The viking metal legends return this coming Friday with album number 13. The band’s last release, 2022’s Great Heathen Army, was a good entry into their discography, but did feel like it played it a little safe with the sound. However, with the singles we have heard from this release so far, it feels like not only have they started experimenting more than ever, but they are firing on all cylinders too! So, when this came across our emails, there was no way we weren’t diving right into it! Without further ado, let’s do this.
The album opens perfectly, with ‘Gjallarhorn’ setting the tone excellently. The catchy chanting with the guitar following the melody is insanely memorable, and will go over a storm live. The faster riff comes in behind, and soon it all launches into the expected powerful melodeath the band are known for. Jocke Wallgren kills it on the drums from the get-go, and Johan’s unmistakable vocals are fantastic the moment the verse hits. And, despite the harsh vocals, there is an element of catchiness throughout, one that I will surely try (and fail) to scream along to on subsequent listens. It feels and sounds massive, from the production to writing, their folk and power metal elements adding so much to the base sound. The track is balls-to-the-wall throughout, and is a really great showcase for the rest of the album! Great stuff!
Single ‘Eight Legs of Thunder’ continues the vibe excellently from the opener. The riffing is awesome, the verse is chuggy, heavy greatness, and the lower growls from Johan are amazing! A great harmonised, melodic guitar lick leads to a massive, infectiously catchy chorus, one that is sure to be stuck in my head for days to come! The guitar solo in the middle is phenomenal too, technical and packed full of emotion, as well as having some truly amazing harmonies throughout. It has plenty of time to breathe too, being a decent chunk of the tracks runtime. It’s classic Amon Amarth in all the best ways, and is up there alongside their big heavy hitting tracks, in this writers humble opinion. It’s an amazing song, and one that easily makes our playlist!
The first album track from the release, ‘Kvasir’s Blood’, continues the heaviness, but is a little more plodding in its pace. I like it dropping down for the verse, it giving the heavy vocals even more weight. I also love the call-and-response in the second part of it, adding more depth and catchiness to it all. It all builds into another massive, power-death chorus, fitting the tone of the song excellently while still being very Amon Amarth. The dynamics of the track are great throughout if I’m honest, with bits dropping out and exploding back in at the perfect moments. And we even get some timing changes with bridge too, it also being another killer riff. The whole thing is another really great song, and memorable despite it being packed in by singles.
Speaking of singles, the last two from the release are up next. The lead single from the album, ‘We Rule the Waves’, dropped way back in July of last year, and is very much another typical Amon Amarth track! The lyrics are a little Wind Rose-like, especially in the chorus, but it will still go down a storm live as it’s insanely catchy. And instrumentally, it’s your typical epic death-infused metal. If you know anything about the band, this is exactly what you’d expect, and that certainly isn’t a bad thing! Then, however, ‘Upphaf’ changed things up rather dramatically. The band don’t do enough acoustic tracks, and this really highlights their range perfectly. Johan cleans up his vocals a bit, still growling but more spoken-word, almost singing. And it fits the stripped-back instrumentation perfectly. It’s the folkiest track on the album, and is such an excellent change of pace at the halfway point of the album. It’s another huge highlight of the album and a track I’d recommend to anyone, even if they aren’t typically into the band! It’s certainly a style they need to explore more!
Tracks like ‘Die with a War Cry’, ‘Raven God’ and ‘Oden’s Hunt’ are more standard tracks from the band. None of them are bad by any stretch, and fit the album excellently, but when they’re pretty similar I don’t want to keep repeating myself over and over in this review! They definitely have their place on the album, and I’d happily listen to them again not just as part of it but also on their own. I’m a big AA fan and these are sick, but you certainly know what to expect heading into them!
The title track, while also having a similar vibe, is another track that honestly has single written all over it! From the opening, ‘The Pursuit of Vikings’ style riff and pace to the the guitar melody following the already catchy verse vocals to the awesome chorus, it’s all so damn good. It’s perfect Amon Amarth, and another huge high point of the album! I really hope this becomes a fixture of their live sets, as I’d absolutely love to see it in person. It’s a track that I will be revisiting plenty in the weeks and months to come!
Then, we reach the epic closer, ‘Ascending Like an Eagle’. At almost seven minutes in length, everything gets plenty of time to breathe, and the whole band get a chance to shine. It’s heavy and fast, but also incredibly catchy and melodic, and goes by in a flash! It feels like it draws together almost everything before it on the release, and finishes things off perfectly! It’s yet another firm highlight of the album, as if the release isn’t already packed full of them!
Overall: This is a really awesome album! It’s exactly what you’d expect from the band, with a few twists and turns thrown in for good measure. Every song on it is excellent, and as I said there are a few that I would put up there alongside their very best! All of them work their asses off throughout and show why they are so beloved and respected in the scene, all being masters of their craft. If you are a fan of the band or their general style/genre, I would absolutely recommend giving it a listen ASAP! It’s my favourite they’ve put out since at least at least Berserker, and I’m going to HAVE to see this live soon!
Yet another MASSIVE week for new releases, from country to rock to metal. Let’s check it all out together!
Kenny Chesney: Silver Sands Marina
The country legend is back with album 21, following 2024’s Born surprisingly closely. Firstly, he clearly read my last review back then, as this is almost half the length of that release, and much better for it. Secondly, this is an awesome collection of classic Chesney music, and I love it! While the opener kicked things off a little low energy and awkwardly, lead single ‘Carry On’ follows it up excellently and is a certified banger. Tracks like single ‘Goldfish’, ‘Shot a Car Into Space’ and the Colbie Caillat-featuring ‘What We Got Going On’ are also big highlights, but there really isn’t a bad song throughout! Sure, it’s a touch on the slower side again, but when it’s a shorter album it’s a hell of a lot less of an issue. That and the guy is pushing 60, so it’s rather expected. It’s so very late 90s, early 2000s country, and I loved every second of it! It’s crazy that at this point in his career he’s still putting out such high quality material, and it gets another solid 8/10 from us!
Tom Morello: Everyone Gets Everything They Want
The first solo album from the guitar legend in nearly five years is an interesting one. It feels like a tail of two halves, yet both halves don’t necessarily run as the first six tracks and then the last six. The instrumental opening into the title track had me pumped, and both are awesome tracks! Then it got a little weird for a bit. I genuinely had to watch the video for ‘Adjourn It’ to be able to hear that it was actually Serj, and a couple of the tracks after it didn’t do much for me. The song with KNEECAP was surprisingly pretty good, as was the Worldwide Rebel Songs-like ‘The Last Rung of the Ladder’ and the Audioslave ish ‘Pretend You Remember Me’. However, as an album as a whole, I don’t think I’d revisit it a whole lot, just the songs I like. Tom is still a phenomenal guitarist, and has clearly passed that gene down to his son who gets plenty of time to shine on the tracks he’s on, and I still surprisingly like his folky vocals. But his songwriting is in a strange place at the minute, tugged between his earlier solo stuff and a more modern metal sound, and it leads to slightly mixed results. I’d still prefer an all-out RATM track or two, but this is still good, and I’d recommend it to anyone even slightly interested! 7/10
Europe: Come This Madness
The rock legends are back with their first new studio album in nearly a decade. And, honestly, it is far better than I feel most expected it to be! ‘One on One’ is the perfect opener, setting the darker, heavier AOR tone of the album up excellently. From there, we get a solid 10 other tracks, all slotting together amazingly and leading to a very easy 41 minutes of listening! This sort of sound fits Joey’s vocals these days perfectly, and the band all work their asses off throughout, all getting plenty of time to shine, whether it’s big riffs, awesome solos and drum fills. Tracks like ‘Come This Madness’, the epic ‘Scandinavian Eyes’ and ‘The Devil’s Back’ are all personal favourites, but there really isn’t a bad song throughout! If you are at all an old-school rock fan, this album is an absolute must, and a showcase of just how amazing the band are still, nearly fifty years into their careers. 8.5/10, awesome stuff!
Warren Zeiders: No Breaks
Jade: I’ve not come across Warren Zeiders before, but straight off the bat I really like his voice. It’s really easy to listen to, super smooth with a little bit of a twang to it. He’s got that sound that fits quite nicely into what you would class as stadium country, but has a slightly more stripped back feel to it. You really get that feeling with the title track. It’s quite soft and builds up to more of an epic chorus. And the vocals in the chorus are pretty damn dreamy. I get my fix of country cringe with ‘overrated’ featuring Bellah Mae. More upbeat than the previous tracks, catchy and their voices blend like butter. What more could you ask for from a country love duet!
I do enjoy more of the upbeat side of country, and although a lot of the tracks on this album are more on the slower side, they are all so different which just pulls you into it more. It has the potential to be the most incredible experience at a more intimate gig, but could easily fill a much bigger venue and give massive energy. Especially with the more stripped-back verses that go into the catchy, punchy choruses. ‘Drinking Game’ is the perfect example of this. I really enjoy how much range Warren has in terms of style. He has switched between stadium country, to bro country and then even hitting us with a slightly more rocky vibe. The way he uses his voice in ‘Looks Good On You’ and ‘Souvenirs’ is giving a more country Nickelback vibe, and I’m here for it.
Honestly I could absolutely gush over every single one of these tracks, which has me presently surprised. It’s almost like there is a song for everyone on this album which is pretty refreshing for country artists these days. Regardless if it was a slower track or not, each track does its own thing, I wouldn’t really say any are one in the same. I have very much come away a fan and will be going back to check out some of Warren’s earlier stuff. 9/10
Lacrimas Profundere: Lay Me Down O Silent Fear
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read the full review here.
Volucrine: Chapter V: Renewal
Max: I don’t have the longest review out there on this one but here are my thoughts. The album is a pretty hard hitting and enjoyable ride front to back coming in at a somewhat longer 52 minutes, spread across 13 tracks. I’d say that there is a relatively standard formula of chunking riffs, some decent clean vocals, and then a breakdown or screamed chorus which I initially thought was this bands strongest point. However the clean vocals and more melodic points started to become more and more enjoyable. And then you get to my favourite track in the album hands down, ‘Drift’. I get that’s its the cliché emotional song in the later half of a metal album but damn is really good. Just everything about it is gorgeous and I wish for more like that. However it does also expose the album to its biggest issue in my opinion, Pacing. whilst it is mostly fine with no disjointed or jarring moments, the flow between ‘Swans’ -> ‘Drift’ and ‘Drift’ -> ‘The Future That Never Was’ is quite abrupted and feels a little out of rhythm with the rest of the album.
That being said, that is a rather weak criticism that is only used when you need to say when an album isn’t perfect. So ignoring that, the album is really quite good and one that I would recommend. Hopefully I can catch this group on tour at some point. 8/10
Wheeler Walker Jr.: Pullin’ Out
The apparent final album from the crass, comedic country genius is an expectly damn fun half-hour. If you are familiar with him already, you know exactly what to expect. If you aren’t, you may be in for a shock! It is certainly a lot if you’re a bit more conservative on the sex and drugs side of the world, but it’s hard not to have a good time with it regardless. It’s cleverly written, and the music is always surprisingly excellent and well produced behind the silly vocals. Tracks like the bluesy ‘Whiskey Dickin’’, ‘Old Piece of Shit’ and ‘Why Aren’t Suckin’ my Dick?’ are all personal favourites, but the whole album is pretty great! It’s a hard one because while I do think the joke may have run it’s course a little, it’s hard to not still love his music and his creativity, and it will be sad to see him go. If you like silly country music, this is absolutely the album for you! 8/10, I’ll certainly be listening to this plenty moving forward!
