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new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Hozier, Orbit Culture and More!

A stacked week of pretty varied new music this week, and trust us, the quality is insanely high. Join us in checking it out!

Hozier: Unreal Unearth

Charlotte: Hozier became famous overnight with his hit ‘Take Me To Church’, transforming his career as a singer-songwriter. He continues his success with the alternative-rock, soul and funk sound created from his third studio album Unreal Unearth. The album begins moody with a hair-raising introduction with ‘De Selby (Part 1)’ before the funky switch with ‘De Selby (Part 2)’, setting the tone for the rest of the album that takes you through quiet folky ballads and souly rich beats. Unsurprisingly, Hozier’s lyrics are beautifully poetic that you could spend all day untangling with personal meaning. Favourites from Unreal Unearth would have to include ‘Unknown / Nth’. Every word from every song is chosen and sang with purpose. Hozier has taken his songwriting to new heights with this transformative and cathartic album 8/10

Joe: I have to admit, outside of ‘Take Me to Church’, I don’t think I know any other Hozier. So, when I heard the opening track, I was close to giving up and leaving it for Charlotte on her own. However, some of this was kinda jazzy and funky, like the second part of ‘ De Selby’, and there was a lot of great US indie vibes throughout a lot of the album. It’s a good album to sit back and chill to, and is a lot of fun. His voice is just as good as ever and his effortless blending of genres and styles creates a great blend of sounds. ‘Eat Your Young’ is an R&B/indie crossover classic already while ‘Anything But’ will be an underrated awesome track. My only issue is that he’s gone all country up in this bitch. Over an hour and 16 track is too long. Still, 7.5/10, good fun!

Orbit Culture: Decent

Joe: The Swedish melodeath band are back with their fourth studio album. I was a big fan of their last one, so was excited to hear what they came up with this time.

Honestly, it’s phenomenal. Doing this series hasd given me a massive appreciation of atmospheric death metal, and tracks like ‘Black Mountain’ and ‘From the Inside’ are really the peak of the genre. I really can’t praise it all enough. The perfect blend of In Flames, Gojira and Fear Factory, yet having the added layer of huge, epic clean-vocalled choruses. I know a lot of people are complaining about clean vocals in death metal these days, but honestly it adds another layer of amazingness to the tracks and doesn’t take away from the heaviness at all.

It is honestly impossible to pick highlights from the album. The whole thing is incredible and, dare I say, flawless. I loved everything about this album; the crushing riffs, insane drumming, amazing screams and impressive, uplifting cleans. If you are a fan of anything heavy at all, give this a chance and I’m sure it’ll blow your socks off. And be sure to listen to it all the way through, as the flow and energy through it is amazing. It’s very well put together. 10/10, a second masterpiece this week!

Rhiannon Giddens: You’re The One

Joe: This album was a lot more jazzy/bluesy/rocky than I was expecting from a ‘folk’ artist. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still elements of it in tracks like the title one, and there’s some country elements in ‘Yet to Be’ and ‘You Louisiana Man’, but overall it’s a lot more modern than I was thinking it would be. The former track, featuring the awesome Jason Isbell, is a huge highlight of the album, as is ‘Way Over Yonder’. Rhiannon’s vocals are phenomenal and the instrumentation behind them make it that much more impactful. This album definitely won’t be for everyone, but I enjoyed it! 7/10

Fiddlehead: Death is Nothing to Us

Max: Two years since their previous album, Fiddlehead is back with another quintessential album. The post-hardcore supergroup’s new album is another fitting addition to their ever expanding catalogue and it another really easy listen. If you aren’t familiar with post-hardcore or emo then then vocals that seems like they are just being yelled at you can be rather strange however when that is combined with the more melodic vocals and the guitars, drums and bass that are trying to show so much emotion then it all starts to make sense. My first listen through the album and then every subsequent listen from then on has pointed out one song in particular that is my personal favourite, ‘Queen of Limerick’ and I’m truly not sure what it is that makes me enjoy this song so much, all I know is that it is a song and an album that everyone should experience. 9/10

Joe: I enjoyed this, but it felt like nothing had enough time to breath or get going before it was all over. Tracks like ‘Sleepyhead’ and ‘True Hardcore (II)’ are great, but with both of them being well under three minutes, by the time I’d really decided “hey, this is awesome!” they were done. It’s pretty punk rock, don’t get me wrong, and they’re a great post-hardcore band. I just wish we got a little more from them! 7/10

Osees: Intercepted Message

Charlotte: Osees’ tenth album begins with a crossover between eighties gaming synth and punky vocals – think Mario Kart, Stranger Things, your Nintendo reminding you it’s on low battery, new-wave dance and the Sex Pistols all at once? Sounds weird, but it works. Fittingly titled Intercepted Message, Osees create their distinctive sound with a chaotic composition that fits. 7/10

Shadow Smile: Signed in Blood

We’ve already reviewed this awesome album! Check it out here.

Bobby Rush: All My Love For You

Joe: The fact that the blues legend is still releasing new music at nearly 90 years of age is massively impressive. The fact that it’s also still to this high quality is utterly ridiculous. It’s hard not love hearing someone still have so much passion for their art and genuinely enjoy what he’s dedicated his life to. His lyrics and playing still ooze so much emotion, too. It’s simple stuff, but it’s some of the best traditional blues I have heard released in the modern era. Highlights include the emotional opener, ‘One Monkey Can Stop a Show’ and ‘I’ll Do Anything For You’. Is he on track for his third Grammy win? I certainly think so! 8/10

SKÁLMÖLD: Ýdalir

Joe: It feels like we don’t do enough Viking metal here, so I’m excited for this one! And honestly, it’s a really interesting listen. It’s definitely Vikingy in every conceivable way, but has more of a both thrash and extreme edge than a band like Amon Amarth do. The duelling vocals were cool, one being lower while the other more Dani Filth, reminding me a fair bit of 3 Inches of Blood. However, the riffs remind me more of Iron Maiden or other NWOBHM contemporaries. It blends together power metal, speed and extreme exceptionally well.

The opening title track is the perfect showcase of the bands sound, while single ‘Ratatoskur’ is an amazing track that really shows off the bands skill in playing and songwriting. I also love the proggy closing track, ‘Ullur’. The plodding pace was a nice change, as was the quieter folky bit in the middle. I loved the epic, medieval feel to it all, and it’s definitely a highlight of the album.

It’s a solid album and if you like the styles it presents, you’ll love it from start to finish. I enjoyed a fair bit of it but it didn’t quite hook me as an album as a whole. 7/10

The Xcerts: Learning How to Live and Let Go

Charlotte: The XCERTS bring together themes from different genres to create their own style for Learning How To Live And Let Go. Opening track GIMME is reminiscent of Nothing But Thieves with a fuzzy, alternative rock sound, but it wasn’t long before pop-punk and playful synths came into the mix to create an angsty, thumping album – emotional ballads aside, whilst still in keeping with the album’s nostalgic tone. Favourites include ‘Ache’, ‘GIMME’ and ‘My Friends Forever’. 8/10 

Alana Springsteen: TWENTY SOMETHING

Joe: Firstly, this modern trend of having an all-capitalised album title and then not having a single other capital letter in any of its song titles is real odd. I can’t tell if there’s some message behind it I’m not getting? I just thought I’d put that out there.

The album itself is great. Right from the opening track, ‘you don’t deserve a country song’, the quality, catchiness and radio-country feel is there, and sticks around until the very last note of the album. It walks the line between modern country and a more old school twang perfectly. It’s clear Alana has a huge love and appreciation for the country greats, yet has her own sound and a modern feel too. This is what I wish Taylor Swift had evolved into, honestly.

Both guests, Mitchell Tenpenny and the legendary Chris Stapleton, do amazing, with the latter being my favourite tracks on the album. However, not having Chris sing, just play guitar, was a very odd yet ballsy choice. Other highlights include the title track, ‘hypocrite’, ‘cowboys & tequila’ and ‘thinkin’ straight’.

My only slight issue, as I have mentioned about a lot of modern country albums, is the length. The way the album was released definitely helped with that, putting it out in three parts, with the third and final one being the full album. However, doing this review still had me sitting down and listening to 18 tracks that were all fairly similar for nearly an hour. There is a lot of amazing stuff here, but it definitely dragged in parts. I get why such long albums are put out, and it seems to definitely be a Sony thing as it’s a lot of their albums the last couple of years, but a more concise album could have been phenomenal. For now, it still gets a very respectable 8.5/10

Spirit Adrift: Ghost at the Gallows

Joe: The Texan heavy metal band released their fifth studio album last week. Having never even heard of them before, I really enjoyed this! Maintaining some of the doom elements from their earlier days, this also feels like it draws in heavy inspiration from the likes of Mastadon and Coheed & Cambria. Heck, there’s also some prog elements through the ever changing riffs. When mixed with the sludgy doom stuff it’s very The Sword.

Overall, it’s just a damn fun album to listen to. The talent in playing being showcased is off the charts, the riffing being some of the best I’ve heard all year. And honestly, some of it has an almost freeform jam feel to it, something you can’t help but enjoy. Even the slower, ballad track, ‘These Two Hands’, is great and builds up to the heaviness perfectly.

As seems to be a recurring theme this week, there isn’t a bad track on the album. It’s the perfect 45-minute listen for anyone into old-school metal, and I’d highly recommend listening to it front-to-back. If I had to pick and choose, though, ‘Death Won’t Stop Me’, ‘Hanged Man’s Revenge’ and the album’s epic closer are massive highlights. I can’t recommend this album enough, great stuff. 9.5/10

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Skindred, Mammoth WVH and More!

Another week that while not big, promises some high quality new music across plenty of genres! Let’s check it out together!

Skindred: Smile

Joe: This album has been a long time coming. The bands first full length release, I remember hearing them playing ‘L.O.V.E.’ back at Download in 2019. I imagine Covid was a big factor in the delay. However, if anything it’s made the hype for this even greater. That, and the steady flow of singles released over the last nine months, has made this one of the most anticipated albums of the year.

