W.E.T.'s 'Apex' - Album Review

I generally avoid the various manufactured 'supergroups' put together by Frontiers Records, for the many, many reasons discussed on this blog before, but there are a handful which have stood out over the years - and I have found to be worth my time. As much as I like AOR and melodic rock, there are only so many cookie-cutter songs from the label's in-house songwriters I can handle - but the long-standing supergroup W.E.T. is one band that I do look out for, and I have generally enjoyed their output over the years. Based around the songwriting talents of multi-instrumentalists Erik Mårtensson and Robert Säll, alongside frontman Jeff Scott Soto, W.E.T.'s brand of AOR and melodic rock tends to be harder-hitting than average - which should not come as a surprise to anyone who is familiar with Mårtensson's and Soto's careers to this point. I am less familiar with Säll's work, but I get the impression that his output is generally smoother and more typical of the melodic rock genre - whereas Mårtensson is a known metal fan and Soto has sung for many metal bands. That is not to say that W.E.T. are a metal band, as they are not, but they are certainly tougher than most AOR - which helps them to stand out on Frontiers' roster. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the band which W.E.T. most closely resemble is Mårtensson's own Eclipse - another Frontiers melodic rock band which dabble with heavier riffing from time to time. W.E.T. has always felt like the other side of Eclipse's coin, particularly given that Mårtensson is the principal songwriter for both and Magnus Henriksson also pulls double duty on the lead guitar front. The similarity between the two bands has sometimes, though, been a negative in my opinion. W.E.T.'s first two albums, 2009's self-titled debut album and 2013's Rise Up, felt a bit more distinct from Mårtensson's day job (and, indeed, other Frontiers-related projects) - but there have been more similarities when comparing W.E.T.'s last two albums to Eclipse's work. I did not find either 2018's Earthrage (which I reviewed here) nor 2021's Retransmission (which I also reviewed here) as strong as the two albums which came before - and I think that this is partly down to their similarity to Eclipse. Säll seemed to be less involved with both albums, particularly Earthrage, leaving Mårtensson to steer the ship - with Soto chipping in here and there. I enjoyed both albums, but given that Eclipse are generally pretty prolific I sometimes found it hard to tell one album from the next. This is somewhat also the case with newly-released fifth album Apex - which dropped last month. Four years on from Retransmission, W.E.T. are still very much the same as ever - with Mårtensson again in the driving seat, Soto doing a fine job vocally, and Säll popping up very occasionally. Henriksson's solos are as good as ever and bassist Andreas Passmark is now fully entrenched in the band after making his debut on Retransmission. There is a change behind the drum kit this time, though, with Soto's long-time associate Jamie Borger (Treat; Talisman; Last Autumn's Dream) replacing Robban Bäck.

There is still plenty to enjoy, though, despite the continued similarity to Eclipse - as well as the fact that Eclipse released albums in both 2023 and 2024. Perhaps more Mårtensson so soon was not really what was needed, but Soto does add enough of a point of difference - and the album kicks off nicely with Believer, Säll's only songwriting contribution here. Opening with a juddering main riff and a big drum barrage from Borger, Believer is very much the core W.E.T. sound distilled into a few minutes. All three of W.E.T.'s main players are credited with co-writing the song - and Soto takes the lead throughout vocally, whilst Mårtensson distinct vocals add layers of harmony. Some of the songs are sung more as a duet, but this one features Soto alone - although the soaring chorus is aided by the presence of the aforementioned harmonies, whilst subtle keyboards add depth. Like Eclipse, W.E.T. are much more guitar-heavy, though, and the verses utilise a similar riff to the one which opened the track - whilst the chorus is a bit smoother overall. Being's Säll's only songwriting contribution, it is fitting that he lays down the song's guitar solo - which is a good mix of bluesy controlled sections and faster shredding. The song does nothing new, but it opens things up well - setting the tone for what is to come. This House Is on Fire is very Eclipse-like - and it is the first duet here, with Soto and Mårtensson trading lines back and forth during the verses before the pair join forces for a bouncy chorus packed full of hooks and energy. Borger is not featured here, though, with Philip Crusner (Fatal Smile; Eclipse) instead handling the drums - which suggests that the song started life for Eclipse before being re-worked for this album. This does not help the aforementioned similarities, but the song is a strong melodic hard rocker which is packed full of hooks and an infectious energy. Soto uses the smoother side of his voice here to really push the chorus forward - whilst the more angular voice of Mårtensson adds some bite. Mårtensson handles the guitar solo here, too, and he throws in some neo-classical lines for good measure. What Are We Fighting For is more of a mid-paced rocker - reining in the pace and bounce of the previous track to go for a more cinematic and anthemic approach. Like the last song, the band's two main singers trade vocal lines during the verses - with Mårtensson perhaps more the dominant force here, until the smooth chorus kicks in and Soto takes over. In a way I wish that Soto would handle all of the lead vocals to reduce the comparisons with Eclipse, but the two voices work pretty well together - and Soto does tend to win out overall, particularly during this anthemic chorus. It is an easy chorus to latch onto, and the song's main riff is similarly infectious despite a somewhat wider scope.

Love Conquers All is the first slower piece here, with the song being the first ballad. Melodic rock albums need ballads and this one generally fits the bill despite still having quite a bit of weight behind it. The early parts of the song feature Soto singing against some clean guitar melodies, but later on the rest of the band do kick in - adding plenty of hard rock grit behind Soto's more emotional vocal delivery. The chorus is memorable despite the slower pace, too, with more big vocal harmonies throughout and a generally meaty production with guitar leads and subtle keyboards. Henriksson adds a pretty folky solo to the piece, too, and the hard-hitting slower number is a strong addition to the album. Where Are the Heroes Now is more of a blatant hard rocker, but it is another which opens in a somewhat cinematic manner - with more of a keyboard presence and some staccato riffing which gradually builds up before Mårtensson starts to sing. As is sometimes the case here, the vocals are shared throughout the verses, with Mårtensson perhaps dominating, but the chorus sees both singers singing in tandem for the most part - albeit with perhaps Mårtensson still dominating. Soto still adds plenty of class to the track, but this is a song which feels more like Mårtensson's vehicle - with the stripped back verses that feature Passmark's bass playing seeing the vocals with plenty of space in the mix. Mårtensson really cuts through, then, before big harmonies fill another memorable chorus which is full of hooks - despite perhaps a lack of bombast. Henriksson's solo brings the drama, though, with lots of busy runs and off-kilter melodies which add a lot to the song's overall vibe. Breaking Up is more of an overt hard rocker, with a spiralling main riff which drives the piece from the off - with some subtle organ adding accents to this riffy intro. The tougher vibe brings out the grittier side of Soto somewhat, who dominates vocally here despite some big Mårtensson harmonies during the snappy chorus. Despite the riffier vibe of much of the song, the chorus remains a smooth and uplifting as ever - with the verses moving back and forth between hard-hitting moments with pinch harmonic-driven guitar riffing and slower sections with a strong bass presence. Mårtensson and Henriksson share the solo spot, too, with their contrasting styles allowing for shredding and neo-classical melodies to sit atop the riffing. Nowhere to Run maintains the previous song's hard-hitting vibe, although the pace is much more mid-paced - with the main riff creating a strong hard rock groove which the song generally rests on throughout. The chorus is different, though, utilising more of a keyboard presence and smoother guitar lines - but the verses, which Soto soars over, are a mixture of groovy riffing and a slightly funky overall feel. This is not Extreme levels of funk, but the song is certainly groovier than is typical for W.E.T., whilst Säll's busy and extremely fast guitar solo is fluid to counter the strutting elsewhere.

Pay Dirt opens with a sultry bluesy riff, which an old-school guitar tone keeping the funky vibe from the last song alive - and the song soon kicks off properly, morphing into a pretty 1970s-inspired hard rocker with a much rawer feel overall. The chorus leaves the rawness behind, adding in some keyboards and some gang vocals, but generally the aforementioned bluesy riff dominates throughout - whilst Borger's drumming swings more than it has elsewhere. There is a strong retro feel to the song, then, and it is something a bit different compared to what the band has done before. There are still strains of AOR throughout the chorus, but overall this track is much more organic than is typical. Henriksson does add a shredded solo, which is busier than perhaps it needs to be, but the track's overall stomp and riffing is infectious as a point of difference. Pleasure & Pain is another slower track, with the song being the album's second ballad. Unlike Love Conquers All, though, Pleasure & Pain feels murkier and darker overall - with the keyboards taking on a denser feel, whilst the clean guitar lines which open the song and later dominated the verses have a more sombre feel overall. Occasional piano melodies cut through and Soto adds plenty of emotional weight to the track - with these things adding to the song's overall darkness. The chorus is still very melodic and hooky, though, despite it doing a decent job at maintaining the relative darkness conjured up elsewhere. It is the strongest ballad here for me as a result. Stay Alive lightens the mood again and goes for more of an overt AOR sound. This is the only song here which features prominent keyboard melodies - with a big synth hook opening the track up which continues to dominate even when the guitars kick in. There is a strong 1980s feel throughout, then, with the backing vocals feeling more Def Leppard-esque at times during the chorus - and verses which slow down somewhat to allow the bass to pulse through. The synth hook resurfaces throughout, too, which helps to reinforce this throwback feel overall - whilst Mårtensson's smooth guitar solo is quite effects-heavy which further adds to the song's melodic and smooth feel. The album then comes to a close with Day by Day, another song which something of a smoother overall feel. The band have left their two 1980s-most tracks to the end, then, as this is another piece with slightly more prominent keyboards - and a mixture of clean guitars and heavier riffing to add plenty of depth. The track is more upbeat than the previous one, though, with a bombastic chorus bringing the best out of Soto - and it is performances like this which make me realise why he briefly fronted Journey. All of the songs here are hooky in one way or another, but this song just feels very traditionally such - with a big chorus and a slower-paced guitar solo which is full of hooks really allowing the brightness of the song to shine through. Overall, then, Apex is another strong effort from W.E.T. it feels stronger overall than the last two - and is closer in spirit to the first two despite still feeling very close to Eclipse in places. The songwriting is tight and hooky, though, so anyone with a love of AOR will find something to like here.

