Chris Cornell carried Seattle in his voice long before the rest of the world understood how much music was being made in that city. Born Christopher John Boyle on July 20, 1964, in Seattle, Washington, he was raised in the same city that would later become central to his career. He began with piano and guitar lessons as a child, later turned to drums, and found early musical direction through The Beatles, Little Richard, and the rock records that became part of his private world as a young listener. Before fame, he worked as a busboy, dishwasher, fishmonger, and sous-chef
Opening with a huge song is exactly what you should expect from John Diva & The Rockets of Love, and they absolutely do not disappoint. After three killer 80’s-styled hard rock albums, Your Favorite Drug arrives as another classy melodic rocker—bigger, sharper, and somehow even more addictive than what came before.
But whilst I’ve been rocking out all week and will continue to do so until this one is released, there is a wait, as the band don’t drop the new record until October 16th. It’s a painful few months to sit on a review of what is easily one of the most anticipated melodic hard rock releases of the year. The explosive first single, ‘Bigger Than America,’ arrived with an equally explosive official video and sets the tone perfectly—big riffs, huge hooks, and that unmistakable grin-inducing summer rock energy. As the band themselves put it, everything about this song is BIG, and they’re not wrong. It’s a feel-good rock ’n’ roll anthem built for loud car stereos, highways, and rolled-down windows, with a groove that immediately grabs hold and refuses to let go.
Produced by Hannes Braun, Your Favorite Drug captures a polished yet gritty sound that perfectly amplifies the band’s larger-than-life personality. There’s less experimentation this time around and more focus—everything unnecessary has been stripped away, leaving only the purest form of what this band does best: massive hooks, soaring choruses, razor-sharp riffs, and pure late-80s hard rock magic. It feels timeless without ever sounding dated, like the soundtrack to a summer you wished would never end.
The album explodes into life with ‘The Devil’s Got My Back,’ a huge opener with soaring melodies, a gigantic chorus, and a killer solo that immediately tells you they’re back and still firmly living in 1988—in the very best possible way. It’s confident, unapologetic, and exactly the opener this record needed. From the very first notes, you know this album means business. That energy rolls seamlessly into ‘Bigger Than America,’ which has the kind of groove that recalls Billy Squier at his peak. The melodies are impossibly clean, the chorus is absolutely massive, and the wailing guitars push everything into anthem territory. There’s even a subtle southern rock edge woven through it that gives the song even more swagger. It’s a genuine standout and one of those tracks that feels destined to become a live favourite.
‘No Mercy For The Teenage Heart’ follows with a glorious retro feel—lush, clean, and bursting with melody. It carries the spirit of those great late-80s hard-rocking movie soundtracks, the kind of song you could imagine blasting over the closing credits of some lost Hollywood classic. The chorus absolutely lands, and it’s impossible not to get caught up in its infectious charm. Then comes ‘Lamborghina,’ another winner and one of the album’s most playful moments. Like women and cars? This is a woman who is a car—ridiculous, over-the-top, and exactly the kind of glorious excess that melodic hard rock was built for. It’s fun, shameless, and delivered with the perfect amount of knowing swagger.
The title track, ‘Favorite Drug,’ is absolutely huge and everything fans love about John Diva in one perfect package. It’s a slow-burning mid-tempo anthem with a killer chorus that gets under your skin almost instantly. There’s a real smoldering quality to it, and the solo is pure melodic rock perfection—one of those moments where you just sit back and grin. Halfway through the album, ‘S.M.I.L.E.’ arrives like sunshine breaking through the clouds. This is pure summer—breakneck pace, blue skies, top rolled down, and a highway stretching endlessly ahead. It’s impossible not to smile while listening to it, and that’s exactly the point. This is the soundtrack to good times.
‘Love Is Cold’ brings a slightly darker shade to the record. It still carries all the melody you’d expect, but there’s a little more mood around the edges and a little more emotional weight underneath. It shows a more serious side to the band without ever losing the hooks, and that balance works beautifully. After three great albums that we’ve loved at The Rockpit over the years, Your Favorite Drug somehow feels even stronger. It’s slick, beautifully done, and a genuine time machine back to the glory days of the 80s—putting you right there in the driving seat with the stereo cranked and the sunset ahead.
