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new music mondays

New Music Mondays: All Time Low, Chris Young and More!

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Another awesome week packed full of some awesome albums, from metal to rock to country. Let’s check them out!

All Time Low: Everyone’s Talking!

A singular single from this album convinced me and my wife to get tickets to their tour next year. Just to put into perspective the quality I’m expecting here…

The 10th studio album from the Maryland modern pop-punk legends lives up to my hype, that’s for sure! The band have matured like a fine wine; gradually evolving from their more rougher, punkier beginnings to this uber-polished, perfectly mixed arena-rock-infused awesomeness. It very much feels like the band have added elements of everything from Bryan Adams, Owl City and even Kip Moore and more pop-rock artists to their core sound, and it makes for an incredible listen. I remember loving their last release, but this very much takes everything that was great about it and refines/perfects it.

‘SUCKERPUNCH’ is of course already one of my favourite tracks by the band now, but it is far from the only highlight. From singles like ‘The Weather’ to tracks like ‘Falling for Strangers’, the heavier punk ‘Little Bit’ and the Ruston Kelly-featuring ‘Tread Water’, there is so much to love. However, there really isn’t a bad track on the album, all 15 songs being awesome and the 40+ minutes going by in a flash. They were a band I never minded as a kid but never quite got into much, but these last couple of albums have made me fully in on the band. If you are at all a fan of them, or of a more punk-pop sound, I would highly recommend checking this out as soon as you can. I’ll certainly be spinning it a fair bit in the coming months, that’s for sure! 9/10

Chris Young: I Didn’t Come Here to Leave

No pressure here, but this album has a LOT to live up to. I LOVED his last album last year, and the fact that he’s followed up on it barely a year later is definitely a bold move. Thankfully, Chris’ 10th album is yet another banger of a release from the country star! He has an incredible songwriting ability (I assume alongside others), be it country ballads or more southern rock-style boot-stompers. And honestly he has one of the best studio vocals in the whole genre currently. Don’t get me wrong, it’s another pretty long country release (thankfully not to Wallen levels), but there is so much awesomeness that the 14 tracks still go by in a flash! From the opener to ‘I Feel a Cold One Coming On’, ‘Pour Some Whiskey on it’ to single ‘Boots on the Ground’ to beautiful, bittersweet ballad ‘Just Keep Living’, there is so much to love. I have to say it’s not quite as good as Young Love & Saturday Nights, but it’s a damn solid followup and as I said, with barely a years turnaround between the two it’s an incredibly impressive release. Country has had one hell of a year again, and this is certainly going to be up there with one of my favourite releases in the genre in that time. And heck, it still feels like it’s growing on me with more listens! But for now, it gets a damn solid 8.5/10

The Last Dinner Party: From the Pyre

I have made no secret over the last year or two about not ‘getting’ this band. Though people throw around the term ‘industry plant’ maybe a little too easily these days, it definitely reeks of ‘throwing enough family money at it until it takes off’. You know, the GVF/Taylor Swift approach. We missed their debut album last year just before they exploded, but I remember checking it out due to the massive hype on socials and wasn’t too into it. Hopefully this sophomore release changes my mind…

It didn’t. This is music for early 20s, rich white girls that want to be hippies. It gives ‘music to listen to while spending daddy’s money on Vinted’ vibes. Don’t get me wrong, if that’s your thing, great, but it isn’t mine, sadly. And it is sadly too, because I did actively want to like this album. The Midsomer-like theming is an interesting concept, but never feels fully realised. There are flashes of its potential brilliance, especially in the one-two-punch of ‘Rifle’ and ‘Woman is a Tree’. However, then the pop edge comes in and reigns it all back in. And, honestly, because of that, this is a damn boring album. It feels a lot longer than 42 minutes, the album dragging and being a real struggle to get through in one sitting.

I know that some will probably be pissed at this review, but it’s just my opinion; there will be plenty who love this and I’m so glad they will get something out of it that I don’t. I know I am very much not the target audience, but at least I tried, right? Heck, at least the women are talented players and vocalists; I just find them painfully dull songwriters. And for that, it gets a 3/10 from me.

