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After spending years on the road with artists such as Booker T. Jones, Kim Wilson and The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Troy Mercy finally steps into the spotlight with Let The Night Begin. Rather than treating his solo debut as an opportunity to reinvent himself, Mercy draws heavily from the music that shaped his career. The result is a record rooted in electric blues, garage rock and vintage hard rock, performed with the confidence of someone who has already spent years honing his craft on stages around the world.

Although this is Mercy’s first album under his own name, he is hardly a newcomer. Beyond his years touring with Booker T. and The Fabulous Thunderbirds, he has backed blues heavyweights including Hubert Sumlin, Billy Boy Arnold, Pinetop Perkins and Louisiana Red, while also contributing guitar work to Grammy-nominated recordings with Kim Wilson. That experience is evident throughout the record, particularly in the assured songwriting and the effortless chemistry between the musicians.

Musically, Let The Night Begin is a blues rock record with touches of garage and indie rock, wrapped in a distinctly retro aesthetic. The influence of The Black Keys and The White Stripes is unmistakable, but there are also flashes of the likes of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Rory Gallagher whenever Mercy decides to lean harder into classic rock territory. The production remains intentionally stripped down, allowing crisp, fuzzy riffs, swaggering vocals, and blazing lead guitar work to dominate the mix. Beneath it all, the rhythm section keeps things simple but undeniably effective, providing a solid groove while Mercy handles most of the fireworks.

“Cheap Machine” opens proceedings with a solid mid-paced blues rocker built around a satisfying riff. It is a good introduction without immediately revealing the album’s strongest material. Some of that comes afterward with “Compromised Blues (A Spy Goodbye),” a nasty, hard-hitting blues rocker driven by an incredibly catchy riff and elevated further by an excellent solo section. “Silver Bird” takes a sharp left turn into pre-war blues territory, relying on expressive harmonica passages instead of distorted guitars to deliver one of the album’s more unusual moments. “Love is a Hurt” follows with a slower blues rock approach reminiscent of Free and Cream, while the title track delivers a warm, Zeppelin-flavored groove that quietly gets the job done.

The album reaches its highest point with “Traveling Light,” an outstanding riff-driven rocker featuring dynamic drumming, swaggering vocals, and some of Mercy’s most exhilarating lead guitar work. “Trembling Shadow” revisits traditional front-porch blues before “Who’s Laughing Now” closes the record with slow, heavy riffs that flirt with psychedelia and proto-metal, recalling Black Sabbath and heavier-era Led Zeppelin.

Overall, Let The Night Begin is a confident and promising solo debut that blends vintage influences with enough punch and conviction to sound relevant in the present. Fans of raw, guitar-driven blues rock should find plenty to enjoy here, and if this record is any indication, Troy Mercy’s solo career is certainly one worth keeping an eye on.

The Review: 8/10

Can’t Miss Tracks

– Compromised Blues (A Spy Goodbye)
– Silver Bird
– Love Is A Hurt
– Trembling Shadow
– Who’s Laughing Now
– Traveling Light

The Big Hit

– Traveling Light

The post Troy Mercy: Let The Night Begin Review appeared first on Blues Rock Review.

Metallica‘s massive M72 World Tour is finally coming to a close. Three years and 99 shows (100, if we count last year’s Back To The Beginning appearance) since they first set out, metal’s biggest band are retiring the two-night, no repeat format. For now, at least. It’s not the last Metallica gig of the year – they’ve got a residency at The Sphere in Las Vegas starting in October – but there’s a sense of accomplishment as they gear up for one last triumphant blowout at London Stadium.

If the venue will play ball, anyway. Built for the 2012 Olympics, London Stadium has hosted more than a few massive gigs, including the first UK appearance from the reunited core Guns N’ Roses in 2017 and Iron Maiden’s biggest UK gig to date last summer. It also has some of the most reliably awful acoustics in the UK.

Acting like a massive echo chamber, you’ll probably hear as much of AVATAR walking around the outside of the stadium as actually sitting in it. The theatrical Swedes aren’t daunted in the least, however and even if some of the melodic nuances of songs like The Dirt I’m Buried In are lost to the PA, the tunes are so massive and infectiously fun that they triumph nonetheless. For all his usual swagger, vocalist Johannes Eckerström seems genuinely emotional about being on the road with Metallica, adding a “d’aw shucks” warmth to their set.

PANTERA struggle most with sound issues. A little under four years since Phil Anselmo and Rex Brown tagged in Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante to resurrect the brand, the ‘reunion’ is still a big draw and London Stadium starts really filling up for their set. But Anselmo admits he’s having in-ear issues, and his vocals are desperately low in the mix at times, the likes of Fucking Hostile lost in a cacophony that would be unrecognisable if not for just how iconic the tunes are. An added Fairies Wear Boots tribute to Ozzy is a nice touch, but it’s an uphill battle.

Even the UK’s worst venue can’t derail metal’s biggest band. METALLICA already had a triumphant first outing on Friday, but it was obvious they were holding back some of their biggest hits for the closing night. But this isn’t just some perfunctory greatest hits set, either. Thundering out to Whiplash, there’s a moment where it looks like Metallica might be doing a chronological run of their songs as they did at their 40th anniversary celebration with For Whom The Bell Tolls and Ride The Lightning following in quick succession.

They break the run with ReLoad-era tune The Memory Remains, and affirm just how different they are to other stadium-straddling behemoths. The thing is, any band with a suitably big enough hit can make a stadium sing-along feel epic – it’s inherent to the sheer scale of the show. But even with something like Memory, the crowd respond with almighty “whoah-ohs”, cementing a sense of momentousness that is basically Metallica’s bread and butter.

