It’s here. It’s finally here. However long in the making and a big, successful crowdfunding campaign later, on Friday the third album from the UK goth metallers is finally out. The conclusion to the psychoberrie trilogy, I cannot wait to hear where the band goes and how it all ends. And, miraculously, we managed to get an early copy. I’ve been a fan of this band for years now, so of course we were going to dive in deep and let y’all know what we thought!
The album starts with a bang with ‘Regeneration’. Setting the scene of the tale with some new broadcasts, it feels very Ice Nine Kills from the offset, and definitely in a good way. The buildup of percussion and sounds around the bass-line also gave vague Tool vibes, which was awesome. Then the chunky riff explodes in, Psychoberrie’s vocals soon coming in over the top perfectly. The chorus is pretty catchy too, the instrumentation keeping it plenty heavy behind the melody. The lyrics are awesome too, fitting the tone of the story perfectly. I also LOVE the Egyptian feel in the bridge, and the solo keeps that vibe fantastically. Especially when it builds back into the heavier stuff but keeps the same style. The Doctor is one of the most criminally underrated guitarists in the scene right now. It’s an amazing way to open up the album, and a definite early highlight!
More of a gothic/black metal vibe runs through ‘Into the Wilderness’, the choir vocals that run through it helping with that. Berrie’s vocals around them are awesome, and her melodies are amazing. It may be one of her strongest vocal performances, honestly. It all builds to a massive, catchy chorus, one made to be played to huge festival crowds. Everything just sounds so massive, the mix on this thing being incredible and it all stands out and works together perfectly. It has another awesome solo in the middle, this one a lot more traditional rock, and the bridge with the play between the demon (?) voice and Berrie’s was a fantastic touch that added so much to the story. What would you know, another phenomenal song!
The Brad Pitt song opens exactly how you’d expect if you’ve heard ‘Toy Box’, and when the instrumentation kicks in it has a surprising folk metal sound to it. The folk vibes continue through the verse, it having a great swinging beat and very much feeling like a continuation of the aforementioned track. It also has a slight modern Maiden feel to it, which is sick. Another amazingly catchy chorus will surely go down a storm live, and I love it taking a turn after the first into more of a modern metal style. It somehow feels so different from the two previous songs, yet all three of them feel somehow so distinctively Ward XVI. I loved this, and think the folky style fits them just as much as anything else. Yet another highlight track on an album so far packed full of them!
The cleverly titled ‘Macabaret’ is a faster paced, high-energy romp that is just as fun as the previous song, but yet again completely differently! The horns were a fantastic touch, adding yet another layer on top of an already brilliantly arranged song, and fitting the theme perfectly. It’s another song I am already desperate to see live! The Doctor once again kills it with an awesome solo, and the almost breakdown riffing behind it sounds incredible. It’s a hugely fun song and one that I’d recommend to absolutely anyone reading this!
After a brief spoken-word interlude, again telling the tale of the album perfectly, we launch into the lead single of the album, ‘Blood is the New Black’. I am very familiar with this track, having done a reaction video to it when it released, and have been a little obsessed ever since! I shan’t gush over it too much more than I already did in that video, but this is an INCREDIBLE song and such a good choice for the lead single. One of my favourite tracks the band have ever put out, in this writers humble opinion. Another to check out immediately!
Following that up is the most recent single, ‘At the Window’. After an ominous, slow-build intro, a slow, epic chorus explodes in. It dropping down for the verses, coupled with the fast vocal delivery, was a nice touch and kept things yet again fresh. It’s essentially rap, like a dark, gothic version of Delilah Bon, and I loved it! The lyrics are fantastic and the vocals and heavy instrumentation build perfectly into that catchy chorus again. The epic feel continues throughout, and it’s another truly fantastic vocal performance from Berrie. The extended second chorus is incredible, it building more and more into something truly massive and special. It gave me goosebumps on track, so I can only imagine how hard it’d hit live! It’s another track that you have to really hear, my words aren’t doing it anywhere near enough justice. Damn, this album is amazing so far!
‘Spit on Your Grave’ has a late 90s industrial/nu-metal intro to it, though when it explodes in it almost feels uplifting in an odd way. The closest thing I can compare the riffing to is Muse, which is sick! Then it drops down to the low bass and ominous guitaring, immediately turning more towards ‘Prosthetics’ or ‘Scissors’ or ‘Gently’ by Slipknot. The band again do a brilliant job of building in the instrumentation and tension slowly until another infectiously catchy chorus comes in. The dynamics on this track, and the album as a whole, are amazing. I loved the story of the track too, the vocal delivery being incredible throughout. And I feel like a broken record at this point, but the guitar solo tucked away in the middle is also awesome! Shock horror, it’s another incredible song!
Another brief, talky interlude that once again adds perfectly to the story sets ‘Darkest Desire’ up perfectly. I hate to play it off as it is a damn good song, but it doesn’t feel like anything we haven’t heard on the album to this point. Especially when compared to the beautiful, dark acoustic/piano ballad that follows it. It’s a track that the album very much needed, and is executed to perfection. It still brings the heaviness too later on, but there is no denying this is the ballad-track of the album. And we still get an awesome, slower solo too, showing off the Doctor’s versatility yet again. And once again, it feels fresh and different while distinctively Ward XVI. It’s an awesome song, and placed perfectly on the album!
The final dark interlude ties the story together perfectly, and leads into the final track and massive single, ‘We Are Legion’. It’s another song I’m pretty familiar with at this point, and of course love. It’s heavy, gothic and really catchy, another one that will go over amazingly live. It also ties together the album excellently, feeling like it combines elements of each song that preceded it. It’s another amazing song and another great choice for a single.
Overall: This met and somehow exceeded my hype for it! Every song is amazing and it acts as the perfect conclusion to everything the band have built since they started. It’s packed full of massive highlights and I want to hear just about every song of this live. I know they’re doing so at their album launch that we sadly can’t make, so this is my plea to do full album shows at least a few times, please! If you are at all into metal in any way, this is very much an album for you. For the years of hype and rumbling, it was worth every second, and this will surely be high on our albums of the year come December!
The wait is finally over! I know myself, alongside of a lot of readers/fans of Overtone, have been eagerly anticipating this album since the moment it was announced, so to finally be able to sit back and review it is a bit of a surreal moment. Especially after being so accepted into the bands community and getting to chat to the duo just last week (interview pending, sorry!). The singles I’ve heard have been excellent, and they already have a track record of putting out some awesome stuff. So, a sophomore album a decade in the making, this is the band new LessDMV album. Fuck, I’m excited!
The eerie, epic intro track, ‘| E |’ leads perfectly into the heavy, massive start of ‘Hysteria’. That scream and the power metal riffing and drumming is awesome, immediately leaving me not knowing what to expect. Julian’s clean vocals soon come in for the verse, an awesome multi-track going on, a subtle high, softer vocal adding an amazing level to it all. The low growled vocals in the pre are awesome too, showing off his absolutely incredible range early on, and then the catchy chorus comes in perfectly afterwards. It’s all on a similar level which I actually love, as it has a sense of urgency that an opening track should have. The bridge riff gives off big early BFMV vibes in all the best ways, and then we get a melodeath heavy screamed part that blows me away even more! This song is wild and a great taster of a bit of everything the pair do so well, which is exactly what you want from a first track. And, it’s an amazing song in its own right, and one that instantly makes our playlist!
‘Straight from Hell’ picks up right where the opener leaves off, yet has a bit more of that BMTH Sempiternal-era synth vibe to it. I like that it drops down for the verses though, it being just Julian’s incredible voice backed by keys and synths. It adds another layer of variety to the album already, but still feels so very LDMV. It also builds perfectly and beautifully into a massive, arena-filling chorus. It’s still heavy but feels pretty ballad-like, which I love! And, having said that, we still get a heavy breakdown in the middle with an incredible scream in it. It’s another awesome song that fits perfectly with the prior one, and is another one that’s a must check out!
