The gypsy punk pioneers are back with their 10th studio album that dropped just today! Being their first release since 2022, as well as myself being a big fan of the band and style in general, meant there was no way I wasn’t giving this my full attention. I’ve been hyped for it for a while, and the singles so far have been great! Without further ado, let’s dive in!
The title track opens things up fantastically, an almost tribal chant leading a surprisingly heavy riff. The fiddle still adds plenty of folk elements to it, though the production is massive and the futuristic voice hints at something bigger. The verse is great and the chorus, while simple, is infectiously catchy and will go down a storm live with the call-and-response vocals. Speaking of the vocals, the lyrics are fantastic, calling out the current climate of the world in perfect punk fashion. And, instrumentally, everyone is working their ass off, crafting something perfectly chaotic and punky and folky and heavy all in the best ways. This is ‘gypsy punk’ at its very finest, and an excellent way to open the album!
The pace slows a little with ‘Life is Possible Again’, having a slight post-punk/industrial feel with the heavy emphasis on drums. The backing vocals are a big highlight of the track, making so much of it feel massive and so very catchy. It definitely has more of a pop-vibe to it than the heavier previous track, but both feel distinctly Gogol Bordello; doing their own thing in a way only they can. I love that they really let the instruments do the talking too, everyone getting a chance to shine throughout each track. Another incredible song, and a big early high point!
‘No Time for Idiots’ keeps the steadier pace of the last track but definitely ups the punk and the folk vibes. The whole track seems to build up to and around that incredible chorus, clearly written to be played to huge crowds around the world. It again feels more radio-friendly a track, maybe because it just made me want to dance throughout! It’s a simple track but a damn fun one, and one I am desperate to see live!
Single and ridiculously titled ‘Hater Liquidator’ feels very Gogol, and I mean that as the uttermost of compliments! It almost has a halloween-esque feeling with the opening riff, immediately setting things off in a quirky direction. Then we get the fun, polka verse and the pure punk chorus, some ‘la’s over the top of the melody after for good measure. And once again, the backing vocals putting emphasis on a few lines in the verses, as well as jumping in in the choruses, make it all feel massive, really feeling like the big gang of a band it is. It drops down for a great little bridge, only making the chorus feel even bigger when it builds back up to it. It’s an incredibly fun song and it’s easy to see why it was picked as a single. It’s one that easily makes our playlist!
‘Boiling Point’ is one of three tracks on the album to feature a guest. All of them are amazing songs, and completely different, complimenting the features perfectly. ‘Boiling Point’ is a slower, acoustic number, having elements of dark folk as well as the traditional Ukranian sound they do so well. And, Grace Bergere’s vocal harmonies were honestly beautiful throughout it. Meanwhile ‘From Boyarka to Boyaca’ features its guest Puzzled Panther a little more prominently, here getting some awesome solo vocal lines. The pace of the track is a bit up and down, the dynamics being fantastic.
Finally, album closer ‘Solidarity’, is an epic, electronica-infused track, and Bernard Sumner adds so much with his vocals. It’s an incredible track made in… well… solidarity… with Eugene’s home nation, and it’s hard not to feel the emotion with every word. It honestly gave me goosebumps, and how this isn’t an absolutely massive track is beyond me. It felt different to the rest of the album too, though that may have been Nick Launay’s mix. All three are incredible tracks, but yeah, the latter is definitely a huge highlight of the album as a whole, and one I would urge anyone to check out. It also closes the album on suitably grandiose fashion!
Back to the band’s solo stuff, ‘Ignition’ is glorious Europop-infused gypsy punk. It’s yet another damn fun track. Then you have the likes of ‘Mystics’ and ‘State of Shock’ are massive, almost metal-infused songs. The violin is a big focus of both, which was excellent, and almost made the latter feel like a Bond song at times. It also gave vague Biffy vibes; two very different styles, I know! All are great songs in their own right, but also fit in with the theme and vibe of the album pretty perfectly!
The other two tracks on the album, ‘We did Good…’ and ‘Crayons’ are also bangers, honestly. Again, they very much keep up the gypsy punk vibe the band are known for, but both feel different in their own right. And, both are a lot of fun, while also having pretty fantastic, emotion-filled lyrics. While both are more ‘album-tracks’, they are not to be skipped, and definitely help to make this album one to listen to from front to back if and when you get the chance.
Overall: This is an excellent release! Every song is amazing, while some I’d honestly put up there with the bands best. And, as an album as a whole, it matches up alongside Super Taranta! or even Gypsy Punks itself. It’s a lot of fun and blends together every influence the band has into a fantastic melting pot of punk, polka and rock, much like the band themselves. I’ll certainly be spinning this a lot moving forward, and is a must-listen for anyone even slightly interested!
Another week, and some more awesome rock, metal and country release for us to check out!
Buzzcocks: Attitude Adjustment
The punk rock royalty returned with their 11th album this last Friday, their first in four years. It’s fine. For a band that formed a whopping half a century ago now, I at least have a lot of respect and admiration for Steve Diggle for what he’s done for the scene and who he and the rest of the band have influenced over the years. But this was honestly a tough listen. It feels and sounds incredibly outdated, showing that Steve hasn’t evolved at all as a songwriter after all these decades. It’s the same early-punk/power-pop as they were writing in the 70s. I know that will certainly appeal to some people out there, but the rest of the music world has very much left the band behind at this point. There are modern bands writing better stuff in this style, while punk got a lot more interesting after the bands heyday, in this writers humble opinion.
The closest to a highlight track I had was ‘Seeing Daylight’, but honestly I struggled to get hugely further through the release without losing interest. There are certainly going to be fans of this out there, the band are still sat on 600k+ monthly listeners, but I am sadly not one of them outside of a couple of older hits. This did nothing for me, and I can’t give it any more than a 3.5/10. Technically fine, but painfully dull.
Softcult: When a Flower Doesn’t Grow
The debut album from the self-professed riotgaze band is certainly interesting. Once again it’s not my sort of thing, I don’t ‘get’ any shoegaze at all really, but I at least see the appeal of it a bit. It’s not something I’d go out of my way to listen to, but if it came on in the background I’d probably have a good time listening. The band are clearly talented, and there’s some good drumming and riffs at times throughout. I think the vocals are my main issue; having them in that droning style throughout didn’t pull me in, despite some good lyrics. The run of ‘Naive’ through to ‘She Said, He Said’ was the best part of the album for me, but the whole thing is pretty solid overall, an easy 30-minute listen. If you are into a punkier, indie edge to shoegaze, this is definitely a release for you. A solid 6.5/10 from us, and it may grow on me more with more listens.
Francis Rossi: The Accidental
The new solo album from the Quo legend is a fun, if long, release! Opener ‘Much Better’ sets the tone perfectly, and songs like ‘Back on Our Home Ground’, ‘Going Home’, and ‘Beautiful World’ are all big highlights too. However, 14 tracks across nearly an hour, especially when all are a similar vibe and pace, is a lot. I love Quo as much as the next guy and it’s always great to have more songs that so distinctly like them. And when we aren’t getting new Quo any more, I’ll happily take Rossi doing the exact same sound for his solo ventures. So yeah, it’s a damn good rock album, and is a lot of fun to listen to. Very simple and to the point. But it does get a touch repetitive around the halfway mark, let alone by the end. I’d definitely recommend checking this out if you’re a fan of the band, or just into old-school rock music in general. It’s a solid 7.5/10 from us!
Kanonenfieber: Soldatenschicksale
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read our full review here.
HANABIE.: HOT TOPIC
The highly anticipated new EP from the Japanese metalcore band combines together a few of their latest amazing singles, alongside two new tracks, to create an awesome 15-minutes of heaviness! ‘ICONIC’ dropped recently and has been a mainstay on my rotation, while ‘Spicy Queen’ has been stuck in my head the last eight months since its release. And older track ‘GIRL’S TALK’ is of course a banger. Then you have ‘…About you’ and the closing track that are every bit as good as the others. The video-game-esque latter is honestly a big highlight of the whole thing from how utterly left field it is. The bands chaotic energy and heaviness is off the charts, yet they still have plenty of melody and catchiness to boot. There is no one out there like HANABIE., and they always make for a fun listen. They clearly don’t take themselves too seriously, which is refreshing these days. If you’re into the wilder side of metalcore, I’d definitely recommend checking this out! 8/10
Emily Scott Robinson: Appalachia
The folk/Americana singer-songwriter returns with her first studio album in nearly five years, and has produced something just as beautiful as ever. It’s 40 minutes of chilled-out, emotion-filled acoustic music, and I loved just getting totally lost and eveloped in it. It’s not tyically my sort of thing, at least not to enjoy this much, but something about Emily’s incredible vocals and lyric writing had me hooked. It’s almost impossible to pick highlights, though all three duet tracks are utterly phenomenal, giving even more depth to her sound. If you are into relaxed Americana-folk, this is certainly a release for you. Not one I’d revisit often, but certainly one I’d happily listen to again! 7.5/10
The Chuck Norris Experiment: Hot Stuff 3
Another in the Swedish punk-infused hard rock band’s collection of b-sides and it goes far harder than it needed to! Their ‘Stairway to the Stars’ cover opens the release perfectly, setting a great tone moving forward. That’s swiftly followed by album highlight ‘Hammersmith Palais’, with other album highlights like ‘The End of the Great Credibility Race’, ‘Habit to Support’ and ‘Electrify Me’ being spread through the album. However, the whole album is a great, fun release, and begs the question how a lot of these tracks haven’t made it onto full releases in the past. It’s impossible not to have a good time listening to this, and the band are so very underrated! If you are at all into the band or just the wider heavy punk genre in general, I’d definitely suggest giving this a listen! I can’t give it any less than 8.5/10. I wish more bands still did this style, and I’m so excited for them coming back to the UK this year!
Danny Dela Cruz: So Long As There Are Stars
The debut solo release of the former Inglorious/Thrxnes guitarist is a real showcase of his sheer phenomenal talent. Five amazing instrumental tracks that show the breadth of his playing skills, and all excellent in their own right. Instrumental stuff is certainly not for everyone, but this is definitely worth checking out if you are even a little bit curious. Clearly inspired by greats like Vai, Sambora and Malmsteen, he firmly plants himself up alongside all of them with this release. ‘Life’ and ‘As the Pages Turn’ are personal highlights, but the whole release is amazing from start to finish. I’ll definitely be throwing this on again in the coming weeks and months, and it gets a very solid 7.5/10 from me. And to put that into perspective, that’s high from me for both an instrumental release and an EP!
