One Louder Magazine… RESURRECTED
Introduction
Concert Calendar
Album of the Week
Honorable Mentions
Missed The Cut
Addendum
On The List
Looking Forward To
Fine Print
Thursday greetings, loyal readers!
I’d like to start by discussing abs. Nope, not abdominal muscles. Rather, Anything. But. Sports. Those ABS! Huzzah! We’ll start with a concert calendar, then take a look at the latest music releases.
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Concert calendar:
There are a slew of upcoming great shows in and around the Seattle area. Let’s take a look!
February 25th – All Them Witches and King Buffalo – ShowBox SODO – SOLD OUT! – I already got tickets and can’t wait to see this show with my bro, Brian! The show is sold out, but there is at least one – and possibly two – more tickets available through me and/or Brian. My “date” is supposed to get surgery, and it may or may not happen next week. If he’s out for the show (and I hope he’s not!), then we’ll likely have two.
March 8th – Four Stroke Baron w/NOTT – Substation – I have not gotten tickets yet, but could be talked into it. Four Stroke Baron is a band that I raved about in the past. Regarding 2021’s Classics: “Not typically a fan of bands / albums on the Prosthetic Records label, but this is a HIT! Fucking love it! They kinda have this prog rock meets prog metal meets new wave sound… and it totally works! This is sweet!” Furthermore, NOTT is playing as direct support. The duo features my bro (and Mackoid), Tyler, on guitar/bass and vocals. He may have left Mackie – congrats on the new gig! – but he will always be a Mackoid!
March 28th – Howling Giant – The Funhouse – Ticket procured. My buddy Chris and I are headed to this gig at The Funhouse… on a Saturday night, no less! Howling Giant’s last release – 2025’s Crucible & Ruin – was my AOTW for Halloween. Why don’t you grab a ticket and join us for this Saturday night rager?!
April 15th – Slomosa – Tractor Tavern – SOLD OUT ! – Farts. Had this show marked on the ‘ol calendar, and it sold out before I could get tickets. It was my AOTW for September 13th, 2024. Check out my review of their latest release – 2024’s Tundra Rock: “The guitar tone and riffs are worth the price of admission alone. Fat, beefy desert rock riffage, stoner rock at its finest. This is a tasty release!
From amazon: “Their riff-driven music, heavily inspired by the Palm Desert rock scene, showcased a sound that had been hibernating in modern rock and immediately raised eyebrows everywhere. Growing up as fans of grunge, desert rock, and skate punk, the band merges the pop sides of modern rock with heavy desert rock, naming their music Tundra Rock – a reflection of the cold winter landscapes they grew up around.””
April 21st – Cory Wong – Paramount Theatre – Did not get tickets and likely won’t… unless someone talks me into it. Dude is just an insanely talented musician/guitarist. His stuff is (mostly) all-instrumental, but he runs through a myriad of genres, including funk, jazz, prog, rock, pop, soul, folk, and more. Unfortunately, tix ain’t cheap. Plus, it’s a school night. Booooo.
May 12th – Master Boot Record – El Corazon – I mentioned this show a few weeks back. Their shit is wild. In fact, from their bandcamp page: “I am a 486DX-33MHz-64MB processing avant-garde chiptune, synthesized heavy metal & classical symphonic music. 100% Synthesized, 100% Dehumanized.” Feel free to listen to anything by them, but here’s their latest, 2024’s Hardwarez:
https://masterbootrecord.bandcamp.com/album/hardwarez
August 14th – Men At Work, Toad the Wet Sprocket, and Shonen Knife at Remlinger Farms – Have I not talked about my love of Men At Work? MAW frontman Colin Hay has released a zillion solo albums and toured relentlessly for years, but Men At Work? They were on hiatus from 2006 to 2019. They played a handful of shows in 2019, but then the world stopped. In 2022 and 2024-25, the band hit several markets, but none here that I recall. Now they’ve got a bona fide major tour in 2026, including a stop in Carnation (outside Seattle).
