A quieter week as we wind down towards the end of the year, but still eight awesome albums for us to dive into! Let’s check them out!
Equilibrium: Equinox
The German folk metallers returned with their first new studio album in six years this last Friday. I’m glad they’re back too, as this is an awesome release! It’s epic, heavy and melodic in all the right ways. I also love that while it’s still got plenty of traditional elements and sounds, it’s also modernised with some huge production and some synths. Heck, it even has elements of melodeath or metalcore in there too, which is truly awesome and an incredibly unique sound! Tracks like ‘Awakening’, ‘Gnosis’, the nu-metal-infused ‘I’ll be Thunder’ and the epic ‘Nexus’ are all personal highlights. However, every song on this is awesome and flows so well with a couple of great interlude tracks scattered throughout. It really does have something for everyone here, and if you are at all into metal I cannot recommend checking it out enough! The band have a big new fan in me, and I can’t give this any less than 8.5/10!
Soho Dukes: Nighthawks, Acrobats and Everything Under the Moon
Releasing just in time for their tour with the mighty Quireboys, the old-school rockers’ third studio album is somehow a step up from their previous two last year! It’s a throwback to the 70s and 80s in the best way, giving off vibes of everything from their tour headliners to Thunder to even Madness. It also gives a fair bit of Night Flight Orchestra vibes, which definitely isn’t an issue! It’s just a lot of fun, and impossible not to have a good time when listening. The instrumentation is amazing and honestly feels like some lost arrangements these days; the heavy focus on piano and sax being very appreciated! That’s not to say the rest of the band aren’t talented too, everyone works their asses off here, from drums to guitars to vocals. It’s also incredibly hard to pick highlight tracks, as I found myself loving every single song on this release! However, the Spike-featuring single ‘A Stone’s Throw’ is hard not to adore, given how big of a fan of Quireboys I am. It all has that big band feel to it that I love, and am absolutely desperate to see live already! If you are at all into old-school sleaze rock, this is very much the album for you. As I say, they’ve somehow topped their awesome previous two releases with this, and I can’t give it any less than 9/10!
Blut Aus Nord: Ethereal Horizons
This epic slab of French black/avant-garde metal goes hard from start to finish; a full 51 minutes of atmosphere, darkness and heaviness. And honestly, I kinda love it! Longtime readers here know that I’ve never been the biggest fan of straight-up black metal. However, when it has something different or extra about it, like here, I can’t help but enjoy it! It’s just seven songs, but each are as grandiose as the last, and all paint a fantastic picture of this album as a whole. Because of that, it is also incredibly hard to pick highlight tracks, the whole thing feeling more like one big piece. It’s certainly not for everyone, and even if you’re a fan of the style it’s still a pretty big undertaking. Still, if you have the time, this is a damn rewarding listen, and I’d certainly recommend sitting down and checking it out in full! It’s not something I’d revisit often, but still gets a solid 7/10 from us!
Treaty Oak Revival: West Texas Degenerate
The third studio album from the Southern rock band looks to follow up their highly successful 2023 release. It’s at very least an interesting style, that Koe Wetzel combination of post-hardcore/midwest emo with country. However, the more I listen to this sort of sound, the quickly I’ve gotten a little bored of it. It’s gotten old fast for me. Though, I do have to say I enjoyed this more than the last few Koe albums, it keeping the heaviness a bit more consistently throughout. Tracks like ‘Shit Hill’, ‘Withdrawals’, the Muscadine Bloodline-featuring ‘Misery’ and ‘Happy Face’ are all personal highlights. However, it is all pretty similar, and is slightly hard to get through in one sitting, I have to say. They are clearly a massive band with a huge fanbase, so if you like them then you’ll definitely lovethis new album! However, outside of the aforementioned tracks, it didn’t do a great deal for me, and I wouldn’t rush to revisit it, even if I’d happily have the album on again in the background. Not bad, but I can’t give it much more than 6.5/10, it was too samey!
Tickles: Sugar & Plastic Plates
The debut album from the noise rock quartet is a fantastic introduction to the band! It’s a damn popular sound at the minute, and it’s done to practically perfection here. It’s indie, hardcore and hard rock all mushed together, and is a lot of fun for its entire 37-minute runtime! I’m not typically into the Soft Play/Turnstile stuff all too much on track, but I loved this a lot from the very first track. Songs like ‘The Safest Car’, ‘Haunted’ and the rather epic closer are personal highlights, but honestly there isn’t a bad track on the album and it goes by in a flash! If you are at all into this sort of style of music, I cannot recommend this album enough. They have a big new fan in me immediately and they are definitely ones to watch; if they keep putting out music of this high quality, they’ll be a big name sooner rather than later! I can’t give it any less than 8/10!
Black Dog Moon: Hell and Back
This is a pretty great, interesting album, ever so slightly held back by a bad track arrangement. In the nicest way possible, ‘The Prophecy’, while not a bad song, is a terrible opener That honestly had me worried for the rest of the album. However, then that grungy, punky NWOBHM riff of ‘Neon Queen’ comes in and blows me away, every damn time. Then you have other up-tempo bangers like ‘1985’, ‘Heavy Shot of Love’ and the title track that are also awesome! And even other slower tracks like ‘Leaving Town’, the early-Maiden-like ‘Holy War’ and the bluesy ‘Gratitude’ are all just as good! However, the album definitely takes a bit of getting going, and goes out with an admittedly epic whimper. But, that doesn’t mean it isn’t still a great album. They draw together so many sounds and influences, from heavy metal to hard rock, punk to even some R.E.M., and the vast majority of the tracks are incredible and already lodged firmly in my head! For just their second album this is amazing, and has very much made me want to go back and check out their debut! Any rock fans reading this (all of you, surely), this is one for you, and I can’t give it any less than 8.5/10!
Mourning Wood: Murder of Crows
C’mon, with a name like that I couldn’t not check this out! The debut album from the Finnish classic metal four-piece perfectly blends a sleazy, AOR-based sound with their slightly tongue-in-cheek brand of humour. It’s a great old-school 80s sound and vibe, and tracks like ‘Feeling Good’, ‘Down in the Dirt’ and ‘A Grave Vacation’ are big personal highlights. However, it’s an incredibly easy, fun 32 minutes of an album, not taking itself too seriously and going by in a flash. If any/all of that sounds good to you, I’d definitely recommend checking this out as soon as you can! There’s not much else to say about the album honestly, it’s straight-forward in the best way and gets a solid 7.5/10 from us!
Corpus Delicti: Liminal
The first new studio album from the French gothic rock band in two decades, this release caps off the bands reunion in a massive, perfect way. The band somehow pick up right where they left off in 1995 too, with their brand of dark, grandiose post-punk/new-wave sound and writing. And, while admittedly this isn’t the sort of sound I find myself gravitating towards often, this band do it so well and I had a blast listening to it, doing so in one sitting! ‘Room 36’, the Dead Kennedys-like ‘Chaos’ and ‘Out of Steam’ are all personal highlights, but there certainly isn’t a bad track on here! The band are insanely talented songwriters and players, and it’s amazing to have them finally writing new music again. It’s so cool to hear this style of music coming back, and it’s definitely growing on me more and more with each awesome album being released into it. Check this out even if you aren’t necessarily into the genre, you’re bound to find something to love here! 8/10
A pretty stacked week of new album awesomeness! Join us in checking it all out!
