One Louder Magazine… RESURRECTED!

One Louder Magazine… RESURRECTED

Introduction
Album of the Week
Honorable Mentions
Missed The Cut
Addendum
On The List
Looking Forward To
Fine Print
About One Louder Magazine

Hey gang,

I literally just fired off the latest mailer a few minutes ago, and I’m already teeing up the next one. Thursday nights at 9:00 (midnight EST) are one of my favorite moments of the week — that’s when new albums are released. I like it because it’s almost like a little cleansing ritual: out with the old, in with the new. Or perhaps that’s just me.

While I’m building the list every Thursday night, I usually have the independent news on in the background (because, honestly, corporate media blows chunks). Side note: Hit me up if you’re fed up with profit-driven media conglomerates and are looking for alternative solutions.

Anyway, I had one of those moments tonight where I just sat there thinking, “Wow… I’m a fucking asshole.”

There are young people — basically kids — who will (quite likely) get drafted. The worldwide death toll is already in the thousands, a lot more people are injured, and entire populations are being displaced. And there I was whining about having to commute to the office. “Wow… I’m a fucking asshole.”

Between the war — or regime change — or “excursion” (lol, what an idiot!)— and a job market that’s pretty rough right now, the truth is I’m lucky as hell. I’ve got a job, health care, a roof over my head, transportation, and a loving, supportive family. The list goes on.

Don’t get me wrong — we talk about how fortunate we are all the time.

Still, I feel as if I owe you an apology for complaining about the commute earlier tonight… or technically last week by the time you read this.

The real issue is this: ever since I became a tech writer (which was a lifetime ago), I’ve basically worked like a lone wolf. Doesn’t matter where I am located — the office, my home office, or one of the nine eight planets — I throw on the headphones, put the horse blinders on, and start grinding. I barely talk to anyone.

In fact, our acoustic engineer works out of the Victoria office, and our new PM lives in Toronto.

So yeah… it feels pretty damn stupid that I have to be physically in the office when the people I actually work with don’t even live in the same country — let alone BotHELL.

Anyway, apologies for complaining out loud, and thank you for listening.

Addendum: Holy moly! Many of you wrote, with all but one of you agreeing with the plight of remote work versus in-office work. The one outlier (who works remotely full time) said that he wished that he could go into an office more (or at all – HQ is located in Boston, so that’s out except for the occasional trip).

There was another suggestion of (paraphrased), “you are a skilled worker, and that gig could translate into another job elsewhere.” Sounds good, but (1) I feel like I’m on the “other side” of my career, and closer to retirement than I am not. I feel like a new gig, new people, etc., is just not in the cards for me. Also, (2) ever since I was a wee lad, all I’ve wanted to do was to be able to pay my bills by working in the music industry… and I am! Barely, but I am, ha! Lastly, (3) I actually like my job! It combines my love of music and writing, plus, I have – at least I think I have – a distinctive “voice”. Manuals and documentation at other companies are so f’n dry <yawwwwwwwwn>. I use my own voice, add Easter Eggs, and get to be creative. Oh wait, a fourth one, (4) the aforementioned shitty job market. It is brutal out there right now. Not that I personally know, but based on what I hear/see on the snooze (aka “news”).

Long story short – (1) I appreciate you taking the time to write, and (2) I apologize for crying when there are so many other people out there who are in significantly worse positions than I am.

Oh, and I also complained last week about the shitty weather that we’ve been having; don’t worry, it’s still here, pissing out, miserable… but you know what? This shit pales in comparison to what’s going on in the Northeast U.S. Those guys are getting pounded! I have no room to whine. None.

I will say, though – now that it’s Thursday – my alarm went off every single day and I was trying to dream up any excuse to not go in. But, no. I want to save my vacation for when I really want (or need) to use it. That said, it reminded me of a fun/ny joke that we used to say at Mackie eons ago.

Me: “Hey, I think I have an eye problem.”

Boss: Some variation of “wait, what?!” or “tell me more”, or the like.

Me: “Yeah, I don’t see myself coming in.”

Everyone: uproarious laughter.

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Side note / Addendum: earlier in the blog, I briefly discussed independent news vs corporate news. That said, I would like to give a mega-super-duper congrats shout-out to one of those independent outlets:

MEIDASTOUCH
https://meidasnews.com/
https://www.youtube.com/MeidasTouch
MeidasTouch Podcast on Spotify

They won the iHeartRadio Podcast Award for <drum roll>…

BEST NEWS!!

https://www.iheart.com/content/2026-03-16-2026-iheartpodcast-awards-full-list-of-winners

My favorite contributors are the Meiselas brothers, as seen below (Ben-C, Brett-L, and Jordy-R), Adam Mockler, Michael Popok, and Harry Litman, but you really can’t go wrong with most of ’em.

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I used to fill out a March Madness bracket every year without fail, but it’s been about a decade-ish, or so. That said, the team I almost always root for… where I was born, of course:

Go (Winston-Salem) North Carolina Tar Heels, baby!

…aaaaaaaaaand knocked out in the first round <whomp whomp whomp>. So now I’m rooting for the dogs. No, not a “dog” team, but UNDERdogs. Currently, that’s the High Point University Panthers (#12) who upset the Wisconsin Badgers (#5)… go HPU!! So I guess my dog is… a cat, ha!

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As much as I whined about heading into the office, I did notice one positive. I listen to even MORE music! Commuting basically adds another couple of hours to my day, meaning… a couple more albums to stream. Each day. That’s roughly 10 more albums per week!

But trust me, I’d rather work remotely than listen to 10 more albums. A thousand times over. BTW, I gassed up the other night. Holy shit! Not cheap! And that was at Costco. Damn. ‘Bouts to be higher the next time I go, too.

