Tag Archives: prog

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Black Stone Cherry, Code Orange and More!

A stacked week of new music this week, with everything from country and folk to death metal. Join us in checking it all out!

Black Stone Cherry: Screamin’ at the Sky

Joe: I’ll keep this one brief as I know Charlotte wanted to talk about it too. BSC have been one of my favourite bands for the last decade plus at this point. I’ve seen them live more than just about every other band and always love what they do. With that being said, the band have kinda fallen into a formula with recent years. At eight albums in, their last couple have been rather similar in style and sound, and both compare pretty readily with Kentucky and even Folklore. Sure, the band have experimented with a lighter, more blues sound with Family Tree, Magic Mountain and Between the Devil (usually to more commercial success), but the band definitely have a strict sound and formula they stick to usually.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a fantastic album. If anything I’m just annoyed they aren’t that step bigger. Yes, they regularly tour and sell well at arenas in the UK, but they should be headlining major festivals by now with outputs like this. Tracks like ‘Nervous’, ‘Out of Pocket’ and ‘Not Afraid’ are easily up there with some of the bands best. I’d put it above Human Condition, but I do feel like I enjoyed Kentucky and Family Tree a little more. 8.5/10

Code Orange: The Above

Joe: I have to admit, I’ve never quite ‘got’ Code Orange. Don’t get me wrong, they did amazing at Bray Wyatt’s themes (RIP you wonderful man) but the rest of their music… meh. Having seen live performances from them on wrestling shows too, it put me off even more. But the hype around them is MASSIVE, especially from the likes of Kerrang! and Metal Hammer. They seem like the industry’s chosen future, or just have a real great PR guy. Either way, if you want the endless praise that other metal journalists give them, you may not want to continue reading…

I didn’t hate some of this. Being completely honest, a lot of it isn’t my thing. The opener felt like it was building and teasing me for four minutes and then went nowhere. It’s the song equivalent of blue balls. It gets heavier towards the end sure, but is a breakdown too much to ask for? It’s a messy, faux-industrial/faux-nu metal/faux-metalcore track that was honestly hard to listen to. And, for the most part, I could have been talking about 7/14 (yes, FOURTEEN TRACKS) on the album with that last statement. The band have been going for 15 years at this point yet feel like they purposefully put themselves through identity crises in terms of genres. I get blending some together and trying to innovate, but most of the time with Code Orange it comes across jancky and messy.

However, a few of the tracks were different and at least enjoyable. Songs like ‘Splinter the Soul’ and ‘The Mask of Sanity Slips’ feel more structured and almost remind me of Cane Hill, that type of metalcore. They weren’t amazing but at least were good tracks. ‘The Game’ (I know, I’m sorry) is a fun hardcore style track. Honestly, it nearly tricked me into liking the band, it’s that good of a track. ‘Grooming my Replacement’ is like that weird nu-metal phase that Machine Head went through, but done better and less cringe.

Then to my hugest surprise, my favourite track is the one that features Billy Corgan of all people. ‘Take Shape’ is an awesome metalcore track, and Billy does a pretty good job on it. And this is coming from a guy who hasn’t enjoyed anything Smashing Pumpkins have done in two decades. Listening to this track though, you can definitely hear Billy’s influence on the band throughout the rest of the album, for both good and bad.

So yeah, I wouldn’t actually call it a bad album. However, two standout tracks, some average stuff and a lot of meh-or-worse doesn’t make it as great as I’m sure others will call it. Don’t get me wrong, if you enjoy the band and the album, awesome, more power to you. But I still don’t get all of the hype. But, the band won me over a bit here, so I guess I’ll give it a 5/10

Steven Wilson: The Harmony Codex

Joe: The Porcupine Tree main man is back to releasing solo stuff after the band’s return album last year. *sigh*. It’s also an hour + long. *SIGH*. Something tells me this isn’t going to win me over anywhere near as much as Code Orange did.

Opening track ‘Inclination’ is three minutes of synth and electro-drum build before legitimately dropping down to dead air for a few seconds before continuing with Steven’s vocals coming in. Why couldn’t it have been a separate intro track? Especially when the track is over seven minutes long. I will have to say, Wilson’s voice actually sounds great. It wasn’t enough to keep me interested in the track, though. Tracks like ‘What Life Brings’ and ‘Rock Bottom’ are at least a little more pop in terms of their length and song structure. Both are also the album highlights for me. Especially the latter, as Ninet Tayeb’s guest vocals are outstanding, and Steven rips a pretty decent guitar solo in it.

Honestly though, the two tracks were dull lights in a dark, dark pit. This whole album bored me to tears. It’s slow, subdued, drawn out music that feels like it goes nowhere. It’s like a bad movie soundtrack. And don’t get me wrong, I know that a lot of people will love this. I know at least two personally that would, in fact. I know this album isn’t made for people like me. But no one else would take this for NMM so you’re stuck with my negative review. 2.5/10. Sorry not sorry

Dustin Lynch: Killed the Cowboy

We’ve already reviewed this awesome album. Check it out in full here.

Taproot: SC\SSRS

Joe: The US alt-metallers are back with their first album in over 11 years! Given I was raised on the kind of early 2000s nu/alt/industrial metal, among other things, I’d at least say I’m a bit of a fan of the band. After an up and down decade of lineup changes, a B-sides release and not a whole lot of activity, I’m curious to hear how this sounds!

Honestly, it’s a pretty awesome alt metal album. The opener sets the tone pretty perfectly, being pretty heavy with some chonky riffs, as well as big melodic parts from the vocals. Meanwhile singles ‘Favourite Song’ and ‘No One Else to Blame’ are big album highlights. Nonpoint’s own Elias Soriano also does an amazing job in the bridge in the bridge to the former. Goddamn, I love Nonpoint. Hopefully we get a new album from them soon too! Sorry, getting off topic… ‘We Control Our Destiy’ is another album highlight, feeling very Slipknot influenced in all the best ways.

My only slight issue with this album is that it feels pretty front-loaded. All three of the pre-released tracks are in the first four slots on the album. And outside of the highlight ‘Love Without You’, a lot of the second half of the album sounds pretty similar, while the quality doesn’t feel quite as high from ‘Imagining’ onwards. Still, they’re good tracks, just not quite as good. A damn good album overall, especially after such a gap between releases. 8/10

Blood Command: World Domination

Joe: The Norwegian punk/math rock band are back with their fifth studio album. We checked out their previous album last year (here) and I remember really liking it. So, I’m pretty hyped for this release.

The first thing that struck me was 20 tracks. That’s insane. Especially in under 40 minutes. However, over half of them are sub-two-minutes, with a few being under one, so that makes sense at least. Because of that, it’s sometimes hard to judge the individual tracks, as it feels like this was all composed to be digested as an album first and foremost. However, having said that, tracks like the opener, ‘Forever Soldiers of Esther’ and ‘Decades’ are all banging. And, as a whole, this album does work very well. The hardcore and pop-punk elements mash together flawlessly and the band are massively talented at what they do. It’s somehow a diverse yet concise release that is definitely worth a listen if you have 40 minutes to spare.

As an album, I prefer it to their previous release. However, I have to say there isn’t a track quite as good as ‘A Questionable Taste in Friends’ or ‘Saturday City’ on it. Still, 7.5/10, good stuff!

KK’s Priest: The Sinner Rides Again

What? Treated to two full reviews this week? Aren’t you lucky! Check out our review of KK Downing’s second album here.

Wilco: Cousin

Charlotte: Wilco’s album ‘Cousin’ is full of lyrics reminiscent of protest poetry with hard-hitting words expressed through moody, semi-melancholic, experimental album. The album expresses moments of life that I wish were brought to the surface more. Prolific writer Jeff Tweedy sings of uncomfortable decay and massacres in a weary manner. It’s arguable whether the numb-feel to the album supports the lyrics or does them injustice. Most protest songs have a powerful sound to showcase real anger. With ‘Cousin’, Wilco take an alternative approach in exploring violence, uncertainty and chaos – perhaps the weary and exhausted tone fits this purpose just as much. It was a sound to get used to, but enjoyable all the same. 6.5/10

Slow Pulp: Yard

Joe: The US indie rock band’s second album is just as good as their debut. I’m sure if you’re a big fan of the band or the genre you may get a little offended by this, but it’s the perfect background chill out music. Tracks like ‘Doubt’ and ‘?’ are definitely standout tracks. But, as an album overall, being primarily a hard rock/metal fan it did get a little tough going towards the end of the album. However, I could put it on while I was working or cooking or cleaning and LOVE it. It also somehow feels modern while still having an early 2000s nostalgic feel and sound to it sometimes, on tracks like ‘Cramps’. If you are into this sort of music, you’ll love this just like I do. 8/10

Dead Man’s Whiskey: In the Storm

The NWOCR pioneers unleashed their highly anticipated sophomore album on the world last week. Six years after the initial release of their debut, they have a lot of pressure to live up to it.