Tinsley Ellis: Labor of Love
The blues guitarist followed up 2024’s Naked Truth excellently with this stripped-back release. The vast majority of it just Tinsley’s guitar and low, powerful vocals, but he packs so much punch and emotion behind it all that I was hooked throughout. From ‘Long Time’ to ‘The Trouble with Love’, ‘Sweet Ice Tea’ to ‘Too Broke’, there is plenty to love here. However, there isn’t a bad song throughout. Once again, it isn’t a release for everyone, and it does get a touch samey by the end, but Tinsley is such a good songwriter that it’s hard not to still have a good time listening. If you’re an old-school blues fan, check this out ASAP! I’d love to hear him with a bit more of a band behind him at some point, but this is also still great regardless! 7/10
TarLung: Axis Mundi
The Austrian sludge doom trio released their first new album in nearly five years last Friday, and go just as hard as ever with it! This thing is packed full of incredible riffs, solid drumming, heaviness and some amazing growled vocals. And they give everything plenty of room to breathe too, just eight songs spread across the 38-minute runtime. ‘The Valley of Nowhere’, ‘Sea of Drowned Souls’ and the title track are all huge highlights, but every song in this fits and runs together perfectly. The band are so insanely talented, and it’s criminal that they aren’t bigger than they are at this point! If you like your music heavy and sludgy, this is certainly an album you need to be listening to! They have a big new fan in me, and I will certainly be spinning it plenty in the weeks and months to come. A solid 8/10 from us!
Gitika Partington: Twelvefold Number 1-13
Yep, a whopping 13 full-length albums, all in the same day! We had the privilege of chatting to Gitika about the feat last week, and it makes me appreciate these even more than I already do. Each has a slightly different feel to it, though all keep within her vague folk/easy-listening style, and each certainly have highlight tracks. ‘They Dance an Eleven’, ‘Virginia Wolfe’, ‘Own My Shit’ and ‘I’m the Only One Who Knows’ are a handful of the songs that stood out to me. It’s an insane achievement to release this massive a volume of work anyway, but for a good portion of it to be high quality and enjoyable is even better. It’s certainly not my sort of thing normally, but I’m so glad I was sent through the presser for it as I did have a good time listening. If anyone’s at all interested, it’s worth a listen. And, while I probably won’t revisit the project outside of the odd song here and there, I didn’t hate it at all. Gitika should be hugely proud of what she has managed to accomplish here, and in terms of the music itself, I happily give it a solid 6/10, though it would be higher for the sheer balls and confidence in the work she has!
Contrasts: False Idol
The debut EP from the modern alt/metalcore Welsh collective dropped on Friday, and honestly blew me away! It perfectly walks the line between brutal heaviness and huge, arena-filling melodies that few bands can truly pull off well. And, because of that, all four of these tracks are amazing! It’s impossible to pick highlights as all are as good as the last. Even the slower ballad ‘Armageddon’ is awesome, and fits the tone of the release excellently still. These guys already did some great stuff in Upon Those Dying and Giving in to Ghosts, and they are very much continuing that trend here! I can see big things ahead in the bands’ future, and this is a fantastic jumping off point for all of that. I can’t give it any less than 8/10, great stuff!
Three completely different EPs for us to check out today, from metal to punk to Americana. All are worth a listen but read on to see what we thought!
Europa Reign: Self-Titled
The debut EP from the alt metal band from just down the road in Wolverhampton is awesome, and a hugely impressive first release! It’s got an air of Mason Hill meets Earthtone9, and I love it! There’s a really nostalgic late 90s early 2000s post grunge edge to it too, but also it feels pretty fresh and different at the same time. His vocals are a little Sully Erna and a little Scott Stapp. the power and melody over a heavier, more technical and modern instrumentation being fantastic. Also, it’s impossible to pick out just a couple of highlights, as all five tracks on this are phenomenal. It’s right up my street musically, and is 23-minutes of perfect hard rock/metal. If you are in any way into any of the bands or genres I’ve mentioned already, I cannot recommend this enough! The band are insanely talented musicians and songwriters, and have a hugely bright future ahead of them if this release is anything to go by! I can’t give it any less than 10/10, amazing!
Instigators: Full Circle/The Sleeper
The UK punk royalty are back after decades away, returning to the stage a week ago at Rebellion in Blackpool and then releasing this revamped EP today! While none of it is new, I wanted to cover it as this is a rather huge deal, and a band I love! ‘Full Circle’ sounds better than ever, while classic ‘The Sleeper’ also sounds excellent with a new lease of life. As far as I’m aware the EP is only available in physical format, aside for the videos on YouTube like the one below. So, if you can order it or make it down to one of their shows, I highly recommend you pick up a copy! 8/10
Alan Fletcher: Let’s Talk About Love
The Neighbours star put out his brand new EP today, a follow-up to his 2023 debut album. Australian Americana is an interesting one, but it doesn’t not work. It’s simple but chilled-out, fun music in the vein of Julian Tayloror John Jenkins. There’s even a little bit of Ian Anderson to his vocal delivery, which I found pretty fascinating for this genre. He’s a good songwriter, the lyrics being pretty fantastic, and it’s a simple, good 12 minutes to sink your teeth into if you’re into this sort of style. My favourite track is probably the more bluesy/Willie Nelson-like ‘Table Service’, but none of them are bad! It’s a solid 7.5/10, and good for anyone just wanting to sit back and relax with some music!
Another stacked week of new albums, this time featuring some epic returns in the rock and metal world. Let’s check them all out!
Volbeat: God of Angels Trust
The legendary Danish hard rock/metal titans are back following a few years much-needed rest. Between losing their guitarist and Michael having some vocal issues, I was starting to worry about if we’d ever get the band back, especially after 2021’s return to form. However, the band have had a run of amazing singles this year, and brought them together into one hell of an album. It really feels like an amalgamation of all their previous stuff, too. Whether it’s the more old-school, Beyond Hell opening couple to the more Seal the Deal-esque ‘Acid Rain’ and ‘Time Heal’ to the Servent of the Mind-like ‘Demonic Depression’, it really feels like a culmination of their sound, in a sense. And of course they return to the punky, almost Dead Kennedys vibe with ‘Better be Fueled Than Tamed’, for good measure. Honestly, I fucking love it all! Every song I’ve mentioned already is a big highlight, but honestly there isn’t a bad track throughout thus entire release. It’s 44-minutes of epic riffing and catchy, massive melodies like truly only Volbeat can do. The boys are very much back, and I’ve listened to this a LOT over the weekend, with no signs of slowing down any time soon. Expect it to end up high on our list of albums of the year come December, that’s for sure. A very solid 9/10!
Turnstile: NEVER ENOUGH
I have seen a lot of people super hyped for this release. However, even after seeing them live, they are simply just not a band I seem to ‘get’. And, though I do prefer it on track, it’s still not really my sort of thing. The hardcore punk elements are good, but don’t quite have the edge and grit of their contemporaries due to the crisp production, massive sound and alt rock electronic elements. It’s like they’ve tried to smash together Twenty-One Pilots and Black Flag to… interesting… results. I didn’t mind ‘SOLE’, ‘DULL’ and ‘SLOWDIVE’, but there was also a handful of the more atmospheric, more ambient tracks that I could leave. The riffing was the biggest highlight of the album; I think if it wasn’t for the fuzzy guitars I’d have been fully out. I also kept thinking I’d heard them before but I hadn’t, which is arguably a bad thing as it means a good few of them sound samey.
I completely get this band have a lot of fans and why that is. This will be loved by a lot of people. They are a damn talented collection of musicians. But this really wasn’t my sort of thing. Outside of a couple of songs that I’ve mentioned already, I won’t be revisiting this album. So, for that, it sadly gets a 4/10. Please don’t come at me, I’m sorry…!
Mother Mother: Nostalgia
Just a year removed from their incredible last release, the indie rock Canadians are back with their 10th studio album. As much as I loved that album, I’m struggling to get into this one a bit. Don’t get me wrong, it took me a little to appreciate The Grief Chapter fully, but this is taking even more. It’s a lot more indie than their previous release; where are the RIFFS?! Stuff like ‘ON AND ON’ made me feel that same love for the band, but it was fewer and further between than I’d have liked. Songs like ‘Make Believe’ and ‘FINGER’ are also good, but not in the same ways. Maybe this is what the band always sound like and I just jumped in at a time that did it best for me with their last album? Either way, it’s not a bad release by any stretch, but it’s certainly not what I hoped for heading into this. If you are a fan of the band or genre, it’s worth checking out, and it may grow on me. However, for now, I can’t give it any more than a 5/10
Crowe Boys: Made to Wander
The debut album from the Americana/country brothers is honestly incredible, especially for a first release. The pair are plenty experienced, living on the road with their family in a gospel band. However, that shouldn’t necessarily translate across to writing music, especially music THIS GOOD. ‘Bootstraps’ is an absolutely amazing song, and sets the tone for the rest of the release perfectly. Then you have songs like ‘Debris’, ‘Bonfire in my Soul’ and ‘Lucky to Be Alive’ that are also absolutely massive highlights. It’s like Mumford and Sons meets the likes of Wyatt Flores and Zach Bryan, making for an interesting, epic sound. My only issue is that it does feel like it loses momentum a little in the middle. However, at only 10 tracks and 37-minutes, it’s a fantastically easy listen, especially in one sitting. It’s certainly worth checking out if you are at all curious or into the style, you’ll surely love it as much as I do! I already cannot wait to hear where the band go from here, but for now I’m going to be listening to this album a lot, I’m sure. It gets another very solid 9/10 from us!
Katatonia: Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State
We’ve already checked out this awesome album. Find our review of it here!
