Tag Archives: metal

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Glenn Hughes, Blessthefall and More!

Leave a comment

A typically stacked week of New Music Mondays for us to dive into, with everything from metal to country. Let’s dive right in!

Glenn Hughes: Chosen

The former Deep Purple frontman (amongst plenty else) released his first studio solo album in nearly a decade last week. I’m always a little hit and miss when it comes to Glenn’s music, but I actually rather enjoyed this! I went in with no expectations and came out liking the album! ‘Voice in my Head’ is a great opener, while tracks like ‘Heal’, the Sabbath-y ‘The Lost Parade’ and ‘Black Cat Moon’. The riffing is the real highlight of the album but Glenn’s vocals fit perfectly over the top of it, making me not even mind them for once. It’s a really solid heavy blues album by a real legend in the genre. If you are at all into his previous stuff, or more sludgy rock in general, this is well worth checking out! I probably won’t listen to the album in full much, but the odd track will definitely be in heavy rotation moving forward! 8/10

Blessthefall: GALLOWS

Returning after a four year hiatus, the US metalcore quartet are taking no prisoners with their seventh album. It goes HARD and heavy, but also has plenty of big, melodic choruses and moments. The opener sets the pace for the album perfectly, but tracks like ‘Wake the Dead’ and ‘Y.S.A.B.’ that perfect the formula. Then there’s the three awesome guest-feature tracks. Caskets, Alpha Wolf and Story of the Year all bring different sounds to their collabs, and really help break up the album perfectly. My favourite is the insanely aggressive Alpha Wolf one, but that’s not a surprise given how much I liked their last album! Then there’s the metalcore ballad ‘Light the Flame’ that somehow fits exceptionally well around the rest of the heavier stuff. And for once we don’t have a modern US metalcore album close on a slow soppy track, ‘This Ends with Us’ going just as hard as everything else!

The whole album is just sick, honestly! I have to admit I was familiar with the bands name and style, but not particularly with their music. With their last release coming seven years ago, it was before I majorly got into the modern metal sound. So, as a first real jumping off point, this is incredible, and definitely makes me want to check out more of their older stuff! Whether you’re a newb like me or a long-time fan, this album is worth checking out if you are at all into the heavier end of metal! 8.5/10

Lanie Gardner: Faded Polaroids

The sophomore EP from the pop country/Americana singer-songwriter has been a rather anticipated release for us here at Overtone! We checked out her debut album less than a year ago and had a great time with it. She also put out an EP back in only June that somehow topped it again. While said EP is integrated into this release, they are far from the only highlights of the release. Don’t get me wrong, ‘Takin’ The Slow Ride’ is still my favourite track she’s put out, but there are tonnes of highlights on this. Whether it’s other EP highlights like ‘Boys like You’ or ‘Buzzkill’ to new songs like ‘Boot Down’ or ‘Rattle and the Devil’s Whip’, there’s plenty to fall in love with here! It’s a modern sound, drawing comparisons to everything from Megan Moroney to Alana Springsteen to Lindsay Ell. Hell, the girls in country are killing it right now, and Lanie is quickly working her way up to join those other names! Her vocals are fantastic, and it’s clear she has a big hand in writing it as you can heat her emotion throughout!

Shockingly, the length barely bothered me here, too. Every song is excellent, and there wasn’t one I’d think of cutting, damn impressive on an 18-track album! It does loose a bit of momentum somewhere in the middle, but is broken up rather well with a couple of higher energy tracks. In yet another year jam-packed with awesome country releases, this is a definite standout. She is somehow getting better and better with each release, and I can’t give this any less than 9/10!

Tallah: Primeval: Obsession // Detatchment

The third studio album from the new-nu-metalers has a lot of hype to live up to! I loved their last release, as well as their debut, and feel they are one of the most underrated bands in metal today.

It’s certainly another interesting release! They seem to have gone even more quirky and proggy than their previous stuff, lean more into Mr Bungle Tool or (unsurprisingly) Dream Theater at times. Heck, there’s even just a touch of Alien Ant Farm at times, though that may be more Justin’s vocal delivery. Speaking of Justin, another INCREDIBLE vocal performance from front to back, being easily one of the best vocalists in the business today. However, that shouldn’t take away from the rest of the band, as they are working their asses off throughout. From some awesome riffing to expectedly excellent drumming to some awesome extra bits in record scratching and strings, it’s all incredible and fits so well.

As for the songs themselves, they’re fucking awesome. Whether it’s the opener, the Tooly ‘A primeval obsession’ into the perfect double-up of ‘_la|cuna_’ into ‘A primeval detatchment’, and then the final three full tracks being amazing heaviness, there is so much to love. And heck, any of the tracks I haven’t mentioned are also fantastic. 42 minutes goes by in a flash, and the release is a surprisingly easy listen throughout. I honestly thought at the start this would be a bit of a grower, and it still may be, but by the end of the first listen I already love it. None do it quite like Tallah, blending together so many different late 90s/early 2000s sounds but making them wholly unique to them, and it’s an album I’d recommend any metalhead out there listen to! Another 9/10

