A pretty packed week of heavy new albums for us to check out this time around. Let’s dive right in!
The Losts: Venom Within
This is an awesome slab of melodic heavy metal! The third album from the French quartet blends together plenty of old-school and modern styles, from heavy to power to black metal to thrash to even an almost early 2000s metalcore edge at times. Each style feels like it’s own time to shine at times throughout too, and all combines together to form a pretty unique sound to The Losts. Tracks like ‘Black out Days’, ‘Magical Idea’ and ‘Exponential Law’ are all personal highlights. However, there isn’t a bad song on here, and despite the aforementioned style-changes, it still flows pretty damn well! I’m definitely going to have to go back and check out their previous work, as they very much have a new fan in me! A solid 8/10 from us!
Funeral Vomit: Upheaval of Necomancy
Another third album, this time from the heavy, old-school death metallers, and does pretty much exactly what is advertised. It’s a Cannibal Corpse-like half an hour of brutal riffing, great drumming and questionably mixed and performed screams. In fact the mix throughout is rather questionable, being more of a wall of sound that sometimes makes it hard to distinguish each part. Musically and arrangement-wise it’s very well put together, but it’s sadly not one I’d revisit readily. It’s a shame too, as I liked the intro stuff they did for the album and tracks. I’d probably get into it a lot more in a live setting! ‘Hematophagia’ was probably my personal favourite track, but I sadly can’t give the release as a whole much more than 4/10. Sorry, the mix and style really aren’t my sort of thing!
Scheitan: Wine for a Tormented Soul
The second release in two years from the reunited gothic metal soloist is an absolutely great release within that genre! Whether it’s legends like Him or Type O to even more modern stuff like newer Creeper, it channels plenty of great vibes. From the opening two tracks to ‘Carry Me Home’, there’s plenty to love, too. The whole album goes by in a flash, and is truly a must if you are into this style of music! It’s honestly so great to hear Pierre back making music again, especially when it’s this good! I had a great time listening to this, and can’t give it any less than a solid 7.5/10. Good stuff!
Amulet: Don’t Say the Anguish Took her Life
The debut album from the modern deathcore collective actually goes pretty damn hard! From the awesome screams to the brutal instrumentation, it’s all performed and written incredibly. While it’s not everyone style, this feels a bit more of a throwback to earlier times in the genre; think more Whitechapel than Slaughter to Prevail. And yeah, it’s fucking awesome! From ‘Her Suffocating Words’ to the title track to ‘Dying in my Dreams’, there is plenty to love, and truly not a bad song on here. Heck, at only 22 minutes it’s in and out in a flash, very much all-killer, no-filler. I’m excited to see where the band go from here, as they definitely have a bright future, but this is an absolutely excellent start to their album-releasing careers. 8.5/10, a must for fans of the genre!
Diamonds to Dust: Echoes of Grace and Strife
More deathcore, but a bit more on the prog side this time. And damn, this goes hard and heavy for Christian music! I was pretty hooked from opener ‘Child of the King’, and the album barely let me go throughout. And, though the track is packed full of guest features, I enjoy the tracks of just them just as much! ‘Bond Servant’ and ‘Dissonant Truth’ are just as good as the opener or ‘The White Rabbit’s Nightmare’. From the awesome technical riffing to the brutal screams and breakdowns to the solid drums, it’s all done so well. I know some will dismiss it immediately due to the religious beliefs of the members, but you’d be doing yourself a disservice as this is an honestly incredible metal release, period. Even at pushing an hour in length and 14 tracks, it all slaps and is so easy to listen to in one go. They have a big new fan in me, and this will be an album I’ll be listening to for months to come. 9/10
Part three of our list and things are really starting to heat up! We’ve already had some excellent albums across genres, and here are 20 more! Are there any missing that you think will be in the top 40?
60 – Cory Marks: Sorry for Nothing Vol. 1 & 2
Yep, we’re starting off this part with a cheeky wildcard/twofer. Sorry. And yes, it’s even cheekier that Vol. 1 came out in December ‘24. However, it was the very first week for it, as the cut-off for this is end of November. And, with both being from the same collection, it counts, alright? So yes, technically it’s the top 101 albums of 2025…
Cory is the perfect blend of modern country music and early 2000s radio rock (dad rock as it’s now known *shiver*). And the fact that he cannot only pull off both styles perfectly, but combine them at times effortlessly too, across a full nearly 90 minutes is incredible and a true testament to his talents! There is somehow very little filler across both releases, too. If you are into country or rock at all (why are you reading this website if you aren’t into either?) then I cannot recommend these albums enough. From the chunky riffing to the arena-filling choruses, he’s an amazing songwriter, and he and his band perform it incredibly. He fits perfectly alongside people from both sides of his sound, and it’s easy to hear why we gave both parts a solid 9/10. It’s very much like all the best parts of Nickelback, and more than deserves its spot on our list!
Listen to: (Make My) Country Rock, Change the Game, and Wild Ride
59 – Arch Enemy: Blood Dynasty
This is a slightly odd release now, with Alissa rather abruptly leaving the band just a few weeks back. However, their last album with her at the front is maybe my favourite one since their earlier days, and it has somehow grown on me more and more! Its basis is the bands usual melodeath style that they do so far, but they build it into much more than that here. From clean vocals to thrasher bits to even a more epic power ballad, this release pulls so much from other metal facets, yet still feels distinctly Arch Enemy. And it’s a perfectly solid 42-minutes, with each of the 11 songs being excellent. As excited as I am for where Alissa goes solo, I’ll definitely miss her being in the band. However, not only have they managed to prove that they can make a banging album without Loomis involved, but really went out on a high with the Alissa-era. We gave itan incredibly solid 9/10, and there was no way it wasn’t making it this high on this list!
Listen to: The Dream Stealer, Don’t Look Down, and Vivre Libre
58 – DOROTHY: THE WAY
Another album, another year-ending listfor the LA hard rocker. Yet again she smashes it out of the park with her studio release, this being up there with anything she’s put out prior. This thing is a solid blues-infused hard rock release, and the deluxe edition is somehow even better! From the awesome riffing to her powerful vocals and arena-filling choruses, it’s all so damn good, and there really isn’t a bad song throughout. It’s a shame that she seems to have no interest in touring the UK or Europe, as I’d love to see all of this live! This got a massive9.5/10 back in March, and it’so hard to argue with that all these months later. It more than deserves its place on this list, and would have been higher if it wasn’t for so much awesome music dropping in 2025!
Listen to: MUD, TOMBSTONE TOWN, and UNHOLY WATER
57 – Testament: Para Bellum
After five long years off, the thrash legends returned back in October and really took no prisoners with this release! This thing is a masterclass of heavy thrash metal, and proves that they are still one of the top bands to ever do it. There are a number of bands from the 70s and 80s that have been putting out great new music in recent years, but I would argue none have done it as well or consistently as Testament. And nearly four decades into their music-releasing career, they went heavier than ever, which is fucking awesome! And yet they still squeeze a rare-heard ballad in here for good measure too, it being an incredibly well-rounded and easy to listen to album, even at nearly an hour!I gave it a 9/10 when it dropped, but I may even rank it a touch higher at this point, it really is that good! If you are at all into the band or the genre in general, I can’t recommend this enough, it’s up there with some of their best.
Listen to: For the Love of Pain, Infanticide A.I., and Meant to Be
56 – The Darkness: Dreams on Toast
The British light-hearted rockers returned with their first album since 2021 way back in March, and may have released their strongest album since their debut. It also marked the longest gap between albums the band had aside for their hiatus, which could potentially explain things. It’s a varied 33-minutes of rock music that is constantly interesting and a lot of fun throughout. Whether a foot-stomper, a stadium anthem or a ballad, this album has it all, and has just enough tongue-in-cheek to still feel so distinctly Darkness. Heck, there’s plenty of quirkier influence too, from ELO to Queen and even some country! I know the band are somewhat controversial lately due to the Hawkins’ comments about Yungblud, but that doesn’t stop this from being a damn good album written and performed by four incredibly talented musicians. If you are at all into rock music, this is a must check out for you! Heck, we gave ittop marks when we reviewed it, so that should really speak for itself, right?
Listen to: I Hate Myself, The Longest Kiss, and Walking Through Fire
55 – Liam St John: Man of the North
Despite me still feeling like it doesn’t open well, this is an absolutely incredible blues/soul/Americana album. It’s packed full of emotion but also effortlessly swaggering and cool throughout. It also somehow feels like the perfect combination of old-school blues and a more modern twist. Liam has tapped into something truly special here, channelling his influences in a way to create a sound that we really don’t have a lot of these days, and it fits in across most rock and country scenes. And for such a new artist to be putting something out of this high quality is truly incredible. I discovered him at Long Road this year and was immediately obsessed, so the fact that this album came out just a couple of weeks later and cemented me as a firm big fan of his is a true testament to the man’s songwriting and talents. The only thing that’s dropped it a couple of places on this list is it’s length, though even then I’ve happily listened to it through a good few times since September, even if it does slow down in its last third. Another incredibly easy 9/10from us, and another that is more than deserving of his slot on this list!
Listen to: Believer, forefathers, and Dipped in Bleach
54 – Daedric: As the Light Left
The modern metal powerhouse’s second album storms onto this list, just like her debut did back in 2023. This is the perfect mix of heavy and beautifully ethereal, and is impossible to stop listening to until it’s all finished. Her scream is incredible, and fits amazingly over the top of the heavy riffs, but her powerful cleans are just as good, and utilised perfectly throughout. I’ve said it before (in our review, no less) and I’ll say it again, Daedric is everything I wish Spiritbox was. They are somehow getting better and better every time they put out new music, and I am so excited to see the heights they can reach, as with output like this they more than deserve it! If you are at all into the aforementioned band, or anything from Poppy to THE DEFECT to Bad Omens, I cannot recommend this enough. It’s an excellent metal album that got a very easy 9/10 back in October, and was a very easy addition to this list!
Listen to: The Other Terror, Night Mother, and Dark Legacy
53 – Igorrr: Amen
There was no way this wild slice of experimentation wasn’t making this list. The Frenchman blew me away with his last release back in 2020, and this continues on from that album pretty perfectly. And, whether it’s epic blackened death metal, more orchestral, cinematic arrangements or straight up dubstep, everything he touches here turns to gold. Don’t get me wrong, this is certainly not an album for everyone, but I loved it and have revisited it multiple times since it dropped back in September. Gautier just does things completely different to everyone else out there, and honestly feels like a creative evil genius on par with Danny Elfman at this point. And somehow, this three-quarters-of-an-hour release that genre-blends and hops constantly goes by in a flash, reflecting on its quality. If you are at all curious or like his other work, do check this out! While I still maintain the opinion that it’s not quite as good as Spirituality and Distortion, it’s still a damn good album, and certainly deserving of the 9/10 we gave it, as well as it’s slot on our list.
Listen to: Headbutt, Blastbeat Falafel, and Pure Disproportionate Black and White Nihilism
52 – Vincent Mason: There I Go
For someone who I somehow hadn’t heard any of until the start of November, I have become pretty heavily obsessed with this album since! Having the energy, vibe and lyrical content of the more indie-Americana sound I love currently, but with more of a country twang to it, he’s got an amazing style. And, while this is another country release on the longer side, it’s packed full of incredible highs and doesn’t have a bad song throughout! It’s also packed full of emotion and catchy choruses, and what more can you ask for from country music? A good half of this album is on my personal playlist, and certain tracks still give me goosebumps over a month later. If you’re a country, Americana, indie etc fan, this is certainly an album you need to check out immediately! And the fact that it’s a debut album, DAMN. It was yet another album I gave 9/10 to in my review, and it more that deserves it!
Listen to: Little Miss, Damned if I Do, and Wish you Well
51 – Sumo Cyco: NEON VOID
Album four from the former Canadian teen pop-punker and her band seemed to have come out of nowhere this year. After not seeing much of them after their 2021 release, they exploded back onto my radar with a host of awesome singlesleading up to this release. And the singles are hardly the lot of it either, as this whole album slaps from front to back! 41-minutes of fun pop-metal; equal parts heavy riffing and mainstream hooks. She’s such an interesting vocalist, powerful, catchy melodies and still the odd scream thrown in for good measure. After sitting with it for a couple of months, I honestly think it’s the most well-rounded album they’ve put out, every track being awesome and there being some interesting pace changes throughout. It got a solid 8.5/10 when we reviewed it, but I’d definitely say it’s closer to a 9 after a few listens. If you’re at all into stuff like Tonight Alive, Skindred or Butcher Babies, check this out ASAP!
Listen to: SHIVERS, VILLAINS, and CLOCKWORK
50 – H.E.A.T.: Welcome to the Future
There isn’t nearly enough cheesy AOR on this list this year, but arguably the modern kings of it gave us one of their best albums to date back in April. The second album since original vocalist Kenny’s return goes hard for a full 45-minutes, and is packed full of MASSIVE riffs and stadium-filling choruses. It’s impossible not to love this band and album, and every track is as good as the last, all of them being stuck in my head for days at a time at various parts of the year. It’s insane to me that they aren’t one of the biggest bands currently around, but this style of music doesn’t get nearly as much love as it should! It got a 9/10 from mewhen it dropped, but honestly after so many listens it may be even higher than that now. Check this out if you are at all into big, cheesy choruses, and I only wish I could have put it higher!
