A brand new hard rock band emerged this last week, made up of the duo of former Inglorious guitarists, Dan and Dan. Ahead of the release of Thrxnes debut single we spoke to one of them, Danny Dela Cruz, about the new band and their plans for the future!
How would you describe your sound?
I would say that we are fuelled by a shared vision to create Anthems that echo glimmers of Nu metal & Alternative rock. Although we take influence from the modern rock charts we still aim to maintain our roots of raw guitar solos & catchy hooks.
What made you start this up a few years after the Inglorious haetus?
Actually we’ve had this idea for a couple years now, even before mine & Dans departure from Inglorious. Dan & Josiah started this project and we joked around at the idea of me singing in it (as well as playing guitar), I had an afternoon free to track some vocals on a demo they sent me that day & I had it back to them within a couple hours. It really surprised me how quickly melodies and ideas were flowing, so one thing led to another & before you know it we had a full on track!
We started doing these week sessions at Josiah’s studio (momentum studios) which ended up being super fun but also super productive at the same time. There is a great balance in the band & I’m grateful to share these experiences with friends that share a same vision.
Is it odd releasing such a different style?
To be honest it’s not something we’ve thought about too much, we just started writing stuff that we enjoyed playing & listening to, not much over thinking involved. I always see music as a ‘time stamp’ and this is a representation of us right now.
Did you decide from the start to be the vocalist, or was it more of a happenstance thing?
The idea of me doing vocals on this track came about really naturally but I never had the set goal of becoming a vocalist. We just wanted to create music together & the guys were really supportive of me singing in the studio, we’re always honest with each-other, no one is a dick & that helps the end result for sure.
What can we expect from Thrxnes moving forward? I known you’ve teased an album already!
You can expect a full year of singles, videos, content, releases, an album + shows in 2025 & without giving away too much, maybe some warm up shows before then. We’ll see!
What is the songwriting process like for you guys?
Usually someone starts with a riff that we’ll demo up with drums, keys, synth etc & that snowballed into something bigger when hitting the studio. Josiah is a multi instrumentalist, producer, songwriter, mixing engineer… Basically a really talented b*stard, so anything he touches turns to gold when it comes to music. So that also plays a big part in our song writing process. Everyone has a lot of input in the songwriting process & everything gets tried, even if we’re not initially feeling it, so you always feel like all the combinations are tested before we settle on something.
So far we’ve written every second verse RIGHT before tracking it. Not intentional but that’s our new ritual, and the second verses always end up being my favourite! Maybe thanks to the collective input on the lyrics!
How would you say the scene is, especially when getting back into it from a band perspective?
I think there’s a great scene happening at the moment, loads of great bands coming out with stuff. I’ve been really enjoying the new Florence black album, I’ve liked them since their debut but I love putting the new stuff on full blast in the gym. It just bangs! Also loving the new Kris Barras releases, seems like every time I see them the production, crowds & music gets bigger and better. I want to add that Kris did the editing and grading on Atom bomb, as well as the whole video production on one of our upcoming singles, which I can’t say much more on! He is another talented b*stard!
What is your dream tour lineup for Thrxnes? Anyone you’d want to support or bring with you on the road?
I think our music would tour perfectly with bands like Bad omens, Bring me the Horizon, Architects, Nothing but Thieves, Bullet for my Valentine. So I guess if we’re going big… One of those! I think once people hear our other tracks all those choices will make abit more sense! A newer band I would love to tour with is ‘Lost Society’. I love their mix of great songs, killer vocals & ripping guitar solos. It slaps!
Sweden’s own genre-blending power/symohonic/eletronic/heavy metal band Amaranthe are back with their first album in nearly four years. Anticipation is pretty high after some fantastic singles, two of which I have become addicted to, so I cannot wait to check out the rest of the album! Let’s get straight into it!
The opener/title track kicks things off in grandiose fashion with an extended synth intro. It’s very Stranger Things. The heaviness soon explodes in with the massive guitars and heavy scream, Amaranthe ‘s signature sound being immediately present. Elize’s powerful clean vocals soon come in for the verse, duelling with the other two vocalists just as masterfully as ever. The dynamics between the three of them really sets the band apart from others and adds a constantly interesting element to their music. It all builds to a HUGE, powerful chorus, the harmonies between the vocals being perfect. We get a short but pretty great solo tucked in the middle too, alongside a heavy bridge part. It’s a fantastic opening track that gives a little bit of everything Amaranthe is about, sound wise!
Single ‘Insatiable’ keeps things rolling perfectly with an incredible, industrial-style riff. I’ve had this track on a lot since it was first released and honestly haven’t gotten bored of it yet! Again, the dynamic between all the vocals are so fun, while when they all come together for the choruses it makes it infectiously catchy. And between the huge chorus, the main focus on clean vocals and the three minute-length, it may be their most accessible, radio-friendly track yet. Having said that, it still has time for a fantastic, impressive solo and some awesome screams from newcomer Mikael. It was one of my favourite singles of last year, and easily makes our playlist!
Next up is another single. ‘Damnation Flame’. The opening immediately gave me Castlevania vibes, which I am fine with. The riff comes in over the top, the melody of that and the subsequent vocals keeping the almost halloween-like vibe. It all builds to yet another fantastically written chorus, catchy and built for arenas or huge festivals. The Nightmare Before Christmas vibes return for the bridge, almost having a folky element to it all too. And then the heaviness slowly builds back up over the top. Man, I can’t wait to see this live! A second track in a row to make our playlist!
