Tag Archives: goth

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Ice Nine Kills, Creeper, Devil Wears Prada and TX2 Rock Nottingham Arena!

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It is no secret that two of these bands are very close to my heart. So, to be able to see INK get to headline arenas in the UK was already something special, but to do so alongside one of the best modern bands in Creeper was truly something else. I had tickets for this show from the moment they went on sale, and have been super hyped for it ever since. There was no way I wasn’t writing this review, so let’s dive right in!

TX2… the old adage is if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all…

I really wanted to enjoy The Devil Wears Prada. I’ve definitely enjoyed them in the past on track, even if not as much recently. The band are very clearly a talented bunch of musicians, playing well and crafting some good sounding stuff. However, for the most part their music isn’t really my sort of bag when it comes to modern metal/metalcore, especially when most of their short setlist was made up of newer material. Plus, the band felt just a little bit like they were more going through the motions here. I get that they were second of four bands on that night, but the place had packed out fairly considerably for their set, and I was left a little bored and distracted while they were on. It was probably more just me, as the pit looked pretty good, but I sadly wouldn’t rush to see them again live.

Creeper will never not be good live. The only time I’ve seen them recently was back at 2000 Trees where they blew me away, and they did that here once again! The band were on top form, blasting through the top hits of both parts of Sanguivore without barely pausing for breath. And how could they, when they barely had 30 minutes to work with? That is my only complaint about the show, is that in stacking the lineup, the openers didn’t get a whole lot of time to show what they’re about. Still, Creeper made the most of it, and even despite some early technical issues, put on a blinder of a show! From new bangers like ‘Blood Magik’ and ‘Headstones’ to previous album classics ‘The Ballad of Spook and Mercy’ and ‘Cry to Heaven’, there wasn’t a dull moment!

The band performed masterfully, too. Will has become an effortlessly charismatic frontman in recent years, taking what could be a cheesy gimmick and making it actually cool. Meanwhile, the renewed focus on Hannah with Mistress of Death has added a great dynamic as she is a born stage performer, too. And not to take away from the rest of the band either, who all played their asses off and had such fantastic stage presence, fitting the theme perfectly. They are about ready to take on venues like this on their own, and more than deserve it after their recent studio output and solid live shows. But for now, this was an amazing set, and I already look forward to seeing them again soon!

This was my third time seeing Ice Nine Kills. First back in a smaller club, then main stage at a major festival. Both times were awesome, and both times they upped the ante in terms of stage show. This, however, was on another level. They were made to play these huge arena stages, and they brought enough props and fire to prove just that. From the usual mask changes and prop axes and knives to new stuff like plenty of pyro, smoke and their backing screens. Everything was so perfectly and meticulously planned out, every track having a story and a show to it in its own right. Speaking of the screens, using them to play a little vignette to introduce every song was masterful, and fully on brand for the band. It’s a show that can only be put on at this sort of size of venue, and now I never want to see them on a smaller one again!

As for the set itself, it was pretty damn perfect. It was fairly similar to what I’ve seen before, but given that they are still on the Silver Scream duos’ album cycle, that was to be expected. However, the three new tracks they’ve released since I last saw them were all phenomenal, even the middling ‘Great Unknown’. Heck, both ‘The Laugh Track’ and closer ‘A Work of Art’ were incredible and so chaotic in the best ways, being easy set highlights. And, not only did we get their incredible ‘Walking on Sunshine’ cover live (the bass of RBF were there for the whole show, making it sound even more awesome!) but we also got a fantastic cover of The Mighty Mighty Bostones’ big hit. And, all the classics were just as good too, and performed to perfection by the band. Everyone on the stage was so damn talented, the songs being pretty technical throughout, and played them all amazingly well. And, for the first time watching them, it honestly felt like a more cohesive band, and less of just Spencer and backing. It was nice, and made the show even better! It was somehow the best set I’ve seen from them, and easily one of the best I’ve seen all year!

So there you have it, folks! Two of my favourite current bands playing blinding sets to a packed out arena crowd, what more could you want? Yes, while I wasn’t a huge fan of the opening two, I am just one guy with my own opinion, and I’ve seen plenty of love for both online too. But honestly, I cannot recommend Creeper and INK enough, both are INCREDIBLE live and are going to be the future of heavy music for years to come, mark my words! The next possible chance you have to check either out, do it!

Reviews

Id3ntity: Ward XVI End the Trilogy With a Bang!

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It’s here. It’s finally here. However long in the making and a big, successful crowdfunding campaign later, on Friday the third album from the UK goth metallers is finally out. The conclusion to the psychoberrie trilogy, I cannot wait to hear where the band goes and how it all ends. And, miraculously, we managed to get an early copy. I’ve been a fan of this band for years now, so of course we were going to dive in deep and let y’all know what we thought!