The Ting Tings: Home
A band that I’ve loved since my childhood, and another that have returned in a massive way, popping back up out of nowhere after years with that song that has popped off on TikTok. The rest of the album very much follows the same Fleetwood Mac-esque vibe too, having that acoustic/folk/pop/rock blend that the band coined so well back in the day. Of course ‘Dreaming’ is a banger, but so are the likes of ‘Home’, ‘Danced on the Wire’ and ‘Mind Thunder’. It’s a great album to just stick on in the background and just sit back and relax to. We don’t have enough folk like this, or at least not in the mainstream, so if a band like this are going to take a dip into this sound hopefully others follow suit. It’s certainly not going to be for everyone, but I enjoyed this and will certainly have a few tracks in my rotation moving forward. If you are into folk in any way, check this out, you may end up loving it! It gets a 7.5/10 from us!
Inglorious: V
The returns continue this week! Over four years after their last album and subsequent hiatus, Nathan James and his classic rock machine returned with a vengeance back in March with single ‘Testify’. Y’all know I liked that one, and anticipation for this album has been high not just from me, but across the whole scene.
I’m happy to say that I think it lives up to the hype! Of course the singles are bangers, but then you have the likes of the beautiful, epic ‘Believe’ and the faster, sleazier ‘End of the Road’. And, of course, you can’t forget ‘In Your Eyes’, a sound more like something Nathan would have been doing on the musical circuit the last few years. However, the whole album is great; a solid, tight 10 tracks and 40 minutes without a bad one in the batch! It feels very much back to the bands roots, pulling a lot of sound and inspiration from I, while also adding in elements from the albums that proceeded them too. Rich does some incredible work on guitar, a far cry from his other projects in Cradle of Filth and Emperor Chung. Meanwhile, other newcomer Henry Rodgers does great on the drums. And, the writing pairing of Nathan with former-and-current bassist Colin has very much reinvigorated the band, producing something that feels truly special and exciting. The band were once one of the shining leading lights of the NWOCR scene, and this album puts them right back in that conversation again! I’ll most certainly be listening to this again, and it gets a solid 8.5/10 from us!
Pulp: More
The first studio album from the legendary Britpop band in a LONG 24 years is finally here! It’s been a long time coming, with the bands second reunion coming a couple of years ago and them debuting live music at their shows. I haven’t heard any of them so far, going into this completely blind, so let’s see if it lives up tp the hype!
Honestly, it very much lives up to their 90s peak! I was never the biggest fan of the band to begin with, but love the odd song here and there. This is the same. I probably won’t listen to the album front-to-back much, but I love some of the songs throughout and there is no denying it’s all very well written and performed! Songs like the opener, ‘Grown Ups’, and ‘Got to Have Love’ I’d honestly put up there with their greatest hits, they’re that good. It’s another album that’s just damn fun to listen to, and if you’re into the band and somehow haven’t already checked this out, I can’t recommend this enough. There is no one in the business like Jarvis, and it’s so nice to hear him back with the others, making music again! Despite me not being the hugest fan, I really enjoyed this, and it gets a solid 7.5/10!
Tooth Gore: For Losers, By Losers.
The sophomore album from the surf punk Brits follows up Halloween just over a year ago, and arguably builds and improves on the sound perfectly. Opener ‘Uncomfortable’ is a fantastic opener and is going to be stuck in my head for days to come. Then you have the likes of ‘Fungus, Actually’, ‘Black Cat’, ‘No Fighting in Doo-Wop’ and the more ska-punk ‘So?’ that are all also fantastic songs and big highlights. However, there really isn’t a bad song on here! It has as much British indie in the sound as the punk elements, making for a really interesting and referencing sound. Between that and the band clearly not taking themselves all too seriously and having a lot of fun with the music, it makes for a damn enjoyable experience to listen to! We sadly didn’t get the chance to review their debut but I have checked it out since and really enjoyed it, so believe me when I say that this is somehow even better! The band are building a great name for themselves in the underground scene, and this very well could be the release to push them easily up a couple of levels. If you are in any way a punk fan, check this out immediately! I can’t give this any less than 9/10!
Jesse Daniel: Son of the San Lorenzo
The fifth album from the neo-traditional country star dropped last Friday. We checked out his last album almost a year to the day ago and enjoyed it, and this very much feels like a good follow-up with plenty more of the same. Songs like the title track, the more upbeat ‘One’s Too Many’ and ‘Crankster’ are all awesome and big personal highlights. Then you have the duet with Charles Wesley Godwin which couldn’t be a better fit if it tried! However, while a couple may be a bit on the slower side (a few too many in a row, I mean), there really isn’t a bad song on the whole album! As I said, I enjoyed the last album, but honestly I think Jesse tops it with this release! It’s a damn fine country release that goes by in a flash, not feeling like 45-minutes at all. And with it only being 12 months between releases too, it’s a real testament to just how incredible a songwriter Daniel is! If you’re into more of an old-school country sound, I cannot recommend this release enough, check it out as soon as you have the chance. And, in a year so far of amazing country releases, this somehow stands out among some of the best! It gets a very solid 8.5/10 from us!
Pylon Poets: Demise of the Divine
The 80s synth-rock tinged alternative band put out their highly anticipated debut album last Friday and, spoiler alert, it’s a bit good! It honestly reminds me of a heavier version of the Pulp album up above, which isn’t a bad thing at all! Songs like ‘In the End’, ‘Temptation’ and ‘Saviour’ are awesome and going to be stuck in my head for days to come, easy album highlights. However, the whole release is packed full of awesome songs, not a bad one in the bunch. The band are hugely talented songwriters and players, blending together a variety of styles seamlessly and creating something pretty unique with this release. And, for a debut, it’s an incredible high standard! The band have been going a few years now and built their sound and this release pretty perfectly, making this surely an album to take them to the next level. The band certainly have a new fan in me, and this is a solid 8/10 from us!
Passengers In Panic: Amnesia
The sophomore studio album from the heavy/folk metal Greeks builds on everything great about their debut and turns it up to 11. The whole thing is epic, heavy and melodic all in perfect measure, and is really something you have to listen to front-to-back at least once. The opener sets the tone perfectly, and the likes of ‘Echos of Death’, the title track and ‘Erase Me’ are all big highlights, but the whole thing is most certainly worth a listen! I love the folk elements, and while they are done quite a lot in the European scene these days, this still feels pretty unique and stands out among the others, maybe because it has a bit more of a modern metal edge to it too. The band most certainly have a new fan in me, and it’s insane to me that they are already a much bigger name in the scene. It’s a must for any fans of power or folk metal out there, and gets a very solid 8/10 from me!
Gypsy Pistoleros have been a staple part of the UK underground rock and NWOCR scene for a good few years now. I’ve been a fan for a while, enjoying their last albuma lot and having seen them a few times live. There’s a pretty large amount of hype surrounding this album’s release so when Lee so kindly sent it over, there was no way I wasn’t reviewing it! Let’s check this out together, shall we?
The opener/title track builds through a cool organ and spoken word part before exploding in with the punky hard rock the band are known for. The verse is awesome, and leads to an incredible chorus, it all being so catchy and fitting together perfectly. The production on it is great too, it sound massive and everything shining through on its own. I love the vocal/guitar jabs in the bridge after the second chorus, a quick section before a final, huge chorus and outro takes us home. It’s a fantastic way to open the album, channelling their Wildhearts influence on their sleeves while also adding in their flamenco-style roots. It’s a definite highlight, and a song that easily makes our playlist.
‘Shadow Walker’ again builds into a fantastic, pretty heavy punky riff. Lee’s vocals sound great over the top of it all, dripping with swagger and attitude. Another massive chorus soon comes in, not being quite as catchy as the previous but fitting the slightly more aggressive tone of the track. I LOVE the heavy bridge between the second on third choruses too, almost feeling like it boarders on a breakdown. It’s another simple-structured song but is so good, and is one I’m already desperate to hear live!
The album takes a slightly slower tempo shift with ‘Whatever Happened to the Old Town’. It’s a bit lighter but immediately gives off heavy Love/Hate vibes in the best ways. And it still builds to a massive, catchy rather epic chorus. The pace picks up a little in the second verse, the drums adding a lot and giving it almost more of a skate-punk feel to it, which I also loved! And that bridge riff with the solid drumming… *chefs kiss*. Plus, the bit after it is catchy as anything, especially thanks to all the backing vocals and harmonies. It’s glammy in such a good way, instantly giving me Pretty Boy Floyd vibes. The ‘oh’s would be amazing in a live setting. It’s another huge highlight of the album, and another easily playlisted song!
Single ‘Last Train to Nowhere’ picks back up the pace and energy in a big way. It’s also quite frankly punk as fuck. The pre and chorus are of course the major focuses of the track, and both are awesome enough to hold it down perfectly. And still, the verses are fun, setting everything else up very well! It’s a short, sweet simple track that is a lot of fun and well worth a listen!
After another release of their exceptional cover of ‘Livin La Vida Loca’, we get another almost punk-ballad in ‘I’m in Love with Myself’. It has that interesting mix of 90s punky hard rock, and the 70s stuff that inspired it. It’s yet another fun song as well with a fantastic song, and wouldn’t at all feel out of place on a Wildhearts release! The band are so good at the radio-track structure of songs, and this is another fantastic example of that. It’s another huge highlight, and should be a massive song for the band if the music industry is at all fair.
‘Last of the Commancheros’ is another slower song, being the closest to an actual ballad we have on the album. The music is stripped back and the piano in the choruses is a nice touch. However, we also get some awesome horn work in the bridge, the most they’ve lent on the flamenco side of their sound so far on the release. It’s a beautiful song and a great change of pace, setting the track apart from the rest of them perfectly.
The pace and rockiness picks back up a little with ‘Dancing Naked in the Rain’, that and ‘Hide Behind a Smile’ being still slower but based more around the rock instrumentation and distortion. Both are great songs, but it does feel like a few slower songs in a row. I missed the intensity of the faster, heavier tracks by the latter track, so maybe a different album arrangement may have helped me. However, it’s an incredibly minor gripe, and I’m probably in the minority!
The closing track on the album, ‘The Prayer’, is the high energy track I’ve wanted, for sure! The drums go hard through a lot of it and the riffing is awesome. Having said that, it is still a little slower in terms of pace. However, it gives the track almost an epic feel to it, and makes it a fantastic choice for a closing song. And it helps that it’s yet another awesome, huge chorus that deserves to be played to massive festival crowds. It’s another excellent song, and the perfect way to close out this album!