‘Liberated’ is another great track, though after a run of three fantastic ones it does feel like the first time you can breath a little. Still, I LOVED all the screams throughout, them feeling like more of a focus than the other tracks. And it’s a typically great chorus by this point, too. Meanwhile most recent single ‘Re-Vision’, is another fantastic track with a heavy leaning towards their more synth/electro sounds. It’s still a metal track for sure, the heavy guitars and fantastic screams make sure of that. But there’s a lot of synth too. I’m loving this new evolution of the power metal sound that these and Metalite are doing recently, like a sci-fi power metal. It’s another good song and a really interesting choice for a single!
The album tracks between ‘Interference’ and ‘Breaking the Waves’ are all good. However, for the most part, they all follow a pretty standard formula that the band have for this album. It’s not a bad thing at all that a band have a signature sound and stick to it, and Amaranthe are fantastic at said style. However, when listening to a full album, the whole duelling-vocalled verses, massive choruses and guitar solo/heavy screamed bridge in the standard rock song structure can get a little old by the 8ish tracks in.
The exception to this is the beautiful piano-led ballad ‘Stay a Little While’ and, to a lesser extent, ‘Breaking the Waves’. The former is fantastic; slow and emotional and full of some incredible vocals from Elize and Nils. The two’s vocals somehow fit even better with this track, too, feeling more like a romantic duet this time. And of course, the chorus is phenomenal. It honestly gave me Goosebumps and easily makes the playlist, what an incredible song! Meanwhile the latter, while heavier than the former, also doesn’t feature any of Mikael’s screams untilt he bridge, having much more of a power/symphonic metal lean to it. Also the drop-down parts in it are nice.
Back to the singles with ‘Outer Dimensions’, it’s another one I am very familiar with by now. THAT vocal hook from the opening/choruses has been routinely stuck in my head on and off for months. The song is all about that chorus and I don’t even care, it’s fantastic. And it very much reinforces my point from earlier about it being a modern, sci-fi spin on the symphonic/power metal sound. I love it!
The closing two tracks, ‘Resistance’ and single ‘Find Life’ are two more awesome Amaranthe tracks. I LOVE the heaviness of the former, again focusing on more of the screams, and some of the riffs behind them are brutal. It doesn’t overstay its welcome too, being a high pace and in-and-out in under three minutes. Elize almost does some Poppy-style rapped delivery at times too which was sick. It honestly makes our playlist, it’s that good. That breakdown/bridge is amazing. Meanwhile the closer and lead single is the perfect representation of an Amaranthe track. The vocals are fantastic, the riffs and drums are heavy and the chorus is massive. It’s a very good way to close an amazing album!
Overall: This is an incredible album. As I said, a couple of the tracks in the middle did get a tad repetitive, but they were also broken up perfectly by ‘Stay a Little While’. And there isn’t a bad track on the album, while some of the tracks are some of my favourite the band have ever produced, and some of the top in their genre. It’s my favourite album the band have put out, for sure, and any fan of the band or the genre as a whole will love it!
A STACKED week of New Music Monday this week, with everything from deathcore to country! Let’s check it out!
Amaranthe: The Catalyst
We’ve already checked out this awesome album. Read our review of it here!
MGMT: Loss of Life
The quirky indie/psychadellic rock band are back with their fifth studio album, and first in over six years. Like it feels like a lot of people, I was a big fan of their debut album back in the day. I can’t say I’ve heard much outside of that, so I’m excited to check it out and see what it’s like.
It’s still weird, for sure. However, there are some really interesting sounds and songwriting choices here. Lead single and opener (aside for intro track) ‘Mother Nature’ has an indie baseline, but then has hints of early 2000s pop-indie and even hints of Smashing Pumpkins throughout. It’s a definite album highlight. The band then follow it up with the fantastic synth-pop/rock opera ‘Dancing in Babylon’, another highlight track and duet with the wonderful Christine and the Queens. Honestly, the all the other tracks are Bowie-like odd, epic, soft rock. It’s a big difference to their more up-tempo, synth-heavy debut, and not what I was expecting. It’s.not a bad thing though, by any stretch. As a big Bowie fan, I loved ‘Bubblegum Dog’. However, some variety, just one more up-beat, ‘Electric Feel’ style track would have been appreciated. It definitely dragged by the last few of tracks.
It’s not a bad album by any stretch, and I’m sure more hardcore fans of the band will love it. However, after a strong start with the first three tracks, it dragged to a hard, slow crawl afterwards. And some of it’s not even interesting-quirky, just boring atmospheric stuff. 4.5/10
Mick Mars: The Other Side of Mars
The only good part of Motley Crue until he was unceremoniously fired put out his debut solo album last Friday. It’s pretty kick-ass. Heavier than his former bands stuff, and possessing more attitude than Crue have possessed in decades, it feels like Mick very much has a new lease of life with this release. It has a swaggering, grungy hard/biker rock feel to it all, which I love. It even has some doom elements at times. Mars is joined by Lynam vocalist Jacob Bunton, Winger keyboardist Paul Taylor, and Korn’s own Ray Luzier. All three men play their parts to perfection and help Mick realise his fantastic sound.
Honestly, I kinda wish Mick had ditched the other three and gone solo decades ago, if this is the sort of quality music we were going to get out of it! Tracks like the opener, ‘Broken on the Inside’, ‘Ready to Roll’ and ‘Undone’ are all fantastic hard rock tracks. For a man in his 70s, it’s insane that he’s written some of the best music of his career here. This is a fantastically written and arranged album, and I’d recommend it to anyone. 8.5/10
Corb Lund: El Viejo
Another album that we’ve done a full review of, aren’t you lucky! Check it out here!
