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new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Kreator, Soen and More!

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A massive week for new music, from rock to country to metal. Let’s check it all out!

Kreator: Krushers of the World

The German thrash legends returned with their highly anticipated 16th studio album. Their previous effort, 2022’s Hate Über Alles, will certainly take some topping, so I’m curious to see where they go from this. Early reviews have been positive though, so I am definitely excited!

Honestly, it is yet another damn good album from the band! It’s 44 minutes of heavy, balls-to-the-wall thrash like only Kreator can do. Songs like ‘Satanic Anarchy’, ‘Tränenpalast’ and ‘Psychotic Imperator’ are all personal highlights. However, if you are into the band or the genre, like me, there really isn’t a bad track throughout. Much like a lot of their peers these days, they are very much still firing on all cylinders some four plus decades into their careers. I really think that this and their last album is up there alongside anything they’ve done in the past in terms of quality. Kreator have very much done it again, and shown why they are one of the most overlooked bands ever outside of mainland Europe. It’s another very easy 8/10 for the thrashers!

Soen: Reliance

Two and a half years after blowing me away with Memorial, the Swedish prog metallers are back with album number seven. And, what would you know, they’ve only gone and done it again! ‘Primal’ is the perfect opener, setting the tone for the album fantastically and hooking me in. Then you have tracks like single ‘Discordia’, ‘Huntress’ and ‘Draconian’ through the album that are also awesome, though there really isn’t a bad song on it. I sat down and listened through the full 43-minutes of this in one sitting, getting lost in the epicness, catchiness and heaviness throughout, never once losing interest. While similar to their previous work, it has been long enough since their previous albums that I have clearly been craving more of it without even realising. Also, it does feel a touch more focused on the heaviness, some of the riffs being killer and not nearly focused on enough! I would recommend this to anyone, regardless of what sort of music you are into. I can’t give it any less than another MASSIVE 9/10. Goddamn I love this band!

David Huckfelt: “I Was Born, But…”

Album number three from the folk activist, and first since 2021, is an incredibly chilled-out affair. Now, we’ll get the obvious out the way too: it’s pretty long. I feel like over an hour of slow folk music is too much, regardless of how good the quality is. There are some great lyrics throughout, and tracks like ‘Any Way the Wind Blows’ and ‘Who Do You Love?’I did enjoy. Honestly, when he leans into a bit more of an old-school blues sound, it’s excellent. However, the album as a whole very much struggled to hold my attention, especially when a lot of it was so similar. David is a great lyricist and a good songwriter, and there will definitely be people who love this release. I am sadly not one of them; it didn’t do much for me. If you like a more traditional folk/country sound, it’s worth giving a try, but I can’t give it any more than a 5/10. Fine, to listen to from time to time, but not my bag.

Mother Vulture: Cartoon Violence

The long awaited sophomore album from the UK hard rockers finally dropped this last Friday. It’s no secret I love them from their debut, so have been impatiently waiting for this for a while now. To say it doesn’t disappoint is an understatement! Opener ‘Mike Check’ sets the pace fantastically, and the band don’t let off the gas for the entire 41-minute runtime. Incorporating not only a bit of a heavier, hardcore edge to their sound, but also adding to the album some of the chaotic fun of their live show is honestly a stroke of genius. It still feels like Mother Vulture but feels incredibly fresh, a great evolution. It’s still packed with catchy radio-choruses and some amazing fuzzy stoner riffs, but has so much else at play too now. Georgi is honestly channelling his best inner Gerard Way throughout, and it’s fantastic! From ‘Sufferin’ Succotash!’ to ‘Slow Down’, ‘Double Down’ to ‘La Matadora’, it’s all SO GOOD. It all flows so well too, all the extra bits and touches they’ve added making it a true experience from front to back.

This is definitely one of the best albums of the year so far, regardless of how early we are into it. It also feels a step up from their debut, despite that one also being awesome. It’s another album I’d recommend to anyone even slightly into rock (everyone on this site, surely?) and will be one I’ll be spinning for weeks and months to come. Don’t be surprised to find it high up on our albums of the year list come December! 9.5/10

Gluecifer: Same Drug New High

I’ve been a fan of this band for a good while now, ever since ‘I Got a War’ came across my Spotify and I got a little obsessed. Their blending of punk, hard rock and glam is amazing, and it’s no wonder they are one of the most successful bands in their native Norway. So, ever since they reunited in 2018, I have been impatiently waiting for them to put out new music. Now, nearly 22 years after their last studio album, we finally get album six.

So, thank god, it’s fucking awesome! Right from the opener, ‘The Idiot’, I was hooked, and I wasn’t let go until the very last note. Being the perfect blend of everything from Alice Cooper to Turbonegro, The Ramones to White Zombie, and I love it. The band somehow haven’t lost a step in all their time away, even if they have still been playing live together a lot recently. There isn’t a bad track on the release, but songs like ‘Armadas’, the Cult-like ‘Pharmacity’ and the lighter punk ‘Another Night, Another City’ are personal favourites. But damn, this whole thing is so good, and incredibly easy and fun listen, as well as having their typically thought-provoking lyrics. I’d recommend giving this a listen if you are in any way a rock fan, and I am so dam glad they’re back to writing and releasing music again. I’d honestly put this up there with any of their previous albums. Hopefully we don’t have another two plus decades between long-form releases, but until we get more, I will happily be spinning this to death. I can’t give it any less than 9/10!

Nathan Evans & THE SAINT PHNX BAND: Angels’ Share

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

In a House of Heartbeats: Divination of Dreams

The UK underground dark rockers released their highly anticipated debut album this Friday. It’s a post-rock, gothic, proggy journey, and an awesome one at that! Firstly, let’s get the obvious out of the way; this certainly isn’t a release for everyone. It’s not for the feint of heart, either. It’s 50+ minutes of almost wholly instrumental, broken up slightly by some spoken-word parts. That alone is a lot, but when the music is also drawn out, repeated riffing, shoegaze and doom metal soundings, for sometimes 10+ minutes per track, it can certainly get a lot. Honestly, at times I struggled a bit. ‘A Head Full of Ghosts’ was probably my favourite track; it had some fun Tool vibes to it. I also liked the build-up of ‘Parasomniac’. However, as talented as they are, I struggled to keep my interest through much of the rest. It will certainly have its big fans, but I sadly do not think I’m one of them. I do, however, fully appreciate the art crafted here and the talent of the individuals involved. It’s an awesome release that just isn’t for me. So, for that, I can’t give it any more than 4/10, sorry guys!

DZ Deathrays: Easing Out of Control

Following up on 2023’s R.I.F.F seemed like a hard task, given its critically adored status, but honestly the Australian dance-punkers knock it out of the park again with their seventh album. This is half an hour of pure fun punk rock, and is surely impossible not to like. From ‘Sideways’ to ‘First Night Fever’, there’s plenty to love, and there isn’t a bad song throughout! It’s very much fitting into the Australian garage rock scene, and it’s easy to see why they are some of the brightest lights of it. It’s a damn fun listen and one I’d recommend to anyone even vaguely into punk music. I’ve spun it a couple of times this weekend already, and will definitely be spinning it plenty in the months to come. I can’t give it any less than 8/10, and it may grow on me even more in the weeks to come!

Langhorne Slim: The Dreamin’ Kind

The eighth studio album from the indie-Americana singer-songwriter is an excellent 38-minutes of music. It’s a style that I’m a little up and down on at times, but this is definitely a release that I’m big into! It’s pretty chilled-out throughout, and it a great one to throw on and relax to, it going by in a flash. From the opener to ‘Rickety Ol’ Bridge’ to ‘Dance on Thru’, there’s a lot to love. It’s kept constantly interesting too, with everything from blues to Western getting a nod throughout. It’s a little slow at times, but the songwriting is so good it’s so easy to get lost in it all and listen through from start to finish. It won’t be for everyone, but it’s a good album that I certainly enjoyed checking out, and would happily play again! 7/10

Edenbridge: Set the Dark on Fire

The whopping 12th studio album from the Austrian symphonic metal quintet sees them return to their former label in Streamhammer, as well as promise their heaviest album to date. It’s certainly heavier than their previous album, and is pretty damn epic in nature and composition. And, while it’s a pretty long release, I had a good time with it from start to finish. Tracks like ‘Cosmic Embrace’, the plodding ‘Our Place Among the Stars’, ballad ‘Bonded by the Light’ and well, all of ‘Spark of the Everflame’ are personal highlights. The band are all hugely talented players and songwriters, and the sheer size of the production throughout all combines together perfectly to make this a massive album. It is a touch samey by the end, sadly, and I did find my attention drifting away somewhat, but that massive four-part track to close really got me hooked back in again. If you are into the style or genre, this is definitely an album I’d recommend! I’d happily give it another spin, though with the sheer volume of great symphonic metal around these days, I don’t think I’d rush back to it as much. 7/10

Asterise: Twilight Opera

The Polish power metallers follow up their 2024 sophomore album with this epic EP. It’s epic and grandiose, giving off more Dragonforce vibes than Sabaton, not that that is at all an issue! They’ve gone full Metal Opera and I love it! I’d have honestly just taken the amazing title track and called it a day, but we still had another three awesome songs on top of that. ‘Eclipse’ is a mid-tempo, heavy stomper, ‘Hope’ is a powerful ballad and ‘On my Way to Heaven’ combines everything before it together perfectly. As much as I enjoyed Tale of a Wandering Soul, this feels like somehow another step up in terms of songwriting and production. I LOVED this, and I think the shorter release format helped a little. Having said that, insanely, I already want another full album from them! I’ll definitely be spinning this plenty while I wait for that to happen, though. If you are at all into power metal, this is an absolute must-check-out. I can’t give it any less than 8.5/10, great stuff!

P.S. INSANELY beautiful album artwork, some of the best I’ve seen in a while!

HyperioN: Cybergenesis

The first album from the Italian heavy metallers in nearly six years, it is clear they’ve spent a lot of that time working on this. It’s damn good! 40-minute of incredible riffing, solid drums and soaring, catchy, powerful vocals. ‘Rewire, Rebuild’ and ‘Grain of Sand’ are personal highlights, but there really isn’t a bad track on it. It’s a great modern take of NWOBHM, combined with a power metal edge which has become so popular these days. There is no denying the bands talent, and despite it being another album that also feels a little samey by the end, it’s still a damn good release and one I’d highly recommend for anyone interested. I wasn’t aware of them until now but they certainly have a new fan in me! A solid 7.5/10 from us!

They Might be Giants: Eyeball

I had no idea this was dropping until I got an email about it. It’s hard not to be excited though, as I’m a big fan of the quirky duo and it’s about the first thing they’ve put out since 2021’s BOOK. Three odd tracks like only TMBG could produce, and barely eight minutes (and that’s with a remix of the title track added on too), it’s a quick, fun listen! The jazzy instrumental ‘Peggy Guggenheim’ was probably my favourite track, but all three certainly had their merits. If you’re into the band you will certainly enjoy this, though it definitely won’t change anyone’s minds who’s on the fence about them. I enjoyed it, and hopefully it acts as a fun little stopgap before another album! 7/10

Funeral Home: Your Funeral

The debut album from the death’n’roll Finns is glorious, fast-paced heaviness from start to finish. It’s a touch more melodic than its trad-death counterparts, but also has edges of hardcore and some bouncy punk riffs too. I definitely like when it leans into the rockin’ parts; tracks like ‘My Kingdom is Hell’, ‘Sacrificial Goat’ and ‘Graveyard Blues’ are definite highlights for me personally. However, there isn’t a bad song on here. The band are incredibly talented, and this is a phenomenal release for a debut. If you are into the heavy stuff with a touch of a fun edge, this is certainly the album for you! This will definitely stay in my rotation for the coming weeks, and I already can’t wait to hear where they go from here! 7.5/10

Low Gap: Geneva

The long awaited sophomore album from the country brothers finally dropped last weekend. Set to be the release to push them to the next level, the hype behind it is pretty high. And honestly, as more of a traditional, Americana-infused release, I definitely see the appeal. The duo work so damn well together, and have crafted some beautiful, catchy songs throughout this 44-minute journey. And some of the lyric writing is phenomenal, giving me goosebumps in a very bittersweet way. ‘Cuyahoga River’, the rockier ‘Churches’ and the amazing ‘Monsters (Take 2)’ are all huge highlights, and all for very different reasons! Also shoutout to the ever-amazing Julia Digrazia killing it as a guest on ‘Beattyville’! And ‘Heroes’ is far too beautiful sounding for how depressing it is, but an absolutely phenomenal song.

If you can’t tell, this album grew on me through my review! I know generally all you have to do to win me over is hit me with some deep, relatable lyrics (or a breakdown but not applicable here), but on top of tracks with that they also have some just awesome country songs. So much of this ended up on my personal playlist, and the versatility through the release from country rock to Americana to folk ballads; all the while the duo showing they can write each style perfectly. They certainly have a new fan in me, and I have a feeling this will be a release I’ll be revisiting at different times throughout the year. I’d recommend it to any country fan out there, and I can’t give it any less than a very solid 9/10!