Musically solid week, tons of great albums… and, hey, a ton of shitty ones, too! Can’t forget those!

I had enough time to listen to this week’s AOTW a few times before digging into albums released earlier in the year. I… man, I just love The Black Crowes. And their new album sounds/feels like wearing an old, comfortable pair of shoes. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do/did.

In other music news, if you missed my BEST OF 2025, be sure to check it out!
https://oneloudermagazine.com/2026/01/31/2025-the-year-in-review/

😁 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** – March 13th to March 19th, 2026:

893,005 – The Black Crowes – A Pound Of Feathers

The Black Crowes (aka The Robinson Brothers) released their first album of all-new material in 15 long years in 2024 with ‘Happiness Bastards’. So happy that they reconvened to deliver another album of all-new material, not two years later. I already dig the Black Crowes, but this set just reaffirmed my belief in them and their music. In fact, I’ll go a step further and say that this (and their last) album reminded me more of their earlier, first 2-3 releases than of their later material. It’s very 21st-century Rolling Stones meets Led Zeppelin. A nice, welcome surprise from the Robinson brothers. Such amazing musicians, such great songwriting… what a trip!

From amazon: “Fresh off the GRAMMY-nominated success of Happiness Bastards (2024), Chris and Rich Robinson wasted no time getting back to work. In early 2025, the brothers returned to Nashville to reunite with producer Jay Joyce and recapture the spark that powered their last record. This is the result. Reflective of their mood and expression, The Black Crowes have created a rock record that’s loose and funky, dark and heavy, sensuous and jagged, Flesh and bone… A pound of feathers, or a pound of lead, look out below and mind your head.”

Honorable Mentions (in order by “popularity”*):

2,600,781 – RUSH – Grace Under Pressure [40th Anniversary Special Deluxe Edition – 1984] (4 CDs / Blu-Ray) – Classic prog-rockers RUSH never fail to impress me. Amazing. ‘Grace Under Pressure’ is a beast of an album that sounds just as good 40+ years later as it did 40+ years ago. A true classic, no question. Disc one is the original album produced by Rush and Peter Henderson and remastered for the first time, disc two is the original album mixed by Terry Brown, and discs three and four see the band live on the 1984 Grace Under Pressure Tour at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Canada (the band’s hometown), on September 21st, 1984.

From Rush’s website: “Grace Under Pressure, Rush’s tenth studio album, was originally released in April 1984, and it features some key sonic template modifications resulting from the band’s decision to further evolve its sound by enlisting a new producer after a successful decade of working with Terry Brown behind the board. The eight songs comprising Grace Under Pressure build from where September 1982’s Signals left off by fully embracing the tech and temper of the times while still remaining true to the band’s knack for blending progressive roots with radio-welcome song arrangements. Grace Under Pressure was co-produced by Rush with Peter Henderson and engineered by Paul Northfield with assistance from Frank Opolko and Robert Di Giola. It was the fourth in a series of Rush recording sessions ultimately held at Le Studio in Morin-Heights, Quebec. Rush’s instinctive recording process at Le Studio had been DNA-infused during sessions held there for the aforementioned Signals, in addition to February 1981’s Moving Pictures and January 1980’s Permanent Waves.

“…our songwriting had taken us to a different musical place, says Geddy Lee, “an expansion of our soundscape with a range of new technologies, not just keyboards and samples, but electronic drums too, while getting to know the new dude behind the console with a very different working style.”

“Distant Early Warning,” the lead-off track on Grace Under Pressure, announces the clear directional shift. “Afterimage” is a heartfelt reflection on the unexpected passing of someone close to the band that leads right into the confines of “Red Sector A,” a chilling tale of incarceration, intimidation, and uncertainty. Side A closes out with the inner-reflective “The Enemy Within,” subtitled “Part One of Fear.” (The “Fear” trilogy was presented in reverse order, with Part Two, “The Weapon,” appearing on Signals, and Part Three, “Witch Hunt,” debuting on Moving Pictures.)

Side B commences with the humanoid escape drama that is “The Body Electric,” while “Kid Gloves” acts as a stay-tough sequel of sorts to the sound of its Signals antecedent “The Analog Kid,” and the skittery “Red Lenses” captures mile-a-minute thoughts of anxiety, all propelled by a loping low-end riff. The album closes with the widening gyre of “Between The Wheels,” a track that became a latter-day concert favorite during Rush’s final R40 tour.

The limited-edition version of the Super Deluxe Edition includes four CDs, one Blu-ray, and a 52-page hardcover book. CD1 features the album’s original 1984 stereo mix newly remastered from the original analog stereo master tapes by Sean Magee at Abbey Road Studios. Although Grace Under Pressure was the first Rush studio album not produced by Terry Brown after a decade-long healthy working relationship, CD2 now features Brown’s brand-new stereo mix of the album, as created from the original studio album’s analog multitracks. To get the ball rolling, Brown reached out directly to surviving bandmembers Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee. Regarding his involvement, Brown confirmed that he “suggested it to Alex and Ged by saying to them, ‘Let me do a couple of tunes. If you love it, we can move forward.’ As it turned out, they did love it.” Brown’s goals for his remix were quite pure. “I had to give the guys something they would be excited about,” the producer continued, “so I went for a little more detail, different reverbs, and a larger footprint, all while maintaining the integrity of the original record.”

CD3 and CD4 present the first-ever complete setlist of the show Rush performed on September 21, 1984, at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, which was also newly mixed from the original multitrack audio masters and has now been retitled Grace Under Pressure Tour: Live in Toronto 1984.

