Country music vocal powerhouse Tyler Braden has announced his return to the UK & Europe for 12 dates in February 2027. The Days Of Gold Tour will kick off in Belfast, with further headline shows across Dublin, Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham, Cambridge, London, Cologne, Hamburg, Munich and Amsterdam, and a festival appearance at Zurich’s Albisgütli Country Music Festival.
Artist and venue presale for The Days Of Gold Tour will take place on Wednesday, 3rd June at 10am BST; with the C2C presale on Thursday, 4th June (10am BST); and general tickets on sale on Friday, 5th June (10am BST). Visit TylerBraden.com for more information.
UK/EU Tour Dates:
3rd February 2027 – Limelight – Belfast, Northern Ireland 4th February 2027 – The Academy – Dublin, Ireland 6th February 2027 – New Century Hall – Manchester, England 7th February 2027 – SWG3 Galvanizers – Glasgow, Scotland 9th February 2027 – O2 Academy 2 – Birmingham, England 10th February 2027 – Cambridge Junction – Cambridge, England 11th February 2027 – Koko – London, England 13th February 2027 – Club Bahnhof Ehrenfeld – Cologne, Germany 14th February 2027 – KENT Club – Hamburg, Germany 16th February 2027 – Hansa 39 – Munich, Germany 18th February 2027 – Albisgütli Country Music Festival – Zurich, Switzerland 20th February 2027 – Melkweg Max – Amsterdam, Netherlands
“I’m so excited!” Says Braden. “We’ve always felt so much love coming to Ireland, the UK, and Europe for C2C, so I can’t wait to see y’all again for The Days of Gold Tour! Stoked to spend more time with y’all and show y’all what we are all about!”
The tour announcement follows the release of his latest single ‘My Americana’, a nostalgic track that captures the bittersweet ache of a summer romance that burned bright and ended too soon, exploring the lingering memories of a relationship severed by distance and ambition. Last week, Braden dropped an official music video for the song, directed by Marisa Taylor – watch here.
A rising Country star with a Rock & Roll soul, Tyler Braden makes raw and heartfelt music that’s built for massive stages. With over 1 BILLION global streams to date and averages more than 10 MILLION streams a week, the Alabama-bred singer/songwriter kicked off a bold new era with his debut album devil and a prayer, which was released May 2025 via Warner Music Nashville. The LP is a 19-song tour de force that fully captures the formidable energy of his live show, as shown on the standout track “DEVIL YOU KNOW” (which amassed over 10 MILLION views across social media in just two weeks). Hailed as a “country powerhouse” by American Songwriter, Braden grew up in the small community of Slapout and began performing four-hour cover sets as a teen, later balancing his early music career with shifts as a firefighter in Montgomery and Nashville. Since signing with Warner Records Nashville, Braden has earned three No. 1s on SiriusXM The Highway’s Hot 30 Countdown, been named to the 2026 Opry NextStage class, while also sharing stages with Luke Bryan, Brooks & Dunn, Dierks Bentley, and Chris Stapleton, and toured internationally with Brothers Osborne.
A MASSIVE week of new music for us to check out, with huge releases from some of the biggest names in the rock, metal and country worlds. Let’s check it all out!
Shinedown: EI8HT
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read our full review here.
Kip Moore: Reason to Believe
We’ve also checked out this release! Read our review here.
JAYLER: Voices Unheard
The debut album from one of the fastest rising stars in the UK rock scene finally dropped this last Friday. Now, I want to get the positives out first. These kids are all incredible talented musicians. Their playing and songwriting skills are well beyond their age. Tracks like the massive single ‘Riverboat Queen’, ‘The Getaway’ and ‘Lovemaker’ are all big highlights, though there isn’t a bad song throughout!
However, I personally don’t need another Led Zeppelin clone. We’ve tried this revival sound so many times, whether it was Wolfmother, Kingdom Come, Rival Sons or Greta Van Fleet, all to varying degrees of success. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a Zep fan, but it all kinda screams ‘we have Zep at home’. As I’ve said, it’s good music in its own right, I just wish they did something interesting with the sound. I’d love to hear that Robert Plant voice over something not blues rock, like Michael Poulsen does with that Elvis sound. Hopefully they’ll evolve like the previously mentioned bands do on subsequent releases and come into their own; they’re still incredibly young, after all! Hell, maybe I’m just jaded from people, including some media outlets, already touting the term ‘saviours of rock’, like they do any time one of these bands come around, and like it has ever needed saving.
As I’ve said, it’s certainly not a bad release. It’s exactly what you’d expect, and if you like this sort of thing you’ll most likely love it. The band have an INSANELY bright future ahead of them, that’s for sure. But after decades of similar sort of music, it’s hard not to get a little bored by it these days. So, sorry boys, I can’t give it any more than 7/10
All Them Witches: Red Rocking Chair
This thing is wild from start to finish! It’s stonery blues metal/hard rock for a full 43-minutes; plodding pace, awesome riffs and epic arrangements and vocals. It definitely has other elements to it, touches of indie acid and psychedelic, as well as a healthy dose of prog for good measure, but this release is stoner all over. Heck, opener ‘Red Rocking Chair’ is an awesome, heavy starting off point, and sets the quirky tone early. Then there are songs like the straight-up blues ‘Aethernet’, ‘Turn on the Light’ and the epic closer that are all other big highlights. The album takes the listener on a fantastic journey, and 43 minutes went by in a flash! The band are are hugely talented and have crafted something truly interesting with this release, constantly keeping me hooked despite the generally plodding pace throughout. Somehow I hadn’t heard them before but they have a big new fan in me! A solid 8/10 from us!
Devin Townsend: The Moth
As much as I’ve enjoyed the odd track here and there over the years, as well as loved his last albumand plenty of SYL stuff back in the day, DAMN, I definitely ‘get’ it Heavy Devvy, now. This thing is epic, chaotic and brilliant, for a solid 70 minutes (excluding The Afterlife mixes on the deluxe), and I can’t seem to get enough. It’s like Danny Elfman if he made a metal film, and it’s no wonder Devin has considered this his “life’s work” the last decade plus.
Honestly, I can’t gush over the album enough. Everything about it, from the North Netherland’s Orchestra and Choir and all their awesomeness throughout to Devin’s criminally underrated, powerful vocals, to the occasional and well-earned heaviness to the arrangement as a whole, be it instrumentally or track-by-track, it’s all phenomenal. The release has such a perfect flow and energy to it throughout that over an hour goes by in an instant. And having so many interlude and shorter tracks between the more epic songs is a master-stroke, honestly. This is a metal opera through and through, to the quality not heard since Avantasia’s debut. From ‘War Beyond Words’ to ‘Enter the City’, ‘Stay There’ to ‘The Big Snit’ to ‘Stained Hearts’, there are plenty of tracks I’d listen to on their own. However, this release begs to be listened to in full, at least once. What a phenomenal, insanely creative release, and one I can’t give any less than 10/10 to!
Willie Nelson: Dream Chaser
Y’all know the drill by now. Huge legend, one of the hardest working musicians of all time, album number insanely high. Of course we’re fans of Willie here, and this album is a surprisingly great entry into his discography, especially given that the man isn’t far off 100 years old! The opener/title track is excellent in every way, while songs like ‘We’d Make a Good Movie’, ‘Whiskey Wants me To’ and ‘After All’ are all awesome too. It’s a great collection of both slower and more up-tempo tracks, and alternating the way this does was a great decision, keeping it constantly entertaining. It’s easy to see why he’s such a legend in the business and, honestly, this may be my favourite of his modern albums! It still shocks me to be putting stuff like this about a Willie Nelson release in 2026, but I can’t give it any less than 8.5/10. Amazing stuff, and fantastic traditional country!
Dogstar: All In Now
Not-Wyld-Stallyns put out their second album since their 2020 reunion, firmly establishing them as a mainstay in the alt-rock world at this point. We enjoyed their last album, so I have been curiously hyped since this was announced!
It’s another damn good post-new-wave rock album! It’s a light-hearted affair that is impossible not to have a good time when listening to. Channelling vibes of everything from grunge to punk, pop to hard rock, they somehow both feel old-school and accessible, while also feeling pretty unique in this day and age, a hard task to accomplish! Personal favourites include the title track, ‘Siren’ and ‘Shards of Rain’. However, the whole album is great, and each track flows into the next so effortlessly. Much like with their last album, it’s not something I’d revisit too often, but I’d happily throw on and relax to every now and again. If you like your lighter end of rock, this is very much the album for you, and is another entry into their now very solid discography! Another solid 8/10 from us! Such a shame they clash with Pretty Wild at Download…
Oh, and all hail our lord and saviour, Keanu Reeves.
Redshift: Down the Wire
This anti-AI prog metal release is the third from the UK trio, following up 2023’s INSANE Laws of Entropy. It’s every bit as great as I expected, and a worthy follow-up to Laws. Single ‘The Singer’ is incredible, while the chaotic, prog masterclass of ‘The Machine’ and the Derek Sherinian-featuring ‘The Rogue’ are all big other highlights. However, all six tracks here are as good as the last! The sheer talent on display from everyone involved throughout is truly mindblowing, and they have once again blown me away with their skill of playing and songwriting. I feel like it fits rather perfectly alongside the rest of their discography, and is impossible to pick a favourite out of the three. Instead, it just makes me want to listen to it all back-to-back! Either way, I’ll certainly be spinning this awesomeness again, and it gets another incredibly solid 9/10 from us!
Kiefer Sutherland: GREY
The Lost Boys/24 and now country legend put out his fourth album last week. It’s a chilled-out affair from start to finish, packed with bittersweet lyrics and vibes, great acoustic instrumentation, and the odd catchy chorus from Kiefer’s now trademark rasp. I have to admit it’s still a little odd hearing someone with a (rumoured) networth of $100 million sing from the perspective of a working man, but somehow he makes it work, more often than not! Tracks like single ‘GOODBYE CALIFORNIA’, ‘SIMPLER TIME’ and ‘THE BOTTLE LET ME DOWN’ are personal highlights. Sadly, outside of those tracks, this album is generally a little too, melancholic and depressing for me. There will certainly be people who love this as a whole, and I can appreciate it for sure, but I’m not one of them. He’s always been on the slower end, but this is more stripped-back and hopeless than ever. Maybe it’ll grow on me, but I do generally prefer his more Randy Newman-esque up-tempo stuff, generally. It’s not bad, but not something I see myself revisiting all too often. For now, it gets a 6.5/10 from us.
