Another trip to the legendary Nottingham venue for a stacked lineup of incredible hard rock and metal bands! Having seen half of them multiple times before, I was certainly excited to see them again, while the half I’d not seen had me just as pumped! Without further ado, let’s dive into just how great it was!
The legendary Californian nu/alt metallers Adema were up first. A band that I’ve been a fan of since my teen years but never had the chance to catch live, they certainly did not disappoint! They didn’t have a huge amount of time, but they worked their asses off and put on a fantastic show regardless. It was heavy on their incredible debut, but we still got a cheeky track from both Unstable and Insomniac’s Dream. The massive hit ‘The Way You Like It’ was of course a massive highlight, but closer ‘Giving In’ was also awesome, and a big crowd favourite! Tim is back on lead vocals once again and sounds just as great as ever, while whoever they had on drums also killed it, just like the other the other two. I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to see them, but I already need to get to another of their shows, especially if it’s a longer set!
Next up were a band we’re very familiar with here at Overtone, South of Salem! It had actually been a little while since we’d seen them, and this very much reminded me of how much I love them! It was another set that was maybe a touch short, missing one or two of my favourites from their debut. However, the set was still stacked with banger after banger. From opener ‘Lwt us Prey’ through the awesome ‘Static’ to perennial closer ‘Cold Day in Hell’, the whole half an hour was amazing. Heck, we even got a cheeky cover, the band doing Savage Garden’s ‘To the Moon & Back’ perfectly, paying homage to the original while still sounding like SoS. Each member of the band worked their asses off throughout, and fromtman Joey Draper is such a commanding presence, the crowd eating out the palm of his hand from the very first minute. The band have been killing it for years now, and hopefully we are getting album three and a big headline tour soon!
Next up were my most anticipated band of the night, Finger Eleven. I have been a big fan of them for years, but somehow fell even more in love with them after last year’s Last Night on Earth. So, hearing ‘Adrenaline’ and ‘The Mountain’ live was truly something else! Having said that, I was actually a little surprised we got ‘Slow Chemical’ but DAMN, it was amazing to hear in a live setting! Just another incredible wrestling theme I’ve seen live, and my gosh do I miss when WWE had entrances like this again. And, of course, the likes of ‘Quicksand’, ‘First Time’ and ‘Good Times’ were also so great to hear live! Both guitarists put their all into the performance too, and Scott sounded as good as ever vocally. He may have been a little too stationary, but it actually kinda complimented their music well, and he still had some great crowd interaction! They fit perfectly on this bill and played a great set that was over all too soon. Shame the crowd were a little low energy for it, but outside of that it was excellent!
Out of the three times I’ve now seen Soil, this was the best one yet! It was still rather Scars-heavy like their last tour, but the album is packed full of so many bangers it’s hard to complain! The book-ending the set with ‘Breaking Me Down’ and ‘Halo’ will always be perfect, and the likes of ‘Unreal’ and ‘Black 7’ are incredible too! However, we had a little more variety than before. ‘The Hate Song’ and ‘Way Gone’ from their criminally underrated last album were amazing live, as was their new single ‘Enemy X’. And the likes of ‘Pride’ and ‘Redefine’ are always welcome additions to their live shows!
Speaking of the show, the band worked their asses off throughout! I touched on it when seeing Drowning Pool at Download, but Ryan’s vocals are stronger than they’ve been in years, and he was on top form as a frontman here! Meanwhile the rest of the band brought the energy in a big way, and were clearly having fun up there. They were a fitting headliner for the show, putting on one hell of a set for over an hour, and closing things out with a bang! And, what’s more, the crowd we’re big into it, marching the bands energy. Hopefully this renewed momentum and new track means another album is finally on the horizon soon…!
And there we have it, folks. A night packed with amazing hard rock and metal music, put on by four incredible live bands! I cannot recommend any of them enough, either on track or live, and this certainly won’t be the last time I see all of them, I’m sure!
We had the pleasure of chatting to Mr Baby Lasagna himself, Marko Purišić, about their brand new album, their upcoming European tour, and his future plans! Check it all out below!
I think a lot of people will still probably be most familiar with you from Eurovision. How would you describe your current sound to people who are only really familiar with that one track?
Goofy-ass metal, I would say. I think we definitely got back to our roots, which is like metal and rock music definitely. And I think our attitude is maybe what can give us some kind of a window to maybe separate ourselves from other artists, and that is maybe our kind of lightheartedness or goofiness or whatever. I think that’s kind of the best way to describe what we’re doing. I think there’s moments of like seriousness in those kind of moments, but I think I’m way too biased to be the one judging that kind of thing, so maybe people other people should take a lesson and see what we’re all about!
What made you transition back to metal? Obviously you mentioned it’s where you started out!
Yeah, definitely, maybe like 15 years ago. I would say that Eurovision phase would mostly would be considered from myself a transition because everything kind of just happened and I didn’t have an album, I just had songs on my computer laying down. Those are the songs that I wrote for other artists and they just didn’t go through. So I was like, this is now hot, I gotta have an album. I’m not 100% satisfied with it, but you know you gotta put something out and I think it’s the right thing. But then now that we have time, we are going back, although we never left, to the things that we truly love, which is mostly metal and rock music with subgenres of like hard style techno and stuff like that.
I didn’t realize you were a songwriter as well. I feel like it’s a little rare these days in kind of rock and metal to find people who do still songwriter for the people.
Yeah, I think it’s also rare. So when I actually got the award for the best selling album in Germany, not for me but for the band that I wrote for, a Gothic metal band. So that was kind of weird. But I can understand and I appreciate when people even from rock music, they’re now older and they’re tired and they feel like they’ve already written all that they can write, so they’re looking for help. They’re still really involved in songwriting, it’s just that they need that kind of first idea, the first brick on which they will build their own kind of approach. It’s not the usual kind that you are used to, to maybe, I don’t know, Sabrina Carpenter or whatever. Like pop music where they just come to the studio, here’s your new song and go with it.
Speaking on the album, it seems to have gone down really well. I’ve read a few reviews outside of my own and everyone seems to be loving it!
Yeah, I was kind of surprised with it. Not that I didn’t expect it or… you never know when you release it. As I said again, I’m way too deep into it to know what it’s like objectively, like what’s the response going to be. I was hoping for it, but I think it’s good. The only objection I would make to myself is that I don’t have the moment in album, like everything is good, but nothing jumps up, jumps out. I think in the third one we’ll have that better maybe something. I don’t know, that’s what I feel like!
Yeah. I feel like maybe a couple of again, just because I wasn’t familiar with your stuff pre-Eurovision, I feel like a couple of the the screams and stuff like that stood out. But, yeah, I suppose if you’re more familiar with your stuff…
Yeah, I think it kind of lacks a good moment, like a good part in the song that really stands out. All of the songs are like, yeah, good, nice, but none of them is like, oh, this is the one. I feel like I’m sounding like the guys from NoFX right now. I remember them releasing an album and journalist asking them, well, tell us about your new album, and they were like “it’s okay, the last one was better, but this one will do”!
No, I know what you mean though. I suppose as well if you’ve been sitting on the songs for quite a while, and I’ve spoken to a few artists where they’re like, the amount they played it in the studio and then rehearsing for it for a live setting, you kind of just get a bit desensitized to it almost.
Yeah, man. And it was kind of a tense situation for us because, you know, now all of a sudden you have kind of expectations, you have people listening, which you didn’t have so far, that can bring some pressure. Although it’s pretty under the surface, I think we did a good job with what we had and I think we can stand behind that album!
Is there a theme or story running through it or is it more kind of, you know, separate tracks?
Yeah, as a songwriter, I never got used to writing an album as a whole, I was always writing song by song by song. But I can see now looking back on the album and listening to it, there’s a lot of stuff. So the first album was really commenting a lot on society and blah blah blah. The second one now is really self-involved more. I think it’s just because of Eurovision and everything that happened, our lives turned one day to the next, we’re totally different. Everything is now different and there’s a whole lot of attention hear in Croatia on us, and it kind of brings a lot of feelings, a lot of emotions, it changes you as a person. And I think the whole theme running throughout the album is kind of that; like wrestling with something new within yourself. The best thing I can hope a listener could get from that album is hope. And I know I was writing a lot of songs, for example, “Face On Your Phone” as a fuck you. So it gives them hope, give them strength to oppose everything that’s bothering them in life, so that’s that’s what I hope!
What’s the writing process like for you? Is it mainly you? Or do you guys all just kind of get together in a room and hash it out?
