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New Music Mondays: Green Lung, Tygers of Pan Tang and More!

15th September 2026 Overtone Leave a comment

You know the drill by now! Join us as we check out some of the best rock, metal and country releases from the last week!

Green Lung: Necropolitan

The stoner/doom metallers follow up 2023’s critically acclaimed This Heathen Land with another excellent release! It’s 40 minutes of amazing riffing, catchy melodic moments and a generally massive, malevolent sound. The opener ‘Dance to the Grave’ is an epic, grandiose track, while songs like ‘Black Magick Radio’, the more ballad-like ‘Together in Death’ and ‘Alostrael’ are all massive personal highlights. However, the whole album is excellent from start to finish, and doesn’t feel it’s length at all. It’s a fantastically old school sound, drawing from everything from Deep Purple to Sabbath, Maiden to Candlemass. Having said that, it also has a slight modern edge to it, though that may be more down to the production. The band have been gaining some serious momentum in recent years, and it’s in large part due to their stellar studio output. This is easily up there alongside their previous releases, and gets another solid 9/10 from us!

Tygers of Pan Tang: Electrifyed

The English heavy metal legends are back with album number 14. Going on 50 years since they formed, the band show that they have somehow still not lost a step! From ‘Forevermore’ to ‘Dark Divinity’, ‘The Nail’ to the closer, there is plenty of great stuff throughout. It’s a modernised NWOBHM album and exactly what you’d expect from the band heading into it. While not quite up there with their top releases like the legendary Spellbound or 2016s Self Titled, it’s still an incredibly solid album, and one I’d recommend to anyone who’s a fan! A solid 7.5/10 from us!

Pokey Lafarge: Rent Money

The latest album from the throwback blues/soul rocker is just as great as the rest of his discography! It’s 35-minutes of catchy, chilled-out and incredible well written and performed music; exactly what I expected and wanted! It took a couple of tracks for me to truly fall in love, but from then on I was truly hooked! The title track was an excellent lead single, and we loved it from the moment it released. Followers ‘Stick Together’ and ‘Work’ are other massive album highlights, as is the slower ‘Told You No’. However, the whole album is excellent from front to back, and it all grew on me somehow even more with more listens. The guy can do no wrong from a musical standpoint; it flows incredibly well and the talent on display throughout is off the charts. It’s certainly up there with his last album. If you are at all curious, I cannot recommend this enough! I’ll certainly be spinning it plenty moving forward, and it gets a solid 9/10!

Røry: BLOODLETTING

The third album from the UK pop-metaller is honestly a lot better than I expected heading into it! I’ve not been a fan of much of her previous stuff, but this blew me away! ‘DEGRADATION’ is a straight-up, heavy modern metalcore track, and is a lot of fun. The other heavier stuff like ‘MORTAL’ and, to a lesser extent, ‘GREY’, are also songs I enjoyed a lot. Some of the rest is a little too slow and Bad Omens-y for my tastes, but there is no denying that it is still good music. I also love the intro and interludes, making the album feel like one cohesive project and making for an incredibly easy listen. It’s certainly her strongest album to date, and it may grow on me even more with subsequent listens. Her band are all insanely talented too, and I like the direction that she appears to be heading in, reminding me a lot of Poppy. A pretty damn solid 7.5/10 from us!

The Proclaimers: You May Offend

The Scotish legends once again don’t disappoint on album #13. It’s surprisingly high-energy at times, but is still pretty much exactly what you’d expect from the band. Songs like single ‘But it Is’, ‘Till the Ink Dries’ and ‘There’s No Plan’ are personal highlights. However, none of the album is bad by any stretch. It’s completely inoffensive (moreso than their opinions) pop/folk rock music, and if you’re a fan of their other work it will probably scratch that itch. It doesn’t catch my ear quite as much as their last release, but is still a solid entry into their later discography. I struggled to pin down a score, but I think a strong 6/10 feels right!

Sweet Electric: Something Something Disco

We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read the full review here.

Smithfield: Country With Heart (Part Two)

The country duo’s self-professed debut album (the distinction between albums and singles confuses me no end these days), part two of Country With Heart follows up it’s 2024 counterpart perfectly. It’s 26-minutes of excellent country-pop from start to finish! The harmonies between the pair are incredible, and they work perfectly together from a performing and writing perspective. However, their band are also amazing throughout!

Tracks like ‘Drunk Love You’, ‘Let You’ and ‘Tell Me You Don’t’ are particular highlights, but the whole release is amazing from start to finish. It’s an incredibly easy listen that goes by in a flash. Hell, if there is any justice, ‘Let You’ would be one of the biggest songs in modern country, it is THAT good. It reminds me of Everette’s ‘Gonna be a Problem’ in that regard, but then again the whole project reminds me of Kings of the Dairy Queen Parking Lot in the very best way! They’ve put in a lot of work to get to where they are today, and this album is good enough to hopefully catapult them into the stratosphere! Check this out if you are in any way a country fan, and I’ll certainly be spinning it plenty moving forward. 8.5/10

P.S. check out our live review and interview with the band here and here!

Scene Queen: METALICIOUS

The new EP from the bimbocore pioneer herself is exactly what I’ve come to expect from her. I was surprised how much I enjoyed her debut album, so went into this with a modicum of hype and wasn’t disappointed! It’s a short 16 minutes of nu-metal adjacent greatness, and is a lot of fun. ‘Manicure’ is great, as is incredibly cleverly put together ‘Shopaholic’ and ‘Tracksuit’. Sadly the guest tracks were a slight letdown. I expected to not enjoy the one with TX2 and I was correct, but the title track was maybe the worst track on the release and the fact that it featured Left to Suffer was certainly sad. However, there is more good than bad on this release, and I find myself cringing slightly less and less every time I listen to her. It’s still a touch over the top for me at times lyrically, but I very much know that is the whole point of it. It’s worth a listen if you’re interested, and a solid 7.5/10 from us!

iATLAS: Beyond the New Horizon

The debut EP from the alt rock trio is a fun 16 minutes, and a great introduction to the band! It’s a great throwback 70s/80s sound, and the band are all clearly talented players and songwriters. ‘Touch the Sky’ and ‘3iATLAS’ are personal highlights, and were great choices for singles. However, each track is good, and the EP is such an easy listen as a hole! I’m curious to see where the band go from here, and I already can’t wait to hear more! For now though I’ll certainly be spinning it again soon. Also, the artwork is SICK. A solid 7/10 from us!

Hubris.: White Shores

Album five from the Swiss post-rock instrumental quartet is a captivating, epic 40 minute soundscape. Everything flows together excellently, from the audio to even the track names, branding it as a truly thought out work of art. It’s certainly not going to be a release for everyone, but if you are at all interested I’d definitely recommend checking it out! It’s not something you’d probably listen to individual tracks off, but as a complete package it’s incredible! Just sit in a dark room with some headphones on and get lost in it. Another easy 7/10, and one I’ll be revisiting it again soon!

Slug Comparison: Cold In Cold Out

The new solo EP from Fen vocalist/guitarist Doug Harrison is an amazing 26 minutes of music! Though we sadly didn’t have time to review his latest album last year, I really enjoyed it. Somehow, this is even better! The dark, brooding, grungy alt-rock opener is fantastic, and sets the tone for the rest of the release excellently. ‘Back to the World’ is another highlight for me, but there really isn’t a bad song on the EP. It’s maybe a touch long for a generally slower release, but it’s so well written and performed that I couldn’t help but get lost in it. The soundscape created is amazing, while his vocals and lyrics are phenomenal. It’s definitely one I’d recommend if you’re into the proggier side of alt rock, and will surely make it onto our top EPs of the year list come December! 8.5/10

Nicolas Jamerson: Rabbit Holes (Vol. 1)

Following up his album from last year, the traditional country/Americana/bluegrass singer-songwriter put out another fantastic collection of tracks this last Friday! It’s honestly amazing that he gets such a full sound and feel out of mainly just him and his guitar, holding my attention fully throughout. It’s 19 minutes and seven tracks of sheer beautiful playing and writing, and is packed full of emotion. ‘I’ve Never Been Anywhere’ is a massive highlight, as is ‘Be Strong’ and the beautiful duet in ‘Fly’. However, there really isn’t a bad song throughout. His vocals are powerful and fit the vibe of the songs perfectly, and his lyrics are tremendous from start to finish. It’s another release that isn’t for everyone, but I’d recommend it to anyone into an older-school country vibe. I already can’t wait for Vol. 2. A very easy 8/10!

Mother of Millions: T

The prog metal Greeks are back with their fifth album, and it’s another excellent release! It’s packed full of chunky riffs, powerful, soaring, catchy vocals and some fantastic technically and arrangements. ‘The Wound’ opens things perfectly, while songs like ‘The Aftermath’, ‘The One’ and ‘The Circle’ are other massive highlights. It’s maybe a touch long for my preference, but the album is so varied it’s still an easy listen, and I honestly wouldn’t be able to tell you what to cut! The band are all massively talented both individually and together, and this reminds me of Finger Eleven in the best possible way. It’s exactly the sort of thing I love, and the band very much have a big new fan in me! I’ll certainly be going back and checking out their previous stuff as well as spinning this plenty in the coming weeks and months. A very easy 8.5/10 from me!

The Meffs: Business

The sophomore album from the punk duo is exactly what you’d expect if you’d heard their other music. It’s fine. It’s old school punk with a bit of a heavier edge. The attitude is very much there, and their lyrics and the message behind them is excellent. But musically it’s just straight up punk, as you’d expect from just the two of them. It’s good, but a little repetitive for my liking overall. Tracks like ‘Where Did it All go Wrong’ and ‘So Modern’ are pretty good and definite personal highlights. And I’m certainly not saying the rest of the album is bad; they are very clearly great at what they do are gathering a lot of steam and have a bright future ahead of them. But the tough-boi punk always felt a touch cringy to me, and this is no different. I certainly wouldn’t turn it off if it came on, but I wouldn’t actively seek out to listen to it, if that makes sense. If you’re a hardcore (not in that way) punk fan, give this a spin, you’ll surely enjoy it! However, I can’t give it any more than a 6.5/10, sorry guys!

CoreLeoni: Generection

The fourth album from the Swiss hard rock/NWOHMers is built around previously unreleased songs, and is a mighty fine release in its own right. From the sleazy, heavy riffing to the soaring vocals to the catchy hooks and melodies, it’s 40+ minutes of great, 80s style rock music! From ‘Generation Rock’ to ‘Sex on the Beach’, ‘Don’t Tell Me’ to ‘Yearning’ and everything in between, it’s all awesome! There is plenty of variety, keeping it interesting throughout, and I got lost in it very easy from start to finish. The more I listened the more I fell in love; the band have crafted something truly special with a lot of these tracks, and they fit together perfectly! It starts slightly rough, but honestly give it the time and you’ll surely fall in love as much as I did. A very easy 9/10 from us!