Sabaton: Legends

Fuck yeah, this is more like it! We’re big power metal fans here at Overtone and of course there are few modern bands doing it better than Sabaton. I loved their last album, but I really feel like this may be even better! ‘Templars’ opens the album perfectly, while tracks like ‘Crossing the Rubicon’, ‘Maid of Steel’ and ‘The Cycle of Songs’ are also big highlights for me. Of course, I have the same issue with this as I have with a fair few power metal albums in that it does all sound pretty samey. It’s 45 minutes of pretty similarly paced and sounding music, and even if it’s all great, it does get a touch old by the end. Still, if you are a power metal fan, of course you’re gonna love this! It’s a damn solid album from some of the best songwriters in the genre, even if they do stick to their standard formula a little too safely. The new metal history teachers show here why they are still one of the best around, and it’s an easy 8.5/10 from us!

Broadie Christ: Big feelings

The sophomore album from the Toronto singer-songwriter is a damn chilled-out, easy listen. Though described as indie rock, I’d argue there’s a lot more to this than that! It’s as much alt and soft rock, as well as just a genuinely quirkier edge. The easiest way I can find to describe it is a combination of Pinegrove and early Randy Newman, and I mean that as the uttermost of compliments! The more I listened, the more I fell in love with the album. The opener didn’t hook me, but ‘IDWTBfriends’ is great, and by the time I reached ‘Pretty City’, ‘Sea Legs’ and ‘Now I Can’t Dance’ I was hooked. As I said, it’s a very easy listen, and 40-minutes went by in a flash. He’s a fantastic lyricist and storyteller, and the instrumentation written around it fits the tone perfectly, as well as being a lot of fun. It’s the perfect album to sit back and relax to, but also really dive in deep to if you get the chance. I’d highly recommend checking it out if you are at all curious, and it gets an incredibly solid 8/10 from me!

Preacher Stone: By the Horns

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

Tol Morwen: At the Gates of Valhalla

I love folky power metal, and this sophomore release is no exception! However, this does generally feel a little more technical than a lot of their contemporaries, some of the riffing and drumming being incredible. However, it still has the same level of epicness. It’s also heavy, having elements of black/death/extreme metal, especially with the screams. The atmosphere created throughout is phenomenal though, and instantly had me captivated. ‘Fate of the Gods’ is a more atmospheric black metal track, while ‘Ragnar’ is a straight up Amon Amarth style viking death metal song. Both are massive early highlights, while songs like epic single ‘The Shieldmaiden’ and ‘Rise of the Ancient Gods’ are also excellent. However, there really a bad track on this! It’s not for everyone, and at over an hour spread across just 10 tracks, it’s a big undertaking. However, I loved it, and if you are into the heavier, more grandiose side of metal, I would definitely recommend you check this out immediately! The band are so incredibly talented, and it’s yet another easy 8.5/10!

Biohazard: Divided We Fall

The hardcore punk legends returned with their first new album in 13 years this last Friday. Yeah, it’s a big deal. Especially when they returned at arguably the perfect time, given the state of the world, and clearly have plenty to talk about! Oh, and the album also slaps from start to finish! It’s angry, aggressive, slamming hardcore for a full nearly 40 minutes, and I love it. It just makes me want to throw people around in a pit and dance around through the whole thing. The riffing, the drums, the vocals, the lyrics, even the soloing, all of it is perfection for the genre, and I honestly can’t get enough. It’s so hard to pick highlights too, as each track is as good as the other. Most of it ended up on my personal playlist! It’s the perfect combination of Bodycount, Hed(PE) and Pro-Pain, so if you are into any of those bands, or just hardcore in general, I cannot recommend this album enough! Heck, even if you aren’t, check this out immediately, you might find one of your new favourite albums. I can’t give this any less than 9.5/10, and I’ll definitely be rocking this a lot in the coming months!

