The instrumental prog titans themselves are back with their first album in nearly four years. I enjoyed that when it dropped, and have become an even bigger fan since then with more listens and a couple of live sets. The singles so far for this album have been great, and there is a lot of hype for this release since it was announced. You’re excited, I’m excited, so let’s dive right in!
The album starts perfectly as it means to go on, with an insane guitar riff. The tone on the guitar is incredible, and the grandiose nature of the buildup with the other elements give off big rock opera vibes. Weirdly the closest thing I find myself comparing it to is Marianas Trench, which is certainly not a bad thing! The electronic beat coming in behind it was an interesting choice, suddenly switching gears perfectly into Igorrrterritory. It’s somehow not quite what I expected from the band, but I’m already loving it! Of course Tim and Scott kill it from the jump, but Clay and Clay also get plenty of time to shine too. The dynamics of the track are off the charts, keeping me constantly alert and interested despite the instrumental nature of the band. And, having said that, the choir towards the end of the touch was catchy, and a nice touch! It’s an excellent way to start the album, and a firm early highlight!
Lead single ‘WITH EYES TO SEE’ continues with the electronic elements. The R&B/house/disco elements and beat fit surprisingly excellently alongside the bands own instrumentation, and add an interesting element and twist we haven’t heard hugely much from the quartet. Honestly, it works really well, and makes for a damn fun listen! It also makes it seem like the guitars have a little harder work making some creative ways to play around it all. And the guitaring is honestly so interesting and different throughout the track, I’m a little obsessed. It feels like Tom Morello in its levels of out-there-ness. And some of the drops get pretty heavy too, especially in the latter portions. It’s a really interesting, creative and fantastic track, and was such a good choice for a single! Another easy highlight, and one that easily makes the playlist!
‘SCREWTAPE’ has some insane guitaring to open it, but carries the same energy and swagger as the previous song did. It does so in a little more brief a manor, and I feel the guitars get to show off a bit more throughout compared to ‘WITH EYES…’. Some of the playing in the second half is honestly mindblowing, just like everything they have put out before. It’s the closest to old-school Polyphia we’ve gotten so far, yet still fits in excellently with the vibe of the rest of the album so far. Honestly, it reminds me just a touch of STATICA, but if that EP was done well. Another great song!
Another single, ‘POWER IN THE BLOOD’, is another fantastic showcase of utter guitar godness. It’s three and a half minutes of insane playing from everyone involved, but Tim and Scott are very much at the forefront of it again. Having said that, some of the drum work is also incredible. And again, like the opener, the dynamics here are excellent, dropping down and building back up again perfectly. At one point it felt like it has a callback to ‘ABC’, which I really loved, and it fit with the track amazingly. It’s a fantastic song overall, and another fantastic single choice. More classic Periphery, injected with this new electro tinge for good measure!
The slower pace and Asian instrumentation to open ‘THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO’ was a nice touch. However, outside of that it followed a pretty similar vibe and theme to the other tracks. The same could be said for the brief ‘NEAR DEATH’, and ‘J-BOMB’. All are great songs in their own right, but on a 12-track instrumental album, there are bound to be a couple that feel a bit more like “album tracks”. It doesn’t at all take away from the quality of the songs, or the sheer phenomenal talent on display throughout them, just that there isn’t quite as much to talk about from them, and they are all a touch on the similar side.
‘MARK OF THE BEAST’ has a bit of a west-coast hip-hop vibe to its opening, alongside everything else going on on this album. It made for a lot of fun. Weirdly, however, it also has some of the heaviest moments on the album! It’s another song that has enough variety and of a different feel to it to really stand out, and is another firm personal highlight of the release!
The final single from the album, ‘CAN YOU FEEL IT’, is another fantastic song that easily could be a big radio hit. It’s like Polyphia’s answer to a 90s club banger, and it works so well. It’s very much in the same vein as ‘WITH EYES…’ earlier on, but is such a fun, interesting style that it’s impossible not to love it. And, being later on in the release, it makes for a fun return to the house/R&B-heavy formula. It’s easy to get lost in the sounds and massive scape they create, but alongside that is some truly incredibly playing by everyone involved. Amazing stuff!
The final three tracks from the album are more of what you’d expect the band and this release. Again, all are good, with the closer being particularly excellent, but there is only so much you can do with this style and without vocals. If you are into the band this is of course music you absolutely have to check out, but they do feel like a little left-over tracks chucked towards the end of the release. Still, I would happily listen to all three again, and they round out the album well!
Overall: This is another really great release from the prog rockers! It feels like another creative leap from the quartet, doing something rather different compared to their previous work. There are some that are easily up there among some of the top tracks the band have ever produced, and there certainly isn’t a bad song throughout! I was slightly sad when I saw they didn’t have any guest vocalists on this release, unlike their previous album, but I honestly didn’t miss it that much. The band are so talented they make it so easy to not need vocals on their songs. I would definitely recommend this to anyone, regardless of what you’re into, and I’ll definitely be listening again!
The return album from NOWCR pioneers Mason Hill drops tomorrow, and has a hell of a lot of buzz around it! Being just their second studio LP, it has even more pressure on it coming a full five years after their huge debut. However, the singles so far have been excellent, and being a fan since they broke out I am extremely excited to be diving deep into this to tell you just how excellent it is. Without further ado, let’s do this!
The album starts off in a huge way with ‘Burn it Down’. A grandiose opening gives way to a huge, boot stompin’ riff, running excellently through the verses. Speaking of the verses, new vocalist Thomas Ward kills it from the jump, his voice effortlessly both melodic and having some great grit to it. It all builds to a massive, arena-filling chorus, exactly how the band are known for these days. And the track is heavy too, in the best way! It reminds me of when Kris Barras took a heavier turn post COVID, but done in the most Mason Hill way possible. And it helps that the production is truly top notch, everything feeling and sounding MASSIVE. Hell, we even build to a pretty ch0nky breakdown in the middle, fitting the vibes of the track perfectly, and followed excellently by a fantastic, blistering guitar solo. This is an amazing track, an early highlight, and the perfect way to open an album like this!
The heavy, bouncy vibes continue on single ‘Twisted’. Another amazing, Alter Bridge-like riff sets a steady pace, and means the verse stays pretty metal-adjacent. The vocals through it are catchy enough as they are, the melodies reminding me a little of their Scottish brethren in Anchor Lane, but the chorus is absolutely HUGE, the backing and harmonies adding even more weight to it all. It almost has a Fear Factory tinge to it in the best way; that kind of technical industrial metal fits surprisingly well with their hard rock routes. Another comparison (a lot, I know) but it is kinda like the early days of Fozzy, the good pre-‘Judas’ days. The bridge is again pretty heavy, but bridges the gap between the choruses perfectly. Overall, it’s another excellent song, and was a fantastic choice for a single!
Another single, ‘Hurricane’, slows up the pace a touch. It’s still heavy, but has a bit of a pop metal edge to it, almost like a Bad Omens/Architects-esque sound. It’s the perfect change of pace at this point on the album, and is another excellent song in its own right. Ward gets a chance to really shine vocally and show off his impressive range, but everyone else kills it just as much throughout the track. The chorus is awesome, but almost every vocal line and melody is catchy in its own way. We also get one of my favourite guitar solos on the album tucked away in the middle. The structure and composition is pretty standard, but serves the single formula perfectly and is so well done. It’s a real different sound compared to a lot of their peers in the NWOCR scene, but it will certainly serve them well and surely push them to new heights!
The heaviness picks back up for another excellent single, ‘Tainted Wings’. The chorus is most likely the high point, with the ‘oh’’s being instantly memorable and are bound to be a big fan favourite in a live setting! However, the rest of the track is good too, a mid-tempo, melodic hard rock track, reminiscent of the 2000’s US radio rock scene. It feels like maybe the most formulaic single on the album, but that is hardly a bad thing. It’s an excellent track in its own right, and is right up my street in terms of sound. The band are four for four so far on great songs!
