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New Music Mondays: Foo Fighters, Jason Aldean and Much More!

An absolutely HUGE week for new releases this week, with some of the biggest names in rock, metal and country stepping up to the plate. Let’s dive into some!

Foo Fighters: Your Favourite Toy

Album 12 from Dave & co. is far better than it has any right to be. As much as we enjoyed But Here We Are, I still feel like Foo Fighters haven’t been the same since Wasting Light. There was definitely some good stuff on Sonic Highways and Concrete and Gold, but it didn’t quite hit the same as their previous work. This, however, is their best work in 15 years, and it’s by some margin! Opener/single ‘Caught in the Echo’ is heavy for modern Foos, while ‘Your Favourite Toy’ has grown on me more with more listens since its release. Then you have tracks like ‘If You Only Knew’, ‘Spit Shine’ and the epic closing single that are all huge highlights. However, almost every track on this is amazing, the only slight dud for me being ‘Child Actor’. It’s a pretty tight release too, with the 10 tracks going by in a flash and there being far less filler compared to killer.

While it’s missing a world-conquering, massive hit like it seemed every earlier album had, it has a renewed energy, passion and urgency to it that it hasn’t felt like the band have had in years. As an album as a whole, this is damn impressive, and up there alongside some of the best of their back catalogue. While not as emotion-filled as their previous release, it’s stronger in other areas, and still a very solid 9/10!

Jason Aldean: Songs About Us

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

Brontës: Self-Titled

The debut album from the alt rock female quartet is a great, chilled-out release. It’s not my sort of thing typically, so really that should show how high quality this is, that I still had a blast listening! From the opener to ‘Wouldn’t be Me’, ‘Thelma and Louise’ to ‘I Think I Love You’, there are plenty of great songs throughout. Every song has it’s place, though, and the whole album is so easy to listen to. It feels like the perfect combination of 2000s romcom music and hints of the likes of Paula Cole or Carol King. It’s a real US sound, and one that feels pretty nostalgic while still being modern. I don’t quite hear the Sabrina influence they tout, but the Blondie I can vaguely hear, at least their older sound! It’s a fun relaxing listen that still packs some emotion in when it needs to. Check it out if you are at all interested, you won’t be disappointed! 7.5/10

The Amity Affliction: House of Cards

Max: So, the Amity Affliction are back with another album and I have to say, this was really good. This is the first album since the band parted ways with their previous vocalist, so they definitely had something to prove. The album is heavy and intense and exactly what you would expect, so they certaintly did prove that they are just as good as ever. Now my one issue is that I feel like their new clean vocalist is a bit underused. However, I don’t think that is a huge detractor from the album, nor do I feel like it there would have been a massive improvement to the album if there were more cleans. If I was to pick a track that I think people should listen to, I would say either ‘Kickboxer’ or ‘Bleed’ as they are just exceptional. I am honestly quite interested in what is going to come next for this band. 8.5/10

Jackson Dean: Magnolia Sage

The third studio album from the rising country star is and excellent journey through old-school, Americana and blues. We loved his last album, and this release builds on that and his debut, evolving his sound perfectly and naturally. Tracks like the opener, chilled single ‘Tennessee Moon’ and ‘Wildfire’ are all personal highlights. It’s a little less rocky than his previous stuff, it reminding me a surprising amount of Newton Faulkner. It’s not a bad thing, but I did find it a little harder to stay interested throughout, as it is all relatively similar. If you are into the likes of Drake White, you will most likely love this, and I will certainly be spinning it again! However, it does stand out the least of his catalogue so far, so I can’t give it any more than an 7.5/10

Where Victims Lie: What Was Left Behind

The return EP from the 2000s thrash masters, their first since 2007s Promo release, shows that they haven’t lost a step in nearly 20 years! It’s heavy, lightening fast, and yet anthemic when it needs to be. The band are insanely talented, everything from the riffing to the drumming to harsh vocals being amazing and top notch. It’s also 20 minutes of excellence, each song being as good as the last. However, I think ‘Veil’ is my favourite track, it almost having an air of Machine Head in the chorus. It’s clearly inspired heavily by the likes of Slayer and Kreator, but also definitely has a bit of a modern edge to it too, not too dissimilar to Evile. If you are into the heavier side of metal, this whole release is well worth checking out, and will definitely be one I spin regularly moving forward. A very solid 8/10 from us!

Atreyu: The End is Not the End

The 10th album from the metalcore titans has no right going as hard as it does. Right from opening single ‘Dead’, this thing is balls-to-the-wall, while still giving moments of melodic reprieve to only add to the epicness. That is followed excellently by the groovy ‘Break Me’ and the catchy single ‘All For You’. And heck, we still have another nine songs after that! While tracks like ‘Glass Eater’, the Max Cavalera-featuring ‘Children of Light’ and the beautifully bittersweet ‘Afterglow’ are all huge highlights, every song on this is incredible. It feels like the band have finally fully settled into their most recent lineup with this release, as much as I did like Baptize and The Beautiful Dark of Light. Honestly, this is my favourite release of their since Congregation of the Damned; it’s all-killer, no-filler, and the band are all on top form throughout. If you are at all a fan of the band or the genre, this is a no-brainer of a release! Up there alongside some of my favourite metalcore releases in recent years, and it gets a very solid 9.5/10 from us!

Fangslinger: Welcome to the Lost Souls Saloon

The debut album from one of our favourite new bands finally dropped this last Friday, and we couldn’t be more hyped! We have loved watching these cats grow the last couple of years, and it feels like it has reached its crescendo perfectly with this release! They are the perfect blend of country, gothic and metallic hard rock/metal, and I honestly can’t get enough. They had our top EP of last year, and my only vague complaint is that that makes up half of this album. However, when the tracks are as high quality as these are, it’s honestly hard to even be mad about it! As for the new songs, ‘As the Crow Flies’ may be may favourite song by them, and ‘Wanted Undead’ and the epic closer are up there alongside it! This is an excellent album that I’d recommend to just about anyone, and just makes me love them even more. I can’t wait to hear them live over the summer, but for now I’ll be spinning this plenty! Another very solid 9.5/10 from us!

Jon Corabi: New Day

Somehow the first fully electric solo release from the former Crüe/current Daisies frontman, New Day shows just what we’ve been missing all these years. It’s an awesome boot stompin’, blues-infused rock album, and is a lot of fun throughout! The title track opens things in style, while the ballad ‘When I was Young’, the swaggering ‘One More Shot’ and the heavy blues ‘Your Own Worst Enemy’ are all huge high points. It’s somehow both exactly what you’d expect from him given his recent output, yet also a little unexpected at times. While nearly-50 minutes is maybe a touch long, especially for a generally plodding blues pace throughout, it’s still a damn good album, and none of it is bad by any stretch! If you are a fan of the genre, Dead Daisies or just Corabi in general, this is well worth a listen! It’s a damn fun release, and one I’ll definitely be spinning again. 8/10

At the Gates: The Ghost of a Future Dead

The first album from the melodeath legends in nearly half a decade, this has been highly anticipated since its announcement. To the surprise of I’m sure almost no one, it’s really damn good! It’s classic At the Gates for 42 solid minutes. From ‘The Dissonant Void’ to ‘A Ritual of Waste’, ‘Parasitical Hive’ to ‘The Phantom Gospel’, there’s some absolutely incredible tracks throughout this whole release. The band proved that after nearly 40 years and now eight studio albums, the band still very much have it. They’re so dam talented, and it’s easy to see why they helped inspire a whole genre and have endured so prominently through it since. It won’t be for everyone, but if you’re into old-school melodeath, this is absolutely one to check out! I loved it, and it’s an incredibly easy 9/10 from me!

Yonah: Bird of Miracles

The debut album from the alt/indie folk singer-songwriter is a beautiful, chilled-out and deep release. While not typically my sort of thing on paper, it had some great old-school folk-rock, drawing from the likes of Dylan and Young. There’s depth and emotion to the lyrics and playing, everything feeling so purposefully and meticulously crafted. Right from the excellent opener I was hooked, and it somehow didn’t let me go until the very end. The duet with Myella, ‘Pressure, Forever’, was a definite highlight, as was ‘All I do’. However, every song is pretty excellent. He’s set to be a big name in the scene sooner rather than later, and this is a fantastic jumping off point for just that! I already can’t wait to hear where he goes from here, but for now it gets a solid 8/10 from us!

Six Feet Under: Next to Die

Another album from Chris Barnes and co., another collection of great riffs and playing ruined for me by Chris’ vocal style. Opener ‘Approach Your Grave’ was surprisingly steady in tempo, and I loved the riffs and plodding pace and drums. However, from the marginally-better-than-early-Cannibal-Corpse tones and production to Barnes’ illegible growls, it doesn’t do much for me. And that’s honestly one of the highlights of the album, alongside ‘Mind Hell’. I do enjoy this release more than I did their last one, but that’s not saying an awful lot. 4/10

Krooked Tongue: I Know a Place

This one has been a long time coming. It has been in the works for a while, and been announced for MONTHS now. Well, it’s finally here, and I can safely say that I loved it! It’s alt rock at its very best, and it’s no wonder the trio have garnered a lot of buzz around them in recent years. Be it the epic opener, the deliciously indie ‘Dog Days’ or the surprisingly heavy ‘Blood Shark’, there is so much variety, and so much to love! I definitely, hear both the Royal Blood and QOTSA comparisons, but the band also feel wholly unique at the same time, doing things very much their own way. It’s a fun release, while also being dark, heavy and emotional I’m equal measure. I’ve been a distant fan of them for years at this point, but this release has very much solidified me as a big one, that’s for sure! It’s well worth checking out if you are into indie, alt, or just any sort of rock in general, as so much of this album is a highlight in its own right. An incredibly easy 8.5/10, though it may grow on me even more with more listens!

