We had the chance to sit down and chat with the wonderful Leoni about her upcoming debut solo album, prog in general and her plans for the year. Check it out below!
How would you describe your sound?
Traditionally, I guess I come from a bit of a folk and blues background. I was brought up with sixty year old men playing The Beatles and ‘Copperhead Road’ and that kinda thing. A lot of Elvis too, all the classic 60s/70s vibe. I played with these guys and it would be me, an 11 year old girl, playing with them and they’d be pushing the pedals for me!
So storytelling is much more my background. The sound of it, the production of things, I’m leaning towards the more progressive side of rock. My Rush covers album… Rush is one of my favourite band. Status Quo was the first band I ever saw live, so I guess that’s seeped into it as well. There’s a lot of influential bands and artists that have seemed into my sound. But live I’m heading down the progressive route, I hope. But I also like doing my stuff acoustic. I think a person who’s very okay with prog would be interested.
It is cool looking through your socials seeing how accepted you’ve been into the prog community!
Yeah definitely, I never really considered myself prog, I just felt very much a part of that community. And it is a community, it’s not something that you have to do all these time signatures, but if it doesn’t fit into a boundary that is ‘the norm’ in our music industry today, I feel like prog is more my audience. I feel they understand my music a lot more than if I was to do a pop night, it doesn’t come across as well.
And you just the other day put out a new single, it’s the start of an album cycle, right?
Yeah, ‘A Different Kinda Woman’! Synthetic has actually been done for quite a few years now. Around this time last year was when I got the masters back. I went through a difficult time with a producer prior to this one. Every month I would message this guy saying “I haven’t got a demo or anything, can you send me something”. I didn’t get anything back from him for a year so I had to get higher powers involved, and eventually we got the majority of it back. When we did, it was missing a lot of what we’d worked hard on; we spent a lot of time on tones and different guitars and things. It was a studio production and the things that were missing were substantial so I had to work with someone who came into my life and saved me, Nick Andrew. He’s a fantastic midi guitarist. He took me on board and I was with him every weekend for almost three or four months, just redoing parts of the track. He didn’t know me, but he did the first Rush cover I ever released with me, on one of the Songs for Neil. He took me on as a mate. We got on immediately. He was so lovely.
From that, Elliot Kennedy of Steelworks studios. They put together the Spice Girls, he’s worked with Garry Barlow. He was a mutual friend and we were reaching out asking for help. Elliot decided it was a full project and I asked if he was sure but he said “yes, don’t worry, I’ve got you”. And he bloody well did! Between him and Nick it was probably about a year and a half working with them and it all came together. I got the final masters back this time last year. All of that time, I’ve had this image in my mind and it’s all coming together. I was crying my eyes out. It’s difficult enough as a musician but when people, put you in that position like you’re not worth their time, it’s just absolutely atrocious. It happens to plenty of people which is why I want to talk about it. It’s got nothing to do with you. If they’re gonna be a dick, they’ll be a dick!
So yes, the latest release is the first of seven songs from Synthetic. I believe there might be one more coming into it because I did a masters recently and there’s a track that I play live that gets the best reception live, about my lack of relationship with my dad. It’s something I’d like to include on the album as well but it’s not produced by Elliot. But this is it now, this is me starting my career!
Is there a theme surrounding the album, or is it more individual stories?
I guess it’s sort of like a sonic diaryof my journey into who I am today. I don’t necessarily write to briefs, it’s whatever is effecting me at the time. It seeps through in different ways, it’s not necessarily me telling you a story of ‘look, this is what happened’, it can literally be me describing how you feel. Like, if I was writing a song and it had to be quite moody, I would describe it in the song to make you think about it and your body do the same as mine is, my hairs were standing up of my heart was racing. So yeah, it’s my life timeline, things that have happened to me. I look back and I go “I don’t remember what happened but I know why I wrote it”. I am just a girl, and I do keep things like that in my head!
And you’re hitting the road in April, right?
Yes, going on tour with Solstice! I wasn’t expecting… I’m not sure if you know but I got the #4 slot in Prog Magazine. But Solstice and Ebony Buckle, who I’m taking over for on the dates that I’m doing, she got #1 in best artist, the guitarist and leader of Solstice got #1 for best guitarist, and then the drummer got a slot in best drummers as well! So the whole tour is just Prog Mag people and I’m loving it! They’re such lovely people as well.
We went to Milton Keynes recently to shoot the cover for their latest release, and it was just loads of friends and family in an old school hall. Loads of kids running around, trying to get them to sit down. There was at least 50 people there, so it was hectic, but it was good!
Have you got a busy rest of the year planned after that?
I’m away again later in April, actually. I’m away with Solstice at the start, then I’ve got a show with Ross Harding at the Cart and Horses, I believe. And this is between me playing with Solstice and then me playing with Anchoress. She’s fantastic, and she was my one-to-one tutor on the masters! Again away with her in June, couple of blues festivals in July. There’s things that are happening gig-wise. I’m releasing a single from the album every five or six weeks if I can, depending on how it’s doing and analytics and things like that. And I’m hopefully going to be making a music video for all of them so I’m going to be very busy! With J.J. Erenger, who did the first one as well. I believe his dad did the recording and production for Manic Street Preachers which, weirdly, we supported them with The Anchoress!
Hastings on a Tuesday coming up on the 1st March, they’re putting me on the main stage this year which is really cool! And there’s just loads of things I’m yet to do as an independent musician, like get played on BBC Introducing; just general goals you see other people hit and go “oh I should probably do that!” I’m making a massive list and ticking things off as I go along. Whilst also trying not to lose my shit!
Yes, it doesn’t sound like the least stressful time!
I actually thrive on stress. I don’t like being quiet, I feel like that’s when I’m at my worst. I have my good days and my days of “fuck, I need to do everything before I die!”
The Swedish AOR rockers are back with album number seven. Their Napalm Records debut is set to be released on Friday, but there was no way we weren’t checking this out early, given the chance. I’ve been a fan for a few years now and am excited to finally be able to review them.