Drake Milligan: Tumbleweed
Of course we’ve already checked out this album! Find out review of it here.
Finger Eleven: Last Night on Earth
Somehow, this band have never really been on my radar. Potentially because it’s been nearly 11 years since their last album. However, I’m glad I’ve finally checked them out, because this is an excellent album! It’s like everything I’ve wanted the last two Bush albums to be; a heavy, slightly proggy radio-friendly alt-rock. Like that meets modern Chevelle and early Tool, it’s fucking awesome! The riffs are fantastic, and it’s packed full of catchy, melodic choruses and moments, too. It’s hard to pick highlights as all of it is amazing, and the arrangement of the tracks is arguably perfect, there not being a dull moment across the whole 40 minutes. I honestly can’t gush over it enough. They are very much from that generation of music that I love and have nostalgia for, so while I don’t know them that’s probably part of it. However, it’s truly an excellently written and performed album, and one that has made me a big fan of the band immediately. I’ll be going back and checking out their older stuff for sure, but while I don’t know I’ll also be spinning this a bunch! An incredibly easy 9/10! Check this out if you’re at all into that turn-of-the-millennium alt rock/metal sound!
Jake Owen: Dreams to Dream
Album number eight from the Florida country star follows up 2023’s Loose Cannon rather well. Going back, I didn’t like said album much. I do think I appreciate a more old-school style nowadays, and I very much appreciate that this is a well written, well performed album. But fuck is it a little boring. Tracks like ‘Long Time Lovin’ You’ and the ever so slightly rocky ‘Chill of December’ are personal highlights, but a lot of the rest is very similar and all pretty slow. And that for 44 minutes is a LOT of meh. As I said, I completely get that there are plenty of fans of this style out there, but I am very much not one of them. I sadly can’t give this any more than a 4/10 as an album as a whole, sorry!
Agonistic Front: Echos in Eternity
The next entry into the stellar return of hardcore music this year, one of the godfathers of the year put out another incredible entry into their now 13-album discography. It’s arguably not a surprise that this sort of music has had a surge recently due to the current state of the world, but it’s a great outlet for frustration and anger, which is what this release is full of. From the excellent opener ‘Way of War’ through ‘Matter of Life and Death’, ‘I Can’t Win’ to ‘Skip the Trial’, there are so many awesome songs! Every track is amazing though, it being a fantastic, tight 27-minutes of old-school hardcore music. While arguably not quite up there with their contemporaries’ releases this year like Biohazardor Stray from the Path, it’s still an excellent album in its own right and well worth checking out if you are at all into the style. They’ve had a real solid output over the last decade, and this is a great addition to their awesome discography. A very solid 8/10 from us!
Caskets: The Only Heaven You’ll Know
This is an album I really wished I liked. The third album from the post-hardcore alt metalcore Brits has plenty of stuff that I love on it. There is plenty of amazing heaviness, and more than a few awesome melodic moments, be it from the instrumentation or the big, clean choruses. However, for some reason it just doesn’t work together for me. I arguably preferred the slightly more pop-metal stuff over the heavier stuff, surprisingly. ‘Closure’ was my favourite track on the album by far, and it just gave me big ONE OK ROCK vibes. It was catchy but still had the chunky riffs, which some of the even lighter tracks don’t have. ‘Make me a Martyr’ is also a banger. However, the screams for the opening tracks (as much as I love Make Them Suffer) and a few of the rest of the tracks all blend together into a similar soundscape. It makes for a solid album, but did lose my interest again by the end after gaining it with the epic title track. It may grow on me more with more listens, and it certainly isn’t a bad album, but with what the band are like I certainly wanted to LOVE this, and I came away with just thinking its good. For now it gets a 7.5/10, but it may get higher with another listen or two! If you are a fan of the style or band, this is still well worth checking out!
Vincent Mason: There I Go
The debut album from the fast-rising country megastar somehow tops everything he’s put out so far, and that’s saying a lot! He somehow feels like the perfect blend of Evan Honer and Newton Faulkner, and has capped off the first stage of his career perfectly with this incredible release. It’s an incredible blend of country and the modern indie-Americana sound that has grown so popular recently. It’s a lot of fun, and is honestly packed to the rafters with incredible highlights! From the opening two tracks to ‘Anything Took Everything’, ‘Painkiller’ and ‘Wish You Well’, there are so many songs I’m already obsessed with. There honestly isn’t a bad song on here though, it’s 44-minutes of amazing, catchy country-esque music that goes by in a flash. If you are at all curious I cannot recommend checking this out enough, and it’s definitely made me a bigger fan of his, that’s for sure. An incredibly solid 9/10, and I’ll be listening to this plenty in the coming weeks and months!
Pupil Slicer: Fleshwork
The third album from the British mathcore trio looks to capitalise on the bands growing success since Covid, and does so in rather spectacular fashion! Firstly, THE RIFFS. Whether it’s main ones or breakdowns, the guitaring goes hard throughout, though that’s probably expected given the ‘math’ part. The vocals are taking a touch of getting used to, but it at very least fits the rest of the music well! I feel like it’s the sort of music that I’d fuck with a lot more in a live setting, but I still enjoyed it on track too. It’s chaotic, brutally heavy metal that combines math, industrial and even black metal alongside its hardcore roots. Tracks like single ‘Sacrosanct’, the title one and ‘White Noise’ are personal highlights. However, if you’re into this sort of music, you’ll certainly enjoy the album as a whole! While not completely my sort of thing, I more than get the appeal and appreciate the talent on display throughout, and definitely dig a good lot of it. So, it gets a solid 7/10 from us!
Luna Marble: Self-Titled
The highly anticipated debut album from the folky gothic blues rock four-piece finally dropped this last Friday. It’s damn good, and fits perfectly with the current NWOCR scene! It reminds me a lot of Brave Rival or These Wicked Rivers, but with their own 70s-tinged twist on it. I also love the mix, it feeling almost live, which in an era of super produced music is a breath of fresh air. Tracks like ‘All of my Love’, the jazz-bass-solo-featuring ‘So Long’, ‘Redemption’ and ‘Waves’ are all huge highlights, though there really isn’t a bad track throughout! The band are so damn talented, both at their chosen instrument and as songwriters collectively, and I’d recommend this release to anyone, whether they’re into the genre or not! They have a huge future ahead of them, and this is a fantastic debut to jump off from. They have a huge new fan in me, and I can’t give it any less than yet another huge 9/10!
Midlake: A Bridge to Far
Album number six from the cinematic folk-rockers is certainly made for those who partake, so to speak. It very much gives me Grateful Dead vibes. And, to let you in on a little secret… I really don’t get Grateful Dead. I get the appeal, I do, but goddamn was this a boring release. I was done with it after the third track, and the nearly 40-minutes of this very much did me in. The closest thing to entertained I got was ‘The Ghouls’, and even that was a stretch. The band are talented players and songwriters, but I am definitely not the target audience here. If you like it awesome, but I’m going to give it a sad 3/10 and move on quickly.
