We had the pleasure of chatting to Elvis of the amazing Stone Sea the other day, talking about their newest album, the Irish music scene and their plans moving forward. Check it out below!
How would you describe your sound?
Groovy stoner blended with grunge grit and a hint of world music.
What caused the relocation from Brazil to Ireland back in the early days of the band?
It was a personal decision. Initially, I was only going to stay in Ireland for a year on an exchange program to learn English properly and experience new cultures. But I ended up loving it too much and stayed for ten years. I did miss the sun, though — so I eventually moved to Spain (laughs).
How would you compare the scene in Ireland compared to back home?
Brazil is huge — you could probably fit Ireland inside the state of São Paulo. For being so big, filled with people and rich in cultural diversity, I feel the rock scene is quite scattered. Venues are often far from each other, especially considering there are only so many that welcome original music. That makes it hard to organise and to really feel like there’s a cohesive scene. Ireland, on the other hand, is small, and venues are much closer together. That makes it easier to organise shows and for bands to know each other. I think it was much easier to get yourself seen there compared to Brazil.
You’re finally back with a sophomore album at the start of the year. What’s it like having a decade between LPs? How would you compare your debut to Ad Astra?
The difference is quite considerable! Origins was way rawer composition-wise. I think the experience of diving deeper into other cultures, being curious about harmony theory, and being open-minded about adding and experimenting with other elements made the songs more mature. I think the first songs were way more to the point, whereas now I like to really taste all the nuances of a feeling or a mental state, and you can clearly notice that in Ad Astra.
What is the writing process like for the band?
It usually starts with a musical idea — a riff that comes to mind and starts to develop by itself. I record these ideas on my phone, then at some stage I develop them further by adding additional sections or vocal melodies, for example.
Then, when I have the song done — or at least a chunk of it — I bring it to rehearsal and they help me shape it further by developing other sections or adding their flavour and influences on their instruments. The end result is always something that everybody’s happy with, unless I’m very stubborn about something specific (laughs).
Is there a certain story or theme running though Ad Astra? Or is it more individual stories?
They came about more as individual stories. Some songs date back to 2017, when the first ideas appeared — like Ad Astra itself. A few took a long time to fully develop, and they reflect different aches I dealt with over the years. Ad Astra is quite stoic in the sense that it observes these struggles from a more distant perspective, which is why I chose it as the album title. Also, because in a way we’re sending these experiences out into the universe.
Do you have a favourite track from Ad Astra, and why?
Pff… I don’t know. They’re all my babies — I can’t say I love one more than the others. But I can say that ‘Stain’ came out very punchy in the studio because Connor and I were very in sync. Musically, ‘Age of Tears’ is heavy as hell and super fun to play. I love how the production of ‘Alien’ turned out — it feels great to listen to. The solo in ‘Left to Be’ is probably one of my favourites I’ve written so far, and the lyrics of ‘Ad Astra’ are the ones I like the most.
The only one that doesn’t stand out as much to me personally is ‘Time to Change’. Don’t get me wrong — I love playing it live. But weirdly enough, it’s the one getting more and more streams. I guess because it’s more easily digestible, whereas I tend to prefer the more complex ones.
Busy rest of the year planned?
We’re currently in a writing phase. We already have seven new songs that we plan to record at some point this year. There are also some international shows being discussed, but we can’t confirm anything yet.
Do you have a dream tour lineup you’d want to be a part of? Anyone you’d want to support or friends you’d want to bring along?
I’d love to tour with Down — that’ll probably be my dream tour at the moment. Although that can change every time I think of it (laughs).
If you could have written one song from history, what would it be?
‘Wolf Moon’ from Type O Negative. I think Peter Steele was a genius to talk about the menstrual cycle in such a poetic way (honestly!)
The first big week of New Music Mondays of the year, join us as we check out some of the awesomest album and EP releases in rock, metal and country!
Alter Bridge: Self-Titled
Following a return to form with 2022’s Pawns & Kings, the band very much continue in that same vein with album number eight. I’ve seen a lot of love from other outlets for this, and while it took a little getting going for me, after a couple of listens I can see why! The first couple of tracks, while perfectly good, didn’t hook me in much. However, the one-two punch of ‘Power Down’ and ‘Trust in Me’ were excellent, and harkened back to the bands early couple of albums in the best ways. From then on out, I was hooked! From Tremoni once again being a riff machine to Myles’ effortlessly incredible vocals to both rhythm guys working their asses off, it’s classic AB at its finest. Songs like the now-obligatory Tremonti one, ‘Tested and Able’, beautiful ballad ‘Hang By a Thread’ and single ‘Playing Aces’ are all massive other highlights. However, after a couple of listens there really isn’t a bad track on the album; it’s an hour of excellent hard rock music that only Alter Bridge can do!
While I don’t think it has the strongest individual tracks from their careers, as an album as a whole it’s incredibly solid, and one I will definitely be revisiting time and time again. Plus, I do think the singles will grow on me even more if/when I see them live. If you are a fan of the band or hard rock in general, this is an absolute must. 9/10
Zach Bryan: With Heaven on Top
Firstly, kudos to Bryan for still releasing ‘Bad News’ after the backlash from half of his fanbase and everything that’s gone on over the last week. The cajones it must have taken is commendable, and it’s stuff that definitely needs to be talked about still!