Portrayal of Guilt: …Beginning of the End

Following up their critically-acclaimed CHRISTFUCKER album-pair (there’s a phrase I never thought I’d say), the hardcore black metallers returned with their fifth studio album. As much as Max loved their last release, I simply don’t get it, man. I completely appreciate that it is dark and heavy as hell and that certainly appeals to some. Heck, I didn’t even mind the odd riff, scream or breakdown peppered throughout. But, overall, my god was this just chaotic noise. I feel like I’d get into it a lot more live, but sadly it doesn’t do a great deal for me on track. ‘Human Terror’ and ‘God Will Never Hear Me’ are songs worth checking out if you’re interested! It’s definitely not bad by any stretch, just a touch too quirky for me. 5/10

Dead Reynolds: Yellow Weather Warning

This is a damn fun, punk-tinged melodic rock album! It’s packed full of anthemic tracks and moments, reminding me a fair bit of the likes of Mason Hill. ‘Count Me In’ sets the tone perfect, while songs like ‘Parasite’, ‘Hurricane’ and ‘Someone Else’ are excellent and carry on that same energy perfectly. And, while 41 minutes is maybe a touch too long for this sort of music, I can’t think of a track I’d want them to cut, as they are all that good! The band are all insanely talented, proving that they haven’t lost a step in the five years between albums. They should be a bigger name than they are, but this will surely be the album to push them over that edge! 9/10

The Groggy Dogs: No Grog No Glory

The first album from the pirate punk/metal/ska collective in four years, and continues on from their previous releases excellently, being another fun trek! It’s like the perfect blend of Dropkick Murphys, Mad Caddies’ Rock the Plank and even a touch of Social Distortion. ‘All Hands on Deck’ is the perfect opener, setting the tone excellently. Then you have the likes of ‘One Last Toast’, the pretty heavy ‘Ballad of Woodenhand Sam’ and ‘Roll the Woodpile Down’ that are all personal highlights. However, there really isn’t a bad track throughout, the album has a great flow to it as every song plays perfectly off the last. It’s impossible not to have a fun time listening to this, and it’s a release that I’m already desperate to hear some live from! It’s a sound that, while does seem to be growing in popularity again, we certainly don’t have enough of around! It won’t be for everyone, but if you are at all curious, this is well worth giving a spin, you might love it as much as I did! I’m so glad the band returned to the studio for another release, and I can’t give this any less than 8.5/10. Great stuff!

Ural: Anthropic Generic Involution

Some more awesome thrash metal for us this week, this time curtesy of the Italian five-piece. This thing goes hard from start to finish, too. It’s just over half-an-hour of balls-to-the-wall riffing and drumming, with some damn catchy vocal moments and some tasty soloing to only add to the excellence. It’s like late 80s Exodus in the best way possible. All of the chanted backing vocals add a fantastic layer throughout, adding to the surprisingly melodic main vocals excellently. Single and opener ‘Extreme Paranoia’ is amazing, while tracks like ‘Wrong Children’ and ‘Terror Eyes’ are also huge highlights. Every song on this release is amazing in its own right, though and the 33 minutes goes by in a flash. As a thrash kid at heart, I absolutely loved this from start to finish, and the band certainly have a new fan in me! Check this out if you are at all interested, and it gets a very solid 9/10 from us!

Songs About Us: Jason Aldean Returns with Another Massive Album!

The modern country megastar returns with his first album since 2023’s Highway Desperado. While his output this decade so far hasn’t been quite as well lauded after as his previous work, we still enjoyed Desperado, and have been liking the singles from this release we’ve heard so far. So, how does album number 13 compare to the rest of his sprawling discography? Read on to find out!

Opening on a surprisingly slower, southern soul track I’m ’Anytime Soon’, it’s a great song in its own right! The steady pace lends perfectly to Jason’s vocals, it giving off vibes of modern Blake Shelton in the best possible ways. The lower verse builds perfectly into the expectedly arena-filling, massive chorus, and it’s one that’ll be stuck in my head for days to come! It’d make a great single that’s for sure, even if the structure is also surprisingly not hugely radio-friendly. For one, it’s pushing five minutes in length, and for two it has a pretty long extended outro. It adds to the southern rock feel to the track, and also ups the epicness fantastically. It’s a great way to open the album, and an easy early highlight!

The rockin’ vibes continue through ‘Drinking About You’. It still has a steadier pace to it though, and similarly to the previous song it drops down for the verses before exploding into a hugely catchy, boot-stompin’ chorus. The bass was a big highlight through the track, something I’m surprised to say about country music, but Tully Kennedy kills it here, showing how criminally underrated he is. He rather successfully distracts from the vaguely cheesy, typical-country lyrics, too. We get an awesome little guitar solo tucked away in the middle too, breaking the track up perfectly. It’s a more radio-friendly track for sure, but that doesn’t make it any less great. Two for two, so far!

The first single of the album, ‘Don’t Tell On Me’, is also the first closer to a country-ballad on the release. Having said that, it still has plenty of rock elements to it, the distorted guitar adding plenty of depth. Because of said rockiness, it does feel a touch on the darker side for radio-country, feeling closer to Shaman’s Harvest than Russel Dickerson. It follows an expected radio formula and is barely three minutes, but was an excellent choice for a single, having plenty of weight and catchiness and being another huge highlight of the album.

Another single, ‘How Far Does a Goodbye Go’, slows things down even more, stepping into true ballad territory with the main focus being on the acoustic guitar and Jason’s powerful vocals. Some other instrumentation comes in around them, the drums and bass shining at times throughout too, but the focus is very much more intimately on Aldean. Having said that, we do get an AWESOME, Slash-like guitar solos and lead bits throughout, which I loved. It’s another fantastic choice for a single off the album, as it’s a really great song. It also feels pretty different to the previous song, showing off Aldean’s rather impressive range within the genre. A song well worth checking out!

‘Songs About Us’ is the first track on the album to feature a guest artist. Luke Bryan fits in with Jason Aldean like a glove here. The same could be said for David Lee Murphy on the early 2000’s country-like single ‘Dust on the Bottle’. It’s a fun, bouncy track and David does an awesome job complimenting Jason. Honestly, it’s a big highlight of the album as a whole! And, as much as I like Luke Bryan, the track is a little too far-leaning into cheese-territory. It comes across very pandering. The other guest spot goes to Aldean’s wife, Brittany. It’s another ballad, of course, and the duet between them is beautiful. Their harmonies work surprisingly well together, and her voice on its own is also great. It’s an interesting topic choose for a couple to sing to, but it works for them both, and is a good song! It’s a pretty standard country-rock ballad, and an easy choice for another single, but that doesn’t stop it from being a great.

Tracks like ‘Good Thing Going’, ‘Country Into Rock ‘n’ Roll’, and ‘Fight a Fire’ are more rock infused bangers. None are bad songs by any stretch, with ‘…Rock ‘n’ Roll’ being another big album highlight that easily makes it onto our playlist. (Also, the bass on the track is again tasty). However, they are fairly similar tracks, especially to a few other tracks earlier on, hence why I’ve grouped them together here. On an album of this length, I can’t talk about every song separately, or I’ll look like a madman!

Meanwhile, songs like ‘She’s Why’, ‘Backroads of my Memory’, ‘The High Road’, ‘What a Little Heartache’ and, heck, most of the rest of the album, is on the slower side. There is some variety throughout it, don’t get me wrong. Some of it is on the straight-up rockier side, while the likes of ‘Hard to Love You’ are a bit more HARDY-vibed. Both the other singles on the album, ‘Help You Remember’ and ‘Her Favourite Color’ are good too, and fit the pace of the second half of the album rather perfectly. There isn’t a bad song across the whole thing, but 20 tracks is a LOT, especially when a solid half the album is so similar.

Overall: Don’t get me wrong, while the last couple of paragraphs sound a touch negative, this is still a good album. If you are a fan of Aldean already, or general country music over the last two decades, you’ll get at least something you love from this. He’s a hit-making machine at this point, and a good few of these tracks are easily up there alongside his best. But man, I am getting so sick of bloated country albums. Nashville needs to learn to trim the fat, as instead of getting solid albums, we are getting huge albums of a lot of similar sounding stuff, watering down the good stuff when checked out in full. Political leanings aside, this is a good collection of songs, and I’ll certainly be spinning some of the tracks from it again!

The Score: 8/10

New Music Mondays: Skindred, Wage War and More!

Another stacked week of New Music Mondays for us to check out; a bit of everything across the rock, metal and country world. Let’s dive right in!

Skindred: You Got This

The Welsh dub-metal titans returned with their ninth studio album this last weekend. As massive fans for years now, we loved Smile, and it’s going to be hard to follow up.

