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The Top 100 Albums of 2024!

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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 me and 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, Exhausted and 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 me when 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 it 9/10. 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 Bridges and 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 review and 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 review and 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.

Listen to: Landmines, Future Primitive, Rise Up

Part 2 ->

Reviews

Held by Trees, Penny Rich and Forsaken Rite: EPs Galore!

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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

Reviews

2000 Trees 2024 – Saturday Review!

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So, somehow I have reached the ripe old age of nearly 30 and not been to one of the biggest rock festivals in the UK. That finally all changed last weekend when I went to 2000 Trees for the day. It’s not like I hadn’t been to other festivals of the same size (see our Long Road Review, for example), but I still didn’t know what to expect. Safe to say I loved it! It’s very well set up and organised, isn’t too big, and packs plenty of different stages and styles into the small sight. I’d definitely go back again if the lineup was another good one!

But, I also want to talk about the bands, as we managed to see a good few over the day…

The first band we caught a full set from were The Xcerts on the main stage. Scottish bands just seem to hit different, and these were no exception. The soft/indie/pop rock was amazing to hear live, and the crowd went nuts throughout. I’d not really heard their music before now, just their name, but they have a big new fan in me, and I’ve had a few of their songs on a fair bit over the past few days since I got back. They fed perfectly off the massive love from the crowd and, although the frontman came across as a bit arrogant at times, it kinda worked well with their show. A great way to open the day for us!

We caught the first half of the Mysterines on the main stage too, but honestly I could take them or leave them. They sounded good, but didn’t feel they had really any stage presence, just going through the motions instead of performing. Maybe it was the style of music though, as plenty around us appeared to love it!

We then headed over to the awesome Forest Sessions stage to catch Mordessa. Granted, we thought we were going over for Noah and the Loners, and I’m still not quite sure what happened there or if something got lost in translation. However, I didn’t mind, as Mordessa were desert rock/grungy/indie awesomeness! The band had such a swaggering stage presence, as if they were playing on a stage far bigger than they were. They only had a short set, but ripped through a handful of awesome songs, and looked like they had fun doing it! The band only have one track out currently, but are going to go far if they keep pushing!

Then we reached the first of a run of three bands that we went to the festival to see, Amigo the Devil. I didn’t know what to expect, but I came away having experienced one of the best sets I’d ever seen. It was 45-minutes of dark folk/spooky banjo time awesomeness, and I was all for it. On top of being an incredible lyric and songwriter, Danny is one of the most charismatic people I’ve ever seen, holding the crowd in the palm of his hand from the very first note. And the rest of his band were also amazing, both at plating and performing. For a minimal stagehsow, I couldn’t take my eyes off any of it!

And whether it was new album tracks (which are awesome) like ‘It’s All Gone’ or ‘Cannibal Within’, or old crowd favourites like ‘Hell and You’ or amazing set closer ‘Hungover in Jonestown’, it was all incredible. We even got a new, yet-unreleased track, ‘My Body is a Dive Bar’, which went over a storm and is catchy awesomeness just like everything else. It was not only one of the best sets of the day, but one of the best sets I’ve seen so far this year. To the point where I was almost tempted to get tickets to their Birmingham show, and probably would have if I wasn’t already busy at another gig at the weekend. The band are phenomenal, and deserve to be absolutely massive with the show they put on and the songs they write. Amazing stuff.

Somehow, despite being a fan since practically the moment I arrived in secondary school, I’d never managed to see Frank Turner live. That finally all changed last Saturday, as I got to witness a full near-hour-and-a-half from the lyrical-genius folk-punk rocker. And what a set it was, too. I got every single song I could have possibly asked for (aside for maybe something off No Man’s Land) and more. From modern hits like ‘Do One’ and ‘Haven’t Been Doing so Well’ to old classics ‘Recovery’, ‘I Still Believe’ and even ‘Worse Things Happen at Sea’ (requested by the booker), it was a hugely enjoyable, varied set. He’s a consummate professional when it comes to performance too, having done pushing 3000 shows and perfecting how to hold a crowd. He even got over half of them jumping on day three of a festival in the rain, which not many people would be able to do. The Sleeping Souls are just as entertaining to watch too, and played their hearts out for the entire set. I loved every second, and my inner teen can finally be happy. Heck, a good half of it legitimately gave me goosebumps, finally hearing it live. If it wasn’t for the bands either side of it, it would have been a set to remember…

Holy shit, Creeper are on another level. They were very much on their home turf, playing to a packed tent at a festival that they cut their teeth at in the beginning and have rose through the ranks of over the years. However, that’s still no excuse for putting on the absolutely blinding show that they did last Saturday.