The album starts with a bang with ‘Regeneration’. Setting the scene of the tale with some new broadcasts, it feels very Ice Nine Kills from the offset, and definitely in a good way. The buildup of percussion and sounds around the bass-line also gave vague Tool vibes, which was awesome. Then the chunky riff explodes in, Psychoberrie’s vocals soon coming in over the top perfectly. The chorus is pretty catchy too, the instrumentation keeping it plenty heavy behind the melody. The lyrics are awesome too, fitting the tone of the story perfectly. I also LOVE the Egyptian feel in the bridge, and the solo keeps that vibe fantastically. Especially when it builds back into the heavier stuff but keeps the same style. The Doctor is one of the most criminally underrated guitarists in the scene right now. It’s an amazing way to open up the album, and a definite early highlight!

More of a gothic/black metal vibe runs through ‘Into the Wilderness’, the choir vocals that run through it helping with that. Berrie’s vocals around them are awesome, and her melodies are amazing. It may be one of her strongest vocal performances, honestly. It all builds to a massive, catchy chorus, one made to be played to huge festival crowds. Everything just sounds so massive, the mix on this thing being incredible and it all stands out and works together perfectly. It has another awesome solo in the middle, this one a lot more traditional rock, and the bridge with the play between the demon (?) voice and Berrie’s was a fantastic touch that added so much to the story. What would you know, another phenomenal song!

The Brad Pitt song opens exactly how you’d expect if you’ve heard ‘Toy Box’, and when the instrumentation kicks in it has a surprising folk metal sound to it. The folk vibes continue through the verse, it having a great swinging beat and very much feeling like a continuation of the aforementioned track. It also has a slight modern Maiden feel to it, which is sick. Another amazingly catchy chorus will surely go down a storm live, and I love it taking a turn after the first into more of a modern metal style. It somehow feels so different from the two previous songs, yet all three of them feel somehow so distinctively Ward XVI. I loved this, and think the folky style fits them just as much as anything else. Yet another highlight track on an album so far packed full of them!

The cleverly titled ‘Macabaret’ is a faster paced, high-energy romp that is just as fun as the previous song, but yet again completely differently! The horns were a fantastic touch, adding yet another layer on top of an already brilliantly arranged song, and fitting the theme perfectly. It’s another song I am already desperate to see live! The Doctor once again kills it with an awesome solo, and the almost breakdown riffing behind it sounds incredible. It’s a hugely fun song and one that I’d recommend to absolutely anyone reading this!

After a brief spoken-word interlude, again telling the tale of the album perfectly, we launch into the lead single of the album, ‘Blood is the New Black’. I am very familiar with this track, having done a reaction video to it when it released, and have been a little obsessed ever since! I shan’t gush over it too much more than I already did in that video, but this is an INCREDIBLE song and such a good choice for the lead single. One of my favourite tracks the band have ever put out, in this writers humble opinion. Another to check out immediately!

Following that up is the most recent single, ‘At the Window’. After an ominous, slow-build intro, a slow, epic chorus explodes in. It dropping down for the verses, coupled with the fast vocal delivery, was a nice touch and kept things yet again fresh. It’s essentially rap, like a dark, gothic version of Delilah Bon, and I loved it! The lyrics are fantastic and the vocals and heavy instrumentation build perfectly into that catchy chorus again. The epic feel continues throughout, and it’s another truly fantastic vocal performance from Berrie. The extended second chorus is incredible, it building more and more into something truly massive and special. It gave me goosebumps on track, so I can only imagine how hard it’d hit live! It’s another track that you have to really hear, my words aren’t doing it anywhere near enough justice. Damn, this album is amazing so far!

‘Spit on Your Grave’ has a late 90s industrial/nu-metal intro to it, though when it explodes in it almost feels uplifting in an odd way. The closest thing I can compare the riffing to is Muse, which is sick! Then it drops down to the low bass and ominous guitaring, immediately turning more towards ‘Prosthetics’ or ‘Scissors’ or ‘Gently’ by Slipknot. The band again do a brilliant job of building in the instrumentation and tension slowly until another infectiously catchy chorus comes in. The dynamics on this track, and the album as a whole, are amazing. I loved the story of the track too, the vocal delivery being incredible throughout. And I feel like a broken record at this point, but the guitar solo tucked away in the middle is also awesome! Shock horror, it’s another incredible song!