Listen to: Disaster, Running to You, and Tear it Down
49 – Muscadine Bloodline: …And What was Left Behind & Longleaf Lo-Fi
Oops, it’s another twofer… oh well, it’s my list, I can do what I want!
The first of this releases has been floating around high on my list since it dropped back in April. And, while it was left-over tracks from their 2024 release, Their follow-up back in Novemberfelt like it also fit the same vibe so well that In struggled to separate them. Both are fantastic country-Americana releases from the duo, packed with great harmonies, emotion-filled lyrics and some great instrumentation. And, at barely an hour across both albums, it’s not even that massive an undertaking, especially for country! It’s simple, chilled-out modern country music, and if you’re a fan of that at all these albums are a must! Somehow I missed reviewing Lo-Fi, but gave Left Behind an incredible solid 9.5/10, and it’s easy to hear why if you listen! Though I have found other albums and releases in this style I’ve enjoyed more through the year, both of these together easily still get that score, and are solidly entered into this list!
Listen to: Ain’t For Sale, Deer in the Headlights, My Meridian, and You Will be Loved
48 – Dinosaur Pile-Up: I’ve Felt Better
There’s just something about Dinosaur Pile-Up, man. There is no one out there doing what they do, and their brand of punk-hard rock-indie fusion is a hell of a lot of fun. This album thankfully picks right up where Celebrity Mansions left off six years prior, with Matt barely showing any signs of his life-threatening health issues over the last few years, aside for in his lyrics. Back when ‘Back Foot’ dropped they seemed like the next big thing, and while their momentum dipped a little, this has done a fantastic job of bringing them back on track! It’s yet another album packed full of awesome songs, with most of it ending up on my personal playlist after just a couple of listens. It’s also an incredibly varied album, with plenty of emotion and vulnerability on display at times, while they still show their fun, light-hearted side on the likes of ‘My Way’ and ‘Big Dogs’. From the big riffs, solid drums and anthemic choruses, it’s honestly the perfect Dinosaur Pile-up album, and I’d put it up there with their last couple of releases easily.
I’ve been obsessed with it since August, and would urge absolutely everyone reading this to give it a try. It was another big 9/10 from us back in August, but it may be even higher than that for me now!
Listen to: ‘Bout to Lose It, My Way, and Quasimodo Melonheart
47 – XIII Doors: Into the Unknown
The debut album from the Irish melodic hard rock band is just as good now as it was when I first checked it outback in February! The mixture of early 2000s radio-rock/arena-filling choruses and plenty of Tremonti-style riffs is perfect, and performed to perfection here. It’s another short and sweet album, just eight tracks packed into an excellent 33 minute package. There truly isn’t a bad track on this album, and there is so much to love throughout. The band have a massive future ahead of them, and this album will be looked back on as the launching pad for that in years to come! There’s a reason I gave it top marks in my review, and I’d recommend this album to absolutely anyone. There is no way it wasn’t making this list, and it more than deserves as high as it’s got! I look forward to hearing where they go in the future!
Listen to: Unleash the Beast, Face the Truth, and Into the Unknown
46 – Frankie Ballard: The Messanger
This is where I really wish I could have put albums higher up. Not to say that everyone above isn’t incredible and could have gotten higher up without the next lot, but this is where the list became almost impossible for me to order!
This is an absolute masterclass in blues, Americana and country. His first album in nearly a decade and it was more than worth the wait, in this writers humble opinion! To put it into perspective, two thirds of this release made it onto my playlist, and the other four tracks aren’t particularly worse than the rest! It’s packed full of great guitaring, emotional and fantastic vocal delivery and some infectiously catchy melodies and choruses. It dropped back in March and honestly I’ve lost track of how much I’ve spun it since then, even the album in full or its many, many highlight tracks. How I haven’t seen much love for it when it dropped or around this time of year is beyond me! If you are into any sort of facet of blues, check this out immediately, you’re bound to love it as much as I do! It was another release with top marks in its review, and it’s practically impossible to argue with that all these months later!
Listen to: Dirty Church Clothes, Shine, and Fenceless Freedom
45 – The Heavy Souls: Have you Got Soul
Our good friends put out their debut album back at the start of the year, and absolutely blew me away with it! An absolute powerhouse of hard rock/blues riffing from front to back, channelling the likes of Rival Sons and Wolfmother perfectly. And, on top of that, plenty of soaring, powerful vocals that fit perfectly over the top! Whether it’s a plodding blues pace or a more uptempo hard rock one, the band pull both styles off so well and it flows perfectly throughout. There is no wonder they have received such praise over the last year or so, and have really built themselves up to a force to be reckoned with already in the UK underground scene. An incredibly solid 9/10 back in February that still stands now, and a worthy addition to the list!
Listen to: Have you Got Soul, Sleepwalking, and She Said
44 – Wretched Path: Sea of Death
Somehow an album I missed when it dropped back in March, I’ve become a little obsessed with it since! The Finnish modern death metal band’s release has somehow slipped under the radar of a lot of people, 121 monthly listens for this is criminal, but I am very proudly one of them! This is barely half-an-hour of perfect brutality, not letting up from start to finish. It’s certainly not an album for everyone reading this, but if you are into your metal on the heavier side, this is an absolute must! From the riffing to the arrangement, drums to the screams, it’s all excellent, and a true masterclass of what death metal is in 2025. It prompted me to also listen back to their 2022 debut, which is also good, but this builds on everything on that perfectly. I can’t give it any less than 9/10, and it more than earns its spot on our list!
Listen to: Release of Violence, Apophis, and
43 – Kelsy Karter & the Heroines: Love Made me Do it
Nearly 11 full months on, this is still an absolutely excellent pop-rock album! I’m so glad Kelsy is getting the love her and the Heroines so sorely deserve, with them recently touring Europe supporting Halestorm, and this album surely went a good way into making that happen! This is packed full of so many incredible radio hooks, backed up perfectly by the excellent instrumentation. Whether it’s slower power ballads or straight up rock tracks, it has a bit of everything, and 50-minutes goes by in a flash! I gush about it even more in my review, and it was yet another 10/10 album, a score I fully stand by after god knows how many listens all these months later. As I said earlier in the Frankie entry, I really wish I could put this higher, and honestly on any given day it could jump up a good few places. It’s an absolutely stellar album and one that I’d recommend everyone check out at least once!
Listen to: Daughter of the Night, Laser to the Heart, and Painkiller
42 – Foreign Affairs: Brothers
Oh look, another phenomenal debut album! The sheer quality of this for a first release is absolutely insane, too. It explores so many different styles too, whether it’s indie, country, Americana or rock, all of them pulled off to perfection! It’s a powerful album too, emotion being a thread throughout and it still giving me goosebumps at times some three months later. The pair are so damn talented, both as players and songwriters, and have crafted something truly special with this release. It was a very easy 9.5/10 back in September, and I very much stand by that now still. It’s an excellent album and another artist that I can see being a massive name sooner rather than later!
Listen to: Killer Spell, I’m on Fire, and One Minute
41 – All Time Low: Everyone’s Talking
The modern pop punk legends returned with an absolute stormer of an album this year, topping the already great Tell me I’m Alive from 2023. It’s the closest they’ve sounded to their old-school sound in years, yet still have a modern edge and production to it. And it’s also packed full of incredible tracks and huge choruses, just like the band have become so well known for. On top of that, Alex proves that he is one of the most underrated storytellers in the business, weaving a tale of how he’s feeling the last couple of years. I was eagerly anticipating this since I first heard ‘SUCKERPUNCH’, and since the album dropped I’ve been a little obsessed! It got a 9/10 from us, but honestly after a few listens I may put it even higher than that now! It’s a fun, surprisingly deep album and is a great way to close out this part of the list!
Listen to: SUCKERPUNCH, The Weather, and Little Bit
Part two of our list, and things are already starting to heat up! I thought I’d take this quick time to highlight some honourable mentions, as there were so many albums that sadly didn’t quite make the cut that are well worth checking out: Badflower. Dropkick Murphys. Russel Dickerson. Bleed From Within. Cam. Ron Pope. Heaven Shall Burn. William Prince. Jordan Davis. And, knock her all you like, but the new Sabrina Carpenter album slaps!
80 – Star Circus: From the Wreckage
We kick off part two of this years list with a long-anticipated sophomore album, and one hell of a sleazy, AOR/hard rock release! I’ve been a fan of the band for a few years now, and was pretty hyped when this was announced and we got sent it, and for anyone who’s read our review, I was certainly not disappointed! Nearly 50-minutes of awesome riffing and instrumentation, and packed full of choruses big enough to fill stadiums! Feeling like a modern version of Glenn Hughes or Night Ranger, it’s a lot of fun, and an incredibly easily listen that I’d recommend any rock fan check out! If/when you do, you’ll easily hear why we gave it a whopping 9.5/10, and why it easily made it onto our list!
Listen to: Chained to You, One Hit Wonder, and Last Dance
79 – Paradise Lost: Ascension
The godfathers of death-doom returned this last September with their first new studio stuff in half a decade, and proved that they are still one of the best in their genre. This is an hour of moody, gothic heaviness, and I love every bit of it. The riffs are the main highlight, as expected in this music, but some of the vocal lines are surprisingly catchy too, even when screamed! And the whole thing is just epic, flowing perfectly one track into the next. It’s certainly not for everyone, and is no small undertaking, but if you are at all into doom music, this is very much the album for you! It was, you guessed it, another massive 9/10from us when it dropped, and a few listens later it still very easily sits at that. A welcome, easy addition to this spot on the list!
Listen to: Tyrents Serenade, Salvation, and Sirens
78 – Rival Pack: BURN
As I’ve said before, 2025 was the year of the hardcore return, and few did it better this year than this Netherlands-based collective. Frankly, the fact that they sit on barely 100 monthly listeners at this point is nothing short of criminal! This isn’t even half an hour of absolute aggression and fury that would put plenty of other artists to shame. It’s a great way to get out some anger, as it makes me just want to throw people around a pit, and at the same time is a great fun listen. It’s a typical sound for the genre and doesn’t do a lot out of the ordinary, but what it does do, it does to perfection. I’ve spun this a lot since June and haven’t yet gotten bored of it, sure to keep spinning it plenty in the new year, too! From the riffing to the screams to the breakdowns, it’s all so good. Somehow it was one we hadn’t checked out for NMM, but give this a listen and try to tell me it is anything less than a 9/10! An amazing heavy album, and well worth its placement on here. On a weaker year, it could have gotten far higher!
Listen to: Closing In, Killer in the Pool, and Don’t Waste My Time
77 – Luna Marble: Self-Titled
The debut album from the bluesy hard rockers only came out last month, but has quickly established itself as a force in this list! This is a powerhouse of 70s riffs and psychedelia from start to finish, as well as being packed full of some awesome, arena-filling choruses to boot! It’s honestly refreshing to hear a band inspired by Led Zeppelin but not sound like a clone of them. It’s a more modern sound, reminding me a lot more of something like Brave Rival. These guys have truly mastered their craft and sound already, insanely impressive for a band so young and not having been going all that long. Everyone is exceptionally talented; from the riffing to the drumming, synth to the actually-focused-on bass to the soaring, powerful vocals it’s all incredible. I’ve fallen in love with the band since this early November release, and if you are at all into more of a classic rock style it is an absolute must-listen! It’s very easy to hear why it got a massive 9/10 from me, and it more than earned its slot here!
Listen to: All of my Love, So Long, and Redemption
76 – The War & Treaty: Plus One
Firstly, I don’t remember this album being this damn LONG. As much as I love the band, 66 minutes is a lot to sit through, and I think it’s a big reason as to why I’ve stuck to the tracks I like and very rarely revisited the release as a whole. It’s most likely the reason that it’s a touch lower than their previous release was on these lists. The highs are in the sky, but there is a fair bit of needless filler too, in this writers opinion, which stopped it from being quite as excellent an album as Lover’s Game. However, it’s still a damn good album, and produced some of my favourite country-adjacent tracks of the year. The duo lean even harder into their Southern Soul style than ever, putting out a truly unique release different to anything else on this list. And, honestly, it’s the more country/Americana stuff that I find myself going back to the least. They have really found their niche and bounce off of each other somehow better than ever, crafting something honestly special here, despite the length. It’s crazy to look back on our review of it and see my opinion has changed a bit on the slower stuff. Honestly, I’d stick with the 9.5/10 over top marks. However it’s still awesome, and very deserving of a slot of this list, that’s for sure! Check this out, especially the opening half!
