(This is our Gonzo’s review of the first new album from Neurosis in a decade, a surprise drop last week from the band’s Neurot Recordings.) We live in a world where it’s exceedingly difficult to keep secrets. When it comes to new music, fans tend to catch wind of things well in advance. That’s all […]
Manchester duo We Three Kings set themselves an incredibly high bar with debut By Royal Appointment, its blend of punky muscle and intelligence making it an indispensable purchase for any right-minded music fan when it was unleashed last year. Hot on its heels, sophomore album Stone Cold Kiss more than fulfils that promise and, in fact, provides a bigger and harder punch as guitarist and vocalist Rich and drummer Pete refine their sound even further.
This sharpening of the We Three Kings sound certainly does not take off any of the gloriously rough edges but instead gives the propulsive Red Bull-fuelled rush a greater velocity and aim, the visceral thrill still very much there.
Few second albums are this good, but We Three Kings have knocked it solidly out of the park
Wasting absolutely no time, the title track kicks things off with a sound that brings to mind The Cult at their most feral, the rampaging sonic attack reiterating that this is a band with nothing to lose but everything to prove.
Big, nasty and noisy, Nothing Without Me is like being hit by a truck, the sheer force of it all likely to dislodge teeth and eviscerate anyone in its way.
Recent single Joyrider absolutely thunders along, the huge hook and snotty attitude making it utterly unsuitable to listen to whilst driving or in control of any heavy machinery, twisted love song Your Love Is My Disease absolutely glowering with its confrontational barbs.
So far, so full pelt, but this is far from the old heads-down charge of the Ramones, every song blurring into the next. There is light and shade, some nice little production touches that give each number a distinct character without going off on odd tangents and in this, there’s the real craft of what they do.
The songwriting is compelling too, the whole an irresistible experience that gives it all a longevity that means that the potential is there for We Three Kings to really go the distance in the same way that the very best of their inspirations have.
Like its predecessor, Stone Cold Kiss mainlines into the adrenaline of where punk and Metal meet, the pure, old school buzz that recaptures very first connections with mind and body that only loud guitars can.
The primal and furious snarl of Shotgun and Dirty Devil are howls into the night sky, full of pain, menace and no little brutality, but none of it loses its human edge nor is full of any self-pitying navel gazing.
There is a raw honesty here that connects, and by the time that the last, swinging notes of Son Of A Gun fade, it will be time to either take a breather to recover or hit the play button straight away and experience the whole thing yet again.
Few second albums are this good, but We Three Kings have knocked it solidly out of the park. Right now, they are looking unstoppable.
We Three Kings release Stone Cold Kiss on 10 April 2026, with an (already sold out) album release show at Off The Square in Manchester the following evening. To pre-order the album, visit linktr.ee/we3kingsband.
I still haven’t managed to successfully type the name “Jim Legxacy” without either copy-pasting or triple-checking my spelling. But the restlessly inventive young London rap shapeshifter isn’t going anywhere, so I guess I better figure it out. Last year, Legxacy released his black british music mixtape, and it made our list of the year’s best…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Wait Is Over: W’t’M Brings Modern Metal Fire on April 10th
Italian-Danish modern metal project W’t’M returns with their newest single, a potent blend of melodic intensity, hard-hitting riffs, and soaring vocals that fans of Halestorm, Within Temptation, Pretty Maids, and Deep Purple will immediately connect with.
Formed in 2022 as a remote collaboration between Italian singer Marica Moire and Danish musicians led by bassist Ole Quist, W’t’M has quickly evolved from an online experiment into a fully realized modern metal force. The addition of Michael Bastholm Dahl (ex-Artillery) in 2023 brought dynamic vocal duets and a commanding stage presence, defining the band’s signature sound: a seamless fusion of atmospheric melodies and explosive rock energy.
Following their 2025 debut album Witness the Madness and a series of high-profile European festival appearances—including Nordic Noise Festival, Copenhell Pre-Event, and Death Island Festival—W’t’M has continued to grow their international presence with live performances across Poland. The band’s relentless dedication to melodic intensity and high-energy performance culminates in this new single, produced at Hop House Studio by Andreas Linnemann and released via Popshit Records.
Ole Quist , the band’s bassist and primary creative force, shares: “This single captures everything W’t’M is about—powerful melodies, emotional depth, and pure metal energy. We can’t wait for fans old and new to hear it.”
Fans can stream and purchase the single here: https://frontl.ink/1yqwd8j
For press inquiries and interviews: zach@metaldevastationradio.com
Nordic Noise 2026 today announces an important update to this year’s line-up. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Chris Holmes (The Sound of W.A.S.P.) and Thunderor will unfortunately not be performing at this year’s festival. However, Nordic Noise are proud to present Swedish hard rock powerhouse Bonafide as new headliner. Known for their raw energy and authentic […]
A post-punk album grappling with the advancement of technology is about as common as an ad on your Instagram feed. A man bemoaning content nausea in a deadpan over animated guitars may be a bit played out at this point. But it’s 2026 and things are weirder than ever. You can be an influencer for smashing your jawbone with a hammer. You can livestream yourself being abused and humiliated until you die. Has the link between the expanding digital world and the desire for self-destruction ever been this clear before? This is something Chicago band Stuck explore on their new album Optimizer.