White Lies: Night Light
The London-based indie/alt rock trio feel like they go all out on album number seven! I do like a bit of Simple Minds/Pulp style New Wave every so often, and this band bring that vibe to a modern sound pretty perfectly. It’s huge, catchy and truly epic throughout. From ‘All the Best’ to ‘Juice’ to ‘I Just Wanna Win One Time’, there are plenty of great songs throughout. It’s a very easy 43-minute listen too, it going by in a flash. It’s quirky yet catchy in equal measure, and I’m so glad that bands like this are still making music this great. While I was familiar with them, they’re another band that now have an active new fan in me, and I’ll be listening to this plenty in the coming weeks and months. An incredibly solid and unexpected 8.5/10!
This has somehow been both highly anticipated by me for ages, yet also came out of nowhere. Announced officially less than a month ago and only having two singles put out pre-release, it kinda feels like it’s been a fast project. However, I’ve heard at least two others when seeing him over the last 18 months, and in that time my hype has grown more and more. He is easily one of my favourite country stars currently around,no secrets there, and I truly believe this could be the album to take him to megastardom, if it’s as good as I hope. Without further ado, let’s dive in.
‘Cryin’ Shoulder’ is the perfect way to open this album. It’s also a song I completely forgot I’d heard before until now. It’s a simple, neo-traditional country track very much in a style of Brooks and Dunn. Heck, it’s barely two minutes long, but so damn catchy; a real earworm of a chorus! And not only that, but they still manage to squeeze in a cheeky little solo in the middle! It’s everything that Drake is about wrapped up into a neat little package, and kicks things off in style!
‘Hearts Together’ keeps the classic vibes rolling, this time in much more of an Elvis style. It’s a fantastic love song, packed full of perfect harmonies, some great lead guitaring and some excellent fiddle from Miss Kelly Hagen. I love that this sort of sound has really made its way back to the mainstream, with both Zach Topand Neon Union also doing it fantastically just this year alone. It’s of course another infectiously catchy track, and one that I can already invision being a firm favourite live. It also has one of my favourite solos from Ryan DeMers, it fitting the track excellently. The wife is going to love the song too, that’s for sure!
The title track has been stuck in my head periodically since I first heard it at TLR back in August. Hell, I even reacted to it when the studio version dropped and got even more obsessed. It’s arguably the perfect slow country ballad, and a cracking choice for a single. The lyrics are heartfelt and Drake delivers them with so much emotion, making you feel every line. And, of course, his band go hard throughout, the track building perfectly throughout and sounding truly epic by the end. And yes, both the pre and the chorus are catchy as hell. It’s as great on track as it is live, and a huge early highlight of the album. It’s been on our playlist since the day it was released!
‘Turn it Off’ keeps the pace slower and chilled, but Drake’s charisma eeks through still, keeping it constantly interesting. It’s another beautiful love ballad too, a style that he does to perfection. It reminds me of Everette’s ‘She Got That From Me’ (which is a MASSIVE compliment, trust me) but a positive version, like the negative of that track. It’s another simple song, a steady pace and simple arrangement, but there’s just something about when Drake does this sort of thing, man. His vocals are smooth as velvet throughout, them definitely being the focal point and highlight of the track. To the shock of I’m sure no one, it’s another excellent song!
Tracks like ‘Like the Moon’ and ‘Good as Gone’ are more slower, Midland-esque songs. That certainly isn’t a bad thing as both songs are still excellent. However, we have had a few similarly paced tracks in a row now, and it’s gotten a little hard to talk about them without repeating myself.
‘Slow Dancing to a Fast Song’ has been a firm favourite live over the last 18 months now, and it’s easy to hear why. I’ve heard it both timesI’ve seen him live, and it’s somehow just as good on track as it is in that setting. It’s such a fun concept for a song and is pulled off to perfection by Drake et al. From the excellent, catchy chorus to the fun, bouncy verses to some awesome lead lines again from the guitar and fiddle, it’s all so well done! Another firm highlight for the album, not that I ever doubted that it would be, and another that easily makes our playlist.
Another single and another we’ve already checked out, ‘Old Flames, Old whiskey’, is of course another banger. It’s a chorus ripped straight out of 90s country music, and it’s nice to have two upbeat tracks in a row. It’s another track that I’ve gushed over plenty since the moment it was released. It’s a simple, straight-to-the-point track that any country fan is bound to love! And yes, of course it’s another highlight!
‘Girl Like You’ is another catchy, up-tempo track, and one that will surely be a massive single in the months to come. Opening on another insanely catchy chorus, topped off with Drake’s cheeky charm, and keeping the bounce tempo up through the verses, it’s another welcome rockier track. It’s another simple, radio-friendly formula and structure, but is written and performed fantastically. The whole band is truly incredible, and I especially like the subtle keys throughout the track. It’s another that I want to hear live, as all the parts would be excellent!
Tracks like ‘Hard Headed Cowboy’ and ‘Lonely:30’ are more slower, traditional country stuff. It’s very Willie Nelson or Hank II, but in the best possible way. Both tracks are awesome, and fit well after a few faster numbers. Meanwhile both ‘Goodbye Ain’t All that Bad’ and ‘Talk Texas’ are still stripped back, but more up-tempo. The former honestly reminds me of his Christmas song, which isn’t at all a bad thing! It’s my favourite of the two, mainly due to the great fiddle melody and some great lead guitar throughout. The vocals and harmonies are great throughout, but it feels like the instrumentation is more of a focal point. Meanwhile ‘Talk Texas’ is just a damn fun, simple, bouncy track! It’s minimalistic drums and bass, focusing on the vocals and lead guitar and fiddle was awesome, and makes for a great late-album song.
‘How Much Beer’ is yet another track I’ve heard before, but we didn’t get a feature from the amazing Randall King live! It’s another song that’s destined to be a huge radio single, giving big early 2000s country vibes. It was also fantastic live, and went down a storm with an unfamiliar audience. It’s a catchy, blues-rock-based track, and both King and Milligan work perfectly together. Honestly, my only gripe is that it’s the album closer, I feel it would have worked better being earlier on, maybe swap with Tumbleweed. However, there’s a reason he’s a massive music star and I’m not, I guess! If you’re a fan of the light-hearted, boot-stompin’ side of country, I’d definitely recommend you check this out over an other on the release! It’s a lot of fun, and still a good way to close out the release; I just think it’s good enough to be close to the front. And the half time rockin’ at the end… DAMN… fucking awesome!
Overall: Of course, I loved this! I’d heard a third of it before its release so was almost guaranteed to, but it’s so good to finally have it out and get to check it out in full! Drake’s vocals and songwriting in his genre are second to none at this point, and he showcases both perfectly here. And, as I’ve said before, he has one of the best backing bands on the scene too, all getting their time to shine plenty throughout. I think the track order will take a touch of getting used to, as like I said, it’s not how I’d have arranged the album. But I’ll be listening to this plenty in the coming weeks, I’m sure it’ll grow on me even more! I think it was always going to be a tall task comparing this to his debut, but both are packed full of incredible country tracks, I think they’re just different as opposed to one over the other. This is an excellent release, and one I’d recommend to anyone!