The heaviness returns with THAT riff to open ‘Gone’, but I love that it also still has the keys behind it, feeling like it combines elements of both the tracks before it. It all has a layer of evil and eeriness to it, from said keys to Julian’s low vocal delivery in the verses. And it once again builds perfectly into a surprisingly beautiful, uplifting chorus, though it also fits the track seemingly perfectly. It gives off ever so slight Corey Taylor vibes for the first time on the album, like one of Slipknot’s more modern, slower songs. I cannot get over how awesome the chorus is, it made to be played to huge festival crowds around the world! It’s menacing throughout, outside of that chorus, and I can’t not praise how incredible it is to write two sections that fit when they really shouldn’t. Yet another excellent song!
‘The One’ is the first acoustic ballad of the album. It’s another stunningly beautiful track, and a fatactically emotional love song. The distortion builds perfectly into the absolutely massive chorus, but that doesn’t at all take away from the emotion or beauty, it arguably enhancing it even more. It’s a chorus that’s going to be stuck in my head for days to come too, it’s so good! And honestly, the solo gave me goosebumps. It fit so well and carried the emotion on perfectly. This is an absolutely incredible ballad and an absolutely MASSIVE album highlight. I’mma stop gushing over it so my fangirling doesn’t get to the extreme but yeah, certainly another one for our Spotify!
After another brief interlude track we get more synth-metal awesomeness in ‘Ghost’. It’s very gothy, feeling like a slightly heavier HIM, complete with a couple of awesome screams! It’s a very similar feel to ‘The Light’ after it, though the latter is a touch slower and even more gothic. Both are excellent tracks and I love that it’s the kind of sound that the album settles comfortably into; a bassline by which it goes heavier or lighter. And neither truly feel like album tracks, either, as both could easily be singles in their own right!
‘Requiem’ opens on a Marching drumbeat, with Julian’s insane lows coming in, accompanied by some slight piano. It once again has an eerie feel to it, in the best way. I love the simpleness of the track, too. The first chorus feels epic while not really adding in any more parts than the verse. Heck, it isn’t until the second chorus that everything finally explodes in, sounding massive and so grandiose. It feels like a perfect (yet far too late) time to praise the incredible mix throughout this album; everything shines through perfectly and fits together excellently. This song really lets Julian flex his insane vocal range, going from powerful lows to stunning highs and everything between. And, you guessed it, it’s another beautiful song!
It’s wild to me that we’re this far into the album before we reach the first single on it, ‘The Sanctuary’. It’s a song that I’ve managed to sit with for six months now, and it’s just as incredible now as it was the first time I heard it. I love the driving synth in the intro, giving it an almost 80s vibe to it. And it has arguably the best chorus on the whole release, so damn catchy! It’s a goth-rock radio hit if I’ve ever heard one, that’s for sure! It’s hard to talk about it without repeating what I’ve been saying for months, but just know it’s an excellent song and definitely another worth checking out!
‘| A |’ gives way to the excellent recent single, ‘In the Dark’. It’s another song that I have spoken about a lot, even doing a reaction video for it. So, if you want to hear me gush all over this track, I’d recommend checking that out, as I can’t gush over the track any more concisely than there!
‘Insanity’ is another electronic-based track, even having a trap beat behind it. I have to admit, it isn’t really my sort of thing. However, at least they do it better than Sleep Token! And those couple of low notes Julian hits… DAMN. It’s an impressive song none-the-less, and is yet again something completely different on an album that is never the same or boring. Heck, the fact that I’ve only clumped two songs together into the same paragraph in this whole review is utterly wild, and a true testament to the variety of this album!
The final single on the album, ‘To Believe’, is somehow one that I hadn’t checked out until this review. However, it’s another incredible, beautiful track, and a damn good choice for single! It feels like a blend between ‘The Sanctuary’ and ‘The One’ in that it’s synth-driven but still has a ballad feel to it. It’s uplifting as hell and is another strong contender for best chorus. Heck, that high harmony in there is amazing, again adding so much depth to the already massive sounding vocals. The whole song is another incredible highlight on an album honestly packed full of them.
The final track of the album (excluding the closing ‘|R|’), ‘Summer Rain’, is an amazing way to close things out. The multi-layered, harmonised vocals from the offset are incredible, making it sound massive even though it’s just those and drums for the most part. The Linkin Park-like guitar riffing helps build things up through the choruses and bridges, but the song stays lower throughout, not quite exploding into that high gear. I actually like it a lot, as it has a sombre feel to it and still feels epic, fitting the style and sounds of the rest of the album rather perfectly. It’s a simple yet incredibly effective song that builds into a truly incredible soundscape by the end. I tend to prefer a big explosion, go out with a bang and all that, but this felt so incredibly fitting to everything else that I loved it. It’s not a song I’d necessarily listen to on its own often, but in the context of the album it’s perfect. And it rolls amazingly into the extended, epic closing interlude!
Overall: WOW. I’ve been a fan of Julian and LessDMV’s work for a while, but I wasn’t expecting to like it quite this much! Especially when most of it was brand new to me; some of my favourite tracks by them being standalone singles instead of making them album tracks too. The whole thing flows perfectly together, and is packed full of excellent song after excellent song. And as I’ve said before, they’re all so different that it keeps it constantly interesting, and let the pair really stretch out their creative wings. I’d urge absolutely anyone to check this out immediately, and it’s definitely going to be high up on our albums of the year list come December!
A quieter week still stacked full of some awesome albums across multiple genres. Let’s check them out!
Skunk Anansie: The Painful Truth
The legendary British rockers are back with their first new studio album in nearly a decade. And I have to say, while I do consider myself a fan of the band, I am only really familiar with those first three albums; I haven’t listened to much post-reunion. So, I don’t know if I’m late to the party, but this was a bit of a shock to the system compared to what I was expecting. Firstly, my main love from those early albums was Cass’ incredible bass playing, adding so much feel and attitude to every song. So, when I heard this I honestly figured he wasn’t in the band any more; this album has really nerfed him. Don’t get me wrong, Skin’s lyrics are still great and thought-provoking, and she can certainly still sing, but the instrumentation around her was sadly kinda boring compared to what they have put out in the past. The closest thing we got to that old-school, rockier sound is the one-two-punch of ‘Cheers’ and ‘Shoulda Been You’. The rest all sounded more indie-pop leaning and electronic-heavy.
None of it is inherently bad, and this will certainly have fans. If you like stuff like Nothing But Thieves or the less quirky side of Twenty-One Pilots, you might like this. However, if you are going into this as a fan of their 90s music, just be warned it isn’t too similar, and you may be disappointed like I was. It may grow on me, but for now it sadly gets a 4/10 from us.
Hinder: Back to Life
The seventh album from the hard rock/modern glam metal band is… it’s fine. They’re another band that I loved their first two or three albums, but do also feel like they lost their edge and passion a little somewhere between then and now. Heck, opening a hard/alt rock song on a soppy ballad is a bad idea as it is. I know that’s mostly what they are known for, but even the big guitars and drums in the choruses don’t help its case as much as it needs. It does feel like the album picks up a little for me with ‘Everything is a Cult’, it giving off big Three Days Grace vibes. The follow-up, more acoustic-based ballad, ‘Bring Me Back to Life’, is also a great song. ‘Break the Cycle’ later on is okay, too! However, a lot of it came across as stale and done-before, and honestly pretty cringy for a bunch of forty-somethings. In a genre that has become kinda repetitive and not aged well, Hinder are a brilliant example as to why that is. It’s not bad, and if you’re a fan of the band you’ll probably get something out of it, but if you’re looking for creativity and passion, that feels to have long-since left the band. It’s another sad 4/10
When Rivers Meet: Addicted to You
The fifth album from the husband-and-wife fronted blues rock band has a lot of hype around it, and looks to be just as successful as 2023’s Aces are High. I remember really liking itback when I reviewed it, so hopefully I’ll feel the same with this!
