. Both have their place in the scene, and I found myself having a lot of fun listening to this thing. ‘Beg’, the classic Wildhearts-sounding ‘Baddest Girl in the World’, ‘The Kids’ and ‘You Got the Best Part of Me’ are all personal highlights but, honestly, the album is packed full of them. Heck, the title track even goes heavier, feeling more like a modern Wildhearts song, but it’s awesome and I love it! The ten tracks go by in a flash, being under the 30-minute mark, but it feels like the perfect length for a punk record. If you’ve ever been a fan of the Wildhearts, CJs solo stuff or his vague yet particular brand of punk, I cannot recommend this enough. It’s certainly going to be a release that I’ll be revisiting plenty this year and probably beyond. It’s yet another phenomenal album from this week, and a massive 8.5/10!
Mumford and Sons: RUSHMERE
The British modern-folk legends are back with their first album in seven years. They were a bit of a guilty pleasure band in my youth, but I have openly been a big fan of them for years now, and I’m so glad they’re back. And it helps, of course, that this is an absolutely stellar album. I love this style of music, and their sound definitely gives me some nostalgia from my teens, but this is also a well-crafted, great-sounding album in its own right. Songs like ‘Caroline’, the title track, ‘Truth’ and ‘Surrender’ are all fantastic and huge highlights, but there isn’t a bad song out of the collection of 10! It’s a chilled-out, catchy release that is perfect for sitting back and relaxing to. It’s not going to be for everyone, but it was a very nice change of pace for me to listen to this week, and is honestly one of the best things the band have put out, in my opinion. If you’re a fan of the band or folk music in general, this is well worth checking out! It’s a damn solid 8.5/10 from us!
Memphis May Fire: Shapeshifter
I clearly have a tiny memory and attention span. When I went to add this entry to our list, I was like ‘I know the name, I remember my friends being into them back in the day, but am not sure who they are. We’ve covered them before.I reviewed their last album. I clearly enjoyed it too, it just clearly wasn’t very memorable. But, while I have a couple of similar issues with this release from them (80% of the album as pre-release singles is too damn much!), I am happy to say I definitely feel like this is a better album than their last! ‘Chaotic’ is a fantastic, upbeat and surprisingly fun opener, and sets the tone perfectly for the rest of the release. It gives off a bit more Set it Off or From Ashes to Newvibes to it than metalcore this time round, which I love, and really channels that mid-2000s US alt rock energy. Tracks like the Electric Callboy-like ‘Overdose’, ‘Necessary Evil’ and ‘Shapeshifter’ are all big highlights, but the whole album is pretty good! If you’re into any of the bands or styles I’ve mentioned already, it’s worth giving this a listen, especially when it’s only half an hour long. It’s certainly better than their previous album, and gets a solid 8/10 from us!
Envy of None: Stygian Wavz
For something featuring the legendary Alex Lifeson, this is kinda boring. It’s not bad, don’t get me wrong, but it isn’t my sort of thing at all. It’s slow, shoegazy indie rock, and I found myself struggling to get through it all in one sitting. I’m sure there will be plenty of big fans of this album and this band, but I am sadly not one and didn’t enjoy it a whole lot. It all sounded pretty similar, and for what it was it wasn’t great to begin with. The band are at least clearly talented, and I’m clearly a fan of their individual stuff as I love Rush and enjoy what I’ve heard of Andy Curran’s Coney Hatch. ‘Under the Stars’ was probably my favourite track on the album, as it felt like the most interesting and it suited Maiah’s vocals perfectly. If you’re into this sort of thing I’d certainly recommend checking it out and giving it a listen. For me though, sadly, I’mma have to give it a 3.5/10
Alien Weaponry: Te Rā
Oh look, another full review! You know the drill, check it out here!
