An apt name for a venue, as it was bloody cold last Friday when we arrived at the venue (part of the INCREDIBLE Castle Rock Brewery). However, we had three awesome rock bands to warm us up with, and they did exactly that! Somehow it was my first time seeing both Preacher and Revenant, though I’d been a fan for years, so to say I was excited was an understatement! Let’s dive right into the night’s fun, shall we?
Eddie & The Wolves opened the show and killed it if I do say so myself. Those who came down early saw, I’d like to thing, a good hard rock set! As usual, I’d like to thank everyone that came down to watch us, brought our merch, gave us such kind words, you’re all the reason the four of us do it. And, while I’m happy to tongue-in-cheek type here that we put on ‘the best set of all time, and anyone who missed it will never see something so glorious’, I just hope that we gave people an enjoyable half an hour! I had a blast up on stage, and I know the other three did too, and it sounded good to us, at least!
Next up were the incredible Revenant. They’ve been building a lot of momentum over the last couple of years with a handful of great EPs, and that momentum truly carries over to their stage show. The four-piece filled the room with their energy, and sounded just as good live as they do on track. Opening on the run of maybe my two favourite tracks from them, ‘Public Service Announcement’ into ‘Best Medicine’, before blasting through a lot of the rest of their awesome three EPs, it was one hell of a setlist. And the band put their all into playing each and every track! The bands stage presence as a whole is undeniable, and Sugarman held the crowd in the palm of his hand throughout. The band have put in the work to get to where they are at, and it couldn’t happen to a more deserving bunch!
After a short break, the legendary headliners took to the stage. The North Carolinan Southern rockers have really been embraced over here in recent years, which reflected perfectly in their ability to pull off a headline tour like this to a packed out, adoring crowd. I still spin By the Horns now, so for it to get so much love in the set (I mean, it was the tours namesake) was awesome. However, having never seen them live before, getting to hear the classics was also amazing! From ‘Old Joe’ and ‘Writing on the Wall’ to ‘Olf Fashioned Ass Whoopin’…’ and ‘Not Today’ we got a great spread of their back catalogue, a journey through the bands whole career. Ronnie is still one of the best frontmen in the genre some nearly 20 years into the band, and the rest of the guys compliment him perfectly. Special shoutout to drummer Josh Wyatt, he blew me away not just in his solo but throughout the whole set, what a phenomenal talent! The whole band were excellent from start to finish though, playing their asses off and keeping the crowd singing and clapping along throughout!
And there you have it folks, another great night for underground (ish) rock music! What more could you ask for? Three incredible bands working their ass off, a good venue, a great crowd, and surrounded by great beer! All the wins! I cannot recommend any of the bands or the venue enough, check them all out our as soon as you possibly can. I already need to see Revenant and Preacher again, and hopefully we can get a run-back of the whole tour sometime in the future!
WOW. What a fucking show! My first time at the venue and also my first time seeing either band. I was at least pretty familiarwith the headliners, but didn’t know Paledusk that well. I went into the evening expecting to enjoy it, but I wasn’t quite expecting the level of performance throughout!
Firstly, the Apollo was packed. The gig got downgraded from Manchester arena to this venue, and the result meant that it was sold out and packed full of die-hard fans who showed up early to get down close. We queued well over half an hour, and we arrived 20 minutes after doors. Everyone was ready, that’s for sure!
I wasn’t too familiar with the openers heading into the show. I knew the name and had checked out a couple of tracks before the show, but that was about it. However, they have a HUGE new fan in me from this set! Firstly, the sheer energy and showmanship on display throughout their 40-minutes was insane. I’ve seen fewer spin-kicks in a Bruce Lee movie than I saw guitarist Daidai; the guy was all over the stage with them! Then you had frontman Kaito’s infectious energy too, throwing himself around with almost as little regard. He also held the crowd in the palm of his hand throughout. I thought they may have struggled given the heaviness compared to the headliner, but the crowd were more than down to bounce around and even got a pretty decent circle pit going when instructed. I’ve also never heard a crowd cheer a breakdown before, but it was pretty fun to see every time!
And we haven’t even spoken about their music yet! Their quirky, whacky, heavy, melodic music. It was all over the place in the best way possible! They are all insanely talented players, performers and vocalists, and I immediately want to be seeing them back over here again ASAP.
Then, after a brief changeover, the headliners took to the stage. It at first seemed a little odd when it was barely 8:05, but they tore the roof off the place for a solid two hours! After a fantastic little video package set the tone for their latest release, they exploded on with recent hit ‘Puppets Can’t Control You’. Now, y’all know I loved DETOX, so the fact that they played almost all of it was incredible. From personal favourites like ‘N.A.S.T.Y’, ‘Tropical Therapy’ and ‘Delusion:All’ to more unexpected cuts in ‘Party’s Over’ and ‘The Pilot </3’, it was all incredible live and sounded so very close to the track. But don’t fear, because old-school fans still had plenty to sink their teeth into. From ‘The Beginning’ to the beautiful, empowering ‘Stand Out Fit In’ and perennial set closer ‘We Are’, the setlist was honestly damn near perfect!
And the performance… GODDAMN. Honestly, I was looking forward to seeing them at the UKs biggest arena, but seeing essentially a stadium-level band back home putting on that caliber of show to a 4k cap venue was truly something special. The band played, sung and headbanged their hearts out from the very first note to the very last. And, because of that, the crowd fed them that very same energy back. I can’t recall a time when I had been part of a crowd so loud and passionate, except for maybe Drake Milligan, and even then it wasn’t for the full show. The crowd felt like just as much a part of the show as anything else; singing every word back to the band and jumping around and clapping constantly. I can honestly say it was one of the best sets I’ve seen from an all-round perspective, and not one I’ll ever forget!
And there you have it, folks. Two of Japan’s biggest and best rock bands playing a more intimate show in one of the UKs honestly best venues (aside for the tiny amount of toilets, wtf?). The sound for both was great, even when under the balcony, so massive props to the sound guys too! I honestly cannot recommend seeing either band enough, they both blew me away for somehow both different and similar reasons. Honestly, if I wasn’t working tomorrow I’d be on the first train down to see them in London, they were THAT good. Hopefully both manage to make it back over here soon, be it together again or separate, as I’d be right there buying tickets the moment they went on sale! If you get the chance to see them live, take it, but even if not, you have got to listen to them on track too!