August 15th – Sugar – Paramount Theatre – Musician Bob Mould is one of my heroes! Before he went solo, he was in a rad Minneapolis-based alt-punk band Hüsker Dü. This was in the ’80s. After their dissolution, Bob went solo for a few years before forming the band Sugar, a band that had a short shelf life from 1992-1995. But during that period, I was working security at concerts, catching people coming over the barricade. I got to witness an insane amount of shows, including Sugar at The Moore Theatre, which, no lie… was one of THE best shows I have EVER seen. The show itself was really fun, the crowd was eating it up, but the best part that I have only witnessed once in my entire life: a true encore. The band said their goodbyes, thank yous, took their final bows, and exited stage left. Sadly, I 100% recall them exiting stage right, but I couldn’t let RUSH hang!
Anyway, the house lights and house music come on, and… no one leaves. Not a soul. They just kept screaming and cheering for more. The band was (pleasantly) shocked at such a warm reception, and I have not witnessed anything like that before or since… and I might’ve been to a show or two. Anyway, Sugar is making their triumphant return over three decades later. Here is the set list from the Sugar show I worked way, way back on December 14th, 1994. Amazing.
August 18th – Toto – White River Amphitheatre – I worked with their drummer a while back and might him up for tix… but then again, it’s at White River, which is a total shit show… and the gig is on a school night. I’d likely go if I got tix, but wouldn’t cry if it didn’t happen. If it does happen, who wants to be my +1?
September 5th – Weird Al Yankovic – Washington State Fair (Puyallup) – I worked with Al’s bassist and he SAID he’d hook me up with as many tickets as I want when they’re in town – and it IS a weekend – so I’m almost a 100% shoe-in for this fun show! Anyone else want a ticket? We could scream down the carpool lane to get there!
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Once again, I have reached the conclusion that there is no AOTW. In fact, when I was looking at albums to be released over this past week, I was rather underwhelmed. I have high hopes and low expectations for this next week. As always, I’m looking for those goosebump-type albums, something that I can truly get behind and be happy to share as something amazing. Already mid-February, and there’s been one AOTW all year, and that was last week’s crowned champ: Puscifer – Normal Isn’t. One hit, seven misses.
That said, Jeff Buckley’s Legacy Edition of his 4-song 1993 EP – expanded to 34 tracks – would likely be the winner (except for the **). It was amazing to hear this talented man who died far too young. Long live Jeff Buckley!
😁 BE THE REASON SOMEONE SMILES 😁
Be sure to let me know what you agree / disagree with, etc… always fun to hear your opinions, too. Happy listening… and see you next week!
Cheers,
Troy
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Album(s) of the Week** – February 13th, 2026:
None.
Honorable Mentions (in order by “popularity”*):
2,457,707 – Jeff Buckley – Live At Sin-é [Legacy Edition – 1993] (2 CDs) – The original Live At Sin-é was a 4-track EP released back in 1993. It included two originals and two cover songs. But now we’re treated to a two-and-a-half-hour-plus smorgasboard containing 34 tracks… The in-between song monologues were fantastic insights into the man. Always amazing to hear the inimitable singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley. RIP JB :-(
From Sony Music: “In a cramped club on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, armed with only an electric guitar, Jeff Buckley stunned audiences with his mysterious, emotionally uncompromising live sets, packed with eclectic covers and his own originals.
The four-track Live at Sin-e EP, released in 1993, was his debut release for Columbia Records; Here it is expanded to 34 songs in a deluxe slipcase housing four individually designed LP jackets and an eight-page, full-color booklet of photos and liner notes. The set includes live versions of favorites like “Grace”, “Last Goodbye”, and Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.””
1,924,947 – Jill Scott – To Whom This May Concern – Eleven years is a long time to go between albums, but I welcome back Queen Jill Scott. Her voice is killer, love that smooth, soulful hip-hoppy R&B. Hopefully she’ll return sooner than a decade-plus out.
From Rough Trade Records: “After a decade away from new music, Jill Scott returns with To Whom This May Concern, a soul-stirring body of work rich with texture, rhythm, and emotional truth. Rooted in community, reflection, and sonic exploration, the album weaves melodies, horns, and rhythms into an immersive listening experience that invites audiences to feel deeply, reflect freely, and take exactly what they need.”
237,584 – Converge – Love Is Not Enough – Converge is a band that I like, but don’t love. They deliver crushing hardcore punk anthems in just over half an hour on this release. Fast, punishing, unrelenting, raw. I could do without the growly/screamy vocals, but the rest is kinda cool.