Features

Top EPs of 2025!

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2025 was a stacked year for new music, not just with new albums but EPs too! Let’s take a look back at some of our favourite releases in the medium, from rock to country to metal! We reviewed easily 100 last year, so if we missed any off you think deserved it, let us know!

15 – Redferrin: Some City, Somewhere

Starting the list off strong with our friend Red and his second EP! This is every bit as good as his debut, being 21 minutes of chilled-out country-pop. It’s packed full of awesome songs; his incredible vocals and powerful lyrics over some basic-yet-fitting instrumentation. And, it’s grown on me more and more with each listen, something I surprisingly don’t find much for me with EPs. It’s not going to be for everyone, but I loved it and have listened to it a lot since February when it dropped. It got an 8.5/10 when it dropped, but I’d say it’s crept a little higher than that by now. A fitting start to the list!

Listen to: Ruin My Night, and Mornin’ Montana

14 – Sypha: Borderland

At just three songs and 10 minutes, this is the shortest release on this list, but that doesn’t take away from how great it is! An awesome slice of modern metal in the vein of Spiritbox or Bad Omens, though very much doing things their own way too, I’d honestly put it up there alongside any release from either band. The screams in particular are fantastic, especially when they are around the awesome breakdowns. However, the cleans also lead to some incredibly catchy choruses and verses, and it all fits over the top of the massive instrumentation perfectly. I’ve been jamming this since way back nearly a year ago, and haven’t gotten sick of it since! It got a solid 9/10 from us back then, and slips comfortably onto our list!

Listen to: Dirty Floor, and The Afterparty

13 – Revenant: Best Medicine

A band that put out two new EPs in 2025 and honestly, either could have made this list. However, I do think Medicine does ever so slightly edge out over Black Dogs, personally. However, both are excellent NWOCR releases, and could easily be combined together into an excellent album! Still, this is an amazing collection of five stompin’ rock tracks, and it’s impossible not to have a good time listening to it! Even the slower tracks are excellent, showing off the bands damn impressive range. I cannot wait to finally see them live in February and see these tracks, as I’ve been jamming them regularly for months now! Another solid 9/10 from us sees this easily make our list!

Listen to: Public Service Announcement, and Least I can Do

12 – Miss Vain: Sempiternal Drive

The follow-up to their incredible 2023 release, this had a lot of personal hype to live up to, and managed to do exactly that! This is melodic hard rock at its absolute finest. Five songs packed with huge, heavy riffs and choruses designed to be played to massive festival crowds. We even get some awesome screams too, adding a metalcore element to it which I love. Their sound is evolving more and more, and they deserve to be a growing name. It fills a great Santa Cruz-shaped hole in my soul, and I haven’t been able to get enough of it since April. A very easy 9/10 from us solidly secures this release a spot on our list! Check it out if you like the more melodic side of music!

Listen to: Now or Neverland, and Demon Spawn

11 – Blake Whiten: Six Mile

That voice. Need I say more? The sheer emotion in that rasp and low delivery is somehow both devastating and beautiful in equal measure, and makes all six of these tracks a must-listen. It hooks you in immediately, and doesn’t let you free until the very last note. And honestly, the instrumentation compliments Blake’s voice and lyrics perfectly. It’s a slower, steady, neotraditional country album, but delivered with an almost murder-folk darkness to it and times, as well as a modern edge. If all of that gushing hasn’t done enough to win you over, just take a listen, it really is that good. And hell, the 9.5/10 we gave it might convince you, too! It definitely deserves a slot on this list, and if it wasn’t for it being such a strong year in 2025, it may have gotten even higher!

Listen to: Reckless, and Rollin’ Stone

10 – Craig Morgan: American Soundtrack

A real throwback to the early-mid 2000s country sound in the very best of ways. From ballads to more rockier numbers, this release takes you on one hell of a journey across 20 short minutes, and is one I’ve listened to a fair bit the last nine months or so! It’s all catchy as anything and, while a little cliche lyrically, is still damn enjoyable. And, while I wait for another full-length to follow up 2020’s God, Family, Country, these EPs that he’s been putting out are more than enough to keep me going! It got top marks from us back in February, and honestly listening back, it’s hard to argue with it! The cheesiness may have dropped it down a couple of places on this list but honestly, it’s still one of the best EPs of the year, hence why it makes this list!

Listen to: American Soundtrack, and Roots

9 – Circle of Origin: Guilty Till Proven Innocent

An awesome melodic metal EP up next, and a massively high-calibre one for a debut! It’s a style that’s right up my street, and the band do it phenomenally. It’s massive, the perfect blend of heavy and melodic, and takes plenty of inspiration from the massively overlooked groove-metal genre, incorporating plenty of bounce into their hard-rock sound. I have listened through this 20-minute release multiple times since it dropped in early last year, and don’t see myself stopping any time soon! Hopefully we are getting more from them soon, and I also need to see them live ASAP too, as I have to hear these tracks live! An insanely solid 9.5/10 from us easily lands them this spot on our list.

Listen to: Time Waits for No One, and Broken

8 – Everette: Simple as That

It’s no secret that I am a massive fan of this project. So, the fact that we are four releases in and it has turned more into a solo project and we are still getting quality this high is a true testament to Brent’s talents. All four of these track are amazing, feeling a bit more like their earlier stuff than Keys to Kentucky was, which was pretty awesome. It’s another artist that should be far bigger than they are currently; just listen to this and tell me otherwise. I feel like it took a slight hit when Anthony left, but Brent seems to be gathering some steam again and, if he keeps putting out banger after banger like he has been, it surely will be bigger sooner rather than later! It got a 9.5/10 from us when it dropped but honestly, it feels like I only didn’t give it more because it just wasn’t long enough! If you like country even a little, give this a spin ASAP!

Listen to: Glad to Be Here, and Freight Train

7 – Jawfane: Me and All my Demons

A non-country Nashville band is always nice to see, and even more-so when it’s a fantastic, emo-adjacent heavy post-hardcore one! The debut EP from the quartet is a fantastic 17-minutes of anger, ch0nky riffs and brutal screams. It’s definitely on the darker side of releases on this list, but it also stands out a lot to me as shockingly not that many people seem to be doing stuff like this currently. And the fact that it’s done to this high a quality is truly awesome! All five tracks here are awesome, and it all fits together perfectly to make something truly special. If you like the genre, check this out immediately, you’ll surely love it! There’s a very good reason it got a 9.5/10 from us and makes it onto this list!

Listen to: Damaged Goods, and Friends and Enemies

6 – Tealdear: menace

This chaotic, proggy near-20-minutes is an absolute thrill ride of heavy music. It’s certainly not going to be for everyone, but six months on from its release I still love it! It’s heavy, catchy and incredibly creative in its songwriting, it all flowing surprisingly well together. The band are all such insane musicians and songwriters, and again shoutout to their producer Audiomage, who’s done a fantastic job here too! They haven’t gotten nearly enough love and recognition from this release, but I adore it and would recommend anyone into the quirkier side of music. It got an incredibly easy 9.5/10 from us back in June, and if you listen it’s very easy to hear why. I cannot wait to hear more from them already, but for now I am happy to keep spinning this!

Listen to: the devil’s toybox, and don’t be a cult

5 – Gareth: Steal Your Thunder

2025 very much felt like Gareth’s year. Not only putting out not one but two awesome EPs, touring with Kip Moore, main stage at Long Road, it’s hard to argue what a huge, breakthrough year he had. And this felt like this release really set everything into motion here. Fifteen minutes spread across five incredible radio-country songs, all as good as each other. His vocals are beautiful and powerful, and his songwriting ability is really off the charts! And, while I did enjoy Bluebird a lot too, this one stood out a little more for me, and was a bit more solid throughout. This release has set him up for absolutely MASSIVE things, and it’s easy to hear why we gave it a 9/10, though honestly I think it deserves even more than that now. If you are a country fan, this release is an absolute must!

Listen to: Steal Your Thunder, and Last Thing I Do

4 – Bleed the Fifth: Mortal Heart

The first new release from the band in three years and it certainly didn’t disappoint! This is an incredible slab of modern metalcore from the Welsh quartet that almost teeters on melodeath at times, which certainly isn’t a bad thing! All five tracks are amazing, and this whole release has been a regular in my listening still all these months If you are at all a fan of the heavier side of metal, this is very much one for you! It very easily got top marks back in March, and it’s hard to disagree with that some ten months later. There was no way this wasn’t making the list, and I already can’t wait to hear where they go from here!

Listen to: First Flame, and We Belong

3 – Rattlesnakes: Deeper Shades of Tourment

The debut EP from the young, Derbyshire NWOBHM revival band is incredible, and has been in regular rotation for me since its April release. It goes hard throughout, from the incredible riffing to the solid drumming to Rowena’s powerful vocals. And for a debut release to produce this level of quality songs throughout is damn impressive! It’s a sound that, while never quite going away, is seeing an awesome resurgence in the UK underground scene as of late, and Rattlesnakes very much positioned themselves near the forefront of that with this release. If you are a fan of old-school metal, give this a spin, you’ll surely love it as much as I do. A very solid 9.5/10 back when it dropped, and it more than lives up to that now. A deserving addition to this list!

Listen to: Firestarter, and Burn for You

2 – Evan Bartels: To Make you Cry

As if I wasn’t already obsessed with this release when it dropped, seeing it live made me fall in love with it even more. It’s such a simple release, being pretty stripped back to Evan’s vocals and guitar with liminal other instrumentation, but it draws all the focus on the lyrics and vocal delivery, packing such a deep, emotional punch. It’s made me cry before, live and when revisiting it here. Heck, ‘The Highway’ still gives me goosebumps to this day. Plus, talking to Evan about how it was made just makes me appreciate it even more! It won’t be for everyone, but music at its most base form is supposed to make you feel something, and this does just that every single time. Every track is amazing, and this is an absolute must check out, regardless of what type of music you’re into! It’s very easy to hear why I gave it a 10/10, and it definitely deserves this slot on the list!

Listen to: Death of a Good Man, and The Highway

1 – Fangslinger: We Are the Night

There was no way this wasn’t topping our list. I’ve been obsessed with this band since they started, and this EP brought together everything I loved about the undead redneck rock’n’rollers! Big riffs, massive harmonies, arena-filling choruses and plenty of southern rock swagger to boot. All five tracks are as good as the last, it being 20-minutes of hard rock greatness. They are already teasing the next step, but until then, I am more than happy to keep spinning this release. It’s a fantastic combination of their early singles, and it’s another release I cannot recommend enough to anyone even slightly interested. It was another very easy 10/10 back in July, and I fully stand by that now. These guys are gonna be massive!

Listen to: The Lost Souls Saloon, and Blood Curse

Features

Most Anticipated Albums of 2026!

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While a little later than previously planned, we wanted to sit down and take a look at our most anticipated albums set to release this year, either announced or rumoured. And, for the first time in Overtone history, not one album/artist that featured on last years list returned for this one! Out of all of them, only one didn’t release, and… well… that all got a bit messy. This year is already looking stacked for new releases, so let’s look at the ones we’re looking forward to the most, shall we?

Zach Bryan: With Heaven on Top – January 9th

The soonest to drop, merely a few days from now, one of countries biggest stars returns after taking some time away. Being a big fan of the guy, I’d be excited for this release. However, with the controversy hearing some of the snippets out there has already caused, it has made me more curious and excited than ever! Zach’s beauty is in his lyrics, and he’s certainly gotten plenty to write about since 2024’s The Great American Bar Scene. If it’s anywhere near the quality of his last couple of albums, he’ll certainly be onto another winner with this. I for one cannot wait, and am at least glad it’s coming so early in the year! Do we think it will be the third to make it onto our top album of the year list?

Megadeth: Self-Titled – January 23rd

The final studio album from the thrash legends is of course a massive deal. I have to admit I’ve not been a huge fan of their recent output, but they were a massive band in my teenage years for me and definitely inspired me in my playing, so to have them calling it quits in a year or two is bittersweet. And, having heard the singles already, the band are definitely firing on all cylinders again! They feel like the perfect blend of old and new Megadeth, and hopefully the whole album can channel the same vibes. Hell, if we get a good 80s thrash album, I’ll be happy, anything else is a bonus! Heck, as long as it’s better than their last album, it’ll be a fitting sendoff to one of the most underrated bands of all time.

The Karma Effect: Cruel Intentions – May 15th

One of the most exciting releases coming to the NWOCR scene this year is none other than London’s hard rockers. A follow up to 2024’s stellar Promised Land (which also made that year’s list), it’s impossible not to be hyped for this! ‘Waiting in a Miracle’ is a good a single as the band have ever produced, and they are already teasing more in the coming months. They are the perfect blend of old and new school, and growing more by the day, so it seems! This could very much be their biggest release yet and push them to new heights, and I am very much along for the ride. This album cannot come out soon enough, and expect it to end up on our albums of the year list come December!