Yeah, we when we started writing this album, we rented a really nice villa and we were like, “now we’re going to write an album and it’s going to be so cool. That’s like what the big bands do!” We go we got there expecting to write, I don’t know, it would be great if we write five songs, six, seven, oh my god, maybe 10. We ended up writing one song, ‘End the Party’. And yeah, I got to tell you, I even told my boys that I kind of hate writing in a group. For 10 years I was writing alone and now it’s so weird. Crossing off each other’s energy… I need to learn that and I’m willing to learn that, but I just locked myself in the room and started to play with instruments as I usually do. The only thing that’s different is that guys themselves also write song without me and then we collaborate more later and so we did it like that. I literally have anxiety, like they would say hey, let’s have a writing session, I would be like, oh my god, it’s so stressful for me. I don’t know why, even though I’m best friends with those people, but it’s just weird. When you get used to it writing alone for 10 years, it’s weird just canceling it all of a sudden!
You’ve kind of touched on it already, but there’s more writing going on I assume, right?
Yeah, I mean there’s nothing else that I can imagine myself doing right now. And I want to do this for as long as I can. The life that we’re now living is basically what I dreamed of since I was nine years old. So, of course, I remember thinking about the third album and writing it in my diary, what I wanted it to be, on the day when we released this one. So everybody was excited and listening to the new songs and you’re so detached from what’s going on in the general reality of the fans, because with with my own head I’m already in the third one. And that’s like a songwriter’s disease, I would say, because I’m trying to write as many songs as I did before. I remember in 2021 I wrote 200 songs in one year, 240, something like that, so it eas a few songs a week. So, you know, my mind is already what’s next!
The tour starts soon, right?
Yeah, next week! By the end of next week we have a first date in Milan. I think it’s worth mentioning here that we’re coming to UK again, which is amazing, because we love UK and we still have some UK dates to announce. I think we’re coming 20th or 21st or 19th, I don’t know, to Manchester and London in November. Both shows are going really well, which I’m super excited about because having a good audience in UK feels like a privilege. UK is a big market so I’m really happy about that. And I can say if you liked our concert last year when we were last there on tour, I promise you’re going to absolutely love this one. We did everything differently, it’s going to be perfect!
Is there any kind of comparisons you can make between the scene out here compared to back home?
Oh, definitely. First of all, I love playing outside of Croatia just because of hear in Croatia… now it’s getting better and it’s going to get better with time, but the ‘Rim Tim Tagi Dim’ hype grew bigger than Baby Lasagna, than everything, it was just big of a song. And when you play here, people visiting your concert were not necessarily a fan of yours, they were fan of ‘Rim Tim Tagi Dim’ and they were just waiting for an hour to play that songs. As I said, it’s been now two years, so I think it’s it’s kind of getting in the right direction where we are doing solo gigs and people are are actually listening to our songs.
But yeah, playing in the UK is different. It’s where people know your songs, and last year or the year before that we played 2000 Trees festival, which was so perfect for us because a lot of people didn’t know us there and it ended up being packed. We were on some forest stage and by the end of it a few thousand people were singing to us, which was like the biggest honor because we are new here. They were singing like, “Oh, Baby Lasagna”. That’s cool. And that was one of my favorite moments ever in music that I’ve been to, and it brought tears to my eyes. So yeah, I would say we have a special bond with the UK, and last year London was sold out, I think this year Manchester will be and maybe London too, so we’re excited!
You seem pretty active and up on the whole social media game. Is there any advice you could give for a band or artist just starting out on that side of things?
Post and run! I’m talking to you right now on my main phone and I’ve got another phone that’s turned off where I have all my social media. And I just record a video, post and just close it and stay away. I can’t do it for me and it eats me alive. I can see myself like going down spiritually and emotionally at some point, just draining myself, so I’m definitely careful with it. I’m trying my best to stay active on it because I think it’s a cool way to, you know, work on your relationship with the fans, but at the same time it’s not good for you. I would be definitely careful with it.
I’m glad that you you said that I seem to be on it because I feel like, “Ah, you’re not doing enough, ah, you haven’t posted in three days” and oh my god, because I see people having teams, social media managers and blah blah on my level. Maybe it could work, but I don’t know. At the same time it’s just why would I hire somebody. But I don’t know, it’s all confusing a bit!
The metallic hardcore legends return this coming Friday with their ninth studio album. Being a whopping six years since Weight of the False Self, and having put out some excellent singles from this so far, the hype for this release is at an all time high! We’re big fans of the band here at Overtone so have been waiting rather impatiently for the chance to sit down and do a deep dive. So, without further ado, let’s do just that!
The album very much starts as it means to go on with ‘Kill Count Increase’. It’s heavy and brimming with attitude and swagger from the jump. A massive intro riff complete with some incredible drumming soon gives way to a massive verse. Jamey’s vocals sound just as fantastic as ever, only adding to the aggression of the track. It all leads to a pretty catchy chorus; simple and at the same level as the rest of the song, but the backing vocals add another great level to things. And sitting at not even 2:30, it’s in and out perfectly. The intro riff gets reprieved for a crushing outro breakdown, and somehow gets even heavier half-timed by the end. It is a fantastic Hatebreed track, and is an excellent way to kick things off!
Single ‘The Carrion Choir’ continues right where the opener left off. One of my favourite riffs on the album kicks it off before another balls-to-the-wall verse speeds through and into a massive, chuggy, almost groove metal chorus. It still very much feels hardcore and sounds like Hatebreed, but I do like them mixing it up a little in their structures and formula. The closing breakdown is absolute FILTH too, having me crowdkilling around my own kitchen both times I span it while writing this up. It’s everything that the band do so well, and a huge highlight of the album. It was a fantastic choice as a single, and a track that easily makes our playlist!
The first non-single, ‘Decisions Become Destinies’ gives big early 2000s Hatebreed vibes, both in the lyrics and the composition. I love it! The bass-led intro and the guitars coming in after was a great touch, as is the space and gaps between the massive drums and guitar chords for the chorus. It’s the best dynamics of any track so far, the changes between each part keeping me constantly interested and blown away. Again, it still feels like Hatebreed but goes beyond the typical hardcore genre into something really only they do. Hell, we even get a great (albeit brief) guitar solo tucked away in the middle before it drops back down to that awesome bassline again. I honestly adore this track and can’t gush over it enough. If you check out any song from the release, make sure it’s this one. Another massive highlight!
Tracks like ‘Total Invincible’, single ‘Make the Demons Obey’ and ‘None Left to Save’ are all more balls-to-the-wall hardcore tracks. The latter is probably my favourite of the three; the chorus being awesome and pretty catchy and melodic in its own way. I also love that it has plenty of room to breathe at six plus minute, really giving that breakdown riff at towards the end plenty of space to build, getting truly epic by the end of it. And then for them to just come in and kick our ass with another, slower breakdown at the end after a bit of silence, and some almost black metal guitaring, was really great and an amazing touch. It’s a fantastic way to close out the main portion of the album, and is another firm highlight! Having said all that, the single was also a lot of fun; your typical Hatebreed stuff and a track I am DESPERATE to see live! That chorus riff and vocal is CHONKY.
Then you have the likes of the title track, ‘Still a Threat’ and ‘Truth is a Lion’. While all are still heavy and very much in fitting with the band and albums sound, they have a bit more of a melodic edge to them than your typical hardcore sound. The former is another excellent pre-release single, while the other two have some pretty great guitar work throughout, almost giving Slayer vibes at times. All are great tracks in their own right, but you do very much know what you’re getting into with the band, and they do blur together just a touch on a full album listen. However, when it’s a sound like this, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as I’d certainly recommend spinning it in full!
‘Sacrifice Season’ features the incredible John Tardy of Obituary fame, lending his voice perfectly to the chaos. It gives a new depth to the track, again giving slightly more Tom Araya vibes in his delivery and sound, it fitting perfectly over the heavy hardcore instrumentation. It feels weird calling it a duet, but the two’s vocals do fit rather excellently together! And the instrumentation behind them is, of course, more heavy awesomeness. It’s another great song, everything working so well together!
The final track on the release is their cover of Corrosion of Conformity’s ‘Poison Planet’. It’s 85 seconds of pure anarchy; a breakneck pace with everyone working their asses off throughout! Jamey’s delivery is incredible, but the rest of the band also kill it with the sheer insane pace of the song. It’s a great rendition of the track, doing justice to the original yet modernising it with its production. Honestly, early CoC doesn’t get enough love these days, so hopefully this shines a light on the bands heavier roots!
Overall: This is another stellar release from the band! They have not lost even a fraction of a step in the six years since their last album, delivering everything you’d want from them in spades. There isn’t a bad track throughout and, as I said, I’d honestly recommend giving the album a spin in full as it does have a great flow to it. If you are at all a fan of the band or the style, give this a listen ASAP. It’s crazy that over three decades into their careers, they are still just as good as they’ve ever been! I’m sure to be listening to this a hell of a lot moving forward!
An absolutely MASSIVE week of new releases for us to dive into today, with some of the biggest names in rock, metal and county dropping music. What are you waiting for? Join us in diving in!