Another brief, talky interlude that once again adds perfectly to the story sets ‘Darkest Desire’ up perfectly. I hate to play it off as it is a damn good song, but it doesn’t feel like anything we haven’t heard on the album to this point. Especially when compared to the beautiful, dark acoustic/piano ballad that follows it. It’s a track that the album very much needed, and is executed to perfection. It still brings the heaviness too later on, but there is no denying this is the ballad-track of the album. And we still get an awesome, slower solo too, showing off the Doctor’s versatility yet again. And once again, it feels fresh and different while distinctively Ward XVI. It’s an awesome song, and placed perfectly on the album!

The final dark interlude ties the story together perfectly, and leads into the final track and massive single, ‘We Are Legion’. It’s another song I’m pretty familiar with at this point, and of course love. It’s heavy, gothic and really catchy, another one that will go over amazingly live. It also ties together the album excellently, feeling like it combines elements of each song that preceded it. It’s another amazing song and another great choice for a single.

Overall: This met and somehow exceeded my hype for it! Every song is amazing and it acts as the perfect conclusion to everything the band have built since they started. It’s packed full of massive highlights and I want to hear just about every song of this live. I know they’re doing so at their album launch that we sadly can’t make, so this is my plea to do full album shows at least a few times, please! If you are at all into metal in any way, this is very much an album for you. For the years of hype and rumbling, it was worth every second, and this will surely be high on our albums of the year come December!

The Score: 9.5/10

Features, Reviews

Trowsholm, LN and Reliquia Rock Scruffy Murphys!

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A day after our trip to Download (not reviewing it, it feels weird to review one day of a three day festival) we headed up to Birmingham for a night of folky, dark metal goodness. Three awesome bands packing out a small, hot venue that’s been recently refurbished and reopened; it was set to be a good night! Let’s dive into all three and let y’all know just how awesome they were!

Kicking off the night were the gothic metallers Reliquia. They were the only band I hadn’t checked out beforehand, but they came away with a big new fan in me! They’re a sort of style I love; the epic, dark, gothy-doom sound, and reminded me a lot of bands like My Dying Bride. It had all the best elements of doom and black metal, but also sounded pretty unique. And for a venue as small as it was to get a sound as massive as the band produced was amazing, so big props to the sound guy as well as the band for producing a great show. The band are all hugely talented, playing perfectly along with their organ-and-bass backing track as well as writing some awesome songs. And they really grew into their performance, too. They seemed a touch nervous at first, but as the packed room got more into it so did the band, with Gregg in particular being a great frontman by the end. He also had some of the best live vocals I’ve heard in a while; from low singing to awesome screams they were all great. As I said, they won me round pretty quickly into a new fan, and I’d recommend checking them out if you haven’t already!

Next up were the reason we were there, the incredible LN. After seeing them at Winters End back in February and falling in love, we knew we had to see them again ASAP. To the shock of I’m sure no one, we once again were blow away by the band! They’re one of the most interesting bands in the UK underground scene today, as well as being one of the best live bands around. Their studio work is phenomenal and translates perfectly live, especially in such an intimate setting. There was no denying the crowd were there for them, and they played off it perfectly. Heck, they even got a pit going, which I was not expecting at all! LN is such an engaging and magnetic frontwoman, having the crowd in the palm of her hand throughout. Everyone else also put on a great show though, as well! From their popular older stuff to new preview songs and latest single ‘Hellfire’, it was a fantastic set, too. They band are clearly going to go far fast, and it’s so cool seeing them in these small venues before they blow up! 

Headlining the night were Scotlands own Trowsholm. Right off the bat it was an interesting collection of people; a viking, a wizard, someone in a matching short, shirt and bucket-hat combo and a thrasher… seems like the start of a bad joke! However, it made for one hell of a party mood right from the offset, and the band kept said mood high through the whole set. They were potentially the heaviest band of the night, and at very least the highest energy and paced, and it made for an awesome headline set! It felt almost like a heavier Alestorm, so impossible not to love! They travelled far to be at the gig and made sure it was worth it as they put on a show from beginning to end. They were the least ‘my thing’ of the night but I still had a blast, as did the still-packed-out crowd around me! They were polished and professional while still feeling fun and more light-hearted, and I can’t recommend them enough!

Overall, it’s was an absolutely amazing night of live music! All three bands knocked it out of the park and fit so well on the same bill together. I cannot recommend seeing all three of them enough if they come close to where you are, and I already want to see all of them live again already! And plus, shoutout to the venue, which was awesome, and is helping keep rock and metal alive in one of the most important cities for it!

Reviews

Epitaph II: Are LessDMV Set to Put Out One of the Best Albums of the Year?

