By: Cole Bandit

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)Jack White – Frozen Charlotte
Some artists spend their careers trying to recreate lightning in a bottle.  Jack White simply creates another storm.

I had the opportunity to listen to the full album two days before it's release at a local record store listening party and I was in love hearing it. 


With Frozen Charlotte, his seventh solo album, White delivers one of the year's most exhilarating rock records, a fearless collision of blistering blues, garage rock swagger, psychedelic grit, and guitar-driven chaos. It's a record that doesn't ask for your attention, it grabs you by the collar and refuses to let go.


From the opening blast of "G.O.D. and the Broken Ribs," White makes one thing abundantly clear: this isn't a nostalgia trip. It's a modern rock record powered by the same untamed spirit that made him one of the defining guitarists of the last quarter century. Every riff crackles with urgency, every solo feels spontaneous, and every song carries the unmistakable fingerprint of an artist who continues to evolve without losing sight of what made him great in the first place.


What makes Frozen Charlotte so compelling is its refusal to play it safe. White jumps effortlessly between snarling blues rock, glam infused stompers, hypnotic grooves, and moments of almost spiritual intensity. Songs like "Dollar Bill," "Nobody Knows," and "She's in a Frenzy" showcase his uncanny ability to make even the most off-kilter ideas feel immediate and infectious, while his guitar work remains among the most inventive in modern rock.


Lyrically, the album explores themes of fear, faith, obsession, and human conflict, but never feels weighed down by its ambitions. White balances theatrical storytelling with raw emotion, creating songs that feel both larger than life and deeply personal.
 

The production deserves equal praise. Instead of polishing away the edges, White embraces imperfection. The album breathes with analog warmth, live energy, and just enough controlled chaos to remind listeners why rock music is meant to feel dangerous. Every distorted guitar tone, crashing drum fill, and unexpected sonic detour serves the songs rather than distracting from them.


At a time when many legacy artists settle comfortably into repetition, Jack White continues pushing forward. Frozen Charlotte doesn't chase trends or try to fit neatly into today's rock landscape, it confidently carves its own path.
It's loud.
It's unpredictable.
It's brilliantly weird.
And above all, it's unmistakably Jack White.
Standout Tracks

• "G.O.D. and the Broken Ribs"
• "Dollar Bill"
• "Nobody Knows"
• "She's in a Frenzy"
• "Neighbors Blues"

Final VerdictFrozen Charlotte is a reminder that rock music still has innovators willing to take risks. Jack White delivers an album overflowing with creativity, swagger, and guitar heroics while proving, once again, that he remains one of rock's most compelling voices.
This isn't just another great Jack White album.
It's another reason his name continues to define modern rock.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)Jack White hasn't lost a step—if anything, he's still setting the pace. 🤘

By: Philip Sayblack

​Late this past May, independent thrash metal outfit Hellevate released its latest album, Killicon Valley.  The band’s fourth full-length studio recording, this 12-song record is a work that every thrash purist will appreciate if only for its musical arrangements.  The lyrical content that accompanies the 61-minute album’s musical body makes for its own interest.  The album’s production puts the finishing touch to its presentation, ensuring a positive general presentation.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of Killicon Valley.  All things considered they make the album a presentation that new and established audiences alike will appreciate.
Killicon Valley, the latest full-length studio recording from Hellevate, is a presentation that will appeal widely among audiences.  That is due in no small part to its featured musical arrangements.  From its beginning to its end, the arrangements are thrash at its purest.  This is evident from early on in ‘In The Long Grass.’  The blend of front man Robert Browne’s Tom Araya-esque vocal delivery with the work of his band mates – Dan Whitmer (guitar), Joshua Cole (guitar), Zack Burke (bass), and Rulow Lopez (drums) – makes the whole a solid first full impression from the band.  The term “full first impression” is used as the album’s opener, ‘D.T.C.’ is an instrumental track.  Browne’s distinct vocal delivery style carries through the rest of the album’s entries, making for plenty of engagement and entertainment, needless to say.  This alongside the steady nonstop thrash approach that the band takes in each work, conjures constant comparisons to works from the band’s more well-known counterparts, such as Exodus, Death Angel, Testament, and obviously, Slayer.  Perhaps the most notable of the moments that stands out, musically, is ‘The Rampart.’  Coming just before the album’s midpoint, it takes the band’s familiar thrash leanings and adds the most subtle touch of power metal for a whole that is truly unique.  All things considered, even with the familiarity in sound and style noted, the arrangements featured herein still maintain their own identity that help to form the album’s foundation.
Building on that foundation is the lyrical material presented alongside the album’s musical arrangements.  The lyrical content featured throughout the album definitely makes for its own interest.  Case in point, again, is the album’s first full introduction, ‘In The Tall Grass.’  This song is actually inspired, lyrically, but a scene from The Lost World: Jurassic Park, the sequel to Jurassic Park, which was itself adapted from a novel written by author Michael Crichton.  According to available information the scene in question the scene involved a group of Velociraptors ambushing a group of people in the grass on the island on which the dinosaurs live.  The information additionally states the moment in question is used as a metaphor for the ease with which negative forces in life can overtake a person.    Browne encourages listeners, in turn, to “Run/Don’t stop/Escape.”  In other words, do not let those hidden negative forces overcome us.  Basically, it is meant to be a serious song with an uplifting message to keep pressing on and not let the band things in life stop us or destroy us.  Keeping that in mind, it is a key example of how much the album’s lyrical content has to offer.
‘Part of the Tribe,’ which comes in the album’s second half, is another example of the album’s lyrical content.  According to Browne’s own comments during an interview, the song is a commentary regarding the role of technology and those at the head of the tech world today.  If interpretation is to be correct, Browne cynically refers to those heads of the tech industry that has taken over so much of our lives “shamans,” adding that “the shamans have shed my burdens.”  In other words, those tech leads have taken over our lives and control everything.  This theme is hardly anything new in the music community today but even with that mind, it is still just as welcome in this case as in that of any other band and act’s works.
‘Curse God and Die,’ the album’s finale, is yet one more example of just how much the album has to offer, lyrically speaking.  According to available information, the song’s lyrical theme takes the biblical story of Job to examine just how far a person can be pushed before finally reaching a breaking point.  This is another familiar theme that will certainly resonate widely among audiences.  Add in the irony that a metal band would use a biblical story to deliver such an impacting discussion is itself unique, too, making for even more interest.
As if everything noted is not enough, the band also addresses the familiar theme of religion’s hypocrisy (or more specifically certain religious leader types) in ‘Holy Man.’  The band also tackles (or at least seems to tackle) the felon in the White House in the form of ‘Demagogue’ and even takes on Japanese mythology in ‘Jorogumo.’  Between all of this and everything else discussed, the whole therein makes the lyrical body of Killicon Valley its own reason for audiences to take in this album.  When the album’s musical and lyrical content is considered collectively, the two sides show without question just how much the album has to offer.
Putting the final touch to the album’s presentation is its production.  As already noted, this record is another heavy, intense presentation.  It is loud and it is intense.  Thanks to the attention to detail in each song, the vocal and instrumental performances in each song are expertly balanced.  The result is a positive full general effect that when considered along with the album’s overall content, makes the whole of Killicon Valley one more welcome addition to this year’s field of new independent albums.
Killicon Valley, the latest album from Hellevate, is a strong new offering from the thrash metal outfit that will appeal widely among audiences.  This is proven in part through the album’s musical arrangements, which offer plenty of familiarity in sound and style.  The lyrical themes presented throughout offer their own familiarity (and some other unique content).  The record’s production puts the finishing touch to the whole, ensuring a positive general effect.  Each item examined is important in its own way to the whole of the album.  All things considered they make Killicon Valley a welcome new addition to this year’s field of new independent albums.
Killicon Valley is available now.  More information on the album is available along with all of Hellevate’s latest news at Facebook. 