‘Stay for a Little While’ is the ballad track of the album, and fits rather excellently in the middle! It’s once again a fantastic vocal performance from Thomas, and the entire arrangement and production of the track is awesome! It’s brimming with emotion in the lyrics, delivery and tone, and breaks up the heavier tracks on the release excellently. I’m honestly shocked it wasn’t a single itself, but is certainly another high point on the album, that’s for sure!
‘Resonate’ has the best riff on the album to open, keeping the energy high with their now trademark heaviness from this release. I love how much it drops back for the verse too, almost having some post-grunge vibes to it, and the vocal delivery over the top is excellent. It explodes into heaviness with the pre, some amazing harsher vocals making it sound MASSIVE. Then we have the trademark massive chorus, just as good as any other on the album. It gives off big early Chevelle vibes, and I’m a little obsessed! Hell, the bridge is simple but fits the song perfectly and is equally awesome. It’s potentially my favourite track on the record, and a song I’d recommend to anyone! Easily one that makes the playlist!
Tracks like ‘Without You’, ‘Silence’ and ‘Oxygen’ are more awesome tracks. Despite being later on in the release, you’d be foolish for looking at them as “album tracks”. All three are amazing and fit in with the rest of the songs perfectly. The latter two remind me more of their debut album than a lot of this, which certainly isn’t a bad thing. Meanwhile, the former is another massive highlight on an album honestly chocked full of them! They all have a bit of a similar vibe and feel to them, which is why I’ve grouped them together a little, but it doesn’t mean any of them are even slightly bad. From the riffing to the vocals to the solid drums, it’s all incredible. I cannot get over how good this album is!
The last single from the album, ‘Remember’, again has a post-grunge/proggy, Chevelle feel to it, and was a really interesting, fantastic choice for a pre-release. The vocals are the high point of the track but honestly, everyone is killing it throughout. It again has a bit of a modern edge to the vocal delivery, almost giving Skynd in the best and most surprising way possible. It also leads surprisingly perfectly into the epic closing track, ‘Drag the Chains’. The slower, delicate opening minute gives way to a stomping, heavy, awesome riff before soon dropping back again. It gives off slight Sleep Token vibes surprisingly, but definitely the good side of said band! The levels of the track, between the multi-layers of vocals to the keys to the rock instrumentation, it all feels so massive. Everything about it is amazing and fits together so well. And, my gosh does it all make it a truely excellent way to close out the album! To the surprise of no one, it’s yet another massive highlight!
Overall: I absolutely loved this. As someone who enjoyed their debut, this somehow tops that, as the band take another huge step forward in terms of songwriting and production. Every track is amazing, with some being easily up there alongside the very best the band have produced. And, it all fits together perfectly, the whole album going by in a flash! I cannot recommend this release enough to absolutely anyone, regardless of what style you are into, it really is that good. Don’t be surprised to see it high up on our albums of the year list come December!
A quieter but no less stacked week of release for us to check out this week, covering plenty from rock, metal, country, and even dipping our toes in gospel and rap! Let’s dive right in, shall we?!
Kid Rock: Halfway 2 Jesus
I ummed and arred about doing this album. His crazy right-wing and super Christian turn in the last few years has certainly been different, and not in a good way. Some of his views these days I don’t agree with, but hell, if James Hetfield can claim to be apolitical(lol) then I can at least try!
Honestly, musically it’s not bad. The gospel stuff is well done, the southern rock, late 2000s part of his sound is still great. There’s even some slight NO-jazz elements that I enjoyed, and ‘Heal My Faith’ almost feels like a Devil Without a Cause/History of Rock era track. However, it’s the track with the worst guest appearance. I’ve honestly lost a tiny bit of respect for Eminem for doing this collab, even if he was probably the best part of the record.
Though, I do have two main issues with the album. One is the bloated 71-minute runtime, an issue I also had with his last release. The other is, of course, the theming. I really have nothing against people being religious, and part of me gets it given everything in his personal life this year, but it’s a rather preachy album, and it’s rather hard to look past that and solely focus on the music. ‘Broken Hearted People’ is easily my favourite track from the album, a stompy country rock track and a lot of fun. A bit of the early album is good too, but a lot of the later half is a touch slow and samey. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad release, and it will surely have its fans. But it simply isn’t what I want to listen to when I spin Kid Rock. So, for that, I can’t give it any more than a 4/10
Joe from the future hear. I have since seen articles saying he used Suno’s AI generation software for the choirs, instead of paying an actual group of artists to do so. Yeah, that’s shitty, dog. That drops this easily down to a 2/10.
Gloryhammer: Space 1993: Wrath of Kor-Virliath
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Check out our full review here.
Devin Townsend/DreamPeace: Harmonic Dharma
This is the first release under Heavy Devy’s relaxation background music project since his slew of albums in 2023. And honestly, with me having become a brand new daddy this week, it was just what I needed! It’s 45-minutes of pure bliss. I know I have been a bit critical of his ambient stuff in the past, but I totally get it now. Who needs them albums of whale sounds and rainforests sold at odd gift shops (I may be showing my age there!) when you have Mr Townsend creating music to sleep and meditate to! Hell, even the baby liked it! I don’t have much to say or analyse with this one, not like I have any specific tracks to dive in deep with. Honestly, I’m not even going to give it a rating, it doesn’t feel right to given the nature of the project. However, if you have insomnia or just need to relax, throw this one, I can’t recommend it enough!
David Allan Coe: A Million Reasons
The first posthumous release from the outlaw country legend is a welcome return after 20 years without music from him. Nine songs lost to time until now, an acoustic version and even an intro done by the Nature Boy himself, it’s a damn good release from start to finish. From the title track to the rocky ‘Take Your Job and Shove It’, ‘Free my Mind’ to ‘Only God Knows Why’ are all personal highlights, but the other songs are just as good, honestly. If you’re a fan of classic DAC or outlaw country in general, this is very much a release for you. I certainly had a good time listening! I don’t know if the plan is to put together more stuff from his unreleased material like other sadly passed on country stars, but I kinda hope so if they’re going to be as good as this! A solid 7.5/10!
Kid Bookie: Cheaper Than Therapy II
Following up 2024’s Songs of the Living/Songs for the Dead, yet being a direct sequel to his 2021 album, the trap metal/rap rock Brit once again kills it here. Firstly, at 34-minutes spread across nine tracks and an interlude, it’s the perfect length, the only slight issue I had with Part I. And also, it’s packed full of great songs, making it pretty hard to pick highlights! Having said that, his trap cover of Slipknot’s ‘Disasterpiece’ was pretty interesting and rather awesome! It’s not going to be for everyone, but has some great heavy moments, some fantastic raps, and some pretty big choruses designed to be played to huge festival crowds. Mr Bookie is an incredible talented vocalist and writer, and his band kill it throughout too. However, the guests are just as excellent, ranging from Corey Taylor to Kate Nash to Rose McGowan, all adding to the tracks they are on perfectly. If you are into him already, or trap/modern rap/trap-pop, this is very much an album worth spinning! Or heck, if you are all curious, give it a try, you may be surprised at how much you like it! I had a good time listening, and will certainly be spinning it again! 8.5/10
Temperance: Arcani
The power metal Italians once again knock it out of the park with their eighth studio album! It’s a fair old chunk of music at 55 minutes, but it is so very worth it if you are a fan of the genre. It’s epic, grandiose, heavy and catchy all in equal measure, with every member of the band killing it at their respective positions. Powerful, melodic vocals from Michele and Kristin? Check. Some awesome riffs and soloing from Marco Pastornio? Check. Marco Sacchetto and Luca holding down the rhythm section perfectly? Check. And, from the opener to ‘Lean into Fear’, ‘Forgiveness’ to ‘The Man of Moonlight’, there are some really great songs throughout! However, there really isn’t a bad song on here, all of it flowing impressively well together. It’s very power metal, so if that is your thing you will absolutely love it. However, it may not be your thing if you don’t do the likes of Hammerfall or Avantasia. Still, I had a lot of fun with it, and it’s another great addition to their growing discography! 8/10
Mother of Graves: The Light That Keeps Us
The doomy melodeath band returned with their third studio album this last Friday. It’s a massive, gloomy 45-minutes of music, and I had a great time with it! Firstly, it’s really well put together, with the writing and production and dynamics being top notch throughout. Everyone worked their asses off on the whole album too, all clearly being masters of their craft. And, between ‘Through the Pale Shade’, ‘Eventide Angel’ and ‘The Beggar’s Allegory’, there’s some really amazing songs on here! However, the whole album is damn good, and the tracks flow excellently into each other. If you are into this side of metal, I’d absolutely recommend it. I’ll certainly be listening again, and I need to go and check out their previous releases, as they definitely have a new fan in me! Another solid 8/10!