Static Dress: Injury Episode
The UK post-hardcorers put out their highly anticipated sophomore album last Friday. They have grown a lot since their debut, both in terms of size and songwriting. I definitely have revisited Rouge Carpet Disaster a few times since 2022 when it dropped, but this feels like a step up for them. Opener ‘questioning’ is alt and heavy awesomeness, and sets the tone for the rest of the album perfectly! Then you have tracks like ‘Pharmacy Film’, the Underoath-featuring ‘Nostalgia Kills’ ‘lip critic’ and ‘Classic.Death.Pose.’ that are all huge highlights. Honestly though, this album slaps from start to finish! It gives vibes of everything from MCR to Coheed, 3TEETH to Loathe, but also with something else that makes them feel pretty unique. It’s elements of post-hardcore, industrial, nu, punk and emo all perfectly infused together, and I can’t get enough! I’ll be revisiting this a LOT moving forward, and don’t be surprised to see it getting pretty high on our albums of the year listcome December. 9/10
The Real McKenzies: Paul McKenzie Sings on Yer Bike
The Canadian Celtic punk legends are back with a follow-up to 2022’s awesome Songs of the Highlands. And wouldn’t you believe it, it’s another banger of an album from one of the most underrated bands around from the 90s and 2000s! The three singles are incredible, while tracks like ‘The Mad Trapper of Rat River’ and the almost polka/ska ‘Liver Spot’ are also huge high points. It’s barely half an hour and goes by in a flash, as well as begs you to swing and dance along. It’s impossible not to have a good time with it, especially when the band don’t take themselves hugely seriously. There isn’t much else I can say about it aside for if you’re into fun punky vibes, you absolutely MUST give this a try! 8/10
Alana Springsteen: I HOPE THIS HELPS
The sophomore album from the Virginia singer-songwriter feels like it’s been a long time coming. Her debut only came out three years ago, but I guess it’s been a long three years! We enjoyed her particular combination of country music and sad-girl-pop then, and this release perfectly continues on from that. Honestly, it did take a little bit of getting into for whatever reason, the first couple of tracks didn’t hook me, but from ‘sad hour’ onwards it really clicked for me. ‘love to see it’, ‘diy’, ‘no man’s’ and single ‘black sheep’ are all big highlights for me. And, though it’s another longer release, I felt it was less overwhelming this time round. Whether it was the fact that a couple of the tracks were short interludes this time round, or that my favourite songs were spread throughout, who knows. All I know is that that five less minutes mad a big difference, and definitely in a positive way.
It feels like a more focused and refined album, exactly what you want from a second release. It’s easy to see why she is one of the fastest rising stars in the genre today, as she is already incredible consistent with her releases, this being every bit as good as her debut. Another very solid 8.5/10
Blackmarket: Radical Views
This EP feels like it’s been a long time coming, following up their 2021 self-titled album. However, it’s an excellent 12 minutes of anger, heaviness and nu/industrial metal awesomeness. All four tracks are as good as the last too, and all combine together to give a full showcase for the bands range and style. ‘Bleed’ and the title track are personal highlights, but that doesn’t take away how excellent the other two songs are! The band feel like they have carved an awesome niche for themselves, no one sounds like this, and it will surely serve them excellently moving forward! If you like any of the genres that I’ve described above, this is well worth checking out! My only complaint is that there isn’t more of it! Hopefully we won’t have to wait as long next time for new music, and if it’s a new album, even better! For now I’ll definitely be spinning this plenty, though. A solid 8.5/10
Rodney Atkins: True South
The 2000s country legend is back with his first new music in seven years, and picks up right where he left off with Caught Up in the Country! It kicks off strong with the Outlaw country-rock title track and ‘Helluvit’, while tracks like ‘Hole in One’, ‘All Y’all’ and ‘Silver Bullets’ are all other big highlights. Having been a fan of his for a long time now, it’s exactly what I hoped for and expected, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Covering sounds from Brantley Gilbert to Russel Dickerson to more of a classic sound, it’s an awesome 40 minutes that, even if it has maybe one too many slower songs, doesn’t once get boring! My only issue was there was maybe a slight bit too much cheesy, typical country stuff in the lyrics. However, it’s Rodney Atkins, so it was rather expected! Plus, he offsets it perfectly with some of the other tracks packed full of genuine emotion. He is back in a big way, and I’m just glad we finally got a new LP from him! If you’re into the more radio side of country, especially from the 2000s/2010s, this is absolutely an album for you! 8/10
Guided By Voices: Crawlspace of the Pantheon
Another year, another album from the old-school indie rockers for us to check out. I’ve lost track of how many we’ve covered, now. Much like with Nelson above, I fully commend and respect their hard-working nature, their last album dropping just eight months ago and this being their 42nd studio album. Unlike the Willie album, however, I didn’t enjoy this too much. It certainly had its moments, like the Foo Fighters-y opener, the outro of ‘One Last Blow’ and ‘Chariot Ride’ itself was fine too. However, it was all just so… meh, so boring. It’s nothing I haven’t heard from the band before, and I came into it some 30+ albums into their career already. Unless they do something drastically different, I’m not covering another of their releases, I feel too mean giving them back scores on the regular. It’s not bad by any stretch, it will certainly have its fans, but it isn’t for me at the best of times, never mind when I’ve heard them do it before and better. Another 3.5/10
Malummeh: Self-Titled
The first release since their reformation in 2022, the Finnish old-school metalcore/melodeath EP goes HARD. It’s 18 minutes of anger, heaviness and incredible musicianship. The riffs are incredible, the drumming is insane and the screams are brutal and amazing. And yet, there are still catchy, more melodic moments spread throughout too, arguably only making the heavy bitter heavier. Opener ‘Dethroned’ sets the pace of the release perfectly, while ‘October’ is also heavy greatness. However, that doesn’t take away from the other two tracks, which are also awesome. It’s an amazing return from a band that still have the chance to be a pretty big name in the scene, especially when they are putting out stuff of this quality. Heck, my only complaint would be that there wasn’t enough of it! Hopefully they keep making new music, as I already can’t wait to hear where they go from here. A very solid 8/10 from us!
Joshua Ray Walker: Ain’t Dead Yet
Embodying the hard-working traditional country attitude that Willie champions above, this is Joshua’s eighth studio album in his relatively short seven years of releasing music. It’s also impressive that it’s at this high a quality, given how high-paced he’s working at. Tracks like ‘Shoot Me Straight’, ‘Outlaw’ and ‘Stepping Stones’ all big high points. However, at just 10 tracks and 33 minutes, it’s an incredibly easy listen throughout. Joshua has such a unique but fantastic voice, and it had me hooked from start to finish. Well, that and his witty, emotion-filled lyric writing! Though it does have a modern edge to it, certainly on the production side of things, this is certainly a release for anyone into the old-school style of country music! I had a blast, and can’t give it any less than 8/10!
Burning Rope: Dissolution
The sophomore album from the former Catfish members dropped this last Tuesday, and is a fantastic bluesy rock release! It’s 47 minutes of awesome riffing, solid drumming and some great, catchy vocal melodies. It has elements of everything from Hendrix to Joanne Shaw Taylor to Dire Straits, and is a lot of fun! From the opener to ‘Second Time Around’ to ‘Houdini’, there is plenty to love throughout! The band are all incredibly talented, still at the top of their respective crafts. If you are at all into this sort of music, you know exactly what to expect and will probably have a great time with this! Being a blues guy myself I enjoyed it, and will happily be spinning it again in the future. A solid 7/10 from us!
Melanie Herrera: A Fearful & Wondrous Thing
The debut album from the ‘storybook pop’ singer-songwriter really takes the listener on a journey! It’s a full nearly 40 minutes mixture of everything from pop to rock, folk to funk to soul, and everything in-between. I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did, but I had a blast with this! From ‘Cool Girls Party’ to the emotion-filled ‘You’re Doing Great’ and ‘Call You Baby’, there’s a lot to love. Each track is good in its own right though, and the album as a whole as a great flow to it. It certainly won’t be for everyone reading this, but if you have even a passing like of pop music, it is well worth a try! I’ll definitely be spinning it again, at least over the summer, and it gets a solid 7.5/10 from me!
The incredible country-rock legend Kip Moore is set to put out his seventh studio album this coming Friday. It is no secret that we are big fans of his here at Overtone, loving Solitary Tracks and even getting to see him live last year! So, to say we’ve been hyped since this album was announced may be an understatement! And, what’s better, it’s a touch shorter than his last too, making it a lil easier to write about… So, without further ado, let’s dive in!
Opener ‘Levee’ is a track we are already very familiar with. It’s an awesome song, and the fact that it’s the first track is honestly a great idea. It’s high energy; a real country/old-school rock track, and has been in my regular rotation since to dropped back in March. I can’t gush over it much more than I already have, but having such an up-beat, amazing song open the album sets the tone for the rest of it perfectly!
‘Get What You Give’ keeps the rockin’ vibes going, having an almost 70s, Quo riff running through it! Kip’s vocals fit perfectly over the top of it, and the way the instrumentation builds up through the verse is amazing. It explodes into a massive chorus, one designed to be played to huge festival crowds around the world! It fits perfectly in with his particular brand of country-mixed-rock, and is an easy addition towards the top of his massive catalogue of hits. It’s bound to go down a storm live, too! We even get an awesome couple of duelling guitar solos in this, not cutting them off and giving them plenty of time to breath, packed full of feeling. It’s the perfect Kip Moore track, and another big early highlight!
New single ‘The Darkness’ slows things down perfectly. A steady bass drum beat and a fantastic acoustic guitar riff opens things up, Kip’s powerful, gritty vocals soon slotting in perfectly over the top. It all builds to a fantastic, emotion-filled chorus, one that feels ripped straight from Solitary Tracks or SLOWHEART in the best ways! And it’s catchy as anything too, it’s definitely going to be stuck in my head for days to come. It probably helps that it’s painfully relatable at the same time, too. It’s a simply built track, but a fantastic choice for a single and the perfect way to break up the pace of the album after a couple of faster numbers. Three for three so far on incredible songs!
‘Heartbreaker’ picks the tempo back up, heading firmly into southern rock territory. The slide guitar was a nice touch, and the dynamics of it dropping down for the verses only to explode into the massive chorus again serves the track well. Said chorus is another huge earworm, and one that is bound to go down a storm live! It’s another track that gets a great extended guitar solo, the instrumentation being a massive and welcome focus of the album. The whole track is classic Kip Moore, and is another track that easily makes it onto our playlist. Amazing stuff!
Tracks like ‘Headlights’, ‘You & Me’ and the title track are more slower, soft-rock epics. All are incredible and again feel so very Kip Moore, fitting in perfectly with the rest of his back catalogue. The former builds perfectly into the choruses, a real country rock anthem. Meanwhile ‘You & Me’, while a little higher tempo, still has a ballad feel to it, and has once again one of my favourite choruses on the album! Then you have the slow, grandiose title track, the steadiest we’ve covered so far, but Kip does it such a way that it doesn’t get boring or long-winded having a few slower songs in a row. Heck, we also have the final single, ‘Faith in the Wind’, nestled in the middle…
Said track is feels like the big, emotional heart of the album. It’s a stripped-back, acoustic-driven song, and is honestly so beautiful! That chorus alone is amazing, especially with the double-layered vocals. I love the choruses getting bigger each time too, the production of the track doing a fantastic job. It’s once again so very Kip in all the best ways, feeling like a culmination of his previous slower sounds into this one, epic moment. What a shock, another highlight, on an album packed full of them!