Fury: Interceptor

The fifth studio album from the hard rock/heavy metal Brits finally dropped to much hype on Friday, and honestly it deserved every bit of it! It feels a little lighter and blusier overall than their other stuff, but I think it may work in their favour. The band are all such talented musicians and their songwriting prowess is on full display throughout this release to match it. It’s also almost impossible to pick highlights, as the whole thing is awesome! It’s like the perfect combination of Metallica, Iron Maiden, H.E.A.T. and even a healthy hint of Battle Beast. Heck, then you have the almost country/Southern metal ‘Walk Away’, and there is plenty of variety throughout! The band have been building momentum for years now, yet still remain somehow one of the most underrated acts around. I have already spun this a couple of times through this weekend, and have no intention of slowing down any time soon! If you are at all into rock or metal, I cannot recommend this enough! 9.5/10

La Dispute: No One Was Driving the Car

The first album from the emo/post-hardcore band in six years, it’s clear they haven’t lost that special something that brought them to the dance. From the fantastic lyrics to Jordan Dreyer’s emotion-filled delivery to some awesome guitar work and proggy arrangements, this is definitely a La Dispute album. And hell, it’s a good one, at that! Anyone who’s checked them out prior knows that they are an acquired taste and certainly not for everyone, but their fans will surely love this just like I do. Don’t get me wrong, it’s long, even I was tapping out at times during its 75-minute runtime, especially when a lot of it is similar. However, the poetry of the lyrics and the constant shift in focus between the different vocal styles and big riffs kept me hooked over and over again. Tracks like the opener, ‘The Field’, the title track to the wonderfully prog epic ‘Environmental Catastrophe Film’, there are plenty of highlights. However, there isn’t a bad track on this thing! Don’t get me wrong, I do sometimes get the odd hint of a Kyle Gordon vibe at times, but if anything it just adds to the enjoyment!

If you are at all curious, check this out, you may like it as much as I did! While I wouldn’t recommend maybe if you’re full-on depressed/struggling, just turning this on in a dark room with some headphones on and really getting lost in it and feel it is quite the experience. A very solid 8.5/10 from us!

Liam St. John: Man of the North

The debut studio album from the blues-rock/Americana man and his band dropped last Friday, and is utterly fantastic! I somehow wasn’t familiar with him until I checked him out ahead of Long Road this year, and after seeing him I was pretty hyped for this album. It lives up to said hype in a great way, being a bourbon-and-sex drenched nearly-hour of blues-Americana. It’s a style that is already right up my street, and St. John performs it to near perfection! Taking clear inspiration from the modern titans in the genre like Gary Clark Jr, Jack White or even early Highly Suspect, while giving it his own twist and sound thanks to his Nashville roots. From the likes of ‘forefathers’ and ‘Off the Rails’ to ‘Everything I Had’ and ‘Landslide Over the Highway’, there are so many massive highlights. But, once again, there really isn’t a bad track on here! It’s a big collection, but definitely worth a full listen at least once if you get the chance!

My only ever so slight note is that ‘If I Were my Father’ was a rather subdued opener and a bit of an odd choice; something more up-beat may have made it even better! Still, hardly a big complaint, as the album is still incredible! If you’re into any of the styles or bands mentioned above, I cannot recommend this alvum enough! I’ll definitely be spinning this a fair bit in the weeks and months to come, and it gets a very easy 9/10 from us!

Leonie Jakobi: What Are the People Gonna Say?

The debut album from the German singer-songwriter rocker is honestly a fantastic release! It’s got a great up-beat, old-school punk-pop vibe that is sure to get you up and dancing! From the opener to the beautiful ‘What Happened to Us’, the rockin’ ‘Don’t Mind Me’ and ‘I Deserve to Shine’, there are plenty of massive highlights throughout. However, there isn’t bad track throughout! It’s impossible not to have a good time listening to this, and it went by in a flash. She’s building a solid hype around her with her touring the last couple of years, and this album will surely help that to push her to new heights! Her vocals are incredible, emphasised perfectly by the great mix throughout, and it all adds even more weight to the already fantastic lyric writing. If you like the lighter side of rock, this is definitely one for you! 8/10

FM: Brotherhood

The British hard/AOR rockers returned with their fifteenth album this last Friday. Honestly, I’ve never been hugely into the band in the past, but I did enjoy listening to them! Maybe it’s more live that I’m not hugely into them, because I had a blast with this from front to back! How I missed their last two albums is beyond me too, will definitely have to revisit Old Habits and Thirteen if they sound close to this. The first four tracks are AOR perfection, while songs like ‘Don’t Call it Love’ and ‘Because of You’ are also massive highlights. Yes, it is all a little samey, so 52-minutes is maybe a little overkill, but it’d be hard to cut any of the tracks as they’re all damn good! I’ve definitely become more of a fan of the band, and will be listening to this again pretty regularly for the rest of the year. It’s another feel-good release, and if you’re into more softer rock, check this out ASAP. Another very solid 9/10 in a great week!

Syncolima: Move Mountains

The third album from the British stoner metal band is maybe the best they’ve ever released! The band’s talent was never in question, but is once again on full display throughout this whole 40-minutes. They feel like they’ve really come into their own here, confidently blasting out amazing riffs and some great vocal hooks over and over. Tracks like ‘Mistakes Were Made’, the title track and the perfectly titled ‘Kill All the Billionares’ are all personal highlights, but the whole album is awesome! Plus, the production is top notch, definitely a step up from their other stuff. It’s not wonder the band are gathering some serious momentum, and this release will surely only add to that! 8/10

Swollen Teeth: Ask Nothing

The debut album from the masked metal collective is dark, heavy and quirky, all in equal measure. It’s definitely got the nu metal and brutality of early Slipknot, but a bit more of hardcore punk edge to it too, almost Turnstille-esque. Tracks like ‘Money and Greed’, the ‘Purity’-like ‘Foster’ and the hardcore ‘Ask’ are all personal highlights, but every track on here is a bit of a banger! They’re just so interesting, fitting right in alongside Tallah above as an exciting new twist on nu-ish metal. It’s an incredible release from a band that are already making waves, and it immediately makes me want to hear more of what is to come. Check this out if you are at all into this side of metal. 8.5/10, good stuff!