Somehow, it lives up to the insane hype.

It’s an incredibly varied album, ranging from metal to reggae to club vibes to slower, almost dark indie stuff. Honestly, my only real complaint is that they opened the album with ‘Our Religion’. It’s a good track, but a weird one and an odd choice for an opener. However, the immediate crowd favourite ‘Gimme That Boom’ has already gone down as one of Skindred‘s best tracks ever, and the infectiously catchy ‘Set Fazers’ is another great track to follow it. Things slow up a tad after that, yet ‘Life That’s Free’ and ‘If I Could’ still have some heavy, huge moments and some of the best lyrics on the album.

Then we have to talk about the aforementioned ‘L.O.V.E.’. It’s somehow both completely left field yet exactly what you’d expect from the band. It’s a positive, all out reggae track, and it’s amazing. ‘This Appointed Love’ is going to be an underrated gem too, as it’s one of my favourite tracks on the album. And the closer, ‘Unstoppable’, is another typically Skindred banger.

Honestly, I could gush over this album for hours. For a band that typically ‘aren’t an album’ one, this is by far their best. It’s full top to bottom with bangers and everyone should check this out immediately. 10/10, it really is that good!

The Front Bottoms: You Are Who You Hang Out With

Charlotte: The Front Bottoms’ You Are Who You Hang Out With is their sixth studio album to tackle on an array of emotions mixed with punchy riffs, melodic ambience and infectious drum beats – all to create a beautifully chaotic album. Juxtaposing heavy yet meaningful lyrics with an upbeat and poppy sound works as the band have produced an album of anthems – from strong opener Emotional to Brick. Bonus points for having a song titled Batman. 8.5/10

Mammoth WVH: Mammoth II

Charlotte: After a period of touring after the success of their debut album, Mammoth WVH’s second album takes the band to elevated heights with a fresh stream of rock classics. Mammoth II feels like an album anyone could listen to – whether you have your roots set in rock or not – you move from broody and dark to melodic and pop. I recommend this album for anyone experimenting with their rock music tastes and looking to get into the genre. Mammoth WVH has produced an album enjoyable for everyone whilst remaining loyal to their original, rich sound. 8/10

Brett Young: Across The Sheets

Owen: Across The Sheets is a lacklustre collection of stereotypical Nashville trash country-pop. The album is brief at 8 tracks, with the last two tracks consisting of a re-recording of a previous release and a poor attempt at a Tim McGraw cover. Not knowing much about Young I looked into his story a bit, only to find it as uninspiring as this album. A failed college baseball career sent him into the arms of mainstream Nashville poster boy. Opening track ‘Dance with You’ feels like a purposefully written wedding song; expect to hear it in heavy rotation on that scene. As for the rest of the album, I’d believe you if you told me this was an original soundtrack for a low-budget US Rom-Com.

Overall, things are just too polished and predictable with Across The Sheets. I struggled to find any redeeming qualities in this album but I might not be his target demographic with this one. Clearly there is an audience for Young somewhere. Mum-friendly country radio stations come to mind! 2/10

Teenage Wrist: Still Love

Max: So this is not the standard genre that I review. However, after the latest Nothing Nowhere album, I started to listen to them. This album is a perfect introduction to them I think. There is a murky feeling that carries across the entire album that feels like it will consume you. There are some songs that I found were easier to listen to and some that took me a couple of listens to get used to but in the end, I don’t think that there was a single song that I didn’t like. This hidden yet beautiful feeling across the entire makes it rewarding to listen to every song multiple times. Overall, this album is almost perfect and fully deserves an 8/10.

Any Given Sin: War Within

We’ve already checked out this amazing album. Check out our review of it here!

Crypta: Shades of Sorrow

Joe: The Brazilian death metal women are back with their sophomore album. Two things stood out immediately to me: the atmosphere and the drumming. The intro track leading into ‘Dark Clouds’ sets the tone for the album perfectly, the band showing exactly what the listener is in for throughout. And then there’s Luana Dametto, who is one of the best and most criminally underrated drummers out there today, and showcases that perfectly on this album.

There are plenty highlight tracks on the album, too. ‘The Outsider’, single ‘Trial of Traitors’ and ‘Lift the Blindfold’ are all massive highlights of a truly stellar death metal album. These ladies are very much the future of the genre, and they have proved it with this release. 8/10

Dun Ringill: 150 – Where the Old Gods Play – Act 1

Joe: So, this was weird in all of the best ways. It’s like more folky, radio-friendly black metal. That’s literally the only way I can thin k of explaining it. It’s got that epic darkness of black metal while still maintaining fairly clean vocals and a focus on riffs that can be attributed back to the likes of King Diamond or even Mastadon. It’s honestly hard to pick out a highlight as it feels like something that should be really listened to in full. Preferably in a dark room by yourself, really. It’s a really interesting blend of styles that works fantastically, but has to be heard to be believed! For the heavy fans here, check this out! 8/10

The Crawling: All of this For Nothing

Joe: The doomy death metal band returned with their third album this past Friday. If you know anything about the two sub-genres of metal, you’ll know exactly what to expect here. None of it was bad by any stretch, but it did all feel ever so slightly formulaic. Tracks like the opener and ‘A Light We Cannot See’ were great, but nothing new. However, I have to admit I really enjoyed the slower burn ‘Bound to the Negative’. It’s probably my favourite track on the album due to it’s proggy feel.

It’s most likely not an album I’d listen to in full very often. However, it’s a great collection of songs and I’m sure if you’re more into black metal you’d love this. A couple of standout tracks earn this a respectable 7/10!

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Sevendust, Brad and More!

A quietish week for New Music Mondays this week, with only six albums for us to check out. Still though, they’re all awesome, so join us in taking a listen!

Sevendust: Truth Killer

It’s rare to hear an older band so heavily inspired by a newer one. However, right from the first few seconds of ‘I Let the Devil In’, I was getting heavy Sleep Token vibes. The slow build into heaviness was a great way to open the album, but it caught me off guard given the tracks I know from Sevendust until this point. The lead single and title track is a little more what I was expecting and hoping for, with some big, chunky riffs and a huge, nu metal style chorus.

There continues to be a modern influence throughout a lot of the album, working to various degrees. ‘Won’t Stop the Bleeding’ is a great example of it working exceptionally, and is a massive highlight of the album. The slower ‘Leave Hell Behind’ is another big highlight! It isn’t just Sleep Token either, tracks like ‘No Revolution’ have a slight Spiritbox air to it. It’s a fun direction for the band to go. I enjoyed it quite a bit and it still definitely sounds like Sevendust. However, I’d be curious to hear how some of the older, more diehard fans feel about it! It gets a 7.5/10 from me!

Brad: In the Moment that You’re Born

The Seattle alt rock collective return with their sixth album, and first in over a decade. It is the bands final album, featuring tracks that the band had been working on before the passing of their vocalist Shawn Smith in 2019. It admittedly makes it a creepy yet fascinating and sad/proud listen.

I have to admit, a lot of it isn’t my sort of thing. It’s a little too Porcupine Tree for me. However, I can definitely appreciate the hell out of what they are doing. They are clearly all talented and massively good songwriters. Plus, tracks like ‘Straight to the Hoop’, ‘Star n You’ and ‘Without Guns’ are big highlights for me personally. It’s a really cohesive album which surprisingly didn’t bore for a second. It’s such a shame this is the last we’ll hear of the band, but they certainly went out with a bang! 8/10

From Ashes to New: Blackout

More nu metal, except this time more like the later years of the first wave, like Papa Roach. Lots of big riffs, rapping vocals and huge choruses. It’s like how I’m sure a lot of people wished Hollywood Undead stayed like, and even has an air of early Linkin Park to it. I’m loving all this new music that is bringing a rapping element back to metal. From Falling in Reverse to bands like Stray from the Path, it’s some of the more exciting new music around these days, in my opinion.

It’s hard not to find the singles as the highlights of the album. Opening on three of them was a great choice while arguably the two best ones are saved for later. Until We Break featuring Matty Mullins is such an incredible track and maybe my favourite on the album.

Don’t get me wrong, that’s not saying the album tracks are bad. However, there is a distinct pop feel to a lot of the album tracks, the edge and heaviness isn’t as present through a lot of them. They’re good tracks, but I prefer the more heavier stuff. Plus, while they are slightly different, there is a lot of similar sounding stuff on this album. It’s a lot of the same. While it’s a lot of fun, I don’t think it’s an album I’d listen to in full all that much. Still though, if you like nu metal, check this out, you won’t be disappointed! 8.5/10

Susto: My Entire Life

This indie/folk/pop rock band put out their fifth album last week. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. I went into this thinking it’d be a big too indie and stripped-back for my tastes, especially after checking out a single or two. However, there’s a punk twang to it that reminds me ever so slightly of Velvet Revolver. Heck, some of the slower ones, like ‘Mt. Caroline’, felt like the perfect blend of Dire Straits and Matchbox Twenty.

There are so many different styles and sounds throughout that I didn’t get bored at all, the album going by in a flash on my first listen. It also made it near impossible to pick a highlight track or two. The whole album is great and deserves a listen in full. It’s the perfect album to chill out to, and the band have a new fan in me! 8.5/10

Girlschool: WTFortyfive?

The band famous for being Lemmy’s favourites, underrated NWOBHM powerhouses Girlschool are back with their first new album in eight years. Honestly, outside of seeing them at a HRH a few years ago, I haven’t paid much attention to the band aside for their few big songs. However, I really enjoyed this album. It was darker and heavier than their earlier stuff, which resonated a lot more with me. Tracks like the opener, ‘Cold Dark Heart’ and ‘Are You Ready?’ featuring the awesome Joe Stump are all personal highlights. Also, the closing cover of the iconic ‘Born to Raise Hell’ featuring Saxon’s Biff Byford, Duff McKagen and the man himself, Phil Campbell, was fucking awesome.