‘Lonely Tonight’ reminds me of Billy Joel, opening on the piano and vocals and building in more and more as it goes. Much like other tracks on the album, it all leads perfectly to the massive, arena-filling chorus. It’s a rather understated chorus compared to others on the release, but is no less catchy and memorable. While it does feel ever so slightly ‘album track’, on an album this good that is hardly a complaint!
‘Long Time Coming’ is another slower track, a fully-country acoustic ballad. It’s the simplest arrangement, mainly just the one guitar and vocals, a few other strings and swells coming in sporadically throughout. There are some subtle harmony vocals at times too, and I’d be curious to know if it’s the same woman who is on ‘Levee’. It’s also somehow another song that breaks up the album a little, as although the last few have been slower, this is a lot less grandiose and layered, and feels like something completely different again. And, once again, the lyrics are utterly phenomenal. A truly beautiful, excellent song!
A similar vibe runs though ‘Wild Things Like You’, while the pace picks back up into a rock banger for ‘Sober’. It did feel a little “about time” after a few slower songs in a row, but honestly it barely felt like it dragged even a little! It still very much has a country edge to it too, almost an early 2000s radio hit vibe to it, while still fitting perfectly with the rest of the tracks. And it’s still a massive, stadium-rock chorus, and another that will go over a treat live. I almost feel sick of saying it, but it’s yet another incredible song, and big highlight!
The closing track, ‘Josephine’, feels like an amalgamation of everything before it! While acoustic-based, it still has a bit of a big band feel to it, and a slightly higher tempo too. The closest comparison I can make is something like Darius Rucker, which is never a bad thing! It feels like a beautiful way to draw everything from the album together and close it out, while also being a great song in its own right. A fantastic end to a fantastic album!
Overall: Hot damn, Kip knocked it out of the park again with this album! As much as I loved Solitary Tracks, which is a lot, I may love this even more! Almost every track on it is absolutely incredible, and there really isn’t a bad song throughout. I’d honestly put it up there alongside his very best, as far as albums are concerned. Kip is somehow still at the top of his game, some 14+ years into releasing music, and this album very much shows that. He is one of my favourite artists for a reason, and I cannot recommend this release enough to absolutely anyone!
Another typically stacked week of new music for us to check out, from rock to metal to country! Let’s dive right in!
A: PRANG
The return album from the British alt rockers, their first new studio work in over two decades despite being relatively active for most of that time, is honestly about what you’d expect from fans of the band. Hi-Fi Serious was a big release for me in my youth, and while this is certainly more tame in comparison, it’s insane to expect three brothers in their 50s to have that same anger as when they were in their late 20s. Regardless, it’s still a good, fun album. It feels like it draws a little more from Britpop than I was expecting it to, but definitely still has that alt and punk infusion the band are known for. Tracks like ‘Bring on the Likes’, the heavier ‘All In’, the hardcore ‘Techno Viking’ and ‘Back to the Shop’ are all big personal highlights. However, at only 10 tracks in length, it’s pretty short and sweet, and goes by in a flash.
My only slight complaint is that the album takes a bit of getting going, I think there’s a better track arragement in here somewhere, for me at least! There’s some heavy hitters later on that could have been better served in the opening songs. However, if you’re a fan of the band or their particular brand of noise, this is an album well worth checking out! I’ll certainly be spinning it again and it may grow on me more, but for now it gets a still-solid 7.5/10!
Dimmu Borgir: Grand Serpent Rising
The symphonic black metal legends return with their first new release since 2023’s Inspiration Profanus. Somehow we missed reviewing that album, though I have checked it out in my own time and enjoyed it. Though typically not as into black metal in my youth, this band were always an exception, and to this day they are still so unique, interesting and captivating. Now, it’s not a small undertaking, 70-minutes of dark brutality, but if you like the band this is well worth a listen! The album is definitely designed to be listened to in one sitting, but songs like ‘As Seen in the Unseen’, ‘Repository of Divine Transmutation’ and ‘Recognizant’ are personal highlights. It’s certainly not for everyone, but if you are into the genre and have some patience, it is awesome and a damn rewarding listen! The band very much prove that they still have it, some three plus decades into their careers. And they are some of the most talented players and songwriters in metal. A solid 8/10 from us!
Dan Byrne: This is Where the Show Begins
The debut solo album from the UK hard rocker is somehow even better than I expected it to be! I’ve been following his career for years at this point, being a big fan of Revival Black back in the day, but this honestly feels like a step up, like he has something to prove. It has a real arena rock feel to it, both in the writing and the incredible mixing, and is definitely set to take Dan to the next level. It opens on the incredible single ‘Saviour’, followed up perfectly by ‘She’s the Devil’. Then you have tracks like ‘Sober’ and ‘Hate Me’ that are just as good as any of the pre-release singles! Every track on this is amazing though, each being as good as the last. It even works having the two slower tracks in the middle (aside I guess for closer ‘Home’), a move that is usually hard to pull off.
Dan is one of the best vocalists in the scene currently, and has proved here that his songwriting matches that immense talented, too. If you are at all into hard rock or its wider genres, this is an absolute must-listen! I’ll be spinning this plenty in the coming weeks and months, and don’t be surprised to see it high on our albums of the year list come December. 9/10
Jake Vaadeland: This is Jake Vaadeland
The traditional country/bluegrass Canadian singer-songwriter returned with his third studio album this last Friday, following up 2024’s critically acclaimed Retro Man. Well, safe to say it’s another excellent old-school release from the man and his Sturgeon River Boys. From ‘Wildwood Flower’ to ‘Keep on the Sunny Side’, ‘Will the Circle be Unbroken’ to ‘Short Life of Trouble’, there is plenty to love throughout. Don’t get me wrong, at 17 tracks, all of which are fairly similar, it can certainly feel long. However, even though it’s not strictly my sort of sound, I had a good time listening to this, and would urge anyone even slightly interested to do the same! He’s insanely talented at what he does, a real leading light in the 40s/50s revival genre. There isn’t even much else more I can say; it’s exactly what you’d expect it to be and damn good, at that! 7/10
Armored Saint: Emotion Factory Reset
The first studio album from the heavy metal legends in six years, this thing goes hard for a full 47 minutes. John Bush’s vocals never seem to age, sounding just as awesome and powerful as ever, and the rest of the band play their asses off throughout. From the opener to single ‘Hit a Moonshot’, ‘Compromise’ to ‘Bottom Feeder’, there is so much to love throughout this. There certainly isn’t a bad song throughout, either. They do a fantastic job of making this feel like their old-school music while also still having a modern edge to it, mainly due to the fantastic production. If you are at all a fan of 80s and 90s heavy metal/thrash, this is absolutely the album for you! Hopefully we get a full run of shows out here at some point soon, not just a one off (although Stonedead looks BANGIN’ this year), as I’d love to see this live! For now though, I’m happy to keep spinning this album, and it gets a solid 8/10 from us!
ALT BLK ERA: Our World
One of the fastest rising stars in the UK alt scene, the local duo already exploded onto the scene with their debut album last year, returning just 16 months later with this awesome EP! The pair continue to grow their fusion of rock, rap, pop and electronica perfectly with these five tracks, all of which are better than the last. It’s very hard to pick specific highlights, as every song flows so well into each other and is good as each other. Having said that, ‘Okay (Cyber Racing)’ was probably my favourite track. It’s no wonder the duo are getting the hype around them that they are getting, as they more than deserve. It this a great stop-gap before a sophomore album, and a release well worth checking out into you’re into a modern rock-pop sound! 8/10
McCoy Moore: Sunshine State
The sophomore album from the rising country star is a great, chilled-out affair. It gives off a slight vibe akin to the new ERNEST album, but with more of a modern or even bro country twang to it. And it’s also packed full of highlights. From single ‘Every Single Summer’ to the Cole Swindell-featuring ‘In Here, Out There’, ‘Something to You’ to ‘Chesney on a Beach’ to ‘Memories We Never Made’, there’s some truly excellent songs. However, there isn’t a bad track throughout, and it felt like it grew on me more and more the more I listened! The lyrics are amazing, going from emotion-filled to fun and clever, and the instrumentation fits perfectly behind them all. It’s easy to hear why he is such a fast-rising star, and to come out with a second album of this high quality just six months after his debut really highlights just how talented the guy is. He is surely going to keep growing and rising through the ranks quickly. I’m definitely becoming a bigger fan the more I listen, and this will certainly be one of the albums of the summer for me, I’m sure! A very easy 8.5/10, great stuff!
Erik Grönwall: Bad Bones
The former H.E.A.T. frontman put out his fifth solo album this last Friday, following up his Eriksplanations collection the last few years. However, it’s been a while since we’ve had original solo music from him. Well, aside for thatMichael Schenker album, but I can’t imagine he had much of a hand in the writing of that. Heck, the album he did with Skid Row was four years ago now! So, safe to say, I’m curious what this is gonna be like!
Well, it’s fucking awesome! It’s an excellent AOR album from one of the best the genre has ever seen. It’s packed full of catchy, arena-filling choruses, soaring, powerful vocals and some awesome riffing. Also, the mix on this thing is amazing, making everything sound MASSIVE. And, because of all of that, it’s almost impossible to pick highlights. All 10 of these tracks are as good as the last, and it makes for an incredibly easy 35-minute listen. From boot stompin’ rockers to the three epic ballads, it’s all amazing. As much as I do prefer Kenny with H.E.A.T., Erik is an incredible talent and has crafted something truly special here. He continued his return from his recent health scare in a major way, and proves that he’s not going anywhere, except maybe even higher up! I’d recommend this album to absolutely anyone, and will be spinning it plenty in the weeks and months to come. Another very easy 9/10from us! It’s almost as good as the last H.E.A.T. album…
Beggars Bliss: Self-Titled
This is an awesome slab of blues rock! Bring from our neck of the woods, I am already pretty familiar with the band, and they are all great people. So I’ve been excited to finally hear this release in a professional capacity for a while, and it somehow blew away every hope and expectation I had! Whether it’s big, grungy blues riffs, powerful, swagger-dripping vocals, solid drumming or some great keys work, this release really has it all. It also seemed like it had me in a chokehold from start to finish, me listening through it twice in full already just this last week! The album is arranged in such a way that it flows perfectly, every song slotting together like a jigsaw. It’s like a blend of Lenny Kravitz, Luna Marble, Exile Club and Hendrix, and I honestly can’t get enough. Surprisingly, I found myself preferring the lighter tracks, or at least those that have a greater focus on the keys, like ‘Forbidden Fruit’, ‘Dusk Till Dawn’ and the Pearl-Jam-like closer. However, that isn’t to say that the boot-stompers aren’t also amazing songs in their own right, too.