Austrian Death Machine: Quad Brutal
Arnold schwarzenegger-themed death metal band and As I Lay Dying frontman Tim Labedis brainchild Austrian Death Machine are back with their (you guessed it) fourth album. There’s a sentence I never thought I’d type. In terms of the music, though, it’s great. It’s treated a fair bit more light-hearted and fun than AILD, especially with all the voice clips of Arnie throughout. However, the music around that is fantastic. The riffs are crushing and Tim’s screams are just as amazing as brutal as ever. There are plenty of highlights, including the opener, ‘Hey Bro Can You Spot Me?’ and ‘Destroy the Machines’. The whole track is packed full of great songs, though. I love Tim injecting some clean vocals throughout too, adding an almost more deathcore feel to some of the tracks. And the fact that Tim does the vast majority of the studio playing himself is insane, showing off just how talented the man is. If you’re into the heavy stuff at all I’d definitely recommend this! 8/10
Sons of Liberty: The Detail is in the Devil
A band that we’ve grown pretty familiar with here at Overtone, but haven’t seen or heard much about for a while! The last time we spoke to them was a year ago now, when the band were gearing up for a tour with Preacher Stone after a line-up change. However, we somehow haven’t seen them live since 2021!
It’s safe to say the band are just as fantastic as ever on track, though. Their first studio album since 2021, it instantly hooks you in with ‘Time to Fly’ and doesn’t let up for a second through its 40+ minute runtime. Their interesting blend of British Steel-era Priest, Whitesnake/Poison style sleaze and just a touch of southern-blues too is always a fun listen, and pulled off to perfection with this release. Tracks like the opener, ‘Tequila Time’ and ‘Love What You’ve Got’ are all personal highlights, but there isn’t a bad track on the album! I was a big fan of Aces & Eights, but this may actually trump it as my favourite album from the band. In an insanely stacked NWOCR scene these days, Sons of Liberty have their own sound and really stand out, especially with this release. 8/10
Job for a Cowboy: Moon Healer
I’ve seen a LOT of love for this album the last couple of days since it came out all over my socials, so I’m pretty excited to be checking it out! I see why it’s getting so much love, holy shit it’s incredible. Right from the amazing opener, ‘Beyond the Chemical Doorway’, I was hooked and wasn’t released until the end. The talent of the band is off the charts, both from a playing and writing standpoint. This is technical death metal done to perfection. I know the genre certainly isn’t for everyone, but if any readers are into the heavier side of metal, I’d urge you to check this out immediately. You won’t be disappointed! It’s hard to even pick highlights, as every track is amazing. Plus, the album is arranged very well, each track flowing together perfectly. It’s an album that certainly begs to be listened to from front to back. 9.5/10, amazing stuff!
Amigo the Devil: Yours Until the War is Over
Another dark, neo-traditional folk/country artist, and another fantastic album in the genre this week. This one is even more stripped back than the Corb Lund album, though, and has a lot more of folky, almost gypsy-rock feel to it. Tracks like ‘It’s All Gone’ and ‘Once Upon a Time at Texaco pt. 1’ have a real Poor Man’s Poison vibe to them which I LOVE and both are huge highlight tracks. I love the emotion and feel in his vocals throughout too. It’s such an incredible skill to get such raw feeling across purely through vocals, and some of Amigo’s delivery gave me chills. And some of his lyrics too, like on ‘I’m Going to Heaven’ or ‘Cannibal Within, are phenomenal. Honestly, this whole album felt like a real experience to listen to, and I truly cannot gush over it enough. I’d never heard any of Amigo’s stuff until now, but damn does he have a huge new fan in me! I ummed and arred over it, but I think it deserves it. 10/10, what a phenomenal, emotional release.
MONKEY3: Welcome to the Machine
Oh boy, prog time. Five tracks across over 45-minutes, I’m not sure if I’m ready! But, in all honesty, this was an interesting album, for sure! Some of the riffing was incredible, for a start. In fact, all of the instrumentation is really top notch. Sadly, that’s all this was. Now, I’m certainly a fan of instrumental music, and I have nothing against bands that do it. And, for the most part, the band do a good job of keeping it interesting and changing it up through some of their longer songs. However, 45+ minutes of instrumental prog metal is a little too much for my almost-non-existent attention span to cope with. It’s fantastic, and if you like instrumental stuff you’ll love this. But I can’t give it any more than a 7/10
Dust Bolt: Sound & Fury
This fantastic slab of thrash metal is Dust Bolt’s first full length studio release in half a decade. They have spent that time refining their sound and writing one hell of an album! They’ve also added a lot of different influences to their sound, pulling from a lot of modern industrial, nu and metalcore bands as well to create something truly awesome and unique. Opening on latest single ‘Leave Nothing Behind’, I was immediately won over to it, and it only continued its fantastic journey from there. Whether it’s straight up modern thrash like ‘I Witness’ or more groove oriented stuff like ‘Burning Pieces’, it’s an awesome, constantly entertaining album. It has a radio edge to it that not many modern thrash bands do, too. It’s very Metallica, and I mean that as a HUGE compliment.
There isn’t a bad track on the album; every song is incredible. It’s once again impossible to pick out highlights. I’d recommend this album to anyone, even if they aren’t that into thrash. There’s enough other stuff going on, and as I said, it has a radio edge that makes every song hugely catchy. I can’t believe I haven’t listened to this band more, they are exactly my sort of thing and I LOVE this release. I’m going to be listening to it a lot in the coming weeks/months, and don’t be surprised at all if it’s high on the list of albums of the year come December. I can’t quite believe it, but for the second time this week… 10/10!