Listen to: Call You By Your Name, Stealing a Kiss, and Love is on Fire
75 – Feuerschwanz: Knightclub
Power metal ‘Gangnam Style’… do I need to say anything else?! The band put the fun in power metal like few other bands can, and it makes this a fantastic listen! Don’t get me wrong, they can also get serious and ‘proper power metally’ when they want to, but the slightly more light-hearted nature is a lot of fun, and has kept me coming back to a lot of this album again and again. And even though the release may appear front-loaded (aside the massive closer), there are some truly incredible folk metal songs throughout, and I couldn’t name you a bad song. I have fully gotten on-board the power metal train the last couple of years or so, and this is honestly one of my favourite releases in the genre since then! It is a resounding YES in answer to the question posed in my review, and I fully stand by the 9/10 I gave it back then. It more than deserves this slot on the list, and would have gotten higher if it weren’t for a couple other power metal albums further on…
Listen to: Knightclub, Valhalla, and Sam the Brave
74 – Carter Faith: Cherry Valley
Another debut album, this one for a sure-fire future country megastar. Her Dolly-esque vocals and her fantastic lyric/songwriting are a winning combination, that’s for sure! Her quick wit lyrically is second to very few currently. She definitely adds some modernness to the neo-traditional sound though, and even some epicness with songs like the opener. It’s simple and rather chilled-out as a whole, but packed full of both fun and emotion. And, even at its pretty stacked length, it’s full of amazing songs and it an incredibly easy listen. A lot of it came out as singles beforehand, but despite being a marketing/income tactic, it’s also easy to see why, as there are so many standouts. It gives off Sabrina Carpenter vibes at times, and I mean that as the uttermost of compliments! It’s very easy to hear why I gave this a 9/10, and it’s stayed firmly in my rotation since the start of October when it was released. If you are at all into country music check this out, especially given how MASSIVE a name she’s going to be sooner rather than later. Heck, ‘If I Had Never Lost my Mind…’ still gives me goosebumps now, that alone should encourage you to listen!
Listen to: Sex, Drugs, & Country Music, Grudge, and Burn my Memory
73 – Old Dominion: Barbara
Just two years after their amazing Memory Lane, the country megastars returned with yet another barn-burner! It’s a really interesting release for me, too. When it first released, I was adamantit wasn’t up there with their last album. However, the more I listen to it, the more I find myself enjoying almost every song a lot. While the singles aren’t as massive and memorable, it’s a shorter, more concise album, with less filler and far more killer than Memory Lane. It’s a chilled-out country album that feels like it leans more into their influences than trying to score another radio hit. The band really cut loose and wrote what they wanted to, and it results in a beautiful album that is packed full of heart and emotion. It combines a more traditional country/soul sound with their more modern elements, so if that sounds at all like something you’d be interested in, I can’t recommend this enough! It’s another one that definitely gets bumped up, as I only gave it 8/10 in our review, while it’s another easy 9 now, if not higher!
Listen to: Making Good Time, Man or the Song, and Talk Country
72 – Fit for a King: Lonely God
The Texan metalcore collective returned back in August with their eighth album, and it’s an epic, varied release! Whether it’s the more modern BMTH-inspired arena metalcore, or the brutally heavy riffing and breakdowns that brought them to the dance, or even a couple of slower ballads, this thing is packed full of a bit of everything from the genre! And the band do it all so well! From crushing breakdowns to epic soundscapes, I’m obsessed with all of it. I do typcially prefer the heavier tracks, but something about this band and this album had me loving every song. They’re perfectly spread out through the album too, the moments of levity incredibly offsetting the brutal times. I loved The Hell We Create, but this is up there alongside it, for sure! If you are at all into modern metalcore, this is certainly an album for you. A very solid 9/10 from us easily landed it it’s spot on our list!
Listen to: Extinction, Monolith, and Blue Venom
71 – Eld Varg: Destroyer
The Scottish melodic hard rock/metallers returned with a vengeance with this album last month. The riff-masters clearly borrow from plenty of old-school metal influences, but still somehow sound modern, maybe due to the album’s excellent production! I gushed over this album plenty in my review, but it is so very deserved. It genre-blends in all the best way, and really has a little something for everyone even slightly into metal. 41-minutes of epicness; from power and folk metal to more thrash to melodic hard rock at times. And, as said before, the whole thing goes by in a flash, and is well worth listening to in one sitting! The band are all so incredibly talented at playing and writing, and I can foresee this pushing them up a few notches in the scene by this time next year. It very much deserves its place on our list!
Listen to: Achamán, The Hell of Mirrors, and Crestfallen
70 – HARDY: Country! Country!
Album number four from one of Nashville’s biggest modern songwriters certainly washed out some of the bad taste in the mouth that Quit!! left behind. Leaning more into the country-hard rock fusion that made mockingbird so successful was definitely a step in the right direction, and lead to an album I have revisited a fair bit the last three months. Is it as good as mockingbird? Given that it’s here on this list and not at number 2, no. But hell, it made the list this year, and above a lot of other country albums, so that should say a lot!
Despite being long and certainly having some filler without a cool concept to explain it away, there are still some excellent country tracks across a lot of this, and it’s very much a return to form for THE CROW. There is far more great than not too, with most of this ending up on my personal playlist by now! There’s a lot of fun, but there’s also plenty of emotion shown at times, HARDY’s vocals and talent handling both styles masterfully. The length has most probably dropped it a few places on this list, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a surprisingly easy listen for over an hour. In fact, it may be the longest album on the list this year, which is an achievement in of itself, I guess! I gave it an 8.5/10back in September, but as predicted in that review, this has grown on me more since! It’s a solid, easy 9/10 now, and very easily makes it this high on the list. Hopefully he rearranges his UK tour next year, as I’d love to hear some of this live!
Listen to: Country Country, Girl With a Gun, and Y’all Need Jesus
69 – Solence: ANGELS CALLING
After sitting with this album for a couple of months now, I’ve finally gotten on-board with serious Solence, and I really love this release! This thing is an incredible pop/alt-metal album packed to the brim with amazing, catchy-as-anything tracks. Honestly, every track is as good as the last, and the album has such a fantastic flow to it, 27-minutes going by in a flash. It has hints of early 2000s US radio-rock, but with a distinctly modern European twist on top of that, especially with the Callboy-like electronic elements and screams. Oh, and then we just get some insanely technical solos thrown in for good measure too; this album really having a bit of everything!
I’ve had most of this album stuck in my head at various points over the last two plus months, and it has grown on me more and more. They fully deserve the fast rise they are having, and I can really see 2026 being their year with the sheer amount of touring they have planned! We gave it 8.5/10when it released, but it’s definitely higher than that for me now. A good album that’s grown on me even more with subsequent listens, it more than deserves to be rocking this list!
Listen to: Monsters in my Head, Where Were You..?, and All of the Pain Must Go
68 – Locash: Bet the Farm
The first album from the country duo in six years was more than worth the wait! This is a masterclass in bro-ish country, and is a release I’ve been jamming a lot from April all the way to now. It’s a lot of fun throughout, but also packed full of emotion, as well as some stadium-sized choruses and harmonies from the pair. And from the more Southern rock infused to the country ballads, they do it all perfectly. It’s a sound that’s definitely taken a step back in recent years but I’m so glad hasn’t died off completely. If you are into country at all, I’d definitely recommend giving this a chance, it’s impossible not to love it! And at under 40-minutes, it’s pretty short for a country release these days. We gave this a whopping 9.5/10 when it released, and if you take a listen it’s very easy to see why! If it wasn’t for country booming once again this year, it would have ended up higher, but it is still at a damn respectable point of the list!
Listen to: Hometown Home, Bring Em Back, and Shipwrecked
67 – Tetrarch: The Ugly Side of Me
The nu-metal revival continued to be in full swing in 2025, and this album was a large focal point of that! The bands third album followed up 2021’s amazing Unstable perfectly, building on everything that album laid out and coming out with an incredibly strong release overall. Every song slaps, and it makes for a fantastic, heavy, catchy just over half-an-hour! The duo of Josh Fore and Diamond Rowe is a real powerhouse, and will inspire this band continues to grow into a juggernaut in years to come. Especially if they keep continuing to grow and build on their sound, and put out better and better albums! From the crushing riffing to the massive choruses to the occasional awesome solo, it’s all amazing. It got a huge 9/10from us when it dropped, and has been in regular rotation for me since May, easily earning its spot on this list! For anyone who’s into nu or industrial metal, or just anything around that early 2000s sound, listen to this immediately!
Listen to: Never Again (Parasite), Live Not Fantasize, and Cold
66 – The Damn Shames: Trailers on Bricks
A release recommended to me by a good friend of the company, Kyle Daniel, and I’m so glad that he did! This is an incredible Southern rock album! From the instrumentation to the incredible harmonies to the arena-filling choruses, it’s all so damn good, from start to finish. Honestly, each of these 10 tracks are as good as the last, and it makes for a super easy listen from start-to-finish! The band are all insanely talented players and songwriters, and the fact that this is their debut album and it’s of this high quality is truly amazing. This somehow only got an 8.5/10 from us upon release, but after multiple revisits over the last six months, this is easily closer to a 9 for me! If you are at all into the country or Southern rock scene, this is very much the album for you. Hopefully either scene in the UK picks them up, as I’d love to see this stuff live! I look forward to hearing where they go from here, but for now I am content to keep spinning this record, hence why it ends up pretty high on this list!
Listen to: Who Killed Rock n’ Roll?, Another Spoke in the Wheel, and Quittin’ Time
65 – Epica: Aspiral
I mean, we finally got three new parts of A New Age Dawns on this release, that alone gets it onto this list! However, the other eight songs are also just as good, too! The whole thing is an epic, cinematic masterpiece that somehow feels like it goes by far too quickly despite it being an hour. I always felt like they were one of the more underrated symphonic metal bands, but they put out one of the best albums in the genre in recent years with this. From Simone’s incredible vocals and choruses to the insane instrumentation throughout, it’s easy to hear why it’s had me hooked since April. It got a huge 9.5/10 from us, and if you give it a listen you’ll easily be able to tell why! I’m always a touch hit and miss with the genre, but when it’s done as well as this it’s hard not to fall in love, hence why it’s here and in a pretty favourable position. It’s a big undertaking, but I’d highly recommend a full listen through of the album for anyone even slightly interested!
Listen to: Cross the Divide, Arcana, and Eye of the Storm
64 – Humming Whale: Chasing Rabbits
Another debut album, and this time a fantastic blend of so many different metal styles! Somewhere between hardcore and prog metal, it’s a blend that shouldn’t work anywhere near as well as these guys make it! I already gushed over this album in my review not long ago, so I feel like cliff notes are probably more preferred, right? Incredible instrumentation, catchy, powerful vocals, great cleans and harshes, and some epic songwriting. Like it somehow combines Tool, Godsmack and Turnstile. If that sounds at all like your sort of thing, go check it out ASAP! Their creativity and uniqueness is off the charts, and I can see a huge future for them if they keep on putting out stuff of this quality. For now, I’m more than happy to keep spinning this release, an easy 9/10, and it easily made it onto this spot on the list!
Listen to: Chasing Rabbits, Waves, and Black Waters
63 – Born of Osiris: Through Shadows
This brutal slice of technical metalcore from back in July is somehow something I haven’t revisited too much since its release, but upon doing so am blown away all over again. Instrumentally this is absolutely phenomenal from the very first note; the riffing to the solos, drumming to the electronics and synth, it’s all mind-blowingly good. And the vocals too, be it screams or the odd clean, all fit it so well. I’ve really gotten into the heavier side of metalcore since the mainstream side of it has lightened up, and adding a tech and electronic edge to it is like a match made in heaven. And heck, some of it is catchy, as well as being heavy and djenty, it’s really awesome! I knew I had this album in my list for a reason, but I can’t believe I even slept on it for a few months again, even after giving it 9/10 back in July. If you are even slightly into metal, but especially modern Machine Head, Periphery or Shadow of Intent, this is one to put on immediately!
Listen to: Seppuka, Through Shadows, and Activated
62 – Lanie Gardner: Faded Polaroids
The second album from the rising country star, somehow she keeps just getting better and better! She’s incorporated a little more rock elements since her debut, and it’s made for an incredible, fun country album. And even on her slower tracks, they’re also radio-country ballads, and just as good as the rest of the songs. And even at its length, it’s still an easy listen without a bad song throughout. Her vocals are incredible, as are her lyrics, and they all fit perfectly over the instrumentation, whether it’s country, southern rock, Americana or more of a pop leaning. It got an incredibly easy 9/10 from us, and there was no way it wasn’t getting a strong spot on this list. She has such an insanely bright future ahead of her, and I don’t suspect this is the last time she’ll be on a list like this!
