Michael Monroe's 'Outerstellar' - Album Review

As much as I have enjoyed covering a lot of new metal releases so far this year, it is nice to be covering something not as heavy today - and turning my hand to something a bit more straightforward, raw, and packed full of energy. Given that I caught him live earlier this week, delivering as always in Torquay on a bill also featuring Buckcherry, it seems fitting that I am today covering the eleventh solo studio album from the Finnish punk/glam rocker Michael Monroe. Monroe, of course, is most known for being the frontman of the Finnish proto-glam metal/punk act Hanoi Rocks during their two periods of activity, always alongside guitarist and principal songwriter Andy McCoy, but since Hanoi Rocks were laid to rest in 2009, save for a one-off reunion as part of a mammoth concert celebrating Monroe's 60th birthday in 2022, Monroe has focused on himself. He released a few solo albums between the late 1980s and the early 2000s, alongside one-off albums with bands like Jerusalem Slim and Demolition 23., whilst Hanoi Rocks were not together - but I generally see his current solo career as something a bit different from that original run. Those early solo albums were more traditional solo albums, with Monroe and a number of different guests and session players running through a handful of original songs and quite a few covers on each release. Only 1989's Not Fakin' It made any kind of real dent - but since re-launching his solo career in 2010 with the raw live album Another Night in the Sun: Live in Helsinki, Monroe's solo career has remained consistent and relatively high profile. This consistency has largely been down to Monroe keeping essentially the same band together since that 2010 live album. He has often said that this current venture is more of a band effort than a true solo career in any case - and that has been borne out by the overall quality of the band's efforts over the past 15 or so years. Guitarist Steve Conte, bassist Sami Yaffa, who goes back with Monroe many, many years, and drummer Karl Rockfist have played on all of the current era Monroe solo albums - whilst guitarist Rich Jones has been around since 2014, and has played on all but the first two studio releases and the aforementioned live album of the current era. In terms of songwriting, too, the albums are very much band efforts. Monroe writes songs, but he seems largely content to let the others write - with Jones the biggest contributor in terms of writing in recently. Both Conte and Yaffa have written quite a bit over the years, though, with Rockfist getting a few credits, too. This approach continues on Outerstellar, Monroe's aforementioned eleventh solo album - and the sixth of the current era. It is the band's first effort for four years, since 2022's I Live Too Fast to Die Young! (which I reviewed here), and in terms of the classic Monroe sound this latest effort continues to channel it. Monroe's raw, upbeat, punky/glammed up hard rock sound is very much established at this point - and the 12 songs here contain plenty of hooks and attitude. This album does perhaps try something a little different at times, though, with a more noticeable power pop-esque vibe shining through occasionally - especially during the more mid-paced numbers. Monroe has written and performed songs of this nature before, but the sound feels a bit more prevalent here than it has done in the past. There is a smoothness to some of the songs here, then, but there is also still plenty of energy and riffing elsewhere.