The album was released on 28th March 2025 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for This House Is on Fire.

Marisa and the Moths - Plymouth Review

Despite getting to between 40 and 50 gigs most years in recent times, I still do not think that I fully make the most of some of the music venues which are within walking distance of where I live. I have certainly been to plenty of shows at both The Junction and the Underground in Plymouth - but probably not as many as I should. In fairness, I cannot go out every night - but nevertheless there have been 'named' bands that have come through that I have not checked out, and I keep thinking that I should be making more of an effort. Despite this, though, I have still 'made the effort' quite a few times - and last night I made the short walk up to The Junction to check out the Reading-based four-piece Marisa and the Moths, a grungy hard rock band that are currently starting to make some waves on the UK music scene. Despite the band forming back in 2017, I was not aware of them until last year - when The Junction announced that they would be playing at the venue. I do pay attention sometimes it seems, and I decided to check them out - and heard enough that I liked to pick up a ticket. I have since picked up both of the band's albums, their self-titled debut from 2019 and What Doesn't Kill You (which I briefly discussed here) from 2024, and have generally enjoyed both - although I think the latter is quite a big step up compared to the former. The band are not exactly doing anything especially original, and they sit firmly in the current UK post-grunge-influenced hard rock scene, but frontwoman Marisa Rodriguez's powerful and soulful voice does help to set them apart from other similar acts. I have warmed to parts of this scene over the years - but I would rather that the current UK rock scene was not dominated by so many American radio rock-influenced bands. Bands like Stone Broken and The Fallen State cut through, but there are many which leave me cold - so Marisa and the Moths having something of a USP with their soulful side really helps. In truth, many of these bands are really starting to find success now, with Those Damn Crows coming to Plymouth later in the year to play a venue much larger than The Junction, but I do hope that the UK's love of this slightly dated American sound starts to wane soon. There is a reason why South of Salem are my favourite of the current crop of rising stars - and that is because there is no grunge to be seen. Returning to Marisa and the Moths, though, the songwriting is strong and their soulful side helps to balance out the post-grunge influence - so I was looking forward to seeing what they would be like live. Over the past couple of months or so, the band have been undertaking a lengthy UK headline tour to support What Doesn't Kill You. This tour seemed to cover essentially every inch of the UK - with the band really getting out there and pushing their music. Last night's show in Plymouth was the last night of the tour - and it capped off a weekend of shows in the South West, with gigs in Exeter and Bideford immediately preceding Plymouth. With the tour coming to the end, then, the band were in high spirits - and a pretty healthy turnout helped to ensure a good night.

Before Marisa and the Moths' set, though, the growing crowd was treated to a, mercifully, short set from punk band James Kennedy and the Underdogs. From doing a quick bit of research, it seems that Kennedy has been knocking around on the scene for a while, both as a solo artist and as a member of Kyshera, but his 30 or so minutes on stage last night did nothing to convince me to delve into his back catalogue. I am not the biggest punk fan at the best of times, but Kennedy's brand of punk was some of the most rote I had heard for a while - and felt extremely uninspiring and lacking in any substance, despite his band being energetic. Basic riffs, leaden drumming, and lyrics which some might generously refer to as 'socially conscious' (although they essentially were just a shopping list of left-leaning clichés with no nuance) all added up to a pretty forgettable set that thankfully did not outstay its welcome for too long. Whilst a few seemed to be somewhat into what Kennedy was doing, I am not sure that I would describe the reception as rapturous. He did try hard to get people involved, and a few obliged, but I think that quite a lot of people were left rather non-plussed by his set - so by the end it all felt rather try-hard. Not many were 'doing their crazy thing' when Kennedy asked for such - and I think this lack of going crazy rather sums up my views relating to his set.

Following a pretty quick changeover, the lights in the venue, which was pretty full by this point, went down and Rodriguez took to the stage with her band for what was to be a powerful set. Most young bands tend to play for around an hour these days, but Marisa and the Moths played for around 90 minutes - with much of What Doesn't Kill You featured - alongside cuts from their debut album and some other inclusions. Without regular guitarist Alez D'Alia for the shows this weekend, former Jagged Edge and Skin guitarist Myke Gray accompanied the band. This was a strange mix of styles, as Gray is very much a meat and potatoes hard rock guitarist, but he added some fluid solos to the evening - although Rodriguez was the star of the night, her voice cutting through the mix nicely. The overall sound mix was good, too. Everything could be heard clearly - with the vocals powering through and the guitar solos also feeling tight. Despite the set focusing on the new album, two older cuts in Needy and Skin kicked things off. Generally the set was pretty hard rocking, but Needy opened at a more sedate pace before rocking a little harder - and the set really seemed to kick off with the anthemic Skin and its powerful chorus. Rodriguez is a great frontwoman and covered every each of the small stage with ease. She played a lot of guitar during the set, too, including a few solos, but sometimes she shed the guitar to operate with a little more freedom. She also had a lot to say, and spoke to the crowd between nearly every song - often telling little stories relating to the upcoming song and just generally engaging in banter with the crowd. She came across as a very likable presence and her voice was arguably more powerful live than it is on record - whilst bassist Liam Barnes added some harmonies here and there. Early in the set the crowd were treated to big numbers like Get It Off My Chest and the snappy Fake It Till You Make It - and the band operated at their best when they rock out the hardest. The middle the show shook things up a little, with Barnes taking the lead on his composition Porch to give Rodriguez a brief break - before the latter returned armed with an acoustic guitar for a laid back rendition of non-album track If You Knew. Sadly a few talkers at the bar robbed this moment of its full power but it was nevertheless an enjoyable part of the set - before the rest of the band returned for hard rocking version of Gaslight and Devil, which saw Barnes rocking out in the crowd. Everything at this point was pretty upbeat and rocking - with each song receiving a strong reception from the crowd, who were really up for the show by this point. Choke and Just Like Me all proved to be late set highlights, but it was perhaps the closing anthem Who Are You Waiting For? which proved to be the biggest sing-a-long of the night - and it brought a powerful set to a hard rocking end. The setlist was:

Needy

Skin

Pedestal

69

Get It Off My Chest

Wither Away

Fake It Till You Make It

Borderline

Porch [Liam Barnes solo material w/ Dave Burman]

If You Knew

Gaslight

Devil

Slave

Choke

SAD

Just Like Me

Who Are You Waiting For?

Marisa and the Moths certainly brought their lengthy UK tour to a powerful close in Plymouth last night - and it was also good to see the band attract such a healthy crowd. There was a lot of love in the room for the band, with plenty of singing along, and it sees that Marisa and the Moths could well be on the rise. It will be interesting to see where they go from here, particularly on their next album, and I look forward to what is to come.

Elliot Minor - London Review

I am not generally one for nostalgia - particularly when it comes to music. Perhaps I am not quite old enough to indulge in such yet, or perhaps the fact that my music taste has evolved sustainably over the years means that there is not much of a need for it - but either way I am always on the hunt for something new, and rarely revel in the music of my 'youth'. As such, then, yesterday's trip up to London to catch the York-based five-piece Elliot Minor on their first proper tour since 2010 was something of a rare exercise in nostalgia. The band did play a handful of shows in 2014, all in London, but 2025 saw them return in something of a bigger way - with a five-date UK tour, and an upcoming appearance at Download Festival is also on the cards. Elliot Minor were a band that I got into in 2008, not long before their self-titled debut album came out. I had a few friends who were into them and I got roped into seeing them at The Hub in Plymouth (it may have been called The Hippo at the time, I cannot remember). I have always been more of a hard rock and metal guy, even back then, but I had heard a couple of the band's songs and was intrigued by their symphonic edge, their strong pop hooks, and their occasional harder rocking moments. I really enjoyed seeing them for the first time, then, and I have been a fan ever since. The band were essentially living on the road at this point, as they returned to the same venue a few months later - this time with Elliot Minor in tow. We all went again for a second time - and the second show was likely better than the first. The band's first album is a real classic of that time I think - and Elliot Minor, for me anyway, stood out in a crowded field of pop-punk and emo that did very little for me in general. They were also a band I could share with many of my female friends at the time who were not into rock and metal - so they helped to bridge social gaps and made for some memorable early concert experiences. I saw the band for a third time, this time on my own, in 2009 - at the Phoenix in Exeter following the release of 2009's Solaris. The band's second album is very good, but I do not think that it is as strong as the debut album - but the show in Exeter saw the band even more composed and assured than ever. A year or so later, though, the band slowly slipped away. They really could have achieved greatness, and I am not sure the band have ever discussed why they went away when they did, but apart from those aforementioned 2014 shows Elliot Minor have been on hiatus ever since. It is a shame that they could not capitalise on that early success and become megastars - but there clearly remains a lot of love for the band as this recent sold out tour proves. At first, only the London show was announced - with the other shows added following London selling out so quickly. I cannot remember why I did not see the band in 2014, so last night was my first Elliot Minor concert for 16 years - and was also the biggest of the four, at the grand Koko in Camden. It was a venue that I had not been to for a while, so it was nice to return, and it was great to see a full house for the band's comeback.