To be brutally honest, I don’t think it does quite reach the heights of Smile. However, it’s still a very good album! We’ve already gushed over the opener plenty, while tracks like single ‘This is the Sound’, ‘Big Em Up’ and ‘My People’ are also excellent. Plus, the acoustic-reggae ‘Broke’ is a fantastic track, as well as being horribly relatable, and breaking up the album in the middle perfectly. However, the other half of the album doesn’t stand out as much. They’re all good, don’t get me wrong, but it feels like a few album tracks over Smile’s banger-after-banger. The band have always been a bit more of a singles/live based band, and this still fits perfectly into their discography. I prefer it to Big Tings and Volume still, and I do think as a whole it could grow on me more with subsequent listens. If you are a fan of the band, I would recommend checking this out ASAP, and I can’t give it any less than 8.5/10. I just need to see it all live, now!

Wage War: IT CALLS ME BY NAME

Max: Once again an EP, it was a very fun venture. It is raw and intense and doesn’t give an inch. It starts off with lots of energy that is just pounding your senses the entire time and it doesn’t get lighter from there. With the energy staying all the way to purify which is just nasty, really it was a great ending. I also want to highlight Karma as a track to listen to, whilst I wont spoil it, it has some fun sounds and elements that show the depth that this band really has. Honestly I don’t have a bad this to say. Really just go listen to it now. 10/10

They Might Be Giants: The World is to Dig

Following up their January EP almost immediately, the alt/art rockers’ 19th mainline album is certainly their typcial brand of quirkiness. Opening a little weirdly, ‘Wu-Tang’ is their fantastic, expected surf/rock’n’roll revival sound. Then you have songs like ‘Je N’en Ai Pas’, the funky ‘Get Down’, ‘Character Flaw’ and ‘In the Dead Mall’ that are all big personal highlights. Some of it is a bit too odd for me, but there is enough here that I loved and had a good time with, and it’s a surprisingly easy album to listen to in full given it’s length. If you are a fan of the duo and their particular brand of noise, this is well worth checking out. They are one of the few bands that haven’t needed to evolve their sound, even decades later, as they’re so quirky and varied it just works still. Honestly, I think I enjoyed it more than their last album (five years ago, damn I’m getting old) so it gets a solid 8/10 from me!

From Ashes to New: Reflections

Album five from the US alt metallers is another fantastic addiction to their discography! I remember loving Blackout when it dropped, and this very much continues to build on everything great about that release. ‘Drag Me’ is the perfect opener, setting the tone of the release fantastically. Then you have tracks like ‘Black Hearts’, ‘(Not) Psycho’ and ‘Darkside’ that are also massive highlights. There’s maybe a few too many slower, ballad-like tracks, especially early on, it feeling almost like I was listening to Bad Omens more than FATN. However, that will surely get them more listeners, so I definitely get why they’ve leant that way! It’s still a good album with enough heaviness and nu-metal vibes to keep me entertained for the most part. If you are a fan of the band or of any of the genres I’ve mentioned prior, this is well worth giving a spin. I’ll certainly be listening again, that’s for sure! Another easy 8.5/10 for the band from us!

Two Ways Home: Patience to Play

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

Kill the Silence: Resolve

This EP nestles itself perfectly between modern metalcore and early 2010s post-hardcore. It’s fucking awesome! While some would argue seven tracks is more of an album, but when it’s of this high quality it doesn’t even matter what it is! ‘The Final Word’ and ‘Superficial’ are personal highlights, but there really isn’t a bad track throughout. Heck, the breakdown on ‘Forever’ is one of the best I’ve heard in a very long time! The band are so incredibly talented at both songwriting and their chosen instruments, and there is no way they aren’t going to be a big name in the scene sooner rather than later! And, for their first EP in nearly seven years, it is absolutely phenomenal! I can’t give it any less than 9/10!

Nekrogoblikon: The Boiling Sea

Max: Now whilst this is more of an EP as it is an album, it is worth taking a look at. It is decent-ish but you have to be ready to get in to this with the weirdness if you have never listened to them before. The five tracks were good, and there is definitely something in here but to be honest this album/ep it just a bit middle of the road. The five new tracks are certainly alright, but for me a couple of the tracks didn’t really land, namely ‘Fiend’. The five live tracks also didn’t really do anything for me and to be honest I didn’t really enjoy the mixing too much. 6/10

P.S. it is, at least, phenomenal artwork!

Ryan O’Reilly: Native Companion

The fifth studio album from the UK-born, Berlin-based folk-pop singer (not the Canadian ice hockey player, glad I checked) dropped last week. It’s a beautiful, chilled-out half an hour, and an incredibly easy listen! It combines together a handful of his recent singles, but adds some new stuff into the mix as well. The pop elements give it a late 90s, early 2000s flavour, almost like a Hootie vibe, and it combines with the folk-Americana style fantastically. From the opener to ‘If you Know’ to ‘If This Doesn’t Hurt’, there are some great tracks on it. It is a touch slow at times, especially by the ending few tracks, but it’s still high enough quality that it’s hard not to enjoy it. If you’re into more of the chilled stuff, this is well worth a listen, but it certainly won’t be for everyone. A solid 6.5/10 from us!

LØLØ: god forbid a girl spits out her feelings!

The sophomore album from the fast-rising Canadian emo pop-punk singer-songwriter picks right up where her debut left off! It’s an incredibly modern sound, fitting perfectly alongside modern pop heavyweights like Olivia Rodrigo or Sabrina Carpenter, as well as the likes of Charlotte Sands, Taylor Acorn and Kelsy Karter. It’s fun, filled-with emotion and incredibly well written. It’s chilled out yet vulnerable, being a surprisingly perfectly combination. From ‘me with no shirt on’ to ‘delusional darling’ to ‘American zombie’, there are some damn good tracks on here. My only issue is that it’s all so similar. It’s all at the same sort of low-fi level, never quite hitting that high gear I kept hoping it would. I guess that’s kinda the appeal though, right? But still, 13 similar sounding songs in a row did make me a touch bored by the end. Still, if you like this sort of style, this is definitely an album for you! It’s all high quality, despite the similarity. I won’t be rushing back to listen again, but it’s certainly good, and will at least be spinning a few tracks from it fairly regularly! 7/10

Gypsy Pistoleros: Dark Faerie Tales

Following up Church of the Pisoleros from just last year, this new album is another great entry into their ever-growing discography. The opener/title track is the perfect opener, dark and punky yet still effortlessly catchy. The energy stays high through a lot of it, and songs like the ballady ‘She’s Getting Stranger’, the heavy ‘Behind the Mask’ and the super-fun ‘Prince of the Damned’ are all also massive highlights. It feels pretty short and sweet too, going by in a flash and packed full of great songs. Each chorus is incredible, and the instrumentation more than lives up to them for the most part! I do have to say that I don’t think as am album as a whole it’s quite as good as their last. However, it has maybe some of my favourite tracks from the bands history on it, and the rest is damn solid too. And hell, it may grow on me, because I am definitely giving this thing more spins! It’s easy to see why they are one of the most respected bands in the NWOCR scene, as have got such a consistent, amazing output of new music, this release included! It’s a lot of fun throughout, and is a very easy 8.5/10!

Owen Riegling: In the Feeling

Flowing up on his debut album from 2024, the rising country/indie-Americana star once again knocks it out of the park here! Giving off vibes of everything from Kip Moore to Wells Ferrari to even Kings of Leon, it’s a fantastic sound that perfectly blends the old and new. ‘Phone Call From Home’ sets the tone of the album perfectly, and is followed up perfectly by ‘Rest of My’. Then you have tracks like ‘Same Blood’, the southern rock ‘Going Missing’ and ‘Last Thing on my Mind’ that are also huge highlights. However, there really isn’t a bad song on the release, and it has an excellent flow to it. It gives off vibes of both Koe Wetzel and Tyler Nance, and it’s clear to see just how bright the future of this sort of music is!

He has a big new fan in me, especially with how much I am getting into this style of music in the last couple of years. It’s got everything from catchy, anthemic parts to plenty of emotion, stripped-back instrumentation and more rock-based stuff. If you like any of the genres I’ve mentioned, I honestly cannot recommend this album enough. I’ll be spinning this again plenty moving forward, and I can’t give it any less than 9/10! The only thing that dropped it a touch was the slower pace/lower energy of the last few songs; a different arrangement may have pushed it even higher!

Last Ten Seconds of Life: The Dead Ones

Max: This was a very solid album, the grooves throughout were honestly great and every tack really flowed which made for not only very easy listening, but also made the tracks connect nicely. I think you can potentially find issue with there, as it was definetly a little too blurry at points but I personally think that this is just splitting hairs. I think that there is most certainly ways that they can continue to improve their craft but as for this album I think it is really quite good and a most listen overall. 8.5/10

Death Warmed Up: Wildcard

The debut album from the UK hard/sleaze rock-metal revivalers is a fun 40 minute jaunt of stomping riffs, soaring vocals and some catchy melodies. There is no denying the bands’ talent, all five of them killing it from the very first note to the very last. They also very much wear their inspirations on their sleeves, this feeling ripped right from the 80s. Honestly, that’s both a good and a bad thing. It’s a great sound, and the band do it to perfection, but it also doesn’t exactly bring anything new to the table that hasn’t been done hundreds of times before. Tracks like ‘Inside my Mind’, ‘Roulette’ and the bands namesake are all great, and the album as a whole certainly isn’t bad. But the Geoff Tate vocals did grate on me a bit by the end, and I simply think that in the current resurgence of new bands doing the 80s stuff, there are a few out there that do it a little more interestingly, in this writers opinion. It’s still well worth checking out if you are into the style, and still gets a solid 7.5/10 from us!