As for the album itself, I think it’s impossible for me not to love Zach’s music. This was on my most anticipated albums of the yearlist for a reason, and it certainly lives up to a lot of that hype. There are some absolutely fantastic songs on this release. ‘Appetite’, ‘Say Why’, ‘Dry Deserts’, and ‘Always Willin’’ are up there with any of his best tracks, in this writers humble opinion. They are by far the only good tracks here, too. His lyrics are incredible; he’s one of the best storytellers in the game today. The emotion he conveys in his work is truly incredible. And the addition of the strings and brass add so much to the sound, making everything so epic and impactful and somehow adding even more to the emotion.
However, this is a LONG album. The guy never leans and, though this isn’t still as egregious as American Heartbreak, being his second longest album at 78 minutes is still insane. And, there is definitely some slower stuff in here that sounds more like filler. The last four songs are average, and some of the stuff after ‘Bad News’ didn’t do much for me, either. There is an absolutely perfect Country-Americana album in here, just like his last three, but it is bloated and needs some of the fat trimming.
It is unmistakably a fantastic album, don’t get me wrong. While stick not quite as good as his self-titled effort, it’s every bit as great as Great American Bar Scene. There’s a reason he is one of the biggest artists in the world, and his work really does speak for itself over and over again. I just wish he’d let go of a couple of songs so we got a more concise release. So, though I do have critiques on this album, I will still be spinning a lot of it for the rest of the year, and would recommend it to anyone even slightly interested. I can’t give it any less than an incredibly solid 9.5/10
OCT: On Company Time
It’s finally here. I’ve been obsessed with this band for a solid year plus at this point. Every single has been excellent. So to finally have a full album release from this is so damn exciting.
What’s even more exciting is that it’s fucking awesome! And yes, we’ve heard a lot of the songs off it already across the last couple of years, but the new ones are just as good, honestly. ‘Pop! Pop!’ is glorious, pop nonsense, ‘Meat n’ Cheese’ has been teased so much I’m already obsessed, while both ‘Bathhouse Homies’ and ‘Tall Warm Glass of Milk’ are excellent, as expected. Every song is amazing, and this is such a fun 34-minute listen. While the comedy is flawless, they are absolutely phenomenal musicians, vocalists and songwriters on top of that, crafting something truly special with this album. It’s 80s cheese-pop but with some of the catchiest choruses and harmonies that I’m sure I’ll be hearing all year. I am already addicted to this album, and am sure I’ll be spinning it plenty for months to come. If you are in any way curious, I cannot recommend it enough! I’m both shocked and not at all shocked, but this solidly gets the first 10/10 from us of 2026!
UUHAI: Human Herds
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read our full review here!
Beyond the Black: Break the Silence
The German symphonic metallers returned with their sixth studio album last Friday. If you know the band or the genre, you’ll know exactly what to expect here. I’ve been a fan of them since 2018’s Heart of a Hurricane, and I loved their self-titled release a couple of years back. While I don’t think this is quite as good as both of those releases, it is still a damn solid metal album. From the opener to the typically-incredible ballad ‘Ravens’ to the LOVEBITES-featuring ‘Can You Hear Me’, there are some amazing tracks on here. Heck, there isn’t a bad song throughout. However, for whatever reason, the album as a whole didn’t catch me the way I expected/hoped it would. Maybe it felt a touch safe? They are as big as they have ever been so are clearly doing something right, and it wasn’t like this wasn’t enjoyable. It’s a damn solid symphonic metal album, and I liked the more electronic elements added into their sound recently, but I wouldn’t quite put it up there with the two previously mentioned albums. For that, it gets a still-solid 8/10 from us!
Coleman Jennings: Ride On
An awesome sophomore EP from the old-school country artist. From the lyrics to the emotion-filled vocal delivery, it was very quick and easy for me to get hooked. The title track opens things up perfectly, while ‘Marinaville’ is another bop. At just 17-minutes long, it is short and sweet and none of it is bad. It’s not going to be for everyone, but I really enjoyed it, and would recommend it to anyone even slightly into an older-school country sound. I’d love to hear a longer form release from Coleman, but the fact that he’s getting this big already says it all! 7.5/10
Nanowar of Steel: The Genghis Khan EP to End All Genghis Khan EPs
We’ve also checked out this amazing EP! Review here.
Bullet: Kickstarter
The seventh album from the hard/sleaze rockers is a lot of fun, and a great thing to turn on and just rock out to. It’s very AC/DC and the genre of bands that spawned from being heavily inspired by them, so if you’re into that you’ll love this, too! From the title track to ‘Open Fire’, ‘Avenger’ to ‘Strike At Night’, it’s all damn good. It’s 40 minutes of balls-to-the-wall rock that knows exactly what it is. It certainly doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but as far as bands like this go, these are up there with some of the front runners with albums like this. I wouldn’t revisit it a lot, but I certainly wouldn’t turn it off if it came on again; it’s an incredibly easy listen. I’m sure a lot will love this, and while I still had a good time, I feel like a 7/10 is pretty fitting!
Krushor: Taste of Hatred
The debut EP from the thrash-death metallers is 13-minutes of sheer aggression, and I fucking love it! Four amazing tracks packed full of amazing riffing, drumming and harsh vocals, what’s not to love? All four tracks are as good as each other, and for a debut release it shows that the sky is very much the limit for the Finnish quintet. The band are all incredibly talented, and all have a time to shine throughout. If you are at all into the heavier side of metal, I cannot recommend this release enough! It gets a very solid 8/10 from me!