Nickelback: Everything Under the Sun
I have impatiently waiting for this albumfor most of the year now. Four insanely good singles each as good as the last had me hyped up massively to hear the other eight songs. And, honestly, they live up to said hype! From ‘Chasin’ Famous’ to the guest-packed ‘Lift Somebody Up’ to their early post-grunge stylings on ‘Bottled Dreams’, there are some fantastic, upbeat “album tracks” on here. And even some of the slower ones like ‘Simple Song’ are fantastic. There is maybe one too many slower songs throughout, especially in the early run between ‘Bones for the Crows’ and ‘Chasin’ Famous’, but it’s a style that Nickelback are known for, and really play to perfection. While it’s not quite a perfect album, well over half of the release is highlight worthy, and I did enjoy it more than their still-great last release. It may not be up there alongside Right Reasons or Dark Horse or Silver Side, but it is not far behind them, and I do feel like it will still grow on me with even more listens! And regardless, the singles are still phenomenal! An easy 8.5/10 from us!
Queens of the Stone Age: Perfecth
QOTSA are an odd one for me. There are songs and even full albums that I love from them, but I feel like it has been a while since I have truly gotten into something from them. Their ninth album is an interesting one for me. All semblance of the hard/desert rock sound that had made them so big has finally been fully stripped away, replaced by this soft, jazz-adjacent rock that Homme has tried to squeeze into every album to this point. However, that’s all this album is. No big riffs, no heaviness, just a plodding pace, twiddly guitaring and some big, grandiose vocal layers.
Having said all of that, I actually didn’t hate it. It’s probably the most I’ve enjoyed one of their albums since …From Clockwork. From the perfect build of the opener to the acoustic, Latina-flavoured ‘From the Cliff’ to single ‘Easy Street’ there is some good, interesting stuff on here. It’s not exactly what I want from the band, but Homme is a masterful songwriter and certainly hasn’t produced a bad album here. I’m curious to see the general consensus on this, as well as if it will grow on me more with more listens. It’s a quirky departure from their previous sound, but it may very well pay off for the band, and it still somehow feels like them. 5.5/10
Kaitlin Butts: Hello Honky Tonk
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read our full review here.
Enslaved: Mið
Following up on 2023’s critically acclaimed Heimdal, the Norwegian extreme metallers once again return with a brutal, dark slab of music. It follows on from the rest of their discography, having a type melodic edge to the style that only Enslaved can do, while still maintaining the bleakness and heaviness of their black/extreme metal roots. The tribal and clean vocals are a fun, quirky touch, and the guests add some fun interesting dynamics and twists too. It is far more than just a straight-up heavy album, with ‘Mountain’ in particular feeling like latter career Opeth over any sort of black metal. However, it’s just as awesome as the balls-to-the-wall stuff like ‘Tales of Trees’, and is a true testament to the bands talent for writing. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not an album for everyone, but if you are a fan of the band or are at all interested, give it a spin! 6.5/10
RATTLESNAKES: Shadows in the Night
The debut album from one of the shining lights in the heavy metal revival in the UK scene finally dropped this Friday. It had a lot of hype surrounding it and, I’m not just saying this because I love the guys, but it deserves every bit of it. Each of these 10 tracks are as good as the last, and all flow together perfectly. It’s a phenomenal throwback 70s/80s release, but also feels modernised in the best ways, through both the writing and the production (shout-out the amazing Audiomage!). Because of that, I’d honestly recommend this to anyone, regardless of what genre they are into.
Speaking of the tracks themselves too, they are all incredible. It’s impossible to pick just a couple of highlights as honestly, they could all be massive radio and live hits in their own right. Everyone is working their asses off throughout, with it being packed full of amazing riffs, huge choruses and blistering solos from start to the end. And Rowena still remains one of the most criminally underrated vocalists around today, blowing me away on every track here. As great as their debut EP was last year, this takes that formula and turns it all up to 11, being somehow even more excellent! It’s easy to compare them to the titans and pioneers of the sound, but honestly they build on the old-school formula and create something unique to them. The scene is gaining some real momentum recently with the likes of Wailing Bansheeand Absolva, and these guys are right up there with those leading the charge. I can’t give it any less than 9.5/10, do yourselves a favour and give this a listen ASAP!
Dustin Lynch: Clean Slate
Jade: If you are a lover of modern country, something a little cheesy and super catchy, then you’ll probably enjoy this album as much as I did! It’s up there with some of my favourite country artists such as Kane Brown, Brad Paisley and Blake Shelton. Which makes total sense considering these are all artists Dustin Lynch has toured with.
Dustin has very strong vocals packed full of that unmistakable country twang. All I will say is that with the ever growing condensed column of country artists now all with a very similar sound, it does necessarily not stand out all too much. However, make no mistake, this doesn’t mean I don’t like the album. I am an absolute sucker for this exact genre of country music, it probably makes up about ninety percent of my playlist at this point! I will have to keep an eye out for a UK tour, as I need to know if he is as good live as he is on track!
A couple of my favourites were ‘Real Fine Reason’, ‘She Don’t Know’, ‘Built Us A Life’, and the one that reminded me most of Kane Brown… ‘One Tennessee’. However, I would recommend listening to every song on this album, it really is that good! 8.5/10
Against the Current: Till Death & Back
The first album in over five years from the pop rockers is a welcome, powerful return! It’s just over half an hour of catchy melodies, catchy, soaring vocals and just enough rock instrumentation to add some interesting intros and bridges. If it is your sort of genre, it is absolutely an album I’d recommend! Between ‘Dead Man Walking’, ‘Heavenly’ and ‘Stuck’, there is plenty to love, but there honestly isn’t a bad track throughout. It’s not 100% my thing, especially when a lot of it was pretty similar in terms of feel and pace. However, there is no denying the quality and the talent of everyone involved, and fans of the band will most likely love it! It’s a welcome return to the studio from a band who have always felt like they are on the cusp of being global megastars. Whether this is the release to take them to that level or not, I’m not sure, but it’s one I’ll happily revisit again, and it gets a solid 7.5/10 from us!
Ministry: Hate to Go – Takeout or Delivery
We’ve also reviewed to this in full, aren’t you lucky?! Check it out here.
Fuel: Pendulum
Another release after a half-decade drought, the US alt rockers pick up right where they left off with album seven. They’re a band that never really felt like they got their flowers in the UK, or really for their still-great later discography in general. But, with how excellent this is, I really hope they finally do from Pendulum! It’s a fantastic collection of heavy melodic hard rock, giving vibes of everything from Alter Bridge to to Finger Eleven to Shinedown, and feels like a real shot in the arm for the band. Having said that, it also still has an early 2000s vibe to it in the best way possible. ‘Want It’ opens things up excellently, while the likes of ‘Bad at Love’, ‘Enemy’ and ‘Everything’ are also amazing. However, there isn’t a bad song throughout, and there is plenty of variety throughout too! Piano ballad ‘Innocent’ is beautiful and gave me goosebumps, and even their cover of ‘Hotel California’ was good, even if I was a touch saddened by the solo. This is far better an album than I expected, and will be one I’ll certainly be spinning plenty in the weeks and months to come! It’s exactly the sort of style I like, and as you can probably tell, I loved it from start to finish! A very easy 9/10 from me!
Blind Channel: Painstream
The return album from the Finnish nu metallers after their 2024 hiatus, they have revived with one less member, vocalist Joel Hokka closing not to return to the fold. That in itself is a shame, as he was certainly a high point of their sound on their first five albums, as mixed feelings as I had for them. Sadly, whether it was Joel’s absence or other factors, this didn’t do much for me. It felt less attitude-filled nu metal and more like modern metalcore, a sound I’m not hugely into generally. It isn’t bad at all, and if you are into that style of music you’ll probably get a lot out of this, but I did prefer their more nu-leaning stuff. It just feels a little too much like it’s TRYING to be those other bands, if that makes sense? Having said that, tracks like ‘Youthanasia’ and ‘Me Versus Me’ were good and worth a listen, regardless. But, outside of that, it was just a touch bland. Niko’s cleans and screams are both great, but the instrumentation leaves a little to be desired at times, and it just lacked a fun element that their previous works had had. It may grow on me with more listens, but I am sadly not rushing to do that any time soon. 5/10, distinctly average.
Shogun Mojo: Self-Titled
The debut album from the new hard rock supergroup is a damn fun 37 minutes! The brain-child of Tommy Thayer and Dan Reed, it’s certainly better than anything we got from the former’s tenure in Kiss, and Dan Reed is one of the most underrated musicians around, period. You can hear both musicians style and writing throughout too, and they gel together excellently! The two singles are awesome, but tracks like ‘Nothing to See Here’ and ‘Fight for the Light’ are also amazing. However, the album is an incredibly easy listen, going by in a flash and it all flowing together perfectly. If you are a fan of DRN or just the softer side of 80s/90s rock, this is an album you need to check out immediately! As I said, it’s just a good fun release, and impossible not to love, like most of Dan Reeds stuff. A very easy 8/10 from us, and an album I’ll be spinning plenty moving forward!