Schandmaul: Sternensegler

German folk-rockers Schandmaul have once again dropped a fantastic album! it’s 11 awesome rock/metal tracks packed with massive, arena-filling choruses and some great folk elements! I somehow wasn’t familiar with them heading into this, but really enjoyed the album as a whole! The title track, ‘Flagge’ and ‘Lass nicht los’ are all personal highlights, but there isn’t a bad song throughout! It straddles the line perfectly between heavy and more balladlike rock, and is a very easy listen. The band are all talented and, while I don’t understand the lyrics, I certainly felt the emotion in the vocals, and he’s a criminally underrated singer! Another band I have left a fan of, and will have to go back and check out their earlier work! Another easy 8/10

Reviews

Something Something Disco: Do Sweet Electric Top Their Debut?

9th September 2026 Overtone Leave a comment

The amazing German hard rockers are back with their highly anticipated sophomore album. Arriving less than two years after their debut, the quintet have been hard at work on both their live shows and recorded work to follow it up. The singles so far have been kick-ass, so if the record is anything like that, we’re in for a treat! Let’s dive right in, shall we?

The album starts with a shot of adrenaline curtesy of ‘Sick in the Head’. An amazing riff, a fast drumbeat and some chaotic police stuff, it all screams Brad Marr in the best way! I love the guitars dropping out between the lines in the verse, the vocal delivery keeps the same sense of urgency but it adds some great dynamics to the track. Heck, some of it boarders on rap in the second verse, being an awesome addition to the track and something I didn’t realise Brad had in his repertoire! It all builds to a catchy-as-anything chorus, the pace staying high but it opening up a little, and the call and response vocals were a nice touch! A fun bridge leads to an excellent guitar solo, getting some Egyptian scaling in there that fits surprisigly well! The whole track is amazing; a lot of fun and the perfect way to kick off an album like this. An easy early highlight!

‘Mexico’ keeps the fun vibes going, but adds more of a punky flavour to the mix. The drum intro into the higher, pop-punk chords, coupled with the vocal delivery and harmonies, scream Green Day in all the best ways! It all builds into a massive, again infectiously catchy chorus that almost injects just a touch of Britpop/soft rock into the mix. The track is completely different to the last, yet both still fit surprisingly perfectly together, and feel so very Sweet Electric. The dynamics of the track are cool too, more of a harmonic lead line than a solo in the bridge, before it all drops down and explodes back in perfectly. It’s another amazing song, and another firm highlight for me!

The hard rock vibes return with ‘These Guns’, the riff and driving bassline giving big AC/DC vibes. For my money it’s the most Massive track on the album, and given how much I miss that band, that’s fine by me! It’s just a great, straight-forward rock song, and is a damn fun listen. The lyrics walk the line between swaggering and dripping with attitude with a little tongue in cheek, but either way it goes it works! The solo tucked away in the middle is awesome too, fitting the track excellently. It’s technical, packed full of feeling and also given plenty of time to breathe, both guitarists duelling fantastically. It’s another fantastic song, and if you like either of the bands I’ve mentioned, or Sweet Electric I’m general, you’ll love this!

‘Somewhere in the Middle’ opens on an insane, blistering guitar solo, before dropping back into a clean guitar and Brad’s great vocals. For some reason the first thing that came to mind to compare it to was The Darkness. A combination of that and Status Quo. It’s again another change of pace from the album, but is another infectiously fun and catchy song! The band have shown just how insanely talented they are throughout this whole album so far, and it’s hard not to love each song in its own right! It’s yet another song that I’d recommend to absolutely anyone, and another that I’ll happily be revisiting plenty.

We get some more punky vibes in ‘D3AD!’, but they’re heavier than in ‘Mexico’. It’s higher paced and energied and heck, we even get a scream! It’s another fun, catchy track that feels like a combination of the opening two songs from the album. It’s a lot of fun, but is maybe the first song that feels slightly ‘album track’-esque. Still, it’s a damn good song in its own right, though!

Single ‘I Remember You’ is a beautiful, emotional ballad dedicated to his mother. The opening minute is pretty punky, starting with Brad’s vocals over some massive sounding guitar power chords. The track builds excellently, adding in some more guitars and drums and vocal harmonies into a massive soundscape around the midpoint. Honestly, the darker, emotional tone gives off slight MCR vibes, and I am all for it! And, on top of all of that, we get an amazing, bluesy riff in the back half, and another phenomenal guitar solo. The lyrics speak for themselves, and I’d highly recommend the music video to accompany it, it certainly made me a little misty eyed the first time I did both. It’s such an excellent song and a really touching and memorable tribute. Another firm album highlight, and a fantastic choice for a single.

The other single from the album, ‘Long Way Back’, picks up the pace and the mood again. Tracks like it, ‘Get Up’ and the other two are all higher energy rock stompers, but then yet again all feel so different and unique. ‘Get Up’ has almost a country/bluegrass twang to it, while ‘OMG’ does have a slight bit of the disco vibe the album title eludes to, though is also heavy on the DC again. Then the closer, ‘Psycho’, has a bit of an epic arrangement to it, boarding on metal almost. However, that awesome bluesy riff firmly keeps it grounded in hard rock! Then again, we get a metalcore breakdown that is so very Trivium. Though, it still fits somehow not just the track, but the album as a whole, once again showing how effortlessly diverse and fantastic they are at writing. All are amazing in their own right and ways, and add to the album perfectly. And damn, ‘Psycho’ is such an excellent closer, and one of my favourite songs on the album. One that easily makes it onto our playlist!

Overall: I absolutely LOVED this whole album! There really isn’t a bad song throughout, it being pretty short and the very definition of all-killer-no-filler. As much as I enjoyed their debut, this is a step up from it, and really knocks it out of the park! It honestly gave me the same excited, fuzzy feeling that Massive’s debut did, and I am now desperate to see all of it live; I can’t wait for November! I’ve said it already, but I’d recommend this album to absolutely anyone, so make sure you spin it ASAP! It’s certainly going to be high on our top albums of the year list come December!

The Score: 9/10

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Airbourne, Behemoth and More!

7th September 2026 Overtone Leave a comment

Another week, another stack of amazing releases, from rock to metal to country. Let’s dive right in!

Airbourne: Self-Titled

The highly anticipated new album from the Aussie hard rockers comes nearly seven years after their last, marking the longest gap between releases for the band by quite a margin. Having said that, you still know exactly what to expect heading into an album of theirs, and this is no exception! It’s 47-minutes of high energy, head-bangin’ rock, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s honestly hard to find much to say about it, it is very much just the standard Airbourne formula. But if it ain’t broke, and all that! Tracks like single ‘Alive After Death’, ‘Kid in a Candy Store’ and ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Ya’ are all personal highlights, but there really isn’t a bad song throughout. It’s an easy, fun listen and a throwback sound from a band that are known to provide exactly that. Then again, the vague Christmas song was a bit unexpected, especially in September. The band have always felt like a greatest hits one to me over full albums, but then every album they’ve put out is beyond solid and packed full of great songs! While I’m more likely to put the band on shuffle over listen to a specific album, I had a good time with this and will certainly revisit it again! The more I listened the more I enjoyed it, and I can’t give it any less than 7.5/10. Great stuff!

Behemoth: I, Scvlptor

Coming just one year after the awesome The Shit Ov God, the black metal titans once again knock it out of the park with this release. Bridging the gap between an EP and an album rather perfectly, the output sees the band tackle re-recorded early tracks, previously unreleased songs, and even a couple of covers. And, honestly, it’s 37 minutes of brutal awesomeness! The covers are incredible, not only being of great Venom and Bathory songs (the latter is awesome live and I’m so glad we got that version!), but featuring incredible guests in Shagrath and Sakis Tolis. However, I genuinely think my favourite song on here is ‘Lord Ov the Horizons’, Nergal singing cleanly in his heavier project is crazy but so awesome to hear! However, if you like the heavier end of metal, this is absolutely a release for you! They are my favourite black(ish) metal band, and honestly have been knocking it out of the park for well over a decade now. It’s a fantastic stop-gap while we wait for another full new album from the band, and is certainly something I’ll be revisiting again sooner rather than later. A very solid 8/10 from us!

Kasabian: ACT III

The indie legends return with album number nine. I remember checking out Happenings a couple of years ago, and feeling almost identically about this release. There are a few good tracks on it, like ‘Hippie Sunshine’ and ‘SILVER APPLE EYES’ and ‘THE GURU…’ but the rest of it generally blurs together into a gloomy, mid-tempo plod of nothingness. Hey, at least it’s another short release at 32 minutes! I keep trying with the band, hoping that they’ll change my mind and hook me in with an album, but so far it continues to only be a song or two per album that catches my ear. Much like with our last review, if you’re a fan of the band it’s most likely an excellent album. It’s certainly not a bad by any stretch, just not really for me. So, again, I can’t give it much more than a 4/10. I would say it’s slightly better than their last release though, certainly a stronger 4!

Ricky Warwick: Fire & Vengeance

The Almighty and Black Star Riders frontman is back with his second solo album in two years. We enjoyed last year’s Blood Ties, and this is more of the same! The title track/opener is great, as is ‘The Angels’ Share’ and ‘Tumbleweed Town’. It’s also packed full of some truly awesome guests. Doug Aldrich adds a punky flavour to his number, while Phil Collen adds his stadium-rock heritage to ‘Seek Zen Destroy’. Michael Starr and Darren Holden also kill it on their respective tracks. As you can tell, it’s packed full of great songs. It’s everything I love about Ricky rolled into one 40 minute package, and I’ve had a blast listening to it a couple of times over this weekend. I’d recommend this to absolutely anyone even vaguely into him or his various projects, you certainly won’t be disappointed. It’s one of my favourite solo releases from him overall, and gets a very easy 8/10 from us!

Space Pistol: HEADLOCKER

The sophomore album from the alt-rock/grunge trio is every bit as good as their debut. It’s heavy, packed full of chunky, distorted riffs, but also has plenty of great melodic, indie-like vocal melodies. It feels like a combination of Smashing Pumpkins and Royal Blood, but also feels incredibly fresh and innovative in its own way. From the opener to ‘New’, the hardcore/Manson-esque ‘I Can’t Sleep’ to ‘Ambulance’ there is plenty to love, and every song is pretty damn good! The band have a real infectious energy, and something about them kept me hooked from start to finish. I’d certainly recommend giving it a full spin if you are at all interested, you won’t be disappointed! The band are all so very talented, both at their chosen instrument and collectively as songwriters. They are certainly set to continue their upwards trajectory and momentum with this album, and I can’t give it any less than 8/10. Great stuff!