Deafheaven: Lonely People With Power
I clearly no fucking clue who Deafheaven were before now. I went into this expecting an indie-like band, not black metal! Especially not vaguely emo-infused black metal, to boot. However, given my up-and-down interest in the genre, I quite enjoyed this! The riffs were a major highlight; like hot-damn what talented writers and players. And even the screams were pretty good, fitting the music perfectly and sitting a little further back in the mix so they weren’t as grating as some extreme screams. And of course the drumming is stellar throughout, but I’d expect nothing less. The atmosphere created is awesome, too; setting the perfect gloomy, epic tone. Shockingly, the band do even venture to more of an indie/shoegaze instrumental style on songs like ‘The Garden Route’, which makes it hugely impressive that it still feels rather grounded in black metal and feels right at home on the album.
Honestly, if nothing else, it’s a fascinating listen that’s taken me a couple of listens to really ‘get’. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still not really my sort of thing, and I think I’d struggle to revisit all hour plus of it too regularly, but I did find myself enjoying it and hugely appreciating the work that went into crafting such a release. Though not your typical black metal, if you like the genre give this a try, you might be pleasantly surprised. 7/10
Stone Foundation: The Revival of Survival
The big ol’ soul band released their whopping 11th album this last Friday. While it’s not the sort of thing we often check out here at Overtone, I’m a fan of a few of the band’s songs and we got sent over a review copy, so there was no way I wasn’t letting y’all know what I thought of it!
Honestly, like with most albums or music in general, the moment I heard that sexy, sexy saxophone I was hooked. The opener starts low but builds perfectly, ending up being a pretty epic, almost rock track by the end. That is followed by the catchy, funky title track, a big highlight of the album. It sets the tone perfectly too, as stuff like ‘Cut Me Loose’, ‘2 Die 4 U’ and ‘When Worlds Collide’ continue that energy fantastically and are highlights in their own right. However, the whole album is pretty damn good! It’s easy listening at its very best, and combines elements of soul, funk and jazz perfectly. It certainly won’t be for everyone reading this, but I had a real good time listening to this and will certainly be doing so again in the future. It’s the perfect album to just stick on and relax to; et all your worries and stress to ebb away. The band are insanely talented, and if you want something a little different I cannot recommend this enough. The fact that this sort of music is still being put out, and to this standard and quality, in 2025 is frankly awesome! It’s a solid 8/10!
Underoath: The Place After This One
The Floridian post-hardcore band are back with a follow-up to 2022’s awesome Voyeurist, and are pulling no punches with this album. They pick up where they left off with their last album in terms of the heavy, electronic-laced sound and style, and the opener sets the stage perfectly. ‘Devil’ goes for a bit more of their classic sound, but still fits perfectly with ‘Generation No Surrender’ and is another highlight. Then you have tracks like ‘Loss’, ‘And Then There Was Nothing’ and the Troy Sanders featuring ‘Vultures’ that are all also big highlights for me! If you’re a fan of the band’s recent stuff or the scene they fit into you’ll know exactly what to expect. It’s not bad by any stretch, but I went into this known exactly what to expect, and that’s very much what I got. It combines the sound that made them famous with a more modern metal/industrial edge, and does so to perfection. Think Spiritbox, Poppy, Bad Omens etc. However, overall I feel like I enjoy this more than any of them, there’s a bit more to it and it’s more consistently heavy. It’s a damn enjoyable album and worth a listen, if you’re into this sort of thing. A very solid 8.5/10; I’m sure I’ll be listening to a lot of it again in the coming weeks!
Circus 66: Elements
The sophomore album of the NWOCR rising stars is a damn solid release. It’s packed full of incredible riffs, soaring, powerful vocals and some catchy melodies and harmonies. It instantly gives me Thundermother vibes in all the best ways. It’s a foot-stomping, sleaze-tinged hard rock album that’s impossible not to have a fun time listening to! Honestly, it’s really hard to pick highlight tracks too as it’s all so good. In a rather saturated sub-genre currently, Circus 66 have found a way to stand out and produce something high quality and truly memorable. From the powerful hard rock likes of the opener to the almost country ballad of ‘Love on the Other Side’, I love it all! Plus, the album was put together perfectly; the dynamics between the faster and slower songs keeping everything interesting and making for a very easy nearly 50-minute listen. The band are clearly incredibly talented players and songwriters, and have taken a lot of inspiration from their contemporaries but built on it all fantastically. I cannot recommend this album enough, check it out immediately! I can’t get enough of it already, and hopefully this release finally pushes them to the level they deserve to be at! It’s a solid 9/10 from us!