The Devin Cuddy Band: Livin’ Hard Ain’t Easy

The third album from the Toronto-based, country-ish singer-songwriter is a fantastically fun, chilled out affair! It’s an old-school sound, skirting the lines between classic country, soul, Americana, bluegrass and even just a splash of a general alt vibe. Tracks like ‘Two Hosers’, ‘Prairie Wind’ and ‘Greasy Maggie’ are all personal highlights, though every track is pretty great. It’s all rather relaxed and easy to listen to, 33 minutes going by in a flash. However it is also packed full of emotion perfectly when needed! It’s certainly not an album for everyone, but I had a good time listening and will definitely be revisiting again! Check this out if you are interested, and it gets a solid 7/10 from us!

Patience to Play: Two Ways Home Knock it Out of the Park with Album Two!

The incredible Anglo-Austrian duo are set to release their highly anticipated sophomore album tomorrow! Featuring a lot of the singles they’ve put out over the last few years, it’s a real celebration of where they pair are in 2026, as well as a hint of where they are headed with some new songs smattered in for good measure. We’re big fans of the pair here at Overtone, even chatting to them last year and getting some hints of this. So, to say we’re hyped that it’s finally here is an understatement. Let’s dive right in!

The title track opens things up perfectly; a hauntingly beautiful acoustic guitar riff that soon has Lewis’ vocals fitting incredibly over the top. Isabella soon harmonises perfectly too, it all building up fantastically to an almost Southern rock sound. The drums and other instrumentation coming in for the chorus was a fantastic choice, adding some great dynamics to it, and makes it feel effortlessly massive. The particular blend of folk, country and rock is awesome and is pretty uniquely their own. Heck, the bridge is phenomenal, giving off elements of the Who in the drums, Slash in the subtle lead guitars, and yet the vocals still firmly ground in Two Ways Home. It’s an absolutely amazing choice for an album opener, and is a definite early highlight!

‘Waiting on Luck’ is a song I’ve loved since first got into them a couple of years ago. It was a fantastic single back in 2022, once again showcasing the bands mesmerising harmonies, and a bit softer a side to them. Isabella kinda takes the lead vocally this time, but the pair do a fantastic job of always showcasing each other’s talents and working together flawlessly. That chorus is also incredible, and has been stuck in my head periodically since I very first heard it! Even though it’s been out a while, it’s a track that I can’t seem to ever get enough of; simple and soft-rock-infused-country, but is so damn good. So far, two for two on excellent songs! And, acoustically (track 13), it was certainly a standout to me when we saw them at The Long Road last year!

The first new track on the album, ‘Room for Love’, is just as good as the previous two tracks! It definitely keeps the soft rock-like vibe to it, the blues edge to it almost giving it a Lenny Kravitz feel to it. However, by the time the chorus hits, the massive harmonies and big-band-instrumentation, it definitely brings in their country-adjacent sound too. It’s all so good, the instrumentation being as much of a high point as the vocals in this track. That riff through the bridge is awesome, and I love the touch of the chatter and keys behind it, making it a real feel-good moment. I’m coming across as a fangirl already, but this is another great track! It’s all fantastic so far!

We get both the full band and the acoustic version of ‘Polaroid Kids’ on this release. While both are similar, they still channel different energies, and it’s well worth checking both out. Heck, after multiple spins of both, I’m still not sure which I like more! The stripped-back nature of the acoustic one focuses more on the lyrics and the harmonies, but the emotion in the full band is palpable. I do have to say I think the spoken word bit fits better with the electric, in this writers humble opinion. However, as I said, both are excellent. They’re anthemic, ballad-like songs and the electric one breaks up the flow of the album perfectly to that point. And, lyrically, it’s maybe my favourite track on the album.

The most radio-country track here, ‘Feet on the Asphalt’, is a great, upbeat, track not too far removed from something like Russel Dickerson or Thomas Rhett. It’s catchy as anything and infused with enough rock to keep it high-energy. And, once again, the vocal harmonies are like only TWH can do, grounding the track to them despite it being a different feel again. I love the playfulness between the pairs vocal delivery in this track keeping it light and catchy throughout. You guessed it, it’s another amazing track, and one that easily makes our playlist!

‘Medicine Man’ is a more blues/rock based country bangers. It feels a touch darker than most on the release, and almost gives off ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ vibes. And, it has one of the best choruses on the album! We also get a previously-unheard acoustic version of it to close out the album, pushing it much father into the country category in the best way. It takes on more of a Hank Jr vibe to it, the two tracks being so different in sound but both being excellent in their own right.

The following few tracks, ‘She Keeps Time Like a Casino’, ‘Hot Rain’ and ‘Signals in the Smoke’ are all slower songs, much more country-ballad territory. All are excellent songs in their own right, and even though they are one-after-another, it doesn’t feel like the momentum of the release drops at all, most likely due to the high quality. I like ‘Hot Rain’ building to more of a rock ballad by the end, the distorted guitars and soloing adding so much depth to the sound. It’s probably my favourite track of the few, but none of them are bad by any stretch!

‘Hear a Heartbreak’ has more of a soul feel to it, the steady plod and vocal delivery being more akin to Rag’n’Bone or Hozier. It has a fun bounce, energy and swagger to it, and once again when both of their voices entwine together, it’s phenomenal! And it still has enough of their unique brand of rock edge to it to keep it succinct to the album too, a true testament to their writing talents. It’s yet another major album highlight on a release packed full of them!

Meanwhile, ‘Colder Water’ is a straight up Western track, and I am all for it! It’s like I was trapped somewhere between an Eastwood and a Tarantino movie, it was awesome! It’s catchy, and packed full of some fun melodies from both the vocals and the instrumentation. Then you have the last non-acoustic track on the album, ‘Slower Kind of Love’. Honestly, it kinda bridges the gap rather perfectly, having plenty of acoustic elements to it while also having some great drumming for the choruses. It all builds perfectly to the massive bridge and crescendo too, the track being put together excellently. It’s another track I’m a little obsessed with, honestly, and yet another high point of the album!

Overall: This is an amazing album! It explores just about every avenue of country, folk and blues music across its runtime, being long but not feeling like it at all. It’s such an easy listen that goes by in a flash, somehow still leaving me wanting more! Every song is as good as the last, and it’s the perfect showcase of their recent output. If you are in any way into any of the genres named, do yourself a favour and check this out, you won’t be disappointed!

The Score: 9/10

Doomsday Outlaw, Eddie & The Wolves and Luna Marble Rock Hallamshire Hotel!

The incredible UK blues rock/NWOCR stalwarts played a hometown gig over the weekend, packing nearly 100 people into the amazing Hallamshire Hotel! The first stop of their April tour was set to be a doozy, being backed by other local bluesy heavyweights in Eddie & The Wolves and Luna Marble. We’ve been excited to head down to this for weeks now, and there was no way we weren’t going to be raving about it afterwards! Check out all of our thoughts below.

Opening things up with a special acoustic-duo performance where the bluesy Luna Marble. I recently got into them off their amazing debut album, and it was cool to hear a lot of that in a different style here. Plus, for just the two of them, their acoustic guitars and vocals, goddamn did they produce a huge sound! Maria Rico has one of the best live vocals around at the minute, and not only that but has the charisma and stage presence to hold the crowd in the palm of her hand throughout a more subdued set. Meanwhile Dragos backs her up perfectly, providing some amazing playing and backing vocals throughout. Hearing the tracks unplugged takes you on a different journey, but has definitely left me wanting to hear it with the full band soon, too! And we even got a sneak preview of a new song, which went over a storm with the live crowd. They were the perfect openers for this show, and are a band that are rightfully already gathering plenty of momentum for themselves in the UK rock scene!

Next up were the amazing Eddie & the Wolves. Yada yada best band in the world, yada yada future of rock… you know the drill by now. I just want to quickly thank not only the two bands and the venue for having us on the bill with them, but for every single person who came down to see us. We all had a blast up on stage, as warm as it was, and it felt like the crowd enjoyed it too! We’d taken a month off to do some studio stuff, so getting back up in front of a packed out venue was truly something special. And, it at least sounded good on our end, so hopefully it did out front, too! The setlist is refined and we’re firing on all cylinders. We’re all over the place this year so be sure to catch us somewhere else soon if you couldn’t make it here!

After a surprisingly painless changeover, the headliners too to the stage! We’re big fans of the band, and have seen them around a fair bit, so when I say they were on top form yet again here, you’d best believe it! All of them are masters of their chosen craft these days, and come together from their other projects for this one amazingly whenever they’re ready. And, we got a pretty varied setlist from them, too! From older songs to trying out new stuff to their biggest hits, we got a bit of everything, and it was all spectacular. It felt like banger after banger, and their hours set went by in a flash! It’s criminal that at this point they aren’t bigger, but regardless they are still putting on one hell of a show every time they step on stage. I feel like they have a big year ahead of them, and I for one cannot wait to see them again, as well as check out their new music as it drops!

Check out an interview we did with Indie too, here!

And there we have it, folks, a fantastic night full of amazing rock bands! All three knocked it out of the park and are a must-see for any fans of hard or blues rock reading this! The audience in attendance witnessed something special; three bands at the top of their game, playing their asses off, and in a pretty awesome venue to boot! We had a blast and can’t wait to see them all again ASAP!