The Blu-ray features the above concert on video, newly edited & newly remastered in HD with the audio soundtrack offered in 48kHz/24-bit Dolby Atmos, 96kHz/24-bit Dolby TrueHD 5.1, and 96kHz/24-bit PCM stereo options, all newly mixed by Terry Brown. Its previous incarnation as 1986’s Grace Under Pressure Tour concert home video and CD was somewhat incomplete, and this new full concert experience features 37 minutes of unreleased performances.

Also on the Blu-ray, the full 1984 studio album is newly mixed in 48kHz/24-bit Dolby Atmos and 96kHz/24-bit Dolby TrueHD 5.1 by longtime band associate, producer/engineer Richard Chycki, from the original album’s multitracks along with the newly remastered 192kHz/24-bit and 96kHz/24-bit PCM stereo. Observed Chycki, “Listening to Grace Under Pressure in Atmos, you can really hear Rush’s progress and development as artists, because there’s much more room in the 360-degree soundfield to express it. Things that may have just gone by you in stereo now appear in separate speakers without being gimmicky. Instead, they act as micro-features for the Atmos listener to better appreciate the band’s intent.”

Additionally, on the Blu-ray, Terry Brown’s new album remix is presented in 96kHz/24-bit PCM stereo, along with the band’s music videos for “Distant Early Warning,” “Afterimage,” “The Enemy Within,” and “The Body Electric,” all of which have been visually remastered in HD and presented in 96kHz/24-bit Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and 48kHz/24-bit PCM stereo. (“The Enemy Within” was the very first music video shown by Canadian TV channel MuchMusic, now known as Fuse, on August 31, 1984.)

The Super Deluxe Edition of Grace Under Pressure will also include new liner notes penned by Geddy Lee, reflecting on his memories of finding a new producer for the album and reminiscing on a recent re-listen of the album proper. Original album designer Hugh Syme re-imagines the original album cover, along with creating brand-new illustrations for each of the album’s eight songs and other related visual elements in the book. Exclusive bonus collectibles in the box include a custom acrylic Grace Under Pressure LED light-up display; a replica of the Grace Under Pressure tour book; a replica Maple Leaf Gardens/Toronto show concert ticket; a Grace Under Pressure Tour total access backstage pass; “Pressure Release” a replica of the 6-page press release; three bandmember live photo lithos; and a poster from the Toronto show. All contents are housed in a premium lift-top box.

The second Grace Under Pressure configuration will be released as a five-LP plus Blu-ray Super Deluxe Edition, which is the analog equivalent of the four-CD edition. The LPs in the Super Deluxe Edition have been cut at Abbey Road Studios and pressed on 180-gram audiophile black vinyl at GZ Media in the Czech Republic.

Both the 4LP + Blu-ray and 5LP + Blu-ray Super Deluxe Editions will also be offered at the Rush Backstage online store with 3 exclusive bonus lithos of Hugh Syme’s new illustrations.

The third Grace Under Pressure configuration will be the Super Deluxe Digital Edition, which is the digital equivalent of the physical Super Deluxe Edition audio tracks.

The fourth configuration, the Dolby Atmos Digital Edition, is the digital equivalent of Richard Chycki’s Atmos mix of all eight tracks from the original 1984 album.

Finally, the fifth configuration is the Grace Under Pressure Tour: Live in Toronto 1984, newly edited, mixed, and visually remastered in HD concert video made available to video DSPs.”

1,809,419 – Dream Theater – Lost Not Forgotten Archives: Live In Tokyo 2010 – I fucking LOVE Dream Theater… and have since the early ’90s. The band could record their farts and I’d still love it. Lucky for me, this is not an album of farting! Rather, this sees the band playing the Summer Sonic in Tokyo, Japan, in 2010, finally returning to the ‘Lost Not Forgotten Archives’ for the first time since 2023. This would end up being drummer Mike Portnoy’s final gig with Dream Theater before his decade-plus hiatus from the band.

From Rough Trade Records: “The Grammy-winning and millions-selling legends of progressive music Dream Theater restart their ‘Lost Not Forgotten Archives’ series with a brand-new unreleased recording. Live In Tokyo, 2010 captures the band’s show at Summer Sonic in Japan, a performance that would end up being drummer Mike Portnoy’s last appearance with the band till he rejoined in 2023.”

139,311 – Gotthard – More Stereo Crush EP – This release includes “leftovers” from their 2025 release, ‘Stero Crush’, hence the album title ‘More Stereo Crush’. Just like ‘Stereo Crush’ (and other previous releases from Gotthard), it includes a couple of cheesy tunes, but for the most part, this EP is chock full of bluesy meat ‘n potatoes rock ‘n roll!

From Season Of Mist Records: “After wrapping a European tour with Y&T, a run of festivals, and three “Rock Monsters of Switzerland” arena shows with Krokus, Gotthard are back with new music. “More Stereo Crush” is an eight-track EP with plenty to dig into: five previously unreleased songs from the “Stereo Crush” sessions, “Mayday” which had only been available as a video, a radio edit of the ballad “Burning Bridges,” and a brand-new duet of fan favorite “Liverpool” featuring Nic Maeder and Krokus veteran Marc Storace.”

119,177 – Gong – Bright Spirit – Really enjoyable psychedelic, experimental, fusion, prog-rock album… mellow, spacey, ambient tunes, dig! Especially love the tunes with horns on ’em!

From Rough Trade Records: “Bright Spirit marks the third instalment in a trilogy that began with The Universe Also Collapses (2019) and continued with Unending Ascending (2023). Recorded with long-time collaborator Frank Byng in his South London studio, Bright Spirit sees Gong at their experimental best, more adventurous and more open to the dream than ever.

And dreams are central here. Not just as lyrical imagery, but as a way of thinking – where psychedelia, love, and the thin membrane between worlds feed into the music. The opener, ‘Dream Of Mine’, unfurls like a transmission from the inbetween, its mid-section blooming into harmonies and an angular melody that feels like a key turning in a long-awaited lock. Frontman Kavus Torabi describes it as a moment everything has been pointing toward, a flash of clarity inside the swirl.