Those Made Broken: A Door You can Never Close

The sophomore album from the Scottish alt metallers comes nearly 12 years after their debut release. Honestly though, the band knock it out of the park with this, and prove that they are very much at the top of their game still. It’s got a touch of everything too; heavy riffs and grooves and drums, some huge, catchy vocal melodies and plenty of proggy arrangements and technicality. Hell, we even have touches of groove metal at times which were honestly sick. And, of course, it’s packed full of awesome songs! From single ‘Simpleman’ to ‘Echo Chamber’ to ‘Little Keeper of Light’, there is so much to love, but there really isn’t a bad track throughout! 40 minutes goes by in a flash, and if you are at all into the genre, I honestly cannot recommend this album enough. The band have a big new fan in me, and I’ll certainly be spinning it plenty in the weeks and months to come! I can’t give it anything less than 8/10, great stuff!

Theory of a Deadman: Part 1: Funeral Songs

The Canadian radio-rockers’ first release since their return to form with 2023’s Dinosaur, the first part in their new EP series kicks things off with a massive bang! It’s six great, high energy rock songs like only Theory can do. ‘Barricade’ is an excellent opener, being heavy while reminding me of the very best from the bands back catologue. It’s pretty much the story of the whole release, too. ‘Funeral Song’ and ‘Monster Truck’ bring back some of their more tongue-in-cheek lyric writing, while single ‘Winnebago’ and ‘Deep End’ bring back that Nickelback-esque country edge to their sound. Hell, the latter is one of the bands best ballads they’ve done in a while. Even the pop-infused closer will probably be one that some have an issue with and make fun of, but I really enjoyed it! It’s not designed to be taken seriously, and is catchy as hell. The EP feels like a fusion of their last album and The Truth Is, and I’m all for it!

Bigger bands have been killing it on the EP front this year, and this is very much more of the same! It honestly feels like the perfect lenfth for them, too. This will certainly be a release I’ll be listening to a lot over the coming weeks and months, and it has gotten me already hyped for Part 2, whenever that is set to drop. The band were a big part of my teen years but I did fall out of love with them a bit around the turn of the decade. However, they are back in a big way and are getting to the point of being rather criminally underrated. I can’t recommend this release enough to anyone at all, it has a bit of something for everyone! 8.5/10

Lifeswallower: Self-Titled

This is an absolutely WILD EP! Nestled somewhere between prog, nu and tech-death, it feels like something Mr. Bungle would come out with if given this sort of heaviness to work towards. And, what’s more, it’s fucking amazing. Each track is as great as the last, and the whole thing is well worth a listen from front-to-back, flowing fantastically. It doesn’t feel like 23 minutes at all, it’s such an easy listen. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a release for everyone, but I fell in love instantly, and have listened to it a good few times since it dropped last Tuesday. The band are all hugely talented, the playing and vocals throughout being off the charts, and I can’t recommend it enough for anyone even vaguely interested. It’s a very easy 9/10, and will certainly end up being high on our EPs of the year list come December! Wow!

Angus & Julia Stone: Karaoke Bar

The first album in a couple of years from the indie-folk brother-and-sister duo is somehow also my first experience with them. It’s 35 minutes of chilled out music that I found a little hard to get into, but certainly did by the end! The two are incredibly interesting songwriters and performers, but it was the rest of the arrangements and instrumentations around them that I found hooked me in more. The guitaring throughout is fantastic, and the synths and subtle horns are also great. Tracks like ‘Monroe’, ‘Strangely Strangely’ and ‘Take Me Back to Japan’ are personal highlights! Honestly, some of it reminded me a little of the slower, quirkier Gorillaz stuff, though that may just be because of the vocal effects. It’s beautiful and ethereal at times, and if you’re into this sound you’ll probably get a lot out of this. It’s not something I’d revisit often, but I certainly wouldn’t turn it off if it came back on! A solid 6.5/10

Kingcrown: Moonfall

Following up their awesome 2024 release Nova Altantis, the French power metallers once again kill it on album four! It’s nearly 45 minutes of great riffing, soaring vocals and some massive, catchy melodies. Tracks like ‘Nothing’, ‘Rise of Machines’ and ‘Oblivion/Resilience’ are personal highlights. However, if you are into the band or their overall sound, the whole album is worth a listen, as it’s really damn good! The band are all so damn talented, and work together excellently throughout, really finding a winning formula together. It’s heavy, melodic and epic throughout, and will definitely be an album I revisit again soon. While I don’t think it stands out quite as much as their last release for me, it’s still great, and gets a solid 7.5/10 from us!

President: Blood of Your Empire

Max: So the awaited first full album by the masked outfit president is here, and I think it plays for the most part as you would expect. With about half the songs having been released as singles, as seems standard with album releases these days, it is up the the remaining tracks to really sell you on why the wait for this album was worth it. There are, in my opinion, two parts that do that exactly.

First you have the rerecording of the song ‘Dionysus’. This doesn’t change the fabric of the song wholly or have you freaking but it is a nice touch to just update the sound of an older track to better fit with the album it is being put in to. Second, a lot of the songs on the album are really good. ‘Pink Noise’ is a particular favourite of mine that shows the ability to quickly switch up genres that the band clearly wants you to know they can do. And, whilst it is not my favourite track on the album and I fear might prove somewhat divisive, ‘Hate Figure’ has a more rap metal genre which is a fun and unexpected switch up in the later stages of the album.

I think it is clear that there is room for the band to grow and develop but they certainly have a good footing and many, and I mean many, directions that they can take their music in the future. But for now the focus is in this album and it’s definitely worth listening to! 8/10

Josh Mitcham: Gonna Be Alright

Album seven from the Kentucky singer-songwriter is a fun romp through country and folk/Americana pop. It’s a pretty stripped back release, mainly consisting of Josh’s guitar and powerful voice, a simple drumbeat keeping the tempo alongside the odd extra accompaniment here and there. It’s interesting too, as a good few of the tracks and parts almost beg for a rockier arrangement, but having it more stripped back gives the release a unique sound and quality to it, and almost reminds me a touch of someone like Jack Johnson, just with a country twang to it. He’s a damn interesting songwriter, and his lyrics throughout are also awesome! It’s catchy and full of hooks, yet still maintains a more DIY, chilled-out tone. Tracks like ‘Something to Get Into’, ‘Break it to Me’ and the title song are all personal highlights, but the album as a whole is packed full of great songs. It’s 34 minutes of chilled out, catchy, well written country music, and I’d recommend it to anyone even vaguely into the genre! A solid 7.5/10 from us. This is the first full album by him I’ve checked out, and I’m gonna have to head back and visit the others soon!

Benjamin Tod: Country is Dead

The second solo album from the Lost Dog Street Band’s frontman this year alone is 42 minutes of traditional country awesomeness. It’s stripped back and very much in the vein of modern old-school revivalists like Zach Top, Drake Milligan and Braxton Keith, except very much focusing on the slower side of the sound. Still, it’s impossible not to love it! Tracks like ‘Natrual Thing to Do’, ‘Nashville Women’ and ‘Only a Hobo’ are personal highlights, but the whole album flows spectacularly and doesn’t feel its length at all. It’s a lot like his other music but if it’s not broke don’t fix it, right? The more I listened the more I fell in love, and I’d happily recommend this to anyone into their older school style of country! An easy 7/10 from me!

SiM: HOOMAN AFTER ALL

The “Reggae PUNX from Japan” are back with their seventh album, and what a wild album it is! Right from the offset, the massive opener ‘FiVE TiMES DEAD’ sets the tone for their heavy, experimental sound perfectly, and the rest of the 35 minutes follow in much the same vein. ‘BLiNDEYES’ channels more of their reggae and nu metal leanings, and features the amazing Hanabie., being a firm highlight. The same can be said for ‘HOLD MY BEER’ and the title track, being so very Skindred in the best way. Then you have more of the Japanese punk-metal sounds of ‘Karen’s Son’ and ‘ZiON’. And hell, we even get a J-Ska track in ‘The Sniffing Cats Ska’. Oh, and a hip-hop track in ‘BLACK SUNSHINE’, so very Hed(PE) and I love it!

So yeah, as you can see, the whole album is pretty fucking awesome. Oh, and did I mention that it’s roughly about cats? That makes it even better, doesn’t it? The band are all insanely talented at what they do, and every track on here is as good as the last. After a slightly lesser reaction commercially to their last album, this feels like it should surely catapult them back on track as being one of the biggest bands from the country. I’d recommend this to absolutely anyone, there is something for everybody throughout. It really tickles my brain and ears in all the best ways. 9.5/10, it’s certainly a contendender for album of the year!

Follow Thru: Eat Your Heart Out

This is an awesome little pop-punk debut album! Under half an hour of up-tempo riffing and drumming, with some fantastic lyrics and some really catchy melody lines. It’s the perfect combo of the late 90s boom of the genre and a more modern take on it; think Pennywise or Less Than Jake’s heavier stuff mixed with Homesick. It’s pretty heavy for the genre, but also plenty catchy in equal measure, making for a lot of fun. Tracks like ‘Less Than Civil’, ‘We’ll Surivive the Apocalypse’, ‘This Inevitable Ruin’ and ‘American Drift’ are all personal highlights. However, the whole album is good from start to finish, and is such an easy listen. If you are at all into the punkier side of music give this one a listen, you won’t at all be disappointed! The band have a new fan in me, and this gets an easy 8/10!

Stormbringer: Transcendence

A band that I’ve been a fan of for well over a decade now, it’s awesome to finally get to review them! I remember enjoying their last release nearly five years ago now, and still revisit their debut to this day. It very much feels like a revisit to that early work, both in terms of sound and quality. ‘Energy’ is one hell of an opener, while the likes of the AIC-like ‘Dirt and Bone’ and ‘Whole Again’ are also big high points. The whole album is awesome though, packed full of groovy riffs, plenty of heaviness and some amazing melodies and massive choruses. The quintet are seasoned vets at this point, and are truly masters of their craft. The more I listen to this, the more I fall in love, and it is certainly up there among my favourite releases from the band. If you are at all curious, I can’t recommend it enough! It’s an incredibly easy 8.5/10 from me, and I’ll certainly have this on sporadically for the rest of the year!

The Media Project: Kharon:Forbearance

Another release caught somewhere between an album and an EP, this follows up their 2025 previous output perfectly. A blend of doom, gothic, sludge, primal death and black metal; the atmosphere created is dark, brooding and massive. And, while it’s not typically my sort of style, I actually found myself enjoying myself listening! While there aren’t certain highlight tracks, the release as a whole flows excellently and is well worth a full listen if you’re curious. It’s not for everyone, that’s for sure, but they are so very good at their craft. I also feel like it would be really awesome live, and I’d be into it even more! Honestly, I don’t really have much more to say about it, but the band at least have a curious new fan in me. 6.5/10

Audrey Horne: Achilles

The Twin Peaks-inspired melodic hard rockers are back with their first new album since 2022’s Devil’s Bell, and they once again knock it out of the park! Right from the opener/title track I was hooked, and not let go for its entire 44 minute runtime. There are some excellent riffs running through it, and a real arena-filling vibe to the melodies, choruses and overall massive size to the sound. ‘Vampires’, ‘Prodrome’ into ‘Insanity’ and ‘Six Feet in the Ground’ are all massive highlights for me but, as I said, the whole album is excellent and goes by in a flash. The band are so damn talented and I’m so glad they are back with new music. This kind of melodic/AOR rock is really gaining some traction and momentum again in recent years, and Audrey Horne are very much towards the front of the pack because of releases like this. 8.5/10, amazing stuff!