A typically stacked week of New Music Mondays for us to dive into, with everything from metal to country. Let’s dive right in!
Glenn Hughes: Chosen
The former Deep Purple frontman (amongst plenty else) released his first studio solo album in nearly a decade last week. I’m always a little hit and miss when it comes to Glenn’s music, but I actually rather enjoyed this! I went in with no expectations and came out liking the album! ‘Voice in my Head’ is a great opener, while tracks like ‘Heal’, the Sabbath-y ‘The Lost Parade’ and ‘Black Cat Moon’. The riffing is the real highlight of the album but Glenn’s vocals fit perfectly over the top of it, making me not even mind them for once. It’s a really solid heavy blues album by a real legend in the genre. If you are at all into his previous stuff, or more sludgy rock in general, this is well worth checking out! I probably won’t listen to the album in full much, but the odd track will definitely be in heavy rotation moving forward! 8/10
Blessthefall: GALLOWS
Returning after a four year hiatus, the US metalcore quartet are taking no prisoners with their seventh album. It goes HARD and heavy, but also has plenty of big, melodic choruses and moments. The opener sets the pace for the album perfectly, but tracks like ‘Wake the Dead’ and ‘Y.S.A.B.’ that perfect the formula. Then there’s the three awesome guest-feature tracks. Caskets, Alpha Wolf and Story of the Year all bring different sounds to their collabs, and really help break up the album perfectly. My favourite is the insanely aggressive Alpha Wolf one, but that’s not a surprise given how much Iliked their last album! Then there’s the metalcore ballad ‘Light the Flame’ that somehow fits exceptionally well around the rest of the heavier stuff. And for once we don’t have a modern US metalcore album close on a slow soppy track, ‘This Ends with Us’ going just as hard as everything else!
The whole album is just sick, honestly! I have to admit I was familiar with the bands name and style, but not particularly with their music. With their last release coming seven years ago, it was before I majorly got into the modern metal sound. So, as a first real jumping off point, this is incredible, and definitely makes me want to check out more of their older stuff! Whether you’re a newb like me or a long-time fan, this album is worth checking out if you are at all into the heavier end of metal! 8.5/10
Lanie Gardner: Faded Polaroids
The sophomore EP from the pop country/Americana singer-songwriter has been a rather anticipated release for us here at Overtone! We checked out her debut album less than a year ago and had a great time with it. She also put out an EP back in only June that somehow topped it again. While said EP is integrated into this release, they are far from the only highlights of the release. Don’t get me wrong, ‘Takin’ The Slow Ride’ is still my favourite track she’s put out, but there are tonnes of highlights on this. Whether it’s other EP highlights like ‘Boys like You’ or ‘Buzzkill’ to new songs like ‘Boot Down’ or ‘Rattle and the Devil’s Whip’, there’s plenty to fall in love with here! It’s a modern sound, drawing comparisons to everything from Megan Moroney to Alana Springsteen to Lindsay Ell. Hell, the girls in country are killing it right now, and Lanie is quickly working her way up to join those other names! Her vocals are fantastic, and it’s clear she has a big hand in writing it as you can heat her emotion throughout!
Shockingly, the length barely bothered me here, too. Every song is excellent, and there wasn’t one I’d think of cutting, damn impressive on an 18-track album! It does loose a bit of momentum somewhere in the middle, but is broken up rather well with a couple of higher energy tracks. In yet another year jam-packed with awesome country releases, this is a definite standout. She is somehow getting better and better with each release, and I can’t give this any less than 9/10!
Tallah: Primeval: Obsession // Detatchment
The third studio album from the new-nu-metalers has a lot of hype to live up to! I loved their last release, as well as their debut, and feel they are one of the most underrated bands in metal today.
It’s certainly another interesting release! They seem to have gone even more quirky and proggy than their previous stuff, lean more into Mr Bungle Tool or (unsurprisingly) Dream Theater at times. Heck, there’s even just a touch of Alien Ant Farm at times, though that may be more Justin’s vocal delivery. Speaking of Justin, another INCREDIBLE vocal performance from front to back, being easily one of the best vocalists in the business today. However, that shouldn’t take away from the rest of the band, as they are working their asses off throughout. From some awesome riffing to expectedly excellent drumming to some awesome extra bits in record scratching and strings, it’s all incredible and fits so well.
As for the songs themselves, they’re fucking awesome. Whether it’s the opener, the Tooly ‘A primeval obsession’ into the perfect double-up of ‘_la|cuna_’ into ‘A primeval detatchment’, and then the final three full tracks being amazing heaviness, there is so much to love. And heck, any of the tracks I haven’t mentioned are also fantastic. 42 minutes goes by in a flash, and the release is a surprisingly easy listen throughout. I honestly thought at the start this would be a bit of a grower, and it still may be, but by the end of the first listen I already love it. None do it quite like Tallah, blending together so many different late 90s/early 2000s sounds but making them wholly unique to them, and it’s an album I’d recommend any metalhead out there listen to! Another 9/10
Fury: Interceptor
The fifth studio album from the hard rock/heavy metal Brits finally dropped to much hype on Friday, and honestly it deserved every bit of it! It feels a little lighter and blusier overall than their other stuff, but I think it may work in their favour. The band are all such talented musicians and their songwriting prowess is on full display throughout this release to match it. It’s also almost impossible to pick highlights, as the whole thing is awesome! It’s like the perfect combination of Metallica, Iron Maiden, H.E.A.T. and even a healthy hint of Battle Beast. Heck, then you have the almost country/Southern metal ‘Walk Away’, and there is plenty of variety throughout! The band have been building momentum for years now, yet still remain somehow one of the most underrated acts around. I have already spun this a couple of times through this weekend, and have no intention of slowing down any time soon! If you are at all into rock or metal, I cannot recommend this enough! 9.5/10
La Dispute: No One Was Driving the Car
The first album from the emo/post-hardcore band in six years, it’s clear they haven’t lost that special something that brought them to the dance. From the fantastic lyrics to Jordan Dreyer’s emotion-filled delivery to some awesome guitar work and proggy arrangements, this is definitely a La Dispute album. And hell, it’s a good one, at that! Anyone who’s checked them out prior knows that they are an acquired taste and certainly not for everyone, but their fans will surely love this just like I do. Don’t get me wrong, it’s long, even I was tapping out at times during its 75-minute runtime, especially when a lot of it is similar. However, the poetry of the lyrics and the constant shift in focus between the different vocal styles and big riffs kept me hooked over and over again. Tracks like the opener, ‘The Field’, the title track to the wonderfully prog epic ‘Environmental Catastrophe Film’, there are plenty of highlights. However, there isn’t a bad track on this thing! Don’t get me wrong, I do sometimes get the odd hint of a Kyle Gordon vibe at times, but if anything it just adds to the enjoyment!