From Deathwish Inc. Records: “For more than three decades, Converge have delivered musical and emotional catharsis, putting purpose before perception and intent before interpretation. Whether it’s their 2001 landmark recording Jane Doe or their 2021 Bloodmoon: I collaboration with Chelsea Wolfe, they have created some of the most compelling music, lyrics, and visual art of the 21st century. During that time, fewer bands have had a greater impact on the underground imagination.
It seems unlikely that anyone who has been making music for this long would create one of their best works for their eleventh album, in their 35th year as a band. And yet: Love is Not Enough might be the apotheosis of Converge’s decades-long journey through the punk, hardcore, and metal microcosm. What vocalist/lyricist Jacob Bannon, guitarist/producer Kurt Ballou, bassist/vocalist Nate Newton, and drummer Ben Koller have created is a strident artistic statement on the turmoil of living that hones their collective strengths to a razor’s edge.
There isn’t an ounce of fat. Every song moves with a power and purpose that eclipses their human origins, that speaks to the anger, pain, and frustration of the modern age. From the opening fusillade of the title track to the closing hurricane of “We Were Never the Same,” Love Is Not Enough is a sonorous balance of vitality and viciousness that reflects the chaos and uncertainty of the times we live in.
“There are always obstacles in the world,” Bannon says. “Personal, professional, economical, whatever. But I feel like we’re in a pressure cooker somewhere on our evolutionary line. It’s a lot just to be a human being in the modern world, trying to function, maintain, grow, have empathy, have compassion. It takes more than it used to, to do all those things.”
The album title itself says everything about the trials of today. “The line ‘Love is not enough’ is something I had kicking around for a while,” Bannon says. “Some of the things I wrote at the time were from a human resilience perspective, an acceptance of the brutality and unforgiving nature of the world. I was reflecting on that in poetic form and set it aside. When we got into the studio, it all fit together.”
Love Is Not Enough features no special guests, no studio trickery, no relentless massaging of human imperfection in trying to manufacture the perfect take. “I think that realism is missing from a lot of modern music of any genre, but especially our genre,” Bannon says. “Things either go super raw and almost chaotic to the point where it’s distracting, or bands take the life out of what they’re doing by editing every aspect. Sometimes the perfect take is the one that has some wildness to it. It’s not perfectly executed. There are a lot of powerful moments on this record and a lot of angry moments. The realism amplifies that.”
Unlike so many albums that adhere to a time-honored sequencing format, cherry-picking favored tracks for the all-important first, second, and final spots, Love Is Not Enough is all about momentum. “It does a thing that no other Converge record does—it keeps ramping up,” Bannon says. “And that’s definitely by design. Internally, we passed around dozens of ideas for sequencing because everyone interprets music differently, and there’s no right way of doing it. When we do that, we always joke that we all have to be equally unhappy. But this is the one that works.”
Love Is Not Enough was recorded and mixed by Kurt Ballou at God City in Salem, Massachusetts, with engineering assistance from Zach Weeks. Jacob Bannon did the artwork and design, creating an image for each song and a commanding cover depicting a celestial witness to a world aflame.
“We still identify this band as the outlet that’s essential to our lives,” Bannon says. “We give everything we have to it. Being past your average middle age, we’re starting to see deeper than before into a variety of places. And I don’t think that’s specific to us. I think that’s something that’s utterly relatable.””
135,973 – The Hellacopters – Cream Of The Crap! – Collected Non-Album Works, Volume 3 – Oh man, I fuckin’ LOVE this band! They kinda sorta sound like if Ace Frehley played guitar for Turbonegro! My only complaint is that it’s not a new album… but rather an album that combines several of the band’s singles, EPs, and songs only found on compilations originally released between 1995-2004. Additionally, the album is packed with a ton of high-energy cover songs. These dudes rule!
From amazon: “Swedish high energy rockers THE HELLACOPTERS have been celebrating their 30th anniversary recently and after releasing something new – the much-lauded “Overdriver” album on January 31, 2025, which reached No. 1 in the Swedish charts for the second time in the group’s career – it is time to offer their dedicated fanbase something truly nostalgic.
“Cream Of The Crap! Collected Non-Album Works • Volume 3” is the long-overdue follow-up in a series of rarities collections started in 2002, combining material from a myriad of singles, EPs, and compilations. The 24 tracks featured in this set have originally been released between 1995 and 2004, and include originals like ‘Disappointment Blues’, ‘Freeway To Hell’, ‘Doggone Your Bad-Luck Soul’, and ‘Long Gone Losers’, as well as many cover versions of songs by Motörhead, Wilson Pickett, MC5, Smokey Robsinson, Alice Cooper, the Ramones, the Nomads, and Adam West – whose singer Jake Starr penned liner notes for this release – and many, many more.