Red Light Acid Test: FRAYED
The debut album from the British hard alt rockers finally arrived this last Friday, and is a damn fun 40-minutes of music! It’s packed full of chunky riffs, great melodic moments and massive choruses, and ties together their almost years worth of single output perfectly. The band manage to combine and straddle so many different genres across this release, from desert rock to punk, indie to stoner, but it somehow all still feels like them, a true testament to their writing abilities! Songs like ‘Patience’, ‘Senseless’ and ‘Relapse’ are personal highlights, but there really isn’t a bad song throughout. If you are at all interested or into the desert-punk side of rock, this is well worth giving a spin! The band definitely have a new fan in me, and I’m already curious to see where they go from here! Until that point though, I’ll certainly be giving this another listen or three? 7.5/10
Darkest Hour: Suffer Divine
Max: I’ll tell you what; this was quite a good album! Now sure, its not the most unique album or reinventing an aspect of the genre, but it was front-to-back a lot of fun. And it is really clear that whilst they have reached their eleventh album as a band (which is insane) they aren’t slowing down nor are they getting dull. If anything they are just showing their knowledge and expertise over their art, something that a lot of bands strive to do.
Personally I felt that there was little to do with pushing boundaries throughout this album. So, whilst every song if good, there was nothing that particularly stood out and made me want to come back for aside from the comfort and easy listening and generally great stuff the album provides. I think that in order to push my score higher to the 9s or 10s there needs to be something more, something that hooks people in, be that a unique sound or a boundary push. With all that said, this is a good album that didn’t have a dull song throughout in my opinion, making it very hard to give this anything lower than a 8/10!
Big Red: Big Sur
The debut album from the Joseph Scarisbrick-led power trio is a really interesting slower indie/blues release! I had no idea what to expect heading in, but came away a big new fan of the guy and band as a whole! The sheer emotion and vulnerability in Joseph’s lyrics and vocal delivery is incredible, giving me goosebumps plenty throughout. The arragements are simple, but fit the tone of the album phenomenally, ranging from simple and beautiful to chunky, heavy, grandiose soundscapes. It really combines so many different sounds, from indie to 2000s pop-rock, desert stuff and even a little Midwest Emo thrown in for good measure. I see why he wanted this to be a separate project instead of trying to fit it into his other bands!
Opener ‘Nightmare’ had me hooked right from the jump. Then you have songs like ‘The Creek’, ‘Not That Guy’ and the two-part title track that are just as excellent. However, as you can probably tell by now, the whole thing is really fantastic, and I could gush about it all day! It’s not a release for everyone, but if you are at all curious I would definitely recommend giving it a full spin; the album as a whole has a great flow to it! I’ll be listening to this plenty in the weeks and months to come, and I already can’t wait to see where the trio go from here. 9/10, amazing stuff!
White Rose Motor Oil: Spider
Now for a duo that I have been a little obsessed with since I first discovered them off their amazing last album. I have been impatiently waiting for this release since they announced it, and thankfully they didn’t even slightly disappoint! It’s 41-minutes of amazing country/Western/Americana music, and the band aren’t going to get nearly enough credit for this release, much like they didn’t with The Gift of Poison. And, while every song on here is awesome, the likes of single ‘HIT IN THE FACE!’, ‘A Happier Man’ and ‘Looking Good’ are personal highlights. It’s another album that is a lot of fun, and almost had a bit of an old-school punk feel and vibe to it at times, which also was a great addition. While not exactly an album full of radio-friendly songs, if any of the sounds I’ve described earlier are your sort of vibe, do yourselves a favour and check this out, you certainly won’t be disappointed! It fits in more somewhere between a Striking Matches, Bridge City Sinners, Sierra Ferrel and a touch of American Aquarium, so no wonder it’s great! It’s every bit as good as their previous full studio release, and gets another massive 9/10 from us.
Outlaw Orchestra: Ruff Round the Edges
Emerging from a bit of turbulent time from the band after 2/3rds of the band sadly took a step back earlier in the year, Dave has actually pulled out a fantastic release with this, barely two years after their awesome last album! I remember talking to the band last year and they mentioned about wanting to do a last album then, so I’m curious to know how much Pete and Ryan contributed to this, or if it’s a new band/session players backing. Regardless, I had a great time with this!
‘Hay Belly’ is up there among my favourite songs the band have produced, and is a fantastic opener. ‘Ghost Train’ is another fun boot stomper, ‘Vacation for the Mind’ is a fun soft/blues rock track, and ‘Ride Brother Ride’ rounds out the studio portion of the release excellently. Then you have live renditions of crowd favourites in ‘Too Much Willie Nelson’ and ‘Bag of Bones’ that are both also excellent, and a lot of fun. I’m not sure if this classes as a new album or more of a longer EP, but regardless it’s good! I’m glad the band are still releasing stuff, and hopefully it continues in the future, but for now I’ll happily be giving this a few more listens in the weeks to come. 8/10
We had the pleasure of sitting and chatting with the wonderful Aaron of the blues-rock power couple When Rivers Meet the other week. Check out as we chat about their latest album, upcoming tour and much more!
Your latest album dropped a few weeks ago, it seems to have gone down really well! Have you managed to see much of the fan and critical response?
We really have, and honestly, it’s been quite overwhelming in the best possible way. We always put so much of ourselves into making a record, so once it’s out there, you never quite know how people are going to connect with it.
The response from the Rapids has been incredible. We’ve had so many lovely messages, comments and conversations with people telling us which songs have connected with them and what the album means to them.
We’ve also been really pleased with the critical response. It’s lovely to see the album getting recognised, but ultimately, we’re just grateful that people are listening to real music.
Is there a certain theme running through the album, or is it more on a track-by-track basis?
I think there’s definitely a thread running through the album, but it wasn’t something we set out to create as a concept album. A lot of the songs came from different experiences and emotions, so each track has its own story and its own place on the record.
There are definitely themes of love, relationships, resilience, letting go and finding your own strength running through it. There’s also a sense of independence and standing our ground, which is something that’s really important to us, both personally and as a band.
You recently welcomed a child together. How has that changed things in terms of the music? I know at least the closing track of the release seems to be about it, and as a future father certainly touched me!
Becoming parents has definitely changed things for us, but in a really positive way! Music has always been such a huge part of our lives, and now we have Bobby, it’s about finding that balance between being musicians and being Mum and Dad.
And yes, the closing track ‘Bring Life’ is very much connected to that! It’s quite special knowing that something so personal to us can resonate with other people, particularly those who are about to become parents themselves.
Has your sound changed or evolved much from your early EPs to now?
Yes, definitely. I think our sound has naturally evolved as we’ve grown as musicians and songwriters. Our early EPs were very much rooted in traditional blues, with quite a raw, stripped back sound. Over the last 3 albums, we’ve explored more of our rock influences, and our music has become, heavier introducing dual guitars, Keys and extra harmonies into the mix.
We’ve also become much more confident in our songwriting and production. We’ve also opened up to co-writing with our producer and drummer on the last two albums, and I think that’s allowed us to experiment more without losing what makes us sound like When Rivers Meet.
We’ve never really wanted to put ourselves in a particular box. We love blues, rock, Americana and all sorts of music, and those influences have gradually found their way into what we do. But at the heart of it.
Have you got much of a tour planned for the rest of the year to support the albums release?
Absolutely! We’ve just finished our September and October Rhythm Rust & Static trio tour, which was our first tour back since having Bobby, and it was brilliant to get out playing live again.
We’ve now got our biggest tour of the year coming up in November and December, the Backbone Tour, where we’ll be heading out across the UK with our full six-piece band.
You’re rather involved on the social media side of things, do you have any advice you could give to a band or artist just starting out, in that regard?
I think the biggest piece of advice we’d give is to be consistent and be yourself. Social media is such a powerful tool for independent artists, but it’s important to remember that it’s not just about promoting your music, it’s about building a connection with people.
Do you have a dream tour lineup you’d want to be a part of? Anyone you’d want to support still or friends you’d want to bring along?
There are so many bands we’d love to share a stage with! We’ve been really fortunate to support Blue Öyster Cult at the London Palladium last year, and we’ve been invited back to support them in Glasgow next April, which is fantastic.
We’d absolutely love to tour with someone like The Black Crowes, Rival Sons,Thunder, G’N’R to name but a few. They are all incredible live bands, and we think our music would sit really well alongside theirs.
As for bringing people along, we’ve met so many brilliant musicians and made some great friends over the years. One of the best things about touring is getting to share those experiences with other artists, so putting together a tour with some of our favourite people would be pretty special!
If you could have written one song from history, what would it be and why?
That’s such a difficult question because there are so many incredible songs out there! But I think we’d have to go with The Chain’ by Fleetwood Mac. It’s such a brilliantly written song, the way it builds, the emotion behind it, and that iconic bass line. It’s one of those songs that manages to be quite simple in places but incredibly powerful. We love music that takes you on a journey, and that song does exactly that. It’s timeless!
