It’s a truth universally acknowledged that when Eugene Hutz of Gogol Bordello is angry, he makes his best music. See; 2022’s ‘Solidaritine’, released the same year as Hutt’s homeland of Ukraine was invaded by Russia, which saw Gogol Bordello wrestling with loss and rage. Four years later, and they’re channelling their exile status into a message of hope and self-discovery. Living well can be the best resistance, and the overwhelming sense of thriving amid adversity that blasts from ‘We Mean It, Man!’ like a punk rock strike force makes this the band’s best album in a decade.

Hutz once sang that on his headphones was Bob Marley and Joe Strummer, and it’s the latter whose spirit drives this record. It’s not the Joe who partied in the Hammersmith Palais though, but the solo artist who led his roving band of Mescaleros through prairies of diverse influences and social commentary. Gogol Bordello have drawn on so, so much from their musical heritage to make this album, passing beyond the gypsy-punk label and through to glorious self-definition. We’ve got the gorgeous Madness energy of ‘Hater Liquidator’, an organ-propelled free-wheeling machine of a track, but then we’re presented with the almost post-punk ‘Mystics’, all open synth and jagged guitars without compromising on their trademark scrappy style. Neither of these influences would have worked for the one-dimensional Gogol Bordello of fifteen years ago but now? They’re challenging their own genre labels to expand their comfort zone to include pretty much the entire world. 

Returning to their full-on riotous roots but in a fuller form is what makes ‘We Mean It, Man!’ so spectacular. The deceptively simple chorus of ‘Crayons’ bobs above waves of complex energy, and their collaboration with Puzzled Panther, ‘From Boyarka to Boyaca’ is five minutes of sheer fervour, with a title spat like a slogan across the kind of extended folk-punk rollercoaster that we haven’t heard on a studio record since their early days. On tape, Gogol Bordello never seemed to capture the fury of their live shows until now, leaving their stage presence up to our imagination. Now, they seem to have brought the spirit that erupts live with them onto their records. 

There’s a few moments of contemplation and respite, and it wouldn’t be a Gogol Bordello record without Hutz cracking out his acoustic guitar around an imaginary campfire. This time it’s ‘Boiling Point’, a track that breathes hope for the future if we use keep on fighting the good fight. Even though ‘State of Shock’ ramps up the BPM as a brass-heavy closer, it bounces into a stirring message of resistance. “Darkness is fragile, just the the light,” Hutz muses, and he’s sure of his own victory against the forces of oppression.

“We exist in a mystical realm and nobody knows how it works,” the frontman intones as the first words we hear on ‘We Mean It, Man!’, and that truly has to be the best summary of where Gogol Bordello are at in 2026. They’re in their own chaotic world that blends everything from eighties pop to Manu Chao to rabble-rousing street punk, and they’ve never sounded better.

KATE ALLVEY

[Cover artwork by Juanjo Castellano]

I dove into Nocturnal Visions – Invictus’s sophomore effort – having heard zero seconds of the Japanese death metal band’s debut, The Catacombs of Fear. In some ways, it’s an advantageous perspective. No expectations. No band-specific bias. Fresh ears.

The one thing I had read about Invictus, however, proved to be true. These guys rip. Big and thrashy death metal riffs. The no-holds-barred, knock you off your feet type riffs. The walloping kind. Listen to the title track first and you’ll know. Massive riffage.

What I like most about Nocturnal Visions is that it unapologetically knocks you on your ass. Aside from the riffs and some cool bass lines, there’s little in the way of additional atmospherics. That confident approach takes a certain combination of talent, skill, and moxie. Suffice to say, these guys have plenty of it.

Invictus finds its best footing in the more frenetic moments. And this distinction between inspired freneticism and a less inspired relative calm is perhaps clearest in “Frozen Tomb,” a song that oscillates between the two in near-equal fashion. No knock on the effectiveness of yin and yang, but Invictus simply slaps harder in the chaos. There’s a requisite degree of meanness – the point at which Invictus has cleared the threshold into some other, more callous world – and when they hit that sweet, or rather mean, spot, the gloves are off and the wallops come walloping.

Nocturnal Visions is an incredibly fun listen. And as odd as it feels to write in February, Nocturnal Visions’ highs are likely to be as high as most album-of-the-year contenders in the death metal category in 2026. You can’t help but smile when Invictus locks into primal death/thrash mode. I would love to hear more of that in the follow-up.

The post Invictus – Nocturnal Visions Review appeared first on Last Rites.

Good Day Noir Family,
Listening to Melodic Intifada and their single Numbers is an experience that signals intention.

Numbers is Melodic Intifada’s Single Out Now

 This is not a track designed to sit quietly in the background. It asks for attention, and it earns it through bold choices and a clear artistic stance.

The song opens with a piercing, high-frequency tone that recalls the sound of an old modem trying to connect to something unknown. It feels futuristic, slightly unsettling. Soon after, distorted guitars crash in, dark and abrasive, setting a raw emotional frame. The impact is direct, yet controlled. Then, just as the intensity settles, the arrangement pulls back. The verse strips itself down, allowing bass and voice to take center stage.

The vocal delivery is striking. There is a theatrical edge to the performance, almost ritualistic, as if the singer is narrating truths rather than simply singing lines. The phrasing carries weight, and the interpretation leans toward a classic approach while still sounding urgent. Because of this contrast, the track breathes. Loud moments feel heavier, and quiet moments feel more exposed.

Stylistically, Numbers carries echoes of The Velvet Underground in its willingness to embrace rough textures and repetition. There are shades of Radiohead in the way atmosphere and restraint shape the structure. Still, Melodic Intifada never loses its own identity. The band uses these references as tools, not templates.

Lyrically, the song looks outward. It reflects on the world we live in, touching on systems, pressures, and the cold logic of numbers that often define modern existence. Yet, rather than sounding preachy, the message feels observational. The track behaves like an oracle offering questions instead of answers. Because of this, the listener is invited to pause, reflect, and find personal meaning.

Production choices reinforce the mood. Every element has space, and transitions feel intentional. The bass work grounds the track, while guitars move between aggression and restraint. The song maintains tension without exhausting the listener.

Numbers stands as a strong statement from a band unafraid to challenge expectations. It is thoughtful, intense, and distinct.

Numbers is Melodic Intifada’s Single Out Now!

Intense!

Melodic Intifada is an anonymous three-piece from the City of Dreams, United States, focused on reviving strong rock melodies with direct, meaningful lyrics rooted in genuine, soul-driven artistry.

Their debut single “Numbers,” tackles political control, love, modern life, and the conflict in Israel through a powerful progression and a memorable chorus.

Find Melodic Intifada  Here:

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