This slight change of pace is welcome, as it does help Outerstellar to stand out from the crowd somewhat, but the differences are not night and day. This is very much Monroe's typical style first and foremost - with the opening handful of numbers full of all the energy that would be expected. Kicking off with lead single Rockin' Horse, the percussive drumming of Rockfist immediately sets the tone. Building around a Yaffa bassline, the fast-paced song is full of fury - with punky, funky basslines underpinning everything, whilst the shuffling guitars of Conte and Jones add choppy rhythms throughout. Occasional tortured, bluesy guitar leads are utilised throughout, but generally this is a riffy and pacy number - with sloppy guitars adding to the bass-led verses, which Monroe sings in a lower register than is typical. He returns to a more typical approach during the hooky chorus, though, which features some gang vocals to make it sound powerful - whilst a short guitar solo is thrown in towards the end. The song is over as soon as it begins - but it gets the album off to a fine start. Shinola is another pretty short number, but it feels a bit more mid-paced overall - with a somewhat anthemic guitar riff leading the charge this time instead of the bass. Songs like this are very typical of Monroe's recent solo career. The riffing is hooky and full of energy, despite the pace not being all that frantic, whilst Monroe's scratchy vocals are full of his usual character. The verses snap along thanks to his punky, raw delivery - whilst the chorus later feels bigger thanks to some smoother vocal melodies and a handful of shout-along moments with more gang vocals. The song came across well live earlier in the week, and I can see the punchy chorus and rock 'n' roll-esque guitar leads ensuring that the piece becomes a bit of a live staple going forward. Black Cadillac is another mid-paced track, but it is much more classic rock-inspired - with less of a punk feel overall. Again, the song is driven by a simple, but massive, guitar riff - and the verses are built around it. The arrangement here pulls that classic trick of the instrumentation largely dropping away whilst Monroe sings each verse lyric - before the band really crash back in to lay down the riff between each one. There is a bit of a stop-start feel throughout, then, but this approach always works well for me - and Monroe's voice has enough character to be able to carry a melody with a limited backing. The chorus is somewhat smoother, and it is the first instance on the album where that power pop vibe can be heard somewhat. There is less grit during the chorus, then, but it works well despite feeling a little different. Given that the song is a little longer than those that came before it, too, there is a bit more time for lead guitar moments - with a lengthier solo coming part-way through. When the Apocalypse Comes channels that smoother vibe a little more, too, with the speed remaining mid-paced - whilst the song opens up with a Beatles-esque guitar melody. There is much less grit here overall, and Monroe sings in a much smoother and more overtly melodic way than usual. He pulls off the style quite well, whilst clean guitar melodies and rim-shot drumming fills the void behind him - with the song building towards a simple chorus which sees subtle vocal harmonies and some bluesy guitar leads sitting over the chiming and melodic main guitar melodies. It is a very enjoyable song as a result - and the easy-on-the-ear melodies make the track a bit of a standout.

Painless returns to something a bit more hard rocking - although it does not really up the pace. The song opens slowly, with some atmospheric guitar melodies - but once the song's main riff kicks in things feel quite a bit tougher. That is not to say that this is a heavy song, though, as there are plenty of 1960s-esque melodies throughout. There is a slight psychedelic feel throughout, then, with some slow-burning guitar leads and a slight sparkle to some of the cleaner melodies - which are grounded by a tight groove from the rhythm section. Monroe again utilises his somewhat smoother vocal delivery here, whilst flowery vocal harmonies are used during certain parts of the song to enhance that 1960s vibe. The song is very retro-sounding, then, and it is quite different to much of Monroe's typical output - despite there still being something of a harder rock groove thanks to the rhythm section and plenty of expressive vocals. After some more mid-paced numbers, the band get back to fast-paced punk on Newtro Bombs - an up-tempo and hard rocking number that channels all of Monroe's usual energy during its short runtime and explosive riffing. The main guitar riffs are snappy and full of hooks, whilst the verses move along at an almost thrash-like speed. There are some metallic overtones to the piece, then, but the guitar tones keep the song grounded in rock and punk realms - whilst the chorus is very much a punk anthem, despite the pace slowing somewhat, due to some massive gang vocals and a snotty attitude. Despite the song very much being typical of the core Monroe sound, there is something of a brief change of pace part-way through due to a reggae-esquse breakdown - with some off-beat guitar stabs and a slower pace before the band really explode again. Disconnected is not as fast as the previous song, but it still feels pretty energetic throughout - with the song building from a simple guitar chug and vocal pattern to something much more expansive and hard rocking. The punk pace is reined in a bit somewhat, with Yaffa's bass playing instead often dominating. There are some very bass-led moments - with the verses generally filled with Yaffa's playing whilst the guitars add colour. Despite this approach there is still quite a bit of energy during the verses - but the chorus is where the power of the song really explodes, with Monroe delivering some more chant-along lyrics whilst injecting some pop hooks intro the arrangement. It is another song which went over well live earlier in the week. Precious is somewhat similar overall - with the song being a pretty bass-led, mid-paced, energetic rocker. That good mix of a punk attitude and a glam rock edge which has been Monroe's standard approach since day one is very much on display throughout this spiky number. Leaving some of the smoother vocal approaches behind, this song very much sees Monroe singing in his usual, grittier manner - whilst the cinematic, slightly Wildhearts-esque chorus sees glorious hooks and plenty more gang vocals. Monroe also takes the opportunity here to showcase his instrumental prowess, delivering a lengthy, fast-paced, and bluesy harmonica solo in place of a typical guitar solo. This gives the song a different overall vibe as a result - but the hooky chorus and the overall stomp of the track make it another standout.