Pick up tickets to the Backbone tour here while you still can!
The industrial metal legends are back with a brand new album, their 17th and supposed final ever. They are a band I have loved for decades at this point, and have covered in varying capacity on this site in the past, so there was no way I wasn’t going to dive in to Al Jourgensen and co.’s final release head first. The singles so far have been pretty great, so I am very curious to see what the rest of the album holds!
The album opens perfectly with ‘Crickets’. A massive drumbeat soon has the guitar and bass explode in with an expectedly awesome industrial metal riff, Al’s vocals fitting excellently over the top with his signature grit and reverb and effects. It stays at a similar level for the chorus but honestly is still pretty catchy with its call-and-response vocals and melody. The spoken word bits and audio clips fit excellently with the tone of the song and the band too, and add another great dynamic to the song. It’s everything you’d expect from Ministry in the best possible way. It’s simple yet incredibly effective, bringing to the table great riffs, vocals and a suitably punk-esque level of attitude and message!
Similar vibes continue through ‘Voices of Hate’, that opening/main riff being incredible! It’s so heavy and the breakneck pace had me instantly hooked. The drums behind it go hard too, and Al’s harsh, almost screamed vocals fit into the mix perfectly. Again, the audio clip playing over the top is also great, and the sentiment is fantastic. I know there will be plenty that disagree with it and even get angered and offended by it, but as an outsider looking in it’s almost impossible not to see it this way, and it’s amazing to have bands still willing to stand up and fight against it. Especially when it’s an older band with nothing left to prove, like Ministry. Oh yeah, and straight after all that, we get an awesome guitar solo, just for good measure! It’s a really fantastic track, one that I’d arguably put up there alongside some of the bands best in recent decades, and it’s a song that easily makes our playlist!
More awesome riffing and drumming follows in ‘Clown Car’, the balls-to-the-wall drum pace being particularly excellent! Al’s vocals are a little higher in the mix this time which was nice, as as much as I loved the vibe of the last couple of tracks, his voice could get a little lost at times. They’re a little cleaner too, and the delivery reminds me of more like Ice T, which is certainly a good thing! To be honest, it’s essentially a crossover thrash song, and I’d absolutely LOVE to see this live. And that almost groove-metal breakdown riff after the solo… *chefs kiss*. It’s another massive album highlight on a release so far packed full of them!
The first single from the album, ‘We Hate’, is up next. The pace is slower, more of a boot stomper, but it doesn’t lose any of its heaviness or swagger. Al’s gritty vocals sound great over the top of it, again having the volume cranked on them. And once again, the lyrics here are fantastic, filled with passion, anger and truth. It’s got all the hallmarks of a Ministry track, from the riffing to the tones, writing to the message, so makes for a fantastic choice for a single! The guitar soloing in particular is another real high point alongside the lyrics/vocals. The only slight downside is the AI music video, but we just ignore that and listen to the song on its own, right? It’s a great song in its own right, even at the five plus minute runtime. The band are so far four for four on excellent tracks on this album!
‘Delete’ is a fun track about our social media consumption. The intro minute was fun with all the voiceover, the instrumentation fitting perfectly behind it. The rest of the track is very much typical Ministry, and is of course a lot of fun and damn good! It does feel ever so slightly “old man yells at clouds”, but it does still fit the theme of the album well. I just love industrial metal, and Ministry and some of the very best to do it, even nearly 50 years into their careers!
‘Grifter’, another great anti-Trump song, slows the pace down perfectly at the mid-point of the album. It’s a plodding track with a great driving bassline at its core and some simple, solid drums. The synth stuff was a nice addition, and the guitar still gets plenty of time to shine throughout. It gives much more focus on Al’s vocals too without so much going on too, and it’s maybe his best performance on the whole album. It’s completely different to the rest of the release, almost having an AIC-like grungeness to it all. It’s another massive highlight of the album for me, and a song I’d recommend to absolutely anyone!
The pace picks up a little for ‘The White Man Lied’, but still feels a little lighter than the early album stuff. It’s almost a blues vibe with the intermittent vibe and steady drums, but also reminds me a lot of later Rob Zombie. It still has the usual spoken word stuff in there, and the message is another fantastic one, but it does have an appreciatedly different vibe again. I am being kept far more interested in this album than I expected to be, and I love it! Another good song!
The final two singles follow suite next in ‘Singularity’ and ‘Burned Out’. The enemy crescendos again, a heavy, groove metal riff leading the former. It’s a little less chaotic than a lot of the rest of the album, still feeling like industrial metal and like Ministry, but a bit more radio friendly and a great choice for another single. It’s yet another fantastic song! The latter also had a similar vibe; a steady pace, a big focus on the great riffing and catchy vocals, and a real White Zombie feel. It’s a simple track that is a lot of fun and is good in its own right! And again, the lyrics are so very poignant, and it really is sad to think of the state of the world in 2026.
Album closer ‘We’re Still Here’ surprisingly ties together everything before it perfectly! It’s a little slower but still industrial, a heavy and dark feel to it. However, it is also uplifting, especially from the midpoint, and carries a message of hope despite everything that has been spoken about before. It’s a fantastic writing and producing choice to put a track like this at the end, closing things out on a high note after so much anger and sadness. And, as a song in general, it is so masterfully put together and composed. It really feels like a finale, even more incredible given this is their last album. It honestly gave me goosebumps, and is another song I’d recommend to anyone!
Overall: This is a really good album! I’d expect nothing less from the industrial metal legends, but it is my favourite they have put out in a while, honestly. There isn’t a bad song throughout, while there are a few I’d easily put up there alongside the top tracks from the band, period. I’ve harped on about the theming and message plenty, but it really is a rather refreshing thing to hear these days, and fits in perfectly with Ministry’s ethos. And, the instrumentation was incredible throughout, too! If this truly is their swan song, what a way to go out!
The modern power metal legends are back this Friday with their highly anticipated new album. Not only is it a follow-up to 2023’s Return to the Kingdom of Fife, but it seems to be a direct sequel to 2015’s much loved Space 1992. Now, long time readers here will know that I have a bit of an up-down relationship with the band, having loved them during Thomas Winkler’s run but struggling a little when they switched singers with their last album. Still, the singles I’ve heard from this so far are great, so I’m curiously excited to dive in and see what the album as a whole is like!
A grandiose, pretty long intro track sets the epic tone perfectly and expertly blends into the lead single from the album, ‘Ultimate Sacrifice’. The track itself explodes in with a huge, heavy riff and a fast pace set by drummer Ralathor (Ben Turk). The synths and keys from band leader Zargothrax (Chris Bowes) give the sound so much depth and size too, it feeling massive from the outset. Soon enough the powerful vocals come in from new-ish comer Sozos Michael, fitting over the top of the instrumentation perfectly and instantly having a catchy energy to them. The chorus is absolutely massive and even more catchy, the harmonies and gang vocals adding so much to it all. It’s immediately a hook that is going to be stuck in my head for days to come! The spoken word bit in the bridge continues the story of their band excellently, and we get a brief, awesome technical solo to follow it. It’s an awesome song in its own right, being exactly what Gloryhammer are all about, and was a great choice for a single as well as an opening track!
Album track ‘On a Quest for Aberdeen’ continues the same vibes as the opener perfectly. It’s another excellent modern power metal track, with all the trappings and glorious cheesiness. It’s a pretty similar formula to the previous track too, with a more simple verse and a huge, multi-vocalled, catchy as anything chorus. The vocals in the bridge were great, the harmonies working even harder as the notes push up to an impressive register, somehow feeling like it builds the track even more! And, we get another fantastic solo from Ser Proletius (Paul Templing), the harmonised second half being particularly excellent and memorable, though the whole part gets plenty of breathing room this time! It’s another awesome song, so massive and catchy!
Onto another single next with ‘Die with a Sword in My Hand’. And, what do you know, it’s another similar, grandiose power metal track! It certainly still works though, especially this early on the album! The chorus is fun too, more chanted than a big harmony-filled one, making it a sure-fire fan-favourite live. It also has maybe my favourite solo on the album, the tone on the guitar being so good. It’s another good song; exactly what you’d expect from the band and another good single choice!
By ‘Silver Talon’ I did start getting slightly tired of the same style, pace and lyrics for a fourth straight song. It’s a damn good song in its own right, and very enjoyable in isolation. Hell, it even fits perfectly with the rest of the album, in terms of both sound and theming. But my easily-distracted brain and ears could have done with something slightly different by the time this track rolled around, especially when we’re getting closer to the midpoint of the album.
I got a little bit of my wish with the following track, single ‘Starfighters of Leuchars’. While it still has some heavy guitars and drums, it does feel like a slower song overall. And, I really loved the Danny Elfman vibe to it with the synths and horns and backing vocals. It made the track a LOT of fun. Yet, it still fits in perfectly with the album and bands discography as a whole, the chorus being absolutely huge and another big earworm. It feels like it’s designed to be played to huge festival crowds around the world! I think Sozos gets the most chance to shine vocally on this track too, really showing off his phenomenal range. It’s another awesome song, and one that easily makes our playlist!