Opening the show, though, was Palmist - the first of two support acts. I was not familiar with the band before the show - but the London-based five-piece impressed during their short set, with a distinct and interesting sound which fused a few different genres. Mixing upbeat synth-based pop with engaging hooks, busier-than-expected guitar solos, and the occasional trumpet melody - Palmist's sound was very original despite the band essentially writing upbeat and funky pop songs. Plenty of bands have written such music, then, but the infectious and groovy nature of Palmist's material helped them to stand out - as well as a meatier guitar approach which included a few heavier riffs and some high-octane solos. I liked the approach to vocal harmonies, too. I cannot find a bio of the band so I cannot namecheck anyone here - but the band's frontman, who was active all over the stage, reminded me a bit of Adam Lambert vocally whilst the band's keyboard/trumpet player added lots of melodic harmonies with her sweet voice. I liked the vocal interplay, then, as well as the general vibe of the music - with the strong synth hooks and trumpet melodies adding some further jazzy grooves into the driving pop rock of the band's core sound. There was a lot to like, then, but sadly the band's set was very short. I would not have minded hearing another couple of songs - and the band generally received a pretty strong reception, too, which suggests that others were also into what Palmist were doing. I am certainly going to check out the band's singles released so far - and I would be interested to see where they go from here.

I was much less taken with the main tour support Call Me Amour. Another very synth-heavy band, albeit this time in more of a gothic/pop-punk vein, Call Me Amour reminded me somewhat of some of the more synth-heavy end of bands like Papa Roach - albeit with less weight overall and songs which were generally not all that memorable. In fairness, frontman Harry Radford was a captivating presence, and is certainly made for the stage, but I found his voice a bit lightweight and I also felt that, for a support act, he spent far too much time talking and trying to get the crowd to act in a certain way. Each song just seemed like a vehicle for some gimmick (e.g. jumping with the person next to you, getting down on the floor, etc.) - rather than being well-crafted songs which would naturally elicit crowd interaction. It all felt a little laboured at times, despite plenty seemingly into what Call Me Amour were doing, and I just found it all a bit try-hard after a while - with Radford starting to grate towards the end of the set despite him clearly being a 'rockstar'. The band also rubbed me up the wrong way in the sense that there were some songs where the guitar and bass barely got touched. The band's core sound was largely just synths and drums - and even when there was clearly bass of some description coming out of the speakers the bassist on stage was not playing. The guitars and bass tended to crash in for each chorus, with the synths and drums handling everything else. Bands like this never really feel 'live' as a result - and the ravey synths all just felt a bit old-fashioned at this point. In truth, I was likely in a minority as Call Me Amour received a strong reception on the whole - and it probably shows that bands like Elliot Minor are more the exception to my music taste rather than the rule, meaning that I was something of an 'outsider' at the show.

With the doors opening at 6pm and everything over by 10pm, the changeovers between each band were pretty quick - so it did not seem long before the lights went down and Elliot Minor took to the stage, launching into the up-tempo Jessica whilst doing so. Given that for most it had likely been at least 11 years since they had last seen the band, the atmosphere was electric from the off. Elliot Minor's songs, despite their intricate arrangements and harmonies, are, on the surface, very easy to latch onto. Chorus after chorus was sung loudly back at the band - and the five musicians on stage all seemed quite overwhelmed by the reaction at times. Alex Davies (vocals/guitar) did most of the talking, but the whole band took part in some great banter between themselves and with the crowd - with the whole show feeling like something of a party. Unsurprisingly, given how long they have been away, the band were not as tight as some - but the raw power of the material, which was heavier live, saw them home. No-one minded the odd clunky transition or ropey guitar solo (Davies' solos were the weak link in the evening) when the band was rocking hard and the choruses were flowing - with each song greeted as warmly as the next. One thing that was on-point, though, were those vocal harmonies. Davies sounded great vocally, with Ed Minton (vocals/guitar) adding those trademark harmonies like no time had passed - with the latter occasionally also taking the lead vocally to provide a point of difference. Dan Heatherton (drums/vocals) also added his vocal heft to a few tracks - and there was a choral approach to some numbers as a result. Most of the debut album and half of Solaris was featured over the next 90 or so minutes - with big anthems like Electric High, Time After Time, and Discover (Why the Love Hurts) all hitting the spot early on. Sound-wise, things were pretty much spot on, too. The vocals always cut throughout nicely, whilst the guitars had plenty of heft and the keyboards were very present. Ali Paul (keyboards) often dictated the play with his classically-influenced piano playing - with slower numbers like Lucky Star and The Liar Is You really shining the spotlight on him. Elsewhere the band rocked out harder, though, such as during the riffy Shiver and the bombastic Last Call to New York City - the latter of which was deployed late on in the set. Another highlight, though, was the new single How Does It Feel, which fit in with the classics nicely, but it was perhaps left to the two songs which brought the main set to a close for the biggest reactions up to that point - with the smooth and soaring Solaris seeing perhaps some of the most singing during the evening, whilst set-closer Still Figuring Out was given a bit of a harder rock makeover with a riffy intro and more soloing. A few of the songs were shaken up somewhat with extended intros and outros - and it was good to see the band jam out a bit and not just stick to the formula. There was time for a little more, though, and a three-song encore followed. All My Life, the single which accompanied the 2014 shows was up first - before the pop-punk vibes of Better Than the Courtroom was a real hark back to the late 2000s. It was left to the band's anthem, Parallel Worlds, to finish things up, then, and the bombastic early single filled the room with energy one last time - and it was a great to cap off what had been a powerful night of live music. The setlist was:

Jessica

Electric High

Running Away

Time After Time

I Believe

Discover (Why the Love Hurts)

Shiver

Lucky Star

How Does It Feel

The White One Is Evil

The Liar Is You

Last Call to New York City

Solaris

Still Figuring Out

-

All My Life

Better Than the Courtroom

Parallel Worlds

It was great to catch up with Elliot Minor after so long - and it was good to see the band in such rude and hard-hitting health. At this stage it is unclear what lies in store for the band post-Download - but they did hint on stage that more would be coming. Whether that just means a few more shows or whether more new music is planned remains to be seen - but I hope that something more concrete than a nostalgia tour does materialise, as it would be great to see the band have another proper stab at it.

The Darkness' 'Dreams on Toast' - Album Review

Whilst the British rockers The Darkness perhaps never quite managed to capitalise on how big they could have been by crashing and burning not long after releasing their second album One Way Ticket to Hell...and Back in 2005, since reforming in 2011 the four-piece have been a consistent and ever-present force on the rock scene - finding success both at home and abroad. Their tour supporting One Way Ticket to Hell...and Back was likely one of the biggest arena spectacles at the time, when such was not really the norm and the British rock scene was in something of a slump, and it is a shame that the band's tongue-in-cheek homage to Queen and AC/DC was only in the national spotlight for such a brief moment. Misadventure put paid to true greatness, then, but The Darkness have still had a very strong career - regularly filling large theatres here in the UK and elsewhere, whilst releasing new albums at a fairly regular rate. That being said, though, before last month it had been quite a while since The Darkness released anything new. The band had essentially released an album every two years since 2015, with their comeback album Hot Cakes dropping three years before in 2012, so there seemed to always be a steady stream of new material coming from them. Before last month, though, the band last released an album in 2021 - when the excellent Motorheart (which I reviewed here) came out. I have enjoyed all of the band's albums to a greater or lesser extent - but I do think that their original two releases: 2003's Permission to Land and the aforementioned One Way Ticket to Hell...and Back; are their best. It must have been hard for the band to recapture that early energy once reforming - but there has been a lot of excellent stuff released since, with Motorheart perhaps the best of the bunch. The songs just all felt much more memorable and hard rocking overall - with the band's trademark humour and carefree attitude well-balanced with strong songwriting and riffing. Four years on from Motorheart, something of a career highlight, then, the band released Dreams on Toast, their eighth album, last month. In truth, given how many great albums have come out recently, Dreams on Toast was not really one I was paying any real attention to. I pre-ordered it a a while back, but I did not pay it any mind until it turned up. I had not heard any of the singles before it dropped so I was not really sure what to expect - with my only opinion being that I thought the album title was awful. I have lived with this album for a couple of weeks, now, and I am still not really sure what to make of it. It has grown on me somewhat but, at this stage, it is likely my least favourite album from The Darkness. I think my main issue with this album is that it just does not rock all that hard. The band have always been more than just a meat and potatoes hard rock band, but it does form the basis of their core sound - and this album feels more whimsical, folky, and just generally strange. Frontman Justin Hawkins' humour does not always land, but generally he manages to make his point, so a few of the ideas fall somewhat flat. It is certainly the band's most varied album sound-wise, and it is well-produced, but songwriting-wise I think it leaves a bit to be desired.