It wasn’t all positive. Tracks like ‘Invisible Killer’ and ‘Barmy Army’ were not only more of their older style, but were pretty cringy from a lyrical standpoint. Still, overall the album is a fun one that will hopefully please both older and new fans alike. It’s worth a listen if you’re into 70s metal at all! 7.5/10

Arch Blade: Kill the Witch

The debut album of the new heavy metal band is a 45+ minute arrival statement. For anyone who’s into traditional heavy metal or thrash, this one is most certainly for you. Big, quick riffs and drumming, high, powerful vocals and plenty of catchiness, this is definitely a 70s/80s metal album. It takes a lot of inspiration from Painkiller from the sounds of things, which is fine by me as it’s one of my favourite albums of all time. Tracks like ‘Nightbreed’, the slower ‘Queen of the Damned’ and both the albums opener and title tracks are all massive highlights.

My only slight issue with the album is really just some of the production. The vocal mixing is odd, and generally the album sounds compressed instead of the massive sound I was expecting/hoping for. Still though, as a collection of tracks it’s awesome and well worth checking out. It’s a fantastic debut album and the band are certainly ones to keep an eye on! 9/10

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Blur, Greta Van Fleet and Much More!

A hugely stacked week of new music this week with a large collection of albums for us to dive into. From death metal to country to synth, let’s dive into it all!

Blur: The Ballad of Darren

Joe: The other britpop band, the ones still going, return with their first album since 2015. However, it’s a far cry from their heyday with ‘Song 2’. ‘The Ballad’ was a terrible choice of an opening track. The slow, droning opener was pop at best, nowhere near rock. Tracks like ‘St. Charles Square’ and ‘Barbaric’ aren’t much better, either. Not a single track on the album can be classed as up-beat. It’s closer to the sort of stuff Mark Knoffler releases these days. It’s soft rock at a push, yet it is barely rock at all.

Don’t get me wrong, bands are allowed to change their sound, and it’s not exactly uncommon for a band to mellow out as they get older. But this isn’t what I want to listen to when I set out to listen to Blur. And it’s not really my type of music at all. It bored me to tears, honestly. 3.5/10

Greta Van Fleet: Starcatcher

Charlotte: Greta Van Fleet’s Starcatcher continues to bring shades of classic rock to the band’s style with Josh Kiszka’s eerily enchanting wails and some beautiful guitar tones. The hair-raising album takes you through psychedelic ballads and graceful licks – and who doesn’t love a harmonica solo? Finishing with the appropriately cathartic closer ‘Farewell For Now’, Starcatcher is another solid album added to Greta Van Fleet’s repertoire. 8/10

Feuerschwanz: Fegefeuer

Joe: The German folk/power metal band are back with their 11th album, and third with Napalm. If anyone’s familiar with the bands more recent, serious releases, you’ll know what to expect from this, and you won’t at all be disappointed!

‘SGFRD Dragonslayer’ is a good, catchy opener while ‘Bastard von Asgard’ is a massive album highlight, made even better by Fabienne Erni’s incredible vocals. ‘Beserkermode’ is a lot of fun, a bouncy number that reminds me of their earlier days. Also, as a huge LOTR fan, I couldn’t not love ‘Urak-Hai’. Overall it’s a very well written, fun and great folk metal album. My only slight issue is that the whole thing all felt pretty similar, it was all big riffs and choruses and a similar pace. Something slower or more dynamic may have helped hold my interest a little more and made the album even better, in my opinion.

Also, anyone who checks out the deluxe edition not only gets instrumental versions of each track, but a recording of their awesome Wacken 2022 set! An awesome collection that is well worth checking out! 8.5/10

Brix’n Mortar: Something Ain’t Right

Max: Yes, this band is a hardcore band. And you can’t get through the album without seeing this. I’m not always the biggest fan of this style of hardcore and rock but I’ll be damned if this album isn’t great. When I started listening to this album I was setting up equipment for a gig and it really got me into the mood for lifting things. This album is a lot of fun, energy, and intensity throughout and it must be amazing to see live. this band has a lot of potential and each of the members really carries their weight so I want to see where they go in the future and what they end up releasing next. 8/10

Guided By Voices: Welshpool Frillies

Joe: 38 albums. That’s how many the Ohioan indie rock band have put out. And that’s including two hiatus’. Heck, they’re already on their second album of this year, and their eighth in the last three years! If it’s one thing you cannot faulter with Guided by Voices, it’s their work ethic!

Fun fact about this album before we begin the review; it was recorded to tape in a basement in Brooklyn. It definitely gives the album a different sound and feel, it being a lot more grungy.

As for the tracks themselves, they’re good. Tracks like ‘Cruisers’ Cross’ and ‘Animal Concentrate’ sound almost Foo Fighters-esque. Meanwhile ‘Romeo Surgeon’ and ‘Seedling’ are all out grunge. However, some of the older almost Bowie sounding stuff didn’t hook me all that much. ‘Cats in Heat’, ‘Why Won’t You Kiss Me’ and the traditional folk-like ‘Chain Dance’ all weren’t for me. It’s a real mixed bag of an album, but hey, at least it’s anything but boring. It’s a long album, 15 tracks, but there is plenty of variety throughout. The stuff I like I really like, and there are plenty of highlight tracks. But there is also a fair amount of meh throughout. I wouldn’t be likely to listen to it from front to back again 6.5/10

Zenith Passage: Datalysium

Max: So this album was a lot of fun to listen to. There were intense guitars that attacked your ears (in a good way) from the very beginning and the technicality to them was a lot of fun to listen to. They are definitely a technical death metal band but they have their own spin on the genre with their own flow and style that make them unique amongst the ocean of other bands.

Another interesting a fun part of this band is the clean vocals. I often find myself getting nervous hearing bands like this have clean vocals because they can often miss the mark. However in their penultimate song, ‘Automated Twilight’ they really hit the mark. It almost made me think of Veil of Maya and the song ‘The Sun, The Moon The Stars’ by Æther Realm. So basically very very good. A solid 9/10 album and I will be listening to it more and more.

Nouvaeu Arcade: Dead Hearts

We’ve already reviewed this awesome synthwave album! Check it out here.

Ian Moss: Rivers Run Dry

Charlotte: Ian Moss’ Rivers Run Dry has everything you could ever need or want from a (and this one is hard to pin down so we’re going to list it all) country-soul-pop-blues-rock album. From a grand gospel choir opening in the title track, to groovy brass sections and a distinctive and rich organ throughout. Ian Moss is a hidden gem with his signature sound, creating a professionally polished album that’s enjoyable for everyone. 8.5/10

HARDBALL: Self-Titled

Joe: the Canadian band are looking at bringing grunge back to prominence with their debut album. Right from the first few notes of ‘Just a Tree’ it screams Nirvana in all of the best ways. It does have that slightly heavier, darker and modern edge that Future Leaders of the World brought to the table, too, feeling like a clear blend of the two bands.

The album has a swaggering attitude and coolness that grunge typically didn’t have back in the 90s, and it’s a refreshing, fun edge to it all. Tracks like the opener, ‘NRA’, ‘Chili’ and ‘Talk to Me’ are all huge highlights of the album. Honestly, the last two are incredible and up there with some of my favourite grunge tracks due to their creativity and structure. ‘Chili’ verges on prog with the stripped-back bit in the middle whole the latter is a dark, brooding, Tool/Doom metal track. The vocal delivery and melody also reminds me of ‘Skeletons of Society’ by Slayer. Both add tonnes of inovation and push the boundaries of their typical radio-friendly grunge in the best ways.

The more I listen to this album the more I fall in love with it. I was a huge Nirvana fan in my youth and this scratches that itch and then some. It has elements of all three of their albums whole also bringing plenty of their own sound and creativity to things. There isn’t a bad track on the album and I’d recommend it to anyone! 9.5/10

Oxbow: Love’s Holiday

Joe: So, this is a bit weird. However, I think it’s in a good way. Despite their nearly 20k monthly listeners on Spotify, I’d never heard of the band before. So, ‘Dead Ahead’ was certainly an interesting introduction to the band! The chaotic, messy verses give way to a genuinely catchy, arena-filling chorus, making me not sure how I felt.

Honestly, that’s the story of the whole album. Messy, Avant Garde skater punk with some catchy hooks and good riffs dispersed between them. ‘Icy White & Crystalline’ is a big highlight of the album, as is the slower ‘Lovely Murk’ featuring Lingua Ignota. Unfortunately, after the second track it was all pretty slow. It does make for slightly more accessible music, but I was quite enjoying the chaos of the opening tracks. Outside of ‘The Second Talk’ it’s all slow, pretty boring jazz-like soft/psychadellic rock. Not my thing at all and ruined the first couple of tracks’ potential. 3/10

Mega Drive: 200XAD

Joe: We close this week on instrumental synthwave, and honestly, it’s awesome. I know 90% of y’all will have tuned out after those two words, but hear me out and, more importantly, hear the band out. It maintains a heavy rock edge to it that means we just had to cover it, and more importantly it’s fun. I couldn’t pick a highlight track as they are all pretty similar, but all are so good. This is the sort of album designed to be listened to in its entirety. The band and album name also fits so well. It feels like music made to be driving around a Cyberpunk world in a video game. Honestly if you are in any way into futuristic, synthy stuff, check this out, you won’t be disappointed! 8/10

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Pvris, Voyager and More!

Another week of awesome new music for us to check out here at Overtone. You know the drill by now, read on!

PVRIS: EVERGREEN

Charlotte: Defying the idea an artist must remain within the boundaries of one genre, PVRIS’ EVERGREEN strikes the balance between gritty electro-pop-rock and pulsing synth sounds, some of which are reminiscent of Demi Lovato’s album HOLY FVXK (maybe it’s a capital letter thing?). The album switches between its rage-fuelled dance beat, confrontational and catchy lyrics, and cathartic instrumentation. Every song on EVERGREEN stands as it’s own work of art, but the songs are positioned in a way so that the album flows through the emotions – taking the listener on a journey through frustration, anger, power and release. 8/10

Voyager: Fearless in Love

Eurovision 2023 contenders and Australian prog rock titans Voyager released their eighth studio album last week. After ‘Promise’ was shown off to the world and exploded after the contest, the anticipation for the album was pretty high.