Single ‘Warriors of Auchtermuchty’ brings us back to the bands typical sound again, though certainly in a catchy way with another huge chorus and some call-and-response vocals in the verses. The same can be said for ‘Pax Galactica’, though it does have a touch of Elfman to it like ‘Starfighters’ did. Both are good songs in their own right, and once again fit the album well, but are certainly similar to others on the release. If you are big into their sound though, I’m sure you’ll love it!
The final three tracks are generally more of the same. ‘Demonic Devotion’ and ‘Hammer of Fate’ are your typical Gloryhammer album tracks. However, the closer (with a stupidly long title that I’m not going to type out), is proggy epicness, and a lot of fun! Don’t get me wrong, it has all the hallmarks of the bands sound, but it’s all dialled up to 11 and everything gets so much time to shine. The storytelling throughout is excellent, as is the playing and the vocals, while the composition is truly off the charts. Hell, we even get some screams tucked away in the middle here, which were a nice touch and broke everything up well! Don’t get me wrong, it’s still pretty cheesy, but you know exactly what to expect when heading into a Gloryhammer album, and this is very much all of that. I had a good time with it, and it sums up and closes out the release rather perfectly!
Overall: This is a good album! I know I have mentioned a bit of the negatives towards it I’ve felt, but that shouldn’t take away how great a release it is overall. It’s exactly what you’d expect and want from a Gloryhammer album: straight up epic modern power metal, and on that it absolutely delivers. If you are a fan of that style I’d absolutely recommend giving this a listen, ASAP! There are some tracks on here that are honestly career highlights, even if I wouldn’t necessarily spin the album as a whole every listen. It’s a dam solid addition to their growing discography, and I at least enjoyed it more than their previous one!
Another week, some more great music across the rock, metal and country world. Let’s check it out!
Greta Van Fleet: Palace for the People
Five albums deep into the not-so-young-anymore bands career and everyone should know exactly what to expect at this point. The perfect combination of Rush, Led Zeppelin and Jethro Tull, it’s old school, semi-prog rock at its best. And, while I did enjoy it more than ‘23’s Starcatcher, it’s still just… fine. Tracks like ‘Heart and the Beat’, single ‘Play Your Games’ and ‘Call my Own’ are personal highlights, and while none of the rest is especially bad, it’s not hugely my sort of thing. The band are all incredibly talented players, but Josh’s caterwauling grated on me a touch at times. I also found the choruses rather repetitive, and the album as a whole is rather strung out and long-winded at an hour long. Their current folkier edge is interesting, but it leads to a generally slow pace that gets boring by the mid-point. I didn’t think I’d be saying this, but I actually miss their early days when they just copied Led Zep. The epic vibe is cool, but gets old when it’s every track. They are clearly doing something right as they are an absolutely massive band, and this release will have plenty of fans. But outside of handful of tracks, I’m not one of them. I don’t think I could do the album as a whole again, honestly. It gets a rather generous 6/10 from us!
Chase & Status: Generic Everything
The heavy drum & basers returned with their seventh album this last Friday. It’s certainly not a release for everyone, and even I was a little up and down on it. I do find myself enjoying their heavier tracks while not being a fan overall, and it’s very much the same here. The opener was okay, the distorted guitars in the back and the dynamics being great. Songs like ‘Essa Ta Quente’ (feat. the legendary Skrillex) and ‘Gone Too Far’ (feat. Debbie) are also pretty good. However, a lot of the rest of it is not my sort of thing, and the aforementioned tracks were pushing it honestly. They’re certainly one of the weirder choices to be adopted into the heavier scene, and that’s about the only reason I thought I’d give it a spin. If you’re into this sort of style you’ll probably enjoy it, but I’d happily not listen to it again, honestly. It’s objectively pretty well crafted and put together, but from a personal standpoint I got bored, so can’t give it much more than 4.5/10. Sorry guys. Maybe a couple of heavier collabs would have reeled me in a lot more!
Twin Temple: Doomed Lovers
Jade: Straight off the bat, it feels like I’m listening to a haunting, gothic version of Grease The Musical. The whole album has a very theatrical feel to it which really draws you in. It at the very least made me curious. Lead vocalist Alexandra James has the most stunning voice, which really stands out from other artists with its vintage style. It’s not something you hear very often any more and it’s nice to go back to that more vintage style of rock and roll. Some of my favourites of this album are ‘Possessed’, ‘I Want Blood’ and ‘Someone In The Walls’. It’s a fun style and if anything a little on the too short side for my liking, I just want to hear more! Especially when it’s been a little while now since their last release! Still, it’s an album I’d recommend to anyone into a more vintage style of rock. 7/10
Left to Suffer: Unwelcome Guest
Max: This one is a little disappointing. It’s a fine album but that’s it. There isn’t anything standout or particularly notable throughout the entire album and all it really did was make me want something more on each track. Now I know what you are saying: making people want more is generally a good thing, but not when on every track people are wanting some kind of flavour or substance. To put it bluntly this album was a bit boring and a let down. 5/10
K-Man & the 45’s: Heed the Call
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; we don’t cover enough ska on this site. However, it does mean that on the odd occasion that I do get to cover some, I’m a little obsessed! And, of course, this is no exception. It’s 36 minutes of fun, catchy and creative reggae-rock, and I loved every minute! It’s packed full of fantastic tracks from front to back too, from ‘Clark St.’ to ‘Oh Yeah Attitude’, ‘Working in the Sun’ to ‘I Wanna Live’ and everything in between! I love that they cover quite the variety of sounds too, from all three generations of ska, making it a constantly interesting journey. This was somehow my introduction to the band, but they have a massive new fan in me, and I can’t wait to go back and check out their previous three albums! They’re all such incredibly talented musicians and songwriters, and we don’t have nearly enough of this sound around these days. I’d recommend this to anyone, and will certainly be spinning it plenty moving forward. A very solid 8.5/10 from us!
The Temperance Movement: New Promise Land Incorporated
The first new studio work from the UK blues rock supergroup in close to a decade finally dropped on Friday to much hype. It’s exactly what fans of the band would expect from them, and is a lot of fun! As a blues/southern rock fan, I had a great time listening to this. From ‘Eat You Alive’ to ‘Love Kicks’ to ‘Always Been Love’, there’s some great stuff on here, too! Honestly, there isn’t a bad song throughout, even if the noticeable dip in energy and tempo the later in the album it gets a bit much by the end. Still, the band are effortlessly talented and if you are a fan of their earlier stuff, or the softer side of blues/Southern rock, this is absolutely an album for you! I’ll certainly be spinning it again, and I do think it’s a grower, but for now it still gets a solid 7/10 from us!
Lucy Gallant: Forbidden Fruit
Following up 2023’s Flowers EP, the self-described bohemian folk-pop artist is back with another great five tracks! It’s chilled out, catchy, well written, and some of the notes she hits with her vocals are insane. It’s just a really easy 17 minute listen, and one that I’d honestly recommend to anyone. ‘F YOU’ is probably my personal favourite, an infectiously catchy anthem, but there truly isn’t a bad song throughout. The Bond-like ‘Venom’ is also incredible. She feels wholly unique, something rather hard to do in 2026. I’ve spun this a good few times this weekend alone, and I will most likely keep doing so plenty in the weeks and months to come. She has a big new fan in me; there is something about her writing and vocals that is just entrancing. I can’t give this any less than 9/10, it’s fantastic!
Werewolves: You’re Weak and you Know You’re Weak
Max: This album was quite good. It’s as punchy and aggressive as ever from Werewolves with barely a breath taken between the pummlings you receive as the listener. I think this one might be a little hard to listen to for some as it really is just pure extreme metal, but if you are in to that, I think you are really going to enjoy it. It isn’t exactly reinventing the wheel when it comes to what metal is and what Werewolves do, but that doesn’t make it bad and considering the Aussie outfit are planning on going 10 for 10 when it comes to albums per year. I think this is a really good stance for being on year 7 of that, however I do have a fear that the fatigue might set in soon which would be a real disappointment.
So yeah, if you want some kick-ass metal that isn’t pulling any punches then here you go, just don’t expect anything revolutionary. 7.5/10
GASSED: MENTAL
This is 11 minutes of pure aggression, heaviness and carnage. A balls-to-the-wall punk release that doesn’t let up for a second across all eight of its tracks. And, honestly, I love it! And, at its compact length, it’s an incredibly easy listen, and it’s so easy to get lost in the sound and the emotion of it all. I may have been throwing hands around my living room… having said that, the one-two-punch of ‘THE HAND’ and ‘’RECLAIMED’ is awesome, and certainly highlights despite the whole release being truly excellent. This is the sort of hardcore that I need more of in my life, and this band deserve so much more love than they have had currently. They have really exploded on the scene the last couple of years, and I can see this album(?) pushing them up a couple of levels as it is truly excellent! I am going to have to see this live, and I cannot recommend it enough for anyone even vaguely curious or into the genre. 9/10, pump this into my veins!