If you are at all curious, check this out, you may like it as much as I did! While I wouldn’t recommend maybe if you’re full-on depressed/struggling, just turning this on in a dark room with some headphones on and really getting lost in it and feel it is quite the experience. A very solid 8.5/10 from us!
Liam St. John: Man of the North
The debut studio album from the blues-rock/Americana man and his band dropped last Friday, and is utterly fantastic! I somehow wasn’t familiar with him until I checked him out ahead of Long Road this year, and after seeing him I was pretty hyped for this album. It lives up to said hype in a great way, being a bourbon-and-sex drenched nearly-hour of blues-Americana. It’s a style that is already right up my street, and St. John performs it to near perfection! Taking clear inspiration from the modern titans in the genre like Gary Clark Jr, Jack White or even early Highly Suspect, while giving it his own twist and sound thanks to his Nashville roots. From the likes of ‘forefathers’ and ‘Off the Rails’ to ‘Everything I Had’ and ‘Landslide Over the Highway’, there are so many massive highlights. But, once again, there really isn’t a bad track on here! It’s a big collection, but definitely worth a full listen at least once if you get the chance!
My only ever so slight note is that ‘If I Were my Father’ was a rather subdued opener and a bit of an odd choice; something more up-beat may have made it even better! Still, hardly a big complaint, as the album is still incredible! If you’re into any of the styles or bands mentioned above, I cannot recommend this alvum enough! I’ll definitely be spinning this a fair bit in the weeks and months to come, and it gets a very easy 9/10 from us!
Leonie Jakobi: What Are the People Gonna Say?
The debut album from the German singer-songwriter rocker is honestly a fantastic release! It’s got a great up-beat, old-school punk-pop vibe that is sure to get you up and dancing! From the opener to the beautiful ‘What Happened to Us’, the rockin’ ‘Don’t Mind Me’ and ‘I Deserve to Shine’, there are plenty of massive highlights throughout. However, there isn’t bad track throughout! It’s impossible not to have a good time listening to this, and it went by in a flash. She’s building a solid hype around her with her touring the last couple of years, and this album will surely help that to push her to new heights! Her vocals are incredible, emphasised perfectly by the great mix throughout, and it all adds even more weight to the already fantastic lyric writing. If you like the lighter side of rock, this is definitely one for you! 8/10
FM: Brotherhood
The British hard/AOR rockers returned with their fifteenth album this last Friday. Honestly, I’ve never been hugely into the band in the past, but I did enjoy listening to them! Maybe it’s more live that I’m not hugely into them, because I had a blast with this from front to back! How I missed their last two albums is beyond me too, will definitely have to revisit Old Habits and Thirteen if they sound close to this. The first four tracks are AOR perfection, while songs like ‘Don’t Call it Love’ and ‘Because of You’ are also massive highlights. Yes, it is all a little samey, so 52-minutes is maybe a little overkill, but it’d be hard to cut any of the tracks as they’re all damn good! I’ve definitely become more of a fan of the band, and will be listening to this again pretty regularly for the rest of the year. It’s another feel-good release, and if you’re into more softer rock, check this out ASAP. Another very solid 9/10 in a great week!
Syncolima: Move Mountains
The third album from the British stoner metal band is maybe the best they’ve ever released! The band’s talent was never in question, but is once again on full display throughout this whole 40-minutes. They feel like they’ve really come into their own here, confidently blasting out amazing riffs and some great vocal hooks over and over. Tracks like ‘Mistakes Were Made’, the title track and the perfectly titled ‘Kill All the Billionares’ are all personal highlights, but the whole album is awesome! Plus, the production is top notch, definitely a step up from their other stuff. It’s not wonder the band are gathering some serious momentum, and this release will surely only add to that! 8/10
Swollen Teeth: Ask Nothing
The debut album from the masked metal collective is dark, heavy and quirky, all in equal measure. It’s definitely got the nu metal and brutality of early Slipknot, but a bit more of hardcore punk edge to it too, almost Turnstille-esque. Tracks like ‘Money and Greed’, the ‘Purity’-like ‘Foster’ and the hardcore ‘Ask’ are all personal highlights, but every track on here is a bit of a banger! They’re just so interesting, fitting right in alongside Tallah above as an exciting new twist on nu-ish metal. It’s an incredible release from a band that are already making waves, and it immediately makes me want to hear more of what is to come. Check this out if you are at all into this side of metal. 8.5/10, good stuff!
Jonah Kagen: Sunflowers and Leather
Somehow a massive name in country/folk that I hadn’t heard of until this weekend, Jonah has instantly made me a new fan of his work! Straight off the bat, yes, it’s another nearly hour-long, 16-track release, and it certainly has times where it drags. However, his vocals are captivating, especially when the harmonies come in behind, and his lyric writing is truly phenomenal. It’s like a combination of Evan Honer, James Bay and Mumford and Sons, it’s awesome! The one-two-punch of the opener into the title track is incredible, as are tracks like ‘Black Lung’, ‘The Reeper’ and ‘Burn Me’. He’s done a fantastic job of picking the albums singles and, while there are some slight lulls, these six tracks and others more than make up for that.
He fits in rather perfectly in with the currently indie-Americana rising scene alongside the likes of Wyatt Flores or Crowe Boys, but also very much does things his own way. This is fucking amazing, and well worth checking out regardless of what you are into. He has a huge new fan in me, and it’s yet another big 9/10! Heck, it may even get higher with more listens, too!
Two weeks in a row now that we’re inundated in new country albums. Yet again, I’m not complaining! We still have some power metal, metalcore and good old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll spread through, too! Let’s dive right in!
Sheryl Crow: Evolution
I’ve never been the biggest Cheryl Crow fan in the world. This album hasn’t changed my mind. Don’t get me wrong, she has an absolutely incredible voice and some great hits from back in the day. But man, her albums have always been a bit of a slog. And, 30 years after her breakout hits, she still sounds like a combination of Shania Twain, Lenny Kravitz and Alanis Morrisette. I do find it slightly ironic that the album is called Evolution yet sounds exactly the same as everything else she’s put out. It’s 2024, do we really need any more of this late 90s/early 2000s pop rock?