Listen to: Boys Like You, Boot Down, and Buzzkill
61 – Once Awake: Far Out and Beyond
I have such a weak spot for old-school melodeath this year, and the fifth album from the Norwegian quartet delivered that in spades back in April. This thing is an epic nine tracks crushing brutality, riffs, breakdowns and some huge, catchy moments to break them up. There is not a track to skip, and I’ve done it in full numerous occasions since its release. Heck, it’s so good it even prompted me to go to Derby of all places to see them live, that should be the biggest endorsement there is! For those into the heyday of In Flames or Bodom, this is an album you need to spin, you’ll surely be as obsessed as I’ve been. And it actually has our first 10/10 review of our list so far, and it more than deserves that rating! It’s a phenomenal album, and only reason it’s not even higher up is because of the sheer amount of awesome releases from 2025, and the wide variety of styles we cover. I challenge you to find me a better straight-up melodeath album over the last year or two, I think you’d be hard pressed to find much!
Listen to: Where’s All the Silence Gone, Injustice, and Kill the Concern
Though we are in the home stretch of the year, we still have some awesome EPs being released for us to dive into. Let’s check them out!
Wounded in Forest: Antihuman Artist
The debut EP from the Finnish death metallers is a 22-minute powerhouse of heaviness. The riffing is awesome, the drumming relentless, and the duel vocalled screams lend themselves perfectly to the sound! It’s a pretty traditional sound for the genre, but the varied screams and shrieks definitely add an interesting element, as well as the great production giving it a more modern feel. Tracks like karaoke the Son of a Bitch’ and ‘Godspeed Filthy Warrior’ are personal highlights, but there isn’t a weak link on this whole release, it going by in a flash! It’s certainly not a release for everyone, but it’s a must for anyone with even a passing interest in death metal. It’s a very easy 7.5/10 from us!
Josiah Kaye & The Bonnevilles: Winter
While we don’t typically talk about cover releases often, this is a fantastic collection of countrified tracks for, to state the obvious, the winter season, and is a really great listen! From the traditional ‘Silent Night’ to ‘Silver Bells’ to more modern stuff like a better version on 1975’s ‘Wintering’, it’s packed full of fantastic, fitting tracks. And somehow, a basic Americana-folk arrangement still somehow carries a festive feel to it throughout. It’s a simple, beautiful release that honestly I’d happily listen to not just for the festive season. If you’re into country-folk stuff, and aren’t a grinch, do yourselves a favour and check this out! His vocals are incredible and it’s insane that this is my first introduction to Josiah, I’ll have to keep a closer eye on him for his original stuff. 8/10, it would have gotten even higher if they were original tracks!
Kakihara: Love Songs, Pt. 2
The first release from the Scottish hardcore band in a couple of years honestly threw me through a loop a little. Firstly, where is part 1? Secondly, I didn’t expect hardcore heading into this, but I was blasted by crazy heaviness for a solid just eight minutes across its five tracks. Honestly, it’s fucking awesome! Any regular readers of this site this year will know just how much I’ve gotten into hardcore, and this is no different, capping off the year in aggressive, heavy style. The flow through the whole thing is exceptional; I barely knowing where one track ends and the other starts without looking. And from the crushing instrumentation to the brutal vocals, it’s all performed so well! I can’t pick highlight tracks, it’s all one big performance and all of it slaps. Do yourselves a favour and check this out ASAP, you won’t be disappointed! 9/10, DAMN.
Another three awesome EPs for us to check out this week, from country to melodeath! Let’s dive in!
Chloe Loader: Fearlessly Wild
The debut EP from the UK country upstart is a fantastic early 2000s style release! Opener ‘Head on Down That Highway’ travels big Ashley McBride or Reba vibes, while ‘Cowgirl Boots’ is a bit more a boot-stompin’ southern rock track. Meanwhile ‘Lesson From You’ is a fantastic, heartfelt ballad, as is ‘Last Best Man’. And don’t get me wrong, the other two tracks are excellent, as well. There isn’t a bad song on this; it’s a very easy 20 minutes of listening. Every song is fantastically written, having a very classic vibe to it. And Chloe’s vocals are honestly incredible, her power and range is off the charts, definitely making for a big highlight of the release. For a debut release this is amazing, and a very clear indicator that Chloe is going to be a big name in the UK country scene sooner rather than later. If you are at all a fan of the genre, check this out immediately! It gets a very easy 8.5/10 from us!
Torch Us: To Non-Existence
The Finnish melodeath band are back with their sophomore EP, following up 2024’s Derailed rather perfectly. It’s only three songs, but 15 minutes of sheer awesomeness. From the riffing to the screams to the incredible drums and melodies, it all works so damn well! It’s very much an early In Flames vibe in the best way possible! If you have even a passing interest in the subgenre, check this out immediately, as this is honestly one of the best shorter releases in it. I cannot pick a favourite track as they are all awesome in their own way, and everyone works their asses off throughout all of them. It’s a genre that really need a mainstream metal comeback by now, and this very well may be the band that could make that happen! I can’t give it any less than 9/10!
Of Concrete Gods: The Art of Suffering
The third EP from the stoner/grunge metal band comes a full two years after their (some would call album) Hurt EP. In that time the band have somehow grown into even better songwriters and musicians. This whole thing is a powerhouse of riffs and catchy vocals for a full almost half-hour. From the opener/title track to the heavy-punk ‘Diatribes and Disappointment’ to the more lighter, proggy closing track, it’s all awesome! It gives off as much early 2000s alt metal as it does anything modern, but all the sounds combine together perfectly to make something truly great here. It won’t be for everyone, but I loved this EP a lot and will definitely spinning it plenty in the weeks to come. If you are at all a metal fan, check this out, you won’t be disappointed! A very easy 8/10
Another typically stacked week of awesome new music for us to check out this week, and it’s a rather heavy one! Let’s sink our teeth in!
Danko Jones: Leo Rising
The 12th studio album from the Canadian hard rock trio comes just two years after their incredible last release. Not only did we love Electric Sounds, but we’ve already checked out a couple of the singles and loved them too! Their balls-to-the-wall attitude and energy is so damn infectious, and it’s impossible not to have fun when listening to the band. That is definitely still the case here, too! It’s 37-minutes of punk-infused hard rock from start to finish across 11 awesome tracks. And while all are amazing, single ‘Diamond in the Rough’, ‘I Love it Louder’, ‘It’s a Celebration’ and ‘Too Slick for Love’ are personal highlights. It’s an incredibly easy listen from front to back though, and goes by in a flash. Danko is a riff machine, and his lyrics and delivery are full of attitude and just a lot of fun.
However, I do have one slight negative; it’s not quite as good as Electric Sounds. That would have been a tough task, as that has become my favourite album from them. This is still a great release, but it’s hard not to compare them a little. The singles and high points are every bit as good, but the album as a whole isn’t quite as banger after banger. Still, if you like the band or the genre in general, you’ll still love this just like I do! It gets a still-solid 8/10 from us, though it might get even higher with more listens!
Mélanie Pain: How and Why
The Nouvelle Vague frontwoman returned with her fourth studio release this last week. It’s a nice, chilled out indie-folk record.
You want more than that? Honestly, I’m struggling here, guys. It’s a pretty album, and an easy way to pass half an hour. Tracks like ‘Magnolia’ and ‘Senden Daha Güzel’ are good. However, it’s a little boring. Then again, it is not really my sort of thing. I completely see the appeal, and she has a cracking voice as well as a talent for lyrics writing. But I’ll probably never listen to this again. It didn’t do anything for me; it was too subdued and the instrumentation was barely anything. If you like it then awesome, and my deepest apologies for giving this a sad 3.5/10
Cassidy Paris: Bittersweet
The sophomore album from the young Australian classic rocker is every bit as good as her debut. Right from the offset it’s packed with catchy vocal hooks and some awesome AOR instrumentation. ‘Butterfly’ is a fantastic track and sets the tone for the album perfectly. Then you have tracks like ‘Nothing Left to Lose’, ‘Wannabe’, the bluesy ‘Give Me Your Love’ and ‘Brand New Day’ that are all massive highlights. However, there really isn’t a bad track on this album! It’s a touch long at 44 minutes, especially when almost all the songs have a similar sound and energy. However, I certainly couldn’t think of a track to cut, as they all very much have their place here. She very much fits in alongside Chez Kane in an awesome revival of this sound, and I am more than here for it! My only slight issue is with the mix, as it occasionally gets a touch muddy, and could have maybe sounded even bigger and packed a bigger punch at times. But still, it’s a very minor gripe towards an incredible rock album! If you are at all into an 80s style, check this out as soon as you can! A very easy 8.5/10
When Nothing Remains: Echos of Eternal Light
The first time the band have returned to the studio in nearly a decade, this is a slab of gothic/doom metal excellence. I didn’t know the band heading into this so didn’t know what to expect, but it wasn’t something so grandiose and cinematic. From the opening piano melody that builds steadily with the big drums and distorted guitars into true heaviness with the screams, it drew me in right from the offset. However, that also shouldn’t take away from the hauntingly beautiful clean vocals throughout too, fitting just as well as the screams. The rest of the release very much continues in the same feel and vein, too. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a pretty massive undertaking at over an hour, and is certainly not for everyone in terms of sound. But, if you are at all interested from my description, this is a damn rewarding listen and worth a full one, for sure! The band have created something special with this return release, and prove that they are damn good at crafting not only songs, but full albums. I’m not even usually into this sort of style, but I couldn’t get enough! It gets a solid 7.5/10 from us!
The Smith Street Band: Once I Was Wild
This is like Frank Turner if he leant more into his punk roots on his solo stuff. It took a touch of getting into, but by a couple of tracks in I was really enjoying this! The Australian punk/pub rock band’s seventh studio album is a fantastic listen packed with emotion-filled lyrics and delivery, catchy choruses and some fantastic, almost Midwest Emo instrumentation. And, despite it having some pretty bittersweet topics at times, it still feels upbeat and is a fun listen, incorporating plenty of mid 2000s indie influence into things too. I honestly cannot praise the lyrics and vocal delivery enough either, multiple times I had to restart the song as I had goosebumps. True emotion is getting harder and harder to come by in music these days, and this band deliver it hard throughout. It’s also incredibly hard to pick highlights; every track is just as good as the last. However, the lyrics to the title track are honestly incredible, and has definitely been a track I’ve revisited a fair bit over the last few days.
It’s insane to me that I’ve not checked these guys out before, they have a BIG new fan in me and I am now desperate for them to tour over here again soon! If you are at all into everything from pop punk to garage rock, folk-rock to Midwest emo, this is worth checking out as soon as you possibly can. I’m a little obsessed, and will definitely be checking out their previous releases ASAP. DAMN. 9/10
The Pretty Wild: zero.point.genesis
What a debut album! I only discovered the sisters-fronted modern metal/metalcore band a few weeks ago, but have already become a pretty big fan, and have been eagerly anticipating this release. It very much didn’t disappoint! Right from the INK-like opener this album is balls-to-the-wall in its heaviness, quirkiness but also it’s huge catchy hooks, and I am here for all of it! That is not only followed up by the awesome title track, but then the single that got me into them in the first place, ‘living ded’. It’s an INCREDIBLY strong open to an album! However, the quality doesn’t at all drop from then on out. ‘button eyes’ is a Coraline-inspired banger of a slower track, ‘priestess’ is brutally heavy and ‘OMENS’ is a great radio single. And even then, we’re only halfway through the album!
Yeah, this thing is awesome from front to back. It’s very Ice Nine Kills, but also has elements of more radio-ish bands like Spiritbox and even Bad Omens at times. They’re touring over here with Sleep Theory next year which is a great fit, and I may have to get tickets, for anyone who needs another comparison! The only thing missing is some awesome Sugarman-like lead guitar bits, but that’s more a personal preference; everything from the riffing to the drums, screams to cleans is fucking awesome. For someone who checks out a lot of new bands, these have got IT, and got it in spades. They’re going to be massive sooner rather than later, and this is an incredible starting point for that. I’m going to be spinning it a lot over the next however many months, and I can’t give it any less than 9.5/10. It’s rare I’m this excited about a new album and listen to it through in full multiple times in one day!
Bloodbound: Field of Swords
Studio album 11 from the power metal titans follows up 2023’s Tales from the North pretty perfectly. As you can tell, I very much enjoyed that release, and am so glad they’ve returned with a vengeance! It’s another 45-minutes of epic, heavy power metal spread across 11 awesome tracks. It still very much has the same issue as I had with their last album, it’s all pretty similar throughout, but that doesn’t stop it from being a good album! Tracks like ‘As Empires Fall’, ‘Land of the Brave’ and ‘Pain and Glory’ are excellent, and there really isn’t a bad song on the release! It’s just another solid, straight-forward early 2000s power metal album, and honestly it’s hard to say much more about it, in a good way! All the band are insanely talented and are really at the top of their craft when it comes to their genre at this point, able to release a great album in their sleep, I think! If you are into the genre this is one not to be missed! 8/10
Spock’s Beard: The Archaeoptimist
The prog rock underground legends are back with their first album in seven years, but they have certainly not lost a step in that time! Opener ‘Invisible’ is so very Styx in the best way. Then you have tracks like ‘Aforthoughts’, ‘St. Jerome in the Wilderness’ and the truly epic, 20-minute title track. Heck, and while I’m at it, the other two songs are pretty great too! Just six tracks spread across an hour definitely isn’t for everyone, but as a musician and a fan of this style, I absolutely loved it. And even if you aren’t, you at least have to appreciate the sheer talent on display here. Everyone is working their asses off throughout and is a true master of their craft. And, all five of them have come together to show that they are also incredible songwriters, to boot! If you are on the fence, they at least ease you in with a couple of shorter tracks, so it’s definitely worth giving it a try! An easy 7.5/10 from me, and while it’s not something I’d revisit particularly often, I’ll definitely be spinning it again.