I could rave about this album all day; it’s right up my street musically and is phenomenal from start to finish. Heck, the fact that this is a debut album too is mind-blowing. The band have a very bright future ahead of them, and this will definitely be seen as the start of their incredible run in years to come. If you are at all interested, check this out immediately. I feel like it’s been a while but honestly, it deserves it… 10/10
Moonlight Haze: Interstellar Madness
This is an awesome power/symphonic metal EP! Six tracks across 21 minutes of true epicness and greatness. It’s another release that doesn’t have a bad song through its runtime, and is once again impossible to pick specific highlights. The band are so damn talented, and blend the heavy and the melodic perfectly, having some of the biggest choruses I’ve heard recently alongside some truly excellent riffs and even screams. The band have been around a little while at this point and it’s wild to me that they aren’t already a huge name. However, this release will surely push them to new heights, and deserves to be heard by everyone, it really is that good! They have a big new fan in me, and I can’t give this any less than 9/10!
Neo Dimes: Alone
The debut darkwave album from the mind of Stephen Edmunds is a damn interesting listen! Combining neo-industrial and post-punk sounds together into his own blend of dark, catchy electro music had me rather hooked from start to finish. Songs like ‘Angels’, ‘Obsidian’ and ‘How to Love’ are all personal highlights. I do think it’s maybe all a little too samey, 50 minutes of similar music did get a touch much by the end. However, that may be because it’s not 100% my style of music, and my tiny attention span just wandered off somewhere. Some of it reminded me of All the Damn Vampires, in the best possible way, while others dripped with Nine Inch Nails or Filter. If you’re into any of the bands or genres I’ve mentioned, this is well worth checking out! I had a good time listening and will certainly be spinning it again at some point soon! A solid 7/10 from us.
Bleachers: everyone for ten minutes
The indie/alt/soft rock New Jersans’ sixth studio album is a chilled-out, enjoyable. I have such an up-and-down relationship with this sort of music, but I honestly had a great time listening to this! Songs like ‘the van’, the almost country ‘dirty wedding dress’, ‘take you out tonight’ and ‘I’m not joking’ are personal highlights. However, the whole album is good and an incredibly easy listen, 39 minutes going by in a flash. If you are at all into the more chilled-out side of music, this is absolutely the sort of album to throw on and get lost in. I probably won’t revisit this often, but whenever I do I’m sure I’ll have a blast! An easy 7.5/10!
Ersedu: GORE
The sophomore EP from the symphonic death metal band dropped last Tuesday, and has been rather the mainstay on my streaming since then! It’s the perfect amount of epicness, heaviness and melody, making for a fantastic 15-minute listen! It at times reminds me of Dimmu above, but has more of a death metal than black metal base to it, honestly making it a more interesting listen for me! Once again, it’s also hard to pick highlights, as at only three track and an interlude/intro, it’s all killer, no filler! If you are at all into the heavier side of metal, this is absolutely the release for you! I’ll certainly be spinning it plenty moving forward, and my only complaint is that it isn’t longer! 8/10
Billy Lockett: Things are Looking Up
Album three from the British singer-songwriter is packed full of emotion. Covering plenty of deep topics and heartbreak, it very much takes the listener on a journey. And, it helps that said journey is accompanied by some amazing folk-pop-rock music! From the title track to ‘Cornerstone’ to ‘We Know’, there is plenty for me to love throughout. And generally while it’s not fully my sort of thing as an album as a whole, I had a good time listening, and can appreciate how good it is for people more into this side of music. It’s probably not something I’d revisit in full often, but the tracks I like I really like, and will be spinning them individually for quite some time to come. Billy’s a damn talented musican and songwriter. He definitely has a curious new fan in me, and I’ll be dipping into his back catalogue after this weekend, that’s for sure! 7.5/10
Bullets and Octane: Self-Titled
The first fully new studio album from the SoCal hard rockers in six years (though following up last years demos and B-sides collection), this feels like both a reinvention and a confirmation of the bands sound. The punk-edge and sleazy swagger is still very much still there from their early work, but it also has a revitalised heaviness and massive production to it that gives it a more modern edge. Plus, it’s also not only packed with big, chunky riffing, but some arena-filling melodies and choruses. From the opener to the almost Hellyeah-like ‘The Break’ and ‘Operation Butterfly’, there are so many amazing songs on here. However, every track on this thing is excellent, and the album is well worth at least a spin in full, if not several! Gene’s vocals are somehow as good as ever, and the rest of the band play their asses off throughout, creating an excellent vibe throughout. I’ve been a big fan of the band for years at this point, and to hear them return so strong with new music is honestly incredible, as well as heart-warming. I feel like this will be an album I’ll be revisiting plenty in the weeks and months to come, and I can’t give it any less than a 9/10!
We headed down to one of our favourite venues last weekend to see one of our favourite country artists, like a match made in heaven! We’ve been hoping to see him for a few years now too, with him dropping out of The Long Roada few years back and us missing him on the subsequent rearranged tour. Joining him were two of the fastest rising stars in the genre, one from Nashville and one from Manchester, so it was set to be a fantastic night all-round!
Firstly, a quick shoutout to Randall King. He was supposed to be main support on the tour, but has taken a step back from live shows the last couple of months to work on his mental health and personal life. From what I know of him (even having the pleasure of meeting him a couple of years ago), he seemed like a great guy, and hopefully he manages to work through whatever he’s going through. Mental health is so very important, and it sucks for anyone to be going through struggles. You got this, brother!
Another thing before we talk about the artists; this show made me remember why I don’t go to many big country shows on their own. Goddamn, the crowd was terrible! Talking through not only both supports, but a good chunk of Pardi’s set too, just until his big hits came up towards the end. It really ruins the experience somewhat for those who actually went there to watch the show. I honestly don’t understand the thought process behind paying £40+ to go to a gig and not watch most of it, I canny afford that! It’s surprisingly a younger, more me/gen Z crowd that are doing it too, the TikTok crowd. Shame on y’all.
Anyway, enough negativity, let’s get on with the artists!
Seeming newcomer to the scene Bec O’Malley came off a massive day before, playing Royal Albert Hall for Highways and putting out his first single, and showed up big on Saturday too! He and his two backing players owned the large stage for the entire time they were up there, playing (and singing) their asses off. And, honestly, their set was arguably too short. I get why it was, with only one song released it may have been harder to hold the crowds attention, but he did it masterfully. His unique blend of UK folk, Americana and modern country came across excellently live, and he was a pretty decent frontman, too. Closing on the excellent debut single ‘Let it Go’ was awesome, and a highlight of the night in general. However, his other originals were just as good, honestly! And he even snuck a cheeky cover of Ella Langley’s massive ‘Choosin’ Texas’, to the delight of the crowd! Bec is gonna be a big name in the UK and global scene sooner rather than later, and it felt awesome seeing him get this sort of shot right out of the gate. Hopefully he sticks with his guitarist and fiddle player too, as both fit him excellently!
Next up was Alyssa Flaherty. For just a woman and her guitar, she sure packed out the sound in the theatre! It’s probably because her vocals were powerful and absolutely incredible! I wasn’t too familiar with her heading into the set, but left being a big new fan. Her original music is great, and was performed excellently by just her and her guitar. Honestly, I’d love to see her again with a full band backing her, but this was a great set in its own right! For an acoustic set it was definitely one of my favourites in recent memory!
After a rather short changeover, Mr Saturday Night himself took to the stage! Opening on the tours namesake, it was awesome right from the get-go. Honestly, it was a bit of a shame that we didn’t get more off said album, with just ‘Boots Off’ and ‘Friday Night Heartbreaker’ making the cut. The latter was a massive highlight of the whole night, though! The highlights packed out the whole set, though! Whether it was ‘Tequila Little Time’, ‘Mr. Saturday Night’, ‘Last Night Lonely’ or his collaboration with Thomas Rhett ‘Beer Can’t Fix’, there was awesomeness sprinkled throughout. Then, there was the absolutely incredible run to close out the set; from ‘Dirt on my Boots’ to closer ‘Head Over Boots’, it was banger after banger! There was maybe a slight lull in the middle, but that was more from the crowd not paying attention than any of the songs being bad!
In terms of the performance too, it was amazing! Pardi is a born front-man, and put on an excellent show from start to finish. His vocals are just as good live as they are on track, and when not holding one of his many guitars, he was bouncing around the stage, holding the crowd in the palm of his hand and having plenty of energy! The rest of his band added so much to the show, too! Everyone up on that stage is some of the best musicians at their craft, and worked their asses off from start to finish. They performed like one of the very best of a big-country-bands around, which they very much are! From all of the different instruments being played to the incredible soloing to the energy throughout, it was all a top-class performance. There whole set went by in a flash, and I’d have happily taken another full hour of it!
And there you have it, folks. Three incredible acts putting on an amazing show for a packed out crowd. I had a blast throughout, and the two opening acts definitely won me over in a big way. I’d recommend checking out all three of them both live and on track, and I’ll certainly be seeing them all the next time they’re nearby! It was a fantastic night of live music, and one I’ll not soon be forgetting!
The country rock collective are set to release their sixth studio album this coming Friday! As already big fans of their music, we’ve been excited about this one since it got announced. Add to that that the single or two I’ve heard is great, and it’s made this album an absolute must-listen for us! Oh, and add to that the truly beautiful artwork, and this is already set to be a release to remember. Without further ado, let’s dive in!
The album opens on a chilled-out southern rock riff; the guitars setting the tone and the drums and bass following suit excellently. Isaac’s vocals fit seamlessly over the top, keeping the mood and tone relaxed and steady. It rather surprisingly explodes into a catchy, rockier chorus, reminding me of a Darius Rucker kinda sound in the best ways. Having said that, it also fits the vibe of the rest of the song perfectly. The lyrics are excellent for it too, both catchy and packed full of emotion. And the bridge, while simple, has some fun little guitar lead runs, channelling the bands Southern rock roots fantastically. And it drops back to just vocals, piano and some quiet guitars after, giving the track some great dynamics before it bursts back into that awesome final chorus. It’s a great way to open the release, establishing the mood of the album perfectly.
‘Bluebird’ adds a bit more blues to the proceedings, surely intentionally a little punny. Having said that, it still keeps the generally slower pace from the opener, especially with the acoustic, lower verses. It’s all builds perfectly to a massive, arena-filling country rock chorus, one that once again reminds me of that early 2000s sound. And not only that, but we get an epic, Aerosmith-esque bridge and lead bit separating the choruses perfectly. This is a really excellent track, and one that easily makes our playlist. I’m honestly shocked it wasn’t a single, but it could easily be one after release, it would do great as a radio country-rock track!
Speaking of singles, their cover of ‘Changes’ is banger of a ballad. It works surprisingly well as a southern rock song, and is only one of my favourite versions (and there are many) of the track. Honestly, Isaac is probably the best singer to have performed it, in this writers opinion. He puts so much passion and emotion into every line, clearly being a fan of the original. And instrumentally, it works perfectly, the organ, drums and guitaring carrying the somber tone amazingly. It’s interesting to have it placed so early in the album, but it fits rather well alongside the previous songs, so it’s hard to complain!