Of Monsters and Men: All is Love and Pain in the Mouse Parade

13 years after the Icelandic folk-rocky quintet’s massive breakout debut, they are back with their fourth studio album, and first of the post-pandemic era. Honestly, outside of their big hits I haven’t listened to much. In the nicest way possible, I can kinda see why. This is a boring release, dude. Much like with Last Dinner Party, this will most likely have plenty of fans, but I sadly found myself losing interest fairly quickly and often when listening to this from front to back. Don’t get me wrong, tracks like ‘The Actor’ and ‘Styrofoam Cathedral’ are good in isolation, but in the context of the album it dragged sooooo much. Please don’t kill me, OM&M fans (I also don’t like the other OM&M much, sorry), but yeah, I can’t give this much more than 4.5/10. They’re all talented players, but it really isn’t my thing.

Daedric: As the Light Left

The sophomore release from Kristyn Hope is yet another modern-alt metal/metalcore masterclass. We absolutely loved her last album back a couple of years ago, but honestly she may have gotten even better in the time since! ‘The Other Terror’ opens things up perfectly heavily, while ‘Sand Tiger’ shows off a bit more of her more alt side (though still has some great screams). The rest of the album continues to skirt that line perfectly, too. Heck, ‘Dark Legacy’ gives big Skynd vibes in the best ways. It’s hard to pick highlights, but ‘Night Mother’ and ‘Dreamweaver’ are tracks that I have already revisited multiple times over the weekend. Honestly, this is everything I wished Spiritbox was, and it’s insane to me that Kristyn isn’t on the same level as them at this point. I’mma throw it out there, this is better than Tsunami Sea, @ me. I cannot recommend this enough to anyone into more of a modern metal sound, and I’m honestly shocked she managed to top her explosive debut! She’s an utterly fantastic vocalist, both cleans and screams, and her songwriting has really gone to yet another level with this album. It’s one of the easiest 9/10s I’ve ever given!

William Prince: Further From the Country

Album number five for the Canadian folk/country singer-songwriter is a damn fun listen. I love that he very much does his own thing and has his own sound, not following the current trends in the genre. It makes it stand out a lot from his contemporaries, and is a fantastic, more folk-based sound in its own right! From the writing to the arrangement to the mix, it all almost has an epic air to it. From the opener to ‘Flowers on the Dash’ to the beautifully dark-folk ‘Thousand Miles of Chain’ to the awesome closer, the whole thing is packed full of amazing songs! And, at under 40 minutes, it makes for an incredibly easy listen! It’s definitely one to throw on and relax to. William is a criminally underrated vocalist and songwriter in the genre, and he has an instant new fan in me from this! I’m definitely going to have to go back and check out his previous work, but for now this gets an incredibly solid 8.5/10

Shadows of a Silhouette: For Those That Know

Time for some indie now, as the local boys and good friends of ours put out their highly anticipated debut album this last week! What an album it is, too! It’s definitely on the heavier side of the genre, with the riffs taking center stage in a big way throughout. It gives off big QOTSA or early Royal Blood or early Black Keys vibes in the best ways. It’s also packed full of highlights, too. Between the opener, ‘No Matter Where I Go’, ‘Mona Lisa’ and ‘Hostages’, there are plenty of highlights, but there really isn’t a bad track on the release! The band are incredibly talented and it’s easy to see why they are gaining so much momentum already. The genre isn’t typically my sort of thing but I really loved this from start to finish, and would recommend it to anyone even slightly curious! It’s been a while since I’ve seen them live so must do that again, as I have a feeling all of this would sound incredible in a live setting. But, for now, I shall happily settle for having the album, and it gets a very solid 8.5/10!

Wretched: Decay

The first album from the melodic deathcore quintet in over a decade feels like it has something to prove, and they more than do this with this release! This is over an hour of brutality, technical riffs, great screams and some HEAVY breakdowns. It’s another album that’s almost impossible to pick highlights from, as it’s all so good, as well as all being a similar style, sound and aggression. However, ‘The Crimson Sky’ probably has the most of a bit of everything this album has to offer! If you are into the heavier end of metal, this is definitely one for you. It has everything from Machine Head to In Flames to The Zenith Passage in here, and it’s awesome. It’s not for the faint of heart as, like I said, it’s 65 minutes in length, but it’s well worth a listen through in full if you’re interested! I’m so damn glad this band is back to studio work, and they have put out honestly one their best releases to date after all this time off. A very solid 9/10 from us!