Today was Yesterday: Self-Titled
The debut album of this grungy hard rock band is pretty awesome. It’s like if Soundgarden and Faith No More had a baby, and I am all for it. A lot of the tracks also feature a guest slot from the legendary Alex Lifeson, which explains why I love a lot of the riffing so much. And yet still, it still had plenty of almost Mr Bungle or Phil Collins or David Bowie level quirkiness at times. It’s a lot of fun to listen to and never gets boring, that’s for sure. Highlights include the opener and ‘My Dog is My God’. It’s not exactly all my sort of thing, but if you like any of the bands I’ve already listed you’ll get a lot of enjoyment out of this! And I definitely wouldn’t turn any of it off if it came back on my Spotify, that’s for sure! 7/10
Desolate Tomb: Scorned by Misery
The blackened deathcore band’s sophomoric album was released last Friday. It’s practically exactly what you’d expect from a subgenre labelled that. It’s crushingly brutal for it’s entire nearly 40-minute runtime. And if you like stuff insanely, early Cannibal Corpse-style heavy, this is definitely the album for you. As I’m sure you can tell by now, I’m not particularly that sort of person. Don’t get me wrong, every member of the band are massively talented and play their parts well. I simply don’t quite get into the wall-of-noise style death metal. If it doesn’t change stuff up from time to time and is all just stupidly heavy, it doesn’t do much for me. And the Chris Barnes-style low growls still just sound ridiculous to me. As I said, if you’re into the music, you’ll probably love it, but I can’t give it more than a 3.5/1o. Sorry lads.
Another stacked week of New Music Mondays this week, with everything from country to extreme metal, and plenty in between!
Blackberry Smoke: Be Right Here
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Check out what we thought of it here!
IDLES: TANGK
I have never quite ‘got’ this band whenever I’ve tried in the past. Surprisingly enough, that didn’t change with this release. They’re somehow Avant-garde indie/punk, like the Dillinger Escape Plan of the indie world. I don’t get it. Then again, as a country/metal fan, I doubt I’m exactly their target audience. They certainly have fans, and I’m sure they’ll love this album. And heck, at least they look good fun live. Maybe that’d win me over, but on track they do less-than-nothing for me. The closest thing to something I enjoyed was ‘Gift Horse’, but it was in there with a lot of very questionable music. 3/10, sorry lads.
Middle Kids: Faith Crisis Pt 1
The Australian alt/indie rock band are back with their third album. Honestly, though it’s not typically the sort of music I’d go for, it’s a good, incredibly chilled album. It’s very similar in sound to the likes of Cold War Kids and Young the Giant, that early 10s radio-indie, Life is Strange sound. I’m a fan of the sound for sure, and this is maybe the best release it has had in years.
Tracks like ‘The Blessings’ and ‘Terrible News’ are awesome. However, as an album as a whole it’s a good listen, from start to finish. There’s nothing bad on it! It’s perfect to stick on and relax to or have on in the background while doing stuff. My only slight issue is that it doesn’t have that single on it, nothing stands out as a massive radio hit. Then again, that’s not exactly a bad thing when talking albums! Nothing quite gets Twenty-One Pilots quirky enough to make it to that. But they are clearly a massive band with a huge following, who will no doubt all love this! 7.5/10, good stuff!
Kalah: And Yet It Dreams
Honestly, I have no idea what to think of this album, aside for the fact that I love it! It’s chaos in the best possible way. I’d classify it as extreme metal despite the vocals, it definitely has clear influences from old Cradle of Filth. However, there is also deathcore, and symphonic metal, and electronic influences that all mash together surprisingly perfectly. The two-part opener ‘This World Factory’ is the perfect example of what I’m talking about, and is very much a highlight track of the album! It’s heavy, insane and yet also somehow structured and catchy. And there is no denying everyone involved’s talents and writing ability; they are all on full display just in this track alone.
Other highlight tracks include ‘Runtime Error’, ‘Gentle Gears’ and ‘Helichrysum’. However, there really isn’t a bad track on the album, I could name any of them as highlights. The former even brings in more of a prog/djent sound to the mix, while ‘Helichrysum’ has more of an epic power metal ballad feel to it, and I love it! And yet it still gets heavy, of course! There is not a second of this album that is boring and I didn’t feel the length at all, happily listening to it from start to finish and it was over in no time. I completely understand it won’t be for everyone, but I thought it was a fantastic album and if you’re into metal, you should check this out! 9/10
Mother Mother: Grief Chapter
Even more indie rock for this week, though I’m not sure how I feel about this one. It’s an odd one, that’s for sure. It’s like early 2000s radio-rock meets the weirdness of Queen or Muse’s stranger discography. Sometimes it works and is cool and a lot of fun. Other times it doesn’t and is jarring and odd for the sake of it. What I can say is the band are certainly all talented. There are some insane, math-rocky guitar licks that are far too good for indie music, and vocalist Ryan Guldemond almost has an air of Mika at times, that’s how good a singer he is. Heck, some of the pop elements like in ‘Explode!’ are VERY Mika.
The aforementioned track is actually a big highlight of the album, and a real turning point for me. Tracks like ‘Days’, ‘Normalize’ and ‘Matrix’ after it are also interesting and fun enough for me to love, with the latter again being a massive highlight for me. But yeah, when I finally ‘got’ it, I loved this album. Everything after ‘Explode!’ had me hooked and hanging on every weird turn and note. It’s not all fantastic, but it is all interesting enough to enjoy, and there is enough truly incredible tracks on the album to make me love it. If they put on a good show too, I feel like I’d LOVE to see this live. They remind me of AJR or early Twenty-One Pilots in their creativity, and I can’t help but love it. There are easily four or five tracks here I’m going to be listening to a lot moving forward. So, it’s gotta be at least an 8.5/10 from me!