New Music Mondays: Ella Langley, Lord of the Lost and More!

A massive week of new releases for us to dive into today, from metal to country to rock! Let’s dive right in!

Ella Langley: Dandelion

This finally dropped this last Friday to a hell of a lot of hype behind it. Langley has become one of the biggest names in country the last couple of years, so there is no denying this will be one of the biggest releases in the genre in 2026. I, however, have a bit of an up-down relationship with her music. There is no denying her talents as a vocalist, songwriter and musician. However, I find her almost overall a little slow for my liking. I had the same sentiment with her last album; some of the tracks are incredible in their own right, but as an album it’s a lot of the same sort of thing and is a bit of a struggle to get through the full hour in one sitting.

Tracks like the title one, ‘Be Her’, ‘Bottom of Your Boots’ and ‘I Gotta Quit’ are honestly career highlights for Ella. The Miranda Lambert-featuring ‘Butterfly Season’ is also fantastic. Most of the rest of it, as good as it is in its own right, I wouldn’t necessarily hurry to revisit as much. However, as I’ve said, none of it is bad by any stretch, and if you are into her particular brand of noise, you’re gonna love it. I do believe it’s her strongest album to date, and I think you’d be hard pressed to find many that disagree! And, it’ll probably grow on me more with subsequent listens. Even with my criticisms, it’s still a solid release, and I’d check it out if you are at all into country music! For the sheer force of nature that this release is alone, I can’t give it any less than 8/10

Lord of the Lost: OPVS NOIR Vol. 3

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

Bilmuri: KINDA HARD

The former Attack Attack! clean vocalist has been making waves with his solo project in recent years, and the hype for this release has been pretty high. However, try as I might, I sadly just can’t get into it. It’s just generic pop music but with ch0nky guitars behind it. Like, it’s fine, but I struggle to think much more than that. The riffing is good, there are some okay hooks, and the sax from Gabi is a fantastic touch as always, but the songs themselves are kinda meh. Songs like ‘TWICE’ and the country-esque ‘BACK, THEN’ are personal highlights. But I found all the songs blended together; all being so painfully similar and pretty bland. It was wholly forgettable, nothing sticking with me after the songs ended. If you enjoyed it that’s awesome, and as I said it isn’t bad by any stretch. But I shan’t be coming back to this any time soon. 4/10

Julia Pratt/JULITH: This is a Kindness

This is a damn interesting collaboration between two alt-pop rising stars. It’s definitely very different to the rest of this list in terms of style, but was still a fun release and I’m glad I gave it a listen! Both women are insanely talented, and have crafted something really interesting and unique together. I also love whole album collabs, really pushing how far they can work together to fascinating results. ‘Monsters Out of Men’ was a personal favourite track, both lyrically and musically fantastically written. It’s something I’d happily revisit again and I’m curious to hear what the pair are like on their own. While I do some digging, though, this gets a 6.5/10 from us. Not typically my sort of thing but damn good for what it is!

Florence Black: POURING RAIN

One of my favourite modern bands dropped their highly anticipated third album this last Friday. No pressure, but their last was our album of the year back in 2024… I somehow haven’t had the time to check out the singles of this one though so am going in completely blind. Let’s hope they can keep up with their stellar track record!

This thing comes out swinging. ‘COLOURED IN’ is heavy and fucking awesome, the perfect tone-setter for the album. It’s rather indicative of the journey the band have been on in recent years. BED OF NAILS was darker and heavier than WEIGHT OF THE WORLD, and this release continues that evolution. They’re travelling closer to that early 2000s alt/industrial/nu metal sound, and I am all for it. At this rate, their next album will be fully Tetrarch!

The rest of the album follows the openers suit in fantastic fashion. ‘HALF THE WORLD AWAY’ is their heaviest track to date and is awesome. ‘LADYBIRD’ and ‘TAKE MY WORD’ are massive radio singles waiting to happen. The title track is an amazing ballad-like song, the albums ‘WARNING SIGN’. And that closer, DAMN. However, every track that I haven’t named is also awesome, trust me! It’s an incredible 40 minutes of hard rock/alt metal, and one that I’d recommend absolutely anyone reading this check out at least once!

While not quite as earth-shattering as their previous release, it’s still a damn solid entry into their absolutely stellar discography, and an album I’ll surely be spinning for months to come. 9/10

Tenille Townes: The Acrobat

The first album since 2022 from the country star, and it’s a surprisingly-short, beautiful release. It follows the lead of some of her most successful tracks in being stripped-back, acoustic-focused numbers. It’s 32 minutes of emotion-filled, folk/Americana infused pop-country, and it’s impossible not to love! Her voice is so unique and captivating, and the lyrics throughout are utterly fantastic. From ‘the acrobat’ to ‘enabling’ to ‘what’s meant for you’, there are some incredible highlights throughout. However, there isn’t a bad song on the release, honestly. Much like with Bilmuri above, it is all pretty similar, which sadly drops it a little, but it’s all great and a very easy album to listen through. It would have been nice to have had a few band bits smattered throughout, be it some drums or strings or even keys, but I completely understand why the album was so stripped back, given its lyrical theming. I will certainly be listening again, and can’t give it any less than 7.5/10!

Check out when we saw her live here!

Voidchaser: Interstellar I

The Canadian-Swedish prog metallers follow up their highly acclaimed 2025 sophomore album barely a year later with this, and do so absolutely spectacularly! The intro track sets the tone of the album perfectly, and leads into the absolutely phenomenal ‘Welcome to Terra Corp’ masterfully. It’s heavy, melodic and epic all in equal measure, and is a fantastic pace-setter for the rest of the album. Tracks like the Charlie Griffiths-featuring, heavy ‘Hyperconverter’ and the technical masterclass of ‘Ivory Tower’ are both also huge highlights. However, the whole album is amazing! It has a fantastic flow to it, nearly 50 minutes going by in a flash. And everything from the writing to the playing to the production to the storyline throughout is truly excellent. And can we just talk about that artwork? GODDAMN, *chefs kiss*. It’s all ripped straight from an 80s sci-fi fantasy, and I can’t get enough.

Check this out if you are at all interested. I’ll definitely be spinning it again, and am already hoping we are getting an Interstellar II, though given the theming I’d think maybe not. Still, I’ve at least got their previous two albums to dive into more alongside this, and I gets a very easy 9/10 from us!

Black Oak County: Misprint

Firstly, thank you to the amazing Glamrat for turning me onto these guys. Secondly, holy crap, this is AMAZING. To get the obvious out of the way; this is definitely like a heavier Nickelback. And that isn’t a bad thing at all! It’s essentially nearly a whole album of ‘Burn it to the Ground’; excellent, groove-metal-adjacent riffing, solid drumming and some of the best and catchiest vocal melodies out there. And I haven’t been able to get enough all weekend! It’s packed to the rafters with hit after hit, making it impossible to pick highlights. Heck, over half of it has ended up on my personal playlist. It’s an almost perfect 41 minutes of heavy rock music that I would recommend to absolutely anyone. For a first full alnum from them for me to check out, I couldn’t ask for anything better. I was already becoming a fan but this has solidified that as much as it could. The band are insanely talented musicians and songwriters, and how they aren’t massive already is beyond me. Hopefully this is the album to push them to that point, as it is truly a special release. I’ll be spinning it for months to come, and would imagine anyone who listens will be doing the same! An incredibly easy 9.5/10

As Everything Unfolds: DID YOU ASK TO BE SET FREE?

Album three from the post-hardcore Brits is a fantastic release! It’s heavy and radio-friendly in equal measure, as well as being such a modern sound. The band fit perfectly alongside everyone from Spiritbox to Jinjer to ADTR and Hot Milk, and I would honestly say this release is up there with some of the best from any of those bands. Right from the opener it kicked ass, and songs like ‘GASOLINE’, ‘CUT THE LIES’, ‘SET IN FLOW’ and ‘WHAT YOU WANTED’ are all massive other highlights. The whole album is excellent though, and 41-minutes surprisingly goes by in a flash! The band have already been gathering a lot of momentum as of recent, but I truly believe this release has what it takes to push them to the top of the heavy music world. I’m sometimes a little fussy when it comes to the genre, only liking it if it’s really good, and this is really damn good. This is my favourite thing the band have put out by quite a margin, and it gets a very solid 8.5/10 from us!

I Am the Avalanche: THE HORROR SHOW

The Brooklyn-based emo-punk/post-hardcore band are back with album number five, and their first in nearly six years. It’s a genre I am generally a little hot-and-cold with, but I had a good time listening to this! From the heavy title track to ‘I’M NOT DEAD’ to ‘TRUE LEGENDS NEVER DIE’, there are plenty of highlights. However, the album has a great vibe and flow to it throughout, and at half an hour in length it’s an incredibly easy listen! There’s some great riffing and melodies, and some of the lyrics are honestly phenomenal. It’s packed full of emotion, be it darkness or a more uplifting feel, and really takes the listener on a journey. Honestly, it grew on me more throughout and, with more listens, it could even continue to do so! It almost has a touch of a skate sound in here too at times, getting some vague nostalgic vibes out of me. If you are into any of the genres I’ve mentioned already, do yourselves a favour and check this out! I’ll be spinning it again soon, and it may grow on me even more then, but for now it gets a solid 7.5/10!

