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Having already proven himself as a master of the three-chord, punk-influenced brand of power pop with The Number Ones, Lumsden swings to the other end of the spectrum with Music City: more genteel & sophisticated guitar pop that marries ’70s AM radio sounds to early ’90s left of the dial vibes. The casual listener will hear echoes of Big Star and Teenage Fanclub, but Lumsden’s influences on this record go all the way from the early days of rock ‘n’ roll through classic pop-rock to contemporary indie/alternative stuff. He has taken all this music he has loved in his life and crafted a sound that’s uniquely and distinctly his. His melodies are majestic, and his lyrics have a way of telling a story without deliberately being conceptual. He describes Welcome To Music City as an album about “the peaks and troughs of just trying to get by, in love, against the outside forces, or the ones inside your own head.” That’s powerful, relatable stuff. As much as I love The Number Ones, I’m delighted to hear Lumsden make a record that doesn’t have to conform to the limitations of genre. He has a beautiful, soulful voice, and he has brought us a pop record that’s far more about finesse than power. 

This isn’t to say that Welcome To Music City is a mellow ride all the way through. “Common Sense” is a full-blown rocker with an absolutely giant hook. If you made a playlist of classic power pop songs from the ’70s, “When the Day Goes By” would fit right in. “Pretty Feelings” could almost be an early ’80s radio hit. But the beauty of this record is that Lumsden is serving no masters beyond his own artistic inspiration. He can hit you with magnificent pure pop songs like “It’s Alright” and a “A Matter of Time,” but he can also produce a gorgeous ballad like “Photograph” or a ’70s soft rock throwback like “Something’s On Your Mind” that you’ll like every bit as much. It can take a long time for a songwriter to reach the point where the detours from their typical style are something you look forward to as opposed to something you tolerate. But Lumsden has fully arrived in that place. There are no “must-skip” tracks on Welcome To Music City. Every song is there to be experienced and savored. 

With some help from some remarkable musicians (such as Evan Walsh, Daniel Fox, Fiachra Mac Oireachtai, Ailbhe Nic Oireachtaigh, Niall Murphy, and Cian Nugent) and some special guest stars (Sheer Mag’s Tina Halladay and Hart Seeley), Conor Lumsden has finally brought into the world the songs that he’s been dreaming up and writing for years. At a time when people wrongly dismiss new music as nothing more than more “content” vying for our time and attention, Welcome To Music City is a reminder why music exists. This a man’s soul captured on tape and preserved for an eternity so that others’ souls can be enriched. These are beautiful and masterfully crafted songs that breathe new life into the world of pop music and the world in general. What could be better?

Website [Release date 23.04.26] Honey and The Bear is a duo consisting of husband and wife Jon and Lucy Hart. Jon plays guitar and electric guitar with Lucy as the main vocalist, and they both play double bass and bouzouki. … Continue reading →

The post Album review: HONEY AND THE BEAR – Wish & A Tide appeared first on Get Ready to ROCK!.

It’s me again! This will ideally be posted on a much tighter schedule following Part 1, which is just as well, because we’ve gathered some truly wonderful gems for you guys in this one.

Something that just occurred to me about what makes EP’s so lovely is their lower sense of commitment. My executive dysfunction is assuredly apparent thanks to the lateness of these posts, which I addressed in Part 1, and that can affect my listening habits as well. Albums are long, and I want to turn on my brain to give them the active listen they deserve, and as such it can feel almost embarrassingly intimidating to try and listen to the endless deluge of new albums. EP’s, on the other hand, are at just the right length that I never feel any irrational stress about digging into them; they’re always just right. So, if you’re anything like me and you struggle to find the correct time to listen to long albums where the weather is just right and you’re not too hungry and the stars align into the shape of my huge beard, then take after me and revel in the miraculous accessibility of EP’s, Splits, and Singles.