Jonah Kagen: Sunflowers and Leather

Somehow a massive name in country/folk that I hadn’t heard of until this weekend, Jonah has instantly made me a new fan of his work! Straight off the bat, yes, it’s another nearly hour-long, 16-track release, and it certainly has times where it drags. However, his vocals are captivating, especially when the harmonies come in behind, and his lyric writing is truly phenomenal. It’s like a combination of Evan Honer, James Bay and Mumford and Sons, it’s awesome! The one-two-punch of the opener into the title track is incredible, as are tracks like ‘Black Lung’, ‘The Reeper’ and ‘Burn Me’. He’s done a fantastic job of picking the albums singles and, while there are some slight lulls, these six tracks and others more than make up for that.

He fits in rather perfectly in with the currently indie-Americana rising scene alongside the likes of Wyatt Flores or Crowe Boys, but also very much does things his own way. This is fucking amazing, and well worth checking out regardless of what you are into. He has a huge new fan in me, and it’s yet another big 9/10! Heck, it may even get higher with more listens, too!

Reviews

Fangslinger, Silk Spinster and Sam Barber: EPs Galore!

Leave a comment

Another week and some more awesome EPs for us to check out! The perfect blend of country and metal, let’s check it out! 

Fangslinger: We Are the Night

The gothic, vampire cowboys have been gathering a lot of momentum over the last nearly year since they started, and it has all culminated in this awesome five-track EP! We’re very familiar with the band at this point, and have been eagerly anticipating this release since its announcement. Heck, I have the pre-order special edition with a signed note and personal video message.

So, thank god it’s a bit good, right?! Opening on the fantastic new single before taking us on a dark-Western trip through their previous four, there certainly isn’t a bad track amongst them! Every song is as good as the last. It’s an awesome combination of Hellyeah, Avenged Sevenfold and Brantley Gilbert, and all three band members work their ass off throughout, having plenty of time to shine individually and together. It’s 21-minutes that is a must to check out for anyone into rock, country, metal, or heck, just music in general! What an incredible debut, and highlights everything that the band do so well. It feels fresh and new and innovative, yet familiar enough to get anyone doubtful into it. There’s a reason they are gathering some steam already, and this release will only push them up another level again. I can’t give it anything less than 10/10!

Sam Barber: Music for the Soul

The new EP from the breakout country star, and follow-up to 2024’s Restless Mind, is honestly a bit of a banger! It’s very current in its sound, giving off that indie/Americana edge to country music in the same vein as Wyatt Flores, Evan Honer and Zach Bryan. Don’t get me wrong, it’s pretty samey like the album was, but when it’s a quarter of the length it makes it a lot easier to digest. It meant that, while each song was slower, each felt like the very best of the best Sam had to offer; being packed full of epicness and emotion. Particular highlights for me are the opener/title track, ‘Same Sad Shit’ and ‘Home Tonight’. Some of the rasp in his vocal delivery at times honestly gave me goosebumps, and some of his lyrics are incredible.

It won’t be for everyone, don’t get me wrong, but I had a far better time with this than I did his album. If you’re into the general style he plays, this is well worth checking out! A solid 8/10!

Silk Spinster: Self-Titled

The UK heavy metal revivalists are another one with a debut EP this week, and another one that knocked it out of the park with their release! It’s exactly what you’d expect from the genre, a fun romp through awesome riffing, great soloing and some catchy melodies. Tracks like the title one, ‘White Lines’ and ‘Rockstar’ are all personal highlights, but there really isn’t a bad track on the EP! The band are all incredibly talented and will go insanely far if they can break into the still-booming NWOCR scene. It’s infectiously fun metal with a slight sleaze edge to it, and I’d recommend to anyone even slightly curious! Another very easy 8/10 from us!

Reviews

0: Shadecrown’s Best Album Yet?

Leave a comment

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

Features, Reviews

Trowsholm, LN and Reliquia Rock Scruffy Murphys!

Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

Interviews & Features

Tooth & Dagger: ‘It’s a cliche, but be yourself. Unless you’re a dick, in which case just be nice!’

Leave a comment

We had the chance to sit down for a chat with the amazing Tooth & Dagger the other day, talking about their latest single and tours and their sound in general. Check it out below!

How would you describe your sound?

Inadequately. People need to listen for themselves because there is a lot more than good old heavy riffs going on: we love blending genres and a lot of what we are writing now is peppered with electronic elements and an orchestral score – playing with a live orchestra would be a dream come true. We’ve had a lot of comparisons to Architects, especially with our new single ‘Drift’, and no doubt they’re one of the bands we all vibe with. Linkin Park has been another name mentioned. Our lead singer Dante is an incredibly diverse vocalist so people don’t quite know what to make of us as it’s hard to tie us in to any particular genre. Although we are under the metal umbrella, and looooove breakdowns, there’s a lot of groove and bounce in what we do, we try to have fun, and we try to keep people guessing as to what will happen next – three of us already sing and growl live, but there’s been a lot of talk about Phil Collins on this last tour…

You’ve just put out a new single, it seems to have gone down well?