A stacked Halloween edition of New Music Mondays this week, and some awesome albums for us to check out!
Creeper: Sanguivore II: Mistress of Death
I have been SO DAMN EXCITED for this album to come out since it was announced. Part one is one of the best albums of the decade, fight me, and from what I’ve heardfrom this album so far it’s looking to be more of the same! I’m loving this modernised 80s gothic revival sound that is making a comeback recently with the likes of Ghost, but none do it quite like Creeper! Their blend of Billy Idol, Type O and a vague hint of their early MCR influence makes for a really interesting listen, especially when blended with their current horror/vampire storytelling and aesthetic.
All three singles so far have been incredible, with ‘Headstones’ being up there with one of the best tracks of the year. However, the album tracks are up there too, being fucking awesome! ‘Parasite’, the epic closer and the dark jazz-like, Hannah-led ‘Razor Wire’ are also awesome tracks! I have to say, initially, it’s not quite as good as its first part. However, that one grew on me with more listens, and there is no doubting this one will too. Either way, it’s a very solid companion release to their 2023 output, and the perfect release for its Halloween date.
The band have really captured lightening in a bottle with Sanguivore, and have really come into their own as players and songwriters. Even if you don’t think it’s your sort of thing, check it out, as it’s well worth at least one listen from everyone! It’s an awesome rock album, and gets a solid 9/10, with potential to get even higher with another few listens!
Avatar: Don’t Go in the Forest
Another band that of course we are very familiar with. From loving their last albumto also reacting to a track from this already, our hype for this is high. However, I have somehow only heard ‘In the Airwaves’ from it so far though, so I’m excited to hear the rest!
‘Tonight We Must Be Warriors’ is a phenomenal opener and song in its own right, being heavy and epic in equal measure. The title track is another awesome single. Songs like ‘Death and Glitz’, ‘Dead and Gone and Back Again’ and the closer are also amazing and big highlights, though there really isn’t a bad track on the album. No one out there sounds like Avatar, their have such a quirky blend of heavy, power and alt metal, and it always makes for an interesting listen. As much as I enjoyed Dance Devil Dance, I think this may be even better than it, being up there with Black Waltz or Hunter Gatherer for me. It had so many amazing, catchy moments, and doesn’t get at all boring in its 47-minute runtime. The band should be so much bigger than they are globally, and their output over the last decade plus has been something truly special, and something they keep adding to brick by fantastic brick. Another very easy 9/10 from me!
Greensky Bluegrass: XXV
The modern bluegrass legends’ first new studio album in over three years marks the longest gap between albums the band have ever had. They clearly used that time to refine their sound and writing, as this is an incredible release! Bluegrass music is so damn talented in terms of playing as is, so the instrumentation blew me away throughout. However, these guys are also incredible songwriters. From the opener to ‘Reverend’, ‘Past my Prime’ to the closer, there’s a whole lot to love here, from the playing to the lyrics. All of the guests added so much to the tracks too; from Holly Bowling to Nathaniel Rateliff to the incredible Billy Strings to others, they all killed it! My only issue is the length. 85-minutes is a lot anyway, and when it’s all fairly similar music and a lot of it is on the slower side, it can definitely get a lot! But still, if you like bluegrass music, this is very much a release to check out, and they are clearly doing something right as they are damn popular in the scene. An easy 7.5/10, good stuff!
Smash Into Pieces: ARMAHEAVEN
Album number nine from the Swedish pop-metal/alt-rock band comes just 12 years after their debut, an insane statistic that shows just how hard working the quartet are. However, that has not at all reduced the quality of their work. The band are all about huge, arena-filling choruses and a massive, guitar and synth-driven sound, and this album is very much more of that. We’ve already checked outsingle ‘Man or Machine’ and loved it, but songs like ‘Villain’, ‘Maze of Fools’, ‘Hurricane’ and the beautiful ballad ‘A Sky Full of Stars’ are up there too as massive highlights! It’s a rather large undertaking of 15-tracks, and I do have to admit that it did get a little samey after a while. However, each track is that good I’d struggle to cut any of them! If you’re into your more pop-based rock, this is definitely an album for you! I’ll certainly be listening to this again soon, and I can’t give it any less than 8/10!
Deez Nuts: Saudade
The Aussie hardcore titans are back with their first album in six years, their biggest gap between releases by quite a margin. The band have clearly used that time to refine their sound even more, because this is a really fantastic release! ‘ICU’ opens things perfectly, setting the stage for the rest of the album. Then you have tracks like singles ‘Kill This Shit’ and ‘Hang the Hangman’, as well as songs like ‘Russian Roulette’ and ‘Give ’em Hell’, all of which are massive other highlights! It’s 30 minutes of awesome, angry, foot-stompin’ music, and I love it! It feels like a year of hardcore’s return, with the likes of Biohazard, Stray From the Path and Turnstile all putting out massive releases, and this very much stands up there alongside those. I cannot recommend this enough to anyone at all into the metal side of music, and it’s certainly going to be one I spin plenty in the weeks and months to come! An incredibly easy 8.5/10, and GODDAMNdo I want to see this live!
Luvcat: Vicious Delicious
An artist I discovered just the other day from TikTok of all places as she advertised the release of this, her debut album, I’m so glad I did as I am instantly a fan! Described as dark-pop, it could not be more fitting; having elements of alt rock, folk and even smoky jazz bar vibes in the best way. From the excellent opener to ‘Dinner @ Brasserie Zédel’ to ‘Blushing’, there are plenty of highlights. And, despite it being nearly 50 minutes in length, it went by in a flash, there not being a bad track on the album. Sophie and her recent band are clearly all incredibly talented players and songwriters, and have crafted something truly unique and special here. She’s clearly build a pretty big following over the years anyway, and this album will surely boost her to a whole new audience. Luvcat are set for big things, and it’s an easy 8/10 from us!
Solence: ANGELS CALLING
This is definitely an interesting release for me! While I am definitely a fanof their music, I’m much more familiar with their more light-hearted singles output. So, to listen through their slightly more serious album release is definitely pretty fascinating. Don’t get me wrong, instrumentally they’re still pretty similar, the chunky riffing, heavy drums, electronic elements and catchy clean vocals mixed with some excellent screams. But it definitely has more of a darker, serious tone to it.
And, thankfully, it’s a style that the band do just as well as their sillier stuff! While the title track didn’t hook me much, ‘Monsters in my Head’ is an excellent song and huge highlight, and starts a run of form for much of the rest of the album! There isn’t a bad track on this and it’s the perfect blend of metalcore and more European electro-pop. A particular highlight is ‘All of the Pain Must Go’, a track I’ve been impatiently waiting to be released since they treated us to it at Graspop last year. Plus, it’s in and out in 27 minutes, short and sweet and straight to the point! The band are all incredibly talented and it’s no wonder they’ve risen to their level in such quick order. This is their fifth album in just six years, an insane feat, and even more insane when it’s of such high quality. They’re awesome, and if you’re into rock or metal at all, I cannot recommend this release enough! Another incredibly solid 8.5/10!