Orchid Throne: Buried in Black
This is an absolutely awesome prog-metal release! It incorporates everything from doom to death to alt to folk, and does it all masterfully. It’s hard to even find a band to compare it to; maybe all the eras of Opeth rolled into one, but even tat doesn’t quite do it justice. It’s dark and epic and everyone works their asses off throughout, all being at the top of their craft. Heck, I’d have been happy to have just taken the epic opener ‘Dreamworld’, but we still got six excellent tracks after that too! My only slight issue would be the mix, it didn’t sound quite as big as it could have, but it’s a minor gripe and may be as much of an issue with my speakers than the album itself. It’s another release that won’t be for everyone, but it grew on me the more and more I listened, and for another debut album it’s really something special. A very easy 8.5/10, definitely a band to keep an eye on!
The fourth album from the Finnish doomy melodeath band drops tomorrow, but with that genre description I just knew I had to check out the whole thing early and fully! I’m not familiar with the band in any way and am going into this completely blind, but am already pretty hyped for it. Let’s dive in and see what it’s like!
The album explodes right into a melodic riff to open ‘The Art of Grieving’. It immediately gives off huge melodeath vibes in the best way. The clean ‘oh’s in the back were a nice touch and added so much depth to the song. The screams come in for the verse, grounding it firmly in the metal camp, and fit it perfectly. THAT riff in the middle is TASTY, and the growl that brings it into a solid breakdown is incredible. Honestly, the vocals throughout the track are amazing, showing off a great range and always being exactly what the track needs. Between that and the amazing guitaring, it’s a great way to open the album, and an easy highlight, for sure!
The riffing to open ‘In a State of Agony’ is INCREDIBLE, harkening back to the heydays of BFMV or Killswitch, scratching that metalcore itch perfectly. However, then the screams come in and perfectly shift it towards the death side of camp. The awesome verse leads to an epic chorus and damn, this song is honestly the perfect melodeath track. Heck, we even get a clean section of the second verse, building up through a fantastic guitar solo and third verse into a truly epic final chorus and riff to take us home. The structure of both songs so far have been really interesting, showing the band’s attention to detail and innovation in their songwriting. Another incredible song!
‘Fragile Chapters’ brings more great riffing, melodic leads, and more brutal screams. It’s hard not to compare to the likes of In Flames or Children of Bodom, but honestly, I’d say Shadecrown are doing it just as good as the legends of the genre, at this point. The chorus is amazing, somehow being infectiously catchy from the vocal and guitar melodies. And we get yet another awesome clean section with some incredible soloing over the top, giving the track a lot of dynamics and making the heavy bits even heavier! The track all feels like it leads to that HUGE, brutal breakdown too, as it should, as it’s fucking incredible! Yet again, it’s another fantastic song and huge highlight!
‘Gone’ builds up through keys into an almost modern metal riff, though the epicness still keeps it separate to others in that genre. It’s a slower paced track but is no less heavy; like a melodeath ballad. The voicemail bit in the middle was a cool touch, and somehow fit the song perfectly, giving it even more emotional charge. It’s a simpler track but hits HARD, providing a slight reprive from the balls-to-the-wall pace so far while still feeling very Shadecrown.
‘Zero’ brings back the riffs immediately and perfectly, and is yet another phenomenal heavy melodeath song. Heck, so is half of the rest of the album! ‘Inadequate’ has maybe my favourite growls on the release. Then you have the stomping, heavy closer ‘Repentance’ that closes things out perfectly, drawing together elements of all that came before it while being crushing in its own way. All are awesome songs just as good as each other!
Then, we round out the album with two slower songs, ‘Under the Waves’ and single ‘Tear-Blind’. The former starts with a beautiful acoustic guitar intro, exploding into melancholic heaviness and an epic, sorrowful feeling throughout, changing the pace dramatically but perfectly. The harmonised clean vocals on it are amazing, and add so much depth. The heaviness is still very much present, but over a darker, bittersweet soundscape that still fits the album amazingly. Meanwhile, the latter is a truly epic track that boarders on power or atmospheric black metal in terms of its size and scope. The slow build of more and more parts through the intro and low-but-heavy verse into that huge choruses is amazing. It’s very clear why it was chosen as a single, and it was a very good choice! And those low screams towards the end… *chefs kiss*. It’s yet another amazing song and another highlight on an album packed full of them!
Overall: I LOVED this. I’d somehow never heard of the band before now but am immediately desperate to check out the rest of their back catalogue. I don’t feel like we get enough melodeath released these days, at least that makes it over to the UK, so to get some of such insanely high quality is amazing. If you are at all into the heavier side of metal, I can’t recommend this album enough, and it’s insane that they aren’t a massive name in the scene already. They have a huge new fan in me, and I’ll be spinning this a lot for the next few months, I’m sure!
The Welsh hard/stoner/NWOCR band King Kraken are back with their sophomore album. I’ve been a big fan of them for a while and loved their debut, so am going into this thing pretty hyped. We’ve had a handful of singles so fans should know what to expect, but the band still feel like they have a trick up their sleeve somewhere here. Let’s dive right in!