They do that and then some. I’ve been familiar with the band since their debut and have been a pretty big fan over the years, but they have definitely stepped up in a major way with this release. Right from the fantastic Intro track it feels like we’re in for something special, and then the band take the listener on a non-stop awesome journey for nearly 50-minutes, never letting you go once. Every track on it is incredible, but personal highlights are ‘Masquerade’, ‘Who I Am’ ‘Time’ and ‘Diggin’ for Fame’. Every band member does a fantastic job at playing and songwriting. And, I’ve not seen an album fit it’s artwork quite so perfectly in a while.

Honestly, this feels like an even bigger dive-in point than their debut album. It has a similar sound and big-feel to it as Inglorious’ debut album. It could catapult the band to the forefront of the genre alongside the likes of Those Damn Crows and South of Salem, it’s that good. I’m gonna end up with this album in heavy rotation for months, I can already feel it. 9.5/10

Sol Negate: On the Verge of Dreaming Again

Joe: Time for a debut album, and some real awesome prog-death metal. Being a musician, my main takeaway is utter jealousy at the sheer talent of the band. From the technical masterclass put on by the guitars and drums to the incredible gutterals to the pretty amazing clean, melodic vocals, everyone is incredible. Honestly, my only complaint about this album is that it’s only six track and an intro long. At just over 30-minutes, it almost didn’t make this list as it boarders on an EP. It would have been such a shame, as this is phenomenal and I’m so happy I got to check it out!

There isn’t a bad track on the album, but ‘…and All Creation Was a Dream’ and ‘Dusk Has Come and Stars are Forming’ are personal tracks. And there’s a surprising amount of variety too, with ‘Come and Embrace Me’ having a more slower, epic intro and generally a different feel. If you’re at all into heavy music you need to check this out. I’m so glad we were sent this album and, if there is any justice in the world, these guys will be massive in the metal scene sooner rather than later. 9.5/10

The Sweetchunks Band: Glittunderbus

Joe: Reading into this album and the terrible weekend the band have had trying to put it out, I couldn’t not review it! A couple of ‘problematic’ words triggered the algorithm of Ditto and caused the album not to be released across multiple streaming platforms. However, they are working to get it up stull, and you can still find it on Bandcamp at least here.

The album itself is comedy-folk awesomeness. Released for the 10th anniversary of the band, it highlights everything great about their music. It’s fun, it’s silly, it’s catchy and incredibly well written, something not many comedy bands can always achieve. The smooth, easy-listening ‘Cat on Your Face’ is a massive highlight of the album, as is the blues-rock ‘Diego’ and the country ‘Drinking on a Weekday’. Honestly though, I found myself enjoying and laughing at every single track.

I haven’t had this much fun listening to a band in good long while. And I think that, given the mood and lyrical content, a lot of lidteners will overlook the sheer talent this hand had. The music behind the lyrics is amazing, and everyone involved is clearly massively talented. I love the sheer amount of variety in the sound and style throughout, too, it isn’t just one sub-genre at all.

I really cannot praise this album or this band enough. Go check it out, immediately. 10/10

Nervosa: Jailbreak

Joe: The modern thrash band put out their fifth album last Friday, and honestly blew me away with it. Being a big fan of the genre from my teen years, I’ve been familiar with the band for a few years now, and this may be my favourite release from them. It’s brutally heavy throughout, almost being more death than thrash. But Prika does an amazing job back on lead vocals being a real highlight alongside the obviously amazing riffing. But honestly every plays their part to perfection. We even get guest appearances by the awesome Lena Scissorhands and legend that is Garry Holt, with both the tracks they feature on being major highlights of the album. Much like many on this list though, there isn’t a bad track on the album.

Whether you’re a fan of thrash, death or even old school heavy metal, you’ll find something to love here. Alongside the guested tracks, the title one and ‘Elements of Sin’ are well worth checking out as starting points. Hopefully they tour soon as I HAVE to see some of this live! 8/10

Reviews

Empire: Do Agora Provide One of the Top Prog Albums of Recent Times?

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It feels like it’s been a while since we did an in-depth review of a power metal album, doesn’t it? Granted, the Angus McSix review was only like 6 weeks ago, but it feels like longer. God, for a genre that I only had a passing interest in before Overtone, I have definitely been converted, and quickly! Plus, the last year or so has been phenomenal in terms of releases in the sub-genre.

Mexican metallers Agora very much scratch this itch. Don’t get me wrong, they are mainly prog, but there is definitely some heavy power metal influence in there too. Even without hearing a note played, the album artwork sucked me in and immediately told me what I was to expect from the release. Themes of virtual reality, zombies and extinction are all touched on throughout, and the artwork and sound ties it all together perfectly. I hadn’t even heard of these guys before now, but they are clearly doing something right with their hundreds of thousands of streams and even writing alongside legendary keyboardist Derek Sherinian. Without further delay, let’s dive into the album!

The opener and title track immediately sets the tone with a heavy and fast riff. The drums, bass and even choir and strings build in, adding an already massive feel to the sound. The powerful vocals soon come in over the top, fitting in perfectly. The chanted backing vocals for the pre are great and I’m sure would go down a storm live. The backing vocals continue to add so much to the sound through the chorus as well, providing a fantastic higher harmony for the main vocal melody. It’s all infectiously catchy and sounds huge.

The guitaring leading out of the second chorus was awesome, and then we get an almost breakdown, heavy and slower. And of course, where would prog be without a blistering guitar solo. Holy crap, both parts of the duelling solos are incredible. Props to both of them, I’m not at all jealous… The track follows the standard radio format, which works given it’s single nature, and is a super solid way to start off an album! Playlisted!

‘I’m Just Venom’ opens on an awesome quick bass and drum line, their prog side definitely shining through. The riff explodes in with the guitars, sounding INCREDIBLE. The James LaBrie-like vocals sound fantastic between the huge chords and riffs. It’s another massively catchy chorus too, with everyone playing their part perfectly vocally. The whole track has a slightly more sleaze edge to it which I’m really digging. The soloing throughout is incredible too, one following every chorus. The great breakdown and almost Nuno Bettencourt level of guitaring to transition between parts and solo was amazing. It does very much feel like the guitarists were inspired by Nuno and Petrucci. A final huge chorus finishes off another amazing track. They are so far two for two on playlisted tracks!

Another single, ‘In the Name of Destruction’, is up next. Another great riff, made fatter by some great subtle strings, opens it perfectly. There’s some almost Iron Maiden-like melodies in here that I liked a lot, but obviously beefed up by the heavier guitars and drums. It reminds me a bit of another band I’ve loved for years and wish they’d come back, Painside. We get a great showcase of the bass in the bridge and breakdown and damn, that tone is tasty. We also get a sick brief keys solo in this track, which I have a feeling may have been Derek. It’s another pretty standard track format for a prog band, but a damn enjoyable track all the same!

After a brief interlude/buildup track, ‘Collosus’ explodes in. It, alongside ‘honor in Dying’ and ‘When Honor Ends’ are three more tracks similar to what have come before. All three are good tracks with some nice thrashy riffs spread between them. However, they are all pretty balls-to-the-wall and it’s nothing we haven’t already heard earlier in the album. It would have been nice to hear some dynamics like…

‘Immortal Dream’ is the first time the band slows down at all on the album. It’s nice to hear, and it’s a shame we’re seven tracks in before it happens. I’d have much preferred this around the mid-way mark, though I understand loading the more epic, concepty tracks towards the end. The drums provide a surprisingly excellent backdrop to some beautiful clean guitar and piano. The vocals are the perfect level of power too, it all having an open, almost ethereal sound to it. It all builds into a somehow even massiver, incredibly catchy chorus. And of course there’s another phenomenal solo. It gives off slight Genesis vibes, in the best ways. It’s an incredible metal ballad that does everything to perfection. Playlisted!

