FM's 'Brotherhood' - Album Review

One thing that I have learnt over the years is that something new from the UK-based melodic rock/AOR five-piece FM is never far away. Considering that the band, who made a bit of a splash in the late 1980s/early 1990s without ever really taking off in a big way, only reunited in 2007 for a one-off performance at the now-defunct Firefest, what was clearly intended to be a celebration of what had come before and perhaps a full-stop on a career has since morphed in a full-blown second wind - with FM perhaps as well-respected now as they have ever been. Whilst the early days of their reunion were characterised by short tours and festival appearances - in more recent years the band have undertaken much longer tours, and have even regularly ventures outside of the UK. As a big FM fan since 2014, seeing the band so active again is great. I generally get to see them live at least once a year these days, given their activities, and they must now be my third-most seen live act behind Mostly Autumn and The Quireboys. The deeper into their reunion the band get, too, the more likely a new album from them seems to be. In truth, even when their live shows were a bit more on the sporadic side a new album was always fairly likely - and since relaunching in 2010 with Metropolis FM have never really looked back. Including Metropolis, the reunion years have now heralded nine new albums of original material - plus a re-recorded version of 1986's Indiscreet, a number of EPs which include non-album tracks, and a handful of live albums. The only band I can really compare FM's reunion activity with is Magnum - and whilst none of FM's newer albums are quite as good as those early classics, as was also the case with Magnum, each new release is full of memorable songs, strong songwriting, and classy arrangements. A number of new songs have become setlist staples over the years, too, and each tour tends to feature at least a handful of songs from whatever the latest album is. FM keep things fresh, then, and the ninth of these reunion-era albums was released last week - with Brotherhood hitting the shelves. The band's 14th studio album overall, not counting 2016's Indiscreet 30, Brotherhood follows only 18 or so months after 2024's Old Habits Die Hard (which I reviewed here) which was released in May last year to celebrate the band's 40th anniversary alongside a pretty lengthy UK tour. Even for FM, though, releasing albums in consecutive years is prolific. Both Rockville and Rockville II dropped in 2013 - but generally there has been a two or three year gap between new albums. Considering how I started this review, I was still not expecting Brotherhood quite so soon - but the 11 songs here are all of a standard which has become expected of FM in recent years. Frontman Steve Overland still possesses one of the best voices in the melodic rock world - and the band really have a knack for writing memorable, upbeat, and soulful AOR songs which include both a 1980s synth flourish and something of a blues rock base. The last few albums have leaned more towards the former, though, and that is largely the case here, too, although the use of some female backing vocals on a few of the songs adds a slight gospel edge at times to shake things up.

Otherwise, though, there is nothing especially new here, and I am not sure that Brotherhood is quite among the cream of the reunion crop, but that does not stop it from being another enjoyable release. It is quite frontloaded, too, with many of the best songs coming early on - with the opening Do You Mean It kicking things off nicely. Rumbling Hammond organ and a bluesy guitar pattern open the mid-paced rocker well, with guitarist Jim Kirkpatrick immediately impressing with a good mix of chunky riffing and bluesy guitar leads. Whilst the core of the album steel leans more towards an AOR sound, this track channels the somewhat tougher feeling of the band's early reunion albums - with Jem Davis moving back and forth between percussive electric piano chords and washes of organ and Overland channelling the emotion of Paul Rodgers as he has often done over the years. The aforementioned female backing vocals are utilised here, too, and they give the pre-chorus and chorus an edge - with the gospel-esque additions singing in a call-and-response manner with Overland in a way which is a little different from the norm. Throw in a short organ solo and a bluesy guitar solo - and FM here feel slightly more muscular and soulful than has perhaps become the norm, with a retro, organic sound backing their trademark sense of melody. Living on the Run, which follows, is a bit more typical of the band's other recent albums. With the previous song having more of a mid-paced groove, this track feels a little more up-tempo during the intro - which is filled with some hooky guitar leads from Kirkpatrick and more of a synth backing. As such, the song is much more of a classic-sounding slab of AOR - and the way the band drop away somewhat to allow clean guitar melodies and a simple drum pattern from Pete Jupp to dominate the verses is a trick from the 1980s playbook. Overland's voice is front and centre as a result, and he is full of character as always - whilst the later chorus oozes quality thanks to some earworm vocal melodies, the guitar leads from the intro repurposed, and some propelling bass playing of Meryvn Goldsworthy. The keyboards are there to create a synth backing, but they are not as bombastic as has sometimes been the case with FM, especially on the last handful of albums, which means that the track remains guitar driven - either by the clean melodies or the hooky leads. A later solo builds on these leads - and the track is another memorable cut by the veteran band. Coming for You builds on the 1980s AOR tropes of the previous song, with a big gated drum fill opening the track up before a pulsing riff kicks in which sees the guitars and keyboards teaming up for a staccato stab which will be familiar to anyone familiar with the genre as a whole. This is a much more keyboard-driven song over all, with Davis' playing essentially the key feature of the verses - his pulsing keyboard motifs the main focus as the rhythm section groove away and the guitars add colour in the background. The synth sounds are not as a bombastic as they could be, though, and some organ is also added at times to ground the piece - but the stabbing synth melodies are very much rooted in the 1980s, with the chorus doubling down with sugary hooks and plenty more keyboards.

Perhaps the song here which goes all in for 1980s AOR tropes, though, is Raised on the Wrong Side - and the bombastic track is one of my favourite cuts here. With an opening synth flourish and atmosphere which recalls Michael Bolton's 1980s albums, before a Bon Jovi-esque snaking guitar line kicks in - the song is one of those earworms that grabs hold from the off and never really lets go. It is a song that we have all heard a number of times, but the formula never seems to get old. Overland's soulful verse vocals are a great counter to the guitar lines, with occasional screaming leads thrown in, whilst vocal harmonies during a building pre-chorus and the flashy synth stabs during the chorus are pure AOR - with shades of the sound of Indiscreet present. The chorus is the best here, and it is surely made for the stage - whilst a clean guitar-led bridge section and a flashy guitar solo only add to what is already a stellar piece. Returning to something of a smoother sound, Love Comes to All reins in some of the AOR tropes of the previous tracks to instead go for a pop rock sound with breezy vocal melodies, joyous clean guitar chords and a decent amount of drive from the rhythm section. Musically, the song feels quite simple. There are no big riffs or melodies here, with guitar chords and a simple beat generally the base of the track - which means that Overland's voice is the star of the show. He sings with his usual class here, although there is perhaps more of a soulful injection - particularly during a slightly more downbeat bridge section with some additional piano backing. It is a jaunty piece which feels a little different from the norm for FM - but the approach to melody is recognisable. Just Walk Away is the album's big ballad - and it opens with a big wall of synths and some acoustic guitar melodies. Overland emotes before the song starts proper as he tends to do, adding emotion to the track, before his soulful vocals ooze over a bed of acoustic guitar chords and piano countermelodies. Unlike some of the band's big ballads, though, this one generally remains fairly stripped back - at least early on. Subtle drumming does add a little drive, but really this is all about the acoustic guitars and piano - and the chorus does not feel especially bigger than the verses, with tweaks in the vocal melodies signalling the change. The drumming does get a little more prominent after the first chorus - but the organic nature of the piece remains, and Overland's voice remains king. Kirkpatrick's solo is on the acoustic guitar too, which keeps the song feeling stripped back - as does a brief organ solo from Davis. Don't Call It Love, one of the album's singles, returns to feel-good AOR - with chugging guitar chords early on, a jaunty riff, and the occasional harmony guitar melody. Whilst the keyboards are perhaps not as big as some of the band's jauntiest pieces, with Davis generally opting for atmosphere, there is still a lot of melody here - with busy guitar melodies during the instrumental sections and plenty of vocal hooks from Overland. The chorus is another of the album's best, with harmonies and hooks aplenty, whilst the mix of clean guitar-led verses and a chunkier chorus works well as such an arrangement tends to for the band. A great guitar solo from Kirkpatrick is the icing on the cake - with the track being another album highlight.

Time Waits for No-One is a slightly funky-feeling track - with a bit of a Toto-esque groove whilst the band's core AOR sound remains. Goldsworthy's bass playing really drives the track, his busy playing adding that funky edge - whilst the choppy guitar rhythms and keyboard arpeggios are packed with fluid 1980s goodness. This is not a track which jumped out at me at first, but repeated listens have made it something of a favourite thanks to the similarity at times to Toto and its joyous vibe. FM have not really written many funky songs in the past - and the bass grooves here are something a bit different for the band. Organ is mixed in with the synth melodies to help ground the track, though, whilst Kirkpatrick throws in another busy guitar solo which shreds compared to the guitar playing elsewhere in the song. Overland's vocal hooks are perfectly placed, too, and the track is a surprise winner here. Because of You has quite an atmospheric opening with spacey synths and a bit of a build up with slide guitar lines - but generally the song is quite a smoother rocker with ballad-like verses and a bigger chorus which utilises more weight and harmonies. Despite this typical approach, the spacey elements remain - with occasional synth flourishes and guitar melodies which feel slightly proggy. As such, the song does do something a little different in colour - even if at its core it is something quite familiar. Chasing Freedom is much more organic in nature - but it is no less melodic, with a slight country twang added to the band's usual AOR sound. There is a strong acoustic guitar presence throughout, with the verses being based around a downbeat drum groove and big acoustic guitar chords. Overland sings in his usual melodic way, though, and his smoothness works well against this acoustic backing. The chorus is much bigger overall, though, with a more expansive drumbeat and plenty of big harmonies. Kirkpatrick swaps to his electric guitar for a bluesy and expressive solo, but really much of the prominent guitar work is acoustic-based - whilst the rhythm section add what grit there is and the keyboards add depth. FM have done songs like this before and they tend to work well - and this piece is another pretty expansive and melodic track given how much of what is heard is acoustic-based. The album then comes to a close with The Enemy Within which, following a couple of slightly more interesting tracks in terms of arrangement, is a bit more of a typical mid-paced FM track. Sadly, though, it is probably the album's least interesting song. The big hooks which FM are generally known for are not so prominent here - with the chorus not really being much of an earworm. Some of the bluesy rock of the early reunion albums is present here, with a guitar melody during the chorus feeling that way, but generally the song feels like a bit of a plodder - without any of the easy on the ear melodies which FM tend to make songs like this fly with. I do not think it helps that the song is just under six minutes long, too, and the piece does not really evolve as it moves forward. The song is a rare miss for FM in my opinion, then, and it is a shame that the album does not end on a high. Despite this, though, much of the rest of the album is strong - with Brotherhood being another very enjoyable melodic rock release. There are a handful of songs which have already become favourites, and the band have added to their impressive canon here with another record which fans of melodic rock will digest with glee.