After a departure-room intro track, ‘Stratus’ bursts in in prog rock brilliance, reminding me immediately of both Rush and The Who. However, it still maintains an 80s level of synth-rock awesomeness, too. It sounds MASSIVE and the main riff is awesome. It all builds to an arena-filling, hugely catchy chorus, the melodies and harmonies all sounding incredible. I absolutely love the arrangement throughout, the synth making everything sound so big and epic. The guitar solo is awesome, fitting the track perfectly and breaking up the amazing verses. It was the perfect choice to open this album; an immediate highlight and a track that easily makes the playlist!
‘Shooting Velvet’ continues the same vibe as the opener, the guitar and synth working perfectly together on an awesome riff! The vocals kick in and sound just as good, too. I’ll tell you what it reminds me of; 80s fight movie montage music. Like it’s ripped straight from Rocky or even cobra Kai. The chorus is incredible, so catchy and made to be played to huge stadium and festival crowds. And of course we get another awesome guitar solo tucked in the middle. It’s another amazing song, and the band are so far two for two for highlights!
‘Like the Beating of a Heart’ is yet another neon drenched, sunset-strip era glam rock anthem. It would fit so well if we got an updated Rock of Ages musical. The chorus is yet again soft rock awesomeness, and I can’t not gush over another great guitar solo, a bit slower and fitting the tone of the song so well!
The same sort of thing can be said about ‘Melbourne, May I?’, ‘Miraculous’ and ‘Paloma’. All three are awesome tracks, with the latter being another HUGE highlight of the album. It was also a touch different, being a bit slower and feeling like more of a ballad. However, it was at this point in the album that I was starting to feel a little like it was all getting a touch samey. I’ve loved every track, but there has been little variety aside from ‘Paloma’ (kinda) so far.
The rest of the album continued with kinda the same energy, too. Don’t get me wrong, there was some more change in tempo, which was certainly appreciated. There are certainly some more bangers in the latter half too, including the absolute funky bop that is ‘A Paris Point of View’. However, it is again still kinda samey. There certainly isn’t a bad track on the album, but for my easily-distracted brain it’s maybe a track or two too long, or it needed a little more variety in it. Heck, even just move the beautiful, prog masterpiece of a closing ballad deeper into the album to break it up a bit more. Still, as I said, it’s all fantastic soft/glam rock music!
Overall: This is awesome! Even with the few minor gripes I had with this album, it’s damn good, and solidly entertaining throughout. It’s packed full of amazing tracks and, as long and similar as it is, I couldn’t think of a single one to cut out of it. I liked that it all ran with the same theme too, and said theme fit the music and band as a whole perfectly. I’ll be listening to this is a lot more in the coming weeks and months, and this is a must for anyone into any of the genres I’ve mentioned earlier. It’ll certainly be up there in the discussion of the albums of the year list come December!
Jumping back into the EP for a the first time in 2025, we have two incredible metal release for us to sink our teeth into. Let’s do this!
Sypha: Borderland
The modern metal Brits are set to release their debut EP this coming Friday, and the world is in for a treat! We’ve already had two of the three tracks released already, with closer ‘The Afterparty’ being a new addition. It’s just as good as the other two, and that’s saying something! The band certainly wear their inspiration on their sleeves, it having very much a City of Evil-era Avenged feel, but more in line with the more modern metal scene, akin to Phoenix Lake and even South of Salem. All three tracks are incredible in their own right, and all feel pretty individual and unique, yet all fit perfectly together for this release. The plodding, epic opener is incredible, and Alicia’s harsher vocals heading into that breakdown are amazing. Then you have the faster, heavier ‘Limbo’, an idea choice for a single thanks to the catchy chorus, and the awesome, balls-to-the-wall closer.
This is an absolutely amazing release. I cannot recommend it enough to anyone into a more modern metal style, it really does have a bit of everything! The band are clearly insanely talented and excellent songwriters, and it’s easy to see them being a massive name sooner rather than later. If anything, as excellent as this release is, it’s just made me want a full album from them. I need more! However, this easily gets a 9/10 from me!
Corroding Soul: Self-Titled
The third EP from the post black metal project of David Lovejoy is nothing if not an epic affair. I have to admit, I’m very up and down with the genre, but I really liked this. Somehow, it almost felt uplifting; the atmosphere feeling positive and epic despite the insanely heavy vocals and riffing. There was more than a smattering of power and folk metal in there in the instrumentation, which was awesome. I’ve not quite heard anything like it before, and I was intrigued as much as loving it. Just the opening track is enough on its own, but all four songs on this release are pretty fantastic. And while all being pretty similar, they all click together perfectly and form one fantastic release. It’s a little long so could border on album territory, but I feel like even with long tracks, if it’s just four it’s an EP. It certainly won’t be for everyone, but if the genre scares you give this a try, you may be pleasantly surprised! David is an incredibly talented songwriter and player. It’s a solid 8/10 from me!
My gosh, you’re in for a treat today, ladies and gents! We have so many amazing albums for us to check out, so let’s dive in!
Tokyo Blade: Time is the Fire
One of the most underrated bands from the NWOBHM movement are back with their whopping 14th studio album, just three years after the awesome Fury. If you are into this sort of style, this is going to be right up your street! It does a good job at maintaining the band and genre’s core style while also modernising it for new ears. And it’s a damn solid album in doing that, too. It feels like the kind of resurgence and renewal that bands like Saxon and Tigers of Pan Tang have had recently, and it’s so great to hear bands of that sort of generation have such an excellent new lease of life. Tracks like the opener, the menacing, plodding ‘Man on the Stair’ and ‘The 47’ are all awesome, and definitely album highlights. However, there isn’t a bad song on the album, honestly!
My only issue is that at 74-minutes, it is a long release. Especially when a lot of the tracks are at a similar, mid-tempo pace; it’s a lot of the same stuff. It’s all great, but it’s a lot of Queensryche-like almost prog-heavy metal which, while great, I got a little bored of after 45-minutes. Still, it gets a solid 7.5/10 from me, though it would have been a little higher if the fat was trimmed a touch!
Drown in Sulphur: Vengeance
This is a very interesting release for me, and one that I’ve been anticipating highly since it was announced. I reviewed their last release just last year, and actually rather enjoyed it! However, since then they’ve had a rather public exit from their label, citing that they were being made lighter by them, and promised a heavier release with this new chapter of their careers.