My apologies to the writers who had to wait so long for these to be published, and allow me to briefly puppet the Dolphin Whisperer-shaped homunculus I made for an occasion such as this: “Hello, thank you for enjoying our selection of EP’s. Let us know which is your favorite in the comments. My thanks to Mystikus for letting me know I can rely on him, and for making me realize how much I love Subsignal. I will be giving everybody who reads this one thousand dollars.” Ah, that lovable scamp. Enjoy! – Mystikus Hugebeard

Panopticon // The Poppies Bloom For No King – Comprising two expectedly epic-length songs: the title track, and a 2022 re-recording of “…Speaking…” (from the 2008 self-titled album), this is a capsule of Panopticon perfection. “The Poppies Bloom For No King” is almost indescribably intense and gorgeous, with waltzing, trembling strings swelling with the tides of crashing percussion and ardent cries, featuring a poetic, heartfelt speech written and performed by a Persian-American friend of Austin Lunn. Riding on the wave of heartbreak and quiet hope, the ethereal tremolos that open “…Speaking…” take you under a flood of atmosphere, and carry you through the endless emotional peak of devastated melody and grieved screams. “…Speaking…” has been my favourite Panopticon song from the first time I heard it, and the new recording only increases its transcendental emotional weight; “The Poppies Bloom For No King” strikes me with a similar instant indescribable connection—similarly crippling in every facet, whilst lifting my soul out of my body as I dissociate due to its supernatural brilliance. The songs are also linked conceptually as protests on behalf of the oppressed, but “a call to compassion,” with “…Speaking…” lamenting our careless exploitation of non-human animals, and “The Poppies…” the difficulties facing undocumented immigrants in the US. Lunn is even donating 75% of the profits to give legal defense to families deported by ICE.¹ There’s plucking heartstrings, and then there’s Panopticon, carefully unthreading and pulling them out one by one until I’m a bleeding mess, crying my eyes out. At this rate, I’m going to have no tears left, but I’m always happy to give them to Panopticon. – Thus Spoke

Sindre Nedland // Embers – Almost exactly one year ago, I proclaimed In Vain’s Solemn my Record o’ the Year for 2024. A huge reason for this decision was Sindre Nedland’s stellar vocal performance, and I was crushed to learn shortly thereafter that he passed away after a battle with cancer. To my bittersweet surprise, he had been working on a solo EP, Embers, in his final months, which was recently released posthumously. The melancholic rock is fittingly composed to accentuate Sindre’s voice. As ever, he exhibits excellent vocal range and authentic emotion. His timbre is so rich that it almost sounds like he’s harmonizing with himself at times (“Hold the Night”). The piano is utilized to convey feeling in a way words cannot, like the slick, upbeat tune of “My Melancholy Muse” (which contrasts poignantly with the grim lyrics about fighting cancer) or the gorgeous swan song of final track “And I.” While the music alone is absolutely worth a purchase, I should note that all sales proceeds go to Sindre’s children, which is a very noble cause.² – Killjoy

Unto Others // I Believe in Halloween II – October is far behind us and even further in front, but anyone who’s not a complete jerk knows that Halloween is a state of mind anyway. Gothic hard rockers Unto Others get this, and it shows on the second entry of their I Believe in Halloween EP series. I Believe in Halloween II’s three original tracks cover classic horror topics perfectly suited for Halloween: robo assimilation in the groovy, boppy “Robots,” alien invasion in the vocally-layered and sneakily earwormy “They Came from Space,” and running over little kids with your car on the crossover thrash-inspired “What I Did…”³ The closing punk cover duo of Misfits’ “Halloween” and Ramones’ “Pet Semetary”⁴ were already Halloween staples in their own rights, and Unto Others capture the originals’ attitudes and ghoulish fun with aplomb. Very campy, uncommonly catchy, I Believe in Halloween II is at once pitch-black-humored and exceptionally easy listening in the way only Unto Others know how to be. Damn the calendar, believe in Halloween, now! – Andy-War-Hall