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The wait is finally over! I know myself, alongside of a lot of readers/fans of Overtone, have been eagerly anticipating this album since the moment it was announced, so to finally be able to sit back and review it is a bit of a surreal moment. Especially after being so accepted into the bands community and getting to chat to the duo just last week (interview pending, sorry!). The singles I’ve heard have been excellent, and they already have a track record of putting out some awesome stuff. So, a sophomore album a decade in the making, this is the band new LessDMV album. Fuck, I’m excited!

The eerie, epic intro track, ‘| E |’ leads perfectly into the heavy, massive start of ‘Hysteria’. That scream and the power metal riffing and drumming is awesome, immediately leaving me not knowing what to expect. Julian’s clean vocals soon come in for the verse, an awesome multi-track going on, a subtle high, softer vocal adding an amazing level to it all. The low growled vocals in the pre are awesome too, showing off his absolutely incredible range early on, and then the catchy chorus comes in perfectly afterwards. It’s all on a similar level which I actually love, as it has a sense of urgency that an opening track should have. The bridge riff gives off big early BFMV vibes in all the best ways, and then we get a melodeath heavy screamed part that blows me away even more! This song is wild and a great taster of a bit of everything the pair do so well, which is exactly what you want from a first track. And, it’s an amazing song in its own right, and one that instantly makes our playlist!

‘Straight from Hell’ picks up right where the opener leaves off, yet has a bit more of that BMTH Sempiternal-era synth vibe to it. I like that it drops down for the verses though, it being just Julian’s incredible voice backed by keys and synths. It adds another layer of variety to the album already, but still feels so very LDMV. It also builds perfectly and beautifully into a massive, arena-filling chorus. It’s still heavy but feels pretty ballad-like, which I love! And, having said that, we still get a heavy breakdown in the middle with an incredible scream in it. It’s another awesome song that fits perfectly with the prior one, and is another one that’s a must check out!

The heaviness returns with THAT riff to open ‘Gone’, but I love that it also still has the keys behind it, feeling like it combines elements of both the tracks before it. It all has a layer of evil and eeriness to it, from said keys to Julian’s low vocal delivery in the verses. And it once again builds perfectly into a surprisingly beautiful, uplifting chorus, though it also fits the track seemingly perfectly. It gives off ever so slight Corey Taylor vibes for the first time on the album, like one of Slipknot’s more modern, slower songs. I cannot get over how awesome the chorus is, it made to be played to huge festival crowds around the world! It’s menacing throughout, outside of that chorus, and I can’t not praise how incredible it is to write two sections that fit when they really shouldn’t. Yet another excellent song!

‘The One’ is the first acoustic ballad of the album. It’s another stunningly beautiful track, and a fatactically emotional love song. The distortion builds perfectly into the absolutely massive chorus, but that doesn’t at all take away from the emotion or beauty, it arguably enhancing it even more. It’s a chorus that’s going to be stuck in my head for days to come too, it’s so good! And honestly, the solo gave me goosebumps. It fit so well and carried the emotion on perfectly. This is an absolutely incredible ballad and an absolutely MASSIVE album highlight. I’mma stop gushing over it so my fangirling doesn’t get to the extreme but yeah, certainly another one for our Spotify!

After another brief interlude track we get more synth-metal awesomeness in ‘Ghost’. It’s very gothy, feeling like a slightly heavier HIM, complete with a couple of awesome screams! It’s a very similar feel to ‘The Light’ after it, though the latter is a touch slower and even more gothic. Both are excellent tracks and I love that it’s the kind of sound that the album settles comfortably into; a bassline by which it goes heavier or lighter. And neither truly feel like album tracks, either, as both could easily be singles in their own right!

‘Requiem’ opens on a Marching drumbeat, with Julian’s insane lows coming in, accompanied by some slight piano. It once again has an eerie feel to it, in the best way. I love the simpleness of the track, too. The first chorus feels epic while not really adding in any more parts than the verse. Heck, it isn’t until the second chorus that everything finally explodes in, sounding massive and so grandiose. It feels like a perfect (yet far too late) time to praise the incredible mix throughout this album; everything shines through perfectly and fits together excellently. This song really lets Julian flex his insane vocal range, going from powerful lows to stunning highs and everything between. And, you guessed it, it’s another beautiful song!

It’s wild to me that we’re this far into the album before we reach the first single on it, ‘The Sanctuary’. It’s a song that I’ve managed to sit with for six months now, and it’s just as incredible now as it was the first time I heard it. I love the driving synth in the intro, giving it an almost 80s vibe to it. And it has arguably the best chorus on the whole release, so damn catchy! It’s a goth-rock radio hit if I’ve ever heard one, that’s for sure! It’s hard to talk about it without repeating what I’ve been saying for months, but just know it’s an excellent song and definitely another worth checking out!