We’re delighted with the response to ‘Drift’ so far. People who know our back catalogue might be surprised at what they are hearing: orchestral arrangements, acoustic guitars, synths… an attempt at dubstep!… That made us a wee bit apprehensive before we put it out, but the positive feedback has put that out of our mind. This is us, and we’re proud of it. We’ve put down a marker with ‘Drift’ as it was a big turning point for us as a band.

Would you say your writing has evolved on it compared to your work couple of years ago when you first started out?

Hugely. Like night and day. It’s pretty typical for bands to have very strong shared influences which naturally guide their sound in the beginning, but we didn’t have that at all! A friend of ours described our approach as like “driving with 5 hands on the wheel”, because we have such a diverse range of influences, styles and tastes. Imagine trying to get Fall Out Boy, Elton John, the Prodigy and Gojira to collaborate and you’re starting to get an idea of what we are up against! Knitting all that together has been…challenging, but worth it. We’ve developed a better understanding for each other so the writing feels more collaborative and unified even if, like ‘Drift’ did, it started out as one person’s brainchild.

Is this new single the start of an album or EP cycle? Or is the plan to stick to singles for now?

There is a lot of creativity bubbling away within the band at the moment just desperate to burst out. It’s time we harnessed that, so we are currently blasting through all the little ideas which we squirrel away in voice notes, half memories, rehearsal recordings, napkin lyrics etc and turning the best of those into our first full-length album. We’re already gigging some new unreleased material and it has been going down really well on this tour, so we’ve got a feeling another single or two will sneak out soon. It’s no secret we are excited about where our music is right now and what is coming next, because we truly feel a Tooth & Dagger ‘sound’ is emerging and we just want to ride that wave and see where it takes us.

What would you say the state of the underground music scene is in currently?
Seems to be better than it has been in a while!

The sheer number of bands is astounding. We can’t keep up! Clearly there is an appetite for people to create music which has to be a good thing. We would all like to see more of those bands making it to the very top but there are encouraging signs for sure. South Arcade are smashing it right now; Acres are going out to the US too; Native James will be huuuuge this year; AltBlkEra have worked hard to build massive hype for their new album; our friends Nameless are on Alyx Holcombe’s radar… the list goes on. It’s tough for venues of course, but we saw excellent examples of how it can be done successfully on our recent tour with Away With the Seas.

Got a busy gigging year planned? You’re on tour with Away with the Seas, right?

Our busiest so far and we’re having a blast! The tour with AWTS was wicked. A big success. 4 cities we’d never played before, so many new friends, incredible crowds and some great memories. Friday in Chelmsford and Saturday in Cambridge were near enough full capacity and we feel honoured to have been a part of that, especially since many small venues are struggling to stay open at the moment. In both cases, the management and staff were top notch, with a clear goal to grow their local scene by being an entertainment hub. It’s only the beginning though; we are back out at the End of Feb in the midlands and hitting the South West in July. We’re also taking part in Birmingham’s metal 2 the masses so you never know…Bloodstock?

You’re pretty active on social media, do you have any advice on a band just starting out on how to use it to their advantage?

We’re glad that you think so haha. We are still learning how to best utilise the various platforms, but are enjoy connecting with our fan base which although small, is growing. Advice? It’s a cliche, but be yourself. People need real connections in life and that’s not going to happen if you’re not authentic, so try and showcase who you really are and what the band is about. Unless you’re a dick, in which case just be nice! Seriously.

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

It’s got to be Sleep Token. We all went to their Birmingham show with Bilmuri supporting…unbelievable. We’re all obsessed. Obviously Archtitects, BMTH, Bad Omens are at the top of their game. As a smaller band, the ideal is to play with bands whose fans have a good chance of enjoying our music too. Don Broco springs to mind, but of the more up and coming bands: Blackgold would be a lot of fun to see night after night, Conquer Divide have so many elements that we adore, Dreamstate have mad energy and Defences definitely have a strong sound. Over in the USA, it’s got to be Aurorawave, that would be an incredible tour!

Reviews

Inside the Sickened Mind: Thrasherwolf Blow the Roof Off with their Second Album!

Leave a comment

The underground thrash legends Thrasherwolf are set to release their highly anticipated second album this coming Friday. I’ve been a fan of the band a few years now, and a huge fan of the genre since my youth, so I knew I just had to review this in full. Plus, the single we checked out already (more on that below) was amazing, so I can’t wait to hear the rest!

The album starts off with a bang with ‘Final Act of Aggression’. The lightening quick riffing brings me mentally to the 80s Bay Area scene in all the best ways. The vocals fit perfectly over the top, giving off more Kreator vibes than anything else. The chorus is also surprisingly catchy for the style of music, plenty of places for crowds to get involved and chant! Having said that, it’s rare that bands in the thrash scene feel dangerous these days, but Thrasherwolf certainly have that fantastic edge and aura to them (live too). It’s refreshing, and great to see. The quick bit around the middle mark with the vocal stabs being in time with the drum hits is incredible and so very well written. It only emphasises the speed and aggression going on in all the best ways. Honestly, this song is incredible, and such a good way to open the album. It easily makes our playlist!

We are already more than familiar with the awesomeness that was the album’s lead single. ‘G.B.H’ is a masterclass of old-school thrash, and a true demonstration of the entire band’s insane playing abilities. The tempo changes from drummer Zaq is honestly genius, while Dan’s vocals and guitaring are up there with any other thrash icon. And, on top of that, it’s another catchy track with some fun lyrics. If you want to check out me gushing over it even more, see the video below. I’ve barely stopped listening to it this week!