Reviews

0: Shadecrown’s Best Album Yet?

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The fourth album from the Finnish doomy melodeath band drops tomorrow, but with that genre description I just knew I had to check out the whole thing early and fully! I’m not familiar with the band in any way and am going into this completely blind, but am already pretty hyped for it. Let’s dive in and see what it’s like!

The album explodes right into a melodic riff to open ‘The Art of Grieving’. It immediately gives off huge melodeath vibes in the best way. The clean ‘oh’s in the back were a nice touch and added so much depth to the song. The screams come in for the verse, grounding it firmly in the metal camp, and fit it perfectly. THAT riff in the middle is TASTY, and the growl that brings it into a solid breakdown is incredible. Honestly, the vocals throughout the track are amazing, showing off a great range and always being exactly what the track needs. Between that and the amazing guitaring, it’s a great way to open the album, and an easy highlight, for sure!

The riffing to open ‘In a State of Agony’ is INCREDIBLE, harkening back to the heydays of BFMV or Killswitch, scratching that metalcore itch perfectly. However, then the screams come in and perfectly shift it towards the death side of camp. The awesome verse leads to an epic chorus and damn, this song is honestly the perfect melodeath track. Heck, we even get a clean section of the second verse, building up through a fantastic guitar solo and third verse into a truly epic final chorus and riff to take us home. The structure of both songs so far have been really interesting, showing the band’s attention to detail and innovation in their songwriting. Another incredible song!

‘Fragile Chapters’ brings more great riffing, melodic leads, and more brutal screams. It’s hard not to compare to the likes of In Flames or Children of Bodom, but honestly, I’d say Shadecrown are doing it just as good as the legends of the genre, at this point. The chorus is amazing, somehow being infectiously catchy from the vocal and guitar melodies. And we get yet another awesome clean section with some incredible soloing over the top, giving the track a lot of dynamics and making the heavy bits even heavier! The track all feels like it leads to that HUGE, brutal breakdown too, as it should, as it’s fucking incredible! Yet again, it’s another fantastic song and huge highlight!

‘Gone’ builds up through keys into an almost modern metal riff, though the epicness still keeps it separate to others in that genre. It’s a slower paced track but is no less heavy; like a melodeath ballad. The voicemail bit in the middle was a cool touch, and somehow fit the song perfectly, giving it even more emotional charge. It’s a simpler track but hits HARD, providing a slight reprive from the balls-to-the-wall pace so far while still feeling very Shadecrown.

‘Zero’ brings back the riffs immediately and perfectly, and is yet another phenomenal heavy melodeath song. Heck, so is half of the rest of the album! ‘Inadequate’ has maybe my favourite growls on the release. Then you have the stomping, heavy closer ‘Repentance’ that closes things out perfectly, drawing together elements of all that came before it while being crushing in its own way. All are awesome songs just as good as each other!

Then, we round out the album with two slower songs, ‘Under the Waves’ and single ‘Tear-Blind’. The former starts with a beautiful acoustic guitar intro, exploding into melancholic heaviness and an epic, sorrowful feeling throughout, changing the pace dramatically but perfectly. The harmonised clean vocals on it are amazing, and add so much depth. The heaviness is still very much present, but over a darker, bittersweet soundscape that still fits the album amazingly. Meanwhile, the latter is a truly epic track that boarders on power or atmospheric black metal in terms of its size and scope. The slow build of more and more parts through the intro and low-but-heavy verse into that huge choruses is amazing. It’s very clear why it was chosen as a single, and it was a very good choice! And those low screams towards the end… *chefs kiss*. It’s yet another amazing song and another highlight on an album packed full of them!