Nothing but Thieves: Stray Dogs
Following up 2023’s excellent Dead Club City, the English alt rockers have gone a bit heavier with Stray Dogs, and certainly in a good way! The title track sets the tone perfectly, while songs like ‘Testosterone’ and ‘AI.Jesus’ follow its lead. It’s a little bit Royal Blood or Deftones, you know, if Deftones were good. Then you have more expected-sounding tracks like ‘Evolution’ and ‘Baby Kool’. The album does sadly lull a bit too long in energy around the middle, but even those slower songs are still good. While I wouldn’t say it’s quite as monumental or memorable as their last release, it’s still a damn good album in its own right! The band are all so damn talented and, while they are a massive name, they deserve to be even bigger with their stellar recent output! There is plenty of greatness to sink your teeth into, and it goes by in a flash despite its length. A very solid 8/10 from us, and another album I will happily be revisting soon!
AJJ: Dirty Old Power
Album nine from the folk-punkers is an absolutely fantastic half-hour of music! While I remember somewhat enjoying 2023’s Disposable Everything, but it is also an album that I’ve revisited a lot since, and has grown on me a lot. This album, however, hit me immediately and I had a blast throughout! Honestly it’s hard to pick highlight tracks too, as I enjoyed every one in its own quirky way. Every song is different as well, making the album so interesting throughout. It’s chilled-out (aside for ‘Phlamethrower’), fun but also so very well written and put together, with some of the lyrics being really damn good. The band are true masters of their craft at this point, and have crafted something truly special together with this release. If you like the quirkier side of rock and folk music, I’d definitely recommend you check this out ASAP. I’ll certainly be spinning this again plenty moving forward, and it gets a very easy 8.5/10 from us!
Metalite: Discovery
Another band that I LOVEDthe last album of, and another band that once again knock it out of the park with their new album! It’s yet another amazing collection of fantastic modern power metal like really only Metalite can do. The release opens fantastically with the one-two punch of ‘Our Time has Come’ and ‘In Case of Emergency’, while ‘The Metal Elite’ and ‘Wings of Fire’ continue the excellence throughout. What’s more is there isn’t really a ballad on here either, it’s balls-to-the-wall for a full 46 minutes. Usually I’d feel like it would be an odd choice, but it absolutely works here! Every song is amazing, and it is a damn good follow-up to Expedition One. They are one of the most underrated bands in the modern power metal scene, and feel like true frontrunners alongside Dominum when it comes to quality output. I loved this, and it’s an incredibly easy 8.5/10 from us!
Max McNown: Leave on a Light
We’ve also checked this out in full, aren’t you lucky?! Read it here.
Coldrain: OPTIMISE = OPTDEMISE
Jade: I have very much enjoyed the odd coldrain track here and there over the past couple of years. However I will admit I’ve never taken the time to actually listen to an album in full. So what better time than now with this never release?
Coldrain is a band that gives me everything I love, from screams you’d expect in metalcore alongside melodic vocals, which combine in the best way. The opening track ‘OPTIMISE’ did not disappoint, and god did it remind me why I like this band so much. Masato’s vocals are just so impressive going between such cleans to those nasty, aggressive screams. Sais cleans really shine in the next track ‘CHASING SHADOWS’. I will say I have absolutely no idea what I’m taking about when it comes to any sort of instruments, but I can appreciate how hard the rest of the band slaps. Katsuma beats the hell out that drum kit throughout, and there is crazy impressive guitar from Sugi and Y.K.C. Of course we can’t forget how chunky the bass line is in these tracks thanks to RxYxO.
If you want a song that shows all of that then ‘INCOMPLETE’ is the one for you. And holy moly, I was not ready for “FREE FALL”. God damn I had to take a second for how heavy that was. Those screams are so filthy. Then to bit hit with a dirty breakdown midway too. That one is straight on my playlist! ‘EX-HUMANITY’ give a bit of a different vibe, still very good, but definitely more of a track with the intent of getting a message across to listeners. Which don’t get me wrong is the running theme throughout the album, touching on how people have changed and what humanity is anymore. This particular track just feels a little more direct to that sentiment. I wasn’t expecting a ballad on this Album, but ‘SING’ is exactly that, and it’s bloody beautiful and an amazing showcase for Masato’s vocals yet again. The album finishes on ‘SAVIOR’ which is way more walking the line of hardcore than the rest of the album. Kenta Koie features in this track, who I’m not personally familiar with, but god damn is he impressive! Those screams really are something else, and it fits so well alongside Masato’s vocals and the rest of the band. It couldn’t be a more perfect collab.
Overall, this has been a really great album, some tracks definitely outshined others but the stronger ones were spaced nicely through the album which gave it a good pacing. This is one I would definitely recommend checking out! 8/10
Pyre of Descent: Albedo
The first release from the German gothy, proggy metallers since the pandemic times is an epic 50 minutes of darkness and chaos. Let’s get the obvious out of the way, it’s certainly not going to be for everyone. It’s only six tracks, with the closer being over 13 minutes in length. However, I had a good time with it! Everyone involved is super talented, playing their asses off, and I love that the tracks flow into one another! It’s a heavier version of old-school goth music that I never knew I needed in my life until now! ‘Die for Us’ and the epic, plodding ‘At Sea’ are personal highlights, but the album as a whole is well worth a listen if you’re interested. The band very much have a new fan in me, and it’s a very easy 7.5/10 from us!
Scorpion Milk: Flesh Masks for Skulls
Following up on last year’s debut album, the band very much continues on its journey of cult post-punk/gothic-metal music. It’s dark but high energy and surprisingly catchy throughout. Opener ‘Dreaming Skulls’ is a lot of fun, and sets the tone for the EP excellently. However, every track on here is just as good as the last, and makes for an incredibly easy, fun listen. If you are at all into this sort of style, this is absolutely something you need to be checking out! The band have a new fan in me, and I already can’t wait to hear more from them. Mat McNerney is an incredible talent and mind in the music business, and doesn’t get nearly the flowers he deserves! 8/10
Godflesh: Decay
Less than two years removed from their last massive album, the doom masters are back with another crushing 40+ minutes of music. It is very much an acquired taste and not at all for everyone, including myself to be honest. It’s a lot of the same riff over and over, and the mix is very odd, the vocals being so low in it. ‘Living/Ending’ is probably my favourite on here, and none of it is bad at all, just not my thing. If you are into grandiose, traditional doom/stoner stuff, give it a spin, but I shan’t be trying it again, sadly. 4.5/10
Stryper: Throne of Thorns
Barely two years removed from their last album, the glam/heavy metal legends are back with their 15th studio effort. If you are familiar with the band it’s exactly what you’d expect, and that isn’t at all a bad thing! It’s packed full of awesome riffing, solid drumming and some catchy-ass choruses. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a tiny bit on the religious side for me, but it doesn’t take away much at all from the awesome writing and musicianship. Tracks like ‘Here in Your Heart’, ‘Carry the Flame’ and ‘Alone Again’ are all personal highlights. The whole album has their typical brand of grandiose, epic metal, especially when it comes to those more soft-rock choruses, and while it does get a very slight touch repetitive by the end, it’s impossible to think of any songs that I’d change or cut to change that. The band have added yet another great release to their solid, growing discography, and this is a must for any fans of the band. 7/10
Dylan Gossett: Ramblin’
As if last year’s Westward wasn’t good enough, barely a year later the modern country superstar somehow knocks it even further out of the park with his sophomore release! Right from the opener I was hooked, and wasn’t let go for the full 44 minutes. His blend of country, folk and Americana is phenomenal, and his lyrics and the delivery of them throughout is captivating. ‘Love and Such’, ‘Honeysuckle’ and ‘Head in the Clouds’ are all massive high points for me, but honestly the whole album is spectacular. Even with the ending quarter being generally o the slow side, it still went by in a flash, and I loved every minute of it. I honestly cannot rave about this album enough, and it’s just as good as his first, if not somehow even better. This is an album for anyone even slightly a fan of any of the genres I mentioned above, and I can’t give it any less than a 9/10. Amazing stuff!
Red Code: Traces of unease and discomfort, Pt. 1
The debut EP from the alt/prog metallers is a fantastic 23-minutes journey through each members’ experiences. Each of the five tracks are not only great, but so interesting and fantastically written, and all represents and sounds like a different sound and angle of the band. Because of that, it’s honestly so hard to pick individual highlight tracks, as this really feels like an EP worth listening to in full at least once! I already can’t wait to hear where the band go from there, and they deserve so much love already because of how good this is! It’s heavy and melodic in all of the best ways, and everyone involved is so very talented. An easy 8/10 from us, and I can’t wait for part 2!
Mikey Ball & The Company: Keep the Fire Burning
The sophomore album from the hard rockers is a short, sweet, awesome affair! It’s got not just an old-school rock feel to it, but almost a punk edge too. It gives off vibes of everything from Ricky Warwick’s solo stuff to Social Distortion to American Aquarium. And, at under half an hour, it’s an incredibly easy listen! ‘Pressure’, ‘No Time to Lose’ and the closer are all personal highlights, but the other four songs are also awesome! The band are all very talented players and songwriters, and work so well together. It’s a name that I’d seen around a lot recently but hadn’t had the pleasure of really checking out much until recently. However, the band have a big new fan in me, that’s for sure! I’ll be spinning this plenty in the week and months to come, I’m sure, and it gets an easy 8/10 from us!
Lawrence Rothman: Here Lies Love/Sawdust to Stardust
Another country release for us this week, this one a bit more slower and steadier. It’s a beautiful, stripped-back release, and if you’re into that sort of style you’ll love it! I had a lot of fun with it, even if it did get slightly long-in-the-tooth by the end. ‘A Word’s a Weapon’ and ‘Worn Out Woman’ are personal favourites of mine, but all are equally as great in quality as they are in sound. Lawence has gained a real cult following over his previous four albums, and it’s easy to see why. I’ll certainly be going back and checking them out, as despite it not fully being my thing, I did have a good time listening to it! It’s the perfect album to throw on and relax to, though some of the lyrics are really deep and emotion-filled at the same time. A solid 7/10 from us!
The modern country-Americana megastar Max McNown dropped his highly anticipated third album in as many years today! I remember loving his last album last year, so have high hopes for this one too. A couple of the singles I’ve checked out so far are great, so I’m excited to dive in and see what it’s about!
The album starts pretty slow, fittingly, with ‘Slow Down, Slow Down’. Max’s fantastic vocals come over the top of a simple drum beat and guitar chord progression. It builds up before dropping out even more for the first half of the chorus, just being guitar and vocals. It makes it hit even harder when everything explodes back in for the second half, too! It’s a short and sweet track at barely over two and a half minutes, but is beautifully written and the dynamics and production are a real standout point. A great way to open the album!
The chilled out, slower vibes continue through ‘First Born Daughter’, fitting somewhere perfectly between old school Western and modern indie-Americana. It builds a bit more naturally into a bigger, more stadium-filling chorus this time, and it’s one that will be stuck in my head for days to come! It’s a beautiful, heart-felt love song, and a massive early album highlight for me. And what a choice for a single too, although there were quite a few from this release… Great stuff!
I like the rockier intro for single ‘Done For’, it upping the energy and pace a little and being an excellent change of pace. It leads to an absolutely massive chorus that is over as fast as it starts, but is so very memorable. His lyrics are again amazing and his voice fits this sort of style so well, reminding me a little bit of both Kip Moore and Evan Honer simultaneously. It’s another short and sweet track, but we even get some time for a little guitar lead part, which was nice. I like the rockier edge to his sound a lot, and this is a track that easily makes it onto our playlist. If you’re going to check out any track from this album, let it be this one. I’m a little obsessed!
The higher energy continues later in the album through tracks like singles ‘Heart You Didn’t Break’ and ‘Standstill’, ‘Make my Peace’ and ‘Selah’s Song’. The former reminds me of Mumford and Sons in the best way, and is another MASSIVE highlight song. However, all are great songs in their own right, and break up the generally slower pace of the album perfectly, exactly what a release of this length and magnitude needs. It also shows Max’s great range of different sounds and styles, his vocals fitting it all so well, and it’s all fantastically written. They are certainly more of ‘my vibe’ of songs compared to some of the others, as much as I enjoy other tracks on here, and I’d recommend all of them to absolutely anyone!