Overall: I loved this! I remember reviewing their last one and enjoying it, but it has nothing on this release. Every track is amazing and it really feels like they’ve taken a step up with this album. A lot of it has been stuck in my head for the last couple of days that I’ve spent writing this review, and I’m sure I’ll be spinning it for months to come yet. It is most certainly a big release in the scene, that’s for sure. If you’re a fan of rock music in any way, I cannot recommend checking this out enough!
An absolutely massive week for new albums this week, with the very best in metal, rock and country all putting out bangers. Let’s dive right in, shall we?
Those Damn Crows: God Shaped Hole
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read our review of it here!
Jon Pardi: Honkytonk Hollywood
The neo-traditional country legend is finally back with the highly anticipated followup to 2022’s Mr Saturday Night. Being one of the first country artists I got heavily into, I’ve been eagerly awaiting this for a while, and it certainly doesn’t disappoint! It’s nearly a full hour of catchy vocal lines, typically-country lyrics and great instrumentation, mainly including the incredible string work throughout. It’s awesome! Songs like the opener, ‘Gamblin’ Man’, ‘Rush’, ‘Last Call Thing’ and ‘Love the Lights Out’ are all incredible songs and huge personal highlights. However, so much of this album is excellent, and a lot of it ended up on my personal playlist. Whether it’s two-steppin’, boot stompin’ uptempo numbers or the more emotion-filled ballad tracks, it’s all written and performed so well and Pardi does it in such a way that few can even replicate, never mind do better.
It doesn’t reinvent the wheel or anything, but certainly continues and refines the sound that he’s worked on now for five albums, and may actually be his most solid album front-to-back. Yes, it’s long, but the quality is spread throughout the album and it’s honestly one of the few country albums that genuinely didn’t feel it’s length. It’s a great, fun listen that I’ll certainly be revisiting a lot in the coming weeks and months, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it ends up being one of my favourite country albums of the year. It’s rare we get this style of country in 2025, so I’m so glad it’s this good! Mr Saturday Night is back, and gets a solid 9/10 from us!
Spin Doctors: Face Full of Cake
This was an interesting, weird release. Being raised on 90s and early 2000s culture, I like countless others couldn’t escape ‘Two Princes’, and came to love it alongside that album as a whole. However, I never really dug into the band much beyond that, so I was quite excited to be finally checking out something new from this band.
It had a lot more RHCP, Terrorvision and Quireboys than I was expecting. I’m not sure if was a gradual evolution or not, but this was not the album I was expecting heading in. However, it wasn’t a bad release, by any stretch. It took a bit of getting going; outside of ‘Rock n Roll Heaven’ the first few weren’t really my thing. However, by the time we reached ‘I Liked you Better When Your Butt was Big’, I really started to get into things, and the rest of the album from there was pretty solid. It’s quirky in a Barenaked Ladies kinda way, and is a pretty chilled out 44-minutes of poppy alt rock. It still has some of that 90s charm, but definitely has more of a modern spin on it. Is it as good as Pocket Full of Kryponite? No. But for a band that ‘peaked’ nearly three and a half decades ago, it’s a solid-ass release, and well worth checking out for anyone into the band or 90s rock in general. It’s a solid 7.5/10 from us!
Epica: Aspiral
The ninth album from the symphonic metal legends follows up their stellar 2022 ‘EP’ fantastically. I’ve always loved this band, and honestly this may be up there with some of their best work. Opening on their fantastic lead single and then the equally awesome title track is amazing. However, then we get not one, not two, but another THREE parts of the bands epic A New Ages of Dawns saga, the first mainline entries since 2009s Design Your Universe. It has made me go back and listen to all of them through and DAMN. It’s insane that songs released 20 years apart can still fit perfectly together. All three songs are huge highlights of the release, but honestly every track on this thing is amazing.
We’ve covered a lot of symphonic metal on this site over the years, and I’d say this measures up with the very best of them, be it Nightwish or Within Temptation or Evanescence or otherwise. Every single track is heavy, epic and masterfully performed by the entire band; it’s impossible to pick highlights. It’s an hour long and doesn’t feel like a slog in any stretch. And Simone’s vocals are as strong and impressive as ever. I went into this album expecting it to be good, but nowhere near this good. I loved every second of it, and will be spinning it a lot in the coming weeks and months. I can’t give it anything less than 9.5/10, amazing stuff! It’s a must listen for any metal fans reading!
Kaschalot: Anemoia
It’s pretty rare we get to cover much instrumental stuff on here, so when we do I kinda love it. Especially when it’s on the experimental math rock side of things; easily the best style of instrumental music (fight me). The band’s sophomore album comes out a full six and a half years after their debut, and the band have clearly put their all into the release. This is 36-minutes of stellar musicianship from front to back, and surprisingly manages to keep it interesting and captivating despite not a single word being said/sung. It certainly won’t be for everyone, but I loved this and found myself getting lost in the sheer talent of the quartet throughout. If you are into math rock or the quirkier side of rock in general, I can’t recommend this enough. Even if you aren’t typically into instrumental stuff it’s well worth checking this out, as they are so creative you may easily love it as much as I did. The band have a new fan in me, and this is an easy 8/10 from me!
Magnolia Park: VAMP
The fast-rising alt rock stars are back with their highly anticipated fourth studio album. I remember checking out Baku’s Revenge back when it released and thinking it was alright. This is at least better than that album, that’s for sure. It’s still your average radio metalcore, but at least now it borrows from Sempiternal era BMTH or 2021-2024 Architects or I Prevail, which is an improvement at least. Then again, there’s some older/newer school Architects in the heavier parts too, which is more than welcome. And there is an ever so slight industrial edge at times which does add some interesting moments to it. The opener is great and sets the tone perfectly. Then you have tracks like ‘CULT’ and ‘OMEN’ that are also big personal highlights. However, the rest of it was rather slower and pop/alt rock oriented. As I said, it is certainly better than the last album we checked out by them, but outside of a few shining lights it all felt pretty samey and honestly just made me want to listen to For Those That Wish to Exist again. It may grow on me still, but for now it gets a 7/10
OK GO: And the Adjacent Possible
The first studio album from the Chicagoan alt rock band in 11 years, safe to say this has had a fair amount of hype behind it! After listening, I’d say it lives up to at least most of said hype, too! It’s quirky, poppy and a lot of fun, reminding me of a combination of Mother Mother, Marianas Trenchand even Mika. As you can tell from the other reviews, I love all three artists, so of course I loved this too. From the opener to the funk-rock ‘A Good, Good Day at Last’ to ‘Better Than This’ to the beautiful closing track, this is packed full of amazing songs and highlights. There truly isn’t a bad track on it. If you’re into the more chilled-out, pop/alt side of rock music, I’d certainly recommend checking this out, you certainly won’t be disappointed. OK Go are finally back, and what an album to be making their return with! It’s an incredibly solid 8/10 from us, and I’ll certainly be listening to this again soon.
Ye Banished Privateers: ‘Til the Sea Shall Give up Her Dead
Goddamn I love piratey folk music, and this is honestly one of the best examples as to why. Taking inspiration from traditional Irish and Scandinavian folk, the band do the sound so well and bring it perfectly to a modern mix and audience. The opening track is a huge highlight and sets the tone of the album fantastically well, and songs like the fun ‘Raise Your Glass’ and ‘Here’s To The Royal Navy’ are also big highlights. It’s a fun, lighthearted release that knows exactly what it is and does it to perfection. My issue is that it’s nearly an hour long and is pretty similar throughout. It was a little much for my by the end, but if you’re big into this sort of thing I’m sure that is much less of an issue. And live, I can imagine it being incredible. I won’t listen to it particularly often, but I’m sure I’ll enjoy it whenever I do. 6.5/10
Muscadine Bloodline: …And What Was Left Behind
The Alabaman country duo followed up last year’s The Coastal Plain with what I assume to be a ‘b-sides and leftovers’ follow-up to last year’s Coastal Plain album and its sessions. I really thought I’d reviewed it at the time, but apparently not. I’ve definitely checked it out somewhere and, wildly, I think I prefer this release to their previous one! ‘Ain’t For Sale’ is my favourite song the band have ever done (shoutout to the awesome Josh Meloy on said track too), and songs like ‘Deer in the Headlights’, ‘Hittin’ my Stride’ and ‘Ballad of the Blanton Brothers’ are massive other highlights. However, every single track on this thing is awesome, and I think I’ve very quickly become addicted. I’m so glad the duo have finally blown up and got the recognition they so sorely deserve, and putting out this incredible release to top it all off is a testament to how incredible they are as musicians and writers. If you’re in an way a country fan, or even a fan of southern stuff or that side of rock music, check this out, I’m sure you’ll love this just as much as I do. I loved their last couple of albums, but this may be my favourite release from them, and it gets a very solid 9.5/10 from me!
Nightblade: 5
Strangely the seventh album it seems from the punk-infused hard rockers, this is a damn solid release! It reminded me of a lower energy Pennywise at times, especially with the riffing, which I really liked. Songs like ‘Grave Mistake’, ‘I’ll be Home Tonight’ and ‘Left at the Lights’ are all personal highlights. It gives a real old-school rock’n’roll and punk vibe, almost a DIY sorta thing, throughout which is almost impossible not to love. I’m honestly shocked the band haven’t gotten more of a following, especially with how long they’ve been going. They deserve to be bigger, and I feel like in doing so their production would improve massively, too. It’s a touch rough around the edges, but is a lot of fun to listen to and is something I’d love to go see live at a dark dingy dive bar somewhere! The band are damn talented songwriters and it’s certainly made me want to go back and check out their older stuff. It’s another solid 7/10 from us!
Ledher Blue: Fait Divers
I had no idea what to expect heading into this release, yet somehow it still wasn’t this. Described to me as a ‘Portuguese meets Irish indie duo’, it’s so much more than that. It doesn’t feel like a lot of indie-rock out there these days; it has plenty of shoegaze, psychedelic and even folk elements throughout. Heck, the opening track gave me faint Tool vibes, which was enough to blow me away a little. While it’s not something I’d typically listen to, I found myself having a great time checking this out, and have spun it a couple of times since it’s release back on Tuesday. It’s definitely got elements of old-school, like The Strokes or Iggy Pop, but also has a distinct modern edge; especially in the excellent production. Tracks like ‘Sorrows of Ammended Hearts’, ‘Rollerblades’, and ‘Longing’ are all huge highlights. However, the whole album is pretty solid and a good one to just sit back and chill to. It will probably be a big hit among indie fans, but even if you’re not into the genre it might be worth checking it out, you may find yourself pleasantly surprised like I was. It’s a solid 7/10 from us, and it may get even higher with subsequent listens!
