Latest Rock News - Album & Live Reviews

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What a couple of weeks for new releases! A smorgasbord for my young *eek ears! As of Monday, August 31st we have been blessed by Zebraheads new album I.O. Californian rock band, Zebrahead have been around since 1996 and have been pumping out glorious pop punk tracks for the majority!  Now they've brought their four latest EPs together, I from November 2024, right up to O in August of this year alongside the single, "I Don't Know How To Put This(But I'm kinda a big deal)" Now, I don't know whether this album has just come along at the right time for me or what but I can't get enough of these tracks, catchy, fast punchy riffs and that pop punk rap style that IV grown up with and am clearly still obsessed with. This album offers up 12 songs, all filled with a ridiculous amount of energy, catchy easy to follow lyrics that will have you singing along in the car, and trying to keep quiet on the public commute. Personal favourites for me, and ones for you not to miss out on are: 'Happy Endings at the Movies' - just a proper nostalgic throw back to the pop punk bangers that I used to listen to in the early 2000's. 'Doomsday on the Radio' - just filled with those edgy, catchy lyrics that have you singing along at full volume. We love a 'na na na nana na na' 'Pulling Teeth' - Rap infused punk, which I think we need more of in this day and age! Excellent drum beats and just another excellently executed track. Zebrahead have just played Slam Dunk in May and unfortunately have no UK dates at present, though they are playing in Europe towards the end of the year so here's hoping we get a cheeky Glasgow date sometime soon!

So on our new release Friday, we have anonymous English metal band President's first album Blood Of Your Empire. A relatively new band and unknown until announced for download festival 2025, currently selling out shows across the country and beyond. President are bringing their own brand of alternative metal with electronica to the masses and it seems the people cannot get enough despite continued speculation on the masked band's identity. Blood Of Your Empire is the debut studio album and has been supported with the release of four singles in the run up to the 4th of September. The album consists of 10 tracks, a compact run time of 37mins and the singles included in this release are Angel Wings, Doom Loop, Dark Heaven, and Mercy.  In a statement released by the band in regards to the album, Blood of your empire was born out of the struggle with existential crisis and making sense of belief, morality and humanity's relationship with faith. The first track of the album, Angel Wings has been out since February and what an introduction to this ambitious piece of music, blending heavy guitar riffs, electronic music and dynamic Melodies. Track 5, Mercy is actually a personal favourite and is filled with screamy shouty goodness, deftones-like deep grooves and intense lyrics focusing on religious division and loss. Now this band and this album definitely won't be to everyone's taste but if you're looking for something a little different, if you're already into bands like Bad Omens and Sleep Token then this might be for you. Unfortunately for anyone late to the game, President's Glasgow show at the O2 Academy on the 19th of November is well an truly sold out, so let's hope for some cheeky resale tickets as I'm sure this is a spectacle not to be missed live.

There is a party on in Sheffield next weekend and Rockfiend will be there to watch the fun. Zhany & Steve, the good folks behind the ’Rockin’ the Bowl Festival’ in previous years, are going indoors at a new venue for one final fling before stepping back. The Forge is handily-placed near a tram stop and is a fully-covered venue with room for 1,000 rockers and plenty seating inside and out plus bars, toasties and other food options. Sound good? Doors open at 12 and the action gets underway at 12:30 with a special set from Adam & the Hellcats. The guys and girls in the Hellcats are a fun, party band that rock hard with a bit of glam. You can’t be sure how exactly how many will be in the band but there’s usually a keytar, and for this performance, they will be joined by Paul Quinn out of Saxon and Jackie Chambers out of Syteria / Girlschool. Now that’s how you start a festival. The next attraction to make sure folks want to get in early is Viking pagan metal band LN, who seem to have played at most of this summer’s festivals and have been getting great reviews. After that, it’s Brighton rockers The Rattlebacks and we’re not even at 3 o’clock yet. The afternoon belongs to UK rock scene stalwarts JOANovARC and Juliet’s Not Dead, before Swiss high-energy rockers Dobermann take us up to dinner-time with a bit of glam & sleaze. They are on tour and highly anticipated in Scotland where they’re playing Bannerman’s and Kinross after the Sheffield show. Black-clad alt-rockers Black Lakes will be followed by the top-of-the-bill, which will be a riot of colour, glam, sex-appeal and good melodic rock sounds, starting with Welsh chanteuse Chez Kane and her band smashing the best tunes from the lady’s top-notch albums. The festival will come to an end with the finest purveyors of Scandi-melodic rock H.e.a.t. who are guaranteed to bring the house down. We don’t get to see them as often as we should, so this will be one to enjoy.  As well as the bar and toasties, there will other vendors with vinyl and pre-loved t-shirts, prize karaoke and a hot food order & collection service. The Friday night party is sold out but you can still get tickets for the Saturday if you’re quick. See you there?