By: Philip Sayblack

​Paul Di’Anno is one of the most revered figures in the history of hard rock and metal.  Over the course of just three years – 1978-1981 – Di’Anno helped build the foundation for a band that is now a household name.  That, over the course of just two albums no less.  However after just those two albums’ release, Di’Anno would end up parting ways with his then band mates but still enjoy continued notoriety and fame thanks to the foundation that he formed for Iron Maiden.  At the same time, Di’Anno would also go on to deal with some major health hurdles, which would eventually claim his life in October 2024.  Now thanks to Cleopatra Entertainment, Di’Anno’s legacy lives on in the form of a new documentary bearing his very name, Di’Anno: Iron Maiden’s Lost Singer.  The doc’s title is a bit of an oxymoron, considering that clearly he was never “lost” per se.  Right up to his passing, he clearly was still very well-known and beloved among audiences and fellow musicians alike.  This is made clear through the documentary’s 97-minute run time.  The secondary discussion regarding the cost of healthcare even in the United Kingdom actually becomes a matter of discussion within the bigger picture well worth noting.  The presentation’s availability rounds out its most important elements.  When this item is noted alongside the other noted items, the whole therein makes this presentation an offering that will appeal widely among audiences.
Di’Anno: Iron Maiden’s Lost Singer, the recently released new documentary about former Iron Maiden front man Paul Di’Anno, is an offering that will certainly appeal widely among audiences.  This is due in no small part to its story.  Running just past the 90-minute mark, the story herein documents the clearly tumultuous life and career of Paul Di’Anno.  From helping set the foundation for what has gone on to become one of the most famous acts in all of hard rock and metal to being ousted (that story in itself is quite familiar, what with the firsthand accounts from both sides about the clashing personalities) and working to maintain his own place in the rock community, to battling the health issues that would go on to complicate the second half of his life while also continuing to record and perform, the story featured in this doc will certainly keep audiences engaged and entertained.  To a certain extent, Di’Anno’s story herein is something of that classic underdog tale.  This as those closest to him (his former band mates from the original Iron Maiden lineup, fellow rockers, such as Metallica front man James Hetfield, and even his own sister) share his story while audiences follow his journey to try and get issues with his legs corrected.  At times heartbreaking and at others uplifting, it is its own powerful presentation that classic story of a star’s rise, fall, and attempt to rise again that in the end shows he never truly ever fully fell.  To that end, it is ultimately a strong tribute to the man who helped make Iron Maiden one of hard rock and metal’s biggest names.
The primary story featured within this doc is just one part of what makes it worth watching.  There is actually a secondary matter within that definitely makes for its own discussion point.  The item in question is that of the cost of the surgery and general care that Di’Anno needed.  According to the information within the doc, the cost of those treatments and surgery was so prohibitively expensive that it made even Di’Anno himself wonder if he would ever be able to afford that care.  What audiences get from this is that obviously, the unaffordable cost of healthcare is an issue that is of concern not just here in the United States but even overseas.  This will certainly lead to much more in-depth discussions on how to lower those costs and why they are so high, as well as related issues.  Who would have ever thought that a rockumentary could bring about discussions on the cost of healthcare?  To that end, this could even lead to more people becoming active in effecting change thereof.  Keeping that in mind, this item proves just as important to the documentary as the central story.
Staying on this matter for a moment longer, it turns out that Di’Anno was able to get the care he needed thanks to fans and to even Iron maiden itself.  This plays directly into the primary story, as it shows that even having been a former member of the band for such a long time, audiences and friends alike still loved him enough to try and make it possible for him to receive that much-needed treatment.  Keeping that in mind, it plays even more into the underdog persona that Di’Anno is shown to be in this case.
Rounding out the most important of the doc’s items is its availability.  It is presented separately on DVD, Blu-ray and deluxe CD/DVD set.  The standalone DVD and Blu-ray presentations feature the documentary by itself.  The expanded set includes a full performance that Di’Anno and his then backing band presented in Zagreb, Croatia in May 2022.  The concert is shown in snippets in the documentary.  So herein, audiences get the full experience with the concert recording and documentary in one.  At the time of this review’s posting, its average price point was $26.67.  That price was found by averaging listings through Amazon, Walmart, and Barnes & Noble Booksellers.  It was not listed through Target and Books-A-Million.  Amazon had the least expensive listing, at $24.98 while Walmart’s listing of $28.04 was the most expensive.  Barnes & Noble listed the set at $26.99.  Keeping that in mind, a price point of roughly $25 (including tax) is not too bad considering that audiences are getting a full documentary and a concert in one set.  To that end, the relative affordability thereof the set makes for the finishing touch to this presentation.  When it is considered alongside everything else examined, that whole leaves Di’Anno: Iron Maiden’s Lost Singer a welcome offering for plenty of audiences.
Di’Anno: Iron Maiden’s Lost Singer is available now.  More information on this and other titles from Cleopatra Entertainment is available at:
Website: https://cleopatra-entertainment.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CleopatraEntertainmentEnt
Twitter: Cleopatra Ent. (@Cleopatra_Ent) on X