Guided by Voices: Thick Rich and Delicious
I’ve lost track of how many of the indie rockers’ albums I’ve reviewed recently. I think this is number four, with me just missing Strut of Kings recently. I hate to say it, but it’s just even more of the same from the band. I’m not at all knocking their work ethic, but they’ve put out 40+ studio albums in their 38 years releasing music. Maybe if they took a little more time writing and producing, they’d make more interesting music… just saying. This isn’t even the worst album I’ve listened to from them, either. Tracks like ‘Oxford Talawanda’ and the one-two-punch of ‘Dance of the Picnic Ants’ into ‘Xeno Urban’ are good, fun listens. However, it’s all pretty slow-mid tempo, done-before, old-school indie rock. It will surely have its fans, but I am not one. The band are all clearly very talented, I just wish they’d push the boat out and get creative every so often. For that, I can’t give it any less than 3.5/10. I struggled to listen to it in full.
Despised Icon: Shadow Work
The Canadian deathcore outfit return with album seven, six years after their last studio offering. To say it goes hard would honestly be an understatement. This thing is HEAVY and brutal for its full 36 minute runtime, and it’s fucking excellent! Whether it’s their sole tracks like the opener or ‘Obsessive Compulsive Disaster’ or ‘Over my Dead Body’ and ‘Reaper’ featuring Matt Honeycutt, Tom Barber and Scott Ian Lewis respectively, they are all so damn good. From the crushing guitars to the incredible drums to some of the most aggressive screams I’ve heard in a while, it’s all performed perfectly. It certainly won’t be for everyone, but at a time of resurgence in the deathcore genre, it’s awesome that one of the godfathers of the genre returned to show they are very much still at the front of the pack. I’ll be spinning this plenty through the rest of the year, and am already desperate to hear all of it live! Yet another damn solid 8.5/10 from us!
Slug Boys: LISTEN TO SLUG BOYS.
Well, you heard them! The debut album from the Norwegian punkers finally dropped last Friday to plenty of hype, and it’s easy to hear why. This is a damn fun listen from start to finish! It’s heavy, bordering on hardcore at times, and had me constantly wanting to headbang and dance. Think Misfits meets Decedents, but a touch heavier! It’s also incredibly hard to pick highlight tracks, as I found myself liking every single one! It’s a perfectly concise 30 minutes of bouncy indie-punk-metal, and the band very much have a new fan in me! There isn’t even much else I can say, if you’re into any of the genres I’ve mentioned already I can’t recommend this release enough! The band have a bright future internationally, and this album is the perfect jumping off point for that. It’s rare I’m this into this particular flavour of music, but it’s packed full of earworms that are going to be stuck in my head for days to come. An easy 9/10!
Laura Cox: Trouble Coming
The fourth album from the modern guitar goddess has been set to be her biggest yet, and certainly doesn’t disappoint. The perfect blend of blues, hard and classic rock, her immense talent as a player and songwriter is on display right from the get go. ‘No Need to Try Harder’ is an excellent opener and a big highlight, alongside the likes of the title track, the folky ‘Out of the Blue’ and ‘Rise Together’. From the riffs to the lyrics throughout, it’s all so well written, and certainly feels like a step up from her previous work. It’s incredibly varied and makes for a constantly interesting listen throughout, always something that I hugely appreciate. If you like any of the genres mentioned above, check this out as soon as you can, it’s definitely worth a listen! Hopefully I can see it live soon, and I already just want to hear more. Until then though, this gets a very easy 8/10!
Sarayasign: Shadows of the Dying Light
Cinematic hard rock is the perfect way to describe this awesome quartet. Three albums in and the band very much feel like they have hit their stride, producing this awesome hour + journey of modern rock music. There are so many bands I feel like I can compare it to, from Alter Bridge to Daughtry, Foreigner to Bon Jovi to even lesser known bands like Painside. I was very much hooked from the very first track, too. And, to my shock, I was hooked for the next 67 minutes. My attention span isn’t great, so normally long albums are a bit of a struggle at times. However, these guys are so damn talented at crafting their music that I just got lost in the epicness. From the riffs to the melody, it was all incredible. It’s AOR in the best possible way, and how it was designed to be. And, because of all of this, I once again can’t pick a highlight track; it’s all so good and flows perfectly! Do yourself a favour and find an hour to sit down and listen to this through, and thank me later! Hopefully this is the album to finally push them into the mainstream a bit, as they very much deserve it! I can’t give it any less than 9.5/10!
A quieter but still pretty stacked week of new albums for us to check out!
HARDY: COUNTRY! COUNTRY!
The third album we’ve checked out from the (shock) country star, and thank god it’s at least better than his last one! I was so obsessed with Mockingbird and the Crow, so Quiet! felt like a bit of a letdown in comparison.
This release very much does a good job of getting him back on track. There’s a LOT of fantastic stuff on here, from the opener through ‘Luckiest Man Alive’ and ‘Girl With a Gun’ to the likes of ‘Who Don’t’, ‘Gun to my Head’ and the wonderfully tongue-in-cheek ‘Y’all Need Jesus’ (though I did get called out by a line in it too, lol). And honestly, having named a bunch, I still wouldn’t say any of the other tracks are in any way bad! For an album that’s 20 tracks and 69 (nice) minutes long, that’s a pretty fantastic achievement! Don’t get me wrong, that is too damn long, and it definitely could have done with some of the fat trimmed, but that’s more of an issue with country in general still, so I’ll let off one of the most prevalent songwriters in the genre the last decade plus. And that hour was still a damn easy listen and went by in a flash!
I think he leant too much into the rock side of things with his last release, while now he’s managed to find that perfect balance between that and country, like he had with THE CROW. As I said, while not as groundbreaking as that release, it’s still a damn good album, and one I’d recommend to anyone who’s a fan of his, or into country or rock at all! HARDY is back with a vengeance, y’all, and I couldn’t be happier! I’ll be spinning it a lot for the rest of the year, I’m sure. 8.5/10, though it may grow on me even more with more listens!
Amorphis: Boarderland
I remember checking out the bands last studio album a few years ago and LOVING IT, so my hype heading into this was pretty high already. Safe to say it didn’t disappoint! Right from the offset ‘The Circle’ is an epic prog metal banger. That’s swiftly followed by the heavier melodeath single ‘Bones’, and tracks like the grandiose ‘The Strange’ and ‘Light and Shadow’ are also massive personal highlights. However, the whole album is excellent, there really isn’t a bad song on it! It’s a great continuation of the band’s discography, fitting in perfectly next to Halo. The band are incredible songwriters and musicians, and that is very much on full display throughout this release. If you are at all into prog, power or death metal, this is well worth checking out! 8/10
Foreign Affairs: Brothers
We’ve already checked out this album. Check out our full review of it here.