It certainly is HEAVY, that’s for sure. The title track alone had me screwed up in a stank-face for the entire 2:30 runtime. The whole thing, however, is modern deathcore at its very best. It’s 38-minutes of heavy excellence. It’s honestly almost impossible to pick highlight tracks out of it, as every song is awesome and they all flow together so well! Having said that, I do like when the tracks have a bit of time to breath around the heaviness, like ‘Scaret Rain’. They definitely deserve to be up there with the bigger names in the genre these days. It’s very Lorna in the best ways. It feels like a completely different band to their last album, so it’s hard to compare, but there are plenty of times on this album that go hard. All I know is that I love it, and it gets a solid 9/10 from us!
Willow Avalon: Southern Belle Raisin’ Hell
One of the first country releases of the year (following Nolan Taylor’s awesome debut last week) and my god, are we starting off 2025 with a bang! This is right up my street; an old-school, dark, folky country release packed full of strings, great lyrics, and catchy vocal and melodic hooks. ‘Homewrecker’ has been popping off on my socials for a few months now and is one of my favourite recent songs, an easy highlight of the album. However, the album is chocked full of highlights, with songs like ‘Yodelayheewho’, the title track, and ‘Hey There, Dolly’ also all being awesome! It feels like a blend between Dolly, Sierra Ferrell, Kaitlin Butts and a touch of Megan Moroney, and I love it all! It’s a chilled-out, well written and fantastically performed 43 minutes, and is set to push Willow to huge new highs off this sophomore album. If you’re into this sort of style I cannot recommend it enough. It’s another easy 9/10 from us, too! It’ll certainly be up there in the discussion when it comes to albums of the year in December, I’m sure!
Sarcator: Swarming Angels & Flies
This is old-school death metal at its very best. From the blinding pace and thrashy riffs to the insane drumming to the harsh vocals and dark lyrics, it all slots together fantastically. Heck, even the production and mixing is a little muddy, lending itself perfectly to the style and genre. If you’re into this sort of thing, it’s a really excellent release. ‘The Deep Ends’ is probably the best showcase of the band as a whole, and is a huge highlight track. However, for me the slower, more darker and epic ‘Where The Void Begins’ is my favourite song on the album. I love the slightly prog-edge to it all, the eight tracks being a combined 44-minutes, everything having plenty of room to breathe. While it can get a bit samey by the end, it’s still a damn good album, and another solid 7.5/10! Check this out if you like it heavy!
Evan Nicole Bell: Shades of Blue
I know it’s only been 20 days, but this is the best vocal performance of 2025 so far, and it’s going to be very difficult to top! It’s also an incredibly interesting record to listen to, drawing together a whole host of different styles. Whether old-school blues, R&B, roots or easy listening, it’s all thrown into this mixing pot and done so well. The instrumentation, from awesome guitar solos to piano to strings to the driving bass and drums, it’s all SO GOOD. And Evan’s vocals, from that Christina Aguilera-like grit and power to some amazing delivery and even the odd insane whistle note, it’s incredible. Plus, the lyrics she’s written for it all fit each track perfectly and drip with emotion. From the powerful opener to tracks like ‘It’s not My Cross to Bear’ and ‘Catfish Blues’, it’s all incredible! We even get a live version of the latter to close out the album that sounds just as amazing as the studio one.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s certainly not going to be for everyone reading this, it’s considerably lighter than a lot of the stuff we cover. However, as a big blues guy, I loved all 40+ minutes of this. And there is plenty of variety throughout too; I’d recommend checking it out regardless of what you’re into. I’ll definitely be listening to this a bunch in the coming weeks and months, and it gets a solid 9.5/10 from me!
Dear Seattle: TOY
The Aussie indie/garage rock band are back with their third album, and somehow have gotten even better! There’s an edge of early-mid 2000s emo which I of course loved (I grew up in that scene), making it all pretty nostalgic to me as well as sounding generally great. There’s also just a little bit of Foo Fighters in some of the riffing, which I loved. Tracks like the opener, ‘Evergreen’ and ‘idc’ are all awesome! The lyrics, while a little juvenile and dated, are still relatable and fairly well written, fitting over the top of the great instrumentation perfectly! Don’t get me wrong, it does get a touch slow and repetitive towards the latter stages, but it is still a damn good album, and most likely excellent for people really into this style! I certainly wouldn’t turn it off if it came back on again, and I really enjoyed it in short bursts. It’s a solid 8/10, and an easy, fun listen!
Pestilent Scars: Meadows of Misfortune
More death metal up next, but this time of the melodic variety. It certainly fits into both camps very well too, being both heavy and epic in equal measure. It’s been really interestingly crafted too, with the cleaner vocals fitting in just as well as the screams, it all coming together into a really perfect amalgamation of various metal genres. Right from the intro into ‘Internal Torment’ I was hooked and intrigued, not being released until the last notes of ‘False Messiah’. It feels like a mixture between everything from In Flames to Machine Head to even a sprinkling if black and power metal, and I love it! I had to chill myself as I would have happily added the vast majority of it to our playlist. It’s impossible to pick highlights as it’s all so good. It feels pretty unique due to all the genre-blending, and the band definitely deserve so much more recognition after releasing such an amazing album. My only slight issue is that it did feel a touch repetitive by the end, I feel like an epic ballad tucked in there somewhere, while maybe not fully fitting of the band’s sound, would have been awesome. Still, it’s a phenomenal release and one that I cannot recommend enough to anyone into the heavier stuff. 9.5/10, great stuff!