‘Hanging House’ of course keeps the speed and aggression turned up to 11. We’re only three tracks in and already my neck is starting to hurt from headbanging, this isn’t good… It’s another awesome Kreator/Slayer style thrash song though, the riffing being a massive highlight alongside the vocals and, of course, the blistering soloing. It’s just damn good thrash metal played to the very highest standard by the band, and another incredible song!

‘Scream Till Death’ has a bit of a slower, more stomping pace, and gives off way more Ride the Lightening era Metallica vibes than the other tracks so far. Even when it speeds up massively, there are still hints of the metal gods in there. It’s another amazingly fun thrash song, though, especially with the chorus harkening back the slower riffing. The bridge, while a touch cheesy, is also 80s thrash to a tee and is so good. Heck, we even get a drop-out to just bass, which was awesome and created such a great dynamic near the end of the track. I cannot get enough of this album, and clearly it shows in this review!

“They can all suck the massive dick that I have” is some Slipknot’s ‘Get Out’ levels of hilarious, crazy lyrics, and I’m all here for it. ‘Shameless Loser’ is yet another awesome thrash track. Most of the rest of the tracks are, tbh. Both ‘Consumed’ and ‘Inside the Sickened Mind’ are excellent examples of modern, heavy thrash metal with an old-school edge. The only reason I’m not talking about them separately is so I don’t gush over the same things over and over and make this a real repetitive, boring review to read. However, I’d recommend all three tracks as much as I possibly can! Shout-out to the latter track though, which is a whopping seven-plus minutes in length and makes full use of it. An amazing drop-out in the middle to a truly evil clean (then dirty) guitar melody, building up perfectly more and more on top. *chef’s kiss*

Before the epic title track, we get the only change/slowing of the pace of the album in ‘Haunted’. As blasphemous as it is for some thrash fans, I always like it when thrash bands slow down and do a darker almost-ballad. And this track is really no exception. The clean, simple, haunting (pun intended) guitar riff to open sets the track up perfectly, giving way to a rather epic distorted one. The dynamics of the track are perfect, with plenty of changes around each part. Daniel’s vocals fit just as perfectly over this as it does the angrier stuff; a true testament to his talents. And yet again, it’s another incredible, infectiously catchy chorus. And we still have time for a blistering, awesome guitar solo to boot, and I love it when it followed the main melody at times too. This song is AMAZING, and another massive highlight of the album.

Overall: Goddamn, what a sick album! I’m not sure how much of it is me feeling starved of old-school-feeling thrash, but fuck man, I can’t get enough of this album. Every track is amazing, and the whole thing will be making it onto my personal playlist when it’s out. I cannot recommend this enough not just to thrash fans, but just metal fans in general. The band have really come into their own with this release, showing why they should be the future of heavy music, at least in the UK, and their take-no-prisoners attitude will surely get them to that point. This is gonna be very high on our list of albums of the year come December, and I can’t give it any less…

The Score: 10/10

Reviews

Drenched, Prisoner & Seige Perilous: EPs Galore!

Leave a comment

It’s been a hot minute since we’ve done one of these, but we have three AWESOME EPs for us to check out today! Let’s dive right in!

Drenched: Grey

I immediately fell in love with this EP and this band; that’s how good this is. The early Tool meets early Nirvana/Alice in Chains sound is amazing, yet somehow brings the 90s sound into a modern day environment perfectly. There’s even a bit of Deftones throughout that I generally can’t get into, but this band somehow do it better than Deftones do. Everything from the incredible riffing to the amazing drumming to the excellently fitting vocals had me captivated throughout, and the band are insanely talented.

Every song is amazing, but it’s hard not to point to the opener and ‘(in)sane’ as being standouts, and both are present on our playlist! However, if anyone is into anything I’ve stated above, or post-grunge/nu metal on top of that, this is the perfect 20-odd minutes for you. The Brits have truly exploded out of the gate with their debut EP here, and I can see absolutely massive things for them in the very near future! I can’t give it any less than 10/10

Seige Perilous: Creation’s Call

This is traditional/power metal awesomeness. It gives off big Iron Maiden meets Hammerfall vibes, and I am all for it! Much like the previous EP, it had me hooked from the excellent opener, through the awesome ‘Creations Call’ and to the epic closer. Shockingly, as I don’t say this very often with EPs, it works perfectly as a shorter release. The band hit us with all-killer, no-filler for the full thing, and go balls-to-the-wall throughout. If this was longer, I’d have felt the need for a change of pace at some point, (which I’m sure the band could also pull off amazingly too) but this was short, sweet, to the point and gave us exactly what the band are all about. They’re talented as anything and show it off to perfection here. As a sophomore release too, it carries on the band’s sound and legacy perfectly! 8.5/10

Prisoner: House of Cards

The Canadian band set out to return to their heavy rock roots, and by the sound of things they have very much done just that. This thing is like Prong but with punk vocals over the top, like the really early days of thrash or crossover. The production fits perfectly with the old-school feel too, feeling like it’s ripped right out of the 80s. The vocals really grew on me throughout, him being able to hit some damn impressive high notes!

This thing honestly felt like it was too short, I’d love to have had more from them. Especially with the variety shown between the three tracks. Heck, the slower track, ‘On a Sunday’, is my favourite track on the EP, though the other two are close second and third. I somehow missed the band’s album back in January, but I’mma have to go back and check it out now, as I loved this! 8/10

Reviews

Humanoid: Do Accept Continue Their Run of Stellar Albums?