Beyond Extinction: Where They Gather
The debut album from the Essex death metal band goes hard throughout. The first thing I noticed was the amazing production, the release sounding and feeling MASSIVE. It somehow makes it seem even heavier too, in the best way possible! I haven’t actually checked the band out much since we saw them a few years back, but they have grown into a force to be reckoned with on record. From the brutal opener to ‘Seven Spears’ to ‘Earthmurk’, there’s a lot of awesomeness. And that’s not even mentioning the two amazing tracks featuring guests. Both Alex Teyen and Josh Davis kill it on their tracks, making both ‘Tyranny’ and ‘Apache’ (respectively) huge highlights, too. If you’re into the heavier end of metal I cannot recommend this enough! It’s easily one of the best death metal releases of the year, and will definitely be one I revisit when I need a heavy fix. The band are destined for big things sooner rather than later thanks to this album, and it gets an easy 8.5/10 from us!
Colbie Caillat: This Time Around
The eighth album from the folk-pop-rock singer-songwriter feels like it takes a bit of a country twang to it this time round. That’s hardly a complaint, I saw her at more of a country festival last year and she fit in there perfectly. This style is very much what she was made to release, as this is an incredible album, honestly! It maybe helps that it’s packed full of massive and awesome country guests, with every track feating someone, but that shouldn’t take away from Colbie’s immense writing and vocal talents. But yeah, the guests are great too, even Walker Hayes! Of course a lot of the songs are tracks that she’s released previously, but the guests add a great new twist to it all and leave it feeling still fresh! ‘Bubbly’ is always a great song, but Amos Lee makes it somehow even better! Between that, the opener, ‘Lucky’ and ‘I Never Told You’, there are plenty of amazing songs on this album. However, every song is pretty great, and makes for a fantastic 40+ minutes of chilled out country-folk pop! Plus, her cover of Posty’s ‘Circles’ is excellent! If you’re into more of a pop-country sound, or like Colbie’s music in general, I’d definitely recommend giving this a spin. It’s a great reimagining of her hits, and the original songs are definitely up there alongside them! It’s a fantastic duets album, and I’m shocked she’s never done one sooner! 8/10
Revocation: New Gods, New Masters
Album 10 from the tech death band, following up 2022’s massive Netherheaven. I remember checking it out but somehow didn’t write about it, so I’m glad I finally get to do that with this release. Especially when it’s an absolutely fantastic album like this is. It’s 44-minutes of heaviness and brutality and utter brilliance and some of the best drumming and guitaring I’ve heard all year. It’s honestly impossible to pick highlights as the whole thing is as amazing as it is similar, piecing together perfectly.
It certainly isn’t going to be for everyone reading this, but if you are at all curious it’s well worth spinning at least once in full! The band are all working their asses off throughout and have crafted something truly special with this release! The multiple guests also once again add so much to the release, with Travis Ryan of Cattle Decapitation being a particularly awesome guest! I loved this, and will definitely be listening to at least the individual tracks a lot moving forward. 8.5/10
Rage: A New World Rising
We’ve also checked this one out previously, aren’t you lucky?! Check it out here.
Sloan: Based on the Best Seller
The second album we’ve checked out from the alt rock/punk-pop band after 2022’s Steady. Honestly, I can’t remember anything about that album, but apparently I rather enjoyed it! This release is no exception, a fun, easy-to-listen-to old-school rock album. From the opener to ‘Baxter’ to ‘So Far Down’ to ‘Here We Go Again’, there is plenty to love on this release. While it’s not typically my sort of thing, I really enjoyed not only these tracks, but the album as a whole, it being another fantastic release to just sit back and chill out with. It’s easy to hear why they’re such a big band in their native country, and I would certainly make the case that they are somehow only getting better with age, as I enjoyed this more than their last release. If you like more bluesy, poppy rock, this is certainly the album for you! 7.5/10
We had the absolute pleasure of chatting to Long Road organiser Baylen ahead of this year’s edition of the festival. Check out as we chat about the highs and lows of it below!
We’re just a couple of days out [at the time of recording] from Long Road, are you more excited or nervous?
What’s really exciting about it is when you see everybody who’s coming start posting about it online and start excited about packing and doing a trial run of setting their tent up in their garden. The crew is already on-site now building it so I’ve been getting loads of pictures and videos all week of the stages going up and everything going. It becomes a big machine at this point, it’s like a train you can’t stop! I’m really excited to get there and see it with my eyes!
Have they been there since Monday, then?
There’s been some people on site since last week. Most of the crew have been there since the weekend. I will get down there tomorrow, and not freak out at all. I’ve learned by now that every year I get there and so much is done, I think ‘oh my god, what about that?’ and I’ve learnt that it always comes together. There’s always a lot of running about and mayhem right before the gates open, but then it’s all perfect!
How do you find the time to do all of this alongside your radio work as well?
I don’t do it alone, there’s no way! There’s a big team and we work on it year round. Then as we get closer to the event the teams within the teams start adding people to their teams so it becomes quite a big operation by the time we get here.
I always kinda see it as one thing, doing radio and all the other stuff I do in country music. It almost just feels like it’s one thing. If I’m playing someone on the radio that I really love I’ll think about trying to get them on the festival. Or if I’m seeing someone in a live setting that I’m considering for the festival, I might think they’d sound great for the radio. I kinda get to do all the things I do all at the same time!
What inspired you to start the festival? C2C has been going a while but it feels like you guys were the next ones to do the country thing over here!
I’m originally from Tennessee. I’ve lived in the UK for a really long time, and country music has been my thing for a really long time, so for years I was always wanting to do something like this and had lots of different ideas about it. I met up with somebody else who also wanted to do this. She’s Irish so she grew up going to Irish music festivals and wanted to bring that. So between her and that background and me, we thought what could we do that’s authentic and brings the best of both of those worlds together, but makes it very much a UK festival. So we started it! Our first was in 2018 and it seems crazy that it was that long ago! It’s really nice that we seem to have found out spot within what is a really exciting time for country music.
People have really taken The Long Road under their wing and those who come to it feel a sense of ownership over it as well which is exactly what we want! We want it to feel like home for everyone who’s into country, Americana and Roots. Even people who don’t like country, maybe there’s something in there for them! Then they come along and find some country that they actually love. It really comes from a love of the genre and wanting to bring this authentic country experience to the UK, and to help it grow too!
It’s our fourth year now and just the atmosphere is amazing, it’s really become a favourite of ours. Seeing familiar faces there every year is great!
That’s really something we wanted to bake into it from the beginning, to be a friendly, warm festival where everyone felt welcome! And as we grow to try and retain those things. We’re bigger this year than we’ve ever been, but I hope it still feels like the same festival!
You’ve added the Hitching Post this year, right?
Oh, I’m so excited about the Hitching Post! I named it after a venue from back home when I was growing up. A lot of towns in the South, The Hitching Post is quite a popular name for a honkytonk. This venue back home was a real stop for artists that were touring and coming up so like Darius Rucker and Garth Brooks played it before anyone knew them. I found all this out after I moved away, of course!