Emily Ann Roberts: Thread
We’ve also reviewed this EP in full, aren’t you lucky! Check it out here.
Leadbelcher: Heaven’s Bloated Corpse
This is a really brutal, excellent debut album. 22 minutes of utter carnage, falling somewhere between death, grind and hardcore, it certainly isn’t for the faint of heart. However, if you like the heavier side of metal, this is absolutely a release for you! It’s hard to pick highlight songs as they’re all pretty similar and run so perfectly into one another, but are so very good throughout! It’s refreshing to hear a release in this style not have terribly mixed vocals. They’re great, but so are the brutal riffs and frankly insane drumming. I had a good time with this and would LOVE to see it live. For now, I’ll settle for spinning this a few more times at home, and already can’t wait to hear where they go from here! 7.5/10
Of Spite: Raisu EP
Following up on their 2023 album with this three track EP, the Finnish “Stumblecore” quintet is quarter of an hour of brutal growls and some insane riffing. Much like with Leadbelcher above, it certainly isn’t for everyone, but I had a great time with it, all three songs being as good as the last. Some of the guitaring honestly blew me away, there being some real 2000s metalcore and melodeath runs and leads throughout, adding some great melody to the heaviness. And we also get some fantastic soloing on each track too, really giving the band a bit of a unique feel to them that I am really liking! It’s like a heavier melodeath, and I’m honestly shocked I haven’t heard more of this style around. Do yourselves a favour and check this out, regardless of what you are into, it’s that good you surely can’t not love it like I do! I already need more of this ASAP, pump it into my veins, but for now I can’t give this any less than 9/10
K. Michelle: Jesus & Whiskey
Album seven from the modern country superstar is a brief, fun affair! I surprisingly wasn’t very familiar with her before this outside of her name, but I really enjoyed what I heard! It’s interesting, as this felt like exactly what COWBOY CARTERwanted to sound like, except Michelle has nailed it here. It’s country rooted, but has elements of everything from pop to rock, R&B to roots, and plenty between! It’s also packed full of highlights, from ‘Damn Good Friend’ to the Blush-featuring ‘Anything’ to single ‘Jack Daniel’s’. However, none of the songs are back, by any stretch! It’s maybe a touch slow for me overall, but that certainly doesn’t take away from the quality of the music. It’s certainly non-traditional or pop-focused, but is definitely worth checking out if you’re into your roots/country stuff. I had a good time, and am curious about her earlier work. 7/10!
3FORCE: Strange Peace
Album six from the Russian electronic trio dropped last Tuesday, and I have spun it a lot since then! It’s a fantastic, epic journey, and surprisingly heavy for the genre. It gives off Carpenter Brutvibes in the best ways, as well of of course being perfect for a video game soundtrack. ‘Status Quo’ kicks things off perfectly, while tracks like the title one and ‘It Could be Worse’ are also great! The whole album is solid though and, while it can be a little samey at times, it’s a very easy listen, 40 minutes going by in a flash. It’s certainly not for everyone, especially with it being wholly instrumental, but it’s a rare release that I am completely happy without any vocals on. Maybe the odd spoken word thing would be interesting, but the instrumentation really speaks for itself throughout. The whole darkwave scene has really taken off in recent years, and these guys are truly at the forefront of the pack, and for good reason! If you are at all interested, give this a spin, you won’t be disappoint! A very easy 8/10 from us!
Zach Bryan: Young Manhood and Other Donatable Organs
Country’s most controversial star is back with another EP, just nine months after the awesome With Heaven on Top. To the surprise of no one, it’s another excellent release! ‘Lodi When’ is the perfect opener. Then you have the Dusty Rhodes-opened, rockier ‘Robot Killed the Working Man’ which is a big highlight. The tracks with Lana Del Ray and Turnpike Troubadours are both fantastic too, each artist contributing perfectly to their respective songs. The other four songs on the release are also amazing, with ‘Dog Days’ being another particular highlight. His particular brand of country-Americana is so good, and the emotion in his lyric writing and delivery is still top notch. I almost prefer a shorter release from Zach, as his albums can be a slight slog at times. This fits perfectly with the rest of his stellar discography, and is well worth a listen for anyone interested! 8/10
John Diva & the Rockets of Love: Your Favourite Drug
The fourth album from the German glam metallers continues on their stellar discography perfectly! 10 head-bangin’, boot-stompin’ rockers all as good as the last, and combine to make an incredibly easy 34-minute listen. The opener sets up the album perfectly, while the likes of The Gems-featuring ‘Favourite Drug’ and ‘Love is Cold’ are all personal favourites but as I said, there certainly isn’t a bad track throughout! It’s a very European sleaze sound, reminding me of everything from Dust Bowl Jokies to Kissin’ Dynamite, though there is just a touch of The New Roses in there too. So, if you are into that, this is definitely a release for you! I’ll certainly be spinning it plenty in the weeks and months to come, and it gets an incredibly solid 8.5/10 from us!
Defects: Artificial Icons
This is an absolutely amazing alt metal/metalcore album! The British quartet’s sophomore release is jam packed with brutal screams, awesome riffing and drumming and some really massive choruses, the best of everything! Right from the opener/title track I was hooked, and not let go for the full 43 minutes. It’s honestly another release in which it’s truly impossible to pick highlight tracks. Even the slower songs like ‘Where did I go Wrong’, ‘The Other Side’ and ‘State of Mind’ are excellent, and fit the tone of the album perfectly! While this is mainly a release for those into the heavier side of metal, the three afformentioned tracks certainly fit in more with a lighter crowd, so honestly whoever is interested give this a listen ASAP! It is every bit as good as their debut, if not somehow even better, and they deserve every bit of love and momentum they are getting. I absolutely love this release, and don’t be surprised to see it high on our top albums listcome December! 9.5/10, amazing stuff!
We headed to the legendary Rock City in Nottingham the other day for an absolutely stacked night of fantastic metal bands! The variety was amazing, from the legendary industrial headliner to the more pop-metal opener to some straight-up blackened death metal, and had me bouncing and singing along all night. There was no way we weren’t telling you just how awesome of a show it all was!
First up were our new friendsThe Nocturnal Affair. Having been a fan of them for a couple of years now, it was great to finally see them, and they certainly didn’t disappoint! They surprisingly came off heavier live than on track, but that may have been because of the stellar sound, a fixture of the whole evening. Still, Brendan’s voice was as great at the screams as his powerful cleans, and the band played their asses off around him. They had a pretty long set for an opener too, squeezing in plenty of their hits like ‘Cross Me Out’, ‘Choke’ and new fan favourites ‘Oxygen’ and ‘Place in Time’. And, of course, we still got their fantastic Haddaway cover to close. It was the perfect way to open a night like this; high energy, heavy and yet plenty melodic. I already can’t wait to see them again!
The pace changed rather dramatically when Hate took the stage. Having listened to their last album plenty I knew exactly what to expect, and it was fucking awesome! It was a full frontal assault from start to finish, and the band performed it masterfully. I loved the effort put into the appearance, not only the corpse paint that fit the vibe so well, but the mic stands were awesome and they even had some cauldrons on stage just for dressing, adding so much to the show. The setlist was awesome, too. From the very best of Bellum Regiis to their heavy hitters in ‘Erebos’ and ‘Rugia’, they blasted through a really great six tracks, all of which flowed perfectly into each other. And, for a black metal-adjacent band, there was a surprising amount of crowd interaction too, all of it being great. This is the type of music I think is so perfect for a live setting, and Hate blew me away with their set!