Trivium: TBA

The first rumoured/unconfirmed album of the list this year, but there was no way one of my favourite bands are in the studio and that wasn’t making it on here. I know they not long put out an EP, but have said they are still in the studio working on new music as we speak. What’s more exciting is they are saying it’s being inspired by the energy from their Ascendancy anniversary tour. If their upcoming album is some sort of blend of that release and their recent output, I may become a little obsessed! They have put out some of the best music of the last decade with their last three albums, and I find it hard to believe they won’t continue on that run of form with their next one. The only issue is that they’ve said it will be ‘late 2026 or early 2027’, so this may end up back on the same list next year! Still, I can’t wait for this, and whenever it drops, it will surely be awesome!

Megan Moroney: Cloud 9 – February 20th

Megan’s other two albums got a 9/10 and an 8.5/10, respectively. Clearly I am a big fan of her work, and she has set the bar high with her albums so far! So, of course I am excited for this third album! And, if the two singles out so far are anything to go by, it will be more of the excellent same. Ones an emotional ballad, while the others a bit more up-tempo and rocky, at least for Megan, showing off both sides of her great writing. There’s a reason why she’s becoming one of the biggest modern names in the genre, and it has almost put quite a bit of pressure on this upcoming album. I fully expect her to live up to the hype around the release though, and cannot wait to hear the full thing!

Rob Zombie: The Great Satan – February 27th

The first release in half a decade for the industrial metal legend, and it’s surely set to be another awesome one. Heck, we’re still spinning his last one pretty regularly now! And, if the singles so far are anything to reflection of the album as a whole, we are going old-school Zombie with this one, which certainly isn’t a bad thing! ‘Punks and Demons’ is a fun, chaotic release that harkens back to his White Zombie days or Sinister Urge era a lot. It makes sense too, as the amazing Mike Riggs is back on guitar duty for the first time since 2003. I love John 5 and have loved what he’s done with Zombie, but if we’re getting a return to the sound of his first two solo albums with this release, I am all for it! Either way, it will good to have the master of horror back to releasing music again, it’s been too long!

Mallavora: What if Better Never Comes? – March 27th

A debut album being on this list is pretty special, but Mallavora are no ordinary band. They have been steadily on the rise now since COVID, growing more and more and getting a true cult following behind them. Now, two massive EPs under their belts, they are set to take their biggest step up since, with a massively anticipated debut album! Their unique brand of alt metal is amazing and a lot of fun, and I can’t wait to hear it in a longer format. And, like with a lot of this list, the singles we’ve heard so far are BANGIN’. The band have an incredible future ahead of them and an already stacked 2026, and this album will surely push them to higher heights still!

Fangslinger: TBA

Another that’s been teased but not officially announced, they at least have an album launch show set for April, so you’ve gotta imagine the album will be out around then. I’m a big fan of the metal/country/hard rock crossover band and have been since the start, so I’ll take any new music I can get. If that’s a full-length album, that’s even better! I’d assume ‘As the Crow Flies’ is the first song from the release, and that track is incredible, so I am already eager to hear more. I know they are dropping another single in the next week or two, so hopefully we get some more news around then. However, until then, we here at Overtone are impatiently waiting to hear what’s next for the band. 2026 is very much going to be their year!

Skindred: You Got This – April 16th

The Welsh Reggae-metal band took their time reaching 2023’s Smile, but are already returning early this year with another album that is no doubt going to be awesome. We’ve only had one single so far, but the title track is AWESOME, and hints to great things for the album as a whole. It’s impossible not to have fun with Skindred, and they only seem to be getting even better with age. Nine albums in at this point and they are hotter than ever, and seem to be putting out better and better music. Their last like four albums now have been stellar, and I have high expectations that You Got This will be more of the same!

Tailgunner: Midnight Blitz – February 6th

One of the fastest rising stars in all of metal, the recent Napalm Records signing as wasting no time putting out their sophomore album! The bands debut back in 2023 was fantastic enough, but I truly believe these guys could surpass that with this release, and prove that they are certainly ones to watch moving forward. The perfect blend of old-school NWOBHM and modern production and energy, they have all the tools to become the next big thing, and I truly believe this album will set them on that path. I’m also interested to hear what they do with a bigger budget, and if the singles are anything to go off, it’s going to be awesome!

Social Distortion: TBA/May?

Another album teased by the band but not officially announced. Frontman Mike Ness has given a rough May release date, alongside a potential single later this month. Man do I hope so, as it’s been 15 long years since their last studio release. Another massive influence in my early years, having them return after so long, as well as Mike’s tonsil cancer, is truly awesome to see. And, across their long, storied career, they really haven’t lost a step, not putting out an even remotely bad album, so I can’t see this breaking that trend now! They’re just so easy to listen to while still having plenty of great lyrics and themes, and are such an inspirational band, they can almost do no wrong. Either way, I’m just damn excited to hear this, and even more excited to finally see them live this year, too!

Ice Nine Kills: TBA

Another one for the maybe pile. INK have been rather secretive in terms of what their plan is, aside for casually hinting at capping off their Siver Scream trilogy with another album. The story through their videos has continued on perfectly, though it remains to be seen if any are standalone or if the last three will all make it onto III. I’m in two minds about it, as ‘The Laugh Track’ is one of the best songs they’ve ever done, but I rather selfishly would love as much new stuff as possible on a new release! No matter which way it goes, I’m sure it’ll be a banger when it finally comes out. They are my favourite current band, and Horrorwood is a masterpiece. While the pressure may be on after that album and their bigger tours the last couple of years, if anyone can rise to the challenge, it’s Ice Nine Kills. I’ve been impatiently waiting for this for a solid few months already!

Tyketto: Closer to the Sun – March 20th

Somehow it has been a full decade since the second wave of glam/AOR legends blew me away with Reach. That’s far too long without new Tyketto! That is all set to change at the end of March, when we get their highly anticipated return! Having seen them multiple times in the last few years, they are still very much on top form, so it’s hard not to be excited for new studio work by them. ‘Higher Than High’ is an awesome track, so you’ve gotta imagine the rest of the album will be more of the same! I’m sure this thing will kick ass, and I can’t wait!

Muse: TBA

How is it that the band are allowed to show up in June, drop one of their heaviest tracks in years, and then disappear again? I still spin ‘Unravelling’ a fair bit now, and it still has me hyped for the band to return with a new studio album. They can do no wrong in my eyes (aside 2nd Law), and even their last album had some bangers! There is no one quite like Muse, and it has been too long since we’ve had a full-length release already! No matter what sort of sound they return with, whether the Djent-ness was just a one-off or not, I’m sure it will still be excellent, and I for one cannot wait to hear whatever the Devonshire trio have come up with!

Symphony X: TBA

Okay, this one might just be be. However, I LOVE the band, and the fact that we’ve not had an album from them in a decade is insane. I’m a big fan of Russell Allen, and have already missed his work in Adrenaline Mob, so at least with this I get some of his incredible vocals again. However, the band as a whole are such incredibly talented musicians that it’s hard to imagine this isn’t going to be insane all round. We haven’t even had a single drop for this one yet, but LePond has stated that they have finished writing it in the late stages of last year, so fingers crossed it’s being recorded as we speak! It’s another that may very well get pushed back to ’27, but a guy can hope, right?!

Features

The Top Albums of 2025 – Part 4!

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As we approach the final few, our list heats up, but there are still so many incredible releases for us to be checking out! See who’s 40-20!

40 – Volbeat: God of Angels Trust

The return of the Danish metal titans after a few years off has been a more than welcome one, as their ninth album is pretty incredible! You always know exactly what to get from the band, but rarely do they misstep, this being another great, similar release in their catalogue. Whether it’s chuggy almost thrash or their slower, more anthemic, stadium-filling stuff, they do it all as well as they ever have here. It’s 44-minutes of awesome hard rock/metal music in a style that’s only Volbeat can seem to pull off. When I first reviewed it, I wasn’t quite as sold on it as their previous album. However, after a good few spins since, it has grown on me a lot and is definitely up there with that release! It’s packed full of high points, from huge choruses to awesome riffs, and is a must check out for anyone who’s even a passing fan of the band! It still got a 9/10 from us then, but may even be a touch higher now. It very much deserves its slot on the list, and would have been higher had it not been such a good year!

Check out our reaction here!

Listen to: By a Monster’s Hand, Acid Rain, and Better Be Fueled than Tamed

39 – Ian Munsick: Eagle Feather

This is an absolutely INCREDIBLE country-Americana album that has somehow grown on me even more since first hearing it back in April. This thing is packed full of excellent track after excellent track, even at over an hour in length, and it goes by in a flash! His voice is so interesting for a country artist, and packed full of emotion throughout, just like his lyrics. From beauty to heartbreak, it’s all covered perfectly throughout, and by one of the best storytellers around in country today. And, whether you’re into a more neo-traditional country sound or not, this is well worth checking out, as I truly think it has a little bit of something for everyone. Want country rock? Check out ‘Stampede’. More of a pop sound? ‘God Bless the West’. Straight yo Americana? The opening two tracks. There’s a reason we gave it a massive 9.5/10 when we reviewed it, with the length being the only thing that still may keep it from top marks. However, it still more than deserves its slot on this list, and may get even higher on another day!

Listen to: Horses Not Hearts, God Bless the West, and Fixin’ Me

38 – Whitechapel: Hymns in Dissonance

Absolute brutality for 43-straight minutes, and an album I’ve seen talked about a lot in lists like this, and for very good reason! As much as I enjoyed Kin, I know there are those in the bands fanbase who didn’t, and see this as a return to their former sound, as well as a return to form. Honestly, it’s hard to argue! From the riffing to the drums to the screams, it’s all crushingly heavy and so well written and performed. And, every song is incredible, it all flowing together so well. It’s certainly not a release for everyone, but if you are into the heavier side of metal, I’m sure you’ve already checked out this masterpiece already! We only gave it an 8/10 back in March, but it has definitely grown on me a lot with more listens. An incredibly worthy entry to the list!

Listen to: Prisoner 666, A Visceral Retch, and Mammoth God

37 – Whiskey Myers: Whomp Whack Thunder

Somehow an album I missed until a couple of days too late, this is another excellent release from one of my favourite country artists. The band can really do no wrong at this point, as we loved their last album too! This release follows that one up perfectly, packed with awesome southern rock instrumentation and some incredible vocals, lyrics and melodies from Cody. And, from boot-stompin’ rockers to slower, emotional ballads, this album once again has a little bit of everything! If you are at all into country, southern stuff or hard rock, this is an absolute must of an album for you! There isn’t a bad track on the album and it goes by in a flash! It more than deserves its slot on this list, and it gets an incredibly easy 9/10 from us!

Listen to: Time Bomb, Rowdy Days, and Midnight Woman

36 – Biohazard: Divided We Fall

The return album from the hardcore thrash legends was everything as good as it was expected to be. It’s the perfect encapsulation of the anger in the world currently; from the lyrics to the riffing to the breakdowns, it’s all so great and fitting to the recent climate. It’s also an incredibly fun listen, and all 11 tracks on it are awesome and highlights in their own right. It’s impossible not to have a good time and actually feel something listening to this, and I’d recommend it to anyone to try at least once, regardless of what sort of music you like. It got a massive and very easy 9.5/10 from us when it dropped, but it may get even higher than that after a few more listens. It’s the perfect hardcore album of this style, and is very close to being the best album in the style this year… more on that later…

Listen to: Fuck the System, Eyes on Six, and Fight to be Free

35 – Ward XVI: Id3ntity

Overtone’s most anticipated album ever at this point I think finally dropped back in summer, and honestly lived up to the hype, insanely! Part three of the Psychoberry trilogy ends things in fitting, grandiose and dark fashion, the band doing their usual genre-blending just as perfectly as ever. From hard-rock to folk to gothic to heavy to modern metals to flashes of everything from Reggaeton to electronic, there is a bit of just about everything, and a hell of a lot of different instruments. And, in typical concept fashion, it all flows perfectly and seamlessly together. There really isn’t a bad track on this thing.

The band are not only known for putting on one of the best live shows, underground or otherwise, but their studio work really speaks for itself too at this point. It’s a fun, epic listen from start to finish, and one that I’d recommend to anyone! I am desperate to see it live so hope we get another tour or some festival slots in 2026, but I am more than happy to keep spinning this in the meantime. A solid 9.5/10 from us and a worthy addition to the list!

Check out our interview with them here!

