The Georgian country rock band Blackberry Smoke are going on nearly two and a half decades in the industry, and in that time have brought some absolutely incredible music to the scene. Now eight albums into their illustrious career, the band show no sign of slowing down! We’ve already checked out the singles released on our YouTube, and safe to say they’re pretty great. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the whole album!
Opening on the lead single is always a great bet, and few are better than ‘Dig a Hole’. The first time I heard this track was actually at The Long Road last year, and have loved it ever since! We’ve since done a reaction video to it, alongside two other of the singles, and I remember praising it highly then too. It’s a steady-tempo, swaggering southern rock track through and through. It doesn’t do anything massively unexpected, but also doesn’t really need to, it’s just a great track! The riffing is a massive highlight, and the vocals are catchy as anything! A great start!
Another single, ‘Hammer and the Nail’, is up next. It’s another foot-stomping, awesome country rock song. It’s an infectiously catchy chorus that will go down insanely well live, I’m sure. Honestly though all the vocals in the track are catchy. I love the melody between the vocals and guitar in the verses, nearly following each other. We also get an awesome little guitar solo tucked in the middle, fitting the tone of the song perfectly. Out of the three singles I reacted to, this was the one that stuck with me the least. However, after listening to it in context with the album, I have to say I loved it a lot more!
The first non-single of the album, ‘Like it was Yesterday’, is just as good as the singles. It does have a slightly more chilled out, more country vibe than the previous two tracks, though. There’s still a touch of rock to it, but it’s more in the guitar work and tone. It’s more Lynyrd Skynyrd than heavier Cadillac Three, that’s for sure! And that’s certainly not a bad thing, it’s a great song that is gonna be stuck in my head for days to come. It’s a track that easily makes our playlist!
‘Be So Lucky’ chills out the vibes even more. The main focus is on the steady, cleanish guitar riff and Charlie’s vocals, a simple drum, bass and keys backing. Even if it does feel a little bigger in the choruses, which is awesome, it still has a stripped-back feel to it all. It’s almost a ballad track. I LOVE the harmonies on the chorus vocals, too. I really love the lyrics as well. The band have always been fantastic lyric writers, and this is up there with ‘One Horse Town’ for me. And it has one of my favourite guitar solos on the album, simple yet so very effective. It’s another awesome track!
‘Azalea’ is the most recent single from the album, and the only one I haven’t had the time to check out yet. It’s another chilled out track, almost diving into more folk territory than even country. I love the almost Newton Faulkner riff that runs through the majority of it, and the vocals fit perfectly over the top of it. It’s a beautiful, simple track that surprisingly fits perfectly on the album and feels right at home among any other Blackberry Smoke songs. And it’s a really great choice to have this as the midpoint of the album, too!
‘Don’t Mind If I Do’ picks the pace immediately back up again in the best way. Going back to their blues rock sound, reminding me heavily of ‘Rock and Roll Again’. It’s a very Status Quo riff and the subtle piano in the back is amazing. And again, the chorus is a massive highlight of the track, being made for massive arenas and festivals. We also get another awesome guitar solo, again fitting the tone perfectly. I love how easily the band can transition between different sounds and feels, and they do it effortlessly on this album. It’s another track that makes our playlist, it’s awesome!
The main riff for ‘Whatcha Know Good’ is a fantastic one, a country-blues masterclass of writing and playing. I love the darker, moodier tone it gives the whole song. The whole track has this slower, attitude-dripping feel and pace to it that I instantly fell in love with. It’s such a simple yet incredibly effective track, and one that I’ll have on a hell of a lot in the coming weeks and months!
‘Other Side of the Light’ is another slower, acoustic track like ‘Azalea’. It’s a fantastic track with one of the best choruses on the album. And it has some more of those awesome lyrics I was talking about earlier, being fantastically uplifting. However, I can’t bring up great choruses without talking about the following track, ‘Little Bit Crazy’. It’s up there with one of my favourite tracks they’ve ever done, and it’s all because of that incredible chorus and all the vocals going on in it. Heck, it opens on the awesome trio of vocals, setting the tone for the track perfectly. And when done with the band, it sounds MASSIVE. The verses and solo are also awesome, but I can’t get over that chorus. It’s a track that easily makes our playlist and damn, I need to see it live!
The closing track, ‘Barefoot Angel’, somehow draws together all the sounds previously on the album into one epic track. Whether it’s the fuzzy southern rock riffing, slower acoustic verses or the huge, arena-filling choruses, it feels like the perfect crescendo. And again, the lyrics are incredible, a beautiful love song. I love the Synyrd-style bridge and outro too, it feeling almost like jamming than anything else. What a fantastic way to close out the album!
Overall: I loved this! I know I would, given how much I love the band and enjoyed the singles I’d already heard. However, to finally be able to sit down with the full album was awesome. Every track is amazing, and it’s arranged in the perfect order; never once getting boring. The band simply do their own thing and it comes across so well on track and in a live setting. I cannot recommend this album enough to anyone into rock or country music, you’ll find something to enjoy for sure! And I’d easily put it up there alongside The Whippoorwill and Like an Arrow as my favourite releases the band have put out.
The incredible Bad Touch are one of the UK’s best underground rock bands. One of the real pioneers of the NWOCR movement that is still going strong today, they are a real pillar of the UK scene. I’ve known them for a while, having gigged with them a lot back in the day, so when I heard that they were gearing up for the release of their fifth album, I knew I’d be writing this review. Well, it dropped on Friday, so here is said review!
‘Slip Away’ opens the album in typically bluesy fashion with a great riff. Immediately there is so much feel from everyone’s playing, it being very refreshing from the super-produced feel that a lot of music has these days. Stevie’s vocals sound just as great as ever, fitting over the sleazy blues riff perfectly. A simple, driving verse leads to a bigger, very catchy chorus. We get an awesome solo to connected the second and third choruses, it fitting the tone and feel of the track perfectly. The track follows the standard rock structure, but is the perfect introduction to the band and the album. It’s a great song!
Another fantastic riff opens ‘This Life’, soon exploding into the HUGE verse. Honestly, both the verses and chorus could easily be interchangeable. Both are massively catchy and sound made to fill arenas. It’s a short, to-the-point rock ‘n roll banger and easily makes our playlist. It’s everything you could want in a 70s/80s inspired rock song with a modern edge, a sound Bad Touch have perfected for years at this point!
Single ‘Spend my Days’ is another great track, being a tad slower than the previous two. The clean, more stripped-back verses were a nice touch. It somehow feels like the perfect blend between Lynyrd Skynyrd and Bowie. It also has a slight indie twang to it, which was awesome. It still builds into a great chorus, the backing vocals adding so much depth to it all. The lyrics are fantastic and full of emotion, too. It’s got some more awesome guitar soloing, too. It’s hard to listen to this track without it putting a smile on your face. It’s the second track in a row that easily makes our playlist!
Check out our interview with the band from back in the day here!
The title track goes just as hard as the other songs, picking up the energy again after the previous song. I’m loving the subtle organs put in the back throughout the album, and it works possibly the best in this track. And again, another huge highlight of the song is the backing vocals. Whether it’s the verse or chorus, the harmonies sound INCREDIBLE and really make the song memorable. And of course, it has some more now expected excellent guitar soloing. It’s another amazing song. Bad Touch are really on a roll so far this album.