The opening number Rock and Roll Party Cowboy somewhat sums up some of my concerns. It is one of the album's harder rocking pieces, which ensures a strong groove and an infectious riff from the off, but lyrically it is really stupid. I understand that it is supposed to be a parody of tropey songs about being in a band and rock music in general - but the lyrics are so clunky that they come across like they are being delivered by an awkward uncle after a few drinks. I suppose Justin is 50 now, so perhaps this is somewhat fitting and in-character - but he is often much wittier than he is here. Despite this, though, the song is not terrible. The main riff and the lumpen, AC/DC-esque groove are pretty hooky - with the crunchy guitar tones from Justin and Dan Hawkins helping to bring the song to life. The verses are quite straight ahead, then, with the rhythm section simply grinding away whilst Justin delivers the lyrics in a semi-spoken and deeper delivery than is typical - with the chorus being a bit more typical with powerful gang vocals and a bit more of anthemic feel. There is plenty to enjoy here, then, despite the rhythmic groove perhaps being the most AC/DC-esque moment in the band's canon yet - I just struggle to get past some of the silly lyrics. I know that The Darkness are not a band to take seriously, but there is still a line in the sand somewhere - and these lyrics cross it. I Hate Myself is better, though, and it feels like something of a high-energy old-school Darkness number. Funnily enough, then, it the only song here not written by the band - as it was put together by Justin and a bunch of British rock session players including his former Hot Leg bandmate Darby Todd and Take That sideman Lee Pomeroy. Despite this committee of songwriters, the track is a high-octane rocker built around a Status Quo-esque boogie riff - but there is enough of The Darkness' usual bombast to keep the track feeling in-keeping. Justin sings in his more typical manner here, with lots of falsetto and high-pitched screams - with the chorus is in particular being a standout of the album thanks to the vocal harmonies throughout. There is also what sounds like a saxophone utilised throughout, but as no-one is credited with playing one then it perhaps instead something of a parpy synth. Boogie piano and a big guitar solo are also thrown in, and the track is a strong effort. Hot on My Tail is more acoustic based, and it is the first number here which feels much more whimsical. There are a few more numbers like this to follow - and, for me, the balance of the album overall is weighted too heavily in their favour. The song itself is not bad, with a strong walking bassline from Frankie Poullain to counter the jaunty acoustic guitars and shuffling drums - whilst Justin delivers a strong vocal performance over the top with something of the old-school Song-and-Dance-Men about his delivery and carefree attitude. As such, it feels a bit old-fashioned and throwaway as a result - and the tacky piano solo which comes in later does not help.

Mortal Dread is a stronger effort - and it is the first meat and potatoes hard rocker since the opening cut. There is another strong AC/DC-esque groove throughout, with Poullain's bass really grounding everything, whilst a bluesy mid-paced riff and the occasional lead interjection add quite a lot of character. The band have written a number of songs like this before, and have done this style better, but there is still a lot to like. The chorus is typical Darkness, with an anthemic feel and some falsetto vocals, whilst the guitar leads and soloing is kept a minimum to allow their inclusions to feel tasteful. There is another strange piano-led breakdown, though, which seems to be a theme here so far, but overall the song is just a decent guitar-led rocker which plenty of groove - and this is a song where Justin's humour has landed I think, which helps. Don't Need Sunshine is another more whimsical piece, but of all the slower and more stripped back pieces it feels like my favourite. The song is more piano-based rather than containing a lot of acoustic guitar, which helps, and there are lots of strong Queenisms as a result. The dominant piano chords and the occasional thin-sounding guitar lead pay homage to Queen a lot - and Justin generally sings in a floatier and more high-pitched manner throughout which only furthers this overall vibe. Perhaps the song's biggest plus, though, is its chorus. It is not bombastic or all that rocking, but the melodies and the layers of vocal harmonies are really well crafted - and the big sound created really allows Dan's production of the album to shine. The Queenisms continue throughout the jaunty The Longest Kiss - but this time the song feels like one of those shorter, Music Hall-type pieces that Queen used to throw in on their early albums to break up the harder rockers. That side of Queen was never my favourite, but at least those songs tended to be short, perhaps only a minute or so long, whereas this is a full song. As such, I feel that it outstays its welcome somewhat. The vibe is certainly upbeat and I can see what the band are trying to do, plus the guitar solo in the middle is excellent, but this much kitsch in one go is a bit too much for me. The Battle for Gadget Land returns to a harder rocking sound, but the song's overall arrangement is a bit different from the norm. The guitar tones used throughout are strange, almost giving some of the guitar leads something of an industrial sound, whilst the rhythms are quite dry - which gives the verses a strange, hollow feel with plenty of bass and some frantic drummer from Rufus Tiger Taylor. Large parts of the song are quite frantic, actually, with the chorus essentially being a heavier version of the verses - but with a more intense guitar backing - and there is a pretty high-octane guitar solo later which feels more metallic than usual. Sadly, there is also a pseudo-rapped section - which I really could have done without.

Cold Hearted Woman is another acoustic-based whimsical number. There are no Queenisms this time, though, with the guitar chords and the shuffling drum beat being very similar to that found throughout Hot on My Tail. The song is perhaps not quite as upbeat as that earlier track, though, with some stronger folk elements throughout. The grooves are very similar, though, but some fiddle playing from Jayne Pomplas adds to the overall folky feel. I just do not feel that the song is all that appealing. Justin's vocal delivery is a bit bland, too, which is rare for him - and no-one involved really feels all that invested in the song. It is a bit of a strange addition to the album, then, and it is one of the weakest cuts here thanks to the dreary acoustic guitar presence and the lack of any bite in the vocal delivery. Walking Through Fire also opens with some big acoustic guitar chords, but it is clear from the off that the song is going to be more upbeat - and it soon morphs into a great hard rocker that is one of the album's highlights. This is classic Darkness through and through - with some good humour from Justin that stays the right side of the aforementioned line whilst guitars crunch around him and the band add plenty of soaring vocal harmonies. The chorus is a real winner, with a guitar lead backing Justin's vocals to add depth - whilst the crunchy guitars really bring the song to life. There is plenty of great groove here and the riffing throughout is memorable - with screaming guitar leads when appropriate and some of the best Justin falsetto on the album. This is like The Darkness of the past - and it shows that they can still deliver despite the strange vibes which tend to permeate here. The album then comes to a close with yet another acoustic piece Weekend in Rome. The song is very low key, despite opening with a strange spoken word section, and delicate acoustic guitars are all that really backs Justin's vocals - which are heartfelt and full of character. The song always seems like it is about to explode into something bigger, especially when some strings kick in at the end of each chorus, but it never really does - despite the strings kicking in again in a much bigger way following another spoken section. It is one of the strangest songs that the band have written and it really does not sound anything like The Darkness - so it is an odd way to close out the album. Something a bit more involved would have likely worked better as an album closer - with the album just petering out as a result despite the richness of parts of the arrangement and the strong vocal performance. Overall, then, I have mixed views on this album. There are some strong songs here, with some classic Darkness hard rockers, but there are also too many acoustic-based and whimsical numbers that do very little for me. It is certainly a different album for the band, and it is good to see them pushing their boundaries, but this is an experiment which has not really worked in my opinion - and I hope for something more harder hitting next time.

The album was released on 28th March 2025 via Canary Dwarf Limited/Cooking Vinyl Limited. Below is the band's promotional video for I Hate Myself.

Ghost - Birmingham Review

Over the past few years, Ghost have become a real favourite. I remember the band's debut album dropping in 2010, but it did nothing for me at the time - and it was not until the shift to a more 1980s-inspired sound on 2018's Prequelle (which I reviewed here) that I came on board. I have since gone back and I am now a big fan of most of the band's work - and the shows that I saw in 2019 and 2022 rank up there as two of the best arena rock shows I have witnessed. I missed out on seeing the band in small venues, but, in truth, Ghost are a band made for arenas. I have often commented that some bigger bands have seemingly struggled to adapt to arena-level shows in terms of the 'performance' side of things. Bigger bands do not necessarily need 'theatre' to pull off arena-level shows, but some bands make those arena stages look so small. Ghost has never been such a band, though. Older rock fans often bemoan the lack of future festival headliners - but the truth is that there are plenty of arena-level modern bands waiting to be given the opportunity, and Ghost feel like such a band. If they are not headlining Download within the next couple of years then something has gone seriously wrong - although, in truth, I am not sure Download is interested in bands like Ghost anymore with their seeming want to just capitalise on 1990s nostalgia. Something like Wacken or Graspop might be better, then, but I am sure that their day in the sun will come - even if some metal fans like to grumble about the band's perceived lack of 'metal'. Hearing metal fans discuss what is and is not indeed 'metal' is almost as brain cell-killing as hearing football fans discussing which clubs are 'big clubs' - but Ghost largely have transcended such debates, and if a few metal flat-earthers want to turn their backs on the band then I am sure that bandleader Tobias Forge would not be all that upset. The band's upcoming sixth album Skeletá is likely to be another triumph based on the singles released so far - and this past week they kicked off their latest European tour with a string of UK dates. Ghost are now one of those bands that I will see whenever I can - so I opted for a ticket to the Birmingham show on Easter Sunday. It was also Birmingham where I saw the band in 2022 - but this time the band opted for the Utilita Arena in the city centre rather than the NEC, which was a welcome change. The day leading up to the show was pretty dull, though, as basically every shop in Birmingham was closed due to it being Easter. I spent much of the afternoon in my hotel, then, and headed over to the venue fairly early. Numerous emails in the week leading up the show had advised such, and I am glad that I did as getting into the venue was horrendous. I have been to a few sold out shows at the same venue before and have never had an issue getting in - but for whatever reason the queuing system was so badly organised that it took me probably around 45 minutes to actually get in the building. The band had to delay starting their show due to the time it was taking to get people in. This seems to be becoming a bit of a theme at some venues - as both The Roundhouse in London and the O2 Academy in Bristol are noticeably worse than they used to be in this regard, and there is no obvious reason as to why. Luckily the delayed start did not lead to a shortened show - and things got underway around 40 minutes after I had got in and had my phone locked away in a little pouch.