The album was released on 5th September 2025 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Don't Call It Love.

Helloween's 'Giants & Monsters' - Album Review

When reviewing Mob Rules' strong latest album Rise of the Ruler (which can be read here) last week, I hinted that I soon would be covering one of the year's biggest power metal releases. Whilst I have reviewed a few power metal albums already this year, and there are more to come, I doubt that many would disagree that the latest release from Germany's Helloween, Giants & Monsters, is 2025's biggest and most important power metal release. Whilst things had been called power metal before Helloween released their self-titled EP in 1985 - there is no doubt that the albums which followed defined the European power metal sound which really exploded throughout the 1990s and continues to thrive. The EP and 1985's Walls of Jericho laid the foundations, but the gritty sound found throughout would soon be discarded - with the two-part Keeper of the Seven Keys albums from 1987 and 1988, which introduced the smooth voice of frontman Michael Kiske, being arguably the first true examples of European power metal. They remain seminal metal releases to this day - and Helloween have remained popular over the years despite tweaks in the formula and line-up changes. In 2025, too, Helloween may be as big as they have ever been. Whilst the band remained both critically and commercially successful throughout the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s, the coming together of the band's current line-up was certainly a turning point - and for the past nine years the seven-headed monster which currently makes up Helloween has undertaking a lot of touring, in bigger venues than the band had generally been playing, as well as releasing a couple of enjoyable live albums and an excellent self-titled album (which I reviewed here) in 2021. With all three of the band's living founding members, guitarists Kai Hansen and Michael Weikath and bassist Markus Großkopf, present, alongside classic 1980s frontman Kiske and frontman since 1994 Andi Deris - the vast majority of the key players from all of their eras are now part of the band. Throw in guitarist Sascha Gerstner, himself a significant songwriting contributor over the past couple of decades, and drummer Daniel Löble, who have been in the band since 2002 and 2005 respectively, and the Helloween of today is a formidable force - with five regular songwriters and three singers, as Hansen was, of course, also the band's original vocalist. Few likely imagined that this reunion would last beyond a single tour, let alone still be going strong nine years later, but it is clear that all here are involved for the right reasons - and Helloween are still flying high as a result. Giants & Monsters, then, released last month, is the band's seventeenth album, their first since 2021, and the second to feature the current expanded line-up. Whilst perhaps not as epic and sweeping as Helloween, Giants & Monsters is nevertheless and excellent piece of work. It is shorter for a start, with its relatively compact 50 minutes meaning that it flies by, and the band just feel really at ease with the current line-up situation now - with a relaxed approach to vocal arrangements, a greater songwriting input from Hansen, and a real dose of that classic Helloween quirk making this latest effort a strong one.

Looking back, Helloween was likely crafted to ensure that it ticked a lot of boxes - in terms of ensuring there was a good spread of songwriting credits as well as time in the spotlight vocally for both Kiske and Deris. Giants & Monsters still ensures both, but it perhaps feels a bit more natural this time - with Hansen more of a force both vocally and from a songwriting perspective, too. Neither Kiske nor Deris seem to mind if the other gets to shine brighter at times, which is healthy, and that is apparent during the opening semi-epic Giants on the Run - which features both Deris and Hansen vocally as the song's co-writers. There is little standing on ceremony here, too, with a mid-paced riff essentially crashing in immediately, aided by a subtle synth melody, but the song's overall arrangement is quite varied and classic Helloween in the sense that it takes a few twists and turns. This percussive, riffy opening is quite short-lived, as soon the heaviness drops away - leaving clean guitars to form an atmospheric backing for the verses, which see Deris singing in a gentle manner. Perhaps the song is not the explosive start that many would have expected, but I really like how the album opens - with these clean verses acting as a strong atmospheric build towards a fast-paced chorus, which sees Deris really letting rip in a more traditional manner whilst double bass drumming and strident guitar riffing take things to the next level. This slow verse/fast chorus combo works well early on - but the song maintains its heaviness during a mid-section which sees Hansen take over vocally, with a more aggressive approach working well briefly before he sings in his more traditional, nasally manner during a lengthy bridge section which sees heavy riffing and melodic tones working well together. Busy guitar leads and harmony guitar solos are thrown in when needed, alongside a rather dramatic, chanted vocal refrain - and when the song culminates in Deris delivering the final chorus with real venom the varied arrangement pays off. Having being largely, or perhaps entirely, absent from the opening track, Kiske is introduced during the smoother, fast paced Savior of the World - a Weikath-penned power metal anthem which is very typical of Helloween's core sound. Kiske has lost little of his vocal power over the years, and this song is a great showcase for him. Endless double bass drumming keeps the song moving, whilst layers of pompous keyboards create a strong melodic backing - but there is still plenty of crunch thanks to the overall guitar riffing, and the verses see the synths drop away somewhat to allow the guitars to shine through. The chorus sees them return, though, with pulsing synth additions creating a melodic halo around everything - whilst Kiske's smooth and accessible vocal harmonies drive everything. He sings lead throughout the whole song, with occasional harmonies thrown in to bulk things out, but it works well as he is really suited to this kind of material - with his high-pitched screams during the chorus showcasing his talents nicely. The song is much more accessible in terms of arrangement - but it is not one which needs to be complex, with big melodies and the overall pace driving everything.

The Deris-penned A Little Is a Little Too Much is a classic mid-paced cruncher with something of an anthemic overall sound. There is another song like this later on the album, and since Deris joined the band in 1994 he has been writing songs like this for them - with the big chorus being a great candidate for being played live thanks to its fists-in-the-air melodies and the strong vocal interplay between him and Kiske. The two trade vocal lines back and forth during the verses, allowing for a good mix of grit and melody, whilst the chorus sees them singing and harmonising together nicely. Staccato, slab-like riffing and a twinkling synth melody form the basis of the song musically - and it is another piece which does not take too many risks arrangement-wise. The synth prominence perhaps is a little different, and a 1980s-style chorus key change feels a little cliché,  but overall the song is a lot of fun - with a chorus that sticks in the brain from the off. Hansen's We Can Be Gods ups the pace, and immediately turns the clock back to the very early days of Helloween - as well as the heavier end of Gamma Ray. The chorus feels like classic Helloween, with Kiske tending to dominate, but the verses are a bit more Gamma Ray in feel - and there is more of a focus throughout on guitar leads, with tasty, melodic playing injecting itself when necessary. The use of bombastic piano during the chorus helps the song to sound massive, too, and the way the piano just sits beneath the hard-driving riffing gives the song a real boost - and it is something a little different for the band overall. Kiske sings most of the song, but Hansen shares the verses with him - with his nasally snarl working well given the song's overall crunch, before the chorus is taken to new heights thanks to Kiske's soaring delivery. The aforementioned lead guitar reliance is later taken to its logical conclusion with a lengthy solo segment which likely features all three of the band's guitarists given how it twists and turns. The album's only ballad, Into the Sun, is up next - which opens with sombre piano melodies and Kiske singing in a deeper register than he generally does. Written by Deris, the ballad is quite typical when it comes to Helloween's previous efforts - but the vocal interplay between him and Kiske helps to elevate it - and there is also quite a rousing string arrangement during the verses in particular. The mix of the piano and strings, alongside the rest of the band adding weight during parts of the song, makes the ballad shine - and the chorus is pretty memorable thanks to the harmonies and the way Kiske and Deris sing in a bit of a call-and-response manner at times. An emotional guitar solo is later thrown in, which builds on some of the melodies found elsewhere, and the dense ballad works well as a bit of a mid-album change of pace - and allows Kiske in particular to try something a bit different vocally.

This Is Tokyo is the second of Deris' big anthemic pieces here - following A Little Is a Little Too Much. Arrangement-wise, though, the song is different from that previous bouncy track - as it feels a bit more varied thanks to some slow-burning moments during the verses which build towards a proper shout-along chorus that is made for being played live. Deris tends to dominate vocally throughout, with his gritty voice perfect for the simple chorus in a manner similar to songs like Are You Metal? from the past. Kiske adds his voice to verses at times, but generally just to harmonise with Deris - and I like the fact that the band do not always feel that the vocal arrangements on this album need to be complex and include everyone. Deris is just better suited to this song and it shows - whilst a busy guitar solo section later adds some Japanese-adjacent shredded melodies. The next two songs are written by Gerstner, with the epic-length Universe (Gravity for Hearts) up first. It is the longest song on the album and one of two here over eight minutes long - and it opens slowly, with some clean guitar melodies over which Kiske sings a version of the song's chorus in a drawn out and dramatic way. The rest of the band soon kick in, though, with the track being a fast-paced power metal anthem for a while. Given the song's length, though, there is more of a progressive arrangement here. Traditional 1980s power metal is present during much of the verses and the soaring chorus, which feels different to its initial incarnation, whilst crunchier, Judas Priest-adjacent riffing makes up the pre-chorus. Given that much of the song is fast-paced, Kiske's smooth and soaring vocals are utilised throughout. He sounds great here, and the song is perfectly suited to his voice - with the chorus in particular shining thanks to his talents. It sounds like Deris and Hansen add some occasional backing vocal counterpoints at times during the verses, but in general this is Kiske's song - even when a more slow-burning section later kicks in. The deeper vocals he utilised during the ballad return during this murky section - but following a knotty riffy section, a Queen-like vocal-led passage kicks in which Hansen takes over for. Hansen's quirky voice works well for this moment of strange bombast - and the cinematic guitar solo which follows is filled with soaring melody. It is one of those songs that gets better with each listen - and it shows that Gerstner is just as important to this incarnation of Halloween as all the classic members. His second contribution Hand of God is quite different, with the short, poppy track playing around with synths in a pleasing way. He also releases synthy rock under the name Palast, so he has clearly allowed some of that side of his writing to creep in here - and it works quite well. Deris sings the robotic, mid-paced track - his gritty voice mixing well with the plentiful synths and chiming guitar melodies. The song feels like nothing else on the album really, but over repeated listens it has stuck with me. The chorus, despite its strange, deliberate pace, feels hooky - and I like the way Deris sings the song in a slightly different manner to how he usually would. Big guitar melodies are still present throughout - and another cinematic solo is thrown in to help further add some melody to the pulsing, electronic track.