‘| A |’ gives way to the excellent recent single, ‘In the Dark’. It’s another song that I have spoken about a lot, even doing a reaction video for it. So, if you want to hear me gush all over this track, I’d recommend checking that out, as I can’t gush over the track any more concisely than there!

‘Insanity’ is another electronic-based track, even having a trap beat behind it. I have to admit, it isn’t really my sort of thing. However, at least they do it better than Sleep Token! And those couple of low notes Julian hits… DAMN. It’s an impressive song none-the-less, and is yet again something completely different on an album that is never the same or boring. Heck, the fact that I’ve only clumped two songs together into the same paragraph in this whole review is utterly wild, and a true testament to the variety of this album!

The final single on the album, ‘To Believe’, is somehow one that I hadn’t checked out until this review. However, it’s another incredible, beautiful track, and a damn good choice for single! It feels like a blend between ‘The Sanctuary’ and ‘The One’ in that it’s synth-driven but still has a ballad feel to it. It’s uplifting as hell and is another strong contender for best chorus. Heck, that high harmony in there is amazing, again adding so much depth to the already massive sounding vocals. The whole song is another incredible highlight on an album honestly packed full of them.

The final track of the album (excluding the closing ‘|R|’), ‘Summer Rain’, is an amazing way to close things out. The multi-layered, harmonised vocals from the offset are incredible, making it sound massive even though it’s just those and drums for the most part. The Linkin Park-like guitar riffing helps build things up through the choruses and bridges, but the song stays lower throughout, not quite exploding into that high gear. I actually like it a lot, as it has a sombre feel to it and still feels epic, fitting the style and sounds of the rest of the album rather perfectly. It’s a simple yet incredibly effective song that builds into a truly incredible soundscape by the end. I tend to prefer a big explosion, go out with a bang and all that, but this felt so incredibly fitting to everything else that I loved it. It’s not a song I’d necessarily listen to on its own often, but in the context of the album it’s perfect. And it rolls amazingly into the extended, epic closing interlude!

Overall: WOW. I’ve been a fan of Julian and LessDMV’s work for a while, but I wasn’t expecting to like it quite this much! Especially when most of it was brand new to me; some of my favourite tracks by them being standalone singles instead of making them album tracks too. The whole thing flows perfectly together, and is packed full of excellent song after excellent song. And as I’ve said before, they’re all so different that it keeps it constantly interesting, and let the pair really stretch out their creative wings. I’d urge absolutely anyone to check this out immediately, and it’s definitely going to be high up on our albums of the year list come December!

The Score: 10/10

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Magnum, Hannah Ellis and More!

After a week off due to absolutely nothing coming out in the first week in January, we are back with a stacked week full of awesome new music. Let’s check it all out together below!

Magnum: Here Comes the Rain

Charlotte: Here Comes The Rain by Magnum is a perfect production of atmospheric and almost euphoric sound. Taking melodic classic rock crossed with epic vulnerable lyrics, distinctive keys and rich instrumental elements, Magnum have created an addictive album. Would I be criticised if I said they almost remind me of Bon Jovi, ELO and Journey in one? Even so, it’s a fantastic album and does their catalogue of hits justice. Rest In Peace guitarist and songwriter Tony Clarkin who passed away on the 7th January 2024. 8.5/10

Hannah Ellis: That Girl

We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read our review of it here!

Drown in Sulphur: Dark Secrets of the Soul

The Italian gothic deathcore band released their sophomore album last Friday. Honestly, it’s really fricking good, too. It’s crushingly heavy, but filled with plenty of atmosphere too, almost taking some black metal influences too. The screams, whether they’re low or more extreme metal, are all fantastic, and fit the amazing riffing perfectly. And some of the breakdowns, holy crap, brutal.

And, honestly, it is constantly interesting. It’s a very well put together that I couldn’t stop listening to from front to back. Whether it’s the crushing awesomeness of ‘Eclipse of the Sun of Eden’ or the slower, more atmospheric ‘Lotus’, everything about this album is awesome. There is so much more to it than just deathcore, and I love it. If you’re into heavy, give this a spin all the way through, you won’t be disappointed! The band have a new fan in me! 8.5/10

The Vaccines: Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations

The UK indie rock band are back with their sixth studio album. I have to admit, not being the biggest indie fan in the world, it kinda just sounds like everything else they’ve done. Don’t get me wrong, they are certainly one of the better bands in the genre, and tracks like ‘Sometimes, I Swear’ and ‘Love to Walk Away’ are fantastic. However, as an album as a whole, it’s a bit of a slog to get through. It’s all pretty samey. If you’re into the genre I’m sure you’ll love it, but for me it’s a bit much. The odd track is great, it’s rom-com soundtrack music through and through, but the album as a whole was a struggle for me. 4.5/10

Gothony: Self-Titled

I’d never heard the term ‘drama metal’ be coined until I got this album sent over to me. In my head, sitting here before listening to it, I’m thinking something along the lines of Avantasia or even Ice Nine Kills; epic, grandiose sounds and stories.