Leave a comment

The German metal legends Accept are back with their 17th studio album. If you remember, we loved their last one, so have been rather impatiently waiting for this one to be released since it was announced. The singles so far have been excellent, so I can’t wait to hear the full thing!

‘Diving Into Sin’ surprisingly opens slower than I expected, a fantastic clean, Egyptian-style guitar riff being the main focus. Even when the drums, bass and distortion comes in, it maintains that similar Iron Maiden Powerslave-era feel, which I love. Mark Torillo’s iconic vocals soon come in over the top as the pace quickens to more of the expected thrash styling. It’s utterly insane that, now pushing 70, Mark’s vocals are so fantastic and effortlessly powerful, really showing how well he looks after them. It all builds into an awesome chorus, both catchy and heavy in equal measure. The call-and-response style battle between Mark and the backing vocals, over the top of the awesome riffing, was exactly what I was expecting and hoping for with this album. And of course, we get a face-melting guitar solo tucked in the middle of this. The technical skill on display was awesome, and the cutting out part was really interesting! This is one hell of a way to open an album, and easily makes it onto our playlist immediately!

The album’s title track is up next, keeping things heavy in the same way and style the band are known for. The lyrics for this one are a tad on the nose, but the music behind them, and their delivery too, are all so good that it more than makes up for it. It’s a straight-forward modern NWOBHM track filled with everything you’d expect from the band; awesome riffs, huge choruses and blistering solos. And it’s another awesome song!

The same can be said for the likes of ‘Frankenstein’, ‘The Reckoning’ and closer ‘Southside of Hell’. All are fantastic songs, don’t get me wrong, giving off heavy Painkiller vibes as well as their typical output since their 2009 reunion. Heck, I loved the former that much that it’s another track that easily makes it onto our playlist! All three tracks are just rather similar, and also similar to the opening two tracks, and I simply don’t want to repeat myself over and over and make this review rather boring! As I said, all are great tracks that if you’re a fan of traditional metal you will certainly love!

Meanwhile, songs like ‘Man Up’, ‘Nobody Gets Out Alive’, ‘Straight Up Jack’ and ‘Unbreakable’ are all lighter, sounding more like their old-school 80s sound, closer to AC/DC or early Priest, like ‘Balls to the Wall’. Yet again, all are fantastic, foot-stomping tracks closer to rock than metal. I feel like I’m going to have the chorus of ‘Nobody…’ stuck in my head for days to come!

‘Ravages of Time’ is one of two slower songs on the album. It has a distinctly European, power/heavy metal feel to it immediately that I love. The clean guitars and simple drums fit together with Mark’s vocals just as well as the heavier stuff. The lyrics are pretty fantastic too, a bittersweet tale woven perfectly. The dynamics of the track are phenomenal too, going from stripped-back to the more distorted, massive chorus perfectly. And all of the guitar work is of course impeccable. I love this song, and I hate that it hits me far harder than it should. It’s another song that easily creeps onto our playlist!

The final track on the album is just as fantastic as all the others. ‘Mind Games’ feels like a perfect mid-ground between the 80s and 90s heavy metal sounds that the band straddle for most of the album. The main riff running through it is galloping awesomeness, and Mark’s vocals are just as on point as ever. And the backing vocals through the pre and chorus make it all so massively catchy and arena-filling. It’s another highlight track, for sure!

Overall: The more I listened to this, the more I loved this. After their last album I came into this with pretty high hopes, and while I at first felt a tad underwhelmed, by the end I was certainly feeling it. There really isn’t a bad song on the album, and I’d easily put a couple of them up there with some of the bands very best. Too Mean to Die was up there in our top 10 albums of 2021, and honestly looking back 8/10 then seemed a little harsh. I have to say I didn’t quite enjoy this as much as that last album, though that may change with subsequent listens. It’s a very good, overall more-solid release than the last one, so I’ll happily give it another…

The Score: 8/10

Reviews

Witchburner: Earthblood Return to Melt Faces with Their Sophomore EP!

Leave a comment

The Finnish Sludgy-doom metallers are set to release their brand new EP on Thursday. I’m not at all familiar with the band and they only appeared to burst onto the scene last year. However, I love the genre they play and am excited to hear this. And, at only three tracks long, I couldn’t not check it out!

The title track opens the EP perfecto with a sludgy, heavy wall of sound and an excellent riff. It speeds up heading into the verse, almost turning into a thrash/death metal track. The vocals very much reinforce that point too, it being a pretty gritty scream. It slows up into a pretty awesome, groovy bridge riff around the 1:30 mark, it almost having stoner metal vibes when it drops out to just guitar and bass a couple of times. We also get some cool little drum solo bits in the middle, everyone being given a chance to shine throughout. It continues to be heavy throughout, there being multiple awesome riffs in the last two plus minutes that honestly by the end of it my neck hurt from headbanging so much. And the screams in the breakdown at the end… *chefs kiss*. It’s a fantastic way to open the EP, and easily makes our playlist!