Once again, their strength is in their vocals working so perfectly together, the harmonies throughout being top notch. And some of the riffing is as awesome as ever, blending that blues and country sound masterfully. And some of the songs are awesome. From the amazing duet of the opener/title track and the almost QOTSA-like ‘Break Free’ to the epic, more folk/Americana ‘Coming Up for Air’ to the beautiful ballad ‘Tree of Life’ to the awesome southern rock, slide-guitar-epic of ‘Soft White Sand’ and even us finally getting the band’s name as a song title as the closer, there is so much greatness on here. Heck, the latter may be my favourite song by the band overall, it really combines elements of all their sounds into four-and-a-half epic minutes. However, there really isn’t a bad song on this thing. There’s plenty of variety, 47-minutes going by in a flash, and it’s a must for any rock, country or blues fans out there. I’m not quite sure if it’s necessary better than their last couple of albums, but it’s up there for sure. And with a few more listens, I may have a more solid say on that. But, for now, it gets another massive 9/10 from us!
Sports Team: Boys These Days
This feels like it’s been a long time coming, being delayed at least once and being on my calendar for a while! Turns out the last one, Gulp was the same, too! Still, I remember not minding that album when it released, and this is very much more of the same. It leans even more into the alt side of things this time round, and honestly the quirkiness was a big plus for me. The instrumentation is awesome, be it horns, strings, synths or piano between the traditional rock stuff, and kept me interested throughout! Songs like the title track, ‘Condensation’, the chilled-out ‘Planned Obsolescence’ and ‘Bonnie’ are all big highlights for me, but there isn’t a bad song on it! It’s a relaxed, simply fun album to listen to. If you’re into the softer stuff, I’d highly recommend this. It’s a great, quirky, punk-infused soft rock album, and I certainly got more out of it than I did their last album! It’s a solid 7.5/10 from us, and something I’ll definitely be spinning again!
Mandy Manala: Self-Titled
I went into this album with no ideas or expectations, and ended up loving it and coming away a big fan of the Finnish five-piece. It’s awesome, heavy rock with clear stoner, doom and gothic tinges to it, reminding me of stuff like Lucifer in the best way! From the awesome opener to ‘The Machine’ to ‘Black Sheep’ to ‘The Dark Passenger’, there is so much awesome music on this release! And, for a debut album of a band that have only started releasing studio music this year, it’s absolutely mind-blowing that it’s this high quality! They’ve come out of nowhere and are already a fast rising star in the scene, and this album will go a hell of a long way putting them on the map, I’m sure! If you’re into the hard rock/stoner sound of the likes of Crobot, The Sword or Sons of Texas, I’d highly recommend checking this release out! They’re going to be a big name sooner rather than later, and have a big fan in me already. This is a damn solid 8.5/10!
Cardinal Black: Midnight at the Valencia
I clearly got the wrong memo, I thought Cardinal Black went a little harder than this. I was expecting some NWOCR stuff, not this soulful, easy-listening soft-rock awesomeness. However, the more I listened to this, the more I fell head over heels in love with it. The way the songs are arranged and build to these epic crescendos, alongside Tom’s utterly phenomenal vocals, honestly gave me goosebumps multiple occasions throughout. Honestly, some of it doesn’t sound too dissimilar to the newer War and Treaty stuff, especially when they add that slight Southern vibe. Between that and reminding me of our friend Jody Blount, which I also love. It’s incredibly difficult to pick highlights too, as they’re all so good and most of this ended up in my personal playlist. Don’t get me wrong. It is a slow album, and it is all pretty similar. I’m not sure if they have any other styles up their sleeve, but maybe a more upbeat track thrown in somewhere in the middle to break things up would have been nice. That, or maybe just strip a song or two out, so it isn’t nearly 50-minutes of the same. However, both are very much personal preference, and pretty small nitpicks really! It’s an amazing album packed full of incredible musicianship and great writing, and I would recommend absolutely anyone check this out at least once. It gets a very strong 9.5/10 from us!
The Steeldrivers: Outrun
Fun fact, I saw these live years ago back when I was in the US and had no idea who they were. I loved them then, and the band title has finally just unlocked that core memory for me.
This is an awesome bluegrass/Americana album! I hadn’t heard of the band before, but their 7th album goes damn hard. It’s not for everyone as it is so stripped-back, just strings and vocals, but I really loved it. Songs like ‘The River Knows’, ‘Prisoner’s Tears’, and ‘Rosanna’ are all awesome and big personal highlights, but this whole thing is packed full of great tracks. If you’re into either of the genres mentioned, or a more traditional, old-school country sound, I can’t recommend this enough. They are one of the best bands in this style, and this album is yet another of theirs that proves it. I’ll certainly be listening to a lot of this a lot in the coming weeks and months. It’s a damn solid 8/10 from me!
Spiralist: Violent Feathers
This is a wild ride of an album that should immediately be much bigger than it is! This third album is honestly incredible, blending together elements of industrial, metalcore, alternative and even brief blends of pop and shoegaze into something truly unique and interesting to listen to. Whether it’s 3TEETH, Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, Marilyn Manson or even stuff like Electric Callboy or Cane Hill, the band wear their inspirations on their sleeves heavily, in a great way! Songs like ‘Parasites’, ‘Underbelly’, the NIN-like ‘Glasseater’ and ‘Baptism by Fire’ are all big personal highlights. However, the whole album is great, and has a fantastic flow to it. Whether it’s more interlude-like tracks or the beautiful piano song ‘God Unknown’, the album is broken up perfectly and constantly interesting to listen to. It’s another album that won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but I absolutely loved it and cannot recommend it enough to anyone even slightly interested. They deserve to be massive, and certainly to have more than a couple of hundred monthly listeners on Spotify. They have a new fan in me, and this is a very easy 9/10 from us!
The horror metal legend himself is back with another album this week. We loved Horrifier and I’ve been a fan of the man and his band for years now, so there was no way I was missing checking this out as soon as I could. Two decades into his career as a solo artist, can he still produce the same quality of release that he has always been known for? Read on to find out!
Intro track ‘There’s No Such Thing as Monsters’ leads perfectly into ‘Decease and Desist’. Not only is it a fantastic pun of a name, but it gets the industrial horror metal vibes going from the very first note. The opening riff is incredible, and the drum work behind it adds so much. It feels like old Wednesday in the best way. His vocals of course fit perfectly over the top of it; waxing lyrical around his usual spooky topics. It all builds to a massive, catchy chorus that I immediately want to hear live. It reminds me a lot of ‘Keep Watching the Skies’ or even ‘Get Your Grave On’, which are two of my favourite songs by the band, so of course I love this! We also get an awesome, very fitting guitar solo tucked away in the middle, showing off just how criminally underrated Ashes is. It’s a fantastic song and the perfect one to open the album with!
We’re already very familiar with the album’s lead single, having done a reaction videoto it when it dropped. If you want to hear me gushing over it, I’d highly recommend checking out the video as I don’t want to keep repeating the same stuff, I’ll sound like too much of a fangirl! However, I will say that I love it just as much now as I did when I first heard it, and it’s an easy huge highlight of the album. It’s been on our playlist since it released!
‘Rotting Away’ leans slightly more into Wednesday’s punk territory with the pace, but keeps the heaviness and awesomeness high. The guitars dropping out behind the vocals in the verse was a nice touch, and it once again all builds to a fantastic, huge chorus. It’s another one that’s gonna be stuck in my head for days to come, I’m sure. We once again get an awesome guitar lead line in the middle, the track following a standard formula but doing so spectacularly well. It’s another fun, excellent song that any fan of the band will certainly love!
‘No Apologies’ continues where the previous track leaves off pretty perfectly, having that quick pace and punk edge while still having the heaviness and darkness of the opening two songs. It’s an absolutely incredible chorus too, one that is made to be played to huge arena and festival crowds around the world. He has such a unique style; you can tell it’s Wednesday the moment you hear it, and he does it so well. This is another easy highlight of the album, and another to make the playlist!
Songs like ‘Decapitation’ and ‘Xanaxtasy’ are more Misfits-esque horror punk songs. The former’s lyrics are honestly hilarious, and another big high point of the album for me. They’re aggressive and violent in all the best ways. Both are more lighthearted, higher-energy songs that split the album up perfectly. Oh, and I love both of them, if that wasn’t obvious! And both are catchy as any, more songs I am desperate to hear in a live setting!
