Tag Archives: NWOCR

New Music Mondays: Foo Fighters, Jason Aldean and Much More!

27th April 2026 Overtone Leave a comment

An absolutely HUGE week for new releases this week, with some of the biggest names in rock, metal and country stepping up to the plate. Let’s dive into some!

Foo Fighters: Your Favourite Toy

Album 12 from Dave & co. is far better than it has any right to be. As much as we enjoyed But Here We Are, I still feel like Foo Fighters haven’t been the same since Wasting Light. There was definitely some good stuff on Sonic Highways and Concrete and Gold, but it didn’t quite hit the same as their previous work. This, however, is their best work in 15 years, and it’s by some margin! Opener/single ‘Caught in the Echo’ is heavy for modern Foos, while ‘Your Favourite Toy’ has grown on me more with more listens since its release. Then you have tracks like ‘If You Only Knew’, ‘Spit Shine’ and the epic closing single that are all huge highlights. However, almost every track on this is amazing, the only slight dud for me being ‘Child Actor’. It’s a pretty tight release too, with the 10 tracks going by in a flash and there being far less filler compared to killer.

While it’s missing a world-conquering, massive hit like it seemed every earlier album had, it has a renewed energy, passion and urgency to it that it hasn’t felt like the band have had in years. As an album as a whole, this is damn impressive, and up there alongside some of the best of their back catalogue. While not as emotion-filled as their previous release, it’s stronger in other areas, and still a very solid 9/10!

Jason Aldean: Songs About Us

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

Brontës: Self-Titled

The debut album from the alt rock female quartet is a great, chilled-out release. It’s not my sort of thing typically, so really that should show how high quality this is, that I still had a blast listening! From the opener to ‘Wouldn’t be Me’, ‘Thelma and Louise’ to ‘I Think I Love You’, there are plenty of great songs throughout. Every song has it’s place, though, and the whole album is so easy to listen to. It feels like the perfect combination of 2000s romcom music and hints of the likes of Paula Cole or Carol King. It’s a real US sound, and one that feels pretty nostalgic while still being modern. I don’t quite hear the Sabrina influence they tout, but the Blondie I can vaguely hear, at least their older sound! It’s a fun relaxing listen that still packs some emotion in when it needs to. Check it out if you are at all interested, you won’t be disappointed! 7.5/10

The Amity Affliction: House of Cards

Max: So, the Amity Affliction are back with another album and I have to say, this was really good. This is the first album since the band parted ways with their previous vocalist, so they definitely had something to prove. The album is heavy and intense and exactly what you would expect, so they certaintly did prove that they are just as good as ever. Now my one issue is that I feel like their new clean vocalist is a bit underused. However, I don’t think that is a huge detractor from the album, nor do I feel like it there would have been a massive improvement to the album if there were more cleans. If I was to pick a track that I think people should listen to, I would say either ‘Kickboxer’ or ‘Bleed’ as they are just exceptional. I am honestly quite interested in what is going to come next for this band. 8.5/10

Jackson Dean: Magnolia Sage

The third studio album from the rising country star is and excellent journey through old-school, Americana and blues. We loved his last album, and this release builds on that and his debut, evolving his sound perfectly and naturally. Tracks like the opener, chilled single ‘Tennessee Moon’ and ‘Wildfire’ are all personal highlights. It’s a little less rocky than his previous stuff, it reminding me a surprising amount of Newton Faulkner. It’s not a bad thing, but I did find it a little harder to stay interested throughout, as it is all relatively similar. If you are into the likes of Drake White, you will most likely love this, and I will certainly be spinning it again! However, it does stand out the least of his catalogue so far, so I can’t give it any more than an 7.5/10

Where Victims Lie: What Was Left Behind

The return EP from the 2000s thrash masters, their first since 2007s Promo release, shows that they haven’t lost a step in nearly 20 years! It’s heavy, lightening fast, and yet anthemic when it needs to be. The band are insanely talented, everything from the riffing to the drumming to harsh vocals being amazing and top notch. It’s also 20 minutes of excellence, each song being as good as the last. However, I think ‘Veil’ is my favourite track, it almost having an air of Machine Head in the chorus. It’s clearly inspired heavily by the likes of Slayer and Kreator, but also definitely has a bit of a modern edge to it too, not too dissimilar to Evile. If you are into the heavier side of metal, this whole release is well worth checking out, and will definitely be one I spin regularly moving forward. A very solid 8/10 from us!

Atreyu: The End is Not the End

The 10th album from the metalcore titans has no right going as hard as it does. Right from opening single ‘Dead’, this thing is balls-to-the-wall, while still giving moments of melodic reprieve to only add to the epicness. That is followed excellently by the groovy ‘Break Me’ and the catchy single ‘All For You’. And heck, we still have another nine songs after that! While tracks like ‘Glass Eater’, the Max Cavalera-featuring ‘Children of Light’ and the beautifully bittersweet ‘Afterglow’ are all huge highlights, every song on this is incredible. It feels like the band have finally fully settled into their most recent lineup with this release, as much as I did like Baptize and The Beautiful Dark of Light. Honestly, this is my favourite release of their since Congregation of the Damned; it’s all-killer, no-filler, and the band are all on top form throughout. If you are at all a fan of the band or the genre, this is a no-brainer of a release! Up there alongside some of my favourite metalcore releases in recent years, and it gets a very solid 9.5/10 from us!

Fangslinger: Welcome to the Lost Souls Saloon

The debut album from one of our favourite new bands finally dropped this last Friday, and we couldn’t be more hyped! We have loved watching these cats grow the last couple of years, and it feels like it has reached its crescendo perfectly with this release! They are the perfect blend of country, gothic and metallic hard rock/metal, and I honestly can’t get enough. They had our top EP of last year, and my only vague complaint is that that makes up half of this album. However, when the tracks are as high quality as these are, it’s honestly hard to even be mad about it! As for the new songs, ‘As the Crow Flies’ may be may favourite song by them, and ‘Wanted Undead’ and the epic closer are up there alongside it! This is an excellent album that I’d recommend to just about anyone, and just makes me love them even more. I can’t wait to hear them live over the summer, but for now I’ll be spinning this plenty! Another very solid 9.5/10 from us!

Jon Corabi: New Day

Somehow the first fully electric solo release from the former Crüe/current Daisies frontman, New Day shows just what we’ve been missing all these years. It’s an awesome boot stompin’, blues-infused rock album, and is a lot of fun throughout! The title track opens things in style, while the ballad ‘When I was Young’, the swaggering ‘One More Shot’ and the heavy blues ‘Your Own Worst Enemy’ are all huge high points. It’s somehow both exactly what you’d expect from him given his recent output, yet also a little unexpected at times. While nearly-50 minutes is maybe a touch long, especially for a generally plodding blues pace throughout, it’s still a damn good album, and none of it is bad by any stretch! If you are a fan of the genre, Dead Daisies or just Corabi in general, this is well worth a listen! It’s a damn fun release, and one I’ll definitely be spinning again. 8/10

At the Gates: The Ghost of a Future Dead

The first album from the melodeath legends in nearly half a decade, this has been highly anticipated since its announcement. To the surprise of I’m sure almost no one, it’s really damn good! It’s classic At the Gates for 42 solid minutes. From ‘The Dissonant Void’ to ‘A Ritual of Waste’, ‘Parasitical Hive’ to ‘The Phantom Gospel’, there’s some absolutely incredible tracks throughout this whole release. The band proved that after nearly 40 years and now eight studio albums, the band still very much have it. They’re so dam talented, and it’s easy to see why they helped inspire a whole genre and have endured so prominently through it since. It won’t be for everyone, but if you’re into old-school melodeath, this is absolutely one to check out! I loved it, and it’s an incredibly easy 9/10 from me!

Yonah: Bird of Miracles

The debut album from the alt/indie folk singer-songwriter is a beautiful, chilled-out and deep release. While not typically my sort of thing on paper, it had some great old-school folk-rock, drawing from the likes of Dylan and Young. There’s depth and emotion to the lyrics and playing, everything feeling so purposefully and meticulously crafted. Right from the excellent opener I was hooked, and it somehow didn’t let me go until the very end. The duet with Myella, ‘Pressure, Forever’, was a definite highlight, as was ‘All I do’. However, every song is pretty excellent. He’s set to be a big name in the scene sooner rather than later, and this is a fantastic jumping off point for just that! I already can’t wait to hear where he goes from here, but for now it gets a solid 8/10 from us!

Six Feet Under: Next to Die

Another album from Chris Barnes and co., another collection of great riffs and playing ruined for me by Chris’ vocal style. Opener ‘Approach Your Grave’ was surprisingly steady in tempo, and I loved the riffs and plodding pace and drums. However, from the marginally-better-than-early-Cannibal-Corpse tones and production to Barnes’ illegible growls, it doesn’t do much for me. And that’s honestly one of the highlights of the album, alongside ‘Mind Hell’. I do enjoy this release more than I did their last one, but that’s not saying an awful lot. 4/10

Krooked Tongue: I Know a Place

This one has been a long time coming. It has been in the works for a while, and been announced for MONTHS now. Well, it’s finally here, and I can safely say that I loved it! It’s alt rock at its very best, and it’s no wonder the trio have garnered a lot of buzz around them in recent years. Be it the epic opener, the deliciously indie ‘Dog Days’ or the surprisingly heavy ‘Blood Shark’, there is so much variety, and so much to love! I definitely, hear both the Royal Blood and QOTSA comparisons, but the band also feel wholly unique at the same time, doing things very much their own way. It’s a fun release, while also being dark, heavy and emotional I’m equal measure. I’ve been a distant fan of them for years at this point, but this release has very much solidified me as a big one, that’s for sure! It’s well worth checking out if you are into indie, alt, or just any sort of rock in general, as so much of this album is a highlight in its own right. An incredibly easy 8.5/10, though it may grow on me even more with more listens!