The album opens with the powerhouse track ‘Scream’. The heavy riffing soon gains Mark’s powerful vocals over the top, immediately feeling stonery and heavy hard rock in all the best ways. It gives of vibes of everything from Black Label Society, The Sword and Fu Manchu in all the best ways. The energy and heaviness continues into the catchy chorus, everything being balls-to-the-wall and flowing together perfectly. It’s all pretty simple and at the same level so far, but it all works amazingly. I loved the short solo between the first chorus and second verse too, somehow upping the energy even more. I LOVE the little bridge bit after the second chorus too, the bass especially going hard. It also builds into more awesome heaviness, and more phenomenal, mind-blowing guitar soloing before a final chorus takes us home in style. We even get some great actual screams at the end. This is an excellent opener and the perfect way to introduce the listener to the album.
‘El Giganto’ continues the same energy and feel from the opener perfectly. The track also goes full Clutch, which I LOVE. It does t take itself too seriously, which certainly isn’t a bad thing. And, despite the rather rapid pace, it’s still pretty catchy, a testament to the band’s damn good songwriting. And my god, the sheer level and volume of riffs in this track is awesome. So too is the guitar solo tucked away in the middle, again blowing my mind a little bit. And damn, them slowing down that outro riff to half time… *chefs kiss*. It’s another fantastic, well crafted hard rock song filled with incredible playing all round. It’s impossible not to love!
A slower, more doomy start opens ‘Beserker’, yet it soon still explodes into a huge, ch0nky, stoner riff. It’s honestly one of my favourite riffs on the album too, it’s so damn good! It works surprisingly well as a verse, too. It’s another standard structure and a similar feel with their sound and tempo, but is another absolutely amazing song. I love it dropping down and building back up for the final chorus. All three songs have been pretty similar so far but all are so good. The band have very much refined and perfected their formula here and are rolling with it!
The albums title track is another stomping, heavy track like only King Kraken can do. It’s one of the biggest, catchiest choruses on the album too, and between that, the riffing and the incredible soloing, it’s another easy highlight that makes it onto our playlist. Then the album finally changes pace as we reach the halfway mark with ‘Hero’. It came out of nowhere too, this groovy, almost vaguely funky slower track. I don’t know why, but it gives me ever so slight Faith No More vibes. Empire too. That certainly isn’t a bad thing, either! It’s a really interesting addition to the album, especially right slap-bang in the middle. It shows the incredible range of the band and still demonstrates their talents perfectly. It’s another massive highlight song of the album, and one I’d definitely recommend checking out!
‘Vigilante’ returns to the bands heaviness and pace for another excellent, riff-heavy song. The band’s effortless change between time signatures in the middle is an awesome part of the song, but everything about it is pretty excellent and done to a sound and standard that King Kraken are very much known for now. Then you have ‘Preacher’ which is a bit lower and darker for the most part, building to these big, arena-filling choruses and a massive, fast-paced bridge that is a lot of fun. ‘Magnum Opus’, while a little bold of a title, does very much pull in every element of the bands sound that they do so well and… well… does it so well. I don’t know why feel slightly rude grouping all these songs together, and it’s not at all a reflection on their incredible quality. They are simply vaguely similar sounding tracks and I don’t want to repeat my gushing over and over. I cannot recommend any of these tracks enough, and if you like one you’ll like them all!
Lead single of the album, ‘Chainsaw Saviour’, is awesome. We actually checked it out as a reaction video, so I don’t know quite how much more I can say here without coming across as too much of a crazed fangirl. And, listening through the album, it’s a surprisingly excellent choice for a single, too. It reflects the bands sound and style perfectly, and clearly lends itself amazingly to a video. It’s definitely one of my favourite songs from the band, and I’ve been listening to it a lot since its release.
The albums closer, ‘Under the Sun’ again continues the signature King Kraken sound. However, with the big slower riffs and dropped-back verses, it does have an epic feel to it, making it a rather perfect final song. It’s like the perfect blueprint for a stoner metal song, and is easily another massive highlight on an album honestly full of them! And, it’s another song I’d wholly recommend!
Overall: Another expectedly awesome album from King Kraken! As I said earlier, the band have really refined their sound with this second release, building on what they did so well on MCLXXX. There are plenty of amazing tracks that stand up there with their best, and there really isn’t a bad track on it. A real must for fans of the band or genre, and proof that the band aren’t only just here to stay, but conquer the scene, while they’re at it!
The debut EP of ex-SNUB member Ian Field-Richards is out tomorrow, and we just had to check it out and let y’all know what we thought about it. Ranging from doom to sludge to alt metal, I have a feeling I’m gonna love it!
The opening track, ‘Superlithic’, gets the grungy, doomy vibes started immediately with a HUGE riff. They really get the most of it too, us getting close to the halfway mark of the track before we get any vocals. The vocals fit perfectly over the top too, continuing on the stoner/doom sound. It’s heavy and sludgy in all the best ways, and they clearly wear their inspirations on their sleeve! We even get an awesome, almost evil-sounding guitar solo in the back end. It’s a great way to open the EP, and a must listen to any fans of the genre!
The same vibes continue through ‘Black River’. This one has a bit more of a standard structure to it, though, and has a surprisingly catchy chorus, both vocally and with the guitar riff. The riffing as a whole is of course a massive highlight of the EP; the band are amazing songwriters in that regard. However, the drums and vocals are also excellent. It’s another amazing doom song that, while doesn’t necessarily do anything special for the genre, is solid and massively enjoyable!