Opening on the epic ‘Further Than Forever’ before continuing to run through the best Sanguivore has to offer (and there’s a lot), I was in heaven already. Will is a born frontman and showman and bounced around the stage like a man possessed, and the crowd lapped up the entire thing. However, the rest of the band put on just as good of a shoe, and deserve all the props in the world for that. It was already a special set, but it was when they dived back into their first album that it got truly magical. The crowd went nuts for the punky ‘Down Below’, giving it everything they got. And by the time emotional ballad ‘Misery’ was played, everyone was singing their hearts out. Heck, the band paused before the last chorus and the crowd carried it on, and fucking loudly I might add. It was a truly special moment, and one that nearly brought most of the band to tears. And of course, closing on their big recent single ‘Cry to Heaven’ was also an excellent idea. The band have been going from strength to strength over the last couple of years, and goddamn if this set doesn’t prove that they are a massive headliner in the making!

Don Broco felt like a bit of a comedown after that. Don’t get me wrong, I was never the biggest fan of the band anyway, but just about anyone would feel like a comedown after Creeper. It didn’t help that they also didn’t sound great, though. I also feel like opening on their biggest hit, ‘Everybody’ didn’t help. It was one of the few songs I’m a fan of by the band, and hearing how much Rob sounded like he struggled to sing it, his voice sounding hoarse, it kinda put a dampener on the rest of the set. To the point where we only stayed for a few more songs, peacing out after another song I don’t mind, ‘Gumshield’. They put on a good show, don’t get me wrong, and it was cool to see some pyro, but it just felt like there was something off with them, and after a fantastic day I struggled to enjoy them somewhat.

Overall, though, it was an amazing day! Some incredible bands and a generally really well put together festival. I’d go back again in a heartbeat, and would LOVE to see Amigo or Creeper again ASAP. If you ever get the chance, check out the festival or any of the bands, I can’t recommend it all enough!

Reviews

Undefeated: Frank Turner’s Reflective New Album!

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Anyone who has been on this site for any decent length of time knows how much I adore Frank Turner. Heck, just check out how much I gushed over his last album. He was a huge part of my teen years, and has helped me through a lot. So we all knew I HAD to review this latest release too. I’ve been impatiently waiting for this since it was announced, and the singles have done a good job at adding even more to that hype. So, without further ado, let’s dive in!

Frank’s poetic, powerful lyricism cuts through immediately, his vocals opening first track ‘Do One’ over his acoustic guitar. It’s a song about accepting yourself and fuck everyone else, a topic that Turner does perfectly. The rest of the band explode in with the chorus, adding the punky distortion element to the sound. It’s a fun, interesting dynamic for sure, as the distortion drops back out for the verses. Meanwhile, the chorus is catchy as anything, especially with the backing vocals. It’s all typical Frank stuff, but it’s so good and the perfect way to open an album like this. It immediately made our playlist!

‘Never Mind the Back Problems’ turns the punk dial up to 11, a short, sweet, sub-two-minute, bouncy, dancy banger. It’s something I’m already desperate to see live, as I feel like it’d have the whole crowd going nuts. It’s a fun song, Frank and his band working their ass off and sounding like they’re enjoying themselves. We even get an awesome little Celtic-style guitar solo tucked away in the middle of it. It’s a sprint of a track and fucking awesome! It gives off big Flogging Molly/Dropkick Murphy’s vibes in all the best ways. And once again, Frank’s lyrics are on point, and it’s another catchy song!

As if trying to give the listener whiplash, ‘Ceasefire’ drops the pace back down, it being more of a modern indie ballad than anything else. Having said that, it also gives off ever so slight Bryan Adams/Bruce Springsteen vibes. It’s not a bad song at all, and once again the lyrics are a major highlight of it. However, compared to the previous couple of tracks, this is less my sort of thing.

Thankfully ‘Girl from the Record Shop’ ups the energy and punk vibes again. It’s a modern, 90’s radio punk sound compared to ‘Never Mind…’, but it’s still a massively fun, dancy track. The same can be said for the likes of ‘No Thank You for the Music’. In fact, said track is another huge highlight of the album, and another that makes the playlist. It’s fun and catchy and impossible not to tap your foot to. Both tracks are awesome, and go back to Frank’s roots the most out of any other tracks on the album. It’s almost a shame we don’t get a tad more punk-infused folk throughout, but the rest of the album is that good it’s hard to complain too much!