Meticulously compiled by Robert Eriksson, transferred from master tapes and vinyl by Henke Jonsson, and remastered for maximum audio fidelity by Magnus Lindberg, THE HELLACOPTERS proudly present a stunning collection of incredible, high-octane rock’n’roll on this over 75 minutes long double vinyl and CD edition.”
112,896 – The Lone Bellow – What a Time to Be Alive – Absolutely beautiful folk-rock / roots rock, Americana, alt-country band/album. Really nice stuff here!!
From amazon: “With their upcoming sixth studio album, “What A Time To Be Alive”, The Lone Bellow embarks on a bold new chapter while honoring the deep bonds that have defined their journey. Written collaboratively for the first time with their full touring band—founding members Zach Williams, Brian Elmquist, and Kanene Pipkin joined by drummer Julian Dorio and multi-instrumentalist Tyler Geertsma—the album channels the raw, ecstatic energy of the band’s live show into a dynamic collection of songs that pulse with warmth, honesty, and human connection.
Recorded live in Muscle Shoals, AL, after a writing retreat in a converted Kentucky firehouse, the album is both a celebration and a reckoning: of friendship, loss, love, and resilience. From the gritty, Stones-tinged opener “After The Rain” to the soul-stirring closer “What A Time To Be Alive,” the record captures the joy and vulnerability that have long defined The Lone Bellow’s sound—lush harmonies, heartfelt lyrics, and genre-blurring arrangements steeped in folk, rock, and gospel.
The album’s creation was marked by setbacks, including the theft of early recordings, but the outpouring of support from their fanbase reaffirmed what the band has always known: their music is a shared experience. That spirit echoes throughout the album, whether in anthems like “Common Folk” and “I’m Here For You,” or in intimate reflections like “You Were Leaving” and “Night Goes Black.”
Since their acclaimed 2013 debut, The Lone Bellow has appeared on The Tonight Show, Austin City Limits, and The Late Show, topped Americana charts, and headlined storied venues from Carnegie Hall to the Ryman Auditorium. But with their next album, they reaffirm their commitment not just to making music, but to building community—on stage, in song, and around the table.”
101,128 – Demob Happy – The Grown Ups Are Talking – I had never heard them – or heard OF them – prior to this release, but I kinda sorta liked what I heard. They’re a UK-based alt-rock band with unique stylings. I wasn’t blown away by any stretch of the imagination, but it just sounded like a lush album that requires multiple listens. The band is on my radar now!
Fun fact: “Demob-happy” (British, informal) describes feeling relieved, excited, and often careless or restless, due to the imminent end of a stressful, long-term commitment, such as military service or a job. Originating from the 1950s in reference to military discharge, it now applies broadly to finishing any onerous task.”
From the band: “Recorded last year in Joshua Tree, California, at the iconic Rancho De La Luna, over nine heady daze, then produced and mixed by Matthew back home in Newcastle, this marks our first full-length record on our own label, Milk Parlour Records.”
97,345 – Lotus – Rise Of The Anglerfish – Lotus is an all-instrumental funky electronica jam-band… imagine if Phish and Daft Punk wrote an album together (sort of), and that’s the idea. Interestingly, though, on this release, it’s, like, all dance-y EDM tunes. Still quite enjoyable! I’ll continue to keep my eyes on ’em.
From their bandcamp page: “This album explores a dichotomy between light and dark, blending live guitar, bass, drums, and keys with warped samples, modular synths, and electronic beats. The result is a wide array of colors and styles unique to Lotus.”
13,679 – Bill Nelson’s Orchestra Futura – Live at Nelsonica and Clothworkers Hall – What a bad-ass album! It’s all-instrumental free-form psychedelic-jazz, of sorts. This is their debut (a live album, no less), but I hope they release more!
From their bandcamp page: “This is the first ever released recording of this unique trio comprising of:
Bill Nelson (Be Bop Deluxe/Red Noise)
Theo Travis (Soft Machine/Robert Fripp/Steven Wilson)
Dave Sturt (Gong/Jade Warrior).