‘Girls In Overdrive’ is crunchier, bouncier, and carries one of the biggest choruses on the entire record. You can practically smell the pyro and see the fireworks going off behind the band. It feels built for the stage, and honestly, I’d love to hear this one live because it absolutely screams crowd favourite. It might just edge it for my favourite at the moment too. ‘Spectacular’ lives up to its name, another great rocker that keeps the momentum flying and proves there’s absolutely no filler here. By this point the band are simply showing off, delivering hook after hook with effortless confidence.
Closing track ‘Soundtrack Of My Life’ feels like a love letter to the greatest decade of hard rock. Or, more simply, welcome to the 80’s. It’s melodic, nostalgic, and a glorious ode to good-time rock and roll—a perfect closer to an album that never once lets its foot off the gas. The big question, of course, is how this stacks up against a very impressive back catalogue. The answer? It may just be their strongest yet. Bigger hooks, sharper songwriting, and that perfect balance between polish and grit make this an album that feels instantly familiar while still sounding fresh and exciting.
This is more than just another good John Diva record—it’s a fingerless leather glove thrown down on the dancefloor. It’s louder, bolder, and more addictive than ever, Your Favorite Drug proves once again that nobody does feel-good melodic hard rock quite like John Diva & The Rockets of Love.
If you’re looking for a good time – this is one of the best hard rock releases of the year.
Multi-platinum hard rock powerhouse Five Finger Death Punch announced today the release of their brand-new single ‘Eye Of The Storm‘, the first new song from their forthcoming 10th studio album, currently being recorded in Los Angeles. Listen to the new single ‘Eye Of The Storm’ – here Following last week’s announcement of their 2027 Europe […]
Out NOW Via Hells Headbangers Words by: Daryl Daryl This is an album for Simon. You know what I mean? We all have that friend who likes a particular genre of music above all others, and it’s not that there’s anything wrong with that, it’s just that their musical taste got stuck in 1992. Desolus […]
Consistent, reliable, yet somehow never scaling the upper limits of the world of Metal, Armored Saint have long straddled the boundary of Thrash and Heavy Metal. For me, they have always been a classy band whose melodies and songwriting sit in the same ballpark as Metal Church. Solid Heavy Metal in the traditional sense with a contemporary flavour.
I can still recall picking up the debut album, March Of The Saint, in 1984. The striking cover of the knight with the sword above his head, accompanied by his four loyal companions, was enticing to a young teenager whose head was turned by such artwork.
And whilst I have never been the most diehard fan, their releases have always provided great enjoyment and some absolute quality. That is perhaps, in part, because in John Bush, the band possess one of the best Metal singers in the game. He does not let you down here either.
Armored Saint – Emotion Factory Reset – Out 22 May 2026 via Metal Blade Records
2020’s Punching The Sky still seems fresh. It was a fantastic album, arguably as strong as anything the band had ever released. Emotion Factory Reset runs that album very close and may even surpass it in quality and consistency.
“Each Armored Saint record, to me, is like a new skin for the band, a different chapter. I don’t think we’ve ever repeated ourselves. Every album has been pretty different from the previous one, a snapshot in time. In 2026, Emotion Factory Reset is where our heads are at”. So says bassist Joey Vera, and I can see what he means.
There is plenty here to spin the head, and little that is repeated from previous recordings.
Of course, the band have a distinctive sound. Bush is in the form of his life here, from the anthemic opener Close To The Bone and recent single Hit A Moonshot through to penultimate track Bottom Feeder, this is the sound of a band hitting top gear.
There is more than a nod to their past, something that would be wrong to ignore, but there is plenty that says 2026 rather than 1984.