Elsewhere, there’s tenderness – unexpected perhaps, but unmistakably Gong, ‘Fragrance Of Paradise’ being Torabi’s first- ever love song. ‘The Wonderment’ finds Gong in deeply meditative form, a mystical and explorative journey both inwards and outwards, timeless and expansive, another piece of the kaleidoscopic puzzle that makes up Bright Spirit.

Gong continue to carry the torch first lit by founder Daevid Allen in the late ’60s, having recently completed extensive US and European tours, as well as a UK run with psychedelic legends Henge in late 2025, which will continue in 2026.

Bright Spirit is Gong now: still glowing from the furnace of Daevid Allen’s vision, still mischievous, still tuned to the frequencies between the waking world and whatever sings behind it.”

116,484 – Authority Zero – Narcissist EP – Authority Zero surprise-releases a 5-track EP! These dudes have been around since ’94, and I just heard them for the first time in 2017! These guys kick ass! They mostly play a potpourri of punk / ska / reggae, not unlike Sublime, et al. However, this release is chock-full of five banger punk tracks. In, out, done. I dig it… a lot! I only have one complaint, and it’s that it was too short at 14:59. I wanted more! But hey, I’ll take a surprise release of five songs now versus waiting another year or two for the next full-length.

21,902 – Jack Gardiner – Kintsugi – Jack is a guitar shredder, a student of Ibanez signature artist Tom Quayle, and counts guitar God Guthrie Govan as a fan! I like the meaning behind the album name, too (see ahead). Tons of special guests on this release, listed below. This isn’t my favorite guitar shred album, but I definitely have my eyes on him now.

From his bandcamp page: “Kintsugi (金継ぎ) is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer (Urushi) mixed with powdered gold. Rather than hiding damage, the cracks are revealed – becoming part of the object’s story. What was broken is not erased, but transformed.

Like many musicians, I struggle with imposter syndrome and self-doubt. Kintsugi is about learning to honour those breaks – moments of doubt, change, and repair – and carrying them forward as strength.”

Music / Composition / Guitars – Jack Gardiner
Production / Mixing – Owane
Mastering – Pierre Danel / Owane
Artwork – Ramiro AMK Fernandez
Calligraphy – Akiyo Uji
Videography & Editing – James Sanger, Ella Garner, Yoji Tamai, Wataru Uji & Hiroki Kato

All songs written by Jack Gardiner, except:

‘Place To Be’ written by Hiromi Uehara

Guitar:
Jack Gardiner
Cory Wong on Spark It
Matteo Mancuso on The Snow Job
Andy Timmons on Sandglass

Bass:
Henrik Linder on Fan Boy, Taxman & Mugen.

Keys:
Oli Howe on Iki.

Drums:
Aron Mellergård on Fan Boy.
Gianluca Pellerito on Shibuya Meltdown.
Porter Bliquez on Iki.

Cello:
Mariko Muranaka on Place To Be & Eightfold Fence

14,565 – Nili Brosh – Eventide – Nili Brosh is a guitar shredder, most known for her work with all-female Iron Maiden tribute band The Iron Maidens, Dethklok, Danny Elfman, Cirque Du Soleil, and a shit-ton of other guitar/bass shredders, among others. She’s got the chops, but the album sounds almost perfect, know what I mean?!

From amazon: “Fourth studio release from virtuoso Nili Brosh (Dethklok, Danny Elfman, Cirque Du Soleil)

With an ever-present concentration on catchy melodies, I’ve always felt like I’ve had some mild form of synesthesia I wanted publicly shown through my music,” Nili Brosh explains. “This album became an attempt to make the sonic color of the highlight tracks consistent with the aesthetic of the cover art, my new signature Ibanez guitar, and music videos. ‘Pastel Dreams,’ ‘Take You On,’ and the title track, ‘Eventide,’ were especially produced to match the visual aesthetics and color schemes. With this record, I took an even more hands-on approach to production than ever, aiming for a retro-modern feel. It really feels like myself especially in those tracks.”

Including new re-mixed/re-mastered versions of “Estranged” (previously released in 2020), as well as “Song for Hope” and “Lavender Mountains” (previously released in 2023).

The pandemic finally comes full circle, along with seven additional new tracks. As with NILI’s previous albums, stylistic diversity remains a priority, with “Tip the Cap” and “Every Player Wins” introducing new genre explorations.

Brosh brought along some very special guests for Eventide, including an electrifying solo on “Roulette” by Brendon Small (creator of Metalocalypse and singer/guitarist of Dethklok) and bassist Pete Griffin from Dethklok on “Lavender Mountains,” “Losing Grip,” and “Every Player Wins.” From Danny Elfman’s band: engineer Shachar Boussani mixed five of the songs, and Sidney Hopson (percussion) joins BROSH on “Every Player Wins,” and they’re all joined by Irene Kim (keyboards), as well as Rock & Roll Hall of Fame drummer Ilan Rubin (Foo Fighters, Nine Inch Nails), on “Tip the Cap.” Rounding out the musicians on the album are Alex Argento (keyboards, synthesizers, mixes), Virgil Donati (drums), Hubert Gall (accordion), Tyreek Jackson (bass, Moog, mixes), Matt Laug (drums), and Nick Semrad (synthesizers).”

12,512 – The Gems – Year Of The Snake – The Gems is an all-female hard rock trio featuring former members of Thundermother [vocalist Guernica Mancini, guitarist/bassist Mona “Demona” Lindgren, and drummer Emlee Johansson], and this is their sophomore full-length release. There were a couple of duds, but for the most part, this was solid four-on-the-floor kick-ass hard rock. That album artwork is slick, as well… now following!