Next up were the mighty Crystal Lake. Bringing a metalcore flavour to the evening, they were another band I was highly anticipating seeing for the first time. They’re another band with a truly excellent recent release, so to hear some of it live was really awesome! Then, on top of that, we still got the best of Helix and even a couple of their earlier tracks, rounding out their setlist perfectly. Given how new to the fold frontman PK is, he fit in with the rest of the band perfectly, them geling and it feeling like a completely natural pairing. He is already a veteran of the scene from Prompts; his live vocals and performance both being awesome, and the energy he has brought back to Crystal Lake is amazing. And don’t get me wrong, it takes away nothing from the rest of the band, YD and co. playing and performing like they had something to prove through their whole set. The crowd were surprisingly slightly light, especially around the least active pit the world may have ever known, but it didn’t at all lessen my enjoyment. This is one of my favourite sets of the whole year, and I need to see them again ASAP!
And just like that we reached our headliners, Fear Factory. The only band on the bill I’d actually seen before, it didn’t at all lessen my excitement for their set. And my gosh, what a set it was! A full 17 tracks spanning much of their impressive career, from their debut album to their recent single. And, it was all played to perfection! ‘Roboticist’ is a fantastic new addition to their repertoire, but the classics like ‘Replica’, ‘Linchpin’ and ‘Powershifter’ are all firm crowd favourites, and the place got LOUD for them. It is a bit of a shame we didn’t get anything off their last album, but even getting a track off Genexus was a surprise and pretty fucking awesome!
As for the band themselves, they killed it throughout the full 90-odd minutes of their time on stage. You would not think this band formed all the way back in ’89, the way Dino throws himself around and still plays. And the rest of the band, even if they are all recent editions around him and a little more ‘hired guns’ at this point, all kill it too! Milo is a natural frontman for the band, sounding as close as dammit to Burton did back in the day, and is an excellent frontman in his own right. All four of them work together perfectly too, putting on a great, straight-forward show between them all! It’s damn impressive for a band to keep me hooked for that long by just their playing, but they did just that. Another fantastic set to close out the night!
And there we have it, folks. A night packed to the brim with awesome metal music, at one of the best venues in the country. Every band knocked it out of the park, somehow making me an even bigger fan of each of them in the process! I cannot recommend any of them enough, both live and on track, and I am very much desperate to see them again soon. To an amazing night!
We had the pleasure of chatting to the rising UK country star Liam Price at The Long Road the other week about him playing the main stage there, getting to support Larry Fleet and much more! Check it all out below!
How’s this weekend been for you? Been pretty busy by the look of things!
Well, as you’ve seen, it was pretty wet yesterday. But everyone’s in the same boat, so to speak. And today the sun came out for our set on main stage, which is incredible for everybody! So, yeah, crazy weekend, but it seems to be my life at the moment!
Yeah! I suppose the rain packed out the VIP tent yesterday for you, too!
Yeah. I thought I was a big deal, but then I realized it was absolutely chucking it down out there and everyone was in there!
Is it a similar sort of set for the VIP one?
Yeah, just a stripped back, very intimate set. I’ll probably chuck a couple of covers in there as well.
You won the competition here last year. How is it to come back and do the big stage this year?
Yeah, I mean it’s just crazy. To do the little stage last year, little stage yesterday, and then all of a sudden you’re on the Rhinestone stage with a few thousand people! It was great turnout. So happy with everyone coming out and seeing me. That was really kind!
I saw you had quite the queue of people wanting to take photos and all this, which was pretty cool!
I’ve got some really good fans, some really good friends that support me all over the country, and I appreciate them greatly!
You say you’ve had a pretty full-on year so far. I saw you around the US, and you’re there again next month, right?
Yeah, I’m going to go and open for Larry Fleet! It’s going to be really cool. And he’s actually a massive inspiration for me. I tell the story; when I went in the studio to record ‘The Grass Ain’t Green’, I had to give a reference track about like how I wanted it to sound and mix, and I gave ‘Where I Find God’ by Larry Fleet. So, to get the call to go and play with him, like it’s crazy!
You’ve come from more of a tribute background. How is it kind of transitioning into a more originals kind of sound?
I mean, tribute background in terms of the country scene, but I’ve been writing songs since I was 16 years old! I was in like a pop-punk band back in the day.
But, yeah, I mean the transition’s been pretty simple, pretty easy. The main thing about this genre is people are so supportive for roots music, like, you know, grassroots. So, they want to hear anyone’s new songs, and that’s why it’s a pleasure to be part of this genre!
Yeah, definitely. I feel like because it’s still such a newish thing in the UK as well for this country music boom, anyone that’s kind of picking up some steam is so readily like is kind of let in!
Bang on the money. Long may it continue!
And then you obviously put out a single May, right? Are we expecting some more music to follow?
Priority this this year, just to keep writing and get some tracks together and and get them out. Maybe another EP! Potentially an album. But you know, writing and recording, it really is a huge cost. Easily upwards of, you know, fifteen K.
Yeah. I’ve spoken to a few people this weekend about what goes into the decision to put stuff out, and it’s so hard I feel, especially with streaming and all this nowadays.
Yeah, and nine times out of ten you’ll find the reason EPs are released is just because it’s all the budget allows at the time. For four tracks, you know. And I feel like they’re easier enough to get in a studio and do in a couple of days as well.
Have you got a busy rest of the year planned after September then? Have we got some more shows coming in?
yeah, I’ve got some shows. So I’m going to do the Larry Fleet thing, and then I’ll be doing just some individual shows. I’ll be playing at like Rodeos Barbecue, Wolverhampton, doing some stuff there, and Birmingham. I’ve just got little splinter shows all over the country. I’ll be playing the Ulster Hall in Belfast as well in December, which is like a bucket-list venue.
And obviously I’m busy with the tribute thing, some things have rolled over my head. But yeah, just doing a load of that. The the joy is you never know what’s going to happen, so we’ll see we’ll see what what opportunities come, you know!
I imagine the Larry Fleet thing was a little last minute, was it?
Yeah, I had a call and they just said we’d love you to come and to the open. I was like, when is it? Eight weeks?! I was like, all right, we’ll get we’ll get it together! And I’ve ended up getting another show on the back of that in North Carolina, so I’m going to go do a couple of shows out there, and then come back. At least it kind of covers the cost a little bit more, we’ll break even, a couple of days out of them!
My budget mainly goes on great food out there! I like barbecue and I’ll do all that stuff, no problem!
Do you have a dream tour lineup you’d want to be a part of? Anyone still on the bucket list?
It’s a bit of a crazy one, but I’m an absolute… like Chris Stapleton for me, is like God. So I’d love to be on that lineup. But then also I think why would I ever want to be on a lineup with him? He’s like totally going to wipe the floor. He’d outclass any singer in the world. Yeah, the guy’s unbelievable. He could sing the phone book, couldn’t he? Like, yeah, that’d be amazing. A tour with Chris Stapleton or maybe on a little bit of a lower level like Marcus King. But King’s blowing up now too! So, yeah, but anyone who wants to take me on tour, I’m available, I play anywhere!
If you could have written one song from history, do any spring to mind?
One of my favorite songs of all time is ‘Always on My Mind’ by Billy Joel!
We had the pleasure of chatting to our good friends Revenant at KKs Steelmill the other weekend at NWOCR Fest, about their set, upcoming album and their plans for 2027! Check it out below!
How was the Set?
Oh, it’s good, yeah. Fantastic! Yeah, sounds great out there. The sound is really good!
Is this the first time you guys have been to KK’s?
Yeah! It’s a cool club!
It seems like it’s becoming a bit of a bucket list venue for bands these days!
Yeah! For me personally, being a guitar player, yeah, this is it! And it’s always nice when a venue and the staff know what they’re doing. They’ve been great to us, they made everything sound great.
You guys snuck in a couple of new tracks as well! How are they going live so far?
Yeah, they’ve been pretty well received so far! A couple of people, hopefully, are starting to learn the words. It’s sort of like the ones that we’ve been working on for our new album and stuff like that. We just want to road test them a little bit, you know? We’ve played them all year this year, haven’t. But yeah, they’re probably some of the first tracks that we wrote for the album, so it’s like, why would we not play them?