HIGHSOCIETY: DATAMOSH
The bass soloist has been gaining a lot of momentum and hype recently with his interesting genre combinations, fun guests and intriguing writing. From dubstep to alt metal to hard rock, he blends it all together seamlessly, and has crafted, at very least, and incredibly fascinating album. It’s very much a combination of Prodigy, Linkin Park and the modern metalcore scene (think Bad Omens or BMTH). Tracks like the opener, the heavy ‘Echos’ with BVLVNCE and the Daedric-featuring ‘Dead By Dawn’ are all personal highlights. However, every song on this release is worth a listen, and it doesn’t feel like it’s as long as it is at all. It’s an incredibly modern sound that will go over well with fans of the likes of Poppy and Spiritbox and the aforementioned Bad Omens. However, it’s also different and creative enough to keep it interesting, and honestly won me over just as much as any of them. He works so well with every single artist that features here, and it could very much be a massive, breakout year for the musician. He’s definitely one to watch, and worth a listen if you’re into a modern style. 7.5/10
Alison Krauss: Arcadia
The country-folk star and her band, Union Station, are back with their first album together in nearly a decade and a half. It’s a welcome return of the band, as outside of her collaboration with Robert Plant, her last album was a solo one, and even that was eight years ago now! For someone who’s been releasing music for nearly 40 years, the fact that she is still such an interesting songwriter, and that her vocals are still so effortless beautiful and incredible, is a true testament to her talent. And that shouldn’t at all take away from the band either, who are just as talented. It’s a chilled out, Americana/bluegrass leaning album, and is great to just sit back and relax to. Songs like ‘The Wrong Way’, ‘Richmond on the James’ and ‘North Side Gal’ are all personal highlights, but if you’re into this sort of music you’ll enjoy the whole album! While not strictly my sort of thing, I had a lot of fun listening to the slightly more upbeat songs, and a couple of the ballads were incredible too. While I don’t think I’ll revisit the whole album much, I’ll certainly be listening to some of this again, and it gets a solid 7/10 from us!
Jumping back into the EP for a the first time in 2025, we have two incredible metal release for us to sink our teeth into. Let’s do this!
Sypha: Borderland
The modern metal Brits are set to release their debut EP this coming Friday, and the world is in for a treat! We’ve already had two of the three tracks released already, with closer ‘The Afterparty’ being a new addition. It’s just as good as the other two, and that’s saying something! The band certainly wear their inspiration on their sleeves, it having very much a City of Evil-era Avenged feel, but more in line with the more modern metal scene, akin to Phoenix Lake and even South of Salem. All three tracks are incredible in their own right, and all feel pretty individual and unique, yet all fit perfectly together for this release. The plodding, epic opener is incredible, and Alicia’s harsher vocals heading into that breakdown are amazing. Then you have the faster, heavier ‘Limbo’, an idea choice for a single thanks to the catchy chorus, and the awesome, balls-to-the-wall closer.
This is an absolutely amazing release. I cannot recommend it enough to anyone into a more modern metal style, it really does have a bit of everything! The band are clearly insanely talented and excellent songwriters, and it’s easy to see them being a massive name sooner rather than later. If anything, as excellent as this release is, it’s just made me want a full album from them. I need more! However, this easily gets a 9/10 from me!