‘Sons of Heavy Rain’ opens on one hell of a doom riff or three, and I love it! The main riff through it kinda reminds me of Judas Priest from the 90s onwards too; that awesome technical style and a little lighter than the previous track. The solo over the top matches the feel and vibe perfectly, too. The heaviness of course comes back in with the harsh vocals, but it almost gives off Entombed-style death’n’roll more than anything else. Especially with all the guitar melody and soloing throughout. It has a pretty catchy chorus too with the backing vocals giving it a big hand in that direction. It all combined together perfectly to sound heavy, epic and catchy all at the same time. I honestly can’t get enough of this track, everything about it is awesome. From the vocals to the balls-to-the-wall drumming to the insane guitaring; riffs and pinch harmonics and soloing galor, it’s all amazing. So far the EP is two for two on playlisted tracks!

The final track on the far-too-short EP, ‘Swamp Hammer’ does the Batushka thing of having a slow, low, atmospherically distant riff go on for arguably too long. How very, very stoner-doom of them. As it picks up we get an AWESOME riff that keeps pretty stonery. Even with the harsh vocals giving it a death edge, it’s still undoubtedly sludgy and doomy. And again, multi-tracked vocals make for a pretty catchy chorus! Some of the low growls in the back at times too, damn. There’s a fantastic guitar solo tucked away in the middle, technically fantastic and fit the style of the song perfectly. And we even get an INSANE bass solo too, just as good as the guitar one. This song utterly blew me away and I don’t care, all three of these go on our playlist. Shit, that was awesome.

Overall: As you can probably tell, I loved this! It’s of course a rather niche genre, but I’m big into the style and these guys did all of it to perfection. All three tracks are as good as each other, and all are incredible. I HAVE to see ‘Swamp Hammer’ live, my god I hope they tour near me soon. It’s not going to be for everyone, but if you’re a fan of metal at all check it out, it may definitely surprise you. It’s not often I give this out for EPs, but it can’t be anything else…

The Score: 10/10

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Blue Oyster Cult, Tyler Hubbard and More!

Leave a comment

A pretty stacked week as always this week, with everything from rock to country to metalcore. Let’s check it all out!

Blue Oyster Cult: Ghost Stories

The legendary rock band are back with their 16th studio album. The gap between the last two albums was a whopping 19 years, so it’s so nice to see the band clearly finding their passion for writing again, returning with another only four years later. And, what’s even better… it’s good! Is it as good as some of their best work? Not quite. But for a band that are going on six decades at this, they are doing a phenomenal job. Buck and Eric’s vocals still sound just as great together as they did in the 70s, and come up with some awesome, catchy vocal hooks and melodies. Tracks like ‘Cherry’, ‘Soul Jive’ and the jazzy ‘Shot in the Dark’ are personal highlights. Heck, we even get a great punk track with ‘Kick Out the Jams’. However, honestly, there isn’t a bad track on the album. It’s great, fun, chilled out soft-bluesy rock, and if you’re a fan of the band already you’ll love it, I’m sure! It probably won’t make our Best Albums of 2024 list, but it’s a damn good album and one the band should be damn proud of after all these years. 8/10

Tyler Hubbard: Stronger

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

Mark Knopfler: One Deep River

I’ve been a fan of the Dire Straits frontman for years at this point. Not to age him drastically (heck, not that he’ll read this), but my Grandad is a big fan of the man and passed on that fandom to me in my early teens. And, being not only a soft rock fan, but a wannabe guitarist in a blues-rock inspired band, of course said fandom continues to this day. And the album was exactly what I was expecting; chilled-out rock music filled with incredible guitar work and some awesome vocal lines. I enjoyed it all, but standout tracks were definitely ‘Scavenger Yard’ and ‘Before my Train Comes’. Honestly, I don’t really have much else to say about the album. As I said, if you know Mar’s work, you’ll know exactly what to expect heading into it. It’s slower, lower-energy Dire Straits. If that’s your sort of thing, you’ll like this, just like I did. However, I know it certainly isn’t for everyone. Still, it’s an easy 7/10 from me!

Kris Barras Band: Halo Effect

The UK rock frontman (and former cage fighter, bet you didn’t know that?!) Kris Barras and his band are back with their fifth album. I’ve been a fan of his work for a while now, ever since ‘Hail Mary’ came out and hooked me in. So, know this comes from a place of love when I say… this is fine. Don’t get me wrong, there are certainly some good songs, and some that stand out the more I listen to them. The foot-stomping ‘With You’, anthemic ‘Reflections’ and the almost power metal single ‘Secrets’ are all clear favourites of mine. However, there is so much music out these days that sounds like this that it risks getting lost in the shuffle a little. The heavier NWOCR sound, Alter Bridge/Black Stone Cherry mixed with early 2000s dad/butt rock, is being done very well by so many bands at the minute. Whether it’s Those Damn Crows, Florence Black or Stone Broken, or so many other bands not in the UK, there is tonnes of this style that is great. And this is also great, don’t get me wrong, but does it stack up to some of the best? Potentially not.