Portrayal of Guilt: …Beginning of the End

Following up their critically-acclaimed CHRISTFUCKER album-pair (there’s a phrase I never thought I’d say), the hardcore black metallers returned with their fifth studio album. As much as Max loved their last release, I simply don’t get it, man. I completely appreciate that it is dark and heavy as hell and that certainly appeals to some. Heck, I didn’t even mind the odd riff, scream or breakdown peppered throughout. But, overall, my god was this just chaotic noise. I feel like I’d get into it a lot more live, but sadly it doesn’t do a great deal for me on track. ‘Human Terror’ and ‘God Will Never Hear Me’ are songs worth checking out if you’re interested! It’s definitely not bad by any stretch, just a touch too quirky for me. 5/10

Dead Reynolds: Yellow Weather Warning

This is a damn fun, punk-tinged melodic rock album! It’s packed full of anthemic tracks and moments, reminding me a fair bit of the likes of Mason Hill. ‘Count Me In’ sets the tone perfect, while songs like ‘Parasite’, ‘Hurricane’ and ‘Someone Else’ are excellent and carry on that same energy perfectly. And, while 41 minutes is maybe a touch too long for this sort of music, I can’t think of a track I’d want them to cut, as they are all that good! The band are all insanely talented, proving that they haven’t lost a step in the five years between albums. They should be a bigger name than they are, but this will surely be the album to push them over that edge! 9/10

The Groggy Dogs: No Grog No Glory

The first album from the pirate punk/metal/ska collective in four years, and continues on from their previous releases excellently, being another fun trek! It’s like the perfect blend of Dropkick Murphys, Mad Caddies’ Rock the Plank and even a touch of Social Distortion. ‘All Hands on Deck’ is the perfect opener, setting the tone excellently. Then you have the likes of ‘One Last Toast’, the pretty heavy ‘Ballad of Woodenhand Sam’ and ‘Roll the Woodpile Down’ that are all personal highlights. However, there really isn’t a bad track throughout, the album has a great flow to it as every song plays perfectly off the last. It’s impossible not to have a fun time listening to this, and it’s a release that I’m already desperate to hear some live from! It’s a sound that, while does seem to be growing in popularity again, we certainly don’t have enough of around! It won’t be for everyone, but if you are at all curious, this is well worth giving a spin, you might love it as much as I did! I’m so glad the band returned to the studio for another release, and I can’t give this any less than 8.5/10. Great stuff!

Ural: Anthropic Generic Involution

Some more awesome thrash metal for us this week, this time curtesy of the Italian five-piece. This thing goes hard from start to finish, too. It’s just over half-an-hour of balls-to-the-wall riffing and drumming, with some damn catchy vocal moments and some tasty soloing to only add to the excellence. It’s like late 80s Exodus in the best way possible. All of the chanted backing vocals add a fantastic layer throughout, adding to the surprisingly melodic main vocals excellently. Single and opener ‘Extreme Paranoia’ is amazing, while tracks like ‘Wrong Children’ and ‘Terror Eyes’ are also huge highlights. Every song on this release is amazing in its own right, though and the 33 minutes goes by in a flash. As a thrash kid at heart, I absolutely loved this from start to finish, and the band certainly have a new fan in me! Check this out if you are at all interested, and it gets a very solid 9/10 from us!

Interviews & Features

AK and the Red Kites: ‘It’s quite an organic process really, no one fix way!’

22nd April 2026 Overtone Leave a comment

We had the pleasure of chatting to the man himself from the blues/hard rockers ahead of their debut albums release next month. Check out the interview below!

The album’s out in just a few weeks time, right?

Yeah, 8th May, like the classic Mötorhead song! It’s easy to remember!

Is there an overarching theme to it, or is it more on an individual song basis?

It’s more of an individual song basis. It’s very much song driven so each stands out, which was very much the idea. Rather than having an overarching concept it’s more songs that stand up in their own right, I think! It’s very much song-driven, though the do go together nicely!

And there‘s four singles out of it now, right?

Yeah, ‘We Belong’, ‘Cosmic Train’, ‘Karmic Rituals’ and ‘Broken Love’ have all been released. We just released two singles on the same day, which might be a bit nuts, but we decided we would!

What went into the decision to drop two at the same time?

I don’t know really. One of the reasons is we’d already decided to put out ‘Broken Love’, and then there’s also a sync deal with Sony extreme that’s going on in the background. We just decided to drop one of those songs from that sync deal as well! So it was just to get it out there so people could sync it and stuff, really. ‘Why don’t we do both?’, and we did!

I feel like it’s harder than ever these days to work out when to drop new music, especially during an album cycle!

Yeah, for sure! We already had the plan anyway, ‘Karmic Rituals’ was almost sort of a bonus single! We’re generally putting stuff out every six weeks until the album, there’s another single two days before, on a Wednesday which is weird! It’s the title track of the album.

What went into the decision to put out an album at this point?

I think it was about finding the right time. The EP [Proverbial Storm, 2024] and the album were recorded as part of the same sessions with Mike Compus in Barnsley. It was a studio he was sharing with BMTH, they had a room in the same complex. I was going up there pretty regularly, we did it over a series of months. Then it was just deciding what to do with it. We released the EP and sorted the sync stuff out in the background and we’ve eventually just gone ‘here it is, this is the right time’.

What’s the writing process like for you guys?

It’s evolved. I do generally write a lot at home, and get a lot of the ideas. Then some of the stuff is worked out in the room. Someone will just play something, warming up or sound checking, and everyone joins in and you go ‘oh, that’s pretty cool, why don’t we do something with that!’. So it’s quite an organic process really, no one fix way. Sometimes it’s difficult, you’re not feeling very inspired. Other times it seems to be flying out everywhere.

I feel like listening to a lot of different music helps. Stuff out of your normal kinda box. For me it’s blues and classic rock and modern takes on that. But, I find if I just listen to that I get a bit stale. So I’ll go away and listen to Taylor Swift or folk music or anything, just stuff you wouldn’t tend to really listen to and it wakes something up, it comes back!

I think over the last few years it’s also become so much easier to incorporate elements of different genres in your music.

Oh yeah, there’s a lot of fusion going on. I think that’s partly the digital thing, with everything being so readily available. It’s not like the old days where you had what you had and listened to the one genre, you can find all this different music out there and it influences everyone across the board.

Is there more writing still going on in the background?

There’s new stuff, definitely. We’ve actually been in the studio recently and done a couple of tracks that are sounding cool. That will continue and could very well be the sessions from the next album. We’re always writing, though!

Are you doing much with Dust Coda at the minute?

Yes and no. We have an acoustic gig in a couple of weeks. It sounds alright! We will be looking to do another album but due to personal circumstances in the background we haven’t managed to do much. We will get back together soon though and doing new stuff!

Are there any different approaches you take to writing for Coda compared to AK?

No, not really! The writing process is largely the same, and then it’s the same sort of thing really, getting in the room with ideas. Then I do my best to do some Dust Coda-y sort of stuff!

Do you have a favourite track from Hotter than the Sun?

I like them all, to be honest. I treat them all as my children. But I think maybe the title track, it’s just got a nice bass groove and has a laid back feel to it. I like ‘Broken Love’ as well, it’s really high energy and tempo, it’s fun to play live! But yeah, there’s none on there that I’m like ‘oh, I don’t like that one!’. It’s not always the case!

You’ve got a bit of a busy year planned, right?

Yeah! Coming up to the release we’re going out around the UK on a kinda tour. Doing a couple of festivals and up north and London. We have a hometown show, the album release, on May 9th. We’re out and about! And we’re looking at doing some more a little bit later in the year, and a few Dust Coda bits as well! Spinning the plates really and see what happens!

News

Sons of Motörhead Legend Announce Tribute Show at Hella Rock!

17th April 2026 Overtone Leave a comment

Hella Rock Festival returns on September 5th, 2026 with a powerful and deeply personal announcement, confirming Phil Campbell’s Bastard Sons as this year’s headliners.

The appearance carries added significance, as legendary Phil Campbell was originally scheduled to headline before his passing in March earlier this year. Now, his sons Dane, Todd and Tyla will take to the stage to honour his legacy, delivering a high-energy tribute to his work with Motörhead in what promises to be one of the most unforgettable moments in the festival’s history.

Check out our interview with the Sons here!

Festival director James Pilling had this to say:

“We knew straight away this year had to mean more, losing Phil Campbell hit the whole rock community hard, and we’ve worked closely with his family to make sure this is done right. Having his sons headline, alongside having Phil’s rig on display and backdrops from previous tours around the venue, means this isn’t just another show – it’s a celebration of his legacy, his music, and everything he stood for. Thus year is for Phil, and it’s for all the Motörhead and PCATBAS fans out there”

Joining the Sons on the show are Tailgunner, King Kraken, Silveroller, Hell’s Addiction, Beth Blade and the Beautiful Disasters, Suns of Rest and Wälker!

Hella Rock Festival is also proud to announce a new partnership with Road Crew Beer, bringing even more rock ‘n’ roll spirit to this year’s event. alongside the main stage chaos, 2026 will see the introduction of a second stage, the Road Crew Stage, dedicated to stripped-back acoustic sets, offering fans a more intimate side of the artists while still keeping the volume loud where it counts!

While tickets are going fast, there are still some available. Grab them while you still can here!

Reviews

Doomsday Outlaw, Eddie & The Wolves and Luna Marble Rock Hallamshire Hotel!

14th April 2026 Overtone Leave a comment

The incredible UK blues rock/NWOCR stalwarts played a hometown gig over the weekend, packing nearly 100 people into the amazing Hallamshire Hotel! The first stop of their April tour was set to be a doozy, being backed by other local bluesy heavyweights in Eddie & The Wolves and Luna Marble. We’ve been excited to head down to this for weeks now, and there was no way we weren’t going to be raving about it afterwards! Check out all of our thoughts below.

Opening things up with a special acoustic-duo performance where the bluesy Luna Marble. I recently got into them off their amazing debut album, and it was cool to hear a lot of that in a different style here. Plus, for just the two of them, their acoustic guitars and vocals, goddamn did they produce a huge sound! Maria Rico has one of the best live vocals around at the minute, and not only that but has the charisma and stage presence to hold the crowd in the palm of her hand throughout a more subdued set. Meanwhile Dragos backs her up perfectly, providing some amazing playing and backing vocals throughout. Hearing the tracks unplugged takes you on a different journey, but has definitely left me wanting to hear it with the full band soon, too! And we even got a sneak preview of a new song, which went over a storm with the live crowd. They were the perfect openers for this show, and are a band that are rightfully already gathering plenty of momentum for themselves in the UK rock scene!