Tracks like ‘Pandemic PTSD’ and ‘International Hide and Seak Champions’ sound like only really Frank can. They draw together all of his inspirations, be it punk, folk, indie, rock’n’roll, and fuse them perfectly. They’re closer to the sound of some of his biggest songs; think ‘Get Better’, ‘Recovery’ or even ‘Haven’t Been Doing So Well’. The former is a horribly relatable song with an awesome riff running through it. Having said that, I did think we’d have gotten away from songs about the pandemic by now. Meanwhile the latter is just as catchy, an arena-filling, massive chorus about running away with your partner and starting a new life together. It’s a beautiful, fantastic rock song that I’m sure that more than a few of us have thought about following through with over the years. It’s another that makes it onto our playlist with ease!

Single ‘Letters’ is another very Trank T song, reminding me more of something off Be More Kind than anything. It’s an interesting, bittersweet track, and one just brimming with emotion. Of course the lyrics are captivating, but some of the bass work during the verses is also incredible here. Honestly it sounds like the plot of a movie, which is a real testament to the visual storytelling ability of Frank. In terms of the instrumentation, it’s pretty standard stuff, but it’s a fantastic song really boosted up to a top level by the lyrics.

‘East Finchley’ is an emotional ballad, and one on par with any other he’s done, outside of ‘Wave Across a Bay’. It opens on this massive sound of guitars and drums, it setting a dramatic tone right from the offset, before dropping down into the more acoustic, slower, stripped-back style that the rest of the song follows. And once again, Frank’s visual storytelling on this track is truly phenomenal. It’s an amazing, emotional song that honestly gave me goosebumps. Check this out!

‘The Leaders’ is one-and-a-half minutes of bouncy, acoustic pop-punk that sadly spits a lot of truth. It’s a complete tear down of governments in general, as well as a rebellion anthem, but written in such a fun, catchy way that it’s hard not to dance along. And we get a sweet harmonica solo in the middle. It’s a fun, infectiously catchy song that is another that I can’t help but sneak onto the playlist!

By the time we’d reached ‘Show People’, I’d been given that much awesomeness that a few slower, indie-folk tracks lost my interest just a tad by the end of the album. Don’t get me wrong, the final four tracks on the album are all awesome, with ‘Somewhere Inbetween’ being a particular highlight for me, given how close to home it hit. The closing/title track is also a beautiful, emotion-filled piano ballad. In my humble opinion, however, it would have been nice to have something a bit more upbeat in the final third of the album, as well as these. Throw ‘Girl From the Record Shop’ in the middle here and it would have held my attention just a little more. Still, all four tracks are amazing, and ‘Undefeated’ is the perfect, epic closing track for the album. The horns in the final chorus are incredible.

Overall: I enjoyed this! I feel like I have such an interesting relationship with Franks music post Ten for Ten (as do a lot of people, I imagine) that it’s so hard to compare any of it to that first decade too closely. Be More Kind is incredible, No Man’s Land is experimental brilliance, and FTHC is actually one of my favourite albums by him and felt like a return to form after Covid caused a few years of collab and different albums. I don’t get the same immediate feelings with this album as I did with FTHC, though. Undefeated is a great release, don’t get me wrong, but it doesn’t hit quite as hard for me. There aren’t as many instantly classic songs on this, but it does feel like an album with more of a sense of direction. Frank has self-admitted to getting older and changing with age, and I think I’m going to need another few lessons to follow him in that change. It’s still a great album, for sure, but lands closer to Be More Kind and Poetry of the Deed than Tape Deck Heart or England Keep my Bones. I very well may change with subsequent listens, but right now outside of the few standout tracks, I wouldn’t hurry back to listen to the album as a whole, still, Frank has done amazingly here, and I can’t give it anything less than an…

The Score: 8/10

Reviews

Uncoiled: Outcast Syndicate ‘s Explosive Debut Album!

Newcastle’s own melodic rock band, Outcast Syndicate, are set to release their debut full length this coming Friday. Having built quite a bit of momentum and buzz around them in their local area, the band are set to explode with this release. But what did we think about it? Check out our review below to find out!

The album opens on a massive hard rock/punk riff, starting things off with a bang. The light, upbeat feeling continues through the verse, the vocals powerful and the backing/harmonies fitting perfectly behind. It all stays at a similar level throughout too, making it all massively catchy, from the verses to the chorus. Also, all the pinch harmonics are amazing, giving it just a tease of metal in amongst the punk. The outro with the ‘nah’s is especially catchy too, and awesome when the guitar leads follows behind the melody. It’s an uplifting, fun song, and the perfect introduction to the album and Outcast Syndicate!