The other singles, ‘Something to Someone’, ‘World Change Me’, ‘Famous to You’ and ‘Comets’, are all more great choices for pre-release songs, and fantastic representations of Max’s sound and talent. The former is an excellent indie-Americana song, complete with maybe the best chorus on the whole album. ‘Famous to You’ reflects that style perfectly, too. ‘World Change Me’ has a great Western edge to it, and the stomping pace is excellent. Then you have the slower, more ballad-like ‘Comets’, being arguably the best of this pace and style on this release. Don’t get me wrong, there were maybe too many singles for the album, but when it’s this long it makes sense for there to be, and each represent a different part of the album perfectly. And they’re all great songs!
A lot of the other songs on the album are more slower, beautiful songs. They all fit the vibe and tone of the album excellently, and are very good songs in their own right. ‘Isn’t That Love?’ is probably my favourite of the bunch. However, all of them do have a slight album-track feel to them, and there’s just too many of them. I don’t mind a longer album generally, but 17 tracks when a lot of it channels the same sort of vibe and energy is a little much for me. Now, he is a massive name so is clearly doing something right, and there will be plenty of people who love all of these. They’re all well written, well performed and recorded songs, but when put together in the same collection I personally found it a little hard a listen, especially by the end. Still, if you are a fan of Max, they are still well worth a listen! The closer is also beautiful, giving me goosebumps, so there is that! The poem in the middle is phenomenal.
Overall: I certainly had a good time with this album. As I’ve said before, he is an incredibly talented musician and not a single track on here is bad by any stretch. And as I said, if you are already a fan of Max or his general style, you may have a lot of mileage for this release! However, it is a touch too long for me personally. There’s a phenomenal album tucked away in here spread across maybe 10 tracks, but the rest do bog it down, in this writers humble opinion. It’s very much a problem across the country spectrum though, and is probably why I’m not as big a fan of guys like Morgan Wallen and Riley Green. This is a great indie-infused country Americana album, and if you are a fan of the style it is very much worth the time and effort. But it’s not a release I’ll be revisiting in full all too often. It sadly falls just short of his sophomore release.
Four years removed from the amazing How To Shroud Yourself, the German gothic metal titans are back with album 14. We’ve all become BIG fans of the band in recent years, so when this came over our emails we knew immediately we were going to dive deep into it. I’ve been hyped since it was announced, and every single they’ve dropped so far has only amped that up higher. Without further ado, let’s do this!
The open starts with a heavy riff to open ‘Days of Doom’. Julian’s brutal screams come in over the top, very much setting the tone for the release perfectly, almost a melodeath edge to it all! Still, we get some multi-layered vocals with some cleans behind the screams on a couple of lines, giving some great depth from the offset. The screams then drop off into low, more gothic cleans, and… I’m already gushing over his vocals too much, aren’t I? It all builds into a massive, epic arena-filling chorus, immediately rooting itself into my ear for days to come. The Trivium-like triplet guitaring in the bridge is awesome too, it being a brief moment that separates the choruses but fits the track perfectly. It’s a real grandiose way to open things up, and I’m honestly shocked it wasn’t a single too, as it really is that good! A very easy early highlight!
Speaking of singles, ‘Nevermore’ absolutely slaps! I have a reaction video incoming for both this and ‘Faceless’ later on, but until then I am still happy to gush about both tracks on here! Both are excellent choices for singles as they both have truly excellent, huge choruses. They also have some great riffs running through them both. However, both certainly approach the Lacrimas formula from a different direction. The former is much more of a dark, gothic track dominated by some sexy low vocals, while the latter is more of a melodeath-infused track with some excellent screams in the verse. However, the choruses for both are the real highlight, and honestly are two of my favourites the band have ever produced. If you check out any two songs from the album, it should be these, again demonstrating just how excellent a choice they were as singles!
‘Heart I Will Break…’ is a pretty epic build with the keys and drums, the strings behind the low vocals for the verse honestly making it feel like a massive film score. And, it all leads to that absolutely HUGE screamed chorus, the perfect crescendo to it all! It flips the script we’ve had so far on its head in the best way possible, and is another fantastic song! It turns the gothic vibes to 11, and reminds me more of their last album than anything else so far. I love it! Those low notes in the bridge are absolutely insane, too. If you like the heavier end of their sound, this is absolutely a track for you!
The other single from the album, ‘O Silent Fear‘, is one we’re very familiar withhere at Overtone. Honestly, I don’t know what else I can say that I haven’t already said about this track. I’ve gushed about it plenty in that video and really whenever I’ve had the chance to, and it’s yet another awesome track on an album filled with them to this point! And, having said that, I think it’s somehow my least favourite single from the release, even though it’s a really fantastic song in its own right! It’s heavy but melodic and gothic and grandiose and just plain awesome. From the low verses to the screamed chorus, it’s so good and still somehow so catchy. The band are really firing on all cylinders with this release!
‘Agony’ gives me vibes of All Hope is Gone-era Slipknot, and I love it! From the plodding pace to the dark instrumentation to some of the melodies Julian is hitting, it’s taking me back to my youth in 2008 in the best ways! I love that the chorus doesn’t change the vibe too much too, adding in a bit of heaviness and some harmonies, but it generally just stays menacing and melancholic like the verse. It’s a great change of pace in the middle of the album, that’s for sure. And all the layers of vocals in that final chorus… *chef’s kiss*. To the surprise of no one, it’s another really excellent song!
Tracks like ‘Arcane Promises’ and ‘A Sinful Desire’ are more up-tempo, heavy songs. The former is mainly clean vocals, again feeling for an easy choice for a radio track if the band are wanting to go that way, but still have plenty of their signature goth and dark vibes. And once again, it’s got a fantastically catchy hook, and some really excellent vocals! And the breakdown goes pretty damn hard in the middle too, everyone working their asses off through it. Meanwhile the latter has a good mixture of both cleans and screams (it has maybe my favourite screams on the whole album), and a truly massive, Audio Secrecy-style chorus. Both are fantastic songs in their own right that. And, even though they feel slightly like album tracks, are still incredible, fitting the tone of the album perfectly and standing out to me in their own ways. Wow!
‘Veil XV’ is the ballad of the album, and is just as excellent as the rest of the songs. It’s truly epic; the arrangement and production being phenomenal. And once again, Julian’s vocals are top notch, truly one of the most underrated singers in the game. There’s something about his breathy voice over the piano that just scratches my brain in the best ways. Then, when the distortion and heaviness comes in for the arena-filling chorus, it’s perfect in a whole different way. Hell, all the parts of this are awesome, as I also loved just the chunky guitar chords and vocals for the second verse, too! And all of the strings for the bridge makes it all feel absolutely huge. Another absolutely massive high point of the album, and another song that easily makes our playlist. GODDAMN.
The closer, and a song title that rivals early 2000s Fall Out Boy in length, finishes things off in style. It’s arguably the heaviest on the album, packed full of brutal screams and some crushing riffing and drums. Having said that, it still has the bands trademark clean, multi-layered chorus tucked away between all the aggression! It feels like it draws together the very best elements of what came before it, capping the release odd excellently. What a fantastic final song!
Overall: This is somehow even more amazing than I expected it to be! The singles were of course excellent, but there truly isn’t a bad song on here, and there are some absolutely gems buried in the album tracks. As much as I loved their last album, this may honestly be my favourite from them yet! I’ll be spinning this a lot in the coming weeks and months, and don’t be surprised to see it high on our albums of the year listcome December!
An absolutely STACKED week of new music for us to dive into, with everything from metal to country to rock putting out bangers. Let’s dive right in!
Luke Bryan: Signs
So, I know everyone’s been clowning on a couple of the singles from this album, and somewhat rightfully so. A lot of the lyrics are truly cringe country tropes. However, that doesn’t stop it from being a fun, enjoyable album! It’s exactly what you’d expect from Bryan’s ninth release, and if you are into stadium country it’s certainly a collection for you! Tracks like ‘Word on the Street’, ‘Fish Hunt Gold Drink’ and ‘Crooked Rows of Corn’ are all personal highlights. However, there isn’t a bad song on the album, honestly! It’s maybe a touch slow for my liking at times, but having just learnt the guy is 50 while writing this, you can’t blame him for not having it be more high-energy party songs any more. It’s not quite as good as his last album in my eyes, but it’s a fun, certainly good 40 minutes of country. Even when this style has seemingly been left in the dust a little by the modern country scene, Luke still proves why he is one of the biggest names in the genre and that he isn’t going away any time soon. Give this a spin if you’re in any way interested, and if you’re a fan of his you won’t be disappointed! 7.5/10
Anthrax: Cursum Perficio
I’ve been waiting for this album for A WHILE. It’s been a full decade since their last studio release. And honestly, from first impressions, I’m not sure how to feel about this. I’ve spun it a couple of times over the weekend, and while it has grown on me on a second spin, I still don’t think it lives up to the hype I had built for it over the last decade. But hey, that’s on me! Each individual part is awesome, everyone is working their asses off throughout, but something about the sum of all said parts doesn’t get me as pumped as I hoped it would. It reminds me a little of Avenged Sevenfold’s The Stage for me; a big, hype-filled release from a massive metal band that doesn’t feel as immediately huge as previous albums. Tracks like ‘The Long Goodbye’, ‘The Edge of Perfection’ and ‘T.O.M.B.’ are all personal highlights. There isn’t a bad song on the album even, but it does feel like a bit of a grower.
It’s not quite Worship Music, let alone their early stuff, but it is still a good modern thrash album. Maybe it’s because the likes of Testament, Exodus and even Priest/Saxon are still firing out amazing albums at a quicker pace, but I sadly don’t find myself quite as attached to it as some other reviewers do. I haven’t been left remembering anything from it even on a second listen. So, for that reason, it gets another 7.5/10. Good but not great.
Madska: More Than Dramatic
Self-described as “Rose-coloured rock”, it’s the perfected way to describe this Philly trio, and this EP is a perfect introduction to the band for those haven’t heard their 2024 debut album. It’s chilled out and upbeat while also rather epic in its arrangement, and has some really catchy hooks throughout. The band are all so damn talented too, all working their asses off throughout and each piece fitting together perfectly. The title track opens things up perfectly, while the slower ‘Basement’ and the funky ‘Medusa’ are also great tracks. However, the other two are just as good; the full 18 minutes is awesome and such an easy listen! It’s different in the best sense of the world, and I’d honestly recommend it to absolutely anyone reading this! It’s been well worth the wait since I interviewed them about it the other month, and I’ll be spinning this plenty in the weeks and months to come. A very easy 8.5/10 from us!
Holding Absence: Modern Life is Lonely
Max: The Welsh outfit are back with a genuinely very beautiful album. There is a lot of emotion layered throughout which can be expected from this band. However this album looks outwards in many ways and shows a constant improvement and desire to grow from the band. Whilst listing all of the things from this album that I love would take an eternity, I want to highlight just a few.
The vocals are stunning. Simply so. From the cleans to the screams everything is fantastic. The instruments are not a let down either. everything from the backing instrumentals, to the drums, to the guitars. Everything is tight, precise and well done, but not in that way that screams of overproduction, in the way that you know care was given to everything and that corners weren’t cut.
I also want to say that there is a very good blend of highs and lows throughout the album, both in terms of the vocals but also with the emotion. There are songs that have so much energy you float through and ones that leave you sitting there in a sort of pensive sadness. But when they come together its everything. I think “Lucid Love” and “Scorched Earth” are prime examples of this carrying both energy but also love and emotion and, at least to me, a level of poignant sadness. But really the best example of Holding Absence not only releasing an amazing song, but also being very typical and leaving it until the end, is “Kyoto Snow”. Talking about love across whatever distance and how no matter what, be it distance, space, time or realities, love transcends all.