Single ‘Infinity’ also opens slowly, but builds masterfully for over a minute before a slower, heavy, sludgy riff comes in over the top. We get another great showcase of the amazing bass tone in the second verse as it drops back to it and the drums and vocals for a bit. Everything about the track was awesome, with the vocals fitting so well over the top the huge guitars, drums and synth. The vocal harmonies again add a catchiness to the chorus, too. And another blistering guitar solo that is another highlight of the track. Another excellent track!

Then we finally reach the last and longest track on the album, ‘Virtual Reality’. It builds for a while through synth, ambient sounds and a beautiful operatic voice, before the typical huge riff comes in. The strings throughout were a great touch too and added an awesome melody to it. We got some more amazing soloing and a nice, albeit brief, almost A7X bridge with a scream in it, which was sick. A little sadly, however, the majority of the 8+ minutes is just more of what we’ve already had. The intro was a cool build and the soloing was excellent, but it still had a similar structure as the rest and everything just felt a little too overly drawn out at times. A good, epic way to finish the album, but not quite what I was expecting or hoping for.

Overall: Wow. This was amazing. I had to hold off from putting over half of it on the playlist, it was that good. I’m now kicking myself for not hearing of them sooner. I loved every track on the album and will definitely be going back through their discography after this. They should be massive, and they definitely have a new fan in me. The final track didn’t quite nail it for me, and there were a couple of more ‘filler’ tracks, but still, I’mma give this…

The Score: 9/10

Reviews

Take Me Back to Eden: Sleep Token Release the Most Divisive Album of the Year!

As mentioned in the title, Sleep Token’s brand new album has caused quite the divide across heavy music. Heck, it’s caused quite the split opinion here at Overtone. So, we decided to do something we rarely get the chance to do and have multiple people review the same album! Join us in checking out the cult-like prog band’s third release!

Joe: Okay, so I’m not doing the main portion of this review, Max is. They’re his favourite band and he wanted someone a bit more objective and impartial to also comment on it. I have to admit I’ve never quite ‘got’ them before, outside of ‘Hypnosis’.

I have to admit, I still feel the same. There’s a couple of okay riffs and heavy parts spread thin across the whole album. And even then, the parts don’t quite measure up to good, heavy sections in sub-genre-leaders like BMTH and Spiritbox. The heavy riff and scream in TikTok sensation ‘The Summoning’ is an album highlight, and I don’t get the hype around the ‘horny jazz’ outro. Even the death metal-esque ‘Vore’ felt decidedly meh.

It’s a boring indie-pop album masquerading as a metal album at times. If you like it, more power to you, but in my opinion this is massively over-hyped and okay at best. I’d give it a 4/10 overall.

Now, I’mma stop insulting all the diehard Sleep Token fans, and pass you over to one…

Max: The amazing cult band Sleep Token released their album Sundowning in 2019 which fully demonstrated the pure talent of this band and last than two years after their second album, they are back with their best album yet, Take Me Back To Eden. Encapsulating numerous genres and emotions throughout an album whilst keeping every track cohesive and functional can be challenging, but in the review below we will explore how Sleep Token do.

Before we go any further, it is important to note that I am a huge fan of this band, so my opinion might be a little weighted to one side. However, there’s another take on the album above, so that a more balanced opinion can be gained on the entire album.

Starting hard with ‘Chokehold’, whilst it starts slower it quickly builds into quite an intense song with some heavy guitars and technical drums. However, it keeps the vocals clean throughout, building to a very nice change to the chorus for the outro with a held note. This song is very good and is a very standard song for them. This was quite a nice and safe intro to an album that has definitely been a little more explorative than any of their earlier music.

Now for where the album starts getting a little more interesting. The title track starts out in quite an airy and swells before getting into the heavier guitars and then changing into a solo and then straight back into the swelling chorus. And almost straight after this, a relatively intense breakdown for Sleep Token. All of this is within the first three and a half minutes of a six and a half minutes song. Then it changes to a strange funky end, which feels like a completely different song. This was definitely a highlight!

The next two songs, ‘Granite’ and ‘Aqua Regia’, fall back into the more expected Sleep Token style. That isn’t to say they are bad songs but they definitely feel a little more expected and understandable than other songs on the album, especially with what is yet to come. It is most certainly a nice respite.

Next up, ‘Vore’. This really is the first massive change of pace for Sleep Token as Vessel screams for a large portion of the song which was mental and really started showing off just what Sleep Token is capable of. This then continues with lots of the later songs but they still explore other genres.

In terms of the majority of the rest of the album, there is so much going on and I realize that if I continue to waffle no one will ever read this to the end. But there are two things that I want to say. This album is genuinely phenomenal, at least to Sleep Token fans that have been here for a while, with all of the references to earlier songs and the constant development and improvement of everything they are good at whilst still making sure that the album is accessible to everyone who might not have ever listened to them before. This I know for a fact as I have shown this album to a number of people and they all have at least half of the album that they love.

And, finally, ‘Ascensionism’ and ‘Euclid’ are absolutely beautiful and have completed something in me that was started with ‘The Night Does Not Belong to God’, making this album have a truly important nature in my heart. I genuinely believe that if people give this album a go, they will see that this band really has perfected their art and are one the best bands around at the moment. From me 10/10

So, who do you agree with more? Is it good or not worth the hype? Let us know on our social medias! The average tots up to 7/10, but for something so praised by a lot of people that does seem a tad harsh. Let’s go with 8/10, that seems fair!

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: The Smashing Pumpkins, Therapy? and More!

A STACKED week of new music this time, with everything from country to melodeath and everything in between! Let’s waste no time and check it out!

The Smashing Pumpkins: ATUM, Act III

The third and thankfully final part of the ATUM trilogy. As you can tell by our previous reviews, the previous two parts have been mid at best. Let’s see if this one finally ends things on a high note.

It has the weakest opening track of the three, 7+ minutes (!) of boringness. The following track is at least rockier and a little heavier, but it’s not massively more interesting. It could be good live if I didn’t already know from experience that they’re boring as FUCK live. ‘In Lieu of Failure’ is another rocking track with a decent riff running through it. It’s easily my favourite track on the album, and feels almost old-school TSP. ‘Harmageddon’ also has a pretty decent riff running through it. ‘Spellbinding’ has the typical big pop chorus for a single, but the track in general is meh.

All of the rest of the tracks are the same mid-to-slow-tempo synth-pop/ballad bollocks. Imagine having the balls to release a 2+ hour long triple album, and 85% of it is the same boring, slow crap that isn’t anything like the tracks that made you big. On the one hand I admire the hustle, but on the other hand I really didn’t enjoy the concept overall. Trimming the fat, they could have had one really strong album here, not three. Bloated isn’t even the word, and it feels massively uncreative to constantly make the same sounding stuff. 3/10, thank god I don’t have any more of these to sit through now.

Therapy?: Hard Cold Fire

One of the lost bands of the 90s, the Irish rockers have been one of the most consistent bands around for decades, this being their 16th album. Most of their discography is solid in quality, too. Let’s see if this one holds up to the others!

It’s 30 minutes of big, fuzzy riffs and early 2000s radio metal melodies. I loved it. ‘Woe’, ‘Bewildered Herd’ and ‘Poundland Hope and Glory’ are all excellent tracks. There isn’t really a bad track on the album, either. It is somehow both grunge and post-grunge at the same time, which is awesome. If you are into either genre at all, check this out, you won’t be disappointed! 7/10

Deathstars: Everything Destroys You

The industrial metal Swedes finally return with their fifth studio album. After almost a decade of waiting (a few of those years because of the pandemic) it is finally here.

It’s alright. There’s nothing at all inherently bad about it, it’s all good, enjoyable music. But none of it hooked me. I’m writing this after the first full listen to the album and I honestly couldn’t repeat a single hook or moment from it. It’s a fun industrial metal album joining together elements of Rammstein, Avatar and even ASP. But it doesn’t do anything new in its execution, just makes me want to listen to the aforementioned bands instead.

If you’re into slower, gothic industrial metal, this may very well be right up your street. But this didn’t really scratch any itch for me. 5/10

Justin Moore: Stray Dog

The most stadium country album I’ve heard in a while, and I loved every second of it. Right from the opening duet with Riley Green where they just list off country things, you know exactly what to expect from the rest. But damn if it isn’t one of the best stadium country albums I’ve heard in a good long while.