Check out similar music here!

‘Coming 4U’ is another great classic rock-infused punk track. Much like the previous song, it’s upbeat and full of great vocals and harmonies. It’s feel-good rock music at this point, and is impossible to not like. There’s some great drumming and bass parts throughout the track, standing out more than in the previous track. There’s a nice guitar solo tucked in the middle of the song, too. It feels like the instrumentation is more of a focus in this track, which is fine by me! It’s another good song!

The title track has a fantastic main riff to open it up. Again, it adds an almost metal edge to it, giving off definite Black Label Society influence. The pace stays heavier and quicker compared to other tracks on the album, giving some great variety. I feel like it’d be awesome live, too. Honestly, it could make it even better, as my only slight gripe with the track is that the mixing doesn’t quite emphasis the heavier elements. I feel like they’d come across better cranked in a live setting. Still, it has an amazing, arena-filling chorus and I LOVE the build-up bridge before the final chorus, it almost having grunge vibes. It’s an amazing song, and one that easily makes our playlist.

‘Bring it Home’ heads back to a steadier pace again. It still has a punk energy, but the riffing gives off more AC/DC vibes, which I don’t hate at all. It’s definitely a classic rock track that would fit pretty perfectly amongst the likes of Sons of Liberty and Thundermother in the NWOCR movement. It’s a really catchy track that would work perfectly in a live setting, getting the crowd singing along to the outro chorus in a huge way.

The all-out punk feel returns with ‘Don’t Let ‘Em Do It’. The same could be said for the likes of ‘Cheesecake Punk’ and most of the rest of the tracks on the album. All are great tracks in their own right, and fit the tone and style of the album perfectly. The former song stands out due to its truly fantastic lyric writing, though. It’s another that easily makes our playlist!

The other track on the album, single ‘Plastic Feel’, is slower than the other songs. It again has more of a classic rock feel to it, and once again everything about the vocals is amazing. It’s all so catchy, and the harmonies are done incredibly well. The band also work their asses off, some awesome playing from the guitar, bass and drums. It’s another excellent song, and another that ends up easily on our playlist!

Overall: This is a great punky classic rock album! For a debut full-length it’s amazing, and is easily going to catapult the band to new highs. There isn’t a bad track on it, and there are plenty that I’m sure I’ll be listening to over and over in the next couple of months or so!

The Score: 8.5/10

Reviews

So Many Years: The Debut EP of Violet Origin!

UK modern hard rockers Violet Origin are set to release their debut EP on Thursday. Being compared to the likes of Black Stone Cherry, Alter Bridge and Bruce Springsteen, I was already excited. And the band themselves have said ‘It’s like classic rock and a carnival ride had a musical lovechild’. I’m not familiar at all with this band, so am excited to check it out!

‘Doubt’ opens the EP on a punky feel with the drums and a steady, uplifting riff. The vocals fit the mood perfectly for the verses, it all having very Neck Deep/Mayday Parade vibes. It all builds perfectly to a hugely catchy chorus too. The harmonies on the vocals are fantastic and add an almost skate-punk edge to it, reminding me more of Social Distortion. A simple guitar lead part acts as a bridge between the second and third choruses, too. It’s a real basic radio formula and structure, but honestly is done to perfection here. This is a fantastic introduction to the band and easily makes our playlist!

Check out more punk here.

‘On the Line’ starts at an equally steady pace from the drums, a bluesy, sleazy riff coming in over the top. The track overall has a lot more of am old-school hard rock feel to it, the verses being bass driven with some awesome stabs from the guitars. And of course, the vocals over the top work perfectly. It’s almost an AC/DC kinda vibe. Still, it builds to another huge, arena-filling chorus, the backing vocals and added instrumentation being awesome. We get an awesome solo in the middle of the track, too, the guitarist showing off his impressive talent. It was technical yet fit the track perfectly. And a final great chorus takes us home. It’s another fantastic track!

The final track on the EP, and it’s title one, again has a fantastic riff running through it. This one immediately gives the song a bit more of an indie feel, though. The pace is a bit higher than the others, having plenty of punk energy, too. And for some reason the vocals reminded me a bit of Ozzy on this track. The chorus is a bit more chilled out, this having much more of a stomping, swaggering rock track vibe than an anthem. The solo was again great, too. A third awesome track!