Under the Moonlight is Weikath's second songwriting contribution - but it is a bit more mid-paced than is typical of his efforts. Kiske sings the song, though, which is not surprising - and there is certainly some classic power metal tropes here which are welcome following the left-turn of the previous song. Big guitar melodies are ever-present throughout, with a hooky refrain kicking things off - which returns later on to help the song soar. It is the shortest song here, at just over three minutes, and it was clearly written just to be bouncy and hooky. Despite the mid-paced feel, the song is very energetic overall - and there is a poppy bounce thanks to the groove of the drums and the ever-present harmony guitar leads. Kiske really leans into this vibe, too, and his vocals just sound so joyous throughout - with the chorus being an infectious piece that grabs hold and never really lets go. The album then comes to a close with the other eight minute-plus piece here, Majestic. Written by Hansen, the epic-length piece is another somewhat progressive number - and it opens slowly with some murky clean guitars and spoken word from Hansen. Hansen has sung bits and pieces throughout this album, but he features quite a lot here early on - although the song is really the only one here which features all three singers prominently. Helloween seemed to want to do this more, particularly with duets between Kiske and Deris, but as I said earlier I think that everyone is just more comfortable with their positions in the band now - so this big vocal arrangement actually helps the song to really stand out. Hansen is certainly featured less, but his early contributions are welcome - whilst Deris and Kiske trade vocals throughout much of the song, with their interplay during the chorus really making it tick. The chorus is gritty and heavy, but with an anthemic feel, whilst the song overall lacks some of the brightness of Helloween's core sound. There are hints of Gamma Ray again here, which is no bad thing, especially during the early Hansen-led moments - as well as during a later clean bridge section which also features his singing. Even the riffing is quite Gamma Ray-esque, but the soaring vocals of Kiske and the anthemic Deris moments root the song firmly in the Helloween canon - with lengthy guitar solos also doing their bit to add plenty of melody. A final chorus later brings the album to a close - and the big, anthemic nature of it makes me wonder if this is another track which is likely to be played live on the upcoming tour. In truth, a lot of the songs here feel made for the stage - and I would not be surprised to see this album dominating the setlist later the year. With lots of classics being played over the past few years, it seems right that the upcoming tour focuses on this album - as it is a quality release with lots of memorable songs as well as some pieces which try something slightly new. It is both classic-sounding Helloween whilst feeling fresh at the same time - and perhaps metal's greatest reunion/coming together of eras continues to impress, putting others to shame in the process.

The album was released on 29th August 2025 via Reigning Phoenix Music. Below is the band's promotional video for This Is Tokyo.

Robert Jon & The Wreck's 'Heartbreaks & Last Goodbyes' - Album Review

Whilst I may have gotten over my initial obsession, with the band now falling into a more average rotation in terms of regularity of being played compared to what they once enjoyed, California's Robert Jon & The Wreck have been one of my favourite bands of the past few years. Despite them having been around for quite a while, it was not until 2023 that I started to listen to them properly - but since then I have amassed essentially the band's whole catalogue and have seen them live twice, once in Exeter and once in London. I am generally a pretty big southern rock fan, which is the genre I generally consider the band to fall in, but even for me I fell for Robert Jon & The Wreck hard - likely due to the band's sense of melody, strong songwriting, and the fiery guitar playing of Henry James Schneekluth. The band's never-ending energy and activity likely has helped, too. Since getting into the band properly they have never stopped, and the five-piece seem to possess a work ethic and a desire to write and tour more akin to bands of the 1970s than bands of the 2020s. The band released an album, Ride into the Light (which I reviewed here) only a few months after I started to listen to them - with the aforementioned Exeter show following not long after. I was, then, not really expecting another album and tour in 2024 - but Red Moon Rising (which I also reviewed here) was soon announced, with the show in London I attended taking place last November. Both of the shows I have seen have been excellent, with the band excelling live and taking their songs to new heights on stage, but, unlike some bands who burn brightest live, their studio albums are still very strong - even if the band are perhaps a little more restrained in the studio than they are on stage. The band even played some more UK shows earlier this year, but none of them made sense for me logistics-wise - and the announcement of yet another new album a few months ago did not, this time, come as a surprise. Robert Jon & The Wreck just seem to continually write and record new songs. Most of Red Moon Rising had been released as singles before the album dropped - and there was later a deluxe version released which contained even more songs. New songs continued to be released in late 2024 and throughout 2025 - many of which appear on the band's latest album Heartbreaks & Last Goodbyes, which came out last month. There is at least one of those singles which did not appear on either the re-released Red Moon Rising nor this new album, showing how much material there is out there - but Heartbreaks & Last Goodbyes is nevertheless another strong collection of songs from the band. The last album was somewhat on the longer side for them, but this one is more bite-sized as has tended to be their style. At around 40 minutes long, Heartbreaks & Last Goodbyes is very digestible, then, and it sees the band working with producer Dave Cobb - who in the rock world has worked with bands as diverse as Europe, Rival Sons, and Halestorm. They previously worked on a couple of songs with Cobb for the Ride into the Light album, which was more of a collection of songs from different sessions than a cohesive album in the truest sense, and this album sees them expand their relationship with him just as Red Moon Rising did with Kevin Shirley.

There have been no line-up changes since the last album, meaning that frontman Robert Jon Burrison and Schneekluth are joined once again by founding drummer Andrew Espantman, long-time bassist Warren Murrel, and fairly new keyboard player Jake Abernathie. This album is perhaps less hard rocking overall and a little more plaintive than has often been the case for the band - with it leaning more towards the harder end of country rock at times, which the band have often flirted with, alongside some heartland rock vibes which bring Tom Petty to mind. There is still plenty of rock here, though, with Sittin' Pretty proving such from the off. Droning Hammond organ kicks things off, but a drum roll and a snappy guitar riff soon kick in - with the track being a fast-paced hard rocker which recalls some of the most high-octane and paciest moments of the band's career to date. There is little of the band's swagger and groove here, with old-school hard rock shining through. The main riff is bluesy, but its pace gives it a heaviness - whilst the constant growl of the organ, particularly during the chorus, adds further weight. The chorus is particularly powerful, too, with Burrison's slightly gritty vocals sitting nicely against this bed of organ and busy riffing - whilst Schneekluth throws in plenty of fast-paced lead guitar moments. His solo later is a bit more restrained, though, with long-held notes and plenty of bluesy bends, but this is really the only moment of such in the song - with shredded chorus leads, clattering drumming, and plenty of attitude making the song a blink-and-you-will-miss-it winner. Ashes in the Snow is perhaps a bit more representative of the album as a whole, though, with the song being something of a semi-ballad - with a more cinematic and emotional sound. Slide guitar melodies, which have always been a bit part of the band's sound,  set an early tone whilst piano is generally used rather than organ this time to add a percussive and melodic depth. Reining in the grit of the previous song, Burrison channels that heartland rock vibe here - his natural warmth coming through during the verses which are somewhat paired back to allow occasional slide melodies to shine. The chorus is a bit bigger, with an organ and piano mix creating a big sound, whilst the warm vocal harmonies and heartfelt lyrics are easy to latch onto. Schneekluth later continues to use his slide to good effect during a solo section - and these aching melodies build on the emotions found elsewhere well. Highway opens with some bluesy guitar licks - which are soon doubled up Allman Brothers Band style as Espantman's drums kick in, and the song proves to be a good mix of punchy rock and heartfelt balladry. Once the drums start it seems as if the piece is going to be a proper rocker, and the later chorus is pretty punchy, but the verses recall the previous song somewhat - with all the focus on Burrison's vocals whilst clean guitar melodies and occasional piano runs create a strong atmosphere. There is a bit of a build towards the chorus, with subtle organ and percussion adding depth, but generally this is a song which mixes light and shade nicely - and the regular returns to the opening guitar harmonies are welcome, with one later morphing into a solo.

Old Man opens slowly, with piano melodies laying the foundation for Schneekluth to add some bluesy leads atop - but this slower intro is a bit of a trick, as soon the song morphs into a groovy southern rocker with a snaking, mid-paced guitar driving everything and plenty of room for bluesy lead guitar moments. The rawness of Cobb's production style shines through during the verses, as it is mostly left to the guitar and drums to shine and form a simple stomp - with the bass and keyboards more in the background. The chorus is much bigger in scope, though, with washes of organ doing plenty of heavy lifting alongside some big vocal hooks from Burrison - who, again, sounds heartfelt here. The stomp of the verses and the sweep of the chorus give the song a different feel - whilst emotional, bluesy guitar leads are regularly woven in and out to add colour. Dark Angel ups the pace somewhat, and goes for a high-octane country vibe at times - with busy guitar picking melodies, wordless vocal hooks, and an organic grounding thanks to the shuffle of the rhythm section. Robert Jon & The Wreck sometimes remind me a bit of Blackberry Smoke, and this song certainly shares similarities with the Georgia-based southern rockers. Burrison sounds a little like Charlie Starr during these verses, as he adopts a more country persona to fit with the grooves, whilst he returns to his trademark warmth during the chorus - which is, again, much bigger with plenty of organ. Schneekluth's solo is a little longer than has tended to be the case on the album up to this point, too, and he cuts loose quite a bit here - despite sounding controlled and melodic throughout. Long Gone is interesting insofar as it was co-written by the legendary yacht rocker John Oates. Robert Jon & The Wreck have somewhat flirted with that sound before with the breezy West Coast Eyes - but Long Gone is a pretty organic and slightly funky rocker which does not sound much like Oates' typical songwriting. Perhaps the subtle funk vibes are his doing, but generally the song is very much Robert Jon & The Wreck in style with busy guitar riffing, plenty of retro keyboard sounds, and a strong groove thanks to Espantman's drumming. Unlike many of the songs here, too, there is not much light and shade this time. The song generally rocks from start to finish, laying down a groove and rarely letting up, although parts of the chorus do go for something of an ethereal sound briefly - with enveloping keyboards and raw vocals. Better of Me returns to a strong southern sound - with tinkling piano playing setting a strong groove early on alongside some locked-in playing from the rhythm section. Big guitar chords and occasional bluesy leads are utilised, but generally the piano seems to be the main driving force here - with the chorus in particular seeing Abernathie cutting loose with lots of barroom embellishments. Like all good southern rock, there is something of a sleazy edge to the grooves and vocal melodies here - with the verses subtly snarled before the chorus sees subtle harmonies and a more expressive arrangement. This is later built upon by a cutting guitar solo - and a closing jam-based section with plenty of big guitar leads, piano, and scat vocals.