I would say, for the most part, it does live up to that hype. I do have to say, it’s not particularly my sort of thing. Don’t get me wrong, there are some great riffs throughout, and the breakdowns are a lot of fun. However, the heavy emphasis on the synth and 80s pop vocal melodies got a little old after a few tracks. It’s definitely an interesting contrast that has no right working as well as it does. It just simply didn’t do a lot for me. I also don’t think it helps that all 11 tracks sound pretty similar.

Still, there are a couple of highlights on the album, for sure. Of course their Eurovision track and big single ‘Promise’ is very good. Also, ‘Ultraviolet’ is amazing, in large parts to guest Sean Harmanis. If you’re into the style of music, it’s a damn good album. However, for me, it’s more of a 7/10.

Kim Dracula: A Gradual Decline in Morale

One of the most eagerly anticipated debut albums in recent memory, Kim Dracula has been gaining a lot of buzz from TikTok and YouTube. Their unique blend of industrial and nu metal with modern pop has garnered them a lot of attention, and everyone has been waiting impatiently for this release.

It’s… it’s certainly an album. The first thing I noticed was the arrangement didn’t work. A dark, sinister build-up for an opening track leads into a RHCP-esque funk bassline to begin ‘My Confession’ which felt very jarring. The track itself in general is a mess, going from that to a lazy Disturbed reference and then into generic pop music. The chorus is okay and feels pretty Papa Roach, before we get an awful harsh vocalled trap verse. But then the breakdown is good after that. See what I mean about the mess?

‘Luck is a Fine Thing’ feels like a blend of Panic! At the Disco, Faith No More and generic radio metal, while tracks like ‘Superhero’ and ‘Divine Retribution’ are trap-filled oddness. There are entertaining parts of a lot of the tracks; the Korn inspired scatting bits, the breakdowns and the funk sections are all a lot of fun. Even the trap stuff was fun. And there is no denying Kim’s talents at all. However, the styles just don’t mesh well, in my opinion. I admire the creativity, but it doesn’t work. It also feels like it’s trying a little too hard to be edgy, given the lyrical content. It’s clearly inspired by late 90s hip hop and the likes of Marilyn Manson, yet it feels like it is trying too hard to be different and controversial, a bid to gain more popularity instead of spread a message.

I’ll definitely be giving it more listens for the rest of the year, I’m sure. I completely get why it’s getting a lot of buzz, and I really want to like it. The singles like ‘Make Me Famous’ and ‘Drown’ are great and definite highlights. However, as a whole, the album feels incoherent and messy. 4/10, but it may go up by the end of the year!

Evile: The Unknown

This was very unexpected right from the offset. I was a big fan of this band as a kid, being a thrasher and all. I even did an in-depth review of their comeback album for my previous employer. Though I remember enjoying it, I remember finding it rather similar throughout the whole album, as well as to their previous work.

Right from the opening track, this felt and sounded different. It’s slower, groovier and more atmospheric. It is still thrashy and Evile, but feels fresh and different, a very entertaining quality! It’s really hard to pick a highlight track or two because of this, too. All 10 tracks are fantastic and showcase a varied, interesting and very fun side of the band. Having said the, though, the proggy, epic ‘When Mortal Coils Shed’ is excellent and maybe my favourite song the band have ever done. The Slayer and Metallica influences shine through so much with it, it’s amazing.

The whole album is stellar, though. If you are into thrash or just heavy metal in any capacity, you will find something to love on this album. 9/10

Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real: Sticks and Stones

Owen: Lukas Nelson and his band Promise of the Real released their eighth studio album this week, titled Sticks and Stones. The 12 tracks are a country rock party from start to end. Chronicling some of the best nights of drinking and debauchery the members of the group have had. Each track brings something new. ‘Every time I drink’ introduces an old honky tonk piano to underpin the entire track. ‘Alcohallelujah’ pulls on the sound of gospel as you may expect from the title. ‘More than Friends’ enlists the help of Lainey Wilson to bring you a classic call and response duet.

As the son of Willie Nelson some may have expected Lukas to ride his fathers coat tails but eight studio albums have certainly cemented his place in the modern country scene regardless of his famous dad. Sticks and Stones will have you up and dancing from start until end, a testament to the talent of the Nelson family. 8/10

Project Renegade: Ultra Terra

A band I am rather familiar with after doing a reaction to them a few months ago. The band’s sophomore album promises to go even bigger than its predecessor, and from the singles so far it seems like it should be another great listen.

Kicking things off with the heavy, industrial ’23’ was a fantastic idea. It shows off what Project Renegade do best; heavy riffs, catchy choruses and amazing vocals. And it does it all to perfection. Meanwhile ‘The Millennium March’ is more of a power metal ballad that is rather emotional and meaningful. Singles ‘The Fix is In’ and ‘Bloodwitch’ are two more obvious highlights. Honestly though, there isn’t a bad track on the album, and it’s really well structured and put together.

It reminds me of the likes of Phoenix Lake or Stormbound (links to both reviews can be found here and here). I’m honestly loving this modern sound of power/industrial metal, especially with powerful female vocals fronting it. 8.5/10, this is great!

Duane Betts: Wild & Precious Life

This country debut is a hell of a lot of fun. After a few years away from releasing music, Duane returned this year with a trio of singles leading up to this full-length release. His first new music since his debut EP in 2018 ups his game, too. It’s very good. Right from the first few notes of ‘Evergreen’, you know it’s going to be a relaxing, summery country rock album, and that feeling continues throughout. Singles ‘Waiting on a Song’, ‘Saints to Sinners’ and ‘Stare at the Sun’ are all amazing tracks and were the right choice to release first, they reflect Duane’s sound and talent perfectly. His guitaring is great, technical and full of feeling, and his vocals have a surprising air of Mick Jagger to them.

If you want an album to chill out to and admire some incredible guitaring, then look no further than this. Again, there isn’t a bad track on the album, and Duane certainly has a new fan in me! 8/10

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Nothing But Thieves. Raven and More!

A heavy week of new music this week for the most part, with just the one country album to be seen and only really two non-metal ones. So, for all you metalheads out there, check this out!

Nothing But Thieves: Dead Club City

A bit of a left field one to start off this week of new music. Nothing but Thieves are most likely not the sort of band you’d associate Overtone with covering. However, they are still classed as a rock band, and their particular blend of rock, pop, funk, alternative, indie and synth is frankly great. So, we’re covering them anyway, deal with it!

I haven’t actually given this band much time and attention for a while at this point, so this was a bit of a re-introduction point. What a fantastic point to be jumping back in with the band, too. This album is excellent. Whether it’s the rather funky, 80s style opener or the Muse/Twenty-One Pilots-esque ‘Keeping You Around’ or the almost proggy ‘Do You Love Me Yet?’ or the heavier ‘Pop the Balloon’, there’s a lot to love. Conor Mason’s vocals are somehow better than ever, and his range is incredible. The entire band play their parts to perfection though, crafting a cohesive, very enjoyable album. They take the listener on a damn fun musical journey through so many different styles. Honestly, this feels like the style that Arctic Monkeys have been trying to reach for years, but done to perfection.

I definitely need to pay more attention to this band, this album has certainly rekindled my love for them. I know it isn’t going to be for everyone, but anyone reading who is into lighter, more experimental poppy stuff, check this out! 8.5/10

Raven: All Hell’s Breaking Loose

The NWOBHM pioneers return with their 15th studio album. While by no means the biggest band in the scene ever, they have always been one of my favourites. They have always focused a bit more on speed and heaviness, a trait that I as a thrash-kid clearly loved. And, it’s impossible to deny their influence on the future of metal, especially on the 80s thrash scene with the likes of Metallica and Anthrax. The fact that they are still going these days is great, never mind that they are still pumping out great music!

I have to admit, the opening two tracks, ‘Medieval’ and ‘Surf the Tsunami’ are the clear highlights. The former is a fantastic radio track while the latter opens on a very ‘Painkiller’ drumbeat and stays quick and heavy throughout. Another big highlight for me was ‘Edge of a Nightmare’. While I did enjoy the tracks in between, some of the vocal melodies felt just a tad dated. They’d have done fantastically in the 80s alongside the likes of ‘Wheels of Steel’, but they don’t hold up as much today. I also got a little bored by the ten tracks all sounding pretty similar. I know it’s a personal thing of my tiny attention span, but nearly 40-minutes of the same sound and pace left me wanting more by the halfway mark.

Still, everyone is still very talented in the band are a good songwriters. After decades in the business, it’s a damn solid album to continue the band’s legacy. If you’re a fan of thrash, speed or NWOBHM, you’ll like this! 8/10

Divide and Dissolve: Systemic

Well, this was odd. The first three minutes of this album (across two tracks, I might add) was ambient, strange soundscape. Then out of nowhere a big, dirty, slow guitar riff comes in. It fits… kinda… not really. Then the whole album is, well, this. Slow doom metal riffs repeated over and over again for 30 minutes. Sometimes they change it up slightly in terms of riffs or tempo, but sometimes the riff only stops when the song ends and they go into the next.

I don’t get it. I honestly felt like I was being punked. Don’t get me wrong, I completely get that the duo are very talented at playing the drums, guitars and sax, and I did enjoy some of the riffs and soundcapes they created. I just wanted something to happen with them. I guess that’s my fault, I knew they were instrumental when I read about them in prep for this. However, I enjoy a good few instrumental tracks and artists, and you can do plenty with the format. This didn’t The closest I got to enjoying it was the opening couple of minutes of ‘Indignation’, it sounding like a sombre close to a 2nd act of a movie soundtrack. But yeah, this did nothing for me. Even the strange slam poetry style ‘Kingdom of Fear’ bored me. 3.5/10 Sorry if you like it, I know lots do!