Next up were the amazing Eddie & the Wolves. Yada yada best band in the world, yada yada future of rock… you know the drill by now. I just want to quickly thank not only the two bands and the venue for having us on the bill with them, but for every single person who came down to see us. We all had a blast up on stage, as warm as it was, and it felt like the crowd enjoyed it too! We’d taken a month off to do some studio stuff, so getting back up in front of a packed out venue was truly something special. And, it at least sounded good on our end, so hopefully it did out front, too! The setlist is refined and we’re firing on all cylinders. We’re all over the place this year so be sure to catch us somewhere else soon if you couldn’t make it here!

After a surprisingly painless changeover, the headliners too to the stage! We’re big fans of the band, and have seen them around a fair bit, so when I say they were on top form yet again here, you’d best believe it! All of them are masters of their chosen craft these days, and come together from their other projects for this one amazingly whenever they’re ready. And, we got a pretty varied setlist from them, too! From older songs to trying out new stuff to their biggest hits, we got a bit of everything, and it was all spectacular. It felt like banger after banger, and their hours set went by in a flash! It’s criminal that at this point they aren’t bigger, but regardless they are still putting on one hell of a show every time they step on stage. I feel like they have a big year ahead of them, and I for one cannot wait to see them again, as well as check out their new music as it drops!

Check out an interview we did with Indie too, here!

And there we have it, folks, a fantastic night full of amazing rock bands! All three knocked it out of the park and are a must-see for any fans of hard or blues rock reading this! The audience in attendance witnessed something special; three bands at the top of their game, playing their asses off, and in a pretty awesome venue to boot! We had a blast and can’t wait to see them all again ASAP!

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: The Black Crowes, Lamb of God and More!

16th March 2026 Overtone Leave a comment

A typically stacked week of new releases for us to check out, from rock to metal to country. Let’s dive right in!

The Black Crowes: A Pound of Feathers

Owen: Following a 10 or so year hiatus, A Pound of Feathers is the third album in as many years for The Black Crowes. After almost 40 years in the industry, various member changes and 30 million albums sold, the group still sound like they are in their prime. ‘Profane Prophecy’ opens the album and sets the scene for everything that follows; upbeat, riﬀ-heavy and well placed cowbell. A blend of southern soul and classic blues rock with high energy and good helping of attitude from frontman Chris Robinson.

While the tone is consistent throughout, there is space for a couple of outliers. ‘Pharmacy Chronicles’ drops the wailing guitars for a slower acoustic sound, backed up by a slide guitar and a bright piano, the track standing proudly as a southern country rock ballad. ‘High & Lonesome’ is another track that feels like a departure from the rest of the album to show us yet another side of The Black Crowes, this time falling into a 60’s beat with some abstract glam rock influences of the same era. Overall, A Pound of Feathers is a strong collection of tracks proving once again the Robinson brothers and company are still here nearly 40 years on for good reason 9/10

Lamb of God: Into Oblivion

We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read the full review here.

Avery Anna: forgive, forget.

The follow-up to her huge sophomore album last year, this is a great six tracks of moody radio-country music. Opening on yet another collaboration with her close friend Sam Barber, somewhat controversially it’s probably my least favourite track on the release. Following track, the rockier ‘Man Downstairs’, and the 2000s country ‘Life Ain’t Like the Radio’ are much better, in this writers opinion. And the riffing on the out-and-out southern/blues rock ‘Blood Runs Thicker’ is amazing, and her vocals and lyrics fit perfectly over the top. Stuff like that is far better than her vaguely older-Olivia Rodrigo or Sabrina Carpenter slower, moodier stuff. They’re still good songs, but didn’t catch my ear anywhere near as much.

Because of this, it very much leads to an EP of two halves. Three of the tracks I absolutely adore, and the other three I can kinda take or leave. The slower, pop-oriented tracks aren’t bad, and will probably do better for her than the others, but I find the upbeat ones much more interesting. Heck, it almost feels like she had a better time writing/recording them, too. It will be a release I’ll revisit because of a few tracks, and hopefully the others grow on me with more listens. But, for now, I can’t give it any higher than a 7/10. Still, if you like country, this is well worth a try!

Ravenspell: Obsidian King

Max: I don’t really have too much to say about this one. It’s decent, not great not bad. Its fine and unoffensive. I should probably say I’m not really the biggest fan of power metal or similar genres, but for a bands first full length album, coming in at 40 minutes, this is really pretty decent. It is polished and well produced and recorded. The solos, as is common with this music, and definitely a highlight. However, the best parts, in my opinion, were actually the riffs that were a bit chunkier and galloping. then brought a lot of energy. Probably my biggest issue with this album was that it didn’t seem unique, it felt very middle of the road and similar to other albums in the genre. That’s not bad, if anything it gives more room for them to explore and try something different and a bit more adventurous later on. 5.5/10

The Fray: A Light That Waits

Those guys that did ‘How to Save a Life’ some two decades ago have put out four studio albums since then, but this is their first in over 12 years! It’s also the first release since the departure of their original vocalist, Isaac Slade, in 2022. So, to say this could be a make or break album for them may be an understatement!

Honestly, it impressed me a lot more than I expected it to! The opener/title track is excellent, reminding me of the perfect blend of James Bay, Kings of Leon, and Kip Moore. Then you have tracks like ‘Ice Cold Lakes’ and ‘Tasted Glory’ that are also big personal highlights. It made me nostalgic for the sort of sound that was big in their hay day, a sound that sadly isn’t nearly as popular the last decade. Don’t get me wrong, 35-minutes of slowish, similar sounding music did get a bit much for me and my tiny attention span around the halfway mark, but all of it was still damn good music. Each track in isolation is great, and it fits together perfectly on the release. Joe King (lol) makes for a damn good lead vocalist, and really feels like he is leading the now-trio into a new chapter of their careers. And I for one am excited to hear where they go from here. For now though, I’d say this is easily their best release since their 2009 self-titled output, and it gets a solid 7.5/10 from me!

Roswell Road: Rebel Joy

This beautiful combination of folk, indie and Americana is pretty damn amazing for a debut album! The female duo have been building up to the release for the last two years with a total of six singles, culminating in this nearly-40-minute collection of incredible harmonies, lyrics and instrumentation. While not typically my sort of sound usually, I couldn’t help but get lost in this, the pair’s talent on full display throughout. The opener featuring the equally-great Dunwells is a huge high point of the release, alongside ‘Can’t Take my Soul’. It’s a great album to throw on and chill-out to, while still having plenty of weight and emotion at the same time. The pair have a very bright future ahead of them, and if you are at all into the sort of style I’ve mentioned above, this is well worth giving a spin! It’s another I will probably revisit if I ever want something more relaxed, and it may grow on me more then. However, for now, a solid 6.5/10 from us.

Angus McSix: …And the All-Seeing Astral Eye

We’ve also checked out this great release! Read our love for it here.

The Scratch: Pull Like a Dog

Album number four from the modern folk-metallers isn’t at all what I expected heading into it, but I enjoyed it a lot all the same! It’s like the other side of the folk-metal coin. There are plenty of bands that incorporate folk instruments into a metal sound, usually more of a traditional heavy or power metal style. I haven’t known really any band to just play straight up folk or bluegrass music but just transposed to distorted and ‘rock’ instrumentation. That is, until now! And, the fact that they have toured with the likes of Dropkicks and Dermot Kennedy should outline exactly what I’m talking about, as they are incredibly fitting supports for both. It makes for a fascinating listen, and a style that I got into more and more as the release went on. It almost makes it as much hardcore as anything else at times, which I am more than down with. And somehow, the Irish accent adds even more anger and attitude to it when it gets to that point.

‘Pullin’ Teeth’ is a massive early highlight, with Kevin Rheault adding even more greatness to the sound. Then you have tracks like ‘Mother of God’ and ‘Horsefly’ that are also great songs in their own right. The whole album is damn interesting though, and quirky enough to keep me hooked from start to finish. They are all clearly talented musicians and there is nothing out there even remotely like this. If you are at all interested, I’d highly recommend checking this out, you may end up loving it! It’s growing on me more with every listen, but for now it still gets a solid 8/10!

Joey Frendo: Harder Than Dreaming

This is a fun, chilled-out soft Southern rock album! From the incredible lyrics to the powerful, emotion-filled vocal delivery, and the excellent, fitting instrumentation behind it all, it’s all so well written and performed. From ‘First Band’ and the title track to the slightly more up-beat ‘Wings of a Song’ and the brass-heavy ‘Back to You’, there’s so much to love. However, there really isn’t a bad track throughout, 40 minutes going by in a flash! He’s a name that should be bigger by this point, but hopefully this sophomore album pushes him to new heights. He certainly has a new fan in me, that’s for sure! If you are at all a fan of the slower side of country/rock, this is definitely an album worth checking out. I’ll certainly be spinning it again, especially when it comes to summer time, and it gets a solid 7/10 from us!

Sweet Pill: Still There’s a Glow

Owen: Still There’s a Glow is the second studio album from Philadelphia-based Sweet Pill. It used to be cliché to compare any emo/punk band with a female vocalist to Paramore in some way but listening to Sweet Pill’s latest release leaves me little option. Whether intentional or not, various tracks from ‘Still There’s a Glow’ would have sit happily on Riot! Or Brand New Eyes. Despite the similarities, Sweet Pill are sure to make their own stamp on the genre and aren’t afraid to lean into an even heavier sound at points; vocals turn briefly to screams and the rest of the band can follow suit. Tracks like ‘Slow burn’ and ‘Smoke Screen’ show where Sweet Pill’s sound can change and evolve. For only the second album from a relatively new band this album is an impressive addition to what is sure to be a progressive and long-lasting discography. 8.5/10

Big Band of Boom: Self-Titled

This is a wild release! Being a blend of big-band brass and ska, punk and metal, it’s certainly unique. And, it won me over immediately, having me hooked from the start to the very end! The opening one-two-punch of ‘Stupid Filthy Rich’ into single ‘Earthquake’ is incredible. ‘Doomscrolling’ is SOAD in every perfect way, and the fact that they even cover ‘Toxicity’ later on to add to it is phenomenal. Another cover, Pendulum’s ‘Propane Nightares’, is another firm high point of the release. And of course, their big track, ‘Big Bad Voodoo’, and also stuff like ‘One Night Only’ and ‘Yügen’ are also HUGE highlights too.