I Wanna Give It is another Blackberry Smoke-esque track - with the opening country guitar turnaround and electric piano combination very much out of Starr's songwriting songbook. This is no bad thing, though. The two bands have toured together in the past, and Starr has also written with Robert Jon & the Wreck. It is clear that Blackberry Smoke rubbed off on the band - and this country-esque track is dense in its arrangement as well as hooky. The verses are quite simple, with a rumbling bassline dominating whilst clean guitar melodies and a shuffling drum beat create a backing for Burrison's vocals - before the organ roars into action during a more overtly melodic chorus which is packed full of ear-candy vocal hooks and a pleasing overall production. A later guitar solo section does something a little different, though, with aching main melodies moving slowly - whilst occasional faster harmonies are laid into the background. This allows the song to have a point of difference overall - but generally the song's country rock sound is nothing especially new despite it working well in the capable hands of the band. Pseudo-title track Heartbreak & Last Goodbye is a big ballad, something which the band have generally excelled at in the past. It is another track with those heartland rock vibes mentioned earlier - and even though it does rock a little during the chorus it never moves past its ballad base, with plenty of room for Burrison's emotional and heartfelt vocals throughout. Grinding guitar grooves and organ counterpoints form the basis of the verses, with the piano taking over in a bigger way during the chorus - adding a slight groove behind the percussive accents caused by the drumming and Burrison's vocal harmonies. Abernathie gets to show off a bit later on, too, with a piano-led instrumental section showcasing some classical-adjacent playing during a break in the song's dense arrangement. This sits in the place of a traditional guitar solo, but the piano playing works well instead - and again it helps to create a point of difference. The album then comes to a close with Keep Myself Clean, a mid-paced and groovy southern rocker with shuffling guitar riffing and plenty of organ throughout. Punchy drumming and stabbing guitar riffing create a classic 1970s southern sound - with verses which see the guitars drop away as Burrison sings, only for them to crash in at the end of each line. Growling organ is utilised to add heaviness in places - whilst piano melodies are also utilised during some more plaintive moments, such as part of the chorus. Despite these few slower moments, the song in general is a rocker - even if it is more precise in its pace. This is not a blazing track, but the grooves and toughness of the guitar and organ washes are full of trademark southern rock vibes - whilst Schneekluth's solo late on filled with cutting bluesy melodies which still have that classic southern warmth to them. It is a powerful way to close out the album, and the band, yet again, prove they are one of the best southern rock acts of the modern era. Given how many songs the band have written in recent years, you would be forgiven for thinking that they were due for a slump - but on Heartbreaks & Last Goodbyes Robert Jon & The Wreck have once again delivered a strong collection of songs which range for rock to country and back again. There are a lot of memorable numbers here and the California five-piece seem to be showing no signs of slowing down any time soon.

The album was released on 22nd August 2025 via Journeyman Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Ashes in the Snow.

Mob Rules' 'Rise of the Ruler' - Album Review

It feels like a while since I last reviewed some out-and-out power metal. A few power metal-adjacent releases have been written about over the past few months - but it was likely Avantasia's excellent Here Be Dragons (which I reviewed here) back in March when I last covered some proper power metal. One of the year's biggest power metal releases will be reviewed next week, and there are no prizes for guessing which album that will be, but today we are turning to perhaps the genre's second or third division to cover Germany's Mob Rules - a band that have been plying their trade since the mid-1990s, eventually releasing their debut album Savage Land in 1999. Mob Rules was a name I had been familiar with for a while, but it was not until I saw them opening for Eden's Curse in London in 2019 that I actually started to pay attention. I was impressed with the band that night, despite the really poor turnout, and I soon picked up a few of their albums - including latest release at the time, Beast Reborn from 2018. Since then I have picked up a few of the band's other albums, which I have enjoyed, but I cannot say that I have given them much love. Power metal in general is not a genre that I tend to listen to as much as I once did - but that has started to change somewhat again over the past couple of years, so Mob Rules deciding to drop a new album has somewhat come at the right time. This is because last week the band released their tenth studio album Rise of the Ruler - their first in seven years. For the band's long-time fans, the wait between Beast Reborn and Rise of the Ruler likely felt like a long one and it was easily the longest gap between albums in the band's career. I am not sure what made Mob Rules wait so long between releases, but perhaps they were somewhat struggling to follow up the excellent Beast Reborn, which is easily my favourite thing I have heard by the band, and, of course, some bands essentially went into hibernation for a significant period in and around the pandemic - which may have been the case with Mob Rules. Seven years on from Beast Reborn, though, Mob Rules have come out of the blocks roaring - with Rise of the Ruler being a very solid and enjoyable power metal release. More Iron Maiden inspired than perhaps would be expected given that they are named after a Black Sabbath album, Mob Rules have always sat at the crunchier end of the European power metal scene. Dual guitar leads, atmospheric keyboards, and frontman Klaus Dirks' gritty voice have always been mainstays in the band's sound - with Mob Rules being more Firewind than Freedom Call. This is no bad thing, as I tend to prefer crunchier power metal these days, and Rise of the Ruler treads the line between melody and a more metallic nature nicely. Dirks is the only original member left at this point, and has been since 2018, but with both guitarist Sven Lüdke and bassist Markus Brinkmann having been in post since 2005 Mob Rules' line-up has been fairly stable over the years despite plenty of line-up changes. Keyboard player Jan Christian Halfbrodt has been in the band for 15 years at this point, too, but Rise of the Ruler does see debuts in the studio for guitarist Florian Dyszbalis and drummer Sebastian Schmidt - who have been in the band since 2019 and 2023 respectively. Rise of the Ruler is a concept album, a returns to themes and stories from the band's past - picking up where the stories told on Savage Land and 2000's Temple of Two Suns left off.

I am not familiar with those two albums, so I have not followed the concept of this latest release - but doing so is not a pre-requisite for enjoying the songs here. There are some occasional narrations from Timo Südhoff which no doubt play a part in the story - but they help to set a strong atmosphere regardless. Südhoff is present during the otherwise-instrumental intro The Fall of Dendayar, which is largely a symphonic scene-setter with Halfbrodt's keyboards, subtle guitar leads, and the spoken word setting the tone for what will follow. It leads nicely into Exiled, which roars into life following the gentle intro with a crunchy power metal riff. The song is a very good example of Mob Rules' core sound. The keyboards are there, but they do not tend to lead the charge - with the band's two guitarists allowing for plenty of crunch. Lüdke, the band's lead player, throws in a few hooky lead-based riffs here against the crunchy chords of the rest of the band - with these hooks contrasting nicely with the gritty vocals of Dirks. The back and forth between the vocals and the guitars in the verses are what keep the song ticking, whilst the mid-paced double bass drum pattern of Schmidt whips up plenty of crunch. The chorus is a bit more cinematic, with the pace picking up somewhat and the keyboards coming more to the fore. Subtle vocal harmonies and more of a symphonic approach really allow the hooks to shine - and the faster chorus is a memorable one. A slow-burning solo section later shows more of what Lüdke brings to the band and the song gets the album underway nicely. Future Loom picks up the pace, with a flashy guitar lead driving everything - showcasing that aforementioned Iron Maiden influence. Sometimes Mob Rules can be quite mid-paced and very traditional metal in approach - but faster songs like this showcase the band's power metal credentials, and the pace here feels exciting thanks to the ever-present double bass drumming from Schmidt and plenty of atmospheric keyboards. The fact that the guitars drive Mob Rules, though, means that there is always plenty of heaviness - with the opening lead feeling tough as well as melodic, whilst the verses are also filled with busy guitar playing. In fact, Lüdke never really lets up throughout. There is generally something going on beneath Dirks' powerful singing, with the verses and the chorus both having a kinetic energy thanks to Lüdke's guitar leads. Dawn of Second Sun opens slowly, with subtle guitar melodies and keyboards interweaving to set a calming tone - over which Dirks soon starts to sing. It is a change from the crunch of what has come before, with ballad-like tendencies filling the early moments of the song. Medieval-esque melodies are present early on, but the song soon grows in stature - with the first chorus seeing the rest of the band crash in to allow for a powerful, mid-paced melodic feast. Lots of the choruses here are memorable after only hearing them a couple of times - and this one is no different. There is plenty here to sing along to, and this track largely maintains its heaviness following the first chorus - even if the verses are a little more restrained than is sometimes the case for Mob Rules. A busy guitar solo section later sees some harmony guitar leads included for additional power and melody.