Other single ‘Nothing Wrong with That’ is another slower track, and the ballad of the album. It again feels very Skynyrd, but also hints of Black Stone Cherry and even (Molly Hatchet?) in there too. Honestly, it’s a fantastic track. Stevie’s vocals fit so perfectly over this sort of style, and both the pre and chorus are stadium-filling, massively catchy moments. It feels more like something off their debut than any of their more recent stuff, which I love as it’s my favourite album of theirs! A simple yet massively effective solo and that awesome ‘Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door’ reggae-style chorus round out the track amazingly, too. It’s instantly become one of my favourites of the band, and of course it also makes our playlist!
Tracks like ‘Taste This’ and ‘See it To Believe It’ have a bit more of that sleaze feel to it that the UK NWOCR scene is so good at at the minute. Meanwhile, ‘Tonight’ and ‘Come Back Again’ are closer to the country-blues style the band made their name off. They are all awesome, very enjoyable tracks that showcase the range of the band’s expertise these days. Bad Touch have become one of the most polished bands in the UK, releasing amazing album after amazing album, and tracks like these demonstrate that perfectly. The production is amazing, and the songs are awesomely written. I love this band!
Closer ‘Dizzy for You’ is the perfect culmination of all the sounds and feelings from this album. The riffing is awesome and it has a very chilled out, country-blues feel to it. And yet it’s very NWOCR still. Heck, it almost has an edge of Britpop to it, too. And of course it’s another typically awesome chorus. And other incredibly fitting, impressive guitar solo is tucked in the middle, too. The backing vocals in the final double-chorus is a massive highlight of the track as well. It adds such an epic finale feel to it all, making it the perfect album closer!
Overall: this was fantastic. I’ve loved this band for nearly a decade at this point (fuck I’m old) and they somehow keep getting better and better. Honestly, after a couple of listens I think this is my favourite Bad Touch album since Half Way Home. It’s not got a bad track on it and plenty stand out among the best the band have to offer. I really hope this is finally the album to push Bad Touch into the mainstream and they become the huge band they deserve to be. Some of the nicest guys around making incredible music!
As we approach the end of the year we’ll have less and less new music. However, this is still a pretty stacked week that I can’t wait to check out!
Neil Young: Before and After
So, this was already a difficult review for me. After Young’s Spotify boycott nearly two years ago, he is about the only one from it that has still kept his music off the streaming giant. Because of that I have had to resort to YouTube and near constant ads. So, this review will probably be half-assed, like Neil’s approach to bringing his music to his fans is.
If you are a fan of Neil, I’m sure you’ll like this. His distinctive vocal style and folky/Americana playing are not for everyone, but it’s definitely a good listen. It’s a solo acoustic album, so if you aren’t into his vocals or style, this certainly won’t change your mind! I have to admit, as good as it was, it didn’t take me long to get bored of it. It’s 16 tracks long, and while most are short, ‘Before and After’ is split into two 11-minute parts. Having said that, they were probably my favourite tracks on the album, given how well they were written lyrically.
It’s a lot of the same thing. If you’re into that and enjoy this, awesome. It’s not particularly my thing, though. I prefer at least a bit of the album to be somewhat upbeat, not all slower country/folk ballads. 4/10
Bernie Marsden: Working Man
I’ve done too many posthumous reviews this year, but sadly here is another. The Whitesnake legend sadly passed earlier this year, but had recorded an album before then. Let’s check it out.
Honestly, I’ll let it off for being long. Being his final release, I feel like this is everything he had, laid out bare for his fans. It’s pretty glorious. An hour and a half of stomping, fun blues rock spread across 22 great tracks. Honestly, there isn’t a bad one across the release, but songs like ‘Being Famous’, ‘Bad Reputation’ and the very 80s glam ‘Look at me Now’ are all personal highlights. Also, Jamie Kyle does an incredible job on ‘Invisible’, it having a very Whitesnake vibe to it!
I have to admit, I do prefer the more upbeat tracks on the album, as I’m sure you can tell from my highlights. And there was certainly a lot of slower stuff on here. However, I found myself enjoying them a lot too. They range from anything from easy listening to straight up, Cats in Space-like AOR ballads. It’s a fantastic, rather chilled-out album for the most part, and it’s such a shame that it wasn’t released until after his passing. 8/10
Bad Touch: Bittersweet Satisfaction
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Find our full review of it here!
Swarf Damage: Self-Titled
It feels like it’s been a few weeks since I’ve been sent some thrash metal, so this was a lot of fun to listen to. Plus, the crossover elements never hurt! It’s got a real old-school 80s vibe to it that a think a lot of modern thrash is honestly lacking a little in these days. The riffing is awesome and the vocals even have a bit of young Hetfield to them, though a tad more harsh and hardcore. The whole sound is definitely the perfect blend of early Metallica, Slayer and Suicidal Tendancies.
If you’re a thrash fan or just a heavy metal fan at all, this is definitely an album for you! Tracks like ‘Sin Eater’, ‘Father’ and the ‘Whiplash’-like ‘Batten Down the Hatches’ are all awesome and massive highlights. My only wish is that it had just a touch of variety. I know that’s not really what thrash does, and there were definitely some different tempos throughout. However, Evile’s album earlier this year showed just how fantastic getting slower and darker can be for the genre. Still though, it’s an amazing album, even more-so as a debut! These guys are going to go far in the heavy scene if this is any indication. It’s easily an 8.5/10 from me!
Uncle Lucius: It’s the Last One Left
The funky/blues/soul/roots/country band are back after their five-year hiatus with a brand new album for the world! Honestly, I’ve gotten into this music a lot recently, and I LOVED this release. It’s a chilled out, fun, fantastic release. I love the swaggering, attitude-filled New Orleans blues-jazz feel it has to it all, especially when it’s got so many different components to the band. Between the typical rock band instruments, the organ and piano, fiddle and plenty of backing vocals, it fills out the sound and makes it all sound massive.
Tracks like ‘Civilized Anxiety’, ‘Holy Roller’ and the beautiful, epic closer ‘Heart Over Mind’ are all huge personal highlights of mine. However, the whole album is solid and packed full of amazing songs. I am so glad the band are back, their music is too good to be without. And honestly, they picked up right where they left off. For anyone into any of the genres I mentioned up above, you NEED to check out this album, it’s phenomenal. 9/10
Atreyu: The Beautiful Dark of Life
This album has been a long time coming. We’ve had three EPs released by them, starting from April, all building up and being featured on this one album. Because of this, I have somehow managed to avoid all of the tracks until now. But, with 15 tracks spanning 50 minutes, we’re in for another big review!
What stands out immediately is that the order is all mixed up. I feel like a lot of bands would just put the EPs down on the album one by one and then add the extra tracks at the front or the end. However, these are all spread out between, keeping it more interesting. I also love that they’ve taken a colour and element from each EP to make up the album artwork. Stuff like that is so insanely creative and honestly makes the work that much better, in my opinion.
As for the music itself, a lot of it is very typical modern Atreyu. It’s very similar to the ultra-polished radio-metalcore of their last album. That isn’t an issue at all, though. Tracks like ‘Capital F’, ‘Watch Me Burn’, ‘Immortal’ and ‘Gone’ are all great metalcore songs. And while there isn’t a bad track on the album, it’s all just a little samey. Even the more ballad tracks channelled a similar energy and sound. And none of it quite hits the heights of ‘Underrated’, ‘Catastrophe’ or even something like ‘Congregation of the Damned’. Still, it’s a damn good album, and I’ll certainly be listening to it again! 8/10
Disclaimer first of all, I got the dates mixed up and thought this was out on the 8th. My bad. However, I think I recovered pretty well and bring to you our review of Eric Paslay ‘s brand new EP. And, as an apology, I’ll even throw in a review of his new Christmas song too, how’s that?