From Napalm Records: “”Rock sensation THE GEMS return with their second album Year Of The Snake, out on March 13, 2026. The Swedish trio solidifies their position as a strong player in modern hard rock. Their very first single, “Like A Phoenix”, instantly hit #2 on the German Rock Radio Airplay Charts, and they impressed both fans and critics with their debut record, Phoenix (2024). With one album under their belt, and numerous electrifying live shows, THE GEMS quickly established what Year Of The Snake now effortlessly proves: this is the future of rock!

Shaping the genre with 14 new tracks, THE GEMS are all about the energy. “The time to change is now!” proclaims opener “Walls”, before the hard-hitting and empowering title track offers the album’s first showstopping trio of frontwoman Guernica Mancini’s powerful vocals, guitarist Mona Lindgren’s heavy riffs, and the heartbeat of the band; Emlee Johansson’s steady drumming. Demonstrating just how much the future is really theirs to take, “Gravity” adds Tommy Johansson’s (Majestica, Ex-Sabaton) powerful voice to an ’80s-inspired sound, taking Year Of The Snake up another level. “Diamond In The Rough” is an understatement compared to the bluesy strength this song possesses, while previously released “Live And Let Go” with its catchy rhythm is undeniable radio hit material – a style this band wields extraordinarily well. “Clout Chaser” and “Hot Bait” come in uplifting, before THE GEMS delve into “Forgive And Forget”, a ballad in which Guernica’s voice comes across especially strong. “Go Along To Get Along” again illustrates the Swedish fireballs breaking the chains of their past and emerging stronger from it – as proven by speedy “Math Ain’t Mathing”, mighty “Firebird”, and “Stars” with its virtuoso guitar solo. Year Of The Snake is wrapped up by the catchy “Buckle Up” and “Happy Water” – with energetic grooves that end this album on a high note!

In less than three years of existing as a band, THE GEMS have managed to shape modern rock like few other bands. Year Of The Snake is an impressive follow-up to their debut, filled to the brim with catchy anthems and groovy hits. This Swedish trio is on its way to the well-deserved top. Female, fiery, unforgettable: The future of rock is now!””

4,964 – Red Sun Atacama – Summerchild – Ooh yeah! This is the trio’s third full-length, yet it is my introduction to them. For shame! They deliver a strong presence of desert-infused psychedelic stoner rock, throw it in a punk blender, and the results are most excellent. Enjoy the ride, heathens!

From their bandcamp page: “Desert punk locos RED SUN ATACAMA’s new album ‘Summerchild’ is irradiated with the solar fuzz, acid riffs, and telluric percussions that define the project. Their corrosive-heavy psychedelic goes like a hallucinatory caravan guided by condors and visions.

Between psychedelic ritual, punk urgency, and incandescent desert rock, ‘Summerchild’ ranges from hypnotic ballads of relentless groove to ultra-catchy outbursts. All under the protective eye of the sun-oracle, which offers the Franco-Chilean combo the perfect outlet for their hectic daily lives. Will the burning spirit finally find peace?”

1,446 – Loula Yorke – Live Compendium 2 – An all-instrumental ambient / electronic soundscape. It’s not for everyone, but I love this kinda stuff!

From her bandcamp page: “another go around the sun. my live year in review of 2025. a long-coveted oscillator takes pride of place. new ways of playing old sequences. enormous reverberant spaces. packed to the rafters. rising to the occasion.”

runtime 35:27
_ ~_ _ ~ _ _____ ~ _ _ _ ___

Make Noise DPO
Verbos Harmonic Oscillator
ONA Nano
Noise Engineering Basilimus Iteras Alter
system 80 Jove filter
Doepfer SEM filter
Erica Synths Black Sequencer
Temps Utile
ornament & crime
radio music into microClouds
Make Noise Mimeophon
Strymon bluesky pedal

1,267 – Salos – A Slaughter For The Empire – I couldn’t find much about this band or this album, their debut, other than that they are “Instrumental post-metal forged in a ritual tide” (via their bandcamp page). Gotta say, though, that they came out swinging with a pretty solid release! Can’t wait to hear where these guys go in the future. Killer jams!

848 – Lesotho – A Flashing On Plain Glass EP – Boston-based instrumental post-rock/metal trio is giving me all the feels, fuck yes! This is the band’s follow-up to their debut full-length (2023’s ‘Through The Dying Light’, also excellent). I haven’t listened yet, but methinks I still need to spin their original debut in 2021’s ‘Summer Wars’ 4-track EP. This was gorgeous… and far too short at five songs and 28:11. Give me more!

From Earsplit PR: “Boston, Massachusetts-based instrumental post-metal outfit LESOTHO is preparing to release their long-awaited third album, A Flashing On Plain Glass, confirming the album for release on March 13th and dropping the album’s lead single, cover art, and more.

The follow-up to their 2023-release second LP, Through The Dying Light, LESOTHO’s A Flashing On Plain Glass album sees guitarist Kyle Loffredo, bassist Cliff Cazeau, and drummer Dan DeLucia once again collectively creating an emotive and stirring album. The nearly thirty-minute record delivers five immersive new songs that act more as movements, seamlessly transitioning from cathartic melodies to monolithic swells. The album represents themes of impermanence and inevitable change in the world.

To capture A Flashing On Plain Glass, LESOTHO returned to The Bridge Sound & Stage Music (Isis, BEDTIMEMAGIC, Miracle Blood), where the album was recorded and mixed by Alex Allinson, as with both prior albums. The record was mastered by Carl Saff at Saff Mastering (Cursive, Fu Manchu, Modern Life Is War) and completed with artwork by Thibault Landemaine of the Jack Hillside Collective.