It both is and isn’t that. Gothony’s self-titled debut is definitely epic sounding, I’ll give it that. It’s a mixture of death metal, atmospheric black metal, and then some clear influences from symphonic and power metal. However, the instrumentation is great, and both the growls and screams sound incredible. And, surprisingly enough, there is the occasional operatic female vocal spread throughout, like in the track below. I love a lot of the riffs and sections throughout the whole album. There is no denying the bands talent at all.

However, I do wish they’d spent just a little longer on it in the studio. I may have been wrong, but it felt like a couple of times in the intro track the instruments went out of time or changed tempo. And a couple of the vocal performances could have maybe done with another take or two. It could have all been a production issue, though!

Still, overall this is a really enjoyable album. Tracks like ‘Ants’ and ‘Disarm the Gods’ stand out to me. And it is a damn epic album. Live, I feel like it would be incredible. It’s a great starting point for the band, and I can’t wait to hear where they go from here. 7/10

RYUJIN: Self-Titled

Yet another album we’ve already reviewed in full. It was great! Check it out here!

Casey: How to Disappear

Max: The Welsh post-hardcore band that can summerise every difficult emotion is back with another beautiful album, ‘How To Disappear’, their third album overall and first since 2018. As always the album deals with heavier topics and concepts throughout and, as they said in their own words, “each and every piece was crafted from real experiences, embellished to add poetic flair”. I think that that is important to note when listening to the album, and really everyone should read the post on their instagram talking about it, as it gives so much clarity as to the raw emotion that has been so carefully laid out in the album.

Casey is one of my favourite bands and their music has really helped me through difficult parts in my own life and this album continues on doing that for me and I’m sure a lot of their fans. Casey seems to have mastered the balance of intensity and calm throughout their music and can’t make songs have so much incredibly depth to the point that I’m sure if you were to listen to only one instrument all of the emotion would be so incredibly apparent still and when it is all together it simply becomes a masterpiece.

So, I implore you listen to the album and all of their albums and experience someone talk to you about your own emotions in ways that I would never think possible. Where I want to leave this short review is with one thing that the band said, “Even though occasional struggles persist, I am grateful to be here”. 9/10

Timson: Forever’s Not Enough

The debut album of the AOR band is a fantastic listen. Mark Timson took a couple of songs that he wrote in the 80s, updated them and then wrote a whole album around that sound and style. It’s very Whitesnake, Bon Jovi and Night Ranger in all the best ways. It’s Rock of Ages personified, and would feel right at home on the sunset strip four decades ago. Tracks like the title one, ‘Love Will Find a Way’ and ‘More Than Enough’ are all awesome.

Honestly, I don’t have much to say about this album, it’s a really solid release. My main complaint is simply that it’s only eight tracks, I’d have LOVED more of this! I do have to say that, as fantastic as this is, there has been a lot of amazing AOR over the years, and there continues to be a lot of great additions to the genre like Cats in Space and Vega. They may struggle to break through slightly or be labelled harshly by the internet. However, I loved every track on this and already cannot wait to hear more! 8.5/10

Engulf: The Dying Planet Weeps

The first full-length release from the New Jersey death metal outfit is awesome. The first thing they’ve put out in nearly five years, and it’s well worth the wait. It’s crushingly brutal, with some insane riffs and some of the best drumming I think I’ve ever heard. Some of the lower growls throughout are amazing too, though do sadly sometimes boarder on Chris Barnes levels of ridiculous. However, as an album, it’s awesome. There really isn’t a bad song on the album and if you’re into traditional death metal, you’ll love this. My only slight complaint is that it doesn’t really do anything new or innovative. But when it’s this fun a listen and this well written, that barely even matters! 7.5/10

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New Music Mondays: Enter Shikari, Jethro Tull and More!

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A slightly smaller week of new music this week, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less awesome. Check it out with us!

Enter Shikari: A Kiss for the Whole World

Confession time: I never ‘got’ this band. I’ve heard they’re very good live and from seeing videos I feel like I’d enjoy them. However, on track they do next to nothing for me. I struggle to put them into a genre outside of ‘not for me’.

This album didn’t change my mind.