Angelmaker: This Used to be Heaven
The fifth album from the Canadian tech-deathcore band goes hard, dude. Heck, the opening number is under two minutes and is heavier than a lot of their contemporaries I’ve heard recently. Honestly though, the band do deathcore in a fantastic way, really leaning into both ends of the genre plenty throughout. It’s hard to even compare them to other current titans in the scene like Lorna Shoreor Slaughter to Prevail, as they all do things fairly differently. However, I would argue that that’s probably a great reflection of a genre that has really made a comeback in recent years, diversifying in the process. It channels the epic power-death of Lorna at times, and even has hints of the nu stuff from Slaughter at times, but also much more closely follows a modern Whitechapel than anything… which is amazing! It’s a genre that I’ve really gotten into a lot the last year or two too, and this is a fantastic demonstration of everything I love from it. From ‘Rich in Anguish’ to ‘Silken Hands’ to the epic, two-part ‘The Omen’, there are so many highlights. And even though it’s 46-minutes long, it goes by in a flash. For anyone into the heavier side of metal, this is one for you! Another solid 8/10!
Annisokay: Abyss – The Final Chapter
This is an odd release. Taking a leaf out of Atreyu’s book, the band have combined their recent EP outputs into a full-length album. However, it feels a little less planned-out and far more rushed than the former did. Part I came out over two years ago, and then we had nothing until April of this year when we got Part II. Then, seven months later, this drops to very little fan-fair. And then on top of that, it’s only got three tracks on it that weren’t on the previous two EPs, and two of them were put out as singles in August and October. Hilariously the one new track, ‘Silent Anchor’ is one of the best songs on the album. It feels more like an exercise in boosting streaming numbers over the epic conclusion of a years long project full of thought and passion.
As for the music itself, the band have always had a bit of an identity crisis. Sometimes it works for them, other times it doesn’t. The sometimes sound like a modern metalcore band, sometimes more alt rock akin to Smash Into Pieces or even blending in elements of power metal and even Spiritbox at times. I completely get that European bands are a lot more of a melting pot, but it does sometimes make for a jarring listen here. Tracks like ‘Ultraviolent’, the aforementioned ‘Silent Anchor’, ‘Get Your Shit Together’ and the Any Given Day-featuring ‘H.A.T.E.’ are definitely highlights. The rest all kinda blurs into one, outside of a half-decent breakdown or vocal hook. Honestly, the EPs on their own were pretty good too, but when pushed together into a nearly hour-long release it really highlights their flaws more and shows off the predictability of the band. Something that started pretty good just ends up bland and bloated. So yeah, while it’s not bad, at a time where alt/metalcore is really getting some bangers released in it, this is largely forgettable. If you like band it’s worth a listen, but I’d just stick with their last or the EPs, personally. 5/10
Humming Whale: Chasing Rabbits
This is like a more hardcore version of Tool, and it’s fucking awesome! It’s prog in nature, but definitely in a heavier vein and with more umph behind it. Think Tool meets modern indie-hardcore like Turnstile. However, they add plenty of other styles and influences too, from alt/nu metal to post grunge to even some more symphonic/power metal leanings. It’s an incredibly interesting listen that I couldn’t not check out from front-to-back in one sitting. Every track is incredible, and the album has a fantastic flow to it throughout, them all feeling different while slotting together perfectly. However, tracks like the title one, ‘Waves’ and ‘Rover’ are personal favourites. I know the band have been going for a good while at this point, but even then this being their debut album is mad, it’s such high quality! What a statement this release is, showcasing that they are here in a massive way immediately. They certainly have won me over in a big way, and I cannot wait to hear where they go from here. However, until then, and while I wait to hopefully be able to see them live at some point in the future, I’ll be spinning this plenty. The band are insanely talented and honestly, surprisingly unique, not something I can say all too regularly any more. Check this out if you are at all curious! 9/10
Netherwalker: Odyssey of Respair
Damn, this is giving big Lorna vibes! Don’t get me wrong, it’s a bit more on the tech-death side, and there aren’t as many crushing breakdowns, but in terms of epic, huge, heavy symphonic deathcore, both bands are right there together at the forefront of the sound. Oh, and this is another phenomenal deathcore release in a week packed full of great heavy music. The sheer thought put into not only the cinematic nature but the mixing and panning of the thing is incredible, and definitely something for other bands to take notes from. And it is also almost laughable heavy, in the best way possible. I barely unscrunched my face for the full nearly-hour. If I’m a wrinkly old man by 30, it’s because of these guys right here. And, while every track is awesome and the flow throughout is exceptional, ‘An Opulent Pilgrimage…’ and ‘Frost Troll’ are personal highlights. It’s another release that won’t be for everyone, but if you like deathcore this is certainly a release to be checking out! The sheer talent on display from every member of the band is incredible, and it gets a solid 8.5/10 from us!
Another stacked week of New Music Mondays, with some awesome albums released across metal, rock and country. Let’s dive right in!
Cheap Trick: All Washed Up
The whopping 22nd album from the hard rock/power pop legends is exactly what you’d expect from the band, especially this late into their storied careers. It’s certainly not bad, and the band very much still have ‘it’. However, said it is rather outdated and overplayed in 2025. Don’t get me wrong, tracks like ‘All Wrong Long Gone’, the foot stomping ‘The Riff that Won’t Quit’, ‘Bad Blood’ and ‘Dancing with the band’ are all awesome tracks and very much classic Cheep Trick. But there are a lot of bands these days that give off a similar vibe but are a lot younger, hungrier and, dare I say, better. It’s absolutely incredible that 55 years into their careers they are still steadily releasing new music of a high calibre, but it hardly reinvents the wheel. As a fan of the band, it’s nice to have some new music from them, and there isn’t a bad track on it. But as a journalist who listens to hundreds of albums a year, it’s simply alright. If you like them it’s definitely worth checking out, but I can’t give it much more than a 7.5/10
Of Mice and Men: Another Miracle
I’m shocked. An actually good, heavy OM&M album? In 2025? Am I in a parallel universe? But yeah, this is GOOD, dude! ‘A Waltz’ is a fantastic opener and sets the tone for the album perfectly. ‘Troubled Water’ continues it amazingly, and tracks like ‘Hourglass’, ‘Another Miracle’ and ‘Infinite’ are big other highlights. It’s taken more of a post-hardcore turn to it than their recentoutputs, and almost has some slight Machine Head vibes in the riffs and the screams. Even the slower, more pop-metalcore tracks are good and enjoyable, which surprised me! It honestly feels like the most focused and concise album they’ve put out since Austin sadly stepped down, and I am honestly pretty buzzing about that. If you’re into their older stuff, or just a heavier end of metalcore in general, check this out, you’ll surely enjoy it as much as I did! I’m so glad good OM&M are back, and I will certainly be listening to this album again plenty over the next few weeks. A damn solid 8.5/10 from us!
The Devil Wears Prada: Flowers
Another long-running metalcore band, but sadly the inverse of the previous entry on this list. I loved their last album, and the EP that preceded it. However, this did very little for me. However, a lot of the praise I heaped on those releases don’t really apply here. They’ve shifted into very modern metalcore territory, feeling much more like BMTH or Bad Omens than a lot of their prior work. It’s pretty pop-centric, just with some heavy guitars and the odd breakdown thrown onto the end of the occasional track for good measure. It doesn’t feel like the same band wrote both ‘Nightfall’ and ‘For You’. Like, what the fuck happened? And why was there an extreme metal scream and breakdown in the ballad? Someone make it make sense, please. The closest to enjoying this album I got was ‘All Out’ or ‘My Paradise’ the rest were all so incredibly meh.
It was honestly a slog of an album to get through too, 42-minutes feeling like a lifetime. You can tell their guitarist was all but left out of the writing process for this release, replaced by various pop producers and songwriters. I hate to be that guy, but the term ‘selling out’ comes to mind… There have been times that I have loved this band, but this is certainly not one of them. If you’re a fan, awesome, but this was not at all for me. It’s a 4/10, sorry.
Honestly, I don’t know who I’m less excited to see support Ice Nine Kills next month at this point, these or TX2…
Ross Harding: The Blood & The Blues
A friend of Overtone up next, with his highly anticipated debut full-length. I’m a big fan of his previous work, yet am not particularly up on the recent singles from this. However, it’s all excellent; a fantastic dark-blues release, filled with some amazing guitar work and plenty of catchy moments. Plus, from the title track to ‘No Rest for the Wicked’ to the acoustic ‘Black Rose’, there are so many massive highlights. However, there really isn’t a bad track on the release (though Thousand Tongues twice, bookending, Limp Bizkit style, is a bit much)! It’s certainly not going to be for everyone, but if you’re into the style, or think a mixture of Amigo the Devil and Clutch sounds good, I’d highly recommend checking this out! I loved it and will certainly be listening again plenty in the coming weeks. I am desperate to see him live too, but until then this gets a very solid 8/10 from us!
Dragon Throne: Tale of the Two: Dusk
The sophomore album from the Finnish epic heavy metal band is very much exactly that: epic. Seven tracks spread perfectly across just 30 exact minutes, it’s a fantastic listen from start to finish. It’s incredibly European in its sound, blending together the best parts of heavy, symphonic and power metal, but also with just a touch of a modern edge to all of it to set it apart. Once again it’s so hard to pick highlights, as with the interlude tracks and the extended length of the others, it really feels like it’s made to be listened to in full. It’s a big undertaking, but well worth it if you have the time and are into the styles of music. The band are incredibly talented and have crafted something special with this release. I only hope we’re getting a ‘Dawn’ in the near future! But for now, this gets an easy 7.5/10
Colter Wall: Memories and Empties
Surprisingly the only straight-up country release for us this week, but it’s a damn fantastic classic release in the genre! I’ve somehow never heard Colter’s music before now, but I’m immediately a big fan of him from this release. It’s just over half-an-hour of chilled-out, fun and yet still emotion-filled neo-traditional country music, and I am all here for it! From the opener to ‘Like the Hills’, ‘Living by the Hour’ to ‘The Longer you Hold On’, there’s a lot to love on here. And, like I said, the whole thing is great if you love a more traditional style! His voice is somehow like velvet while still having some weight and gravity to it, and fits each track so well. And his lyrics throughout are amazing. And, instrumentally, while all fairly simple, the arragement for each track is great, getting the most out of each sound with plenty of strings, drums and organs. If you can’t tell, I loved this, and hopefully he makes it over to the UK soon! 8/10
Eld Varg: Destroyer
Another sophomore album this week, this time from a band that really feel like they are doing their own thing. I really struggled to pin this down into a genre, and I mean that in the best way. From a traditional heavy metal base, the band build everything from power/viking metal to more of a groove and melodic sound, creating something pretty interesting and unique and honestly shockingly not done enough. Regardless of what it is, the riffs are HUGE, and there’s some damn catchy melodic choruses and moments throughout. From the title track through single ‘Black Starlight’ to the epic closer, the album is packed full of highlights. However, at just seven tracks packed into a tight 41 minutes, there isn’t a bad song on it, and it goes by in a flash! I’d seen the name gaining some traction across the UK but hadn’t had the chance to check them out before now. Well, they now have a big new fan in me, and I really can’t get over how awesome this album is! Check it out if you are at all curious or have even a passing interest in metal. 9/10
P.S. What a beautiful album cover!
The Man From Delemonte: Better Things
The return album from the Manchester indie-pop band, their first appearance back in three and a half decades. While it’s not typcially my sort of music, it at least made for a chilled-out, fun listen. Songs like ‘Monday Morning After’, ‘The Number One’ and ‘Spanish Town’ are personal highlights, but the whole release is a damn easy listen! It gives off slight Velvet Underground vibes, like that mixed with both a late 90s US indie sound and that old-school indie-punk scene, too.
It definitely grew on me more and more through my first listen, and expect it to keep growing with a second and third. It’s the perfect album to throw on and just relax to. My only slight issue is that it does feel it drags a little by the end; nearly 40 minutes of similar paced and energied music did lose my interest slightly by the end. Still, if you’re into the lighter stuff, this is definitely an album for you, and I’m damn glad they’re back and making new music again! They’re damn talented players and songwriters, and this is an easy 7/10!