Pushin' Me Back is similar again somewhat, but the arrangement feels a bit smoother overall - with less of a punk vibe this time. The early guitar riffing is quite hard rocking, but the guitars generally are quite melodic and smooth at times - whilst Yaffa once again really dominates the verses. He is an underrated and busy bass player, and there is a lot going on throughout the song's verses as a result - whilst Rockfist lays down a percussive beat and the guitars only chime in occasionally. Like a few of the other songs here, then, this is one that builds towards its chorus. The chorus is harder rocking than rest of the song, echoing the intro somewhat, with spiker vocal melodies and more gang vocals. It is a chorus that sticks in the brain, then, with the attitude of the song really shining through - whilst a bluesy guitar solo later adds some additional melody. Glitter & Dust slows things down and goes for a more acoustic-based arrangement overall - with a bright drum beat laying down a pattern over which melodic acoustic guitar chords are laid. Despite the sparse arrangement at times, the song does not really feel like a true ballad. The drums during the verses feel too upbeat for that - whilst Monroe's expressive vocals and some subtle strings keep things from feeling sombre. The rest of the band crash in for the chorus, too, and the vibe again does not feel all that ballad-esque. The acoustic guitars continue throughout, but the harder rocking chorus gives the song a real kick - and there is a powerful, emotive guitar solo later on that builds on some of the song's main melodies and its core vibe. Rode to Ruin gets back to the album's core mid-paced sound, building up again following the sparser previous number to something guitar-driven and filled with attitude. The main lead guitar melody here and the slight folk/punk groove from the rest of the band bring The Gaslight Anthem to mind at times - but there is a much rawer approach taken here thanks to Monroe's typical vocal approach, as well as the use of gang vocals and a snarl during the chorus. The song is perhaps not as potent as some of the others here thanks to the overtly melodic guitar approach, but there is enough of the band's core sound here to make the song work well - and the chorus is another that any rock fan is sure to enjoy. The album then comes to a close with the fairly lengthy One More Sunrise - a seven-plus minute track which does some different things. Monroe's songs are generally short, so having something longer here is a surprise - but it is another with strong power pop vibes. Early on Monroe sings against a melodic guitar and accordion backing - but soon the song starts to move at a laid back, poppy pace with shuffling drumming and chiming, summery guitars. Monroe's smoother vocals are utilised again here, which sound especially good during the light and sing-a-long chorus - which is full of those power pop melodies. Laid back guitar soloing comes in later, before Monroe lets rip on his saxophone - during a slightly jazzy, slower instrumental section. There are a few instrumental sections here, which is welcome, with some busier guitar solos coming later on. This ensures that the song does not outstay its welcome, and the chorus which keeps coming back around always feels fresh. It is a song that has certainly grown on me since first listening to the album - and this longer form writing from the band has worked here. Overall, then, Outerstellar is another strong album from Monroe and his band - and is likely my favourite of his for a while. The subtle variety is welcome and there is still plenty of that punk goodness that makes him tick. He showed no signs of slowing down earlier in the week, and with albums like this still being made there is hopefully plenty more to come from Monroe over the years.

The album was released on 20th February 2026 via Silver Lining Music. Below is the band's promotional video for Rockin' Horse.