This album deserves to be played, heard and felt. 10/10
Riley Green: That’s Just Me
Another year, another long collection of slow country ballads from Mr Green. My foolish ass even thought “maybe this time will be different” when ‘Think as you Drunk’ came out but nope, this is over an hour of slower-end, stripped-back country. For what it is, it’s completely fine, solid even. It’s clear he’s good and talented, as he’s an absolutely MASSIVE name in music in general these days. The afformentioned rockier track is great, as is ‘Got That From You’, ‘Don’t Come Any Closer’ and ‘More of a Man than Me’. Hell, there isn’t a bad song on here, honestly. It’s just too damn long. His style has grown on me over the last few years, and I definitely enjoyed this more than his last release. However, it is too long and too similar for me to sit with the album as a whole probably ever again. There is an excellent record hidden somewhere in here, but it is too bloated, and very weirdly composed from an track-order perspective. I can’t give it any more than 6.5/10, but it’s definitely worth checking out if you’re a fan of his music!
Nonpoint: The Last Word
The Nu-metal/rap-rock pioneers are back with their first album in over eight years, and it is every bit as excellent as I’d hoped it would be! Honestly, I missed them dude; there’s no one that quite does music like Nonpoint, and nearly thirty years into their careers they prove that they very much still have it! It doesn’t overstay its welcome at just 10 tracks spread across half an hour, but it means that it is very much all killer, no filler. ‘Is It’, ‘Dial Tones’ and ‘Red Yeti’ are personal highlights, but every song on here is a banger. The band somehow sound almost identical to how they did back when they first broke out, but have somehow found a way to keep it feeling fresh and interesting even 11 albums in! If you are at all into that early 2000s sound and scene that they came from, or just nu or industrial metal or even hip hop in any way, you NEED to check out this album ASAP. I’m a little obsessed already, and it is going to be in regular rotation for me most likely for the rest of the year. I can’t give it any less than 9/10, and I am already desperate to see them live again!
Seasick Steve: The Last Season of America
The first album in a couple of years from the folk/Americana legend, and he proves yet again that he hasn’t lost a step all these years into his career! The title track opens things up in a way only Steve can, highlighting his views on the state of his country perfectly, a sombre tune. Then you have more blues rock-inspired bangers like single ‘Bad Things’ and ‘Free Man’ that are all awesome. Heck, instrumental ‘Surf’s Flat’ is amazing too, there certainly not being a dud across the whole release! You know exactly what to expect from the guy this deep into his career, yet he never fails to disappoint. It’s every bit as good as his last album, so gets another solid 7.5/10 from us! Check this out if you are even a passing fan of the guy!
Blackment: Pandemonium Portrait
The sophomore album from the Finnish melodic metal band follows up their 2022 debut perfectly. And this is coming from someone who LOVED their debut! This is almost an hour of grandiose, heavy and catchy metal, and is a really fantastic listen. It almost reminds me of those middle couple of Trivium albums where Matt stopped screaming as much, except crafted in a way that is amazing, and is more of the bands identity. Hell, it’s got elements of power metal throughout this too, almost giving Dominum vibes in the best ways! From ‘In Motion’ to ‘Afterlife’ to the epic ‘Nocturnal Queen’, there are plenty of bangers on here. However, there really isn’t a bad song throughout, and the album flows so damn well together. Every member of the band are so incredibly talented, and they all work together perfectly! It’s up there alongside their debut for me, and I can’t give it any less than 8.5/10!
Jason Scott and the High Heat: Play Boy
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read the full review here.
The Bites: Self-Titled
Another sophomore album, this time from the US hard/sleaze rockers. Their debut was massive, but I honestly feel like this is a step up in terms of quality! It’s 37-minutes of massive, arena-filling melodies and hooks, as well as some fantastic playing from the entire band throughout! The Van Halen-esque ‘Hold On’ is a big early highlight and I’m honestly shocked it wasn’t a single from the jump. Tracks like single ‘Dancing with the Devil’, ‘Carry You Home’ and ballad ‘Waiting’ are all personal highlights, but there isn’t a bad song on here honestly. Hell, ‘Lips’, while cringy lyrically, is a catchy as anything song that will be stuck in my head for days to come! While it fits in perfectly with the current revival of the sound, the band still feel unique and somehow fresh, not an easy achievement in 2026. It’s a damn fun album that I’d recommend to any rock fan reading this, and is an incredibly easy 8/10!
Game Over: When Darkness Falls
Max: So I just want to start with letting you know, I normally really don’t like this kind of music. But this album… its a lot of fun. I think the horror theming to the album makes for an enjoyable lens to craft an album in with definitely a tonal difference between certain tracks.
Starting with a simple opening of “Hollow and Cold” serving as an instrumental opening before we get seamlessly in to the first full length track, “Two Souls One Flesh”. this felt very genre fitting with bouncing riffs and a constant beat throughout with the almost chanting mid section of the song which I think can be expected, and don’t worry of course there is the solo in the later third of the song to make sure you know who and what you are listening to. I want to also say the flow between the opening track in to “Two Souls One Flesh” is really perfect and just goes to show the absolute precision involved when making this album.
Now personally, I didn’t find much to write home about with when it came to songs 4 and 5, they are by no means bad songs, in fact quite the opposite, they are just rather standard and to some extent ‘safe’ that being said, I never skipped them, which if the “worst” tracks on the album are a solid 7.5/10 you know the album is good.
And to be fully honest that is my only criticism of the album, because straight after we get an eery mid album spoken word interlude and then you are dropped straight in to my favourite song of the album, “Curse Of Strahd”. Not only is the a great campaign, it is also a great chuggy and pumping track that pulls you in and keeps you coming back. There is not a single thing I would change with this track because damn its really really good.
As for the last three tracks of the album, they are also really good. I wont say why but the final track uses a speech from a very good film and solidifies this album as just being really fun to listen to. Overall there is a lot to love, now its not creating a new genre or redefining this one, however what it does do is tell you the GAME OVER is really good at what they do. 9/10
Orville Peck: Mule
Jade: Opening the album is a beautiful folky, almost bewitching song ‘Prolouge (Eulogy of a man turned mule)’ featuring Emmylou Harris, Noah Cyrus and Allison Russell. Going straight in the next track ‘Big Ol’ House’ all expectations are immediately met as always with Orville. His unique voice and the strength of his vocals just hit. This goes for the next track with is a bit more upbeat and bouncy ‘Already Gone’. I must say I have been slightly obsessed with this track since it was released back in August. He shows such a range in his vocals and it has me in a bit of a choke hold. I feel like I have to mention Rehab blues mainly for the whistle intro. As you all probably know my husband is a sucker for a whistle solo. Then you get hit hard by the lyrics which are so casual but deep when it comes to recovery. I am very much seeing a pattern in this album, in that it just rips your heart out and tramples all over it. There is so much hurt and pain, and Orville’s absolutely stunning vocals just makes it sting that little bit more. ‘Blue Skies’ and ‘The Fall’ have me absolutely sobbing. Just when you like you are getting an up beat, bluesy almost Elvis song with ‘Cowboy Heart’ you again are hit with such powerful lyrics. I just know this album is going to sit very close to so many people. Without me absolutely gushing and boring you with my babble, all I’ll say about ‘The breeze, the grass, the mourning dove and me’ is that I desperately NEED to hear that some live. There are some crazy good vocals. ‘Too little, too late’ was another song I’ve been obsessed with since it was released as a single. Just a great catchy track that just reminds you that you are a bad bitch that deserves better. The final track I want to talk about is the last on the the album, the title track ‘Mule’. There couldn’t have been a more perfect track to finish off this powerful album. It’s stripped back and slowly brings in more instruments as the song progresses. It almost rounds off all the other tracks and brings everything together so subtly with different struggles being touched upon throughout the album. The whole thing is just so full of emotions and is just beautiful…I don’t know how else to describe it. You’ve done it again Orville.
Just to reiterate, like I haven’t already babbled on for too long. I am in absolute awe of this album. The talent of this man never ceases to amaze me. As a big lover of country music, he definitely brings a uniqueness to the mix that I can’t really compare to any other artist. All there is left to do is wait for him to come back to the UK on tour! 10/10
Beck: Ride Lonesome
Seven years removed from his last album, Hyperspace, the alt rocker returns with a chilled out, folky release. For what it is, it’s fine. It’s not hugely my sort of thing, at least on track, and reminds me a lot of the recent Fruit Batsstuff. I would have much preferred another revisit to his 90s stuff, but if you’re a fan of this side of his music, you’l surely get something out of this. Honestly though, I can’t even really pick highlight tracks, as it all just blurs together into 45 minutes of slow, stripped-back monotony. Beck is a talented guy, that much has always been clear, but this is not at all my sort of thing. I got bored, and fast! 3/10
Krallice: Scour Order
Release 14 from the technical black metal New Yorkers is over an hour of dark, brutal heaviness, and is a really interesting listen! It’s certainly a variation of the black metal formula that I enjoy and get a lot out of, and the band are so damn talented that it’s hard not to be sucked in and hooked at times. Some of the guitaring in particular really blew me away! And, with just eight songs being spread across over an hour, everything gets plenty of time to breathe. ‘Grievous Corrector’ and ‘Her Green Arms’ are personal highlights. And, while it is a touch long for now similar it is, there still isn’t a necessarily bad song on the release! If you are into this sort of thing give it a spin, but I’d struggle to give it much more than 5.5/10
Olive Vox: Trace it Back
The second EP from the Texas-based alt rockers is under 20 minutes of catchy vocals and melodies, backed perfectly by some really great instrumentation! Opener ‘Hear me Out’ had me hooked from the get-go, while the indie-punk ‘I Do’ and ‘Black and White’ are also excellent songs. However, the whole EP is concise, a really great example of everything the band are so great at. They are such talented players and songwriters, and had me loving it despite it not typically being my sort of sound. If you like the heavier, punkier side of indie music, this is very much a release for you! Another solid 7/10 from us this week!
The Homesick: What’s Up With All These Shangri-Las
The fourth album from the Dutch avant-pop group is somehow not at all what I expected heading in, even when I had zero expectations! It’s another release that, while not really my thing typically, I found myself actually having a good time listening! It’s not something I’d revisit often or even really have highlights tracks from, but the album as a whole is a fun, quirky and fantastically interesting listen. It’s very European, and gives off big 80s experimental pop vibes in a really great way. It’s certainly not a release for everyone, but if you are at all interested, give this a spin, you might just love it! I’d happily listen to it again soon, and it gets a solid 6/10 from us!
The Goods: Goodbye Summertime
The sophomore album from the Californian soft rockers is a fun, laid-back 42 minutes of music. It draws from plenty of sounds and inspirations, from folk rock to indie-Americana to… well… the Beatles, into something wholly unique, and a damn good listen! Tracks like ‘Minor Key’, ‘Punchbowl’ and ‘Dare You’ are all personal highlights. However, if you like this sort of thing, you’ll most likely love it all! It’s maybe a touch repetitive at times, especially when it’s not fully my sort of thing, but it’s certainly a nice release to throw on and chill out to. That, and Rob Good and co. are insanely talented at what they do, and it makes this a damn good album in its genre! 7/10, though it may grow on me even more with more listens!
Velveteen Queen: The Greater Good
The modern rock five-piece’s sophomore album is somehow even better than their 2024 debut! It’s old-school sleazy and Sunset strip while having a modern edge and production to it, not unlike The Bites further up! Tracks like the title one, ‘Adrenaline’ and ‘Best of the Best’ are all personal highlights, but there really isn’t a bad song throughout, it going by in a flash! It’s exactly what you’d expect from a modern glam/sleaze infused hard rock band, but done to absolute perfection. It’s easy to see why the band have gathered so much love and momentum in their short careers so far, and their studio output matches that love easily! I had a blast listening to it, and the band certainly have a big new fan in me! 7/10
Album three from the American soul/heartland country rock quintet is dropping tomorrow, and we couldn’t be more excited! arriving just over a year removed from their stellar last album, the hype around this release is high, so getting to hear it a little early is a real pleasure. We sadly didn’t check said album out at the time, but have listened since in preparation to see them at The Long Road this year, and since loved it (and their live show!). So, without further ado, let’s dive in!