Don’t get me wrong, some of the riffs, like the ones on the title track or ‘Goldfish’ are good. However, it seems to pull together the worst parts of pop-punk, Prodigy and general pop/indie, and blends them together into a boring mess of meh. Again, it would probably do a lot more for me live, as I’d have LOVED tracks like ‘Bloodshot’ and ‘Giant Pacific Octopus’ if they’d have just gone a little harder and heavier. It was too close to Twenty-One Pilots but without the good hooks and lyricism, when I was hoping for something a little closer to Skindred. But hey, that’s on me.

I know fans of the band are going to hate me for this, but I’m simply going off personal preference… 4/10

Jethro Tull: RokFlote

Well, we’re here again. Just under 15 months since we covered Jethro’s triumphant return album, we have a new one. I have a lot of mixed emotions, and not many are positive. I was not prepared for this today.

It’s certainly weird, and it’s certainly Jethro Tull. And it’s one hell of a mixed bag. There are some great elements throughout, like the first minute of ‘Ginnunagagap’ or the flute and guitar melodies in ‘Wolf Unchained’. Heck, the folk-rock parts in each track when it’s flute and guitars are fantastic. However, Ian Anderson sounds tired. He has every right to be, he’s in his mid-seventies. But it just took away any energy the tracks had as soon as his vocals came in.

It doesn’t feel anywhere near the passion and quality of their previous release. While I went as far as to actually enjoy some of that, this felt like a struggle to get through for the most part. It was boring outside of the odd flute melody. However, I still feel like I’d appreciate it a lot live, so there’s that I guess. 3.5/10

The 69 Eyes: Death of Darkness

The moody goth legends are back with their 13th studio album on Friday. Fans of the band know exactly what to expect of the band by now, it’s exactly what you’d imagine a band that got big in the early 2000s goth scene would sound like. Think Him, ASP, Birthday Massacre etc. It’s good.

Typically I’m not a huge fan of this sort of music, but the band did well to win me over with tracks like ‘Drive’, ‘Something Real’ and ‘Gotta Rock’. There’s a bit more of a glam/Misfits/even GnR nature to some of it which definitely drew me in. And the harsher vocals contrasted well with the Peter Steele lows. There are a lot of elements and sounds throughout that really held my attention. There was even some dark country/folk in ‘This Murder Takes Two’ for good measure. Plus, the aforementioned track features legendary tattooist Kat Von D and, no matter your feelings on her personally, there is no denying that she can sing and adds a lot to the track.

I found myself loving it by the end and wanting to check out the rest of their back catalogue. A damn fun listen and a great find for me; they have a new fan in me! 8/10

Angus McSix: Angus McSix and the Sword of Power

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

Alice Howe: Circumstance

Country time. And unfortunately the only one covered this week. However, Alice does a damn good job of representing the genre with her sophomore album. Though it’s a little slower than the typical music we cover on here, it’s a fantastic album to chill out to. Tracks like the opener, ‘Things I’m Not Saying’ and ‘Travelin’ Soul’ are all big highlights of the album. If you like the more traditional, slower side of country, you’ll love this. I’d LOVE to hear it live. 7.5/10

Portrayal of Guilt: Devil Music

This is not an EP. 10 songs spanning 31-minutes is an album. Fight me.

Max: This was super intense and there was so much going on that was just fantastic to listen to; from the intense blast beats on the drums to the intensity of the vocals. There was so much energy throughout the entire album which made it a lot of fun to go through. Whilst I don’t think there was one stand-out song on the album, the entire thing was amazing and was a lot of fun. The guitars were also amazing and carried so much of the album with the speed and skill that is demostrated throughout. 8/10

Phaeton: Between Two Worlds

Max: So this album was a little unexpected. It is an instrumental album. This was actually quite good as it was a nice breath of fresh air after doing several weeks of similar genres. In my experience, instrumental albums can be hit and miss. However, this album was really good. There was a lot going on, but not enough that it became difficult or too intense. The guitars did a really good job making sure that the album wasn’t boring. The only issue was it would have been nice to have a greater focus on the drums and bass but it would seem like this isn’t the focus of the band so you can’t knock them for it. 8/10

Signs of Chaos: Blindsided

Max: This was an interesting album, and not in a bad way. This album had a lot of technical skill from the guitars to the drums and then the screams. This ranged from the speed and intensity of it all with the vocals changing their tone quite a lot to the guitars going from fast and heavy hitting riffs to very well done and thought out solo’s. The only issue was that every now and again some parts of the mix felt like they got lost in the rest of the music which was dissapointing as it was all very very good. Overall this band deserves a lot of praise and far more attention than they have at the time of writing. 9/10

Reviews

How to Shroud Yourself with Night: Are Lacrimas Profundere the Next Rise of Gothic Music?