Celtic Cross: Meet Me in the Kitchen
The return release from the New-York-based Irish folk-rock band comes a whopping 12 years after their last album. In that time, they have very clearly not lost a step, however! This is a beautiful 20 minutes of heartfelt folk-based music, though it has elements of everything from country to rock, Americana to even vague bluegrass vibes too, and of course some pop elements too. From the opener to ‘Slán Go Fóill’ to the rockier ‘Toss it Back’, there’s some is some great stuff on here. However, the other half of the tracks are just as good, it all being plenty varied and constantly interesting. It really has something for everyone! And, honestly, it’s awesome, the band deserving a lot more attention and praise than they’ll get from it! It’s an EP I’d recommend to anyone, and is yet another artist that have a firm new fan in me! Another very solid 8/10 from us.
Sickmind: Babel Tower
Jade: This one has been a bit of an odd experience for me. I’ve been left wanting more…not more to listen too, I just expected more from this album with the clear talent all of the members have. The drums follow the guitar riffs and it sounds absolutely insane. It almost over shadows the vocals a bit. I’m drawn more into the instrumental side of the band, I feel like the vocals get a bit lost. I really want to enjoy them; for all intents and purposes it’s exactly the type of vocals I enjoy with death metal. I don’t know if it’s the way the album has been mixed but it’s just not quite there. I’m not getting the aggression that I feel is there. It’s such a shame because the drummer is so incredibly talented and is doing some insane stuff in these tracks. Same goes for the guitar riffs and heavy bass. Everything is working so well until those vocals come in. For me at least it weakens the overall presence that I feel like you usually have with death metal.
With that in mind, it makes the album feel too long, and all a bit too similar to be able to sit and enjoy the full 44 minutes. There are most definitely still highlights that stood out, those being ‘The Chaos Beneath Our Feet’, ‘Humanness’ and the title track. These particular songs all just stood out the most to me, and really showed me the potential of the band. I know this is the first release since the band rebranded themselves, and I do still look forward to seeing what they do next! It’s certainly not bad, but I struggled to get into it as a whole. 6/10
Idolvein: This Place I Leave Behind
The follow-up EP to 2025’s fantastic Where We Became Spirits, the alt metallers once again knock it out of the park here! A collection of their singles from the year, alongside two more awesome tracks for good measure, it’s half an hour of great, heavy, melodic music. From the more pop-inspired opener to the post-hardcore new one ‘My Last War’ to the ballad-like ‘The Ways We Remain’, the release kicks off incredibly strongly. The rest of the EP follows their lead excellently, and makes for a great, varied listen throughout! The mathy, Dance Gavin Dance-like ‘In the Hands of Thieves’ is also a massive highlight. It’s easily up there alongside their last release, if not even slightly better once I’ve sat with it a little longer. It’s also a release I’d recommend to anyone even slightly into modern metalcore/alt metal. The band keeps going from strength to strength, and it’s another easy 8.5/10 from us!
The Pineapple Thief: Far and Wide
Just two and a half year removed from their last massive release, we got another great album from the British prog rockers. As a big ol’ fan of Tool, and these being like a lighter version of them, I loved this! The band are of course incredibly talented musicians, but are such good songwriters together too. The likes of ‘Hold the Ashes’, ‘This Empty Space’ and ‘Who Wants It?’ are all personal highlights, but the whole album is great and has a really fantastic flow. 47 minutes goes by in a flash, and is a surprisingly easy listen for a prog album. This certainly won’t be the only time I spin this album soon, and I can feel it growing on me even more each time. And, even still, I can’t give this any less than a massive 8.5/10. Great stuff!
Sagittarius: Abomination of Mind
The debut album from the heavy metal revivalists is a great 34 minutes of music! Having some great thrashy riffs and drums, but combined with some powerful, catchy vocals, it feels very much the perfect combination of 90s Priest and early Metallica. And, from ‘Disaster Dawn’ to the dark, epic ‘Dead Inside’ to the closer, there is plenty to love throughout. Hell, my only issue would be that honestly, it may have been a little short! Still, if you are into your old-school metal this is well worth checking out, and I’m excited to see where they go from here. 7.5/10
Sueco: PARTY’S OVER
Album four from the emo-rapper/pop-punker is interesting if nothing else. I was familiar with the name from him featuring on others’ tracks, but this is the first real deep-dive I’ve managed to have with the man himself. Honestly, I found myself enjoying it a lot more than I expected to. It’s an incredibly modern sound, reminding me a lot of the likes of Stand Atlantic, most of his album guests, or even MGK a little. However, it feels a lot less disingenuous a sound than the latter artists modern work. ‘ARE YOU ENTERTAINTED?’ is a big early highlight, while the likes of ‘TRUST MYSELF’ and Scream 7’s ‘REARRANGING SCARS’ are also good. Don’t get me wrong, there is a bit of a lull in both energy and quality in the middle, and some of the lyrics do hit a bit cringy at times. However, it isn’t inherently a bad album, and those more into this style or Sueco as an artist will probably get more mileage out of it than I do. I probably wouldn’t throw it on often, but also wouldn’t turn it off if it came on again. 6.5/10
Joshua Slone: Long Life Living for a Lover Boy
Following up his debut album from this time last year, the rising country star put out a collection of another five great, emotion-filled tracks this last Friday. It’s slower and rather stripped-back, continuing on the vibes from his album excellently. ‘Morehead State’ was a personal favourite track of mine, but there really isn’t a bad song throughout. It’s a little slow for me typically, but is a good release to sit and relax to, and is the pretty perfect length for a sound like this. He’s got a great voice and is clearly a very talented songwriter. 7/10, good stuff!
Hollow Bone: Onar
The sophomore album from the experimental post-metal Italians comes over six years after their debut, but builds on the sound expertly. It’s dark and heavy and technical and proggy, and begs a full listen in a dark room with headphones on. It’s certainly not for everyone, but I had a good time here! The band are all insanely talented, and have crafted a truly massive soundscape with this release. And, while I very much recommend listening in full, I do think ‘Meltdown’ and the Tool-like ‘Presence of Eagles’ are personal highlights. If you like slower, grandiose instrumental metal, this is certainly a release I’d recommend! Another solid 7/10 from us!
Mad Painter: Island Poetry
Another sophomore album this week, this time from the Boston blues collective. Now, I do have to say that at pushing an hour in length, it is a little long, especially when it’s largely at the same steady pace. Still, in isolation, tracks like ‘Empty Bottles’, ‘Nektarized’ and ‘Stand Your Ground’ are a lot of fun and very much personal highlights. It’s a real old-school, Quo-like sound, and it’s impossible not to have a good time listening, regardless of what you’re into. The band are all clearly talented, and all get their own chance to shine plenty throughout with some great vocals, drums, bass, riffs and solos. If you are even slightly interested, I’d give this one a spin, despite the daunting length! It may be a grower for me, but even then it gets an easy 7.5/10 from us for now!
Matthew Goodnough: Your Loss, My Misery
The debut album of one of the hardest working people in the country scene the last few years dropped this last Friday, to much hype and fan-fair. Having listened to it, it deserves every bit of that hype, too! ‘Nothing Left to Say’ opens the release in perfect, rocky fashion, while ‘Finding Bones’ follows it up excellently. Then you have the likes of the title track, ‘Dirty Myrtle’ and ‘Cradle Rocker’ that are just as great! It reminds me a lot of Koe Wetzel or Treaty Oak Revival, but somehow has both a bit more rock and radio-country to it, dialling back the more indie vibe they both have to fantastic results, at least for this writer! My only thing is that it is maybe a little similar throughout, though having said that 45 minutes went by in a flash for my first time, I had a blast. His vocals, writing and delivery are all awesome, and his band are working their asses off throughout. He has an INCREDIBLY bright future ahead of him, and a huge new fan in me. An incredibly easy 9/10 from me!
Fail the Enemy: Sandcastles
The first EP from the alt rock/metallers since their 2018 self-titled debut, the trio demonstrate that they haven’t lost a single step in that time! This is 21 minutes spread across five excellent tracks honestly each just as good as the last! They feel pretty unique, at least in terms of the UK scene, and between their songwriting/composition and the production it all sounds really awesome. Having said that, the trio themselves are also fantastic, playing their parts perfectly. The whole EP has a grandiose, epic vibe to it, and I’d recommend anyone interested listen to it in full, you certainly won’t be disappointed! Hopefully we don’t have to wait so long for their next release, as I can’t wait to hear where they go from here. However, until that point, I will gladly continue to spin this! 8/10
Day two kicked off excellently with Alabama Crow! They had plenty of energy right from the jump, all putting on one hell of a performance. What’s more, they all looked like they were enjoying themselves together up on stage, which always makes for a great experience. And, what’s more, the crowd showed up big for them so early on. I hadn’t seen them live before but I am already desperate to see them again. Hell, they’d flown under my radar overall honestly, but definitely have a new fan in me. Certainly a band I’d recommend to anyone!