The Obsessed: Gilded Sorrow
I feel like we don’t cover enough doom metal on this site, so whenever a band like this comes along and releases a killer album like this, I instantly love it. Of course the riffs are top notch, but so is everything else. The songs are very well crafted, the vocals fit perfectly and are catchy in the choruses, and the drums and bass hold everything down perfectly. It’s old-school, plodding doom metal in all the best ways. The whole album is packed full of incredible tracks, but my favourites include the opener, ‘Wellspring’ and the title track. I also have to bring up the fantastic production, something a little rarer in the genre but whoever mixed this NAILED it. Honestly, there isn’t much to say, it’s a solid doom metal album through and through. No frills, no crazy prog or genre changes, just a great album for fans of sludge. 8/10
ILLUMISHADE: Another Side of You
The Swiss metal band released their sophomore album last week after a near four year gap, and their first with Napalm. The band have been making waves since their inception in 2019, and look to continue their momentum with this release.
They’re symphonic metal for the most part, but are definitely on the heavier end of that spectrum. The combined intro track into ‘ELEGY’ perfectly encapsulates the band’s sound and style, and I personally love it. It has an edge and moderness to it that the big bands in the genre, Nightwish and Epica, do not have. It feels like the next step in the genre for sure, this band spearheading the way for the 2nd generation of symphonic metal bands alongside the likes of Metalite and Ad Infinitum. The guitars are chunky and almost have a prog/djent style and feel to them. The drums and bass are heavy too, while the synths, keys and operatic vocals ground it firmly in symphonic metal. It’s a really cool listen!
Honestly, there isn’t a bad track on the album, either. Songs like ‘ELEGY’, ‘ENEMY’, ‘Here We Are’ and epic ballad ‘Fairytale’ are certainly highlights, though. The band are incredible players and songwriters, and it’s no wonder they feel like they have a rocket strapped to their backs. They are going to be a massive name in the metal scene sooner rather than later, and this album will play a big part in getting them there. It’s an awesome release, and worth checking out for any fans of the genre. If I had but one complaint… it is a tad long. However, when it’s all this high quality, that’s hardly an issue! 8.5/10
Volucrine: Etna
The modern melo-death band released their first album in half a decade last week, and third overall. I have to say I wasn’t familiar with the band before this review, but found myself loving it. It had just as many elements of metalcore and hardcore as it did melo-death, and blended the genres together perfectly. The mixture of low growls, hardcore screams and great clean vocals are all great and hugely impressive. That’s not to take away from the rest of the band too, who all work their asses off here with some fantastic riffing and drumming.
It’s yet another album this week packed to the brim with awesome songs, too. Though every track is amazing, personal highlights include the opener, ‘Old Friend’ and ‘Godsized’. This band deserve to be so much bigger than they are, especially with the genre having a bit of a resurgence currently. I would 100% recommend this album to any metalheads reading, and I have my fingers crossed that this helps push them into the mainstream, they more than deserve it with their incredible songwriting skill! 8.5/10
Frontier Ruckus: On the Northline
This is not at all what I was expecting from this album. It was advertised to me through a country site, so I was expecting that, folk, Americana etc. Instead what I got was closer to The Presidents of The United States of America, Lazlo Bane or Pinegrove. It’s quirky, early 2000s indie-radio-rock, and while not at all what I was expecting, I did enjoy it! Don’t get me wrong, there are some elements of Americana to it; there’s a pretty prevalent banjo throughout and the opener is pretty folky. But yeah, mostly it’s more strange indie stuff. Highlights for me were ‘Magdalene’ and ‘Clarkston Pasture’. It’s another great album to sit back and relax to, and some of the lyrics are really interesting and well written. If you’re into the slower, more chilled-out stuff, this is definitely the album for you! 7/10
The High Hawks: Mother Nature’s Show
A much more traditional country/Americana sound now, from the debut of the supergroup. Featuring members of Leftover Salmon, Railroad Earth and Hard Working Americans and boasting a sound akin to The Grateful Dead, the band are of course going to have a hit on their hands with this release. And after listening to the album, I’m sure they do. It’s packed full of highlights, from the singles to tracks like ‘Fox River Blues’ and ‘Backwater Voodoo’. It’s a very fun album for someone who’s into folk, Americana, rock and blues, as it combines all together perfectly. And yet again it’s another album to stick on and simply chill out to. It’s all simple yet hugely effective, and written and performed by some of the best in the genre. 7.5/10
Another week, some more awesome new music to dive into. You know the drill by now!
Chelsea Wolfe: She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She
The goth/folk singer-songwriter released her seventh studio album last week, and first since 2019. It’s the biggest gap between releases she’s ever had, and in that time it’s clear she’s used it to evolve her sound. Sure, it definitely still has the gothic elements to it and is very experimental, but has a lot more of an industrial/electronic leaning than a folk one. It was slightly disappointing personally, as I love some good dark folk stuff.
However, don’t get me wrong, while it isn’t necessarily my thing, it’s still a good album! It’s like if Stevie Nicks went goth and started singing over less-heavy NIN tracks. Songs like ‘House of Self-Undoing’ and single ‘Dusk’ are good, but never quite hit that high I’d want. It’s a whole album of building up and teasing a drop that never comes. I completely get the appeal of this type of music and I know a lot will love this album, but it isn’t particularly my thing. 4/10
Infected Rain: TIME
We’ve already reviewed this awesome album! Check it out here!
Tyler Ramsey: New Lost Ages
Ex-Band of Horses guitarist Tyler Ramsey returned with his fifth solo album on Friday. It’s some solid indie rock, for sure. Much like Chelsea above, it’s not really my sort of thing, but I can definitely hear the appeal. I liked when it took more of a folk approach to the sound on tracks like ‘Fires’ and ‘Flare’. It’s not a bad album at all, and if you’re a fan of this sort of music I’m sure you’ll find a lot to love. It’s a great album to put on on a road trip or in the background and just chill out to. It’ll probably grow on me with another couple of casual listens, but for now it gets a 5/10 from me!