I honestly couldn’t pick this out of a lineup of any of her other songs. All of the tracks kinda blend together, and most of the lyrics were juvenile at best. The only real one I found that stood out and I enjoyed was the closer, ‘Waiting in the Wings’. And even then, it’s probably because it was the most country-leaning track. None of it was bad, per-say, but it just feels like a wholly unneeded album. Still, if anyone reading this is a fan of her other work or any of the other artists I named in a big way, you’ll probably enjoy it. It’s not a bad album, just a safe, boring one. 3.5/10
Sum 41: Heaven :x: Hell
The final album from the pop-punk legends is a bittersweet affair. Having grown up with the band, it’s horrible to hear their last hurah (for now, at least. This is the music industry, after all…). However, what a fantastic swan song. It’s a 20-track, double album that spans all of the styles and sounds the band have covered over their illustrious career, and I love it. Whether it’s heavier, Anti-Flag-style songs like ‘Future Primetive’ or the AMAZING single ‘Rise Up’ or more typical pop-punk stuff like ‘I Can’t Wait’ or ‘Dopemine’, it’s all awesome and packed full of highlights.
Don’t get me wrong, a couple of the songs are a little Ticket to My Downfall, which isn’t a good thing. It may be a little too long, controversially. However, it’s new, final Sum 41, so I still loved it. The band are going out on a high and at the top of their games, which doesn’t happen often these days, and I admire the crap out of them for that. If you are a fan of the band or pop punk in general, I cannot recommend this album enough! I’mma be listening to it a lot going forward. 9/10
While She Sleeps: SELF HELL
Considering I was a metalcore kid, I never quite ‘got’ WSS. I was hoping that would change with the inevitable yet slower-than-usual transition into more of a BMTH sound, especially given that they seem to have gotten stuck around Sempiternal, but that sadly hasn’t happened. I got pretty excited too because when I first stuck it on, I really loved the intro track and where it was headed. Then sadly, that destination was nowhere, building up to stop, and then the following track being anti-climactic, Linkin Park-esque nothingness.
Don’t get me wrong, there were tracks I enjoyed on here. ‘RAINBOWS’ and the heavier, Malevolence-featuring ‘DOWN’ are two songs I’ve listened to a lot over this last weekend. ‘ENEMY MENTALITY’ is a fun, almost modern BFMV, too. However, there is a lot of meh on this album, including multiple interludes that feel like they go nowhere. I know the band are getting quite big and have a lot of momentum currently, but this release doesn’t reflect that at all to me. Hopefully actual fans of the band enjoy it more than I do! 6/10
Rage: Afterlifelines
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read the full review of it here!
Aaron Lewis: The Hill
The Staind frontman is back with another helping of his country-based solo work. If you can get past the overly patriotic, questionably political and generally cringy lyrics, it’s a pretty decent album. His voice is just as well suited to country as it is radio/dad rock. Tracks like ‘Spinnin”, ‘Only In My Mind’ and the bouncier, rockier ‘Outlaw’ are all big highlights of the album. However, with just his vocals, guitars and strings, it does get a tad samey and drags a little by the end. None of it is bad, but I wish we’d have had a little more dynamics, or heck, even some drums, just to fill things out a little more or add to the dramatics. Still, I’ve seen a lot of people praising the album so far and rightfully so, it’s a good country release! 8/10
Asomvel: Born to Rock ‘n’ Roll
One of the fastest rising stars in the UK underground rock scene currently, Asomvel finally released their highly anticipated new album last Friday. And, surprising to I’m sure no one, it’s fucking awesome! It’s the perfect blend of Motorhead and Airborne, yet also feels like a modernised version of both. It’s dripping with attitude and has a real old-school feel to it while somehow still fitting in perfectly with today’s music and climate.
It’s a balls-to-the-wall, foot stomping album from start to finish, and is full of energy and adrenaline. Of course, there is something to be said of it all being similar, and I have certainly called out other releases for doing just that in the past. However, the 45-minutes went by in a flash and I loved every minute of it! There isn’t a bad song on the album, but tracks like the opener, ‘Cold Day in Hell’ and ‘Outside the Law’ are all massive personal highlights. If this is anything to go by, this hand are going to be MASSIVE in the very near future. Any rock fan out there will love this just as much as I did. I’d recommend it to anyone! 9.5/10, great stuff!
Ash Tustain: Piece of Me
We’ve also done this album in full too, aren’t you lucky? Check it out here!
Preacher Stone: V
The southern rockers are finally back with their first new album in eight years. The hype around it has been pretty massive, with three huge, awesome singles having been dropped already. I can’t wait to hear the rest!
It’s just as good as I was expecting it to be! ‘Hard Life PhD’ is the perfect opener, setting up the sound and feel of the album fantastically. Tracks like ‘Ain’t as Easy as it Looks’, the stomping, swaggering ‘Horse to Water’, and ‘Dance with the Devil’ are also personal highlights. However, there really isn’t a bad track on the album! It’s also put together really well, with every track flowing perfectly one after another. I didn’t get bored at all and listened to it all in one sitting like no time passed at all! If you’re into anything Southern or hard rocking or even country, check this out, you won’t be disappointed! 8/10
Dylan Scott: Livin’ My Best Life (Still)
I guess a sequel album of sorts, as ‘…Still’ clearly follows on from Dylan’s 2022 release in a major way. It continues the bro country/rock country sound and trend of his previous two albums, so if that’s your thing, you’ll surely love this! Honestly, I thought this was right up my alley going into it, but personally, the album was… fine? None of it was bad, don’t get me wrong. It’s always nice to have a darker, rockier, Brantley Gilbert-like sound in country, and Dylan and the musicians he’s used are all fantastic performers and writers. But it’s a slightly outdated country style these days, the lyrics being a touch on the cringy side at times. And there is a lot of music that sounds like this that I don’t think this album will quite cut through the white noise. Tracks like the opener and ‘Killin’ Some Time’ are personal highlights, but a lot of it sounds similar and blended together. I wouldn’t turn off the album if it came on. However, I don’t think I’d go out of my way to listen to it in full much again after this. Especially at 24 TRACKS. MY GOD COUNTRY, STOP THIS. 6.5/10
This will certainly have the mainstream media in love with it, but as a country fan, this is terrible. Honestly, it may be the worst album I’ve ever reviewed, and I don’t say that lightly. 1/10
The Dig Lazarus frontman, Ash Tustain, has decided to venture out on his own, plugging away at a solo album the last year or two and building plenty of hype for it in the process. I’m a huge fan of his band and we’ve become pretty close to them through this channel, so I’ve been rather impatiently waiting for this for a little while now! We got it across our emails and I knew I had to do a review of it ASAP, so let’s dive right in!