LANCO: We’re Gonna Make It
The Americana-fuled chilled-out country band are back with their sophomore album, almost seven years to the day after their debut. I haven’t heard that release, but if it’s anything like this, I’m sure I’d love it! Don’t get me wrong, it’s corny, pop-ish country music, but it’s so well written and performed that I can’t help but love it! It feels like Dan & Shay, but with a healthy dose of modern-day Bon Jovi, and it’s very quickly got ‘Joe’s new guilty pleasure’ written all over it. Tracks like ‘Low Class Lovers’, ‘You’ll Always Be’ and ‘Sound of a Saturday Night’ are big personal highlights, but honestly pretty much bangers from front-to-back. It’s certainly light compared to a lot of music on this list, but is a fantastic listen, a fun time, and went by in a flash. If you like more poppy, anthemtic sort of stuff, or soft-country in general, I can’t recommend this album enough. I don’t know what’s going on this week, but I seem to be reviewing banger after banger. And I’m as shocked as y’all are, but this is getting my first 10/10 of the year!
The Weather Station: Humanhood
Some soft rock now from the Canadian bands seventh album. There’s still a smattering, an aura of their folk-rock roots, but it feels a lot closer to early 2000s soft/pop rock than anything else. Then again, I did get vague Paula Cole vibes throughout, so maybe it’s more folky than I give it credit for. In that vein, I really enjoyed ‘Window’. It’s certainly the best of the bunch, in my opinion. It certainly isn’t a bad album; it’s well written and performed and Tamara Linderman’s vocals are incredible throughout. It’s really well put together too, with the intro and interludes etc. However, a full album of this isn’t really my sort of thing. I love it in short bursts, but nearly 45-minutes is a bit much for me. If you’re into this sort of style it’s well worth checking out, as it’s definitely a good entry in the genre! However, for me, it gets a 6.5/10
Pujus of Jukra: Tree Wishes
The Finnish prog/psych trio released their highly anticipated debut album this last Friday, and it’s pretty damn good! Don’t get me wrong, it’s long, but that’s to be expected on a prog record. The musicianship throughout is off the charts though, and the genre-hopping is done so effortlessly well. It’s heavy yet also has elements of jazz and rock and god knows what else, it all blending together seamlessly. The riffing is on a whole-nother level, and impressed me across every track and minute of the album. It’s so hard to pick highlight tracks as they all flow so perfectly together and are all unique and quirky and enjoyable in their own way. However, I think I enjoyed ‘Close Enough’ the most out of the tracks, if I had to pick! It’s certainly not going to be for everyone, but for the sheer balls and talent it took to crest this, I can’t give it any less than 7.5/10!
Another three awesome, very different EPs for us to check out this time around. So, let’s dive right in with them!
Held by Trees: Held by Trees & Martin Smith
This is a damn interesting release. The bands first collaboration with a vocalist and they couldn’t have picked a better fit than Martin. Don’t get me wrong, it’s certainly not going to be for everyone, it being slower, more chilled out prog music. However, from a truly instrumental and writing standpoint, it’s utterly phenomenal. The way the instruments play alongside each other in the opening track is amazing, Martin’s voice almost treated like another instrument alongside them. However, that shouldn’t take away from his great lyrics. But man, the guitar and sax solos were a big highlight of the track. Then you have the equally epic and introspective, albeit slower, ‘Lay Your Troubles Down’, and the shorter ‘Oh, My Love’. The whole thing has such an awesome flow to it, feeling like a combination of U2, Pink Floyd and the Police, yet somehow is arguably more interesting than all three. I cannot get over that Sax work especially in ‘Oh, My Love’. It’s definitely a highlight of the release. The rest of the EP is different versions of these three tracks, which I can honestly take or leave, but the nearly half an hour of these three are amazing, and went by like a flash. Honestly, it gets a solid 8.5/10 from me!
Penny Rich: On and On
We don’t cover anywhere near enough noise-punk on this site, which is probably why when I hear some as good as this, I love it even more! This is four tracks of attitude-drenched indie-punk, and I enjoyed every number of it. The closest thing I can think to compare it to is IDLES, but even then it has a bit more grit and intrigue to it. And look no further for proof of that then the opening single, ‘Fundamentals’. It incapsulates everything the band are about in one four-and-a-half minute package, and is a massive highlight of the release. However, all four tracks are great, and if you like this sort of music you’ll get plenty of enjoyment out of the EP. The band are all clearly insanely talented musicians and writers, and are going to become a huge name in the scene sooner rather than later, I’m sure of it! I’mma be listening to it plenty where I can, though interestingly it is only realised via Bandcamp currently, a service I sadly do not use anywhere near enough. It very much compliments the band’s punk ethos, though! It’s an easy 8/10!
Forsaken Rite: The Forgotten West
The Canadian folk-metallers are back with their first new music since 2017’s full-length The Northern Saga. Touting this as very much a continuation to that release, I clearly need to go back and check that album out as this EP is awesome! It takes inspiration from not just folk, but symphonic and even atmospheric black metal too, combining all these sounds together in one powerhouse 22-minute package. The clean, operatic vocals are beautiful, and contrast perfectly with the harsh male growls throughout. And the rest of the band have created an epic, awesome soundscape across all five tracks! It’s super hard to pick highlights, but for me the opening track and ‘Fire Circle’ stood out ever so slightly above the others. As I said though, all are fantastic songs. The band have returned with a vengeance, and if they build on this release and momentum, can easily be pushed high up in the genre pretty soon. For now, this EP gets another easy 8/10
Now that title mouthful is out of the way, the awesome Fate’s Hollow released their debut album TODAY. The Manchester alt-prog band have been gathering a lot of steam this year with the release of their singles, so to finally have them combined into a full release (and us getting another six tracks on top of that) is massively exciting! Let’s dive right in!
After the spacey intro track builds the band’s sound up and sets the tone for the album perfectly, we’re treated to an excellent proggy track in ‘The King and the Killer’. It’s very Coheed and Cambria in the best possible way; heavy riffs but light, catchy vocals and plenty of technical playing. Having said that, it also gives me pretty strong Alien Ant Farm vibes, which also isn’t at all a bad thing. The delivery and melody of the vocals, be it verse or chorus, is captivating and so catchy. The songs are a fitting opening one-two punch to the album on, and the latter easily made it onto our playlist!
To my shock, the following track, ‘Child of Fortune’, goes almost full pop-punk. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still some Coheed to it, and AAF always had an air of pop-punk to their music too, so it’s still fairly similar and fitting. But yeah, I wasn’t expecting a full track of punky riffing and almost emo lyrics. After the initial surprise though, it is a damn good song, and yet again infectiously catchy in the chorus; an excellent radio track and single. It’s yet another big highlight of the album, easily!