By: Philip Sayblack

​L.A. Guns will release its latest live recording this summer.  The band recently announced it will drop its new live recording, Live from The Guild Theatre July 3 through Cleopatra Records on CD, DVD, cassette, and vinyl.  Recorded July 10, 2025 at the Guild Theatre in Menlo Park, CA, the concert featured within the recording was part of the band’s tour in support of its latest album, Leopard Skin.  That record was itself released in April 2025 through Cleopatra Records.  The recording is a somewhat positive presentation.  That is due in part to its featured set list, which spans a total of 17 songs.  It will be discussed a little later.  The concert’s production is of own import herein and will be discussed a little later.  The recording’s general presentation rounds out its most important elements and will also be discussed later.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the recording.  All things considered they make Live from The Guild Theatre a presentation that will find the majority of its appeal among the most devoted of the band’s established audiences.
Live from The Guild Theatre, the latest live recording from L.A. Guns, is a presentation that will be met with very targeted appeal.  That is due primarily to the set list featured in this the latest (11th) live recording from this L.A. Guns lineup.  The most recent of its live recordings was Cocked & Loaded Live (2021).  That recording was released via Frontiers Music s.r.l.  The set list featured in this recording spans 17 songs, but even being such a long set list, it is still very focused in its presentation, pulling from seven of its 16 total albums.  Those records are: the band’s first three albums, L.A. Guns (1988), Cocked & Loaded (1989), and Hollywood Vampires (1991) as well as Waking The Dead (2002), The Missing Peace (2017), Checkered Past (2021), Black Diamonds (2023), and its most recent album, Leopard Skin (2025).  Now, on one hand one could argue that pulling from those albums is a good cross section, but the reality is that it really is not as representative of the band’s catalog as it could have been, lifting most liberally from Cocked & Loaded (four songs total).  The band’s 1988 self-titled debut is represented by three songs, as well as Leopard Skin while all of the other noted albums each receive only a single nod.  It would be interesting to learn how the band settled on said set list.  Maybe the available performance time did not allow for but so many songs, in the band’s defense.  If that is the case, then it is understandable.  Either way, the set list serves at least as a starting point for new audiences and a little trip down memory lane for established audiences.  To that end, it is an intriguing point for the recording’s presentation in its own right.
Also of its own note within this recording is its general production.  Believe it or not this is actually worth noting.  That is because in comparison to other existing live recordings from this independent label, the audio is actually surprisingly positive.  Instead of sounding like it was taken from the control boards (which is how some live recordings released via Cleopatra Records have sounded previously) it actually sounds relatively full and clear.  The vocal and instrumental performances are actually quite well-balanced throughout, making for a listening experience that will appeal to audiences in its own right.  It gives those noted audiences at least a little more to appreciate.
Rounding out the most important of the elements of Live from The Guild Theatre is its general presentation.  As already noted, the recording will release separately on CD, DVD, vinyl, and cassette.  In other words, it will have release on both audio and visual platforms, but audiences are otherwise going to have to choose between those options rather than even having a CD/DVD combo package.  In other words, audiences who want to take in the concert in its full audio visual presentation as well as have the option to carry it with them and enjoy it in their vehicle will have to spend extra money and keep up with both platforms.  That really does detract from the appeal of the overall presentation.  It is still not enough to doom the presentation but it does not help things, either.  Keeping that in mind, the different platforms on which this recording will release is positive and negative at the same time.  And that with the clearly focused set list and the production makes the overall presentation such that it will find a very targeted appeal.
Live from the Guild Theatre, the latest live recording from L.A. Guns, is an interesting new presentation from this veteran glam/sleaze rock outfit.  It is a presentation that will find the majority of its appeal among a very specific audience group.  That is due in large part to its set list.  Spanning 17 songs, it pulls from a very focused portion of the band’s expansive catalog.  The production is really the strongest point of this recording as it actually ensures a positive general effect.  The recording’s general presentation, being released on various platforms but not on at least a CD/DVD combo pack is both positive and negative.  Each item examined is important in its own way to the whole of L.A. Guns’ new live recording.  All things considered they make Live from the Guild Theatre a presentation that will appeal to a very targeted audience.
Live from the Guild Theatre is scheduled for release July 3.  More information on the recording is available along with all of L.A. Guns’ latest news at:
Website: https://lagunsmusic.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/L.A.GunsOfficial
Twitter: Keith Lagunes (@LAguns) on X