Back to Savage Land is another powerful mid-paced track, and it opens with some harmony guitar leads before morphing into a crunchy yet energetic track with a strong groove throughout and another massive chorus. It may well be my favourite track here. It is extremely infectious and it is probably the song here which reminds me the most of Beast Reborn - where basically every song was as hooky as this one. There is definitely a bit more drive and crunch throughout this album, with the songs not being quite as hooky, at least immediately, but this song grabs hold from the off thanks to the use of harmony guitar melodies, the occasional keyboard lead in the background, and Dirks' excellent vocals. He is full of character here, with the chorus in particular being a winner thanks to the big vocal harmonies throughout. There is also a lengthy guitar solo section which sees Lüdke demonstrate a lot of different styles. This is the sort of song which feels like it is going to be a live favourite going forward. Trial and Trail of Fear opens with a slightly floatier melody over a crunchy backing - with the song being another mid-paced rocker. Unlike many of the tracks here, though, this is very much grounded in the Judas Priest tradition of heavy metal - with almost an AC/DC-esque drum groove during the verses which give the song a simplicity which differs from most of the others here. This drum pattern with Judas Priest-esque riffs works nicely, with the keyboards adding a little extra flash and Dirks' voice shining through. The chorus is a bit more typical of the band's core sound, though, with double bass drums taking over and more of an overt power metal sound with aching guitar leads and harmony vocals. Providence opens with clean guitar chords and some slow-burning guitar leads, and it feels like it might be a ballad - but soon Schmidt's percussive drumming joins in and it is clear that the track is going to grow into something more. It does indeed grow, but the track is a bit more dynamic in arrangement than some of the others here - with clean guitar chords often adding colour to parts of the track even when the band are rocking out. There is a bit more groove throughout the piece, too, with the main riff backed by some groovy drumming that is a bit different from the norm - whilst the slightly cleaner verses and heavier choruses allow for the pace to feel a bit more varied. Cutting guitar leads and solos are used to good effect, too, with the leads feeling a bit more precise here than some of the more high-octane shredding heard elsewhere. Nomadic Oasis is a bit more of an expansive piece, and it also opens in a slower manner - with clean guitar melodies and subtle keyboards forming a basis for Dirks' expressive vocals early on. Despite his grit, he still sounds good when singing gentler pieces - and this song generally mixes gentler moments with tougher moments for a powerful and more dynamic sound. The clean guitar melodies from early on often rear their heads throughout - either on their own or in the background - but the song generally has plenty of crunch despite this slightly different approach. Portions of the song feel slightly more progressive thanks to this mix of crunch and melody, but the chorus is very typical of the band's core sound - and it is another which really grabs hold immediately. This balance of hooks and a more cinematic sound makes the song another overall highlight for me - with plenty of lead guitar firepower later on in the song to take things to the next level.

Coast of Midgard picks up the pace following a few more mid-paced and dynamic pieces, with the song being a pretty high-octane power metal number. Whilst not as fast as some power metal bands, there is plenty of energy whipped up here - with Schmidt adding plenty of gallop to parts of the song with his double bass drumming. The opening guitar leads return to that Iron Maiden influence in a big way, whilst the verses are packed full of crunch thanks to the two guitarists really laying into their riffs - alongside the occasional lead guitar flourish. The keyboards also play a bit more of a bigger role here, too. Generally they still provide an atmospheric layer rather than really get involved, but some AOR-esque keyboard stabs during the chorus provide a slight counter to the heavy gallops which back Dirks' anthemic vocals during it. It is another very hooky chorus as a result, whilst another big guitar solo is also a highlight - with some bluesier melodies thrown in alongside the usual shredded approach. After teasing a couple of ballads earlier in the album, On the Trail is the album's only true ballad - with guest vocalist Ulli Perhonen adding her voice to harmonise well with Dirks throughout. Acoustic guitars and strings back Dirks' slightly more emotional delivery - whilst Medieval melodies once again form the basis of the guitar patterns when the vocals step away. It is a simple song in the context of the album, but the all-enveloping keyboards and the rhythm created by the guitars give the song a swinging feel - and the acoustic guitar solo later on is welcome. The album then comes to a close with Equilibrium (Rise of the Ruler), another slightly faster power metal track - but in truth it seems to fuse the band's faster side with their crunchier, mid-paced side to allow for an epic sound to be formed around a crunching, kinetic verse and plenty of big guitar leads. Pulsing keyboards add some grandness, with strings enveloping everything, whilst the chorus follows this more majestic approach with mid-paced double bass drum grooves and some of Dirks' biggest vocals on the album. Harmonies back him up, but this feels very much like his most anthemic moment here - and the chorus is another winner even if it is more grand than overtly hooky. The guitar solo follows a similar vein, too, and the guitar leads generally feel quite precise to allow for the song's grandness to shine through. The song might not be as long or as progressive and some power metal bands would write to close out a concept album - but it certainly feels bigger than many of the songs here, and it fits in nicely with the band's core, crunchy sound. Overall, then, there is a lot to like here for power metal fans - particularly those who like their power metal to be a little crunchier and darker than is perhaps the norm. Mob Rules have been playing such music since the 1990s now and have become masters of their craft - with Rise of the Ruler being another strong entry in their canon. It does not really shake anything up based on what I have heard of their back catalogue, but there are plenty of hooks and riffs here which will keep power metal fans coming back for more.

The album was released on 22nd August 2025 via ROAR/Reigning Phoenix Music. Below is the band's promotional video for Back to Savage Land.

Halestorm's 'Everest' - Album Review

Whilst I would not call myself a die-hard fan of the Pennsylvania-based four-piece Halestorm, I have respected them since I first saw them live back in 2013 opening for Bullet for My Valentine in Birmingham. I think I was somewhat familiar with their 2012 album The Strange Case Of... before the show, and had somewhat enjoyed it, but Halestorm are one of those bands that are so much better live than on record. Despite enjoying them live, though, as well as seeing them twice more opening for Alter Bridge over the years, I have never really transitioned from being a casual enjoyer into a full-blown fan. I picked up a handful of their albums over the years, but it was not until the lead-up to when I last saw them in 2022 that I bothered to complete my Halestorm CD collection - and following that third live experience I have made more of an effort to keep up with them. For so long, despite frontwoman Lzzy Hale clearly being one of the best hard rock singers in recent times, Halestorm were, to me, largely just yet another of the many post-grunge American radio rock bands filling UK airwaves and influencing the current wave of UK bands. The UK has always followed the US since the end of the NWOBHM era, and I have to say that the importing of post-grunge to such an extent has made some of the current crop of UK acts rather one-dimensional - but Halestorm have always been one of the better examples of that broad genre, largely helped by the rasp of Lzzy and her powerful stage presence. Halestorm have always been a bit more classic rock-influenced and metallic than many of their peers, though, which is perhaps not a surprise given that one of Lzzy's favourite singers is former Cinderella frontman Tom Keifer and that she recently helped Skid Row, one of her favourite bands, to complete their booked shows following the departure of Erik Grönwall. A fan of Cinderella and Skid Row is always going to make more interesting music than your average post-grunge band - and I have certainly grown to like a lot of Halestorm's output over the years. They are a band that has never truly managed to capture their live sound on record, though, with some of their albums perhaps sounding a little too polite and produced at times, but live the band are a force to be reckoned with - and it is fitting that they are as successful as they are. Perhaps knowing this, then, for their newly-released sixth studio album, Halestorm opted to work with producer Dave Cobb. Known in rock for his raw productions on albums by Rival Sons, Europe, and Blackberry Smoke - I generally like Cobb's work. He has worked with plenty of pop and country acts, too, but he clearly likes his rock - and I was interested to see what a Halestorm album produced by him would sound like. Everest, then, is that sixth album - and it is easily the toughest-sounding Halestorm album to date. Not only that, it is also the album with the most variety in the band's catalogue - and I get the impression that the band threw away all preconceptions of what they should sound like here and tried a few new things. The production is not as raw as some of Cobb's other efforts, but it does not get in the way as it has sometimes done for the band in the past - and I get the impression from interviews that the album was much more of a band effort in terms of songwriting and working together in the studio, rather than Lzzy dominating the former.

Joined as she has been on every Halestorm album so far by drummer brother Arejay Hale, guitarist Joe Hottinger, and bassist Josh Smith, Lzzy sounds as good as ever here. Despite this album being the band's toughest-sounding to date, this does not mean that it is always so. Perhaps previous albums would have sounded heavier than this one if they had benefitted from this album's production, but there is plenty of weight here - alongside some powerful ballads, poppier moments, and the occasional experiment. The album opens with Fallen Star, a pretty hard-hitting mid-paced rocker - which kicks off with a slab-like riff and lots of big drum rolls. Whilst this intro suggests that the song might be faster than it actually is, there is plenty of weight throughout - with verses that sit back on a heavy and Black Sabbath-esque groove. The drums are simple and pack a punch, whilst the crunchy guitars are the perfect bed for Lzzy's sultry vocals - which are gritty in parts and slightly more melodic elsewhere. The song slows down for its chorus, which sees chiming guitar melodies and a paired back drum arrangement allowing for a moment of atmosphere. Lzzy sings in a much more melodic way here, which suits the sparser backing well and the overall contrast with the big riffing elsewhere is noticeable. A later, fairly lengthy guitar solo adds some screaming, bluesy leads to the track - and the plentiful riffing, melodic, slow-burning chorus, and a heavier, 1990s Metallica-esque closing section ensure that the album gets underway in a memorable fashion. The title track follows, opening with gentle piano and some wordless vocals from Lzzy - before the guitars and drums join in, laying down a slightly cold-sounding shuffling groove, whilst Smith's bass rumbles away beneath. The track is one which grows slowly, then, with Lzzy part-talking/part-singing over this strange verse groove - before she launches into a more powerful and soulful delivery during a more full-on chorus. The chorus sees the band kick in more significantly, even if the deliberate pacing is somewhat retained. The approach is more cinematic, though, with big guitar chords and subtle vocal harmonies - whilst another pretty lengthy guitar solo follows its first iteration. There is a darkness to the song despite this bigger chorus scope and I really like the mix of grooves and vibes here - plus the focus on lead guitar moments throughout which has perhaps not been something the band have done enough of in the past. Following two strong opening cuts, I perhaps find Shiver to be something of a dip in quality. The opening harmony guitar leads hint at some Thin Lizzy-isms, especially given the drum groove behind them, but this vibe is short lived - with the verses morphing into something much slower overall, with a sombre feeling and  chiming clean guitar melodies. The song is something of a power ballad, of the kind the band have done many times in the past, and I think many of their previous examples are better. The chorus is more hard rocking, but it perhaps lacks the big hooks I would expect so it fails to properly latch on. A screaming guitar solo is welcome, though, and is likely the best part of the song. There is certainly nothing overtly wrong here, there is just better to be found throughout this album.