Alongside the news of A Flashing On Plain Glass and its imminent arrival, LESOTHO’s members collectively state, “In a place we are increasingly finding it difficult to call our own, A Flashing On Plain Glass was created as a piece of solid ground for us to stand on. These five tracks symbolize a world of inevitable change and the search to find an honest beauty among chaos.””

Missed the Cut (in order by “popularity”*):

2,348,019 – Lamb Of God – Into Oblivion – The metalheads fucking love LOG and I do not. I have tried and tried and tried and tried again, but just don’t get what the big deal is… Sure, there are riffs here and there, but overall it’s metal diarrhea to my ears. Yet, I still continue to listen to their releases…

From amazon: “Lamb Of God’s tenth album, Into Oblivion, sees them embracing their position as music veterans; Beholden to no one, with nothing to prove. Drawing from the tumultuous nature of the American political and cultural landscape, the band explores new sonic territory while simultaneously referencing their roots and doubling down on their signature groove. Into Oblivion is a blistering manifestation of decades of exploring, refining, and pioneering the metal of the 21st century.”

1,601,130 – James Blake – Trying Times – James Blake is wildly popular, and this album made a lot of noise, received a lot of great reviews, but not from me. I did not care much for this downtempo electronic album. No.

743,401 – Asia – Asia – Live In England – Ooph. Classic band with amazing musicianship, but, frankly, I find this band to be too “perfect” in the prog-pop-rock world, even in this, a LIVE setting! The show was played/recorded at Trading Boundaries in Sussex, England, where the band played their 1982 self-titled debut album in full, plus a few greatest hits. Not so fun fact: The band’s name is “Asia”, yet they released a live album from… England? C’mon, man, the show should’ve been played/recorded somewhere in Asia!

439,912 – Magnolia Park – Nights After Vamp – This is a horrible mix of metalcore, nu metal, goth rock, and emo. A real stinker here, we got a live one! Pass.

276,301 – Foy Vance – The Wake – Foy is an Irish singer-songwriter (with sprinkles of folk, soul, and Southern blues), and this album, unfortunately, didn’t do much for me. I could’ve sworn that I had listened to him previously, but – checks notes – nope, guess not. He released his first EP in 2000. Fun fact: Foy’s middle name is – wait for it – …”BEST”!

188,703 – YONAKA – Until You’re Satisfied – YONAKA is a British-based alt-rock band. It wasn’t a bad album, per se, but it also didn’t grab me like so many other albums have…

152,623 – Witchcraft – A Sinner’s Child EP – …and the disappointment continues. Wow, check this out. I used to love these guys, saying the following: “These guys rule! This band (and the majority of their albums) are considered stoner / doom / psychedelic metal (and it kind of is), but a lot of them sound a lot like some of the 70’s NWOBHM bands, as well.”

However, they took a hard right turn somewhere early on with 2025’s ‘Idag’. So I had to look. The trio’s lineup was formed by vocalist/guitarist Magnus Pelander in 2000. He has been the only mainstay. In fact, the last album I liked of theirs was 2020’s ‘Black Metal’. Their first release since then was the aforementioned ‘Idag’. Guess what band has a new bassist and drummer since ‘Black Metal’? Yup, Magnus Pelander replaced the rhythm section and the music went to shite. What a disappointment this band has become. In the good news department, it’s only a 5-track EP clocking in at 20:02.

151,654 – Soft Machine – Thirteen – An all-instrumental affair from this prog-jazz-experimental-psychedelic rock group that debuted in the mid-’60s! This is their second album since 2018’s ‘Hidden Details’ and only their third in 45 years [1981’s ‘Land of Cockayne’]! Frankly, I found myself bored to muthafuckin’ tears …

97,227 – Kim Gordon – PLAY ME – The Sonic Youth bassist / guitarist / vocalist goes solo for the third time, and just like SY, I can’t stand this fucking shit! It’s a steaming pile of fucking garbage, and people eat it up… why?! Anyway, this release is easily in contention for worst release of the year. Fucking awful. I can’t even explain what it is: experimental electronic rock, perhaps? Huh, the album’s Wiki page calls it trap, industrial, and hip-hop. Sure, whatever… But, hey, don’t listen to me. The album was released to much fanfare from fans and critics. Go figure.

95,621 – Sweet Pill – Still There’s A Glow – Sweet Pill is an emo/punk-pop band outta Philly proper, and this is their sophomore release. Eh …

74,150 – UnityTX – Somewhere, In Between… – Laughably bad hardcore meets nu metal meets hip-hop. They’ve been around for a number of years, but somehow their releases have never crossed my desk. That said, if this release is any indication of past results, it sounds like I didn’t miss much.

70,183 – Monstrosity – Screams from Beneath the Surface – This death metal band returns with their first full-length in eight years, and… well, it’s DM, so meh. But hats off to guitarists Matt Barnes and Justin Walker. Their right-hand pick attack and searing solos will melt your face off. If it wasn’t for the dumb, growly Cookie Monster vox, this might be a ripper.

50,574 – Cut Worms – Transmitter – Cut Worms is “bedroom pop” singer-songwriter, Max Clarke. I could not have been any more negative regarding his 2023 self-titled release, saying, “Shitty shitty shitty indie rock album. Pass.” While I have exactly zero plans to listen to this album again, I can say that it was much more “palatable”, perhaps due to Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy lending a hand…?

36,378 – Brigitte Calls Me Baby – Irreversible – I didn’t love this… but I didn’t hate it, either. It 1000% reminded me of Morrissey outtakes, or something similar… granted, the band DID play shows with Morrissey, so it makes sense. New wave meets jangle pop at an all-ages alt-rock rave. Fun fact: the band name was named after French actress Brigette Bardot, with whom the lead singer (Wes Leavins) had a pen-pal relationship with when he was a teenager.