The trio performed various concerts between 2009 and 2019, often as part of Bill Nelson’s ‘Nelsonica’ conventions. Following years of planning and preparation, this album consists of live recordings made by the trio in 2011, 2012, and 2018 from 3 concerts in Leeds and York.
The music, a broad sound palette from ambient soundscapes to rocky workouts and ethereal mood painting, was improvised over loosely prepared structures, with occasional use of backing tracks produced by Bill Nelson.
The performances demonstrate a clarity of vision and empathy between the players with Nelson’s distinctive guitar tone prevalent throughout, supported by Sturt’s fretless bass and atmospheric Ebow work and Travis’ soaring saxophone and flute lines, also utilising live looping techniques.”
3,147 – James Murray – Solitude and Silence – I got turned onto James when he collaborated with Ian Hawgood and Stijn Hüwels on the 2021 release, ‘Day Falls’. All three artists live under the same dreamy, all-instrumental ambient / soundscape-y / electronic / soundtrack umbrella. Love this kind of stuff!
From his bandcamp page: “Slowcraft presents the second collaboration between composer James Murray, filmmaker Joan Gili Prohens, and artist Chimo Pérez.
Silence and Solitude compiles all the music written exclusively for the art documentary Señor Tío into a single, standalone audio experience.”
1,404 – Oreyeon – The Grotesque Within – Doom/stoner rock meets psychedelic/progressive rock and… good enough to keep my eyes and ears peeled for future releases, but not bowled over with excitement.
From their bandcamp page: ““The Grotesque Within” is what we proudly call our first true self-produced album. Recorded in the winter of 2025 between Outside Inside Studio in Treviso and our own home studio, it marks a raw and uncompromising chapter in our sound. The record weaves a dense narrative inspired by the unsettling atmosphere found in the works of Thomas Ligotti — where reality constantly threatens to unravel, and horror seeps into the everyday. Much like Ligotti’s existential tales, The Grotesque Within doesn’t simply portray darkness — it observes how the absurd and the horrific have become indistinguishable from our modern reality.
Each track is a confrontation — with the bizarre, the dissonant, and the disturbingly familiar. This is not just an album. It’s a descent into the uncanny that already surrounds us.”
374 – Jackie Fabulous – You Can Leave – Decent stand-up! There were a couple of lulls, but overall very enjoyable and funny… gonna keep my eyes and ears on this lovely Jackie Fabulous!
270 – SUBMASQ – Oedipus EP – SUBMASQ is an Israeli prog-metal band, and here they play three cover songs… all about Joe Mama! That’s right, this all-covers EP includes Danzig’s ‘Mother’, Rammstein’s ‘Mutter’, and Genesis’ ‘Mama’. Really interesting, unique takes on these classic songs about mom. I hadn’t been aware of SUBMASQ (formerly Subterranean Masquerade) before this release, but I am looking forward to hearing more!
From Earsplit PR: “After 25 years of musical exploration and boundary-pushing creativity, long-running Israeli progressive/alt metal outfit Subterranean Masquerade begins a bold new chapter, having officially changed its name to SUBMASQ. By shortening its name to SUBMASQ, the band marks an evolution that reflects both its legacy and its future.
While SUBMASQ continues to complete their impending new album – the follow-up to their acclaimed Mountain Fever LP, released in 2021 via The Lasers Edge Group’s metal label Sensory Records – this week the band unveils their first release with the truncated moniker: A new cover EP titled Oedipus. The EP features three reimagined songs, all revolving around the shared theme of mothers, including Danzig’s “Mother,” Rammstein’s “Mutter,” and Genesis’ “Mama.” Produced and rearranged by SUBMASQ, Oedipus was mixed and mastered by Arie Aranovich.
Speaking about the release, the band explains, “We love making covers. We wanted to make something special for our followers just before the official new album arrives. We know it takes time, but we want to do it right—so in the meantime, this EP, all rocking and rolling, is for you.”
Reflecting on the name change and the road ahead, the band’s founder, Tomer Pink, adds, “I’ve been doing Subterranean Masquerade since I was a teenager. Today – twenty-five years after, a father to two kids – it’s time to move forward to something more exciting and fitting for who we are today. I’m thrilled to share new music with you guys. This is going to be legendary.””