By: Philip Sayblack

Deathcore/death metal band My Own Will released its new EP, Misery this past week.  The four-song record, released Thursday through Bleeding Art Collective and Blood Blast Distribution, is a powerful presentation that fans of the genre will agree is worth hearing at least once.  That is due in part to its featured musical arrangements.  The lyrical content that accompanies the record’s musical presentations makes for its own interest.  The 12-minute record’s production puts the finishing touch to its presentation, making for a fully immersive offering for the band’s established audiences and deathcore fans in general.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the EP.  All things considered they make Misery an intense presentation that death metal and deathcore fans alike will find worth hearing at least once.
Misery, the brand-new EP from My Own Will, is a powerful new presentation from the band that is certain to leave quite the impression on audiences.  This is proven in part through its musical arrangements.  Over the course of each of its four songs, the record’s musical body is a pummeling musical punch to the gut with hints of Whitechapel, Nile, and Left to Suffer.  This is evidenced through the heavy, crunching down tuned guitars, the familiar guttural screams from front man Dave Keoppen and the equally powerful rhythm section.  From one song to the next there are some subtle changes in the overall approach taken but the overall presentation is largely the same, giving listeners an extremely intense listening experience.
Looking at the record’s lyrical content, it is just as intense as the EP’s musical presentation.  That is proven right from the EP’s outset in the EP’s title track.  What audiences get here is the look inside the mind of someone who has been pushed so far that they have become homicidal…at least (hopefully) in their own mind.  The subject’s mindset is unsettling as Keoppen screams, “With nowhere left to go/I can’t call this my home/Cruelty and savagery prevent that I’m alone/My murderous intent/Claws its way inside/My bloodlust can’t be satisfied/You’ve nowhere left to hide/There’s nowhere left to run/The uncertainty of life/I promise you/I want to spill your blood.”  Things do not get any less violent from here.  From there the subject goes on to address releasing inner demons, etc.  It is a heavy statement overall that on one level leaves one hoping Keoppen is addressing perhaps something bad that has happened at the hands of a family member.  Either way, this is certainly an intense presentation.
Actually that inner anger is a theme that crosses all four of the songs that make up this EP.  In ‘Phobos,’ for instance, the subject speaks of that anger and hatred boiling “below the surface of sanity” and of fighting voices in one’s head.  In other words, perhaps this is a mental health struggle discussion. 
Even in ‘Rorschach,’ the EP’s second entry, there is that battle with self, or so it would seem.  As the subject states, “Freed from this f****** prison/My flesh has become a vessel/I am to cleanse the Earth.”  From here the subject goes on to add, “This can’t be happening/Your delusional fallacy/I’m not trapped here with you/It’s YOU that’s trapped with ME.”  Having no background on this song, this and the rest of the song’s content is definitely intense in its own way, especially as Koeppen notes from the song’s subject from the song’s outset, “Trapped in my body and mind/The noose is tightening/My conscience is weak/Retribution I seek.”  Again, there is a lot of room left for interpretation here.  When this lyrical intensity of this song and the other examined is considered in whole, it makes for even more impact for listeners, needless to say.  When the overall lyrical presentation herein is considered alongside the EP’s equally impacting musical arrangement, the whole shows even more why the record’s targeted audiences will find it worth hearing at least once.
Rounding out the most important of the EP’s elements is its production.  It has already been noted that the album’s musical body is something truly intense.  It is not for the faint of heart.  The production thereof is to thank for that massive wall of sound in every arrangement herein.  From every pummeling drum beat to every crunching guitar riff to every scream and even the intense low end from the bass, every performance here is expertly balanced.  The result therein is a musical presentation that completely immerses listeners and for which audiences must certainly prepare themselves.  Keeping that in mind, the production of Misery proves just as important to its presentation as its overall content.  All things combined they make Misery a presentation that will certainly appeal to My Own Will’s established audiences and to some extent to more casual listeners.
Misery is available now.  More information on Misery is available along with all of My Own Will’s latest news at Facebook.