Overall: I LOVED this. I’d somehow never heard of the band before now but am immediately desperate to check out the rest of their back catalogue. I don’t feel like we get enough melodeath released these days, at least that makes it over to the UK, so to get some of such insanely high quality is amazing. If you are at all into the heavier side of metal, I can’t recommend this album enough, and it’s insane that they aren’t a massive name in the scene already. They have a huge new fan in me, and I’ll be spinning this a lot for the next few months, I’m sure!

The Score: 9/10

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Once Awake, 1000 Scars and King Abyss Rock the Vic!

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We don’t cover enough live metal at Overtone, so when we cover any it’s hard not to fall in love with it. This show was no exception, as we had three incredible thrash/death/deathcore bands roll through Derby’s legendary Vic inn for very much a night to remember! And somehow, I’d not seen any of them live before, so I was excited to head down!

First up were the local(ish) aggressive thrash upcomers from Staffordshire, King Abyss. I’ve been a fan of them for a good while now, so when I saw them announced for the show I was pumped. They didn’t disappoint in the slightest, either! Being a surprisingly perfect blend of Megadeth, Death and Raging Speedhorn, they more than packed a punch, and their talent is off the charts. Dom is an underrated vocalist and frontman, showcasing not only some incredible screams, but more energy in their short set than I think I may have had in my entire life. And some of Sam’s leads and solos blew me away; another criminally underrated musician that needs to be recognised more. And the band very much played their hits too, all my very favourites from their album. They even teased new music, which I am already buzzing for. What an incredible way to open the show!

Next up were the band I was least familiar with, 1000 Scars. However, they were fucking awesome, and have a new fan in me, for sure! Firstly, they didn’t have a bassist, which was fucking wild, especially when the singular guitar filled out the sound enough that it didn’t even feel like it was missing. The band also had a slight hardcore/crossover thrash edge to the general death metal sound they had, which I also found fascinating and enjoyed a lot. The band were slightly less energetic than Abyss, but still had a great stage presence and felt very together and professional. The band have clearly been doing this a while as it felt like watching a well oiled machine, and an angry one at that! I loved their sound and have listened to them a fair bit since coming away from the gig. Another great band!

Then, after a brief changeover, the mighty Once Awake took to the stage. Hailing from all the way, way North (Norway, to be precise), this was one of the stops on their UK tour, and by the sound of it it’s been one hell of a tour, so far! They immediately had a more epic feel to them, having backing tracks to add layers, extra strings and synths etc. And yet, all of that, and still no bassist in sight. However, again, the band sounded awesome and full, the two guitarists working over time and sounding incredible together. And they all put on a hell of a show, all having plenty of charisma and stage presence, despite the slightly lacking crowd. And, as for the setlist, it was awesome. I’ve recently gotten into the band from their new album, and we had a healthy dose of that alongside the hits from their previous few. It was the perfect melodeath setlist, honestly, and they had the crowd in the palm of their hand throughout their entire set. The band are destined for big things, and the fact that they are able to tour different countries really proves that they have what it takes to make it massive. I cannot recommend them enough, one of my favourite live sets of the year so far!

So there you have it, folks. Three incredible bands at a great small, local venue, and it was even free entry! I cannot recommend any of the bands enough, either on track or live. If you are at all into metal, these are all must listens, all for different reasons and sounds, too! Even though it wasn’t exactly a packed house, every band put their all into the show, and I had a great night. If they play local to you any time soon, be there!

Reviews

Trivium, Bleed from Within and Orbit Culture Tear Down Sheffield’s 02 Academy!

Now, for long time readers here at Overtone, it is no secret that I am a huge fan of Trivium (and by extension Matt Heafy). Their 2021 album Court of the Dragon landed in the top five of our albums of the year list. And Matt’s solo work, Ibaraki, landed in the top 10 last year, too. So, I’m sure it’s as insane to y’all as it is to me that it’s been 11 years since I’ve seen a full set from them. Outside of a couple of songs at Download the other year, I haven’t seen them since that same festival back in 2012. And I’ve never seen them at their own show. So, to say that I was excited was an understatement.