‘Supposed to Be’ opens on a pretty decent chord progression, the rest of the instruments filling out the sound perfectly. It gives off immediate early late1990s/early 2000s radio-rock vibes. Think Hootie & The Blowfish or Third Eye Blind. Not at all what I was expecting for a usually heavy blues/grungy frontman! It’s a nice change of pace though, and shows off Ash’s impressive range. His vocals fit perfectly over the top of the chilled instrumentation, too, almost having a Brit-pop edge to things. The multi-tracked vocals for the chorus are perfect for the track and immensely catchy. The lyrics are fantastic too, pretty uplifting and upbeat. It’s a fantastic song, and a great choice for an album opener!
‘Borrowed Time’ jumps straight into the infectiously catchy chorus, hooking the listener in immediately. The track still has a chilled-out feel to it, the rest of it all feeling like it builds perfectly to that excellent chorus. It’s going to be stuck in my head for the rest of the day, I’m sure of it! The rest of the track is of course awesome, but everything from the vocal melody to the lyrics to the chord progression of the chorus is definitely where it’s at. It easily makes our playlist!
Tracks like ‘Love More Than I Hate You’ and ‘Eggshells’ have more folky feels to them than the more pop-rock of the early album. The former really reminds me of some of the more reflective Frank Turner tracks, and I love it. The strings in the back of the chorus are a beautiful touch, too. It’s the second in a row that makes our playlist and is a massive highlight of the album. Meanwhile, the latter closes the album in rather epic fashion.
The likes of ‘Three Words’, ‘Are you Awake’ and ‘Let You Go’ go back to the radio-rock-pop formula from the opening tracks, and again, simply nail it. They’re all amazingly enjoyable songs, with the emotional ballad ‘Are you Awake’ being my personal favourite of the three. The lyrics for it are fantastic and the delivery of them from Ash is incredible.
The other three songs on the album, ‘Booshelf’, ‘Warning’ and the title track, all draw more from Ash’s rock roots. The former perfectly skirts the line between grunge and early 2000s alt-rock, giving off heavy Staind vibes in the best ways. However, it still maintains the bouncy, Brit-pop-style chorus, which was really interesting and made for a fun listen! Meanwhile the title track is much more of a straight-up rock song, an awesome riff running through it and it’s dripping in swagger and energy. It also has an awesome, foot-stomping chorus, another song that easily makes it onto our playlist! The penultimate track on the album is similar, though has a slower, suaver pace to it. All three songs are amazing and all are highlights, filling the gap between more Dig Lazarus music for a tad longer.
Overall: I loved this! It’s a pretty relaxed album for the most part, and is compact as anything. Only 10 tracks long, it feels like every song was meticulously selected as there really isn’t a bad one on it. It’s been arranged amazingly too; it flows well yet never once gets boring, the style and tempo changing in the perfect places. Ash has done a fantastic job here and has a really promising solo career if he wanted to carry on down this path!
Another stacked week of New Music Mondays, covering everything from country to death metal. Let’s check it out!
Dragonforce: Warp Speed Warriors
The British power metal legends returned with their first album in half a decade this last Friday. Any fans of the band already should know exactly what to expect. They have unashamedly stuck to pretty much the exact same sound and formula throughout their careers, the ACDC/Slayer of power metal, if you will. However, every single band member is insanely talented players and songwriters, with Li of course having reached guitar god status years ago. And while, even five albums in now, I can’t quite get into it as much without ZP’s vocals on it, Marc is the best I’ve heard him on this album, and it’s easily the best he’s fit.
The album has plenty of awesome tracks, too. The Gloryhammer-esque ‘Power of the Triforce’ and epic, slower, movie-soundtrack-like ‘Kingdom of Steel’ is a fantastic one-two punch early on. ‘The Killer Queen’ is also a big highlight. However, unless it is a tongue-in-cheek parody song, I have to say ‘Space Marine Corp’ is one of the cringiest songs I’ve heard in a while. But still, in general it’s a great power metal album, and honestly up there with some of the bands best work. Everyone does a great job and it’s packed full of awesome songs. 8/10
Kacey Musgraves: Deeper Well
The country/Americana/folk singer-songwriter is back with her fifth studio album. Considering how massive a name she is, and I certainly knew the name, I can’t think of a song she’s done that I’d heard. Though, having listened to this, I may have heard loads of her stuff and just forgot about it. It’s very… okay. It’s simple and slowish, which does contrast interestingly with the massive choruses of stadium country or even the likes of Chris Stapelton or Drake Milligan. Reaching this size without that is at least admirable. But it’s just like more boring, less well-written Cam. I had this whole album on while I was doing work and honestly couldn’t tell you a single standout track or thing about it. It’s not bad, per say, it’s simply rather dull and not really my sort of thing. 4/10 is the highest I can give it, as it isn’t badly written and I’m sure plenty will love it!
Scott Stapp: Higher Power
We’ve already checked out this awesome album! Read our full review here!
Mad Caddies: Arrows Room 117
The Caddies have been one of my favourite bands for close to a decade now, so when this album was announced, I was understandably excited. Having almost completely abandoned their punk roots at this point, the bands slower, chilled-out, almost easy listening ska/reggae sound is still a huge amount of fun to listen to. The closest they get to punk is on the Social Distortion-esque ‘Backroads’ or ‘Baby’. Heck, the latter even has a slight country tinge. Outside of that, it’s just relaxed ska indicative of their SoCal style. If anything I find it admirable that a band nearly three decades into their careers are continuing to evolve and write what they want to. Too much recently have we heard punk bands try to go back to their agro, adolescent roots to, more often than not, middling results at best.