Mike Patton & The Avett Brothers: AVTT/PTTN
Yet another incredible yet hugely unexpected collaboration from the Faith No More frontman. The Avett Brothers are an incredible folk-rock band who returned with a bang last year, and I honestly had no idea how a collab with one of the quirkiest modern artists would sound. It’s odd, as expected, but honestly an ever so slight touch safe given the two artists involved. There’s some more rock-focused tracks and some more folky stuff, for sure. However, it’s arguably less out-there than the Brothers’ last album, not something I’d expect from them and the brain-child of Mr Bungle. Still, Patton gets to show off his absolutely PHENOMENAL vocals throughout, and tracks like ‘Heaven’s Breath’, ‘Disappearing’ and the incredible, dark folk-blues rock ‘The Ox Driver’s Song’ are all amazing tracks in their own right. It might have been my fault for getting my expectations a little high, as this is still a damn good release if you are into this style. I just hoped for more of the latter track I mentioned and less slightly-safe, slower folk. If you are at all curious check this out, and I’ll certainly be listening to some of this again plenty in the future. 8/10
1914: Viribus Unitis
The sixth studio album from the Ukranian blackened death metal band sees them return to the studio after four years, following up the masterful Where Fear and Weapons Meet. Firstly, as the first album the band have released since the start of the war for their country, fair play to them, this is excellent. I also love the whole concept/lay out of the release; each track highlighting a year of WWI and significant battles in it (1918 gets three). It’s a really cool, creative way of putting out music. Between these guys and Sabaton, they’ve really taken over Iron Maiden’s mantle as metals history teachers!
As for the music itself, it is certainly an acquired taste. It’s definitely a style that has grown on me a lot over the last few years, but is not for the faint of heart! A lot of it I found myself loving, though. Both ‘1915’ and ‘1916’ are phenomenal in their own right, and all three parts of ‘1918’ are an incredible journey in their own right. I’ve found myself saying this a lot this week, but it’s another album designed to throw on all at once; a big task for a nearly-hour long release, that’s for sure, but well worth it in the end! If you are into epic heavy stuff, give this one a spin, you may love it even more than I do! Big Rotting Christ vibes at times in the best way! Even if it’s not a genre I’d listen to often, I really enjoyed it, and it’s another easy 7.5/10.
Putrevore: Unending Rotting Cycle
As if you couldn’t tell already by the band or album name, or the artwork, this is a heavy one. It’s 31-minutes of brutality that doesn’t let up for a second, old-school death metal at its finest. A lot of early Cannibal Corpse vibes, that’s for sure. I’m a little on the fence with it, honestly. The riffing and drumming is incredible, it all going hard throughout. I don’t even hate the vocals, honestly. Yeah, they’re a touch ‘cookie monster’, but they fit the tracks perfectly and actually do some interesting things with the mix on them at times. However, the mix of the album overall is still a little off sometimes, as is the case with a lot of grind stuff. It’s a big wall of sound, so it’s hard to pick out individual parts to really hone in on at times, especially when it’s all at a brake-neck pace, too. The band are clearly all talented, but it’s hard for them to all shine when they all go at 100mph from the very first note to the last. I feel like it’s the sort of music I’d enjoy a lot more live, as I can appreciate it all a little more and really get into the energy. Still, it’s certainly not a bad release into the genre; it’s probably up there with one of my favourite I’ve reviewed of it recently. ‘Morbid Procession’ and ‘Mortal Ways of the Flesh’ are probably my favourite on there. If you’re into the heavy side of metal, give this a go, you’ll surely enjoy it! A pretty solid 6.5/10 from us.
The Reticent: Please
This is an absolutely WILD album. Firstly, as someone who has suffered from depression as a teen and young adult, that intro hit HARD. Then you get the almost Tool-like opening tracks, with ‘The Night River’ being a particular highlight of mine. However, just as I thought I was understanding the album, I get slapped in the face with the tech-death ‘The Bed of Wasps’ (in the best way possible, of course!). If there’s one thing this album isn’t, it’s predictable, being the best kind of prog. Heck, we even got a Piers Morgan jumpscare on this thing!
As you can’t tell, I loved this album. The concept is of course one close to home and isn’t talked about nearly enough still to this day, but pulled off in truely spectacular fashion. The lyrics, the soundbites, all of it is great. And musically, it’s phenomenal. The closest thing I can compare it to is Between the Buried and Me, that combination of lighter prog and heavy metalcore/death elements, composed together perfectly throughout. From the various vocal styles to the awesome guitaring, drumming and bass work to a healthy does of piano for good measure, it’s all fantastic. It’s also impossible to pick highlight tracks as it all flows together perfectly and they all have their own place and high points of their own. I would wholly recommend it if you are at all curious, and it’s made me a big new fan of the band! Be ready for an emotional ride, though. A surprisingly easy 9.5/10!
A stacked Halloween edition of New Music Mondays this week, and some awesome albums for us to check out!
Creeper: Sanguivore II: Mistress of Death
I have been SO DAMN EXCITED for this album to come out since it was announced. Part one is one of the best albums of the decade, fight me, and from what I’ve heardfrom this album so far it’s looking to be more of the same! I’m loving this modernised 80s gothic revival sound that is making a comeback recently with the likes of Ghost, but none do it quite like Creeper! Their blend of Billy Idol, Type O and a vague hint of their early MCR influence makes for a really interesting listen, especially when blended with their current horror/vampire storytelling and aesthetic.
All three singles so far have been incredible, with ‘Headstones’ being up there with one of the best tracks of the year. However, the album tracks are up there too, being fucking awesome! ‘Parasite’, the epic closer and the dark jazz-like, Hannah-led ‘Razor Wire’ are also awesome tracks! I have to say, initially, it’s not quite as good as its first part. However, that one grew on me with more listens, and there is no doubting this one will too. Either way, it’s a very solid companion release to their 2023 output, and the perfect release for its Halloween date.
The band have really captured lightening in a bottle with Sanguivore, and have really come into their own as players and songwriters. Even if you don’t think it’s your sort of thing, check it out, as it’s well worth at least one listen from everyone! It’s an awesome rock album, and gets a solid 9/10, with potential to get even higher with another few listens!
Avatar: Don’t Go in the Forest
Another band that of course we are very familiar with. From loving their last albumto also reacting to a track from this already, our hype for this is high. However, I have somehow only heard ‘In the Airwaves’ from it so far though, so I’m excited to hear the rest!
‘Tonight We Must Be Warriors’ is a phenomenal opener and song in its own right, being heavy and epic in equal measure. The title track is another awesome single. Songs like ‘Death and Glitz’, ‘Dead and Gone and Back Again’ and the closer are also amazing and big highlights, though there really isn’t a bad track on the album. No one out there sounds like Avatar, their have such a quirky blend of heavy, power and alt metal, and it always makes for an interesting listen. As much as I enjoyed Dance Devil Dance, I think this may be even better than it, being up there with Black Waltz or Hunter Gatherer for me. It had so many amazing, catchy moments, and doesn’t get at all boring in its 47-minute runtime. The band should be so much bigger than they are globally, and their output over the last decade plus has been something truly special, and something they keep adding to brick by fantastic brick. Another very easy 9/10 from me!
Greensky Bluegrass: XXV
The modern bluegrass legends’ first new studio album in over three years marks the longest gap between albums the band have ever had. They clearly used that time to refine their sound and writing, as this is an incredible release! Bluegrass music is so damn talented in terms of playing as is, so the instrumentation blew me away throughout. However, these guys are also incredible songwriters. From the opener to ‘Reverend’, ‘Past my Prime’ to the closer, there’s a whole lot to love here, from the playing to the lyrics. All of the guests added so much to the tracks too; from Holly Bowling to Nathaniel Rateliff to the incredible Billy Strings to others, they all killed it! My only issue is the length. 85-minutes is a lot anyway, and when it’s all fairly similar music and a lot of it is on the slower side, it can definitely get a lot! But still, if you like bluegrass music, this is very much a release to check out, and they are clearly doing something right as they are damn popular in the scene. An easy 7.5/10, good stuff!
Smash Into Pieces: ARMAHEAVEN
Album number nine from the Swedish pop-metal/alt-rock band comes just 12 years after their debut, an insane statistic that shows just how hard working the quartet are. However, that has not at all reduced the quality of their work. The band are all about huge, arena-filling choruses and a massive, guitar and synth-driven sound, and this album is very much more of that. We’ve already checked outsingle ‘Man or Machine’ and loved it, but songs like ‘Villain’, ‘Maze of Fools’, ‘Hurricane’ and the beautiful ballad ‘A Sky Full of Stars’ are up there too as massive highlights! It’s a rather large undertaking of 15-tracks, and I do have to admit that it did get a little samey after a while. However, each track is that good I’d struggle to cut any of them! If you’re into your more pop-based rock, this is definitely an album for you! I’ll certainly be listening to this again soon, and I can’t give it any less than 8/10!
Deez Nuts: Saudade
The Aussie hardcore titans are back with their first album in six years, their biggest gap between releases by quite a margin. The band have clearly used that time to refine their sound even more, because this is a really fantastic release! ‘ICU’ opens things perfectly, setting the stage for the rest of the album. Then you have tracks like singles ‘Kill This Shit’ and ‘Hang the Hangman’, as well as songs like ‘Russian Roulette’ and ‘Give ’em Hell’, all of which are massive other highlights! It’s 30 minutes of awesome, angry, foot-stompin’ music, and I love it! It feels like a year of hardcore’s return, with the likes of Biohazard, Stray From the Path and Turnstile all putting out massive releases, and this very much stands up there alongside those. I cannot recommend this enough to anyone at all into the metal side of music, and it’s certainly going to be one I spin plenty in the weeks and months to come! An incredibly easy 8.5/10, and GODDAMNdo I want to see this live!
Luvcat: Vicious Delicious
An artist I discovered just the other day from TikTok of all places as she advertised the release of this, her debut album, I’m so glad I did as I am instantly a fan! Described as dark-pop, it could not be more fitting; having elements of alt rock, folk and even smoky jazz bar vibes in the best way. From the excellent opener to ‘Dinner @ Brasserie Zédel’ to ‘Blushing’, there are plenty of highlights. And, despite it being nearly 50 minutes in length, it went by in a flash, there not being a bad track on the album. Sophie and her recent band are clearly all incredibly talented players and songwriters, and have crafted something truly unique and special here. She’s clearly build a pretty big following over the years anyway, and this album will surely boost her to a whole new audience. Luvcat are set for big things, and it’s an easy 8/10 from us!
Solence: ANGELS CALLING
This is definitely an interesting release for me! While I am definitely a fanof their music, I’m much more familiar with their more light-hearted singles output. So, to listen through their slightly more serious album release is definitely pretty fascinating. Don’t get me wrong, instrumentally they’re still pretty similar, the chunky riffing, heavy drums, electronic elements and catchy clean vocals mixed with some excellent screams. But it definitely has more of a darker, serious tone to it.
And, thankfully, it’s a style that the band do just as well as their sillier stuff! While the title track didn’t hook me much, ‘Monsters in my Head’ is an excellent song and huge highlight, and starts a run of form for much of the rest of the album! There isn’t a bad track on this and it’s the perfect blend of metalcore and more European electro-pop. A particular highlight is ‘All of the Pain Must Go’, a track I’ve been impatiently waiting to be released since they treated us to it at Graspop last year. Plus, it’s in and out in 27 minutes, short and sweet and straight to the point! The band are all incredibly talented and it’s no wonder they’ve risen to their level in such quick order. This is their fifth album in just six years, an insane feat, and even more insane when it’s of such high quality. They’re awesome, and if you’re into rock or metal at all, I cannot recommend this release enough! Another incredibly solid 8.5/10!
Guided by Voices: Thick Rich and Delicious
I’ve lost track of how many of the indie rockers’ albums I’ve reviewed recently. I think this is number four, with me just missing Strut of Kings recently. I hate to say it, but it’s just even more of the same from the band. I’m not at all knocking their work ethic, but they’ve put out 40+ studio albums in their 38 years releasing music. Maybe if they took a little more time writing and producing, they’d make more interesting music… just saying. This isn’t even the worst album I’ve listened to from them, either. Tracks like ‘Oxford Talawanda’ and the one-two-punch of ‘Dance of the Picnic Ants’ into ‘Xeno Urban’ are good, fun listens. However, it’s all pretty slow-mid tempo, done-before, old-school indie rock. It will surely have its fans, but I am not one. The band are all clearly very talented, I just wish they’d push the boat out and get creative every so often. For that, I can’t give it any less than 3.5/10. I struggled to listen to it in full.
Despised Icon: Shadow Work
The Canadian deathcore outfit return with album seven, six years after their last studio offering. To say it goes hard would honestly be an understatement. This thing is HEAVY and brutal for its full 36 minute runtime, and it’s fucking excellent! Whether it’s their sole tracks like the opener or ‘Obsessive Compulsive Disaster’ or ‘Over my Dead Body’ and ‘Reaper’ featuring Matt Honeycutt, Tom Barber and Scott Ian Lewis respectively, they are all so damn good. From the crushing guitars to the incredible drums to some of the most aggressive screams I’ve heard in a while, it’s all performed perfectly. It certainly won’t be for everyone, but at a time of resurgence in the deathcore genre, it’s awesome that one of the godfathers of the genre returned to show they are very much still at the front of the pack. I’ll be spinning this plenty through the rest of the year, and am already desperate to hear all of it live! Yet another damn solid 8.5/10 from us!