There was no support act, but the two or so hours of Ghost's set soon wiped away any lingering annoyance relating to getting in. Each Ghost show that I have seen has been bigger than the one before - so this was a real spectacle. Being sat quite far back in the arena, too, I was able to really take everything in - and generally the sound was pretty good, too, with Forge's voice clear throughout and the balance of the instruments well-struck. It is a shame that Skeletá is not out until this coming Friday - but the band still played four of the new songs live. Opening with Peacefield, which no-one would have been familiar with unless they had been to other shows on the tour, was a bold move, then, but the smooth, melodic piece opened the show well - and it started with Forge singing on the screens at the side of the stage before the curtain dropped to reveal the whole band. It was not a blistering rocker, with a smooth overall sound, but the melodies soon filled the arena - and it did not seem to matter that people were unfamiliar with the song. New single Lachryma followed, though, and the atmosphere immediately rose. Despite being new, the video was released a week or so ago, so the fans have had plenty of chance to hear it by now - and the AOR-esque chorus was sung pretty loudly by the sold out Birmingham crowd. These two new cuts set the tone for what ended up being a pretty varied setlist. There were a few notable omissions, particularly some of the hits from the last album, but in their place were new songs and a handful of deeper cuts which had not been played for a while. As such, quite a few of the songs played were new to me in a live context - and it was great hearing quite a few different pieces. The doomy and gothic Majesty was one such example. The track has never been a particular favourite, but live it came across really well - with Forge, in character as Papa V Perpetua, floating at the back of the stage whilst the Nameless Ghouls all got to work. Spirit, which had come before, was another early highlight - with the chorus being another which was sung loudly and the harmony guitar leads throughout really rang around the room. Despite only having six albums, the setlist was very varied in terms of style. The Future Is a Foreign Land, which was tagged onto the end of last year's live album, showcased something of a whimsical, psychedelic sound - which provided something of a lighter touch following a glut of more harder rocking pieces early on. The dense ballad Darkness at the Heart of My Love later provided a similar break in the overall pace - but only after the epic Cirice had proved to be another huge sing-a-long. With no phones to distract them, the crowd were engaged throughout - and some of the sing-a-longs were louder than those I remember from previous shows.

There was certainly a great atmosphere throughout the night, then, and it only improved as the show moved forward. It was brave leaving out some of the bigger hits from the last album but it did not really seem to matter. Even the more casual fans seemed to be having a good time - with another new single Satanized also receiving a strong reception when it was deployed around half way through the main set. The final new number, Umbra, followed fairly shortly afterwards, with only oldie Ritual to separate them, and it may well have been my favourite of the new cuts played. The melodies sounded strong, as was the case with all of them, but it was a bit more explosive musically, too, with two lengthy guitar solos and a proper progressive rock keyboard solo. It was a real workout for the band, then, with both guitarists getting to show off alongside the main keyboard player. It was a great, flashy centrepiece of the main set, then, before the clock was turned back and Forge emerged in his full pope getup for the apocalyptic and doomy Year Zero. With all the new and deeper cuts out of the way at this point, the rest of the set felt like a victory lap. There were not many surprises in the last third or so of the evening, with the smooth ballad He Is providing one last moment of respite before the wall-to-wall fan-favourites. The place erupted when the distinctive drum intro of Rats rang through the venue, with the chorus again being sung loudly, and the energy levels were kept up with the bombastic Kiss the Go-Goat which filled the hall with good cheer and an upbeat vibe. Those who wanted to headbang then got their chance with the bassy and groovy Mummy Dust, which brought the best out of the band's two guitarists and bassist, before the main set ended with the choral and epic Monstrance Clock - which had returned to the band's setlist following a few years away. It used to be such an ever-present for the band, but it was the first time I had heard it live - and the crow dutifully sang The Beatles-esque mid-section with a subtle power, and melodies of which continued long after the band had left the stage. There was time for more, though, and Forge soon led his Ghouls back out for a three-song encore which contained arguably the band's three biggest songs. The venue was full of a party atmosphere at this point, and each song was received better than the last. The keyboard-heavy Mary on a Cross kicked off the encore, which was of course sung loudly, before the double-punch of Dance Macabre and Square Hammer brought the curtain down on another excellent evening of live music. From my seat I could see the sheer amount of movement and clapping from the crowd on the floor - and it was clear that Ghost achieved what they set out to do by providing two hours of excellent anthems and an arena-sized show to go with them. The setlist was:

Peacefield

Lachryma

Spirit

Faith

Majesty

The Future Is a Foreign Land

Devil Church

Cirice

Darkness at the Heart of My Love

Satanized

Ritual

Umbra

Year Zero
He Is

Rats

Kiss the Go-Goat

Mummy Dust

Monstrance Clock

-

Mary on a Cross

Dance Macabre

Square Hammer

Ghost continue to go from strength to strength - and they really are one of the biggest rock bands in the world at the moment. There has been surprisingly little hype around the upcoming album and this tour - but perhaps that is because there is no need for any now. These UK shows all sold out with ease and the album will no doubt be another smash hit in terms of sales and streams - meaning that Ghost will take another step towards legendary status. The only way to go is up, and I will be there next time Ghost visit the UK.

Arch Enemy's 'Blood Dynasty' - Album Review

It is always a shame when a band that you have liked for a number of years takes something of a downward turn. Whilst I am likely more forgiving than most based on the many other reviews and opinions I read, and am quite easily pleased when it comes to my favourite bands, I nevertheless have to accept that sometimes bands drop the ball. Whilst I am not sure that 'drop the ball' is the correct analogy to apply to the Swedish melodic death metal band Arch Enemy's recent output, I have certainly been disappointed with them for a little while. For me, their last two albums have paled in comparison to much of what came before - with both 2017's Will to Power (which I reviewed here) and 2022's Deceivers (which I also reviewed here) not really hitting the mark. Both albums include some strong songs, and Deceivers has actually gone up in my estimations somewhat since reviewing it, but compared to what came before the two albums are patchy and lacking in a consistent energy. Interestingly, the dip in form coincided with the band lacking a creatively-active second guitarist to act as a foil to band founder, principal songwriter, and guitarist Michael Amott. Amott's brother served as that foil for many years, before Nick Cordle took up the role on 2014's excellent War Eternal (which I reviewed here), but the now-departed Jeff Loomis never did. Arch Enemy featuring Loomis' creative input always seemed like an exciting prospect - but over the two albums on which he featured he only contributed a handful of guitar solos. Reading between the lines of a number of interviews with both Amott and Loomis over the years - the former essentially kept the latter out of the creative process. Perhaps fearing that Loomis' progressive mindset would shift Arch Enemy's core sound too much, Amott instead turned to drummer Daniel Erlandsson to be his main sounding board - and the world was robbed of hearing what an Arch Enemy song written by Loomis would sound like. I was unsurprised when Loomis left the band in 2023, then, and I am looking forward to the new-look Nevermore which is currently being put together, to be replaced by a lesser-known name in Joey Concepcion (Symphony of Malice; Armageddon; The Absence). Amott can now underuse Concepcion's talents instead of underusing Loomis' - and on the band's newly released twelfth studio album Blood Dynasty Concepcion has similarly just contributed some guitar solos (although he also played some acoustic guitar, likely when Amott's back was turned). I did not exactly have high hopes for Blood Dynasty, then, but I have to say that I have been really enjoying it since it came out last month. It is easily the band's best since War Eternal, and it feels a lot fresher than the last two albums - with a good mix of classic-sounding Arch Enemy songs as well as a few tracks which do something a little different. I have long said that the band needed to shake things up songwriting-wise, and Amott and Erlandsson have done so here. Whilst there are a number of anthemic, traditional-sounding pieces, these feel fresher than much of the band's other recent work, whilst those songs which do experiment somewhat with the formula help to diversify the album. It is a relatively short release, too, at a shade under 45 minutes long, so it really flies by thanks to this variety.

The difference is not night and day, but it is surprising what a few twists and turns, as well as more of a sense of urgency, can achieve. The band have done better in the past but following a creative slump Blood Dynasty feels like something of a triumph overall. It opens with Dream Stealer, a song which has been floating around for months at this point, and the anthemic piece kicks off the album in fine fashion. I was not a huge fan of the song when it dropped, and I still feel that some of the transitions feel pretty clunky, but it has grown on me a lot. Droning organ and weather sounds set an early unsettling tone, before a slightly symphonic overture takes over - which soon transitions nicely into a thrashy riff, with Amott drawing on his years with Carcass to deliver something abrasive. It is a heavy riff, heavier than the band's core sound these days, and the song's verses are in-your-face from the start - with frontwoman Alissa White-Gluz delivering some of her most intense growls to date. Now on her fourth album with the band, she continues to diversify her approach here. These growls are some of the most abrasive on an Arch Enemy album for a while - but they contrast nicely with her more anthemic approach during a somewhat more mid-paced chorus, which is backed with subtle harmonies to create a real fists-in-the-air atmosphere. As mentioned, there are some strange transitions - with the riff shift between the main verse and the pre-chorus feeling a bit jarring - but I have got used to these moments now and the contrast between the death metal-adjacent verses and the more traditional heavy metal of the chorus is a winner. The hooks are huge, then, and the contrast in guitar soloing between Concepcion's shredding and Amott's more refined leads helps the last moments of the song tick. Illuminate the Path slows things down somewhat and goes for a much more crunching and mid-paced approach. Erlandsson still tends to lay into his double bass drums, but the riffing is generally much more creeping - and there is plenty of room for melodic guitar leads throughout. Arch Enemy have excelled at these mid-paced tracks for a number of years - with Michael Schenker-esque melodic leads clashing nicely with the darker guitar rhythms and drum grooves beneath them. White-Gluz is full of character during these creeping verses - but she really lets rip during a power metal-esque chorus which sees the band continue their experiments with clean vocals. These moments often feel jarring at first, but they bed in over repeated listens - and this chorus is hooky thanks to White-Gluz's soaring delivery, and there are still some growls in the background to add a heavy depth. One of Amott's most melodic and hooky solos is included later on, his old-school hard rock tendencies shining through, which builds nicely on the chorus melodies. March of the Miscreants feels more typical due to the lack of clean vocals, but structure-wise it is not dissimilar to the previous song. It is another mid-paced track, with another very anthemic chorus, but elsewhere the riffing feels a little different - with a mechanical drum groove during the verses which allows Sharlee D'Angelo's bass to actually cut through. The bass and drums play against the guitars to create a different sound, which White-Gluz growls over - before she returns to that more semi-shouted approach she often uses for choruses, to allow the melodies to really sink in. Aided by some snappy gang vocal shouts, the chorus really sticks in the brain - whilst later on the song does speed up somewhat to allow for a thrashy mid-section before Concepcion really lets rip.