Metal De Facto: Land of the Rising Sun, Pt. 1
The Finnish power metal titans have gone from strength to strength in their short careers so far. This is their first full length release since their debut year, and with it being a part 1, the band clearly have big things planned for its release.
Part 1 is a pretty good start, that’s for sure! It’s closer to Dragonforce than Sabaton or Powerwolf, but the instrumentation throughout is off the charts. Tracks like the opener, ‘Heavier than a Mountain’ and ‘Tame the Steel’ demonstrate this and are clear highlights of the album. However, the power metal is so saturated right now and there are so many incredible bands and artists. This is a good album, but I do think it will struggle to cut through the same way that other bands have. Still, it’s packed full of great tracks and I look forward to hearing where the band go with it in part two! For now, it gets a 7/10 from me!
Jack J Hutchinson: Battles
Jack is back with a follow-up to 2022’s The Hammer Falls. We enjoyed that record a lot, so I’m excited to see where he goes to follow it! Honestly, I think I like it even more than his previous album! ‘Constellations’ is one hell of an opening track, followed perfectly by the awesomely heavy ‘Days Are Gone’ and the fantastic single ‘Bullets’. Other heavier tracks like ‘Overdrive’ are also highlights, while slower, lighter tracks like ‘Road to Hell’ or ‘Stay With Me’ break up the album perfectly and are just as good! It’s an incredibly varied album that never once gets boring, and held my attention perfectly through a full listen.
There truly isn’t a bad track on the album, and it’s arranged brilliantly. Jack has already been growing quite a name for himself in the UK rock scene, and this may be his best album yet and the one to push him even more into the mainstream. I’m gonna be spinning this album a lot in the coming weeks and months; I can’t get enough of it! 9/10
Night Slasher: Self-Titled
Dubbed ‘black speed metal’, I can most definitely hear all of that in this album. It’s chaotic in the best way possible. It’s very much the perfect blend of early Venom and Exodus. Heck, it is the closest thing to Black Metal I have heard outside of that album. However, it does have a sense of fun and attitude in amongst the darkness that black metal has never quite had. Opener ‘Ice’ is the perfect encapsulation of what the band are about and their sound, while tracks like ‘Clyster Lizard’ and ‘Pit of Hate’ are definite highlights. It almost has a Motorhead feel to it with the drums and rock ‘n’ roll riffing, too.
It’s certainly interesting and not for everyone, but I really enjoyed it! Much like with Hellmann the other week, it’s weird enough to catch and hold my attention throughout. This year seems to be an experimental one for metal and I am all for it! Maybe this will finally help me get into black metal fully! Why can’t all the genre be like this? There isn’t a bad track on the album, and for those who like things heavy, check this out! 8.5/10
The Castellows: A Little Goes a Long Way
Now, Spotify classifies this as an EP, but it’s seven tracks long so I’m counting it as an album. Plus, we don’t have any country this week, and I run this site and can do what I want, so… bite me 🤷
This is the trio of sisters’ first release that isn’t a single, so there’s a fair bit of pressure on them to deliver. Especially when they exploded onto the scene last year with their debut single, already signed to Warner Music Nashville, and are pushing up to half a million Spotify listeners already. So, does this release live up to the hype?
Yes. Yes it does. It’s neotraditional country done perfectly. Lily’s vocals fit over the simple, chilled-out instrumentation perfectly while the harmonies from the other two are incredible. And the guitaring and banjo playing from Eleanor and Powell, respectively, are awesome. I’m not sure who the rest of the band are on the release, but they also do an amazing job. It’s impossible not to love all seven tracks, as they are all just as good as each other. It’s impossible to pick just a couple of highlight tracks. If you are into country, check this out immediately, I’m sure you’ll love it as much as I do! It’s the perfect chilled out country-Americana album. These girls have a future as bright as the sun, and I can see them playing huge venues in the US and UK in no time. 10/10
tAKiDA: The agony flame
The Swedish post-grunge/alt-rock band return with their 10th album. Somehow I wasn’t familiar with the band before sitting down to do this review. That shall change immediately, as I loved this album. As soon as that amazing, MASSIVE chorus hit in opener ‘Third Strike’ I was hooked completely for the rest of the album. It’s like the perfect combination of early Shinedown and Frail, and I am all for it. I also hear vague power metal influences throughout. Heck, there’s even some comparisons I was drawing to Those Damn Crows; however intentional from either side I’m unsure! It all blends together into a perfect radio-rock soundscape of great guitaring, incredibly catchy vocals and all-round awesome writing. Other highlight tracks include ‘Sickening’ and the truly epic ‘Sacred spell’.
There isn’t a bad track on the album. I could have easily put any of them on the playlist as they are really all highlights on their own. My only slight complaint about the album is that they all have a similar feel and slow-ish pace. In isolation they are fantastic, but together it does get into slight slog territory by the end. There is some difference, but a more up-tempo or heavier track would have been nice to breakup the early 2000s ballads. Still, it’s a small complaint when the tracks are all this good! 8.5/10
Razor Attack: Self-Titled
The debut album of the NWOBHM/power metal four-piece finally dropped last Friday. Firstly, to address the elephant in the room, I’m not a fan of the artwork. The logo looks sick, but the razor blade looks pulled from an early 2000s flash game. That aside, it’s a pretty sick album! The band are clearly talented in both playing and writing songs. Tracks like their lead single ‘Armageddon’, ‘Endless Dreams’ and ‘The Righteous Fight’ are all massive highlights. It all has a very modern-day Maiden feel to it, with a touch of epic power metal sprinkled on top. I do have to say the production could be a touch better on it, but as a debut album it’s hard to get that sort of touch or budget on it first time! As I said, they’re good tracks, and with the right production and mix, this could be up there with some of the best in the genre today. For now, it gets a solid 7/10 from me!