By: Philip Sayblack

​This coming summer, North American fans of Atreyu will get a few more chances to see the band live, as the band is scheduled to perform at a trio of festivals. This following the band’s recent spring North American run alongside Sevendust.  The previous and upcoming concerts are in support of Atreyu’s latest album, The End is Not the End, which was released Apr. 24 through Spinefarm Records.  The band’s 10th album (and its fifth released through Spinefarm Records), it is an interesting new presentation.  That is due part to its featured musical arrangements.  Its lyrical content adds to its interest as well, as does the production of the record’s musical presentation.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the album.  All things considered they make The End is Not the End an intriguing new addition to Atreyu’s catalog.
The End is Not the End, the latest full-length studio recording from Atreyu, is an interesting addition to the band’s already expansive catalog.  It is a presentation that audiences will agree is worth hearing at least once.  That is due in part to the record’s featured musical arrangements.  The arrangements featured here take Atreyu in some clearly new directions throughout the course of its 46-minute run time.  From beginning to end of the 13-song collection, the band’s familiar emocore leanings are still present but there are also other influences.  Case in point is a track, such as ‘In The Dark.’  There is something in the guitar work and the screams and even in the clean vocals and more melodic moments that really hints at a comparison to works from the likes of Trivium.  Meanwhile, a song, such as ‘Dead’ takes the album in a decidedly metalcore direction.  ‘Break Me’ takes listeners even deeper down that proverbial rabbit hole as it is even heavier and more intense than ‘Dead.’  On yet another note, a song, such as ‘Glass Eater’ could be compared (at least to a point) to various works from the likes of Black Veil Brides in its stylistic approach and sound.  Keeping that in mind, the arrangements featured here work with the rest of the record’s musical work to make the whole therein a diverse presentation that gives audiences reason enough to take in this record at least once.
Adding to the album’s interest is its lyrical content.  By and large, audiences get one overarching theme in this record, that being dealing with toxic people and situations.  In researching the album, it is found that  ‘All For You,’ ‘Break Me,’ ‘Ghost in Me,’ ‘Glass Eater,’ and ‘In The Dark’ each deal with those same themes just in their own unique way.  They are not the only themes featured in this record, though.  There is also some existentialism in songs, such as ‘Break The Glass’ and ‘Dead,’ which despite its lyrical presentation, is actually a rumination on our concerns about the legacy that we leave behind when we pass on.  It is a matter about which many of us consider as we get older.  To that point, it is another familiar topic that is sure to engage audiences.  ‘Wait My Love, I’ll Be Home’ is a love song of sorts that examines the all too important role that significant others play for those who are dealing with mental health struggles, and ‘Afterglow’ presents its own familiar theme, that of the emotional impact of touring on bands and even on those left behind as said acts go out on the road for such long spans.  That is itself another familiar topic that has been tackled plenty of times across the years, perhaps most notably from the likes of Bon Jovi and even Metallica among others.  Keeping in mind those familiar themes, they pair with the record’s unique musical arrangements to make the whole of the record’s body plenty of reason to take in this album at least once.
Putting the final touch to The End is Not the End is its production.  This record is, again, a nearly 50-minute presentation, its song count totaling 13 tracks.  That means there is a whole lot of music here.  The unique approaches taken to each arrangement mean that so much depth, and in turn, impact is presented and felt respectively throughout the album.  In other words what audiences get is a positive general effect that when considered alongside the impact of the overall content, completes this record’s presentation.  All things considered they make The End is Not the End a new offering from Atreyu that is worth hearing at least once.
The End is Not the End, the latest album from Atreyu, is a presentation from the veteran had rock act that proves itself another offering worth hearing.  That is proven in part through its featured musical arrangements, which show clear growth from the band from one song to the next.  The record’s lyrical themes are all familiar, even with one or two themes clearly dominating the album.  The record’s production puts the finishing touch to its presentation, ensuring a positive general effect for listeners.  Each item examined is important in its own way to the whole of the album.  All things considered they make The End is Not the End its own interesting addition to this year’s field of new hard rock and metal albums.
The End is Not the End is available now.  More information on the record and the band’s upcoming live dates is available along with all of Atreyu’s latest news at:
Website: https://www.atreyofficial.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atreyu
Twitter: https://twitter.com/atreyuofficial

L.A. Guns will release its latest live recording this summer.
The band announced Wednesday via a news release, it will release Live from the Guild Theatre July 3. According to the document, the recording will release separately on CD, DVD, vinyl, and even cassette.
The concert featured in the recording was captured July 10, 2025 during the band’s tour in support of its latest album, Leopard Skin. That record was released in April 2025 through Cleopatra Records.
In anticipation of the recording’s release, L.A. Guns has premiered its first single, the live clip of its performance of the song, ‘Electric Gypsy.’ The full video presentation of the performance is streaming here.
The recording’s track listing is noted below:
Here’s the track listing for LIVE FROM THE GUILD THEATRE:
1. Intro – Taste It
2. Cannonball
3. Electric Gypsy
4. Sex Action
5. Hellraisers Ball
6. Hit and Run
7. Like a Drug
8. Speed
9. One More Reason
10. Theremin Jam
11. Over the Edge
12. Guitar Solo
13. I Wanna Be Your Man
14. Lucky Motherfucker
15. Never Enough
16. The Ballad of Jayne
17. Rip and Tear
More information on L.A. Guns’ new live recording is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
Website: https://lagunsmusic.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/L.A.GunsOfficial
Twitter: https://twitter.com/laguns