There really isn’t a bad track on the album. ‘That wasn’t Jack’ is a stadium filling ballad if I’ve ever heard one. So is ‘With a Woman You Love’. So is ‘Better Slow’. See where I’m going with this? It’s all very much the same pace and vibe throughout. However, it’s also only eight tracks and 27-minutes, so it’s a lot more palliable and easier to let off than most country albums. I’m not usually a big Priscilla Block fan either, but ‘You Me and Whiskey’ with her as a guest is one of my favourite tracks on the album.

If you’re into radio country these days that still has a little old-school feel and integrity, you’ll love this. 8.5/10, this was great!

Statues: Black Arcs Rising

Another Swedish band, this time alt rock and the third album by the band! The first thing that sprung out to me about it was the mixing. The guitars felt really far forward, with the bass being quiet and muddy and not filling out the sound as much. Because of this, it felt like there was a big empty hole in the sound in the middle. That’s what it sounded like to me through my headphones, anyway, others may hear different. It wasn’t as bad during the odd big chorus when the power chords fill out the sound fully, but the rest of the time it sounded odd.

The tracks themselves were actually pretty enjoyable. I’d LOVE to see it live, I feel like a big round sound for it and a couple of drinks and I’d have the best time. Tracks like ‘Chemicals’ and ‘Phantasm’ are highlights for sure. The band are at their best for me when they let their punk edge take over. Short and sweet, quick tracks like ‘Hiding in a Hole’ are great. 7.5/10, good stuff!

Burning Witches: The Dark Tower

The all-female heavy/power metal band are back with their fifth album in six years. Considering how consistent that release schedule is, the quality is still ridiculously high.

‘Unleash the Beast’ is one of the best opening tracks on an album I’ve heard in quite some time, and features the amazing (no, not that one) Courtney Cox on guitar. Tracks like ‘Renegade’, ‘Doomed to Die’ And the title track are all incredible. ‘Tomorrow’ is a fantastic ballad, too. The whole thing reminds me of Judas Priest’s Painkiller, which is a HUGE compliment as that’s one of my favourite albums ever. It feels like an modern evolution of that sound, adding a little more power and heaviness to it.

I honestly cannot praise this album enough. Every track is incredible and you don’t feel its hour plus length at all. I’m going to have this blasting for weeks/months to come. 9.5/10

Megan Moroney: Lucky

More radio-country, and more very good music. Megan Moroney’s debut is finally out! There’s a little more variety to this album at least, too, as we go from slower acoustic stuff on ‘I’m Not Pretty’ to a more upbeat, Shania Twain style title track and plenty in between. It’s needed too, as it’s a bit longer than Moore’s, though still nowhere near as insuferably long as 80% of modern country albums.

The darker, rockier ‘Another on the Way’ is my favourite track on the album and a HUGE highlight. However, there is a lot to love on this album. Tracks like ‘God Plays a Gibson’ and ‘Sad Songs for Sad People’ are also great. It hits all the right beats for a good country album, and does it masterfully. For someone so young, too, she has a massively bright future in the industry. If she isn’t big already, this album will push her to the top for sure. 9/10. I cannot wait to see her at The Long Road!

Frail: Stand by Me in the Storm

The start of a lot of metalcore on this list, not that I’m complaining. The Finnish band’s sophomore album combines metalcore with a lot of alt and hard rock sounds too, making an incredibly interesting, varied sound. Opener ‘Zealot’, as well as being amazing, gave off lots of ‘Heart from your Hate’ style Trivium vibes. Meanwhile followup ‘Come Back to Me’ is a slower, more anthemic, radio metal track akin to more of a modern BMTH track.

‘Children of Depravity’, ‘Mirror’ and the beautiful ballad ‘Demon Dopamine’ are all massive highlights, too. However, that’s not saying a huge about, as there isn’t a bad track on the album. They definitely have a new fan in me after this album, and anyone who’s into rock or metal should check it out immediately. 9/10

Unearth: The Wreched, The Ruinous

Some tasty metalcore, this is. Feeling like a combination of early All that Remains and that heavier Atreyu album, all combined with their usual heavy brand of melodic music, there’s a lot to fall in love with. It’s honestly hard to pick favourite tracks as they’re all great. From the heavy riffs and breakdowns to the perfect screams and insane lead guitar and drumming work, it’s all amazing. If you’re into earlier 2000s metalcore, then you’ll love this. Every member of the band is on top form throughout, I can’t fault a thing. 8.5/10

Velvet Rodeo: Back in the Saddle

An country/Americana duo up next, with their debut album! Having never heard the band before, I’m damn happy I check it out. Opener ‘Bridges That I’ve Burned’ is the perfect introduction to the act, while ‘Wasted on You’ is a great followup to showcase the second half of the duo. ‘High Heel on the Pedal’ and the title track are two massive highlights of the album.

It’s a great 38-minute piece of music to put on and chill too. It’s a fantastic debut filled with catchy melodies, huge choruses and some great lyrics. It reminds me of a band I covered a few weeks ago, White Rose Motor Oil (check it out here). Can’t fault it at all, I’ll be listening to it a lot more in the coming months and can’t wait for more! 8/10

Currents: The Death we Seek

The djenty metalcore band are back with their third album. I’ve seen a lot of buzz in the buildup to this album and even more after it’s release. Safe to say, I can see why. Damn, this is awesome.

Right from the album opener and title track, the aggression and heaviness hits you square in the nose, and doesn’t let up much at all. The guitar tone is filthy and the low, heavy riff that opens ‘Living is Tragedy’ is phenomenal. It reminds me a lot of the stuff that Darko US are doing at the minute, but with a cleaner, metalcore edge to the heaviness too. ‘Unfamiliar’ is kinda lighter, if huge chuggy riffs and screams can be considered lighter. But the ethereal verses are great. Tracks like ‘So Alone’ and ‘Gone Astray’ are also HUGE highlights.

Again, I fully see why this band are getting the hype they are right now. This is an amazing album. They’re going to be the next big heavy band, I can feel it. It feels reminiscent of when Parkway and Architects started breaking through into the mainstream. 9/10

Enforcer: Nostalgia

And we finish this week on some aptly titled NWOCR revival music. It definitely rides the wave of nostalgia for bands like Judas Priest, Journey and Anvil. In that vein, it’s fine. It reminds me a lot of bands like Eclipse and W.E.T, that heavier, modern AOR sound. I feel like I’d get into it a lot more after seeing it live, hearing it on track isn’t doing a great deal for me. Still, tracks like ‘Unshackle Me’ and ‘Metal Supremacia’ are awesome highlights. 7/10, good but felt like something was missing.

Reviews

Laws of Entropy: Are Redshift the Future of Prog?

Prog-metal newcomers Redshift made waves in 2019 with their debut, Cataclysm. Now, following up that with their sophomore album, the band have pushed the boundaries even more with a six-track concept album. Trying to address life’s struggles as a young person is a hard task, especially when doing it in prog form. How do Redshift do? Check out our review to find out!

‘Birth’ pulls no punches, opening fast, heavy and chaotic. It’s a perfect setup for the rest of the album, trust me. It is interesting that a prog album goes so hard to start with too, and not a two minute ambient build-up. I love it. After a second great riff we get the verse, a simple yet oddly timed section that feels equal parts Dream Theatre and Karnivool. It was cool that the drums, guitar and vocals all hit the same beats, too. The chorus is huge and catchy too, sounding more like Chevelle’s latest stuff.

The strings that come in for the bridge add another great layer on top of all the rest. It gives off heavier ‘That Golden Rule’ vibes. Then we suddenly get some screams, taking me off guard but they sound awesome and fit so well. The guitar then rips into an insanely fantastic solo, leaving the bass and drums to hold down the rhythm perfectly. We get riffing heaven afterwards, the drums doing perfectly of changing it up every couple of bars to add so much prog to it. Then there is a slightly jarring drop out to just clean guitars, but it soon heads into the final chorus and epic outro solo/breakdown. I LOVED this. What a way to open an album, and a shorter track was definitely the right call. Playlisted!

Check out more heavy prog here.

‘Discovery’ starts off slower, a clean guitar and some synth, but within seconds a huge, technical riff comes in over the top. Honestly, the whole first minute of this track blew my mind a little. It was just insane riff after insane riff, with drums keeping up masterfully. The harsh vocals come in for the verse and, when combined with the heavy instrumentation, make this sound like a melodeath song. The cleans coming in around the 1:45 mark was great, sounding odd in the best way.