It’s growing on me more with subsequent listens, don’t get me wrong, but I’m going to struggle to work out what score to give it. The riffs are awesome and go hard from start to finish, Kris’s vocals are as good as ever, and it does have some massive, catchy choruses. I hate to be THAT fan, but I did find myself enjoying their older, more blues-oriented sound. It set them apart from the pack a little more while this just sounds like everything else. Still, again, it’s not a bad album, and I’ll most likely be listening to a good few of the songs a fair bit moving forward. 7.5/10

Imminence: The Black

The metalcore Swedes are back with their first album in three years. I have to admit, I am very much in two minds with it. When it goes hard and gets heavy, I love it. Tracks like ‘Desolation’ and ‘?’ are amazing thanks to the heavy guitars and brutal screams. Even when the vocals get cleaner in parts of the tracks, it still has a heavy edge to it all. Heck, ‘Heaven Shall Burn’ is essentially a deathcore song. The strings in it were also an excellent touch. However, other tracks, such as the opener or ‘Death By a Thousand Cuts’, suffer the knock-on effect of Bad Omens’ Tik Tok popularity. Don’t get me wrong, variety isn’t an issue and is even encouraged. However, I’m not a fan of the kinda winey, radio-bait sound of these songs, Bad Omens and BMTH’s modern stuff. I’m sure I am in the minority with that opinion, given the popularity of the style, but give me heavy or give me nothing, please! Heck, even just a more interesting ballad would have been nice!

Still, there is certainly enough on here that I liked and to keep me entertained. There are a good number of songs that I’ll certainly have on a lot in the coming weeks and months. However, as an album as a whole, it isn’t for me. If you are into any of the bands I previously listed though or that lighter, more atmospheric/pop end of metalcore, this will certainly be for you! 7/10

Týr: Battle Ballads

I never feel like there’s enough Viking metal on this page, so damn am I excited to inject some more into it! The bands ninth studio album goes just has hard as their last few does. The first release after the critically acclaimed live album A Night at the Nordic House, it had to pull out all the stops, and that’s exactly what this does. Right from the intro it is epic, folky heavy metal music, and I loved it until the very last minute. Tracks like ‘Unwandered Ways’, ‘Hangman’ and the title track are all massive highlights. Also, big shoutout to the beautiful ballad sung in their native tongue, ‘Torkils Døtur’, it’s awesome.

Don’t go into this expecting Amon Amarth as it’s certainly lighter than that, more of a NWOBHM meets power metal vibe. However, it certainly channels a similar energy and epicness and passion. It’s a solid album from start to finish and one that I will most certainly be listening to again. Now I just need to hear all of these live with an orchestra behind them, too. I’m not asking for much! 8/10, this was great!

Gun: Hombres

The British hard rockers have certainly enjoyed one hell of a career resurgence in recent years, thanks in large part to being an adopted uncle/godfather to the ever-growing NWOCR scene. This album certainly continues their impressive run of momentum. It’s a great album that perfectly fuses the modern sound and style with that of the 80s sleazy hard rock that inspired them. The Axl Rose-inspiration is clear in the vocals, as is Slash’s in the guitaring, while it also has a touch of the likes of Motley Crue and Love/Hate, but all modernised to fit with the current sounds. Honestly, it sounds like a new version of UYI-I, or what Chinese Democracy should have sounded like.

Tracks like ‘Take me Back Home’, ‘Lucky Guy’ and the very British ballad, ‘You Are What I Need’ are all perfect examples of what I mean, and are all big highlights of the album. However, the more I listen to the album, the more I fall in love with every track. There is a lot to love on this album, and there really isn’t a bad track on it. Being a fan of the band for a while, I can confidently say that this is up there amongst my favourite albums from them. Any rock fans should check this out, they certainly won’t be disappointed! I’m gonna be cranking this a lot in the coming weeks and months. 9/10, great stuff!

Tom Killner: Borrowed Time

British blues guitarist/singer/legend Tom Killner is back with his third studio album, and first in over half a decade! It certainly doesn’t feel that long ago, but also feels like a long time coming. I’ve been waiting rather impatiently since it was announced last year, so can’t wait to finally be hearing it in full!

It’s an awesome, chilled out rock album, that has a hell of a lot more to offer than basic blues. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of that too, on tracks like the opener and recent single ‘Light it Up’. However, tracks like ‘One Day at a Time’ have a more chilled-out, almost easy listening feel. Then ‘On the Other Side’ and ‘Borrowed Time’ have definite Lynyrd Synyrd/Blackberry Smoke country vibes combined with the blues, too. All the songs mentioned previously are certainly highlights. However, there isn’t a bad song on the album, and the whole thing is one big highlight, honestly. It’s clear a lot of love and dedication was put into this album, and I can’t fault it at all. I’m on my third listen through already this weekend which, given how much else I have to listen to, is a real testament to how great this release is. If you’re a rock, blues or country fan, or even if not, check this out, you won’t be disappointed! I have to. It’s an easy 10/10!

ERNEST: NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

The country superstar is back with his third record, and first in two years. Settle in, ladies and gents, it’s another long country album! It’s 26 tracks, nearly an hour-and-a-half, and honestly a little bit of a mixed bag. I’m a big fan of Jelly Roll, but damn if the opening track that features him isn’t just straight cringe. And the variety in the sounds, while good and greatly appreciated in this long of a release, does come across more of a ‘I used to write songs for others and haven’t quite found my own sound yet’ case. The song he does with Morgan Wallen, ‘Hangin’ On’, for example, just sounds like another Morgan song. Then again, his duet with Lainey Wilson is beautiful, and he and HARDY do a really interesting cover of Radiohead’s ‘Creep’. And the more upbeat, quirky tracks on here, like ‘Why Dallas’ and ‘Smokin’ Gun’, are definite album highlights. However, there is a LOT to this album, and a fair number of the tracks towards the back end are covers. I’d have much preferred he cut some of them out, did an EP or something with them instead, then load everything he had in the studio into one long release. It’s not a bad album at all, and if you’re into the more radio-style of country music, you’ll find plenty to enjoy. I just don’t think it’s anywhere near as consistent as it could be. 7/10