Listen to: Regeneration, Macabaret, and Blood is the New Black

34 – Jon Pardi: Honkytonk Hollywood

The neo-traditional country legend returned back in April to follow up his 2022 release. I loved this when it came out, but for some reason then didn’t revisit it much for a while. However, when coming back to it when getting this release going, I remembered just how fucking excellent it truly is! From front to back this album is packed full of banger after banger. Be it a catchy country-rock radio hit or slower, emotion-filled ballad, it’s all so good. It’s almost an hour long but doesn’t feel it at all, going by in no time at all. I did enjoy Mr Saturday Night, but this definitely tops it, honestly up there alongside California Sunrise for me! There’s a reason he’s still one of the biggest names in the genre some ten years after he broke out, and output like this is a fantastic example of it. It got a massive 9/10 from us back then, and I am very inclined to agree with that still now, if not a 9.5! Much like with previous entries, if it was a smidge shorter it may have gotten even higher up, but it still earns a damn good place on our list!

Listen to: Boots Off, Rush, and Love the Lights Out

33 – Shiraz Lane: In Vertigo

Album number four from the AOR/sleazy hard rock quintet blew me away a couple of months ago when it released, and still does so whenever I go back to check it out now! It’s packed full of massive riffing, arena-filling choruses and absolutely stellar production. The band have really stepped up with this release, and this is coming from someone who was a big fan of their last couple of albums! Each of these 10 tracks are truly as good as the last, and the album is worth a listen if you are at all into rock music. It’s insane that they aren’t a bigger name worldwide, but this release is certainly set to push them to that level, I’m sure! It’s an incredibly fun release, as well as having moments of heartfeltness and some great ballads. It was a very easy 9.5/10 upon release, and after a few more listens it’s hard to say any differently. Another well-earned entry into our list!

Listen to: Stone Cold Lover, Dangerous, and Sayonara Love

32 – The Smith Street Band: Once I Was Wild

For anyone who hasn’t guessed by now, this isn’t typically my sort of music. However, the phenomenal writing and emotion bleeding from every single song drew me in and made me a massive new fan of this band last month. It’s on the heavier side of indie rock, definitely giving off Frank Turner vibes in the best ways. And yeah, this is a beautiful, bittersweet release that you cannot stop once you start, 41-minutes going by in a flash. Maybe it’s more of a reflection of my questionable mental health currently, but hey, this is my list, I can do what I want! This is an incredible, powerful, grandiose release that everyone needs to listen to at least once. It’s given me goosebumps, made me laugh and cry, and it’s only been out for a month! Instrumentally or vocally it’s nothing special, but it all works so well with the powerful lyrics that I really can’t get enough of it. 9/10 doesn’t seem to do it justice after a few more listens, so it would definitely get higher than I gave it before.

Listen to: Once I Was Wild, Constellation, and The Morning After

31 – Finger Eleven: Last Night on Earth

The Canadian alt-rockers’ return to the studio after a decade didn’t disappoint, and very much lived up to the hype! From the absolutely MASSIVE riffing to the catchy as anything choruses to, once again, some of the best production around today, everything about this release works so well together. And it’s also paced perfectly; the slower and faster tracks complimenting each other excellently and making for an incredibly easy 40-minute listen! It’s very much a throwback to the early 2000s radio rock sound that I grew up, so there is a touch of nostalgia here too, but give this a listen and try to tell me it isn’t excellent, it’s impossible. It’s equal parts beautiful and rocking, and it’s easy to see why they’re such a big name across the pond. A surprisingly slightly low 9/10 from us last month, it’s a truly amazing album and another I’d wholly recommend to anyone even slightly interested!

Listen to: Adrenaline, Lock Me Up, and Perfect Effigy

30 – Dominum: The Dead Don’t Die

The second album on this list to be dropped in December of 2024, I have been obsessed with it ever since! They’re my favourite modern power metal band, and they knocked it out of the park once again with their second release. I loved their debut, but this builds on everything from that record and very much turns it up to 11. Every chorus is stadium-fillingly catchy, and the album as a whole sounds MASSIVE, from the instrumentation to the perfect production. Dr Dead is honestly a genius when it comes to power metal, and has crafted something truly special with this release, just like he did with Hey Living People. It’s another album I’d recommend to absolutely anyone, and don’t be surprised if you come out of it having found one of your favourite new bands like I have these last two years! It was another album we gave a huge 9.5/10 to when it dropped, and it’s hard to argue against that still all these months later. Yet another worthy addition to the list!

Check out our interview with Dr Dead here!

Listen to: One of Us, The Dead Don’t Die, and Happy Deadly Ending

29 – Chris Young: I Didn’t Come Here to Leave

Just because this is a little lower on the list than his last one, it doesn’t mean that this isn’t still a phenomenal country album, and album overall for that matter! Chris is one of my favourite artists full stop, and I think he’s found the perfect formula for his particular brand of noise. This thing is packed to the brim with awesome songs, from more up-beat numbers to ballads, and smartly alternates between the two for most of the release. It’s the perfect mid 2000s radio-country album, with just enough rock to keep it interesting, and there really isn’t a bad song on it. It hasn’t gotten nearly enough love as it deserves, even though we gave it an 8.5/10 back in October. However, after a few listens it has grown on me even more, it being an incredibly well-rounded release, and is easily 9+ now! From a drinkin’, party mood to a more emotional track or two, Chris does it all so well, and I can’t recommend this album to anyone even slightly curious. It more than deserves its slot on this list, and is another that could be higher on any given day!

Listen to: Some Around Here, I Feel a Cold One Coming On, and Pour Some Whiskey on It

28 – Coheed and Cambria: The Father of Make Believe

Some more proggy alt hard rock, this time from the American legends and their tenth album. I’m going to put it straight out there; as beautiful as the opener is, it’s a terrible way to kick off the album. Especially when after that it’s a tour de force of everything Claudio and co. do so damn well. I get how much of a storyteller and concept artist he is and ‘Yesterday’s Gone’ probably fit the narrative better, but ‘Goodbye, Sunshine’ is a banger and would have been an excellent opener. That being said, the album as a whole is phenomenal. It’s the best flow an album has on this entire list, every song following on perfectly from one to the best, and an hour (1:15 for the New Entities edition) is so easy to sit and rock through. As much as I loved Vaxis II, this is something else dude. I’d put it up there alongside their best releases, for sure. From prog to slower ballads to heavier, hardcore-punk infused stuff, there is so much variety to keep you going, too. I wish I was even a fraction as creative as these guys, and I can never get enough when they put out new music. It got 9.5/10 and for damn good reason!

Listen to: The Father of Make Believe, Meri of Mercy, and Blind Side Sonny

27 – Rivers of Nihil: Self-Titled

I’m going to make a potentially wild claim here, but I stand by it: technical death metal may have never sounded so good as it does on this album. This has absolutely everything, from heaviness to scream, huge clean melodies to technical riffing and soloing and even some sexy sax, and the band pull it all off perfectly. The talent throughout is off the charts, and I’ve listened through all 10 tracks of this a fair bit since it dropped back in May. If you are at all into the heavy stuff, I truly cannot recommend this release enough! It got one of the easiest 10/10s I’ve ever given, and very easily made it this high up the list! If it wasn’t for some insanely strong albums later on, it’d have gotten even higher!

Listen to: The Sub-Orbital Blues, Despair Church, and Evidence

26 – Stray From the Path: Clockworked

Dropping the same week as the previous entry, it just edged it out for a higher spot due to how incredible the lyrics and overall vibe is. I told you hardcore was back in a big way this year, and no one does it better than the Long Island metalcore/hardcore punkers. The bounce, the heaviness, the attitude, it’s all fantastic from start to finish. It’s angry, and perfectly fitting for the current state of the world. It feels like an absolutely wild time for a band like this to be calling it quits, but they’re very much going out with a bang! We adored their last album but this one may be even better, honestly! 9/10 sounds far too low in retrospect, another album that could potentially get top marks now I’ve listened to it a few times! Check it out if you are at all curious!

Listen to: Fuck Them All to Hell, Shot Caller, and Can I Have your Autograph?

25 – Fury: Interceptor

Talk about an entire album being stuck in my head for nearly four months now! This is a hard rock/AOR masterclass from one of the very best in the NWOCR scene! From the riffing to the solid drumming to the stadium-filling choruses and harmonies, it’s all perfectly written and performed. The band have been going for a little while now and really have aged like a fine wine, this maybe being my favourite release from them! Every song is as good as the last, and it’s an incredibly easy 40+ minute listen. There’s a reason this got an impressive 9.5/10 from us, and just give it a listen if you don’t believe me and try to tell me it’s any less! It’s an incredible album, and one that is more than deserving its place here!

Check out our interview with them here!

Listen to: Interceptor, On the Town, and DTR

24 – Kip Moore: Solitary Tracks

This is how you do a long release well! The modern country/Americana legend blew me away at the start of the year, and produced an album that I have revisited plenty of times throughout the last 10 months. How is that someone can do a 22-track, 85-minute album, and it’s still all THIS GOOD? And, from up-tempo country bangers to more soft-rock inspired stuff to ballads, it’s got it all, and done perfectly. If any of that catches your fancy, check out this album immediately! It’s not going to be an album for everyone, but goddamn do I love this to pieces. It’s another that has grown on me more and more, and once again the 9/10 we gave it doesn’t feel enough any more! Certainly Kip’s most complete work to date!

Listen to: High Hopes, Like Ya Stole It, and Live Here to Work

23 – Sarayasign: Shadows of the Dying Light

Oh look, even more incredible AOR music! It’s like a heavier, groove-metal infused Bon Jovi, and I still can’t get enough two months later. And it’s somehow another album over an hour in length that is packed full of bangers, making for an incredibly easy listen. It’s all pretty epic stuff, and relatively cheesy (if done so well it’s only boarderline) so it certainly won’t be for everyone. I love it though, and it’s honestly a crime that they aren’t bigger than they are currently. They deserve to be playing this to huge festival crowds, as it would fit so well. They’re all insanely talented players and songwriters, and have crafted something special here! If you are into rock in any capacity, give this a spin, you’ll surely get as lost in it as I do. An incredibly easy 9.5/10 from us easily cemented this it’s high position on our list!

Listen to: Worlds Apart, Shades of Black, and Throne of Gold Part III

22 – LessDMV: Epitaph II

Y’all should know by now how much I adore Julian’s work. It’s been all over Overtone’s various avenues for a few years now, and this somehow feels like the culmination of all of it. 53-minutes of incredible, gothic hard rock/metal, all of it being excellent. Julian and his brother are amazing at writing heavy stuff or emotional ballads, and he has one of the best vocals across any genre today. And while its main aspect is gothic, it feels fresh; there isn’t really anyone sounding like this around currently. It’s packed full of memorable moments and some of the best tracks across all his projects, as well as being a release I have revisited again and again since its release in May. Some of it still gives me goosebumps or blows me away all these months later. I know he’s already teasing new music, but I can’t get enough of this still to be able to focus on anything else he’d put out! It was an incredibly easy 10/10 in our review, and I still fully stand by this now!

Listen to: Hysteria, The One, and In the Dark

21 – Blake Shelton: For Recreational Use Only

The big man himself put out his highly anticipated follow-up to 2021’s Body Language, and somehow topped that already stellar album! Right from the excellent opening track through the other three excellent singles and every amazing album track around them, it’s 40 minutes of perfect 2000s country music. The fact that he’s been putting out music for nearly two and a half decades now and is still releasing stuff of this calibre is amazing, especially in country! ‘Texas’ has been a frequent ear-worm for a solid year at this point, but there is plenty more to love alongside that on this album. It’s another album that still puts a lump in my throat all these listens later, and got an incredibly deserving 9.5/10 in its review!

An excellent way to cap off part 4, now… let’s get to the last few…

Listen to: Texas, Hangin’ On, and Cold Can

<-   Part 3.                          Part 5   ->

Features

The Top Albums of 2025 – Part 3!

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Part three of our list and things are really starting to heat up! We’ve already had some excellent albums across genres, and here are 20 more! Are there any missing that you think will be in the top 40?

60 – Cory Marks: Sorry for Nothing Vol. 1 & 2

Yep, we’re starting off this part with a cheeky wildcard/twofer. Sorry. And yes, it’s even cheekier that Vol. 1 came out in December ‘24. However, it was the very first week for it, as the cut-off for this is end of November. And, with both being from the same collection, it counts, alright? So yes, technically it’s the top 101 albums of 2025…

Cory is the perfect blend of modern country music and early 2000s radio rock (dad rock as it’s now known *shiver*). And the fact that he cannot only pull off both styles perfectly, but combine them at times effortlessly too, across a full nearly 90 minutes is incredible and a true testament to his talents! There is somehow very little filler across both releases, too. If you are into country or rock at all (why are you reading this website if you aren’t into either?) then I cannot recommend these albums enough. From the chunky riffing to the arena-filling choruses, he’s an amazing songwriter, and he and his band perform it incredibly. He fits perfectly alongside people from both sides of his sound, and it’s easy to hear why we gave both parts a solid 9/10. It’s very much like all the best parts of Nickelback, and more than deserves its spot on our list!