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: In This Moment, Little Big Town and More!

31st August 2026 Overtone Leave a comment

A massive week for new music, spread across the rock, metal and country world! Even with us having a busy weekend, we managed to check out plenty. Let’s dive in!

In This Moment: Witch

The first album from the alt metallers since 2023’s GODMODE, and I unfortunately have a similar sentiment to this release as I did that one. It’s fine; completely passable radio metal, some fun industrial and nu metal elements to it. Tracks like ‘Crawl’, single ‘Sleeping With the Enemy’ and the Kim Dracula-featuring ‘Heretic’ are all good, but outside of that I found a lot of the rest was just kinda there. If you like the band or their style, you’ll probably enjoy it a lot. However, I feel like they have inspired (or at least been the building blocks for) a lot of interesting bands like SKYND and even Spiritbox to a point. But those bands have moved past this core sound and added some funner elements to it, kinda leaving ITM behind doing the same thing they’ve been doing for 15+ years now. As I said, it’s certainly not bad, and I wouldn’t turn it off if it was on. But I wouldn’t rush to put the full album on again any time soon, more just the odd tracks I like. It’s at least a little more memorable than GODMODE, so for that it gets a 6.5/10. Maybe/hopefully it’ll grow on me!

Little Big Town: It’s a Dying Art

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

Beartooth: Pure Ecstasy

The first album since Caleb broke the internet, and their follow-up to 2023’s The Surface, it’s at least heavy! And, honestly, I enjoyed this a hell of a lot more than I expected to! The opener/title track was excellent, the perfect punch in the teeth to kick things off. Tracks like ‘Bullshit’, ‘Sorry’ and ‘You’ are also awesome and certainly highlights, the latter almost feeling as aggressive as modern Architects in the very best way. It’s not all fantastic; there’s maybe one too many slower songs and ‘Stadiums’ is an experimentally-arranged song that I don’t think works. However, there is far more good than bad! This is the most I’ve enjoyed the band since their early days, and they have certainly returned with something to prove with this release! Hopefully they can keep this heaviness as it will surely gain them some momentum back and put them back on track as a modern heavyweight band. While I’m curious to see where they go from here, I’ll certainly be spinning a lot of this plenty moving forward. A solid 8/10 from us!

Mastodon: Marrow Deep

The first studio album since 2021’s Hushed and Grim, and first since the untimely passing of Brent Hinds, this is a surprisingly excellent release from the Atlantan metallers. It’s proggy, sludgy, heavy and melodic right from the off-set, and has some real career highs. The opener, ‘Snakes for Dinner’ and the proggy ‘A Vampire’s Demeanor’ are all excellent songs in their own right. And, while the release may be a touch long at 65 minutes, especially when a lot of it is similar, there isn’t a bad song throughout, and I honestly wouldn’t be able to cut any to tighten up the runtime! This feels like the most focused the band have been in a good few years, and I genuinely had a good time listening to this. The band are masters of their craft, and if you are into their style or any of the genres I’ve named previously, you’ll most likely love this! If it was a little shorter it may have scored a touch higher, but it still gets a solid 7.5/10! Hell, it may grow on me even more with more listens.

Everlast: Embers to Ash

The first solo record in nearly eight years from the House of Pain alumni is a big slab of music at 17 tracks, but is well worth a listen if you are into his more bluesy, acoustic based work. From ‘Never Coming Home’ to ‘My Hollywood’, ‘Rubber Bullets’ to ‘Peace of Mind’, there are some awesome tracks on here. His vocals are still as great as ever, and some of his writing is still top notch and packed full of emotion. Don’t get me wrong, it’s no Eat at Whitley’s or Whitley Ford Sings the Blues, but there is some good stuff on here and is a welcome return from the man after so long. If you are at all into his solo stuff, this is well worth a listen. I’ll probably not revisit the album as a whole much, but the stuff I like I really love. 7/10

Kamelot: Dark Asylum

We’ve also checked this album out in full, aren’t you lucky! Check out the full article here.

Wine Lips: TV Dinner

Album five from the psychedelic punkers is a damn fun 34 minutes of music! It’s rather urgent and balls-to-the-wall throughout, but it serves the release well and makes there never be a dull moment. Whether it’s single ‘Projector’, ‘Leach’ or ‘Fried V’, there is plenty of greatness throughout. The band are all insanely talented but also don’t take themselves too seriously, making for an album that is impossible not to like if you are into the punkier side of things. They have a new fan in me, that’s for sure, and I can’t wait to dive into their back catalogue and see what I’ve missed! For now though, this gets a solid 7.5/10 from us, good stuff!

The Warning: Everything’s Falling

Album five from the breakout Mexican rockers is every bit as good as their last. The trio are so good at blending heavy instrumentation with infectiously catchy, pop-infused hooks, and it’s no wonder they are becoming a huge name in both scenes in 2026. Whether it’s the singles, ‘Perfect Daughter’, ‘Why Do You Like it When I Cry?’ or ‘Waste Your Time on Me’, this thing is packed to the brim with amazing songs, with not a single dud or even lower quality track throughout. The women are really at the top of their game right now and show no signs of slowing down on their way to the very top. They feel fresh and unique yet also familiar in all the best ways, and this is certainly up there alongside their very best work. I’m going to be spinning this plenty in the weeks and months to come, and don’t be surprised to see it high on my albums of the year list come December. A very easy 9/10!

Flotsam & Jetsam: Rats in the Temple

Following up their excellent 2024 release less than two years later, the heavy/thrash metallers once again prove that they are still at the top of their game decades into their careers. This is nearly an hour of insane riffing, drumming and soloing, backing some great, powerful vocals and melodies from A.K.. Tracks like ‘Damnation’, ‘Blame the Knife’ and ‘Last Rites’ are all excellent and clear highlights for me. And while, like a surprising chunk of this list this week, it’s probably a touch long, none of the songs are bad by any stretch. You know exactly what you’re getting into with a Flotsam & Jetsam record, and this is more of the same. That certainly isn’t a bad thing, though! It’s a damn solid album and, while I don’t feel quite as blown away as I did by I Am the Weapon, it is still a great addition to their discography, and a solid 8.5/10!

Ty Segall: Chrome

Following on from last year’s Possession, the garage rock revival pioneer is back with his fourth album in barely over two years. It’s somehow even quirkier than his last album, but honestly, I think it made it more interesting and enjoyable. And that’s coming from someone who enjoyed Possession! ‘Hospital’ is a wild open but sets the tone rather perfectly for the proggy, psychedelic style rest of the release, and is a personal album highlight. The likes of ‘Glass’ and ‘Let Go’ also feel like they fit that distinction for me. The whole album is heavier and a bit more experimental than the stuff I’ve checked out from him in the past, and it makes for an incredibly fun listen. Give this a listen if you are at all curious! A damn solid 8/10!

Olivia Prado: Dirty in the Sand

Following up her massive debut album from 2024, the LA-based singer-songwriter returns with another dose of pop-R&B. Now, as you can probably tell with everything else on this article, it’s not typically our sort of thing. However, I had a good time listening to this! It’s a simple 18 minutes of catchy, well-performed music, and Prado is clearly a damn talented artist. The title track is probably my favourite on the release, but all of it is worth a listen if you are into this style! It’s not something I’d put on often, but certainly wouldn’t turn off if it came on again. Give it a listen if you’re curious, a solid 6.5/10!

Xenith: To No Avail

The debut album from the UK melodeath band is a real epic collection of heavy music. And, spoiler alert, it’s awesome! The opening track alone is over seven minutes of amazing riffing, brutal screams and some amazing dynamics throughout. It sets the tone for the rest of the album perfectly. Speaking of the rest of the album though, it is just as awesome as the opening song! It’s 10 amazing Heafy-yet-melodic tracks each as good as the last. Having said that, personal favourites are ‘Bludgeoned’ and ‘Killer Instinct’ are personal highlights! The band are all insanely talented, and work together excellently. I feel like we don’t have enough new bands doing this style in the UK, and hopefully Xenith help change that. They have a very bright future ahead of them if they keep releasing music of this quality, and I already can’t wait to hear where they go from here! For now though I will certainly be spinning this plenty moving forward, and it gets a very solid 8/10 from us!

Black Spikes: Ydos

The first release for the Lithuanian modern folk metallers on their new home at Napalm Records, this thing is a grandiose, damn interesting album! It’s dark, heavy, proggy and plenty melodic all in equal measure, and sucked me in right from the jump. I definitely get the modern metal comparisons, as it does have elements of Spiritbox or Poppy in the arrangements and riffing, but it is also so much more than that. It combines it with a European folk edge that makes it a truly unique and fascinating listen. It reminds me closer of SKYND, but twisting the style in their own way. Or hell, even Igorrr with some of the riffing. The opener into ‘MOTINA’ is amazing, while the likes of ‘ZELVAR’ and ‘SENAS DEMONAS’ are other highlights. Honestly though the whole album is awesome, and well worth a listen in full!

Agni is one hell of a vocalist, providing some amazing screams and cleans throughout, while the rest of the band work their asses off to provide a massive, epic backdrop for her. If you are at all into the heavier or more proggy/grandiose side of metal, this is an album you need to be checking out ASAP! It’s a step up from their 2020 debut, and prove that the band are very much here to stay, and their ceiling is high! 8.5/10

Steve Cropper & the Midnight Hour: Watching the Tide

The posthumous release of The Colonel’s work is a bittersweet affair. It’s not been all too long since his passing and it’s clear he put a lot of work into it, so not to hear it go out is a real shame. However, it is a great album featuring a lot of his peers, and is a fitting tribute! From Clapton to Gibbons, Wood to May, there is absolute rock royalty throughout this, including Steve himself of course. And, on top of that, they all kill it, producing some awesome tracks alongside Cropper. ‘My Angels are Calling’ is a particularly beautiful, bittersweet number, while ‘Down & Out’ and ‘Tip Off to the Rip Off’ are other personal favourites. The whole thing is a damn good, blues-heavy album though, and well worth checking out if you’re a fan! As a posthumous album, you couldn’t ask for much more! 8/10

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Weezer, Dan + Shay and More!

24th August 2026 Overtone 1 Comment

Another stacked week of massive and great new music, from rock to metal to country! Let’s dive into it all!