The title track starts a bit slower and quieter, only adding to the sinister feeling of the release. The heaviness soon comes in over the top, but it maintains the plodding pace, and it was nice to hear a bit more dynamics from the band, especially when it drops back down to quieter verses. The vocals sounded awesome over the top of them too, higher and cleaner, fitting just as well. It almost gives off The Sword vibes, which I love. Especially when it’s another catchy-ass chorus to boot! It’s an amazing song, and an easy highlight of the album that makes it onto our playlist!
The final two tracks on the EP, ‘Empire’ and ‘Southern Star’ are both more doomy awesomeness. Much like with’Black River’, neither exactly reinvent the doom metal wheel, so to speak, but are excellent songs in the genre and really encapsulate exactly what it’s about. The riffs are heavy and sludgy, the vocals gritty and the lyrics surprisingly great. This is certainly a release for the doom fans, and I loved every minute of it!
Overall: as I said, I loved this. The riffing was a massive highlight, but every element of the band is awesome, and each track was great. If you are a fan of doom metal I cannot recommend this album enough, and they are sure to be a massive name in the genre sooner rather than later with releases like me. This is one hell of a way to debut, and they instantly have a new fan in me. I can’t wait to see where they go next, but for now, it gets an easy…
The Finnish death metal band Saasta are following up their critically acclaimed 2022 album with the release of this EP, out tomorrow! I remember having checked out a track or two from the band before, so am excited to dive right in and see what this is like!
The EP begins with an atmosphere setting intro track, ‘Stygian Grey’. You immediately get a sense for all three genres and styles just from the brief 1:17 track. That alone should speak volumes about the bands impressive songwriting talents, and what sort of awesomeness is to come.
And it leads perfectly into the title track. A HUGE, brutal riff and scream makes it all feel almost hardcore as well as deathy and doomy. Especially with the song structure; short verses and call-and-response choruses. Though, having said that, we also get a brutal second half of the second verse. It’s almost a breakdown and fuck does it go hard. It somehow makes the following chorus feel even heavier, too. There are definite elements of black metal throughout too, though. Little atmospheric riffs to make everything just sound more evil. It’s an amazing track, short, sweet and contains everything you’d want from the band. And that scream at the end, *chef’s kiss*. It easily makes our playlist!
There’s no rest for the wicked, as we head straight into more brutality from ‘Sickness’. Another huge, but more groove/doom paced, riff kicks you in the face. Surprisingly though it drops down to a clean guitar part after, feeling the perfect mixture of black metal and Slayer. The pace and distortion picks back up before the verse, but it all does have a rather modern thrash feel to it. The vocals are straight up death still, though. It kinda gives off Amon Amarth vibes, which is great. I love the dynamics of the track, keeping it constantly interesting. It’s another awesome track to make it onto the playlist!
We then reach the final track of this all too short EP, ‘Murhattu’. It opens very dark and black metally, before picking the pace up into more death metal. The track goes hard throughout, the chorus being somehow both heavy and catchy in equal measure. The alternating between the two styles was a lot of fun, and made for a really awesome track. I love the final twenty seconds or so too. I feel like it would go down an absolute storm live.
Overall: This was awesome! As I said above, my only complaint is that it was over far too soon. I’m going to have to go back and give the album another listen, because if it’s anything like this I’ll love it. I’m really hoping this EP was something to keep the fans going until another album, because I need to hear more of this immediately! The band are phenomenal performers and songwriters, and have crafted one hell of an EP here. I’ll be listening to it a lot in the coming weeks and months, I’m sure!
Fuzzy doomy newcomers Almost Honest are set to release their debut album, The Hex of Penns Wood, next week. We’ve had the chance to chat to Shayne from the band about it, as well as their sound and future plans. Check it out below!
How did the band come together?
We formed in freshman year of High School although we had all been playing music prior to this.
How would you describe your sound?
Groovy Sexy Viking Funk Doom Rock. We blend all of the things that we like together. We didn’t want to just stick to genres tropes.
What’s the writing process like for you guys?
We do not have a set way for writing but most of the time it starts with myself (Shayne) bringing a riff or a full song idea. Then the rest come together and figure out what works, what’s the best part for each section, and if something needs to be cut or added. Usually the lyrics are written separately from the songs. The lyrics will then be chosen based on the feel of the song and if it fits.
In terms of the album, does it tell a story through it?
It is individual ideas per track however it has an overall theme of Pennsylvania Dutch Folklore and Culture.
What’s it like getting to work with the legend that is Gene Freeman, even from a mastering perspective?
That was huge for us given his wealth of knowledge. Our producer had a contact and he reached out to him and he said yes. We only communicated via email but even just that we learned a lot. Hopefully in the future we can do something more together but I am very happy working with Dynamo Audio. Gary did a fantastic job on this record.
How did the collaboration with Brandon Yeagley come about?
It was actually just as simple as me reaching out. I never expected a response let alone to work very closely with him. I was a fan of Crobot when I first saw them live in 2014. They showed me what a live show could and should be like. He was extremely nice.
Do you have a busy start of next year planned once the album is out?
We do! No shows are officially announced yet but we will have an album release show soon. Then we hit the ground running with touring in March and April.
Do you have a dream tour lineup you’d like to be a part of? Weather it’s supporting a huge band or playing with your mates.