Now, y’all should all know by now my deal with Eddie & the Wolves. “Best band in the world”yada yada. But this was quite a bucket list venue and festival for us, so from the bottom of mine and the rest of the wolves’ (and Edd’s) hearts, thank you to every single person involved for looking after us, and everyone who came down early to check us out. We sounded incredible, and it was one of the most fun gigs any of us have ever played. Hopefully it won’t be the last time we grace the stage at KKs! Oh, and Eddie & the Wolves rock, obviously.
The sheer talent Red by Night have for their age is incredible! And, even with some early technical difficulties, they still won over so many people through this set! Being a bit of a change of pace again, it felt like a more modern indie/hard rock infused with the more traditional elements, which set them apart in a great way. And the energy they brought to the stage was nothing short of infectious! I wasn’t familiar with them heading in, but they’re another that have gained a big fan in me. These guys have a real bright future ahead of them, and I already can’t wait to see where they go from here!
Thieves of Liberty are another damn solid band representing the scene, and put on another incredible performance like they are known for! Blasting through some of the biggest fan favourites from their 2024 debut, it was a lot of fun to watch them do their thing. They feel like veterans of the scene already and carry themselves like pros, putting on an effortless, polished performance through their full set. It had been too long since I’d seen them live, and I won’t let it get that long again!
Our good friends in Fangslinger once again blew me away, along with the rest of the crowd! Their blend of hard and Southern rock, alongside a sprinkling of metal, will never not be awesome, and it is somehow just as fantastic live as it is on track! The quartets talents together and individually is off the charts, and in particular their vocal harmonies are spectacular throughout. The setlist was awesome, too! A journey through the very best from their debut album, hitting every excellent high. They’re another band at this festival who have exploded on the scene at high momentum, and look like there is no stopping them on their rise to the top! Their stage show grows more and more each time I see them, and they’re another one I’d happily recommend to anyone!
This House we Built have been gaining a lot of momentum in recent years, and rightfully so! They’re another band that bring so much energy and passion to the stage that it’s impossible to not have a good time watching them! They skirt the line between punk, sleaze and hard rock expertly, and played a fantastic set packed full of their two massive albums. And, on top of that, new track ‘Desires’ was an easy set highlight, making me immediately excited to hear where the band go next. For now though, this is was an awesome show, and they’re another band I’d highly recommend checking out!
Blue Nation are another band that I somehow hadn’t seen live yet, but was blown away by! I remember very much enjoying their last album back in 2024, and they are true veterans of the scene and even pre-NWOCR. It very much shows in their live performances, as they are so very polished and refined throughout. And, whether it was tracks from The Ordinary People or from their excellent, extensive back catalogue, it all hit so well in the fantastic live setting. They deserve every bit of the love and praise and push they are getting, and they are one of the best live bands in the scene today!
Then, the mighty Fury took to the stage! We saw them just last year on the same tour, but they turned everything up to 11 with this headline set! Playing the very best of their amazing latest album, alongside their earlier massive hits, the setlist was awesome throughout. And the stage show they put on was well befitting of a headliner, too! From the outfits to the extra drummers to the sheer energy and crowd interaction throughout, it was truly spectacular to behold! They’re another band where it’s incredibly easy to see why they were picked to headline, and they deserve every bit of praise and love they have been getting. Another band that feel like veterans of the scene, and are somehow better than ever before! An incredible and very fitting way to close out not just the day, but the festival as a whole!
And there we have it folks, two days of awesome hard rock music at one of the best venues in the country! All of the crew and staff were incredible all weekend, the sound was phenomenal and the crowd seemed to love every minute of it. Lord knows we did! I cannot recommend any of the bands or the venue itself enough, check them all out ASAP. And here’s to next year’s event already!
Somehow this was the first edition of this festival we’d managed to make it down to. Celebrating it’s 5th live year at the iconic KKs steelmill, it also played host some of the very best of the scene in 2026! We had a blast from start to finish (although we sadly couldn’t make the Friday pre-show party), and wanted to rave about just how excellent it was!
Kicking things off with a band were the awesome Revenant. I’ve been a fan of them for a few years now, loving their EPsand seeing them live back in February. However, this was somehow even better than that last time! They had me and the pretty packed-out crowd in the palm of their hands from start to finish, and put on a fantastic show fitting of the opening slot. From their heavy hitters like ‘Best Medicine’ and ‘e’ to so-far unreleased songs to even a cover medley or two, it was a really great 40 minutes of live music! And, the stage presence they all had together was magnetic. They are very much firing on all cylinders currently, and I already cannot wait for the album they’ve been teasing!
It had been far too long since we’d seen the last band, Joanovarc. Our last time was way back at Rockin’ the Bowl years ago, and the band have changed a lot since then. However, I enjoyed them just as much here as I did there! They had a heavier edge to them than I remember this time around which I loved, and it kept the energy high throughout. The sound as well was phenomenal, not just for them but for everyone throughout the weekend, and it certainly helped too. New tracks ‘Mechanical Overlords’ and ‘Money Machine’ were particularly highlights, but the whole set was pretty great! The band really feel like they’ve gelled these days, and it made for an awesome set!
Next up were the wild Germans, Sweet Electric. Being a long-time fan of Brad Marr from his early days in Massive, I can never not love the guy live. I have never seen a more born performer and frontman, he is so incredibly captivating to watch throughout. However, the band he’s surrounded himself with are also fantastic, matching his energy and stage presence perfectly. They all bounced around that stage from start to finish, and it was one hell of a set! And, on top of that, their setlist was awesome! Being heavy on their incredible new album, but still having plenty of the classic tracks from their debut that brought them to the dance, it was perfect. The crowd were loving it too, interacting a lot and hanging on every note. This was one of my favourite sets of the weekend, if not the whole year, and I already can’t wait to see them again soon!
Brave Rival took to the stage soon after and blew the packed-out crowd away! They were a bit of a change of pace after the hyper, sleazy energy of Sweet Electric, slowing things down and adding a dose of epicness to the proceedings. However, it made for just as fantastic a set! Lindsey Bonnick is one of the most underrated vocalists in any scene today, and the other three are such phenomenally talented musicians and songwriters. I had in my notes that they are like a blusier Evanescence, and that felt exactly right to me. The extended soloing section in the middle was particularly goosebump-inducing. They felt so very polished; ready for a step up to massive arenas and venues at this point. And as I said, it was a nice change of pace from the rest of the day so far. I had a blast with them and, while it wasn’t the first time I saw them, I thought they were even better this time, and it certainly won’t be my last!
Next up were local-ish glam rockers Midnite City. Another band that I have seen a fair few times at this point, but sadly one that I can’t quite get into. I love a few of their songs on track, and they are good live, but something about it doesn’t quite click for me as much as some of the other bands on the lineup. Don’t get me wrong, they’re a great band, and the tracks that I liked that they played were great. ‘We Belong’ will always be a fantastic live song, especially to close their set, but the crowd seemed a little low energy for a lot of it. Still, I’d happily see them again at another show like this down the line, and if you are more into the glam/sleaze stuff than I am you’ll most likely love it!
Even a member down due to an unfortunate family crisis, Doomsday Outlaw still killed it! Honestly, they stepped out onto the stage like they had something to prove, and blew the roof off the joint in the process. John is a fantastic frontman, and the crowd matched his energy throughout the set. And, the other three members held up their end excellently. You wouldn’t have even been able to tell that they were working stuff out a little on the fly, as they handled it like complete professionals and played their asses off. Blasting through a wide variety of their extensive back catalogue, running through all their excellent hits, the setlist was awesome too! I will forever love this band, and having seen them twice this year, they are still very much on top form!
I have somehow been waiting to see Hollowstar for years at this point. One of the early pioneers of this whole movement, they haven’t been hugely active in recent years, and had to pull out of last years event at last minute. However, they more than made up for it here, and they played their heart out for the packed out crowd, and everyone went nuts for them! Hopefully we finally get some more studio stuff from them soon (if their socials are anything to go by it’s a yes), but until then I’d happily see them again soon!
And just like that, we reached headliners The Lazys. Another band that I’ve been a fan of for years at this point and have finally had the opportunity to see live, and they didn’t disappoint! Over an hour of boot stompin’, high energy Aussie hard rock at its very best. Playing the very best from their three albums, including personal favourites ‘Nothing but Trouble’ and ‘Half Mast Blues’, to their more recent, explosive singles, and all played to perfection while the band threw themselves around the stage for the packed out, adoring crowd, it was the best way to close out a day like this! The band were so fun and polished, proving why they are born headliners, and I am already desperate to see them again soon!