Once Awake: Far Out and Beyond
Goddamn, WHAT AN ALBUM. I went into this completely blind no was blown away. I’ve definitely gained a soft spot for music in that grey area between melodeath and metalcore, and this album is the perfect example of that done SO WELL. The fifth album from the Norwegian band shows how it’s done in terms of heaviness, melody, epicness and technicality, as well as great songwriting. And all nine tracks do it amazingly; there isn’t a bad song on this release. How have I never heard this band before? They definitely have a huge new fan in me! It’s honestly impossible for me to pick highlight tracks as every single song is incredible, almost all of it making it onto my personal playlist. The band are incredibly talented players and songwriters, and fingers crossed this is the album to finally break them out into the next level, as they so very deserve it! They feel like a combination of Lamb of God, In Flames and early All that Remains, yet also have something about them that makes them feel pretty unique. I cannot recommend this album enough to any fans of the heavier end of metal out there, and I desperately need to go back and check out the rest of their back catalogue. For the second time this week, I can’t give this any less than 10/10, incredible stuff!
Turnpike Troubadours: The Price of Admission
The country legends are back with their seventh album, and second since their reunion. As fans of the band would surely be expecting, it’s a chilled-out, neo-traditional release packed full of some great instrumentation, catchy choruses and vocal harmonies, and plenty of emotion. Songs like ‘Searching for a Light’, the Celtic/Americana ‘Be Here’ and ‘The Devil Plies his Trade’ are all huge highlights. However, the album is perfect to sit back and relax to, and there isn’t a bad track on it. The band do their style better than few others, so if you are into them or the old-school, Americana/blues infused country music, I’d most certainly recommend checking this out! Honestly, I’d put it up there against any of the rest of their discography, that’s how damn good this is. I’ll definitely be listening to it more in the coming weeks and months, and would absolutely love to see them live, especially at some open-air festival, it feels like the perfect setting. It’s a very easy 8/10 from us!
The sixth studio album from the ska-punk quartet is set to drop this coming Friday. Being an absolutely massive fan of the genre (I’m a 90s kid) I knew this was one I just had to be checking out, so getting sent it early so that I could do so in full was amazing news! Just to warn you now, this will be full of gushing and fangirling. Let’s just dive right in, shall we?
‘Shows How Little You Know’ sets up the tone of the album perfect. A surprisingly heavy build drops out to some of the most Madness-like ska I’ve heard in years. However, the melody in the choruses, probably helped by the distorted guitars, is clearly inspired awesomely by Rancid. It’s a damn fun song packed full of plenty of amazing instrumentation that somehow never feels like it drowns out any of the rest. And it’s catchy as anything, especially with the ‘ey’s. It’s a short, sweet track that opens things up fantastically. If the rest of the album is up to this standard, we may be onto a winner!
‘Masterplan’ opens up a little more bluesy with the piano. However, the vocal melody, cockney accent and bouncy drums instantly roots it back firmly into ska. Again, there is so much going on instrumentally, and it’s a true testament to the band that they juggle it all so perfectly and it all compliments each other instead of drowning parts out. And it’s another infectiously catchy song too; that chorus is going to be stuck in my head for the rest of the day, for sure! It’s a fun, feel-good track and a clear highlight of the album, easily making it onto our playlist!
The organ that opens ‘Take a Pill’ is so very Rancid in the best way, as is the chanting and the general vibe of the track. I love it! The bassline is a big highlight, and the lyrics are of course fantastic as always. They fit the theme of togetherness and coming together to support each other perfectly, and it’s a beautifully uplifting song packed in around the bouncy instrumentation. It’s sadly a really real situation they are singing about, and if anyone is down in that way, check this song out, it certainly helps put it all into perspective. It’s so hard to write lyrics this meaningful as it is, let alone around some stellar musicianship too. It’s yet another incredible song! I absolutely love the extended outro with everything slowly dropping out around the chanting. It honestly gave me goosebumps, and it’s something I want to see live so bad.
Tracks like ‘Waiting For You’, the title song and ‘Knocking at 122’ are slower tracks overall, but that doesn’t mean they are in any way bad. The lyrics for ‘Together’ are expectedly poignant and, if I can get nerdy for a second, the bass tone on the latter track is tasty. All are awesome, more traditionally British ska tracks, harkening back to the 2nd wave perfectly. They play their part on the album fantastically and, especially in ‘Knocking…’s case, it’s another big highlight of the album!
‘I Don’t Mind What I See’ is a bit more high energy; opening on a rock’n’roll riff and generally bringing that punk energy back in force. It’s the perfect change of pace for the mid-point of the album, and is an excellent track in its own right. It’s a catchy, foot-stomping, incredibly fun song and yet another huge highlight on an album so far packed full of them. If you listen to any track on this album, let it be this one, it’s the perfect example of everything the band do so very well!
‘If I Were Wise’ is another Madness-esque ska banger, while ‘One In Ten’ almost feels like the album’s ballad-track. The latter is another awesome song with a catchy as anything, emotion-filled, rocky chorus. ‘Thanks’ is a brief outing of simple, uplifting greatness while ‘View for a Fool’ closes the album in an album jazz-bar style. I love the beat and the piano, organ and guitars playing around it masterfully. I just love ska music, and few do it as well these days as Buster Shuffle do. That’s why I’ve combined these last few tracks together, because it’s all such perfectly formed ska music that it’s impossible to pick out individual parts, it’s all phenomenal. ‘View…’ is another perfect encapsulation of What the band are about, and rounds out the themes and of the album perfectly.
Overall: As I’m sure you can tell, I loved this! The whole thing is right up my street, and we never get to cover much ska stuff on here so whenever I do, I always find it finds a special place in my heart. Every song on this is awesome, and the whole message behind the album is beautiful and much needed in today’s climate. I can’t recommend it enough to anyone reading this. If you’re a fan of the band, the genre or just music in general, check this out, I’m sure you’ll love it just as much as I do! The band are criminally underrated, and this is yet another album of theirs that shows that perfectly.
Before we get into this, as I did a dishonorable mention last time, let’s do an honourable one this time…
A Whole New Sound – The pop-punk Disney covers album.
It’s an incredible album, but we only really focus on original releases for this list. Still, I’d recommend it to anyone though, and every band smashes their cover!
80 – Sergeant Thunderhoof: The Ghost of Badon Hill
Starting off this section of the list with a bag is the proggy-doom epic fifth album from the Somerset band. It’s another pretty recent release, but there was no way this wasn’t making the list! The atmosphere created by this album alone is utterly incredible, and that’s before we get onto the amazing riffing and pretty catchy melodic vocals throughout. I’ve loved it since the first moment it came out and it’s really no wonder it made waves, charting here in the UK. I listened to it through in full again while writing this up and somehow fell in love with it even more! It’s definitely made to be consumed in that capacity, and easily earned our 8.5/10 rating! If you like more slower, atmospheric stuff but still with plenty of awesome riffing and rocking, I cannot recommend this album enough!
Listen to: The whole thing from front to back, trust me!
79 – Steal the City: Road to Nowhere
Even more NWOCR on this list, it really goes to show how strong said scene is currently! STC are on the heavier end, incorporating some metalcore into the hard rock sound, and I think it’s why I loved this so much! I’ve always loved this band and the album’s been a long time coming, so to finally have it and having listened to it over the last couple of months, there was no way it wasn’t going to end up on this list! It’s somehow continued to grow on me more with each listen, too! From the incredible A7X-style guitaring to the heavy riffing to the incredibly catchy choruses, it has everything I love in this type of music! This is an incredibly strong debut album that got a very easy 9/10 from me when we reviewed it. The band are set for big things in both the rock and metal scenes in the UK, and this album is a fantastic jumping off point for that!
Listen to: Drag me to Hell, Knight the Unholy and Tomorrow’s Another Day
78 – Sweet: Full Circle
Y’all know how much of a sucker I am for a big chorus, and this album has them in spades! The legendary British glam band have no right being this good over half a century into their career, and it’s so sad that this will be the last studio release we get from them. Still, as I said in our review, the band are very much going out in style! This is just a good fun listen from front to back by a band that are so incredibly professional they could probably pump out a great album in their sleep! Don’t get me wrong, this certainly won’t be for everyone, but if you like an old-school 70s/80s glam rock sound, it doesn’t get much better than this album! I’ve listened to it multiple times now since it came out, and I doubt I’ll stop any time soon! It got a solid 9/10 in the review, and I stick to that here!
Listen to: Don’t Bring me Water, Everything and Rising Up
77 – Rotting Christ: Pro Xristou
Clearly 2024 is the year where my musical evolution has completed, because when I started Overtone I never expected a black metal album to end up on one of these lists! This, however, is a phenomenal release, from a songwriting, atmospheric and playing perspective. It has a truly epic feel and some incredible production, which is probably why I favour it over a lot of other black metal. It’s genuinely interesting, and fits around the subject matter perfectly. I just love the almost power metal blend it has with the darker, heavier baseline, and I think it would win more than a few unsuspecting people over in the sub-genre! I gave it a solid 8.5/10 when I reviewed the release back in May, and I’ve listened to it multiple times since and loved it just as much every time! It’s a damn good metal album overall that I would recommend to any fans of the genre!
Also, somehow the deluxe edition is even better, so check that out if you can!
Listen to: The Apostate, The Farewell and Saoirse
76 – Drew Holocomb and the Neighbours: Strangers No More Vol. 2
This is an amazing, chilled-out album that has stayed just as good with age. I wasn’t too familiar with them before this year, but have become a big fan of their particular brand of pop-leaning Americana. This album is the perfect example of that, and a fantastic follow-up from Vol. 1 last year. It’s a fun, relaxing 38-minute journey through some amazing songwriting and playing that it’s almost impossible to not love. Even if you aren’t necessarily a fan of this type of music, I’d recommend checking it out for Drew’s powerful vocals, catchy choruses and great lyrics, as well as the band’s pretty amazing playing throughout. There really isn’t a bad track on the album and it easily earned the 9/10 from us! I think it’s so hard to discern which part is better, but both volumes fit together perfectly; last year’s output somehow making this one even better!