Overall: This EP was great and over far too quick. I desperately need to hear more from this band, and already cannot wait for their next release. I’d also LOVE to see them live, I feel like all three tracks would go down so well in a packed little room. All three songs are awesome and I’ll definitely be listening to them again a lot. My only slight issue was the mixing/mastering. It let the tracks down ever so slightly, but not enough for them to be unenjoyable. I cannot wait to see where these guys go next, they have a bright future ahead of them!

The Score: 8/10

Reviews

Duende A Go Go Loco: The Album to Push Gypsy Pistoleros Into the Mainstream?

The punk/hard rock flamenco band are back with their brand new album, to be released tomorrow. I’ve been a fan of the band for a few years now, ever since seeing them at a HRH event a couple of years back. And since then, Gypsy Pistoleros have gained more and more momentum with each passing month, so it seems. So, let’s dive into this album together and see what it’s like!

The album’s title track kicks things off with a slow build guitar riff, immediately giving the collection an epic feel. The quicker, punkier pace explodes in, setting up a simple yet fun, bouncy verse. It all leads to a catchy chorus that gives off big Pretty Boy Floyd vibes. A pretty decent guitar solo is nestled in the middle of the track, and the dropped-down bridge with the vocals and clapping is great. I feel like it would all go over so well live! It’s a great way to not only open the album, but also introduce anyone unfamiliar with the band to their particular brand of noise.

A drum fill leads to another upbeat, mid-tempo track with ‘I Got it All’. It’s very glam/sleaze/AOR, and I see why the band are so popular with the HRH crowd, it is right up that street in terms of sound. Unfortunately the chorus doesn’t differentiate itself that much to the rest of the track, so it doesn’t quite feel as big as the previous track’s. Still though, the Spanish fit pretty perfectly in, and it’s still a damn enjoyable track! And the ‘lalala’ing is still catchy.

Check out more Gypsy Pistoleros here.

‘Revolution’ opens straight into a great, sleazy riff. The whole track drips with attitude and is put together perfectly with the drop-out verses and massive, simple, catchy chorus. I love all of the vocals in this track, and the backing and harmonies throughout add so much to them, too. The bridge goes pretty hard, something I’d again love to see live; a pit for it would be awesome! It’s my favourite track on the album so far, and easily makes our playlist.

The band go back to their punky, glam side with ‘What’s it Like to be a Girl’. There are again plenty of catchy vocals, mainly from the backing and harmonies. The interplay between them and Gypsy Lee is a lot of fun in this track. It all builds into a pretty great chorus too, the distorted guitars and huge drums coming in to fill out the rock sound. There isn’t much to this track, it’s just a fun, stomping rock track.

I’m already familiar with ‘The Ballad of Tommy Shelby’, having checked out the single when it was released. The slower, jazzy, bluesy clean open is amazing, and I’ve loved it since I first heard it. And the way it explodes into the faster, almost Rancid-like punky stuff after a minute is great. Again, the backing vocals are a massive highlight, especially with the ‘woh’s. It makes everything so fun and catchy. The dynamics between the cleaner, slower stuff and the balls-to-the-wall punk throughout is awesome, too. It’s a really good track, and definitely the right choice for a single. Another that easily makes the playlist!

Tracks ‘Like Tears in the Rain’ and ‘Maybe Tomorrow’ are both awesome, heavier punk numbers. They fit in perfectly with the album, but I’m struggling to say much about them that I haven’t already mentioned about previous songs.

‘Thrill Kill Killer Club’ is the heaviest track on the album and was a nice change of pace. It has more of a Motorhead vibe to it which was a lot of fun. And yet, it is still pretty catchy through the chorus. The Nancy Sinatra reference in the middle was a nice touch, too! It’s another track that easily makes our playlist!

The final Gypsy Pistoleros track on the album is the token ballad, ‘I’ll Remember You’. Honestly, it’s a really well written track and a sound that fits the band perfectly. The heavy riffing in and out of the chorus is awesome, and it’s all very catchy. It’s an incredible track, and I’d have honestly loved this to have been the closer, as it does have a rather epic, finale feel to it.

However, the album instead finishes on the band’s cover of ‘Come on Eileen’. Honestly, I’m not a fan of it. It’s such a MASSIVE, popular song that it’s so hard to do and not pale in comparison to the original. Also, I’m a big ska punk fan, so Save Ferris’ cover will always hold a special place in my heart. The track is good and I appreciate the effort to try and make it different, but it isn’t for me.

Overall: This was a lot of fun! The band occupy an interesting space currently where practically no one else in the UK underground scene is sounding like this, especially as a newer band. And they do said sound impressively well, and have crafted one hell of an album. It’s full of catchy moments, great playing, and genuine emotion. I can see why they are getting some serious momentum in the scene now!