Corroding Soul: Self-Titled
The third EP from the post black metal project of David Lovejoy is nothing if not an epic affair. I have to admit, I’m very up and down with the genre, but I really liked this. Somehow, it almost felt uplifting; the atmosphere feeling positive and epic despite the insanely heavy vocals and riffing. There was more than a smattering of power and folk metal in there in the instrumentation, which was awesome. I’ve not quite heard anything like it before, and I was intrigued as much as loving it. Just the opening track is enough on its own, but all four songs on this release are pretty fantastic. And while all being pretty similar, they all click together perfectly and form one fantastic release. It’s a little long so could border on album territory, but I feel like even with long tracks, if it’s just four it’s an EP. It certainly won’t be for everyone, but if the genre scares you give this a try, you may be pleasantly surprised! David is an incredibly talented songwriter and player. It’s a solid 8/10 from me!
The first week of 2025 sees three awesome new, heavy albums being released. Let’s check them out!
Paleface Swiss: CURSED
This feels like the 2020s answer to Iowa, modernising it and heavying it up but still keeping that same feeling and anger and attitude. I LOVE it. It also reminds me a lot of fellow modern deathcore titans Slaughter to Prevail, blending slight nu-metal influences with the otherwise demonically heavy sound. As the first new album of the year for me, this has set an absolutely insanely high standard. I’m honestly struggling to pick highlight tracks from it as they are all so good. Don’t get me wrong, it is certainly heavy so not for everyone, but between the huge riffs, brutal breakdowns and Zelli’s hugely impressive growls and screams, it’s absolutely phenomenal. I was only really familiar with them by name and by Zelli’s feature on the Left to Suffer album last year, but this album has made a huge new fan out of me! If you’re into the heavy stuff I cannot recommend this enough, it’s certainly going to be up there in the album of the year discussion at the end of the year! It’s an easy 9.5/10
Only the Righteous: Hikikomori
The Manchester-based metalcore band returned with their sophomore album last Friday, over half a decade after their debut. They are certainly taking no prisoners on their return, as this is another awesome album! I definitely hear the early Architects inspiration they tout, but also hear plenty of hardcore in the screams, and almost some In Flames-style melodeath in there too. Tracks like the opener, the title track, ‘Day After Day’ and ‘Modern Hell’ are all huge personal highlights! The band perfectly blends an early 2000s style with a more modern sound, and it’s really awesome to hear. If you are at all into metalcore, I cannot recommend this enough. The band have a bright future ahead of them if this album is anything to go by, and it gets a solid 8/10 from us!
PATRIARKH: PROPHET ILJA
I’ve gotten really into the epic, hymn-folk-tinged side of black metal (arcane black metal apparently, which I’m down with!) recently, and this Polish band deliver that to fantastic effect! The former (ish) Batushka are on album number three, but the first alongside the mighty Napalm Records, and it is quite easily their best yet, for me. The concept album follows Prophet Ilja, an illiterate peasant who was the leader of the Orthodox Grzybowska Sect, based around a true story from the band’s home area of Podlasie back in the 30s. It’s one hell of a journey, incorporating plenty of folk instruments alongside the black and doom metal that the band are known for. It’s 40-minutes of interesting, heavy epicness. From the instrumentations to the screams to the operatic female vocals and chanting, it’s all awesome! It’s not for the faint of heart, those who aren’t into the heavier side of metal probably won’t be hugely into it. However, if you are, this is well worth checking out, and all in one listen-through, too! It’s another that gets a solid 8/10 from us!
Though not a huge week in terms of the size of releases, there is still so much amazing stuff to be sinking our teeth into. So, let’s do just that!
Skam: From the Depths
The midlands trio have been a stalwart of the NWOCR scene since it’s inseption, over 13-years old at this point and now on album five. Somehow, this may be their best work to date, too. ‘Rising Fever’ is the perfect scene-setter; showing off the band’s grungy, swampy rock sound yet still having plenty of great hooks. Then you have tracks like the doomy ‘Fate of the Souls’, ‘Travesty’ and the painfully relatable ‘The Grind’ which are all huge personal highlights. However, every track on the album is pretty fantastic; there isn’t a bad one on it! It somehow feels both old-school NWOCR while feeling completely modern and new and interesting. I was already a pretty big fan of the band, but this somehow made me an even bigger one. I’d recommend it to anyone, whether you’re into their hard rock style or not. And it’s insane to me that we’re getting so late in the year and are still having such incredible albums being released. This easily gets a 9/10!