Songs like ‘All Around Me’, ‘All Over Again’ and ‘Bringin Home the Bacon’ are more tracks that fit in with the opening few. All are boot stompin’ country rock bangers in their own right, with ‘All Over Again’ being a particular personal highlight. And, while I have grouped them together to make the article easier to read, it does also reflect that the album is so similar. It is both impressive that it’s so cohesive, but also makes for an ever so slightly harder listen, at the very least when reviewing. It doesn’t make any of it bad per se, but does make my tiny-attention-spanned brain a touch less likely to listen to them all, especially when they are all so close together!
‘Slowly’ is a beautiful, acoustic-based track that honestly I can’t get enough of. From the simple arrangement that builds perfectly throughout to some of the best lyrics on the release to that chorus that’ll be stuck in my head from day to come, everything about it is amazing. And those vocal harmonies, GODDAMN. It’s easily one of my favourite tracks on the album, and may be up there alongside my top songs from the band in general, honestly. This is definitely one to check out if you are going to dive into any! A damn worthy single!
‘Oh Savannah’ is another beautiful slower song, while ‘Pardon Me’ is another incredible, catchy southern rock track designed to be played to huge festival crowds around the world. Both are great in their own right, but the latter in particular is another huge highlight of the album! And then, just like that, we reach the end to this surprisingly short release with ‘Heavy Chevy’. It’s another good song, giving off Whiskey Myers vibes massively with the vocals. The double track on them was an interesting choice that pays off massively, and once again Isaac puts on one hell of a performance. It builds perfectly through the acoustic stuff into a distorted, rockier second half, the dynamics being fantastic. We even get some awesome duelling guitar solos in the middle, feeling very Skynyrd in the best ways possible. Somehow it’s yet another huge highlight track on an album rather filled with this. It’s also the perfect, truly epic way to close the release, and is another song that’s up there alongside my favourites from the band as a whole!
Overall: This is a great release! It’s a damn good country/southern rock album, jam packed with some real amazing tracks. While it does take a slight dip in energy in the middle, both the start and end are phenomenal, providing some of the best tracks I think the band have ever put to tape. If you are at all a fan of the band or the genres in general, this is well worth a listen! I’ll certainly be spinning it plenty in the weeks and months to come, that’s for sure!
Texas-raised, Nashville-based Country duo Smithfield have today announced multiple headline UK shows, in addition to their appearance at the British Country Music Festival in Blackpool. Their anticipated return will see them playing in London, Newcastle, York, Birmingham and Selsey.
“We have been anxious to make it back to the UK since our performances at C2C London 2023,” shares Smithfield. “We’ll never forget the welcome and warmth we received from the UK crowd and how deeply we felt that our music was appreciated. We’re excited to bring our music to several different cities this time and hopefully make a lot of new fans.
“We are honored that the British Country Music Festival asked us to headline, and we are committed to building our fanbase in the UK for the long-term, and making our British fans feel like part of the Smithfield family. We can’t wait to see you all again, share these songs with you in person, and hopefully meet a lot of you for the first time.”
The duo shared their latest single ‘Let You’ on Friday, the follow up to ‘Giving Up On Us’, released in March. Both songs give fans a taste of their forthcoming project, due for release later in the year. The new single – a playful, up-tempo track about finally giving in to undeniable chemistry, co-written by the duo (Jenn Fielder and Trey Smith) with GRAMMY-nominee Karen Kosowski and Emma D Ashlee, and produced by Smith.
An established name in the US Country scene with 150M+ global streams, 40 Grand Ole Opry appearances and a regular fixture at CMA Fest with their sold-out annual fan parties, Smithfield have been a rising force in music since forming over fourteen years ago. With powerful vocal harmonies and emotionally resonant songwriting, the duo have enjoyed critical acclaim while building a loyal fanbase worldwide.
An established name in the US Country scene with 150M+ global streams, 40 Grand Ole Opry appearances and a regular fixture at CMA Fest with their sold-out annual fan parties, Smithfield have been a rising force in music since forming over fourteen years ago. With powerful vocal harmonies and emotionally resonant songwriting, the duo have enjoyed critical acclaim while building a loyal fanbase worldwide.
30 August 2026 – The Crown Inn & Pub – Selsey, United Kingdom 4 September 2026 – Forty-Five Vinyl Cafe – York, United Kingdom 5 September 2026 – Rodeo’s BBQ – Birmingham, United Kingdom 6 September 2026 – British Country Music Festival, Blackpool, United Kingdom 7 September 2026 – The Cluny – Newcastle, United Kingdom 9 September 2026 – St. Pancras Old Church – London, United Kingdom 11 September 2026 – Nashville Nights Songwriter’s Festival – Odense, Denmark
Tickets for Newcastle are on sale now, while Birmingham and London go on sale this Friday. You can purchase tickets here!
A typically stacked week of new albums for us to check out, from rock to metal to country. You know the drill by now, let’s dive in!
Social Distortion: Born to Kill
The first new studio album from the Californian punk rock royalty in a whopping 15 years, this release had a lot of hype to live up to. Safe to say I think it lives up to the expectations, and then some! The lead single/title track sets the tone and pace of the album perfectly, while songs like ‘The Way Things Were’, ‘Tonight’ and ‘Don’t Keep me Hanging On’ are all huge other highlights. We even get a quirky, awesome cover of ‘Wicked Game’ tucked away in the middle! I do think it looses it’s way and steam just a little at times during it’s runtime, but there’s enough stuff like/as good as their 80s and 90s style that as an album as a whole I love it! If you are a fan of the band or the wider punk genre, this is definitely worth spinning, and I’ll be listening to it plenty moving forward. It’s a welcome return from the band that have been so consistent and at the top of their game for decades, and I can’t give it any less than 8/10
Ashley McBryde: Wild
I was not expecting to get my ass kicked quite so hard with this release. It’s straight up southern rock and I LOVED it. I’m a fan of Ashley and have been for a while, and I liked The Devil I Know a lot when it dropped. But this definitely has a heavier, darker edge to it than that and releases before that, leaning more into the rock than ever before. And I’m all in on it, honestly! Right from the opener this thing goes hard, having me hooked immediately. Then you have the likes of ‘Arkansas Mud’, ‘Creosote’ and ‘Lines in the Carpet’ that are all amazing, southern rock bangers. Don’t get me wrong, it has its fair share of slower tracks too, and the back third of the album is a bit more of the pace I was expecting from her heading in. The closer in particular is another massive highlight, it being more of a folk rock track, and is going to be stuck in my head for days to come!
It’s an incredibly varied album, making it go by in a flash, and is packed full of emotion, amazing vocals and some great instrumentation. It really has everything you need from a country release, and draws from each great element of Ashley’s back catalogue, almost feeling like a culmination of her career up until this point. I cannot recommend this album enough, and it is certainly my favourite of hers she’s put out so far. A very easy 9/10 from us!
Daði Freyr: Too Much Not Enough
Album three from the Icelandic electro-pop artist is just as good as I expected it to be! While we didn’t review 2023’s I Made An Album, I absolutely love it, and we saw him live on the tour, blowing me away! This picks up perfectly where that left off, offering 36 minutes of incredible, infectiously catchy music. From his insane range and vocal tone to the massive harmonies to the incredible arrangements that span pop, electro, funk, jazz and rock, it’s all so damn good. And, honestly, every track is as good as the last! There are definite personal highlights like ‘Hot Damn’, ‘I’m Out and I Wanna Go Home’ and ‘Why?’ but every song before, between them and after are also absolutely amazing. If you are into his particular brand of noise this is an absolutely must-listen. Heck, even if you aren’t familiar, give this a listen, you’ll surely love it as much as I do! This is an album I’ll be spinning a lot moving forward, and I can see it being high on our albums of the year listby December. I can’t give it any less than 9.5/10, amazing stuff!
Crashdïet: Art of Chaos
Album seven from the Swedish sleaze rockers has arrived following extensive lineup changes within the band. Everyone aside for mainstay guitarist Martin Sweet is a new face, it being almost a completely different band to 2022’s Automaton. Honestly, that might be a reason as to why I wasn’t into it too much. I’ve long been a fan of the glam/sleaze revival scene, especially in Europe, and Crashdïet have been a prominent, amazing player in that throughout. It’s not even a bad album, per-say. However, it does very much feel pretty paint-by-numbers when it comes to sleaze, like a group of people who haven’t really ever made music together have got together and made a basic glam album. A lot of the swagger and attitude from Generation Wild, Savage Playground or even Automaton is largely missing, being a big selling point of their sound for me. Exceptions are ‘Get Out’ and ‘Killing it Now’, definitely the high points of the album, and closer to their classic sound. As I said, it isn’t bad, and if you are a big fan of the band or genre you’ll still get plenty out of this. However, I hoped for a little more personally, something about it just doesn’t do much for me. So, I can’t give it much higher than 6.5/10
Reverend and the Makers: Is This How Happiness Feels?
The indie rockers returned with their eighth album this last Friday. It’s pretty good, and a fun release! It’s got an air of easy listening and jazziness to it, alongside the typical indie pop-rock sound. It also feels just a little like Old Dominion, just without the country elements. Tracks like ‘Late Night Phone Call’, ‘D Minor’ and ‘Forever’ are all personal highlights. However, the whole album is a similar energy and there isn’t a bad song throughout! Everyone involved is a damn talented musician and songwriter, and Jon McClure is one of the most underrated vocalists around today. It’s an incredibly easy listen, and one I’ll certainly be spinning again soon. It won’t be for everyone, but I enjoyed it, and can’t give it any less than 7/10!
AK & the Red Kites: Hotter Than the Sun
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read the full review here.
REXORIA: Fallen Dimension
Album three from the self-professed royal metallers picks up perfectly where 2023’s Imperial Dawn left off. It’s 43 minutes of awesome power/heavy metal, packed full of awesome riffing, solid drumming and powerful, melodic vocals. Tracks like ‘Awakening’, ‘Running with Stars’ and ‘Wasted Land’ are all personal highlights, but every song is about as good as the last! As good as Imperial Dawn was, this feels a step up from that release, as well as being slightly on the heavier and darker side, which was very nice to hear! It feels like they have really found and refined their sound with this album, it sounding the most natural and comfortable for all involved. I would recommend this to anyone even slightly into power or heavy metal, and will certainly be listening to this again in the coming weeks and months. It’s a very solid 8/10 from us!
Without Mercy: Infinite Loss
This three track brutal assault is fucking awesome! It’s 11 minutes of technical excellence, crazy drums and heavy screams and breakdowns, with a surprising amount of melody thrown in for good measure. All four of these guys are at the top of their craft at their chosen instruments, and are clearly incredible songwriters to boot! And, all three songs are as good as each other, it being impossible to pick even one over the other two. It’s technical melodeath excellence, and a release I’d recommend to absolutely anyone into the heavier end of metal! 9/10, hell yeah, this was awesome!