Weezer: Weezer (Gold Album)

After the band finally took a much-needed break from writing/releasing following 2022’s middling SZNZ collection, they returned with their highly anticipated 20th studio album. Honestly, it proves if nothing else, quantity is definitely not directly proportional to quality. This is their best album in a while, easily since ’21s Van Weezer. It’s rather fitting too, since this is their first return to a self-titled release since 2019’s polarising (Black Album). The album starts on a massive high with ‘Say Yes’, while single ‘We Might as Well Be Strangers’ is also a banger. Heck, it’s a solidly great 32 minutes of rock music, with the only low-light being single ‘C.E.O.’ (the video is excellent but the track really hasn’t grown on me since its release). It’s some really good moody, melodic, punk-infused rock like really only Weezer can do. It’s the closest they’ve come to sounding like their early 2000s peak, and it was definitely a welcome return! I’m sure it will have its critics, but I’ve had a blast listening to it multiple times over the weekend. It’s a harmless album that doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but certainly reinforces it! One of the easiest 8/10s I’ve ever given.

Dan + Shay: Young

Album six from the country duo finally dropped to a lot of hype this last Friday. If y’all can remember, we LOVED their last album, so this has definitely been a big one I’ve been waiting for this year. And, given how excellent the singles have been, we were even more excited!

The album certainly doesn’t let me down, that’s for sure! While the title track was maybe a little of an odd choice opening the release, it being a slower ballad track, it is still great. And, following it up with the massive, amazing, emotional single ‘Say So’ was a great call. ‘Marry You Again’ is a catchy pop-country banger of a love song that was another excellent choice for a single. Them adding another harmony into ‘The Old Guys’ with Cody Johnson worked incredibly well too, and is another excellent song. The closer is also a beautiful, bittersweet, piano-lead song, and another huge highlight.

The rest of it, while all great, is a touch on the slow side. They can get away with it because their lyric writing, vocals and harmonies are all excellent, but I’d have liked a couple more up-tempo tracks like from Bigger Houses, honestly. They are so very good at making fantastic, sappy love songs, so the wife will be happy, at least! It’s all first dance music, through and through. I do hope it grows on me, like the other did. It’s certainly not bad by any stretch, but it is a step below their last. But, I will certainly be listening to it again plenty moving forward, that’s for sure! So for now it gets a tentative 7.5/10

Chelsea Wolfe: The Dark

Just two and a half years removed from her critically acclaimed last album, the gothic musician is back with her ninth. Her beautiful, haunting dark-folk sound is back on full display, a style I feel only Wolfe can do like this. Honestly, it’s a welcome return to the sound after her recent more electronic/industrial sound. From the opener to ‘Swallower’ to ‘I’m Not There’, there’s some really great songs on here. Honestly, the album begs for a full listen from front-to-back, though. There is no denying her skill, as a songwriter or a vocalist, as her lyrics and delivery throughout are excellent and the production on the whole release is phenomenal. Honestly, it feels like a strange comparison, but the grandiose nature of the album almost gives off Seal vibes at times. That is a big compliment though, trust me!

I know a lot of people loved She Reaches Out…, but this is the most I’ve enjoyed a Chelsea Wolfe release in a while, at least since her Converge collaboration. If you are all into the darker, more epic side of folk-rock, I cannot recommend this album enough! While I probably wouldn’t listen to the individual tracks on their own too much, I cannot deny how incredible of an album as a whole it is. It’s a truly special release that I’ve already spun twice this weekend, and will be doing so plenty in the future! And, for that reason, I can’t give it any less than 8.5/10!

The Afghan Whigs: Soft Control

The first new album in four years from the alt rockers is a fun 36-minutes of catch melodies, creative riffing and amazing vocals and harmonies. I wasn’t too familiar with the band heading into this, but ‘Jungle Roux’ had me hooked immediately with its soulful, heavy-indie vibe. That was followed excellently by single ‘House of I’, while tracks like the grandiose ‘Mariah Luster’ and the jazzy ’77’ are also big highlights. If you’re into the style though, you’ll enjoy the whole album, just like I did. It’s quirky, that’s for sure, and there’s barely anyone out there doing this kind of sound still today. The closest comparison my brain kept making was Dogstar. So, if all of that sounds like your sort of thing, what are you waiting for, give this a listen! It’s probably not something I’d revisit too often, but I had a good time listening to it and am definitely curious to check out more of the band’s stuff. A solid 7/10 from us!

Ian Munsick: The Mountain Goat

We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Check out our full review here.

Cutthroat LA: The Purge

The first new music from the American melodic hardcore band since their 2023 debut album, this EP picks up excellently where that left off! This is an awesome 18 minutes of hip-hop-infused hardcore/thrash, with each of the five tracks being as good as the last. The opener has plenty of hardcore and crossover vibes to it, while single ‘Purge’ is much more straight-up thrash. Meanwhile ‘Bullet Proof Mind’ and ‘Feeling Disconnected’ straddle that line perfectly, being amazing songs and almost remind me of Hed(PE) or even Body Count in the best way! If any of this sounds even slightly up your street, I can’t recommend checking this out enough! The band have a big new fan in me, and I really wish I could see it all live! I already can’t wait to hear where they go from here, but for now will happily be spinning this plenty moving forward. A very easy 8.5/10 from us!

Famous Strangers: Self-Titled

This is one hell of a debut album! It definitely fits alongside the likes of Rattlesnakes and Tailgunner with this resurgence of NWOBHM revival bands, and I am all for it! It’s packed full of awesome riffs, blistering solos and some really excellent, powerful vocals. We even get some harshness and screams throughout, adding almost a metalcore/melodeath element to it, in the best way possible! And there truly isn’t a bad song on the album, all seven being as excellent as each other! Whether it’s the balls-to-the-wall opener, the bluesy ‘Please Her’ or the more melodic metal ‘Far Away From Home’, there is plenty of variety, and it’s all amazing in its own right. At only seven tracks it goes by in a flash, too! The band haven’t been a thing for all too long, and this may already be an early breakout success for them, if there is any justice in the world. They already have a massive new fan in me from this album, and I truly cannot wait to hear where they go from here! I’ll be spinning it a lot in the coming weeks and months, and don’t be surprised to see it make our albums of the year list come December. A very easy 9/10 from us!

Brandon Leake: Intimacy

Album five from the Californian poet is a different release for us generally, but that doesn’t make it any less great! It gives off big 90s hip-hop vibes, and I love it. Having said that, it also reminds me of Hamilton, but either way is fine by me! The lyrics are expectedly awesome, but the delivery and the instrumentation is just as good! Opener ‘I’ve Got’ is honestly a phenomenal track, and sets the tone perfectly for the rest of the release. Tracks like ‘Fear’ and ‘Shine’ are also great and, while the solely spoken word stuff isn’t typically my sort of thing, there’s no denying they are well written and performed. The story throughout is awesome and a fascinating listen, keeping me hooked thoroughly unexpectedly (even if it was a little too religious for me). If you are at all curious, give this a try, you might find yourself enjoying it like I did! 6.5/10. It sounds low but is high for something that I normally wouldn’t go for!

Mob Rules: Stories From the Verdant Vale

Coming just a year after their last massive album, the German power metallers once again knock it out of the park with this release. Honestly, thank god they didn’t wait another seven years like before! While only a short five-track EP, it’s a truly excellent release, and a welcome return from the studio after a surprisingly short break. Opening on a reprise from their debut album was a master stroke, and it leading into the big new single ‘Master of the Black Crow’ was an excellent choice. It almost has some modern Maiden vibes to it, though very much still sticking rooted to their epic power metal roots too. The other two singles are awesome while the new one, ‘Masquerade Ball’ is just as good as the rest! The whole thing flows perfectly and goes by in a flash. The band don’t get nearly the love they deserve, so if you like anything even vaguely close to power metal, give this a spin! A very solid 8/10

Ken Pomeroy: Tonight’s News

Another EP, this time a chilled-out one from the amazing Native American folk singer-songwriter. I remember enjoying her last album when it dropped, and this is another stellar release to add to her discography! Tracks like the opener and ‘Late for the Sky’ are personal high points, but there certainly isn’t a bad song throughout. It’s 20 minutes of beautiful, simple and stripped back folk music. Her vocals are amazing, and her lyrics throughout the EP are also great. Plus, the rest of the instrumentation fits the vibe perfectly. Much like with her album, it’s a solid 7/10, and I’d recommend it to anyone into folk stuff!

The Night Eternal: Cold Velvet

The third album from the dark heavy metallers is every bit as good as their previous two! It’s like a gothier (somehow) Mercyful Fate, but with a modern edge and production to it. Heck, it has a very early goth tone to it at times, think Type O or even Sisters of Mercy, which was awesome. It’s a lot of fun! Opener ‘Where This World Ends’ kicks things off excellently, while the likes of ‘Caught in a Spell’ and ‘The Watcher of the Burning Veil’ are also awesome. However, the more I listened to this album, the more I fell in love. Everyone song is as good as their last, and the vibe throughout is amazing. At 41 minutes spread across just eight tracks, it may be a little much for some people, but I’m the opposite! It felt epic and grandiose and pretty fresh, there not being many that sound like this at all! Although I had checked out a little of their other work in preparation for this, I can safely say this is their best yet, and they have a big new fan in me. I saw they are touring near me at the end of the year, I am gonna have to get tickets! Another easy 9/10, this is awesome!

Speed Stroke: Damage Control

The first album in nearly six years from the Italian Hard ‘n’ Heavy band is a lot of fun! It’s almost 40 minutes of catchy, heavy sleaze that it none-stop awesomeness from start to finish! The band are insanely talented, both as players and writers, the album packed full of amazing riffing, solid drumming, insane solos and some catchy, massive vocals, both in terms of melodies and harmonies. It really channels that awesome European heavy sleaze sound excellently, like the heyday of Santa Cruz, Crashdiet or Dust Bowl Jokies. And, on top of that, every song is as good as the last, making it impossible to pick set highlights. The whole album goes by in a flash so it’s well worth listening to the album as a whole! If you are at all into this sort of style, I cannot recommend this release enough! I’ll certainly be spinning it plenty moving forward, and I can’t give it any less than 8.5/10. Heck, it may grow on me even more with more listens and end up even higher in the future!

Silica Gel: Ballad of You

This is a wild, quirky album from the Korean psychedelia four-piece! While this sort of thing isn’t my typical go-to, the likes of Angine de Poitrine have really gotten me into it more than I expected, and I can appreciate the hell out of all that goes into art like this. It very much is art, and the talent and creativity that goes into stuff like this is insane. The band do a great job of straddling the line between experimental psychedelia and more of an indie vibe, too. The opener is craziness, while the likes of ‘Melatonin 88mg’, ‘Molecular Gastronomy’ and ‘BIG VOID’ lean a little more into a poppier side, and are really excellent tracks. It’s fantastically creative and well put together, and I fell in love the more I listened! It flows amazingly, the production throughout masterful. It’s certainly not for everyone, but if you’re at all curious it’s well worth a listen! It will most likely grow on me even more with more listens, but for now it still gets a massive 8.5/10.