The title track begins the album in rather subdued, almost pop-country fashion. Eric’s voice sounds fantastic over the top of the simple riff, though. It builds into a big sounding, infectiously catchy chorus. It’s pretty reserved and stripped-back though, as is the trend these days with guys like Morgan Wallen and Jordan Davis. It sounds incredible though and is sure to be a massive hit. It’s a simple yet very effective track that opens the EP perfectly.
‘Everything With You’ has a similar feel to it than the previous track, but replaces the guitar with an awesome simple piano melody. It also reminds me of Threat to Survival era Shinedown as much as it does a stadium country track. It’s another very catchy chorus, and the whole track has a fun, swaggering sort of attitude and energy to it. It’s another really great track, and this one easily makesour playlist!
Next up is single ‘Best Friends’. I’ve heard this a few times already from checking it out when the EP was announced. It’s a beautiful, slower, ballad-type track. Between the piano and strings to open, it sets up the emotion of the track from the get go. It’s of course another amazing, catchy chorus. The emotion is there throughout, and the subtle harmonies in it are amazing. It’s just a really great slower song, and Eric Paslay’s voice sounds phenomenal on the track. If anything, I’d have preferred a little more of a bridge; more focus on the strings. However, it was perfect for a radio single!
‘Like I’m Loving You Now’ is a little more up-tempo than the previous tracks. It still has that familiar pop feel from the first two, but it’s nice to have it a little more bouncy. It gives it more of a country feel, which is nice! And it feels redundant to say at this point, but the chorus is catchy and very enjoyable! It’s another track that easily makes our playlist!
Single ‘Best Damn Days’ is very similar to the other few tracks. It’s great and has maybe my favourite chorus on the album, but there is no denying its similarities. Meanwhile the final track on the EP, ‘Lost in a Song’, is another powerful ballad. And, honestly, it’s incredible. Starting with mainly just vocals, a quiet guitar building everything up more and more. It all leads to an incredible, powerful chorus that gave me chills. Eric Paslay ‘s vocals sound perfect on them, and the swell of the backing vocals were amazing. It has more of a folk/Americana feel to it, and I’m obsessed. And AMAZING song and one that easily makes our playlist too. What a way to close an EP!
And, as promised, ‘Run Rudolph Run’ is a very fun track. Shockingly enough, it’s closer to a blues rock/surfer sound than anything else I’ve checked out on this review. If you’d have told me this was Blackberry Smoke, I’d have easily believed you. It’s a really fun track and shows that Eric Paslay is certainly no slouch when it comes to sound, and takes a risk with a cover that doesn’t really sound like him. I’d have happily taken some stuff like this on the EP in a heartbeat!
Overall: All of this was great! The EP was a powerful, emotional release that was filled with epic moments and big choruses. And then the Christmas song was a fun cover of a rock classic that you can’t help but dance along to. The fact that they were released on the same day is genius, and I’m so glad I checked it all out. Eric Paslay has been a big name for a while, and I’m so glad he’s now starting to be recognised in the UK more and has a tour booked for this month. I’ll definitely be listening to this again!
As we reach the end of the year, typically the releases slow up a little. However, here we are, at the end of November and still with a pretty stacked week of new music. Let’s dive in and check it out!
Guided By Voices: Nowhere to Go But Up
The Ohioan indie rock band have been going for 40 years at this point, which is insane to think about. What’s even more insane is that this is the second album we’ve covered by them on this series this year alone, and their third release of the year. Their last album, Welshpool Frillies only came out back in July. We gave it a 6.5 (find the review here). Honestly, it’s so hard not to compare this release to that one. And, overall, my feelings are pretty similar. It’s fine. There are enjoyable tracks like ‘Puncher’s Parade’ and ‘Jack of Legs’. And there are also tracks that bored me a tad and I’d happily not listen to again.
I feel like this band suffer from the same issue as Weezer have in the past. While I admire the hell out of their insane work ethic, they leave absolutely nothing on the cutting-room floor. They’ve released 37 tracks this year alone, 137 in this decade and we’re only four years into it. Even if they were the greatest songwriters in the world, that’s a fucking lot. It feels like there is no quality control here. I’d rather have had one album this year by them filled with 11-15 of the best tracks across the three albums, than three releases with a tonne of filler.
I’m sure this band have plenty of fans that will love this album. However, I am not one of them. This felt weaker than their previous release, despite a few highlight tracks, so this gets a 5/10
Almost Honest: The Hex of Penns Woods
We’ve already checked out this awesome album. Read the full review here!
NOPROPHECY: As the Bridge Collapses
The debut album of Singapore’s own modern metal band, NOPROPHECY, is finally out. After the release of their debut EP back in 2016, we have been slowly drip-fed releases by the band, including two singles from this upcoming album this year. It has all lead to their much anticipated debut through Rockshots Records, which I cannot wait to check out!
Honestly, it’s really damn good. The perfect blend of black, death metalcore, it’s packed full of amazing riffing, insane drumming and plenty of incredible screams and clean vocals. The heavy parts are the highlight for me personally, but the cleans are just as good. The dynamic between the two vocals is massively entertaining, too. Tracks like the title one (that breakdown at the end, *chef’s kiss*), singles ‘Ghost of Yesterday’ and ‘Broken’, and ‘Higanbana’ are all massive highlights. However, there really isn’t a bad track on the album. Honestly, my only issue with the album is that it’s only nine tracks long, especially when one is an intro track!
As a debut album, it’s ridiculously impressive. Their brand of heaviness honestly feels pretty unique, blending together so many styles and influences that I honestly cannot think of a band to compare them to overall. It can both make you want to bang your head and mosh and then also sing along to the epic chorus within seconds of the same song. I cannot wait to hear where the band go from here, because after this release, they should be well on their way to becoming massive in the scene. 9/10
Silent Angel: Unyielding, Unrelenting
One of the best genres of the year, power metal, is getting another top notch release courtesy of the Italian/Malaysian band. The album has been a long time coming, with single ‘Tears of Celestine’ being written back in 2015, when the band first reformed. So, to hear it finally released after all these years is something really special. And for that single to slowly translate into a full debut album after all these years, I cannot wait to hear what guitarist Eric “StormBlade” Poon has in store for us!
An epic intro track leads perfectly into opener ‘Against the Tides’. It sets up the album perfectly, having an old-school NWOBHM vibe as well as the obvious power and symphonic metal sounds. From there on out it’s just one symphonic power metal banger after another. Tracks like ‘A Destiny In Shadows’ and ‘When Dusk Meets Dawn’ are early Nightwish in the best ways. Meanwhile, ‘Through Selene’s Eyes’ is a beautiful, powerful ballad that rivals just about any other in the genre. The album is solid throughout though, and if anyone is into the genre at all, they’ll find a lot to love with this release. 8/10
Wet Cactus: Magma Tres
The Spanish desert rockers returned with their third studio album this week. I wasn’t familiar with the band until this point, but they most certainly have a new fan in me! Right from opening track ‘Barren Landscape’ they had me hooked with their grungy, stoner sound. It feels like the perfect blend of Queens of the Stone Age, Black Sabbath and Alice in Chains, and I love it. There are also hints of Tool in there with more proggy tracks like ‘Mirage’. Heck, the first two plus minutes of ‘Million Tears’ is an INCREDIBLE build-up that serves the rest of the track perfectly. It’s my favourite track on the album, and a true testament to the band’s skill in writing that they can do somehow proggy desert rock.