The Score: 8/10

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Metallica, Overkill and More!

A huge week for new music thanks to the main band. The fact that anyone has put out an album the same day as Metallica is insane, but there is plenty to sink our teeth into and some really great stuff at that. Check it out with us!

Metallica: 72 Seasons

Arguably the biggest band of all time, and easily one of my favourites. I had to give this my full attention, so read the full review here.

Overkill: Scorched

The 20th album from the thrash legends picks up right from where 2019s Wings of War left off. The opening title track really highlights the band’s sound not just over the last decade but over their whole careers, and is an excellent place to start. They have easily been one of the most consistent thrash bands around alongside Exodus. ‘Goin’ Home’ is jam packed with great riff after great riff and has one of my favourite guitar solos on the album. It’s also amazing how well Blitz has looked after his vocals over all these years, sounding up there with the likes of Bruce Dickinson and Rob Halford these days. The drumming is the real unsung hero of the album though, Jason does an incredible job.

‘Wicked Place’ and ‘Harder They Fall’ are two more highlights of an honestly stacked album. I’ve been a fan of the band for a while but honestly haven’t really given them the credit they clearly deserve. This is excellent, and proves they are still one of the best thrash bands around today. 9/10

LA Guns: Black Diamonds

Tracii Guns’ post GnR project are back with their 14th studio album. I remember checking out their last one when it came out, giving it a 7.5/10 (check it out here). Much like their previous album, it doesn’t really have the glam/Sleaze metal feel to it that the band were known for back in the day. It still has some AOR tones but feels like a lot more modern, like more recent Bullet Boys or even (and I’m sure some hate me making the comparison) Chinese Democracy.

Still, tracks like the slower ballad ‘Diamonds’, the blusey ‘Shame’ and the faster, more old school ‘Lowlife’ are all highlights of the album. Overall, I think I enjoyed it more than their last one. I simply don’t think it was arranged very well. The opener didn’t land for me, but some of the later songs were amazing. It’s a fun album with plenty of good rock songs throughout and one I’ll happily listen to again. 8/10

Despite the Reverence: Stress of Evolution

Max: So this was one of those bands that I had never heard of before and I’m always ready to find another fantastic band much like I did when I first heard Sleep Token. This band only disappointed in one regard; why do they only have 91 monthly listeners on Spotify? The guitars and bass all had this very constant and moving feel throughout which allowed for so much energy to be carried through the album. The drums were great and I really need to start learning drums again because there are so many things that drummers like this do which just astound me with how effortlessly they seem to be yet brilliant they are. And then the vocals, I could understand the cleans taking a bit of time for people to get used to but I loved them and then the screams felt almost like older Parkway Drive, so they were awesome. This has to be an 8/10

Penny Rich: If Everyone’s An Expert, What’s Left to be Learnt?

I wasn’t coming into this album expecting such riffs. Right from the offset with ‘Spirals’ it’s one sludgy, pretty heavy riff after the other. Meanwhile, the vocals and overall vibe gave off heavy Dead Kennedy’s vibes. Considering this was described to me as indie I was very pleasantly surprised, it’s like a dark punk sort of feel. Tracks like ‘SPA’ and ‘Downfall’ are also great. I love the energy to it all, and their talent helps a bunch too. 7.5/10, a good album!

Fruit Bats: A River Running to your Heart

Having caught a bit of these at The Long Road last year (check out the review here) I was excited to check out this album! Honestly, it’s the perfect album to just chuck on and chill to, too. It’s very stripped back, pop/indie centric Americana, and it’s a lot of fun. The vocals reminded me a lot of Billy Corgan at times, fitting in surprisingly well over the chilled out instrumentation. It also had a slight Mothers Milk RHCP vibe to it. ‘See the World by Night’ was probably my favourite track on the album, but there really isn’t a bad track on it really. It did get slightly repetitive by the halfway mark, but that’s more personal preference than anything I think. 7.5/10

Alase: A Matter of Time

Max: Firstly, and I know this doesn’t affect the music but it should be said, the album art is brilliant. In terms of the actual music, it was really really good. It was really fun to listening to and there are many points where the music swells and it leaves you floating but then the screams ground you again and make you feel so much energy. This is only amplified by the drums and guitars which really demonstrate all of this. The quality of the recording also really helps with this as it was very good and was definitely done with the overall goal of the album in mind. 8/10