The Pink Stones: You Know Who

The only country music I could find that had been released this week, The Pink Stones released their sophomore album. Describing themselves as country rock, that second part is pretty weak at times, having much more of a traditional country feel aside for the odd guitar solo and Lynyrd Skynyrd-esque parts. Still though, a lot of it is upbeat and a little quicker. My favourite track was ‘Baby, I’m Still Right Here’ thanks to the amazing Nikki Lane adding so much with her great vocals.

However, the album as a whole is a fun, simple, bouncy jaunt. It’s great to just stick on and chill out to, and I’d love to see this live! Get me in a sunny field seeing these with a beer in my hand ASAP! If you’re into country at all definitely check out this album, especially the aforementioned track, ‘Where we Have to Stay’ and ‘Who’s Laughing Now?’. The band definitely have a new fan in me, and I’ll be listening to this a lot in the months to come. 8/10

Check out more country here.

Loma Prieta: Last

The hardcore punk outfit return with their fifth studio album. It’s a lot of fun, in a chaotic, Mr Bungle kinda way. It’s definitely not going to be for everyone, but if you like this style you’ll LOVE this. While individual tracks like ‘Dose’ and ‘One Off (Part 2)’ are great, the album really feels like it should be listened to as a whole. It’s the most cohesive album I have heard in a while, every track flowing so perfectly into the next. I’d definitely recommend listening to it as a whole if you have a spare 30 minutes and like the more hardcore side of things. 7/10 P.S. ‘Symbios’ is a chaotic masterpiece.

XO Armor: Nublar

Are you ready for something heavy? Because damn, XO Armor give away their sound right from the opening second. ‘Dilopho’ is a downright insane way to open an album, and I am all of the way down with it. It also is the perfect showcase for what you are going to get throughout the rest of the album. Huge riffs from super low-tuned guitars, br00tal screams, low, Manson-like spoken word parts and a fair bit of hip-hop influence. The latter comes into play more in the second track and single ‘Rex’, another huge highlight of the album that draws in a fair bit of Linkin Park influence by the end. Heck, the following single, ‘Pangea’, even draws some house elements into the dark metal track. The combination of genres here throughout is really interesting and a fantastic listen.

I honestly cannot praise each track enough. I’d happily sit here and gush over each song in album order, but I imagine that’d make for a very boring read for anyone not in the band! Every track is phenomenal and somehow different to eachother while still maintaining a sound that is distinguishable as XO Armor.

Whether it’s Darko US, Electric Callboy, Linkin Park, Marilyn Manson, Don Broco, Stray From the Path, or Eminem, the band draws together a lot of sounds together to surprisingly perfect effect. And, it’s a metal album about dinosaurs. It’s every boyhood dream! This definitely isn’t for everyone, but even if you dont get it, the inovation and talent can’t be ignored. 10/10, so very deserved!

Schattenmann: Dia De Muertos

The German hard rockers released their fourth studio album in five years, an impressive feat given that the only year they missed was the hell that is 2020. Now, full disclaimer, I don’t speak enough German to understand what they are saying. Unfortunately while doing this I don’t have the time to learn the language, as much as I’d love to. So I’mma just assume the lyrics are great!

Musically, it’s kinda awesome! It blends so many different styles together in a really inventive way that I was not expecting. From the horns of the title track giving it an almost pirate feel (definitely what they were going for), to the folky, punky stylings of a band like Dropkick Murphys or Real McKenzies and, of course, the slight industrial edge that a lot of German bands have that is so hard not to compare with Rammstein. Heck, they even take inspiration from the prominent techno scene (or Electric Callboy) for ‘Hände hoch’. However, while combining together all of these awesome styles and sounds, it still sounds wholly unique and fresh.

Single ‘Menschenhasser’ is a big highlight of the album, as is the assumedly silly, industrial ‘Dickpic’. There’s plenty to enjoy throughout the album, though! 8/10

Virgin Steele: The Passion of Dionysus

Well, this album is a journey and a half. Given how long they’ve been going (over four decades) I’m so very shocked I haven’t heard of them until now. Then again, the great god Wiki described them as heavy/power metal and I didn’t hear too much of that here. I heard much more Deep Purple and Rainbow meets Jethro Tull meets Rush. Not that I’m complaining, as fuck, it’s awesome!

Opening on seven minute epic would surely confuse some people, but considering it’s one of the shorter, heavier and more upbeat tracks on the album, it was the right choice! Following track ‘You’ll Never See the Sun Again’ opens on some beautiful piano and vocal melodies, building into the heaviness at times throughout. David DeFeis’ vocals, especially with the flares at the end of some of the lines, remind me heavily of Bruce Dickinson. Honestly, the whole track reminds me of a slower Iron Maiden track. It was a personal highlight track for me.

A lot of it was a little too samey or slow/proggy for me. I love the genre in general, but do get a little bored if there isn’t major changes throughout like Rush or Dream Theater. However, ‘Spiritual Warfare’ and the shorter ‘Black Earth & Blood’ were both also highlights of the album. 7/10, if you like prog or folk-inspired stuff, you’ll love this!

Before the Dawn: Stormbringers

The creative might of Tuomas Saukkonen returns with Before the Dawn for the first time in over a decade. The first album since their reunion in 2021 after Tuomas took a break to work on Wolfheart, it’s got pretty lofty expectations and hype around it.

For melodeath, it’s surprisingly light. It definitely leans more into the bands more gothic roots. Having said that, the growls in tracks like ‘Reveries’ and ‘Chains’ are great. Also, I loved the slower(ish) nature of ‘Downhearted’, it was my favourite track on the album, followed closely by the epic ‘Chains’. ‘Divided’ is the closest to the death sound, reminding me a lot of Amon Amarth in the best ways. Meanwhile ‘The Dark’ had some Tool elements to it, around the heaviness and growls of course.

Honestly, this album grew on me more and more throughout. I just don’t think I enjoyed the opening two songs. As soon as ‘Reveries’ hit, I was sold for the rest of the album. I loved every track after that point, and would recommend anyone who’s into the heavier end of metal to check this out. It’s powery, deathy, melodic and fucking awesome. 9/10

Ofnus: Time Held Me Grey and Dying

Time for some atmospheric black metal, right? By far my favourite facet of black metal, and let me tell you, Ofnus’ debut album does it well. Opening on the longest track on the album pays off as that does of slow-build epicness hooked m attention immediately. In fact the album as a whole has a rather grand feel to it, amongst the crushing heaviness. ‘The Endless Grey’ and ‘Grains of Sand’ are personal highlights of mine, but if you’re into the genre you’ll love all of it like I do! It’s hard to find much to say as it is all fairly similar to a still rather new ear to the sound. However, I do know that it is good and well written. 7.5/10 from me!

Anima Tempo: Chaos Paradox

It’s been seven years since the prog/djent band last released more than a single at once. Chaos Paradox is a very interesting return, and one hell of a fun one! It’s very 8-bit video game based, and I love. From the high-energy synth that feels ripped straight out of an arcade machine to the insane guitaring matching it, the talent is off the charts. It also contrasts perfectly with the insanely heavy harsh vocals and crushing riffs throughout. Both the clean and harsh vocals are so good, with both Gian and Daniel doing stellar jobs. However, the whole band’s skill level is really on another level.

Tracks like the opener, single ‘Deceitful Idols’ and ‘Robo-Lution’ are all highlights of a very good album. Honestly, with this album they’re giving the likes of Periphery and Veil of Maya a run for their money. It’s one of my favourite albums in this sub-genre for years, everything about it is excellent. If you’re a fan of djent or heavy death-prog, check this out, you won’t be disappointed! 9.5/10

Throw the Fight: Strangeworld

The Minnesotan alt metal/post-hardcore band are back with their fifth album. Considering they’ve been going for a while, I’d never heard of them until now. It’s a shame too, because they’re good! Don’t get me wrong, it’s nothing ground-breaking or really even memorable or ear-worm worthy. Everything on the album has been done at some point before by A Day To Remember or Bullet for my Valentine or another band in between. However, it’s still a solid album. If you like either of the aforementioned bands, you’ll enjoy this! ‘Lost Without You’ and ‘Shadow Self’ were personal highlights. If you like pop-punk style vocals, a fun scream or too and some chuggy riffs, check this out! 7/10

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: The Big Double-Week Feature!

After logistical issues stopped us last week, we’ve returned with a bumper double week of New Music Mondays, featuring the music from the last couple of weeks! Check it out with us below!

Queens of the Stone Age: In Times New Roman…

Controversial opinion time: I’m not a QOTSA fan. Sure, Songs for the Deaf is a good album. And yes, there are a couple of good tracks spread between their other albums (usually the opening tracks). But I don’t get why they have gotten as big as they have gotten. I do think it’s due to who’s in the band as opposed to the songs they write.

This new album didn’t really catch my attention at all. There wasn’t a ‘My God is the Sun’ or ‘The Way You Used to Do’ on here. It all felt kinda B-side from start to finish. Nothing stood out to me at all, even the singles seemed simple, mid-tempo and uninspired. I at least commend them for going back to the more grungy, sludgy desert rock sound over the more pop-oriented former album, but Villains definitely had more highlights. Lead single ‘Emotion Sickness’ was at least the right call as it’s the best track on the album, but it doesn’t live up to former singles from their previous three albums.