There really isn’t a bad track on the album, either. The tracks mentioned above are for sure highlights, as is ‘Hell Dweller’. However, the album is incredibly well crafted, with no sound or style ever dragging or feeling overused. I didn’t get in any way bored while listening to this, and it went by far too quick. It’s arranged perfectly and each style compliments each other amazingly. If you’re a fan of rock in general, you have to check this out, it’s an incredible album! 9.5/10
Yesterday’s Hero: Ways to Hate
We’ve also managed to check out this album in full too! Check it out here!
Pessimystic: Burnt Offering
The debut album of Canadian heavy band Pessimystic is up next. Blending black and death metal together pretty seamlessly, the album is an all out assault in the best way. It’s heavy, technical and surprisingly epic. It’s very atmospheric, and tracks like ‘Visions’ and the title track paint a really fantastic scene with their music. It feels like a blend of Behemoth and Machine Head, taking some of the best parts of each.
My only slight issue is that it’s far too short. At only five tracks long, it might as well be an EP. However, I think that with the song lengths it just about qualifies as an album, in my eyes anyway. But yeah, more of this, please. MUCH more. And this is coming from someone who typically isn’t a black/extreme metal fan all that much. However, Pessimystic have something special going on here, and I cannot wait to hear more already! 7/10
Degenerator: The Abyssal Throne
Firstly, we need to talk about this absolutely stunning album artwork. It’s incredible. Props to the artist, it may be my favourite album sleeve of the year!
I have no idea how to describe this music. Equal parts prog, post-grunge, alt metal, doom and tech, it really is in a world of its own. And, honestly, it’s awesome. The opener alone goes through sounds like Sevendust, Bush, Tool (sorry, it’s a very Tool-y week!) and Lonely the Brave. Then the following tracks take that formula and run with it, as well as turning it up to 11. Tracks like ‘Finality’, ‘Darkness Prevails’ and ‘Hiraeth’ are personal favourites of mine. However, everything on the album is fucking phenomenal. It honestly gives me first time listening to Lateralus vibes, which I definitely don’t say lightly!
It is both a blessing and a curse that a lot of this album sounds similar. On the one hand, it’s nearly 50-minutes of dark, brooding awesomeness. However, I feel like 11 tracks that are pretty samey can put at least a few listeners off. For once, thankfully, I am in the former camp. This is the perfect album to sit down and listen through in a single sitting. So, if you’re into more proggy, concepty stuff, grab a drink and sit in a dark room to check this out. You definitely won’t be disappointed! 9/10
Noturnall: Cosmic Redemption
Not ones to slouch or relax at all, the band’s latest album drops while they are currently on tour with Iron Maiden legend Paul Di’Anno. One of Brazil’s biggest musical exports, the band are back with their fourth studio album. And, honestly, it’s a bit good. Those who are familiar with the band will know exactly what to expect out of their sound, and they pull it off to perfection these days. A modern twist on NWOBHM, it reminds me a lot of the recent KK’s Priest, Burning Witches or even Dragonforce albums.
It’s nothing bad at all, but also certainly isn’t anything new. Tracks like ‘Reset the Game’, ‘Scream! For! Me!!!’ and the epic ‘Shallow Grave’ are all great and certainly highlights. However, with such an abundance of this music these days, and so much of it being done perfectly, I probably won’t listen to this much moving forward. Plus, at over an hour across just 11 songs, fuck is it long. 7.5/10
Pete Briley: Album #1
rock singer-songwriter Pete Briley released his much anticipated debut album last Friday. The Outlaw Orchestra multi-instrumentalist takes a small step away from the country/bluegrass sound and more towards indie and 70s/80s pop rock with this release. Tracks like ‘Elvis’ and ‘Sick and Tired’ remind me of the perfect blend of Band of Horses and David Bowie. Meanwhile ‘Ronda’ and other tracks go back to the more blues/folk sound that fans of his are probably more used to.
It’s a beautiful, chilled collection of songs. Pete’s done an amazing job arranging the tracks and in writing such a varied, interesting selection of music. ‘Angels Ain’t Singing My Name’ is a personal favourite of mine. The intensely emotional, personal track resonated massively with me, especially for such a stripped-back track. The same could be said about most of his lyrics, though. They’re masterfully written and will most likely ring true for a lot of peoples’ feelings these days. ‘Right Place, Wrong Time’ and ‘Highflyer’ are also massive album highlights.
Honestly, if you are into the softer side of music, check this out as soon as you can. Pete is one hell of a songwriter and has produced something that feels wholly unique with this release. I can’t think of anything I’ve checked out recently that sounds like this, and that’s certainly a good thing! It’ll more than tide me over until the upcoming Orchestra release, and I’ll be having this on a lot in the coming weeks! 9/10
i Helvete: Yksi Yhteinen Yhteiskunta
Yep, I have no idea how to pronounce that album title either. However, it’s time for some extreme metal all the way from Finland, so I’m pretty damn excited!
It’s certainly extreme metal, that’s for sure. The combination of the atmosphere from black metal and the aggression of death metal is merged perfectly by the band. The real highlight for me is the instrumentation. On tracks like ‘KKK’ and ‘Valittu Kansa’, the bridge and solo parts have a real epic feel to them, adding so much to an otherwise rather straight-forward song. Having said that, the cleaner, more operatic vocals on tracks like ‘Uuden Ajan ABC’ were also amazing. As someone who’s not the biggest black metal fan, the band adding this to keep their sound varied and interesting had me hooked throughout. The listener is constantly kept guessing as to where the band would go from here, and that for one deserves massive props.
Don’t get me wrong, this still isn’t particularly my sort of thing. I wouldn’t optionally listen to this. However, it’s that well written and performed that I definitely wouldn’t turn it off if it was on, and I would love to see it live! If you’re into the heavy stuff, you’ll love this! 7/10
Paradogmata: Endetid
We keep it heavy to finish the week, with Norwegian thrash/death metal. And, as if to keep up with the tradition of the week, it’s a LOOONG album. 10 tracks at just over an hour. Strap in, ladies and gentlemen!
I absolutely love the slow, dark, almost satanic sound that starts the album. It gets heavier, veering into the death metal, but builds up pretty perfectly into the higher tempo across the opening two minutes. From there, ‘Endetidsbundet’ continues to be an awesome track. Meanwhile, tracks like single ‘The Seeds of Greed’ and ‘?’ are balls to the wall thrash death, and they’re awesome. However I have to admit, surprisingly I find myself enjoying the slower, more atmospheric tracks more, like ‘The Cleansing Flood’. Plus, Chris Hathcock’s vocals on the track are incredible and work so well with the rest of the music. It almost has an early Volbeat feel to it, and is definitely a highlight track!
Overall, there really isn’t a bad track on this album. Honestly, describing this as just thrash or death metal almost feels like a disservice. There is more going on here. There’s elements of black and extreme metal, but also doom, sludge, and groove. It feels pretty interesting unique, and I enjoyed it a lot. I’ll definitely be listening to this again, a fair bit in the coming weeks! 8/10
Restless Road ‘s HIGHLY anticipated debut album is finally out this coming Friday. But Joe, I hear you cry, these guys are signed to Sony/Nashville, how have you heard it already? Trust me, I was just as shocked as y’all are when I got the email through. Guess we’re going up in the world!