The point of the Hitching Post at the Long Road is that it’s a hardwood floor. We really wanted somewhere where people could dance. We’ll have dance classes and the music in there really lends itself to people doing line dances or swing dances. We’ll have people there to teach you how to do that. We’re also using it for sit-down conversations with people like Drake Milligan. It’s just another venue where people can hang out, make their own, meet their friends. I think it’s gonna be a really good vibe! I can’t wait to get there and see it!
I imagine it’s a bit of a logistical nightmare to get so many international bands to play. Do you approach a band and they arrange a tour after, or do you see who’s touring first?
It’s both of those things! Some artists we approach and say “we’d love to have you at The Long Road”. Sometimes we’ll book them and they book a tour around it, sometimes they’ll just come and do it UK exclusive, like Drake Milligan this year. Some will come and do TLR and then go to Europe and do some shows. Some of them will already will be planning to come so will approach us, or will be planning on doing something nearby. Sometimes we’ll talk to people and they’ll go “it’s not going to work this year but let’s talk next year”. It really is just a case of all of those things!
Is it sometimes a struggle to decide what artists to book? There’s been a little backlash online from the James Bay booking.
I think that one of the goals of TLR was to get as many people into country music as we could and to celebrate all types of country, Americana and roots. If you look at our lineups from year one we’ve always had artists sit a little bit outside of those core genres but that aren’t completely different. James Bay is a great example. I know a lot of people don’t think of him as fitting in, but he really does. He’s made music in all of those genres. He’s recorded in Nashville and just made his Grand Ole Opry debut, the absolutely approval stamp for any artist in country music. I think because he’s so big and so well known, it’s actually easy to forget he’s actually in these genres. If it means James Bay fans who don’t count themselves as country fans but find some country artists that they do love, I think that’s a great thing! I actually think a lot of country fans are going to have a really great time watching him!
Also, with a festival like TLR, as big as it is and with as many artists as it has, there’s always going to be artists that you love and those you don’t, or that you haven’t heard of. We have six stages, there’s always something going on somewhere that you’re gonna love! He’s a great get for us and a fantastic live artist! But it goes back to what I said about people feeling ownership of the festival; it’s so much better they have an opinion about it than no opinion at all!
You’ve got a couple of new stage takeovers at Buddy’s this year, right?
Yeah! We have Loose Music which is a UK label that we’ve worked with since the beginning, and then Spinefarm, a really big UK label. The thing about doing that is we want those people to bring their sensibilities to the festival. Colour me Country, we want Rissi to bring artists that maybe we don’t know or artists that wouldn’t be able to come to the UK at this stage in their careers. The same thing with all the other takeovers we have, it’s people I’ve known from the industry for years and years, I’ve always liked their taste and what they do. It’s great to give them the freedom to show their side of country.
Do you have any hand in booking for them, or do you let them get whoever they think will fit?
We work together. We kinda go “hey, here’s your takeover, these are the slots, what are you thinking?”. They come to us with a list, we go to the, with a list, sometimes we have people we can’t fit in elsewhere. It works both ways, but for the most part they’re people we trust, we don’t get in their way too much!
Have you got some stuff in the pipeline for next year already?
Oh, we work so far ahead it’s unbelievable. Even before the lineup is complete each year we’re already having conversations about the next year and even the year after that! Conversations about next year are already happening!
Do you have a dream get for The Long Road? Anyone you’re really wanting to book over the next few years?
Yeah, absolutely. There’s always a dream list. And that list changes every week, at least! But I couldn’t tell you, because we might just get ‘em!
I imagine you’re happy to keep the festival growing, there’s more room on site for it to expand?
Yeah, part of the reason we picked the sight… it just felt right. It reminded me of the geography of back home so it looked really great. It’s easy to get to. And also because there’s room there for there to grow. We’re happy for it to grow but we want to maintain the vibe of the festival, so that’s why we’ve been doing it little by little! We really think about how it’s going to impact everything, how it fits in with what we’re doing already, how it will affect the layout and the capacity. Make sure that it all makes sense for the people who come to the festival!
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!
We had the pleasure of chatting to the awesome country duo a couple of weeks ago. Join us as we chat about their latest tracks, writing style and potential UK plans!
How did this pairing come about? Did you know each other a while before deciding to do this?
Rory: Yeah, I’d say yeah, kinda! We met back in 2017 at a Locash concert, because Ryan was opening up for them. I was just a fan watching the show. After he played his shit I went back to his merch booth and was like ‘hey, let’s grab a picture’, and we still have that picture. Fast-forward like five years later we got reconnected through a family friend. After several conversations on the phone we decided to play a round of golf and on the 19th hole we decided we were gonna be a duo. It wasn’t until after that that I remembered ‘yo, you’re not gonna believe this but I have a picture of you from once upon a time!’.
Ryan: Yeah, we both agreed that day: ‘dude, we suck at golf, but we are pretty good at music, so let’s just focus on that!’
The picture’s gotta make it as an EP or album cover or something at some point, right?
Ryan: Dude yeah honestly, it would be an awesome T-shirt!
What’s it like writing together? Ryan, you’ve written for other people in the past, I imagine it’s different writing for yourself?
Ryan: Yeah yeah, it’s… when I met Rory I had a pretty small batch of songs that I had done. I was trying to figure out if a duo would even work. It’s hard finding a bandmate. As we got together I didn’t know how it would go as we haven’t ever written together. Yeah, I’ve written for like award shows and… I’ve worn a lot of hats but for us I didn’t know how that would go. Honestly, it’s been the most fun I’ve had writing! Rory is so musical… it feels like almost two superheros coming together, like Captain Planet or some shit!
Rory: Without Ryan’s incredible voice and songwriting this wouldn’t be a duo by any means whatsoever. I definitely come more from the musical approach to writing and Ryan is a bit more the opposite, but it’s really a great pair.
Ryan: It’s like he’s hearing colours, and I’m seeing sounds!
It’s clearly working out well! ‘Them Boots’ came out about a month ago and has done well!
Ryan: Yeah, it’s killing for us! It’s such a classic funny story of I was going to a session and it got cancelled. My buddy called me he was like ‘my session got cancelled, what do you want to do?’ We got together and in 45-minutes it was done. We just wanted to write something that really felt like Summer. It felt like a tempo that was more up from the typical country thing you’re used to. We wanted to write something real fast paced, which is hard to do in country. It just fell out. The receptions been insane, live it’s been insane. It’s just a really fun song!
Rory: I feel like it’d been 10x more insane in the UK!
Have you got any plans to come over to the UK eventually?
Rory: We have nothing set in stone but we’re really hoping to get over to C2C next year. It’d be kickass, and we know the UK country fanbase are crazy for country, so we just wanna get out there!
Ryan: It’s not set in stone but we have the stone, and the chisel, so we’re working on doing it! We know how crazy it is. I was just downtown and had six friends come over for a bachelor party and they were talking about how crazy the country scene has gotten over there. And it’s been a dream of ours to play C2C. We’re dying to get over there, man. Especially since we can see people listening to ‘Them Boots’ over there, we’ve gotta make this trip happen!