Morbid Saint: Swallowed by Hell
Then Wisconsin thrash-death metal band are on their third studio album, and second since their 2010 return, and show no sign of slowing down. This is a brutal assault to your ears for it’s full 45+ minute runtime, and it’s awesome. If you are into the likes of Slayer or Kreator, you’ll most certainly love this. Tracks like ‘Burn Pit’ and ‘Bleed It Dry’ are personal favourites of mine. Honestly, it’s hard to find much to say about the album as it is so similar, and hardly a new and innovative formula. If you are into thrash or death metal, check this out, you are bound to not be disappointed. And I’m glad that this band are still making music, as they have one of the most sporadic discographies and touring histories ever. It’s a fun album, and easily gets a 7/10
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!
The final day of Winters End kicked off with the amazing Scruffy Bear. Bringing a mixture of both grunge and heavy blues to the typical rock sound of the weekend was awesome. And the band put on a good show too, especially front-woman Georgy, I don’t think I saw her stand still even for a second! They were a fantastic choice to open up the day and blow everyone’s cobwebs away ready for the rest of the bands. However, they were certainly excellent in their own right and a band I would massively suggest going to see the next time they’re nearby!
Afterwards was blues guitarist/vocalist virtuoso Ashley Sherlock and his band. His stuff comes across a bit heavier live, and I thought the vibe was generally more upbeat and fun than what I was expecting from his studio stuff. He’s a born entertainer and he had a really relaxed swagger about him that made him pretty endearing to watch. And he’s a phenomenal player, performer and writer, as are his bassist and drummer. I found myself getting lost in the set and simply enjoying watching, which is always a good sign. Hopefully we can see him again soon, as his live show was so good!
A more 80s inspired sound followed with Trucker Diablo. I’ve been into the band for a while and they never fail to disappoint. They very much wear their NWOBHM influences on their sleeve and play a modern version of the sound that is great to hear. Of course the crowd loved it too, and plenty were already very familiar with the band and their songs. Another solid band for the last afternoon!
Before the break our friends at The Howling Tides took to the stage. Being the last gig that we saw back in December, their set at The Bodga was still fresh in my mind. They did just as fantastically here as they did there. These four guys really have something special going on, and are going from strength to strength quickly. I can see them being a massive name in the scene sooner rather than later. And sets like this are why. They sounded amazing, put on a hell of a show and had the crowd in the palm of their hands throughout. And it helps that their songs are grungy, heavy blues awesomeness. I get ‘Blue Moon’ stuck in my head rather regularly over the last few months! One of the best bands of the weekend for me, and already want to see them again!
After the break, we returned just in time to see Dead Man’s Whiskey. One of the highlights of Winter Rocks a couple of years ago, I was excited to see them again! Especially with how good their last album was. They were great here, too! The new tracks worked perfectly in their set, while fan favourites like the insanely emotional ‘Make You Proud’ or closer ‘Racing Bullet’ also go down a storm as always. The band are all insanely talented and born performers, playing to a packed out crowd. I’m really hoping they can continue to capitalise on the hype from their last album and grow massive like they deserve to!
We sadly only caught bits of Hillbilly Vegas as we were off eating. From what we saw though they seemed good fun! A more traditional rock n’ roll feel to them and the crowd seemed to be enjoying them. I’d never heard of them before they were announced but they clearly have quite the following, both here and in the US, so I’ll have to check more out from them!
Then, we reached the final headliner and a lot of people’s most anticipated band, Those Damn Crows. Much like Massive Wagons, the band have a phenomenal live reputation to live up to, and they did it effortlessly here. Potentially the biggest band int he NWOCR scene today, they played their incredible songs to a sold out crowd. They could just come out, play songs like ‘Who Did It’ and ‘See You Again’ and leave, and I would still love it. But the fact that the band put on a high energy, fun show to boot is incredible.
Shane is such an effortlessly entertaining and likeable frontman that it’s impossible not to route for the bands every success. And, of course, he found something to climb again, scaling the speakers at the side of the stage. And he counteracted it perfectly with their more slower, ballad tracks, being stuck behind the piano. It was yet another phenomenal set from the band. If you haven’t seen them before, or have still anyway, go and see them as soon as you can. You’ll experience one of the best live shows you’ll see.
A quieter but still stacked week of New Music for everyone today. Let’s dive right in!
Florence Black: BED OF NAILS
We’ve done a review of this album already. Check it out here!
Striker: ULTRAPOWER
We’ve ALSO already covered this awesome album. Check it out here!