Somehow I’d never heard of this band before, even though they toured over here back at the start of the year with the amazing Kane Brown. They’ve even done a song with him, which I checked out when I got the email and is very good. So, ladies & gentlemen, I’m excited for this one (and I have to be nice so Sony sends me more albums). So, let’s dive in, shall we?
The title track opens with a great modern country riff, slow and catchy right out of the gate. The immediately incredible low vocals soon come in over the top, the harmonies somehow making them even better during the choruses. Speaking of the chorus, it’s massive and infectiously catchy. It’s exactly the sort of country that’s becoming massive these days, and it’s done to perfection. For some reason, I also hear just a tad bit of Nickelback in the melody, which is fine by me, adding a slight rock edge. We even get some teases of a guitar solo, though it never truly materialises. It’s a fantastic track, with my only slight complaint being the rather generic lyrics. Still, it easily makes our playlist!
‘Head over Heels’ picks up the pace a bit more, having more of a country rock feel. It’s got a bit of a Jason Aldeen or even Cadillac Three feel to it. Yet still, it has a massive, hugely, catchy stadium-filling chorus. The instrumentation was a bit more interesting here too. The fiddles in the back added a fun dynamic and second melody, while we also actually got a guitar solo in this one, and it was a pretty great one to boot! And, just to cap it all off, we get a phenomenal key change for the final chorus. I cannot get over how amazing this track is. Everything about it is awesome. Another on the playlist!
The album slows down with ‘Growing Old with You’, a beautiful ballad of a song. Honestly, it’s hard to say much about the track. It’s just a good, slower, pop-country song. The lyrics, while still not exactly original, were well written here and were delivered with genuine emotion. Yet another fantastic track.
‘Could Have Been a Love Song’ picks the pace back up again into an upbeat stomping rock number. It’s your typical breakup song from a lyrical standpoint, but a lot of fun. The instrumentation is again awesome, the subtle strings adding plenty on top of the drums and guitars. It reminds me a fair bit of Locash, it’s that kind of bouncy country anthem. It’s of course catchy and radio-friendly, yet still feels rather genuine, not forced. It’s another fun track.
Another country ballad is up next with ‘Roll Tide Roll’. It feels more stripped back than the former one, is revolving mainly around the acoustic guitar and the vocals. All the vocals work perfectly here too, especially when harmonising. The duel vocals works so well in country, and this definitely isn’t the exception. At this rate, I can’t see us having a bad track on this whole album…
Honestly, there isn’t a bad song on it, either. There are, however, simply too many songs. I’ve been pretty vocal in this opinion recently, but country albums are just too damn long. I completely get it from a marketing and from a corporate standpoint, but at very least from a review stance, slightly lesser from a listener one, it just feels bloated. Unless you’re an immensely talented prog band, 18 tracks means that a few of the songs are going to sound a little similar. And that’s what happens here. ‘Tell Me Not To’ is pretty damn similar to the opening track. ‘Go Get Her’ sounds like ‘Roll Tide Roll’ sounds like ‘You Don’t Have to Love Me’.
I’m not saying the tracks are bad, however. All of them are good. Some, like ‘Bar Friends’, ‘Easy for You to Say’ and ‘Leave Your Boots On’, are great and playlist worthy. And the duet with Erin Kinsey, ‘Most Nights’, is amazing and is going to be massive once the album is out. There truthfully isn’t a bad track on the album. All 18 tracks are great radio-country songs that are going to catapult this band into being even bigger than they already are. The album could have just quite easily been 12ish tracks and been even better, in this one writer’s humble opinion.
Overall: This is an amazing country album. I know full well it won’t be for everyone; the genre die-hards will claim it to be too pop and radio oriented. However, It’s full of amazingly written, fun, emotional tracks, with huge catchy choruses and plenty of harmonies. There isn’t a bad track on the album and Restless Road are going to be a HUGE name in country for years, maybe decades to come. Despite the length, I can’t not give it…
You know the dealio by now. Join us in checking out some awesome new music!
Beartooth: The Surface
Joe: The Ohioan metalcore band have gone from strength to strength over the last few years, including a HUGE 02 arena show earlier this year. Their fifth album looks to capitalise on that momentum and what was gained from their last album, Below (check out our review here). How do they do?
In theory, this album is awesome. It has all the parts of a classic metalcore/post hardcore/pop-punk album, and I’m sure any fans of the band are going to adore this album. Heck, every review I’ve seen has given it a near perfect score. However, for me, the heavier elements of metalcore and the more pop, even country elements at times, don’t mesh together well. The opening/title track is the perfect example of this, too. The heavy riffing and harsh vocals are awesome and open it incredibly. Then it takes a jarring shift into a pop chorus that doesn’t really fit. It’s not a bad chorus, but it’s got nothing on the metal parts.
It’s a pretty similar story throughout. And I don’t get why I don’t like it, either, as I’m a fan of bands like ADTR and Four Years Strong. The sounds just don’t seem to mash, for me. I’d rather listen to their Fall Out Boy/Arcade Fire style OR their We Came as Romans style, not both in the same track. Tracks like ‘Riptide’ and ‘Might Love Myself’ feel at least a little more coherent, but even then I thought they were pretty average tracks. Even one of my favourite newer artists, HARDY, couldn’t save them on ‘The Better Me’.
As I said, I know this band has a lot of diehard fans that will love this. And it’s not bad music at all. It’s just forgettable. Outside of ‘Doubt Me’ I don’t think I’d listen to a single song off the album again, and I wouldn’t miss it one bit. I wish them all the success in the world and truly hope they become a massive, headlining band. But for me, this album is a 4.5/10
Margo Price: Strays II
Joe: The modern country star released the counterpart to her Strays album this last week. We checked out the first part already when it was released (find it here). So, given that it has been released more of an extended cut, I’ll let you read the original for the first 10 tracks, and I’ll cover the new ones here!
Honestly, part two is just as good as the first part. ‘Strays’ picks up right where she left off in January; a relaxed, old-school country track with both a pop and rock twang. ‘Malibu’ is a fun slower track, the fiddle being an awesome addition. ‘Unoriginal Sin’ is a fantastic slower blues number. And honestly, I can say after listening to the full 82-minute (!) double album, this second part really completes the collection perfectly. It’s hard to believe they were released separately, now. If you’re into country or folk, check this out immediately! 8.5/10
Creeper: Sanguivore
Clearly, I have not listened to enough Creeper in my time, as this was not what I was expecting at all. Have they always been a Meatloaf-esque rock opera band? Because if so, I need to check out more of their stuff! Like, the opening track is a nine plus minute epic filled with huge choruses and big riffs; a massive soundscape filled with a plethora of instruments and parts. It felt like it was ripped straight out of a musical. It’s fucking awesome!
Unfortunately the rest of the album doesn’t quite live up to these loft heights. However, none of it is bad, by any stretch. It’s 80s inspired pop-synth-rock in the same vein of Billy Idol, and is a lot of fun to listen to. It also has a lot of Danzig energy to it in Will Gould’s vocals and the odd punk influences. ‘Cry to Heaven’, ‘Lovers Led Astray’ and ‘Chapel Gates’ are all awesome tracks. I know this style isn’t going to be for everyone, but if you’re into this particular brand of noise you’ll love this album. It’s so incredibly well done! 8.5/10
Varg: Ewige Wacht
We’ve already covered this awesome metal album. Check out the full review here!