Jesus Piece: …So Unknown

Max: Right, definitely a change of pace from the previous two albums. But, it fully carries on the trend of this week having great albums. There is so much intensity and energy throughout the songs. I can imagine just how mental this band would be live. The bass really deserves some recognition because its all too easy for it to become buried in the rest of the music but this band clearly loves it and does a lot of work to make sure that it can be heard and it’s an important part of each song. The drums are very good and there are so many changes in pace and blast beats that I can’t fathom ever playing something like this. The vocals are amazing and feel like a cross between Knocked Loose, Kublai Khan TX and Alpha Wolf so they really deserve some praise. A very well deserved 9/10

Mike Miz: Only Human

The debut album of this upbeat Americana artist is fantastic. ‘Hand of the Sculptor’ is the perfect opener, feeling like an upbeat mixture between country and New Orleans-infused blues/soul rock. It’s follower ‘Only Human’ instead gives off heavy Fleetwood Mac vibes. It’s also got a fantastic chorus to it. ‘Six Ways from Sundays’ has an albums jazz infusion to the blues rock. The second half of the album, while it falls off in terms of pace, it doesn’t let up in terms of quality. ‘You Make me Feel’ is like an early 2000s pop ballad that I could easily hear filling the radio stations back then. And album closer ‘Tail Lights’ rocks it back up perfectly. A very good feel-good album, even despite the lyrics at times. 8.5/10

Syncolima: Wavelengths

Another album we did a full review of a couple of months back now. It was awesome! Check it out here.

White Rose Motor Oil: The Gift of Poison

First of all, these guys need way more listens than they have. So stop reading this right now and go check out the band and this album in particular.

Back? Okay, let’s continue.

This was awesome. It’s like dark Americana, having a pop-country twang to it. Opener ‘Ain’t no Saint’ hooked me in immediately with the incredible writing, catchy hooks and amazing lyricism, and it only continued to hit thr mark with all three from there. ‘Red Light’ is another amazing track while songs like ‘Hateland’ and ‘Blood Left to Bleed’ are also Hugh highlights. Honestly though, the whole album is amazing, there isn’t a bad track on it. I would say it’s the perfect album to put on and chill out to, but given the dark, sometimes heavier themes, that may not be entirely true! Either way, the band have a new huge fan in me! 9/10

Reviews

The Waiting: A Bold New Step for Dark Punk?

Blak29 are back with their second album and first in nearly seven years. Featuring members of Danzig, 69 Eyes and Type O Negative, they have plenty of experience and expertise. Let’s see if they can pull it off, shall we?

Opening the album on a simple drum beat, a punk riff soon builds in over the top of ‘Blackout’. The highlight of it is actually the subtle keys in the back, giving it a great driving force and adding a layer of menace to it. The punk vibe continues through the verse as the great vocals come in over the top. The chorus is simple yet massively catchy. It’d go down fantastically live. It’s also very easy to hear the Danzig connections, it’s definitely in that similar, Misfits style. Not much else to say about the track but it was definitely awesome. A great way to open the album!

‘Destroyer’ opens on a VERY punk bass and drum line. It’s very clearly a tribute, their own take on The Kinks’ ‘All Day and All of the Night’, and it’s done in a fantastically fun way. Heck, the over-the-top spoken word at the start is amazing, giving off big ‘Time Warp’ vibes. The gang vocals for the choruses was a nice touch, making it even catchier, and the lead guitar lines in between were also good. The whole track is a lot of fun and easily makes our playlist!

A heavier, sludgier feel runs through ‘Waiting for the Sun to go Down’, feeling more like a Rob Zombie track than anything else. The darker sound fit the mood of the track and lyrics perfectly. The slower chorus was great, definitely marking this as a metal track rather than a punk one. I can’t get over how good the multiple vocals sound on the choruses, it making everything sound massive every time. The vocals in general are a massive highlight on this track, sounding a little Layne Staley as well as Rob. I LOVED this. It’s another huge highlight of the album and another to easily make the playlist.

‘Go Go Little One’ picks back up the pace and punk edge again, feeling almost Wildhearts in its delivery. The bouncy, upbeatness was a nice, fun change of pace again. The album does a great job of keeping the listener on their toes, mixing up plenty of different styles so as not to get bored and bogged down with a lot of the same. The track is just as good as the others so far, catchy and very entertaining!

‘End of Days’ is a dark, plodding and subdued punky number. It’s heavily bass led and builds into a huge chorus with some massive distorted guitars. It gives off Wednesday 13 vibes as well as the usual Danzig ones. Meanwhile ‘Of Love Of Hate Of Pain’ is much like ‘Go Go…’ in it’s faster punk approach. ‘Bleeding Love’ is somewhere in the middle of the two, having a heavy, sludgy feel to it and reminding me a little of some of The Cult’s heavier stuff. I think it’s some of the vocal inflections, they sound very Ian Astbury!