By: Philip Sayblack

​This coming Friday, guitarist Jared James Nichols will release his latest album, Louder Than Fate.  His fourth album, it will be released via Frontiers Music s.r.l.  The record will find the majority of its appeal among the most devoted of his established audiences.  At the same time, no doubt casual fans of the blues/southern rock realm will also find something to appreciate about the album.  This is most clearly evidenced through the song’s musical arrangements, which will be discussed shortly.  The familiar and easily accessible lyrical themes presented throughout the 35-minute record will ensure that appeal in their own way.  The record’s production puts the finishing touch to the whole, rounding out its most important elements.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of Louder Than Fate.  All things considered they make the 10-song record a presentation worth hearing at least once.
Louder Than Fate, the forthcoming latest album from Jared James Nichols, is a presentation that will find appeal among plenty of audiences.  That is evidenced in part through its featured musical arrangements.  From the beginning to the end of the record, the arrangements prove pivotal because of their accessibility and familiarity.  By and large, they are blues/southern rock style compositions that are easily comparable to works from the likes of Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Black Crowes, and even Jason Charles Miller among so many others.  However, there are some songs that are more mainstream radio friendly compositions thrown in for good measure.  The whole makes the record’s musical body easily comparable to works from the likes of the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, The Dead Daisies, Black Crowes, etc.).  Among the most notable of the “pure” blues/southern rock arrangements featured herein is ‘Looks Like That Felt Good.’  The combination of Nichols’ vocal delivery (including his vocal tone), audiences get a song that is immediately comparable to works from Black Crowes.  The bombast of the drums in the opening bars immediately grabs listeners before Nichols comes in alongside the solid, rich bass line.  The whole throughout makes this song easily a favorite among listeners. 
Audiences wanting something perhaps heavier get just that in the album’s closer, ‘Pretend.’  The guitar riff in this nearly three minute song (it clocks in at two minutes,45 seconds to be exact) is really something interesting.  In the verses, it is comparable to works from the likes of Texas Hippie Coalition, Corrosion of Conformity and Black Label Society.  That heaviness is countered by a much more melodic rock approach in the choruses, which is driven more by the bass line.  The juxtaposition thereof makes this song yet another fully enjoyable addition to the record that is sure to engage and entertain listeners in its own way.  That it packs so much punch in less than three minutes makes it a solid finale for the album and just as solid another addition to the album.
‘Killing Time’ maintains Nichols’ southern/blues rock vibe on this record but also incorporates more of a softer, somber melodic tone and mood that is an easy fit, believe it or not, for any active rock radio station’s daily play list.  It has all the markings of those contemporaries to his work and in turn would get easy airplay if it is not already getting that attention.  Between this song, the others examined here and others, such as the album’s almost glam-rock opener, ‘Let’s Go,’ the Jason Charles Miller-esque ‘Ghost’ and ‘Way Back’ and southern/stoner rock anthem that is ‘Dust ‘N Bones’ and the rest of the album’s entries, the whole therein makes the overall musical body of Louder than Fate reason enough for Nichols’ noted audiences to take in this album.
Adding to the record’s interest is the lyrical content that accompanies the album’s musical arrangements.  As noted, the lyrical themes presented here are just as accessible and familiar as the record’s musical content.  Case in point is a song, such as ‘Killing Time.’  This song is one of so many countless songs about relationships gone south. This is obvious as Nichols sings here, “Heard what you didn’t say/I felt you push away/And now I’m second guessing/Every question that I never asked/I see just who you are/You’re just another star…Did you feel there were strings attached/Was I killing your heart/Were you killing mine/Or were we both just killing time?”  He continues, “Keep telling yourself/There’s someone else/Out there/To save you/Run through another one/Dig another hole/That’s what we do/You were made for me/’Cause misery loves company.”  From here Nichols reprises the chorus.  The rest of the song continues in this similar lyrical fashion.  Keeping that in mind, the song is sure to resonate with listeners perhaps dealing with a breakup, especially as the message is delivered alongside its equally subdued musical arrangement, which incorporates strings to add to the emotional depth.
On a happier note is the early entry, ‘Way Back.’  This fun, blues rock composition is that familiar song about just relaxing, enjoying life.  It is that quite familiar working person’s song.  This is evidenced as Nichols sings in the song’s lead verse and chorus, “It’s been a long week/Been living like a chained up dog/Out here on a short leash/Damn/Every single day feels like I’m living on repeat/Like groundhog day on the mean streets/Well it’s do this/Pay that/Try to tell me how to act/But all I wanna do is kick it way back/Like a black Caddilac/With the bucket seats/Laid way back/Like a 8-track/Pumping something…Gonna crank it like Jimi…”  Some of the lyrics here are a little difficult to decipher fully sans lyrics to reference.  That aside, the message is clear and familiar.  This is a celebratory song about just living life for one’s self.  After having that hard week, this is just someone who wants to relax.  That is all this is, and the lyrics do so well to reflect this.  When the lyrics are coupled with the song’s musical arrangement, that whole makes for even more enjoyment and appreciation.
The rest of the songs featured in this record are, lyrically, each centered on the topic of relationships.  There are the higher moments, such as ‘Running Hot’ and ‘Looks Like That Felt Good.’  There are also other moments, such as the album’s closer, ‘Pretend,’ which finds its subject telling that other person, “Not a moment to get out/Heartbreak and doubt/I give you everything/You know/You turn me into something else/I don’t know myself/But you really got me doing down, down, down.”  From there he notes that “before it ends/Can we pretend/It’s love/For one more night?”  Interestingly enough, the energy in this song’s arrangement is contrary to this all too familiar message.  When that energy and the song’s theme are paired, they make for yet another presentation that is sure to resonate with its own share of audiences.  When this and the other songs all examined here are considered along with the rest of the album’s entries, they make the overall lyrical body of Louder than Fate impacting in its own way.  When it and the albums’ musical body are considered collectively, they make for even more reason to audiences to take in the record.
Putting the final touch to Louder than Fate is the record’s production.  From beginning to end of the album, its production ensures that the album’s sound is expertly balanced between the vocal performances and the instrumental presentations.  Whether in the rare more subdued moments or in the more raucous tracks, the attention to detail in each song results in a positive general effect that makes the album just as worth hearing as the album’s content.  When the album’s production is considered alongside its content, that whole makes Louder than Fate that much more worth hearing and at least one more welcome addition to this year’s field of new rock albums.
Louder than Fate, the forthcoming, fourth album from Jared James Nichols, is a presentation that rock fans and Nichols’ established audiences alike will find engaging and entertaining.  This is proven in part through its musical arrangements, which are largely fun, familiar, blues-based southern rock style compositions.  The lyrical content that accompanies the record’s compositions makes for its own share of interest.  This is because of its own familiarity and accessibility.  The record’s production ensures a positive general effect that will appeal in its own way to the whole of the presentation.  Each item examined is important in its own way to the whole of the record.  All things considered they make Louder than Fate a welcome addition to this year’s field of new rock and albums that is worth hearing at least once.
Louder than Fate is scheduled for release Friday through Frontiers Music s.r.l.  More information on the album is available along with all of Jared James Nichols’ latest news at:
Website: https://jaredjamesnichols.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jaredjamesnichols
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JJNicholsMusic