The opening single sets the tone for the album perfectly. A great, bluegrass-style guitar lick soon has Jason’s great vocals over the top, the multi-tracking on it making it sound massive from the jump. The song builds perfectly with more vocal harmonies and the steady inclusion of percussion. And it never quite explodes in like I expected either, instead just adding more and more with each new part. The more full guitar sounds from around the midpoint were awesome. Honestly, the whole song has an excellent, chilled-out vibe to it, nestled somewhere between Buffett and Jack Johnson. It’s catchy, well crafted and excellently performed, and a massive early highlight!
Another single, ‘Shit Show’, picks up the pace and the rock vibes, the riffing being so very Skynyrd in all the best ways. The vocals give it a bit more of a late 90s pop edge to it, which I also love, and both styles combine together excellently. The main way I can describe it just fun vibes, and I love it! Also, the clapping; great addition! The chorus isn’t a massive sing-along one, but it is still a catchy track, and the little guitar solo tucked away in the middle is a great addition to the song. The dynamics are great too as it drops back not long after into a slow, epic part filled with some great vocal moments and strings, all before ramping back up into the indie-country rock. It’s yet another excellent track, and a very good choice for a single!
The singles keep rolling with ‘Too Good, Too Bad’. It’s got a great stomping pace to it, but keeps the same upbeat, chilled out and fun vibes from the other tracks so far! The vocals are great, with the harmonies adding even more depth and awesomeness to them. And, from the verse to the choruse, it’s all hugely catchy! It’s another simply arranged song, but so infectiously fun, it almost impossible not to dance along to it! Once again we get an awesome, technical little guitar solo tucked away in the middle too, keeping the track amazing throughout. However the chorus and harmonies are the main kicker here, and make for a truly excellent song. The band are three for three so far on greatness, and this is a track that easily makes our playlist!
‘Highway Robbery’ is the most traditional country track on the release, giving big Brooks and Dunn vibes in all the best ways. The riff is great, while all the rest of the instrumentation adds so much, from the keys to the guitar to the drums. However, the vocals also fit the track perfectly, and are fantastic in their own right. Once again, the arrangements and structure are simple, but it works so well with the style of the song, and it still sounds so very High Heat. And it still gets a bit more rockin’ by the end! As you can tell, it’s another excellent song on an album so far full of them! Shame about the fade out though, I was hoping for a big ending with some half time and stuff…
The first non-single of the release, ‘Roll me All the Way’, opens on some great isolated vocals. The acoustic instrumentation soon comes in, and of course it’s very Willy in all the best ways! It’s a steady paced, incredibly chilled-out and exceptionally catchy track, and is just again a lot of fun! Honestly, it’s a similar vibe through the closer ‘If Heaven had a Honky Tonk’, right down to the vocal intro. And, honestly, it’s a fantastic way to close out the album, tying everything together excellently, as well as being a great song and a big highlight in its own right! That chorus is going to be stuck in my head for days to come!
Songs like ‘Willy, Waylon & Waltzes’, ‘Goodbye Moon’ and ‘Fastest Fool in Town’ are all slower, more ballad tracks. All give off a little more of an Orville Peck/Zach Top vibe to them, and are excellent in their own right! I also surprisingly love that the former two are one-after-another, breaking up the more higher-energy songs well, and slotting excellently into the middle of the album. Meanwhile the latter also reminds me a little of more of a Skynyrd-style southern rock ballad, which is also awesome! It’s some classic country in all the best ways and, while all are a little similar, they’re all fantastic tracks in their own right!
Meanwhile, the likes of singles ‘Cowboy Cold Beer’, ‘How to Get Away With Murder’ and ‘All This Pain’ are more like their signature blend of indies rock and chilled-out, upbeat country. Having said that, they also still have their own identities, that’s for sure! The former is a catchy, simple affair with plenty of catchy vocal lines and even some rapping, which was a great surprise! Meanwhile ‘How to Get Away…’ has a bit more of a Western flavour to it, while also turning up the indie and even RHCP vibes a little with that bass. And the latter is a straight-up rockier track. So yeah, again all are excellent songs that fit the tone of the release well. All are just as great as the rest of the album, honestly!
‘When Love Tries To Hurt You’, ‘What Do You Know About Love’ up the chilled vibes even more, and I love it! Having said that, both have some elements of rock still, and are infectiously catchy in their own right! The former is one of my favourite tracks on the album even, and that says a lot! Meanwhile the latter, while a little ballady again, still feels a little rock driven, like the perfect mix of Pinegrove and Treaty Oak Revival. Again, both songs are excellent in their own right, fitting the tone of the release perfectly while constantly keeping it interesting with a slight variation of their sound each time. I can’t get over how talented this band are!
Overall: I really loved this release! It doesn’t feel its length and there truly isn’t a bad song on it! The variety on display is excellent, showing just how fantastic the band are as combined songwriters, and they all play and sing their asses off throughout. The band have continued to build momentum in quick order the last few years, and it’s so easy to see why when their studio work is of such high quality! If you are at all into country or a more chilled-out, light-hearted rock sound, I cannot recommend this album enough. I’ll be spinning it a lot in the weeks and months to come, and don’t be surprised to see it high on our albums of the year list come December!
You know the drill by now! Join us as we check out some of the best rock, metal and country releases from the last week!
Green Lung: Necropolitan
The stoner/doom metallers follow up 2023’s critically acclaimed This Heathen Land with another excellent release! It’s 40 minutes of amazing riffing, catchy melodic moments and a generally massive, malevolent sound. The opener ‘Dance to the Grave’ is an epic, grandiose track, while songs like ‘Black Magick Radio’, the more ballad-like ‘Together in Death’ and ‘Alostrael’ are all massive personal highlights. However, the whole album is excellent from start to finish, and doesn’t feel it’s length at all. It’s a fantastically old school sound, drawing from everything from Deep Purple to Sabbath, Maiden to Candlemass. Having said that, it also has a slight modern edge to it, though that may be more down to the production. The band have been gaining some serious momentum in recent years, and it’s in large part due to their stellar studio output. This is easily up there alongside their previous releases, and gets another solid 9/10 from us!
Tygers of Pan Tang: Electrifyed
The English heavy metal legends are back with album number 14. Going on 50 years since they formed, the band show that they have somehow still not lost a step! From ‘Forevermore’ to ‘Dark Divinity’, ‘The Nail’ to the closer, there is plenty of great stuff throughout. It’s a modernised NWOBHM album and exactly what you’d expect from the band heading into it. While not quite up there with their top releases like the legendary Spellbound or 2016s Self Titled, it’s still an incredibly solid album, and one I’d recommend to anyone who’s a fan! A solid 7.5/10 from us!
Pokey Lafarge: Rent Money
The latest album from the throwback blues/soul rocker is just as great as the rest of his discography! It’s 35-minutes of catchy, chilled-out and incredible well written and performed music; exactly what I expected and wanted! It took a couple of tracks for me to truly fall in love, but from then on I was truly hooked! The title track was an excellent lead single, and we loved it from the moment it released. Followers ‘Stick Together’ and ‘Work’ are other massive album highlights, as is the slower ‘Told You No’. However, the whole album is excellent from front to back, and it all grew on me somehow even more with more listens. The guy can do no wrong from a musical standpoint; it flows incredibly well and the talent on display throughout is off the charts. It’s certainly up there with his last album. If you are at all curious, I cannot recommend this enough! I’ll certainly be spinning it plenty moving forward, and it gets a solid 9/10!
Røry: BLOODLETTING
The third album from the UK pop-metaller is honestly a lot better than I expected heading into it! I’ve not been a fan of much of her previous stuff, but this blew me away! ‘DEGRADATION’ is a straight-up, heavy modern metalcore track, and is a lot of fun. The other heavier stuff like ‘MORTAL’ and, to a lesser extent, ‘GREY’, are also songs I enjoyed a lot. Some of the rest is a little too slow and Bad Omens-y for my tastes, but there is no denying that it is still good music. I also love the intro and interludes, making the album feel like one cohesive project and making for an incredibly easy listen. It’s certainly her strongest album to date, and it may grow on me even more with subsequent listens. Her band are all insanely talented too, and I like the direction that she appears to be heading in, reminding me a lot of Poppy. A pretty damn solid 7.5/10 from us!
The Proclaimers: You May Offend
The Scotish legends once again don’t disappoint on album #13. It’s surprisingly high-energy at times, but is still pretty much exactly what you’d expect from the band. Songs like single ‘But it Is’, ‘Till the Ink Dries’ and ‘There’s No Plan’ are personal highlights. However, none of the album is bad by any stretch. It’s completely inoffensive (moreso than their opinions) pop/folk rock music, and if you’re a fan of their other work it will probably scratch that itch. It doesn’t catch my ear quite as much as their last release, but is still a solid entry into their later discography. I struggled to pin down a score, but I think a strong 6/10 feels right!
Sweet Electric: Something Something Disco
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read the full review here.
Smithfield: Country With Heart (Part Two)
The country duo’s self-professed debut album (the distinction between albums and singles confuses me no end these days), part two of Country With Heart follows up it’s 2024 counterpart perfectly. It’s 26-minutes of excellent country-pop from start to finish! The harmonies between the pair are incredible, and they work perfectly together from a performing and writing perspective. However, their band are also amazing throughout!
Tracks like ‘Drunk Love You’, ‘Let You’ and ‘Tell Me You Don’t’ are particular highlights, but the whole release is amazing from start to finish. It’s an incredibly easy listen that goes by in a flash. Hell, if there is any justice, ‘Let You’ would be one of the biggest songs in modern country, it is THAT good. It reminds me of Everette’s ‘Gonna be a Problem’ in that regard, but then again the whole project reminds me of Kings of the Dairy Queen Parking Lot in the very best way! They’ve put in a lot of work to get to where they are today, and this album is good enough to hopefully catapult them into the stratosphere! Check this out if you are in any way a country fan, and I’ll certainly be spinning it plenty moving forward. 8.5/10
P.S. check out our live review and interview with the band hereandhere!
Scene Queen: METALICIOUS
The new EP from the bimbocore pioneer herself is exactly what I’ve come to expect from her. I was surprised how much I enjoyed her debut album, so went into this with a modicum of hype and wasn’t disappointed! It’s a short 16 minutes of nu-metal adjacent greatness, and is a lot of fun. ‘Manicure’ is great, as is incredibly cleverly put together ‘Shopaholic’ and ‘Tracksuit’. Sadly the guest tracks were a slight letdown. I expected to not enjoy the one with TX2 and I was correct, but the title track was maybe the worst track on the release and the fact that it featured Left to Suffer was certainly sad. However, there is more good than bad on this release, and I find myself cringing slightly less and less every time I listen to her. It’s still a touch over the top for me at times lyrically, but I very much know that is the whole point of it. It’s worth a listen if you’re interested, and a solid 7.5/10 from us!
iATLAS: Beyond the New Horizon
The debut EP from the alt rock trio is a fun 16 minutes, and a great introduction to the band! It’s a great throwback 70s/80s sound, and the band are all clearly talented players and songwriters. ‘Touch the Sky’ and ‘3iATLAS’ are personal highlights, and were great choices for singles. However, each track is good, and the EP is such an easy listen as a hole! I’m curious to see where the band go from here, and I already can’t wait to hear more! For now though I’ll certainly be spinning it again soon. Also, the artwork is SICK. A solid 7/10 from us!
Hubris.: White Shores
Album five from the Swiss post-rock instrumental quartet is a captivating, epic 40 minute soundscape. Everything flows together excellently, from the audio to even the track names, branding it as a truly thought out work of art. It’s certainly not going to be a release for everyone, but if you are at all interested I’d definitely recommend checking it out! It’s not something you’d probably listen to individual tracks off, but as a complete package it’s incredible! Just sit in a dark room with some headphones on and get lost in it. Another easy 7/10, and one I’ll be revisiting it again soon!