Listen to: Green Light, Suffering and Burn
75 – Earthtone9: In Resonance Nexus
This was a return I was not expecting to be so amazing! Over a decade after the UK underground metal legends’ last album, they returned out of nowhere with this utterly amazing alt-metal release. It’s the perfect mix of heavy and melodic too, combining elements of metalcore and industrial perfectly. I’m shocked that nearly six months later this album hasn’t pushed the band to a bigger crowd, as I have listened to it so much in that time! Everything from the riffing to the drumming to the clean and harsh vocals are insane, and really top-notch stuff. If you’re into early 2000s metal with a modern twist, you’ll be as obsessed with this as I am! We gave it9/10 when we reviewed it, and it fully holds up still all these months later! It more than deserves its place on this list, and I urge you to check it out immediately!
Listen to: Navison Record, Under the Snake and Black Swan Roulette
74 – Opeth: The Last Will And Testament
I know I know, I’m gonna get a LOT of hate from fans of the band for putting this album so low. Don’t get me wrong, it is a fantastic and incredibly interesting prog metal album, incorporating many different styles and constantly keeping me guessing. The talent to write and perform it all is off the charts. But it is still a huge, overblown prog album that I do find my tiny attention span wandering away from when trying to listen to in full. I’m a sucker for a big chorus as much as I love technical brilliance, and I’m afraid I got one without the other here. Still, I can’t help but appreciate just how amazing this is, and a real return to form for the band. It’s heavy, quirky and insane, and I’d recommend it to anyone who’s a fan of the band, the heavier side of metal or just odd music in general! It got a 9/10 from us and for very good reason, and it more than deserves to be here on this list!
Listen to: §2, §5 and §7
73 – Nightwish: Yesterwynde
The masters of symphonic metal returned this year with their first release in four years, a spiritual successor to that 2020 album. Somehow, it seems to have flown relatively under the radar, as I see very few people still taking about it yet it only came out in September. I have a feeling it’s because, while it is still an incredibly good release, it doesn’t quiet live up to the calibre of some of their other albums. However, the fact that I say that and it still lands this high on the list is a true testament to the sheer amazingness of this band. The riffing and playing overall is still incredible, Floor’s vocals are as good as ever, and the epic writing leads to some utterly huge, stadium-filling choruses. Plus, all the orchestral elements are just as amazing as they always are.
It’s an incredibly fun album to listen to if you like this sort of music, which I most certainly do. I do think it’s missing one big track like the other albums do though, to kinda set it apart from the pack. Though, as an album as a whole, it’s phenomenal. It got a solid 9/10 from usstill, and I can safely say I do love this album!
Listen to: The Antikythera Mechanism, Perfume of the Timeless and The Children of ‘Ata
72 – Post Malone: F1 Trillion
It pains me to put this album so low. There’s on main reason for me doing so, though; it’s too damn long. And that’s just the standard version too, we ain’t even including the Long Bed extra tracks! Don’t get me wrong, there are a LOT of great tracks on this album. However, there are also a lot of track that, despite the huge names attached to them, are kinda mid and almost filler. I respect and admire the hell out of Post for all of the genre’s he’s dipped into and done well, but I really wish he’d have taken his time with his country stage and made this two separate albums. Having said that, though, the good stuff on this is so good that it more than earned its spot on this list. It was another album on this list that I gavea pretty easy 9/10 to, and I 100% stand by that all these months later. It’s a fun pop-country album with a lot of highlights, it’s just too bloated.
Listen to: Finer Things, Pour Me a Drink and Nosedive
71 – Skam: From the Depths
The grungy, stonery NWOCR legends returned this year with album #5, and somehow upped their game once again. Every track on this release is just as good as the last one; it’s 45-minutes of hard rock excellence. The band don’t get nearly as much credit as they deserve, and even though this album is only a couple of weeks old the same can be said here! It’s such a strong album packed full of awesome riffing and arena-filling, catchy choruses, and I can’t rave about it enough! If you’re a fan of anything from QOTSA to Those Damn Crows, you need to listen to this like yesterday. Anyone who listens to this can easily tell why I gave ita 9/10, it’s amazing, and another album I have listened to a lot over the last couple of weeks that it’s been out. I really wish I could put this higher but, as I said, there was so much awesome music released this year!
Listen to: Rising Fever, Fate of the Souls and The Grind
70 – Marianas Trench: Haven
The sheer epicness of a lot of this pop-rock album boosted this much higher than I was expecting on this list. The dramatic, almost Broadway-esque arrangements throughout were incredible, and made me instantly obsessed with this release. Heck, three-and-a-half months on and the opener still blows my mind every time I hear it. Don’t get me wrong, it certainly won’t be for every reader of this list, and is somehow maybe the most out-there entry on it, but I’d certainly recommend anyone with an open mind checking it out, because it is truly amazingly written. Yes, it’s a bit Jonas Brothers at times, but it’s also very Panic! My Chemical Romance, Set it Off etc, so make of that what you will! I’m sure this will shock no one by this point, but it got another 9/10 from me when I did my review! It’s an infectiously fun album that never fails to make me smile, so it easily made this list!
Listen to: A Normal Life, I’m Not Getting Better and Ancient History
69 – Devin Townsend: Powernerd
I never thought I’d end up with a Heavy Devy album on a list like this but here we are. I feel like I finally ‘get’ him. Well, at least this side of him, those ambient electro albums can get in the bin. But yeah, this is a fantastic alt-metal album! From his heavy riffing to his powerful, amazing vocals and the steady pace throughout, this is easily one of my favourite releases Devin has put out, and that’s including SYL too! I feel like it’s going to be another criminally underrated album that makes it onto this list. It’s pretty well put together too, with some more atmospheric bits spread through, giving plenty of dynamics across its 44-minute runtime. I feel like this is somehow a culmination of his last few years of work, it all combining perfectly together to form something truly great and interesting, and has won me over onto the guy even more. It’s another that I somehow missed for New Music Mondays, but the more I listen the more it grows on me. It gets a solid 8.5/10 from me, though lands this high up on our list for being such a surprising change of pace for my taste, and because I can appreciate it is generally an even better album than even that!
Listen to: Powernerd, Knuckledragger and Glacier
68 – Black Lakes: Dead Gods
I’ve loved this band since I reviewed their debut album a couple of years back, and I’m so glad they’ve made it onto this list with their sophomore release! This one ups the ante of that release in every way, not only continuing the band’s niche carving in the local scene and their sound, but creates one of the most interesting albums of the year. The band manage to combine early 2000s radio metal and metalcore with the current hard rock scene in the UK to create something truly unique and special, and I have listened to it a lot since early September when it was released! Honestly, it’s still growing on me more with each listen somehow, too! Everything from the track on it is amazing, and the album itself is arranged perfectly! Whether it’s the melodic, catchy vocals, amazing, ch0nky riffs, impressive guitaring or the surprising yet amazing screams, there is so much to love, and makes every track stand out as a highlight in its own highlight. We gave ita9/10, but that may even be a little too low for this. No matter what you’re into check this out ASAP, you won’t be disappointed!
Listen to: Hurricane, Dead Gods and Dark Glass
67 – Asomvel: Born to Rock ‘n’ Roll
I fucking love this band. They are a no nonsense, straight-to-the-point hard rock band who own their Motörhead-like sound on their sleeves and do so fantastically. The band are big dumb fun and this is 44-minutes of boot-stomping, head-banging greatness. If you are in any way familiar with this band you know exactly what to expect with this album, and they deliver exactly that in spades. If you’re a fan of the style of music I cannot recommend the album enough (or them live too, as we got the chance to see them earlier this year!). I’ve listened to this album a lot over the last few months, be it in full or individual tracks, and no matter what it’s impossible not to have a good time when it’s on. It got another massive 9.5/10 from our review, and I still stand by that today! I’d definitely recommend giving it a spin!
Listen to: Born to Rock ‘n’ Roll, Outside the Law and When You’re Dead Lie Down
66 – Fellowship: The Skies Above Eternity
One of my best finds of this year, the power metal Brits put out one hell of a sophomore album this year! I usually find the genre vaguely average, loving it but never having much come out that blows me away. This certainly bucked that trend. The overall feel is hugely epic, but the instrumentation is utterly phenomenal, giving Dragonforce a run for their money. Meanwhile, the vocals give enough huge melodies and choruses to make anyone sing along! I know it is certainly not everyone’s favourite genre, but it’s worth checking out from a sheer musicianship standpoint alone. Every track slaps and, at only 40-minutes, it’s a pretty easy listen! And this humble writer absolutely loved it, hence why it got 9/10 and this specific spot on his list of top albums of the year!
Listen to: Victim, Eternity and A New Hope
65 – Amongst Liars: By Design
Another album that we somehow missed for NMM, but one that I loved from the moment I listened to it. I’ve loved the guys for a while, being obsessedwith their last album a couple of years ago and even seeing a couple of these tracks live last year. The band have certainly managed to keep developing their sound over the last two years, and what they put out back in July is utterly phenomenal. Still having that indie edge but leading into the heavier side of their sound, going much more radio-friendly alt-rock, it’s an amazing album! It’s another release that’s got plenty of highlights tracks, while there isn’t a bad song in sight! The band already done some huge stuff in their short time together, and this release will surely set up even more of that moving forward. I’ve listened to it a lot over the last few months and would easily recommend it to anyone reading this; there really is something for everyone! It gets an easy 9/10 from me, and easily earned its place on this list.
Listen to: Read for This?, The Shameful and Alibi
64 – Judas Priest: Invincible Shield
19 albums in and after half a decade, the NWOBHM have no right putting out an album this damn good. Not that I expected it to be bad, of course, but they have to slow down and chill out eventually, right? That time clearly wasn’t this year, as they put out another awesome heavy metal album that is packed full of amazing tracks. Honestly, as I said in my review of it, it’s pretty akin to Painkiller, in both sound and quality. It’s been out months so I really shouldn’t have to gush over it as much as you should have already checked it out by now, but if you haven’t go and do that immediately! The legends got a whopping 9.5/10 from me and honestly after all this time and all these listens, it’s impossible to disagree with that. It’s arguably in their top 10 albums easily, and is a true testament to just how incredible the band are as players and songwriters. It only didn’t get higher because of how many other amazing releases also came out this year!