Speeding things up somewhat, A Million Suns feels like the sleeper hit on this album. I remember The Watcher being an anthemic stand-out on the last album - and A Million Suns feels like that song's equivalent here, the difference being that this album is much stronger overall. It is a song which very much sits within the band's classic core sound, and does not really do anything different, but the hooks are so strong that it does not really matter. The chorus could well be the album's best, although it is hard to say as there are many strong contenders here, but it is clearly a song which Amott wrote just to be an anthem. The riffing and arrangements are perhaps less interesting here than some of the other cuts, which does set it behind some of them, but the overall lasting impression is due to the massive chorus and the song's overall accessibility - which is later built on by an excellent solo section. Concepcion launches it with some neo-classical shredding, before Amott closes it with some trademark well-placed melodies. Don't Look Down is probably the only song here which is yet to fully grab me. It is certainly not a weak song, but it is perhaps a bit too close to the typical formula without having a real standout chorus - which puts it behind a track like A Million Suns as a result. Despite this, though, the song still feels fresher than a lot of the material on the last couple of albums. There is a strong energy throughout, with a couple of standout riffs, but there is a bit of a lack of guitar leads which is a shame - and the slower-paced chorus reminds me a bit of the vibe of My Apocalypse, which has never been a favourite of mine despite it being seen as a classic. There is nothing really wrong with it, it is just a weaker cut in what is otherwise a strong collection of songs. Following the brief acoustic-based instrumental Presage, the album's mid-paced and anthemic title track takes over - opening with a heroic guitar lead which forms the song's main hook going forward. The song is perhaps less heavy than some of the others here, with more of a strident hard rock feel to the opening riffing - whilst the verses feature a strong keyboard presence to add a dense atmosphere despite the slightly thrashier riffs which then take over. Even these thrashier verses are still pretty mid-paced, though, and the tone remains a creepy one thanks to the synths, but the song is built around its anthemic chorus - which sees a return of the opening guitar lead and some of White-Gluz's most fist-in-the-air vocal melodies on the album. Adding to the atmospheric vibes, too, there is a later creepy spoken word bridge section - and the whole thing closes out with a big Concepcion solo. Paper Tiger then ups the pace again and the snappy, riff-happy track is a real headbanger - with strong grooves throughout and some venomous White-Gluz vocals. She even unleashes something of a power metal scream early on, which helps to set the upbeat tone, but she generally just sticks to her typical growled approach - with razor-sharp vocal hooks filling each verse, whilst occasional guitar leads and shredded moments add depth. There is quite a bit going on here guitar-wise, then, with the chorus also backed by some hooky melodies - and it is another pretty anthemic chorus thanks to the song's overall energy and upbeat vibe.

Vivre Libre then changes the tone considerably - and it is easily the biggest departure from the band's core sound. The song is a cover of a Blaspheme song from 1985 - and it is essentially a clean-sung power ballad which retains the band's usual darkness whilst also going for something of an anthemic approach. I cannot say that I am familiar with the French metal band, but Arch Enemy rework their song nicely to fit in with the album's overall flow - despite it not sounding at all like anything else here. White-Gluz sings the French lyrics with a mix of a floaty atmospheric approach and a more gritty hard rock style - whilst clean guitar melodies and keyboards add depth. The rhythm section add a groove, too, and Amott later lays down one of his trademark, slow-burning, solos, but generally this song is all about White-Gluz and her vocal prowess. She has sung clean elsewhere on this album and on other albums, but this song features her clean singing in a much more prominent way - and I like what the cover brings to the album. The Pendulum returns to something more typical - but it is also a song which takes some twists and turns compared to the norm. On the surface it is a pretty standard-sounding Arch Enemy song - but there is a much more prominent role given to synths throughout. Erlandsson is responsible for the album's keyboards - and I really like the atmospherics and electronics which sit behind the song's main riff. They really help the song to stand out, despite it not shifting from the band's core sound that much, whilst a dynamic arrangement also adds a lot of life to the piece. Mid-paced sections with aching guitar leads sit nicely side-by-side with thrashier sections - and the anthemic chorus is faster than is typical for the band, and built around another memorable guitar lead. Shredded guitar solos later build on these leads - but this is a song which excels due to its arrangement and the subtle use of keyboards. It was not a song which stood out at first, but it has grown on me a lot - and it is now something of a favourite. The album then comes to a close with Liars & Thieves, another song which has been floating around online for quite a while at this point. It is generally a fast-paced and intense track, but it opens with some dual guitar leads, which are fairly slow-burning, and the song overall leans more into the band's extreme metal side and rarely lets up. There is no slowing down to allow anthemic melodies to shine through - and this is one which just lets its energy run rampant. The thrashy riffing throughout is intense, and Erlandsson really lays into this drums here, but the snappy chorus still stands out despite the intense speed. The band is full of life here - and a surprise bridge section later sees White-Gluz singing clean, although the pace does not slow down so the track never lightens as a result. Shredding solos are unsurprisingly thrown in later to keep the pace up - with even Amott upping his general soloing speed to compete with Concepcion. It is ripping end to the album, which has largely been anthemic rather than fast-paced - and it works well having the two heaviest tracks bookend the album. Overall, then, I am impressed with Blood Dyansty and it feels like a real return to form following two weaker albums. Every song here sticks in the brain somewhat - with most really excelling at the vibe they set out to create. The handful of subtle twists do enough to shake up a formula which was feeling a bit stale - and the performances throughout from all, particular White-Gluz, are excellent. I can see this album getting a lot of spins over the coming months and I am looking forward to hearing some of these songs live later in the year.

The album was released on 28th March 2025 via Century Media Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Dream Stealer.

Cradle of Filth's 'The Screaming of the Valkyries' - Album Review

It is always nice to be proved wrong about a band after holding a negative opinion about them for many years. Whilst I still would not call myself a fan, I finally got over my hatred of Slipknot in recent years after I managed to detach them from the many views I have of the late 1990s/early 2000s metal scene in general - and those who avidly followed nu-metal and other such similar genres at the time. In some ways, my recent change of heart when it comes to Cradle of Filth is similar. Like Slipknot, there have always been a couple of songs I quite liked (Her Ghost in the Fog and Nymphetamine (Fix) spring to mind - although the latter was largely down to Liv Kristine) but the band's overall image, vibe, and their fanbase has always put me off. The other thing standing between me and Cradle of Filth, too, has always been frontman Dani Filth's voice. I think that describing him as Marmite is underselling his distinct and strange vocal style - and I remember seeing the band's set for about five minutes at one of the iterations of Bloodstock Open Air and having to leave due to how grating I was finding it. Readers of this blog will know, though, that over the past year or so I have been trying to listen to, and review, more extreme metal. I pushed myself quite a bit when it came to death metal last year, despite not really reviewing anything similar yet this year, so when it was announced that Cradle of Filth would be releasing a new album I wondered if it was time to attempt to dive into the band's lengthy and dark discography. I listened to one of the new singles, then, and actually found myself quite enjoying it - so I went back to the copy of 2004's Nymphetamine I picked up many years ago and gave it another listen. Sound-wise, Cradle of Filth, upon further inspection, are not really how I imagined them. They always seem to get labelled as a black metal band - but I am not sure I have heard that much black metal in their sound as of yet. There are occasional blast beasts and fast-paced sections which have black metal vibes - but there is more death metal in the extreme end of the band's sound I think, plus plenty of traditional heavy metal, symphonic metal, and gothic metal. As such, my recent listen to Nymphetamine prompted me to pick up the band's latest album - and over the past few weeks I have been surprisingly enjoying fourteenth album The Screaming of the Valkyries. I cannot say that I have become a die-hard Cradle of Filth fan, but I have managed to get past my preconceptions and have found a lot to enjoy. Filth's voice does not even annoy me that much here, although perhaps his approach has softened over time and with age. There is an epic sound here which I like, which is reminiscent of many other bands I follow, and the overall gothic image is balanced nicely between being serious and slightly campy. Filth often has his tongue in his cheek I think, which is likely lost on some of those grubby Cradle of Filth hoodie-wearing fans I came across in the mid-2000s who really needed to have a shower, and listening to this new album has certainly opened my mind to his, and the band's, world.