It’s literally been over the last like five years or so it’s exploded over here, it’s been really cool to watch!
Ryan: It’s been the coolest thing! As people who grew up country and to go through this whole period of ‘oh, it wasn’t cool’; for it to be making it around the world is… it makes my heart happy!
Rory: Totally global now, it’s awesome!
With the last two or three singles you’ve put out, are you looking to group them into an EP or are they more standalone releases?
Rory: They’re all standalone for now but we might throw one or two of them onto our album. But we have so many great songs in the chamber ready to shoot off to the world. We’ve been writing our tails off and were really excited about the next project we’re working on.
Ryan: We’re a couple of dogs with too many toys, man!
It always seems so hard to work out what to put out these days with streaming. Take a chance with an album or just drip-feed singles, it’s a nightmare!
Rory: It seems like there’s no answer to anything anymore.
Ryan: If you figure it out will you let us know?!
Rory: We’re almost of the opinion that we should put out 37 songs like Mr Wallen did. We’ll see what the label thinks of that idea!
And so you guys have been releasing music for just over a year now, right?
Rory: Yeah! We put out ‘Poor Decisions’ May of last year. So just a little over a year old, and we’ve had a lot of amazing opportunities and accomplishments along the way. We’re always wanting to grow! We’ve been really going hard the last year and a half. I ended up moving to Nashville, finally pulling the trigger on that. I’m originally from North Carolina but I was like ‘I have to get out there and make some music with Ryan’.
It’s clearly done well, you seem pretty busy on your social media recently!
Ryan: Social media man, it goes crazy!
Rory: It’s our main job, honestly!
Social media is a nightmare at the minute!
Ryan: You can feed the beast and it’s never satisfied!
Rory: We just had a video referencing Gavin Adcocks boat party, of all things, hit 100k views on TikTok yesterday. I’m just like ‘how? Alright…?’. That’s 100k, sometimes it’s only 5k, it’s so weird!
Have you got a busy rest of the year planned? Imagine it’s a bit all over the place, someone’s having a baby, right?
Ryan: Yeah, that’s me, man! We’re like any second so we’re in the middle of finishing up a big writing batch. I’m gonna take a little bit of time with the baby. We’re gonna record some music this fall, go out on tour this fall. It’s gonna be a hectic rest of the year but it’s gonna be awesome! We’re so excited to get out and play live!
We had to go on two pages, the article was getting too long!
P.S. we ran out of time to do the new Sabrina album, but it’s pretty great and she’s punk AF atm. 9/10, you go girl!
The Hives: The Hives Forever Forever the Hives
The garage rock Swedes are back with album number seven, and bring just as much energy here as they did in their early work! It’s balls-to-the-wall for 13 tracks, and is in and out in just over 30 minutes. It’s fucking awesome! It’s just a fun time listen from front to back, and is so hard to pick out select highlights from as it’s all great and flows surprisingly well! The bands punk edge is right at the forefront with this album, and I’m all for it. From the opener to ‘O.C.D.O.D.’, there’s plenty of Black Flag/Dead Kennedys energy! I remember us enjoying their last album, but I’d argue this is even better than that one! That one felt like they put it out because they hadn’t released music in a while so felt obligated, while this feels more inspired and wanted. If you are into the band, or genres like garage, indie or punk rock, I’d highly recommend this release, it very much feels like a much awaited return to form! 8/10
Zach Top: Ain’t in it For my Health
We’ve also checked out this awesome album! Check out the review here!
Vicious Rumours: The Devil’s Asylum
Some rare US power metal this week, even if it’s a bit more thrash/speed metal infused than their description lead on. The first album the band have released in half a decade (14th overall) is still pretty fantastic! The band are insanely good musicians and songwriters, and that shines through a lot here. Songs like ‘Dogs of War’, ‘Butchers Block’ and ‘Better Than Me’ are all big personal highlights. My only slight surprise/complaint is that there isn’t a slower, ballady song, it’s pretty balls to the wall throughout. It’s very Accept of them, and it doesn’t make any the tracks any worse by any stretch, but a change of pace in the back half somewhere might have made the album even more interesting, and I’d be curious to hear how the band would handle it! Still, if you’re into any of the bands that I’ve named already, or any sort of 80s power/thrash/speed metal, this is well worth checking out! A solid 7.5/10 from us, and one we will definitely revisit again!
Hunx and His Punx: Walk Out on This World
The Californian punk outfit put out their first studio album in a whopping 12 years a couple of weeks back, and somehow only their third overall. It’s a throwback sound, giving off X and Ramones vibes; awesome for a generally younger band. It’s another album that it is almost impossible not to have a good time listening to. It’s a fun, feel-good sound, even if the lyrics are sometimes a little darker. Tracks like the opening two, ‘Top of the Punks’ and ‘Bad Thoughts’ are all big highlights, but there honestly isn’t a bad track on here. My only vague complaint is that it’s yet another album that slows down for a few tracks in the middle; spreading them out may have helped more! Still, it’s an incredibly easy 35-minute listen, and if you’re into more of an old-school punk sound, it’s way worth giving a spin! 7/10
Ivy Gardens: Death of Don Valley
The sophomore album from the sludgy, doomy , hardcorey Canadians is an awesome, heavy release from start to finish. It’s a really fantastic combination of genres that still feels fairly fresh and unique, as well as being done to perfection on this release. The riffs are amazing and heavy throughout, and there is a surprising amount of catchiness and melody across the album too, be it awesome instrumentation ones or cleaner vocal choruses. There truly isn’t a bad track on the release either, even the mostly instrumental tracks held my attention in the palm of their hand throughout. It’s a fascinating listen, and is a heavy musicians dream listen for nearly 45-minutes. The band have a BIG new fan in me, and it’s insane to me that they aren’t bigger given the bands sheer massive talent. I’d urge you to check this out immediately, and I can’t give it any less than 9/10!
Connor Selby: The Truth Comes Out Eventually
Shockingly not hailing from the whiskey-soaked streets of New Orleans, Connor is one of the shining lights of the UK blues scene, and it’s easy to see why when he’s putting out such incredible work like this! 10 incredible songs that highlight his talent not only as an exceptional guitarist but as a songwriter too, packed full of great riffing and soloing, lyrics from the heart and enough organ and horns to make me fall in love with it! Even if it’s not everyone’s thing, there is no denying his talent, as even if vocals on this are stellar throughout. Tracks like the opener, ‘(I Am) Who I Am’ and ‘It Hurts to be in Love’ are all massive highlights for me, but every song on this is pretty incredible! I’m honestly shocked I haven’t heard of him before now, as I love this sort of music, and he certainly has a new fan in me! It’s something I’d love to see live, I imagine it’d somehow be even better than on track. But still, the tracks are awesome, and I’ll certainly be spinning this more in the coming weeks and months. I’m loving this revival of the older jazzy-blues sound, especially here in the UK with the likes of Cardinal Blacktoo! Check this out if you are at all curious. 8.5/10
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!