9,427 – Mauled – When Your Eyes Are Shut EP – Why do I always subject myself to deathcore even though I am 99% sure I won’t like it? Probably because of that 1% <shrug>. In the good news department, it’s only six songs and 15:05, so I didn’t have to suffer for too long. Hot trash.

5,705 – Fotocrime – Security – Kentucky-based post-punk meets dark industrial band. They have a handful of albums under their belt, yet this is my introduction to them. It’s not bad, per se, but it also doesn’t draw me in to follow them or listen to previous releases.

2,530 – Wielded Steel – Sins Of Your Domain EP – Death metal melds with hardcore. Not my scene, but hey, only a runtime of 21:39 over eight songs. Didn’t suffer for too long.

760 – Meejah and HIRAKI – Interwoven Split EP – Man, I (almost always) love releases via the Pelagic Records label, but they swung and missed on this split EP featuring Meejah and HIRAKI. I suppose one could call it a combination of experimental hardcore meshed with alternative/avant-garde shoegaze. I’ll simplify that and call it crapola instead. Pass.

676 – Irreversible – Vessel – Love the idea behind the album – two songs, two movements, etc. – but this potpourri of sludge-shoegaze metal meets post-metal album doesn’t really whet the appetite, unfortunately.

From their bandcamp page: “Ten years is a lifetime in the world of underground music. For the members of Atlanta’s Irreversible, that decade was spent scattered across the map—building careers in tech, tending to farms, and raising families. As it goes, the band had quietly dissolved into the ether. But the gravitational pull of their shared history proved inescapable.

Following a request from Dipterid Records to reissue their seminal 2007 LP Sins on vinyl, and a subsequent invitation to share the stage with industrial legends Godflesh, the core trio—Jackob Franklin (guitar/vocals), Zach Richards (drums), and Billy Henis (keyboards/vocals)—reunited. The chemistry was immediate, but the context had changed. No longer bound by the same geography, they began writing remotely, channeling a decade of divergent life experiences into their most ambitious and eloquent work to date: Vessel.

Arriving in early 2026, Vessel is a monumental study in duality. It is not a standard collection of songs, but a sonic architecture comprising two side-long, 20-minute movements. Self-produced and tracked largely in isolation, the album balances the crushing weight of the band’s sludge roots with a newfound, terrifying elegance. It explores themes of mass psychosis, dreams, death, and post-modern absurdism, weaving samples from films like Blue Velvet, Memoria, and The Beast into a dense, cinematic tapestry.

The album’s first movement, “Esus,” serves as the anchor—a brutally beautiful expanse that draws on the mechanical pummeling of Meshuggah and the grim persistence of Swans and Cable. Lyrically, the track descends into a visceral examination of tangible evil, depicting a world where “dreams aren’t safe” and existence is a “metallic storm” of “pulverized features.” Featuring guest guitar and vocals from Justin Brush (Canopy, Drifter), the song confronts the terror of physical decay while riding a rhythmic intensity that feels like a repeat hell on repeat. It refines the band’s earlier work with a sharper, colder edge, embodying the track’s grim declarations.

In contrast, the second movement, “Thoth,” looks skyward and inward. Influenced by the shoegaze-doom of Jesu and the space-rock intricacies of Cave In, this track blurs the line between reality and the subconscious, where one can’t tell dreams from memories and enemies are unrecognizable. With bass and vocals from Spencer Ussery (Big Jesus, Hope Scholar) and additional guitar and texture from Johnny Dang (O’Brother, Hisself), “Thoth” offers a meditation on the cyclical nature of life. It moves from the confusion of a tragic existence to a heavy acceptance, reminding the listener that “the dirt is your mother / and eventually / she will hold you again.” It is a vibrant, atmospheric journey that feels like a lucid dream.

Vessel is a testament to the enduring bond of its creators. It is a record that feels like a film—intricate yet fluid, heavy yet weightless. It is the sound of a band that has returned not to reclaim their past, but to document their present.”

–Bobby Power

40 – Osmium Gate – Cannibal Galaxy – Osmium Gate is a brand-spankin’-new all-instrumental metal duo outta SLC. I had high hopes… and apparently high expectations, as well. Sure, the guys are talented musicians, but this dark metal album still ain’t givin’ me the feels. Pass.

14 – Kallohonka – Lazer Blood – Kallohonka plays what they call “slug metal”. Basically, it’s experimental, artsy-fartsy, avant-garde noise rock. Needless to say, this is not an album that I cared for. That said, I lucked out at it only being 23:37 over eight songs. This is the band’s debut, but methinks they need to go back to the garage to figure out what they really wanna do. This can’t be it, can it?

Addendum (in order by “popularity”*) – Albums that were released earlier in the year (or previous years) that I missed, but are worth mentioning, anyhow:

730,372 – Em Beihold – Tales of a Failed Shapeshifter – [February 27th, 2026] – This is a forgettable keyboard pop / singer-songwriter album. Mega-pass.

317,051 – Archive – Glass Minds – [February 27th, 2026] – At an hour and 17 mins, I was reluctant to give this a spin, but by the time the album wrapped up, I was ready for it to continue going… brilliant! They’re a London-based trip-hop/electronica meets prog-rock collective that’s been around for 30+ years! If I had to compare it to another band, I’d say that it almost sounds like, say, Puscifer meets Steven Wilson. Not bad company there.

From amazon: “Archive, the acclaimed South London collective, return with their 13th studio album Glass Minds. The record follows their 2022 triple album Call to Arms & Angels, which reached Top 10 across Europe and culminated in a sold-out show at Paris’s 15,000-capacity Accor Arena.