Oddland: Unilluminate to Illuminate

Album four from the Finnish prog metallers wasn’t at all what I expected heading into it, and I mean that it in the best way possible! Right from the tribal-meets-jazz-meets-metal opener I was hooked, not let go until 40 minutes later when the album finished! While ‘Freefall’ and ‘Red Canvas’ are highlights, there really isn’t a bad track throughout, and it’s all arranged excellently. It reminds me a lot of the likes of Haken and The band are all hugely talented, and have crafted something special here together, all working alongside each other perfectly. This is an absolute masterclass in grandiose, melodic heaviness, and is yet another amazing album from this week! The band have a massive new fan in me. My only slight gripe is that some of the songs are maybe a little similar structurally, but when they’re all this good that’s hardly an issue! I can’t give it any less than yet another huge 8.5/10

Features, Reviews

Juliet’s Not Dead and Eddie & The Wolves Rock the Castle!

21st August 2026 Overtone Leave a comment

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!

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Marilyn Manson, Ashley Cooke and More!

17th August 2026 Overtone Leave a comment

Another big week for new releases, from everything from rock to metal to country! Let’s not waste time and dive right in!

Marilyn Manson: One Assassination Under God – Chapter 2

The follow-up to 2024’s Chapter 1 certainly takes things in a weird direction. It feels a lot more classical goth than his usual nu-tinged industrial metal older stuff, the pace generally slower and the tone somehow even darker. Don’t get me wrong, it at least fits in well with its sister album, but this feels like it has less elements of classic Manson than its predecessor did. Outside of single ‘Front Toward Enemy’, this feels like a very different artist to the one who released Antichrist Superstar or Holy Wood. However, that doesn’t necessarily make it a bad album. Much like with Chapter 1, the opener is excellent, as is ‘Exit Wound’. He’s at least picked the singles well. Though, I don’t think I’d listen to any of them outside of the context of the album as a whole. It’s very much a release designed to be listened to in full, arguably proceeded by Chapter 1. Lyrically he is still fantastic, but the instrumentation lacked something throughout for me. It seemed to drone on without much memorable aside a riff or two. Maybe we need a return of Twiggy, or even John 5 at this point!

So, as an album as a whole, and taking into account the previous too, I at least had an enjoyable listen. But it is still a far cry from what made Manson such a popular figure, and if you’re a fan of his early work, you may want to brace yourself before you listen. As a combined grade for both together, I can’t give it much more than a 6/10

Ashley Cooke: ashley cooke

Album four from the modern country superstar comes just nine months after her last. We sadly missed that one back in November, but I do remember enjoying and still spinning 2023’s shot in the dark before that. This is another excellent release to add to her stellar back catologue. It’s pop/folk infused 2000s country, and it’s hard not to draw comparisons to early Taylor Swift, though I certainly mean that as a compliment! Tracks like ‘baby blues’, ‘excuses’, ‘sleepless in Seattle’ and ‘xs’ are all personal highlights, but there certainly isn’t a bad song throughout. Much like shot in the dark, it’s a little long, especially when it’s a lot of slower-style songs. However, it’s all that good that I honestly wouldn’t know what to cut to shorten it! If you are a fan of poppier, modern country, this is absolutely worth giving a listen! I’ll certainly be revisiting it again soon, and it gets a solid 8/10 from us.

Saliva: Breaking Through

Album 12 from the alt metal/early 2000s legends is exactly what you’d expect from the band, but I mean that in the best possible way! As a big fan of the band from my childhood, opener ‘Hit ‘Em Where it Hurts’ is fantastic cheesiness and instantly had me loving this release. Then you have tracks like the LP-esque ‘Breaking Through’, ‘Fight of my Life’ and the Johnny Van Zant-featuring ‘Longshot’ to close that is also awesome! The latter works perfectly with their guest, it certainly having a Southern twang to it. Don’t get me wrong, none of them were quite as fun as the opener, but none of the songs were bad by any stretch! It was maybe a touch long, especially when a lot of it was a little edgy in theme and vibe, but much like with Ashley before this, it’s not like I’d know which to cut out! I had a better time with it than I did their last album, and have spun most of it at least a couple of times over the weekend. A solid 7/10 from us!

Kris Barras: Monsters We Made

We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read our full review here.

Mason Ramsey: Outlaw in Love

Album two from the disgustingly young neo-traditional country rising star is a great, chilled-out half-hour of music! His vocals are phenomenal and his songwriting is far more advanced than his just 19 years of age would indicate. From ‘Hey There Trouble’ to ‘Hypnotized’ to ‘Life Sentence’, there is a lot to love here, and honestly every song is at least pretty good! Despite the generally old-school style, it still has elements of modern pop-country too, like a combination of Garth Brooks and Kane Brown. Honestly, I find myself drawing a lot of comparisons between this and Blake Whiten’s debut the other week, and it makes me feel like country is in very safe hands for decades to come! If you are at all a fan of country in any capacity do yourselves a favour and listen to this, you will surely find something to love. It’s an incredibly easy listen, and I can’t give it any less than 8.5/10!

Evil Island: Terraform the Afterlife

The debut album from the post-hardcore supergroup goes hard from start to finish! However, alongside its heaviness, it’s pretty fun and quirky, and really interesting written and arranged. It feels like it takes inspiration from everything from Dillinger Escape Plan to Strung Out, Refused to early Mr Bungle, and is a really wild listen. Right from ‘Melted Heart’, it sets a crazy tone and breakneck pace, and had me hooked until the very end! Songs like single ‘Tiger Baby’ and ‘Moonlight Doomlight’ are also big personal highlights, but the album goes by in a flash and has an excellent flow to it, certainly not having a dull moment. And it has something for almost everyone! The band have debuted with a huge splash with this release, and have a big new fan in me! I can’t give it any less than 9/10!

Josh Weathers: Niles City Sessions

This six-track release comes just a few months after his huge last album, and is another excellent addition to his discography. It opens on a fantastic rendition of the Fleetwood Mac ‘Dreams’, showing off his insanely impressive vocal range even better than ever before. Then we have the awesome, soulful ‘Love on a Roll’ and the fun ‘When You Honky Tonk’, though the other half of the release is also excellent! It’s a bit stripped-back compared to Neon Never Fades, but was recorded excellently in this session, giving a pretty good indicator as to how fantastic he and his band are as performers. While certainly not up there with his full studio works, it’s a damn fun shorter release that is well worth a listen if you are at all a fan of the guy! A solid 7.5/10!

Occult Master: Self-Titled

Another debut album, this time from the Finnish old-school metallers. It definitely has a traditional, 70s metal vibe to it, right down to the production and track structures. Having said that, a bit of it boarders on prog territory too, which makes it even more fun. The band are all insanely talented too, some amazing riffing, soloing and drumming across all nine songs. The vocals grew on me a lot throughout, too. ‘Island of Leper’ and ‘Sorry Soul’ are personal highlights, but if you like this kind of music you’ll surely enjoy all of it! I’m certainly curious to hear where they go from here, and it gets an easy 7/10 from us!

Racetraitor: Nobody Son of Nobody

More hardcore-ness this week, this time from the controversial American five-piece. It follows up their 2023 album which I didn’t really get. Sadly, this is the same. It’s heavy, that’s for sure, and for a band of this sound and persuasion to still be active these days is awesome. We certainly need more music with their message these days. But, that doesn’t mean the music is good. ‘Red Summer’ was probably my favourite from the release, but even that’s not a song I’d revisit all that often. If you are into this sort of thing, you’ll probably get some enjoyment out of it, but it’s not something I’d personally listen to. Maybe it’d win me over more live, as I imagine in that setting they are awesome! But, for this release specifically, it’s slightly better than the album. Maybe a 3.5/10, sorry guys!

Just Jayne: Jayne

A follow-up to their debut EP last year, the female country-pop trio knock it out of the park again here! It’s seven catchy-as-anything songs, packed full of great melodies and huge harmonies. The lyrics are pretty great throughout too, surprisingly packed with emotion, a slight rarity in the more pop side of country these days. From the opener to ‘Bad Day’ to ‘Death & Taxes’, it’s packed full of highlights! It’s every bit as good as their debut, and I am already excited to hear where they go from here! They have the potential to be a MASSIVE name in the scene sooner rather than later, and I hope they do a full-length in the near future. Until then, I’ll certainly be spinning this plenty, and it gets a solid 8/10 from us!

Interviews & Features

Kris Barras: ‘I’m really looking forward to people hearing it!’

16th August 2026 Overtone Leave a comment

We had the pleasure of chatting to the amazing Kris Barras about his brand new album the other day, as well as his upcoming tour and his general sound! Check it out below!

Sadly the video didn’t save, so it’s just a written one for now. Maybe the audio will be dropped at some point!

The album is out soon! Is there an overall story, or is each track kind of its own thing?

There’s no like concept for the album. There are, yeah, eleven individual tracks. I always like to have like a cohesive sound throughout the album, and I do think I think we’ve got that with this. I think there’s a lot of different flavours on there, but I think there is overall like a cohesive sound, but, yeah, it’s not like a like a concept album or anything like that!

I did notice that we’ve had five singles so far, and they’ve all been towards the start of the album. What went into that decision, if there was one?

It’s really interesting that, because someone else asked me that one! The track listing was decided before the singles. I didn’t get involved in choosing what the singles are. I don’t normally do that. I put forward the ones that I think would be good. I think with the album there’s some obvious choices. You know, like ‘Monster We Made’ is the title track, it makes sense for that to be a single. ‘Riot of One’ makes sense to be a single, but a track like ‘Beautiful Lie’, I never imagined that being a single.

But I don’t choose, I find it hard to judge my own own music. In my opinion, a song that I’ve spent in some cases quite a long time writing and then recording it, and that being like a year ago, I find it a hard process, and you know, I’ve got fortunate enough to have people involved that are much more knowledgeable and experienced than me. I’ve got fantastic management, great record label with Earache, and a really, really good radio plugger like Austin Collins, who works with some of the the biggest names in rock and metal. And you know, I like to get their opinions, you know? They they know what will work, and ‘Beautiful Lie’, for instance, is the the head of Earache Records, Digby, it’s his favourite song on the album, and he absolutely loved it, and and that’s one of the reasons that got pushed through, and that’s great!

It was actually just coincidence. I wrote the the track listing and submitted that before any other singles were were chosen.

What can we expect from the other half of the album?

I’m really looking forward to people hearing it. I think there’s there’s a lot of different flavours on this album, there’s a lot of different elements, and there’s some stuff on there that people might not expect, or they wouldn’t necessarily have heard me do before. Some of the guitar work and the solos and stuff, I’ve really gone back to what I used to do in my teenager years, some of the more shreddy stuff, like stuff like guys like Steve Vai and Satriani and stuff, and bringing out some of those influences.