The band just keep hitting the listener with fast riffs and alternating vocals before we get the first thing that resembles a chorus at 3:30, a huge, catchy section with some awesome vocal harmonies. We get an awesome synth solo towards the back half that lead to another frankly crazy guitar solo. It’s not fair that this much talent exists, I’m not at all jealous… Another great track!

A long one up next, as ‘Civilisation’ is 11+ minutes. It starts slower than the previous, building up steadily like I expected the opener to. Then it explodes into a huge riff and growl, before again getting Gojira-levels technical. In fact the song overall has a more death Gojira feel to it. The double vocals were a nice touch in the cleans too, the (I think?) female vocal adding a great layer to it.

Honestly it’s so hard to keep track of and write about every change in part, as there are so many riffs, beats and vocal styles just in the first four minutes that I’d be here all day. It drops down to an insane little Primus part around the middle, the riff being INSANE. The lead part where it gets lighter around 7:30 is also great, it almost venturing towards reggae for a moment. Honestly if you can cope with the length check out this track, every part of it is phenomenal.

‘Entropy’ caught me completely off guard with a piano intro. It was an odd, awesome change of pace. It also lead into a pretty poppy verse, a great riff that followed the piano melody and some almost indie-like vocals. It’s a bop, filled with bouncy, heavy bluesy/jazzy riffs and vocals. The change in styles was a welcome change and one of my favourite parts of the album. Especially when it quickly takes a shift into extreme metal. It still holds the same theatrical edge to it even as it gets heavier, giving a Cradle of Filth meets Ward XVI feel. It even heads into an easy listening, jazz breakdown in the middle. It’s weird in the best ways, and makes our playlist!

The sci-fi themes continue with the synth-led ‘Singularity’. The mostly clean, MJK-style vocals were amazing, and gave heavy radio-friendly single vibes. It’s a fantastic track, but it’s also the one before the one that I’ve wanted to talk about this whole time…

The album closer, ‘Blueshift’, is 21-minutes long. That’s insane. That’s as long as most sitcom episodes. This is going to be a journey.

Thankfully they don’t blast straight in, taking a minute to reach the first, quiet riff. The big chords and drums before it also added a very epic feel to it all. The open, ethereal verse almost reminds me of parts of Iron Maiden’s Final Frontier album. The soring vocals are damn impressive, too. It’s three minutes before we get the HUGE chorus, the massive size and epicness feeling akin to a power metal track. The synths throughout add so much, giving some awesome melody and depth to the sound. The death growls come in at five minutes, adding some awesome heaviness.

The riffing in the middle is insane. Like minutes of technical awesomeness. The strings come in every so often to help build a riff even more which was also great, especially when it added a new melody. The transitions between riffs remind me a little of Machine Head at their peak (The Blackening, not Burn my Eyes, fight me, Max). It drops down at about the 14-minute mark into a pretty evil sounding clean guitar chord progression. It slowly builds back up into more soloing and riffing to close out a FANTASTIC track. If you can handle the length, check this out, it was amazing.

Overall: I loved this. It usually takes me a fair bit to ‘get’ prog, but this appealed to me immediately and kept me listening throughout. They are one of the most talented collection of musicians I have ever heard, and if they continue to make music together, they are going to go far!

The Score: 9/10

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Crown the Empire, The Damned and More!

Another more reserved but stacked week of New Music Mondays. Without any putting off, let’s dive in!

Crown the Empire: Dogma

Max: What can I say, this album was great. It had odd moments where I wasn’t sure if I liked it or not but over the last few days, I have grown to love every song on the album. Whilst every track on the album had something for everyone, with the intensity of the screams throughout to the features from Courtney LaPlante (Spiritbox) and Remington Leith (Palaye Royale), there was one song in particular that stole the show for me, ‘Labyrinth’. The hook going in to the chorus is outstanding and the screams throughout the song are incredibly good. With all this in mind it is a solid 10/10 for me. It scratched every itch.

The Damned: Darkadelic

Punk legends The Damned put out their 12th studio album and first in half a decade last week. It’s alright. They’re one of the few bands I haven’t ever really gotten around to checking out from the scene, and with their acclaim I honestly expected a tad more. I like the slightly darker edge to it at times, being closer to Misfits than The Ramones. Tracks like ‘You’re Gonna Realise’ and ‘Waking the Dead’ were highlights for me, but it all felt just a little tamer than I was expecting. There were some good riffs, but maybe it was just a bit too British for me. 6.5/10

Kip Moore: Damn Love

Country time, and it’s early this week! Damn Love is slow, let’s get that out there straight away. Anyone expecting something closer to The Cadillac Three or Brothers Osbourne or even ‘Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck’, this isn’t that. Don’t get me wrong, there are a couple of tracks that could almost be considered upbeat, like ‘Kinda Bar’. However the rest is slow, emotional ballad country. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as ‘Sometimes She Stays’ and ‘One Heartbeat’ are two of the best tracks in this sort of genre I have heard in a while. But nearly an hour of it definitely got boring. It reminded me more of slower Springsteen or Adams than a country artist. The fun seems to have left country a lot this year, most is so depressing and slow! 6/10

Defiled: The Highest Level

Max: This album definitely showed off the stamina of the drummer very very well. The drummer just wouldn’t relax at all which was great. Other than this though the album was good but there was nothing too exceptional throughout. The vocals definitely grew on me and after checking out their earlier work it is clear to me that they are getting better and better so I am excited to see what they will do in the future as I think they have the capability to be very very good. 7/10

Redshift: Laws of Entropy

We’ve already covered this awesome album! Check out the review here.

Chrome Waves: Earth Will Shed its Skin

Max: This album had some interesting things I must say but overall it wasn’t for me. The guitars and drums were very very good and the unclean vocals were good fun. There was definite complexity to the album with a variety of things happening through its 40 minutes. However there was something about the mix of the clean vocals that I didn’t enjoy, especially with ‘Under the Weight of a Billion Souls’. It would be interesting to hear this album live as I don’t think that the issue is with the vocals themselves. 6/10

Andrew Swift: Lightening Strikes and Neon Nights

More slower country, though this album has a bit more of a rock edge to it. It also has that 80s soft rock vibe to it like Kip did, but more emphasis on the ‘rock’ part. The choruses are big and stadium-filling. It all feels vaguely folk-indie-rock, almost like Band of Horses or Cold War Kids. It’s still country though, on top of all of that, and a really enjoyable album. ‘Young Lovers’, ‘The Question’ and ‘The Good Old Days’ are all huge highlights. However, there isn’t a bad track on the album. I couldn’t take the smile off my face listening to it, it was chilled out, fell good country and I’d LOVE to see it live. 8/10

Ignea: Dreams of Lands Unseen

Max: Firstly the switch between the first track in to the second is amazing. as for the rest of the album there is a lot to enjoy from the Ukranian band. For me the clean vocals and the orchestral parts really stole the show but it is easy to see how it would be the intensity and precision of all of the instruments or the harsh unclean vocals that draw you in. There really is a lot for people in this album. I would say that it is most certainly worth the listen and they deserve a lot of recognition as it is clear how much work and passion went in to this album. 9/10

Enforced: War Remains

Time to go back to my teenage years with some thrash/death, and a damn good version of it, too. I haven’t heard of this band before but they for sure have a new fan in me. Right from the start with ‘Aggressive Menace’ it was just over half an hour of speedy, heavy excellence. Single ‘Hanged by my Hand’ is also amazing, as is the title track and ‘Empire’. My only one request would have been to have a ‘Seasons in the Abyss’ slower track, but this album was a short enough shot of pure adrenaline that I didn’t mind too much. 8/10, great stuff!

Gord Bamford: Fire It Up

The closest thing to mainstream country we have this week. It’s very Chris Young/Cole Swindell in the best ways. Tracks like the title one, ‘Hair of the Honky Tonk Dog’ and ‘Sober in a Drinkin’ Song’ are all huge highlights. It’s hard to say much about the album as it’s exactly what you’d expect. It’s good, full of great songs, and just good fun country. Even the slower closing ballad is great. One for us to watch, for sure, as I hadn’t heard of him before now. 8.5/10

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Fall Out Boy, Babymetal, Luke Combs and More!

A pretty huge week for new music, complete with some big returns. Let’s check it out!