The album is packed full of highlights, with there not being a bad song on it. However, personal highlights include the previously mentioned songs, ‘Palmtrees and Pines’ and ‘Everywhere You Go’. Honestly though, the whole album is good and worth a listen through from start to finish. If you’re a fan of ska, Reggae or punk, you certainly won’t be disappointed. It’s the first release of original music in a decade, and it’s a worthy successor to Dirty Rice! 9/10
Necrophobic: In the Twilight Grey
The Blackened death metal Swedes put out a pretty interesting and good album to mark their 10th release! It’s very much like if Amon Amarth had a baby with a black metal band, and I kinda love it. Tracks like the opener and ‘Stormcrow’ blew me away and were clear highlights! Having said that though, there really isn’t a bad track on the whole thing. Honestly, there isn’t much to say about the album aside for that if you like any of the genres or bands I’ve already named, you’ll probably love this. I’m not even typically a black/blackened metal fan, but this was interesting enough for me to love. If you’re a fan of the heavy, you’ll like this! 7.5/10
The Black Crowes: Happiness Bastards
The southern rock legends are back with their ninth studio album, and first in a decade and a half. Honestly, it was so good to hear the band were coming back at all after all their issues in the last decade or so, but to have new music released is truly awesome. And what an album it is, too! Whether it’s the classic Crowes sound like their opener, a more punk-infused sound on ‘Rats and Clowns’ or all-out acoustic-country-ballad goodness with ‘Wilted Rose’, there’s plenty to keep someone entertained. The latter also features everyone’s favourite country lady at the minute, Lainey Wilson, and is a fantastic song!
It’s one of the strongest return albums I’ve ever heard, and every track is really amazing. Songs like the opener and ‘Dirty Cold Sun’ are also huge highlights. It’s awesome to hear a band that clearly influenced some of my more local favourites like Bad Touch and The Answer back and going strong again. If you’re a fan of southern or hard rock, or country or rock just in general, I’m convinced you’ll love this album as much as I do! 8.5/10
Luke Dick: Lockeland
I spent the entire album trying to work out if this classed as country or not. I came to the conclusion that a) it doesn’t matter, and b) it’s closer to an acoustic easy-listening, Jack Johnson-esque sound most of the time. Either way, it’s a great listen. It’s an incredibly relaxed album with some beautifully written lyrics and guitars. It’s short too; only eight tracks and 27-minutes. It’s only just an album, but it also makes it nearly impossible to pick out highlights. It’s the antithesis of all killer, no filler, and each track feels meticulously selected. Having said that, I haven’t stopped listening to the opener or ‘True Companion’ all weekend! It’s certainly an album worth listening to in full, though! It’s certainly not going to be for every reader, but I loved it! 8.5/10
This was not something I was expecting to be released right now. With the huge buzz around the (admittedly massive) Creed reunion, a solo release from their frontman didn’t seem like it was on the cards. However, here we are! I have enjoyed his solo stuff to this point, and having checked out the lead single off this already, I think we’re in for something great. Let’s dive in!
Speaking of the title track, it’s up first! The heavy, chunky riff certainly reminds me of some of Creed’s earlier, heavier stuff; it definitely has a Tremonti-style to it. Scott’s voice is very much back on top form, coming in perfectly over the top with an awesome verse melody. It’s early 2000s radio/dad rock in all the best ways. It all builds up to a HUGE, catchy, arena-filling chorus. It was pretty expected given his back catalogue, but the chorus is definitely up there with some of his best. Some of his cadence and vocal delivery throughout is also a lot of fun, full of emotion and attitude. We almost get a breakdown in the middle too, building up to a huge riff. It’s a fantastic song, and one that easily makes our playlist. What a great start!
‘Deadman’s Trigger’ opens on an equally ch0nky riff, setting a steady pace and sludgy tone. It almost gives off Black Stone Cherry vibes as much as anything else, which certainly isn’t a bad thing! It’s a great verse, Scott Stapp ‘s voice again sounding fantastic, and it builds once again into a massive chorus. It goes up for it, feeling almost uplifting in its tone. It’s interesting, given that it contrasts pretty perfectly with the lyrics. We get some awesome lead guitar work in the middle, if anything it being far too brief. A final huge chorus then takes us home. It’s another incredible song, and the second of two to make it onto our Spotify!
The first album track, ‘When Love is Not Enough’, slows things down a little. I LOVE the acoustic guitar tone from the intro, and everything builds over the top of it perfectly to create an amazing soundscape. Stapp’s vocals fit just as well over the top of this as it does the heavy stuff. It gets a tad heavier for the typically massive chorus, the distorted guitar coming in over the top and adding a great layer. However, it stays at a slower, introspective pace and tone. We get another awesome guitar solo in the middle, this one getting a bit more time to shine. It fit the tone and feel of the track perfectly. Then a final chorus, with some awesome vocal work from Scott, finishes off another amazing track.
‘What I Deserve’ is another slower track, and my god is it beautiful and full of emotion. The subdued verse explodes into an epic, almost power metal chorus that is going to be stuck in my head for weeks to come. That chorus alone got the track on our playlist, but the rest of the song serves as the perfect build to it all. And that bridge riff and solo, damn, tasty. What an incredible song. Easily my favourite off the album, and that’s saying a lot!
The amazing Dorothy lends her amazing vocals to ‘If These Walls Could Talk’. Their voices compliment each other perfect, and it’s a truly beautiful duet. Their harmonies together in the choruses are incredible, especially that last one. The track as a whole is closer to a acoustic-country ballad than a rock one, but it’s a really great track. The emotion throughout is powerful and the minimalist instrumentation all compliment it perfectly. Yet another phenomenal track on this album.
‘Black Butterfly’ finally brings the heavy back in a big way with that awesome riff. It follows the early formula of the lower verse and then massive, heavier choruses. However, it’s so good that it’s hardly a complaint. The lead guitaring throughout this entire track is amazing, too. Especially that Egyptian scale in the middle. It’s a tad standard in terms of the arrangement and feel, but it’s still a fantastic track.
The same could be said about the following track, ‘Quicksand’. It’s a great track, but another that follows the radio-rock formula to a tee. Meanwhile, the final three tracks are ballads. All three are not only amazing songs, but equally beautiful and incredible well written. ‘You’re Not Alone’ in particular has some hugely emotional and well delivered. However, that shouldn’t take away from the other two tracks, with ‘Weight of the World’ being a very good, grandiose closer. Don’t get me wrong, I kinda wish they’d have had another heavier one in the middle of the two, as ‘Dancing in the Rain’ is maybe the most average track on the album. However, all three are still good, with the first and last one being AMAZING. Damn, what an album.
