Stone Broken's 'Revelation' - Album Review

When it comes to the latest wave of British rock bands, the Walsall-based four-piece Stone Broken are one of its standard-bearers. The band can trace its history back to 2013, but I first became aware of them in 2016 when I saw them supporting The Treatment in Birmingham. Thinking back to that gig, it is funny how fortunes change. At one stage, people were talking about The Treatment being the next big thing. The band's debut album pushed all the right buttons, and a huge US tour with Kiss and Mötley Crüe in 2012 should have seen them break through - but by 2016 they had lost two of their original members and were not far away from losing their second singer. The Treatment's star has fallen, but Stone Broken's has only continued to rise. Whilst I did not truly become a fan of the band until much later, I remember thinking back in 2016 that Stone Broken had potential. At the time, though, they had too much of a post-grunge/American radio rock sound for my taste. I have made this point about a number of modern British rock bands on this blog over the years, but I think that I may have finally gotten over my aversion to such a sound. In many ways, such an influence in the current wave of rock bands is inevitable given the age of the bands' members and the influx of American radio rock - from Creed to Shinedown - over the past couple of decades. I am not a big fan of the genre, but I have come to appreciate more and more of the newer UK bands who have clearly been influenced by such a sound. The biggest of these bands is likely Stone Broken. I see the band as the current leaders of the pack, and they have come a long way since 2016 - leaving The Treatment in the dust. I started casually following the band after the 2016 gig, but I did not come across them again until the 2018 iteration of Steelhouse Festival - where they headlined the opening Friday night. Despite having kept up with the band's progress, I had not really listened to any of their stuff in the interim - but the Steelhouse set impressed. It was great seeing such a band given the opportunity and Stone Broken held the attention of the large crowd throughout. I started to casually listen to them after this, but it was a 2019 show in Bristol with Black Star Riders that cemented my fandom. I recently saw the band again last month in Exeter, where they were excellent, but what I had really been looking forward to was a new album to digest. After a bit of a delay, I finally got my wish back in April when the band's third album Revelation was released. It is their first album for four years, following on from 2018's Ain't Always Easy, and it some ways it takes their established sound to the next level. It is not an album that simply repeats what Stone Broken have done before, although the songs throughout are unmistakeably them. If anything, Revelation is the most modern-sounding Stone Broken album yet, as the band have experimented throughout with a slightly heavier sound and some synths/electronics. The songwriting style is recognisable, but the band's sound has been given a different coat of paint - which helps to keep things fresh.

The album opens with what is probably my favourite song here, Black Sunrise. It opens with a version of the chorus, sung by frontman Rich Moss with a lot of effects on his voice, before a massive riff kicks in and the song proper gets going. Stone Broken have always had great riffs, and the heavier focus means that many of them hit harder this time. Moss and fellow guitarist Chris Davis have outdone themselves here from a riff standpoint, and Black Sunrise showcases the band's heavier sound from the off. Subtle leads add additional melodies to the verses, whilst a more atmospheric pre-chorus section allows the synths that have been experimented with here to shine. Moss' vocals and the synths give the pre-chorus a bit of a modern pop vibe, but this is short lived and it is not long before the chorus kicks in - with another big riff and some anthemic vocal hooks. Subtle backing vocals from drummer Robyn Haycock add some additional poppy melodies to the heavy chorus, too, and a short Davis guitar solo adds to the overall vibe. The track opens the album in fine fashion, and it really sets a flag in the ground in the context of Stone Broken's current sound. The Devil You Know is similar, with the heaviness continuing on through another excellent guitar riff. The riff this time has a bit of a staccato sound which ensures that there is plenty of groove injected into the piece. Stone Broken have always had some swagger in their sound, and The Devil You Know is a great example of this with its percussive pre-chorus section and cinematic, synth-heavy chorus. The riff mixes well with the synth backing to create a huge overall sound, and even a slower verse that gives more prominence to Moss' vocals does not dampen any spirits. Due to its big chorus and groove-based riff, the song is sure to become a live staple of the band going forward. The album's title track follows, and it reins in the heaviness somewhat - pushing the synths to the fore in the process. The song opens in a similar way to Black Sunrise, with Moss' voice, but the verses are generally more low-key this time. Kieron Conroy's bass takes on a big role during the verses, and his playing propels everything forward along with Haycock's swinging beat, whilst the choruses up the heaviness with a thicker guitar presence and plenty more big vocal hooks. Despite the heaviness that is generally present throughout the album, and even during parts of this song, Revelation really stands out from anything that the band has done before. The use of synths works nicely, though, and the song still sounds like Stone Broken despite the shift in direction. Make it Out Alive returns to some of the heaviness from the opening two songs, but at first it sounds like it is going to be a ballad. The song starts out in ballad mode with Moss singing against some distorted piano melodies, but it is not too long before a heavy, slower guitar riff kicks in and the song gets going. Much of the song is built around this slower guitar style, which gives it its identity, although some parts are more stripped back. One notable section features Haycock singing a couple of distant vocal lines against an atmospheric backing, which is very effective given the heaviness of much of the track.