This is one of the toughest questions I have ever had to answer haha. It honestly depends on mood and what fits. I am going to give you two answers. One including our band and another just for my enjoyment. Dream tour with Almost Honest included would be Mutoid Man, Crobot and Red Fang. I think we would fit in well and that would be extremely fun. Now a tour that I would love to see would be Clutch, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Truckfighters and Man Man. I could pick a thousand more bands.
ex-Draconian, Sojourner, Light Field Reverie members got together last year to form a new band, the melodic doom/darkwave band Remina. I have to admit, I know a bit of Draconian, but I’m not too familiar with the other bands, or the subgenres it is a part of. Therefore, I’m going into this blind, and am excited to hear some new music!
Practically a track-long, slow-build, ‘Aeon Rains’ is a truly epic way to start an album. Starting soft and electronic, the vocals sounded amazing over the top. Don’t get me wrong, there are vocals throughout a lot of it and the distorted guitars and drums come in a minute or two in. It even has a great drop-out in the middle, stripping back to its bare bones. However, the whole 6+ minutes felt like it was building to its epic crescendo. I loved it!
‘Obsidian’ opens on a similar epic soundscape, much like the first track. It stays at a deliberately slow, almost sludgy pace throughout. It’s ethereal, moodily atmospheric and honestly beautiful. It would make a fantastic movie soundtrack song, and honestly the only way I feel like I could enjoy this even more is if I was high. It’s like dark, psychedelic metal, and it’s pretty fucking awesome.
It was at the third track on the album, ‘Dying Sun’ that I realised this will most likely be a pretty short review. And, I’d just like to point out first ‘Dyning Sun’ is my favourite track on the album. The riffing for the heavy bits is MASSIVE and so good!
Now, I do want to clarify before we go any further, I really enjoyed this album. However, it was all pretty similar music. I’m not saying that’s a bad thig at all, but much like variety is the spice of life, it is also the spice of reviewing and writing. I could go through each song and say almost the same thing, or I could lump them all together and say ‘this is all fucking awesome’. Heck, with this sort of music it almost begs to be listened to as one coherent piece anyway, so for me to analyse it all individually would almost do a disservice to the arrangement of the album.
So yes, a lot of the album’s tracks follow a similar sound and arrangement. It’s all very atmospheric and brooding, staying at a similar slow pace throughout. Even when the distorted guitars come in and it gets heavier, it maintains an air of beauty to it, as well as having plenty of room for the instrumentation to breathe when they drop out too. And the vocals from Heike are nothing short of phenomenal, too. They’re the highlight of the album, soaring beautifully and adding so much to the feel and sound. It all blends perfectly together for each track and leaves the finished product to be an amazing experience to listen to.
Overall: As I have said already, I really enjoyed this. I sat down and listened to it in one interrupted sitting (which for my easily distracted brain is pretty hard) and just got lost in it. Each song transported me away from my home and to a far-off world, and I loved every second. I imagine with a good stageshow this would be amazing live, and hopefully they can tour soon so I can try and check it out! For now, I shall continue to listen to this, I’m sure, for the rest of the year.
A STACKED week of new music from the rock and metal world this week. Join us in checking it out!
Five Finger Death Punch: AfterLife
Okay, let’s get the controversial one out of the way first. I know that if I give this band and album any praise at all y’all will disagree, and that’s fine, I’ve made peace with it. But underneath the Monster guzzling, Drywall and partner punching Kyle energy, there are some damn talented musicians. Heck, ANDY FUCKING JAMES guitars for them these days, the talent is there. And their first couple of albums were honestly fantastic. I haven’t heard the new singles or much after Wrong Side of Heaven as they began to bore me, but hopefully this album brings them back to their roots more!
Spoiler alert: it doesn’t. It’s nowhere near as bad as people will make it out to be, it’s still okay. It’s just incredibly generic radio metal. The riffs are still phat and fun and the production is still up there with some of the best. And of course James shreds some of the best highlights of the album. The issue, much like with most of their music, is Ivan’s lyrics. The angsty, angry, juvenile writing is really something a man in his 40s should have grown out of by now. He has a great voice still and is clearly good at writing catchy, huge vocal melodies and choruses, they’re just dampened considerably by the lyrical content. If they were a bit deeper or had more to them or had changed at all in the last decade+, I feel like this would be great.
‘Times Like These’ was an okay ballad and the title track is okay. But for every good track on the album, there’s a ‘Roll Dem Bones’ or the utterly terrible ‘Judgement Day’. Honestly, the good was few and far between and this was a really tough listen. I was bored way before halfway through. It’s such a shame because their thrash-Slipknot sound and attitude of Way of the Fist was fantastic and they have yet to get close to its quality. It’s a pretty slow album all-round, actually. The biggest praise I can give it, I guess, is that it’s somehow easy-listening metal. But still, it’s the worst album I’ve heard from them, of the five I’ve heard. 3/10
Panic! At The Disco: Viva Las Vengeance
Brendan Urie and friends (it stopped being Panic! years ago) are back with the follow-up to their massive 2018 album Pray For the Wicked. I have to admit I wasn’t the biggest fan of this band at their rock peak, I always preferred Fallout Boy, but I like a few tracks here and there. Heck, even ‘High Hopes’ isn’t bad as far as earworms go, just incredibly overplayed. With how poppy the singles have been so far, I feel like they’re going to be the same.
While a terrible album opener, the title track is a fun, Vegas-inspired pop-rock song. That’s pretty much the entire story of the album, if I’m being honest. And I’m not sure if it’s a good or bad thing. It’s not bad music at all, just a tad boring. It’s okay chilled out pop ‘rock’, but it’s a far cry from ‘I Write Sins not Tragedies’. It is pretty much musical music, which is exactly where Urie wants to be. Honestly if this was a musical I’d probably enjoy it a lot more than I do. Brendan is still one of the best vocalists alive today, but outside some pretty basic instrumentation behind his voice, that’s all there is to this album.