As you can tell, I could gush about this release all day, and happily at that! The band are so damn talented in every aspect, and have crafted something truly unique with this album. They certainly have a big new fan in me, and I’ll be spinning this plenty in the months to come. I’d recommend absolutely anyone check this out ASAP, as it very much has something for everyone. And, I can’t give it any less than a whopping 10/10. Amazing stuff!

Monstrosity: Screams from Beneath the Surface

Max: This one was hard for me. It is, in every manner, an objectively good album. The riffs are great, the drummer is insane (the kicks were a real highlight), the vocals were gross and visceral, just as you would want. “So Max if everything is so good, why was it hard to review?”, well kind reader, its because it was really hard to give it an objective number rating. It’s not reinventing the wheel, nor is it doing nothing at all, it’s a lot of fun and has some weird little quirks throughout, like the high notes on the guitar in ‘The Atrophied’. So after literally flipping a coin to decide what I am going to give it, here it is … 7.5/10

Georgia Nevada: BackFire

The much-anticipated debut album from the UK country star finally dropped this last Friday. We loved her EP back last year, so have been pretty damn excited for this to arrive! To say it lives up to our hype would be an understatement, too! It’s 26 minutes of rock-infused country music, and when I say that every track is as good as the last, I truly mean it! ‘My Town, Too’, ‘Damaged Goods’ and ‘Stones Throw’ are all personal highlights, but there truly isn’t a bad song throughout. I like the even rockier edge she’s taken with this release, and her backing band are all incredible musicians alongside her! It’s easy to compare her to the likes of Kezia Gill, and this honestly feels just as polished and excellent as All on Red is. As the UK scene continues to grow year by year, Georgia has the real potential to be at the very forefront of it sooner rather than later, especially with releases like this! Anyone into country or rock in any capacity, check this out, it’s incredibly fun and a very easy listen. I can’t give it any less than 9/10!

Caroline Romano: It Took me Falling

Following up on the excellent How the Good Girls Die EP from last year was going to be a tall task, but Caroline has dropped a release every bit as good with this! It’s six awesome pop-rock tracks, each flowing perfectly from one to the next. There’s just a touch of country to the slower moments too, which I really liked. ‘Not Used to You’ is probably my favourite song on here, but each is great in their own way! It’s very Olivia Rodrigo, but does have a darker, slightly rockier edge to it too. Her vocals are amazing, and the lyrics skirt the line of emotional and fun perfectly throughout. If you are into her style, this is absolutely a release for you! It’s another release to get a solid 7/10!

Close Enemies: Self-Titled

The debut release from the newest rock supergroup finally dropped this last Friday. I didn’t actually know these guys were a thing until this weekend, but they are a damn good classic rock band, and have smashed it with this album! It very much feels like a sum of some of the parts, being vaguely Aerosmith and even Rod Stewart, but also a little Quireboys, Dirty Honey and our buddies above, The Black Crowes. ‘Sound of a Train’, ‘Wink and a Feather’ and single/ballad ‘More Than I Could Ever Need’ are all personal highlights, but there really isn’t a bad song throughout. Five excellent musicians have come together to create something awesome here, and if you are into any of their other projects, this is well worth checking out! It’s a pretty easy listen and, while it maybe gets a little long-in-the-tooth by the end, it’s still a solid 7.5/10 from us!

Sour Tusk: Lightning Boogie

The first album in seven years from the UK stoner metallers shows that the band haven’t at all lost a step in that time! It’s 40 minutes of great riffing and drumming, and some surprisingly catchy vocal hooks to boot. Between ‘Mission from God’, ‘Hail Hail’ and the punky ‘The Monster in Me’ are all big personal highlights, but there really isn’t a bad track throughout. The band are all insanely talented musicians and have been plugging away at the UK for a good few years now, growing a dedicated fanbase. Said fanbase will love this, as I’d easily put it up there with their debut! If you are at all into the stoner/doomier side of rock and metal, this is certainly for you. It’s like anything from QOTSA to The Sword to even Crowbar. It’s a lot of fun, and will surely push the band to new heights. 8/10

Cat Clyde: Mud Blood Bone

This is a fun classic country/soul album! It gives big Pokey Lafarge or Sierra Ferrel vibes, in the best ways. There’s also a slight gothic edge to it at times, giving off the energy of stuff like Twin Temple or Chelsea Wolfe. It’s certainly not a sound for everyone, but I had a great time listening! And, while it’s an album that begs to be listened to in full, and is very easy to do so, ‘Man’s World’, ‘My Love’ and the almost punky ‘Wanna Ride’ were personal highlights! Heck, I ended up enjoying the second half of the album even more than the first, which is saying something! But, as I said, it’s a fun listen, and just over half an hour goes by in a flash. Her vocals are incredible and fit the tone of each track perfectly, while her lyric writing is also amazing. And the band she has used here are stellar, fitting and representing her style to a T. It’s not a release I’d revisit often, but I know that whenever I do, I’ll have a blast! A pretty solid and easy 6.5/10 from us!

Schattenmann: Endgegner

Album five from the ‘New German Hardness’ band is also the longest gap between records they’ve had so far. Now, we enjoyed their last release back in 2023, but honestly this may be on another level! It’s got a lot more of an industrial edge throughout, but the dark melodies also remind me a lot of the likes of Lord of the Lost or Beyond the Black. The title track is the perfect opener, and songs like ‘Einen Scheiss muss ich’, ‘Schna-na-naps’ and ‘Echo’ are also big high points. The whole album is good though, even if it does feel a touch long. Though it’s only 40 minutes, it’s a lot of similar stuff, and does drag just a touch by the last few song, despite them still being high quality. Still, if you like their particular brand of noise, it’s definitely worth checking out, and it certainly won’t stop me from spinning it plenty in the coming weeks and months. A damn easy 8.5/10 from us!

Against I: Anti Life

This is a damn good blackened death metal album! Release four from the Swedish trio, they should be getting far more love than they are currently! This album is heavy, dark and epic all in equal measure, and an absolute must for anyone into the heavier side of the genre. And, even at nearly an hour in length, it goes by in a flash, and is a damn fun listen! From ‘Built to Destroy’ to ‘Empires of Bones’ to ‘Where we Lay to Rest’, it’s all so good. It certainly won’t be for everyone, but for someone who isn’t hugely into much black-metal-leaning stuff I was still hooked, so that must say something! The band have really come into their own here, and I can’t give it any less than 7/10, good stuff!

The Kimball Superstars: Here’s to the Memory

The sophomore album from the Washington old-school country band is a lot of fun. It’s simple but such an easy listen. From the title track to ‘No Happiness Alone’ to ‘Thinking Man’s Plight’, there is plenty to love. There are some incredible lyrics throughout, and the vocal delivery of all of it was perfect. Even the instrumentation construed plenty of emotion when needed! It doesn’t reinvent the wheel by any stretch, but is a damn easy album to throw on and relax to, and if you like an older country style this is absolutely an album for you. It’s good, if nothing else. 6/10, will probably listen again at some point soon.

The Gems: Year of the Snake

Following up on 2024’s Phoenix, the classic rock women have produced another awesome release with Year of the Snake. The albums titular track opens things perfectly, while tracks like single ‘Live and Let Go’ and ‘Hot Bait’ and the bluesy ‘Buckle Up’ are all further high points. However, this whole album is banger after banger, and 45-minutes goes by in the blink of an eye. It’s packed full of fantastic riffs, solid drumming and amazing vocals, all wrapped up into a package the perfect mix of sleaze, hard rock and AOR. The trio are some of the best songwriters in their genre currently, and are really operating at the top of their game. Every song on here is as good as the last, from fast stomper to emotional ballad. As much as I loved (and still spin) Phoenix, I think somehow they have managed to top it with this release. I LOVE this album, and feel like it won’t get nearly the buzz it deserves. Still, it gets an incredibly solid 9.5/10 from us, and expect it pretty high on our albums of the year list come December!

Wolfbastard: Satanic Scum Punks

Four years after the Manchester ‘feral underground kings’ dropped their critically acclaimed Hammer the Bastards, the trio are back with another offering. And, it’s another excellent dark, aggressive black-metal-tinged hardcore album! It’s half an hour of balls-to-the-wall anger that feels so take-no-prisoners in the best way. Wolfbastard don’t give a shit if you like them or not, they’re just here to kick some ass! And, as a result, the release has a great flow to it, each track fitting together with each other perfectly. It makes it incredibly hard to pick highlights, as the whole thing just kinda slaps! It’s yet another release that certainly isn’t for everyone, but I had a damn good time listening to it and would LOVE to see it live! A damn solid 7.5/10 from us, and I cannot wait to hear where they go from here

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Gorillaz, Rob Zombie and More!

3rd March 2026 Overtone Leave a comment

An absolutely MASSIVE week of New Music Mondays for us this time, with a whopping 24 releases for us to check out across the rock, metal, country and even pop world! I even had to enlist the help of occasional Overtone writers Max and Owen to help out! Let’s not waste any time, let’s do this!

Gorillaz: The Mountain

As someone who’s never been massively into the Damon Albarn side project, only liking a few songs over the years, I was not at all excepting what I found myself listening to here. I know they’ve been pretty art rock over the years and incorporated plenty of different sounds into their own, but the occasional Asian theming was not something I was ready for heading in. And honestly, regardless of the theming of the album… this fucking sucks. I’m sorry, I know the band are massive (40M monthly listeners is insane), and there will certainly be people who like this album. If you are one of them, that’s awesome, and I’m glad someone does. But I don’t know how anyone can listen to something like ‘The Hardest Thing’ and think “I enjoyed that, I want to listen again!”. I know that as not a big fan of a lot of modern hip-hop or arty stuff, I’m not the target audience, but this is definitely lower in quality than their early stuff. The closest thing to a good track I found was ‘Orange County’ or ‘The Shadowy Light’, and even then I think that claim is a stretch. Again, if you like this, awesome, but fuck was a it a boring slog of a 56-minutes to get through. 2.5/10, make it stop.