Slug Boys: LISTEN TO SLUG BOYS.
Well, you heard them! The debut album from the Norwegian punkers finally dropped last Friday to plenty of hype, and it’s easy to hear why. This is a damn fun listen from start to finish! It’s heavy, bordering on hardcore at times, and had me constantly wanting to headbang and dance. Think Misfits meets Decedents, but a touch heavier! It’s also incredibly hard to pick highlight tracks, as I found myself liking every single one! It’s a perfectly concise 30 minutes of bouncy indie-punk-metal, and the band very much have a new fan in me! There isn’t even much else I can say, if you’re into any of the genres I’ve mentioned already I can’t recommend this release enough! The band have a bright future internationally, and this album is the perfect jumping off point for that. It’s rare I’m this into this particular flavour of music, but it’s packed full of earworms that are going to be stuck in my head for days to come. An easy 9/10!
Laura Cox: Trouble Coming
The fourth album from the modern guitar goddess has been set to be her biggest yet, and certainly doesn’t disappoint. The perfect blend of blues, hard and classic rock, her immense talent as a player and songwriter is on display right from the get go. ‘No Need to Try Harder’ is an excellent opener and a big highlight, alongside the likes of the title track, the folky ‘Out of the Blue’ and ‘Rise Together’. From the riffs to the lyrics throughout, it’s all so well written, and certainly feels like a step up from her previous work. It’s incredibly varied and makes for a constantly interesting listen throughout, always something that I hugely appreciate. If you like any of the genres mentioned above, check this out as soon as you can, it’s definitely worth a listen! Hopefully I can see it live soon, and I already just want to hear more. Until then though, this gets a very easy 8/10!
Sarayasign: Shadows of the Dying Light
Cinematic hard rock is the perfect way to describe this awesome quartet. Three albums in and the band very much feel like they have hit their stride, producing this awesome hour + journey of modern rock music. There are so many bands I feel like I can compare it to, from Alter Bridge to Daughtry, Foreigner to Bon Jovi to even lesser known bands like Painside. I was very much hooked from the very first track, too. And, to my shock, I was hooked for the next 67 minutes. My attention span isn’t great, so normally long albums are a bit of a struggle at times. However, these guys are so damn talented at crafting their music that I just got lost in the epicness. From the riffs to the melody, it was all incredible. It’s AOR in the best possible way, and how it was designed to be. And, because of all of this, I once again can’t pick a highlight track; it’s all so good and flows perfectly! Do yourself a favour and find an hour to sit down and listen to this through, and thank me later! Hopefully this is the album to finally push them into the mainstream a bit, as they very much deserve it! I can’t give it any less than 9.5/10!
Another stacked week new albums for us to check out, from metal to country! Let’s dive right in!
Brandi Carlisle: Returning to Myself
The folk-Americana singer-songwriter seems to be on a bit of a resurgence recently, returning with her first new album in four years (aside the Elton collab). However, I’m glad she’s back, as this is an awesome release! There’s just something about Brandie, her lyrics and vocals are captivating, weather it’s slower, stripped-back vocals and guitar or the more rocky stuff that it builds to. It’s impossible not to love! The release is packed full of highlights, too, from single ‘Human’ to the gospel, Cam-like ‘A Woman Oversees to the rocky ‘Church & State’ and ‘No One Knows Us’. It’s a real early 2000s sound, but still feels fresh and fitting in 2025, especially with the emotion that Brandie puts into every single track. It does get a touch samey at times, don’t get me wrong, but if you are into her or the style of music, you will surely love this even more than I do! Her and her band are so insanely talented, and it’s impossible to get this any less than an 8/10!
Soulfly: Chama
The first new album from Max and co in three years, and it almost feels like they have something to prove with this release. This thing goes hard for just over half an hour, really taking no prisoners! His last couple of years reuniting Nailbomb has clearly renewed his heaviness, because this is wonderful, chaotic brutality. It also makes it very hard to pick highlight tracks, as it’s all pretty awesome, similar industrial/nu/groove metal, and doesn’t at all overstay it’s welcome. If you are into the band, any of Cavaleras other projects or just a more world-style of metal music in general, this is definitely one to check out! I’m just glad Soulfly, and by extension the Cavalera brothers, are still making awesome music after everything that’s gone on. The fact that it’s this good is really a bonus! A very easy 8/10 from us!
Alexandra Kay: Second Wind
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read our full review of it here.
The Acacia Strain: You Are Safe from God Here
Their first new music since 2023’s double album, the metalcore quintet are another band that go hard from the very first note to the last. I do like this old-school approach of metalcore that focuses on much more of the actual metal as opposed to more pop elements, like a good few modern bands have turned to. It also very much leans into the hardcore heavily at times, it making me want to throw people around pit in the best way. This is just brutal riffing and screams throughout, almost boarding on deathcore for a lot of it. Tracks like ‘A CALL BEYOND’, ‘MOURNING STAR’ and ‘HOLY MOONLIGHT’ are all personal highlights, though there really isn’t a bad song throughout! I’ve sadly never gotten round to checking them out too much in the past but I’m a rather big fan immediately after this release! I cannot recommend it enough to anyone into the heavier side of metal, and it gets a very solid 9/10
Just Mustard: WE WERE JUST HERE
The third album from the Irish alt/experimental rock band is… well… it certainly exists. This very much isn’t my thing, and while I don’t really get how they got 200k+ monthly listeners, at least plenty of people do ‘get’ and enjoy it! It’s 40-minutes of samey, droning art rock, and was very much a slog for me to get through. The band members are clearly talented individuals, but their songwriting did absolutely nothing for me. The best of the bunch was probably ‘SILVER’. If this is your sort of thing that’s awesome, but I definitely won’t be revisiting it again. I sadly can’t give it any more than 3.5/10
Sumo Cyco: NEON VOID
A band we here at Overtone are very familiar with up next! Not only did we review their last album, but we’ve also reacted to four of these tracks already! So, to say my hype for this album is high would be an understatement!
Well, safe to say it lives up to the hype! Of course the singles are great, but the album tracks we haven’t yet heard are also excellent! ‘FLIES’, ‘VOICES’ and the closer are up there with any other track on the album, and probably up there with some of the bands best! As much as I enjoyed that album, this feels a bit more focused and refined, everything sounding awesome and fitting together perfectly. It is a little similar throughout, but ‘STRONGER NOW’ also does a good job at breaking things up in the middle. Skye’s vocals throughout are perfect and, despite me wishing for maybe another scream or two, they fit the awesome nu-metal riffing amazingly. It’s honestly insane that the band aren’t a massive name in the industry by now, but after a seemingly complicated release through COVID, they seem back and more motivated than ever! This is an awesome album, one I’ll revisit a lot, and an easy 8.5/10!
Conjurer: Unself
Album number four from the British post metal band has a LOT of hype to live up to after their stellar 2022 output. However, I would put this about on par with Páthos, honestly! It’s just as dark and heavy and epic, and the contrast between the lighter and crushingly heavy moments are incredible. It goes from black metal to djent to death all with ease, and is an album that really begs to be listened to in full instead of individual tracks. Having said that, both ‘All Apart’ and the epic ‘Foreclosure’ are both personal highlight tracks, though the whole album is great! It’s certainly not going to be for everyone, but if you like a more epic sounding heaviness, this is certainly one that you need to check out immediately! It’s great to see the band slowly getting more and more praise and hype around them, and this is certainly an album I’ll be revisiting again soon. 8.5/10
Shiraz Lane: In Vertigo
Another band we are very familiar with, and another release that feels like it has been a long time coming and has finally arrived! The Finish heavy glam/AORers’ fourth studio album is fantastic from start to finish, giving off big early Santa Cruz vibes, which is never a bad thing. It boarders on metal perfectly, but still has plenty of soaring melody, designed to be played to huge arena crowds. It almost gives an air of Coheed and Cambria, which is really awesome! However, it still has plenty of Reckless Love, Bon Jovi and H.E.A.T to keep it firmly rooted in its genre. It’s another release packed full of awesome tracks, but between the two opening tracks, ‘Babylon’, ‘Sayonara Love’ and ‘Bullshit’ there are plenty of huge highlights for me personally! The band have always been talented songwriters and musicians, but this feels like somehow even a step up from their stellar last release. If you are at all into rock, this is an absolute must for you. The whole album is so easy to listen to, and goes by in a flash. An incredibly easy 9.5/10 from me, an album I’m going to be revisiting a lot!
Dayseeker: Creature in the Black Night
When I complained earlier about metalcore bands focusing heavily on pop, these were one of the main ones I had in mind. I passed on their last album to Max as he’s a fan, but instead you can suffer my review of this sixth album from them. It’s fine. But it is essentially pop-rock music with the very occasional metal sprinkled over the top. And it’s a shame too, as when they go heavy it’s great. Rory has a great scream to him, and while the riffing is pretty generic, it’s at least good. But the rest of it between, and it’s most of it, is such boring, slow, synth-pop that it makes it more than a slog to get to anything good. It’s baby’s first metal band, the new gateway band, and it’s probably the reason they have 2.5M monthly listeners. Much like with Just Mustard, if you like it, awesome. However, this honestly bored the fuck out of me. The only real saving grace was ‘Cemetery Blues’, and even that’s a bit of a stretch. 3/10, sorry not sorry.
Galactic Empire: Cinemetal
The Star Wars-themed metal band are back with album number four; producing another epic, heavy 43-minutes of cinematic metal. However, this time they have branched away from the solely Star Wars theme, this time including plenty of massive, blockbuster hits metal-fied by the masters. While not technically original music so I wouldn’t normally cover it here, it’s so damn impressive from not only a playing standpoint, but from a composition one, that there is no way I’m not highlighting it. Plus, it’s a fucking awesome release with some of my favourite movie themes transposed into my favourite genre, so how can I not gush over it? Of course, it’s some of the greatest non-Star Wars scores ever produced, so they are all incredible, but a special shoutout to ‘Avengers’, ‘Back to the Future’ and ‘Lord of the Rings’, which I feel transposed the best. The band are all insanely talented individuals, and I’d recommend absolutely anyone checking this out, as you’re bound to have listened to at least one of the tracks before now! It’s awesome, and gets a solid 8.5/10 from us (high for instrumental and/or covers!). Now I NEED Jurassic Park!
Brainwave: Ill Intent
This is every thrash/death-heads dream album. A 28-minute all-out assault of heavy, fast, evil riffs, some of the best drumming in the game and some truly awesome screamed vocals to back it all up. I’d never heard of the band before but DAMN, I’m so glad I managed to dive in here with their debut album. Every time I thought I’d heard it all, they just slapped me in the face with another fantastic riff or moment, keeping me constantly interested and almost constantly headbanging. Tracks like ‘The Truth’, ‘Another Foe’ and the title one are massive personal highlights. Then you have the almost more hardcore/crossover ‘Sad Man’s Parade’ due to a fantastic feature from Martial Law. There really isn’t a bad song on the album though, with each being just as good as the last. I feel like I haven’t had a huge amount of straight-forward thrashy albums this year, so this of this high quality is a huge, awesome breath of fresh air. If you are at all into the heavier side of metal, this is very much a must for you! A very easy 9/10 from us!
Mammoth: The End
Album number three from Master Van Halen is honestly a banger! It’s no secretthat I’ve never quite got his solo stuff so far, but this album very much feels like a step out of whatever shadow he was still under, feeling like he’s finally comfortable with his own sound and writing. It feels a little darker and heavier than his previous stuff, more like Alter Bridge as opposed to the hard rock of his previous two releases. I was hooked in front the opener, and tracks like ‘Same Old Song’, ‘I Really Wanna’ and ‘Something New’ kept me fully on the line! His talented as a player or really songwriter has never been in question, but this rougher sound is definitely more up my street, and I finally ‘get’ it. If you are into his previous stuff, please let me know if you like this too, I’m genuinely curious if I’m just the weird one. But yep, another album I’ll be spinning a lot in the coming weeks and months, and a very solid 8.5/10 from us!
Jet Jaguar: Severance
The second album from the Mexican classic metal four-piece is a long awaited, yet excellent, follow up to their 2020 debut. It almost boarders on power metal in its level of epicness, and clearly draws inspiration from everything from Maiden to Priest to Helloween. The band also go hard from start to finish on this album, ripping through eight tracks (and two bonus ones) in heavy, grandiose fashion, it going by in a flash. Tracks like single ‘Mach 10’, the title one and ‘Disposable Minds’ are all personal highlights. However, there really isn’t a bad song on here, with even the bonus tracks being awesome! It’s a sound that has come back in a big way in recent years, and Jaguar are up there as doing it as good as almost any other! A very solid 8/10 from us, and they have a new fan in me!