Slug Comparison: Cold In Cold Out
The new solo EP from Fen vocalist/guitarist Doug Harrison is an amazing 26 minutes of music! Though we sadly didn’t have time to review his latest album last year, I really enjoyed it. Somehow, this is even better! The dark, brooding, grungy alt-rock opener is fantastic, and sets the tone for the rest of the release excellently. ‘Back to the World’ is another highlight for me, but there really isn’t a bad song on the EP. It’s maybe a touch long for a generally slower release, but it’s so well written and performed that I couldn’t help but get lost in it. The soundscape created is amazing, while his vocals and lyrics are phenomenal. It’s definitely one I’d recommend if you’re into the proggier side of alt rock, and will surely make it onto our top EPs of the year listcome December! 8.5/10
Nicolas Jamerson: Rabbit Holes (Vol. 1)
Following up his album from last year, the traditional country/Americana/bluegrass singer-songwriter put out another fantastic collection of tracks this last Friday! It’s honestly amazing that he gets such a full sound and feel out of mainly just him and his guitar, holding my attention fully throughout. It’s 19 minutes and seven tracks of sheer beautiful playing and writing, and is packed full of emotion. ‘I’ve Never Been Anywhere’ is a massive highlight, as is ‘Be Strong’ and the beautiful duet in ‘Fly’. However, there really isn’t a bad song throughout. His vocals are powerful and fit the vibe of the songs perfectly, and his lyrics are tremendous from start to finish. It’s another release that isn’t for everyone, but I’d recommend it to anyone into an older-school country vibe. I already can’t wait for Vol. 2. A very easy 8/10!
Mother of Millions: T
The prog metal Greeks are back with their fifth album, and it’s another excellent release! It’s packed full of chunky riffs, powerful, soaring, catchy vocals and some fantastic technically and arrangements. ‘The Wound’ opens things perfectly, while songs like ‘The Aftermath’, ‘The One’ and ‘The Circle’ are other massive highlights. It’s maybe a touch long for my preference, but the album is so varied it’s still an easy listen, and I honestly wouldn’t be able to tell you what to cut! The band are all massively talented both individually and together, and this reminds me of Finger Elevenin the best possible way. It’s exactly the sort of thing I love, and the band very much have a big new fan in me! I’ll certainly be going back and checking out their previous stuff as well as spinning this plenty in the coming weeks and months. A very easy 8.5/10 from me!
The Meffs: Business
The sophomore album from the punk duo is exactly what you’d expect if you’d heard their other music. It’s fine. It’s old school punk with a bit of a heavier edge. The attitude is very much there, and their lyrics and the message behind them is excellent. But musically it’s just straight up punk, as you’d expect from just the two of them. It’s good, but a little repetitive for my liking overall. Tracks like ‘Where Did it All go Wrong’ and ‘So Modern’ are pretty good and definite personal highlights. And I’m certainly not saying the rest of the album is bad; they are very clearly great at what they do are gathering a lot of steam and have a bright future ahead of them. But the tough-boi punk always felt a touch cringy to me, and this is no different. I certainly wouldn’t turn it off if it came on, but I wouldn’t actively seek out to listen to it, if that makes sense. If you’re a hardcore (not in that way) punk fan, give this a spin, you’ll surely enjoy it! However, I can’t give it any more than a 6.5/10, sorry guys!
CoreLeoni: Generection
The fourth album from the Swiss hard rock/NWOHMers is built around previously unreleased songs, and is a mighty fine release in its own right. From the sleazy, heavy riffing to the soaring vocals to the catchy hooks and melodies, it’s 40+ minutes of great, 80s style rock music! From ‘Generation Rock’ to ‘Sex on the Beach’, ‘Don’t Tell Me’ to ‘Yearning’ and everything in between, it’s all awesome! There is plenty of variety, keeping it interesting throughout, and I got lost in it very easy from start to finish. The more I listened the more I fell in love; the band have crafted something truly special with a lot of these tracks, and they fit together perfectly! It starts slightly rough, but honestly give it the time and you’ll surely fall in love as much as I did. A very easy 9/10 from us!
Schandmaul: Sternensegler
German folk-rockers Schandmaul have once again dropped a fantastic album! it’s 11 awesome rock/metal tracks packed with massive, arena-filling choruses and some great folk elements! I somehow wasn’t familiar with them heading into this, but really enjoyed the album as a whole! The title track, ‘Flagge’ and ‘Lass nicht los’ are all personal highlights, but there isn’t a bad song throughout! It straddles the line perfectly between heavy and more balladlike rock, and is a very easy listen. The band are all talented and, while I don’t understand the lyrics, I certainly felt the emotion in the vocals, and he’s a criminally underrated singer! Another band I have left a fan of, and will have to go back and check out their earlier work! Another easy 8/10
The amazing German hard rockers are back with their highly anticipated sophomore album. Arriving less than two years after their debut, the quintet have been hard at work on both their live shows and recorded work to follow it up. The singles so far have been kick-ass, so if the record is anything like that, we’re in for a treat! Let’s dive right in, shall we?
The album starts with a shot of adrenaline curtesy of ‘Sick in the Head’. An amazing riff, a fast drumbeat and some chaotic police stuff, it all screams Brad Marr in the best way! I love the guitars dropping out between the lines in the verse, the vocal delivery keeps the same sense of urgency but it adds some great dynamics to the track. Heck, some of it boarders on rap in the second verse, being an awesome addition to the track and something I didn’t realise Brad had in his repertoire! It all builds to a catchy-as-anything chorus, the pace staying high but it opening up a little, and the call and response vocals were a nice touch! A fun bridge leads to an excellent guitar solo, getting some Egyptian scaling in there that fits surprisigly well! The whole track is amazing; a lot of fun and the perfect way to kick off an album like this. An easy early highlight!
‘Mexico’ keeps the fun vibes going, but adds more of a punky flavour to the mix. The drum intro into the higher, pop-punk chords, coupled with the vocal delivery and harmonies, scream Green Day in all the best ways! It all builds into a massive, again infectiously catchy chorus that almost injects just a touch of Britpop/soft rock into the mix. The track is completely different to the last, yet both still fit surprisingly perfectly together, and feel so very Sweet Electric. The dynamics of the track are cool too, more of a harmonic lead line than a solo in the bridge, before it all drops down and explodes back in perfectly. It’s another amazing song, and another firm highlight for me!
The hard rock vibes return with ‘These Guns’, the riff and driving bassline giving big AC/DC vibes. For my money it’s the most Massive track on the album, and given how much I miss that band, that’s fine by me! It’s just a great, straight-forward rock song, and is a damn fun listen. The lyrics walk the line between swaggering and dripping with attitude with a little tongue in cheek, but either way it goes it works! The solo tucked away in the middle is awesome too, fitting the track excellently. It’s technical, packed full of feeling and also given plenty of time to breathe, both guitarists duelling fantastically. It’s another fantastic song, and if you like either of the bands I’ve mentioned, or Sweet Electric I’m general, you’ll love this!
‘Somewhere in the Middle’ opens on an insane, blistering guitar solo, before dropping back into a clean guitar and Brad’s great vocals. For some reason the first thing that came to mind to compare it to was The Darkness. A combination of that and Status Quo. It’s again another change of pace from the album, but is another infectiously fun and catchy song! The band have shown just how insanely talented they are throughout this whole album so far, and it’s hard not to love each song in its own right! It’s yet another song that I’d recommend to absolutely anyone, and another that I’ll happily be revisiting plenty.
We get some more punky vibes in ‘D3AD!’, but they’re heavier than in ‘Mexico’. It’s higher paced and energied and heck, we even get a scream! It’s another fun, catchy track that feels like a combination of the opening two songs from the album. It’s a lot of fun, but is maybe the first song that feels slightly ‘album track’-esque. Still, it’s a damn good song in its own right, though!
Single ‘I Remember You’ is a beautiful, emotional ballad dedicated to his mother. The opening minute is pretty punky, starting with Brad’s vocals over some massive sounding guitar power chords. The track builds excellently, adding in some more guitars and drums and vocal harmonies into a massive soundscape around the midpoint. Honestly, the darker, emotional tone gives off slight MCR vibes, and I am all for it! And, on top of all of that, we get an amazing, bluesy riff in the back half, and another phenomenal guitar solo. The lyrics speak for themselves, and I’d highly recommend the music video to accompany it, it certainly made me a little misty eyed the first time I did both. It’s such an excellent song and a really touching and memorable tribute. Another firm album highlight, and a fantastic choice for a single.
The other single from the album, ‘Long Way Back’, picks up the pace and the mood again. Tracks like it, ‘Get Up’ and the other two are all higher energy rock stompers, but then yet again all feel so different and unique. ‘Get Up’ has almost a country/bluegrass twang to it, while ‘OMG’ does have a slight bit of the disco vibe the album title eludes to, though is also heavy on the DC again. Then the closer, ‘Psycho’, has a bit of an epic arrangement to it, boarding on metal almost. However, that awesome bluesy riff firmly keeps it grounded in hard rock! Then again, we get a metalcore breakdown that is so very Trivium. Though, it still fits somehow not just the track, but the album as a whole, once again showing how effortlessly diverse and fantastic they are at writing. All are amazing in their own right and ways, and add to the album perfectly. And damn, ‘Psycho’ is such an excellent closer, and one of my favourite songs on the album. One that easily makes it onto our playlist!
Overall: I absolutely LOVED this whole album! There really isn’t a bad song throughout, it being pretty short and the very definition of all-killer-no-filler. As much as I enjoyed their debut, this is a step up from it, and really knocks it out of the park! It honestly gave me the same excited, fuzzy feeling that Massive’s debut did, and I am now desperate to see all of it live; I can’t wait for November! I’ve said it already, but I’d recommend this album to absolutely anyone, so make sure you spin it ASAP! It’s certainly going to be high on our top albums of the year list come December!
Another week, another stack of amazing releases, from rock to metal to country. Let’s dive right in!
Airbourne: Self-Titled
The highly anticipated new album from the Aussie hard rockers comes nearly seven years after their last, marking the longest gap between releases for the band by quite a margin. Having said that, you still know exactly what to expect heading into an album of theirs, and this is no exception! It’s 47-minutes of high energy, head-bangin’ rock, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s honestly hard to find much to say about it, it is very much just the standard Airbourne formula. But if it ain’t broke, and all that! Tracks like single ‘Alive After Death’, ‘Kid in a Candy Store’ and ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Ya’ are all personal highlights, but there really isn’t a bad song throughout. It’s an easy, fun listen and a throwback sound from a band that are known to provide exactly that. Then again, the vague Christmas song was a bit unexpected, especially in September. The band have always felt like a greatest hits one to me over full albums, but then every album they’ve put out is beyond solid and packed full of great songs! While I’m more likely to put the band on shuffle over listen to a specific album, I had a good time with this and will certainly revisit it again! The more I listened the more I enjoyed it, and I can’t give it any less than 7.5/10. Great stuff!
Behemoth: I, Scvlptor
Coming just one year after the awesome TheShit Ov God, the black metal titans once again knock it out of the park with this release. Bridging the gap between an EP and an album rather perfectly, the output sees the band tackle re-recorded early tracks, previously unreleased songs, and even a couple of covers. And, honestly, it’s 37 minutes of brutal awesomeness! The covers are incredible, not only being of great Venom and Bathory songs (the latter is awesome live and I’m so glad we got that version!), but featuring incredible guests in Shagrath and Sakis Tolis. However, I genuinely think my favourite song on here is ‘Lord Ov the Horizons’, Nergal singing cleanly in his heavier project is crazy but so awesome to hear! However, if you like the heavier end of metal, this is absolutely a release for you! They are my favourite black(ish) metal band, and honestly have been knocking it out of the park for well over a decade now. It’s a fantastic stop-gap while we wait for another full new album from the band, and is certainly something I’ll be revisiting again sooner rather than later. A very solid 8/10 from us!