Listen to: Panic Attack, Devil in Disguise and Trial by Fire
63 – Skarlett Riot: Caeleste
The fourth album from the UK metalcore/alt metal powerhouses is my favourite album from them. It’s taken me two months of sitting on it to decide that, but it really is that awesome! Not only is every track on it amazing, but it does every element of their craft so well. You want heavy riffing and some breakdowns? Check. You want soaring, catchy vocals, as well as some heavy and harsh and incredible screams? Check. And overall epic feel akin to something more power/symphonic metal-based? All of the check. The whole band are extremely talented players, vocalists and songwriters, and they have crafted something truly special with this release. There’s no wonder they’ve steadily build themselves up in the UK scene and are already playing some pretty big venues after this album. We gave it a9/10, but honestly the more I listen to it, the more I think it could be even higher! I’d recommend this to any metal fan at all reading this, and it easily made it to this slot on the list!
Listen to: Run, Limits and Shatter
62 – Lainey Wilson: Whirlwind
The modern queen of country herself put out a followup to her 2022 breakout album, and somehow build and improves in that stellar release! And, as is a common theme for this part of the list clearly, it grew on me more and more with each passing listen. It just kept creeping higher and higher up as I wrote this and listened to it. There truly isn’t a bad song on the release. Don’t get me wrong, there are certainly tracks I prefer to others, usually the more upbeat and interesting ones. However, Lainey is so talented that even the half the album that is slower stuff is fantastic, and a really great listen. There is much more than the three tracks named below that you should check out, and I’d easily recommend the entire album if you have even a passing interest in country. There’s a reason why she is one of the biggest names in country currently, and why I gave her a solid 9/10!
Listen to: Country’s Cool Again, Broken Hearts Still Beat and Hang Tight Honey
61 – The Browning: OMNI
Time to get heavy now, as we have the tech deathcore titans’ new blistering album scorching its way onto our list. The mixture of the band’s insane heaviness and industrial-synth elements have crafted something super interesting and wholly unique. It certainly won’t be for every reader of this list, but it’s an incredibly well crafted album that goes by in a flash and has a fantastic flow to it. It’s also packed full of highlight tracks, wigh me loving every single song on the album. Even with their massive heaviness, this band should be bigger than they are, and I truly believe that this album is the one to finally push them higher after all these years. I somehow only gave it8/10 the other week when I reviewed it, but after another couple of listens that easily goes up another point. I’d honestly recommend it to any heavy fans out there as it has some of the best riffing, drumming, breakdowns and screams in the game currently.
Yep, we’re reached that insane time of the year again where my brain hurts trying to organise some of my favourite albums of the year into some sort of vaguely coherent list. Now, to add a bit of context, this may be our biggest year ever. We covered over 470 albums in the space of the last year since the list started up again (November-November). So, if an album you like is low down or not even featured, that by no means means it’s bad, just that we covered so much music this year!
And as usual, this is all personal opinion; I’m not saying this is a 100% truthful or even logical list, just how I feel and as a way of promoting some incredible albums that I think everyone should hear. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the craziness.
But first, a dishonourable mention…
Beyoncé – COWBOY CARTER
I kid of course! I’d actually personally like to thank Beyoncé for allowing me to be in the music industry and make this list in the first place…
100 – Linkin Park: From Zero
Starting off strong, I know! Now, if you read our review of this album, you may be a little shocked to see its inclusion in this list, especially over a lot of other really great music. My opinion of the album hasn’t really changed much in the last few weeks, either. Half of the album still feels like slower, pop-rock Mike Shinoda solo stuff with the LP named slapped over the top of it. However, the singles and heavier tracks are SO GOOD that it’s hard not to give it a slot on this list. When the band go hard and bring back that old-school, nu-metal edge they had back in the day, it some of the best songs to come out this year. Despite the controversies, Emily has fit rather perfectly into the band, and her voice throughout is impressive. Honestly, if the whole album was the same quality as ‘Two Faced’, it could have easily been up there in the top 20. But between some tracks that felt like filler and the rather tiny 30-minute runtime, it barely scrapes onto this list.
Listen to: Two Faced, Casualty and The Emptiness Machine
99 – TRUCKER DIABLO: Social Hand Grenade
The first of many bands in the NWOCR scene to make this list, yet that should by no means be seen as negative; this album is awesome! Right from the electrifying punk intro track to the now-typical closing ballad is Wildhearts-like awesomeness, and I love every second of it. The band have been around now but I feel like they’ve really come into their own with this release; not just from a playing standpoint but from a writing one, too. If it was any other year a little weaker this album may have been much higher on this list. It’s amazing, and if you’re into the heavier end of hard rock it’s certainly one I’d recommend! I sadly didn’t have the chance to review it when it released, even as part of our New Music Monday series, but it gets an easy 8/10, and earned its slot on our list easily!
Listen to: Kill the Lights, Stop the Bleed, Here Come the Vultures
98 – Chase Rice: Go Down Singin’
This makes it onto the list due to ‘Fireside’ alone. Don’t get me wrong, it’s all amazing, but that track has been an obsession of mine since this album was released back in September. Chase’s traditional country/roots sound is amazing, and his voice compliments it perfectly. In a hugely saturated country market in 2024, Rice somehow manages to do stuff that sounds a little different and interesting, setting himself apart from his peers easily. Plus, at only 11-tracks long, it’s quite short for a country album these days, which definitely helped my enjoyment of it. Especially compared to his bloated (yet still amazing) release the year before. Yes, it does get a touch preachy at times, but that comes with the territory, I guess. It doesn’t make this album any more amazing; the perfect country release to chill out to. While I Hate Cowboys didn’t make last year’s cut, but this one got a strong 8.5/10 from meand sneaks into this year’s edition!
Listen to: Fireside, Hey God it’s Me Again and If Drinkin’ Helped
97 – Category 7: Self-Titled
The guitar tone, MY GOD. There was no way this album wasn’t making the list. I’ve been obsessed with Mike Orlando’s guitar playing since Adrenaline Mob, and adding to that metal icons like Phil Demmel, Jason Bittner and John Bush was of course going to be a recipe for awesomeness. And this is 51-minutes of exactly that; technical heavy metal awesomeness. If you’re a fan of Adrenaline Mob, Bush’s tenure with Anthrax or Bittner’s time in Overkill, this will very much be an album for you, if you haven’t fallen in love with it already! It really harkens back to a style of metal that we really don’t get much of these days, which really set it apart from the pack this year. I was raised on this mid-2000s, post industrial/nu metal sound, among other stuff, so I can’t help but love it. I’d recommend this to any metal fans reading this article, as there really isn’t a bad track on the album. It got a solid 8.5/10 from us and easily secured its place on this list!
Listen to: In Stitches, Exhaustedand Mousetrap
96 – Patty Gurdy: Tavern
The overnight traditional folk sensation just had to make this list! After ‘Brighter Days Come’ popped off on my TikTok a few months ago, I wasn’t sure if she’d just be a flash in the pan or one-hit-wonder. However, after sitting with this album for a few weeks now, it just keeps getting better and better! Her voice is utterly phenomenal, and whoever’s writing these songs, be it her with/or someone else, is amazing at it. ‘Rise Up’ is one of my top tracks of the year and still gives me goosebumps to this day; it’s so powerful and I’m desperate to see it live. Also, ‘Up to the Stars’ scratches that Witcher itch so good. The only thing slightly letting it down and lowering it a couple of spots, which I think I said in our review too, is the song with Chris. And that’s not even because of the controversy surrounding him, I just feel it ruins the tone of the album a little.
It’s certainly not going to be an album for everyone, but if you’re into some traditional folk music with a modern twist, I can’t recommend this album enough. It easily earns the 8.5/10 we gave it, and it may even be a touch higher the more I listen!
Listen to: I Am With You, Rise Up and Brighter Days Come
95 – The Outlaw Orchestra: La Familia
It really pains me to put this album so low. In the big run of albums after this one on this list, you will find few as fun to listen to as this one. Every single track has a completely different sound and feel, ranging from bluegrass to roots to country to hard rock to even easy listening/soft rock, and everything in between! And they do all with not only style, but while keeping their own identity; it all feels very Outlaw Orchestra. I think my literal only thing is that having seen them live a lot over the years, they come across even better in that setting. Though, this is certainly my favourite album from the band; it’s amazing! If you’re a fan of any of the genres I’ve brought up already, I cannot recommend this album enough. It’s only in this slot because of the sheer amount of music I’ve checked out this year. It was very deserving of the 9/10 we gave it!
Listen to: El Dorado, Holy Ground and Born to be a Thief
94 – Saving Vice: Good Days, Dead Eyes
This was another case of an album being a bit of mixed bag. However, with this metalcore release, there was a lot more good than bad! Not that you’d guess from the rather average modern-metalcore opener. It wasn’t bad, but it certainly gets more interesting further into the album. The track that follows it is dark, epic, heavy awesomeness. Then you have stuff like the songs mentioned below, ‘Cry, Wolf’, ‘Blood or Wine?’ And ‘Trauma Souba’ that are all pretty great! It’s a damn solid sophomore album from the US band, showing they’ve got a huge future ahead of them! Some of the breakdowns and screams are honestly up there with my favourite of the year, and the writing in general is pretty damn good! It’s easy to see why it got an easy 8/10 from mewhen I did my review of it! The only reason it isn’t higher is because it wasn’t solid quality all the way through, and because this year is so insanely strong!
Listen to: Haec Est Ars Moriendi, The Cabal and The Covenant
93 – Cody Jinks: Change the Game
Another album I wish I could put higher, as Mr Jinks is one of my favourite country artists. However, while some of this is excellent, other parts are a bit of a mixed bag. Honestly it seems to be a running theme for this part of the list. The title track has my ears in a vice grip still all these months later, while another three or four tracks on this are also excellent. And don’t get me wrong, the rest of it isn’t bad by any stretch, hence why we gave it9/10. But when I said it would take a few more listens to grow on it… it kinda didn’t. A lot of this is slow. And while that isn’t inherently a bad thing, it does make the rare quicker paced songs stand out more as highlights. Sitting down and listening to the album as a whole is an amazing experience, and a must for any country fans. But the repeatability of a lot of the songs sadly drags it down a few notches. Still, it’s one of the best country albums of the year and sneaks onto our list!