Single ‘In Misery’ brings the doom and gloom back, the haunting clean riff opening it up perfectly and building up into a huge, epic, dark soundscape. It’s another classically Wednesday track filled with dark lyrics, a heavy verse and massive, infectiously catchy chorus. And the solo is maybe my favourite of the album too, fitting the vibe of the song perfectly. It’s a dark love ballad like only Mr 13 can do, and is another easy big highlight of this album so far packed full of them!
‘Blood Storm’ brings back the punk energy, the ‘woh’s giving off more of a Pennywise or again Misfits vibes. It works really well alongside Wednesday’s harsher vocals, almost harkening back to his Muderdolls days. I also love it switching between the lightening quick pace and the half-time stuff, the dynamics making each part feel massive and unique. Shock horror, it’s another excellent song!
The final three tracks on the album are more of the glorious same. Sure, ‘I Hurt You’ is another slower, more ballad track compared to the others, and is lyrically fantastic. And yes, ‘My Funeral’ is another ‘Get your Grave On’-like banger and another huge album highlight. However, none especially brought much new to the table. All were fantastic songs, but I don’t find repeating myself over and over and gushing a bunch makes for a very good review to read, so I’ve grouped them together to basically say ‘more awesome songs you should definitely check out’! ‘Sick and Violent’ is the perfect, fast paced, epic closer to this album, too!
Overall: Wednesday seems incapable of making a bad album. And, while I love all of them, the run that he’s been on over the last decade or so is nothing short of spectacular. This adds to that run perfectly, with another incredible solid release packed full of amazing horror metal songs. There isn’t a bad song on it, and I’d put the singles up there alongside any of his other big hits. I can’t recommend this enough to any fans of Wednesday, or the genre of metal in general. It’s a lot of fun to listen to that, for the most part, doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’ll certainly be one I’ll be spinning again a lot in the coming weeks and months!
Three awesome EPs for us to dive into today, from death metal to industrial to country! Let’s check them out!
Ashes in the Fall: Where Serenity Prevails
Prog-death has always been a genre I’ve wanted to explore more, and this was the perfect vehicle to use to do so. There’s a surprising amount of post-metal to the release, the atmosphere created across the three tracks being fantastic. The band are clearly talented writers and players, as some of the guitar runs and drum fills are still incredible. All three tracks serve their purpose perfectly, too. ‘Kodamas’ is a great intro, while ‘Seven Days of Fire’ showcases exactly what the band are about, style-wise. It’s short too, getting straight to the point at fourish minutes, almost being a worthy single as it’s heavy and fantastically played. Then you have the epic, 11-minute ‘Dusk of Mankind’ where the band really cut loose and let you see what they’re about. It’s folky and masterfully crafted, almost bordering on atmospheric black metal, which fits so well in the context of the rest of the music. It’s a highlight for me, for sure, and has certainly made me a fan of the band. Heck, even if this EP was just this one track, I’d have still loved it, but the fact that we also have more is just a bonus. This certainly won’t be for everyone, but I enjoyed this far more than I expected to, and if anyone likes their metal heavy and epic, I’d certainly recommend! 8/10
Decrepit Youths: Love Psycho Kill Machine
The Geordie alt rock crew released their debut EP today, after a strong hype train of singles over the last couple of years. Featuring the title track single and their 2024 hit ‘Monster in Me’, we also get the fantastic new song ‘Black Dove’. All three songs are absolutely phenomenal, and fit perfectly into the current heavy music climate. The title track is a catchy industrial metal banger, giving off the perfect mix of Ministry and Electric Callboy. Then you have the more BMTH/Linkin Park-like ‘Black Dove’, more catchy melodies and big riffs, but more rock-based. Finally, the lead single is a heavy combination of both previous styles, and another certified banger. All three tracks fit perfectly together and are such an incredible collection of songs. All three are as good as each other, making it impossible to pick highlights. And as a debut release, it’s absolutely phenomenal. The band are going to go far if this EP is anything to go by, and this should very much put them on the map. It’s a solid 9/10 from me, and I immediately want more from them!
Maddox Batson: First Dance
The debut EP from the LITERAL CHILD country newcomer was released today. It’s not particularly my sort of thing, but for what it is and the fact that the kid is only 15, it’s a pretty good release! It’s very pop-country, wearing its FGL and Russel Dickerson inspiration heavily on its sleeve. It’s a very modern sound that is pulled off well by Maddox, and his age takes a lot of the potential cringiness out of the style and lyrics. While it’s not exactly my style, stuff like ‘Girl in Green’ and ‘It Was You’ are good songs in their own right and definite highlights. And regardless of what I think, it’s a solid debut for sure, and an incredibly easy-to-listen-to under 20 minutes of chilled-out country music. This is clearly the start of big things for Maddox, and this will definitely be a point where we’ll all look back on as the start of something big, I’m sure. But, for me personally, it gets a 6.5/10
Moldova’s own Infected Rain have been growing more and more popular seemingly by the day since signing with Napalm Records. Three albums into their partnership and they just released possibly their biggest album yet. They have been all over my socials and YouTube in the leadup to this release, and I’ve loved what I’ve heard so far! I only really know their singles, so I’m excited to dive in with a full album!
The album starts off heavy right from the offset with ‘BECAUSE I LET YOU’. The opening riff is awesome, chunky and groovy, and the quick pace of the verse behind Lena’s awesome harsh vocals carry on the energy perfectly. It’s the perfect blend of death, nu and industrial metal, and pretty unique and very interesting to listen to! The chorus is surprisingly catchy too, the power behind the vocals almost giving off Doro vibes. It drops down to a simple piano and clean vocal in the middle, adding a beautiful other later to the track. It also builds up back to the heaviness perfectly, and the final chorus is epic brilliance. What a fantastic way to open an album!
‘DYING LIGHT’ opens on another great filthy riff. Anything with the Gojira scrapes in it has my heart, and they’re done awesomely here. The vocals throughout are awesome, be it the duelling screams in the verse, the more operatic style of the pre, or the even heavier lower screams throughout. The rest of the band work overtime too, some awesome riffing going on as well as some awesome industrial/nu metal chugging. I can’t get enough of the blend of styles. The dropped-down ambient bit in the middle was cool, again adding a more dynamic edge to the track. And it again builds the heaviness back up perfectly. It’s an amazing track, and one that easily makes our playlist!
The lower, almost tribal opening of ‘NEVER TO RETURN’ was awesome, and really broke up the album well early on. The electronic instrumentation pulls it off incredibly well, and Lena’s clean vocals fit perfectly over the top. The vibrato she puts on the high notes is as impressive as it is haunting. And it means that when the heaviness explodes in with the crushing scream, drums and distorted guitar, it hits like a mac truck. The bridge riff is awesome and nearly heads into a pretty sick breakdown of sorts. The whole darker Egyptian-feel of the track is incredible, and I couldn’t get enough of it. Another that made our playlist!
Single ‘Lighthouse’ opens on an interesting spoken word bit from a little girl, setting the theme and scene up for the track perfectly. And I love that the band come in with a ch0nky riff but a clean vocal, giving off more of a symphonic metal feel. If you’re a fan of Within Temptation or Nightwish, you’ll love this song. It still gets heavy, for sure, but not until the breakdown a couple of minutes in. What a fucking breakdown it is too, damn. Her scream of course fits awesomely over the sick riff, and it fits the tone of the track surprisingly perfectly.
I loved the heavier take on the chorus after it too, the harsher vocal with the faint clean one behind it sounding massive. And it doesn’t over-stay its welcome either, going back to the cleaner stuff after. Shockingly, it’s a third straight track onto the playlist. I LOVE this song; it’s both beautiful and crushingly heavy, and has a great story and message to it.
Tracks like ‘THE ANSWER IS YOU’, ‘ENMITY’ and single ‘VIVARIUM’ are more straight up heavy awesomeness. The band almost remind me of the likes of Otep at these sort of times, especially in the former. Infected Rain do heavy so very well and I really like all three tracks. I simply don’t want to keep saying the same thing over and over and gushing too much in this review. They do all have bits of rest and dynamics throughout still, too. The final minutes of ‘ENMITY’ are particularly spectacular! I’d definitely recommend all three songs!