‘God Killed Rock And Roll’ is maybe the highlight of the album, but that’s because it’s so obviously and unapologetically Queen that it’s almost laughable. It’s a good album and I wouldn’t turn it off if it came on again, but it’s not really my sort of thing. 5/10
Demi Lovato: HOLY FVCK
It took Demi adding one of the most acclaimed rock guitarists currently in Nita Strauss in order to go back to pop punk. However, that was a relatively new addition so maybe this had been in the works for a while. Either way, a minute into the album and it’s already better than anything else she’s ever done. That riff for FREAK is tasty and for once the awful Yungblud doesn’t even overstay his welcome on a guest slot.
I’m so glad artists of this ilk, the latest being Avril Lavigne, are returning to this rock-inspired sound, and that a new generation is stepping up to join them. Hopefully it starts to lead towards more rock in the mainstream again. Plus, hopefully P!nk comes back to join the style soon too!
This album is fucking incredible, by the way. This is the album she should have put out after her return from rehab last year. Its full of emotion and a look into her thoughts and feelings about her past few years. And musically it’s catchy, radio friendly and, most importantly, ROCK. The genre that (kinda) introduced the world to her, and she returns with a vengeance. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the album art seems pretty similar to The Pretty Reckless’s last album, it’s clear that album’s inspired this one quite a bit. There’s nothing to really complain about anything, aside maybe the bloated track listing, but the album is that well paced that it doesn’t really even matter. I can’t believe I’m putting this but 8.5/10, it really is that good!
I Prevail: TRUE POWER
Another band I feel like I should have given more time to before now. It’s metalcore and has everything I should like in a band. I have one of their tracks on my Spotify (Gasoline, I think) and do enjoy it. So, I’m excited to sink my teeth into this album.
Truthfully, this album is a bit of a mixed bag. I liked when they got heavier on tracks like ‘Body Bag’, ‘Fake’ and ‘Judgement Day’. However their lighter stuff didn’t do much for me and their pop-punk, clean choruses almost felt a little… generic? I feel like that’s not the right word but I can’t think of a better one. I feel like I’ve heard them before. And some of the rap didn’t do it for me either, while some parts of it really did. Overall there was enough to keep me coming back, and plenty of it has made our playlist. 7/10
Soilwork: Overgivenheten
This was all over the place in the best way. So much so that I had to listen to it multiple times through over the weekend in order to just compose my thoughts. Sometimes melodeath, sometimes prog, sometimes power metal, sometimes straight up Scorpions-style hard rock, this had a bit of everything.
Having said that, everything they do sounds great. The heavier, epic opener into the lighter, clean-centric following track did a great job of showing what the band are about right from the offset. From there the quality stays, as does the variety. ‘Electric Again’ is one of my favourite tracks on the album, as is ‘Is It in Your Darkness’. No two songs are alike, especially when next to each other on the album, a fantastic display of songwriting prowess and honestly made for an insanely fun listen. Every track is good, not just the highlights, and this is an album I’ll be listening to a lot going forward! 8/10
The Chats: Get Fucked
Unapologetically punk as FUCK. Basically The Sex Pistols but with actual talent. I don’t even know what else I can say about it, it’s that straightforward an album. It’s punk, if you like the genre, you’ll like this. I’d struggle to even pick some highlight tracks as, due to the style, they all sound pretty similar. However, the album is so concise at 27-minutes that it never overstays its welcome. Good stuff! 7/10
Silversun Pickups: Physical Thrills
This was not what I was expecting, but I have no idea why. I’ve seen the name floating around for a good few years and always associated them with the likes of Smashing Pumpkins and Radiohead. And guess what, this was exactly like those two bands. I guess I was simply expecting a little more, however foolishly. I’m not really a fan of either of the aforementioned bands, and I can’t get into this much either.
It’s dark, moody prog rock with just enough of a commercial edge that it could be considered radio-friendly. I wasn’t a fan of some of the artier tracks, but then songs like ‘Sacred Together’ and ‘Hereafter’ were so good it made me almost forget how much I wasn’t fussed by the rest of the album.
Conan: Evidence of Immortality
Heavy prog doom metal from the UK, this feels like the most ‘true metal’ thing I’ve ever listened to. When the opening track is 10+ minutes long, you know you’re in for one hell of a ride.
Unfortunately, that ride is pretty slow and takes a while to get to any fun sightseeing locations. I’m a fan of doom, but the same riffs repeated for two minutes or more don’t do much for me. The vocals help breakup the repetitiveness of the tracks a little, and the scream is very good. But it wasn’t enough to hold my attention for too long.
I remember seeing them a few years ago at a small venue my old band played at and remember enjoying them live, so maybe that’s what I need. Seeing music live helps it translate a lot better, being surrounded by likeminded people and having it all much louder and seeing them play it etc. Until I can make it down to one of their gigs, however, I feel like I can only give this a 4.5/10. Sorry guys.
Thundermother: Black and Gold
A controversial band next, at least in the UK underground rock scene. The NWOCR band return with their fifth album, looking to shake some of that negative energy off them, and honestly it’s very good.