Hit A Moonshot is possibly that track. It straddles everything the band have ever done in one song. “I think the song defines what Armored Saint sounds like now,” guitarist Jeff Duncan says. “I really dig it. I used my Les Paul and an EVH amp for the rhythm guitars on everything. My solos were done with a couple of different guitars. It’s simple, just good guitars plugged into a good amp and let it rip.”
Buckeye is probably the runt of the litter for me. Surrounded by some gems, it is a weakling of a track, Bush having to push the limits of his voice, and the song sits more in the generic pile than the more impressive tracks that sit next to and around it.
Armored Saint – Eventim Apollo, London – 28 September 2025. Photo: Steve Ritchie
As for the title of the album, brothers Phil and Gonzo Sandoval can provide their own unique explanations. “To me, Emotion Factory Reset means to reset yourself back to clarity. Take a pause and breathe before you respond or react. You can’t control outside events, but you can control your mind,” says Phil.
Brother Gonzo adds, “The world is going through a technological upswing/awakening. I look at our planet as the factory, and in the most positive way, we need to realign, reimagine, and reset for our better selves.”
If you want the fist-pumping anthems, then Close To The Bone, Not On Your Life, and It’s a Buzzkill should tick the boxes. All solid thumpers, each sees the five members of the band hitting the heights.
Armored Saint – Eventim Apollo, London – 28 September 2025. Photo: Steve Ritchie
With Vera once more producing, alongside mixing by Jay Ruston (Anthrax, Stone Sour), this is a crisp and impressive record that does not let you down.
Lyrically, Bush is all about opening minds. “I’m not telling people, ‘You should think like this.’ It’s more that I like to raise points, and maybe somehow, some words in a song might make people go, aha!”
42 years since Armored Saint dropped that debut album, they remain a vibrant force in the world of Metal. “At the end of the day, as long as we feel it’s great, that’s the most important thing.” John Bush is not wrong.
Like Moths To Flames have returned with a brand-new track, and it’s a scorchingly heavy one.
It’s titled ‘I Don’t Want To Be Here Anymore’, and follows on from the release of last year’s single ‘Salting The Earth’.
Produced by The Plot In You‘s Landon Tewers, ‘I Don’t Want To Be Here Anymore’ is a jaw-droppingly heavy track that clocks in at under three minutes. Opening with some vocals that feel more like a desperate plea before erupting into action, it’s the kind of song that reminds you just what heavy music is so special, capturing an unbelievable amount of emotion in such a short time.
23: ANAHEIM, CA House of Blues 24: TEMPE, AZ The Marquee 25: ALBUQUERQUE, NM Sunshine Theater 27: SAN ANTONIO, TX Vibes Event Center 28: DALLAS, TX House of Blues 29: HOUSTON, TX House of Blues 30: NEW ORLEANS, LA House of Blues 31: PENSACOLA, FL Vinyl Music Hall
NOVEMBER
1: ORLANDO, FL House of Blues 3: NASHVILLE, TN Brooklyn Bowl 4: RALEIGH, NC The Ritz 6: SAYREVILLE, NJ Starland Ballroom 7: NEW YORK, NY Webster Hall 8: WORCESTER, MA The Palladium 10: PHILADELPHIA, PA Brooklyn Bowl 11: BALTIMORE, MD Nevermore Hall 13: BUFFALO, NY Town Ballroom 14: DETROIT, MI The Majestic 15: CHICAGO, IL House of Blues 17: MILWAUKEE, WI The Rave II 18: MINNEAPOLIS, MN The Fillmore 20: DENVER, CO Summit Music Hall 21: SALT LAKE CITY, UT The Complex 22: BOISE, ID Knitting Factory 24: SEATTLE, WA Showbox SoDo 25: PORTLAND, OR Roseland Theater 27: LOS ANGELES, CA The Novo 28: SAN DIEGO, CA SOMA
Out NOW Via Hells Headbangers Words by: Daryl Daryl This is an album for Simon. You know what I mean? We all have that friend who likes a particular genre of music above all others, and it’s not that there’s anything wrong with that, it’s just that their musical taste got stuck in 1992. Desolus […]
