by Seamus Fitzpatrick Steve Morse has always written like a craftsman who sees the guitar as a vehicle for speed, tone, and expression. Triangulation, his first Steve Morse Band album since 2009, arrives as a clear reaffirmation of what made his voice so distinct across the Dixie Dregs, SMB, Deep Purple, and Flying Colors: a … Read more
by Semus Fitzpatrick The Pretty Reckless return after four years with “For I Am Death,” a three-and-a-half-minute adventure in modern hard-rock architecture. It’s a track that understands pacing, texture, and voltage. This song reminds us how much power exists between great songwriting and commanding singing. A dry, biting guitar riff opens the piece, its midrange … Read more
by Seamus Fitzpatrick Wolfgang Van Halen has made a career out of proving he is a unique force in the rock genre. With “The End,” his latest single under the Mammoth WVH banner, he again walks that tightrope with commanding presence. The track delivers an adrenaline-shot of hard rock, but what makes it stand out … Read more
by Seamus Fitzpatrick When The Struts first unleashed “Could Have Been Me” in 2013, it was a glam-rock hit with its brash, defiant, and catchy sound. It was big enough to crack the U.S. charts. Now, twelve years later, the band has doubled down on its anthem of empowerment by re-recording it with Queen’s Brian … Read more
by Seamus Fitzpatrick Return to Dust’s latest EP, Speak Like the Dead (Republic/LAVA), is a concise and deeply considered statement. Across six tracks, the band leans into muscular rhythm section interplay, evolving vocal textures, and guitar work that balances warmth, grit, and melodic textures. Produced by Jim Kaufman, the record highlights a young band thinking … Read more
by Seamus Fitzpatrick Incite’s Savage New Times arrives from a veteran thrash metal act carved out of two decades of endurance, setbacks, and sheer stubborn energy. Where earlier albums leaned on immediacy, this record has the sound that comes from the culmination of lessons absorbed on the road. The ten songs have a narrative forged … Read more
by Eliana Fermi To me, YUNGBLUD was light on definition, and he was loud without clarity, emotional without restraint, and his earlier music always felt like an aesthetic more than an idea. Most of what I heard was a collage of noise and eyeliner with no real shape. So when the singles for Idols started … Read more
by Eliana Fermi “POPSICLE” is Lilith Czar’s first independent release is a seething, genre-scorching exorcism of misogyny wrapped in industrial-tinged rock and weaponized electro-pop. It’s a scream from the edge of pop’s plastic fantasies, the kind where a woman is told to ride a frozen treat in a bikini to sell records. Czar answers by … Read more
By Seamus Fitzpatrick The sophomore album A2Z² from hard rock/prog-metal collective A-Z, released June 6, 2025, via Metal Blade Records, arrives with critical fanfare and deservedly so. Built around the core of Ray Alder (vocals) and Mark Zonder (drums), veterans of Fates Warning, it’s a record that showcases the band’s command of the genre and … Read more
by Seamus Fitzpatrick Pelican’s Flickering Resonance marks a significant return for the Chicago-based instrumental post-metal pioneers. Known for their richly layered guitar work and cinematic sonic arcs, Pelican reemerges with their first full-length studio album in six years. This album also marks the reunion of their original lineup. Guitarists Trevor de Brauw and Laurent Schroeder-Lebec trade … Read more