The album marks a powerful evolution in the band’s 30-year journey. Initiated by the core quartet, the record embraces a minimal, down-tempo sound with expansive, emotive space. The album’s versatility spans raw, percussive rhythms in “When You’re This Down,” electro-pop touches in “Wake Up Strange,” and motorik vibes in “Look At Us.”

At the emotional core is “So Far From Losing You,” an eight-minute epic blending rap and vocals that reflects Keeler’s personal life. Driven by a desire to create without boundaries, Archive continue to challenge and inspire fans, proving that their creative spark burns as bright as ever.”

132,331 – Blues Pills – Birthday Live – [February 27th, 2026] – This is Blues Pills’ 2024’s ‘Birthday’ album, but live… and a couple of varying tracks. They play boozy bluesy-rock, and I dig it… hard!

Singer Elin: “During the recordings of the [2024 ‘Birthday’] album I discovered I was pregnant. I wanted to continue with my life even though I’m bringing a kid into the world. It should be natural to be both a mother and an artist. It’s not uncommon for rock bands to have a female vocalist in the first place, but pregnant? I felt more powerful because I had two hearts and two of everything.”

65,084 – Lala Lala – Heaven 2 – [February 27th, 2026] – Lala Lala is indie-pop singer-songwriter Lillie West, and this album is a full-on passola on crapola…

51,631 – Gord Downie, The Sadies and The Conquering Suns – Live At 6 O’Clock – [February 27th, 2026] – Ah, man, I had high hopes for this, as I am a massive fan of vocalist Gord Downie and his band The Tragically Hip. The Sadies sound more like punk-country and don’t hit me the same way as TTH does, unfortunately. RIP Gord Downie (February 6th, 1964-October 17th, 2017).

49,343 – The Gloom In The Corner – Royal Discordance – [February 27th, 2026] – Heavy AF metalcore/deathcore album. Not my scene in the least.

12,036 – Crooked Fingers – Swet Deth – [February 27th, 2026] – Even though Crooked Fingers is a band, it’s really the outlet for indie singer-songwriter Eric Bachmann, and this is his first release (as Crooked Fingers) in 15 years. It wasn’t a bad album, per se – some songs were quite enjoyable! – but it’s just an album that I don’t envision myself reaching for again. That said, I do like the story behind the album (see ahead).

From Merge Records: “One afternoon, Eric Bachmann’s son returned home from school with a sheath of pictures he’d drawn, all of them macabre. “There were crows and sinister figures with scythes and tombstones,” he recalls, “and in the center, there was a strange, lush green tree growing out of all of this red and black. On one of them, he had written ‘DETH, SWET DETH,’ and everything clicked in my head.”

Swet Deth, Bachmann’s first album under his Crooked Fingers moniker after a 15-year hiatus, organized itself around the image: its songs are about death, yes, but there’s a sweetness to them, a wry sensibility to his lyrics that comes from having experienced many kinds of death and the life that follows in its wake.”

9,875 – Necrofier – Transcend into Oblivion – [February 27th, 2026] – Screeching nails-on-a-chalkboard black metal, ah yeah… a lot of these black metal bands come from the icy cold Norwegian forests, but these guys are all the way from… Houston, Texas, ha! Pass.

8,176 – Cryptic Shift – Overspace & Supertime – [February 27th, 2026] – Cryptic Shift is a death metal band through and through. And this release has a run time of an hour and 18 minutes. Yes, I listened to the entire thing. Now, while it is blast beats, Cookie Monster death metal growls, and power blade / razor-sharp riffage and soloing, there were several passages that were quite enjoyable. Nice, clean playing as a juxtaposition to the rest of the album. Not to mention, there were several jazzy overtones throughout, as well. These dudes are top-notch musicians, but at the end of the day, it’s still a DM album, and I ain’t much of a DM fan.

3,140 – Blackwater Drowning – Obscure Sorrows – [February 27th, 2026] – Not much of a fan of most death metal bands and albums, and this release does not change my mind, unfortunately…

2,962 – Tony Bontana – My Name – [February 27th, 2026] – I like me a good hip-hop album, but this ain’t it. Silver lining? Only a runtime of 29:28; I didn’t suffer for too long.

753 – Billy Currie – AUGMENTED – [January 28th, 2026] – Billy was the keyboard and strings player for British synth pop/new wave band Ultravox, but here he goes solo for the nth time – I can’t count that high. It is an all-instrumental affair with Billie tickling the (electronic) ivories and occasional violin. In fact, I believe only two songs had drums, but the rest is all him. There are no typical song verses and choruses, but rather sees him just meddling about. It doesn’t do anything for me, but I love seeing that dude is out there still doing stuff at 75 years old. Good for him!

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…

57,707 – Johnny Blue Skies & The Dark Clouds – Mutiny After Midnight – “High-energy blend of country-rock, funk, and 1970s-inspired disco”. Johnny Blue Skies is Sturgill Simpson.

From Rough Trade Records: “Johnny Blue Skies and the Dark Clouds, along with Sturgill Simpson’s label, High Top Mountain Records, have joined forces with Atlantic Outpost for the release of Mutiny After Midnight. The new album follows 2024’s Passage Du Desir, which marked Simpson’s first full-length release as Johnny Blue Skies.”

Looking forward to (in order by “popularity”*) – These albums will be released this week and should be in next week’s AOTW newsletter:

82,247,750 – BTS – ARIRANG

877,344 – Exodus – Goliath

499,132 – Tedeschi Trucks Band – Future Soul

318,339 – Ladytron – Paradises

126,001 – Poison The Well – Peace In Place

47,742 – Tyketto – Closer To The Sun

16,445 – Kal-El – Astral Voyager Vol. 2

6,198 – Temptress – See

1,866 – Stonus – Space To Dive

…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 purple 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