We Three Kings: Stone Cold Kiss

The NWOCR duo are back with their sophomore album, another punk/indie-infused powerhouse of a release. We loved their debut back in 2024, and honestly this is right up alongside it in terms of quality! It’s packed full of energy, attitude and swagger; massive riffs, solid drums and some great, catchy vocal lines. While all nine tracks on here are amazing, personal favourites include ‘Nothing Without Me’, ‘Judas Take me Home’ and ‘Shotgun’. It’s impossible not to have a good time listening, and it urges you to tap your feet, headbang and dance along. It’s an album I’ll be revisiting plenty in the weeks and months to come, and it goes hand in hand with By Royal Appointment as must-listens for anyone into the punkier side of rock ‘n’ roll. A solid 8/10 from us!

Broadside: Nowhere, At Last

Album number five from the pop-rockers is… certainly one of the albums released this week. I get that it’s not typically my sort of style to begin with, but there have been plenty of artists like this win me over (my obsession with One OK Rock springs to mind). It’s not a bad release by any means, and if you are into this sound you’ll probably love it. The vocals are great, and there are some catchy hooks and choruses throughout. Tracks like ‘Nowhere at Last’, ‘I Think They Know’ and ‘Dark Passenger’ are big highlights, and the latter two were great choices for singles. And while the rest of it is okay, it just feels a touch forgettable. I don’t know quite what’s stopping me from fully getting into it, maybe it’s just because others have done it better. It may grow on me with more listens, as it is a touch further through the first, and it’s at least inoffensive and easy to listen to. If you are at all interested, I’d definitely recommend giving it a spin and seeing for yourself! A tentative 7/10 from us, that could go up or down at any minute!

Pineland Moor: Self-Titled

The debut EP of the Finnish melodic metal quartet is the definition of all killer, no filler. It’s 18 minutes and four tracks of incredible talent, playing and songwriting. Whether it’s the opener or the proggy ‘Floating on Unknown’ or the excellent other two songs, it’s amazing from the very first note to the very last. I already want to hear more from them, but for now I am happy to just keep spinning this! If you are at all into the melodic side of metal, give this a spin ASAP, you won’t be disappointed! I can’t give it any less than 8/10

Mines: Nous

The second EP from the heavy rockers, finally following up their 2023 debut, this already hasn’t gotten nearly the love it deserves. It’s 20 minutes of phenomenal riffing and writing, as well as some really interesting vocal melodies and lyrics. I was hooked right from the opener, and ‘Vice of Kings’ may be up there with one of my favourite songs of the year so far. The whole EP is phenomenal though, a proggy, heavy masterclass in writing technical music. It’s right up my street, and has made me a massive fan of the band immediately. My gushing over it won’t do it the justice it deserves, just go and check it out and thank me later! It gives off vibes of everything from VOLA to Coheed to Devin, and I’m a little bit obsessed! 9.5/10, my only complaint is that it isn’t longer!

The Mechanist: Synthetic Sun

The debut album from the Yorkshire-based electronic-infused metalcorers goes hard. It’s equal parts ch0nky riffs and massive melodic cleans, as well as a healthy dose of crushing drums, screams and breakdowns for good measure. From ‘Engram’ to ‘Sungazing’ to the wonderfully chaotic, Adam Barkley featuring ‘Invasive Prosthetics’, there is so much to love here. However, if you are into modern metalcore, or even bordering on deathcore at times, this whole thing will be very much your sort of thing! I’ve spun it three times this weekend and it’s grown on me more and more each time! For a debut album it’s absolutely phenomenal, and a sign that this band are set to go far sooner rather than later. I need to see this live, but while I wait to do so will certainly keep listening to this pretty regularly. 8.5/10

Metal Church: Dead to Rights

After a rather massive lineup switch-up that has now brought us alumni of Flotsam and Jetsam, Vicious Rumours and Megadeth, the heavy metal titans are back with album 14. I remember enjoying their last album, and was pretty gutted to hear Lopes had been cut from vocal duties. However, Brian Allen kills it here, as do the rest of the band! It’s nearly 50-minutes of thrashy metal awesomeness, and is every bit as good as their fellow 80s counterparts also still releasing great new music. Single ‘F.A.F.O’ is a lot of fun, giving off ‘Toxic Waltz’ vibes, and the likes of ‘Deep Cover Shakedown’ and ‘Wasted Time’ are also massive highlights. However, there isn’t a bad song throughout. It more than lives up to not only their last album, but honestly the very best that they’ve put out over their nearly half-a-century careers. If you are at all a fan of the band or 70s/80s metal in any way, you have to check this out as soon as you can! The band feel rejuvenated with their latest incarnation, and I can’t give it any less than another solid 8.5/10!

OPVS NOIR Vol. 3: How Do Lord of the Lost Cap Off the Trilogy?

The German gothic metal titans are back with the third part of their trilogy of albums released over the last year. It’s no secret that I’ve been loving them so far, so wanted to finally do a deep dive on the finale and see how it ends. The band are now 12 studio albums deep as of this releasing tomorrow, so to say they have honed their craft would be an understatement. Let’s sink our teeth into this!

The release starts in not only epic, but heavy fashion. Strings build up into a huge scream from Chris, and a massive industrial riff. It picks up right were Vol. 2 left off in the best way. It drops back for the verse, Chris’ powerful vocals leading us through a very LOTL melody and some great lyrics. Surprisingly, the first half of the chorus drops back even more, just some orchestral elements behind the vocals. However, it just means when that riff and scream kick back in, it’s even more massive and impactful than before! I also love the dynamics of the track in that the second chorus keeps the guitars and drums around, keeping it anthemic but feeling HUGE. It’s also a simple song structure, getting in and out after two verses and choruses. However, it works excellently, and sets the tone for the album perfectly! An easy early highlight!

The first of a good few guest-features us up next, with the incredible Alea joining the band for ‘I’m A Diamond’. It starts low, with the drums, vocals and a great, bassy synth. It builds perfectly with the harmonised vocals and guitars, all leading towards the massive, arena-filling chorus! It feels more like a ballad than the previous track, but is still pretty heavy with the instrumentation, following the bands formula perfectly. The bridge was pretty heavy too, at least until it drops out to the beautiful piano melody. It’s very much a radio track, but I mean that in the most complimentary way possible. It was a great choice for a single, and a track that easily makes our playlist!

Single ‘My Funeral’ heavies things back up again with a dark, gothic riff and melody. It follows a similar vibe and structure to the previous track, but doesn’t get quite as big, the chorus staying a little more subdued and industrial. It was a nice touch, changing things up and keeping the dark vibe. It’s a simple track in theory, but is executed to perfection by a band that have really nailed their sound and writing. And we still got some great screams in the bridge, it fitting the track to a T. This time round it was a bit of an interesting choice for a single, it felt slightly album-track-esque, but was still a good song in its own right!

Another single and another guest slot, this one is so Wednesday 13 I’m shocked it landed on this release and not his album from last year. It’s an industrial track full of attitude and venom, and lyrics that skirt the line between cheesy, excellent and relatable. The pair’s vocals fit together perfectly though, and the band do a great job of changing their sound to fit who they’re working with, which is on great display here! It’s another simple track from a structure standpoint, but is a lot of fun, and would go down a storm live! We even get a fun little guitar solo tucked away in the middle, showing off how underrated of a player Pi is. It’s definitely one to check out if you like more of the light-hearted, horror-infused sound Wednesday is known for, but it still has plenty of LOTL staples throughout too!

Tracks like ‘The Shadows Within’ and ‘La Vie Est Hell’ are truly epic ballads. The former, while having some heavy instrumentation still, feels like it is lead by the piano, and the steady pace works perfectly with the soaring vocals. The latter follows a similar vibe, but trades in the piano for a clean guitar and a more driving, plodding drum. It also featured some awesome vocals from Kissin’ Dynamite frontman Hannes Braun, him fitting surprisingly well into the moodier atmosphere. The track being performed and written in French and being a play on the famous phrase was also a nice touch. It’s a great song and another big highlight of the album for me! It was interesting to put two slower tracks one after another though, especially when we’ve had a few heavier ones in a row!

While still on the steadier end pace-wise, ‘Square One’ is a gothic synth track through and through. It reminds me a lot of Smash into Pieces, or at least a combination of them and Birthday Party Massacre. It’s a simple track that still builds to a massive, infectiously catchy chorus, and fits the band and albums style perfectly. It’s a great song that, while does feel slightly album-track-like, it breaks up the album amazingly, and is still great in its own right!

Another ballad in ‘When Did the Love Break’, a brutal breakup song featuring Xandria’s Ambre Vourvahis. It’s yet another example of how well the band work with other vocalists, and this is a truly beautiful, bittersweet duet. ‘Your Love is Colder than Death’ is another moody, gothic-industrial metal track, at least changing things up a little again following the previous track. It’s not a bad song, but was the point that I started to feel just a little fatigue with the album. It’s been a lot of slower paced stuff in a row and, while they aren’t exactly known for their thrash, the opening tracks had so much energy and having another one slotted in later on may have helped. Still, again, neither are bad songs by any stretch!

The final two tracks of the album are two more epic, ballad-like songs. However, both feel unique to each other, as well as the rest of the release. Cats in Space alumni Damien Edward’s kills it on the first, and the heavy, screamed bridge was an excellent touch. Meanwhile, the closer is a truly epic, grandiose soundscape, closing things off rather perfectly! It feels almost ‘Sound of Silence’-like with its orchestral swells and main focus on the powerful vocals and lyrics. The lyrics in particular are horribly relatable. It’s another huge highlight of not only the album, but the trilogy as a whole, and I couldn’t think of a better closing track.