By: Philip Sayblack

Devin Townsend has been hailed, for decades, as one of the most important and creative minds in the music industry.  That is because from one album to the next, he has never gone along with the status quo.  He has always walked his own road, creating albums that in all honesty, defy classification.  Albums that are to be frank, incomparable to anything else out there.  This weekend, he did that and more with his latest record, The Moth.  His largest record to date (both literally and figuratively speaking), it is without question the singles greatest overall record to be released so far this year.  That is due in no small part to the musical arrangements featured throughout this 72-minute presentation.  The overall lyrical body of this presentation makes for its own interest.  This will be addressed a little later.  The record’s overall production puts the finishing touch to the presentation.  It brings out the richness and depth of each composition in its fullness.  This will be discussed later, too.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of The Moth.  All things considered they make The Moth Devin Townsend’s single best record to date while also being this year’s best new album to date.
The Moth, Devin Townsend’s brand-new album, is Townsend’s greatest record to date.  It is a presentation that overall is incomparable to anything else out there from any other act, much like his other works, but on a whole new level.  That is evidenced in no small part, to its featured arrangements.  The simplest way to explain the album’s musical body is that it is the culmination of almost everything that this musical mad scientist has crafted up to this point.  From the highly symphonic elements of Ocean Machine (1997) and Empath (2019) to the more experimental nature of, say The Puzzle (2021) to the more contemplative moods of Ghost (2011) and more, this record’s musical body brings together so much of what Devin Townsend has done to date and assembled it all together in this contained “environment” for what is the single most unique body of compositions that he has formed to date.  The emotional journey on which Townsend takes audiences in this album’s 24 total songs are at times the kind of compositions that would make the likes of John Williams and Hans Zimmer jealous, and at others even Trent Reznor (E.g. ‘Lexin’).  There is even a power metal lean at one point in ‘Prepare for War’ and material that takes audiences all the way back Townsend’s days as part of Strapping Young Lad.  Simply put, again, this record is – musically speaking – a sort of revisiting of Townsend’s entire catalog that is also a whole new record in itself.  It is the best of both worlds in other words.
The musical arrangements featured throughout this outstanding record are just one part of what audiences will appreciate about the presentation.  Its lyrical body makes for just as much to appreciate.  In researching the record, it is found that The Moth is a concept album.  Now for many audiences out there to this day, there is still a stigma surrounding concept records.  That is because audiences do not like to have to commit themselves so much to a single record.  That is ironic considering all the audiences out there that in recent years demanded only serialized television shows instead of shows that were composed of standalone episodes each season.  The concept in this story should change the minds of many of those audiences.  It is, in essence, an existential rumination (which is in the rock and metal community nothing new), making for all the more interest.  In the case of this story, it centers on one single individual who is looking for meaning in his life.  In being able to find that meaning, he has to face not just the good in his life but the negatives of his past, too.  Now, this is not immediately evident in the lyrics presented with each song.  That is nothing new for Townsend, either.  However, in this case, his approach to writing is even more metaphorical and thoughtful than ever.  As is the case with the record’s musical arrangements, the lyrical side of things absolutely requires audiences to immerse themselves in the record, actively taking in the presentation, not just passively listening in order to even begin understanding and appreciating all of this.  To that end, the depth in those words in each song proves just as important as the album’s equally rich musical arrangements.
Putting the final touch to this outstanding album is the production thereof.  The album’s production is everything expected from one of Townsend’s works, too.  It ensures that even the most minute detail is attended to from beginning to end.  The result is that in the album’s heaviest and softest moments alike, the best of impacts is presented.  Audiences who actively take in the record (by the way, the songs are largely very short, the longest barely topping the 8-minute mark and the shortest running less than a minute) will catch even the smallest nuances of each song, thus gaining so much appreciation for the record even more so.  To that end, the aesthetic impact of The Moth works with its overall content to make it a record that shines from every single avenue in a way that few if any of its contemporaries impresses.  That is even as much as those other albums impress in their own rights.  Keeping that in mind, there is no doubt in one’s mind that The Moth proves to ultimately be the best of this year’s overall albums so far and likely will end up in that position come year’s end.
The Moth, the latest full-length studio recording from famed musician Devin Townsend, is absolutely his best work to date.  That is due in no small part to its musical body.  This record’s musical arrangements are the culmination of everything he has composed to date.  The heavy side of things is there.  The softer side is there too, as is even the more contemplative and experimental side.  It is a full-on exhibition of every direction that Townsend has ever taken in his catalog.  The album’s lyrical body is even more in depth what with its overly metaphorical language presented in each song.  The record’s production puts the final touch to its presentation, insuring a fully positive aesthetic as a result of the fully immersive impacting effect thanks to the attention to detail.  Each item examined is important in its own way to the whole of The Moth.  All things considered they make The Moth an absolute must hear for casual audiences and a work that Townsend’s established audiences are sure to appreciate more with each listen.  Keeping all of this in mind, The Moth clearly offers so much to appreciate that it leaves no doubt it is the best of the best so far this year.
The Moth is available now.  More information on the album is available along with all of Devin Townsend’s latest news at:
Website: http://www.hevydevy.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/dvntownsend
Twitter: http://twitter.com/dvntownsend