The Menzingers: Some of it Was True
Joe: The US punk band are on their eighth album now, and going just as strong as ever. While I generally like my punk a little faster and higher energy, a little less indie, this was still a highly enjoyable album. Tracks like the opener, ‘Try’ and ‘?’ are fun and definite highlights. I probably wouldn’t put this album on myself but wouldn’t turn it off if it came on, especially just a track or two! 6.5/10
ONI: The Silver Line
Joe: The Canadian prog/nu metal band are back with their third album. I have to admit that I wasn’t familiar with the ‘band’ before this review. Now, they have a HUGE new fan in me! It’s like a more technical, heavier Papa Roach or Three Days Grace, and I love it. It’s also insane that, in doing some reading around the band, it is simply just Jake Oni as the sole member. The sheer number of guests on the album made more sense once I found that out. And, it’s hugely impressive that just one man is the driving force and main creator of most of this ‘band’. He’s one hell of a songwriter!
‘Silhouette’ is the perfect opener, having me hooked to the band and album right from the get-go. ‘Spark’ is a good follow-up, with Sueco doing a good job on guest vocals. Unfortunately Kellin Quinn’s grating vocals kinda ruin ‘Underneath my Skin’, but Howard Jones’ powerful ones more than make up for it on the awesome ‘Aura’. Tracks like ‘Silence in a Room of Lies’ and ‘The Dread’ are massive highlights on a truly stacked album, too. There really isn’t a bad track on it (aside Quinn’s), and it’s exactly the style of modern metal that I love. 9/10, amazing stuff!
Twin Temple: God is Dead
Joe: No. Just no. 1/10
Really? You want more than that? Fine…
This ‘rock’ band rose to prominence around the same time that Ghost did, when heavy music fans were clamouring for something different and journalists tried to brand anything even slightly gothic as ‘the future of metal’, much to the dismay and pushback of their readers. This definitely isn’t metal. It’s old-timey rock/pop/country/blues. And, what’s worse, it’s SHIT. Now, I don’t mind artists like Darlene Love, but somehow she had more crisp production than Twin Temple do here. And maybe some have nostalgia for that early rock/blues style, I’m not really one of them.
Having said that, it isn’t my biggest issue with it. While the music is average, and tracks like ‘Fallen Angel’ and ‘Black Magick’ boarder on good, some of the lyrics are cringy as fuck. ‘Let’s Have a Satanic Orgy’ and ‘Be a Slut’ feel hypersexual for shock value, in the same vein as Psychostick, than for some sort of empowerment or good writing. It’s a cheep gimmick, and it ruins the okay music. I’m critical enough of the likes of Halestorm and In This Moment, so for this to be more on-the-nose and worse, of course I’m not going to be a fan.
So, yes, I was a tad harsh on it to open. It’s not quite lowest marks as there’s at least some redeeming value to it and a couple of okay tracks. However, it definitely isn’t good. At least, not to me. The lyrical content is vulgar for the sake of it and it doesn’t build on a sound 70+ years old and already perfected. Just piggybacks off it. 3/10
Ronnie Atkins: Trinity
Joe: The Pretty Maids frontman has gone from strength to strength with his solo releases. He’s showing that he clearly has a lot more in the tank, given that he’s released three albums in the space of three years. For all of them to be this high quality too is a true testament to his skill as a songwriter.
It very much feels like an extension of Pretty Maids’ music, that NWOBHM with a hint of AOR and glam, but it’s so good it’s hard to be annoyed by it. Tracks like ‘Paper Tiger’, ‘Godless’, ‘If You Can Dream It’ and the absolutely massive title track are all massive highlights. Honestly though, there isn’t a bad track on the album, it all slaps. While it doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel in any way, it’s all fun, epic heavy metal music, and I’d LOVE to see any of this album live. There really isn’t much to say about this album. It’s solid and if you like this type of music you’ll enjoy it! 7.5/10
When Rivers Meet: Aces Are High
The Essex-based husband and wife duo released their highly anticipated third studio album this last week. Their typical blues rock sounds are turned up to 11, as is their songwriting, on this release. I’ve been a fan of them since I first saw them on festival lineups the last few years, and I honestly think they seem to be getting better and better every year. This is my favourite album by the band, and that’s saying a lot!
Right from the opener, ‘Infected’, their sludgy, steady southern/blues rock sound drips with attitude and awesomeness. It’s catchy, well-crafted, and one of the many highlights of the album. ‘Play My Game’ is a fun, higher tempo blues track, while the acoustic duet ‘Golden’ is beautiful and the almost Dorothy-like ‘Perfect Stranger’ are also great. However, there really isn’t a bad track on the album. And it’s varied, too. At 10 tracks and 40 minutes long, it flew by in no time and I wasn’t ever bored or skipped a track. It was very well put together, with the slower and faster tracks distributed perfectly throughout.
If you are into blues, southern rock, soft rock or even country, check this out immediately. It’s one of the best releases in any of those genres this year and will be in heavy rotation for me in the coming months! 9/10
We sat down with the amazing, local country band Gasoline & Matches at The Long Road the other week. Check out as we chat about the UK scene and their plans for the future!
What’s it like playing country music in the UK?
I mean, we started writing and performing as a band probably six or seven years ago now, and we feel quite privileged to be riding the crest of the wave of the UK bands that are doing a lot of the same festivals up and down the country. The genre’s really building. We feel really proud to be on that wave.
I also think musically, yes it’s a conscious decision when you’re categorising yourself in a genre, but we’re just writing the music that we’ve always listened to and loved. We really do try and keep what we do British. But, at the same time, so many of our favourite artists are American, it’s been a really amazing thing seeing so many of them finally coming over to the UK.
You guys have done a few shows in the US, right?
Yeah, we’ve done a lot of showcase gigs, some support slots as well. Small tours, things like that. But whenever we’re out there we definitely try and research the local open mic and just spread the word about the band.
We’ve worked with quite a lot of different brands in terms of music companies and things. Steve works with Blackstar and we’ve been fortunate enough to be endorsed by Auden guitars and G7 Capos. We’ve met a lot of these companies and there’s opportunities when we’ve been over for things like the NAMM show. We’ve performed on shows there, showcasing what their gear is. And alongside some amazing artists like members of the E Street Band, Lindsey Ell, Sadler Vaden. Really really cool!
Check out our review of the band’s set at the festival here.
Is there much difference from the scene there to here?
Yeah, yeah. It’s a very homegrown thing in the States. They’ve definitely got their own thing going on. The umbrella for country music is huge, lots of different styles. We tend to enjoy real instruments as opposed to synthetics for what we do, so our roots are in blues and rock music. We don’t try to imitate because there would be no point. We try and carry on that thought process of Atlantic tennis where someone from the States will come out who’s influential and Britain has given a lot of influential stuff too.
In a lot ways we’re at an advantage that we play Country/Americana music here in the UK vs in the States because there are so many artists over there and it’s still quite a new thing here. I feel that we do get to share lineups with much bigger artists from being here. Even from an audience perspective, we get to see artists that may be playing stadium shows in the States in much smaller venues. I think it’s a really great experience.
Recently we were over in America and we’re friends with some of Lainey Wilson’s band and we were lucky enough to go to the Gillet stadium in Massachusetts to see her supporting Luke Combs. It was quite a different experience seeing her there and seeing how the fans are. We’ve been in the audience at festivals like The Long Road or C2C watching some of these same artists and it feels like a much different experience. Definitely over here it’s a listening audience. In the States there’s a lot of conversation!