Overall: This was a great album! I do have to admit right out of the gate that I think my expectations after the last two were rather high, and this didn’t quite hit them. However, as an album as a whole, it is still damn good, and serves to cap off the OPVS NOIR trilogy rather perfectly. And, as an album as a whole, it’s still a great Lord of the Lost release, up there among some of their best. I still think I prefer the previous two, with Vol. 1 now firmly being my favourite album from the band, but if you have the chance to sit and listen through all of the trilogy, I would definitely recommend doing so! They really are the kings of their style, and are proving it time and time again!

The Score: 8/10

New Music Mondays: Corrosion of Conformity, Charley Crockett and More!

Another week, some more awesome new music for us to check out from across the spectrum. Let’s dive in!

Corrosion of Conformity: Good God / Baad Man

I’m hoping this album is a grower, not a shower. Unless what It’s showing is that Down should finally put out some new music again. The riffs are certainly there, and I liked a good bit of Pepper’s vocals, especially when he channeled his inner Mike Patton/Jello Biafra. However, something about it just didn’t hook me in, especially the opening few tracks. ‘The Handler’ was the first track that I found myself actively enjoying. Songs like ‘Lose Yourself’ and the bluesy ‘Handcuff County’ are also personal favourites. Honestly, the album was better later on when they leant into that side of their sound, with the opening half being a bit of a slog. As a fan of their 90s output, I much preferred their sludgy blues stuff to their experimental hardcore early sound, so did feel slightly let down when they didn’t get to their most popular grooviness until later on. While I get and appreciate what they were trying to do here, it didn’t really work for me, sadly. Also, this thing is over an hour in length; that’s just too long.

If you like all of their previous sounds, you’ll probably love this. However, if you like one over the other, you may get a bit of a culture shock with this release, like I did. As I said, it might grow on me more with more listens, and I do want to give it more of a chance in the coming months. Disc 2 (‘Baad Man’ onwards) is honestly awesome, and would have made an amazing 37 minute album. But I didn’t like much of Disc 1, so because of that, I give this a tentative 7.5/10. It could get higher with repeat listens, though!

Charley Crockett: Age of the Ram

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

Michael Sweet: The Master Plan

The first solo album in seven years from the Stryper main-man, this is an epic 40-minutes of AOR music! The opener/title track is some Genesis-level grandiose movie score type stuff. It also sets the tone perfectly for another nine soft rock bangers! ‘Lord’, the truly epic ballad ‘Eternally’ and ‘Faith’ are also big highlights, but there isn’t a bad song on here. It’s a bit… incredibly… preachy, which definitely drops it down a notch or two for me, but musically it is still damn good. Don’t get me wrong, It’s not Stryper, but It’s still good music if you’re into the likes of The Police or Foreigner or even Seal. And if you can get past all the god stuff (or you’re genuinely into that, of course!). It’s good music that I sadly probably won’t revisit often. However, it still gets a solid 7/10. It would definitely be higher if I god-bothered.

Foreignwolf: Merely Mortal

The second EP from the alt-metallers comes nearly five years after their last. Honestly, they really stepped up with this release too, this thing is 14 minutes of absolute awesomeness! ‘Tyrant’ is the perfect opener, metalcore excellence. Then you have the slower, more epic ‘Hollow’ heavy single ‘Imposter Syndrome’ and the post-hardcore, almost emo closer. Each track is as good as the last, all feeling different to each other while still sounding like the same band. It’s one hell of a testament to the bands stellar writing talents. And, it all flows fantastically together, making it a must-listen in full at least once. If you are into the heavier side of things, check this out ASAP. The band certainly have a new fan in me, and I already can’t wait to see where we go from here! 8.5/10

Nervosa: Slave Machine

Max: So this was my first time listening to Nervosa, and I must say, I was not disappointed. This is a very solid album with an intensity that keeps you hooked through out with bouncing riffs that are simply fun. There is also a nice balance of melodic sections and filthy, intense moments so the album is able to appeal to a multitude of people whilst not disappointing anyone. From what I have read, this is only the second album since their current vocalist and founding member Prika Amaral took up the role, and it really is a great album so I will be sure to check out their previous album as well. a very solid 8.5/10!

Emma Harner: Evening Star

The debut album from the ‘math folk’ rising star is a beautiful, chilled out 36 minutes of acoustic-based music. While not strictly my sort of thing, there is no denying her talents as a musician and a songwriter. Tracks like the epic-building ‘Charlotte’ and ‘Cowboys Chords’ are standouts for me. However, if you are into this sort of style, It’s all an excellent journey and listen. In the nicest and most complimentary way possible, it is sad white girl music. So, if that resonates with you, this is well worth a listen! It’s not something I’d revisit often, but certainly wouldn’t turn it off if it was on again! A still-solid 6.5/10 from us, and I’m curious to hear where she goes from here.

Toxic Shock: Future is Calling

Max: I’ll be clear, I didn’t like this at all. It’s not a genre I particularly like and whilst this album is far from the worst thing ever, it doesn’t change my perspective. It not an objectively bad album by any means, I just found it very boring. The first few tracks were good they gave me hope but the last few tracks really weren’t great, and the last track in particular, “Sex Beat”, just didn’t land with me at all. I can’t give it any more than a 5/10

Enquire Within: Doomsday Profit

The UK metallers are back with a follow-up to their absolutely stellar 2024 EP, and I for one have been damn excited since I first heard about it! And honestly, it lives up to my hype for it. This thing is fucking awesome! All nine tracks on it are excellent too, making it almost impossible to pick highlights. It has a great flow to it as every song feels unique enough to keep it interesting throughout, while still all feeling distinctly Enquire Within. Having said that, the modern Machine Head-like ‘Rebellion’ definitely has my heart! From the solid drumming to the amazing riffing and breakdowns to both the harsh and clean vocals, it’s all fantastic, and kept me hooked throughout! The band are really making waves in the underground scene, and with output like this It’s incredibly easy to hear why. If you are at all into the heavier stuff, from alt metal to metalcore to melodeath, this is an absolute must-listen! A very easy 9/10 from us!

No Terror in the Bang: Existence

Following up their 2024 album, the French prog metallers go hard with this five song collection! I wasn’t familiar with them heading in, but they immediately have a HUGE new fan in me! ‘Moon’ was the perfect opener, having me hooked in from the start and not letting me go for the full 20 minutes of the EP. The heavy ‘Goat’ and the epic closer are also big highlights, but every track on this is amazing in its own right. It’s clearly inspired by the likes of Jinjer but, honestly, I enjoy this even more, evolving that sound and taking it to new heights! I honestly can’t get enough of this release, and it’s insane to me that they aren’t a much bigger name already. Check this out if you are at all interested; it isn’t long and shows off exactly what the band is about. Another solid 8.5/10

Luke Grimes: Red Bird

The second album from the rising country start, we actually loved his debut in 2024. Sadly, this one is taking a little more getting into. Don’t get me wrong, songs like the opener and ‘Drink Drink Drink’ are great, and the beautiful duet of ‘Without You’ is also damn memorable. However, a lot of the rest of it is pretty slow overall, a folk/Americana/classical sound. Don’t get me wrong, his self-titled album is also pretty slow and similar at times, but I think overall there’s a bit more to it, or at the very least it’s longer so there’s more room for varied sounds. And from memory even the slower tracks felt like they had a bit more to them, a slight more of a radio hook. I enjoyed Red Bird, but outside of the aforementioned songs it just makes me want to listen to his other stuff. If you want a chilled folky album to throw on and relax to, this is absolutely that. It’s also packed full of plenty of emotion, which is always great to hear. As I said, it isn’t a bad release at all, but is a bit of a tough second album. Hopefully it grows on me with more listens, but for now I can’t give it any more than 7/10

Codefendants: LIFERS

This is 30 minutes of glorious, 90s-inspired chaos, and I loved every second! From punk to hip-hop to hardcore to metal, the band very much wear their inspiration on their sleeve, and it’s amazing to hear it all blended together like this. ‘Crime Wave’, is apparently how they’re describing their genre, which honestly kinda fits. I somehow missed their debut back in 2023, but this sophomore album is a lot of fun, and a real breath of fresh air from Fat Mike, Sam King and Ceschi Ramos. Heck, I even got touches of modern, MCR-like emo in there in the slower, more ballad-tracks. From ‘Rivals’ to the pop-punk ‘Crime Wave’ to ‘The Right Wrong Man’, there are some massive highlights on here. However, the album has a fantastic flow to it that makes it an easy full listen, and none of the songs are bad.

It’s nostalgic for me, growing up with all the sounds individually, yet still feels like something wholly new and interesting. If you’re a fan of stuff a bit more out there, but still with some attitude, edge and something to say, this is very much the album for you! I’ll be listening to it a lot moving forward, and already it gets a solid 8.5/10 from us!