Opening track ‘The Light in the Sky’ sets a great stadium-filling sound and precedent that continues throughout. The title track is mid-tempoed, catchy awesomeness and the riff for ‘Raise Your Hands’ is sleazy greatness. The soft, almost jazz rock ballad ‘Hot Mess’ is another massive highlight of the album too, as is the Thunderstruck-esque ‘I Don’t Know You’.
It’s all massive, catchy, radio-friendly hard rock, and it’s great. Some bands you can just tell from their sound and songwriting that they’re going to be massive, and these are definitely one of them. I could easily hear this opening for amassive stadium tour like GnR or the Crue/Leppard one, it’d go down a storm. I can’t praise this enough. 9/10
Hammer King: Kingdemonium
We checked this out already and loved it. Check out the full review and score here.
Lillian Axe: From Womb to Tomb
The first new album to be released by the band in over a decade, it’s not as black metal as the album title suggests it is. If anything a lot of it channels more soft/prog rock sounds than the ‘hard rock’ they are. While the opening track sounds ELO-like, the second goes in a completely different direction and goes full Dream Theater. I actually quite like the prog sound they go for for the most part, but it is so very DT I might as well just be listening to Octavarium. There’s some fun riffs none the less and the vocals are powerful and fit the music well. Good stuff, but nothing that I haven’t heard plenty before. 6/10
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Sorry for all you rock lovers, but this week’s new music is all about the metal. There is a rock band tucked away in here, but outside of that this week is for the heavy fans!
Malevolence: Malicious Intent
A band that have a massive buzz about them this year, just coming off a huge arena tour supporting Architects. So, safe to say the hype for this album, including with me, is pretty high.
Safe to say, their new music doesn’t disappoint. Whether it’s the crushing heaviness of the opener or ‘Karma’ or the melody of ‘On Broken Glass’ there is a surprising amount of range for the hardcore punk/beatdown metal band. Heck, ‘Higher Place’ is practically a FFDP (but good)-esque ballad, and not only is it excellent but fits the album perfectly. My only slight gripe is that ‘Salvation’ features one of the best names in metal today, Matt Heafy, but uses him incredibly sparingly. At least, vocally they do. Still, the track and album as a whole are very good. 8.5/10
Another British hardcore punk band with a new album, it must have been the week for it! A band that I had never actually heard of, Static Dress also put out a pretty decent album! Opening with a heavy bang with ‘Fleahouse’ and ‘Sweet.’, the band also show their versatility on ‘Attempt 8’ and ‘Such.a.shame’. While not quite as good as their heavier brothers above, it’s still a fun album that I’ll find myself listening to a fair bit over the next few weeks. 7/10
Weird Nightmare: Self-Titled
The pop-rock/punk band are the new project of Metz guitarist Alex Edkins. The debut album is a fun, upbeat album that is a breath of fresh air this week, let me tell you. Having this on on the drive home from Call of the Wild festival, it faded into the background in the best way, a good album to just sit and chill out to. Tracks like ‘Sunday Driver’ and ‘Oh No’ are particular highlights. 6/10
Cave In: Heavy Pendulum
The American rock band seem to have confused either me or Wikipedia, or quite possibly both. Wiki has the band down as rock, metalcore and post hardcore, yet I wouldn’t say what I heard here was any of that. This new music feels closer to sludge/doom/stoner metal than anything else. But then again, I haven’t heard their previous stuff, so this may be a bit of a departure of their sound!
Whatever the case, it’s a good album! The band are all clearly very competent players and are fantastic, interesting songwriters. However, 14 tracks may have been a little much. I like this style of music, but I personally got a bit bored during the second half as it was a lot of the same. Highlights include ‘Blood Spiller’ and the epic ‘Nightmare Eyes’. 7/10
The Greek death metal band put out their 11th album last week. I’ve seen the name floating about a lot before and assumed they’d not be my sort of thing, but this was actually great. The melodic and symphonic elements contrast perfectly with the death parts and makes for a fun, interesting listen. Tracks like ‘Hierophant’ and ‘Coming Storm’ are perfect examples of what I’m on about, and are both definite highlights of the album! Straight up good symphonic death metal music ! 8/10
Geezer: Stoned Blues Machine
The stoner/blues metal band are hard to find much information on, given that Google immediately brings up Geezer Butler at every chance instead. As a result, I am going into this album relatively blind. Thanks to Spotify at least, i can see that this is the bands fourth studio album.
The album is fun, packed full of great, groovy riffs and some surprisingly big, catchy choruses. The three pre-release tracks are of course the highlights, the band doing a good job picking the singles. However, the whole album is damn enjoyable if you like this sort of style. It’s not too dissimilar to the Cave In album, just a little lighter and more accessible. 7.5/10
INFLUENCE: Conspiracy
A band that I am rather familiar with due to covering their first album at my old place, I have been a fan of INFLUENCE for a while. Because of this, of course I shall be listening to the new album and giving it a more in depth review, so you’ll have to keep an eye out for that later in the week if you’re interested! Just as a little spoiler though… it’s good!
Assumption: Hadean Tides
What to say about this album that isn’t going to make me come across like a dick. I don’t know if it was my speakers, but the mix wasn’t great at all. I struggled to hear the vocals much throughout while the bass drums and lead guitar were about the loudest things on the album. What they were doing sounded good, as much as I’m not too into the style, but it was hard to get past the odd mix. Maybe this is exactly how they wanted it and it’s just me not ‘getting’ it, but it was a weird choice. Because of that, I can’t give it much higher than a 4.5/10
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