So you've had the new Beartooth album, pure ecstacy for a week and a half now.. thoughts? So let me tell you, I've been following Ohio metalcore band Beartooth for a number of years now, caught them headlining the barras in March 2023 and I am highly anticipating their gig supported by Silverstein and Kingdom of Giants at that very same venue in October. Pure Ecstacy is Beartooths sixth studio album, and the first since lead singer Caleb Shomo came out in May of this year, which has been met with mixed emotions from fans and critics alike. The album is absolutely a journey for Caleb and that's clearly evident with the emotion and energy exuded through every track. Every one of the 11 songs tells a story and carries you through the recent struggles that Caleb has faced in his personal life. Most of these tracks are bangers and none should be skipped over by the listener to get the full effect but I will try and pick a couple of favourites and let you make up your own mind. The album starts with title track, Pure ecstacy. Starting with heavy rifts and heavier lyrics about setting oneself free despite warring with your own self. Just filled with excellent beats, soulful vocals and powerful imagery, you'd struggle not to sing along. Track 3, bullshit, is another strong favourite with abit of an electronic vibe, lyrics filled with attitude and just another banger that you can't help nodding your head along to, and the breakdown at 2:30 is *chefs kiss* Song 9 on the album, You, is another heavy hitter for me. I love those heavy riffs and again, just lyrics filled with so much emotion.. I truly believe that you need to listen to the full album to get the whole experience, preferably loudly. Overall, music should be an expression and as much as it's for us the listener, we're in a privileged position of getting to experience those feelings from the point of view of the writer.  This album is another triumph for Beartooth, self confessed vibrant and visceral and I'll be listening constantly right up to October's Glasgow gig.

Triosphere was a familiar name that grabbed my attention on the Frontiers release list at the end of August. I hadn’t heard the Norwegian band’s name for several years but I immediately fondly recalled seeing them play in Glasgow a few years ago. Whilst I definitely remembered their performance, I couldn’t remember who they were supporting. When I looked it up, it was a March 2011 gig at The Garage headlined by Sonata Arctica, with Labyrinth also on the bill, but it was definitely Triosphere that made the biggest impression on me. I’m still not sure where they’ve been since their last album in 2014, but their 4th album ‘Oceans Above, Stars Below’ is a cracker and I really enjoyed it. Musically, they hit hard in the sweet spot between classic hard rock and power metal with some prog-lite twists thrown in. After a short instrumental opener, ‘Of Tyrants’ is a powerful blast of power metal but without any excesses or high-pitched histrionics. Singing bass-player Ida Haukland exerts power and control throughout an epic and melodic song that ebbs and flows and features a typically restrained guitar solo picked out by the original member Marius Bergesen on guitar. The title track mixes melody with hard-hitting riffs and drumming and absolutely soars on the chorus. One of my favourites is ‘Shorelines’ which sounds authentically 1980s hard rock and hits the spot musically and vocally. ‘Embers’ barrels along at quite a rate, while ‘Cadence of Chaos’ at nearly six minutes is probably the most prog metal one and moves through the gears nicely.  Overall, the album is hard-hitting but slips in subtleties and melodies at every turn and the vocals were very much to my taste. I highly recommend it. It’s good to have them back and I think I will enjoy slipping back into their earlier work too