‘Evil Things’ makes things a bit heavier again right from the offset, the riffing almost giving off City of Evil vibes a bit. And opening on the emotional-filled vocals straight off the bat was a fantastic idea. The prog vibes are back with this track too, it seamlessly transitioning between the angrier distorted sections and more beautiful clean stuff. The contrast and build between the two is spectacular. Heck, the whole minute in the middle of instrumentation was phenomenal, and a true testament to the band’s skill in terms of playing and songwriting. Yet another excellent song!
The riff to open single ‘Lost Stars’ is amazing. Listening again, it’s easy to see why this was the song that got me into the band when I first heard it. Between the incredible guitaring and the powerful, awesome vocals and melody, I love it from start to finish. Also, the lyrics here are fantastic, the best on the album, in my opinion. And all the little extra bits in the great mix, namely the synth and stuff in the back… *chef’s kiss*. It’s an absolutely incredible song, and the first you should check out if you are reading this before listening to the album. It highlights everything the band do so well, and I’m honestly a little obsessed with it! Playlisted!
Tracks like ‘The Turning Knife’, ‘Forever’ and other single ‘The Sum (Mother)’ are all similar to the previous tracks mentioned, and that certainly isn’t a bad thing. All three are all incredible songs, with ‘Forever’ being another particularly massive highlight of the album. However, with how similar they are, I just didn’t want to repeat myself over and over and come across as even more of a fangirl than I already am! They fit the tone of the album perfectly, and all flow amazingly together.
The closing track of the album, ‘The Dancers in the Dark’, is a beautiful, simple acoustic ballad, and rounds out the collection perfectly. It somehow carries the weight and dramaticness of the rest of the album perfectly while only being mainly a simple guitar riff and the vocals. The harmonies are incredible, and the subtle piano and other quiet instrumentation add so much to the sound. The tone fits the lyrics perfectly and, while I’m typically not a fan of closing an album on the slower song, this was perfect. Another huge highlight of an album full of them!
Overall: This is a truly incredible release. The band have crafted an amazing, cohesive collection of songs, it flowing perfectly and it going by in a flash. Every song is amazing, and each and everyone involved should be proud, and are hugely talented. It’s left me immediately wanting more from them, and hopefully Part 2 is on the way sooner rather than later!
A shorter EP roundup this time, with just two releases for tomorrow. However, both are fantastic collections of music, so let’s dive into them!
The Fires Below: Thorns
The sophomoric EP of the UK-based stoner/doom/desert hard rock band follows on rather masterfully from last year’s Masquerade. To the point where, honestly, it feels like a continuation or ‘part 2’. It’s heavy, grungy and yet still has a catchy edge to it that hooks you in almost immediately. It feels like somehow the perfect combination of Candlemass and the heavier end of Queens of the Stone Age’s discography. Songs like ‘No Man’s Land’ and the title track are big highlights. However, if you are a fan of any of the styles of music this band are likened to, you’ll most likely love every track here. I already can’t wait to hear more from the band, and would love to hear how they do with a full album. I also desperately need to hear these songs live! The band feel fresh and interesting, but still have an air of familiarity to them that will do them well in the coming months/years after this release. It gets an 8/10 from me!
DISLIMN: Esmee
The French proggy doom band are set to release their debut EP on Friday. And damn, it’s nothing if not interesting. From the more cleaner, post-grunge opening song, to the heavy, doomy riffing of the latter half of ‘Esmee’s Story’, to the all out heaviness of ‘In My Mind’, it’s a real journey of a listen. Heck, they also throw an insane instrumental in the middle of this in ‘Gullfoss’, some of the best guitar soloing I’ve heard in a long while ripping through it. There is no denying their talent and creativity. The band squeezed so many different styles and influences into such a short release, and kept it constantly interesting. Every track on it is amazing too, with the closing two being maybe my favourites. Heck, the closer is amazing and almost reminds me of a Ward XVI track. It’s certainly not gonna be for everyone, but I really enjoyed it. I cannot wait to hear where they go from here, and really hope we get a full length release in the near future so they can spread their wings from a writing standpoint. For now, it gets an easy 9/10 from us!
So, we’re being a little cheeky with this one. While we’d usually try to feature each EP on its own, our current release schedule unfortunately wouldn’t let that happen with all three of these bands. But, between Valhalla Awaits, Before the Dawn and No Worth of Man; we couldn’t just feature one or two of these awesome bands and leave out the others. So, much like our New Music Monday series, I wanted to feature all of them in one place, so you get plenty of great music all at once!
Valhalla Awaits: Perdition
The UK underground supergroup return this Friday with their first EP in a year and a half. The former members of The Blackout, Revoker, Buffalo Summer and Bastard Sons have really captured lightening in a bottle so far with their style and consistent output, and continue their awesome run of form with this release. It’s hard rock with a definite heavy edge, every member bring their own style in together and it merging rather perfectly. There’s a lot of Revoker in the riffing, but the vocals could sit more in the NWOCR end of the spectrum. Then you have the incredible ‘Staring at the Gun’ which is heavily inspired by Alice in Chains in all the best ways.
Honestly, every track has a different sound and feel to it, leading to a fantastically varied, easy listen. And all five tracks are great in their own ways. There isn’t a bad song in the bunch, and any of them could have been picked as the single. It’s very hard to pick highlight tracks, so you’ll just have to go and listen to it from cover-to-cover instead! You certainly won’t be disappointed! I was gutted when Revoker and The Blackout called it a day (and am also gutted while writing this review to find out Buffalo Summer are also done/on break?), but the fact that we get music like this out of those sort of situations makes up for it a fair bit! I’m gonna have to see this band live soon, as this may be my favourite release from them. 9/10
Before the Dawn: Archaic Flame
The melodeath band returned with a vengeance after a decades absence last year with their Stormbringers album. As you can see fromour review, I loved it! They look to carry on their momentum with the release of this EP, but will it score higher than the 9/10 it got before?