Typically, I’ve always had a token softer ballad song on each album. This one’s got three that could maybe sit into that category. Each one’s a little bit different. One of them in particular is just pretty epic. It’s got orchestral stuff and a big guitar solo over a big orchestral arrangement that that just sort of produced it. There’s some cool stuff in there, and yeah, I’m looking forward to hearing. I feel like the singles, whilst they probably are the strongest standalone tracks for what you need from a single, I don’t feel like they necessarily sum up the album, you know what I mean? Like, we’re at an EP, and don’t feel like they sum up like the Monsters We Made album. I feel like you need to hear all eleven to get a feel feel for the album.

Your debut KBB album came out just over a decade ago now. Is there any kind of comparisons you can draw from that release to this one?

I mean, if someone had never heard me before and listened to the first album, and then listened to this new one, they they wouldn’t even think it’s the same. It’s like the two have absolutely no connection whatsoever! I started off more in the bluesy rock world. I gradually got like a little bit heavier. The 2019 album, Light It Up, was still in the blues rock world, but had a lot more like classic rock elements. Then COVID hit, and, we didn’t know if the world was ended. A lot of stuff I was writing was just a bit heavier.

The thing is, I love playing blues music, but it’s not that’s not my entire identity. And I think people have struggled with this over the years with trying to understand me as an artist. It’s like there’s a lot of people in the blues world, they play blues music, and that’s all they can do. Maybe they’re much, much better than me at it. But that’s all they can do. That’s not me. I’ve played in metal bands all my teens. I was playing in jazz bands in in my early 20s. I’ve played a lot of different styles of music, and I spent a lot of time studying different styles of music when I was younger, and I think like these influences wanted to come out. With my 2022 album Death Valley Paradise, I was much more in like the modern hard rock world. Halo Effect, we went another step further again, probably taking more like modern metalcore influences, particularly in the production. This one, the way I see it is kind of sitting in between those two albums, like pulling it back a bit from Halo Effect. It’s not quite as heavy, and I just see it as kind of straight modern hard rock.

What’s the the writing process like for you? Do you do a lot of it yourself and kind of bring it to the band, or are the band a bit more involved as well?

It’s changed a bit over the past few albums. So, Josiah, who’s the producer, and he plays rhythm guitar and keys in the band, I’ve got him a lot more involved with the songwriting on Halo Effect, and on this album, And we work really, really well together. He’s my best mate, he’s a great guy and amazing producer, and his songwriting is really, really coming into its own over the past few years.

The process is is very, very different from song to song. Some of the songs started life as just me on my guitar singing some lyrics and then turned into a chorus, and then we develop it from there. Other songs, like ‘Riot of One’ for instance, he wrote the main riffs on that, sent it over to me and was like, “I’ve got this idea for like, kind of a big sing-a-long type song”. I’ve got a few of those. It’s obviously just instrumental that he gave me. And I sat with that and then ended up writing the lyrics and the melody. He gave me a stear in the right direction, gave me a little kick up the bum and said, ‘Right, go and write a big chatty sing-a-long banger.’ And so lots of different processes, I think that that’s a cool way to approach it, to keep it fresh and to keep new ideas coming.

I imagine it’s a different approach as well for this compared to something like, Hollow Souls or Supersonic Blues Machine?

Yeah, for sure. I mean, Hollow Souls, he’s involved with even more so because that’s actually like a joint venture. Like, Kris Barras band, technically, I’m a solo artist, but Hollow Souls, we started that together. Obviously we’ve got Phoebe with Hollow Souls, and it’s a different element. So we consider, obviously female lead vocalist, but also guests being involved. So that changes the writing process a bit with that, because we’re sometimes writing a song with with a special guest in mind, or we’re writing a song with a female vocalist in mind, which changes things. She likes to sing in different keys to what I would actually write songs in, so then we’re trying to write songs that would work for her, and so that’s kind of like a different approach, which is which is cool where it’s all in joint!

You’ve got quite a extensive tour plan for pretty much the rest of the year, right?

Yeah, so around the album release we’re doing an acoustic in-store tour, which is going to be cool. Josiah’s coming with me, he’ll be playing the piano. We’re doing like two of these a day, visiting like local independent record stores, and we basically do like a half-hour, 40-minute set, and then meet people and sign anything they want signed, and that kind of thing. They’re good fun. We did it on the last album, it’s the first time I’ve done it on the Halo Effect tour, and yeah, I really like doing like the stripped-back version of the songs. Vocally, I prefer singing the songs that way, I feel like I maybe do a better job vocally like singing over a piano rather than over a heavy band.

It’s going to be hard, you know, two a day with the some pretty crazy journeys. It’s it’s a pretty pretty intense thing, but hopefully it’ll be good fun.

Would you ever consider releasing a studio version of any of the strip-back tracks?

Well, we’ve recorded four of them. I don’t really know what the record label plan is. I think they’ve added like a bit of a bundle where you get a couple of them. I don’t know what the full plan is, whether there’s going to be a deluxe version or not. I don’t really get involved in it. But I’ve recorded four of them, piano versions, and I’m sure they’ll see the light of day at some point.

I assume it’s a full electric tour in October?

That’s right, yeah. Full band, nothing too crazy with that tour, it’s just around the UK. I can’t even remember how many dates, 10 dates or something. It’s our first headline tour in the UK for two years when that comes around. It’ll be good to get out there and have a blast!

Have you got much in the works for next year?

I’ve not even thought about it. I mean, again, I don’t really get involved in that stuff. There might be stuff going on that I haven’t yet told about. I mean, for me, it’s been a bit weird releasing an album in the summer. I’ve not done that before. Like, doing festivals and doing an album at the same time, it’s a different experience. So I’ve just been focusing on that, and then this tour in October, and not really thought about what happens after that. I guess it depends on how well the album’s received, and how well the tour does, and what opportunities come after that, you know? So, who knows!

Do you have a dream tour lineup you’d want to be a part of? Anyone you want to support, or any friends you want to bring along?

I mean, I’d love to open for Alter Bridge. I think that would be sick! Something like that would be really, really cool. I think we’d be like a good fit, I think we’d probably go down quite well with their fans. Yeah, that would that would be a pretty cool tour to do!

Reviews

Monsters We Made: Kris Barras Band’s Best Album Yet?

14th August 2026 Overtone 1 Comment

The incredible blues/hard rock guitarist and frontman Kris Barras dropped his highly anticipated sixth studio album today! With singles promising a bit of a departure from 2024’s wildly successful Halo Effect, it seems like it is a combination of a lot of Kris and the bands sounds up to this point. Will it prove to be as big of a hit as their last record? I’m certainly curious, so let’s dive in and find out!

The title track opens things up in spectacular fashion. It’s a massive radio-style right off the bat, making it an excellent choice for a single. It’s a massive, arena-filling chorus surrounded by some awesome blues riffing. It almost has elements of Shinedown in some of Kris’ vocal lines and riffing, but also has a pretty noodly solo that feels like it goes back to his roots somewhat. It really combines elements and styles of everything that has come before for the band, and is an excellent way to kick things off! An easy early highlight!

Another heavy blues riff kicks off single ‘Beautiful Lie’, giving off immediate Alter Bridge vibes in the best ways. It all builds up towards another huge chorus, one that will surely be stuck in my head for days to come! And we get another awesome solo from the man himself tucked away in the middle. It’s technical yet full of feeling, and fits the track to perfection. It follows on from the opener perfectly and was another excellent choice for a single. It’s a simple yet incredibly effective track, and one that easily makes our playlist!

‘Riot of One’ opens on some catchy as anything vocals, the heavy riff breaking them up awesomely. The verses are massive enough as it is, but the chorus is somehow even bigger. The track has a real swagger to it, fitting the lyrics and theme excellently. It’s a fight song through and through, and if there was any justice it’s be used in UFC or WWE. It’s another really awesome song that feels like the closest feeling to his previous two albums. Having said that, it still fits in with the other songs well, the whole album having its own vibe and a real culmination of everything he’s produced so far. The outro being a ripping solo was also a masterful choice. This may be one of my favourite tracks from him so far, it really is that good!

The pace slows down for the first of the ballad tracks of the album, ‘Unspoken’. It opens on Kris’ powerful vocals over the top of an acoustic guitar, but soon builds the distortion in heading into an expectedly huge chorus. It definitely keeps the slower, more grandiose vibe to it though, breaking up the pace of the album effectively. The soloing was a huge high point of the track, channeling so much emotion through the playing and it all fitting the tone perfectly. However, the vocals are also absolutely amazing. It’s one of Kris’ best performances on the album, and the harmonies on the chorus are phenomenal. Somehow, the album is four for four on amazing songs so far!

Tracks like ‘All Falls Down’, ‘Alive’ and ‘Rewind’ are more balls to the wall hard rock stompers. All are packed full of awesome riffs and catchy vocal melodies, as well as some amazing soloing from Mr Barras. All are excellent tracks in their own right, with the latter being another personal favourite of mine from the release. And, once again, they all fit the tone of the album to a T, the whole thing being crafted and produced so well!

Meanwhile, songs like ‘Otherside’ and ‘Fake’, while still rocky, have a bit of a slower pace to them. Their verses are stripped-back a touch and they certainly feel rather anthemic. They almost have a bit of a Shinedown vibe to them, which is a lot of fun! Both are two more great tracks, and two more that I have become a little obsessed with since I first heard them. I honestly couldn’t tell you which is better either, as they are both excellent, so do yourselves a favour and check out both! They definitely feel a little closer to his Light it Up days as opposed to Halo Effect, but it once again shows just how versatile he is as an artist!

‘End of Me’ is another excellent track that really feels like it somehow pulls together every sound from the album so far. It’s got a swaggering heaviness to its riffs, while still having a bit of a plodding pace and a chorus designed to be played to huge festival crowds around the globe. And, it’s got maybe the best solo on the album too, so packed full of emotion and technicality. It’s an absolutely incredible song, and I do feel like another career highlight for Kris, honestly. It’s a real earworm, and is going to be tough to get out of my head, that’s for sure!

Closer ‘Levitate’ is one hell of a way to end things! It has possibly the heaviest riff on the album, and a pretty great, catchy both verse and chorus! It’s another great song in its own right, and really ends the release with a bang! What a song!

Overall: This is a really awesome album! It’s banger after banger from start to finish, and at just 40 minutes goes by in a flash, not at all overstaying it’s welcome. I’ve been a fan of his for nearly a decade now, and this may be the most I’ve enjoyed one of his albums from front to back. As I’ve already said, it’s got some career highlight tracks on it, while there isn’t a dud in sight! If you are at all a fan of rock music, I cannot recommend this album enough!

The Score: 9/10

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Electric Callboy, Erin Kinsey and More!

10th August 2026 Overtone Leave a comment

A slightly steadier but no less awesome week of new releases across the rock, metal and country world! Let’s dive in and check it all out!