This is especially the case given that the following four songs are some of the best tracks here. Like a Woman Can is one of the tracks which feels a bit more experimental - as it mixes poppy lounge grooves with hard rock, and the combination works surprisingly well. The verses see Lzzy delivering some of her best vocals on the album, mixing jazzy inflections with her trademark power, whilst swinging programmed drums and echoey piano melodies create a suitably smoky atmosphere to back Lzzy's Amy Winehouse-esque delivery. The chorus is much more typical of the band's core sound, though, with heavier guitars crashing in and the drumming becoming much punchier. Lzzy also leaves behind the jazz vibes during the chorus, to instead deliver a much grittier feel - and even with the piano remaining there is plenty of hard rock grit here. Another strong guitar solo is thrown in, too, and the track is an overall highlight here thanks to its mix of sounds. Rain Your Blood on Me is a heavier track overall, which opens with some noisy guitar before a stomping beat kicks in and Lzzy recites the song's title in an anthemic manner. This primal, stomping groove returns throughout the song, creating an organic chorus, but the guitar riffing elsewhere and the high-octane verses are some of the album's heaviest moments - with a true metal edge, snarling guitars, and the occasional thrashy drum moment. A shredded guitar solo later adds to this overall feel, with fast-paced leads sitting atop double bass drumming and pulsing bass guitar, whilst Lzzy is often at her most gritty throughout the song - even if the chorus is a bit retro blues in the vein of bands like When Rivers Meet. The combination works well, though, with the band really showcasing their heavy side - with Cobb's production finally allowing the band to really roar. Darkness Always Wins slows the pace down again, with a strange percussion loop and ringing piano melodies creating an atmospheric and dark soundscape initially - over which Lzzy soon starts to sing. I was a bit critical of Shiver as it is a bit of a typical power ballad - but Darkness Always Wins does that style in a much more effective manner in my view. There is a strong emotional pull throughout, with Lzzy really delivering vocally, whilst the piano playing throughout feels a little busier and classier - which counters Lzzy's vocals nicely. Slow-burning verses and initial chorus renditions set a dark and dense tone - but later on the band kick things up a notch and take the song in a heavier direction, with some bigger riffing. Lzzy's scream later transitions the song to a heavier section still - with shuffling, metallic riffing and another shredded guitar solo. The move from slow-burning ballad to all-out metal is effective - and when the band returns to the gentle piano of the chorus, before then delivering a heavier version of it, to close things out the song really seems to come together.

Despite it opening slowly, with some clean guitars and another percussion loop, Gather the Lambs is a hard rocker which feels like old-school Halestorm. This is album is very much recognisably by the band, but it does take some twists and turns along the way - Gather the Lamb could have sat on one of the band's early albums without sounding out of the place, as the poppy chorus is very much out of the band's classic playbook. There are lots of strong choruses here, but this one feels very immediate given the radio-friendly vocal melodies and Lzzy's relative lack of grit - but there are still some big guitar rhythms to bulk out the chorus, alongside another screaming guitar solo. Slow-burning verses, which feel quite minimalist, contrast nicely with the radio rock of the chorus and the hard rock of the instrumental section - with the song pulling together a number of elements which helped Halestorm to break through in the first place. Watch Out! opens with some chaotic riffing and drumming - and the song is perhaps the album's most aggressive piece with plentiful guitar riffs, hard hitting drumming, and some strange synths rearing their heads occasionally. The band just really rock out here, with Lzzy delivering some of her grittiest vocals on the album - which almost border on harsh vocals at times. The snappy chorus hooks are perhaps a little nu-metal in tone and rhythm for me to ever fully love the song, but it is certainly fun seeing the band really go for it here - and the raw production, despite some synth inclusions, allows them to sound heavy. It is maybe the heaviest that the band have ever sounded - so it is fitting that there is another pretty lengthy guitar solo here which includes fast-paced and more measured moments throughout. Broken Doll is another track which sounds like a bit of a throwback to the band's earlier albums. The band have had quite a lot of success over the years by mixing slow-burning, clean guitar-led verses with more band-orientated and heavier choruses - and that is exactly what this song does. As this album has shaken up the formula a bit more in places, this track does end up feeling a little simple and perhaps less interesting than some of the other cuts here. There are still some strong melodies, though, and the chorus has that fists-in-the-air and uplifting feel that is synonymous with Halestorm. As a result, it is likely to go down well live - even if here on the album it is perhaps overshadowed by some stronger and more interesting songs from a songwriting and arrangement perspective.

K-I-L-L-I-N-G is another pretty heavy track, and it follows a similar vein to Watch Out! whilst perhaps never quite reaching the overall level of toughness as that previous number. Lzzy sounds gritty throughout, but she does not really flirt with harsh vocals this time, with the chorus instead being more of a chanted, old-school hard rock stomp which feels like a more high-octane version of the approach taken on Rain Your Blood on Me's chorus. The song is much weightier overall, though, with some more nu-metal-esque quitar moments - with some Fear Factory-adjacent grooves and riffs at times, despite the band never sounding quite that mechanical. I like hearing the band really letting their hair down on songs like this - even if, melody-wise, the song is not as interesting as some of the others here. I Gave You Everything is more dynamic, with the song again treading the path of slower-burning verses mixing nicely with a heavier chorus. Chiming guitar melodies and sparser drumming keeps the verses ticking, with distant spoken word filling some of the gaps in between Lzzy's vocal lines - whilst the chorus is much more explosive. The chorus is pretty simple, too, and kicks off when a strident riff takes over - with the transition between the slower moments and the heavier moments being pretty stark. Vocally, too, the chorus is simple - with Lzzy essentially repeating a couple of lines over and over. Again, then, there are more interesting songs here - but the chorus becomes memorable for its caveman-like insistence after a couple of listens, and it is great to hear Lzzy really letting rip vocally. The album then comes to a close with How Will You Remember Me?, another power ballad of sorts with strident guitar leads opening things up - before piano takes over when Lzzy begins to sing. There is something quite classy and expansive about the song as a whole - with a good mix of piano and guitar throughout, as well as some pretty varied vocals from Lzzy. She really lets rip here, instead delivering a smoother, more emotional vocal throughout - which hangs over the early piano melodies nicely, before a little more rock is injected for a chorus which is tougher overall despite a cinematic approach retained. Another guitar solo is utilised here, too, but it is a bit shorter than many of the others on the album. I would have actually preferred the solo to have been a bit longer given that this song is the album's closing statement. It still works well, though, and it is perhaps the chorus vocal melodies which are meant to be what remains in the brain as the album comes to a close - with Lzzy's gentle vocals and piano being the last thing heard as the song fades out. Whilst I am familiar with the band's other albums, this the first album of theirs that I have properly digested for reviewing purposes - and I feel more connected with it as a result than I do any of their previous work. I really like the variety here and the fact that the album is not just more of the same - which it would be easy for any successful band to produce. This feels like a creative piece of work which may not satisfy everyone, or hit home immediately, but it feels more satisfying as a result - and I am looking forward to seeing the band keep up such a mindset going forward.

The album was released on 8th August 2025 via Atlantic Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Everest.

Alice Cooper's 'The Revenge of Alice Cooper' - Album Review

Each passing year tends to include a few interesting rock and metal reunions. It is always nice to see bands get back together, especially if everyone involved is doing so for the right reasons, even if the results are not always quite what the fans would have hoped for. Sometimes it is just good to see certain musicians working together again, regardless of how things turn out, and one of 2025's most notable reunions to date is the coming together of the remaining remembers of the original band named Alice Cooper to release their first full album of new material since 1973's Muscle of Love. Unlike many, though, I have never really drawn much of a line between Alice Cooper the band and Alice Cooper the singer. It is true that Cooper's first seven albums all featured the same musicians - but I have never felt like there was a huge shift in tone between Muscle of Love and 1975's Welcome to My Nightmare, Cooper's first true solo album, particularly as armies of session players had already started to participate on the band-era albums before the solo era got underway. Also unlike many, too, I have never held Cooper's early 1970s albums in especially high regard. There are plenty of stand-out tracks between them, that is for sure, but I tend to prefer most of the albums he has put out since the mid 1980s over everything else - and the more metallic Cooper gets the more I tend to like him. I might not be sounding like the biggest Cooper fan here - but I do like him quite a lot. I just tend to feel that he is quite hit and miss when it comes to songwriting - and I am not sure that he has ever released an out-and-out classic album. All of his albums are patchy, but there is a lot to enjoy within his catalogue - and I have reviewed some of his more recent efforts pretty positively here. Cooper's last album, 2023's Road (which I reviewed here), was one I enjoyed a lot for the most part. Mostly written and recorded by his current live band, which differed from the session musicians and songwriters approach he has tended to take more recently, Road felt raw and upbeat. There has certainly been something of a shift back to a more 1970s-esque sound on Cooper's albums of late - but there always remained something of a harder edge which had crept in over the years. Two years on from Road, though, and we have The Revenge of Alice Cooper - Cooper's thirtieth album overall and the first with his original band since 1973. Guitarist Michael Bruce, bassist Dennis Dunaway, and drummer Neal Smith have all contributed small amounts to many of Cooper's recent albums - but The Revenge of Alice Cooper is the first full album he has written and recorded with them in over 50 years. The late Glen Buxton, who died in 1997, appears on one song via the use of an old recording of his playing - whilst his lead guitar is replicated throughout by Gyasi Heus and Rick Tedesco. Producer Bob Ezrin, who produced many of Cooper's 1970s albums and has worked with him a lot more recently again, also returns - and the session musicians are also kept to a minimum. As such, this album does feel like a true reunion - and it is more of a shift in tone back to the 1970s than any of Cooper's other recent releases. Given the side of Cooper which I tend to prefer, it is perhaps unsurprising that I enjoy some of his other more recent releases more than this one - but as a retro throwback and a gathering of old friends, The Revenge of Alice Cooper is certainly enjoyable.