‘PANDEMONIUM’ definitely has some heaviness to it, but the synth running through it was amazing. It gave the track an almost an 80s pop vibe on top of their regular music. Also, the heavier verses that it wasn’t in were amazing, bouncy and a lot of fun. The riffing again is a massive highlight of the track, but honestly everything fitted together perfectly. It’s another excellent track!
Tracks like ‘UNPREDICTABLE’ and ‘PAURA’ are really interesting. The former opens on some beautiful clean vocals over an awesome riff before alternating between heaviness and a more symphonic sound. The same could be said for the latter, outside of the first minute and a half of build-up through the electronic drums and what I assume is Romanian (?). Again, both are two more fantastic, epic-feeling tracks!
‘GAME OF BLAME’ is very much the ballad of the album. The synth running throughout again gives it an 80s feel, but sounds awesome over the other keys. The distorted guitars come in in the choruses but with everything else going on it all feels massive and uplifting. It’s hugely catchy too with the cleaner vocals and the synth behind it. Heck, even when Lena screams in the second verse, it still has a ballad-like feel to it. It feels different while still maintaining the bands signature sound. And we still get a sick breakdown, one of the heaviest points of the album. This track has everything, and is another to make our playlist!
The closing track on the album is an ambient one, swells of synths and strings. It honestly fits the album pretty perfectly, and I couldn’t think of a better way to finish it all off. It ties a pretty bow around one hell of an album.
Overall: This is an awesome album. There isn’t a bad track on it and a number of them are up there with some of my all time favourite tracks from the Infected Rain. It’s easy to see why the band are rocketing in popularity recently, and this album will surely continue that upward trend. If you’re into the heavier side of metal, I’d recommend checking this out immediately. The album is sure to be up there in our album of the year list come December, I can assure you that!
The incredible Drip Fed Empire put out their much anticipated debut album a couple of weeks ago. We checked it out (find here) and loved it, so managed to sit down with a quick chat to the band about it! Check out the interview below!
How would you describe your sound? Any major influences you pull from?
As a bunch of men pushing 30, we’ve been influenced by a lot. We all grew up listening to nu metal and industrial metal amongst many others. A lot of the bands that started what we’re doing now such as Linkin Park, Fear Factory, Static X and the Prodigy. We’re seeing a lot of these sounds return through the nu metal resurgence that’s happening at the moment and we made sure to accommodate these themes on the record.
Tell me about the album, any specific themes or stories running through it?
Funny that, throughout our previous records we’ve written about things like social and societal issues. While thinking about what I wanted to be a key focus of the album I sat down and figured out the common denominator. Greed. So our album circles around the source of our problems in the storyline.
You guys have been around for a while now, what made now the time to finally release an album? Do you think the market still works for albums or is it more EP/singles now?
As far as I know the majority of interest is in singles, right? Honestly, I personally feel like it was a push to elevate our status more than anything else. And we felt like writing an album would be much more likely to bring us up to the next level and reach new audiences. It allowed us to release music that otherwise probably wouldn’t have otherwise been released. There’s more room for creativity in an album rather than just releasing a string of singles one after the other.
What would you say the scene is like currently?
We chat to a lot of rock bands, but the metal scene looks just as healthy in the UK! The metal scene is thriving here for sure. I think something we’ve always found fascinating is how we’ve been received depending on what part of the UK we’re in. As a metal band that has a hard focus on electronic music, we have not always fitted in, but when we do it’s fantastic. I can also say that there appears to be a positive shift in the attitudes towards the kind of music we write and release, so I look forward to seeing what the future brings.
Have you got a busy year booked for gigs/festivals? Saw you’re in Notts soon!
Yes, we’ve got several shows lined up already, we just played a co-headline in Nottingham the turn out was incredible. We’ll be back playing Mangata festival this year very excited to have been asked back be doing this one again this year.
Do you have a dream tour lineup you’d love to be a part of, whether it’s supporting a big band or travelling around with your friends?
Hmmm, good question! I think in terms of big bands, we’d probably pick Enter Shikari, Bring me the horizon and Pendulum. We saw the last two at Download last year and they were all amazing.
If you could have written one song from history, what would it have been and why?
I think the music writing in Tenacious D is second to none. I would have loved to write either Tribute or Wonderboy haha!
Another part of our top albums of 2023 list, and things are starting to really heat up now!
60: Prong – State of Emergency
Starting off this section of the list strong with the US groovy thrash band. Considering I’d never even heard of the band before doing our review of the album, I’ve become a little bit obsessed. It’s such an interesting blend of styles, too. It effortlessly transitions between 80s thrash to crossover to a Pantera/Black Label Society-like groove metal. It’s a real testament to the band’s phenomenal songwriting.
I gave it a 9.5/10 in my review and it’s hard to argue that fact when I’m sat here on yet another listen through while I write this. There isn’t a bad track on it and every song has such a different feel that it never once gets boring. Yet again, they need to finally come back over to the UK soon!
Listen to: State of Emergency, Light Turns Black and Disconnected
59: Hyro the Hero – Bound for Glory
This album, like his last one, was a long time coming. While the gap between his first and second album was bigger, the first single from this album came out a whopping three years before it’s full release. I think that is the reason that it is a little lower than I thought it would be. Much like Electric Callboy last year, it’s an amazing album, but A LOT of it had come out prior to its release, and it was almost all the best stuff.
However, if you’re a fan of hip-hop infused rock and metal, this is definitely the album for you. The vocals and lyrics are phenomenal and the music behind it is basic but fits it perfectly. And all the (many) guests do a fantastic job on their tracks, too. I love that this sort of music is making it bigger than ever with the likes of Hyro, Fever333 and Stray from the Path, and this album is up there with some of the best in the genre. We gave it an 8/10, but after a few more listens I’d easily put it up to an 8.5 or 9!
Listen to: FU2, Retaliation Generation and Sho Nuff
58: Crown the Empire – DOGMA
Time for some more metalcore, because there is never enough. The Texan natives still feel like relative newcomers in the genre even though they’ve been going for nearly a decade and a half now and this was their fifth album. That may be because I only got into them with this release, though. Heck, I wasn’t even the one who reviewed it, Max did. He gave it a massive 10/10. While I maybe don’t agree with that, it certainly justifies it’s placement on this list alone!
Still, it’s a very good modern metalcore album. There are multiple awesome tracks throughout, and it really feels like the band have reached a new height with the release. It’s polished, refined and feels like they’ve really reached their stride creatively and sonically. I’d happily give it a 9! Plus, ‘In Another Life’ with Courtney LaPlante goes hard.
Listen to: In Another Life, Labyrinth and Black Sheep
57: Shania Twain – Queen of Me
One of the undisputed queens of country is in the middle of a career renascence currently, and this album has done wonders for that. It’s been everywhere on social media ever since it’s release back in February. Even despite the huge pop hype, though, it’s a damn good country album. Shania sounds just as good as ever, and has written some great modern country tracks for the album. Don’t get me wrong, she has very much capitalised on a lot of modern sounds of other artists. However, she has definitely put her own Twain-g (lol) on it.
I gave it a very deserved 9/10 back when it came out, and it’s hard to dispute that at this point. It’s a solid pop-country album that’s just a thoroughly enjoyable listen. Check this out if you like poppier stuff.
Listen to: Giddy Up!, Waking Up Dreaming and Got it Good
56: VEXED – Negative Energy
I mean, just listen to THAT riff in ‘Anti-Fetish’. Do I really need to say anything more? Ugh, fine.
This is how I wish Spiritbox sounded. I’d choose these over Courtney and co. any day. It’s heavy, packed full of ch0nky, djenty riffs and some of the best growls and screams you’ll hear this year. And the electric element that has become so prevalent in modern metal is done to perfection here. And the breakdowns… *chef’s kiss*.
My only slight criticism would be that the albums is arranged a little odd. If you first put this album on, you’d be forgiven for assuming there weren’t any clean vocals on it, that it was all brutal and crushing. But no, there are a couple tucked away towards the back. I’d have personally spread them out a bit more through the album, but I’m sure it was intentional.