Beans on Toast: Wild Goose Chasers
I’m clearly out of the loop, because I had no idea this was gonna be a piano-based album. I’m certainly not complaining though, as this year’s annual release from the Essex singer-songwriter is incredible! It’s half an hour of beautiful, emotion-filled piano-rock ballads, with his signature pop-folk twist. I fell in love with the album from the very first verse and chorus of ‘Faith in the Moon’ and I couldn’t not adore every single second until the last note of ‘Fairy Tale Ending’. Beans is such a fantastic storyteller and songwriter, providing us some incredible, heartfelt lyrics throughout over some really great boogy-woogy piano. Tracks like ‘Boring Dystopia’, ‘Variety’ and ‘The Glorious Fool’ are all huge personal highlights, but there really isn’t a bad track on the album! I enjoyed his last album or two, but this honestly feels like almost a return to form for him, at least from a writing standpoint. It’s crazy that an album so simple is this good, but it gets an easy 9.5/10 from me!
Ice Exiled: Reset the Sky
The debut album of the Finnish prog-power metal band is an absolutely amazing introduction to the band. The clean, folky intro of opener ‘Open Fire’ confused me a little, but we then got some huge screams, technically excellent riffing and some massive, catchy vocal melodies. Then you have awesome tracks like ‘Civilisation Zero’, the epic, folky ‘Bloodfeud’, the almost Melodeath-at-times ‘Reapers Feast’ and ‘Anthropocentrum’ that are all absolutely fantastic. It’s insane that all these different styles blend together so effortlessly, but it’s a true testament to just how talented this band are. They’re honestly up there with Dream Theatre/Periphery in that regard, yet I like it even more as they play more my style of metal! And, given the combination of genres, I’d say eight tracks and 42-minutes is pretty reserved; it went by in a flash and I’d have happily had more!
I’d never heard of this band before I got them emailed to me but damn, they have a new huge fan in me! The talent and songwriting is off the charts, and I especially love the clean, almost flamenco-like guitars, the bass throughout is sick, and the screams are so excellent that I NEED them more often in whatever the band release next. Much like the previous entry into this list, I’d recommend this album to any readers, and if you’re a fan of any of the genre’s I’ve mentioned previously, you’ll surely love it as much as I do. I can’t not, this can get no less than a 10/10!
Fire Action: Until the Heat Dies
Another debut Finnish offering, this sounded like a more AOR Painkiller, and I’m all of the way here for it! Adding synth to the heavier side of NWOBHM is always done to varied results, but the result here is certainly positive. It’s a lot of fun to listen to, and I imagine it’d be even more incredible to hear live! ‘No Drone Zone’ and the more Queensryche-esque ‘Dark Ages’ are personal highlights, but if you’re into this sort of style like I am, you’ll enjoy it all! My only slight issue is that there’s been a lot of great 70s and 80s revival-metal like this this year, and I’m not quite sure this does enough to differentiate itself from the pack. Still, it’s a damn fun listen, and well worth it for fans of the style. It’s also a really fantastic debut release. It’s an easy 7.5/10!