Sadly, I wouldn’t say it’s quite on the same level. It’s certainly good, at least the two new ones are, but neither of them quite caught my attention or blew my mind like some of their album did. Having said that, their Bryan Adams cover was great and surprisingly fit their style well, and they sound good live with their new version of ‘Dying Sun’. I also feel like the hype for a new EP for it to only consist of two actually new songs is just a tiny bit of a cop-out. It would have been easier to do the title song and ‘Chaos Sequence’ as singles alongside the cover, no? But still, the two aforementioned tracks are good, modern Before the Dawn songs! 7.5/10
No Worth of Man: What’s Your Damage?
The Hampshirean (that’s a word, right?) metal band are finally back with their brand new EP, the much anticipated follow-up to The Middle Farm Experiment. The proggy, death metal style the band produce is amazing, a real blend of their Dimmu Borgir, Lamb of God and Dream Theater influences. They’re very much like a heavier Periphery or TesseracT, and I love it. I need more than the 18-minutes I got from this EP, just as much as I need to see this live.
The three guys are INSANELY talented musicians and songwriters. And that is on display perfectly across the four tracks on this EP. It’s an epic release that could have easily been a full album and I’d have loved it just as much. ‘Mondo Decay’ may be one of my favourite tracks in this style, period. There isn’t a bad track on it, and if you’re into the heavy stuff, you’ll love this! 8/10
The incredible Persefone are back with the first part of a series of EPs. Following on from their incredible 2022 release (reviewed here) is going to be a tough task, so I’m excited to hear if the prog metal band can live up to my lofty expectations!
A brief (for Persefone) intro track leads into the utterly epic, fantastic ‘One Word’. The two minutes of ‘Sounds and Vessels’ builds up perfectly into the HUGE, heavy, proggy riff, the guitarist, bassist and drummer all working their asses off right from the get go. The blast beats and screams come in for the verse, only adding to the agression and heaviness. However, it still has an epic feel throughout, especially due to the synths coming in the back. It also feels very Gojira by the time the chorus comes in, the cleaner, multi-tracked vocals and HUGE sound from the instrumentation. It’s very Fortitude era Gojira in all the best ways, especially with the sheer talent from the band members! The bridge riffing is on another level, truly blowing my mind a little bit, I think. Especially when the drums go half time. Fuck I LOVE this band! It’s an incredible track and one that easily makes our playlist!
‘The Equable’ opens on another huge, epic riff. The duelling vocals through the verses were also sick, one screamed and the other a powerful clean. It’s treated like a duet, which is really cool. And it has an absolutely massive, arena-filling chorus which only adds to the epicness of the track. It feels like a slightly more radio-friendly prog-death track, which is insane to be typing. There’s also an awesome guitar solo tucked away in the middle, tying the song together perfectly. It’s another excellent track, and the second to make the playlist!
The title track is up next, and being the longest song on the EP, it’s definitely got a heavy prog leaning. A very brief acoustic opening gives way to a HUGE scream and an epic black metal-esque riff. The riff around the 1:30 minute mark is insane, the harmonics sounding phenomenal and it all having more of a metalcore feel. It dropping bak to the clean guitars and vocals in the middle was an awesome touch too. The multi-layered vocals sounded incredible, as did the clean lead guitaring. It added a whole new dynamic to the track and it build back up to the heaviness perfectly. It’s a truly epic track and another great one!
The EP closer has more of an interlude feel to it, honestly. It’s beautiful and ethereal and incredibly well written, it being mainly clean vocals and electronic sounds. It feels like Tool in all the best ways. It’s an odd choice to close out the EP with, though. It feels like it’s constantly building up to something that never quite arrives. However, with this being just the first part, I completely trust that Persephone have big plans for the project, and that when part II comes out, it will make this track make much more sense and will only blow my mind yet again!
Overall: This is a great collection of tracks that was all over far too soon. And that’s coming from an EP that is still 26-minutes in length, bordering on album territory. Part II cannot come soon enough, because I need to hear more of this immediately, if possible! Every track was amazing and put together perfectly. I’d recommend anyone check this out immediately!
Another stacked week of New Music Mondays, this one a little lighter than the last few. However, there is still plenty of metal to sink your teeth into, I assure you! Let’s check it all out!
Dolly Parton: Rockstar
The second album in two weeks with the same title, and the second time someone who typically doesn’t do rock is dipping their toes into the genre. Having checked out at least one of the songs off the album, though, and seeing the extensive list of rock royalty guesting on it, I’m hoping that the Queen of Country knocks it out of the park, here. I mean, 30 (!) songs across nearly two and a half hours, there must be something good in here somewhere, right…?
The opener and title track outlines why this album came to be; Dolly wanting to be a rockstar in her youth. Obviously the genre was much different in its infancy than it is now, but the track does a good job at channelling an old sound but polishing it up. Next up is lead single ‘World on Fire’, which has been out for AGES. My god, this album has been a long time coming. It’s a lot more Fleetwood Mac in terms of style, that folkier sound. It’s fine. The same can be said for ‘My Blues Tears’.
Kid Rock taking a step back from his cringy pro-Trump rap rock and back into his country shoes is very fun in ‘Either Or’. ‘Bygones’ injects a bit of metal into the proceedings and features the metal god Rob Halford himself. It’s very much like a subdued Priest song. ‘I Dreamed of Elvis’ is an upbeat rock ‘n’ roll track that features plenty of people from the King’s past and nods to his career.
That’s it. That’s all the original music on here. 30 tracks and 24 of them are covers. Some of them are good, like Dolly and her close friend Linda Perry performing her song ‘What’s Up?’ together. Others, like Rolling Stones’ anthem ‘Satisfaction’ and features both P!nk and Brandi Carlile, aren’t great. The highlight cover is either Bob Segar’s ‘Night Moves’ or ‘Open Arms’ with the man himself, Steve Perry. However, there is a lot of average-at-best on here.