Listen to: (Make My) Country Rock, Change the Game, and Wild Ride

59 – Arch Enemy: Blood Dynasty

This is a slightly odd release now, with Alissa rather abruptly leaving the band just a few weeks back. However, their last album with her at the front is maybe my favourite one since their earlier days, and it has somehow grown on me more and more! Its basis is the bands usual melodeath style that they do so far, but they build it into much more than that here. From clean vocals to thrasher bits to even a more epic power ballad, this release pulls so much from other metal facets, yet still feels distinctly Arch Enemy. And it’s a perfectly solid 42-minutes, with each of the 11 songs being excellent. As excited as I am for where Alissa goes solo, I’ll definitely miss her being in the band. However, not only have they managed to prove that they can make a banging album without Loomis involved, but really went out on a high with the Alissa-era. We gave it an incredibly solid 9/10, and there was no way it wasn’t making it this high on this list!

Listen to: The Dream Stealer, Don’t Look Down, and Vivre Libre

58 – DOROTHY: THE WAY

Another album, another year-ending list for the LA hard rocker. Yet again she smashes it out of the park with her studio release, this being up there with anything she’s put out prior. This thing is a solid blues-infused hard rock release, and the deluxe edition is somehow even better! From the awesome riffing to her powerful vocals and arena-filling choruses, it’s all so damn good, and there really isn’t a bad song throughout. It’s a shame that she seems to have no interest in touring the UK or Europe, as I’d love to see all of this live! This got a massive 9.5/10 back in March, and it’so hard to argue with that all these months later. It more than deserves its place on this list, and would have been higher if it wasn’t for so much awesome music dropping in 2025!

Listen to: MUD, TOMBSTONE TOWN, and UNHOLY WATER

57 – Testament: Para Bellum

After five long years off, the thrash legends returned back in October and really took no prisoners with this release! This thing is a masterclass of heavy thrash metal, and proves that they are still one of the top bands to ever do it. There are a number of bands from the 70s and 80s that have been putting out great new music in recent years, but I would argue none have done it as well or consistently as Testament. And nearly four decades into their music-releasing career, they went heavier than ever, which is fucking awesome! And yet they still squeeze a rare-heard ballad in here for good measure too, it being an incredibly well-rounded and easy to listen to album, even at nearly an hour! I gave it a 9/10 when it dropped, but I may even rank it a touch higher at this point, it really is that good! If you are at all into the band or the genre in general, I can’t recommend this enough, it’s up there with some of their best.

Listen to: For the Love of Pain, Infanticide A.I., and Meant to Be

56 – The Darkness: Dreams on Toast

The British light-hearted rockers returned with their first album since 2021 way back in March, and may have released their strongest album since their debut. It also marked the longest gap between albums the band had aside for their hiatus, which could potentially explain things. It’s a varied 33-minutes of rock music that is constantly interesting and a lot of fun throughout. Whether a foot-stomper, a stadium anthem or a ballad, this album has it all, and has just enough tongue-in-cheek to still feel so distinctly Darkness. Heck, there’s plenty of quirkier influence too, from ELO to Queen and even some country! I know the band are somewhat controversial lately due to the Hawkins’ comments about Yungblud, but that doesn’t stop this from being a damn good album written and performed by four incredibly talented musicians. If you are at all into rock music, this is a must check out for you! Heck, we gave it top marks when we reviewed it, so that should really speak for itself, right?

Listen to: I Hate Myself, The Longest Kiss, and Walking Through Fire

55 – Liam St John: Man of the North

Despite me still feeling like it doesn’t open well, this is an absolutely incredible blues/soul/Americana album. It’s packed full of emotion but also effortlessly swaggering and cool throughout. It also somehow feels like the perfect combination of old-school blues and a more modern twist. Liam has tapped into something truly special here, channelling his influences in a way to create a sound that we really don’t have a lot of these days, and it fits in across most rock and country scenes. And for such a new artist to be putting something out of this high quality is truly incredible. I discovered him at Long Road this year and was immediately obsessed, so the fact that this album came out just a couple of weeks later and cemented me as a firm big fan of his is a true testament to the man’s songwriting and talents. The only thing that’s dropped it a couple of places on this list is it’s length, though even then I’ve happily listened to it through a good few times since September, even if it does slow down in its last third. Another incredibly easy 9/10 from us, and another that is more than deserving of his slot on this list!

Listen to: Believer, forefathers, and Dipped in Bleach

54 – Daedric: As the Light Left

The modern metal powerhouse’s second album storms onto this list, just like her debut did back in 2023. This is the perfect mix of heavy and beautifully ethereal, and is impossible to stop listening to until it’s all finished. Her scream is incredible, and fits amazingly over the top of the heavy riffs, but her powerful cleans are just as good, and utilised perfectly throughout. I’ve said it before (in our review, no less) and I’ll say it again, Daedric is everything I wish Spiritbox was. They are somehow getting better and better every time they put out new music, and I am so excited to see the heights they can reach, as with output like this they more than deserve it! If you are at all into the aforementioned band, or anything from Poppy to THE DEFECT to Bad Omens, I cannot recommend this enough. It’s an excellent metal album that got a very easy 9/10 back in October, and was a very easy addition to this list!

Listen to: The Other Terror, Night Mother, and Dark Legacy

53 – Igorrr: Amen

There was no way this wild slice of experimentation wasn’t making this list. The Frenchman blew me away with his last release back in 2020, and this continues on from that album pretty perfectly. And, whether it’s epic blackened death metal, more orchestral, cinematic arrangements or straight up dubstep, everything he touches here turns to gold. Don’t get me wrong, this is certainly not an album for everyone, but I loved it and have revisited it multiple times since it dropped back in September. Gautier just does things completely different to everyone else out there, and honestly feels like a creative evil genius on par with Danny Elfman at this point. And somehow, this three-quarters-of-an-hour release that genre-blends and hops constantly goes by in a flash, reflecting on its quality. If you are at all curious or like his other work, do check this out! While I still maintain the opinion that it’s not quite as good as Spirituality and Distortion, it’s still a damn good album, and certainly deserving of the 9/10 we gave it, as well as it’s slot on our list.

Listen to: Headbutt, Blastbeat Falafel, and Pure Disproportionate Black and White Nihilism

52 – Vincent Mason: There I Go

For someone who I somehow hadn’t heard any of until the start of November, I have become pretty heavily obsessed with this album since! Having the energy, vibe and lyrical content of the more indie-Americana sound I love currently, but with more of a country twang to it, he’s got an amazing style. And, while this is another country release on the longer side, it’s packed full of incredible highs and doesn’t have a bad song throughout! It’s also packed full of emotion and catchy choruses, and what more can you ask for from country music? A good half of this album is on my personal playlist, and certain tracks still give me goosebumps over a month later. If you’re a country, Americana, indie etc fan, this is certainly an album you need to check out immediately! And the fact that it’s a debut album, DAMN. It was yet another album I gave 9/10 to in my review, and it more that deserves it!

Listen to: Little Miss, Damned if I Do, and Wish you Well

51 – Sumo Cyco: NEON VOID

Album four from the former Canadian teen pop-punker and her band seemed to have come out of nowhere this year. After not seeing much of them after their 2021 release, they exploded back onto my radar with a host of awesome singles leading up to this release. And the singles are hardly the lot of it either, as this whole album slaps from front to back! 41-minutes of fun pop-metal; equal parts heavy riffing and mainstream hooks. She’s such an interesting vocalist, powerful, catchy melodies and still the odd scream thrown in for good measure. After sitting with it for a couple of months, I honestly think it’s the most well-rounded album they’ve put out, every track being awesome and there being some interesting pace changes throughout. It got a solid 8.5/10 when we reviewed it, but I’d definitely say it’s closer to a 9 after a few listens. If you’re at all into stuff like Tonight Alive, Skindred or Butcher Babies, check this out ASAP!

Listen to: SHIVERS, VILLAINS, and CLOCKWORK

50 – H.E.A.T.: Welcome to the Future

There isn’t nearly enough cheesy AOR on this list this year, but arguably the modern kings of it gave us one of their best albums to date back in April. The second album since original vocalist Kenny’s return goes hard for a full 45-minutes, and is packed full of MASSIVE riffs and stadium-filling choruses. It’s impossible not to love this band and album, and every track is as good as the last, all of them being stuck in my head for days at a time at various parts of the year. It’s insane to me that they aren’t one of the biggest bands currently around, but this style of music doesn’t get nearly as much love as it should! It got a 9/10 from me when it dropped, but honestly after so many listens it may be even higher than that now. Check this out if you are at all into big, cheesy choruses, and I only wish I could have put it higher!

Listen to: Disaster, Running to You, and Tear it Down

49 – Muscadine Bloodline: …And What was Left Behind & Longleaf Lo-Fi

Oops, it’s another twofer… oh well, it’s my list, I can do what I want!

The first of this releases has been floating around high on my list since it dropped back in April. And, while it was left-over tracks from their 2024 release, Their follow-up back in November felt like it also fit the same vibe so well that In struggled to separate them. Both are fantastic country-Americana releases from the duo, packed with great harmonies, emotion-filled lyrics and some great instrumentation. And, at barely an hour across both albums, it’s not even that massive an undertaking, especially for country! It’s simple, chilled-out modern country music, and if you’re a fan of that at all these albums are a must! Somehow I missed reviewing Lo-Fi, but gave Left Behind an incredible solid 9.5/10, and it’s easy to hear why if you listen! Though I have found other albums and releases in this style I’ve enjoyed more through the year, both of these together easily still get that score, and are solidly entered into this list!

Listen to: Ain’t For Sale, Deer in the Headlights, My Meridian, and You Will be Loved

48 – Dinosaur Pile-Up: I’ve Felt Better

There’s just something about Dinosaur Pile-Up, man. There is no one out there doing what they do, and their brand of punk-hard rock-indie fusion is a hell of a lot of fun. This album thankfully picks right up where Celebrity Mansions left off six years prior, with Matt barely showing any signs of his life-threatening health issues over the last few years, aside for in his lyrics. Back when ‘Back Foot’ dropped they seemed like the next big thing, and while their momentum dipped a little, this has done a fantastic job of bringing them back on track! It’s yet another album packed full of awesome songs, with most of it ending up on my personal playlist after just a couple of listens. It’s also an incredibly varied album, with plenty of emotion and vulnerability on display at times, while they still show their fun, light-hearted side on the likes of ‘My Way’ and ‘Big Dogs’. From the big riffs, solid drums and anthemic choruses, it’s honestly the perfect Dinosaur Pile-up album, and I’d put it up there with their last couple of releases easily.

I’ve been obsessed with it since August, and would urge absolutely everyone reading this to give it a try. It was another big 9/10 from us back in August, but it may be even higher than that for me now!

Listen to: ‘Bout to Lose It, My Way, and Quasimodo Melonheart

47 – XIII Doors: Into the Unknown

The debut album from the Irish melodic hard rock band is just as good now as it was when I first checked it out back in February! The mixture of early 2000s radio-rock/arena-filling choruses and plenty of Tremonti-style riffs is perfect, and performed to perfection here. It’s another short and sweet album, just eight tracks packed into an excellent 33 minute package. There truly isn’t a bad track on this album, and there is so much to love throughout. The band have a massive future ahead of them, and this album will be looked back on as the launching pad for that in years to come! There’s a reason I gave it top marks in my review, and I’d recommend this album to absolutely anyone. There is no way it wasn’t making this list, and it more than deserves as high as it’s got! I look forward to hearing where they go in the future!

Listen to: Unleash the Beast, Face the Truth, and Into the Unknown

46 – Frankie Ballard: The Messanger

This is where I really wish I could have put albums higher up. Not to say that everyone above isn’t incredible and could have gotten higher up without the next lot, but this is where the list became almost impossible for me to order!

This is an absolute masterclass in blues, Americana and country. His first album in nearly a decade and it was more than worth the wait, in this writers humble opinion! To put it into perspective, two thirds of this release made it onto my playlist, and the other four tracks aren’t particularly worse than the rest! It’s packed full of great guitaring, emotional and fantastic vocal delivery and some infectiously catchy melodies and choruses. It dropped back in March and honestly I’ve lost track of how much I’ve spun it since then, even the album in full or its many, many highlight tracks. How I haven’t seen much love for it when it dropped or around this time of year is beyond me! If you are into any sort of facet of blues, check this out immediately, you’re bound to love it as much as I do! It was another release with top marks in its review, and it’s practically impossible to argue with that all these months later!

Listen to: Dirty Church Clothes, Shine, and Fenceless Freedom

45 – The Heavy Souls: Have you Got Soul

Our good friends put out their debut album back at the start of the year, and absolutely blew me away with it! An absolute powerhouse of hard rock/blues riffing from front to back, channelling the likes of Rival Sons and Wolfmother perfectly. And, on top of that, plenty of soaring, powerful vocals that fit perfectly over the top! Whether it’s a plodding blues pace or a more uptempo hard rock one, the band pull both styles off so well and it flows perfectly throughout. There is no wonder they have received such praise over the last year or so, and have really built themselves up to a force to be reckoned with already in the UK underground scene. An incredibly solid 9/10 back in February that still stands now, and a worthy addition to the list!