Supporting them were also Scotland’s own Bleed from Within, and Swedish death metallers Orbit Culture. To put them into perspective; the former put out one of the best metal albums of last year, and the latter currently sit at #3 on my best albums of this year. So yes, this was one hell of a line-up.

Right from the offset my first comment has to be… fuck was it loud! Like, I’m writing this a couple of days after the gig and I’m surprised I have my full hearing back, loud. I swear at times my clothes were vibrating even from the bass of it all. It’s what a rock gig should be like!

Now, I am a newcomer to the opening band. I’d seen the name about but hadn’t truly listened to their music until Decent (review here). Goddamn though, they are one of the best new metal bands out there today, and looked right at home up there with the other two bands. Their talent and playing ability is off the charts, sitting somewhere between Gojira and In Flames in terms of sound. All of them put on an energetic show, headbanging nearly constantly, and we even got that smoke pyro stuff! Niklas Karlsson’s vocals hold up amazingly, both clean and harsh.

My only slight issue is that the band didn’t have nearly enough time. At half an hour, they could only squeeze in six tracks. However, they gave it their all throughout, playing a host of new great tracks alongside older favourites ‘North Star of Nija’ and ‘Strangler’. The crowd weren’t too familiar with the band, it seemed, but they have definitely come away with some new fans, I’m sure!

Next up were Glasgow’s metal heroes Bleed From Within. Suddenly the crowd was a lot more packed as they took the stage, and everyone seemed a lot more receptive. Heck, a HUGE pit opened up across most of the front of the floor, and they got a couple of great wall of deaths. It made me feel slightly bad for Orbit Culture, however, BFW are the bigger band and the slightly more local band.

Bleed From Within killed it, too. They didn’t really have much more time than the opener, but with everyone going nuts throughout it felt like they were on for longer. Much like OC, too, they played a new-songs-heavy set. We still got ‘Pathfinder’ and the epic ‘End of All we Know’ from Fracture. However, they didn’t touch on their earlier albums at all. As much as I love Shrine and Fracture, it would have been nice to have had just one cheeky track from Empire or something! Still, the crowd loved every second and there is no doubting the band put on one hell of a performance for us. Scott Kennedy had everyone in the palm of his hands from the first note until the last!

And then, how could we forget about the mighty Trivium. 10 studio albums, nearly 200 UK shows and huge tours with some of the biggest bands on the planet. And with Matt openly stating this is the last time the band are touring together for a little while, this was set to be big.

And big it was. It felt like a celebration of their music, touching on just about every album they’ve released. However, not only that, but this year marks 15 years since the release of Shogun. An album many would argue isn’t just Trivium’s best, but one of the best metal albums of this millennium. An album that, alongside BFMV’s The Poison, got me into the heavier side of metal and into metalcore in 2009. So, for them to play nearly half the album in celebration, was truly fucking special for me. Tracks like ‘Kirisute Gomen’ and ‘Insurrection’ were outstanding. And clearly the crowd were all for it as each of the five tracks whipped them into a frenzy.

Don’t get me wrong, there were plenty of excellent songs from other albums, too. Opening on recent album opener ‘In the Court of the Dragon’, and slotting in crowd favourites like ‘Strife’, ‘Heart from Your Hate’ and forever-set-closer ‘In Waves’. We even got tracks like ‘Becoming the Dragon’ and ‘Entrance of the Conflagration’ from The Crusade. It was one of the most varied and interesting sets I’ve seen them playing in a while, on this tour. Heck, my only issue is that we didn’t hear more newer stuff. I love the last three albums they’ve done, so to only hear one track off each was a bit of a bummer. Clearly, they need to do a three-hour, evening with tour when they’re back!

I still cannot get over just how good a frontman Matt Heafy is these days, too. He’s always being good, but this was on another level. I had the crowd eating out of his hand and doing whatever he asked of them throughout the entire set. Be it moshing, headbanging, jumping, singing along or even one of the better Jumpthefuckup’s I’ve seen not done by Slipknot. I’d put him up there with some of the greats at this point; Bruce Dickinson, Rob Halford, even Ozzy!