Overall, it’s just too damn long. I completely understand what Dolly was going for here, but my god, even half this album’s length would have been enough! A double album, one half originals and one half covers, would have been more than sufficient. Instead we’re left with a lot of filler that makes this a real slog to listen to at times. It’s clear she had fun, and her distinctive voice made it all still sound very Dolly. And the original stuff is great. Maybe more of that and less covers that sound identical to the originals because she also had the original vocalist on the track too. 5/10
Plain White T’s: Self-Titled
Jade: I must say, I was super excited when I heard this album was coming. Was a big fan of the 2006 album Every Second Counts and the 2010 album Wonders of the Younger. I do think it’s a bit odd that they have waited until their 9th Album for a Self-Titled Album, but each to their own.
I must say the from the first few tracks nothing has really caught me. The first track that caught me that I enjoyed and took me back to 2010 was ‘You Plus Me’, it definitely lent more into the more alternative rock that I remember. They have definitely lent more into Indie now than what I remember. I absolutely loved ‘Fired Up’, it gave me Dinosaur Pile-Up vibes.
The next few tracks are very stripped back, very indie rock, not bad at all, but nothing special in my opinion. ‘Happy’ was another track that caught my attention, but after the first verse and chorus I don’t feel like I needed the rest. I had the same thought with ‘Reg Flags’. The album finished strong with ‘Spaghetti Tattoo’, this was very much the Plain White T’s I know and love and maybe my favourite, maybe they were more indie than I used to think!?
What I will say is, it’s so nice to have that little bit of nostalgia and listen to one of the bands that go me into the rock scene. I don’t know if it’s a case of just always craving a dirty breakdown, but the tracks just sounded very repetitive and dare I say it got a bit boring. This was definitely an album where I could pick out maybe 4 songs to add to my playlist and forget about the rest. I do however feel like it would be great to see live with the atmosphere of the fans. 4/10
Cabrakaän: Aztlán
We’ve already covered this awesome album! Check it outhere!
Kenny Wayne Shepherd: Dirt on my Diamonds, Vol. 1
The Louisiana blues guitarist/vocalist is back with his first new solo release since 2019. The whole album sounds exactly how you’d expect it too, if you’re a fan. And, if you aren’t, it sounds exactly what you’d expect from a blues guitarist and singer based in Louisiana. It’s got that big band feel with the organ and horns accompanying the traditional rock instruments, and all drips with a feeling of swagger, alcohol and fun. Kenny himself is a fantastic writer, vocalist and guitar player, and gets to showcase all three through every track on this short release. Tracks like ‘Sweet & Low’ and ‘Bad Intentions’ are huge highlights. My only hope is that Vol. 2 comes out sooner rather than later, as this is a fun album and I wish it was longer than eight tracks! 7.5/10
Raised By Haze: Touch the Sky
The Italian prog quartet’s debut album is honestly something special. From the moment the vocals come in on opener ‘First Side’, combining the heavy tones with incredibly technical drumming and riffing and an almost ethereal feel overall, I was hooked. It feels like a combination of Tool, Queensryche and then almost Ruth Lyon vocally. It’s a fantastic opening track that feels simple yet outlines the sounds and themes of the album perfectly.
Then you have more indie, almost funky tracks like ‘Burn it Up’, ‘Prediction’ and ‘Feeling Myself’. The latter almost has a blues energy to it with the organ, and is a huge highlight of the album. But tracks like ‘God Ki’ still bring back that heaviness to them too which I loved about the opener. While I do prefer the heavier stuff on the album, some of the more indie or slower stuff was amazing too. And I think if anything the band won me round to them because of their talent and writing style, where others may not have. The epic title track is also a huge highlight for me.
Not all of this is for me, but as an album as a whole, it’s fantastic. it’s constantly interesting, seamlessly flowing through multiple different genres, and to listen to in full is a real experience. I most likely wouldn’t listen to the tracks individually that much aside a couple, but as a whole album I’ll definitely be sticking it on again soon! 8/10
The Nearlies: Fresh Memories
The French/Finnish band are the first I’ve seen coin the term ‘ghost rock’. However, with the release of this second album, I honestly cannot think of a more perfect genre descriptor. Just check out the opening track, ‘Oh Aurora’. It somehow sounds both evil and ethereal in equal measure. It’s like old-school punk but with a Halloween theme, is about all I can describe it as! And it’s pretty great, both the song and the album as a whole!
It’s not all my sort of thing, but tracks like ‘Loneliest Times’, ‘Steamy Stones’ and ‘Revelations’ are also big highlights of the album. It’s like more chilled out punk music, but with an interesting, haunting edge to it. None of it would feel out place in a Tarantino movie, it all has that slight surfer-rock energy and sound to it, too. It also reminds me just a little of Dire Straits, that kind of early, old school rock. That may be the vocals, though!
It definitely won’t be for everyone, but I actually believe the album as a whole is better than any of its tracks on their own. It’s definitely something to stick on if you wanna relax or have on in the background when busy doing other stuff. It feels like party music, honestly, in the best way. 7.5/10
Racetraitor: Creation and the Timeless Order of Things
I am very confused here. I’d never heard of the band before, so hearing the intro of the opening track, seeing the artwork and name of the album etc, I thought, ‘oh cool, we’re getting some like tribal, traditional black metal stuff’. But, when looking them up and finding not only was a bunch of white folk from Chicago, but that I recognised the drummer from Fall Out Boy, I was thrown off completely. Especially when Wiki described the band as ‘hardcore punk’ and ‘metalcore’. I wouldn’t have guessed any of this from just listening.
As for the music itself, it’s not my thing at all. It reminds me a bit of KEN Mode’s latest two-part album, so in that regard I at least get the genre comparisons. You can check out for yourself how much I wasn’t into those albums here. It’s a shame, too, as the opening track kinda got me excited for another fun black metal variant. Everything after that just felt like a wall of boring noise, to me.
After researching around the band, I at least appreciate the message behind their music. Anything to speak out against racism is fine in my book. But that doesn’t mean I have to enjoy the music. And, unfortunately, it seems like this will be the band’s last album. I know it will have it’s fans and if you enjoy it, awesome. But for me, it gets a 3/10. Sorry.