Overall: This is a really great album. As you can tell, I’m a fan of Creed and Scott Stapp in general, but this was honestly better than I was expecting. There isn’t a bad track on it, and every single one had me bobbing along in enjoyment. As stated previously, my only one point is that I’d have maybe preferred one more heavier track in among the last few. However, they’re all still insanely solid songs, and they fit the tone and pacing of the album perfect, so it really is a minor gripe. I’ll be listening to this a lot in the coming weeks, and only hope that it isn’t a sign that we won’t get new Creed music in the future!
The local lads and incredible southern rock band These Wicked Rivers have finally released their highly anticipated album today. To say the hype is high would be an understatement. I’ve been seeing this everywhere, and every single they’ve put out has somehow been just as good as the last. So, as soon as it was released, we knew we just had to write this review. Let’s get right into it!
The opening title track kicks things off with a fantastic fuzzy, southern/blues rock riff. It’s a great way to start things off, heavy and swaggering. John’s vocals are powerful and incredible through the verses, sounding better than ever and being accented perfectly by the guitars dropping out and playing big chords. It all builds to an awesome chorus, catchy and easily built for massive festivals and arenas. The ‘woh’s make it feel massive, and will go down so well live! It drops down after the second chorus, it just being John and the organ, which sounds great. Building in the other vocals and the acoustic guitar gives off big Skynard vibes in the best ways, and leads to a fantastic guitar solo. The bass work through it is also amazing, not that I’m jealous at all… This is an awesome track, and the perfect introduction to the album. It shows off who These Wicked Rivers are and highlights their many strengths. It easily makes our playlist!
‘The Family’ continues the same energy perfect, feeling similar to the opener and having the same attitude and swagger. It’s another catchy track too, with the harmonies adding so much to the sound. It’s the perfect blend of Bad Touch, Blackberry Smoke and The Outlaws. It fits perfect in with the NWOCR scene they have gotten massive in, while still having a great southern edge to it that certainly makes them stand out. It’s another great song!
Single ‘Black Gold’ has been in regular rotation for me since it’s release nearly six months ago. It’s an amazing song that helped build the hype towards this album massively. This, alongside the following track, have really helped to propell this band to huge heights over the last year, and it’s more than deserved. The riffing is awesome, the vocals are catchy and it all just has such a great polish and professional edge to it all; it really feels like a step up from their previous release. Both ‘Black Gold’ and ‘Testify’ are everything I love about These Wicked Rivers. They’re incredible tracks and both easily make our playlist!
‘When the War is Won’ is the first time the album takes a proper breather. It’s a slower, more stripped-back, heavily southern-rock ballad, and it’s fucking awesome. The clean guitars, simple drums and bass and John’s powerful, emotion-filled vocals all combine together perfectly. And it’s the best placement for the track too, giving a reprive at the mid point of the album. The diversity These Wicked Rivers has always been awesome, and is on full display with this track. I REALLY want to see this live!
Another big single from the album, ‘The Riverboat Man’, is up next. It brings the band back to the sound from the opening couple of songs; massive riffs and vocals. It almost has an early Black Stone Cherry sound to it, which I love. The chorus is one of the best on the album, and one that will once again be stuck in my head for hours to come. But that’s not to take away from the rest of the band, the instrumentation is overall incredible. I can’t not, I usually try to stick to max three, but I have to put this track on our playlist, too! An awesome track on an awesome album!
‘Just to be a Man’ is another slower track in very similar vein to ‘…war’. I love the this stripped back, more subdued style of These Wicked Rivers as much as I love their more foot-stomping harder sound. It kicks in perfectly later on too, the distorted guitars ripping in and making the track even more epic. And man, the guitar solo… *chefs kiss*. This album continues to keep me not only interested, but blows my mind every couple of tracks, I love it!
The final three tracks, ‘Lord Knows’, ‘Don’t Prey for Me’ and ‘Lonely Road’ are all just as kick-ass as the other songs on the album. The former is another hard/southern rock master class, while the final two tracks are slower. Honestly, it’s hard to pick a favourite between all of them too, as they are all so different and fantastic in their own way. ‘Don’t Prey for Me’ is honestly one of my favourite tracks on the album, it has a definite Skynard-level of slow epicness to it. Meanwhile we’re very familiar with the closer, having filmed a reaction videoto it when it was released. And it’s a fitting, beautiful, heart-wrenching closer. All are awesome songs.
Overall: Damn, what a fantastic album! Not only is there not a bad track on the album, but it’s packed full of incredible songs, a lot of them up there with some of my favourite the band have put out. They deserve all the attention and success they have been getting recently, and this album is a true testament to all of that. I truly believe it will help push them up to the top of the NWOCR scene, and it honestly couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of people. If you’re a fan of rock in general, this is certainly an album you must check out immediately!
Now, I have a LOT of love for this band. I’ve been a fan of them for years and have seen them rise through the ranks of festival scenes and venues, and truly think they are on the cusp of absolutely exploding. They have also been so kind to us, sharing our posts about them and even stopping for interviews a couple of times (you can find one in the highlight video here). Their last album was also one of the first articles up on this site, which you can check out here. So, safe to say, anticipation is high with this album! Does it live up to the hype? Let’s dive in and see!
The album opens on lead single ‘START AGAIN’. It very much starts off where their last album leaves off, a fantastic groovy, heavy rock riff to get everyone’s heads bobbing. The guitar drops out during the verses, giving it a very early 2000s radio rock/nu/industrial metal feel to it. That 2000s feel very much continues through the chorus too, it being MASSIVE and arena-filling, albeit all too brief, and reminds me of the likes of Saving Abel and Seether. The bridge keeps it simple but still heavy rock. And that half-time bit in the outro is amazing! It’s the perfect high-energy track to open the album with and also to use as a single. It easily makes our playlist!
Next up is another single, ‘DON’T HOLD ME DOWN’ (yes, it’s their second album of shouting titles at you). It keeps the energy high, the drums driving a quick, stomping pace through another awesome riff. The riff almost has a Volbeat feel to it. It continues through the verse, the vocals fitting pretty perfectly over the top. It’s followed by dropping down huge for the pre, it being something that will go down a storm chanted live. It’s a shame it only comes around the once in the track! Then, exploding back in with a huge, powerful chorus, the dynamics and writing of this track are fantastic. The half-time drums in the bridge almost turned it into a breakdown, as did the almost screwed vocals. As good as it is, man I wish they’d have gone all out heavy with it. A final chorus then takes us home in style.