Rob Zombie: The Great Satan

Somehow, it does not feel like nearly five years since the last album we’ve had from the horror master. A lot has changed in those five years, though. Firstly, John 5 is gone and is now in Motley Crüe, while Piggy D is now playing with Manson. However, both have been replaced by original members Mike Riggs and Blasko, making this maybe the most impressive lineup of Rob’s solo project yet. And, because of this, we’ve had the most old-school feeling Zombie album in decades. This has a heaviness and darkness and edge to it that didn’t feel present through his more recent stuff. And hey, I like his previous four albums a lot, but this certainly hits different. The opener feels ripped straight from a White Zombie release, while single ‘(I’m a) Rock “N” Roller’ dials up his industrial edge to 11 and tracks like ‘Black Rat Coffin’ and the excellent ‘The Devilman’ still have the lighter, more radio-friendly elements of his modern stuff. It really has a bit of everything, feeling more of a combination/culmination of his previous works. And there isn’t a bad track throughout; nearly-40 minutes going by in a flash. Heck, the back half of the album is arguably somehow better than the first!

It’s an album for old-school Zombie fans, feeling like a return to form from someone who never really dipped or didn’t feel like he went away! It’s such a fun listen and certainly be spinning this plenty moving forward. I can’t give it any less than 9/10, and goddamn do I hope he tours the UK with it this time!

A Thousand Horses: White Flag Down

This leaned surprisingly more into the rock side of their sound over the country that I was expecting. It’s a lot more early 2000s radio rock inspired, such as a Shinedown, but does at least keep the elements of Southern rock in there too akin to Blacktop Mojo or Black Stone Cherry. It was just a bit of a shock heading in expecting ‘Smoke’ and ‘Song to Remember’. It’s not like it was even a gradual change too, as 2024’s The Outside was still firmly routed in country.

If that sounds like a complaint, however, ir certainly isn’t! As different as it is, it’s still damn good music! It’s 36-minutes of non-stop great rock music with a dark, Southern tinge. It’s a journey through loss and trying not to give up, a theme that is all too relatable these days. I love the way it’s arranged too, with the more heavy, aggravated tracks opening before it opens up into more country/Southern rock ballad territory for the back half. The more I listened, the more I loved it, and the more ended up on my personal playlist! I’ve spun this three times over the weekend and every song is as good as the last; all excellent, emotion-filled and fit the tone of the album perfectly. It’s impossible to pick select highlights, as it’s all so good and flows incredibly. And, from the playing to the vocals, lyrics to the tones to the arrangements, it’s all phenomenally well done.

This is a band who have evolved and tried something different to amazing results, proving that they are some of the best and most underrated songwriters around today. It’s going to be an album I revisit often, and will be HIGH on our albums of the year list come December. I feel like I’ve been a touch harsher than usual this year so far, but this is absolutely excellent, and I can’t give it any less than 10/10. Check this out immediately, regardless of what you are into!

Bruno Mars: The Romantic

Okay, so while strictly more pop than anything else, you cannot argue the inspiration Bruno pulls from the rock world, alongside the likes of Soul and R&B. And I’ve been a fan of his since he broke out, and would be listening to this anyway. And, it’s my magazine, so I can do what I want!

While opening on a slow ballad was an odd choice, ‘Risk it All’ is a beautiful, emotion-filled track that is hard to it to love. The other single from the album, ‘I Just Might’, I’d honestly put up there alongside any of his hits, it really is that good! Then you have tracks like the soft rock ‘Why you Wanna Fight?’ and the bouncy, jazzy ‘Something Serious’ that are also huge highlights. However, there really isn’t a bad track throughout. His vocals are as incredible as ever, instrumentally it’s great (a surprising amount of guitar solos) and the harmonies are utterly phenomenal as always. It’s maybe a touch on the slower side overall than I’d have hoped for, but at only 31 minutes, in a rare case, I’d have happily taken more music. Especially when this is the first mainline release from the guy in a decade! It’s definitely worth a listen if you are at all interested, and gets a solid 8/10 from us!

Carpenter Brut: Leather Temple

Max: So, I am not the most versed in instrumental music and especially not synth but after this, I think I’m going to have to listen to more. It’s a bit odd and has some familiar themes throughout. However, the bouncy and flowing nature of each track kept me hooked and moving whilst listening. The metal instruments at points were simply quite cool and gave a number of the songs an almost Doom-like epicness which just keeps you going. Whilst, at least to me, it felt like the first few tracks were a little samey, on a second and then third listen, I was able to notice more and more subtle differences which made each track interesting. Whilst it might not be the greatest album ever in that genre, I wouldn’t say it is in anyway bad. For me, a really fun album that I think everyone should listen to! 9/10

Paul Gilbert: WROC

We’ve already checked out this album! Read the full review here!

Phoenix Lake: Seraphina: The Fall From Eden

The highly anticipated debut album from the melodic metallers finally dropped this last Friday. To say it lives up to the hype would be an understatement! It’s a 45-minute journey of a fallen angel perfectly encapsulated in heavy riffs and soaring vocals. The bands unique brand of melodic hard rock, metalcore and modern power metal is amazing and makes them feel pretty unique, easily standing out around a lot of their peers in the UK. And, on top of that, the quality here is insanely high. Personal highlights are ‘This Abyss’, ‘Fractured Wings’ and ‘Bells of Variel’, though there really isn’t a bad track throughout. It also has a perfect flow to it, everything fitting together amazingly and the interludes helping make it more of a concept album. Also, shout-out to whoever mixed and produced this because damn, everything sounds MASSIVE.

These guys have been building a lot of steam the last few years, and this feels like the perfect time to finally be dropping this debut. If you have even a passing liking of metal, I can’t recommend checking this out enough! The band are going to be a big name in metal in the coming years, and this is the perfect jumping-off point for that. I can’t give it any less than 9/10, amazing stuff!

Iron & Wine: Hen’s Teeth

Owen: Prolific singer songwriter Sam Beam brings us Hen’s Teeth, the eighth studio album under his stage name Iron & Wine. With a career spanning over 20 years, Iron & Wine continues to evolve and develop with age and experience. Hen’s Teeth simultaneously manages to bring in familiar elements from previous albums as well as push new directions for the artist. Beam’s unique vocals remain the focus of these 10 tracks, but the production is more polished and the instrumentals elevated. Certain tracks really show a love for 70’s folk-rock, with tracks like ‘In Your Ocean’ evoking the stylings of Fleetwood Mac or Crosby Stills and Nash. I personally would have liked a few more upbeat tracks in this style on the album as this track particularly shines. Hen’s Teeth also includes two tracks featuring I’m With Her, ‘Robin’s Egg’, and ‘Wait Up’, the combination of the bands vocals with Beam’s own vocal and writing skill is a match made in heaven and worth checking out for fans of impressive harmony. 7/10

Check out our previous review of him here!

Internal Decay: Fires of the Forgotten

Returning with new music for the first time in a whopping 33 years, and their first output since their 2023 reunion, this three track release goes hard. It feels a lot more melodeath than I was expecting heading in, maybe even more so than their debut all those years ago. That’s definitely not a bad thing though, as I loved every minute of this 16. However, the epic ‘A Demon’s Bow’ is a particular highlight for me! I’m so glad the band have returned, and I already want more from them! This may be even better than their album, you can tell they’ve matured as songwriters in their time away. If you are at all into the genre, this is an absolute must! 8/10

A Wilhelm Scream: Cheap Heat

Max: This is my first foray in to AWS but I must say the 3 seconds of reading I did about them before hand was pretty spot on; this is a fun and catchy album where you get realed in immediately. I don’t think there was a track on the album that wasn’t interesting, everything felt spot on and thought out so I never felt like it got bogged down. However, something that might be a positive or a negative depending on your perspective, is that the album is very short, sub 30 minutes! For me, it felt like the perfect amount of time and nothing overstayed its welcome. However, equally I can understand the desire to have something longer. Either way, it is certain that AWS can make a punchy and enjoyable album. 8.5/10

No Murder No Mustache: As Everything Else Decays

Album number three from the Celtic punk soloist Owen Crawford is another damn fun release! Clearly pulling inspiration from everyone from Dropkicks to Ferocious Dog to even the likes of Frank Turner and Offspring, No Murder is still very much its own thing, and does its thing with a unique style. It’s a sound that I’m a big fan of, as well as being nostalgic towards, so of course I love this. However, it’s also high quality in its own right. Tracks like ‘Dic Penderyn’, single ‘Wasted’ and ‘Never Again’ are personal highlights, but every track on it is pretty great. The lyrics are fantastic as well, punk through and through and calling out just about everything wrong with the establishment. However, having said that, 14 tracks (even if that’s including the intro and bonus ones) is a touch long. Still, at least the album is broken up by ballads like ‘As Darkness Falls’. If you are a fan of any of the artists I’ve mentioned already, this is still well worth checking out, and the project certainly has a new fan in me! 7.5/10

Utopia Development Corporation: Industrial Area Swimming Center

This debut EP sure is a mouthful. However, it is also a pretty great indie-punk release! It’s dark and pretty heavy too, with definite elements of hardcore. And, at just 15-minutes, it’s the perfect length for me with this sort of music. Much more and I think I’d have gotten a little bored of its similar style, but when it’s just four tracks it’s easy to appreciate how great it is. The band are all massively talented at their style and instruments, as well as being really good songwriters. Both ‘Repeat’ and ‘Dance Demons, Dance’ are excellent songs I’ll happily have in my rotation moving forward, even though I typically am not into this sort of style as much. If you are into any of the styles I’ve mentioned already, this is definitely worth checking out. They are definitely a band to keep an eye on, and this gets a solid 7/10 from us!

Hannah Schneider: In This Room

Owen: “Melancholic and cinematic alternative pop” is how Hannah Schneider describers her sound,
which as I listen to the 10 tracks that make up In This Room seems a perfect description. Raised in Copenhagen by classical musicians Schneider’s musical intelligence shines through early on in
the album, expect a wide range of musical styles, instruments, and inspirations not only throughout the album but within each track. Fans will recognise ‘Lighthouse’, previously released as a single, a stand out track bringing in a range elements from electronica melodies to Spanish
flamenco guitar. Overall the album is a slow chilled out exploration of the previously mentioned description of her music. Schneider and collaborator Christian Balvig have put together an
impressive album, not one that’s going to start a lively party any time soon, but a contemplative thoughtful collection of tracks. 8.5/10

Nerve Star: White Hot

Another debut album this week, this time from the NWOBHM revivalists. For a band that have only been together a couple of years, this is an absolutely amazing release. Every member works their ass off throughout, all being masters at their chosen instrument. It’s very Judas Priest/Saxon in all the best ways. I mean, anything featuring Janne Stark was bound to be good, but this blew away even my expectations! Tracks like ‘Black Ice’, ‘Black Jack’ and ‘The Harder the Better’ are personal highlights. Every track is good, though I do have to admit that the hour-long runtime was maybe a little much when much of it is so similar. Having said that, I did enjoy the little instrumental tracks that show off Stark and his criminally underrated guitaring! Another must for anyone into the old-school style of metal and a very easy 8/10 from us!