0 – Various Artists – Iron Man’s Anthem: A Tribute To Ozzy (2 CDs) – On this compilation, a bunch of bands that I’ve never heard of play two CDs worth of Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne songs. As with most compilations featuring various artists, it’s a mixed bag. There are some pretty amazing covers, then there are others that shouldn’t have seen the light of day. In the end, though, this comp just reaffirmed my love for Ozzy and Sabs. I know these songs through and through, so hearing them – even if by different artists – is almost always welcome. Plus, I love that all bands came forward on their own accord. All voluntary! Long live Black Sabbath, long live Ozzy Osbourne!
From the bandcamp page: “This release brings together 22 bands paying tribute to the music of Ozzy Osbourne – songs that shaped heavy music and influenced generations of artists across doom, stoner, heavy, and classic metal scenes.
Each band offers its own interpretation of these iconic tracks, recorded specifically for this compilation. This is not a commercial project – all participants contributed voluntarily to honor the legacy and impact of the music.”
Missed the Cut (in order by “popularity”*):
6,704,099 – Charli XCX – Wuthering Heights [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] – Color me (a little) surprised! On previous releases, Charlotte Emma Aitchison (aka Charli XCX) leaned heavily on the side of pop meets electronic. Most of her releases really ain’t really my thang, but this was pretty good. That said, it IS a movie soundtrack, so perhaps she reeled it back in. She has a great voice, and the tunes are more “mesmerizing” and enjoyable. However, while I may enjoy the movie, I don’t envision myself reaching for this soundtrack again.
948,944 – JP Cooper – Just A Few Folk – JP is a singer-songwriter in the vein of, say, Gavin DeGraw and James ‘You’re Beautiful’ Blunt. Easy to hear why he’s so popular, but this is not an album I cared for.
396,892 – Gogol Bordello – We Mean It, Man! – Gogol Bordello is a bad-ass band – kind of a gypsy-punk / klezmer / cabaret-type mash-up. Super-cool – and probably incredible live – but I just don’t think I’d jam it again.
270,784 – hemlocke springs – the apple tree under the sea – hemlocke springs is the stage name for singer-songwriter Isimeme “Naomi” Udu. This album is packed with forgettable dance-style synth-pop.
112,337 – CRIMEAPPLE, Evidence – War Cash – Been listening to – and loving – hip-hopper CRIMEAPPLE for a couple of years now. I really dig his style, but think this was a miss. Here he collaborates with rapper/producer Evidence, who is one-third of hip-hop group, Dilated Peoples. What a bummer of an album. Underwhelming. At least it’s only 23:20. I’ll reach for older albums, not this.
79,814 – Angel Du$t – Cold 2 The Touch – WTF did I just listen to…? It’s like this “poppy” alternative rock meets melodic hardcore punk horse shit. Awful. At least it was <30 mins, so I didn’t suffer for too long.
56,725 – Mariachi El Bronx – Mariachi El Bronx IV – Mariachi El Bronx is California-based punk band, The Bronx, playing brass-centric Mariachi music on the side “for fun”. I dig the idea, and I dig The Bronx, but this album is… I dunno. Not my thing, I guess. This is MEB’s first release in 11 years.
33,508 – Worm – Necropalace – Self-appointed master of “Necromantic black doom” blends – as you could probably guess – black metal, doom metal, and, why not throw in a little death metal to complete the trilogy. Needless to say, this ~62-minute album did not whet my appetite for more. The final track of the album, ‘Witchmoon’, features ex-Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman!
19,932 – Space Of Variations – Poisoned Art – Space Of Variations sounds like a solid name for a rad psychedelic stoner rock band. This SOV is nothing like that, unfortunately. Rather, this Ukrainian band blends electronics into their brand of metalcore. Needless to say, I cannot stand this kind of shit. Pass.
15,355 – Cardinals – Masquerade – Cardinals are an Irish indie rock band, and this is their debut. A little over half an hour, and it kinda came and went, leaving little to no impression. A bit underwhelming, really.
14,445 – Alberto Rigoni, Michael Manring, & Stuart Hamm – Dystopia – So this bassist – Alberto Rigoni – releases an all-instrumental album with special guests. There are some cool moments here and there – and the bass players are no joke (plus Primus’ Tim “Herb” Alexander on drums) – but I just don’t envision myself reaching for this again.