Released 18th September 2026 via Silver Lining Music

Released October 2nd, 2026

OUT NOW VIA FRONTIERS MUSIC SRL

Out on December 4th via Frontiers Music Srl

Raw, Primal , and Relentless

To be released 2027 via Fronteirs Music Srl

Review and photos - Jai Dee

Originally prompted by a ticket alert that Steve Earle would be playing in Glasgow, I was intrigued to discover that this would be as part of The Waterboys’ ‘Fisherman’s Blues Revue’ and also at the OVO Hydro (an arena and quite a step-up in size from both acts’ normal touring venues). Given that it was the ‘Fisherman’s Blues’ album which had first got me into The Waterboys’ music when it was released, attendance wasn’t even a question for me and a ticket was duly bought. By 1988 The Waterboys had already released three albums before ‘Fisherman’s Blues’, they had enjoyed some chart success and “Whole of the Moon” had become a staple in many a student union around the country. With its more traditional Celtic folk feel, ‘Fisherman’s Blues’ was different, grabbed my attention and has never let go. It simply didn’t sound like any other music around at that time … although some Celtic folk influences could also be heard in Steve Earle’s ‘Copperhead Road’ album released in the same year. As an album, ‘Fisherman’s Blues’ also provided the hook to make me go back to The Waterboys’ earlier albums, to discover what I had missed and to follow them since. The recording sessions for ‘Fisherman’s Blues’ are now legendary. Spanning a number of sessions recorded in different locations over two years this was an incredibly fertile period for The Waterboys. In addition to creating the original album these sessions have subsequently led to the release of – ‘Too Close To Heaven’ (a follow-up collection of songs from the sessions); a remastered Collector’s Edition of ‘Fisherman’s Blues’ (including an additional CD of previously unreleased songs); ‘Fisherman’s Box’ (a 6 CD collection of unreleased songs and alternate takes); the recent ‘Atlantic Rain’ (3 CD collection of unreleased songs); the ‘Strange Boat’ EP (5 additional unreleased songs due to be released later in September, but also available to buy on this tour); and the ‘Magnificent Seven’ (a 7 CD collection of unreleased and live songs recorded during this period and the recording of their next album ‘Room to Roam’. Rarely can the recording of one album have led to such a creative outpouring and surge, and provided such a rich musical legacy. Given the wealth of material recorded, it was not known how much of this might be played during the ‘Fisherman’s Blues Revue’ and how and where Steve Earle might fit in. Glasgow, as the opening night of the tour, provided the first chance to find out. As such, I approached the gig with much anticipation or in the words of the late Tim Curry who sadly died recently, “antici …….. pation”. Touring without a support act, tonight was to take the form of The Waterboys playing two sets. Yes, please. Opening with “Don’t Bang the Drum” and also playing the beautiful “How Long Will I Love You” and classic “Whole of the Moon” within the first five (yes, five) songs, it was clear that this was going to be a special night with such big songs played early. Throw in “Glastonbury Song” and “A Girl Called Johnny” between these and you could make that very special. Dispensing with formalities, Mike Scott (on vocals, guitar and piano) had introduced the band early on - James Hallawell (piano and backing vocals), ‘Brother’ Paul Brown (Hammond organ, keyboards and backing vocals from Memphis, now Nashville-based), Aongus Ralston (bass and backing vocals, from Ireland), Eamon Ferris (drums, also from Ireland), Roar Øien (pedal steel guitar, from Norway) – who all matched the energy and passion of the songs, none more so than ‘Brother’ Paul Brown. When he was not energetically playing his distinctive Hammond organ with Yamaha keyboard tied on top, he was wielding a large white keytar (or “white thing” as described by Mike) and darting around the stage swinging and soloing with his pre-programmed synthesiser recreating an electric guitar and making sounds to put many a guitarist to shame.  Having started so strongly and played their biggest hit so early, the question could have been how to follow that. Not a problem. From off stage came the wonderful and so familiar sound of Steve Wickham’s fiddle, as the former Waterboy played the unmistakable intro of “We Will Not be Lovers” while slowly walking on stage to join the band and lead them in song, as the audience roared and welcomed him back into the fold. The richness of the band’s sound only increased with Steve’s contribution and this was followed with “Medicine Bow” and “The Raggle Taggle Gypsy” (a song title which could have been made up to describe Mike Scott and his fellow musicians perfectly had it not been a traditional folk song) during both of which ‘Brother’ Paul and Steve musically fenced with their fiddle and keytar and whirled around the stage. Taking things