Cryptic Shift: Overspace & Supertime

Max: There are lots of albums that come out that try and really encapsulate what a certain genre or combination of genres should be like. It is this blend of progressive thrash that really like to stand out and in an aggressive way. From the almost soothing scales played as breaks across certain tracks to the jump and strange timing of other rifts its hard to pin down at any point and you really can’t say that it is in any way simple. Whilst it’s not an album for me, just as a case study for excellence you really can’t hate it. Sure you may not like it, but it is oozing with talent and skill through out. The insane feat of the half-an-hour track ‘Stratocumulus Evergaol’ is a particular highlight, and could easily be an album of its own 8/10

Jon Langston: Thing About Me

Somehow only the second album from the rather long-standing country star, it follows up Heart on Ice rather perfectly! It’s a rock-infused country album that is packed full of fun (if a little cliche) songs! It’s does feel like a hangover from the bro-country days, especially from the lyrics, but when the genre isn’t everywhere constantly, it’s enjoyable to get the odd release of it! And, shockingly, 46-minutes goes by in a flash here! From ‘Whiskey Weather’ and ‘Thing About Me’ to ‘Comes Out in the Whiskey’ and the heavier duet with Rory Rodriguez, ‘Find You’, it’s packed full of awesome songs! If you are into 2010s country, like I am, this is definitely an album worth giving a spin. Outside of his big tracks I hadn’t heard much from him, but he’s definitely good at putting out full albums, too! This is a solid 7.5/10 from us!

Necrofier: Transcend Into Oblivion

Album number three from the Texan black metallers goes just as hard as their previous two! This is nearly an hour of dark brutality and, while long-time readers will know the genre usually isn’t my go-to, I had a blast listening to this! It’s also hard to pick singular tracks as highlights, mainly because it is all a similar level of quality, but also because nine of the tracks are bunched together in three parts of the same song, following on perfectly from each other each time. Having said that, the first part of ‘Servants of Darkness’ was particularly awesome! Even in a niche genre, the band deserve to be bigger, and hopefully this is the release to take them to that point. Give this a spin if you like the heavier side of metal, and thank me later! 7/10

Philip Shouse: Side 1

The first solo release from the Accept guitar legend is a fun little jaunt through five great hard rock tracks! He still gets to show off his incredible guitar skills even when not in a metal environment, and it was actually nice to hear a different style from him. Heck, the punky, poppy ‘The Naked Empress’ was probably my favourite track on here, though they’re all good! It’s just a fun, light-hearted release that’s impossible not to have a good time listening to. I already cannot wait for Side 2, whenever that may drop, but I’m happy to wait it out and keep spinning this. I’m honestly shocked he’s not done a solo venture before now, as he clearly has a different style he wants to play and is damn good at writing it! A solid 8/10 from us, good stuff!

Pil & Blue: You Have Chosen Darkness (Level 5)

The first revisit of the (Level)s format since their 2014 debut, the melodic/melancholic/ vaguely proggy rock duo do a great job at continuing on their sound here. Firstly, the fact that they get this level of sound and depth out of just two of them is insane, being equal parts emotional and epic throughout. It gives off very big Chevelle vibes in the very best ways, also mixed with a healthy dose of Placebo. ‘Somewhere In Between’ is the perfect opener for this, while it is followed up incredibly by the thrashy, punky ‘222’. The awesomeness doesn’t stop there either, as the other five tracks on this are just as good, honestly! They are such incredible players and songwriters, and it’s easy to see why they are getting so much love in their home country. They have a big new fan in me, and I’ll certainly be going back and checking out Levels 1-4! It’s one of the best 30 minutes of music I’ve listened to all year so far, and I can’t give it anything less than 9.5/10. Check this out ASAP!

Daniel Young: Another Golden Hour

Album number five from the country-infused soft rocker is a beautiful, chilled-out 46-minute collection. It’s not going to be for everyone reading this, but I had a blast listening. It’s such an easy listen, and all 10 tracks are as good as the last! It gave off vibes of everyone from Jack Johnson to Charley Crockett to Pinegrove throughout. Maybe it was the better weather that this album seemed to summon with its release, but it’s perfect for relaxing in the sun with! If you like things a little slower and more chilled, this is definitely the album for you! Daniel’s vocals and lyric writing are both amazing, and the vague blues/country instrumentation fits both perfectly. I can’t give it any less than 8/10, great stuff!

Lone Assembly: Knots & Chains

The Swiss new wave/post-punk quartet dropped their highly anticipated debut this last Friday, and honestly blew me away with it! It’s a genre I have an up-and-down relationship with, but something about this drew me in immediately and didn’t let me go for its full 38-minutes. They wear their Sisters of Mercy and The Cure inspirations firmly on their sleeves, yet also sound modernised, the fantastic production most likely helping on that front. From the opener to ‘Nocturnal Vision’ to ‘You’re Pulling at the Same Strings’, there is plenty to love throughout! It’s a style that seems to be coming back, at least in the underground, and newer bands like this are building on and continuing the sound perfectly. It’s another incredibly easy listen, all 10 tracks going by in a flash, so check this out if you are at all curious. It gets an incredibly solid 8.5/10 from us, what a hell of a debut!

Owls Over Oaks: O.O.O.

Another massive debut album, this time from the Italian drone-doom collective. First things first, I really enjoyed the idea of this being a three track album, and each is just one word from the band name. Hilarious. However, it’s not a genre/style I think I ‘get’. I suppose the other positive is that there are some nasty tones in this, in the best way. Guitar, bass, drums and even the vocals all sound awesome from a production standpoint. But each track is 10+ minutes of the same thing over and over, and at a pretty slow pace overall. If you are into this sort of thing, more power to you, but it’s definitely not the sort of thing I’ll be rushing back to listen to again. The band members are clearly all talented, it’s just not for me. Maybe I’d get it more in a live setting. However, for now, I can’t give this much more than a 3.5/10, sorry guys. The repetition was just too much for me.

Scratch One Grub: One

Oh look, another debut album! This time it comes curtesy of the Welsh six-piece and their proggy, heavy sound. It’s very hardcore, but also very death/black metal, a splash of gothic or emo, and has plenty of metalcore elements too, making it one of the most unique listens I’ve had recently. The closest thing I can think of as a comparison is Tallah, but even then it doesn’t fit perfectly. The band are also insanely talented, crafting some wild riffs, brutal screams and crushing breakdowns throughout, all fitting together perfectly. Tracks like ‘Vagabond’, ‘Bad Habit’ and single ‘#1’ are all personal highlights, but honestly every track is pretty great, it all flowing together perfectly! I have to see this live, it’s the kind of chaotic energy that already had me wanting to pit on my own in the living room. However, it is also excellent on track, and will certainly be one I’ll be spinning plenty in the weeks and months to come. The band have a big new fan in me, and I can’t give this any less than 9/10, amazing stuff!

Magoo: What a Life

I LOVE that this sort of style is still coming out of newer bands, and this is an absolutely fantastic debut release from the Americana/bluegrass four-piece. They had me hooked right from the opening with that harmonised chorus, ‘Ohio Blues’ being an incredible early highlight. Then you have tracks like the chilled ‘Big Fall’, the Sam Bush-featuring ‘Angel of Telluride’ and the beautiful title song that are also big highlights. Plus, can we just appreciate the sheer mind-blowing playing on ‘Rippin Richard’? Insane! The whole album is packed full of highlights and fantastic songs, and nearly an hour went by in a flash. If you are even vaguely country-leaning, this is an absolute must of an album for you. And for this to be a debut album is even more incredible. It’s a modern, more radio-infused bluegrass, and I’m a little obsessed! Some amazing instrumentation and lyrics throughout, and it’s an incredibly easy 9/10 from us!

Interviews & Features

The Trousers: ‘The rule is that there always has to be a riff!’

27th February 2026 Overtone Leave a comment

We had the pleasure of chatting to the amazing Zoltán Kőváry of The Trousers the other day about their latest album release, their sound and plans for the year. Check it out below!

How would you describe your sound?

It’s classic and vintage-based but not retro. We are starting from 70’s hard rock and garage rock like Sabbath, AC/DC, Motörhead or Iggy & The Stooges but also influenced by later bands like The Hellacopters, Alice in Chains, Queens of the Stone Age or Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

You’re seven albums deep now; how would you compare last years Necessary Evil with your early work?

The sound is more professional and heavier, all the instruments have weight on this album. The songwriting got more mature and the melodies are catchy. We always try to create a “ten single record”, no fillers, no self-serving experimental pieces… Each song contains a hook in a different way. The rule is that there always has to be a riff, as AC/DC and Black Sabbath taught us, and a catchy melody in the refrain as Thin Lizzy showed.

Is there a particular theme or story around Necessary Evil, or is it all individual tracks?

As the songs were composed in the same period, they somehow relate to each other. Let me tell you an example. The Stones’ top albums between 1968 and 72 were Beggars Banquet, Let it Bleed, Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street. Beggars and Exile were done within a session, that is why they are very coherent in style and sound. Let it Bleed and Sticky are just a collections of extraordinary songs, but these albums are not more then the sum of their parts. The spirit of “Necessary Evil” therefore is closer to “Beggars Banquet” than to “Sticky Fingers”, if you know what I mean.

What is the writing process like for the band?

In The Trousers I am the songwriter. The boys: Pete Locke on guitar, András Lázár on bass and Samu Gulyás on drums, put their parts in the songs when they are fully composed. Usually I write albums within a few months, most of the time during the summer break. Necessary evil was different. The influence is coming from different directions; music, movies, relationships, crises. For example the death of my late brother, Peter, who was also a musician, influenced several songs on Animal gun (2022) and Necessary evil.

Do you have a personal favourite track off the latest album, and why?