This is it. I feel like people are almost a little bit hesitant these days, and at least in rock world, to play songs that aren’t put out yet, so it is quite nice to see bands try out new things!
I think, you would… you’d be silly not to play this stuff live because also you kind of… people hear it and they go, “Oh, that one sounds great,” and then they buy it and they go, “Oh, great, it’s on the album!”
So I last spoke with you back in February when you were with Preacher Stone. How’s the last 7 months been?
Yeah, and we’re trying to write, we’re trying to finish the album and we go, “Yeah, so we’re not going to do anything, we’re just going to finish the album,” and then someone calls and goes, “Do you want to do this?” And we go, “Oh yeah, we do. We really want to.” So yeah, we’ve just been trying to get the album finished, and then pick up a couple of support slots, stuff like that. And then the summer holidays, everyone’s busy. Matt got married and took some time off! It’s just busy, life is busy. Being in a band is busy. It’s hard to set time aside.
You guys seem pretty busy for the rest of the year really as well, right? I saw there’s a few more gigs lined up!
Picking up from there, yeah. We’ve got the Valknut tour with Soul Revival and We Three Kings. that’ll be good fun. Get your tickets! We’ve got… we’re playing Cornwall Rocks next weekend. Newark. Yeah, we’re all over the place! Planet Rockstock. We’re going to Scotland. First time there, so that’ll be cool. That’s going to be a long drive. But yeah, it’s going to be great. And then we can take some time off over Christmas!
No Christmas gig planned this year, then?
No no, absolutely not. We did one last year! Our last gig’s with Brave Rival in Portsmouth. December 17th!
Then you’ve only put out the one track this year, which was the cover. Has it been weird not putting as much out after a full on couple of years?
Yeah, I’d say it was a bit weird, we’ve had to take a bit of time off to write the new stuff. So we’ve got quite a lot now under our belts. We could do EPs, right? But we’ve put an album together, and it’s brilliant! So I think it’s nice to keep a really good body of work, but I’m sure we’ll say, after 3 months of it being out, we’ll be like, “Oh, we want some new music.” You’re always trying to feed everyone’s kind of, “Oh, we want some more music? we want some more music!” a bit.
Yeah, I feel like the music industry runs so fast these days, like everyone just listens to it and goes, “Cool, what’s next?”
I think you have to be. Having done this for a while now, you have to be confident enough to say, “Stop,” and then write the new stuff. And then because the people are always going to want you to play somewhere! But yeah, we’ll probably go, “Right, okay, what’s next?”
I feel like once you’ve got a full collection and it feels like an album as well, it’s hard to try and separate it up if you did want to do more EPs. Like, if it’s all written and it sounds right, then it’s the right thing to do, I think.
I just look at it like this way: If you’re an artist, you’re just going to do what you do. And the “Oh, we’ve got to do this and we’ve got to do that” side of it, to me, doesn’t really come into it. I’m just going to turn up and play with my friends and we’re going to make some music and it’ll come out when it’s ready. That’s how I look at it.
How’s the Kickstarter going for the album?
Yeah, all good. Fully funded at 100… 60% or something? Something like that. Yeah, which is fantastic! 26 backers, which is great considering that we said about it in July. My dad did half of it. I’m joking! I mean, there’s nothing coming out until like springtime, so March, April time, and there’s 126 people straight away going, “Yeah, yeah, cool, right, we want it.” So that’s really nice, actually. That feels, that’s really comforting!
I assume it’s all written then. Is it getting close to all being recorded?
Yeah, there’s a few more bits to do. Then it’ll probably be good. By the end of the year, 95% I’d say. 95% finished. Sweeping the dust, stuff for cutting. Sam’s got to do his bits. He’s got to put his like parsley, this parsley on the side of the steak that we’ve got ready now. I mean, it’s almost ringing the bell to say it’s ready, it’s ready to go. Fly, my pretty!
Then you’ve got to work out what singles to put out, from when, and all that kind of thing. All that fun stuff!
Oh man, don’t remind me!
Then, have you guys got some stuff rolling into next year? I’ve seen a couple of bits in January. I imagine you can’t probably talk about it but is stuff coming in for after that?
Yeah, actually to be fair, the year is looking fairly busy already! Especially for the first six months. And then, you know, back end of the year, we don’t know what’s going to happen, but that’s the music industry. But yeah, it’s looking pretty busy. It’ll be revealed soon enough!
We finally got back to promoting some shows last week, and what a first gig back it was! Two awesome bands in an awesome venue, what more could you want?! Check out just how much of a blast we had below!
Y’all should all know the drill by now. Best band in the world with the best bassist, yada yada. In all seriousness though, it was a great fun gig! We sounded pretty good out end, and I am so thankful to everyone who came down a little early to check us out! Everyone who came down has made not only this event possible, but future ones too (yes, keep your eyes peeled!). But yeah, it was an incredibly fun, incredibly warm 45 minutes, and I feel like we’ve really refined the setlist over the last few months into all the very best songs. The upcoming album stuff in particular is really standing out currently, and I cannot wait to finally record it and start putting it out. If you haven’t seen Eddie & The Wolves yet, what are you waiting for? Get your asses down to a gig!
After a brief changeover, the mighty Juliet’s Not Dead took to the stage. Somehow it had been a while since I had seen them, so having them grace the stage at one of our own shows, at a venue I love, was truly awesome! And my god, they owned that stage for the full hour! The band were all on absolutely top form, sounding awesome, and really played their asses off through the whole set. Stevie is an amazing frontman, holding the crowd in the palm of his hand from start to finish. However, every other member of the band put on a show befitting of their get reputation, too!
And, as for the setlist itself, it was awesome! We got all the best tracks from their massive latest album, with the likes of ‘Open Fire’ and ‘Last One Standing’ being particular highlights in that regard. However, they also still managed to squeeze in a couple of older, firm fan favourites, too. The crowd were very much there to see them and they certainly didn’t disappoint, playing everything they could possibly want to hear! The band have been on the precepts of breaking out to the next level for a while now, and their stage show and performance very much reflect that. I already can’t wait to hear the new music they’re working on (which we even got a sneak preview of here too), and I’m sure that will almost certainly do that for them!
And there we have it folks, an awesome night of hard rock music from two hungry young bands! I may be bias but I don’t care, go and see the both of them whenever they are next near you, you certainly won’t be disappointed! And the venue is also great, the sound being excellent throughout. And, as I said above, there is certainly more of our shows to come there, so keep your eyes peeled!
The London-based gothic singer-songwriter returns this coming Friday with her fourth album. I have to admit that, outside of maybe a track or two, I’m not hugely familiar with A.A. Williams’ work. I know her general sound, but have never had the chance to check out a full album by her until now. So, to say I’m curiously excited would be an understatement! She’s become a big name in the scene in recent years, and I’m very ready to see why that is. Let’s dive right in!
‘Poison’ opens the album perfectly, setting a dark, alt tone right off the bat. From the piano notes to the jarring distorted guitar coming over the top, but the melodic vocals and simple drums bridging the gap excellently, I was curiously hooked. It builds to a big, steady chorus. It somehow has a similar vibe as the verse will still feeling grander, everything flowing through the track excellently. It reminds me a lot of Chelsea Wolfe immediately, and that’s hardly a bad thing! It’s like pop-infused gothic, and it’s really interesting. The bridge, while not much different, keeps a similar level and adds even more epicness to the final chorus. And that outro with the lead guitar line over… DAMN. It’s not the sort of thing I tend to go for often, but I really enjoyed the song!
The pace slows for ‘Wolves’, an almost menacing clean guitar chord progression starting things off before Williams’ powerful, low vocals come in over the top. The rest of the instrumentation and distortion explodes in for the chorus, before immediately dropping back out again after. The dynamics of the track are really awesome, a masterclass in writing and production. The atmosphere created throughout the track is truly fantastic, somehow having elements of black metal almost alongside the alt, pop and emo. It makes for really fascinating listening! The arrangement of the song is pretty simple, but it’s so grandiose and epic by the end that you just get swept up and lost in it. An easy early highlight!