It must be cool to see the rise of the country scene over here?
Yeah! We started going to C2C many years ago and it’s just growing bigger every year. And The Long Road of course, an amazing festival that the guys put on for bands. We’re so happy to be performing this year.
You’ve put out a few singles, is it building towards a longer release?
The plan has been in the works for a very long time now to have our debut album out. The tracks that we’ve released recently, ‘Afraid to Fall’ and ‘Patient Wolves’; we have another single that will be out this year. Then, moving on into the new year, we are hopefully finally putting out an album. We’ve got another host of tracks we’ve been in the studio recording with Gavin Monohan. So we’re at the stage we’re just getting final mixes and mastering. So 2024 will be a big year for Gasoline & Matches!
Have you got much planned for the rest of the year?
We’ve never really done a cluster of a few days, which you would deem as a tour. We’ve never headlined a tour, but we’ve never headlined one, so we are in the process of looking at when the right time is. It might be more into the new year.
We’ve got a few other shows. We host a regular songwriter round in Birmingham at the Symphony Hall, Nashville Sounds in the Round. We have international artists and UK artists performing at that every couple of months. We still have a few more of those happening. We’re also starting a new night in the Midlands called Wish You Were Beer. It’s in a venue called the Roadhouse in Sutton Coalfield. It’s a super cool bar with lots of movie memorabilia. We’re starting that from the 29th of September. We’re hoping to have some other country music guests come join us.
So that’s our plan, a few more shows just to play us out. Then to rehearse up the set as the album, I guess, and do a string of dates in the new year. We need to get back up to Scotland!
With last year finally being completely okay with the world, it must be nice to get back on the road!
It’s fantastic being able to do shows in real life!
And then tell us the story of The Crooked House
So there was an iconic pub in the Midlands called the Crooked House. We had been booked to play there but the gig got cancelled about a month or so before we were due to play. Then, the night that we were meant to be playing, it burnt down. It got picked up online, someone Tweeted the poster because with a name like Gasoline & Matches, when the pub burns down it seemed like a weird internet hoax. On Twitter it got around 250k views on the post, and we were contacted by so many different journalists about it. We spoke to the Times, Daily Mail, BBC Radio 4, even LADBible and ITV National news. The story made it to the New York Times. So, for our press… it did good in the worst way!
It was a very loved and famous pub in the area so we’re sensitive to the knowledge that a lot of people were upset that it happened. We’ve already pledged and said if there’s anything happening towards rebuilding it or in some way making an exhibit, we said we’d absolutely give a gig away to help fundraise.
Another big week in New music, featuring everything from indie to death metal. Joi
The Hives: The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons
Owen: It’s been 11 years since we have heard an original release from Swedish group The Hives. Having spent the last couple of years appearing at festivals big and small, it wasn’t unexpected, but when a band haven’t released anything in a decade it’s hard to keep the hope. 12 tracks of high frequency, fast-paced, shout-along punk rock, The Hives have created a riot from start to finish. My only complaint is that each track feels like a safe bet from the band. If it ain’t broke… I know, but it feels like any decision they took was a safe choice. The exception to this is the track ‘Stick up’ as it is the only track on the album that could possibly be fit into another genre. ‘Stick up’ leans more into the world of Blues and the shift in vocals to a more Tom Waits sound was a great addition. Overall, the high energy and electrifying nature of the album makes me hope we don’t have to wait another decade until we hear more from The Hives. 7/10
URNE: A Feast on Sorrow
Joe: I was a HUGE fan of this band’s debut album. After getting turned onto the band by Trivium’s Matt Heafy, I did a very positive review (you can find it here). So, with lofty expectations and anticipation, will they beat an 8.5/10 with their new release?
Opener ‘The Flood Came Rushing In’ took a moment to really grow on me, the more hardcore style vocals and almost punk edge to the speed and attitude throwing me off. However, the slower and cleaner, Machine Head style breakdown in the middle and all the awesomeness that followed really blew me away. It sets the tone for the whole album pretty perfectly, too. ‘To Die Twice’ and the title track channel that early Gojira energy that I was waiting to hear again. Meanwhile single and album highlight ‘Becoming the Ocean’ is a more black metal take on Machine Head’s sound.
And we have to talk about the two prog tracks, ‘A Stumble of Words’ and the closing song. They are everything I want out of this genre of music, and I love them both so much. They’re heavy, brooding, and the perfect blend of black metal, death metal and doom. The riffing is amazing, the vocals are perfect and the structuring and writing is off the charts. The former track in particular may be my favourite that they’ve done, and I’m desperate to see it live.
It’s an incredibly well rounded album that doesn’t feel like over 50 minutes at all. If you’re a fan of the heavier side of metal, I’d recommend checking this out ASAP. It’s going to be in the discussion for album of the year come December, I’m sure. And it does in fact beat the last album, getting a 9/10!
The Sherlocks: People Like Me & You
Charlotte: Indie rock band The Sherlocks have skyrocketed to become a well-loved band in the alternative scene in the past few years, and their latest album People Like Me & You will undoubtedly act as a catalyst in their journey to stardom. Taking inspiration from Yorkshire legends without feeling like copycats, The Sherlocks bring a fresh sound to the genre. Tracks like ‘Sirens’ and ‘Don’t Let It Out’ are predicated to be crowd-loving anthems for their loyal fan base in their upcoming tour. 7.5/10
Public Image Ltd.: End of World
Joe: This was… ooooo… this was bad. John Lydon and Keith Levene’s lovechild dropped their 11th studio album last week, and first in eight years. I’m not the biggest fan of Sex Pistols or The Clash outside of a few songs, so have actively avoided this band for as long as possible. I’m probably going to piss off a lot of people with this review.
‘Penge’ is maybe the worst opening track I’ve ever heard. And, sadly, it doesn’t get much better after that. Unlike my previous review, this one definitely did feel like it was over 50 minutes long. I wanted to turn it off by the third track, yet I still had 10 to go. Johnny’s never had the best voice in the industry, but my god it felt like he was struggling at times here, sounding like a strangled cat. The instrumentation for the most part is fine. If you like basic 70s/80s new-wave with a touch of early punk, that is. And while there were a couple of catchy moments throughout, the lyrics were pretty terrible for the most part.
If you found yourself liking this, great. I understand why the band have fans, but I am certainly not one of them. 2/10, I shall continue ignoring this band now.
Caskets: Reflections
Joe: The UK melodic hard rock/metal band put out their sophomore album on Friday. While the Pierce the Veil/Asking Alexandria sound does feel a tad dated in 2023 for a new band, it’s still a good album. The modern-ish sound simply doesn’t have the edge or intrigue that the genre has developed these days. While BMTH lead the genre, there are bands like Bad Llama that do it heavier, or Stray From the Path that add rap elements. There are a lot of bands doing this sound and unfortunately this may get lost in the pack a little bit.