Behölder // Tower of the Broken God – From the first booming thud of Andrew Julkowski’s drums, I knew Philly’s epic doom dungeon-crawlers Behölder had a true barn-burner of a single in store for us with Tower of the Broken God. Breaking from Dungeons & Dragons, singer John Yelland (Judicator) and guitarist Carlos Alvarez take on Robert Howard in their lyrical depiction of the classic Conan tale “The Tower of the Elephant.”⁵ Everything about this single is huge, from the aforementioned monstrous tom grooves to the absolute wall of backing vocals to the guitar riffs and leads, both exotic and beefy. Guided by Yellands’ ever-charismatic voice, Behölder navigates dynamic musical turns that match its narrative ones perfectly, making this the best metal adaptation of Conan the Barbarian since last year’s Nemedian Chronicles. Paired with a solid cover of Savatage’s “The Dungeons Are Calling,” Tower of the Broken God is a heftier morsel of metal goodness than its runtime would suggest. An epic to Behöld. – Andy-War-Hall

Pythia // V, Pt. 1: Unhallowed – This past May, Pythia released their first-ever EP in their 18-year history, six years after their last LP dropped. That record, The Solace of Ancient Earth, at first earned a glowing review from the Spongy One, but he later showed contrition with a stark downward score revision. I offer no opinion on whether this was the correct move, as V, Pt. 1: Unhallowed is my first experience with the band, and it has proven a solid introduction. Pythia doesn’t play the campy power metal of Angus McSix nor the cheerful variety of Fellowship. This is a well-executed power metal of the semi-serious, semi-dark variety, featuring plenty of galloping riffs and mid-tempo drum beats. The smattering of piano keys, such as those heard on “Unhallowed” and “A Curse in the Blood,” give off a fantastical feel that falls just short of whimsy. Sophie Dorman’s voice provides the melody, and while she’s not a technically great vocalist, her sound fits in perfectly with what Pythia does. V, Pt. 1: Unhallowed is a narrative-driven record, but it does allow for occasional power metal flourishes such as spontaneous, if short-lived, solos (“Bright Flames,” “A Curse in the Blood”), and its overall darker tone breaks out into the light on the energetically catchy “Muses of the Night.” This record ended up being a nice surprise that got better with each spin, so I don’t see any contrition in my future. – ClarkKent

Old Nick // The “Where Poison Apples Grow” EP — As the chipmunk voice announces at the start of this EP that “This is where poison apples grow,” Old Nick introduces the whimsy of their latest, a collection of songs that appear to take inspiration from dark fairy tales. The “Where Poison Apples Grow” EP plays a highly energetic style of Old Nick’s signature raw black/synthy metal. Yes, the guitars sound muffled and odd, but the drums, synths, and various other instruments have a punch to them that’ll get your head bobbing and your mouth grinning. Opener “Where Poison Apples Grow” and closer “Tears of a Crying Wolf” take a more synth-forward approach. Both songs feature incredibly infectious synth beats, and “Tears of a Crying Wolf” in particular takes on a more poppy note that, coupled with a howling wolf, took me back to my days spinning Shakira’s She-Wolf. The guitars largely lay a rhythm as the synths play some catchy tunes. Meanwhile, “The Hat Man” and “Apple Dolls of the Lonely Witch” are more riff-forward—and what killer riffs they are. “Apple Dolls” in particular has a standout black ‘n roll riff backed with blast beats and laser-like synths. There’s a bit of catchy folk thrown in the mix as well, with a variety of instruments ranging from the xylophone in “The Hat Man” to the accordion in “Apple Dolls.” This eclectic set of tunes showcase Old Nick at their best and most fun. – ClarkKent