I would pick ‘On the river again’. It is very special, because it doesn’t contain three parts as usual – verse, bridge, refrain – but four, as it has two refrains. I would consider it as one of the best songs I have ever created. Heavy riff and melodic vocals – the way we like it. I really love an 80’s US metal band called Dokken because their songs are based on the same idea, although the style is different. But Thin Lizzy and Alice in Chains are also similar from that point of view.

Is there new writing going ahead, even though the album is still recent?

I usually do not write for a while after an album release. I am waiting for the new inspiration. Maybe in the summer!

Do you have a busy year planned in terms of touring?

In the spring we will have several concerts in three countries including ours, Czech Republic and Slovakia, and will play with bands like Konflikt, Degradace, Zakazan Yovoce and Asphalt Horsemen. Can’t wait for it!

Any plans to swing by the UK for a show or two soon?

We have friends in a UK band called New Generation Superstars, and we have been planning a tour together for a while; I hope it will happen sooner or later!

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

There are some awesome bands we would happily support like The Hellacopters or Gluecifer… These are bands with similar aesthetics and attitude, they are our heroes so it will be awesome. But we would play with anyone who has the rock n roll attitude! Formerly we have played with MC5, Black Stone Cherry, Tygers of Pan Tang, Dirty Honey, Atomic Bitchwax, Peter Pan Speedrock… Great memories!

If you could have written a song from history, what would it have been and why?

Maybe WW I; it really changed the landscape of modern Europe in a very tragic way, and we still bear the cross of it… It’s never enough to talk about these dramatic events that shaped our word. Of course there are events in our current culture that are similarly dramatic, but it’s too easy to fall into politics and I don’t want to.

Interviews & Features

Tailgunner: ‘The marks we leave on this world last longer than we do, and that’s okay!’

17th February 2026 Overtone Leave a comment

We had the absolute pleasure to chat to Tom of the incredible Tailgunner in between tours to talk about their brand new album, all their touring, and shoot the shit about great bands! Check it all out below!

I imagine the last couple of years have been a whirlwind for the band, right?

Yeah, it’s so wild! It started three years ago and it’s really not stopped at all. It’s getting faster and faster, we have to keep one foot on the ground or it will spin out of control!

What’s it like to be signed to Napalm?

It’s great! I think we’re very fortunate. We had a label put out the first album, someone at that label believed in us. We had a great debut album with them and we made that album for no money at all. We went to them like ‘okay, we’ve proven our worth, give us some money’ and they were basically like ‘well you did it for no money last time, can’t you do it again?’. We said no, fuck you!

Napalm was the label we wanted to go to, I think they’re the world’s biggest metal label for a reason. The thing that’s really important to us is they don’t just have legacy bands that have made a name for themselves elsewhere 40 years ago. They have bands that they’ve taken from club bands to arena bands. I mean just look at Powerwolf! We’re a little different, but if we can have a career trajectory the same way, I’d be extremely pleased! With Napalm it feels like we’re in a place that we can grow, and we’re really happy with that!

You’ve just gotten home from touring Europe, right?

Yeah! We were out with Hammerfall, playing Spain, Portugal, Switzerland. Had a really amazing time with them! A fantastic band to tour with and the nicest guys, the crew, the tour manager, the bus driver, everyone! And the great thing about that tour was that us and Hammerfall are cut from the same cloth, it was just this rolling caravan of heavy metal nerds, basically! We could talk to them about all these artists and they’d be like ‘wow, this is a young band that are coming from the same place that we are’.

What’s the scene like over there compared to here?

I don’t know, honestly I don’t pay too much attention to what was going on in each individual country. There’s plenty of bands around in the scene! I think there’s more of a love for heavy metal in mainland Europe than in the UK. We’re fortunate to be from the UK as it allows us to have a fanbase here; if we were from the mainland I don’t think we’d do as well here as we do. But I think sometimes because the UK gets credited with making heavy metal music, it maybe gets given more credit in terms of quality and ingenuity. I think mainland Europe aren’t so proud. If it’s good, they don’t care if it’s been done before.

The album’s out on Friday [time of recording], right? Is there any overarching story to it in terms of writing, or is each track its own thing?

With our debut, that was written largely by myself and it was the first time I’d ever written songs. I never expected to be a songwriter. With Guns for Hire’s success it proved to me that maybe I can write songs, maybe people want to hear them, so I felt more confident. Also, we’d been out on the road, played over 100 shows, shared staged with legends. I think it’s very difficult for that stuff not to rub off on you. It made me more collaborative and more focused. The first album, I almost look at it as album zero, like a pilot episode, almost.

In terms of the overarching theme, there’s a theme of the album lyrically of dealing with your own mortality. It’s certainly not a concept album but there’s a lot of that theme. And to put it as more of a positive message, that through heavy metal and through art, you can live forever. The marks we leave on this world last longer than we do and that’s okay!

Has the rest of the band been involved in the writing this time around?

Yeah, absolutely! Because I’d wrote most of the first album before the band existed, that’s just how it all fell. This time we have the lineup; it’s been a hell of a lot more collaborative. I’m really proud of the others for stepping up! Zack [guitar] has four or five co-writes on this record. That’s amazing! And the album is all the better for the fact that Craig, Zack and Rhea have all wrote for it.

I imagine it’s cool to get everyone else’s inspirations in there, too!

This is it! You listen to Iron Maiden, for example, it’s Steven Harris band and all that, but some of the best songs for me are written by Adrian Smith. It would be crazy for me to tell anyone ‘hey, sit this one out’!

What was it like working on it with KK Downing?

He made us think twice… or 200 times… about everything. But that was the one lesson for me is that every single second, every single note, counts. He made us really consider every single thing we put down on track. Nothing was throwaway or ‘that’ll do’. We considered every last thing, sometimes to the point of madness!

Exactly, it’s having a fresh set of ears on it, especially from someone who’s been doing this as long as KK!

That’s it! If we couldn’t quite decide on something, having KK Downing as the final say, is not a bad person to have in that position!

Have you got any thoughts on the current state of the UK music scene?

I think there’s some really great bands coming through! A band that are doing great things currently are Rattlesnakes. Their singer Rowena, she reminds me of a young Dickinson or Dio or something! I’m really impressed by those guys. They said to us that having Guns for Hire come out and be successful showed them that actually you can be from the UK and play heavy metal and actually do well. Hopefully the success of us and those guys and other bands coming through will have even more bands continue to come through!

There are definitely more bands doing it, it really feels like a renaissance of the sound! Wailing Banshee are another great one coming through!

Love those guys! They supported us in the first show we played in Manchester! Great band!

Have you heard of Ominous Moon, from Essex? They’re like a blackened speed metal, definitely worth checking out! Really cool band!

You’ve got quite the busy rest of the year planned, right?

I leave tomorrow! I’ve been home for four days, just got back from Planet Rock Winters End, then the UK tour starts on Friday. That’ll run until the end of February. Then hitting the festival season really hard! Just announced two dates with Accept. Then there’s a lot more for the rest of the year that is booked and set to be announced. I think a lot of people will be very happy!

I don’t know how you find the time. If I was at home for just four days I don’t think I’d be able to move to do a full months tour!

Yeah, I mean I’ve not guilt tripped myself too much. Your pattern goes so far wrong that you come home like you know what, I’m not even going to try and sort that problem out until I’m up. If I’m honest, my days have consisted of waking up at like 11, having something to eat, doing press for like five/six hours, smoking a joint and then just chilling out for the rest of the night!

You said you’ve played with some legends already, is there any other dream tour lineup you’d want to be a part of?

Oh for sure, there’s so many bands we’d love to play with! I know Megadeth are doing their farewell tour, we’re hoping to talk to the right people about that! Obviously Iron Maiden. Whether that would happen I’m not sure. Priest is maybe more realistic, I’d love to play with Priest. I think one for me which could be a real possibility, at least I’d like to think so, is Helloween. I’m a huge, huge Helloween fan, they’re the reason I started playing, so if we could open for them that would really feel like a full circle moment for me. And, we’ve played with them before, but I’d love to do a full tour with Airbourne, love those guys!

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Larry Fleet, Story of the Year and More!

16th February 2026 Overtone Leave a comment

Another typically stacked week of new music, from rock to metal to country! Let’s dive in!

Larry Fleet: Another Year Older

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

Story of the Year: A.R.S.O.N.

I clearly had a different band in my head, because I was not expecting so much awesome melodic hardcore heading into this! The seventh album from the Missouran quartet is an old-school post-hardcore powerhouse from start to finish. ‘Gasoline’ is the perfect, aggressive opener, while tracks like ‘See Through’ and ‘Into the Dark’ are all massive highlights on top of that. Also, Jacob Shaddix does an amazing job on ‘Fall Away’, definitely another big high point. However, there really isn’t a bad track on the album, even the slower stuff that wouldn’t typically be my thing is amazing. It’s very emo but certainly in a good way; like My Chem mixed with I Prevail, with a surprisingly healthy dose of Mikey D riffing mixed in with it all. I had a great time with this, and will definitely be revisiting it again soon! Check this out if you are at all interested, and it’s a solid 8/10 from us!

No Worth of Man: The Killing Streets

The debut album from the modern metal/deathcore band really makes a statement; the band standing tall and proud and saying ‘we are here to take no prisoners’. This thing goes hard. From the heavy riffs to the crushing screams to the solid drumming, it all fits together perfectly to create something truly awesome. There isn’t a bad track on the album, but songs like ‘Those of Our Kind’ and ‘Alarmus’ are big personal highlights. My only slight complaint is that I’ve heard half of the album before in there 2024 EP. Don’t get me wrong, I very much enjoyed that release, but it would have been nice to hear a full collection of new songs from the band. Still, as an introduction to a band for new listeners, this is awesome, and I would fully recommend it to anyone into the heavier side of metal. The band are all hugely talented, and have a bright future ahead of them. Another solid 7.5/10

Angel Du$t: COLD 2 THE TOUCH

Album six from the Maryland melodic hardcorers goes a lot harder than their previous release, and is much better for it. I enjoyed BRAND NEW SOUL, this is much more up my street from a style perspective. The opening two tracks and ‘Zero’ are Turnstile-meets-Dog-Eat-Dog awesomeness, while ‘Jesus Head’ almost has a late 90s RHCP vibe to it. The album as a whole is amazing though, without a dud throughout. It blends Justice Tripp/Trapped Under Ice’s beatdown style with the more pop-friendly influence from the Turnstile lot who used to be part of the band. They’ve had considerable lineup changes in the last couple of years, but hopefully this is the solid lineup moving forward for a while, as it feels like the band are finally back on track and putting out music up their with their best.