And there we have it folks. Three bands who are leading the charge for metal music and doing a tremendous job of it. Orbit Culture are going to be huge, as are Bleed from Within. And honestly, Trivium should be headlining festivals worldwide with their show and back catalogue. Hopefully when they return from their absence, they’ll get the love they truly deserve!

Reviews

Negative Energy: Are Vexed the Futures of the UK Heavy Scene?

British alt metal/deathcore band Vexed returned last week with their sophomore album. After setting the underground scene on fire with their debut back in 2021, the band return with even more anger, heaviness and drive. Without further ado, let’s dive into the review!

After a brief, perfectly building intro track, the album explodes in with the lead single, ‘Anti-Fetish’. A sludgy, modern deathcore riff leads to some fantastic heavy growls from Megan Targett. Despite the heaviness, the chorus is surprisingly catchy, the vocals cleaning up slightly at times. This heavier edge than their previous sound reminds me a lot of Darko US, which is fine by me. It definitely has the same quirkiness and energy; aggression and talent and passion.

Check out similar music here.

‘We don’t talk about it’ is pretty similar in feel and structure to the previous track. However, it does have a slightly more radio friendly feel to it. The spoken work stuff was cool, too, adding an almost Marylin Manson quality to it all.

‘X my <3’ is a banger, despite it’s cringy (albeit clever) title. Opening with the catchy, almost radio-friendly chorus was a great call. The guitars are a little less out there and technical, too, it being more of a sludgy, groovy wall of heavy. The fully clean vocals were a nice touch too, only making the screams even heavier. The breakdown was tasty too, the bends being amazing and reminding me a little of early Architects. It’s one of my favourite tracks on the album and easily makes the playlist.

The chuggy opener of ‘Panic Attack’ is fun, the drum tone almost giving off Slipknot vibes with that massive hit between guitar notes. The quick vocal delivery almost confirmed the sound too, while the brutal screams for the chorus backed by the rather open groove-metal instrumentation made for an interesting dynamic. It somehow fits the subject matter perfectly too, the claustrophobic, fast riffing combining with the slower(ish) drums making everything feel close and anxious. Another amazing track.

Alpha Wolf lends their talents perfectly for ‘Lay down your flowers’. The added male screams added some fun variety, especially when they are higher and more metalcore. The whole track has a metalcore style to it, from the quick guitar runs to the quieter interlude in the middle. It was a nice way to break-up the album after a few fairly similar tracks. Clearly, I need to check out more Alpha Wolf, as his vocals were great!

Unfortunately, ‘There’s no place like home’ is where I start to really feel the album. While Overtone has helped me get into the heavier end of music a lot, like this band and album, I’m a sucker for variety. My brain gets easily distracted and if a lot of tracks sound similar, it’ll want to check out something else. As much as I love this album and love each individual track, it did start to wear on me a little by the halfway mark. 45+ minutes of balls to the wall melodeath is a bit much for me, where’s the ballad, Vexed? Still, as I’ve said, I loved each track individually, and feel like this all would be INCREDIBLE live.

Ironically, I’m obsessed with the following track ‘Extremist’. The way everything was stabbing on each beat, the drums, vocals and guitars all working in sync together, was AMAZING. It’s so incredibly written and packs one hell of a punch. The whole track is great, but those verses are somthing else. It’s another massive highlight of the album, and another track that makes the playlist!

Tracks like ‘Default’ and closer ‘Nepotism’ are similar to a lot of the rest. However, to Vexed ‘s credit, single ‘Trauma Euphoria’ and ‘It’s not the End’ both mix it up a bit. Both feature more of a focus on cleaner vocals and slower, radio-friendlier sections around the heavy, harsh screams. The former is a very good choice as a single as it combines the bands trademark heaviness with a genuinely huge, anthemic and catchy chorus. Oh, and it also has a fantastic guitar solo, something I have only just realised now have been absent for much of the album. It only made this one hit harder, though, it was awesome. The track could be massive off that chorus alone, and it should, as it’s amazing. Playlisted!