Voodoo Circle: Hail to the King
Oh look, more AOR! Alex Beyrodt once again channels his love of Whitesnake and Deep Purple, yet heavies it up a little, into a seventh album. It took a little growing, but honestly, I really enjoyed this album! The opener didn’t hook me in much, but ‘Let it Rock’ into ‘On the Edge’ won me over fully and I was sold completely by the end of the latter. Then you have tracks like ‘Castles Made of Glas’ and ‘Strangers in the Night’ that are also clear album highlights. Every album is pretty great though, especially if you like this darker AOR style. My only issue with the album is that it’s over an hour long, a little too long for 12 tracks that all sound pretty similar. However, that’s kinda how AOR has always gone, so it wasn’t unexpected. Still, I’d recommend this album to anyone with even a passing interest in 80s rock music, as it’s all written and performed incredibly well! 8/10
Grave with a View: Raw Illumination
This straight-up slab of, you guessed it, Finnish, black metal is certainly not for the faint of heart. It’s yet another debut release, but this one is certainly more niche. Even in my more-into-black-metal state these days, this was a lot for me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s incredibly talented stuff, and as far as straight-up black metal goes, it’s very well done. Heck, the production is even pretty damn good, which is usually not the case with the genre. ‘Wrest’ was probably my favourite track on the album that, while clearly good, I simply couldn’t get into. Live though, I imagine this would SLAP. This is certainly one for all the real heavy fans reading this, but I sadly can’t give this any more than a 5/10. It is personal preference too, after all!
King Mûmakil: Self-Titled
The debut album of a rising metal band close to us, I’ve been friends with them for years so couldn’t not check this out! And damn, I’m glad I did, it’s awesome! It’s doomy, stoner goodness from start to finish, and I loved it. The riffing is amazing, like the perfect blend of Mastodon and QOTSA, while the drums are solid behind. And the vocals fit so perfectly over the top of the instrumentation, too! It has a real old-school, early 2000s feel and sound to it that I really love. That’s in large part to the amazing Tom Platts and Daniel James for recording, mixing and mastering it too, so shoutout to them! Tracks like ‘Civil War’, ‘Locust of Man’ and the closing track are all big personal highlights. However, if you’re a fan of fuzzy, heavy metal music, this is very much the album for you, and you’ll love it all! It’s an incredibly solid debut album, and gets an easy 8/10 from me!
WARPSTOMPER: Self-Titled
Describing themselves as stoner-thrash, this London quartet not only get props for having maybe the coolest artwork of the year, but also for releasing a fucking incredible album! It takes all the good parts of early Mastodon and turns them up to 11, arguably (and controversially) doing it better. The riffing is phat and incredible, the drumming compliments it perfectly and the harsh-ish vocals are amazing, fitting in with the rest fantastically. It’s so hard to even pick highlight tracks as they’re all awesome and it flows together so masterfully; it begs to be listened to as a whole album, cover-to-cover. And, at only seven tracks and under 40-minutes, it’s incredibly easy to do that and goes by in a flash. I can’t recommend this enough for fans of the stoner side of music, and this is easily one of my favourite releases in the genre recently. It gets a solid 8.5/10 from us!
Wolvencrown: Celestial Lands
This is more my sort of black metal. Atmospheric stuff is my jam, and the folky and proggy elements added to the heaviness make for a really interesting listen. I feel like even if you aren’t a fan of the genre, you’ve at least gotta appreciate the art that something like ‘A Spell Nature Cast’ or ‘Ths Path of Life’, right? Like sure, it’s long. It’s an hour spread between six full tracks and two interludes, but that’s part of what makes the album great. It’s epic in every sense of the word, and the band squeeze everything possible out of every idea. It of course isn’t going to be for everyone, but it’s worth a try if you like stuff heavy! 6.5/10
P.S. That artwork is fucking gorgeous!
Denigrate: To the Goddess Unknown
This album is all over the place, and I’m in two minds as to whether I ‘get it’or not. It’s a truly mixed bag too, as sometimes I greatly prefer the slower, blackened-death heavy stuff, while other times I do like the Jeffery ‘Nothing’ Hatrix-style clean vocals. There are times where I don’t like one on a track but like the other, and vice versa. And the almost jump-cutting between the styles throughout makes it rather hard to form a solid opinion on the album as a whole. I think my favourite track, and the one that combined both the best, was ‘The Apparition of One’, but the opener was also pretty good, as was ‘Sesame and Lilies’.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m certainly not saying this is a bad album. It was growing on me slowly the more I listened as I wrote this out, too. But it’s certainly quirky and made it a little harder to get into overall. I think it gets a cautious 7/10, but it could easily go up or down at any moment!
Another week, another collection of awesome EP releases in the rock, metal and country world. Let’s look at some!