It’s a release that blew me away a lot more than I expected it to, and is one I’d recommend if you are into any of the styles or bands I’ve mentioned previously. And, it’s another short album, which is always a win these days! I’ll definitely be revisiting it in the coming weeks, and don’t be surprised if it sneaks onto our top albums of the year list come December. 8.5/10

Pokey LaFarge: Travelin’ With Pokey LaFarge: Voice and Guitar, Vol 1

One of my favourite discoveries over the last couple of years, I’ve been excited for this to drop for a few months now. This solo EP dropped on his brand new record label and is a more stripped-back affair than we’re used to with his recent releases. However, he’s such a good songwriter, and him with… well… his voice and guitar, still makes awesome music. Opening on an awesome duet with the awesome Addie Hamilton before launching through five amazing solo rock tracks spanning everything from rock’n’roll to swing to country. ‘Walk Your Way out of This Town’ is a particular highlight. It’s all simple but beautiful and really great music, a solid 18-minutes of old-school sounds. It’s maybe not for everyone who’s typically a fan of the guy, but I really enjoyed it, and will definitely be listening again. It’s the perfect release to just sit back and chill-out to. A very solid 7.5/10 from us!

Hellgrimm: Resurrection

Another sixth album, this time from the Texan metallers. The band do a great job of blending together multiple different styles, from stoner to thrash to whatever Motörhead wanna be classed as today, and even elements of NWOBHM and melodic metal. They honestly remind me a lot of Rattlesnakes or Wailing Banshee. It’s a mystery why they aren’t bigger as they are clearly fantastic songwriters and musicians. My only slight nitpick is that maybe the mix could be slightly bigger, but I only really notice it on occasions around the vocals. Songs like ‘Reign of Terror’, ‘Dead Superstar’ and their big single, ‘Dog Trash Must Die’ are all big highlights. However, the whole album is enjoyable, including their Kreator and Stones covers! It’s not something I’d revisit as a whole massively often, but the individual tracks will surely be in my rotation for a while! I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on the band moving forward as they definitely have a new fan in me. 7/10

The Lone Bellow: What a Time to be Alive

The first studio album in going-on four years from the indie folk/Americana trio is another infectiously fun release. 46 minutes of chilled-out alt country and soft rock, giving off vibes of everything from James Bay to Kings of Leon to Drew Holocomb to even Zach Bryan. The band did a great job at choosing the singles as they are definite album high point, but tracks like ‘Common Folk’ and ‘I’m Here for You’ are definite highlights too. The whole album is excellent though, and has such a fantastic flow to it throughout. The harmonies on each song are amazing, and make every chorus huge and so very catchy.

I’d not checked the band out much outside of a song or two here and there, but I’m definitely going to have to go back and check out their back catologue, as I had a blast listening to this. Hopefully they come over to the UK soon too as I’d love to hear all of this live. Until that time, I happily just keep spinning this whole thing, though! 8/10, and it may grow on me even more with more listens!

Gorgol Bordello: We Mean it, Man!

We’ve also checked this one out, aren’t you lucky?! Check it out here.

Converge: Love is Not Enough

I’m sorry, but this album FUCKS. The mixture of aggressive death metal, hardcore and sludgy riffing is amazing and makes me want to punch everything. The first new studio release from the band since their collab with Chelsea Wolfe back in ’21, and their first solo release in nearly a decade, this had a lot of hype to live up to, and smashes all of it to pieces. Everything about it is awesome, and is the perfect 30 minutes of aggressive, brutal, OG metalcore. It’s impossible to pick highlights, I listened to this whole thing through a couple of times and loved every second of it (though ‘Beyond Repair’ goes maybe a minute too long). I am so damn glad these guys are back to releasing new music again, and am already desperate to see all of this live. If you’re into heavy, this is ABSOLUTELY the album for you. I’ve claimed a few times the last 12 months or so that hardcore is back in a big way, and weeks like this just keep proving me right. I can’t give it any less than 9.5/10, damn.

Max Jackson: Dangerous in Denim

The first studio album in nearly six years from the country star, and it at very least lives up to the hype! While the opener is a little too ‘Panderin‘‘ for me, her unique brand of stadium-country is a lot of fun, and makes for a very easy half-an-hour listen. Tracks like ‘Goin’ Nowhere Now’, ‘We Invented Love’ and the Shania-like ‘1990 Somethin” are all personal highlights. However, the more I listen, the more I fall in love with the album. It’s impossible not to have a good time listening to it, and Max has such a fantastic voice and vocal delivery that it keeps it fun, and emotional where needed. And, instrumentally it’s great, some real high points from the drums, guitars and bass throughout, too. Plus, the back-half of this album is truly awesome. Even revisiting ‘Red Dirt ROCKNROLL’ within the context of the album as a whole after, it has certainly grown on me. I would highly recommend this to any 90s or 2000s country music fan reading this, and Max has certainly gained a new fan in me! A very easy 8/10 from us!

Frozen Ocean: Askdrömmar

The first album from the Russian black metaller in a full decade is honestly pretty fantastic, and I’ve never been the biggest black metal fan! It’s not straight-up black metal, there’s some vague electronic and even gothic elements to it too, which definitely helped keep my interest. Tracks like ‘Bortkastade dödsrunor’ and ‘Jag sover’ are personal highlights. However, there isn’t a bad song throughout, even if the album as a whole does get a bit repetitive towards the back half. However, Vaarwel is an incredibly talented musician, and that sort of tunnel-vision is going to happen when there is just one working on a project. If you are into the genre at all, this is well worth checking out! As I said, I enjoyed my listen to it, and certainly wouldn’t turn it off if it came back on again. It gets a 6.5/10 from us!

Clay Street Unit: Sin & Squalor

The debut album from the folk/Americana collective dropped to a lot of hype and expectation on Friday, and lives up to all of it! The big-band feel is always something I love, and they have it in spades here. The hints of bluegrass in the instrumentation keep the pace bouncy and light, while the voice grounds it in country, adding some emotion, depth and some HUGE choruses. It has elements of the likes of Wyatt Flores, White Buffalo, Uncle Luscious, Zach Bryan and American Aquarium all perfectly blended together. It’s also packed full of awesome songs; 40 minutes of incredible music that’s nearly impossible to pick highlights from. From the opener to ‘Where Have you Gone?’, their duet with Lindsay Lou to the more ballad-like ‘Left Unsaid’ to the beautiful closer, it’s all so good. If you’re a fan of all things vaguely country, this is an absolute must-check-out! I can’t give it any less than 9/10, excellent stuff!

The Beautiful Darkness: Pain to Purpose

The debut EP from the mind of Nerys John blends so many different styles together, and does so incredibly interestingly. From folk to grunge to goth to punk to melodic hard rock, they really touch on a bit of everything through the release. Honestly, it’s a great introduction to the group! They have a cool, interesting sound to them, and constantly keep you guessing what’s coming next while listening. ‘The Narcissist’ is possibly my favourite track of the five, but all certainly have their charms. Generally it’s a touch slower pace for me as a whole, but that doesn’t mean it is any worse an EP. This will have so many fans, and I can see a bright future ahead for them, this being the perfect jumping off-point for that. Nerys’ vocals are incredible, and the band that she’s found are all hugely talented players. Another solid 7/10 from me!

Temple Balls: Self-Titled

Album five from the hard rock/AOR Finns is just as massive as their previous outings. Sounding like the natural evolution of Santa Cruz, H.E.A.T. and Van Halen, the band channel an awesome rock energy throughout, driven by pounding drums and awesome riffs. It’s nearly 40-minutes of sleazy goodness, arena-filling choruses and a fantastic bounce that will keep your head bobbing throughout. The band are insanely talented at their chosen instrument, and are also fantastic songwriters. From the opening two numbers to ‘We are the Night’ to ‘Stronger than Fire’, there are so many massive highlights on this thing, though there isn’t a bad song throughout. They fit perfectly in this revival of hard rock in Europe recently, and would fit awesomely into the NWOCR scene in the UK, so hopefully we can get them over here soon so I can see this live! However, for now I am more than happy to keep spinning this awesome album, and would urge any rock fan out there to do the same. A huge 8.5/10!

Interviews & Features

Chuck Norris Experiment: ‘We find the UK audience to be more alert and into the music!’

14th February 2026 Overtone Leave a comment

We had the pleasure of chatting to the awesome Chuck Ransom the other day about the release of their new B-Sides collection album, as well as their upcoming trip back to the UK! Check it out below!

How would you describe your sound?

Action hard rock! That is a good name for what we do.

What made you put out a B-sides release, let alone a number of them? Is there any reason as to why some of the tracks didn’t make it on a full release?

This is actually the third album with B-sides, covers and unreleased material! Many of the songs are taken from tribute albums to different bands and artists that we are honoured to have been a part of, and some songs are simply taken from singles and B-sides from singles. All these songs are recorded in between album sessions.

Have the tracks changed since they were first written/performed?

Yes a bit, we usually start up with an almost finished song, and then add some tweeks & hooks. It is usually the solo parts that gets some extra love and changes.

Is there writing going on for the next full release, too?

Yes, we got 7 out of 12 songs ready for our next album. We aim for a 2027 release!

Got a pretty year so far for festival appearances, including coming over here for Call of the Wild, right?

Yes, we hope to be able to book a few more shows in the UK around the Call of the Wild festival, we love playing the UK!

And yes, we got some nice shows booked in Finland, Spain and Germany too for 2026.

You were last out here back in March, right? How does the scene in the UK compare to back home?

Yes, we played Hard Rock Hell in Great Yarmouth, which was a exellent event, very well organized!

The Swedish scene is a bit different from the UK scene. We find the UK audience to be more alert and into the music, Sweden is a bit more posh.

And in Sweden a nice hotel, food and drinks are standard, which is not always the case in the UK!

Have you got a busy rest of the year planned outside of the festivals announced?

Yup, we will spend this year on finnishing album no. 12.

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

A Hellacopters / Gluecifer / Turbonegro tour is something we would love to support! It is so weird that they are not doing this.

If you could have written one song from history, what would it be?

Money wise I would go for “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby and personally since it is the best song ever written I would go for “Honey Bee” by Tom Petty.

Thank you for having me!