If you’re into heavy music, you need to check this album out immediately. It’s a modern metal masterpiece and deserves to be so much bigger than it is currently. We gave it a very deserving 9.5/10 in our review. After numerous other listens, I still agree!
Listen to: Anti-Fetish, Panic Attack and Extremist
55: XO Armor – Nublar
These German lads wrote a metal album about dinosaurs… and it goes fucking HARD. It’s like Electric Callboy meets deathcore but dirtier, and it’s hard not to love it if you’re into heavy music. I remember LOVING it when it came out, so much so that I gave it10/10. However, I really haven’t listened to it much since it’s release back in July, aside for a track or two, hence it’s slightly lower placement on this list. Still, if you like house music meats Danko, this will very much be an album for you. As an album as a whole it fits together perfectly, even if listening back some of it isn’t 100% my thing. Still, I NEED to see this stuff live, I feel like it’d be one hell of a gig. And a good nearly half of it is on my playlist.
Listen to: Dilopho, Rex and Raptoren
54: Burning Witches – The Dark Tower
The Swiss heavy/power ladies returned with a vengeance earlier this year with their fifth album. It’s an hour of awesome, chuggy riffs, soring vocals and plenty of catchiness. And yet, it still has room for incredible metal ballads and even a fantastic cover of a W.A.S.P classic. If you’re into Judas Priest, Powerwolf or Manowar, this band and this album are both very much for you!
I gave it a massively deserved 9.5/10 when I reviewed it upon its release. They are one of the best bands to be still doing that old-school 70s/80s metal sound, and honestly do it better than a fair few of them back at that time, too! I cannot recommend this album enough, and I wish I could have put it higher. The competition is just crazy stiff this year!
Listen to: Unleash the Beast, The Dark Tower and Tomorrow
53: Anima Tempo – Chaos Paradox
Another criminally underrated band make our list with their album, this time the prog-tech-death band and their video game-inspired release. As a musician (mainly of the string variety) I can’t help but gush over the insane playing throughout the whole album. The sheer talent of writing and playing riffs like this is off the charts, and that’s not even mentioning the amazing drumming, beautiful cleans and crushing growls throughout. And honestly it’s a solid album to listen to from cover-to-cover; there isn’t a bad song throughout.
It’s another album that I hate putting so low. I fully understand if this is in a djent fan’s top 10, it’s one of the best albums I’ve heard in the genre, honestly. It’s like a combination of Periphery, Trivium and a Nintendo game soundtrack, and it’s fucking awesome. We gave it9.5/10, and my god does it deserve it!
Listen to: Deceitful Idols, Digital Heart and Robo-Lution
52: Almost Honest – The Hex of Penn’s Woods
Some sludgy, stoner-doom metal up next, and a really awesome release from the Pennsylvania band. Very much a heavier combination of The Sword and Queens of the Stone Age, they are easily one of the best bands in the genre currently. If you are into this type of music and haven’t yet checked out this album, you are doing yourself a massive disservice. I gave it a 9/10 when I did my full review, and it definitely lives up to that on another listen! The musicianship throughout is off the charts, but it also goes hand in hand with some genuinely great writing. A no-brainer for a slot this high on our list!
We also chatted to the band about the album! Check it out here!
Listen to: Mortician Magician, Amish Hex and Ballad of the Mayfly
51: Old Dominion – Memory Lane
What a fantastic country album. While the band have always been a pretty big name, it feels like they have broken new ground and become absolutely massive with this release. Whether it’s massive songs on their own or with awesome guests like Blake Shelton or Megan Moroney (more on her later), it’s got some of the biggest country hits of the year on it.
However, it is lower down on this list than you’d expect for pretty simple reasons. It’s way damn long. And it’s very front-heavy. The first six tracks or so are incredible. And there are a couple of songs later on in the album that I love, too. And that’s not to say the other tracks are bad by any stretch, but there is a lot of slower stuff all together that doesn’t catch my ear as much. Honestly, if this had been 10 killer tracks instead of 18, it could have easily broken the top 20.
Having said all of that, it is still an amazing country album, and just an amazing album all round. I gave it an 8.5/10, but after another couple of listens it’s easily a 9!
Listen to: Stay Drunk, A Million Things and Love, Drunk and Happy
50: Wet Cactus – Magma Tres
This feels like more than your typical desert/stoner rock album. Of course, it has a lot of the tropes of the genre; the big riffs and sludgy tones. Heck, it even has a very Sabbath-like vocal delivery. However, it also has slower, proggy parts, instrumental tracks and reflective slower parts that really give the album a fantastic album. It’s one of many on this list that feel like they should be experienced as a whole, but there are also still plenty of awesome standalone tracks too.
It got a very easy 9.5from me when I reviewed it! It shows so much growth from the band’s previous work and I can easily see (and hope) that it’s the album that pushes them towards the top of the genre where they deserve. Check this out if you are into the genres in any way!
Listen to: Million Tears, Mirage and Self Bitten Snake
49: Conquer Divide – Slow Burn
This album has been a long time coming. The band’s debut came out eight years ago, and after some line-up changes and a few singles, they finally returned with this release. Heck, they even got a lot of attention last year from their (controversial opinion incoming) terrible song with Electric Callboy. So, for them to come out with such a fantastic album this year is really great.
This is a fantastic, über-polished modern metalcore album. Between the catchy radio hooks and brutal, scream-filled breakdowns, the pieces fit all too well together. It’s also arranged perfectly, with each track following on pretty perfectly from each other. Don’t get me wrong, I’d prefer a tad more of the heavy stuff, as ‘Afterthought.wav’ is by far the best track on the album. However, it’s a very balanced release that is going to push them so far. I gave it a very easy 9/10 when I reviewed it, and I’ve listened to it a lot since it’s release!
Listen to: Afterthought.wav, welcome2paradise and N E W H E A V E N
48: Angus McSix – Angus MicSix and the Sword of Power
There isn’t enough power metal on this list. However, surely that means that when there is some, it’s REAL good, right? That is certainly the case with this album.
The former Gloryhammer frontman left them amid a lot of controversy a couple of years back, and this is his first solo album. I think it’s rather telling that he has made it onto this list but his former band have not… Continuing on with the same (kinda) character, it’s an epic tale of dinosaurs and space. It’s insane, classic power metal and fucking awesome.
If you are a fan of the genre at all, or a fan of NWOBHM or heavy metal in general, checking this album out immediately. The song-crafting is awesome, and it’s all performed to perfection. We gave it a very deserved 9/10, and it’s only grown on me more since its release!
Listen to: Master of the Universe, Ride to Hell and Eternal Warrior
47: Sophie Lloyd – Imposter Syndrome
Sophie and the following entry are very similar in my book, in terms of style, sound and output, and it was very hard to separate them and pick between (hence why they are one after another). MGK’s guitarist released her debut album earlier this year, doing the Slash thing of having a bunch of guest vocalists, and it was fucking awesome. The album is packed full of incredible songs and amazing vocalists. From Chris Robertson to Tyler Connolly to Matt Heafy (I knew he’d somehow sneak onto a 4th straight yearly list despite not putting out an album!) they all work perfectly alongside Sophie. She seems to work well with anyone, which is a fantastic trait to have in a guitarist.
We gave her an easy 9/10 in our review. It’s hard to argue it, as even the instrumental tracks are top notch. She’s very much the future of the rock scene, and this album is one hell of a jumping off point for her!
Listen to: Let It Hurt, Fall of Man and Judge and Jury
46: Nita Strauss – The Call of the Void
So, why is this higher than the album before? As I said, both are guitarists putting out solo albums with a bunch of guest vocalists, and almost have a similar style and sound to them. Simply put, I think the singles edge out Imposter Syndrome just a tad, for me. The hype in waiting for this album was insane, as ‘Dead Inside’ was released way before the album itself. So for another three or four tracks to be incredible and some of the best songs of the year really says something. I also like the slightly heavier approach to the sound, getting vocalists like Alissa and Anders Friden.