Tracks like ‘Little by Little’ and ‘Hold It Together’ are both slower, goth-pop based tracks that absolutely explode into the massive, epic metal around the midway mark. Once again, there’s some elements of black metal in the guitaring. Between that and the synth/orchestral elements behind it, they add a level of massive to each track that is almost unrivalled. Each track takes the listener on a journey, which I imagine was the exact intent. The latter is my favourite of the two, but they are both good songs in their own right!
‘Outlines’ adds not only a proggy element to the sound, but also leans into the folk side of it. A lot of it is just Williams, a fantastically toned guitar and some other subtle instrumentation. Some of the heavier instrumentation builds in around the midway mark, but it feels more than earned at that point. It almost has a film score vibe to it, that’s how epic it’s gets. And Williams’ vocals over the top of the heavy stuff was honestly perfection, SO GOOD. And it all dropping back out again… *chefs kiss*. This is my favourite track on the album and easily makes it onto our playlist. Amazing stuff!
‘I’ve Seen Enough’ is the beautiful ballad of the album. The main focus is on just the simple piano chords and the effortless vocals. There are other instruments that build in throughout, but stuff like the strings and drums only add to the other two elements. The lyrics are utterly fantastic too, packed with emotion and fitting the tone of the song perfectly. The moodiness and almost ethereal captured here is truly special, and I’ve already given it multiple listens just to fully capture the bittersweet beauty. The whole last almost couple of minutes just being instrumentation building and swelling is honestly perfection. It’s another track I cannot get enough of, and I’d recommend it to absolutely anyone reading this. Fantastic stuff, and another massive high point of the release!
A similar vibe continues through ‘The Veil’ and ‘Breathe’ (though the latter is a guitar inside of piano), though neither hit quite as hard as ‘I’ve Seen Enough’. However, ‘Just a Shadow’ was another big highlight track for me! The almost poem-like opening is amazing, and the moody, almost grunge-like chorus is fitting and phenomenal. It’s maybe my favourite chorus on the album too, the melody soaring and rather catchy! It follows a pretty standard formula for the album, but all the elements just add up amazingly here!
‘It Won’t Rain Forever’ returns to a similar formula as the opening tracks, while closer ‘The Gentle Harm’ is another epic, slow build song that really feels like an amalgamation of everything before it. It has a bit of everything, the beautiful piano intro, the soaring, melodic vocals and dark lyricism, and the massive distorted guitars and drums later on. It’s epic, and the best way to close out an album like this! Another highlight on an album packed full of them!
Overall: I wasn’t too sure on this album heading in, but it won me over more and more throughout. Sure, it won’t be to everyone’s tastes, but I thought it wouldn’t be for me and was more than pleasantly surprised, so it’s well worth a try if you’re on the fence. There is a lot that’s similar, but it all fits together like the perfect atmospheric puzzle, and goes by surprisingly quickly. There are two or three tracks in particular that honestly blew me away! Williams has a big new fan in me, and I’ll certainly be spinning this again plenty in the weeks and months to come!
Here we are, that time of the year again! The month where I go insane and try to rank 100 out of the over 500 albums I’ve listened to this year into the order in which I enjoyed them the most. It’s equal parts subjective and objective, and I’m convinced I’ve left off so many excellent albums, so if your favourites aren’t here, I’m sorry and they are most likely awesome! Without further ado, let’s dive into the chaos, shall we?
100 – Eli Young Band: Strange Hours
Yep, that’s how strong we’re starting. I told you it’s been a tough year! The Texan country band put out their seventh studio album back at the start of August, and it’s been a mainstay in my rotation since then. It was the perfect summer album, combining catchy vocals and harmonies with their brand of country which perfectly combines pop, rock and Americana. I’ve been a fan of the band a few years now, and this is easily my favourite release from them in that timeframe. It’s a strong album from start to finish, being an incredibly easy 43-minutes of chilled-out, catchy country to listen to! It’s so well written and put together, the perfect inoffensive release into the genre that covers pretty much all bases. So, if you even have a passing interest in the genre, I’d definitely recommend checking it out! We gave it a solid 9/10 upon release, and I very much stand by that now!
Listen to: Nothing on the Wild, All Good with Me, and Everybody Else
99 – Circus 66: Elements
Album #2 from the UK hard rockers blew me away back in March, and upon revisiting it for this list, I was blown away once again! It’s nearly 50 minutes of awesome, foot-stompin’, sleazy guitar riffing and soaring vocals, and I love it! The band are all insanely talented, everyone getting their time to shine plenty throughout, and have crafted an excellent collection of NWOCR tracks here. It’s impossible not to have a good time listening to this, and I cannot recommend it enough to any rock fans out there. It’s insane to me that they aren’t a massive band already, but they have killed it with this release and are very much looking like 2026 will be a breakout year for them! It’s very easy to hear why we gave it 9/10, and why it makes it onto our list!
Listen to: Replace the Pain, We All Need Saving, and Love on the Other Side
98 – An Evening With Knives: End of Time
This proggy alt metal release from towards the start of the year came five years after their previous studio album, and showed just how much the band had grown and matured. It’s heavy, groovy and melodic in all the best ways, and somehow combines together elements of everything from stoner and desert rock to prog to heavy metal to plenty in between! The trio are insanely talented, all playing their asses off from front to back, and have produced something truly special with this release, managing to sound pretty unique at a time when that is almost impossible! If you are into anything from QOTSA to Tool to even Machine Head and Devildriver, do yourselves a favour and check this out ASAP! It got a very easy 9/10 from us when it dropped, and I fully stand by that rating now, showing just why it made the cut for this list!
Listen to: Pride of Lions, Death and The Mistake
97 – Trick or Treat: Ghosted
This epic slab of old-school heavy metal mixed with more old-school power metal is just as fantastic now as it was in April when it first dropped. Combining sounds like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Hammerfall and their spooky, horror theming works perfectly, and makes for a solid album as it is. Then you take into account just how phenomenally talented every band member is, from the vocals to the drumming to the soloing and riffing, it’s all so good, and it’s so very easy to fall in love with this release. It’s stacked to the brim with awesome tracks, and even some awesome guest appearances from Adrienne Cowen and Christopher Bowes. 45-minutes still now goes by in a flash even after a few listens. If you’re into power metal you’re probably already checking it out from reading this, but if not I’d definitely recommend it to just about any music fan. It’s got someone of the biggest choruses of the year. Yet another very solid 9/10from us, and incredibly deserving of its spot on our list!
Listen to: Craven Road, Bloodmoon, and Evil Dead Never Sleeps
96 – The Rasmus: Weirdo
The 11th studio album from the pop/alt metal band goes far harder than I feel almost anyone expected before it released! From genuinely heaving riffing to being packed full of their typically arena-filling choruses, it very much felt like a return to the top after a few years of honestly a little middling releases. Don’t get me wrong, it is still a touch cringy at times lyrically, but that is almost part of the charm with this sort of music! It’s barely half an hour and an incredibly easy listen, and a release I’d recommend to anyone into more of a poppy hook! It’s a sound I feel nostalgic for despite never really getting into it much in my teen years, so for anyone who was more into the band or stuff like Him, it would probably get even higher. It got another incredibly solid 9/10 from us and is more than deserving it’s spot on this list!
Listen to: Creatures of Chaos, Dead Ringer, and You Want it All
95 – Lacuna Coil: Sleepless Empire
The symphonic/industrial metal powerhouses very much returned to form in 2025, and this album is a huge indicator of that! This thing is catchy, heavy and packed with banger after banger. From the soaring operatic vocals to the harsh screams, both fit so well over the awesome, almost nu-metal infused instrumentation. It’s another album that goes hard from start to finish too, every song being as good as the last. They were a band I somehow didn’t get into much in my youth, so as a first full album by them I’ve check out, I’m a little obsessed! The only reason it is this low down is because it is so an insanely high quality year for new music! It still got another incredibly solid 9/10from us, and if you’re even passingly into metal, I’d highly recommend giving this one a try!