Kasabian: ACT III
The indie legends return with album number nine. I remember checking out Happenings a couple of years ago, and feeling almost identically about this release. There are a few good tracks on it, like ‘Hippie Sunshine’ and ‘SILVER APPLE EYES’ and ‘THE GURU…’ but the rest of it generally blurs together into a gloomy, mid-tempo plod of nothingness. Hey, at least it’s another short release at 32 minutes! I keep trying with the band, hoping that they’ll change my mind and hook me in with an album, but so far it continues to only be a song or two per album that catches my ear. Much like with our last review, if you’re a fan of the band it’s most likely an excellent album. It’s certainly not a bad by any stretch, just not really for me. So, again, I can’t give it much more than a 4/10. I would say it’s slightly better than their last release though, certainly a stronger 4!
Ricky Warwick: Fire & Vengeance
The Almighty and Black Star Riders frontman is back with his second solo album in two years. We enjoyed last year’s Blood Ties, and this is more of the same! The title track/opener is great, as is ‘The Angels’ Share’ and ‘Tumbleweed Town’. It’s also packed full of some truly awesome guests. Doug Aldrich adds a punky flavour to his number, while Phil Collen adds his stadium-rock heritage to ‘Seek Zen Destroy’. Michael Starr and Darren Holden also kill it on their respective tracks. As you can tell, it’s packed full of great songs. It’s everything I love about Ricky rolled into one 40 minute package, and I’ve had a blast listening to it a couple of times over this weekend. I’d recommend this to absolutely anyone even vaguely into him or his various projects, you certainly won’t be disappointed. It’s one of my favourite solo releases from him overall, and gets a very easy 8/10 from us!
Space Pistol: HEADLOCKER
The sophomore album from the alt-rock/grunge trio is every bit as good as their debut. It’s heavy, packed full of chunky, distorted riffs, but also has plenty of great melodic, indie-like vocal melodies. It feels like a combination of Smashing Pumpkins and Royal Blood, but also feels incredibly fresh and innovative in its own way. From the opener to ‘New’, the hardcore/Manson-esque ‘I Can’t Sleep’ to ‘Ambulance’ there is plenty to love, and every song is pretty damn good! The band have a real infectious energy, and something about them kept me hooked from start to finish. I’d certainly recommend giving it a full spin if you are at all interested, you won’t be disappointed! The band are all so very talented, both at their chosen instrument and collectively as songwriters. They are certainly set to continue their upwards trajectory and momentum with this album, and I can’t give it any less than 8/10. Great stuff!
Those Made Broken: A Door You can Never Close
The sophomore album from the Scottish alt metallers comes nearly 12 years after their debut release. Honestly though, the band knock it out of the park with this, and prove that they are very much at the top of their game still. It’s got a touch of everything too; heavy riffs and grooves and drums, some huge, catchy vocal melodies and plenty of proggy arrangements and technicality. Hell, we even have touches of groove metal at times which were honestly sick. And, of course, it’s packed full of awesome songs! From single ‘Simpleman’ to ‘Echo Chamber’ to ‘Little Keeper of Light’, there is so much to love, but there really isn’t a bad track throughout! 40 minutes goes by in a flash, and if you are at all into the genre, I honestly cannot recommend this album enough. The band have a big new fan in me, and I’ll certainly be spinning it plenty in the weeks and months to come! I can’t give it anything less than 8/10, great stuff!
Theory of a Deadman: Part 1: Funeral Songs
The Canadian radio-rockers’ first release since their return to form with 2023’s Dinosaur, the first part in their new EP series kicks things off with a massive bang! It’s six great, high energy rock songs like only Theory can do. ‘Barricade’ is an excellent opener, being heavy while reminding me of the very best from the bands back catologue. It’s pretty much the story of the whole release, too. ‘Funeral Song’ and ‘Monster Truck’ bring back some of their more tongue-in-cheek lyric writing, while single ‘Winnebago’ and ‘Deep End’ bring back that Nickelback-esque country edge to their sound. Hell, the latter is one of the bands best ballads they’ve done in a while. Even the pop-infused closer will probably be one that some have an issue with and make fun of, but I really enjoyed it! It’s not designed to be taken seriously, and is catchy as hell. The EP feels like a fusion of their last album and The Truth Is, and I’m all for it!
Bigger bands have been killing it on the EP front this year, and this is very much more of the same! It honestly feels like the perfect lenfth for them, too. This will certainly be a release I’ll be listening to a lot over the coming weeks and months, and it has gotten me already hyped for Part 2, whenever that is set to drop. The band were a big part of my teen years but I did fall out of love with them a bit around the turn of the decade. However, they are back in a big way and are getting to the point of being rather criminally underrated. I can’t recommend this release enough to anyone at all, it has a bit of something for everyone! 8.5/10
Lifeswallower: Self-Titled
This is an absolutely WILD EP! Nestled somewhere between prog, nu and tech-death, it feels like something Mr. Bungle would come out with if given this sort of heaviness to work towards. And, what’s more, it’s fucking amazing. Each track is as great as the last, and the whole thing is well worth a listen from front-to-back, flowing fantastically. It doesn’t feel like 23 minutes at all, it’s such an easy listen. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a release for everyone, but I fell in love instantly, and have listened to it a good few times since it dropped last Tuesday. The band are all hugely talented, the playing and vocals throughout being off the charts, and I can’t recommend it enough for anyone even vaguely interested. It’s a very easy 9/10, and will certainly end up being high on our EPs of the year list come December! Wow!
Angus & Julia Stone: Karaoke Bar
The first album in a couple of years from the indie-folk brother-and-sister duo is somehow also my first experience with them. It’s 35 minutes of chilled out music that I found a little hard to get into, but certainly did by the end! The two are incredibly interesting songwriters and performers, but it was the rest of the arrangements and instrumentations around them that I found hooked me in more. The guitaring throughout is fantastic, and the synths and subtle horns are also great. Tracks like ‘Monroe’, ‘Strangely Strangely’ and ‘Take Me Back to Japan’ are personal highlights! Honestly, some of it reminded me a little of the slower, quirkier Gorillaz stuff, though that may just be because of the vocal effects. It’s beautiful and ethereal at times, and if you’re into this sound you’ll probably get a lot out of this. It’s not something I’d revisit often, but I certainly wouldn’t turn it off if it came back on! A solid 6.5/10
Kingcrown: Moonfall
Following up their awesome 2024 release Nova Altantis, the French power metallers once again kill it on album four! It’s nearly 45 minutes of great riffing, soaring vocals and some massive, catchy melodies. Tracks like ‘Nothing’, ‘Rise of Machines’ and ‘Oblivion/Resilience’ are personal highlights. However, if you are into the band or their overall sound, the whole album is worth a listen, as it’s really damn good! The band are all so damn talented, and work together excellently throughout, really finding a winning formula together. It’s heavy, melodic and epic throughout, and will definitely be an album I revisit again soon. While I don’t think it stands out quite as much as their last release for me, it’s still great, and gets a solid 7.5/10 from us!
President: Blood of Your Empire
Max: So the awaited first full album by the masked outfit president is here, and I think it plays for the most part as you would expect. With about half the songs having been released as singles, as seems standard with album releases these days, it is up the the remaining tracks to really sell you on why the wait for this album was worth it. There are, in my opinion, two parts that do that exactly.
First you have the rerecording of the song ‘Dionysus’. This doesn’t change the fabric of the song wholly or have you freaking but it is a nice touch to just update the sound of an older track to better fit with the album it is being put in to. Second, a lot of the songs on the album are really good. ‘Pink Noise’ is a particular favourite of mine that shows the ability to quickly switch up genres that the band clearly wants you to know they can do. And, whilst it is not my favourite track on the album and I fear might prove somewhat divisive, ‘Hate Figure’ has a more rap metal genre which is a fun and unexpected switch up in the later stages of the album.
I think it is clear that there is room for the band to grow and develop but they certainly have a good footing and many, and I mean many, directions that they can take their music in the future. But for now the focus is in this album and it’s definitely worth listening to! 8/10
Josh Mitcham: Gonna Be Alright
Album seven from the Kentucky singer-songwriter is a fun romp through country and folk/Americana pop. It’s a pretty stripped back release, mainly consisting of Josh’s guitar and powerful voice, a simple drumbeat keeping the tempo alongside the odd extra accompaniment here and there. It’s interesting too, as a good few of the tracks and parts almost beg for a rockier arrangement, but having it more stripped back gives the release a unique sound and quality to it, and almost reminds me a touch of someone like Jack Johnson, just with a country twang to it. He’s a damn interesting songwriter, and his lyrics throughout are also awesome! It’s catchy and full of hooks, yet still maintains a more DIY, chilled-out tone. Tracks like ‘Something to Get Into’, ‘Break it to Me’ and the title song are all personal highlights, but the album as a whole is packed full of great songs. It’s 34 minutes of chilled out, catchy, well written country music, and I’d recommend it to anyone even vaguely into the genre! A solid 7.5/10 from us. This is the first full album by him I’ve checked out, and I’m gonna have to head back and visit the others soon!
Benjamin Tod: Country is Dead
The second solo album from the Lost Dog Street Band’s frontman this year alone is 42 minutes of traditional country awesomeness. It’s stripped back and very much in the vein of modern old-school revivalists like Zach Top, Drake Milligan and Braxton Keith, except very much focusing on the slower side of the sound. Still, it’s impossible not to love it! Tracks like ‘Natrual Thing to Do’, ‘Nashville Women’ and ‘Only a Hobo’ are personal highlights, but the whole album flows spectacularly and doesn’t feel its length at all. It’s a lot like his other music but if it’s not broke don’t fix it, right? The more I listened the more I fell in love, and I’d happily recommend this to anyone into their older school style of country! An easy 7/10 from me!
SiM: HOOMAN AFTER ALL
The “Reggae PUNX from Japan” are back with their seventh album, and what a wild album it is! Right from the offset, the massive opener ‘FiVE TiMES DEAD’ sets the tone for their heavy, experimental sound perfectly, and the rest of the 35 minutes follow in much the same vein. ‘BLiNDEYES’ channels more of their reggae and nu metal leanings, and features the amazing Hanabie., being a firm highlight. The same can be said for ‘HOLD MY BEER’ and the title track, being so very Skindred in the best way. Then you have more of the Japanese punk-metal sounds of ‘Karen’s Son’ and ‘ZiON’. And hell, we even get a J-Ska track in ‘The Sniffing Cats Ska’. Oh, and a hip-hop track in ‘BLACK SUNSHINE’, so very Hed(PE) and I love it!
So yeah, as you can see, the whole album is pretty fucking awesome. Oh, and did I mention that it’s roughly about cats? That makes it even better, doesn’t it? The band are all insanely talented at what they do, and every track on here is as good as the last. After a slightly lesser reaction commercially to their last album, this feels like it should surely catapult them back on track as being one of the biggest bands from the country. I’d recommend this to absolutely anyone, there is something for everybody throughout. It really tickles my brain and ears in all the best ways. 9.5/10, it’s certainly a contendender for album of the year!
Follow Thru: Eat Your Heart Out
This is an awesome little pop-punk debut album! Under half an hour of up-tempo riffing and drumming, with some fantastic lyrics and some really catchy melody lines. It’s the perfect combo of the late 90s boom of the genre and a more modern take on it; think Pennywise or Less Than Jake’s heavier stuff mixed with Homesick. It’s pretty heavy for the genre, but also plenty catchy in equal measure, making for a lot of fun. Tracks like ‘Less Than Civil’, ‘We’ll Surivive the Apocalypse’, ‘This Inevitable Ruin’ and ‘American Drift’ are all personal highlights. However, the whole album is good from start to finish, and is such an easy listen. If you are at all into the punkier side of music give this one a listen, you won’t at all be disappointed! The band have a new fan in me, and this gets an easy 8/10!