By: Philip Sayblack

​Veteran rock artist Martin Epp (a.k.a. Mott) released his latest album, Bet Is Yet to Come this month.  The 16-song record, released May 22, is a star-studded presentation that will find plenty of appeal among Epp’s established fans and even among more casual fans of 80s hair rock.  The appeal found in the 63-minute album is exhibited primarily through the album’s musical arrangements.  The easily accessible lyrical content that accompanies said content adds to the presentation in its own right.  The record’s production puts the finishing touch to its presentation, ensuring the record’s sound is just as positive to the album’s targeted audiences as its content.
Best Is Yet to Come, the brand-new album from Martin Epp, is a presentation that will find a very specific appeal among audiences.  Those noted audiences will appreciate the record in large part through its featured musical arrangements.  The arrangements, by and large, are clearly very  heavily influenced by the hair rock and metal sounds of the 1980s.  More specifically, audiences can make comparison in these songs to works from the likes of Motley Crue, Poison, and Ratt just to name a few obvious comparisons.  Even with those comparisons in mind, the songs still maintain their own identity separate from anything that said bands and others have composed.  The album’s title track, which actually comes late in the first half of the album’s run, could actually be argued to have comparison to classic Van Halen (during the David Lee Roth era in other words) while ‘I Knew’ could be compared to certain works from Mr. Big.  ‘Out to Breakfast’ meanwhile, shows the noted clear influence from the likes of Motley Crue.
Much of the credit for the sounds and styles exhibited throughout the album goes to the all-star cast of performers tapped to take part in Epp’s latest project.  Jeff Scott Soto (Soto, Sons of Apollo, Trans-Siberian Orchestra), Derek Sherinian (Platypus, ex-Dream Theater, Michael Schenker), Billy Sheehan (The Winery Dogs, David Lee Roth, Mr. Big), Dave Moreno (Puddle of Mudd, Bruce Dickinson), and Phil X (Bon Jovi) among others joined Epp for the recording, each adding their own talents to the mix.  Understanding the noted musicians’ bodies of work, it makes sense why each song bears the noted 80s hair rock sound that is so prominent throughout the album.  What’s more, that very star power and talent in itself is just as certain to entice audiences even more to take in the album.
The lyrical themes that accompany the album’s easily accessible and familiar musical arrangements add to the record’s appeal among its noted target audience.  Romance songs make up the majority of the album’s lyrical content (E.g. ‘She Holds Final,’ ‘Alone Again,’ ‘Someone,’ ‘Angele,’ ‘I Knew,’ ‘Fallin’,’ ‘Second Chance,’ ‘Sweet Baby Grace,’ and the obviously titled ‘All Outta Love’ and even the album’s title track).  There is at least one change of pace.  It comes in the form of ‘Drift Away.’  This bluesy song sounds, lyrically, like a heartfelt elegy to someone who perhaps died before their time.  If that is the case, then what audiences get hear is more of a celebratory work than the somber song one might expect.  It pays tribute to that person in question.  Keeping all of this in mind, the lyrical content featured throughout Best Is Yet to Come is going to target a very specific audience just as much as the album’s musical presentation.
Rounding out the most important of the album’s elements is its production.  The album’s production will appeal to every one of those targeted audiences from beginning to end.  That is because it insures the vocal and instrumental performances are expertly balanced from one to the next.  The result of the attention to that balance is a presentation that will appeal to its intended audiences just as much as the album’s content.  All things considered they make Best Is Yet to Come a welcome new addition to this year’s field of new independent albums.
Best Is Yet to Come, the new full-length studio recording from Martin Epp, is a presentation that will find appeal among a very targeted audiences.  This is proven in large part through its featured musical arrangements.  The arrangements are of note because of their specific sound and style that throws back to the hair rock of the late 1980s.  The lyrical themes that accompany the record’s musical arrangements are largely songs of romance, so again this is certain to appeal to a very distinct audience base.  The record’s production puts the finishing touch to the whole, insuring a presentation that will appeal to the noted audiences just as much for its general presentation as for its content.  Each item examined is important in its own way to the whole of the record.  All things considered they make Best Is Yet to Come a strong offering for Mott’s intended audience.
Best Is Yet to Come is out now.  More information on the album is available along with all of Mott’s latest news at:
Website: https://mottrocks.com
Facebook: MöTT