I cannot compare this album to much, as I am not familiar with their catalogue outside of Nymphetamine - but from giving other reviews a quick read it seems to be in-keeping with the band's other recent releases. Two new members make their debuts in the studio with the band here, with guitarist Donny Burbage (Æther Realm) and keyboard player and supporting vocalist Zoë Marie Federoff (Insatia; Catalyst Crime) having both joined since 2021's Existence is Futile. Sam Wale (Korvus; Invasive) is credited with performing keyboards, too, though, so perhaps Federoff's contributions are limited to her excellent vocal additions - but either way both new members have made their mark on this latest opus. The track which prompted me to undertake this journey, To Live Deliciously, also opens the album - and the song is a hooky anthem which kicks things off nicely. Spooky sounds and gothic choirs set an ominous early tone, but there is not much standing on ceremony - as a thrashy guitar pattern soon kicks in, over which Filth growls a simplified version of the chorus. Thrashy is a pretty good descriptor for the song overall. Whilst the chorus is a bit more mid-paced, despite some explosive double bass drum patterns, the rest of the song is generally pretty fast-moving - with Burbage and fellow guitarist Ashok laying down amped-up 1980s thrash riffs and leads as the haunting keyboards add a lot of depth. Thrash and death metal influences merge during these faster moments, but there is still plenty of traditional heavy metal to be found. Lead guitar moments are plentiful during this track - and some of the melodic leads here are very NWOBHM-esque at times, allowing for a smoother injection during the thrashy and more abrasive riffing found elsewhere. Filth's vocals are less scratchy here than I remember - and are somewhere between a traditional harsh vocal scream and a gothic croon. I actually generally enjoy his delivery here - although it helps that the riffing and plentiful guitar melodies (including a lengthy later solo section) are there to back him. Demagoguery opens with what sounds like a harpsicord melody, a classic trope of gothic music, before a barrelling guitar riff kicks in - and the track morphs into a more dramatic mid-paced rocker. The keyboards generally provided atmosphere in the previous song, but this number features frantic keyboard melodies during the later chorus - alongside stabs of strings elsewhere. This is very much a guitar-centric album on the whole, though, and there is still plenty of strident riffing here - with mid-paced chugging and extreme metal faster sections keeping the verses interesting before the gothic chorus takes over with Filth's snarling vocals and the aforementioned synths. Later moments of the song are more melodic, with a guitar lead-heavy bridge section breaking up the heaviness well. The Trinity of Shadows is much more of a galloping piece - showcasing a strong traditional heavy metal influence. The faster sections here feel quite Iron Maiden-esque, just dialled up to 11, and there is much less of an extreme influence despite Filth's snarling vocals and some heavy riffing. There is a strong theatrical feel throughout the song - with vaudeville-esque vocal patterns from the choir during parts of the verses, whilst the keyboards tend to envelop everything with shimmering strings and gothic textures. The chorus is hooky, too, thanks to some melodic guitar patterns and a call-and-response vocal arrangement which sees Filth battling with the choir. Yet more guitar soloing is packed later in the song, with Ashok and Burbage trading leads over more Iron Maiden-esque gallops.

Non Omnis Moriar slows things down somewhat, and goes for a doomier and more overly gothic approach. Whilst the keyboards are not a stand-out feature, the many layers which are featured throughout give the song real weight - and only emphasise the slow-burning nature of the piece. Slow, plodding guitar riffs and doomy drumming characterise much of the track, with Daniel Firth's bass standing out during the verses, whilst Filth goes for a semi-whispered approach during parts of the track which suit the song's overall creepy feel. There are moments where he lets rip a bit more - and these sections tend to get heavier. Whilst the song has a strong Paradise Lost vibe throughout at times, there are some thrashier sections. As the guitar leads get a bit more prominent, the song does speed up somewhat - and there are some extreme sections which feel more abrasive, despite being tempered by the delicate vocals of Federoff. This song features her first prominent vocal contribution - and she sings the chorus part with a gothic fragility that contrasts nicely with the faster drums beneath her and Filth's snarl. Her voice is not over-used but she makes a great impact when deployed - and there are moments of this song which recall the European doom scene of the 2000s thanks to the dual vocal approach. White Hellebore speeds things up again and it is one of the songs which really stood out to me on my first listen to the album. It remains a real favourite thanks to how melodic and hooky it is - and it seems to mix a lot of classic extreme metal tropes with a dramatic heavy metal sense of melody and some great gothic vocals. The verses are a little thrashy, despite the ringing piano backing, with fast-paced guitars and Filth's throat-shredding vocals, but it is the chorus where the song really comes to life. Like the last song, Federoff and Filth trade vocals during the chorus, and Federoff's vocal hooks really stick in the brain and never leave. I love how the song slows down here to allow her voice to cut through - but she still sounds powerful and the song loses none of its toughness or atmosphere. She adds plenty of wordless vocal melodies elsewhere in the song, too, and there is a bit of a symphonic mid-section in place of a more typical guitar solo that helps the song to stand out. Upping the heaviness further, extreme metal riffing and Federoff's siren-like vocals later fuse during a chaotic climax. You Are My Nautilus is a bit more mid-paced and reined in following the drama of the previous track - with the song mixing slower, gothic moments with clean guitars and strident, mid-paced sections with more NWOBHM-esque guitar leads. The track also, at times, feels like a showcase for long-time drummer Marthus. He impresses throughout the album with this thrashy beats and extreme precision, but there are some more percussive moments here which feel a bit more progressive - as well as a mini drum solo early on. The more restrained pace allows the drumming to shine a bit more, then, but there are faster sections here, too, and later on the song does speed up with more of a thrashy feel - although everything remains fairly controlled thanks to some snappy riffing and an underpinning synth melody. A lengthy solo section follows, showing the current line-up's love for a big guitar moment.

Malignant Perfection opens with some dark and slow piano notes, and it seems as if the song is going to tread a doom path - but instead the piano soon becomes a bit more upbeat and, along with the rhythm section, forms the basis for Filth's strident vocals as something of a mid-paced verse. This song is probably the album's least heavy track - and there is a strong melodic sense throughout that makes it easy on the ears. There is a surprising smoothness throughout thanks to the pulsing bass and the hypnotic piano - whilst even the faster sections which later take over continue to be backed with piano which gives the song a strong symphonic metal feel. Filth's voice is cleaner throughout, too, with semi-spoken moments and a more gothic croon suiting the more atmospheric track nicely - whilst Federoff also adds a few lines here and there, as well as a strange spoken word section which adds to the song's overall atmospheric edge. There are short bursts of black metal blasting, but these are few and far between - with the song in general being a real moment of gothic beauty with wordless female vocals adding depth alongside the slow-burning guitar leads which occasionally kick in. Ex Sanguine Draculae continues the slower overall vibe of much of the previous song, at least early on, but there is much more crunch present this time - but just as it seems like the track is going to be a mid-paced and old-school metal anthem the riffing speeds up and things kick off for a second time. The opening lumbering riffing and initial vocal-led section is a ruse, then, with much of the song being fast-paced and thrashy - with some of the most intense riffing on the album. It is in these moments where I can somewhat see the black metal comparisons, but Cradle of Filth are too gothic and symphonic to truly ever sound 'black' - with the busy piano melodies and the crystal clear production making the piece sound massive. It might not be the hookiest of pieces, but arrangement-wise the song is interesting. It caters for all with its pace shifts and heavy overall vibe - and the number of different riffs here are sure to entertain all the guitarists out there. The album then comes to a close with When Misery Was a Stranger, which opens with some neo-classical guitar melodies - and the track is another which seems like it is going to be a mid-paced track before it takes off properly. Unlike the last song, though, there is more of a mid-paced presence throughout. The mix of fast and mid-paced sections is balanced more this time - with the thrashy riffing often giving way to more melodic sections with plentiful guitar leads and dense synths. These slower sections also see Filth reining it in somewhat, again going for that gothic croon, whilst Federoff adds her voice again to these sections - with the occasional siren-like line delivery and some gothic harmonies. Being the final track, the song certainly is filled with drama and makes a few twists and turns as it moves along - with plenty more guitar soloing as well as a fast and heavy ending section that builds on many of the extreme metal influences of before as things come to a loud crescendo. This is the first Cradle of Filth album I have properly listened to and got to know, and I have to say that I have been pleasantly surprised. There is a lot more melody here than I expected and the guitar work throughout is excellent. Filth's vocals are not as grating as I had previously found them to be, either, and I can see myself delving back into the catalogue over time to see what else I have missed.

The album was released on 21st March 2025 via Napalm Records. Below is the band's promotional video for To Live Deliciously.

Tiktaalika's 'Gods of Pangaea' - Album Review

It is always interesting when a solo project takes on a life of its own. The Swedish progressive rock giants The Flower Kings are named after a solo album from their founder Roine Stolt - and something similar also happened with the sadly-defunct British band Breathing Space. Sometimes solo projects can grow in scope, but sometimes musicians just prefer to work under another name - and I think that is more the case with Tiktaalika, the on-going solo project of Haken guitarist Charlie Griffiths. Haken are one of the current premier bands on the prog circuit. Mixing progressive rock and progressive metal influences, the band's heavy, yet atmospheric, sound has brought them plenty of success - and I properly jumped aboard their train again in 2023 with Fauna (which I reviewed here) having originally flirted with them in the early 2010s. I would not call myself a huge Haken fan, but I now have all of their albums and enjoy them quite a bit - and I understand why they are so highly regarded. I am sure that I will be a big fan in due course, but more recently I have been delving into Griffiths' solo output following a run-through of Haken's discography. Griffiths has been a part of Haken since 2008, so has contributed to all of their studio albums, but I have always had the impression that fellow guitarist Richard Henshall is the main driving force behind the band creatively. This is what the early albums' writing credits suggest in any case, although this may have changed over time, but this is perhaps why Griffiths has also undertaken a solo career in more recent years. I have no doubt that he contributes a lot to Haken's songwriting, particularly the heavier end of their sound, but his solo work has allowed him to express himself in a purer way. His first solo album, Tiktaalika, dropped in 2022 and it essentially sounded like a heavier version of Haken. I did not hear it until earlier this year, but I remember it receiving strong reviews at the time - and it was essentially Haken without the more atmospheric side. Big riffs and progressive arrangements made Tiktaalika tick, then, and I enjoyed delving into it earlier this year. The reason I decided to finally give the 2022 release a spin, though, was the news of Griffiths' second solo release - this time released under the name Tiktaalika, mirroring the progress of those aforementioned bands. Gods of Pangaea, then, is essentially Griffiths' second solo album although it is the first under the Tiktaalika branding - and it is an album that sees him move away from the sound of Haken towards a more overtly metallic approach which is both progressive and quite old-school in tone. The artwork looks like an 1980s underground thrash release - and, at times, the music contained within the album's seven songs echoes such. This is a much riffier album than even Tiktaalika, and there is very little soundscape work - with Griffiths' guitar playing dominating. The arrangements still have plenty of progressive flair, but thrash feels like the biggest influence here - and it is great seeing Griffiths cut loose as a guitarist. His Haken bandmate Conner Green handles the bass guitar here, whilst session king drummer Darby Todd (Hot Leg; Martin Barre; Devin Townsend; Jordan Rudess) returns from the previous album. Some of the singers from the previous album return, too, with Daniël de Jongh (Textures; Crown Compass), Vladimir Lalić (Abonos; Organized Chaos; Stellar Seer), and Tommy Rogers (Between the Buried and Me) all lending their talents to Griffiths again here - whilst new face Rody Walker (Protest the Hero) sings one track.