Stormbringer: Transcendence
A band that I’ve been a fan of for well over a decade now, it’s awesome to finally get to review them! I remember enjoying their last release nearly five years ago now, and still revisit their debut to this day. It very much feels like a revisit to that early work, both in terms of sound and quality. ‘Energy’ is one hell of an opener, while the likes of the AIC-like ‘Dirt and Bone’ and ‘Whole Again’ are also big high points. The whole album is awesome though, packed full of groovy riffs, plenty of heaviness and some amazing melodies and massive choruses. The quintet are seasoned vets at this point, and are truly masters of their craft. The more I listen to this, the more I fall in love, and it is certainly up there among my favourite releases from the band. If you are at all curious, I can’t recommend it enough! It’s an incredibly easy 8.5/10 from me, and I’ll certainly have this on sporadically for the rest of the year!
The Media Project: Kharon:Forbearance
Another release caught somewhere between an album and an EP, this follows up their 2025 previous output perfectly. A blend of doom, gothic, sludge, primal death and black metal; the atmosphere created is dark, brooding and massive. And, while it’s not typically my sort of style, I actually found myself enjoying myself listening! While there aren’t certain highlight tracks, the release as a whole flows excellently and is well worth a full listen if you’re curious. It’s not for everyone, that’s for sure, but they are so very good at their craft. I also feel like it would be really awesome live, and I’d be into it even more! Honestly, I don’t really have much more to say about it, but the band at least have a curious new fan in me. 6.5/10
Audrey Horne: Achilles
The Twin Peaks-inspired melodic hard rockers are back with their first new album since 2022’s Devil’s Bell, and they once again knock it out of the park! Right from the opener/title track I was hooked, and not let go for its entire 44 minute runtime. There are some excellent riffs running through it, and a real arena-filling vibe to the melodies, choruses and overall massive size to the sound. ‘Vampires’, ‘Prodrome’ into ‘Insanity’ and ‘Six Feet in the Ground’ are all massive highlights for me but, as I said, the whole album is excellent and goes by in a flash. The band are so damn talented and I’m so glad they are back with new music. This kind of melodic/AOR rock is really gaining some traction and momentum again in recent years, and Audrey Horne are very much towards the front of the pack because of releases like this. 8.5/10, amazing stuff!
A massive week for new music, spread across the rock, metal and country world! Even with us having a busy weekend, we managed to check out plenty. Let’s dive in!
In This Moment: Witch
The first album from the alt metallers since 2023’s GODMODE, and I unfortunately have a similar sentiment to this release as I did that one. It’s fine; completely passable radio metal, some fun industrial and nu metal elements to it. Tracks like ‘Crawl’, single ‘Sleeping With the Enemy’ and the Kim Dracula-featuring ‘Heretic’ are all good, but outside of that I found a lot of the rest was just kinda there. If you like the band or their style, you’ll probably enjoy it a lot. However, I feel like they have inspired (or at least been the building blocks for) a lot of interesting bands like SKYND and even Spiritbox to a point. But those bands have moved past this core sound and added some funner elements to it, kinda leaving ITM behind doing the same thing they’ve been doing for 15+ years now. As I said, it’s certainly not bad, and I wouldn’t turn it off if it was on. But I wouldn’t rush to put the full album on again any time soon, more just the odd tracks I like. It’s at least a little more memorable than GODMODE, so for that it gets a 6.5/10. Maybe/hopefully it’ll grow on me!
Little Big Town: It’s a Dying Art
We’ve already reviewed this awesome album! Check out the full review here.
Beartooth: Pure Ecstasy
The first album since Caleb broke the internet, and their follow-up to 2023’s The Surface, it’s at least heavy! And, honestly, I enjoyed this a hell of a lot more than I expected to! The opener/title track was excellent, the perfect punch in the teeth to kick things off. Tracks like ‘Bullshit’, ‘Sorry’ and ‘You’ are also awesome and certainly highlights, the latter almost feeling as aggressive as modern Architects in the very best way. It’s not all fantastic; there’s maybe one too many slower songs and ‘Stadiums’ is an experimentally-arranged song that I don’t think works. However, there is far more good than bad! This is the most I’ve enjoyed the band since their early days, and they have certainly returned with something to prove with this release! Hopefully they can keep this heaviness as it will surely gain them some momentum back and put them back on track as a modern heavyweight band. While I’m curious to see where they go from here, I’ll certainly be spinning a lot of this plenty moving forward. A solid 8/10 from us!
Mastodon: Marrow Deep
The first studio album since 2021’s Hushed and Grim, and first since the untimely passing of Brent Hinds, this is a surprisingly excellent release from the Atlantan metallers. It’s proggy, sludgy, heavy and melodic right from the off-set, and has some real career highs. The opener, ‘Snakes for Dinner’ and the proggy ‘A Vampire’s Demeanor’ are all excellent songs in their own right. And, while the release may be a touch long at 65 minutes, especially when a lot of it is similar, there isn’t a bad song throughout, and I honestly wouldn’t be able to cut any to tighten up the runtime! This feels like the most focused the band have been in a good few years, and I genuinely had a good time listening to this. The band are masters of their craft, and if you are into their style or any of the genres I’ve named previously, you’ll most likely love this! If it was a little shorter it may have scored a touch higher, but it still gets a solid 7.5/10! Hell, it may grow on me even more with more listens.
Everlast: Embers to Ash
The first solo record in nearly eight years from the House of Pain alumni is a big slab of music at 17 tracks, but is well worth a listen if you are into his more bluesy, acoustic based work. From ‘Never Coming Home’ to ‘My Hollywood’, ‘Rubber Bullets’ to ‘Peace of Mind’, there are some awesome tracks on here. His vocals are still as great as ever, and some of his writing is still top notch and packed full of emotion. Don’t get me wrong, it’s no Eat at Whitley’s or Whitley Ford Sings the Blues, but there is some good stuff on here and is a welcome return from the man after so long. If you are at all into his solo stuff, this is well worth a listen. I’ll probably not revisit the album as a whole much, but the stuff I like I really love. 7/10
Kamelot: Dark Asylum
We’ve also checked this album out in full, aren’t you lucky! Check out the full article here.
Wine Lips: TV Dinner
Album five from the psychedelic punkers is a damn fun 34 minutes of music! It’s rather urgent and balls-to-the-wall throughout, but it serves the release well and makes there never be a dull moment. Whether it’s single ‘Projector’, ‘Leach’ or ‘Fried V’, there is plenty of greatness throughout. The band are all insanely talented but also don’t take themselves too seriously, making for an album that is impossible not to like if you are into the punkier side of things. They have a new fan in me, that’s for sure, and I can’t wait to dive into their back catalogue and see what I’ve missed! For now though, this gets a solid 7.5/10 from us, good stuff!
The Warning: Everything’s Falling
Album five from the breakout Mexican rockers is every bit as good as their last. The trio are so good at blending heavy instrumentation with infectiously catchy, pop-infused hooks, and it’s no wonder they are becoming a huge name in both scenes in 2026. Whether it’s the singles, ‘Perfect Daughter’, ‘Why Do You Like it When I Cry?’ or ‘Waste Your Time on Me’, this thing is packed to the brim with amazing songs, with not a single dud or even lower quality track throughout. The women are really at the top of their game right now and show no signs of slowing down on their way to the very top. They feel fresh and unique yet also familiar in all the best ways, and this is certainly up there alongside their very best work. I’m going to be spinning this plenty in the weeks and months to come, and don’t be surprised to see it high on my albums of the year listcome December. A very easy 9/10!
Flotsam & Jetsam: Rats in the Temple
Following up their excellent 2024 releaseless than two years later, the heavy/thrash metallers once again prove that they are still at the top of their game decades into their careers. This is nearly an hour of insane riffing, drumming and soloing, backing some great, powerful vocals and melodies from A.K.. Tracks like ‘Damnation’, ‘Blame the Knife’ and ‘Last Rites’ are all excellent and clear highlights for me. And while, like a surprising chunk of this list this week, it’s probably a touch long, none of the songs are bad by any stretch. You know exactly what you’re getting into with a Flotsam & Jetsam record, and this is more of the same. That certainly isn’t a bad thing, though! It’s a damn solid album and, while I don’t feel quite as blown away as I did by I Am the Weapon, it is still a great addition to their discography, and a solid 8.5/10!
Ty Segall: Chrome
Following on from last year’s Possession, the garage rock revival pioneer is back with his fourth album in barely over two years. It’s somehow even quirkier than his last album, but honestly, I think it made it more interesting and enjoyable. And that’s coming from someone who enjoyed Possession! ‘Hospital’ is a wild open but sets the tone rather perfectly for the proggy, psychedelic style rest of the release, and is a personal album highlight. The likes of ‘Glass’ and ‘Let Go’ also feel like they fit that distinction for me. The whole album is heavier and a bit more experimental than the stuff I’ve checked out from him in the past, and it makes for an incredibly fun listen. Give this a listen if you are at all curious! A damn solid 8/10!
Olivia Prado: Dirty in the Sand
Following up her massive debut album from 2024, the LA-based singer-songwriter returns with another dose of pop-R&B. Now, as you can probably tell with everything else on this article, it’s not typically our sort of thing. However, I had a good time listening to this! It’s a simple 18 minutes of catchy, well-performed music, and Prado is clearly a damn talented artist. The title track is probably my favourite on the release, but all of it is worth a listen if you are into this style! It’s not something I’d put on often, but certainly wouldn’t turn off if it came on again. Give it a listen if you’re curious, a solid 6.5/10!
Xenith: To No Avail
The debut album from the UK melodeath band is a real epic collection of heavy music. And, spoiler alert, it’s awesome! The opening track alone is over seven minutes of amazing riffing, brutal screams and some amazing dynamics throughout. It sets the tone for the rest of the album perfectly. Speaking of the rest of the album though, it is just as awesome as the opening song! It’s 10 amazing Heafy-yet-melodic tracks each as good as the last. Having said that, personal favourites are ‘Bludgeoned’ and ‘Killer Instinct’ are personal highlights! The band are all insanely talented, and work together excellently. I feel like we don’t have enough new bands doing this style in the UK, and hopefully Xenith help change that. They have a very bright future ahead of them if they keep releasing music of this quality, and I already can’t wait to hear where they go from here! For now though I will certainly be spinning this plenty moving forward, and it gets a very solid 8/10 from us!
Black Spikes: Ydos
The first release for the Lithuanian modern folk metallers on their new home at Napalm Records, this thing is a grandiose, damn interesting album! It’s dark, heavy, proggy and plenty melodic all in equal measure, and sucked me in right from the jump. I definitely get the modern metal comparisons, as it does have elements of Spiritbox or Poppy in the arrangements and riffing, but it is also so much more than that. It combines it with a European folk edge that makes it a truly unique and fascinating listen. It reminds me closer of SKYND, but twisting the style in their own way. Or hell, even Igorrr with some of the riffing. The opener into ‘MOTINA’ is amazing, while the likes of ‘ZELVAR’ and ‘SENAS DEMONAS’ are other highlights. Honestly though the whole album is awesome, and well worth a listen in full!
Agni is one hell of a vocalist, providing some amazing screams and cleans throughout, while the rest of the band work their asses off to provide a massive, epic backdrop for her. If you are at all into the heavier or more proggy/grandiose side of metal, this is an album you need to be checking out ASAP! It’s a step up from their 2020 debut, and prove that the band are very much here to stay, and their ceiling is high! 8.5/10
Steve Cropper & the Midnight Hour: Watching the Tide
The posthumous release of The Colonel’s work is a bittersweet affair. It’s not been all too long since his passing and it’s clear he put a lot of work into it, so not to hear it go out is a real shame. However, it is a great album featuring a lot of his peers, and is a fitting tribute! From Clapton to Gibbons, Wood to May, there is absolute rock royalty throughout this, including Steve himself of course. And, on top of that, they all kill it, producing some awesome tracks alongside Cropper. ‘My Angels are Calling’ is a particularly beautiful, bittersweet number, while ‘Down & Out’ and ‘Tip Off to the Rip Off’ are other personal favourites. The whole thing is a damn good, blues-heavy album though, and well worth checking out if you’re a fan! As a posthumous album, you couldn’t ask for much more! 8/10