If you’re a fan of the band you’ll probably find a lot more to like than I do. I just feel like desert rock was perfected a fair time ago now by the likes of Masters of Reality and, ironically, Kyuss, that this feels like a bland rehash. Even as an only slight fan, I know they’ve done better than this before. 4/10

King Gizzard and the Lizzard Wizard: PetroDragonic Apocalypse…

Owen: After their 2019 album Infest the Rats Nest fans of King Gizz have been eagerly awaiting the bands return to thrash and stoner metal. PetroDragonic Apocalypse will not disappoint for those fans. The 7 tracks released this month showcase some of the best of the groups abilities. Similar to their previous exploration of these genres, the focus is on environmental ruin. Taking it a step further, the lyrics describe mayhem and chaos at the hands of large Godzilla-like creatures. Fans may have wanted to hear that there were more than 7 tracks being offered on this newest release but when you consider only one track is sub 5 minutes and 3 of them nearly hit the 10 minute mark, there’s more than enough to sink your teeth into here. All eyes are on the Australian outfit to see what they do next, being unpredictable in genre and releases to keep us all on our toes.
8.5/10

Chris Janson: The Outlaw Side of Me

The country singer returned with his fifth studio album just over a year after his last. I have to admit I knew the name but not really the music. After hearing this, I’m kicking myself, as it’s an awesome album! Opener ‘Rowdy Gentle Man’ is a blues rock ‘n roll shot in the arm and a great choice to start with. It set the tone for the album well as well as ‘Honkytonk Minute’ is a similar feel. Meanwhile the title track feels a little slower and darker, reminding me of the current pop-rock-country sound. It was awesome. Then single ‘All I Need Is You’ is a slower, radio ballad, and a damn good one at that. Following that is the guy that is feating on every country this year, Brantley Gilbert. ‘Hank the Hell out of the Honkytonk’ is another up-tempo blues rock banger, and Brantley fits in well.

Honestly the tracks following those were also awesome, but those first five tracks were something special. It’s so nice to hear a country album in 2023 that, for the most part, keeps the pace and energy high throughout. Don’t get me wrong, there are four more ballady tracks here, but for the most part they are spread out, aside for the closing two (the final track doesn’t count, fight me). Oh, and did I mention one of them, ’21 Forever’ features Dolly Parton AND Slash?! Another awesome song! And for the first time in a while, a mainstream country album doesn’t feel like it drags. The 13 tracks and 45-minutes go by in a flash. That’s the real testament to how much I enjoyed it. 8.5/10, this was awesome and he has a new fan in me!

Check out more country here.

Boris & Uniform: Bright New Disease

So a Japanese experimental rock band teamed up with a New York industrial metal band, and this is their love-child. Honestly, I think the most flattering thing I can say is that I can actually hear both bands. The bands clearly wear their sound and influences on their sleeve as I can hear both styles throughout. And, they both blend together surprisingly well. Somehow the end product ends up sounding like a heavier, dirtier and messier crossover thrash style.

Now, don’t get me wrong, sitting down and listening to it from front to back was an interesting, enjoyable experience. However, I don’t think I’d really ever do it again. It’s a fantastic art piece and I’ve added a couple of tracks to my playlist, ‘No’ and ‘Endless Death Agony’. However, even at 32-minutes it feels too chaotic to do often. I’m clearly too much of a sucker for a radio sound! Still, 7.5/10, that was cool!

Gov’t Mule: Peace… Like a River

Southern prog rock… interesting. They are also classed as a Jam band which always feels like ‘we play live in the studio and just keep going until one of us stops’. Regardless, this was a lot of fun. It had elements of Dave Mathews Band and Yes, while also having enough southern swagger to match up to the likes of Molly Hatchett and Black Crowes. Heck, I even heard a healthy amount of Deep Purple and The Doors in here at times. They even got The Reverend himself to feature on ‘Shake Our Way Out’. His signature drawl was the perfect addition to the track and it was easily a highlight of the album. Some of the rest was a little too drawn out and prog for me, but ‘After the Storm’ was another definite highlight.

If you’re into the more experimental side of southern and early blues rock, you’ll find a lot to like here. I’d LOVE to see it live, but on track my easily-wandering mind gets too distracted. Still, 8/10, this was awesome!

Vexed: Negative Energy

We actually have a review of this coming out tomorrow. It’s good! Check it out once it’s up here!

Jake Owen: Loose Cannon

The first of the second week, Jake’s seventh album was out last Friday. More country; a heavy couple of weeks for the genre, probably due to the time of year (?). This did the exact opposite of Chris Janson. 50-minutes and 16 tracks of slowwww. Tracks like the cheesy ‘On The Boat Again’ and ‘When it All Shakes Out’ are at least upbeat, and ‘Hearts and Habits’ is a little darker and rockier and is an easy highlight. However, for its length, a LOT of it is slow acoustic stuff. Jake’s another artist that I’m sure would win me over live, but on track it isn’t my sort of thing. Heck, it’s not exactly written for metalheads like me, lets be honest! There’s some good ballads spread throughout but it feels generally pretty average. So… 5/10

Wooden Shadow: Eternal Land of Wrath and Mourn

Owen: This is the debut album for Finnish black metal project Wooden Shadow. Taking influence from melodic death metal and black metal, as well as folk music from Finnish culture. Having already released a handful of singles and an EP, this debut album showcases the broad talent of the one man behind it all. 23 year old Jeremia Ponto is at the helm of Wooden Shadow, recording, writing, and performing the tracks all by himself in his home studio in Ylöjärvi. Stand out tracks for me were ‘Chaosreign’, a brilliant mix of old and new sounds to create something really unique, and ‘Rain of Tears’ with its speedy percussion and sense of impending doom. For a debut album, Eternal Land of Wrath and Mourn is an impressive selection of tracks, and I, for one, am looking forward to what Wooden Shadow can do in the future.
6/10

Pyramaze: Bloodlines

This epic slab of power metal is Pyramaze’s seventh album, and may be their best yet! Right from the huge, symphonic intro/title track, it had me hooked, and didn’t let go until the very last note. Every track flows together like water, it’s almost seamless. And every track is awesome. ‘Taking What’s Mine’, ‘Broken Arrows’ and the epic closer ‘Wolves of the Sea’ are all personal highlights, but again every track is pretty solid. It’s like power metal meets Dream Theater, a combo I didn’t know I needed until just now. It’s also another album that you need to listen to from start to finish. Even though the tracks do work individually still, moreso than others on this list, it all builds through the whole album into the epic finale, giving it a sense of earning. 9/10, more of this please!

Cable Ties: All Her Plans

The Australian punk band returned with their fourth album this last week. It was alright. If you are a fan of the modern underground punk revival you’ll find a lot to love here. I am not particularly one of those people. It reminds me a bit of Wet Leg, and I really don’t get them either! Tracks like ‘Time for You’ and ‘Silos’ were standouts for me. The band are all good at what they do and some of the lyrics were great. But this wasn’t for me. At least it was only 9 tracks! 4.5/10

Royal Thunder: Rebuilding the Mountain

This was really hard to pin down to a genre. There were definitely elements of prog and psychedelic, but I get why most places just call it hard rock and be done with it. It’s a dark, brooding and very well written piece of music. I feels like it even drags together elements of folk and Americana to it. That, and all I hear times is Tool for some reason.

While this isn’t typically the sort of thing I’d listen to, I thoroughly enjoyed it and I think it deserves a front-to-back listen at least once to really appreciate. Because of that, it’s hard to really pick highlight or standout tracks, as it feels like it was written to listen to as a collection. However, ‘The Knife’ felt like it stood out a little more than the others. It’s also more music that I think I’d love a LOT live. 8/10, good stuff.

Krashkarma: Falling to Pieces

Rounding out our bumper two week special is the awesome metalcore duo’s sixth album. Such is the theme this week, I’d not heard about these guys before getting the email through, but damn, this is amazing! Right from the title and opening track, they set the tone of the album perfectly; heavy, melodic and emotional. Niki Skistimas’ vocals have a great touch of Maria Brink to them which works so well with the heavier, faster pace, and Ralf’s harsher vocals provide an amazing contrast.

The band themselves claimed they wanted to ‘showcase what two people can accomplish when they’re fully committed to their craft‘, and I think they’ve done that and then some. The fact that two people have come up with all of this is massively impressive. Tracks like ‘Survive the Afterlife’ and ‘Shut Up’ are also massive highlights of an album full of them. 8.5/10, I’mma have to go back and listen to their older stuff now! And I NEED to see this live!

Interviews & Features

The Outlaw Orchestra: ‘You never look beyond where you are… You never know how it’s gonna go’

We caught up with our good friends The Outlaw Orchestra ahead of their amazing 3rd stage headlining set at Call of the Wild Festival. Check out as we chatted about the scene, new music and their next five years!

P.S. I’d highly recommend watching the video if you get the chance, there were times where I just couldn’t type up the back and forth nicely!

How’ve the last few months been since we last chatted?

Terrible. Really bad. We went to try and get a bank account and they turned us down as a band. They said we don’t have enough information. Admittedly I [Dave] was a bit lax in putting forth my side of things. But the music, it’s been dragging along a bit but we’ve been so preoccupied with the bank that we’ve done nothing!

And what’s it like to be a part of this NWOCR scene at the minute?

It’s brilliant. I think they’re spearheading the world of rock within the UK. I think they’re going to take Download festival, Castle Donington to task, and it’ll be the ‘NWOCR festival; formerly known as Monsters of Rock/Download festival’. And because they’ve been so good to us over the years, I’m sure that when it comes to it they’re gonna go ‘Outlaw Orchestra, we’ll put them in the top three on Saturday night!’.

They’ve always been so damn good to us and they’re a bunch of super nice guys. We always have a great laugh on interview with them. Literally from day one. And they’ve got their next CD coming out and we’re on it! It’s super cool!

It definitely seems to have diversified a lot in its time too!

That’s always the case. If you start something and it grows you’ve gotta try and gather all the marbles as they fall out and it becomes bigger and becomes a bigger monster. But good on them, they’re soldiering on with it! It’s nice to be part of it!

What’s it like to be playing these sort of festivals?

Yeah, since day one we’ve made so many friends and all the people here come and watch us time and time again. We’ve got so many supporters. Even the festival bookers are so positive about the flavour we bring to the festival.

We’re hoping as we grow and we know more of the crowd, maybe some of them work for Starling Bank!

Are we working on new music?

Yeah we are! We’ve always got Outlaw ideas to record. We just went into a studio, Rogue Studios, right by Wembley Stadium. So that was super cool. They’d just worked with the guys from Megadeth and then us. It was a good studio!

If you are a musician you should work with different people, work at different studios. You get an engineer you’ve never met and they are not familiar with you. You get their take on it. You’ve just gotta hope that there’s a chemistry and if it works, bingo!