Olde Bard // Sons of the Swamp — Forgoing the synths used by fellow Grime Stone Records colleagues, Olde Bard goes for the jugular with some straight-up, riff-heavy black ‘n roll. They announce their intent immediately on the frenzied riff salad of “We,” which could almost fit in with Fell Omen’s latest record. Yet Olde Bard proves to be no one-trick pony, as they infuse this swampy album with plenty of atmosphere. The remaining songs capture a more stoner and grunge vibe reminiscent of a much rawer Kyuss. While Johnny Ugly’s guitars often dominate, Ghandi’s bass takes charge on “Unwrapping Mummies” and “(Endless) Swamp Cemetery.” This makes for a shockingly groovy experience, but it also helps ground all that reverb from Ugly’s guitars. Hearing how good these instruments sound, including Jonathan’s often galloping blast beats and clacking cymbal taps, makes you wonder how this could be classified as raw. Well, Ugly answers that with some fuzzy, lo-fi, echoing vocals that sound like they’re coming from deep within a tunnel. At times, Olde Bard’s mix sounds incongruous—the leap from black ‘n roll to the haze of stoner rock to the funk of psychedelia—but they play with such confidence and non-stop kinetic energy that it just works. Don’t be afraid—go ahead and jump in the swamp! – ClarkKent

Sallow Moth // Blue Permutations & Deformity in Ceremony

Sallow Moth? Again? Damn right. Mere months after dropping one of my favorite albums of the year, Garry Brents has the audacity to spoil us with a dual drop of EPs described as ‘Mossbane Lantern side quests.’ Rather than just expanding Mossbane’s storytelling by another fifty-four minutes, Blue Permutations and Deformity in Ceremony wander into new sonic terrain without ever losing the idiosyncratic edge that makes Sallow Moth so eccentrically essential. Deformity in Ceremony dives further into brutality (à la Cryptopsy or Aborted) and welds it with the likes of Dead Can Dance’s folksy darkwave, though the style shifts don’t vacillate at the madcap velocities heard on Mossbane Lantern. Blue Permutations, meanwhile, takes the jarring complexity of Akercocke and the progressive dynamism of Edge of Sanity, then marries them with the jazzy electronica of Squarepusher and the psychedelic haze of Tortoise. It would be easy to assume that Sallow Moth carelessly grabs genres and patches them together into a mottled hodgepodge, yet that is a disservice to the intricate fabric being stitched. Once again, Brents entices with his sleight of hand as seemingly unconnected puzzle pieces join together in a show of coherent, oddball derring-do. Twice! – Grin Reaper

Crypt Sermon // Saturnian Appendices – Remember the best doom album last year? Apparently, there’s no rest for the wicked, as Crypt Sermon is keeping their newfound momentum going right away. Saturnian Appendices offers four new songs that were cruelly and unusually snubbed during the sessions of The Stygian Rose. Though a bundle of B-sides isn’t always the strongest sell, great bands edit enough to leave some top tier material on the cutting room floor, and you need look no further than the first two tracks for evidence. Not only does “Only Ash and Dust” prove the existence of the mythical beast known as ‘fast doom,’ it’s a crushingly heavy and dramatic tune that rivals the strongest tracks of the year. The second half isn’t as mind-blowing but does feature some ambitious layering, and the band even goes on a fool’s errand trying to make a Mayhem song sound good. And it is a significant improvement! Regardless, the riffs and vocals are gargantuan as usual, and the strength of the first two tracks alone makes this a force to be reckoned with. I hope this signals another magnum opus full-length coming up in the future. – Baguette of Bodom

The post EP/Split/Single Roundup of 2025, Part 2 appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

It’s official.. GWAR has hit the road on their GOR GOR STRIKES BACK! Tour and ya’ll aint ready. There are shows, and then there are full on blood baths. If you’re a fan of GWAR, you know the number one rule: one must wear a plain white t-shirt in hopes of leaving the show drenched and covered in blood looking like you just survived a massacre.

Needless to say, GWAR absolutely shook everyone to the core.. but it couldn’t have been done without openers King Parrot, hailing from Australia, and Soulfly all the way from Phoenix, Arizona. Easily one of the most incredible shows I’ve ever been to and documented.