Listen to: Oxygen, Scarecrow, and Hosting the Shadow
94 – Sleep Theory: Afterglow
Very much the breakout stars of 2025, the debut album from the metalcore upstarts has already set them up to be a huge name sooner rather than later. They channel massive early ADTR vibes in the best ways, especially since said band have taken a nosedive in recent years. It’s full of ch0nky riffs, huge choruses and some great screams, and is a fantastic 40-minute listen. I actually hadn’t revisited it too much since it’s May release, but having checked it out again while writing this list, I fell in love with it all over again. It’s incredibly radio/mainstream friendly, but that isn’t at all a bad thing. The band have worked their asses off on socials the last couple of years to make this a big release, and it has paid off in spades. However, the quality of the music is also high, certainly contributing to their fast success. If it was slightly more adventurous and innovative, it would have ended up even higher on the list but still, making it on here shows how high quality it is! I gave it8.5/10 when it dropped, and I still agree with that now, but it may even sneak up to more like a 9 on some listens!
Listen to: Hourglass, Fallout, and Just a Mistake
93 – Cardinal Black: Midnight at the Valencia
This is a modern soft rock masterpiece. End of discussion. It gives off massive Genesis or Seal vibes, but definitely with a current day edge to it. Over half a year later and Tom’s vocals still give me goosebumps at times throughout. However, the arrangement of every song compliments his voice perfectly, everyone being incredible musicians and songwriters. While the band have certainly been on a lot of tongues the last couple of years, this truly felt like the year that Cardinal Black really broke out. And, this album is definitely a big reason for that! It’s fucking beautiful, and it’s an album that still makes me feel the same as I did the first time every time I spin it. The only reason it’s a little lower than maybe expected is because it does get a little samey after a while. However, when that similar stuff is all banging, it’s impossible not to love it, still! This got a whopping 9.5/10 from us and it’s hard not to still agree with that sentiment now!
Listen to: Ride Home, Breathe, and Morning Light
92 – Tanner Usrey: These Days
The first of a healthy handful of bands in this vaguely indie country-Americana sound that has gotten so big the last couple of years on this list. The fact that it is at this point in it certainly doesn’t diminish its quality either, as this is a fanatic release! It’s incredibly varied too, from blusy Southern rock to more of an indie flavour to even a more traditional country style. And, no matter the sound, it’s performed brilliantly and packed full of emotion from start to finish. My only slight complaint is that the pacing and arraignment of it is a little slow at times. However, every song is excellent, and it honestly has some of my favourite tracks of the year on it, the exceptional very much outweighing anything slightly less-so. I’d easily put this up there with his debut album, even if it hasn’t had quite as much love! We gave ita solid 9/10, and it more than earned its spot here!
Listen to: If you Call me Again, Bad Love, and With You
91 – Zach Top: Ain’t in it for my Health
Yes, I know, people are going to be BIG MAD for this being so low down on this list. He’s an absolutely massive artist for sure, and this is one hell of an album. My main bug to bare is that, as much as I love a classical country vibe typically, a lot of this is a touch on the slower side. That’s inherently not an issue at all, but it does get a touch old through the 50-minute length. However, there is no denying the HUGE talent on display throughout, from a songwriting, vocal and playing standpoint, and it’s easy to hear why he’s one of the biggest names in the genre currently. If you are at all a fan of traditional country music, this is well worth checking out. If it wasn’t for the genre having such a strong year again, this would certainly be higher up. We gave ita very solid 8.5/10, and it may have crept even higher than that since its release!
Listen to: Guitar, Splitsville, and Flip—Flop
90 – Pridian: Venetian Dark
The first debut album to make it onto our list this year, and it’s an awesome slab of modern metal from the Estonian four-piece. It’s the perfect blend of heavy, chuggy riffing, crushing drums and some awesome screams. Yet, it also still has moments of levity and cleanness throughout, the band clearly hugely talented to be able to put it all together! This thing came out all the way back in May and has spent the rest of the year pretty firmly in my rotation, blowing me away each time. It’s heavy, melodic and also rather menacing and gothic throughout, being an awesome combo! This is somehow one of the albums that we missed the week of its release, but it gets an incredibly deserving 9/10 now, and easily earned its spot on this list! Check it out if you are at all into melodic metal.
Listen to: Cyanide Dreams, Ruin, and Void Resonance
89 – Slaughter to Prevail: GRIZZLY
One of the most hyped albums of the year, at least in the deathcore scene, and to my shock it was a bit more of a grower on me than an immediate hit. Don’t get me wrong, it hits hard right from the first listen, but something about it didn’t hook me in immediately. Maybe it was because, much like my issues with Falling in Reverseor Electric Callboy in recent years, we’d heard a good chunk of the album before its release, and had sat with it for a while. So, while none of it is at all bad, it did feel ever so slightly underwhelming.
However, coming back to this album a couple of times since, I’ve definitely grown to appreciate it more! Alex is one of the best vocalists and frontmen in the game today, and the band behind him have crafted nearly an hour of crushingly heavy (but still fun) deathcore. If you are a fan of the heavier side of metal, I cannot recommend this enough. They deserve all the praise they get and the size they have climbed to, and this album very much cements them at the top of their style. As you could probably guess by this point, it got a 9/10 from us when it released, but it may be even slightly higher than that now!
Listen to: Russian Grizzly in America, Viking, and Lift That Shit
88 – Julia DiGrazia: All In
Another massive debut album, this time from a woman who’s already becoming a powerhouse in country. Having gotten her first big break on her and Evan Honer’s (more on him later) cover of Tyler Childers’ ‘Jersey Giant’ back in 2022, her rise has already been meteoric, and capped off perfectly by this collection. Whether it’s blues/southern tinged country rock, classic country or more of an Americana sound, it has a bit of everything across it’s just 30-minute runtime. Every track is as good as the last, and makes for such an incredibly easy listen. She’s already becoming a massive name in the scene, and it’s incredibly easy to hear why. If you haven’t already, give this a spin, you’ll surely love it as much as I do! It got a massive, and rightly deserved, 9.5/10 in our review, and if it wasn’t such a strong year, it would have gotten even higher on our list!
Listen to: Rollercoaster, Two Truths and a Liar, and Life’s Been Good Lately
87 – Kyle Gordon: Kyle Gordon is Wonderful
This was maybe the hardest album to place on this list. It nearly didn’t make it at all, as comedy music seems to be such a controversial topic these days. However, Kyle has crafted something truly special here, and it’s an enjoyable release with or without the fantastic comedy wit, so there was no way it wasn’t sneaking on here. I was already a fan of his, but the concept and creativity of this release really blew me away. 10 different genres from 10 different ‘artists’, detailing the most “Wonderfully Ridiculous Songs of All Time”. Whether it’s Europop, nu metal, indie or traditional country/bluegrass, Kyle is an INCREDIBLE songwriter, and does each style so well. I challenge you to check this out and try to tell me you don’t love it, I honestly think it’s impossible! It was another one I missed out on reviewing when it dropped, but I can’t give it any less than 9/10! I’ve spun it a lot in the last eight months since its release, and I don’t think I’ll be stopping any time soon!
Listen to: We Will Never Die, Crawl to Me, and My Husband’s Ghost
86 – Lorna Shore: I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me
The other kings of modern deathcore very much do their own thing, and sound fantastic doing so! This thing is over an hour spread across just 10 songs, and is much symphonic/power metal as it is anything else. It’s epic, grandiose and wildly ambitious, and the band pull it off like only Lorna could. From the crazy heaviness of the blastbeats and breakdowns to Wills now iconic vocals, the band followed up on Pain Remains pretty perfectly! If you are into the band or genre at all and somehow haven’t checked this out already, do so as soon as you can! It won’t be for everyone, but I loved this, and the genre has very much grown on me over the last year or two thanks to bands like Lorna and Slaughter. It got a very easy 9/10 back in September, and it’s hard to argue against that after another few listens! It more than earns its spot on this list, and could have been higher if there weren’t so many excellent heavier albums alongside it!