If anything, the album is too long. Cooper's recent albums tend to generally be on the long side, and he is certainly not alone in this, but 14 songs is a bit much given the general patchy nature of his songwriting. There are some strong, memorable songs here, but there are also some throwaway moments and too much rote blues - so the album could have done with some fat trimming. The early portion of the album, though, is pretty strong. Opening with lead single Black Mamba, which features Robby Krieger (The Doors) on lead guitar, the creepy vibe of Cooper's early work is re-established quite quickly. Rumbling bass notes and occasional screaming guitar leads set an early tone, before Cooper starts to deliver a creepy spoken monologue - evoking early horror B-movies (as does the album's cover art). When Smith's drums kick in, though, the song morphs into a snaking, mid-paced rocker - with a groovy bassline that expands on the intro melodies and some wah-drenched guitar rhythms. Occasional guitar leads cut through the murk, with Krieger adding some of his trademark blues to the piece, but generally this track is psychedelic garage rock in tone with the prominent drive of the rhythm section leading the way. Cooper sounds great vocally throughout, as he always does in fairness, and he occasionally returns to the spoken word of the intro for effect. Some repetitive wordless vocal hooks which act as a chorus can grate a little after a while, but generally the tone here is strong - with Krieger adding a lot with his laid back playing. Wild Ones is more of an up-tempo rocker, and it is one of my favourite pieces here. It is the sort of song I can imagine Cooper playing live today, and it opens with a fast-paced drum beat and some thrashy, yet hooky, lead guitar. The sound of this album is pretty old-school, with garage rock vibes throughout, so the rumble of the rhythm section always has a big presence. Dunaway's pulsing bass playing drives the song, whilst the rhythm guitars are generally in the background more to create raw chord patterns - whilst the cutting leads feel more present. The guitar takes over a bit more for the snappy chorus, which is one of the album's most anthemic moments, but generally this is Dunaway's song in terms of riffs and basslines - which is unsurprising given that he co-wrote it. It is a song which grabbed me from the off and it remains a real favourite - and I hope that Cooper introduces it into his setlists. Up All Night opens with Smith's punchy drumming, before Bruce lays down a gritty guitar riff - and this track is much more guitar-driven than the last one. The bass is still busy, but there is much more of a roar from the guitar riffing this time - with the stop-start guitar playing during the verses backing Cooper's vocals and the ever-present drumming nicely. Cooper delivers the verse vocals in a semi-spoken manner, but the chorus is much more melodic - with 1960s, Beatles-esque vocal harmonies and pop melodies clashing against the scratchy guitar leads which are also thrown in. The song is another memorable one thanks to this poppy chorus, then, and there is a good mix of grit and melody here - with a snappy guitar solo towards the end, too.

Kill the Flies is a much creepier track overall, and it really harks back to some of the denser numbers on Cooper's early albums. Smith's drumming is quite laboured here, but that only helps the song to sound heavy and lumbering (in a good way), whilst slab-like guitar rhythms and proto-punk bass playing gives the song quite a bit of punch. Ezrin adds some organ and other keyboards here, too, which allows the song to feel much deeper than many of the other cuts here. Despite its rocky edge, then, the piece still has a real atmosphere to it throughout - which is largely created by the subtle keyboard playing and some relatively intricate vocal harmonies. There is a bit of a theatrical feeling, then, which is later built upon by some glockenspiel and a proggy guitar solo with slide and plenty of effects. A pretty hooky chorus manages to operate within this framework, too, which is a bit of an in - and the song is another highlight thanks to its variety, even if it is one that takes a few listens to fully appreciate. One Night Stand is another pretty bass-driven piece. Ringing guitar chords create a bit of an atmosphere, but it is Dunaway's bass playing that drives everything here - his melodic playing busy and ever-present. Slightly aggressive drumming again adds a proto-punk edge, and this gives the song a bit of bite - as otherwise it feels a bit more laid back with the ringing guitars and slinky bass. Cooper almost croons the song, too, singing in quite an affected lower register which sounds a bit strange. There is a Doors vibe here for sure - albeit with a later screaming guitar solo which is welcome. Blood on the Sun is a bit of an mini epic, and it opens with prominent acoustic guitar melodies - over which Cooper starts to sing. The opening moments of the song are quite organic, then, with the acoustic guitar dominating, but the song soon opens up following a lower key version of the first chorus - which is another of the album's hookiest moments. Cooper's vocal approach during the chorus is more typical hard rock, with some strong harmonies to back him, and some of the guitar riffing as the song gets going, particularly following each chorus, feels quite uplifting in a Pete Townshend-esque manner. Bruce's big chords and riffs here feel much more strident than they sometimes can, then, and the piece feels like a bit of a stadium rocker at times despite the slow-burning intro and the fact that part-way through the band drop out to allow Smith to lay down some marching drums as a slow-burning guitar solo takes over. This solo is quite lengthy, but the section is memorable - and it helps the song to be another highlight here. It is likely the most involved song on the album, and when the final chorus reprise later crashes back in the song feels like it comes full circle. In contrast, Crap That Gets in the Way of Your Dreams is a short, proto-punk piece with a bit of a sense of humour and little to write home about. Cooper and his original band often channelled some of those garage/proto-punk vibes of bands like MC5, and this short, faster rocker is a song which goes back to that sound somewhat - with a more aggressive vocal from Cooper alongside snarling guitar rhythms and occasional cutting leads. Slightly humorous lyrics and infectious riffing make the track enjoyable for what it is - but it is not one of my favourites here. The guitar solo is welcome, though, and as a bit of throwaway garage rock the song does the job.

Famous Face is more of a grinding, mid-paced rocker with much crunchier rhythm guitar riffing throughout from Bruce - who wrote the song. Dunaway's bass still does a lot of heavy lifting, especially during the chorus, but this track is much more guitar-driven throughout the verses - with a grinding riff really setting a strong tone here, and sustained leads later joining in for effect. This is another song with a slightly bigger sound, though. Organ is added at times by session player Tom Booth, which is especially evident during the chorus, whilst Bruce himself adds some piano and other keyboards, too - with the piano noticeable again during the chorus in particular. As such, this mix of crunchy guitar riffing, various retro keyboard sounds, and plentiful guitar leads is a strong one - and the slightly sluggish, mid-paced rocker generally does the business, with Cooper again delivering another decent chorus. Money Screams ups the pace somewhat and goes for a faster, punkier feel with snappy guitar riffing and a lighter-hearted tone. In some ways, the song feels like a slightly expanded version of Crap That Gets in the Way of Your Dreams - with a bit more of a serious tone and more of a classic rock feel. The vocal melodies during the pre-chorus and chorus again recall the 1960s somewhat, with the melodies throughout the chorus not hugely different from what Cheap Trick might try if they were opting for a rawer sound, whilst another pretty memorable guitar solo is packed full of melody. The song is pretty unremarkable really, but some nice melodies and a strong chorus can go a long way - and the track is another decent effort for those who want something which mixes pop and rock well. What a Syd opens with a very generic sounding bluesy motif, and the track is another pretty throwaway piece in my opinion. It has a very deliberate old-school, 1960s sound - but it sounds twee in my opinion, with a bluesy bassline and some clean guitar chords in the background. The shuffling, swinging drum groove which pulls everything together only enhances this strange vibe, too, with Bruce also switching his guitar for an electric piano to add to the slightly twee feel. The song is one of the weaker efforts here for me. Intergalactic Vagabond Blues is better, though, and it picks up the pace immediately with some snappy, old-school blues riffing and Cooper adding some harmonica. The previous song was bluesy in a swing/lounge manner, but this song is bluesy in a harder rock manner - with the snappy riffing, hooky backing vocals, and occasional harmonica all coming together to create a quite infectious piece. A screaming bluesy guitar solo later adds quite a lot to the song, too, which is enhanced in part thanks to the harmonica playing along. The song is unapologetically retro, like the last one, but it is just much more up my street. There is a decent energy created throughout thanks to the riffing and the harmonica wig outs - plus the band seem to want to really rock out here, as there is quite a lot of lead guitar throughout, with another lengthy solo bringing everything to a close.

What Happened to You is the song here which features Buxton's guitar playing. Given that Bruce and Heus are also both on the song, it is unclear exactly which bits came from Buxton - but it is nice that he was able to be part of the album in a small manner. In truth, I think his contributions to some of the 1970s album were quite limited due to his substance issues - but he was nevertheless a great player when he was at his best. Like the last song, too, What Happened to You is generally an upbeat and bluesy rocker. Rollocking piano from session player Ross Harwood adds some barroom vibes at times, especially the countermelodies to the vocals which he plays during the verses, but generally this is a guitar-driven song with crunchy, bluesy guitar riffing conjuring up a nice swing as the faster-paced song moves along. The guitars are perhaps a bit less busy in terms of leads this time, with the piano doing a bit more heavy lifting, but there is a short solo early on - as well as another lengthy one as the song comes to a close. I Ain't Done Wrong is the only cover song here, as the band here tackle the old Yardbirds piece from the 1960s. Unsurprisingly, given The Yardbirds' blues background, this piece is another bluesy rocker - but this time the song is more mid-paced and overtly blues in quite a rote manner. Cooper again adds some harmonica here, which adds some additional texture, but generally I find this song to be quite lumpy. Smith's drumming feels weighed down and leaden here, and not in a good way this time, and the barrelling guitar riffing is just repeating tropes that we have all heard hundreds of times before. It might seem silly to make this complaints during a cover of an old British blues boom tune, which are often songs that can sound as rote as anything these days, it just shows that little imagination went into making this track anything different from the last few - and given that it sits at the end of a run of bluesy pieces it ends up feeling like more of the same. Given the number of songs here, this cover version could easily have been left out and the album would not have lost anything as a result. Thankfully, the closing number See You on the Other Side breaks away from the band's obsession with the blues which has crept in during the album's latter half - instead returning to something a bit more atmospheric and interesting. A bit of a slow-burning piece, the song is something of a cinematic semi-ballad with early clean guitar melodies, strong bass countermelodies, and a bit more of an atmospheric depth thank to some interesting guitar and vocal arrangements. A strong chorus helps, which actually has a slight emotional edge thanks to Cooper's vocal delivery and the aforementioned vocal harmonies - whilst melodies elsewhere from an acoustic guitar depth and clean guitar additions keep things interesting. The song is not as expansive as a couple of the other longer tracks here, but there is certainly more going on than is often typical of this album - and it returns, vibe-wise, back to the first half the album, which, in my view, is stronger than what follows. Whilst I am not sure that this album lives up to the reunion hype, especially given how bluesy it gets towards the end, there is enough strong material here to say that it is enjoyable overall - and it sounds like the band were having fun putting these songs together. Where they lean into the spooky, atmospheric vibe which characterised Cooper's early work, alongside some of the punkier moments, the album really shines - but the handful of twee moments and the excessive amount of bluesy later on holds it back from being a classic. It still ticks a lot of boxes, though, and it is a fine addition to Cooper's expansive canon.