Josiah and the Bonnevilles: As Is
This is a short, sweet, chilled album from one of the hardest working names in country today. It’s incredibly chilled out, nestled somewhere between a traditional country sound and a soft-indie one. Honestly, it’s to the point where it’s not especially my sort of thing, but is so well performed and written that I can’t help but like it! Josiah’s vocals are incredible, rather underrated I’d actually say, and the lyrics throughout are fantastic. I think my issue is that it never quite hits that high gear that I keep wanting the tracks to. However, that is more a me issue than an artist one! As I said, it’s well written and well played, and if you like the slower, tamer side of indie/country, this is definitely worth checking out! Highlights include ‘Going Gone’ and ‘Mountain Girl’. 6/10
Black Orchid Empire: LORE
Album five from the UK alt-metal trio is honestly an excellent release! I’ve been a fan of the band for a few years now, with Semaphore blowing me away back in the pandemic era. It’s melodic, heavy and proggy in the perfect measures. It’s got elements of everything from Alter Bridge to Chevelle to Poppy to even Muse, and I’m here for all of it! From ‘Angelfire’ to ‘Scissormouth’, ‘Tristar’ to ‘Mirrorman’, there is so much to love. And honestly, the rest of the tracks around these are just as good! It’s all huge riffs and catchy vocals, and I think I’m a little obsessed! I honestly think this may be the best album they’ve ever released; it has such a great flow to it and nearly 50 minutes goes by in a flash. If you are even slightly curious, do yourselves a favour and give this a spin, you won’t be disappointed! I’ll be spinning this a lot moving forward, and don’t be surprised to see it be another that’s high on our albums of the year listcome December. I can’t give it any less than 9.5/10, amazing stuff!
Draconian: In Somnolent Ruin
The eighth album from the gothic metal Swedes is a truly epic affair. Nearly an hour of doomy heaviness, but with plenty of great melody too, it’s impossible not to like! The contrast between the dark screams and beautiful cleans is fantastic, both powerful in their own way and fitting excellently over the top of the black-doom instrumentation. It’s somehow my first introduction to the band, and I’m hooked! It seems to have elements of everything from My Dying Bride to Rotting Christ to even Nightwish, all combined together to create a sound pretty unique to the band. Tracks like ‘The Monochrome Blade’ and ‘Cold Heavens’ are personal highlights, but the album is definitely worth a listen through in full if you’re into the style! The band certainly have a new fan in me, and it gets a solid 8/10 from us.
Ingested: Denigration
Following up 2024’s excellent The Tide of Death and Fractured Dreams, the UK death metal titans are back with album nine. As expected, it is absolute heavy chaos from start to finish, and is absolutely excellent! Right from the jump with ‘Dragged Apart’ I was hooked, and not let go for the full 40 minutes. Tracks like ‘Stitch by Stitch’ and ‘Beaten Beyond the Veil’ are personal highlights, but there really isn’t a bad song throughout. It’s perfectly heavy, everything from the riffing to the drums to the vocals being crushingly excellent throughout. It has an air of violence and hardcore to it alongside the death metal, definitely feeling a touch Malevolence in the best way possible. It takes everything great about their previous couple of releases and dials it up to 11. I honestly can’t get enough! It’s certainly not going to be for everyone, but if you are into the brutaller end of metal, I’d recommend giving this a listen ASAP! 9/10, I’m certainly going to be listening to this plenty over the rest of the year!
P.S. all the guest kill it throughout, too!
Coleman Jennings: Lead You Home
A debut album now, from the young neo-traditional country rising star. It follows up on his EP right at the start of the year, doubling its length up to 10 songs. We loved Ride On, and I remember back then even saying I wanted a longer release soon. Clearly he heard my pleas, and what has come out as a result is honestly awesome! The OG half is still just as good as ever, while the new songs are just as great, particularly ‘Flyin’’ and ‘Good While it Lasted’. I honestly don’t understand how someone in their 20s can have a voice like this, but it sounds so damn good, and Coleman is definitely a bright shining light in the traditional country renaissance going on currently. His talent is off the charts, both as a musician and songwriter, and his band kill it on each song, too. I’d recommend any country fan give this a spin, it will surely win you over! It gets another solid 7.5/10 from us, and I already can’t wait to hear more!
The Flatliners: Cold World
The Canadian punkers returned with their first album in nearly four years this last Friday. It’s damn good to have them back, as this is a fantastic album! It’s heavy, almost having an air of hardcore or metal to it, but it only adds to the attitude and punky vibes throughout. Having said that, it also gives slight Coheed vibes, which I am more than down with! It’s another first-time band for me, and they already have a big new fan in me. Songs like ‘Inner Peace’, ‘Whyte Light’ and ‘Turning Signal Rhythm’ are big personal highlights, but I found myself enjoying every song throughout the release. It definitely won’t be for every punk fan out there, but if you are into the slightly more heavy or melodic side of the genre, this is absolutely a release for you. How they aren’t bigger at this point is beyond me, as they are so damn good! A very easy 8.5/10 from us!
Darkthrone: Pre-Historic Metal
The Norwegian black metal legends are back with another album, just two years removed from If Beckons Us All. I remember enjoying that album, at least more than this one. It’s not bad, especially if you like the old school black metal style. However, it feels a step back compared to their last couple of albums. It strips a lot of the doom out of it, leaving with more pure black metal. That will certainly make some happy, but it bored me a little, honestly. Tracks like ‘Siberian Thaw’ and ‘The Dry Well of Hell’ are pretty good, but I sadly found myself losing interest much after the latter track. Not even part four of ‘Eon’ really hooked me in too much. Maybe it’s just because modern bands do this style a little more interestingly these days. Plus, the vocal mix seemed to take a bit of a step backwards since Beckons, which is a shame. Either way, this wasn’t for me. As much as I wanted to like it, and it wasn’t terrible, I have no desire to go back and listen again. 5.5/10
The Family Men: Co/de/termination
The sophomore album from the Swedish ‘total harmful sound’ collective is a damn fun listen! It’s like Pendulum mixed with a hardcore band, making it pretty damn fascinating, if nothing else. Refused are the closest comparison I found myself making, which I’d say is a pretty big compliment! Nestled somewhere between industrial, hardcore, metal and electronic. It maintains its intrigue and funness throughout too; from the opener to ‘Skull Theft’ to ‘Scanner’ there is plenty to love. At just over half an hour too, it’s a damn easy listen from front to back, going by in a flash. If you are at all curious, I’d highly recommend throwing on the album as a whole, you surely won’t be disappointed! The band certainly have a new fan in me, and I’ll definitely be keeping a close eye on them moving forward. Hopefully they tour over this way at some point too, I feel like this would all be awesome live! A very easy 8.5/10 from us!
A typically stacked week of New Music Mondays, with everything from rock to metal to country putting out great stuff! Let’s dive in and check it all out!
The Black Keys: Peaches!
The 14th album from the garage/blues rock revitalists is a lot of fun! It’s 10 scrappy, technically awesome songs that flow together rather perfectly. It’s exactly what you’d expect if you know the band in any way! We somehow missed their album last year, but did enjoy 2024’s Ohio Players. There’s just something about Keys’ particular style of jam band; it’s never normally my sort of thing but I end up having a blast whenever I listen to them. Tracks like ‘Stop Arguing Over Me’ and ‘You Go to Lose’ are big highlights for me. However, a release like this BEGS for a full listen-through in a single sitting, and I honestly think doing it that way adds to every song, and the product as a whole. Yeah, the tracks are all a touch similar, and 44 minutes is maybe a touch too long unless you are really into the genre. However, I can’t think of a song to cut, they all fit so well. And, if you are into the band or the respective genres, you’ll love it from start to finish!
The duo work so effortlessly well together some two plus decades into their careers, and show off once again why they are two of the most underrated players and songwriters in the game today. I’ll certainly be spinning it again in the months to come, and it gets a solid 8/10 from me!
Kacey Musgraves: Middle of Nowhere
Following up 2024’s massive and critically acclaimed Deeper Well (we had… some thoughts… on it), was going to be no easy task. However, to my shock, I ended up rather enjoying this; it’s a damn solid country-pop release! ‘Middle of Nowhere’ opens the album on a high, and the tongue-in-cheek ‘Dry Spell’ is so well written it’s impossible not to enjoy. Then you have tracks like ‘Abilene’ and ‘Mexico Honey’ that are also damn solid songs. I love that the middle of this release is dominated by some awesome guest appearances too, everyone doing so well and adding their own amazing flare to each song. ‘Horses and Divorces’ with the wonderful Miranda Lambert was probably my favourite, though Willie Nelson’s was also good. Don’t get me wrong, Kacey is to middle-aged divorced women what dad rock is to 30-something white dudes, but I still found myself enjoying in. Maybe I’ve gone soft. However, I certainly wouldn’t turn this off if it came back on again, and will most likely be listening to a few of the tracks of my own volition moving forward. 7/10
Sevendust: One
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read our full review here.
KNEECAP: FENIAN
Despite liking their punk attitude and leanings, I never really got KNEECAP… until now! This is a damn solid release, and I had a blast listening to it! It gives off vibes of Pendulum or even Prodigy at times with the instrumentation, while there’s some truly great rapping and memorable choruses throughout. Tracks like ‘Carnival’, ‘Liars Tale’ and ‘Gael Phonics’ are personal highlights. Don’t get me wrong, it all sounds pretty similar, and 14 of the same sort of songs did get a touch old late in the album. But, even with them switching between English and Irish mid-line sometimes, making it hard for me to follow some of their bars, the emotion and anger is still very much present throughout. It was a really captivating listen. As someone who doesn’t know much by them, I’ll at least be listening again, and may be pressed to give their previous stuff another try! If you’re a fan of them, or the heavier side of hip-hop/house/rap in general, I’d highly recommend giving this a spin! Another solid 7/10, and one I’ll certainly be revisiting at some point.