Having said that, I do think the instrumentals aren’t quite as enjoyable as Sophie Lloyd’s. See, it’s a very hard decision I had to make, and I nearly just called it a draw. But ‘The Wolf You Feed’ is my favourite track on either album, so this inches ahead for me. It was another easy 9/10from me! Any rock fans should check this out!
Listen to: The Wolf You Feed, Digital Bullets and Dead Inside
45: Margo Price – Strays I + II
King of a wildcard entry here as it is ‘technically’ two albums, but more of a double album released in stages. However, the combination of the nearly hour and a half collection of music is really something special and speaks volumes about Margo as a writer and performer. Don’t get me wrong, it’s certainly not for everyone. Heck, given the style and length I didn’t think it would be for me, but I love it. Again, it’s so well done that I can’t help but enjoy it.
It’s very much traditional/70s country with a modern twang to it. If that sounds appealing to you, you definitely won’t be disappointed if you check it out! We gave it an 8.5/10, and while I stand by that still, I also still standby its placement on this list. It’s the perfect album to chill out with, but also it’s filled with powerful emotion if you really listen. Sure, it’s a daunting length, and not every song is perfect, but I cannot help but love this double album.
Listen to: Strays, Light Me Up and Lydia
44: Spirit Adrift – Ghost at the Gallows
Time for some incredible heavy metal with just a splash of doom. I somehow hadn’t heard of this band before I reviewed them, insane as it’s right up my street. However, they have only been going since 2015 so I guess I’ll let myself off. I’m so glad I did check this album out though, as it’s phenomenal. Right from the epic intro to the opening track to the massive, even more epic closing title track, it had me hooked on multiple occasions. It’s like The Sword meets just a hint of Judas Priest and somehow some power metal. So, whether that sounds like your thing or not, check this out, you won’t be disappointed! The musicianship and writing is incredible, and the album really takes you on a journey. It was a very easy 9.5/10 from me back when I reviewed it, and I stand by that now too!
Listen to: Hanged Man’s Revenge,
43: Daedric – Mortal
This album is like the perfect combination of the Crown the Empire and Conquer Divide ones from earlier. It’s heavy, electronic-filled modern metalcore, with plenty of catchy hooks and radio sounds thrown in as well as fantastic growls. There isn’t a bad track on the album, and if you are in any way into this sort of music you have to check this out immediately. It’s another amazingly impressive debut album, too. We’ve had so many this year, and this is among the best for sure. I gush about it a lot more in my review of the album, and since listening to it a few more times over the last few months it’s easily another 9/10!
Listen to: Mortal, Alchemy and Nirn
42: Egokills – Self-Titled
This was a damn interesting release. I’d not heard of this band before I reviewedthe album, and I’ve become a little obsessed since! The band seem to not even switch, but more flow through so many different sounds and sub-genres throughout the album that it’s a fascinating listen and never once gets boring. And no matter if it’s a slower, quieter sound, a heavier prog one or a quicker, bouncy, more upbeat sound, they pull it all off perfectly. And, what’s more, they manage to make it all sound unique and still like Egokills!
It’s dark, it’s brooding, and it all flows together perfectly well. There isn’t a bad track on this album, and I’d recommend everyone stop reading this stupidly long article and instead go and listen to this incredible release. Heck, the epic ballad ‘Grey Rainbows’ still gives me chills when I listen to it months later. We gave it a 9.5/10 and damn, it may even deserve top marks!
Listen to: Life’s a Party, Sweat and Grey Rainbows
41: 3TEETH – EndEx
This is really fantastic industrial metal album. I’d been a casual fan of the band for a while now, but when I reviewed this album, I definitely became a little more obsessed. As much as I love a lot of big industrial metal bands, aside for a couple none really gave me the heaviness or the drops I truly needed, until this album. The huge riffs and screams throughout are incredible, and add so much to an already captivating atmosphere. It’s a really interesting sound and honestly feels pretty unique. If TikTok got a hold of it it could get massive, as there’s enough pop influence in here to pop off.
I definitely understand it isn’t an album for everyone. However, in terms of modern heavy music, 3TEETH deserve to be right near the forefront of it with this release. It was another easy 9/10from me!
Listen to: Slum Planet, Acme Death Machine and Paralyse
The Finnish heavy industrial metal band Kaos Krew are back with their sixth album. According to the band themselves, “The album as such is not a concept album but consists of songs written during the period of possible energy crisis, therefor the title ‘Blackout’. It’s an interesting concept, and one I’m excited to check out!
After an slow organ build-up to open ‘At the Core’, we get into a fantastic guitar riff, stomping and heavy. I love the electronic stuff adding an element of melody and futuristic feel to it. The growled vocals fit perfectly over the top, keeping the feel brutal and heavy. The pace keeps pretty steady though the vocals do clean up a little for the choruses, making them a little catchier. The structure threw me off too, as we get the bridge before the second chorus. The drum work through it is incredible, a funky off-beat, and the guitars playing a solo melody is awesome. Then a final chorus-verse-chorus takes us home in style. This was a really interesting track. It’s a great way to open the album as it sets the scene perfectly for the band’s sound.
‘Retribution’ punches the listener straight in the face with a huge riff to start. We then get an awesome, epic riff that is mirrored by I think keys, but it almost sounds like a horn/string combo. It’s fucking awesome and real epic. The vocals are clean this time, giving the track more of a prog-metal feel. The chorus is even catchier than the previous one too. The track overall has a very European metal feel to it (of course); having elements of power metal and symphonic stuff alongside their unique sound. We get an awesome guitar solo to bridge the gap between the choruses, really giving chance for the lead player to shine. We also get a really epic extended bridge that I’m sure would go down a storm live. Especially with the strings coming back. This is an incredible song, and one that easily makes our playlist!
‘Know Thyself’ feels like the perfect amalgamation of the last two tracks. It has the stomping pace and industrial riff of the first, while having the awesome electronic melodies and epic feel of the previous track. Then, to my surprise, it drops down into a cleaner, slower bit, and we get some incredible female vocals. It’s a very interesting and welcome change of pace. It all builds perfectly into a MASSIVE, heavy, screamed chorus, and I can’t get enough of it. The riff sounds incredible behind it, making it all sound so huge. The screams almost have an air of Johannes Eckerström to them. In fact, the whole song sounds pretty Avatar, in the best way. We then get an awesome extended bridge to end. The guitars riff out while the synths do an awesome job making it all sound huge. Another easily playlisted track!
Tracks like ‘Wake up’, ‘Strangers Gate’ and ‘Flame on’ channel similar vibes to ‘Retribution’, that more epic, power metal end of their industrial sound. All three are fantastic tracks, the latter even having elements of 70s/80s pop in there too. It’s another highlight track and one to make our playlist! However, they all have a similar energy and feel to them, so it’s hard to talk about them all without repeating myself!
I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting so many instrumental tracks. Three across the latter half of the album, ‘Raceway’, ‘Dark Circus’ and ‘Bounce’. The middle one is sludgy, Black Label Society-like track with plenty of pinch harmonics and some spoken word stuff. The latter is an equally stomping, bass-lead track that leans hard into the electronic stuff at times. The former, I do have slight issues with. While it’s a great, more hard-rock style track… is the riff not just ‘Slither’? Like I love the influence of a Slash-esque sleaze into the music, but c’mon, at least change it up a little guys! It’s a cool riff at least, and they really get their money’s worth out of it!
‘Electro Magnetic Machine’ is a really interesting track, it building up incredibly slowly across over a minute of epic electro stuff. It eventually explodes into a huge riff that you can’t help but bang your head to. Some more awesome growls come in over the top, making everything feel even heavier. The one and only chorus (I guess) stays heavy but almost channels a Muse-like energy. It’s a really interesting track and placed perfectly in the middle to break things up.
Album closer ‘Electric Masquerade’ is another interesting one. Opening on an Egyptian-like sound and riff, the heaviness soon comes in over the top. It’s almost another instrumental, aside for some spoken word stuff running through it. I kinda liked the almost robot-like voice announcing the track and continuing throughout. It reminds me of Machine Head’s ‘Imaginal Cells’, especially with the subject matter too. It feels like the culmination of the topic of the album, and honestly feels like a pretty fitting and epic conclusion musically, too. Any awesome way to close out the album!