Electric Callboy: TANZNEID

Despite my feelings about bands putting out nearly the entire album as pre-release singles (especially when the first came out over two years ago), this is a fantastic album. We’ve loved reacting to some of the singles, and stuff like ‘RATATATA’ and ‘Let the Good Times Roll’ are also great. Hell, the title track has grown on me a lot since it first dropped, and is now one of my favourite tracks on the album. And the two previously-unheard tracks, ‘Heartaid’ and ‘The Saviour’, are also awesome, with the latter being another firm favourite! There truly isn’t a bad track throughout.

The band can honestly do no wrong at this point. They are all such insanely talented musicians and songwriters that everything they touch turns to gold. It feels like the perfect follow-up to Tekkno, taking everything that worked from that release and dialling it up to 11. I think as a whole it’s a more consistent release than anything they’ve put out before, even if I’d struggle to pick a favourite between this one or their last. It’s just a hugely fun metal album that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and is a release that I would recommend to absolutely anyone. They deserve every bit of ground the band have gained in recent years, and are well on their way to being one of the biggest artists of their generation in the metal world. I can’t give this any more than a 9.5/10, and it very well could have gotten perfect marks if I’d have heard less before today.

Erin Kinsey: Suede

Whether her debut album or not (I would still contend that was 2024’s Gettin’ Away with It), this is another truly incredible country release from her. ‘High Water’ opens things excellently, while single ‘House Arrest’ is a firm highlight of not just this release, but her whole discography! Then you have tracks like ‘Tie Me Down’ and ‘I’m Done’ that are other big highlights, as is the Dylan Marlowe duet ‘Say I’m Wrong’. However, the whole album is amazing, there not being a bad song throughout! It’s an incredibly easy half-hour of music, and feels perfectly paced, the slower couple of songs at the end somehow feeling exactly what the release called for. Her vocals and songwriting throughout are amazing, and her band kill it on every single track. As you can tell, I’m a huge fan of her, but she is certainly one of the bright sparks of the country world, and is set to be a huge name sooner rather than later, if her output here has anything to say about it! This is slightly less rocky than her previous release, but no less awesome, and shows how versatile she is as a performer and writer. I’ll certainly be spinning this plenty moving forward, and it gets a very solid 8.5/10 from us!

Cancer Bats: Give Me Dirt

Somehow two decades into their career releasing music, there is still no one that sounds quite like Cancer Bats. They walk the line perfectly between hardcore punk, stoner metal and NWOAHM, and it’s a really awesome sound. And, while I remember enjoying their last album, I LOVED this one! It’s balls to the wall for its entire 38 minute runtime, and is packed full of amazing riffs, catchy vocal moments and plenty of heaviness. Tracks like ‘Stay Stuck’, ‘Don’t Trip’, ‘Long Tooth’ and ‘Prognosis’ are all personal highlights, but there really isn’t a bad song throughout! The band are criminally underrated at this stage in their careers, and I’d recommend this to anyone with even a passing interest in a more hardcore style. I’ll certainly be spinning it a fair bit moving forward, as I’ve already listened three times just this weekend! Another huge 8.5/10 from us!

Xandria: Eclipse

The brand new album from the German symphonic metallers is another excellent addition to their discography! We loved The Wonders Still Awaiting back in 2023, and this is an absolutely brilliant follow-up to that album. The title track kicks things off phenomenally; one of the best and catchiest choruses they have ever laid down, and the epic vibes are present right from the offset. Then you have tracks like ‘The Grand Delusion’, ‘Northstar’ and the monumental ‘The Last Generation’ that are all huge highlights. Hell, there isn’t a bad song throughout, honestly. The album is, like the last one, a touch on the too-long side, but I couldn’t think of which tracks I’d cut from it to make it shorter! The band are so incredibly talented, and have crafted yet another amazing symphonic metal album with this release. The story they weave throughout is captivating, and the band never give it a chance to get boring. If you are at all into this side of metal, this album is an absolute must! 8/10

Evan Honer: 4 songs

This short collection of, you guessed it, four tracks is a little different to what one may come to expect from Evan’s music, typically. It’s still great, don’t get me wrong, but is a fair bit more stripped-back overall than his last couple of albums. Still, his lyric writing is just as phenomenal as ever, and his delivery is second to none in any genre currently. ‘say anything’ is a fantastic song that easily sits up there alongside his best. Also, the Medium Build-featuring ‘pull me out’ is incredible, too. The other two songs are awesome too though; the release has gotten better and better to me with each listen. It’s if anything just made me want more. It’s a fantastic EP but does feel like a little stop-gap on the way to his next full-length. It does feel a little weird that we most likely aren’t going to get an album from him this year, after three on the trot. Still, if you are a fan of his or the indie-Americana style, give this a spin. It’s short and sweet and excellent! 8.5/10

Kye Alfred Hillig: Widowmaker Express

The second album from the indie-folk singer-songwriter this year, following his return from semi-retirement, is another deeply personal, vulnerable release. It’s a stripped-back release, mainly focusing on Kye’s guitar and vocals, though there is the odd keys or strings parts in the back to fill out the sound. It only adds even more weight to his lyrics and delivery though, both of which are heartbreaking and phenomenal in equal measure. ‘Disease of the Heart’, ‘Coyote Skins’ and ‘Romance Whinnies on the Reins’ are all personal highlights. However, if you are into this sort of style, you’ll more than likely love all of it! I had a surprisingly great time with it; Kye is a fantastically songwriter and vocalist. And I’ll leave you to do some reading about the subject matter, because man is it heavy, but I felt every word, and it gave me goosebumps more than once. A very solid 7.5/10 from me, and I already can’t wait to check out The All-Night Costume Company!

Flowers of Rust: Crude Exhibitions of the Soul

The sophomore album from the post-black-metallers is a dark, bleak half-hour of music. And that is said with the uttermost love and respect, as I am sure that is the intended sound! The band are all clearly talented musicians and songwriters, and have crafted a cohesive sound through the seven songs that never once got old. It’s not typically my sort of style but I actually had a good time listening to this, with ‘Sour Mercy’ and ‘Mother Atrophy’ being personal highlights. My only slight issue was the production didn’t quite hit at times; if it had more of a Rotting Christ feel to it it would have been massive. Still, it didn’t take away from the release too much for me. I feel like live it would hit even harder, and be truly awesome! If you are into the heavier side of metal, this is well worth giving a spin. 7/10 from us!

Charlie Worsham: Once Upon a Second Time Around

I was somehow not familiar with Charlie before being sent this album. However, I have come out of it an absolutely massive new fan of him. Holy crap this thing is awesome! His first full-length in nearly a decade, this album is all killer from start to finish! ‘Powers That Be’ sets things off excellently, while tracks like ‘Wrap my Porch Around’, ‘Grass’ and the title one are all awesome in their own right. Then you have the guest features; two of the biggest names in the country world right now in Miss Lainey Wilson and Steven Wilson Jr., alongside The Travelin’ McCourys tagging onto their own version of ‘Wrap my Porch Around’ to end things. The former is a beautiful duet, and a fantastic, emotion-filled ballad. Meanwhile Wilson’s song somehow feels like the perfect combination of both artists’ sounds, and is another firm highlight. And the more acoustic, bluegrass version of ‘Wrap…’ is a great take on an awesome song!

As you can surely tell by now, I loved this! He’s got a sound that is somehow both old-school and modern and pretty chilled-out, definitely giving hints of Buffett as well as his modern neo-traditional counterparts. It’s twelve tracks that go by in a flash, the whole thing is such an easy listen. If you are at all into country music, this is absolutely a release you need to be checking out! I can’t give it any less than 9/10, amazing stuff!

The Anchoress: As We Once Were

Album three from the Welsh indie rocker picks up right where 2021’s The Art of Losing left off. It’s another big collection, 14 tracks across 50 minutes, and is dripping in coolness and swaggering vibes. ‘Throw Over Your Man’ is a great opener, setting the tone for the release excellently, while the likes of ‘All I Really Want is Peace’ and ‘What You Did’ are also good songs. Her vocals are incredible, and the harmonies add to that even more so, the vocals being by far the main highlight and focus of the release. It’s an interesting album, that’s for sure, and at least kept me interested throughout despite this not really being my sort of style. If you like the lighter, pop/folky side of indie, this is worth a listen. Otherwise, I’m not sure I’d actually recommend it. Still, I didn’t have a bad time with this, so it gets 6.5/10 from me!

Billy Morrison: HOLLOW

The hard rock legend of Billy Idol and The Cult fame released his fourth solo album this last Friday, and it’s a bit good! 46 minutes of chunky riffs, awesome leads and some massive, catchy vocal melodies. The tracks that he’s on his own for, like the title one or ‘Tearing Down the Walls’, are great, but the guests really add another layer of awesomeness to this album. The combination of Sully Erna and Nuno Bettencourt on ‘Becoming’ was one I never thought I needed until hearing it, and am now a little obsessed. ‘The Tailor’ features Manson and is industrial/nu metal goodness. The hip-hop-legend-featuring ‘No Suspects’ is a lot of fun and still pretty heavy, ‘Leave no Trace’ has a country tinge to it with Duff McKagen, and the Dexter Holland-featuring ‘Never Gonna Change’ is a straight-up punk song. I love that Morrison changes his style depending on who he’s playing/writing with, a real testament to his incredible talents. It kinda reminds me of Slash’s 2010 release, which is a big compliment, honestly! It’s an album I’d honestly recommend to anyone, as there is something for everyone throughout. I’ll certainly be spinning it again plenty moving forward, and it gets a solid 8/10 from us!

Suffer: Soul From Flesh

The first EP from the UK deathcorers since their debut album back in 2022, this release is an all-out assault for 20 minutes. All four tracks go HARD (and the intro ‘III’ lays it all up perfectly). It’s certainly not for the faint of heart, but seasoned listeners of the heavier side of metal will surely find a lot to love in this, just as I do! The riffing and drumming are all excellent, as are the screams, but honestly the breakdowns are where it’s at here. The one to close our ‘Pendulum of Vengeance’ is brutal, and makes the song a big high point of the release. That certainly shouldn’t take away from the other tracks though, which are just as great. Whenever I need some heavy on, this will certainly be a go-to for a while! I can’t give it any less than 8/10, great stuff!

Casey Barnes: MADE FOR THIS

Album six from the country rocker knocks it out of the park, honestly! It’s half an hour of catchy radio hooks, fun lyrics and some surprisingly great instrumentation. The title track hooked me in immediately, while songs like ‘SHE DOES’, ‘ROUGH AROUND THE EDGES’, ‘TIPTOE’ and ‘BUY THAT GIRL A BEER’ kept me that way. And hell, even the slower ballads were great, breaking things up excellently. He is certainly a big name in the scene, but how he isn’t one of the biggest when his output is of this sort of quality is wild to me. He’s got that great combination of early 2000s country, a rock tinge and a more modern bro/pop country edge that is just born for massive radio play. Either way, I loved this from start to finish, and will be spinning this plenty in the weeks and months to come! If you have even a passing interest in country, give this a spin, you won’t be disappointed! 9/10