Me Without You also opens with some piano melodies, but they are much more traditional sounding this time - and the song actually does morph into a ballad after the previous tease. Moss sings along with the piano for the first verse and chorus, and it is not until the second verse that any of the other band members join him. Subtle acoustic guitar and the occasional beat of a drum widen the sound as the song moves along, but it never really grows significantly beyond this. The song does build, and Haycock's drums do kick in properly, but it never ramps up in heaviness - with the build being more atmospheric in nature as the synths join forces with the drums for a U2-esque sound before the song fades to a close. Without a Reason gets back to a more riff-heavy sound, and the song is very much representative of the album's core sound with a mix of riffs and poppy synths. I really like how Stone Broken have used synths throughout the album. It would have been easy for them to overdo it and become far too poppy, but the balance has been well-struck here. There is still plenty of weight thanks to the guitar riffing and Conroy's punchy bass tones, but the synths add plenty of depth and the occasional spacey melody. This song also contains another excellent chorus, which feels like a real flashback to the band's previous two albums. The synths are new, but the vocal melodies are very much out of Stone Broken's past - and another excellent guitar solo showcases some great shredded leads against another big backdrop riff. Over the Line is very similar, but the balance is shifted more towards the band's poppier side this time - with the band building towards a heavier chorus rather than opening up with a muscular riff. This is a song that really relies on the band's new-found use of layers, and it gradually builds as it moves along until it explodes into a mid-paced, hard rocking chorus. Speaking of layers, there is more of a vocal presence again for Haycock here. I really like how the band have used her voice throughout the album. Her singing has not really been a used in this way before, but her harmonies and occasional stand-alone vocal add an extra dimension to the band's sound. Her voice has not been over-used, but when she does sing it sounds great - and I would like to see this approach developed further going forward. Stronger is a song that really harks back to the band's previous albums. If the synths were removed it could have been a leftover from a previous recording session, as it is very much a post-grunge rocker that builds from an acoustic beginning. The mid-paced chorus is very anthemic and easy to latch onto, whilst the verses have plenty of depth thanks to Moss' emotive vocal performance the presence of the acoustic guitars throughout. It closes with another excellent guitar solo, too, and I like how the band have retained this part of their previous sound despite clearly wanting to streamline somewhat.

This Revival gets back to more of an overall heavier sound. The song opens with a muscular riff, but it drops out for a mechanical-sounding verse that is very much built around Conroy's slightly distorted bass playing and Haycock's percussive drumming. The rhythm section's playing during the verses is a bit different from the norm, but it is welcome. This somewhat angular playing ensures that the overall vibe of the song remains on the heavier side despite the lack of a big guitar presence during the verses. The guitars kick back in properly during the choruses, though, which again are quite typical of Stone Broken's core sound. They are choruses that are easy to latch onto, with melodies that are made to sung along to, and an atmospheric bridge section that comes in towards the end again makes good use of Haycock's voice as the band build up towards crashing into a reprise of the chorus. So Damn Easy ups the pop side of the band's sound, and goes for a bit of a pop punk sound with some juddering guitar riffs. I am not a massive fan of pop punk, so I have to say that the song does not really do all that much for me. I feel that this is a song where the band have pushed the pop melodies and the synths a little too far - and the weight of the band's trademark, riff-based sound is missing. In general, though, this balance has been well-struck throughout the album - so one misstep can be forgiven. I really like how the band have experimented with their core sound throughout the album, but for me So Damn Easy is a bit of a step too far. It does not really sound like Stone Broken at all, and I feel like the mix of great riffing with accessible melodies has always been what makes the band tick - and So Damn Easy lacks this. This misstep proves to be a blip, however, as the album's final track Gimme Some More is very much back to business for the band. There is even a lack of synths this time (they are there, but they are very much in the background) so the song has a real old-school Stone Broken vibe. It could have been a hangover from one of the previous albums if it was not for the synths and a guitar solo courtesy of producer Dan Weller (SikTh) - as it has another excellent, soaring chorus and a hard-hitting riff that kicks in from the off with little fanfare. It ends the album in fine, heavy fashion - and a sound that Stone Broken fans will be familiar with. Despite a slight shift in tone throughout the album, though, Stone Broken fans will still generally find the rest of the album quite familiar, too. There has clearly been a concerted effort by the band to change things up a bit here, which has largely worked well, but the core elements of their sound are still very much intact. The riffing and the big choruses that fans have come to expect are still here, and the poppier elements thanks to the synths are generally used sympathetically. As such the overall development of Stone Broken's sound is welcome, and it is an album that will further their growth and status as one of the UK's most exciting newer bands.

The album was released on 22nd April 2022 via Spinefarm Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Revelation.