11,692 – Howling Bells – Strange Life – Howling Bells is an indie rock band outta Australia. The album is only a couple of minutes over half an hour, but it felt like an eternity. It’s not a bad album, per se, but it’s not one that fits in my world, unfortunately. Gotta pass.
9,500 – Earth Tongue – Dungeon Vision – Earth Tongue is a Berlin-by-way-of-New Zealand fuzzy psychedelic rock duo (guitars, drums, both sing). They have several accolades, but I am just not getting into it. I do not care for the music or vocals. Pass.
7,653 – PONY – Clearly Cursed – PONY is a female-fronted Toronto-based power pop act. Ya know, I didn’t mind it. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I loved it or anything, but it is kinda fun. That said, I probably won’t reach for it again…
6,740 – Hoaxed – Death Knocks – I enjoyed this PNW “dark rock” duo’s 2022 release – ‘Two Shadows’ – but now as a trio, I’m not as into it. It’s still a decent album, and I like their voices, but it doesn’t command my attention like their previous release did, unfortunately.
4,889 – Slaughterday – Dread Emperor – German death metal band. A few solid riffs here and there, but as a whole it’s a pass.
4,029 – Ponte Del Diavolo – De Venom Natura – Black metal melds with occult rock on this album, then they throw in just a pinch of progginess – something they call “blackened post-punk”. It’s… interesting. But “interesting” doesn’t lead me to wanting to hear the album again, unfortunately.
2,578 – Twisted Teens – Blame the Clown – NOLA-based punk-country duo. It’s actually not as horrible as it sounds – and is kinda fun in parts – but as a whole? Yeah, it’s a pass.
177 – Blazoner – Sonic Chambers EP – I love the sweet-ass album cover, but that’s where the love ends. It’s a hard rock band playing an all-covers EP. The tunes include ‘Jumping Jack Flash’ (Rolling Stones), ‘I’m In Love With My Car’ (Queen), ‘In The Beginning’ (The Moody Blues), ‘Copache’ (Melvins), and ‘Travellin’ In The Dark’ (Mountain). I’m not sure I care about the cover songs they chose, nor do I care for their remakes. Got sucked in due to the album cover.
119 – Belvedere Kane – Such Trying Times – Belvedere Kane is the stage name for producer Barry Stone. This album was wildly outside my normal purview. If I was into dance-y discoteque / club (i.e., meat market) tunes, then this would likely be right up my alley. I’m not, and it wasn’t.
21 – Witches Coven – Soul Reaper – Hey, another contender for worst release of the year! They’re a doom metal band that sounds like they got their first instruments and recording gear. This is their sophomore release, and I’m glad I missed the debut. If this is the follow-up, yeesh! Pass on drums sounding like garbage cans…
4 – Borrower – Killerdemons – Borrower is an Italian prog metal band that has been compared to the likes of – and I quote – “Queensrÿche, Fates Warning, Motorhead and early Dream Theater”. Uh, no. They’re heavy metal meets prog metal, but they sound nothing like the aforementioned bands IMO. I did not care for this album, the band’s debut.
Addendum (in order by “popularity”*) – Albums that were released earlier in the year (or previous years) that I missed, but are worth mentioning, anyhow:
18,200 – The Lowest Pair – Always As Young As We’ll Ever Be – [January 23rd, 2026] – TLP is a rustic indie folk duo from Olympia, WA! I also get just a pinch of some bluegrass vibes, too. This was an enjoyable album with dual male-female vocals that blend together nicely. Bonus points for being from the great PNW. Will keep my eyes and ears peeled for additional releases.
From the band: “This collection of twelve songs loosely reflects on our experiences over the last decade, a time that represents the growth, self-discovery, uncertainty, and sense of possibility that shaped who we are as people and musicians today.
We’re thankful to have made this record with friends and band members Terry Schram (drums) and Joseph Kaiser Herrmann (bass), giving us the opportunity to explore genres that don’t typically feature the banjo. We had a blast creating these songs together and are proud to share them with you.
A huge thank you to Candyland Recording Studio, our engineer John Hoffman, and Mike Montgomery for mixing and mastering this album for us.”
2,772 – Pullman – III – [January 9th, 2026] – I think I liked the idea behind Pullman over the music, unfortunately. Basically they consider themselves folk rock meets post-rock in this experimental foray into all-instrumental ambient acoustic tunes. I dig the story behind the album (see ahead), but not so much the album itself.