Fall Out Boy: So Much (For) Stardust

FALL OUT BOY ARE BACK BABY! Well, kinda. Sometimes. I was a huge fan of the band pre-hiatus, them being a massive part of my childhood and early teens. However since then I haven’t found myself enjoying them anywhere near as much as they ventured more and more into pop territory. Heck, it took seeing it live for me to like Save Rock and Roll. However, with this record they finally go back to their rockier roots with tracks like ‘Love from the Other Side’ and ‘I Am My Own Muse’. And of course how can we forget the best track on the album, ‘Hold me Like a Grudge’. Not only does it have heavy ‘Dance Dance’ vibes (and not just from the video) but Pat’s lyrics are up there with some of their best.

Don’t get me wrong, some tracks have more pop-edge and influence than others. While okay ballads, tracks like ‘Heaven, Iowa’ didn’t do much. However, the rock and experimentation is very much back with the band, with the closing two tracks also being huge tracks thanks in large part to the phenomenal inclusion of brass to the sound. I honestly didn’t think I’d be enjoying a Fall Out Boy album this much in 2023. It feels like it’s drawn together as much of their past works and sounds as it could, making a huge, epic final sound. I’m going to be listening to a lot of this constantly for the next few weeks and months, I feel. 9/10.

Babymetal: THE OTHER ONE

BABYMETAL ARE BACK BABY! Another band that have been away on a bit of a break for a while, their last album being 2019’s Metal Galaxy, the duo are back with their fourth studio album. It also feels like the band’s most mature album to date. The last remanence of the cute, ‘kawai’ sound from their earlier two albums is now gone, leaving simply a solid Japanese metal album. There is still plenty of catchy, huge choruses and melodies, but they feel more like something Lovebites would come out with as opposed to ‘Gimme Chocolate’.

I’m on the fence as to whether I like the shift or not. While it’s definitely great music and tracks like ‘Divine Attack’ and ‘MAYA’ are amazing and enjoyable, it felt like something was missing. I loved the fact they were a blend of J-pop and power/death metal, but now it does feel ever so slightly like they are just another metal band. Hopefully it’ll grow on me more with more listens (and I’m sure it will), I think I just went into it hoping for and expecting something different. 7/10

Luke Combs: Gettin’ Old

Luke Combs didn’t go anywhere, having put out an album every year since his debut aside for 2021, so he can’t really be back. However, it is the second part of a double album, kinda, with Growing Up having already came out last year. I loved the last one and am a big fan of the guy in general, so have been buzzing for this for a while now.

It opens incredibly solidly, with the slower title(ish) track before ripping into a faster, heavier, almost more Springsteen-like ‘Hannah Ford Road’. ‘You Found Yours’, ‘Still’ and ‘See Me Now’ are both standard, great country anthems. However, it was then that I hit the wall that I have with most country albums: the length. There isn’t a bad track on the album by any means, but 18-tracks clocking in over an hour is too much for this easily-distracted writer. His cover of ‘Fast Car’ is good, as is the folky ‘5 Leaf Clover’, but both buried in the back half of the album did them no favours. Neither did the generally slow pace of the album, too. I get where he’s coming from (I think) with making Growin’ Up generally faster and heavier while Gettin’ Old is typically slower. However, not only does the former feel like a more well-rounded album, but it’s also shorter and generally more enjoyable.

As I said, it’s not a bad album by any stretch. However, 30 tracks in less than a year feels like a little much. And 17 slow tracks doesn’t really balance out all that well with just one quicker one two songs in. I love Luke Combs, but this feels more like a b-side/leftovers album. 6.5/10

August Burns Red: Death Below

Max: This record reminds me very much of the older albums but its new and developed enough for me to still love and appreiate all of the work that has gone in to it. With the different tones in all of the screams and styles of vocals, there is such a depth to every song as I found it very hard to get bored of the vocals. The drums have always been fantastic in all of their records and this one is no different as they are always insane and very precise. Something that has to be mentioned with this record is how good all of the collaborations are, the four that are in the record really are a treat for everyone who listens to this genre of music. Overall it is so much fun and reminds me of my favourite album of my teenage years, Rescue & Restore. 9/10

Ne Obliviscaris: Exul

This was proggy, heavy chaos in the best possible ways. Be it the insanely quick drumming, great riffs, powerful vocals or the symphonic bits, all of it is excellent. Heck, opener and 12+ minute epic ‘Equus’ perfectly incapsulates everything that the band is about. It’s a ridiculously talented collection of people and I feel like even that’s putting it mildly. It’s another album that just has to be listened to in full to appreciate, and I cannot fully do it justice in words, honestly. Check this out now, regardless of what sort of music you like. 9/10

Nickel Creek: Celebrants

The American bluegrass band put out their seventh album last week, and their first in nearly a decade. I’m excited to check this out as, while I’m not too familiar with them, they’re at the Long Road festival this summer so hopefully we can catch them!

It’s a lot of fun as an album. I have to admit the genre generally is pretty new to me, but the blend of folky, country, indie and more modern pop elements was impressive. Single ‘Strangers’ in particular is damn impressive, from the guitar riffs to the vocal harmonies to that insane fiddle solo. Tracks like ‘Holding Pattern’ and ‘Thinnest Wall’ are also great tracks. It’s not something I’d typically listen to regularly, but it’s hugely talented and I’d imagine it’s amazing live. 7/10

Mork: Dypet

The Nordic black metal band are back with their seventh offering. I found myself enjoying this a lot more than I thought I would. While I still wouldn’t listen to it massive amounts, it at least had good riffs, impressive vocals and, surprising with black metal, half-decent production. It’s your typical black metal stuff in terms of sound and themes, but it’s done well enough that someone outside of the genre can appreciate it. ‘Forfort Av Kulden’ was possibly my favourite track on the album due to the dynamics and layers involved. 6.5/10, good stuff.

Shores Of Null: The Loss of Beauty

Melancholic, dark metal is how the band describe themselves. Having listened to the album, I can definitely hear why. Honestly going into it I wasn’t expecting any clean vocals, never mind the powerful, amazing mixture of Sully Erna and Layne Staley I got. Don’t get me wrong, there are still some harsh vocals and growls in here, but the cleans seemed more of the focus than anything else. It almost felt like gothic metalcore, which I loved. A middle ground between goth, metalcore and blackened death. It’s incredibly interesting and honestly had me hooked throughout. I had no idea where it’d go, ever. It reminded me a lot of Lacrimas Profundere’s last album (find the review of it here).

Official opening track ‘Destination Woe’ is amazing, as is single ‘The Last Flower’, ‘Old Scars’ and ‘Fading as One’. However, the whole album is pretty great from start to finish! 8/10.

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Elder, High Command and More!

For the first time in the year plus of New Music Mondays, we’ve finally reached a week where I’m not particularly familiar with any of the bands on the list. Six almost completely unknown bands put out albums, so I’m excited to dive in and hopefully find some new great bands to be obsessed with!

Elder: Innate Passage

There are two types of prog music. There’s the ever changing, constant insanity of bands like Rush or Iron Maiden’s epics, throwing in different riffs and parts every couple of minutes. Then there’s the type that stretch an entire riff out for a solid ten minutes and squeeze every last drop out of the same concept before moving onto the next. This is an example of the latter.

Time for me to feel and sound like a hypocrite. While I typically like it when bands play around with the same riff and get different sounds out of it all. But five one-riff tracks spanning 54 minutes is a little too much for even me. The talent of the band is clearly on full display and very high, it just got a little too much and repetitive for me. Ironically, ‘Endless Return’ was a highlight track of the album, though! The clean riff is awesome and it builds perfectly for over two minutes into the great heaviness. 5/10 I’d not stick it on optionally much, but I also wouldn’t skip a track!

High Command: Eclipse of the Duel Moons

I’ve not heard an album open on such a punch to the teeth since Vugar Display of Power. The title track is a tour de force of power and aggression. Also, this band were one of the few I’d heard the name of previously, but I don’t know why I didn’t know they were crossover thrash. I had a lighter sound in mind, but I’m very glad they sounded like this instead.

Again, it’s a collection of incredibly talented musicians making great tracks together. The slower, proggy awesomeness that is ‘Imposing Hammers of Cold Sorcery’ is a definite highlight, as is the similarly paced ‘Chamber of Agony’. It turns out, although I do like balls-to-the-wall thrash too, I clearly enjoy it when the bands do things a little different and create some dynamics in their tracks, even just for parts of it. I love ‘In the Court of the Dragon, but ‘Shadow of the Abattoir’ is my favourite track on the album. ‘The Four Horsemen’ is one of my favourite Metallica tracks because it combines both thrash and slower elements together masterfully. It’s the same with these tracks.