Listen to: Have you Got Soul, Sleepwalking, and She Said

44 – Wretched Path: Sea of Death

Somehow an album I missed when it dropped back in March, I’ve become a little obsessed with it since! The Finnish modern death metal band’s release has somehow slipped under the radar of a lot of people, 121 monthly listens for this is criminal, but I am very proudly one of them! This is barely half-an-hour of perfect brutality, not letting up from start to finish. It’s certainly not an album for everyone reading this, but if you are into your metal on the heavier side, this is an absolute must! From the riffing to the arrangement, drums to the screams, it’s all excellent, and a true masterclass of what death metal is in 2025. It prompted me to also listen back to their 2022 debut, which is also good, but this builds on everything on that perfectly. I can’t give it any less than 9/10, and it more than earns its spot on our list!

Listen to: Release of Violence, Apophis, and

43 – Kelsy Karter & the Heroines: Love Made me Do it

Nearly 11 full months on, this is still an absolutely excellent pop-rock album! I’m so glad Kelsy is getting the love her and the Heroines so sorely deserve, with them recently touring Europe supporting Halestorm, and this album surely went a good way into making that happen! This is packed full of so many incredible radio hooks, backed up perfectly by the excellent instrumentation. Whether it’s slower power ballads or straight up rock tracks, it has a bit of everything, and 50-minutes goes by in a flash! I gush about it even more in my review, and it was yet another 10/10 album, a score I fully stand by after god knows how many listens all these months later. As I said earlier in the Frankie entry, I really wish I could put this higher, and honestly on any given day it could jump up a good few places. It’s an absolutely stellar album and one that I’d recommend everyone check out at least once!

Listen to: Daughter of the Night, Laser to the Heart, and Painkiller

42 – Foreign Affairs: Brothers

Oh look, another phenomenal debut album! The sheer quality of this for a first release is absolutely insane, too. It explores so many different styles too, whether it’s indie, country, Americana or rock, all of them pulled off to perfection! It’s a powerful album too, emotion being a thread throughout and it still giving me goosebumps at times some three months later. The pair are so damn talented, both as players and songwriters, and have crafted something truly special with this release. It was a very easy 9.5/10 back in September, and I very much stand by that now still. It’s an excellent album and another artist that I can see being a massive name sooner rather than later!

Listen to: Killer Spell, I’m on Fire, and One Minute

41 – All Time Low: Everyone’s Talking

The modern pop punk legends returned with an absolute stormer of an album this year, topping the already great Tell me I’m Alive from 2023. It’s the closest they’ve sounded to their old-school sound in years, yet still have a modern edge and production to it. And it’s also packed full of incredible tracks and huge choruses, just like the band have become so well known for. On top of that, Alex proves that he is one of the most underrated storytellers in the business, weaving a tale of how he’s feeling the last couple of years. I was eagerly anticipating this since I first heard ‘SUCKERPUNCH’, and since the album dropped I’ve been a little obsessed! It got a 9/10 from us, but honestly after a few listens I may put it even higher than that now! It’s a fun, surprisingly deep album and is a great way to close out this part of the list!

Listen to: SUCKERPUNCH, The Weather, and Little Bit

<- Part 2

Part 4 ->

Features, Interviews & Features

Revenant: ‘We’re always creating and pushing new ideas in the fold!’

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We had the pleasure of sitting down with the amazing lads ar Revenant the other day to chat about their brand new EP and their upcoming tour with Preacher Stone! Check it out below!

‘Black Dogs & Sad Men’ came out a few weeks ago, it seems to have gone down well!

Thank you, yeah people have really taken to it, we’ve had lots of messages that some of the subject matter has resonated with people and the songs have slotted into our live set nicely!

It’s your second EP this year after ‘Best Medicine’ in April, what led to such a fast turnover of releases?

To peek behind the curtain of what we’ve been sat on for a while. People who have been watching us for the last year-ish will recognise most of those songs as we’ve had them in our set for a good minute or two. We recorded both EPs pretty close to each other so after the release of Best Medicine it was just a case of incubating the Black Dogs and Sad Men.

Check out our review of the last EP here!

It’s your third EP in the last couple of years. Is the plan to stay with the same format, or is a studio album on the horizon?

Being the men of mystery we are, we don’t want to say too much. That being said, we’re always creating and pushing new ideas in the fold, and we’re always looking at the best way to let those ideas flourish.

What do you think the state of releasing new music is like these days? It seems pretty hard to predict what to put out sometimes!

Put out whatever you want really, obviously some things will be more commercially successful than others but if you’ve got a message, and a good following of people willing to hear and share, then stay true to yourself and it will all fall together.

I saw you’re all prepared for your Christmas gig at Arlington Arts Newbury. How hard was it to get actual Santa to fill in for Sugarman Sam pretty last minute?

Big boots to fill for sure, even for the mighty Saint Nic! Sam didn’t take kindly to being paraded in a costume for our amusements and so we had to think of something. We all wrote our letters to the big man and asked him to help us out and he actually had that evening free so it’s all worked out after all!

You’re out on the road with Preacher Stone in the new year, what can we expect from the shows?

You know, that is going to be our first proper tour and we’re stoked to get going, we’ve chatted with the Preacher Stone fellas a few times, super cool dudes. We’ll be playing a heap of new venues and cities to us, there’ll be a measured amount of chaos, a healthy amount of action, and an unbridled stallion of powerful tunes!

Have you got quite a busy 2026 booked in already, anything you can tell us?

We’ll be headlining a cool biker/veterans Care After Combat charity festival Backwoods Barn Jam, Market Rasen in July and we’ve got a few irons in the fire but nothing we’re ready to pull the trigger on to let people know just yet. Writing is a big focus for us at the moment so we want to put as much dedicated time into that as we can.

Do you have any milestones you want to hit in the next 5 years?

There should always be things to shoot for, getting a single onto mainstream national radio is always a good aim but maybe to play more festivals like a Planet Rock one, even Download and take our first steps into Europe, or maybe even the States.

Do you have a dream tour lineup you’d want to be a part of?

Anything involving Chris Stapleton, Zakk Wylde, or someone like Alter Bridge would be nothing short of incredible, hit us up guys as we’re always ready!

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Equilibrium, Soho Dukes and More!

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A quieter week as we wind down towards the end of the year, but still eight awesome albums for us to dive into! Let’s check them out!

Equilibrium: Equinox

The German folk metallers returned with their first new studio album in six years this last Friday. I’m glad they’re back too, as this is an awesome release! It’s epic, heavy and melodic in all the right ways. I also love that while it’s still got plenty of traditional elements and sounds, it’s also modernised with some huge production and some synths. Heck, it even has elements of melodeath or metalcore in there too, which is truly awesome and an incredibly unique sound! Tracks like ‘Awakening’, ‘Gnosis’, the nu-metal-infused ‘I’ll be Thunder’ and the epic ‘Nexus’ are all personal highlights. However, every song on this is awesome and flows so well with a couple of great interlude tracks scattered throughout. It really does have something for everyone here, and if you are at all into metal I cannot recommend checking it out enough! The band have a big new fan in me, and I can’t give this any less than 8.5/10!

Soho Dukes: Nighthawks, Acrobats and Everything Under the Moon

Releasing just in time for their tour with the mighty Quireboys, the old-school rockers’ third studio album is somehow a step up from their previous two last year! It’s a throwback to the 70s and 80s in the best way, giving off vibes of everything from their tour headliners to Thunder to even Madness. It also gives a fair bit of Night Flight Orchestra vibes, which definitely isn’t an issue! It’s just a lot of fun, and impossible not to have a good time when listening. The instrumentation is amazing and honestly feels like some lost arrangements these days; the heavy focus on piano and sax being very appreciated! That’s not to say the rest of the band aren’t talented too, everyone works their asses off here, from drums to guitars to vocals. It’s also incredibly hard to pick highlight tracks, as I found myself loving every single song on this release! However, the Spike-featuring single ‘A Stone’s Throw’ is hard not to adore, given how big of a fan of Quireboys I am. It all has that big band feel to it that I love, and am absolutely desperate to see live already! If you are at all into old-school sleaze rock, this is very much the album for you. As I say, they’ve somehow topped their awesome previous two releases with this, and I can’t give it any less than 9/10!

Blut Aus Nord: Ethereal Horizons

This epic slab of French black/avant-garde metal goes hard from start to finish; a full 51 minutes of atmosphere, darkness and heaviness. And honestly, I kinda love it! Longtime readers here know that I’ve never been the biggest fan of straight-up black metal. However, when it has something different or extra about it, like here, I can’t help but enjoy it! It’s just seven songs, but each are as grandiose as the last, and all paint a fantastic picture of this album as a whole. Because of that, it is also incredibly hard to pick highlight tracks, the whole thing feeling more like one big piece. It’s certainly not for everyone, and even if you’re a fan of the style it’s still a pretty big undertaking. Still, if you have the time, this is a damn rewarding listen, and I’d certainly recommend sitting down and checking it out in full! It’s not something I’d revisit often, but still gets a solid 7/10 from us!

Treaty Oak Revival: West Texas Degenerate

The third studio album from the Southern rock band looks to follow up their highly successful 2023 release. It’s at very least an interesting style, that Koe Wetzel combination of post-hardcore/midwest emo with country. However, the more I listen to this sort of sound, the quickly I’ve gotten a little bored of it. It’s gotten old fast for me. Though, I do have to say I enjoyed this more than the last few Koe albums, it keeping the heaviness a bit more consistently throughout. Tracks like ‘Shit Hill’, ‘Withdrawals’, the Muscadine Bloodline-featuring ‘Misery’ and ‘Happy Face’ are all personal highlights. However, it is all pretty similar, and is slightly hard to get through in one sitting, I have to say. They are clearly a massive band with a huge fanbase, so if you like them then you’ll definitely love this new album! However, outside of the aforementioned tracks, it didn’t do a great deal for me, and I wouldn’t rush to revisit it, even if I’d happily have the album on again in the background. Not bad, but I can’t give it much more than 6.5/10, it was too samey!

Tickles: Sugar & Plastic Plates

The debut album from the noise rock quartet is a fantastic introduction to the band! It’s a damn popular sound at the minute, and it’s done to practically perfection here. It’s indie, hardcore and hard rock all mushed together, and is a lot of fun for its entire 37-minute runtime! I’m not typically into the Soft Play/Turnstile stuff all too much on track, but I loved this a lot from the very first track. Songs like ‘The Safest Car’, ‘Haunted’ and the rather epic closer are personal highlights, but honestly there isn’t a bad track on the album and it goes by in a flash! If you are at all into this sort of style of music, I cannot recommend this album enough. They have a big new fan in me immediately and they are definitely ones to watch; if they keep putting out music of this high quality, they’ll be a big name sooner rather than later! I can’t give it any less than 8/10!

Black Dog Moon: Hell and Back

This is a pretty great, interesting album, ever so slightly held back by a bad track arrangement. In the nicest way possible, ‘The Prophecy’, while not a bad song, is a terrible opener That honestly had me worried for the rest of the album. However, then that grungy, punky NWOBHM riff of ‘Neon Queen’ comes in and blows me away, every damn time. Then you have other up-tempo bangers like ‘1985’, ‘Heavy Shot of Love’ and the title track that are also awesome! And even other slower tracks like ‘Leaving Town’, the early-Maiden-like ‘Holy War’ and the bluesy ‘Gratitude’ are all just as good! However, the album definitely takes a bit of getting going, and goes out with an admittedly epic whimper. But, that doesn’t mean it isn’t still a great album. They draw together so many sounds and influences, from heavy metal to hard rock, punk to even some R.E.M., and the vast majority of the tracks are incredible and already lodged firmly in my head! For just their second album this is amazing, and has very much made me want to go back and check out their debut! Any rock fans reading this (all of you, surely), this is one for you, and I can’t give it any less than 8.5/10!

Mourning Wood: Murder of Crows

C’mon, with a name like that I couldn’t not check this out! The debut album from the Finnish classic metal four-piece perfectly blends a sleazy, AOR-based sound with their slightly tongue-in-cheek brand of humour. It’s a great old-school 80s sound and vibe, and tracks like ‘Feeling Good’, ‘Down in the Dirt’ and ‘A Grave Vacation’ are big personal highlights. However, it’s an incredibly easy, fun 32 minutes of an album, not taking itself too seriously and going by in a flash. If any/all of that sounds good to you, I’d definitely recommend checking this out as soon as you can! There’s not much else to say about the album honestly, it’s straight-forward in the best way and gets a solid 7.5/10 from us!