Despite the songs generally being on the relatively lengthy side, the fact that there are only seven of them keeps the album feeling relatively svelte. Gods of Pangaea is not an overblown release, then, and the songs generally feel pretty lean and heavy despite their progressive arrangements. The vocal diversity does not harm the album much, either. Sometimes I struggle a bit with a multi-singer approach as the final product can sometimes feel a bit messy - but this album does not really suffer from such. de Jongh handles the vocals on the first two songs, then, and the album kicks off nicely with Tyrannicide - a heavy track which sets the tone for what is to come. Opening with a buzzing guitar riff, which Todd soon underpins with some busy drumming, Tyrannicide is generally a pretty mid-paced thrasher with riffing that could have easily sat on a mid-period Megadeth release. Despite this essentially being the solo album of a guitarist, the songwriting here is tight. These songs are not just a vehicle for soloing - and there has been plenty of thought given over the vocal melodies and the lyrics throughout. I am not hugely familiar with de Jongh as a vocalist, but his gritty clean vocal delivery and occasional harsher screams suit the riffing nicely - with the initial verses again channelling some Megadeth vibes before a barked chorus feels heavier and slightly more anthemic. There is plenty of big guitar to be heard here, though, and the aforementioned chorus is packed with melodic leads - whilst some of the instrumental breakdowns are a little longer to allow the riffing to flesh itself out somewhat. Despite the song being mid-paced, it is packed full of energy. It keeps moving nicely, with lots of double bass flurries from Todd, whilst the more aggressive vocal sections add plenty of punch to what is already a pretty weighty track. At around four minutes in length, too, it is the shortest track here - but it segues nicely into the lengthy title track which follows, so the initial de Jongh duo sit nicely side by side. The title track essentially feels like an extension of the ideas of the previous song, although everything is expanded upon somewhat. As such, the song is another pretty mid-paced track - and, again, there are strong Megadeth vibes throughout. The slightly grungy chorus sees de Jongh singing in a cleaner manner, and there is less of his barked delivery in general here, whilst hooky and soaring guitar leads often permeate the riffing to showcase Griffiths' melodic approach. The riffing is less furious here, instead feeling more progressive overall - and the track just feels more groove-based thanks to a more deliberate pace throughout and some moments which allow Green's bass playing to shine through. There are some more slightly atmospheric moments here, too, with clean guitar melodies and gentle vocals providing some respite from the harder riffing found elsewhere - and these sections also allow Todd to showcase a more percussive drumming approach. These more mellow sections are not very Haken-esque, though, and they just slow things down to allow the next big riff or solo to hit hard - which is certainly the case here when Griffiths' mammoth shredded solo takes over from the relatively lengthy period of downtime. The second half of the song is dominated by extended guitar workouts, too, although de Jongh does interject with hooky vocal punchlines on occasion - breaking up the technical, yet melodic, guitar playing.

The next two songs are handled by Lalić vocally, and The Forbidden Zone opens with a spooky and dark-sounding clean guitar melody - which soon expands into a slow-burning, yet groovy, main riff that ups the heaviness of the previous track quite considerably. Whilst the track is not fast-paced, it is easily the heaviest thing heard on the album up to this point - and this is largely down to Lalić's vocal style. Utilising harsh vocals much more liberally than de Jongh, Lalić growls his way through the initial verse here - adding some genuine death metal vibes to the song's early moments. His growls are creeping and doomy, which nicely suit the pulsing and groovy riffing of the track as a whole - but he also showcases quite a bit of vocal diversity later in the track by sounding a little like Nick Holmes during a grittier section and then by delivering some strange clean vocals during a more melodic section. He is a better harsh vocalist than a clean singer, but his thin clean vocals still work quite well when deployed - as they work against a pretty busy guitar melody behind them to create an interesting overall sound. There is little in the way of soloing here, with the guitar diversity instead feeding the overall riffing and approach to lead playing throughout - which, given Lalić's vocal diversity, helps to create a strange and diverse song which moves from death metal to something more progressive. Mesozoic Mantras also opens with clean guitar melodies, but these are much brighter - with the doom of the previous song immediately banished to allow for a more layered and atmospheric sound. Lalić sings again, but this time he opens with his clean delivery. He showcases much more of a diverse clean delivery here, moving away from the thin sound deployed earlier to this time actually sound like a strange mix of Haken's Ross Jennings and the late Warrel Dane - which is not something I was expecting. His tone and vibrato just sounds quite Dane-esque at times - and it works well over this expansive clean guitar soundscape early on. He continues to sing clean even when a heavier riff kicks in - although the song generally retains a much more melodic approach throughout. The riffing is less pronounced this time, with the song overall much more vocal-focused. The vocal melodies and the guitars tend to work in tandem quite a bit here, in that early Black Sabbath mode, but there are times when Lalić cuts loose and diverts from the pattern to allow the vocal melodies to pop. This is clearly a more hook-focused track in that sense, then, but there is still plenty of groove generated from the guitars and the bass - alongside some excellent guitar leads from Griffiths which sit behind the vocals. Fault Lines follows, the sole track to feature Walker, returning to a much more thrash-centric approach - and the song ups the pace, too, easily being the fastest thing on the album up to this point. The track is a real tour-de-force of thrash influences, with staccato riffing and vocal patterns which recall Anthrax at their most fun - whilst some of the NWOBHM influence on the thrash scene can be heard during some more Testament-adjacent moments that up the heaviness. Griffiths' progressive background is on display throughout, though, with some cleaner moments which feature discordant clean guitars and popping bass lines shaking things up - whilst the chorus feels more typical prog metal with Walker's more emotive vocal delivery and plenty of subtle guitar textures instead of the pummelling riffing elsewhere. The song is easily the fastest piece up to this point, but that does not mean that there is not variety - and Walker's strange vocal diversity and some slightly more atmospheric parts allow for such, before a busy and high-octane guitar solo brings the song crashing back down.

Penultimate number Give Up the Ghost sees de Jongh return for one last song, and it is another pretty high-octane thrashy track which builds on the pace and energy of the previous number. It is perhaps less progressive and intricate than the previous song, though, with more of a straight ahead old-school Metallica feel - albeit with the use of harsh vocals at times. de Jongh generally focuses on clean vocals throughout but, like during the opening cut, he goes for a more anthemic barked vocal style at times - which helps to create a strong gang vocal-esque feel at times. This is very in-keeping with the album's more traditional thrash approach, as those sort of choruses were commonplace, but the more aggressive vocal style helps to ground the song in the modern day. The harsh vocal-led chorus is pretty hooky, though, and it is expanded by some groovy guitar playing from Griffiths - which expands into a clean vocal-led section which follows to lengthen the chorus and add some more hooks. The vocal melodies here are pretty infectious, which helps the relatively shorter song to stick, whilst there is a short guitar solo here which is also full of big melodies. Most of the songs here are hooky in one way or another - but this one is perhaps hookier than most. The album then comes to a close with the nine minute-plus Lost Continent - the only song here to feature Rogers. Opening with some big bass notes from Green, the track is the most expansive and progressive on the album - but the classic thrash influences are still very much present. Rogers is known for being a very diverse vocalist - and his early screams suit the fast-paced riff which sit behind them. Todd also lets rip a bit more here, really going all-out to lay down some aggressive and technical drum grooves - with Between the Buried and Me's chaotic and technical sound fused here with Griffiths' thrash influences. The song moves back and forth between these abrasive sounds and moments which are more melodic and smooth, too, with mid-paced sections featuring a mix of screams and clean vocals hitting later - alongside some strange, more robotic, sections which feature snappy riffing and metalcore-esque grooves. There is certainly more prog to be enjoyed here in terms of the song's arrangement, then, and given its length it is unsurprising that there is a lot more lead guitar featured. Lots of little solos pop in and out as the song progresses - and the fast-paced guitar melody which sits beneath Rogers' clean delivery during the main chorus is very memorable. Rogers' vocal diversity and prowess helps the song to feel varied, too, and he forms a great team with Griffiths here to bring the lengthy song to life. Despite the main chorus section, very little here repeats itself. There are always new ideas and riffs being introduced - as well as plenty of time set aside for soloing. Not every song here goes for soloing in a big way, but this one allows everyone to cut loose a bit more. The last big solo here is the album's best - and it is fitting that this lengthy track nicely pulls the album to a close. Overall, then, I have really been enjoying Gods of Pangaea. It showcases a different side of Griffiths' playing from even his first solo effort - and it really showcases what he can do in a more metallic setting outside of Haken. Haken's success will no doubt take up much of his time - but I am sure that we will hear more from him a solo artist in due course, and the Tiktaalika project certainly has legs. The mix of old-school thrash and prog works really well, and I hope that Griffiths decides to write more songs in this style going forward.

The album was released on 14th March 2025 via InsideOut Music. Below is the band's promotional video for Gods of Pangaea.