Delain: Dance with the Devil
Okay, I’mma have to stop ragging on country now, this is easily the longest EP I’ve checked out! I completely get where they’re coming from though, with the three studio tracks and then the live releases. It’s a way of underlining and highlighting the band’s still-new vocalist, adding her voice to the old tracks in a legacy, yet inventive way. And while there are a whopping 15-tracks on this thing, I’m really only going to focus on the three studio tracks at the start. However, the live tracks are also fantastic, demonstrating how tight the band are and how well Diana has fit in. Also, the instrumental tracks to close were a fun addition.
Now, I have to admit that when the band returned with a new singer and album last year, I wasn’t blown away. I thought it was good, but lacked the spark and intrigue that the band had with Charlotte fronting. Whatever that spark was, they’ve found it here. The opener and title track I’d put up there with any of the band’s prior hits, it really is that good. And honestly, ‘The Reaping’ isn’t hugely far behind it! And while I question the intention behind the re-recording of ‘Sleepwalkers Dream’, there is no denying Diana pulls it off fantastically. All three tracks combine together to breathe new life into the power metal band, and sure proved me wrong from my thoughts last year! This is easily an 8/10!
Georgie Nevada: The Bright Side of the Dark
The debut EP of the rising UK country star is an absolutely amazing listen, and a must for any fans of the genre. Or for any rock or blues fan, for that matter! It’s five excellently-written radio-rock tracks with a country twang to them, and draws from plenty of different sounds and inspirations. I heard everything from The Cadillac Three and Kyle Daniel to Miranda Lambert to Bad Touch to even a bit of Highly Suspect at times, and I can’t complain about any of that! Whether it’s the boot-stomping rock of the opener/title track or the slower, more acoustic-ballad of ‘A Day that Makes Sense’, there is plenty of variety and plenty to love. Honestly, there isn’t a bad track on the EP, it’s impossible to pick specific highlights! Georgia has got a huge future in the burgeoning UK country scene, and this release further proves that! I’d check this out if you are in any way into country, rock or even pop! 9/10
Verbannt: Falsche Versprechen
Another change of pace again in the article as we check out the London black metallers debut EP. It’s rather full on, let me tell you that much! It’s full-on, even for a black metal album, and definitely took me some getting into. However, the band are all insanely talented, both as players and songwriters, and it’s a damn good release in the genre, that’s for sure! I also feel like the timing of an EP detailing the racism immigrants still face in a country they weren’t born in when our brothers across the pond just had that election result is horribly perfect. It’s certainly not gonna be for everyone, and was a lot for even quite a seasoned black metal listener like myself at times, but if you like the genre it’s definitely worth checking out. It’s one hell of a debut release, and shows the sky is the limit for the band 7/10
Sol Invicto: Loosely Aware
This release has been a pretty long time coming, and is highly anticipated at this point! The love-child of Deftones’ Stephen Carpenter and Eric Bobo of Cypress Hill have been teasing something for years, making this announcement just over a month ago, and it’s finally here! Rounding out the lineup is Sikth’s Dan Foord on drums and Sean Plague of Plague to Pyres offering his scream.
And honestly, if you’re into quirky-heavy alt-death metal, it is certainly worth the wait! I definitely hear the Deftones and also the Sikth in there, and it also has heavy elements of Mr Bungle I feel. Sadly, outside of Sikth neither band is really my sort of thing, and I didn’t get that much out of these three tracks. I completely get the appeal of it, and I imagine I’d love it live, but I’ve listened to the tracks multiple times and something just isn’t clicking for me. The band are super talented, but I almost feel like it’s not the combination of members of the bands that I’d actually want to hear together, if that makes sense? Still, it’s not bad by any stretch, and gets a 6.5/10!
The Finnish melodic, blackened death metal band are back with their sophomore album, and anticipation is pretty high. Following up from their more folk-infused 2022 EP is going to be a rough task, but if anyone can rise to the task, it’ll surely be these guys. Let’s dive right in with our review!