Vanguardian: III: Inhumanity
I had no idea about the band heading into this, but from their name, font and artwork, I expected a folky black metal thing. I wasn’t expecting this crazy mix of Burning Red-era Machine Head and Cradle of Filth, with a prog dash added in for good measure, at all! I have to admit it took a slight bit of growing, but the more I listened the more I enjoyed it. I think the biggest hurdle for me was the mix; it’s a little abrasive when I think a bigger, fuller sound would have enhanced the album even more. However, some of the riffing and drumming is phenomenal, as is the bass, and some of the screams are perfectly timed for the track, sounding awesome! Tracks line ‘Peripherals’, ‘Dead Space’ and ‘Electric Sorrow’ are personal favourite, but there isn’t really a bad song on it. It’s an interesting listen for sure, and one that I’d certainly recommend checking out if you’re interested. I enjoyed it and do think it’ll grow on me more with another listen or two. For a debut album it’s great and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on them going forward, that’s for sure! 7.5/10
Another awesome week packed full of some awesome albums, from metal to rock to country. Let’s check them out!
All Time Low: Everyone’s Talking!
A singular single from this album convinced me and my wife to get tickets to their tour next year. Just to put into perspective the quality I’m expecting here…
The 10th studio album from the Maryland modern pop-punk legends lives up to my hype, that’s for sure! The band have matured like a fine wine; gradually evolving from their more rougher, punkier beginnings to this uber-polished, perfectly mixed arena-rock-infused awesomeness. It very much feels like the band have added elements of everything from Bryan Adams, Owl City and even Kip Moore and more pop-rock artists to their core sound, and it makes for an incredible listen. I remember loving their last release, but this very much takes everything that was great about it and refines/perfects it.
‘SUCKERPUNCH’ is of course already one of my favourite tracks by the band now, but it is far from the only highlight. From singles like ‘The Weather’ to tracks like ‘Falling for Strangers’, the heavier punk ‘Little Bit’ and the Ruston Kelly-featuring ‘Tread Water’, there is so much to love. However, there really isn’t a bad track on the album, all 15 songs being awesome and the 40+ minutes going by in a flash. They were a band I never minded as a kid but never quite got into much, but these last couple of albums have made me fully in on the band. If you are at all a fan of them, or of a more punk-pop sound, I would highly recommend checking this out as soon as you can. I’ll certainly be spinning it a fair bit in the coming months, that’s for sure! 9/10
Chris Young: I Didn’t Come Here to Leave
No pressure here, but this album has a LOT to live up to. I LOVEDhis last album last year, and the fact that he’s followed up on it barely a year later is definitely a bold move. Thankfully, Chris’ 10th album is yet another banger of a release from the country star! He has an incredible songwriting ability (I assume alongside others), be it country ballads or more southern rock-style boot-stompers. And honestly he has one of the best studio vocals in the whole genre currently. Don’t get me wrong, it’s another pretty long country release (thankfully not to Wallen levels), but there is so much awesomeness that the 14 tracks still go by in a flash! From the opener to ‘I Feel a Cold One Coming On’, ‘Pour Some Whiskey on it’ to single ‘Boots on the Ground’ to beautiful, bittersweet ballad ‘Just Keep Living’, there is so much to love. I have to say it’s not quite as good as Young Love & Saturday Nights, but it’s a damn solid followup and as I said, with barely a years turnaround between the two it’s an incredibly impressive release. Country has had one hell of a year again, and this is certainly going to be up there with one of my favourite releases in the genre in that time. And heck, it still feels like it’s growing on me with more listens! But for now, it gets a damn solid 8.5/10
The Last Dinner Party: From the Pyre
I have made no secret over the last year or two about not ‘getting’ this band. Though people throw around the term ‘industry plant’ maybe a little too easily these days, it definitely reeks of ‘throwing enough family money at it until it takes off’. You know, the GVF/Taylor Swift approach. We missed their debut album last year just before they exploded, but I remember checking it out due to the massive hype on socials and wasn’t too into it. Hopefully this sophomore release changes my mind…
It didn’t. This is music for early 20s, rich white girls that want to be hippies. It gives ‘music to listen to while spending daddy’s money on Vinted’ vibes. Don’t get me wrong, if that’s your thing, great, but it isn’t mine, sadly. And it is sadly too, because I did actively want to like this album. The Midsomer-like theming is an interesting concept, but never feels fully realised. There are flashes of its potential brilliance, especially in the one-two-punch of ‘Rifle’ and ‘Woman is a Tree’. However, then the pop edge comes in and reigns it all back in. And, honestly, because of that, this is a damn boring album. It feels a lot longer than 42 minutes, the album dragging and being a real struggle to get through in one sitting.
I know that some will probably be pissed at this review, but it’s just my opinion; there will be plenty who love this and I’m so glad they will get something out of it that I don’t. I know I am very much not the target audience, but at least I tried, right? Heck, at least the women are talented players and vocalists; I just find them painfully dull songwriters. And for that, it gets a 3/10 from me.
Sabaton: Legends
Fuck yeah, this is more like it! We’re big power metal fans here at Overtone and of course there are few modern bands doing it better than Sabaton. I loved their last album, but I really feel like this may be even better! ‘Templars’ opens the album perfectly, while tracks like ‘Crossing the Rubicon’, ‘Maid of Steel’ and ‘The Cycle of Songs’ are also big highlights for me. Of course, I have the same issue with this as I have with a fair few power metal albums in that it does all sound pretty samey. It’s 45 minutes of pretty similarly paced and sounding music, and even if it’s all great, it does get a touch old by the end. Still, if you are a power metal fan, of course you’re gonna love this! It’s a damn solid album from some of the best songwriters in the genre, even if they do stick to their standard formula a little too safely. The new metal history teachers show here why they are still one of the best around, and it’s an easy 8.5/10 from us!
Broadie Christ: Big feelings
The sophomore album from the Toronto singer-songwriter is a damn chilled-out, easy listen. Though described as indie rock, I’d argue there’s a lot more to this than that! It’s as much alt and soft rock, as well as just a genuinely quirkier edge. The easiest way I can find to describe it is a combination of Pinegrove and early Randy Newman, and I mean that as the uttermost of compliments! The more I listened, the more I fell in love with the album. The opener didn’t hook me, but ‘IDWTBfriends’ is great, and by the time I reached ‘Pretty City’, ‘Sea Legs’ and ‘Now I Can’t Dance’ I was hooked. As I said, it’s a very easy listen, and 40-minutes went by in a flash. He’s a fantastic lyricist and storyteller, and the instrumentation written around it fits the tone perfectly, as well as being a lot of fun. It’s the perfect album to sit back and relax to, but also really dive in deep to if you get the chance. I’d highly recommend checking it out if you are at all curious, and it gets an incredibly solid 8/10 from me!
Preacher Stone: By the Horns
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read our full review of it here.
Tol Morwen: At the Gates of Valhalla
I love folky power metal, and this sophomore release is no exception! However, this does generally feel a little more technical than a lot of their contemporaries, some of the riffing and drumming being incredible. However, it still has the same level of epicness. It’s also heavy, having elements of black/death/extreme metal, especially with the screams. The atmosphere created throughout is phenomenal though, and instantly had me captivated. ‘Fate of the Gods’ is a more atmospheric black metal track, while ‘Ragnar’ is a straight up Amon Amarth style viking death metal song. Both are massive early highlights, while songs like epic single ‘The Shieldmaiden’ and ‘Rise of the Ancient Gods’ are also excellent. However, there really a bad track on this! It’s not for everyone, and at over an hour spread across just 10 tracks, it’s a big undertaking. However, I loved it, and if you are into the heavier, more grandiose side of metal, I would definitely recommend you check this out immediately! The band are so incredibly talented, and it’s yet another easy 8.5/10!
Biohazard: Divided We Fall
The hardcore punk legends returned with their first new album in 13 years this last Friday. Yeah, it’s a big deal. Especially when they returned at arguably the perfect time, given the state of the world, and clearly have plenty to talk about! Oh, and the album also slaps from start to finish! It’s angry, aggressive, slamming hardcore for a full nearly 40 minutes, and I love it. It just makes me want to throw people around in a pit and dance around through the whole thing. The riffing, the drums, the vocals, the lyrics, even the soloing, all of it is perfection for the genre, and I honestly can’t get enough. It’s so hard to pick highlights too, as each track is as good as the other. Most of it ended up on my personal playlist! It’s the perfect combination of Bodycount, Hed(PE) and Pro-Pain, so if you are into any of those bands, or just hardcore in general, I cannot recommend this album enough! Heck, even if you aren’t, check this out immediately, you might find one of your new favourite albums. I can’t give this any less than 9.5/10, and I’ll definitely be rocking this a lot in the coming months!
Of Monsters and Men: All is Love and Pain in the Mouse Parade
13 years after the Icelandic folk-rocky quintet’s massive breakout debut, they are back with their fourth studio album, and first of the post-pandemic era. Honestly, outside of their big hits I haven’t listened to much. In the nicest way possible, I can kinda see why. This is a boring release, dude. Much like with Last Dinner Party, this will most likely have plenty of fans, but I sadly found myself losing interest fairly quickly and often when listening to this from front to back. Don’t get me wrong, tracks like ‘The Actor’ and ‘Styrofoam Cathedral’ are good in isolation, but in the context of the album it dragged sooooo much. Please don’t kill me, OM&M fans (I also don’t like the other OM&M much, sorry), but yeah, I can’t give this much more than 4.5/10. They’re all talented players, but it really isn’t my thing.
Daedric: As the Light Left
The sophomore release from Kristyn Hope is yet another modern-alt metal/metalcore masterclass. We absolutely loved her last albumback a couple of years ago, but honestly she may have gotten even better in the time since! ‘The Other Terror’ opens things up perfectly heavily, while ‘Sand Tiger’ shows off a bit more of her more alt side (though still has some great screams). The rest of the album continues to skirt that line perfectly, too. Heck, ‘Dark Legacy’ gives big Skynd vibes in the best ways. It’s hard to pick highlights, but ‘Night Mother’ and ‘Dreamweaver’ are tracks that I have already revisited multiple times over the weekend. Honestly, this is everything I wished Spiritbox was, and it’s insane to me that Kristyn isn’t on the same level as them at this point. I’mma throw it out there, this is better than Tsunami Sea, @ me. I cannot recommend this enough to anyone into more of a modern metal sound, and I’m honestly shocked she managed to top her explosive debut! She’s an utterly fantastic vocalist, both cleans and screams, and her songwriting has really gone to yet another level with this album. It’s one of the easiest 9/10s I’ve ever given!
William Prince: Further From the Country
Album number five for the Canadian folk/country singer-songwriter is a damn fun listen. I love that he very much does his own thing and has his own sound, not following the current trends in the genre. It makes it stand out a lot from his contemporaries, and is a fantastic, more folk-based sound in its own right! From the writing to the arrangement to the mix, it all almost has an epic air to it. From the opener to ‘Flowers on the Dash’ to the beautifully dark-folk ‘Thousand Miles of Chain’ to the awesome closer, the whole thing is packed full of amazing songs! And, at under 40 minutes, it makes for an incredibly easy listen! It’s definitely one to throw on and relax to. William is a criminally underrated vocalist and songwriter in the genre, and he has an instant new fan in me from this! I’m definitely going to have to go back and check out his previous work, but for now this gets an incredibly solid 8.5/10
Shadows of a Silhouette: For Those That Know
Time for some indie now, as the local boys and good friends of oursput out their highly anticipated debut album this last week! What an album it is, too! It’s definitely on the heavier side of the genre, with the riffs taking center stage in a big way throughout. It gives off big QOTSA or early Royal Blood or early Black Keys vibes in the best ways. It’s also packed full of highlights, too. Between the opener, ‘No Matter Where I Go’, ‘Mona Lisa’ and ‘Hostages’, there are plenty of highlights, but there really isn’t a bad track on the release! The band are incredibly talented and it’s easy to see why they are gaining so much momentum already. The genre isn’t typically my sort of thing but I really loved this from start to finish, and would recommend it to anyone even slightly curious! It’s been a while since I’ve seen them live so must do that again, as I have a feeling all of this would sound incredible in a live setting. But, for now, I shall happily settle for having the album, and it gets a very solid 8.5/10!
Wretched: Decay
The first album from the melodic deathcore quintet in over a decade feels like it has something to prove, and they more than do this with this release! This is over an hour of brutality, technical riffs, great screams and some HEAVY breakdowns. It’s another album that’s almost impossible to pick highlights from, as it’s all so good, as well as all being a similar style, sound and aggression. However, ‘The Crimson Sky’ probably has the most of a bit of everything this album has to offer! If you are into the heavier end of metal, this is definitely one for you. It has everything from Machine Head to In Flames to The Zenith Passage in here, and it’s awesome. It’s not for the faint of heart as, like I said, it’s 65 minutes in length, but it’s well worth a listen through in full if you’re interested! I’m so damn glad this band is back to studio work, and they have put out honestly one their best releases to date after all this time off. A very solid 9/10 from us!