Overall: This is an awesome album! Though, I have to admit, it does feel a tad front-loaded. Those first three or four tracks are so good, and I was ready to start handing out a 10. However, a large part of the latter half of the album is more instrumental based, bar a couple of songs. It’s not an issue, but I feel it could have maybe been arranged a little better to spread out the vocal-lead tracks a bit more. Still, as an album as a whole, it’s excellent, and so great to just sit down and listen through in one sitting. The band are amazing throughout, and I can’t give it any less than…
You know the drill by now. A collection of great new music for us all to check out. Let’s do this!
Staind: Confessions of the Fallen
Joe: Let’s get the obvious out the way, Aaron Lewis isn’t the best of guys. And yes, Staind feel like a meme band these days, like a lot of their counterparts from their era. However, having said that, their return album is pretty good. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still Staind, but at least you’re getting exactly what you’re expecting and wanting when you put it on. The band sound phenomenal, and if you were a fan of them back in the day, you’ll love this. And there’s even some surprisingly heavy riffs and even some screaming in tracks like the opener and title track. Honestly, I’d put ‘Cycle of Hurting’ or ‘Confessions of the Fallen’ up there with anything from their back catalogue.
Yes, it’s formulaic early 2000s radio hard rock/metal. However it never tried to sell itself as anything else. If you are a fan of the band like I am, you’ll love this. The two aforementioned tracks, alongside expected ballad ‘Here and Now’, are all major highlights. Staind are back, and sound just as good as they did in 2001. 8.5/10
3TEETH: EndEx
Joe: When this gets heavy, it goes hard and is awesome. That that riff in ‘Acme Death Machine’ is amazing, especially after the build of the verses. The breakdown also pops off in that track. And heck, unlike a fair bit of synth-heavy industrial music, I actually like the slower, more subdued synth bits too. This band have always been so good at perfectly balancing the dynamics of heavy and not so that when the guitars come in it all sounds MASSIVE and the heaviness is very earned.
Considering I’d always thought, although 3TEETH are good, they always seemed to be missing something to push them to the next level. I could never place what it was. However, damn did they find it. This album feels like a coming of age for the band. Every track seems to be a radio-metal banger; catchy electro-verses building to big heavy riffs and HUGE choruses. Everything about it works, and seems miles ahead of their last album. They feel like a modern day Rob Zombie these days, and that’s a very cool thing.
The ‘it’ that they were looking for might be Mick Gordon. The Doom guitar god gives the five tracks he’s on so much more umph and heaviness. And his low-tuned, heavy riffs fit so well with 3TEETH’s sound, it’s a match made in heaven. As much as I love ‘ALI3N’ or ‘Scorpion’, there’s no denying how much Gordon adds to the likes of ‘Slum Planet’ or ‘Merchant of the Void’. And holy crap, ‘Paralyse’ featuring Ho99o9 too is phenomenal.
Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand this band won’t be for everyone. Heck, if anything they’re going to be pretty niche. But if you are into synth-lead industrial stuff, big riffs or even darkwave stuff, you’ll love this. 9/10, this is fucking awesome!
Anastacia: Our Songs
– Future Joe here coming to you from after he’d written the review. It wasn’t until hearing the blatant cover ‘Forever Young’ that I did some digging and realised that this whole album is covers of German rock songs. We don’t normally cover cover albums here on New Music Mondays. However, not only are a fair few of the tracks different and translated to English, but the album is really fricking good. and I’d already written the whole review hear enough. So you can have it anyway! It pays to research early, kids! –
Joe: One of pop-rock’s biggest names from the early 2000s is back with her eighth studio album, and first since 2017. Surprisingly enough (for me at least, knowing only her hits), it’s pretty country. ‘Best Days’ is the perfect opening track, building the sound up more and more into its huge, infectiously catchy chorus. And Anastacia’s voice arguably fits even better over the country rock sound here than her more grungy early work. ‘Now or Never’ continues on from the opener perfectly, building on the vibe and sound even more. Tracks like ‘Beautiful’ and ‘Born to Live’ are incredible ballads, while ‘Still Loving You’ feels like old school Anastacia.
I do have to say, however, that the second half of the album isn’t quite as strong as the first half. Don’t get me wrong, the duet with Peter Maffey, ‘Just You’, is an incredible, epic ballad. And ‘Supergirl’ is a damn good, empowering single. All of it is still good. However, none of it quite lives up to the lofty heights of the first four tracks. Still, 8/10, this is a great album!
Brent Cobb: Southern Star
Owen:
Cannibal Corpse: Chaos Horrific
Joe: And now for something completely different. Jim Carey’s favourite death metal band are back with their 16th album. Now, while I haven’t had the chance to dive into much of their extensive back catalogue, I really found myself enjoying their last couple of albums, and I’m a big fan of Corpsegrinder. So, I was pretty excited to check this out!
The band didn’t disappoint. They are still just as in your face as they were with their debut, yet with better production and (controversially) better vocals. The playing, especially the balls-to-the-wall drumming, is hugely talented and admirable, and Fisher growls his lungs out from start to finish. And of course the guitar soloing is a massive highlight throughout too, falling somewhere between King and Hanneman in style. Highlight tracks include ‘Frenzied Feeding’, ‘Fracture and Refracture’ and single ‘Blood Blind’.
much like with 3TEETH, I get that this album definitely won’t be for everyone. However, if anyone reading this is into traditional death metal, or just the heavy stuff in general, check this out! 7.5/10
Death Dealer Union: Initiation
We’ve already reviewed this awesome album. Check it out here!
Pkew Pkew Pkew: Siiick Days
Joe: The Canadian punk rockers are back just a year after their last release with their fourth studio album. Honestly, growing up in the early 2000s and my right of passage as a child being Tony Hawk games, hearing a modern band still keeping that skater punk vibe alive so successfully is amazing. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not quite Blink 182 or Goldfinger, there’s a mixture of indie and modern sounds in there too, but the skeleton of skater punk is definitely what it’s built on.
Tracks like the opener, ‘Read Receipts’ and ‘Learning to Share’ are all massive highlights of the album. Honestly, it’s just nice to hear more upbeat, less serious music these days. As much as I like an emotional ballad, a bouncy track about not wanting to read someone’s messages immediately is sometimes exactly what I need. It’s chilled, upbeat and a lot of fun, feeling like a mixture of Rancid, Lagwagon and NOFX.
Thy Art is Murder: Godlike
Max: Thy Art is back with another punchy and impressive album that allows them to continue to demonstrate how talented they are as a group. The guitars and drums are exactly what you’d expect, punch and intense, but they also show the development and progression of not only the musicians but also the overall genre of the band as well. This continuous development has meant that whilst the album is very clearly and comfortably Thy Art, there are points throughout where the changes make enough to push a song from being good to great. Now final thoughts before the score, the vocals on the album have been done by an unnamed individual, and they are incredibly impressive and I cannot stress that enough so they definitely deserve some credit for this. 8/10
KEN Mode: VOID
Joe: So I checked out the band’s previous album, ‘NULL’. You can check out my thoughts on it here. Considering this is the 2nd part to last years album, I can’t help but share fairly similar sentiments towards this one. Outside of a few heavy, chunky riffs, musically this isn’t for me. Noise rock has never really been my thing and, while I feel like I can appreciate it a little more a year on, between the hardcore vocals and the messy drums and guitars, I got bored easy.
However, at least after reading around about the album, I at least have a pretty great appreciation of it as an art piece, and get what they were doing. The band state ‘VOID articulates the despondency that followed the pain so vividly expressed through NULL’. Both albums are based around the same event and written and recorded in the same time frame. It’s the emotion felt after the sadness. And when listening to the albums together, the concept does shine through rather masterfully.
It just still doesn’t grip me, sadly… 4/10. In retrospective, this is the score for both parts as a whole, and a good 2.5 of it is down to the idea.