Listen to: Prison of Flesh, In Darkness and Forevermore
85 – Dillon Carmichael: Keepin’ Country Alive
Four years after Dillon’s breakout success with Son of a, he returned in a major way with this album back in June. It’s Southern rock tinged modern country music, and a lot of fun across its 14 songs! It feels like it would have fit perfectly into the mainstream scene a decade ago, somehow combining the bro-country style of FGL with more of a Blackberry Smoke or TC3 flavour. Then again, he has plenty of Jon Pardi vibes to him too, it making sense that he supported him the other year. Yes, it’s a touch cringy and stereotypical when it comes to lyrics and theming at times, but that almost adds to the charm when it’s this good. From the powerful vocals to the catchy melodies and choruses to some awesome riffing and instrumentation throughout, it’s impossible not to fall in love with this! There really isn’t a bad track on the album, and three-quarters-of-an-hour really goes by in a flash. If you have even a passing interest in country music, this is a must to be checking out! It got a massive 9.5/10 from us, and you only have to listen to see why! It more than deserves this slot on our list!
Listen to: Raised Up Wrong, When She’s Drinkin’, and No Matter How Hard I Try
84 – Ghost Hounds: Almost Home
Perfectly combining old-school rock’n’roll, soul and country music, the fifth album from the Pennsylvanian natives has honestly been a little underrated this year. I’m not sure if it’s due to it being the first release since their change in vocalist, with Tre Nation personally scouting out SAVNT to replace him, but this is an incredible release that just hasn’t got the love I feel it should have. There are some genuinely excellent blues rock tracks, be it boot-stompin’ or more slower, emotional ballads. However, to address the elephant in the room, it’s not quite as high as I expected it to be because it does drop off a fair bit by the end. The first half of it is excellent, but the second half is maybe one too many slower tracks in a row. Still, just think how good those opening six songs are that it makes it this high on our list! And still, the latter tracks aren’t bad, I just wish the album was a little better arranged! If you are into blues or southern rock, or more of a slower country style, this is well worth checking out. It was another easy 9/10 from us, and well worth its spot here!
Listen to: She Runs Hot, Past the Point of Rescue, and You’ll Never Find Me
83 – Phear: Save Our Souls
This powerful explosion of melodic metal is somehow the third album from the Canadian band, and they have a big new fan in me this year because of it! It’s the perfect mix of heavy riffing and drumming and catchy, melodic leads and vocals. It vaguely reminds me of Fozzy back when they were good, around Sin and Bones. I was a little late to this, not checking it out until the start of summer, but it blew me away and I have since gone back to check out both their other releases. That’s how good this is, and it’s honestly their best release to date. The band are so talented, both as songwriters and players, and they have crafted something brilliant here. We don’t get enough of this sort of sound any more, though it is making a comeback in the last couple of years, and these guys are continuing it on perfectly! If you are at all into a more melodic side of metal, think Metallica meets Alter Bridge, I cannot recommend this enough. It’s another easy 9/10 from us, and I already can’t wait to hear where they go from here. Hopefully it’s not another five years, next time!
Listen to: Aftershock, Narcosynthesis, and Bleed
82 – Jonah Kagen: Sunflowers and Leather
Another entry into the ‘emotional indie-Americana’ category for this list already! This whole thing is bittersweetly beautiful from start to finish, the perfect blend of Zach Bryan and Evan Honer. And somehow and nearly an hour and 16-tracks long, it still goes by in a flash and is an incredibly easy listen! The lyrics throughout are a massive highlight, but the instrumentation fits them all so very perfectly. I’d somehow never heard of him before this release, but he’s another that’s won me over massively and has a big new fan in me because of his 2025 release! And, anyone who is into any of the sounds that I’ve mentioned previously, check this release out ASAP. There are still a couple better releases in this style, in my opinion, but it still more than deserves this spot on the list, and got an easy 9/10 back in September!
Listen to: Sunflowers and Leather, Black Lung, and The Reaper
81 – Mark Morton: Without the Pain
This was not the album I expected from the Lamb of God guitarist this year. His last solo album back in 2019 was a groove metal romp featuring some of the biggest names in hard rock and metal. Switching gears, his second solo release does the same but with country, and honestly it’s just as good! From Jaren Johnston to Matt James, Cody Jinks to Charlie Starr, there are some massif names attached to this, and all do a great job of bringing Mark’s tracks to life, vocally. It’s an incredibly fun album that is definitely heavy on the rock and southern elements, but still is distinctively country. Mark could certainly have a career in the genre if he ever chose to leave LoG, not that I ever hope he does! I’m pretty sure it appeals to both country fans and those into a more heavier sound, so just about everyone reading this should check it out! Despite talking to Matt James about it when I played with him, I still missed this release when it dropped. However, it’s one of the easiest 9/10’a I’ve ever given, and a fitting end to part one of our list!
Listen to: Hell & Back, Without the Pain, and Dust
WOW. What a fucking show! My first time at the venue and also my first time seeing either band. I was at least pretty familiarwith the headliners, but didn’t know Paledusk that well. I went into the evening expecting to enjoy it, but I wasn’t quite expecting the level of performance throughout!
Firstly, the Apollo was packed. The gig got downgraded from Manchester arena to this venue, and the result meant that it was sold out and packed full of die-hard fans who showed up early to get down close. We queued well over half an hour, and we arrived 20 minutes after doors. Everyone was ready, that’s for sure!
I wasn’t too familiar with the openers heading into the show. I knew the name and had checked out a couple of tracks before the show, but that was about it. However, they have a HUGE new fan in me from this set! Firstly, the sheer energy and showmanship on display throughout their 40-minutes was insane. I’ve seen fewer spin-kicks in a Bruce Lee movie than I saw guitarist Daidai; the guy was all over the stage with them! Then you had frontman Kaito’s infectious energy too, throwing himself around with almost as little regard. He also held the crowd in the palm of his hand throughout. I thought they may have struggled given the heaviness compared to the headliner, but the crowd were more than down to bounce around and even got a pretty decent circle pit going when instructed. I’ve also never heard a crowd cheer a breakdown before, but it was pretty fun to see every time!
And we haven’t even spoken about their music yet! Their quirky, whacky, heavy, melodic music. It was all over the place in the best way possible! They are all insanely talented players, performers and vocalists, and I immediately want to be seeing them back over here again ASAP.
Then, after a brief changeover, the headliners took to the stage. It at first seemed a little odd when it was barely 8:05, but they tore the roof off the place for a solid two hours! After a fantastic little video package set the tone for their latest release, they exploded on with recent hit ‘Puppets Can’t Control You’. Now, y’all know I loved DETOX, so the fact that they played almost all of it was incredible. From personal favourites like ‘N.A.S.T.Y’, ‘Tropical Therapy’ and ‘Delusion:All’ to more unexpected cuts in ‘Party’s Over’ and ‘The Pilot </3’, it was all incredible live and sounded so very close to the track. But don’t fear, because old-school fans still had plenty to sink their teeth into. From ‘The Beginning’ to the beautiful, empowering ‘Stand Out Fit In’ and perennial set closer ‘We Are’, the setlist was honestly damn near perfect!
And the performance… GODDAMN. Honestly, I was looking forward to seeing them at the UKs biggest arena, but seeing essentially a stadium-level band back home putting on that caliber of show to a 4k cap venue was truly something special. The band played, sung and headbanged their hearts out from the very first note to the very last. And, because of that, the crowd fed them that very same energy back. I can’t recall a time when I had been part of a crowd so loud and passionate, except for maybe Drake Milligan, and even then it wasn’t for the full show. The crowd felt like just as much a part of the show as anything else; singing every word back to the band and jumping around and clapping constantly. I can honestly say it was one of the best sets I’ve seen from an all-round perspective, and not one I’ll ever forget!
And there you have it, folks. Two of Japan’s biggest and best rock bands playing a more intimate show in one of the UKs honestly best venues (aside for the tiny amount of toilets, wtf?). The sound for both was great, even when under the balcony, so massive props to the sound guys too! I honestly cannot recommend seeing either band enough, they both blew me away for somehow both different and similar reasons. Honestly, if I wasn’t working tomorrow I’d be on the first train down to see them in London, they were THAT good. Hopefully both manage to make it back over here soon, be it together again or separate, as I’d be right there buying tickets the moment they went on sale! If you get the chance to see them live, take it, but even if not, you have got to listen to them on track too!