The album was released on 25th July 2025 via earMusic. Below is the band's promotional video for Wild Ones.

Kerry King - Bristol Review

When it comes to gigs, the summer is generally a quiet time. My July was surprisingly busy, where I took in extreme metal, prog, and classic rock all within the space of a fortnight, but August has been pretty barren. The Doobie Brothers in Birmingham back in July was starting to feel like a distant memory, but yesterday I took a mid-week trip up to Bristol for some thrash - as Slayer's Kerry King brought his solo band to the Electric Bristol as part of a festival-centric run of European shows. When Slayer came to an end in 2019, King started suggesting that he would carry on on his own. I think that Slayer would still be a significant going concern if he had his way, so I am sure he has been enjoying the band's recent slightly low-key reunion which has seen them play a handful of notable shows, and he was clearly not ready to retire after the band's last big-scale world tour came to an end. The pandemic likely forced him to have something of a break - but, last year, following plenty of teasing, King released his first solo album From Hell I Rise (which I reviewed here). It was King's first batch of new songs in nine years, and it nicely carried on the Slayer legacy. I think that some were a bit disappointed that the album was so much like everything Slayer ever put out - but I am not really sure what those people were expecting. From Hell I Rise is exactly the album I expected King to make as a solo artist - and it was an album I listened to a lot last year and enjoyed. Since the album dropped, too, King has been pretty busy taking it on the road. There have been breaks in the schedule which have allowed Slayer to play some big shows, including two mini festival-type shows here in the UK which looked like they were a lot of fun, but with Slayer's reunion likely to be a bit-part affair I think that it is only right that King pours most of his energy into his solo project. He played a London show last year, which tied in with his appearance at Download Festival, but until this week they were his only UK shows as a solo artist. Clearly looking to add to his UK appearances this year, then, King added two shows to the schedule of his wider European run - which seems to consist of a handful of headline shows booked in between a number of appearances as some of the continent's biggest metal festivals. When he announced the two UK shows I assumed that he would also be playing at Bloodstock Open Air, and the shows were tagged on as a result, but that booking never materialised - which made the two shows in Manchester and Bristol seem a little random given the number of shows and their locations. I was certainly not going to complain, though, as a Bristol show is always welcome - particularly mid-week. They mean that I can work in the morning and get an early afternoon train - meaning that I save on annual leave. The number and the quality of venues in Bristol, too, means that there are rooms for most tastes and sizes - and the Electric Bristol (a recent re-brand for what was SWX) is one of the city's many mid-sized venues. It is not my favourite venue in the city, but it is certainly not bad - and I have seen a few shows there over the years. King, unsurprisingly, attracted a large crowd - so the room was full and hot throughout the night.

Perhaps adding to the overall appeal of the show for many, the American industrial/groove/post-thrash pioneers Fear Factory were later added as special guests for both of King's UK dates - which the four-piece did tag onto an appearance at Bloodstock. I have never been the biggest fan of Fear Factory - largely as I am just not really into that 1990s metal scene from which they came. I generally consider the 1990s to be a nadir for metal of all kinds - but over time I have found more of an appreciation for bands like Pantera and Machine Head, and in the run-up to this show I did give Fear Factory a bit more of a listen. I have owned a copy of their seminal release Demanufacture for years, but beyond that I knew very little. Luckily, though, 2025 is Demanufacture's 30th anniversary - so Fear Factory have been touring throughout the summer supporting this milestone. Only Dino Cazares (guitar/vocals) remains in the band from 1995, though, and there has been quite a lot of line-up churn in recent years - but the number of Fear Factory shirts I saw in the queue and the wider crowd suggested that most did not mind. The band were afforded an hour, which meant that the whole Demanufacture album could be played - and I generally thought that the band put on a pretty strong set. I saw a few moments of their set at one of the Bloodstocks a few years ago and did not think much of them - but the sound last night was pretty clear and there was a decent amount of energy in the room despite many seemingly saving themselves for what was to follow. The album's mechanical title track kicked off the 12-song set, with drummer Pete Webber impressing from the off with his tight double kick work and ability to pull off the band's trademark industrial beats without sounding too much like a computer. Cazares' riffing was solid throughout, but Fear Factory have never been a guitar hero band, whilst frontman Milo Silvestro, who came on board in 2021, did the songs justice - with a good mix of harsh and clean vocals. He made the chorus of Self Bias Resistor soar, whilst the old single Replica felt like a true anthem. Cazares, as the only original member left, did much of the between-song talking, but he did not have much of note to say - and it would have been nice to have heard a bit more context around the album's 30th birthday with some stories from the time. Perhaps the clock was against them, though, as generally the music was left to do the talking, with the grungy Dog Day Sunrise later acting as a bit of a mid-set change of pace - whilst perhaps the most crushing moment of the night was a powerful rendition of H-K (Hunter-Killer) which saw quite a bit of singing from the crowd. Despite the number of Fear Factory shirts I saw, I did think that the crowd was a little quiet at times - but the bill was a little odd so it was likely that some of King's fans were not really into what Fear Factory were doing. Songs like the ambient A Therapy for Pain, which was the set's penultimate number, likely added to any existing confusion that some had - but the raging Linchpin, the only non-Demanufacture song played, acted as a powerful closing number - bringing some back on-side. The band's set ended up largely being a strong one, then, and I am glad to have seen Fear Factory live - even if they will never really be my thing. The setlist was:

Demanufacture

Self Bias Resistor

Zero Signal

Replica

New Breed

Dog Day Sunrise [Head of David cover]

Body Hammer

Flashpoint

H-K (Hunter-Killer)

Pisschrist

A Therapy for Pain

Linchpin

Following 30 minutes or so, during which I had to get a drink as it was very hot in the room, the lights went down and the instrumental Diablo filled the speakers as King and his band took to the stage. The band is very much a supergroup of notable thrash players - with Death Angel's frontman Mark Osegueda and former Vio-lence and Machine Head guitarist Phil Demmel perhaps the two most notable inclusions. Despite this being King's band, though, he did not attempt to steal the show at all. I would say that Demmel likely soloed more than King himself - but King still did solo regularly, and the two guitarists worked well together, with the opening duo of the fast-paced Where I Reign and the groovier Rage immediately showcasing the power of the five musicians on stage. Osegueda did all of the between-song talking, too, and owned the stage as he tends to with Death Angel. He is one of the best singers in thrash and sounded powerful throughout - even owning the handful of Slayer songs performed. In terms of setlist, it was very much focused on the now. Every song from From Hell I Rise was played, but six Slayer songs, from a variety of eras, were also performed - as were two covers. The band's 90 minute set flew by, then, and there was plenty of energy from the crowd throughout - with a permanent hole left in the centre of the crowd for use by the moshers. The first third of the set was all solo material, with the slower-paced Residue and the neck-snapping Idle Hands perhaps being the stand-outs. The band sounded great, too, with Osegueda's voice soaring above the band and the screaming guitar leads also cutting through. It was a powerful display of thrash, then, and King still rocked out as hard as he did when I last saw him with Slayer back in 2016. Repentless was the first Slayer song played, but the Slayer material was not afforded any additional reverence - with the band treating the new material as equals. Whilst some of the classics did get a slightly louder crowd reaction, I was under the impression that most were familiar with King's album - and it did not feel like one of those shows were people were just waiting for the next one they knew. The punky Toxic showcased this, as it received a strong reception, but the cheer which greeted the sing-a-long Disciple did show that there was still plenty of love for the old favourites. The first of the two covers played was Iron Maiden's Purgatory, in memory of Paul Di'Anno. King and Demmel joined forces for some great harmony leads during it - and the crowd helped Osegueda out on the choruses. Slayer classics Chemical Warfare and At Dawn They Sleep were later also well-received - but perhaps it was the mash-up of Black Sabbath's Wicked World, in memory of Ozzy Osbourne, and King's own Shrapnel which went down the best. The bluesy riffing and leads of the former bled nicely into the thrash of the latter - with the Sabbath track returned to again as the latter came to a close. By now there was not much time left, but an atmospheric drum intro from Paul Bostaph signalled that it was time for Raining Blood, which perhaps saw the biggest mosh put of the night, with the evergreen classic then morphing into the older Black Magic for a great one-two punch of old-school Slayer for the die-hards. With no encore shenanigans, it was left to the title track of King's album to close out the night - and there was plenty more moshing and energy in the room as the 90 minutes came to a powerful close. The setlist was:

Diablo

Where I Reign

Rage

Trophies of the Tyrant

Residue

Two Fists

Idle Hands

Repentless [Slayer material]

Toxic

Tension

Everything I Hate About You

Disciple [Slayer material]

Purgatory [Iron Maiden cover]

Chemical Warfare [Slayer material]

Crucifixation

At Dawn They Sleep [Slayer material]

Wicked World [Black Sabbath cover]/Shrapnel

Raining Blood [Slayer material]

Black Magic [Slayer material]

From Hell I Rise

Despite seeing Cradle of Filth last month, which was something outside of my general comfort zone, last night in Bristol felt like the first proper all-out metal show I had been to for a while. Thanks to Fear Factory's mechanical grooves and King's fast-paced thrash, there was very little respite from the riffs - and live thrash is often a great experience. A clear sound mix and an energetic crowd helped the night at the Electric Bristol to shine, despite the heat in the room, and King seems to have picked up exactly where he left off with Slayer - so I hope there is more to come from this group of musicians.