Plaguemace: Reptilian Warlords
Another debut album, this time from the Danish death metal band. Y’all know how much I love a bit of death metal by now, and this is up there with some of the very best in the genre currently. The riffing is incredible throughout, and the screams are powerful and incredible. It definitely gives off early Cannibal Corpse vibes, but with better production. Honestly, for a heavy band, the production is actually a big highlight of the album. I also love that for the most part, the band are balls to the wall, in and out in mere minutes. It means that when they do take their time on the nearly nine minute ‘Venomous Ambrosia’, it is all the more impactful.
The aforementioned track is a huge highlight of the album, and actually one of my favourite songs in the genre this year. ‘Rhythmic Demise’ and the title track are also both fantastic tracks. However, if you’re into the heavy, you’ll probably love all of this. It’s a really solid album, with the only potential blip being ‘ Cavedweller’s Solliloquy’. I get the intention, but the combined spoken word/growl just made me laugh a little. However, as a whole it’s awesome, and I can see this debut skyrocketing the band in the death metal scene! 7.5/10
Madness: Theatre of the Absurd Presents C’est la Vie
Jade: Madness is a childhood memory unlocked for me. My whole family knew every word to every song. This is the band that I associate Ska to and will always love them. I haven’t listened to anything they have released since their 2012 Album Oui Oui Si Si Ja Ja Da Da. So, I’m actually really curious to see what sort of thing they are doing now.
Straight from the ‘Prologue: Mr Beckett Sir..’ into ‘Theatre of the Absurd’ it’s really moody and there is almost an essence of Oliver the musical. I love the theatrical vibe they are giving. ‘Baby Burglar’ takes me straight back to what I know and love from Madness. Still moody, and a whole lot more brass, not quite ready to dance yet though.
Now we are into ‘Act one: Surrounded on all sides..’. ‘C’est La Vie’ is great, exactly what you’d expect when you think of Madness. Super groovy, which follows for the next few tracks. ‘Round We Go’, which is the only track under ‘Act Two: The damsel in distress’ of the album, is a completely different vibe. It’s really upbeat and cheery and very catchy, but when you listen to the lyrics it’s actually a bit sad.
The tracks in ‘Act Three: The situation deteriorates..’ feel a lot more dreamy. Especially ‘Beginners 101’. It really soothing with the underlying gloomy feeling that has been throughout the whole Album. Really impressive Saxophone solo. ‘Is Anybody Out There’. It’s a bit heavier, a bit moodier. Suggs has a lot more attitude in his vocals. This is also the case for the following track ‘The Law According to Dr. kippah’, but it has a more theatrical feel to it again, a bit more synthy. The ‘Epilogue: And so Ladies and Gentlemen..’ kicks off a lot more upbeat with ‘Run For Your Life’. The drums, the brass and even the lyrics are much faster and complex than previous tracks. ‘Set Me Free (Let Me Be)’ is very stripped back, almost smooth Jazz. The Brass instrumentals are soooo good! We finish with ‘In My Street’ which is so old school Madness, funky, groovy, moody with this repeating theatrical feel.
I absolutely love the whole concept of breaking the Album up in Acts. I has really made me crave Madness the Musical! I think is definitely something they could pull off. Suggs still sounds great. I really hope they tour with this album; I’d love to see it brought to life. I know I may get hate for this, but this is what I wish all Ska sounded like, but that’s just me. The only thing I will say, is maybe it didn’t need to be quite so long. There were a couple of songs that were a little similar and just didn’t draw me in. But still a great album nevertheless. 8.5/10
Miara: Hungering Inside
Another death metal band putting out their debut album this week, but this time from Italy and a little more melodic. Honestly, it’s exactly what you’d expect from the genre, and it’s fucking fantastic. It gives off big Children of Bodom vibes, which I love. Between the great riffing, great screams, big, choruses and overall epic feel, it’s clear how much the late Alexi Laiho inspired the band. I know there will definitely be those out there that cry foul to the fact that there are cleaner vocals on here and that it’s not ‘true death metal’, but it’s fucking awesome so I choose to ignore them.
The opener sets the perfect tone for the album, showing off everything great about their sound. It’s a definite highlight of the album. Then you have the more early 2000s metalcore ‘The Gate of Hell’, the balls-to-the-wall ‘Fit Into the Mold’ and the slower ballad, ‘Trying’. There’s plenty of variety going on throughout, and there’s an awful lot to love!
It’s not an utterly perfect album. In this writer’s humble opinion, there isn’t that one huge track that sets them above their peers. That one song to catapult them into the mainstream. The closest is the closer, ‘Honesty is a Dream’. However, as an album overall, this is incredible, and as a debut album it’s off-the-charts good. I’ll be listening to this for a long time to come, and cannot wait to hear where the band go from here! 9/10
Hyperia: The Serpent’s Cycle
The Canadian thrash outfit’s fourth album in five years is finally here, and it picks up right where Silhouettes of Horror left off. Lightening-fast pace, insane guitaring and drumming, and some of the best solos in the game today. I love the old-school feel to it all, too. The vocals are on the more hardcore/punk side, and it has such a chaotic energy throughout.
It’s a really great album if you’re into your thrash. Having said all of that… I HATE writing about the genre. I love thrash, and this is a very good thrash album. But outside of saying that and giving you a selection of my favourite tracks, what else can I say about it? It’s fast; it’s heavy. It’s thrash, of course it fucking is.
So, yeah. Check out ‘Prophet of Decay’ and ‘Eye for an Eye’. And go see this live if you wanna go get beat to death in a pit and have the best night. 8/10, great stuff!
The Refreshments: A Stiff One
More bluesy rock ‘n’ roll, this time much more old-school, from the Swedish legends. It’s like I’ve been transported back in time 60 years, honestly. And it’s a lot of fun. Right from the opening track, ‘Travellin’ Light’, I just want to be sat in a dark, smoky club, sipping on a martini. And honestly, I had no idea Sweden had such a market for this sort of sound, which is great to hear!
Tracks like ‘Mama Rosa’, ‘Mary Jean’ and ‘No Mojo’ are all big highlights. However, the whole album is great. It’s just fun, and it’s impossible to listen to it without a smile on your face. It’s the perfect blend of old school rock music, be that Status Quo or Buddy Holly. I’ll definitely be listening to this album again. 8/10