Playing on a stage right in the centre of the stadium, Metallica are the be-all, end-all when it comes to biblical metal gigs. Who else on this planet could get away with a 10-minute instrumental like The Call of Ktulu and not prompt a mass exodus to the bars? From the thundering riffs of 72 Seasons to a pyro-enhanced Moth Into Flame, ballads The Unforgiven and The Day That Never Comes to choice covers of Sabbath’s Electric Funeral (cut with Sex Pistols’ Holidays In The Sun, and dedicated to Ozzy after last year’s BTTB celebration) and Thin Lizzy’s Whiskey In The Jar, there isn’t a song in this set that doesn’t feel absolutely colossal.

Closing on Enter Sandman – a song that could take up at least three entries on the ballot for a metal national anthem – Metallica reaffirm just how they became metal’s biggest band in the first place.

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Metallica Setlist @ London Stadium July 5 2026

1. Whiplash
2. For Whom The Bell Tolls
3. Ride The Lightning 
4. The Memory Remains
5. 72 Seasons
6. Screaming Suicide
7. Kirk And Rob Jam (Electric Funeral / Holidays In The Sun)
8. The Day That Never Comes
9. Wherever I May Roam
10. The Call Of Ktulu
11. The Unforgiven 
12. Whiskey In The Jar
13. Blackened 
14. Moth Into Flame
15. One
16. Enter Sandman 

The show also marked the end of the three-year long 'M72' world tour. Continue reading…

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This year marks a couple of anniversaries for some long-lasting acts. The boom of 1990s punk rock bands was definitely felt, and it seems we never recovered from the effects. Three of those bands played a show at the Zebulon in Los Angeles to celebrate: The Smoking Popes, Nerf Herder, and Ridel High. While each band may have been celebrating decades of playing music, one thing is for sure: age has not slowed any of these bands down.

This was my first time at the Zebulon Cafe, and it may just be my new favorite venue in Los Angeles. Living in Orange County, I don’t get out to LA as often as I would like for a show, but I would for a venue like this. Small and intimate, with a pretty good sound system and a low-lit, very chill atmosphere despite the number of aggressive bands that seem to come through. I’ve added it to the list of pros if I ever decide to move out of Orange County.

Ridel High opened the night. I got there a little after their set had started, as they were not a band I had any recollection of hearing growing up, but I wish I had. Ridel High played a lively set that included some rare songs. The band played hits like “Wynona Ryder,” but also some rarer songs like “Blue” from the Japanese-only released Happy Meals comp. Their inclusion made sense as Ridel High was labelmates with Nerf Herder on My Records. Musically, they find a nice middle ground by playing pop punk, indie, and emo. If you were stupid enough to miss them their first time around like I was, give them a chance. Lead singer Kevin Ridel was very appreciative of the love they received. They’ve got a bigger lineup which includes Sugarcult’s Marko DeSantis and Ozma guitarist Jose Galvez, which I imagine gives them a bigger sound. Here’s hoping we get some new music with this fantastic group soon.

When I spoke with Nerf Herder lead singer and guitarist Parry Gripp, we talked about how the band would be celebrating their thirty-year milestone and the subsequent tour. Despite releasing an acoustic version of their self-titled record, the band did stay plugged in. Their set was very heavy with songs from the self-titled record, playing all of it except for “I Only Eat Candy.” Opening with “Vivian” and “High Five Anxiety,” they started the set with a lot of energy and got the crowd pumped pretty fast. While Gripp takes pleasure basking in his nerd persona on stage, he exudes charm and fun. 

Nerf Herder sounded great, even stronger than when I had seen them in the past. Varying arrangements in songs had them implementing a synth on a couple of songs and sometimes without Parry playing guitar, which allowed him to go out to the crowd and sing “Nosering Girl” to a fan. Their set time was a lot longer than I expected for a middle band, and they were able to fit in a good number of fan favorites including “Mr. Spock,” “Pantera Fans in Love,” and the theme for “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

Celebrating thirty-five years of the Smoking Popes, Josh Caterer had set up two nights in California. Each night had mostly different sets spanning the entirety of the band’s career. It’s a career I wish I had followed a little better during their middle years. It’s blatantly clear that there hasn’t been a dull moment. Unfortunately, the rest of the original Popes were not able to join Josh, but the fill-in band still sounded on point. 

I was not able to attend night one, but based on the set list I found online, night two looks to have had a much stronger set. The setlist between the two nights seemed pretty evenly distributed between the records. While it looks like some of my favorite Popes’ songs were played on the first night, songs like “Rubella,” “Gotta Know Right Now,” and Josh’s pushback against the current administration, “Allegiance,” felt stronger in my opinion. He even threw in a couple of songs from their covers-only album, The Party’s Over. Josh closed the set with the first song on the band’s first EP, “Sandra,” about actress Sandra Bernhard. While it doesn’t seem like Josh plans on stopping anytime soon, it was a nice full-circle moment for his songwriting. He seemed as proud of it as he does about the band’s bigger hits.

This was, hands down, one of the best concerts I’ve been to this year, if not in a while. I hate when people chalk shows like this up to nostalgia. Nostalgia is passive; longevity is active. It was three bands coming together, playing some great sets to celebrate the passion they have after all these years and the love we have back for them. Nostalgia always feels like a money grab; this was far from that.

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Posted on July 6th 2026, 1:39pm