After the intro track brilliantly builds through the use of various ancient folk instruments, ‘Mani’ explodes in immediately with the death metal. The crushingly heavy wall of a riff sets the rest of the tone for the album, providing just enough melody on top of the heaviness. It’s clear to hear their black metal influences with the tremolo lead too, which is a fantastic touch. The screams are low and growled at times, refreshing as I’d expect it all to be extreme, Dani Filth style vocals given the instrumentation behind them. We even get some clean, almost spoken-word vocals that are awesome too, and fit the tone of the track so well! It all combines perfectly to form something heavy, dark and yet with plenty of melody and depth behind it. It’s an awesome way to open the album!
Single ‘Fenrir’ is up next, having an almost symphonic edge to the sound at times. Don’t get me wrong, it is still heavy and death/extreme metal for the most part, but it does have an ever so slightly catchier feel to it, making it a fantastic choice for a single. Heck, the chorus even borders on catchy, which is almost unheard of in music this heavy. The screams throughout are incredible, be them growls or higher, and they fit the quick, brutal backing instrumentation perfectly. And that drop down to the folky stuff in the middle was really awesome too, building back up perfectly. I really loved this song, and it was one that easily made its way onto our playlist!
The pace picks up even more for ‘Suden Hetki’, it being a true death metal song through and through. However, it still has elements of melodeath in the chorus, including some more amazing, surprisingly fitting clean vocals. We also get a ‘bleh’ in here, which is never a bad thing! My only complaint for the track is that it arguably ended too soon, I’d have happily taken another minute or so with a bridge and final chorus etc. Still, it’s another excellent song, and the second in a row to make the playlist.
The transition between the previous track and single ‘Creator of Abyss’ is a tad jarring, the end of the former building the tribal instruments again before that immediately disappears as a single, rather far-back-in-the-mix guitar riff comes in. It’s a damn good riff, especially when the rest of the band join in, but didn’t fit after ‘Suden’ very nicely. The stop-gaps in the verses are incredible; so well written and performed and a real highlight of the whole album, honestly. And while another insanely heavy song, it does lean into more of the theatrical extreme metal side of things around the 1:40 mark, sounding like the perfect blend of Cradle of Filth and Wednesday 13. It was awesome! It’s another all-round fantastic song on an album so far packed full of them!
‘Waves’ was where I started to feel the length of the album just a touch. Yes, we’re only six tracks in, and it is another fantastic, slightly more black metal-esque song. However, the album is 14 tracks long in total, and songs like the aforementioned one, the title track, ‘Ghost from the Past’ and ‘Rahku’ are all at a pretty similar level. It’s an awesome level for sure, and the occasional interlude tracks breaking up the heaviness were a nice touch. They were honestly the most interesting parts for me as, while the full tracks were also amazing, they kinda started blurring together a bit by the end. If the band could find a way to incorporate the two elements together slightly more, I may have kept my attention span a little longer. Still, again, don’t let this take away from the songs, each is amazing in its own right. It’s just this humble writer’s opinion.
The track in the second half that did stand out to me, however, is the epic ‘Sòl’. It’s the one full track that feels different to the rest, being more of a ballad than any other song on the release. It almost has a gothic edge to it; the low vocals and the clean guitars sound awesome! And then it builds to a still heavy, screamed yet catchy chorus. And that throat singing at the end, I have no idea where it came from but it was AWESOME. Another amazing song, and yet another that makes it onto our playlist!
Overall: This is a fantastic album still, despite my slight gripes with it. There is so much great death, black and folk metal on this album, and so many tracks that stand out. It also has a pretty decent flow through the album, with plenty of cool folky interludes and stuff. I just felt a slight lul in the middle after such a strong first few tracks, and the incredible closing 10 minutes or so. Still, this is how you return with your second album, it’s amazing and something that I will certainly be listening to in full a fair bit in the coming weeks and months. If you are into the heavy stuff at all, check this out, I’m sure you’ll love it as much as I did!