The album’s title track is the most out there track so far, giving off even more Cult vibes as it’s a slow, stripped back song. A simple beat, bassline and guitar line accentuate the vocals well. It leads to some catchy, powerful vocals and an awesome guitar solo in the middle. The wah was done perfectly and it builds amazingly into a final chorus. This is another track that easily makes our playlist!

Check out something similar here.

‘Don’t Mind the Pain’ brings back the dark punk energy and sounds possibly the closest to Danzig that I’ve heard so far. It’s probably due to more awesome backing vocals in the chorus, making everything sound so powerful. It’s a great, catchy track on an album full of them!

‘I’m Screaming But Nobody’s Here’ is the ballad of the album, but almost takes a turn into folk/Americana music. It’s slow and epic, building through some distorted guitar here and there but generally staying stripped back. Honestly I thought it would explode into a big heavy rock song throughout but it never did. I actually really like that it stayed simple, being completely different to the rest of the album and again feeling fresh. What a great track! It almost felt like it should have been the closing track, as as good as ‘Long Cool Woman’ is as a track, it felt similar to some of the others. Still, both are good songs and the closer feels like it pulls together elements of every other track, rounding things out nicely.

Overall: This was awesome! Considering I hadn’t heard of the band before, they definitely have a new fan in me! It modernised an old sound perfectly and there really wasn’t a back track on the album. Hopefully the band tour the UK soon as I’d love to see them!

The Score: 8.5/10

new music mondays

New Music Mondays: Iggy Pop, Anti-Flag and More!

We’re back! Now that the holidays are done with and out of the way, bands are starting to put out music again, and we have a whole new 12 months to look at! And for some reason, though there aren’t many releases in this first week of the year, it’s quite a punky one! Let’s check it out!

Iggy Pop: Every Loser

This impressed the hell out of me. I know he is affectionately dubbed the ‘Godfather of Punk’, but the man is like three million years old at this point (give or take a couple of months) so to hear that he can still go this hard is fantastic. ‘Frenzy’ is an angry punk masterpiece while single ‘Strung Out Johnny’ feels more of a new-wave track.

That’s how the album goes, there’s a surprising amount of depth. Tracks like ‘Neo-Punk’ and ‘Modern Day Ripoff’ are straight up punk while tracks like ‘The Regency’, ‘Morning Show’ and ‘All the Way Down’ are slower, more reflective tracks. It’s an incredibly well written album over all and full of great tracks from both sides. I’m hard pressed to find anything wrong with it, even the interludes are fun and felt fitting. 7.5/10

Check out more punk here.

Anti-Flag: LIES THEY TELL OUR CHILDREN

I’ve been a fan of this band for years, ever since that song was on the Shaun White games. The band also have one of the most consistent back catalogue’s of anyone, with everything from their debut to recent releases being stellar.

They keep up the streak with this one. They have always been some of the best lyricists in the game, and this is up their with their last album in terms of flawless anti-establishment sentiment. Going after the government and the worst parts of modern society’s way of thinking is something I can 100% get behind, and it is done masterfully here.

Plus, nearly every track featuring a different guest artist gave it all a different feel to it and most really added a lot to the tracks. Even the track with Rise Against’s Tim Mcllrath, ‘THE FIGHT OF OUR LIVES’, has grown on me a lot listening to the album since I first heard it as a single. The track is very Rise Against, which is cool. The band have seemed to attempt to adopt the style of the guest’s music into their sound for each track, which is both interesting and insanely impressive.

It’s hard to pick out a highlight here as every track is really great. If you’re in any way a punk fan you’ll love this just like I did. These guys don’t get nearly enough credit as being solidly one of the best things in the rock scene for over two decades now. Everyone reading this, check out the album immediately, it’s fantastic. 9/10

Beautiful Death: Finis

So, this was a weird one for us. Acoustic instrumental stuff isn’t usually our vibe here at Overtone. However, this was all so dark and ominous, it was essentially atmospheric black metal without the distortion and extreme vocals. I put this on a fair bit in the background over the weekend and honestly love it. It’d work so perfectly as a soundtrack to a movie or game, especially an epic or horror. I don’t have too much to say about this given that it’s all pretty similar, but it is all great! 7/10

And there we have it, everything from the first week of the year! Check out some of last weeks from our Instagram here.