Venom: Into Oblivion
The first album from the black metal pioneers in nearly eight years, the band very much picking up right where they left off. If you’re familiar with the bands sound at all, you’ll know exactly what to expect here, and it hits that right on the head. It’s fine. While I completely appreciate and admire the bands contributions and influence on metal music, but this is nothing we haven’t heard before. It’s good first-wave black metal/thrash, but both genres have moved so far past this sound since the 80s, and I do think for good reason. It’s actually rather wild to me that the band are on album 16 and haven’t really strayed too far away from their original sound, just gotten better production. Tracks like ‘Lay Down Your Soul’ and ‘Metal Bloody Metal’ were personal highlights, but much of the rest I could kinda take or leave. It’s good for what it is, but I’d rather just go back and listen to their first three LPs. I sadly can’t give it any more than 6.5/10
ERNEST: Deep Blue
Where did this come from?! I LOVED this album. Don’t get me wrong, I certainly don’t hate his previous work, and last years Cadillac Sessionswas also not bad, even if he wasn’t the highlight of that. However, he’s always struck me as a bit of a mixed bag of a songwriter, at least when it came to his own work. Well, he’s finally found his sound, and it’s Jimmy Buffett levels of tropical country awesomeness. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still a few Morgan Wallen-esque songs scattered throughout, but overall it’s a precisely written album. Every song fits together perfectly and the album has an excellent flow to it. I honestly wasn’t expecting 44 minutes to go by so quickly and easily. It’s just a great album to throw on, sit back and relax to. From the opening two songs to ‘Somewhere in the Caribbean’ and ‘End of the Night’ to ‘Boat Named After You’, there is so much to love. However, every song on here is amazing, and the whole thing is worth spinning from start-to-finish at least once! Hopefully we are getting more of this sound moving forward from ERNEST because DAMN, I loved this. I’ll be listening to this plenty moving forward, and this gets an easy 9/10!
Haste the Day: Dissenter
The first studio album since the metalcore band’s second reunion in 2023, and this thing goes hard from start to finish! It’s both hugely heavy and beautifully melodic in equal measure, and is so very well put together. ‘Shallows’ sets the tone perfectly, while tracks like ‘Grave’, ‘Gnasher’ and the epic closing single are all personal highlights. It’s very much that heavier modern end to the genre, blended with emo and leaning more on the hardcore side of things. It’s no wonder they have Silent Planet guest on a track, as it’s very similar music. It also gives off slight Deftones vibes at times. If all of that sounds good to you, this is definitely an album worth checking out! It’s not typically my side of the genre, but I still had a good time listening to this, and wouldn’t be opposed to checking it out again in the near future. A solid 7.5/10 from us, though it may get higher with more listens!
Jenny Colquitt: Pockets Full of Rain
Goddamn, this thing made me cry at work. Need an even more glowing endorsement than that? Fine by me! This is 41 minutes of beautifully, masterfully crafted music, having me hooked from start to finish. A lot of it reminds me of the Lily Allen ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ cover; powerful piano-based ballads. However, then Jenny can hit you with some huge vocals that are more akin to Sara Ramirez or even Amy Lee, and gives me goosebumps every time. From the opener to ‘Waiting for the Sun’, the almost murder-folk epic ‘Peace Man’ to the epic grand finale/title track, there is so much to love. And ‘The Water’… *chefs kiss*. It’s honestly one of my favourite tracks of the year, and I need to see it in a big theater backed by a full orchestra, it is that epic and good.
I could gush about this album all day. Her vocals are incredible, providing exactly what the track needs in the moment, be it power or tenderness. And the emotion on display from both the delivery and the lyrics, and also backed up by the instrumentation, is amazing throughout. And even the production/arrangement, the mix is phenomenal and every instrument is so excellently placed. This isn’t my usual brand of music, sat somewhere between ‘sad girl’ and epic soft rock, but I am homestly a little obsessed. How she isn’t a bigger name already is beyond me, but she has a HUGE new fan in me off the back of this release. I can’t give it any less than 9.5/10, and I’d urge anyone reading this to check it out immediately!
Onra: After Dark
Nestled confusingly between an EP and an album, this release follows up 2024s Nosthaigia rather perfectly. The chilled out electronic music sits comfortably between hip-hop, R&B and funk, and is impossible not to have a good time when listening. Personal highlights include ‘That Kind of Girl’ and the sexy-jazz infused ‘Ecstacy’. However, the whole album has a great flow to it, there not really being a dull moment. It certainly won’t be for everyone, but I didn’t think it would be my thing and I had a great time listening to it. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on Onra moving forward, as well as listening to his previous work ASAP. He’s a fantastic French producer, and I can’t give this anything less than 7/10. Good stuff!
Wooden Shadow: Age of Tree
Now for an actual, fully fledged EP. It’s a fair bit different to the previous entry, though! 15 minutes of incredible, heavy pagan/death metal, all produced by one insanely talented guy! How the same guy not only wrote all of this, but also performed it all, honestly blows my mind. Even if it was crap, it would be impressive, but the fact that it is also amazing folk-death metal makes it honestly phenomenal. It’s heavy, melodic and even has some theatrical elements and feel to it throughout. All four songs are amazing, and the intro track is also awesome. If I had one vague complaint, the cleans aren’t quite as good as his screams. However, it takes almost nothing away from how amazing this release is! If you’re into the heavier end of metal, give this one a spin, you won’t be disappointed! 8.5/10
American Football: LP4
This is a weird one. The first album from the Midwest emo band in seven years, and only their forth overall across their 15 active years. It’s usually a style I quite like, but I couldn’t get into. It felt a lot more like a New Wave/soft punk vibe, almost like a Pulp or Soft Cell, than what I expected. The highlight for me was probably the proggy single ‘Bad Moons’, especially with the lyrics. However, the rest was pretty similar, and not really my sort of bag. Especially when it ran for nearly 50 minutes, too. Don’t get me wrong, the band are insanely talented, and I’m sure they’re good songwriters too, but this style bored the hell out of me. If you are into the band or the sound, you will probably get a lot out of this. However, I can’t give it any more than a 4/10, sorry guys.
Bird: Strange as Folk
Following up on 2025’s Heads or Tales EP, we get another awesome glimpse into the folky singer-songwriter’s world. It’s a simple four tracks (and a remix) that really highlights her strengths; the fantastic lyrics and production/dynamics. Also, her vocals throughout are beautiful, fitting the tone of the songs excellently. Everything feels perfectly put together. The ‘Lay Lady Lay’ cover is a big highlight, both mixes, as is the duet with Jane Ellen Bryant to close things out. If you are into things a little more chilled and slower paced, this is absolutely the release for you! And, while it’s not especially my sort of thing, it has definitely left me wanting more! 6.5/10
Cage Fight: Exuvia
The highly anticipated sophomore album from the aggressive heavy metal quartet is every bit as amazing as I’d hoped for! We loved their debuta few years back, and this continues their track record on PERFECTLY. ‘Oxygen’ is the perfect tone-setter, while y’all should know how much we love‘Pig’ already! The awesomeness keeps rolling after that with ‘Pick Your Fighter’ (feat. the incredible Julian Truchan of Benighted) and the excellent single ‘Un Bon Souvenir’. And hell, all of that’s just under half the album. The other six songs are just as excellent, with the title track and the slower ‘Élégie’ being other high points. Honestly, there isn’t a bad song on the album, though, and 40ish minutes goes by in a flash! The band are all insanely talented, with Rachel Aspe being one of the most underrated vocalists around today. If you are a fan of stuff on the heavier end, this album is an absolute must, and will surely be another stepping-stone to the top for a band so incredibly deserving of it! Another easy 9/10!
Ashen Horde: The Harvest
Album five from the prog-black metal band is 40+ minutes of twists, turns and heaviness that I couldn’t help but love. I tend not to be into black metal all that stuff, but then the clean singing came in, the vocals powerful and catchy. They also work perfectly when in harmony (if you can call it that?) with the screams. It gave the tracks some incredible dynamics, and made it really interesting to listen to, especially over the usual black metal style. It almost gives it a metalcore edge to it at times, which was really cool to hear! Especially when the instrumentation also goes into chuggy or breakdown territory as well as the usual genre tropes. Tracks like ‘Entropy and Ecstasy’ and ‘Apparition’ are personal highlights, but every song on here is as good as the last! The band are so insanely talented, both as musicians and songwriters, and have crafted something truly special here. They have a huge new fan in me, and I can’t give it any less than 8.5/10!
Southall: Kinfolk
This is another awesome collection of southern rock tracks from the Stillwater natives. The band found their winning formula years ago at this point and have perfected it more and more with each release. From single ‘Southwestern Son’ to ‘House Money’, title track to the closer, there is so much to love here. And, at just 34 minutes long, it goes by in a flash, in and out without any chance of getting bored. It’s a lot of fun, but also has some emotion through the couple of ballads. It’s just a damn good southern rock album, and is impossible not to have a good time with! I really hope these guys tour here again with the new release, as they kicked ass at The Long Road and I’d love to see them again! For now though, I’ll certainly be spinning this plenty again, especially through the summer months. An easy 8/10
Austin Snell: Colors
The pop-country singer-songwriter is back with another EP, less than a year after Home Sweet Hell. While ‘Daddy’s Eyes’ is a bit slow to open things, it’s beautifully written and full of emotion. Then you have the slightly rockier ‘Everything But Ok’, kicking the release into a higher gear and giving me a chorus to be stuck in my head for days to come! Then you have ‘My Favourite Scar’ and the single/title track that are also excellent! I feel like seven songs is maybe a little long for an EP, but this is pretty much all killer. If you like a more radio-country sound, this is definitely worth checking out! It’s easy to hear why he’s becoming such a big name in a short amount of time, and this is another great addition to his growing discography! 7/10
An absolutely HUGE week for new releases this week, with some of the biggest names in rock, metal and country stepping up to the plate. Let’s dive into some!
Foo Fighters: Your Favourite Toy
Album 12 from Dave & co. is far better than it has any right to be. As much as we enjoyed But Here We Are, I still feel like Foo Fighters haven’t been the same since Wasting Light. There was definitely some good stuff on Sonic Highways and Concrete and Gold, but it didn’t quite hit the same as their previous work. This, however, is their best work in 15 years, and it’s by some margin! Opener/single ‘Caught in the Echo’ is heavy for modern Foos, while ‘Your Favourite Toy’ has grown on me more with more listens since its release. Then you have tracks like ‘If You Only Knew’, ‘Spit Shine’ and the epic closing single that are all huge highlights. However, almost every track on this is amazing, the only slight dud for me being ‘Child Actor’. It’s a pretty tight release too, with the 10 tracks going by in a flash and there being far less filler compared to killer.
While it’s missing a world-conquering, massive hit like it seemed every earlier album had, it has a renewed energy, passion and urgency to it that it hasn’t felt like the band have had in years. As an album as a whole, this is damn impressive, and up there alongside some of the best of their back catalogue. While not as emotion-filled as their previous release, it’s stronger in other areas, and still a very solid 9/10!
Jason Aldean: Songs About Us
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read our full review here!