I had yet to catch King Parrot live before this, but after hearing nothing but praise my expectations were high and they absolutely delivered. As someone raised on heavier metal and grindcore, their set hit hard and filthy. A perfect appetizer, leaving us hungry for the carnage coming up next.

Unfortunately, there was no media allowed during Soulfly’s set at the band’s request. Honestly though? I wasn’t mad about it.. it almost made the experience hit harder, bringing us back to times where we were forced to live in the moment with no cameras. It was definitely one of those moments where you had to be there.

If you have struggle with sensory overload, a GWAR show on a Thursday night might not be on the top priority list. From insanely elaborate costumes, their own constructed characters called the Scumdogs from Scumdogs of the Universe, to their signature blend of red liquids, I was in awe the entire time. Fluids flew (as expected), the crowd pushed to the front in their soon to be blood soaked white t-shirts, mockery directed towards today’s political climate was had. Including: chopping off Kristi Noem’s boobs, slicing open Trump’s stomach, and decapitating Bill Clinton (in that order).

Those who aren’t in the loop would refer to them as “shock-rock”, or maybe just a lousy metal band begging for attention, but honestly? GWAR doesn’t just put on a regular old concert; it’s an entire artistic production.

Here’s some deep lore and context:
“The story of GWAR is carved across the history of this barren and hopeless planet, but GWAR themselves are not of this world… their story begins in the deepest reaches of outer space. Long ago, the beings who would become the rock band GWAR were part of an elite fighting force, the Scumdogs of the Universe. For eons, they served as thralls to a supreme being known only as the Master. But one by one, each future member of the band earned a glaring reputation for being an intergalactic fuck-up. And so, they were banished, sent away on a fool’s errand to conquer an insignificant shitball floating in a dark corner of the universe; the planet Earth. Once here, GWAR shaped the face of the globe, destroying and rebuilding the natural world, and giving rise to all of human history. Aliens to some, gods and demons to others, our erstwhile Scumdogs fucked apes to create the human race, and this fateful unplanned pregnancy would prove to be truly disastrous!”

If there’s one thing to know, it’s that GWAR’s fanbase falls nothing short of diehards no matter how young or how old. From longtime devotees in battle blood worn shirts (circa Oderus Urungus era, may he Rest in Peace!), to first-timers bracing for their first baptism in blood. There’s a shared understanding when you walk into a GWAR show that you’re not just watching, but you’re fully participating.

Check out more photos on Instagram!

Sunn O))): Sunn O))) Sub Pop Records LP | CD | DL Buy Now Album Of The Week!   Drone Metal titans Sunn O))) release their tenth studio LP on Sub Pop. Stripped back to the duo of Greg Anderson and Stephen O’Malley and backed up by a tour of the States and Europe, 2026 […]

The post Sunn O))): Sunn O))) – Album Review appeared first on Louder Than War.

Sunn O))): Sunn O))) Sub Pop Records LP | CD | DL Buy Now Album Of The Week!   Drone Metal titans Sunn O))) release their tenth studio LP on Sub Pop. Stripped back to the duo of Greg Anderson and Stephen O’Malley and backed up by a tour of the States and Europe, 2026 […]

The post Sunn O))): Sunn O))) – Album Review appeared first on Louder Than War.

With JetBoy in the ‘80s and from 2009 through today, Billy Rowe brought swagger and hard-edged style to his personal brand of rock music. Since 2020, he’s done the same with Buckcherry, while managing his guitar company, Rock N Roll Relics. All that is to say that with a cache of great music under his belt, plenty of live shows, and a stable of gnarly guitars to build, life is good for Billy Rowe. As for how he’d like to be remembered, he tells ClassicRockHistory.com, “Hmm, that’s a big question? I’d say that I was a straightforward guitar player who

The post An Interview With Billy Rowe Of JetBoy & Buckcherry appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.