From their bandcamp page: “Pullman is a studio-born acoustic supergroup that emerged from Chicago’s post-rock milieu in the late ’90s, uniting Ken “Bundy K.” Brown (Tortoise/Directions in Music), Curtis Harvey (Rex), Chris Brokaw (Come), and Doug McCombs (Tortoise/Eleventh Dream Day); drummer Tim Barnes later joined, solidifying the group’s core lineup. They debuted on Thrill Jockey with Turnstyles & Junkpiles (1998), a hushed, live-to-2-track collection of interwoven guitars that critics likened to John Fahey, Leo Kottke, and Gastr del Sol. Their follow-up, Viewfinder (2001), expanded the palette with percussion, subtle electric textures, and multi-track layering, while maintaining Pullman’s rustic, cinematic restraint. Across both albums, the band became a touchstone for acoustic, song-adjacent instrumental music: folk in spirit, post-rock in method, and timeless in tone.
Two decades later, Pullman return with III, an album forged in friendship and resilience. In 2021, Barnes went public with his diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s at age 54. Even as his condition progressed, he and Brown began working almost daily, often remotely, with a wide circle of collaborators from Barnes’s musical past. What began as a single contribution for a compilation gradually blossomed into a full Pullman record, completed between 2021 and 2023. Edited and mixed by Brown, with early input from Barnes, III carries forward the group’s signature intimacy and space while embodying the spirit of community that has always defined their work. Both a continuation of Pullman’s singular aesthetic and a testament to the sustaining power of music, III drifts with the quiet weight of memory, persistence, and grace.”
1,617 – Fernando Perdomo – Clouds – [January 1st, 2026] – I can’t get enough of Fernando, and that’s a good thing since dude is incredibly prolific. He released an album every month in 2025 called the “Wave” series. Now we’re onto 2026 and the “Clouds” series. As usual, it’s packed with tasty all-instrumental guitar shred… that’s mellow. Diggin’!
1,617 – Fernando Perdomo – Clouds 2 – [February 1st, 2026] – ^^^See above.
On the List (in order by “popularity”*) – Albums that I didn’t get to (yet) for one reason or another. Will (hopefully) get to them at a later date:
Only listing ones that made me take notice, not everything…
None.
Looking forward to (in order by “popularity”*) – These albums will be released this week and should be in next week’s AOTW newsletter:
921,008 – New Found Glory – Listen Up!
170,349 – Sylosis – The New Flesh
152,832 – The Enemy – Social Disguises
52,991 – Belzebong – The End Is High
44,162 – Michael Monroe – Outerstellar
4,344 – Borracho – Eternos EP
2,990 – Suplecs – Hymns Under a Blood Moon Sky
1,793 – Rollerball – Beneath The Desert Floor – Chapter 9: Rollerball – Submarine
427 – The Ant Band – From Genesis To Reimagination
425 – d’Voxx – ‘HERZOG: A Retrospective (DiN95)
…and several others. Some that I am looking forward to and others not so much.
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Small print that’s normal size print:
*These albums are listed in order by “popularity”. Wait, what? How? By no means is it a measured calculation. They’re listed in order by number of ‘followers’ on Spotify. While it is listed by Spotify ‘followers’, the order would (most likely) be similar if looking at the number of ‘likes and/or followers’ on each band’s social media pages. Speaking of “popularity”, there is a bolded red number. This number (more or less) represents the number of Spotify ‘followers’ at the time of review.
**Album of the Week. No promises, but I will do my best to NOT include Greatest Hits, Best Of, Live releases, re-releases, etc. Even if these “new” releases include a ton of bonus goodies, multiple unreleased tracks, demo versions, etc, I’ll still (try to) hold off.
All albums are listened to IN FULL unless stated otherwise.
Some artists are quite controversial. My goal is to review the album on its own merits, not based on the history, beliefs (political or otherwise), police records, and/or anything else that could be considered “unsavory” of the artist(s).
(Almost) all albums are hyperlinked. I link in order by Bandcamp first, YouTube next, then Spotify last. This is so you can check out (AND PURCHASE) the album, if interested. I do and hope you do, as well!
Do you have any friends or family who might be interested in this weekly blog? If so, send ’em this way!
Until next week…
Cheers,
Troy
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