Listen to: Outlaws and Mustangs, Change the Game and Always Running
92 – Flotsam And Jetsom: I Am the Weapon
This is just some good old-fashioned 80s thrash-infused heavy metal. And it’s also another album that’s impossible to not love. I have to admit that somehow I wasn’t too familiar with the band outside of their name before this release, but they immediately won me over with their throwback sound mixed with epic power metal. However, it is another album that takes just a little bit of getting into, I’ve found. The first couple of tracks still don’t hook me much to this day, but by the time we reach the end of the title track, and every song after that, I’m hooked in for another excellent full-album listen. But, while not every track on this is perfect, it’s an incredibly solid album that easily earns it’s way onto this list! I’ve listened to it a lot in the couple of months since it’s been out, and it certainly earns it’s 9/10 from us! It’s another one that I desperately want to see live, so hopefully they tour the UK soon!
And once again, some of the best artwork on this list!
Listen to: A New Kind of Hero, Burned my Bridgesand Cold Steel Lights
91 – King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard: b741
So, when I came back to revisit this album, I have to admit I was slightly confused why it ended up so high up on my list. Then I got hit by the one-two-three punch of the three tracks named below, and I suddenly remembered… this album is fucking awesome. And not only that, it’s a whole lotta fun. To the point where, going back and listening to the early tracks after, they clicked a lot more with me after.
And it still blows my mind that the same band that made it onto last year’s list for a thrashy, doomy metal album, is the same band that put out this jazzy, easy-listening, Beatles-style thing. Both are fantastic in their own right, and somehow I found myself liking this even more than their heavier one. I’d yoy like more chilled-out, soft rock stuff; something fun and easy to listen to, I cannot recommend this album enough. It’s quirky and weird and the talent it took to write and play it is off the charts! I still objectively agree with the 10/10 score I gave it, and I’ve been sleeping on this for far too long, I’m a little obsessed again!
Listen to: Field of Vision, Hog Calling Contest and Le Risque
90 – Fahran: The Hope That Killed Me
A band that I’ve known and been a fan of now for a decade, and another that deserve to be so much higher on this lost, and so much bigger in general. After some time off post-apocalypse (2020) the band returned with a bang, coming out of the gate swinging with this album. The band have always straddled the line between hard rock and metalcore wonderfully, but have never quite done it this masterfully before. I adore Chasing Hours and even though that album holds a hell of a lot of nostalgia for me, I think after a couple of months to sit on it this is my favourite album they’ve put out. From the riffing to the breakdowns to Matt’s soaring vocals and surprisingly great screams, it’s all amazing, and feels like the perfect evolution of the band.
They aren’t going to get anywhere near enough credit for this album as they deserve, but I fully stand by the 9/10 it got from us! If you are a fan of the band did or any of the genres I’ve spoke about before, check this out, you may very well discover one of your favourite bands! And do yourself a favour and listen to it in fill, even if the hour runtime is daunting!
Listen to: Hate Me, Marizion and Inside the Fire
89 – Marty Friedman: Drama
Mild spoiler alert: this is the only almost all instrumental album on this list. However, what a pick, right? The guitar LEGEND put out an absolute banger of an album back in May, and one that I have enjoyed listening to ever since! Whether you listen to this as a musician for his absolute mind-blowing technical ability, or as a general music fan for the sheer epic soundscapes he creates, it’s a truly phenomenal release. It’s crazy to me that someone this good at crafting their solo stuff will have it so overlooked in favour of his time in Megadeth (not that that wasn’t also incredible). You can very much tell the man is a composer at heart, and what he’s pieced together here is honestly some of his best work. Honestly, you listen to ‘Triumph’ and tell me it doesn’t make you emotional! It more than earned its 9/10 I gave it, and there was no way it wasn’t getting itself onto this list somehow!
Listen to: Triumph, Thrill City and 2 Rebeldes
88 – We Three Kings: By Royal Appointment
I’ve loved this band for a while now, and yet I still didn’t expect this album to be quite this excellent! From the fuzzy riffing to the catchy, arena-filling vocals and chorus melodies and the solid drumming, both of them have crafted something amazing with this release. It’s the perfect combination of hard rock, grunge and indie music, and fits right in with the current musical climate. It’s another incredibly recent release, but as soon as I first heard it I knew it was getting a spot on this list. As with most of this list, I am desperate to see all of this live, too! I would highly recommend checking it out if you are into any of the genres I’ve mentioned; the band are certainly destined for big things! We gave it a very easy 9/10 in our reviewand I cannot wait to see where the band go from here!
Listen to: Blackout, The Edge of Death and Give it to me, GO!
87 – The Warning: Keep Me Fed
These girls have absolutely exploded onto the international scene this year, and it’s thanks in large part to this album. Shockingly it was another I missed for New Music Mondays, but having gone back to listen to it recently, I can see why everyone’s raving about it. It’s a fantastic album, hence its appearance here!
This is a super solid hard rock album from front to back, not a single second of its 38-minute runtime going to waste. And, what’s more, it’s not only brimming with attitude and swagger, but it’s a dam fun album to listen to! I hate that I missed this in June, as I had a solid two months without it before I finally had time to listen to it, and have loved it ever since. They’ve managed to produce a rather unique sound that is hard rock but certainly has a pop-friendly edge to it. It’s incredibly polished and well put together and produced, which certainly is yet another big point in its favour. I cannot recommend this album enough to any rock fans out there, and it’s a very easy 8.5/10 from me. I’ll be keeping a close eye on the band moving forward, as I can see them becoming megastars!
Listen to: S!CK, Qué Más Quieres and Escapism
86 – Poppy: Negative Spaces
If you asked me a couple of years ago, I’d have said I’d be very shocked if Poppy ever made it onto a list like this for me. However, I’ll gladly eat my words, as she has evolved into one hell of an artist, and this is an amazing modern metal album. It’s another pretty varied album, between radio-metal, hardcore and more pop-leaning tracks. I do have to say that some hit the mark better than others, and that if they were all on the heavier end I do think this would have been much higher for me. However, none of the tracks are bad at all, and it certainly gives the release an interesting ebb and flow. Plus, there is no denying her absolutely insane vocal range these days! She’s quickly becoming one of the biggest names in the modern scene, and it’s not hard to hear why when she’s putting out stuff like this! She got an easy 8.5/10 from our review, and it easily scored her a spot on this list!
Listen to: have you had enough?, they’re all around us and nothing
85 – Gun: Homebre
This album had no right going this hard. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always been a fan of the band, but I didn’t expect them to come out with something this great nearly fourth years after they first started. It’s a short but fun hard rock/punky/sleazy album, with plenty of memorable, catchy choruses and melodies. The band never fail to impress, but I do truly feel this is the best release they’ve put out in a good while. As I said in my review, this is what modern day Guns n Roses SHOULD sound like. It got a very deserving 9/10 from us and is a must for any rock fans reading this!
Listen to: All Fired Up, Take Me Back Home and Never Enough
84 – Scarefield: A Quiet Country
I’mma say it; this may be one of, if not the, most underrated album on this list. It’s old-school heavy metal with a modern feel to it, why aren’t more people eating this up?! There’s Maiden, Priest, Metallica in there, but also just a touch of Trivium and Bullet for my Valentine and even Corosion of Conformity and Alice in Chains in there, what’s not to love? Fun fact: this is the only review I’ve ever been paid to do, and I’m being genuinely serious when I say I love it, and have become a big fan of the band because of it.
There is so much amazing stuff on this album… but that opening track doesn’t quite do the rest of the album justice, hence why it’s a little lower than it maybe could have been. However, if you are a fan of any metal from the last half-a-centry, I’d certainly recommend checking this out. It’s absolutely insane quality for a debut album and it more than deserves its spot on our list and the 9.5/10 review we gave it!
Listen to: Dead Center, Spectre and Children of the Corn
83 – Graphic Nature: Who Are You When No One is Watching?
The UK nu-metalcore band put out an absolute banger of a sophomore album earlier this year. It’s beautifully heavy and perfectly encapsulates the best of both of its combined genres. The riffing is incredible, the breakdowns are heavy and the screamed, hip-hop-style vocals and flow are amazing. Heck, even the turntable fits in so well, arguably better than Slipknot have ever incorporated it. I can’t put it much better than I already did in my review back in July, and could quite easily continue to gush about the band all day. Over four months on, this album still blows me away, and I’ve listened to it pretty regularly in that time. If they continue on this path they’ll be a HUGE name sooner rather than later. This got a very easy 9/10, and it was a very easy choice for this list!
Listen to: Blinded, Something I’m Not and Low
82 – The End Machine: The Quantum Phase
I had a LOT of fun revisiting this album for this list. I remembered listening to this when it was released and loving it, hence why it was still pretty high up my list some eight months later, but I sadly hadn’t had the time to check much of it out since then. It’s a shame too, as this is a fun, great AOR album! They really channel a heavier, more modern Night Ranger/early Whitesnake vibe, and it makes for an amazing listen from front to back! And, as will be a trend in this list, there really isn’t a bad track on the release. I sat and listened to the full 51-minutes of this happily as I wrote this, and just wish I could put it higher! The band are insanely talented musicians and three albums into their careers they are truly firing on all cylinders. I can see big things in their future, and it could easily all be traced back to this release! It got the first 10/10 on this list in our reviewand I still stand by that today. It’s the perfect AOR album this year, and I’d recommend it to anyone!
Listen to: Black Hole Extinction, killer of the Night and Shattered Glass Heart
81 – Sum 41: Heaven :x: Hell
The final album from the pop-punk legends is awesome… if rather bloated. I’ve had that same opinion since the end of March when it was released, and it hasn’t once changed in that time. 20 tracks, even for a swan song, is too much. Especially when there is some filler in here. However, despite the negativity, a lot of this is up there with some of the best music the band has ever produced. There’s something to be said for going out on top, and Sum 41 have definitely done that (until the reunion, of course!). There was no way this wasn’t making this list, and the fact that it is this good to warrant it, not just coasting by on emotion and nostalgia, is a real bonus. It’s top-notch early 2000s pop-punk, and I love it. It’s what I grew up on, and there was not a chance I was hating this album. It was yet another excellent album that got a 9/10 from us, and it’s a must for anyone into anything to do with punk or rock.
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