down a little, their cover of Van Morrison’s “Sweet Thing” was up next – at the risk of heresy, for me, one of the few covers which is better than the original, then the melancholic “Strange Boat”, before bringing the first set to a close with “Dunford Fancy” and “The Stolen Child”. If I’m honest, I’m not a fan of bigger gigs and arenas. Sitting in the circles, the sound can sometimes be touch and go, and you can feel more like a spectator watching a gig rather than being part of it; The Waterboys’ music is very difficult to stay still to, and I’d wanted to be part of the gig, so had deliberately bought a standing ticket. I found myself down the front only 3-4 rows from the stage for most of the first set, but then moved to the side when the heat built up and where a number of fans had deliberately moved, so they could kick their shoes off, dance freely and get lost in the wonder of The Waterboys’ music, before I settled on the rear of the floor area for the second set. In all of these areas, Mike’s vocals were really clear and the band sounded great. After a short break, it was time for the second set. The band, including Steve Wickham, return to the stage, this time also with Steve Earle who volunteers that “The Waterboys are one of only three bands I ever wanted to be in”. Things start as I had expected they might – Steve puts on his mandolin and the band kick into a wonderful version of “Copperhead Road”. The last time I saw Steve play live was a solo acoustic gig at the Queens Hall in Edinburgh and here he was playing an arena as part of The Waterboys and couldn’t have sounded happier. But, here’s where things change and were completely unexpected. Mike Scott takes a break for a few songs and The Waterboys become the house band and back Steve on a number of his own songs - “Guitar Town”, “My Old Friend the Blues”, “I Ain’t Ever Satisfied” and his latest single “Volver A Celaya” before which he movingly talks about the problems in his country, and friends who he has worked with who have lived and worked in the States for many years and built lives there, but who might now originally be thought of as “illegal” and could face being forced to leave the country. Mike returns to the stage and the band launches into an unexpected and great cover of the Stones’ “Dead Flowers”, before Steve Earle leaves The Waterboys to close the set with a run of the urgent “When Will We Be Married?”, “When Ye Go Away”, “Has Anybody Here Seen Hank?” “Come Back to Galway” and “A Bang on the Ear”. It’s all back on stage for the encores – the always-uplifting “Galway Girl”, the untamed wild singalong beauty of “Fisherman’s Blues”, “Further Up, Further In” and “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?”. Wow. Just wow. While we could grumble and the gig might have lacked some of the deeper cuts from the ‘Fisherman’s Blues’ sessions which we might have hoped to hear live, this was a stunning and magical night of music which I’m still processing. The faces may have changed, but Mike Scott has surrounded himself with a group of excellent international musicians each one of which is a master of their instrument(s). It would be wrong to single out any one musician. Individually and collectively, the quality of the music was captivating. The Waterboys have written some timeless songs and layered on top of this is a high level of musicality and ability. When playing together they only inspire each on to greater musical heights and the addition of Steve Wickham and then Steve Earle tonight only elevated this to greater heights. The Waterboys took a couple of risks tonight. They booked an arena – could they fill it? While it wasn’t sold out, it was pretty full. Would a revue format and without a support act work? Absolutely, and you need to do this again - ten songs from Fisherman’s Blues, big older songs and fan favourites played early, Steve Wickham back on the fiddle, Steve Earle playing as an honorary Waterboy and being backed by them – with some of the best musicianship you are ever likely to hear on one stage. Does live music get any better than this? I don’t think it does. If you get a chance, get out and catch the revue while it’s still playing. Fisherman’s Blues Revue: upcoming tour dates – 3 September – Valencia, Roig Arena 5 September - Dublin, 3Arena 7 September – Oslo, Spektrum 8 September – Stockholm, Filadelfia Convention Center 10 September – Amsterdam, Afas Live 11 September – Antwerp, Olt Rivierenhof 12 September – London. O2 GMcA Phone photos by GMcA

NEW ALBUM THE ALLFATHER AWAKENS DUE 2ND OCTOBER

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Bad Wolves Will Donate Proceeds From “Jolene” releasing 31 st August, to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Her Honour

The book has taken over two years to compile with the band’s involvement and features hundreds of rare and unseen pictures from the group’s incredible history across more 670 full colour pages.

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