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Boy, am I excited for this one. Now that reactions are becoming more of a part of Overtone, I ended up reacting to the most recent single Lacrimas Profundere put out on our YouTube channel. People ended up liking it and asked me to react to the previous singles from the album, which came out last week. I have just finished doing so and I gotta tell you, they’re amazing. So this review is going to be pretty positive, just to warn you. And while I take the time to edit down that video, check out what I thought of the other tracks on the album!

The album opens on one of said singles, ‘Wall of Gloom’. However, since I’m not very clear in my reactions, babbling on like a nervous schoolchild, I’ll quickly reiterate here. This is a great track. The plodding pace sets the dark mood for the entire album perfectly. And, of course, it gives vocalist Julian Larre plenty of chance to show off his impressive range. However, this isn’t my favourite single from the album, and it feels like an odd choice to open the album with. It’s a great track but I don’t think it quite hits that high gear that the following track does. However, when listening through as a full album, it almost feels like an extended intro track for the following track…

‘A Cloak Woven of Stars’ is one of my favourite tracks of the year. Period. I gushed over this track a bunch in the reaction, but I feel like I must do it here too. It somehow blends a commercial, radio-friendly sound in with their already dark, heavy one, and it works seamlessly. It combines together so many different sounds seemingly effortlessly, and the result is phenomenal. From the low, clean verses to the harmonised, harsher but massively catchy choruses to even a breakdown riff, this song is incredible. It blew my mind when I listened to it for the first time and made me an even bigger fan of the band. Playlisted!

Next we reach the first one I haven’t heard yet and the first ballad track of the album, ‘Nebula’. The clean guitars sound great, as does Julian as he sings low over the top. It again builds to a huge, harsher chorus, but it feels epic and very earnt. Also, the harmonies between the high clean and lower screams that have been present on the last two tracks are incredible and maybe my favourite part of the album. It’s another great track that once again shows off the band’s staggeringly impressive range.

As if reading that last sentence, ‘In a Lengthening Shadow’ opens on an almost uplifting folk/punk guitar riff. The track stays pretty high-energy throughout, almost giving off power metal vibes than anything else. Gothic power metal is something I definitely need more of! It’s a straight-forward, under 4-minute rock track and I loved it. Another that makes the playlist.

Another single, ‘The Curtain of White Silence’, is up next. I LOVE Julian’s desperate, emotion-filled harsh vocals in the verses. It honestly gives me goosebumps listening back. It reminds me a little of In This Moments’ ‘Whore’, it channels a similar energy. Also, how is it that this band build up to heavier choruses but it’s super catchy and still feels anthemic? It’s damn impressive. The quicker half of the chorus is great but when the drums slow to half-time it’s incredible. More harmonised vocals which again fit so well. A fantastic track and playlisted. I have nothing more to say other than awesome.

Check out more heavy music here.

‘Unseen’ and ‘The Vastness of Infinity’ are both good tracks but both feel a little similar to ‘Shadows’, power metal-esque. That is in no way a bad thing, I love both tracks. It simply means that there isn’t a massive amount for me to say that I haven’t already about a previous track.

Then we reach my introduction track to the band, ‘To Disappear in You’. It’s a fantastic track and one hell of an introduction to the band and album. It has a little bit of everything the band are showing off throughout these tracks and does it so well. It’s heavy, catchy and fun to listen to while still being dark, which is a hard task. I have barely stopped listening to it since the reaction, it’s a great track.

Our reaction of the track!

The synth to open up ‘An Invisible Beginning’ was a nice touch, setting the tone perfectly as a massively catchy riff runs through most of the track. It gave the song a poppier edge that continued throughout. It reminded me of Ghost, or at least what Ghost should have been with their image. It’s goth as anything, also feeling a little Billy Idol at times. Also, the chorus is the catchiest on the album, and I love it. Playlisted, this was awesome.

The final track of the album opens with an evil riff. Like, I’m talking ‘Black Sabbath’ evil. Unfortunately it doesn’t last too long but the rest of the band come in over the top, with Julian doing his harsh talking again like in ‘…White Silence’. There’s another catchy chorus, this one clean while the verses and pres are the heavier, screamed parts. It’s a heavy track to close the album (which I love) and there’s some GREAT riffs in here. It’s one of the best album closers I’ve heard this year, another great track.

Overall: This was phenomenal. I feel awful that I haven’t heard of the band before now and will definitely be checking out more of their back catalogue after this. This is easily one of the best albums I’ve heard and reviewed this year, every track was top notch. Hopefully they come to the UK to tour now as I HAVE to hear some of this live!

The Score: 9/10

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