Corpus Delicti: Liminal

The first new studio album from the French gothic rock band in two decades, this release caps off the bands reunion in a massive, perfect way. The band somehow pick up right where they left off in 1995 too, with their brand of dark, grandiose post-punk/new-wave sound and writing. And, while admittedly this isn’t the sort of sound I find myself gravitating towards often, this band do it so well and I had a blast listening to it, doing so in one sitting! ‘Room 36’, the Dead Kennedys-like ‘Chaos’ and ‘Out of Steam’ are all personal highlights, but there certainly isn’t a bad track on here! The band are insanely talented songwriters and players, and it’s amazing to have them finally writing new music again. It’s so cool to hear this style of music coming back, and it’s definitely growing on me more and more with each awesome album being released into it. Check this out even if you aren’t necessarily into the genre, you’re bound to find something to love here! 8/10

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Drake Milligan, Finger Eleven and More!

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A pretty stacked week of new album awesomeness! Join us in checking it all out!

Drake Milligan: Tumbleweed

Of course we’ve already checked out this album! Find out review of it here.

Finger Eleven: Last Night on Earth

Somehow, this band have never really been on my radar. Potentially because it’s been nearly 11 years since their last album. However, I’m glad I’ve finally checked them out, because this is an excellent album! It’s like everything I’ve wanted the last two Bush albums to be; a heavy, slightly proggy radio-friendly alt-rock. Like that meets modern Chevelle and early Tool, it’s fucking awesome! The riffs are fantastic, and it’s packed full of catchy, melodic choruses and moments, too. It’s hard to pick highlights as all of it is amazing, and the arrangement of the tracks is arguably perfect, there not being a dull moment across the whole 40 minutes. I honestly can’t gush over it enough. They are very much from that generation of music that I love and have nostalgia for, so while I don’t know them that’s probably part of it. However, it’s truly an excellently written and performed album, and one that has made me a big fan of the band immediately. I’ll be going back and checking out their older stuff for sure, but while I don’t know I’ll also be spinning this a bunch! An incredibly easy 9/10! Check this out if you’re at all into that turn-of-the-millennium alt rock/metal sound!

Jake Owen: Dreams to Dream

Album number eight from the Florida country star follows up 2023’s Loose Cannon rather well. Going back, I didn’t like said album much. I do think I appreciate a more old-school style nowadays, and I very much appreciate that this is a well written, well performed album. But fuck is it a little boring. Tracks like ‘Long Time Lovin’ You’ and the ever so slightly rocky ‘Chill of December’ are personal highlights, but a lot of the rest is very similar and all pretty slow. And that for 44 minutes is a LOT of meh. As I said, I completely get that there are plenty of fans of this style out there, but I am very much not one of them. I sadly can’t give this any more than a 4/10 as an album as a whole, sorry!

Agonistic Front: Echos in Eternity

The next entry into the stellar return of hardcore music this year, one of the godfathers of the year put out another incredible entry into their now 13-album discography. It’s arguably not a surprise that this sort of music has had a surge recently due to the current state of the world, but it’s a great outlet for frustration and anger, which is what this release is full of. From the excellent opener ‘Way of War’ through ‘Matter of Life and Death’, ‘I Can’t Win’ to ‘Skip the Trial’, there are so many awesome songs! Every track is amazing though, it being a fantastic, tight 27-minutes of old-school hardcore music. While arguably not quite up there with their contemporaries’ releases this year like Biohazard or Stray from the Path, it’s still an excellent album in its own right and well worth checking out if you are at all into the style. They’ve had a real solid output over the last decade, and this is a great addition to their awesome discography. A very solid 8/10 from us!

Caskets: The Only Heaven You’ll Know

This is an album I really wished I liked. The third album from the post-hardcore alt metalcore Brits has plenty of stuff that I love on it. There is plenty of amazing heaviness, and more than a few awesome melodic moments, be it from the instrumentation or the big, clean choruses. However, for some reason it just doesn’t work together for me. I arguably preferred the slightly more pop-metal stuff over the heavier stuff, surprisingly. ‘Closure’ was my favourite track on the album by far, and it just gave me big ONE OK ROCK vibes. It was catchy but still had the chunky riffs, which some of the even lighter tracks don’t have. ‘Make me a Martyr’ is also a banger. However, the screams for the opening tracks (as much as I love Make Them Suffer) and a few of the rest of the tracks all blend together into a similar soundscape. It makes for a solid album, but did lose my interest again by the end after gaining it with the epic title track. It may grow on me more with more listens, and it certainly isn’t a bad album, but with what the band are like I certainly wanted to LOVE this, and I came away with just thinking its good. For now it gets a 7.5/10, but it may get higher with another listen or two! If you are a fan of the style or band, this is still well worth checking out!

Vincent Mason: There I Go

The debut album from the fast-rising country megastar somehow tops everything he’s put out so far, and that’s saying a lot! He somehow feels like the perfect blend of Evan Honer and Newton Faulkner, and has capped off the first stage of his career perfectly with this incredible release. It’s an incredible blend of country and the modern indie-Americana sound that has grown so popular recently. It’s a lot of fun, and is honestly packed to the rafters with incredible highlights! From the opening two tracks to ‘Anything Took Everything’, ‘Painkiller’ and ‘Wish You Well’, there are so many songs I’m already obsessed with. There honestly isn’t a bad song on here though, it’s 44-minutes of amazing, catchy country-esque music that goes by in a flash. If you are at all curious I cannot recommend checking this out enough, and it’s definitely made me a bigger fan of his, that’s for sure. An incredibly solid 9/10, and I’ll be listening to this plenty in the coming weeks and months!

Pupil Slicer: Fleshwork

The third album from the British mathcore trio looks to capitalise on the bands growing success since Covid, and does so in rather spectacular fashion! Firstly, THE RIFFS. Whether it’s main ones or breakdowns, the guitaring goes hard throughout, though that’s probably expected given the ‘math’ part. The vocals are taking a touch of getting used to, but it at very least fits the rest of the music well! I feel like it’s the sort of music that I’d fuck with a lot more in a live setting, but I still enjoyed it on track too. It’s chaotic, brutally heavy metal that combines math, industrial and even black metal alongside its hardcore roots. Tracks like single ‘Sacrosanct’, the title one and ‘White Noise’ are personal highlights. However, if you’re into this sort of music, you’ll certainly enjoy the album as a whole! While not completely my sort of thing, I more than get the appeal and appreciate the talent on display throughout, and definitely dig a good lot of it. So, it gets a solid 7/10 from us!

Luna Marble: Self-Titled

The highly anticipated debut album from the folky gothic blues rock four-piece finally dropped this last Friday. It’s damn good, and fits perfectly with the current NWOCR scene! It reminds me a lot of Brave Rival or These Wicked Rivers, but with their own 70s-tinged twist on it. I also love the mix, it feeling almost live, which in an era of super produced music  is a breath of fresh air. Tracks like ‘All of my Love’, the jazz-bass-solo-featuring ‘So Long’, ‘Redemption’ and ‘Waves’ are all huge highlights, though there really isn’t a bad track throughout! The band are so damn talented, both at their chosen instrument and as songwriters collectively, and I’d recommend this release to anyone, whether they’re into the genre or not! They have a huge future ahead of them, and this is a fantastic debut to jump off from. They have a huge new fan in me, and I can’t give it any less than yet another huge 9/10!

Midlake: A Bridge to Far

Album number six from the cinematic folk-rockers is certainly made for those who partake, so to speak. It very much gives me Grateful Dead vibes. And, to let you in on a little secret… I really don’t get Grateful Dead. I get the appeal, I do, but goddamn was this a boring release. I was done with it after the third track, and the nearly 40-minutes of this very much did me in. The closest thing to entertained I got was ‘The Ghouls’, and even that was a stretch. The band are talented players and songwriters, but I am definitely not the target audience here. If you like it awesome, but I’m going to give it a sad 3/10 and move on quickly.

White Lies: Night Light

The London-based indie/alt rock trio feel like they go all out on album number seven! I do like a bit of Simple Minds/Pulp style New Wave every so often, and this band bring that vibe to a modern sound pretty perfectly. It’s huge, catchy and truly epic throughout. From ‘All the Best’ to ‘Juice’ to ‘I Just Wanna Win One Time’, there are plenty of great songs throughout. It’s a very easy 43-minute listen too, it going by in a flash. It’s quirky yet catchy in equal measure, and I’m so glad that bands like this are still making music this great. While I was familiar with them, they’re another band that now have an active new fan in me, and I’ll be listening to this plenty in the coming weeks and months. An incredibly solid and unexpected 8.5/10!

Interviews & Features

These Wicked Rivers: ‘The train’s going so fast and we’re always on it, we just try to cling on and see what happens!’

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We had the pleasure of chatting to our friends These Wicked Rivers at The Long Road a little while back, about their step into the country scene and upcoming [now announced] new album! Check it out below!

How was the set?

Aaron: Really good! Obviously it’s a different genre of festival than what we’re used to. But with the next record we’ve started writing a few more country styles, so it felt like a nice bridging of the gap. But we went down really well!

Rich: Yeah, I was worried we were gonna be a bit too heavy.

Aaron: I do remember mentioning it as a concern.

Rich: As I said, just trust in the rock, Aaron! It will provide, and that’s exactly what happened.

I definitely saw some like Cadillac Three merch, it brought all the rockier country fans down.

Aaron: I think a few people said it was a breath of fresh air to have something a bit different. There’s a lot of country artists and we’re a bit more blues rock. We went down really well and we all really enjoyed it!

How did it come about, playing here?

Rich: Just one through the agent! We’re local lads to her, but because it’s not really our scene none of us have been before, so it was really nice to get an opportunity to come and check it out. It’s absolutely beautiful, amazing grounds and a really good vibe!

Aaron: It suits the character of the band. We’re very much about people connecting and all that positiveness. The festival feels like it has that similar energy to it. And everyone’s walking around in hats and boots, we fit in!

Check out our review of them at TLR here!

I was starting to panic when you first came on that I didn’t see a lamp, but there seems to be more and more each time. I haven’t seen the globe before!

Aaron: The trouble is when you add something you then can’t do a gig without it. We did a fly gig where we played in France on Tuesday, and even then the promoter went out and got us some lamps! We never could escape them!

Yeah, I imagine the band van’s getting quite full now, right?

Rich: Yeah, well headline stuff we need two vans now because we have so much furniture to cart around to each show.

Aaron: We have to leave guitars just to bring all the rest!

I saw your gig in France on social media, it looked sick!

Rich: It was amazing! You never know how things like this are gonna go. We were headlining the night and it was beautiful, you could see the sea from the stage, lovely weather, and it was a good crowd there!

Aaron: About 600/700 people! We’ve had it when we toured Europe before but the council pay for it as a community thing. It’s such a cool thing and we’re just happy to be involved! The band before us were quite comfy, then we went out and did our thing and people seemed to really enjoy it!

Rich: It’s tough though. Think we worked a full day Monday, drove down Monday night, flew crack Tuesday, played the festival Tuesday, stayed Wednesday, flew back Wednesday night, work Thursday Friday!

Aaron: But it is festival season, and all the shows have been great! We’ve had a really good summer, and obviously we’re back out on the road in November again! Around the UK with The Virginmarys as support. It’ll be a cracking week, we love them lads!

Rich: Other than that we‘re looking at recording the new album. It’s already written so hopefully in November we’ll record that. I can’t wait!

Aaron: We’ve been writing for a while, and it’s so hard writing while being on the road, you don’t get much time to do it. In between we’ll be together and writing. We’re really pleased with the record we’ve put together so we’re ready to hit the studio now and bring it to life.

Is there much else you can say about the album?

Rich: I think the second album, Force of Nature, was a funny one as a lot of the songs on there had been hanging around for a while. A couple had been on early EPs, a couple I’d had in my back pocket for eight-ten years. Whereas this album, it’s all new material, it’s all stuff that’s been written the last two years. Because of that we started to really click and find our sound. The new album will be a bit more representative of the band we are now.

Aaron: It’s the evolution of the band, really. A couple of the songs we’ve been playing live, we did one today, we put it in the set and it’s always gone down so well we can’t take it out! People have now started to sing it and know it in the set, which is really good! We’re really excited!

You did a church tour earlier this year, how was that? Was the sound pretty good?

Rich: It was, yeah! I was a little concerned about it because I’ve been to a few gigs and the sound doesn’t always travel. But we’ve got our own people doing the sound and they did a cracking job. A lot of these places are built with the acoustics in mind. It was a more enhanced sound but less people can be there, so it was very intimate by nature.

Aaron: It was a really good energy. I’m thinking of that first show we did that inspired the tour and thinking how amazing it was to be playing in a packed church. That’s what churches should be, bringing people together to celebrate something that’s higher than ourselves. I think it suited the vibe of the band and everything we stand for. It was a good run!

Rich: One of our band rooms was a bell tower!

Aaron: A couple of solos in pulpits. It was different, but a good different!