Gabby Barrett: Chapter & Verse
Joe: The Modern country star returns with her sophomore album, and first since she exploded onto the scene with 2020’s Goldmine. As an album as a whole, it’s fantastic! Tracks like ‘Cowboy Back’ and ‘Off the Highway’ are traditional country bangers, while stuff like the title track and ‘Jesus on a Train’ feel more modern and poppy. Meanwhile there are plenty of ballads like ‘Dance Like No One’s Watching’ and ‘Hard to Read’. The latter is definitely a highlight of the album, too! It’s generally a little slow, and a fair few of the songs do sound similar. However, having this on on a long car journey it was a damn good chilled album to fill the silences! There is no denying Gabby’s talent, her vocals are flawless and fit every style she performs here. And all of the writing is impeccable; it’s clear to see why she’s such a big name. I’ll certainly have this on again, though it probably won’t be my favourite country album of the year 7.5/10
The Miserable Rich: Overcome
Joe: The soft/indie rock band are back with their first studio album in over a decade. Channelling everything from David Bowie to Jethro Tull to The Monkees to even a bit of Lou Reed, it’s certainly an interesting listen. It’s odd, quirky and feels like a step back into the 60s/70s at times. It’s not particularly my sort of things, but I did find myself enjoying tracks like ‘Crows’, ‘FHS’ and ‘Penny For’. Their blending of genres is constantly interesting, though, and I found it almost impossible to turn off. 4.5/10
Hauntologist: Hollow
Joe: Though a lot of this is typical black metal, there is definitely more to it than that. Darkside and The Fall (actual titles of band members, yes) have created something really interesting and unique with this album. Don’t get me wrong, it still isn’t necessarily what I’d choose to listen to. The slower, more reflective tracks like ‘Golem’ and the almost Tool-like title track were great. Honestly, the latter is a real masterpiece in atmosphere and build-up. However, there isn’t a bad track on the album. It’s dark, heavy and yet still has enough breathing room and atmosphere for me to enjoy, not the typical wall of sound the genre is on occasion. The playing from the both of them is top notch, too. I wouldn’t go out of my way to listen to this often, but the more I listen, the more it grows into one of my favourite black metal albums I’ve checked out. 7.5/10
This is a band that I have actually been searching for for year now. I remember in my youth picking up a copy of a magazine that I’d never seen before or since, Thrasher I think it was called, and Striker were on the disc that came with it. Since then, I for some reason had never been able to find them again. That was, until we were emailed this album. So, to say that I’m excited is an understatement. Especially with how some of the singles are being described. Without further ado, let’s dive in, ladies and gents!
‘Circle of Evil’ opens the album in rather epic fashion, the start being an almost movie-score-like, halloween-esque soundscape. It then explodes into a fantastic thrash riff, an incredible lead working its way over the top, and the album immediately sets its tone. Dan Cleary’s soaring vocals soon come over the top of it, giving it a familiar NWOBHM feel. Even the melodies he’s hitting are very modern-day Iron Maiden, which I love and it fits so well with the music. It all builds to a huge, arena-filling chorus, sounding awesome and so catchy with the gang vocals. The duelling guitars to start the solo were insane, but then again the whole thing blew my mind hugely. It’s an amazing track in its own right, and one hell of a way to open an album and reintroduce me to the band! Playlisted!
Single ‘Best of the Best’ picks up right where the previous track left off. Opening on part of the chorus, the big riffing soon explodes in. However, interestingly, the guitars drop out in parts through the verse, and are replaced by synths. It’s an awesome sound and addition that gives it an immediate 80s feel. Between the campy lyrics and feel, it very much feels ripped from that time, borrowing from the likes of ‘Pump It’ and ‘To Be the Best’. Of course, the style of writing makes it another infectiously catchy track, too. And of course we got some more awesome guitar soloing in the middle. It’s a second straight track to make our playlist, this album is great so far!
The band have really front-loaded the album, with most recent single ‘Give it All’ up next. And, spoiler alert, the band are three for three on excellent, playlisted tracks. Long-time readers here will know exactly why too: I’m a whore for a saxophone. It’s used to perfection here right from the start, too. The track again has an 80s feel to it, but the sax adds another element of pop/jazz that fits all too well in the NWOBHM-style metal behind it.
It’s another cheesy track but in the best possible ways. And the vocals throughout are incredible. It gives off big glam/AOR vibes which I can’t get enough of. We even get a sax solo in the middle as well as a guitar one, which I just love. I’m gushing over the track a lot, I know, but damn, it may be my favourite song of the year so far. Incredible!
The first non-single of the album, ‘Blood Magic’ is still a great track, and a lot of fun. Having more of an epic western feel to it with the riffing, guitar tone and whistling, the band still inject their own infectious heaviness and energy over the top. And yet the synths still ground it in a very 80s, AOR style sound, too. And then, shockingly, we get an almost breakdown riff in the middle, accompanied by some tapping that would make Herman Lee blush. I can’t get over how not only creative, but ridiculously talented every member of this band are. It’s crazy, honestly. It’s yet another incredible track. They need to chill out or this is going to be a horribly cringy review!
Tracks like ‘Sucks to Suck’, ‘Ready for Anything’ and ‘City Calling’ lean heavily into the catchy, heavy AOR sound that the band have clearly perfected on this album. The huge vocal lines are just begging for a massive crowd to sing along with them, and the rest of the instrumentation is far too fantastic for the genre, typically. All three are fantastic tracks that I honestly can’t get enough of. They are simply rather similar to a couple of the previous tracks to analyse too deeply without repeating myself!
Sadly, ‘Turn the Lights Out’ was the first time I hit a slight wall with the album. It, and the following three tracks that finish out the album, are again kinda more of the same. It’s amazing familiarity, but familiarity all the same. The album started on such a high with the three best tracks on it and all this creativity in the first half, and then the second half, while still packed full of great tracks, kinda drops off and isn’t quite as memorable. Even just a shuffle round of the order may have stopped my fatigue. Even so, despite my negativity, I loved these other four tracks.
Overall: This is a really great album. Aforementioned issues aside, every track is incredible, there really isn’t a bad song on the album. Striker really are firing on all cylinders here, with every member of the band getting more than enough time to shine. It’s a party album through and through, that doesn’t take itself too seriously. I’m so glad I’ve rediscovered them, and will be listening to this album a lot in the coming weeks and months. It wouldn’t surprise me if it’s high on our Albums of the Year list, come December!