Meanwhile the latter feels the closest thing to a ballad the album has. It opens slow and clean, decending into a very angry chorus. The ambient sounds behind it though is so beautiful and so Spiritbox. Controversial opinion though, Vexed do it better than Spiritbox. It’s another highlight track of the album, and I only wish it was put earlier on to break things up a little more.

Overall: I LOVED THIS. While the whole album was amazing, there’s a good 5/6 tracks here that are going to stay in my frequent rotation for the rest of the year, guaranteed. Given that I am typically not as into this style as a lot of others are, I couldn’t get enough of it. They’re the sub-genre leaders after this, in my opinion, and they are going to be a massive deal in the years to come. They have a big new fan in me, and now I just need to see this live!

The score: 9.5/10

Reviews

Dealing With Demons Vol. II: How Does Devildriver ‘s New Release Compare to its Predecessor?

Californian groove metallers Devildriver are back with their tenth studio album on Friday, and a follow up to 2020’s Vol. I. I have to admit, though I like the music I have heard from the band, I can’t say that I’ve checked out much. The odd song here and there as opposed to a full album. That all changes today, and boy am I excited. I love all things groove, thrash and melodeath, so let’s dive right in!

The album opens with a slow build into a fantastic, heavy, sludgy riff. It’s Devildriver to a T and I love it. Dez’s awesome scream comes in over the awesome verse riff and amazing drumming. It gives off heavy 2000s Machine Head vibes, which I cannot complain about at all. The chorus doesn’t change the formula all too much, but still manages to be pretty catchy and memorable. There’s an awesome guitar solo in the middle too, even if it is a little brief for my liking. A pretty simple structure to open but it was a good choice and a good track. Great riffs, overall great playing and some amazing vocals.

‘Mantra’ keeps the heaviness going with the evil opening riff. It leads to another full-on, heavy verse. The riffing is really excellent, a massive highlight of the album as a whole, to be honest. The chorus is great and crushing, it all being brutal so far. The bridge/breakdown riff is also AWESOME. It’s another simple structured track but I loved this. It makes our playlist.

Check out similar music here!

‘Nothing Lasts Forever’ again opens on a great, heavy riff. The drums are the real highlight of this track, between the double-pedal and cymbal work, it’s all amazing. Davier Pérez is a pretty underrated player! I like them adding some dynamics for a moment with the stripped-back, clean vocalled parts between the verses and choruses. It broke things up nicely, especially when so far the whole album has been a violent punch to the nose. It’s another fantastic chorus and ear-worm; it’ll be stuck in my head for days to come. Another great track and another highlight of the album.

The quieter start to ‘Summoning’ was a nice change of pace. It also led to another fantastic, evil, groovy riff. The slow chug of the verses was awesome, and again the drumming is top notch. The chorus has a bit of a power metal edge to it, much like Parkway Drive’s last couple of albums. It’s a massively fun track and another that makes the playlist!

‘Through the Depths’ is another slower opener, the clean chord progression reminding me a lot of ‘Seasons in the Abyss’. It then hits into a huge riff that is just pure black metal, before easing off a little into melodeath. The track also has just a touch of the chaotic energy channelled by the likes of Tallah, though that may just be me. It drops back down to the cleaner chord progression for an outro too, which was a very nice touch!

‘Bloodbath’, and the rest of the tracks, for that matter, are more of the same. That isn’t a complaint at all, there are some fantastic riffs, melodies and moments throughout the four tracks. It simply means that there isn’t a huge amount of variety for me to write about in my review, so I’d end up repeating things and it’d get boring. Again, I shall repeat, all are fantastic tracks if you are into the sort of noise that Devildriver produce. And ‘This Relationship, Broken’ is one hell of a closing track.

Overall: This was a great heavy album! If you’re into Devildriver, or groove/thrash/melodeath in general, this will be right up your street. I have to admit, I was hoping for slightly more diversity in the music, it felt like a one note album at times, but maybe that was because of how close they are to Machine Head and how spoilt we have been by them over the years. This is a great album in its own right and has definitely gotten me into Devildriver more!

The Score: 7.5/10