Still, having said that, there are some great, enjoyable tracks on the album. ‘In the Silence’ and the lead single, ‘Guiding Light’ are both a lot of fun. And as an album, it’s very well put together and easy to listen to as a whole. If you like the genre you’ll probably love this, but I’m kinda burnt out by it at this point. 6.5/10
Phil Jamieson: Somebody Else
Charlotte: Grinspoon’s Phil Jamieson has released his debut solo studio album Somebody Else, an album fuelled by nostalgic lyrics. Phil Jamieson combines alternative rock/pop riffs with that iconic 80s new-wave feel to create an album that may very well cement his sound as a solo artist. I struggled to get into it too much, though. 3/10
The Black Skeleton: The Rear View
Joe: The melodic rock band have released their much anticipated debut album. It’s a very interesting blend of styles, giving off vibes of The Cult, RHCP, Iggy Pop, Bowie and others, yet with a modern edge to it all too. The rock ‘n roll and punk elements match up perfectly with the catchy, huge choruses and hooking melodies. Heck, single ‘Swear’ channels grungy Alice in Chains energy in the best ways. And the slower stuff like the title track almost gives off Matchbox Twenty/Stone Temple Pilots vibes. ‘Puppy Run’ is a funky, jazzy masterpiece.
It’s so hard to pick just a couple of highlights off the album as it’s all so different and so good. The variety is amazing and made it such an easy listen. There’s something for everyone here, and the band definitely have a new fan in me. 9.5/10
Werewolves: My Enemies Look and Sound Like Me
Joe: This whole album is a wonderful slap in the face right from the first second. Opening into an evil fast riff complete with a blast beat, the death metal band aren’t fucking around. From then on, it’s heavy, thrashy goodness from start to finish. There is some slight variety; ‘Destroyer of Worlds’ is a Seasons in the Abyss style plodding track, yet is still insanely heavy. It’s my favourite track on the album as it is the most different one, the rest being all out death metal. It’s great, and if you’re into the genre you’ll surely love it. It did wear a little thin for me by the last few tracks, though. 7.5/10
Hail the Sun: Divine Inner Tension
Joe: Straight up, this album is amazing. It’s mathy, heavy and yet channels a lot of pop, punk and even desert rock energy as well. I remember checking out the latest Blood Command album last year (review here) and it’s very similar to that. However, I enjoyed this a lot more than that album. Right from the album opener and title track the band had me hooked and didn’t let go throughout.
Donovan Melero has such an interesting, phenomenal vocal range through both cleans and scream that is hard not to compare to Kellin Quinn. Meanwhile some of the riffs and lead runs from the duel guitarists are amazing. Tracks like the opener, ‘Chunker’ and ‘I Saw You Hanging’ are all massive highlights, but honestly the whole album is great. I can’t really pick any faults here. It’s a solid post-hardcore album and worth checking out by any even passing fans of the genre. 8.5/10
We had the chance to sit down with the phenomenal Kim jennett (Solo, Myke Grey, Voodoo Blood) to talk about the return of her breakthrough band, Voodoo Blood. We talk about their return and new single, as well as Kim’s experience on The Voice and her plans or the future!
What promped the return of the band?
I was writing for the Kim Jennett stuff, which is how I’ve released all my music over the last few years. When we started writing we realised it was kinda heavy and just sounded like a Voodoo Blood song. And it inspired me again to do all the creative stuff and do the music videos and lots of other ideas. It just felt right to do it as Voodoo Blood. It just fit.
It’s a lot more fun for me too, to be honest. It opens up a whole world for me to be creative in rather than when it’s Kim Jennett it’s just me. I feel like I can let go of that when I’m doing Voodoo Blood because it’s a character so it’s a lot more fun for me.
You mentioned the earlier writing, was that ‘Black Mirror’ (the recent single)?
It was, yes! That riffy kinda bluesy stuff that we started writing and this one sounded like Voodoo Blood. But then we do have a few other songs in the works that do sound a bit different, which are different from anything I’ve done. My boyfriend has got different influences to me, he plays with Geoff Tate, Queensryche’s old frontman, so he’s got that sort of other influences. But then we’ve got stuff that’s quite different and experimental so I’m quite excited to release that as well!
Yeah, the actual band is just me and my boyfriend. We do all of the writing, he plays guitar and records me and does all of the production. It’s just us two and then depending on where we are in the world we can have different members. The other two are interchangeable for the moment.
Is the plan for an EP or album or are you just focusing on singles for the moment?
We’re doing singles for the minute but we are working towards having a release like an EP or an album down the line, yeah!
How did you come up with the whole Voodoo Woman persona?
It was strange. Voodoo Blood first started around 2018 and we were kinda just playing as much as we could, playing every single gig we could. But I didn’t have the persona yet. We did cover an old blues song by Koko Taylor, ‘Voodoo Woman’. We made it our own. She says ‘I’m the voodoo woman’ in the song and everyone at our shows started calling me the voodoo woman. It kinda developed from there.
My parents do the artwork for us and I wanted to take that idea and create a character for one of the EP artworks. Then I thought for one of the shows I’d dress up as this character and promote the EP and it all gelled together then and I became the voodoo woman!
I didn’t think of it as me playing a character on stage, it was still a band. I was just myself and it naturally turned into the Voodoo Woman. So now a large part of this project is creating a world around her and creating her backstory.
You were on The Voice last year. Why do you think shows like that doesn’t see rock as very positive?
It’s strange actually. The thing the judges said after I’d been on was very much ‘oh but it’s rock’ like that’s a negative thing. I think they said a similar thing to Nathan James (Inglorious) a few years before. I’m not sure, I guess they want music that everyone’s gonna like and I’ve got quite a different voice, I have that rock edge to it. I guess that pushed me into just what I want to do again.
I was going to ask, did that have an impact on your direction and plans after that?
Yeah it definitely did. It was like I did something quite commercial and I was doing my livestreams at the time, singing pop songs and covers. So I was doing the commercial thing and people still put me into that box of the rock one.
And I didn’t get to pick my own song, they picked their song for me. I don’t think it showed off my voice at all. I wanted to do an old blues song, ‘Cry Baby’ by Janis Joplin, which would have been brilliant. So it was like not everyone’s going to like me anyway so what’s the point in trying to please other people, I might as well do music that I enjoy, and I enjoy doing heavy rock music. I’m just going to do my only thing because I enjoy it and it makes me happy. Hopefully it’ll then inspire people who look at it to go ‘well, I’ll be myself too’. A big thing for me is inspiring others to be themselves. Embrace the different, creative, wacky side of yourself!
Do you have a dream tour in mind?
Of course I’d love to play with my influences like Halestorm, Ghost, Alice Cooper. Someone like that would be amazing! We just saw him on the Monsters of Rock cruise and it was just awesome. The show behind the music and the lineup – the musicians he’s got – are just excellent.
I didn’t really set out with this project thinking ‘I’m going to go and support another band’, this project is me being creative and if I am going to go out there and do a live show, I want it to be perfect. I want it to be a show, not just a gig. I really like the whole theatrical thing, not just a gig, I love that.
And finally, do you have any plans and ideas for the next few years for Voodoo Blood?
My goal is to be creative and to write music. I love writing the music videos and creating that whole world. My dream was to play Download festival and I did that a few years back. After that I just thought I’d play Download and that’d be it, I’d be happy then. Then that night I was still going back to my bedroom sat there thinking ‘fuck, what now? What’s gonna top that?’ and I actually felt quite sad.
So I thought what next? For me, to be able to do the music that I enjoy and to be creatively free, that’s what’s gonna make me happy so that’s what I’m gonna do. I’ve already seen a lot of people really liking the track which is nice to hear. But I’m out to do this to get all of this stuff that’s in my head out of there, it kinda keeps me sane. So that’s my goal really; to be creatively free and enjoy what I’m doing!
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