I don’t want to crap on the other tracks though, the faster, thrash tracks are also amazing. This is a damn good album, and I’d highly recommend it if you’re into the heavier side of metal. 7.5/10, good stuff.

Finnegan’s Hell: One Finger Salute

Described as Sweden’s answer to The Pogues, as well as being the leading light in the New of Swedish Celtic Punk movement (something that I didn’t know existed but will have to check out more of now), the band return with their fourth album. It’s about exactly what you’d expect from the genre, and a lot of fun.

The anthemic, straight-to-the-point title track is a clear highlight. The opener is also great, some of the vocal melody even reminding me of some more recent Bruce Dickinson stuff. ‘I’ll Make it Up to You’ is also typical Celtic punk awesomeness. It’s honestly nice that after two albums of proggier writing, we have an album that’s ten tracks and only 25 minutes long. Heck, only one song clocks in at over three minutes. It was the perfect pallet clenser.

I’ve always loved the genre, and this is a great album to add to it. It’s packed full of great, fun tracks and in no way overstays its welcome. I feel like this band would be a lot of fun to see live, especially playing a few of these tracks! 7/10

Black Paisley: Human Nature

The latest band to put out an album into the rather saturated NWOCR scene, Black Paisley still put out a damn good album for their fourth release. The Swedes are clearly good songwriters, with tracks like ‘Not Alone’, ‘Mojo’ and ‘World’s Turning’ all being great. It’s a good album and the band definitely deserve more recognition, especially over here where the NWOCR movement has taken over half of the underground scene.

However, there is so much ‘classic rock’ out there these days and we’ve covered so much of it over the last year and a half that I’m starting to get rather burnt out from it. Like there are a lot of bands in the scene that do things different and mix up the formula in their own way, think Ward XVI or Mason Hill or South of Salem, that I LOVE> But it just means that straight-up classic rock doesn’t do much for me currently. I’ll probably come back around and absolutely love this album in the new year, and I’m definitely going to be listening to it again and checking out their older stuff. However, for now I’ll give it a 6.5/10. Sorry guys.

The Riven: Peace and Conflict

When this album started I was very tempted to write some extended version of ‘see above’. However I’ll be damned, this band really won me over, and quickly! ‘The Taker’ is a fantastic, high-energy anthem while slower tracks like ‘Sorceress of the Sky’ are amazing and show off great versatility from the band. Plus, who cannot be impressed by the sheer brilliance of musicianship on display in ‘La Puerta del Tiempo’?

It’s nothing mindblowing, but it’s a damn good hard rock album and one I’ll definitely be listening to some more. 7/10

Mother Vulture: Mother Knows Best

Another band that I knew pretty much by name only, thanks to being on festival bills I’d been to or toured with other bands I’ve checked out. However I had never had the chance to check them out properly. I regret that massively. This was fucking awesome.

A fuzzy, desert/indie rock take on classic rock, this was amazing from start to finish. From the anthemic opening track to other radio-rock bangers like ‘Honey’ and ‘Shifting Sands’, this album is made to be played hard and loud in front of thousands of screaming fans. I named those three tracks while, in honesty, the whole album is its own highlight. Whether you’re into rock, indie or metal, check this out, as you will for sure find something to love. These guys blend all of it together masterfully with this album, and honestly, if given the right marketing, it could and should catapult them into the stratosphere. 9/10 CHECK THIS OUT.

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Five Finger Death Punch, Panic! At the Disco and Much More!

A STACKED week of new music from the rock and metal world this week. Join us in checking it out!

Five Finger Death Punch: AfterLife

Okay, let’s get the controversial one out of the way first. I know that if I give this band and album any praise at all y’all will disagree, and that’s fine, I’ve made peace with it. But underneath the Monster guzzling, Drywall and partner punching Kyle energy, there are some damn talented musicians. Heck, ANDY FUCKING JAMES guitars for them these days, the talent is there. And their first couple of albums were honestly fantastic. I haven’t heard the new singles or much after Wrong Side of Heaven as they began to bore me, but hopefully this album brings them back to their roots more!

Spoiler alert: it doesn’t. It’s nowhere near as bad as people will make it out to be, it’s still okay. It’s just incredibly generic radio metal. The riffs are still phat and fun and the production is still up there with some of the best. And of course James shreds some of the best highlights of the album. The issue, much like with most of their music, is Ivan’s lyrics. The angsty, angry, juvenile writing is really something a man in his 40s should have grown out of by now. He has a great voice still and is clearly good at writing catchy, huge vocal melodies and choruses, they’re just dampened considerably by the lyrical content. If they were a bit deeper or had more to them or had changed at all in the last decade+, I feel like this would be great.

‘Times Like These’ was an okay ballad and the title track is okay. But for every good track on the album, there’s a ‘Roll Dem Bones’ or the utterly terrible ‘Judgement Day’. Honestly, the good was few and far between and this was a really tough listen. I was bored way before halfway through. It’s such a shame because their thrash-Slipknot sound and attitude of Way of the Fist was fantastic and they have yet to get close to its quality. It’s a pretty slow album all-round, actually. The biggest praise I can give it, I guess, is that it’s somehow easy-listening metal. But still, it’s the worst album I’ve heard from them, of the five I’ve heard. 3/10

Panic! At The Disco: Viva Las Vengeance

Brendan Urie and friends (it stopped being Panic! years ago) are back with the follow-up to their massive 2018 album Pray For the Wicked. I have to admit I wasn’t the biggest fan of this band at their rock peak, I always preferred Fallout Boy, but I like a few tracks here and there. Heck, even ‘High Hopes’ isn’t bad as far as earworms go, just incredibly overplayed. With how poppy the singles have been so far, I feel like they’re going to be the same.

While a terrible album opener, the title track is a fun, Vegas-inspired pop-rock song. That’s pretty much the entire story of the album, if I’m being honest. And I’m not sure if it’s a good or bad thing. It’s not bad music at all, just a tad boring. It’s okay chilled out pop ‘rock’, but it’s a far cry from ‘I Write Sins not Tragedies’. It is pretty much musical music, which is exactly where Urie wants to be. Honestly if this was a musical I’d probably enjoy it a lot more than I do. Brendan is still one of the best vocalists alive today, but outside some pretty basic instrumentation behind his voice, that’s all there is to this album.

‘God Killed Rock And Roll’ is maybe the highlight of the album, but that’s because it’s so obviously and unapologetically Queen that it’s almost laughable. It’s a good album and I wouldn’t turn it off if it came on again, but it’s not really my sort of thing. 5/10

Demi Lovato: HOLY FVCK

It took Demi adding one of the most acclaimed rock guitarists currently in Nita Strauss in order to go back to pop punk. However, that was a relatively new addition so maybe this had been in the works for a while. Either way, a minute into the album and it’s already better than anything else she’s ever done. That riff for FREAK is tasty and for once the awful Yungblud doesn’t even overstay his welcome on a guest slot.

I’m so glad artists of this ilk, the latest being Avril Lavigne, are returning to this rock-inspired sound, and that a new generation is stepping up to join them. Hopefully it starts to lead towards more rock in the mainstream again. Plus, hopefully P!nk comes back to join the style soon too!

This album is fucking incredible, by the way. This is the album she should have put out after her return from rehab last year. Its full of emotion and a look into her thoughts and feelings about her past few years. And musically it’s catchy, radio friendly and, most importantly, ROCK. The genre that (kinda) introduced the world to her, and she returns with a vengeance. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the album art seems pretty similar to The Pretty Reckless’s last album, it’s clear that album’s inspired this one quite a bit. There’s nothing to really complain about anything, aside maybe the bloated track listing, but the album is that well paced that it doesn’t really even matter. I can’t believe I’m putting this but 8.5/10, it really is that good!

I Prevail: TRUE POWER

Another band I feel like I should have given more time to before now. It’s metalcore and has everything I should like in a band. I have one of their tracks on my Spotify (Gasoline, I think) and do enjoy it. So, I’m excited to sink my teeth into this album.