Shelby Stone: Silveryear

The debut album from the emerging Texas red dirt country singer-songwriter dropped this last Friday, and is a full 71-minutes of greatness! She combines typical darker country with a heavier rock edge perfectly, arguably more successfully than bigger names who attempt it like Brantley Gilbert and Koe Wetzel. Heck, the epic opener sets the tone for this perfectly, building to a massive, metal-boardering soundscape that rivals that of DOROTHY or The Pretty Reckless, as much as the earlier stages are more Bridge City Sinners. It’s an absolutely phenomenal track that had me hooked from the get go. From there, ‘Killing Time’ continues the vibe perfectly, adding a bit more country to the proceedings, and ‘Burns Blue’ being an early up-tempo banger. Then you have the likes of ‘This Time Around’, ‘Fire Escape’ and the boot-stompin’ ‘Dynamite’ that are all massive highlights in their own right. However, not only is there not a bad song throughout, the extended length goes by in a flash, a true testament to Stone’s insane talent as a musician and songwriter! While it maybe had one or two too many slower tracks in a row at times, Shelby’s powerful vocals and emotional lyrics still kept it all incredibly interesting.

As you can tell, I can’t rave about this release enough! This is an absolutely incredible album that has made Stone a massive new fan in me. How she isn’t an absolutely massive name already is beyond me. She straddles the line between country, rock and even modern pop seamlessly, and has crafted something truly special with this release. I’ll be spinning it plenty moving forward, and I can’t give it any less than 9.5/10. Amazing stuff!

Phoenix Lake and Friends Rock Saltbox!

Nottingham locals Phoenix Lake headlined a packed line up at Saltbox, hot off the release of their debut album ‘Seraphina: The Fall From Eden’. Friday night drew a good crowd to the bar-venue in  Nottingham, and with four bands taking the stage that evening it wasn’t long before that crowd
got energetic.

Opening the night and getting room on the right level were 7eventh Sea, another Nottingham based metalcore band with heavy riffs and high energy breakdowns. Their thirty minute set was impressive from start to finish, their track ‘Falsified Dreams’ was a particular standout from the set. Vocalist Stee Owen had a commanding stage presence and skilled vocals to back it up, and drummer Aaron Gregory was incredibly tight throughout the dynamic and technical set. Fans of  Lorna Shore and While She Sleeps keep an eye on these lads over the next few years.

With the room filling as more people arrive, Aethoria took the stage next. Hailing from Ipswich this  hard rock group are a perfect accompaniment to headliners Phoenix Lake. Very similar in style and sound, but with their own attitude and a good hit with the crowd in the room. After some initial technical problems with the microphone, vocalist Mecia had the room in the palm of her  hands for the rest of their time on stage. A confident band with a solid sound, raising the energy once again in the room.

The crowd are raring to go by this point two solid sets down and two bands left to perform, next up: Black Lakes from South Wales. Entering the stage draped in black cloaks and kilts alike the
five piece metal group started strong with some high energy tracks. It appeared a good portion of the crowd were fans and had come down to check them out, and their energetic frontman knew how to play to the crowd well. While they performed well I think due to the strong showings of the other bands Black Lakes were the weakest set of the night. Their strong start felt like it waned as the set progressed, leaving me expecting more of a band this high in the billing.

Any feelings of disappointment were quickly dispelled when headliners Phoenix Lake took the stage. Coming out to a roaring crowd the Nottingham band felt the hometown love in Saltbox as they tore into their hour long set. Vocalist Lana Phillis doesn’t have to rely on just her impressive vocal talents to hold her own on stage with the rest of the band, interacting seamlessly with the crowd and letting the other band members take their moments to shine. A healthy dose of tracks off the new album was to be expected as the band tours the UK to promote its release.

Luckily for us the album is brilliant and the new songs sound great live. The group obviously revelled in having a home town crowd show so much support, it will be great to see what lofty heights the four piece can reach off the back of the album. Phoenix Lake are on the road around the UK throughout April and the beginning of May, be sure to check them out as they rightfully show off what they have created together! A truly amazing night packed full of incredible music!

Written by Owen Hathaway.

Age of the Ram: Charley Crockett’s Best Album Yet?

The whopping 16th album from the modern classical country star dropped today, to a hell of a lot of hype! We’ve checked out a couple in recent years, and I’m becoming a big fan, so when this came across our desk I wanted to deep dive into it and really see what it is about. Especially since it seems like such a concept/theatrical release. Let’s dive in, ladies and gents!

After a brief intro track, Theme I setting the tone perfectly, ‘Lonesome Dove’ is a fantastic opening song. The classic country sound is encapsulated perfectly by Crockett, and this is so very Hank I or Haggard. It’s simple and steady, but so fantastically written and performed. The acoustic chords and basic drumbeat are a backdrop for Charley’s powerful vocals and amazing lyrics. And still it’s a catchy chorus, especially the last one when the backing vocals join it. It’s a great, chilled way to open the album!

‘Rancho Deluxe (Main Theme)’ is a simple two minute track that keeps the same vibe going, as well as continuing the story and theme of the album to perfection. He’s such a fantastic storyteller, definitely up there with the best among the oft-forgotten art in the mainstream currently. And instrumentally, while it is rather basic by today’s standards, it all still slots together perfectly, and the overall product of everyone’s work is excellent. And it almost feels like another intro track to ‘My Last Drink of Wine’, which I loved.

Speaking of that track, it’s the first highlight of the album, for me! Starting off the same as the other tracks, it actually picks up the pace a little into a memorable chorus. It’s more something you can dance to, which is always fun. Also, the piano coming in for the second verse was excellent, adding to the old-timey feel but also completely fitting in with the rest of the song. In fact, the almost constant instrumentation between each part is fascinating writing, and kept me hooked throughout. We even get a great little guitar solo to close things out! It’s an excellent traditional country track, and one that easily makes it onto our playlist! It’s probably the closest to a radio-friendly track so far, too.

‘Fastest Gun Alive’ is another steady track, but another great, radio-hook of a chorus! The same can be said for ‘Crazy Woman Ridge’ and ‘Me & Shooter’. All are awesome tracks that are up there alongside ‘Last Drink…’ for me as firm album highlights. However, they all also feel different from each other, with the latter being an excellent bluegrass song! I love that they are spread throughout the album too, keeping it constantly varied and interesting. However, I do think it’s in tracks like these are where his band shine through the most as they have the most to do, and that big-band-country style is definitely a big favourite of mine. If you are going to check out any songs from the album, let it be these four. However, they are far from the only good songs on the release!

Meanwhile, songs like ‘Diamond Belle’, ‘I Shot Jesse James’, ‘Sweet Mother Texas’ and ‘Billy McLane’ are more slower, simpler tracks again. They are very much more focused on just Charley’s vocals and guitar, even if there are some other basic instruments adding to the overall sound. None are inherently bad songs by any stretch, and I like that they are generally a bit more spread out throughout, not slowing the pace down for extended periods at once. Once again, the latter is probably my favourite of the trio, it having the most to it with the piano being prominent too, and the lyrics were damn interesting!

We also get a few more interlude/story tracks. Two more ‘Life & Times of Billy McLane’s and another ‘Rancho Deluxe’ keep the story flowing excellently. It’s a bit of a lost art form these days, especially in the country scene, but it makes the whole album a must-listen from front-to-back, and without them I would genuinely say the release wouldn’t be as good. Plus, ‘… (End Theme)’ is honestly one of my favourite songs on the album, another easy highlight. My only slight confusion comes with there being another six tracks after it. Despite the storyline going on, it still feels like maybe it would have served a better purpose being the album closer!

‘Kentucky Too Long’ is another fantastic song that feels a bit more riff based, clearly drawing on more of a blues inspiration. The riffing is excellent, as is the soloing throughout, and the track as a whole feels like some combination of Merle, ZZ Top and even Lenny Kravitz at times. It’s still a chilled-out, stripped-back song, but is once again something different on an album that is fairly long, so it is more than welcomed. And, as I said it, it’s a damn good song in its own right! Another song that I would highly recommend, especially if you are into more of a blues vibe!

Then, there are a few shorter tracks sprinkled throughout. ‘Remembering Pat’ is an interesting song from a lyrical standpoint, and honestly I’d have taken more than 45-seconds of it. ‘Border Winds’ is a fun little vocal melody with just a slight guitar part behind it, while ‘Powder River’ is another fun outlier of a track that channels more of that bluegrass or real old-school western vibe to it. It’s another one that I’d have happily taken as a whole song, but am still glad of its inclusion here. It also bleeds rather perfectly into its following track, ‘Low Down Freedom’. Said song continues that same sort of vibe, definitely once again having a blues edge to it, even if it’s a steadier tempo and more chilled for the most part. However, it’s another that has an incredible chorus to it, designed to be played to huge festival crowds, and that repeating blues riff is AWESOME! Another huge highlight on an album seemingly packed full of them!

The final track on the album, ‘Cover my Trail Tonight’, feels like it draws together everything before it, somehow capping off something so grandiose excellently. An overall dark Western feel, packed full of some amazing lyrics and instrumentation. The guitaring is just as big of a high point as the vocals, too. It’s everything Crockett is about rolled up into an under four minute package, and is another one that is an absolute must-check-out!

Overall: I absolutely loved this! Having gotten into him the last couple of years or so, I can safely say this is my favourite thing I’ve checked out from him. It feels like the most concise things he’s put out in recent times, wild given the releases sprawl, and it has more than a couple of songs that I would put up there with his very best! Charley’s talent is undeniable, and I’m so glad he’s finally getting the recognition he deserves for it. If you are into a more classic country sound, this release is an absolute must!

The Score: 8.5/10