So we’ve got a few tracks down for a new album. Here’s a question though: Does a band drop an album, or does a band release singles? Now, I’m from the school that you drop an album, but the new kids on the block are telling me that you do singles and hold back say four tracks, and bring out a collective album. Maybe add a little bundle package with a T-shirt etc. I still like the idea of bringing out an album but you could then argue on what format. You say CD and all the kids out there today get confused. What’s the alternative? Vinyl? So we’ve chucked about six grand behind minidisc!

Have you guys got much planned for the rest of the year?

Busy year for festivals! It’s looking very good. We have another festival in West Sussex, and Rockin Ribs down near Summerset, and Maid in Stone Festival. That’s the site and plan that Ramblin’ Man used to be at, but is a completely separate festival. We managed to play Ramblin’ Man, back when we were supported by Foreigner and whatever…

Rockin Ribs is a great one. It’s a mega mega Americana festival. Cars, trucks, BBQs, monster trucks crushing cars and stuff. It’s the UK redneck central, it’s brilliant. They even have a wrestling ring! It’s super cool. Some serious beer drinking at that one!

Other than that we’re on later today, in the tent by the exit.

What can we expect from your set?

A few covers. Some Motorhead covers. Some Beatles. We’ll do ‘Come Together’ as I thought Tina Turner did the best version of that. We were going to do Private Dancer but Pete’s moves weren’t up to scratch! Always gotta chuck in some covers. We did a tour with Warner Hodges who played for Jason and the Scorchers, and he said to us ‘do three of your own and chuck in a cover’. Keeps the crowd happy and it works a charm. ‘Finally, I know this one!’ and all that. ‘I didn’t realise it was these guys who wrote Rocky Mountain Way!’.

But yeah, that’s what you can expect from us! We’ll go warm our fingers up and then go do some rock ‘n roll!

Do you have any plans for the next say five years?

I don’t think we’ve got a five day plan, have we?

I really wanna play Shepherds Bush Empire. We love that venue. Super cool. Brixton Academy too. The Oprey would be something special. The Roundhouse. You can get a support slot here and there and play some really cool venues. Then you know you can pull a good crowd!

Five year plan… you never look beyond where you are. You never know how it’s gonna go.

In five years I want to have gone into rehab about three times. I wanna get hugely fat and then rehab, rehab, then reform after all the court cases, lose all the weight… Different rehabs each time too, drugs, booze, then sex, which was how all the weight was lost. They lead from one to the other. Then come back looking terrible but reformed. Arrested a couple of times for trying to score dope in Times Square or something like that. Then the cover of Rolling Stone!

So that’s the plan for five years… desperation. The desperation tour. Tagline ‘The Car Crash that Nobody Wants to Look At’. And we’re gonna start tonight!

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Foo Fighters, Avenged Sevenfold and Much More!

An absolutely MASSIVE week for New Music Mondays this week. From huge, stadium-filling bands to amazing offerings from upcoming artists, there’s a little bit for everyone. Check it out with us!

Foo Fighters: But Here We Are

Possibly the second or third most important Foos record, behind their first two. Following the devastating and far too early passing of drummer Taylor Hawkins, it threw the band into a state of flux mid-tour. Questions circled for months around the state of the band and if they’d continue. So, when they announced not only will they be continuing, but announced a new album and dropped a single in April, the world rejoiced. And, what’s more, that single, ‘Rescued’ was/is so good. Like, maybe the best track they’ve put out in over a decade, good.

Lyrically, it’s fantastic and devastating. Just like their self titled debut, Dave Grohl uses his writing to try and cope with losing one of his best friends. The fact that he’s made a collection of radio-rock tracks that are catchy, anthemic and genuinely brought a tear to my eye on multiple occasions while sat at work doing this review is a real testament to his talent.

Meanwhile sonically, it’s so nice to hear the band go back to their rockier sound. While I don’t mind some of their lighter stuff like Sonic Highways or half of In Your Honour, I wasn’t really too fussed with their last release (not Dream Widow, that album slapped and was br00tal). Landing somewhere around One by One but also combining together elements of practically every album that proceeds it, this feels like an epic conclusion. God I hope it’s not.

Honestly, it’s impossible to pick highlight tracks. I think I’ve liked every single one on my Spotify as I listened through. 10 tracks and 50-minutes of pure awesomeness. Foo Fighters have not only returned, but come out with their best album since Wasting Light, and one of the best albums of 2023. 10/10. Taylor would be proud.

Avenged Sevenfold: Life is But a Dream…

I’ve been dreading about writing up this album for weeks. They were one of my favourite bands in my teen years. However, the singles did nothing for me upon their first release, and I wasn’t anywhere near as impressed with The Stage as some others were. Still, I am trying to come into this was as open a mind as possible.

I initially planned on doing a full-length review for this, but honestly it’d go on for hours. This is all over the place. It’s most certainly the most prog the band have ever gotten. The band wear their influences on their sleeve more than ever before too, be it Pink Floyd, Rush, Alice in Chains or modern day pop and hip-hop. I would say it comes with varying degrees of success, but honestly they do every sound pretty damn well.

But that’s my main personal issue with the album, it simply isn’t the Avenged Sevenfold I want to hear. But, that’s okay. I had my time from WTK to HTTK. They’ve done the more commercial music that’s gotten them to headline status, and now they’re writing whatever they want, whatever comes to their head. And as I said, this is all written well. It’s messy, it’s chaotic and it’s weird, but it somehow works so well together. Heck, sitting down and listening to the album front-to-back, it works very well as a collection and made me enjoy the singles a lot more.

And I think that’s the only way to really listen to this album, sat somewhere dark for an hour with a good speaker system or headphones. It doesn’t have a standout track or two like Nightmare or City of Evil does, but it’s a collection of tracks meant to be listened to together. It’s just a shame that none of them feel like they really kick into that top gear and match up to even some of their lesser old singles. As much as I appreciate what they’re doing, I really wish we’d get a Nightmare II already. So, for an album, I’m going to give it 9/10. However personally, it’a more like a 4/10

P.S. this video is fucking SICK!

Rancid: Tomorrow Never Comes

The kings of ska-punk themselves are back with their 10th studio album. The first thing I noticed was how short the album was. 16 tracks but only 29-minutes long, with not a single track going over three minutes. That’s punk as shit. The band also have no chill with the album, blasting through every short track with little slowing down or breathing room. It’s all typical, great Rancid and I love every second of it. It’s fun, bouncy and uplifting, despite some of the lyrical content.

However, the length is also my only slight issue. While I love that every track is short, sweet and to the point, I also feel like a few of them could have done with a little more room to breathe. Heck, one of the singles, ‘Don’t Make Me Do It’, is just 58 seconds in length. It’s great, but I’d have loved more of it. Still, I’d prefer this over an hour long slow-ass country album! Tracks like the title one, ‘It’s a Road to Righteousness’ and ‘Magnificent Rogue’ are all big time highlights. 8.5/10.

Kenny Rodgers: Life is Like a Song

The posthumous album from the country legend is the first studio album released in a decade. At 10 tracks long, it features eight previously unreleased songs recorded between 2008 and 2011, but were never released. The other two, along with the rest of the tracks, were carefully selected by his widow as they were deeply personal tracks to Kenny. These include ‘Tell Me That You Love Me’, duetted with the queen of country Dolly Parton herself, and ‘Goodbye’. Both are fantastic tracks, but I found myself enjoying the others more.

Opener and single ‘Love is a Drug’ is a dark, rock-inspired stomper and definitely a highlight of the album. ‘Am I Too Late’ is a fantastic ballad and duet with the amazing Kim Keyes. ‘Catchin’ Grasshoppers’ is a beautiful traditional country song and another massive highlight. It’s an amazing album and it’s a real shame they weren’t released before Kenny’s passing so he could have done them live. 8/10.

Rival Sons: DARKFIGHTER

Owen: 4 years since their last release and Rival Sons have come out swinging with 8-tracks of their huge classic rock sound. DARKFIGHTER mixes influence from so many other genres, exploring aspects of soul, psych rock, and more, all the while maintaining their anthemic blues rock. Buchanan’s vocals prove to be more and more impressive with every track. The range he shows off in ‘Bright Lights’ compared to the more aggressive wailing on tracks like ‘Guillotine’ is clear evidence of the rare and pure talent he has. DARKFIGHTER feels like a brilliant return for the LA group and forms a 2-part project, with the second album Lightbringer being released later this year. After the success of their previous work and the time taken for this project, expectations were high, but the group have without doubt met these expectations.
8.5/10

Buckcherry: Vol. 10

Owen: Buckcherry are one of those bands where you know what you’re in for from the start. If you want some well executed generic US rock, then you’re probably already familiar with the group. 10 studio albums is a milestone for any band, but their greatest strength has always been their live performance. Vol. 10 tracks will no doubt stand tall during these sets. However, away from environments such as festival fields or frat parties you start to notice the fine line between hard rock heroes and dad rock Buckcherry walk. Closing the album with a cover of Summer of 69’ was a brave choice; popular with dodgy karaoke bars and wedding bands it feels out of place on a milestone album like this.

Not bad but exactly what you’d expect it to be. Distinctely average. 5/10

Jelly Roll: Whitsitt Chapel

Jelly Roll’s transition from hip hop to country rock has been a fun one to listen to, and it continues masterfully with his whopping 18th studio album. ‘Halfway to Hell’ once again continues the trend this week of phenomenal album openers, while ‘Church’ chills things out perfectly. Then we reach the incredible ‘The Lost’, which is one of my favourite tracks in all of country and southern music this year. It reminds me of a more ballady Black Stone Cherry track; I love it.

The track featuring Brantley Gilbert was okay, but another real highlight was ‘Unalive’ featuring the one and only Yelawolf. Yela is so fucking good on the track. I loved the HARDY/Kid Rock blend of hip hop, rock and country, not just on this track but throughout the whole album. I’m honestly shocoeked he isn’t bigger than he is, though I’m sure this album will help him get there! It’s an aquired taste for sure, but I definitely have it, so I’mma give this a 8.5/10

King Voodoo: Hex City

We’ve already covered this album! Check out the full review here.