Truthfully, this album is a bit of a mixed bag. I liked when they got heavier on tracks like ‘Body Bag’, ‘Fake’ and ‘Judgement Day’. However their lighter stuff didn’t do much for me and their pop-punk, clean choruses almost felt a little… generic? I feel like that’s not the right word but I can’t think of a better one. I feel like I’ve heard them before. And some of the rap didn’t do it for me either, while some parts of it really did. Overall there was enough to keep me coming back, and plenty of it has made our playlist. 7/10

Soilwork: Overgivenheten

This was all over the place in the best way. So much so that I had to listen to it multiple times through over the weekend in order to just compose my thoughts. Sometimes melodeath, sometimes prog, sometimes power metal, sometimes straight up Scorpions-style hard rock, this had a bit of everything.

Having said that, everything they do sounds great. The heavier, epic opener into the lighter, clean-centric following track did a great job of showing what the band are about right from the offset. From there the quality stays, as does the variety. ‘Electric Again’ is one of my favourite tracks on the album, as is ‘Is It in Your Darkness’. No two songs are alike, especially when next to each other on the album, a fantastic display of songwriting prowess and honestly made for an insanely fun listen. Every track is good, not just the highlights, and this is an album I’ll be listening to a lot going forward! 8/10

The Chats: Get Fucked

Unapologetically punk as FUCK. Basically The Sex Pistols but with actual talent. I don’t even know what else I can say about it, it’s that straightforward an album. It’s punk, if you like the genre, you’ll like this. I’d struggle to even pick some highlight tracks as, due to the style, they all sound pretty similar. However, the album is so concise at 27-minutes that it never overstays its welcome. Good stuff! 7/10

Silversun Pickups: Physical Thrills

This was not what I was expecting, but I have no idea why. I’ve seen the name floating around for a good few years and always associated them with the likes of Smashing Pumpkins and Radiohead. And guess what, this was exactly like those two bands. I guess I was simply expecting a little more, however foolishly. I’m not really a fan of either of the aforementioned bands, and I can’t get into this much either.

It’s dark, moody prog rock with just enough of a commercial edge that it could be considered radio-friendly. I wasn’t a fan of some of the artier tracks, but then songs like ‘Sacred Together’ and ‘Hereafter’ were so good it made me almost forget how much I wasn’t fussed by the rest of the album.

Conan: Evidence of Immortality

Heavy prog doom metal from the UK, this feels like the most ‘true metal’ thing I’ve ever listened to. When the opening track is 10+ minutes long, you know you’re in for one hell of a ride.

Unfortunately, that ride is pretty slow and takes a while to get to any fun sightseeing locations. I’m a fan of doom, but the same riffs repeated for two minutes or more don’t do much for me. The vocals help breakup the repetitiveness of the tracks a little, and the scream is very good. But it wasn’t enough to hold my attention for too long.

I remember seeing them a few years ago at a small venue my old band played at and remember enjoying them live, so maybe that’s what I need. Seeing music live helps it translate a lot better, being surrounded by likeminded people and having it all much louder and seeing them play it etc. Until I can make it down to one of their gigs, however, I feel like I can only give this a 4.5/10. Sorry guys.

Thundermother: Black and Gold

A controversial band next, at least in the UK underground rock scene. The NWOCR band return with their fifth album, looking to shake some of that negative energy off them, and honestly it’s very good.

Opening track ‘The Light in the Sky’ sets a great stadium-filling sound and precedent that continues throughout. The title track is mid-tempoed, catchy awesomeness and the riff for ‘Raise Your Hands’ is sleazy greatness. The soft, almost jazz rock ballad ‘Hot Mess’ is another massive highlight of the album too, as is the Thunderstruck-esque ‘I Don’t Know You’.

It’s all massive, catchy, radio-friendly hard rock, and it’s great. Some bands you can just tell from their sound and songwriting that they’re going to be massive, and these are definitely one of them. I could easily hear this opening for amassive stadium tour like GnR or the Crue/Leppard one, it’d go down a storm. I can’t praise this enough. 9/10

Hammer King: Kingdemonium

We checked this out already and loved it. Check out the full review and score here.

Lillian Axe: From Womb to Tomb

The first new album to be released by the band in over a decade, it’s not as black metal as the album title suggests it is. If anything a lot of it channels more soft/prog rock sounds than the ‘hard rock’ they are. While the opening track sounds ELO-like, the second goes in a completely different direction and goes full Dream Theater. I actually quite like the prog sound they go for for the most part, but it is so very DT I might as well just be listening to Octavarium. There’s some fun riffs none the less and the vocals are powerful and fit the music well. Good stuff, but nothing that I haven’t heard plenty before. 6/10

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Reviews

Decade of Silence: How Do Depressed Mode Sound After 13 Years Away?

Depressed Mode are a Finnish doom/death/prog metal band. Formed in 2005 as a solo project of Ossy Salonen, the band released two albums in the few years after before going silent through the 2010s. However, the band returned this last week with their first album in over a decade, and titled it accordingly! I’m not particuarly familiar with the band so I’m excited to be checking it out!

Depressed Mode’s Official Facebook

‘Death Walks Among us’ opens on a beautiful orchestral piece. It builds and builds perfectly. But, at a minute-and-a-half before the guitars and drums come in, it may be just a tad long. The strings continuing on in the back is an excellent touch, made even better moments later when the lead guitar harmonises with it. It then heads into full-on doom metal for the verse, the low growls also bringing in the death element. Surprisingly though, there were some clean vocals in here too. Not many, but it broke things up a bit and added a catchy element to it all.

The chuggy, almost breakdown part afterwards was fantastic. The growls fit in well and the violins when they come back in. The cleans come back in for what I assume is the chorus before and it even leads to a pretty sweet guitar solo, even if it was a tad short. The final chorus with the duelling clean and harsh vocals was FANTASTIC and rounds out one hell of an opening track. This is everything I could possibly want out of the heavier side o metal. It was heavy, packed full of great riffs and great screams. But, to top it off, it has some great clean vocals and a real epic feel to it thanks to the strings. The easiest playlist I’ve done in a while!

‘Endless November’ starts off slow but still heavy. The clean vocals remain too, reminding me of Tobias Forge in their higher, harmonised delivery. A higher, more female-led symphonic metal vocal adds even more depth to it. It plays off the other clean perfectly. It has a very black/doom metal vibe about it all. And it benefits from being on the proggier side length wise too, as the pace doesn’t really pick up until a few minutes in, the harsh vocals not coming in until after that. They’re pretty far back in the mix though, almost treated like another instrument. The operatic female vocal takes the lead here in a big way, giving us an even catchier chorus than the previous tracks! The whole song is more like symphonic metal than anything else, doom being the next closest. It’s epic and a lot of fun, another great song!

Check out our review of a similar band, Extinction in Progress, here.

‘Dissociation of the Extinguished Mind’ is another one with an epic opening, even having a pretty great guitar solo around the one minute mark. It stays slow for the verse and the growls return. There’s a great riff that comes in around the mid-point of the song, the lead guitar following the string accompaniment perfectly. There’s the odd vocal line and sound as well behind it, spoken word kinda style, and it really reminds me of Faith no More. The clean vocals afterwards added a nice change of pace, and again when they go back to them later, and around it are more heavy, growled verses. It fading out to a piano outro was also fantastic, adding an epic, creepy finale to things. Good stuff!

The piano continues on into the intro of ‘As the Light Dims’, and the violin over the top makes it all so beautiful. The guitars come in over the top, as do the female vocal lines. The dynamics of the track are fun, heading into some growls before dropping back down to the piano and female ‘ooo’s and ‘ahhh’s. It builds back up again with the Ghost-like clean vocals and huge distorted guitar chords. At one point all three vocal styles are duelling and it sounds AMAZING. The whole track is heavy, proggy greatness.

Unfortunately, this is where the album peaks for me. Don’t me wrong, the following five tracks are all awesome, and I will definitely be listening to them again a few times after this. Heck, the riff for ‘Serpents’ is my favourite on the whole album, and the track is a highlight for sure. And it was nice to have some more upbeat tracks again like ‘Eternal Darkness’. However, there are a lot of slower parts throughout the album. Anyone who visits this site reguarly knows that my patience for this type of music isn’t the best. It’s all fantastically written and awesome to listen to, but nine songs clocking in at over an hour is a little much for me all in one sitting!

Overall: As I’ve said, this was awesome. It was an epic, heavy, very well-written album full of everything you could ask for from the sub-genre. A fantastic return after well over a decade away!

The Score: 8/10

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