For a second I thought Danny Carey featured in the opening of the title track. The drums at the start are so ‘Ticks and Leaches’ or ‘Fear Inoculum’. A typically huge rocky riff soon punches the listener Square in the face over the top of it, though, reminding you exactly what band you’re listening to. Tristins vocals fill the gaps perfect in the verses when his guitar cuts out, again adding a fun bounce to it all. Meanwhile the huge, slower chorus is almost uplifting with the powerful backing vocals, and is infectiously catchy. I’m pretty sure that was a scream to end the chorus, too. I really want Tristin to cut loose and give us a proper growl, but with the way he’s evolving, it feels like it’s only a matter of time. Especially when the band venture close to breakdown territory with the heavy bridge. So far they are three for three with awesome tracks, though, and it’s another that easily makes our playlist!
The first non single of the album, ‘TAXMAN’, goes just has hard the other tracks. It’s faster and more rock’n’roll than I was expecting too, channelling more of a Motorhead energy. It’s a straightforward track too, balls-to-the-wall throughout. It’s a nice change of pace from the first few tracks, and we even get an awesome guitar solo from Tristin, plenty of wah making it sound sick. It’s another great track, and would do good as a later single!
Another single, and one that we’re very familiar with here at Overtone, ‘LOOK UP’, is up next. It’s a steadier, lighter rock track more in line with AC/DC or Airborne than anything else. It’s an insanely catchy track that has grown on me more and more after the initial shock of the lighter tone. It’s an easily playlisted track and honestly one of my favourites from the band!
‘WARNING SIGN’ is yet another change of pace, being a slower, ballad-type track. Honestly, it works perfectly with the bands style too, and is a beautiful addition to the album. Sure, it has some distortion to the guitar and bass still, but it’s a lighter track for sure. The chorus is MASSIVE, reminding me of some of the lighter Alter Bridge ballads in the best way. I can’t stop listening to this track, it’s amazing, and another of my favourite the band have ever done. Another one for the playlist!
Tracks like ‘BEAUTIFUL LOVER’ and ‘THE FOREST’ are two more steady-paced songs. Both are excellent, with Tristin letting out his Welsh more on the former as his voice really reminded me of Kelly Jones at times. Meanwhile the latter is another great ballad, having almost a folky feel with the bouncy, acoustic sound. His vocals are FANTASTIC over the top of it too, fitting just as perfectly as the heavier stuff. It almost has an air of Newton Faulkner to it. I absolutely adore the variety in this album. I’m never once bored, and it’s arranged in such a way to keep it constantly interesting. Two more awesome songs.
‘THE WAY HOME’ is another foot-stomping hard rock track that definitely take a note from Phil Campbell’s successes. Meanwhile ‘SOLID 9’ is more closer to the sound I’ve come to expect from the band. Then ‘ROCKIN’ RING’ gets pretty heavy, almost having a hardcore-sort of vibe with Tristin’s harsher, more distorted vocals. It’s again practically a scream, I love it. All three are amazing songs and again really show the talent and variety of the three’s songwriting ability.
And with that, we sadly reach the final track already. ‘BACK TO THE END’ is certainly an interesting way to close out the album, too. It’s Creed. There isn’t any other way to describe it. And it’s certainly not a bad thing. It’s a dark, acousticy ballad with an incredible chorus. I’m not normally into slower album closers, but this works perfectly. It’s not only an amazing way to close the album, but is an incredible song in its own right. It’s another track that I can’t get enough of, and while I usually get shouted at for putting so many songs on one album onto our playlist, screw it, have another one! Everything about this song is amazing, check it out immediately!
Overall: Wow. What a fantastic album this is! Every track was amazing and, as I’ve said before, it spanned a lot of different sounds and styles. The band have experimented with this second release and everything they tried paid massively. They’ve somehow even topped their huge debut album. This band are going to be MASSIVE, and this album will certainly be a contributing factor to that. It’s easily going to be one of our top albums of the year, and I can’t not give it…
Local boys for us, Smoke Over Elsewhere, have been going from strength to strength in the UK underground rock scene for a couple of years now. Their blend of southern with the usual UK rock sound has turned a lot of heads. Their debut EP came out earlier this month and, after their previous two singles, I can’t wait to hear it. Let’s check it out!
Opener ‘Told You So’ builds up perfectly through a great bass and drum line, adding in the guitars before exploding into the HUGE main riff. The verse is fun while the chorus is simple yet dripping with attitude and swagger. There isn’t necessarily a huge, arena filling feel to it, it reminds me more of some of the Appetite for Destruction album tracks, ripping through awesome riffs and brief vocal sections. It’s a hell of a lot of fun as a track and skirts the line between hard rock, southern and heavier indie perfectly. A great way to open the EP!
‘Fire Blind’ channels the same heavy, hard southern rock swagger and riffing as the previous track. I LOVE the playing that’s going on through the EP, and especially here with the inclusion of the slide guitar. The chorus here is pretty catchy, and has more a doom/stoner vibe to the delivery. An almost Monster Magnet or High on Fire type feel. Honestly, there wasn’t much I could think of saying about the track outside of it’s a great song that’s definitely worth checking out.
Another great riff forms the basis of ‘Crazy’. If there’s one thing that’s a clear highlight of the EP and band in general, it’s these sleazy, hard rock riffs. It’s another great chorus in a simple yet incredibly effective track. The drum fill was great in the middle, too. It’s all one level and tempo and there really isn’t a massive amount to the track, but that’s if anything part of its charm. The band don’t need to do anything flashy or reinvent the wheel, they just play good rock music!
Closer ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Woman’ is practically exactly the same as the previous track, and the two before that. It’s the origin of the EP’s title, and it’s an infectiously catchy chorus surrounded by of course great instrumentation from the band. It’s my favourite track on the album and easily makes our playlist. It’s the perfect way to conclude this short, straight to the point EP!
Overall: This is exactly what I was expecting. And, for anyone going into this expecting a straight forward hard rock album with a bit of blues and Southern edge to it, you’ll feel the same. I have to say though, this release is definitely less southern than their previous two tracks, which was slightly disappointing. Still, it was a lot of fun and a collection of tracks that I would LOVE to see performed live. Each member is a master of their craft and came together to create something really great here. Hopefully we get a full length soon!