Brontës: Self-Titled
The debut album from the alt rock female quartet is a great, chilled-out release. It’s not my sort of thing typically, so really that should show how high quality this is, that I still had a blast listening! From the opener to ‘Wouldn’t be Me’, ‘Thelma and Louise’ to ‘I Think I Love You’, there are plenty of great songs throughout. Every song has it’s place, though, and the whole album is so easy to listen to. It feels like the perfect combination of 2000s romcom music and hints of the likes of Paula Cole or Carol King. It’s a real US sound, and one that feels pretty nostalgic while still being modern. I don’t quite hear the Sabrina influence they tout, but the Blondie I can vaguely hear, at least their older sound! It’s a fun relaxing listen that still packs some emotion in when it needs to. Check it out if you are at all interested, you won’t be disappointed! 7.5/10
The Amity Affliction: House of Cards
Max: So, the Amity Affliction are back with another album and I have to say, this was really good. This is the first album since the band parted ways with their previous vocalist, so they definitely had something to prove. The album is heavy and intense and exactly what you would expect, so they certaintly did prove that they are just as good as ever. Now my one issue is that I feel like their new clean vocalist is a bit underused. However, I don’t think that is a huge detractor from the album, nor do I feel like it there would have been a massive improvement to the album if there were more cleans. If I was to pick a track that I think people should listen to, I would say either ‘Kickboxer’ or ‘Bleed’ as they are just exceptional. I am honestly quite interested in what is going to come next for this band. 8.5/10
Jackson Dean: Magnolia Sage
The third studio album from the rising country star is and excellent journey through old-school, Americana and blues. We loved his last album, and this release builds on that and his debut, evolving his sound perfectly and naturally. Tracks like the opener, chilled single ‘Tennessee Moon’ and ‘Wildfire’ are all personal highlights. It’s a little less rocky than his previous stuff, it reminding me a surprising amount of Newton Faulkner. It’s not a bad thing, but I did find it a little harder to stay interested throughout, as it is all relatively similar. If you are into the likes of Drake White, you will most likely love this, and I will certainly be spinning it again! However, it does stand out the least of his catalogue so far, so I can’t give it any more than an 7.5/10
Where Victims Lie: What Was Left Behind
The return EP from the 2000s thrash masters, their first since 2007s Promo release, shows that they haven’t lost a step in nearly 20 years! It’s heavy, lightening fast, and yet anthemic when it needs to be. The band are insanely talented, everything from the riffing to the drumming to harsh vocals being amazing and top notch. It’s also 20 minutes of excellence, each song being as good as the last. However, I think ‘Veil’ is my favourite track, it almost having an air of Machine Head in the chorus. It’s clearly inspired heavily by the likes of Slayer and Kreator, but also definitely has a bit of a modern edge to it too, not too dissimilar to Evile. If you are into the heavier side of metal, this whole release is well worth checking out, and will definitely be one I spin regularly moving forward. A very solid 8/10 from us!
Atreyu: The End is Not the End
The 10th album from the metalcore titans has no right going as hard as it does. Right from opening single ‘Dead’, this thing is balls-to-the-wall, while still giving moments of melodic reprieve to only add to the epicness. That is followed excellently by the groovy ‘Break Me’ and the catchy single ‘All For You’. And heck, we still have another nine songs after that! While tracks like ‘Glass Eater’, the Max Cavalera-featuring ‘Children of Light’ and the beautifully bittersweet ‘Afterglow’ are all huge highlights, every song on this is incredible. It feels like the band have finally fully settled into their most recent lineup with this release, as much as I did like Baptizeand The Beautiful Dark of Light. Honestly, this is my favourite release of their since Congregation of the Damned; it’s all-killer, no-filler, and the band are all on top form throughout. If you are at all a fan of the band or the genre, this is a no-brainer of a release! Up there alongside some of my favourite metalcore releases in recent years, and it gets a very solid 9.5/10 from us!
Fangslinger: Welcome to the Lost Souls Saloon
The debut album from one of our favourite new bands finally dropped this last Friday, and we couldn’t be more hyped! We have loved watching these cats grow the last couple of years, and it feels like it has reached its crescendo perfectly with this release! They are the perfect blend of country, gothic and metallic hard rock/metal, and I honestly can’t get enough. They had our top EP of last year, and my only vague complaint is that that makes up half of this album. However, when the tracks are as high quality as these are, it’s honestly hard to even be mad about it! As for the new songs, ‘As the Crow Flies’ may be may favourite song by them, and ‘Wanted Undead’ and the epic closer are up there alongside it! This is an excellent album that I’d recommend to just about anyone, and just makes me love them even more. I can’t wait to hear them live over the summer, but for now I’ll be spinning this plenty! Another very solid 9.5/10 from us!
Jon Corabi: New Day
Somehow the first fully electric solo release from the former Crüe/current Daisies frontman, New Day shows just what we’ve been missing all these years. It’s an awesome boot stompin’, blues-infused rock album, and is a lot of fun throughout! The title track opens things in style, while the ballad ‘When I was Young’, the swaggering ‘One More Shot’ and the heavy blues ‘Your Own Worst Enemy’ are all huge high points. It’s somehow both exactly what you’d expect from him given his recent output, yet also a little unexpected at times. While nearly-50 minutes is maybe a touch long, especially for a generally plodding blues pace throughout, it’s still a damn good album, and none of it is bad by any stretch! If you are a fan of the genre, Dead Daisies or just Corabi in general, this is well worth a listen! It’s a damn fun release, and one I’ll definitely be spinning again. 8/10
At the Gates: The Ghost of a Future Dead
The first album from the melodeath legends in nearly half a decade, this has been highly anticipated since its announcement. To the surprise of I’m sure almost no one, it’s really damn good! It’s classic At the Gates for 42 solid minutes. From ‘The Dissonant Void’ to ‘A Ritual of Waste’, ‘Parasitical Hive’ to ‘The Phantom Gospel’, there’s some absolutely incredible tracks throughout this whole release. The band proved that after nearly 40 years and now eight studio albums, the band still very much have it. They’re so dam talented, and it’s easy to see why they helped inspire a whole genre and have endured so prominently through it since. It won’t be for everyone, but if you’re into old-school melodeath, this is absolutely one to check out! I loved it, and it’s an incredibly easy 9/10 from me!
Yonah: Bird of Miracles
The debut album from the alt/indie folk singer-songwriter is a beautiful, chilled-out and deep release. While not typically my sort of thing on paper, it had some great old-school folk-rock, drawing from the likes of Dylan and Young. There’s depth and emotion to the lyrics and playing, everything feeling so purposefully and meticulously crafted. Right from the excellent opener I was hooked, and it somehow didn’t let me go until the very end. The duet with Myella, ‘Pressure, Forever’, was a definite highlight, as was ‘All I do’. However, every song is pretty excellent. He’s set to be a big name in the scene sooner rather than later, and this is a fantastic jumping off point for just that! I already can’t wait to hear where he goes from here, but for now it gets a solid 8/10 from us!
Six Feet Under: Next to Die
Another album from Chris Barnes and co., another collection of great riffs and playing ruined for me by Chris’ vocal style. Opener ‘Approach Your Grave’ was surprisingly steady in tempo, and I loved the riffs and plodding pace and drums. However, from the marginally-better-than-early-Cannibal-Corpse tones and production to Barnes’ illegible growls, it doesn’t do much for me. And that’s honestly one of the highlights of the album, alongside ‘Mind Hell’. I do enjoy this release more than I did their last one, but that’s not saying an awful lot. 4/10
Krooked Tongue: I Know a Place
This one has been a long time coming. It has been in the works for a while, and been announced for MONTHS now. Well, it’s finally here, and I can safely say that I loved it! It’s alt rock at its very best, and it’s no wonder the trio have garnered a lot of buzz around them in recent years. Be it the epic opener, the deliciously indie ‘Dog Days’ or the surprisingly heavy ‘Blood Shark’, there is so much variety, and so much to love! I definitely, hear both the Royal Blood and QOTSA comparisons, but the band also feel wholly unique at the same time, doing things very much their own way. It’s a fun release, while also being dark, heavy and emotional I’m equal measure. I’ve been a distant fan of them for years at this point, but this release has very much solidified me as a big one, that’s for sure! It’s well worth checking out if you are into indie, alt, or just any sort of rock in general, as so much of this album is a highlight in its own right. An incredibly easy 8.5/10, though it may grow on me even more with more listens!
Portrayal of Guilt: …Beginning of the End
Following up their critically-acclaimed CHRISTFUCKER album-pair (there’s a phrase I never thought I’d say), the hardcore black metallers returned with their fifth studio album. As much as Max loved their last release, I simply don’t get it, man. I completely appreciate that it is dark and heavy as hell and that certainly appeals to some. Heck, I didn’t even mind the odd riff, scream or breakdown peppered throughout. But, overall, my god was this just chaotic noise. I feel like I’d get into it a lot more live, but sadly it doesn’t do a great deal for me on track. ‘Human Terror’ and ‘God Will Never Hear Me’ are songs worth checking out if you’re interested! It’s definitely not bad by any stretch, just a touch too quirky for me. 5/10
Dead Reynolds: Yellow Weather Warning
This is a damn fun, punk-tinged melodic rock album! It’s packed full of anthemic tracks and moments, reminding me a fair bit of the likes of Mason Hill. ‘Count Me In’ sets the tone perfect, while songs like ‘Parasite’, ‘Hurricane’ and ‘Someone Else’ are excellent and carry on that same energy perfectly. And, while 41 minutes is maybe a touch too long for this sort of music, I can’t think of a track I’d want them to cut, as they are all that good! The band are all insanely talented, proving that they haven’t lost a step in the five years between albums. They should be a bigger name than they are, but this will surely be the album to push them over that edge! 9/10
The Groggy Dogs: No Grog No Glory
The first album from the pirate punk/metal/ska collective in four years, and continues on from their previous releases excellently, being another fun trek! It’s like the perfect blend of Dropkick Murphys, Mad Caddies’ Rock the Plank and even a touch of Social Distortion. ‘All Hands on Deck’ is the perfect opener, setting the tone excellently. Then you have the likes of ‘One Last Toast’, the pretty heavy ‘Ballad of Woodenhand Sam’ and ‘Roll the Woodpile Down’ that are all personal highlights. However, there really isn’t a bad track throughout, the album has a great flow to it as every song plays perfectly off the last. It’s impossible not to have a fun time listening to this, and it’s a release that I’m already desperate to hear some live from! It’s a sound that, while does seem to be growing in popularity again, we certainly don’t have enough of around! It won’t be for everyone, but if you are at all curious, this is well worth giving a spin, you might love it as much as I did! I’m so glad the band returned to the studio for another release, and I can’t give this any less than 8.5/10. Great stuff!
Ural: Anthropic Generic Involution
Some more awesome thrash metal for us this week, this time curtesy of the Italian five-piece. This thing goes hard from start to finish, too. It’s just over half-an-hour of balls-to-the-wall riffing and drumming, with some damn catchy vocal moments and some tasty soloing to only add to the excellence. It’s like late 80s Exodus in the best way possible. All of the chanted backing vocals add a fantastic layer throughout, adding to the surprisingly melodic main vocals excellently. Single and opener ‘Extreme Paranoia’ is amazing, while tracks like ‘Wrong Children’ and ‘Terror Eyes’ are also huge highlights. Every song on this release is amazing in its own right, though and the 33 minutes goes by in a flash. As a thrash kid at heart, I absolutely loved this from start to finish, and the band certainly have a new fan in me! Check this out if you are at all interested, and it gets a very solid 9/10 from us!