Rich: It’s not easy, though. It’s harder work than doing normal venues. But when you look back on it at the end, there’s some incredible photos and videos! It’s worth putting the extra effort in, I think.

Check out a reaction we did of one of their singles here!

Any goals for a five year plan?

Aaron: We tend not to think too much more than a year ahead. The train’s going so fast and we’re always on it, we just try to cling on and see what happens! Try to do everything we do with love and supporting each other and just try and enjoy it.

Rich: Every year we’ll do some sort of touring in Europe and in the UK, festivals. It’s about ticking those boxes. But next year will be the launch campaign for the album, and the year after I think we’ll just see how album goes!

Are you interested in playing more shows to this sort of crowd?

Rich: Yeah! We want to get out to as many people as possible and the scene that we’ve been associated with a while, the classic rock scene, we’ve done a lot of those festivals now, a lot of those people know us, so it’s nice to dip our toes in the blues scene and the country scene. Build that fanbase and get the name out there!

Aaron: We’re quite good as a band really because we have heavier songs, more country songs coming through, so we can kinda dip into a few different places and still be ourselves. We just go out and do Rivers and hopefully people dig it, which they same to!

Yeah, I’ve seen you guys a few times now and it fit just as perfectly here in a more country environment!

Do you have a dream tour lineup you’d want to be a part of?

Rich: We have a couple we’d love to support; Blackberry Smoke, Rival Sons.

Aaron: Black Stone Cherry were big for me growing up, those first two albums were massive.

Rich: Skynyrd too if they’re listening!

For us it’s just getting out in front of more people. With those bands, as much as we love them, we think it would be a great platform for us too!

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Creeper, Avatar and More!

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A stacked Halloween edition of New Music Mondays this week, and some awesome albums for us to check out!

Creeper: Sanguivore II: Mistress of Death

I have been SO DAMN EXCITED for this album to come out since it was announced. Part one is one of the best albums of the decade, fight me, and from what I’ve heard from this album so far it’s looking to be more of the same! I’m loving this modernised 80s gothic revival sound that is making a comeback recently with the likes of Ghost, but none do it quite like Creeper! Their blend of Billy Idol, Type O and a vague hint of their early MCR influence makes for a really interesting listen, especially when blended with their current horror/vampire storytelling and aesthetic.

All three singles so far have been incredible, with ‘Headstones’ being up there with one of the best tracks of the year. However, the album tracks are up there too, being fucking awesome! ‘Parasite’, the epic closer and the dark jazz-like, Hannah-led ‘Razor Wire’ are also awesome tracks! I have to say, initially, it’s not quite as good as its first part. However, that one grew on me with more listens, and there is no doubting this one will too. Either way, it’s a very solid companion release to their 2023 output, and the perfect release for its Halloween date.

The band have really captured lightening in a bottle with Sanguivore, and have really come into their own as players and songwriters. Even if you don’t think it’s your sort of thing, check it out, as it’s well worth at least one listen from everyone! It’s an awesome rock album, and gets a solid 9/10, with potential to get even higher with another few listens!

Avatar: Don’t Go in the Forest

Another band that of course we are very familiar with. From loving their last album to also reacting to a track from this already, our hype for this is high. However, I have somehow only heard ‘In the Airwaves’ from it so far though, so I’m excited to hear the rest!

‘Tonight We Must Be Warriors’ is a phenomenal opener and song in its own right, being heavy and epic in equal measure. The title track is another awesome single. Songs like ‘Death and Glitz’, ‘Dead and Gone and Back Again’ and the closer are also amazing and big highlights, though there really isn’t a bad track on the album. No one out there sounds like Avatar, their have such a quirky blend of heavy, power and alt metal, and it always makes for an interesting listen. As much as I enjoyed Dance Devil Dance, I think this may be even better than it, being up there with Black Waltz or Hunter Gatherer for me. It had so many amazing, catchy moments, and doesn’t get at all boring in its 47-minute runtime. The band should be so much bigger than they are globally, and their output over the last decade plus has been something truly special, and something they keep adding to brick by fantastic brick. Another very easy 9/10 from me!

Greensky Bluegrass: XXV

The modern bluegrass legends’ first new studio album in over three years marks the longest gap between albums the band have ever had. They clearly used that time to refine their sound and writing, as this is an incredible release! Bluegrass music is so damn talented in terms of playing as is, so the instrumentation blew me away throughout. However, these guys are also incredible songwriters. From the opener to ‘Reverend’, ‘Past my Prime’ to the closer, there’s a whole lot to love here, from the playing to the lyrics. All of the guests added so much to the tracks too; from Holly Bowling to Nathaniel Rateliff to the incredible Billy Strings to others, they all killed it! My only issue is the length. 85-minutes is a lot anyway, and when it’s all fairly similar music and a lot of it is on the slower side, it can definitely get a lot! But still, if you like bluegrass music, this is very much a release to check out, and they are clearly doing something right as they are damn popular in the scene. An easy 7.5/10, good stuff!

Smash Into Pieces: ARMAHEAVEN

Album number nine from the Swedish pop-metal/alt-rock band comes just 12 years after their debut, an insane statistic that shows just how hard working the quartet are. However, that has not at all reduced the quality of their work. The band are all about huge, arena-filling choruses and a massive, guitar and synth-driven sound, and this album is very much more of that. We’ve already checked out single ‘Man or Machine’ and loved it, but songs like ‘Villain’, ‘Maze of Fools’, ‘Hurricane’ and the beautiful ballad ‘A Sky Full of Stars’ are up there too as massive highlights! It’s a rather large undertaking of 15-tracks, and I do have to admit that it did get a little samey after a while. However, each track is that good I’d struggle to cut any of them! If you’re into your more pop-based rock, this is definitely an album for you! I’ll certainly be listening to this again soon, and I can’t give it any less than 8/10!

Deez Nuts: Saudade

The Aussie hardcore titans are back with their first album in six years, their biggest gap between releases by quite a margin. The band have clearly used that time to refine their sound even more, because this is a really fantastic release! ‘ICU’ opens things perfectly, setting the stage for the rest of the album. Then you have tracks like singles ‘Kill This Shit’ and ‘Hang the Hangman’, as well as songs like ‘Russian Roulette’ and ‘Give ’em Hell’, all of which are massive other highlights! It’s 30 minutes of awesome, angry, foot-stompin’ music, and I love it! It feels like a year of hardcore’s return, with the likes of Biohazard, Stray From the Path and Turnstile all putting out massive releases, and this very much stands up there alongside those. I cannot recommend this enough to anyone at all into the metal side of music, and it’s certainly going to be one I spin plenty in the weeks and months to come! An incredibly easy 8.5/10, and GODDAMN do I want to see this live!

Luvcat: Vicious Delicious

An artist I discovered just the other day from TikTok of all places as she advertised the release of this, her debut album, I’m so glad I did as I am instantly a fan! Described as dark-pop, it could not be more fitting; having elements of alt rock, folk and even smoky jazz bar vibes in the best way. From the excellent opener to ‘Dinner @ Brasserie Zédel’ to ‘Blushing’, there are plenty of highlights. And, despite it being nearly 50 minutes in length, it went by in a flash, there not being a bad track on the album. Sophie and her recent band are clearly all incredibly talented players and songwriters, and have crafted something truly unique and special here. She’s clearly build a pretty big following over the years anyway, and this album will surely boost her to a whole new audience. Luvcat are set for big things, and it’s an easy 8/10 from us!

Solence: ANGELS CALLING

This is definitely an interesting release for me! While I am definitely a fan of their music, I’m much more familiar with their more light-hearted singles output. So, to listen through their slightly more serious album release is definitely pretty fascinating. Don’t get me wrong, instrumentally they’re still pretty similar, the chunky riffing, heavy drums, electronic elements and catchy clean vocals mixed with some excellent screams. But it definitely has more of a darker, serious tone to it.

And, thankfully, it’s a style that the band do just as well as their sillier stuff! While the title track didn’t hook me much, ‘Monsters in my Head’ is an excellent song and huge highlight, and starts a run of form for much of the rest of the album! There isn’t a bad track on this and it’s the perfect blend of metalcore and more European electro-pop. A particular highlight is ‘All of the Pain Must Go’, a track I’ve been impatiently waiting to be released since they treated us to it at Graspop last year. Plus, it’s in and out in 27 minutes, short and sweet and straight to the point! The band are all incredibly talented and it’s no wonder they’ve risen to their level in such quick order. This is their fifth album in just six years, an insane feat, and even more insane when it’s of such high quality. They’re awesome, and if you’re into rock or metal at all, I cannot recommend this release enough! Another incredibly solid 8.5/10!

Guided by Voices: Thick Rich and Delicious

I’ve lost track of how many of the indie rockers’ albums I’ve reviewed recently. I think this is number four, with me just missing Strut of Kings recently. I hate to say it, but it’s just even more of the same from the band. I’m not at all knocking their work ethic, but they’ve put out 40+ studio albums in their 38 years releasing music. Maybe if they took a little more time writing and producing, they’d make more interesting music… just saying. This isn’t even the worst album I’ve listened to from them, either. Tracks like ‘Oxford Talawanda’ and the one-two-punch of ‘Dance of the Picnic Ants’ into ‘Xeno Urban’ are good, fun listens. However, it’s all pretty slow-mid tempo, done-before, old-school indie rock. It will surely have its fans, but I am not one. The band are all clearly very talented, I just wish they’d push the boat out and get creative every so often. For that, I can’t give it any less than 3.5/10. I struggled to listen to it in full.

Despised Icon: Shadow Work

The Canadian deathcore outfit return with album seven, six years after their last studio offering. To say it goes hard would honestly be an understatement. This thing is HEAVY and brutal for its full 36 minute runtime, and it’s fucking excellent! Whether it’s their sole tracks like the opener or ‘Obsessive Compulsive Disaster’ or ‘Over my Dead Body’ and ‘Reaper’ featuring Matt Honeycutt, Tom Barber and Scott Ian Lewis respectively, they are all so damn good. From the crushing guitars to the incredible drums to some of the most aggressive screams I’ve heard in a while, it’s all performed perfectly. It certainly won’t be for everyone, but at a time of resurgence in the deathcore genre, it’s awesome that one of the godfathers of the genre returned to show they are very much still at the front of the pack. I’ll be spinning this plenty through the rest of the year, and am already desperate to hear all of it live! Yet another damn solid 8.5/10 from us!

Slug Boys: LISTEN TO SLUG BOYS.

Well, you heard them! The debut album from the Norwegian punkers finally dropped last Friday to plenty of hype, and it’s easy to hear why. This is a damn fun listen from start to finish! It’s heavy, bordering on hardcore at times, and had me constantly wanting to headbang and dance. Think Misfits meets Decedents, but a touch heavier! It’s also incredibly hard to pick highlight tracks, as I found myself liking every single one! It’s a perfectly concise 30 minutes of bouncy indie-punk-metal, and the band very much have a new fan in me! There isn’t even much else I can say, if you’re into any of the genres I’ve mentioned already I can’t recommend this release enough! The band have a bright future internationally, and this album is the perfect jumping off point for that. It’s rare I’m this into this particular flavour of music, but it’s packed full of earworms that are going to be stuck in my head for days to come. An easy 9/10!

Laura Cox: Trouble Coming

The fourth album from the modern guitar goddess has been set to be her biggest yet, and certainly doesn’t disappoint. The perfect blend of blues, hard and classic rock, her immense talent as a player and songwriter is on display right from the get go. ‘No Need to Try Harder’ is an excellent opener and a big highlight, alongside the likes of the title track, the folky ‘Out of the Blue’ and ‘Rise Together’. From the riffs to the lyrics throughout, it’s all so well written, and certainly feels like a step up from her previous work. It’s incredibly varied and makes for a constantly interesting listen throughout, always something that I hugely appreciate. If you like any of the genres mentioned above, check this out as soon as you can, it’s definitely worth a listen! Hopefully I can see it live soon, and I already just want to hear more. Until then though, this gets a very easy 8/10!

Sarayasign: Shadows of the Dying Light

Cinematic hard rock is the perfect way to describe this awesome quartet. Three albums in and the band very much feel like they have hit their stride, producing this awesome hour + journey of modern rock music. There are so many bands I feel like I can compare it to, from Alter Bridge to Daughtry, Foreigner to Bon Jovi to even lesser known bands like Painside. I was very much hooked from the very first track, too. And, to my shock, I was hooked for the next 67 minutes. My attention span isn’t great, so normally long albums are a bit of a struggle at times. However, these guys are so damn talented at crafting their music that I just got lost in the epicness. From the riffs to the melody, it was all incredible. It’s AOR in the best possible way, and how it was designed to be. And, because of all of this, I once again can’t pick a highlight track; it’s all so good and flows perfectly! Do yourself a favour and find an hour to sit down and listen to this through, and thank me later! Hopefully this is the album to finally push them into the mainstream a bit, as they very much deserve it! I can’t give it any less than 9.5/10!