Gloryhammer: Return to the Kingdom of Fife

Returning with their first album in four years and after an… interesting… few years that saw some controversy and line-up changes, can Gloryhammer return to their seat towards the top of the power metal world?

In short, no. Or rather, I’m not that much of a fan of it, any who. And I hate to single out one key part or person, but Sozos Michael just doesn’t have a powerful enough voice to carry the band. When compared to Thomas Winkler’s tenure with the band, he just doesn’t quite have the power and confidence to fit with the music behind it. Bassist The Hootsman and his harsher vocals work well still, but there is just something about Sozos that doesn’t fit. The songs in general are fine, nothing special, which also doesn’t help.

Overall it’s fine. However, with the quality of power metal releases over the last couple of years, as well as Winkler’s solo album under Angus McSix (find our review of it here), it just doesn’t measure up. 4.5/10

Endless Exam: Voice of Passion and Agony

The debut album of the power/industrial metal band who have only exploded onto the scene this year is pretty damn solid. It’s epic right from the offset with ‘The Voice’, it giving off heavy rock opera vibes. The album is really well arranged and put together, too, definitely going for the epic storytelling feel that I got from it. Tracks like ‘I Ain’t Your Toy’, ‘Wildride’ and the anthemic ‘Consealed Truth’ are all personal highlights. It reminds me a lot of bands like Ward XVI and Death Ingloria, that theatrical hard rock/heavy metal sound that tells a story throughout. It’s something I’d definitely LOVE to see performed live. The whole band are massively talented, too, from the playing to the soaring vocals to the songwriting. 8.5/10

DIETH: To Hell and Back

The debut album of former Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson is finally out. After much media hype, I was excited to check it out! Also, as a basssist myself and a big thrash kid, Ellefson is a pretty big inspiration of mine.

It’s considerably more heavier than Megadeth, that’s for sure. It’s death metal, in case you couldn’t guess from the name. However, it’s very good death metal. It’s probably a bit paint-by-numbers for more die-hard fans of the genre, but I found myself enjoying it for the most part. Also, it’s hard not to find lyrics like ‘Don’t Get Mad… Get Even!’ a little cheesy and childish. However, tracks like ”In the Hall of the Hanging Serpents’ and ‘Heavy is the Crown’ were fantastic.

It’s hard to say much about it as it’s practically exactly what you’d expect from a basic death metal album. Especially one written by a guy nearly 60. 7/10.

Killhall: Skullsplitter

More thrashy death metal now too with Killhall’s debut record. Honestly, it does it ten times better than the previous album on this list, too. I hate to compare, but given that I am listening to one after the other and both are on the heavier end of the spectrum, I’d take Killhall over Dieth any day.

I haven’t heard a more perfect opening track than ‘Delirium tremens’ in a while. It’s heavy, brutal, quick and yet still has a melodic, almost metalcore chorus with a soaring, catchy clean vocal melody. Meanwhile the harsher vocals throughout are still pretty catchy and have a melodic edge to them even though they are pretty aggressive. It gives off Throwdown vibes and I’m all for it.

It’s honestly really hard to pick highlight tracks from this too, as I loved it all a lot. It’s exactly up my sort of street when it comes to heavier music, and the band definitely have a new HUGE fan in me. It feels like early Trivium, which I do not say lightly. Check this out if you’re into metal at all, as you’ll find something to like. Every track is amazing, so I’mma give it a rare 10/10. These guys are gonna be huge.

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Matchbox Twenty, Immortal and More!

A more relaxed but still awesome week for New Music Mondays this week. From black metal to country, we cover a bit of everything. Check it out!

Matchbox Twenty: Where the Light Goes

The US pop-rock megastars are back with their first album in over a decade. I was going to say the band achieved the most success in the back end of the 90s, but surprisingly, though their debut is still HUGE and certified diamond in the US alone, every album has charted pretty amazingly. What do you expect, after helping out on that Santana song?

In terms of the music itself, it’s pretty much what you’d expect from a band in the genre after doing this nearly three decades later. It reminds me of Train or even Stereophonics, pop-inspired softer rock with plenty of big choruses, great hooks and minimal attention to much else. Some tracks even give off U2 or Phil Collins vibes at times, too. Tracks like ‘Wild Dogs’, ‘Warm Blood’ and the title track are all personal highlight tracks.

It’s a good album and a fantastic return after far too long between new music. Not a bad track on it, though it might have been nice to have been a bit faster or upbeat at times! 7.5/10

Immortal: War Against All

The legendary Black metal band return with their 10th album this last week. The wall of sound, blast beats and questionable mixing decisions that have become such a staple of the genre they helped define and are all very much present here from the offset. As with most black metal stuff, I feel like I’d have to see it live to truly ‘get’ it. Everyone in the band is clearly talented and there’s some sick riffs throughout. ‘Thunders of Darkness’ is a particular highlight, still. However, it doesn’t do much to interest me and seems a lot of the same stuff. 4.5/10

The Dirty Nil: Free Rein to Passions

The Canadian rock trio seem very hard to pin down in terms of genres. Most places are calling them hard rock or even Punk rock. However, the opening riff of the album on the utter phenomenal ‘Celebration’ is heavy as fuck and has enough pinch harmonics to make Zakk Wylde jizz his pants. It definitely gets a little more pop/punk through the album on tracks like ‘Nicer Guy’ or ‘Land of Clover’ (though there’s another sick bridge riff in the latter).

It reminds me of Neck Deep, My Chemical Romance and even Dinosaur Pile-up; somehow being a combination of all three. It’s a really great album without a bad track on it. All three previously mentioned tracka are big highlights, as is ‘Stupid Jobs’. The band definitely have a new fan in me! 8/10

AJJ: Disposable Everything

Punk/alt/folk rockers AJJ return with their eighth album. It starts on an absolute banger with ‘Strawberry (Probably)’ the album slows up a fair bit. Most of it is very chilled and folky, though surprisingly ‘I Hate Rock n’Roll’ is great, and ‘Death Machine’ is easily the best track on the album. It’s definitely not for everyone, but if you’re into their particular brand of noise I feel like they are top notch. They are creative (if a little weird) with their lyric writing and the music behind it is well done. 7.5/10

Whythre: Impregnate My Hate

Owen: By all accounts Whythre have been a staple of the Seattle metal scene since 2016, and listening to their newest release it’s easy to see why. Impregnate my Hate is a 9-track heavy hitting album
with massive influences taken from both melodic death metal and thrash.

The title track takes the lead with thrash influences and the group have openly said this naturally occurred during the wiring of the song so they chose to lean into it to the benefit of the track. Throughout the album the band deliver heavy melodic riffs, some brutal vocals from frontman Adam Chambers, as well as some synth and orchestral backing to fill out their sound. Thematically the message of the album focuses on the missteps of modern society and where we are heading, something we can all relate too in the current climate. Chambers has attributed some inspiration of this theme to a 1980’s Sci-Fi series ‘V’. While he already had most of the lyrics penned, after a friend introduced him to the series he found some strong similarity in the themes he was exploring.

Standout tracks include the title track as well as the 4th song of the album, ‘Scorpions of Sinai’. From the intense opening to the fast mid sections through to its abrupt end, this track is a highlight of the bands
skill of blending synth melodies with their own death metal sound. 8/10

Melonie Cannon: A Tribute to Vern Gosdin

Pretty much the only country album I could find for this week. Gutting, I know! However, it’s a great album, so that pretty much makes up for it, right?

The 13-track album is filled with guest slots and collaborations, but the tracks that are just Melonie are just as good as the others! ‘Right in the Wrong Direction’ is one of my favourite tracks on the album, a short, sweet, poweful number. However, anything is better with Cody Jinks, and ‘Set ‘Em Up, Joe’ is no exception. His voice is amazing and works perfectly alongside Melonie.

Overall it’s a good, chilled out country album. If you’re into the more relaxed, traditional, even easy-listening country stuff, you’ll love this! 7.5/10

Metal Church: Congregation of Annihilation

The thrash pioneers themselves put out their 13th album, and showed the world that they very much still have it. Following the horrific passing of long time vocalist and to a lot of people the face of the band, Mike Howe, it would have been easy to call it a day. However, having recruited Ross the Boss vocalist Marc Lopes, the pressure was on for Marc and the rest of the band. Previous album Damned if you Do was pretty well received upon its release, so would this release live up to that?

Incredible riffs, solid drums, insane solos and powerful, catchy vocals. What more could you possibly want? Marc does an incredible job on vocals, it fitting in perfectly with the bands sound. it’s 10-tracks and 45 minutes of awesomeness and it’s so hard to pick highlights. The opener and ‘Me the Nothing’ are my personal favourites, but it’s close. A statement that Metal Church will not be stopped, and honestly one of the top metal releases of the year so far. It’s so nice to hear! 8.5/10

Mesarthrim: Arrival

Owen: Anonymous Australian duo, Mesarthim, released their newest offering this week. The 8-track album, named Arrival, promises to take you on a journey through the cosmos utilising the bands unique sound. Black Metal underpins each track and the pair pull this off really well. It’s easy to forget you are only listening to two people as their sound is so
established.

For me the real standout moments come when things slow down. The ambient electronic sounds that form the cosmological aspect of the album. It’s these moments that elevate the album and into a cinematic journey through the stars for the listener. Known for their less than conformist views on naming conventions, Arrival is split
into 7 parts. These parts vary greatly in duration but the transitions between tracks are natural as the tracks blend into each other. Track 8 however, titled ‘Type IV’, is a continuation of their 2016 epic ‘Type III’. Referencing the Kardashev scale, this closing track is a journey all of its own. The pair have done really well to make this final track work
in both the concept of this album and the work done back in 2016. It doesn’t feel out of place or just tacked on the end, which would have been an easy pitfall in less capable hands.

This is truly an experience to listen to, and one I would recommend to anyone. 8.5/10

Check out similar music here.