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

Wow, is it Thursday again already?!

Hey, that’s cool, I approve! After all, everybody’s Working For The Weekend, amiright?! Yeah, you’re singing it now, too, ha! Loverboy, 1981.

Ok, got a funny story to share with y’all. Check this out. My parents. Love ’em, right?! But they do funny stuff occasionally, and I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy telling it.

My mom had been looking for a new place to move to. I suggested a brand-new place to check out that is literally – for reals literally – 1.1 miles away from where I live. AND… it’s 3-4 months old. Brand-spankin’ new!

Her response (paraphrased): “Not interested.”

My response (also paraphrased): “Why not? What’s the worst that could happen? We do the tour, you decide that you still don’t like it, then we move on to the next thing”… right?!

Mom (sounding defeated/deflated) “Fine, we’ll check it out.”

I WFH on Monday, so my mom, friend/realtor, and I could take the tour. Maybe – maybe – halfway through the tour, my mom leans over and whispers (not paraphrased), “I wanted to move in yesterday!” Of course I couldn’t not laugh at that – she went from having less than zero interest in even looking at it to wanting to move in yesterday, hahaha!

We decided to look at it again on Thursday, but with a few more people in tow this time, such as <in Borat voice> my wife, my sister, and one of her kids. Found out that my mom had also visited on Tuesday AND Wednesday, as well – she went four days in a row! And on the fourth, a deposit was made. How ’bout them apples? Not interested > I wanted to move in yesterday > here’s my deposit. All within, like, 10 days, give or take.

In other good news, my sister’s kid had been scoping out places for “elder living” for her grandpa on the other side. They checked out five or six spots and said that this was easily the nicest of the bunch!

Anyway, this place accepts tenants for independent living, assisted living, memory care, and short-term stays. My mom – and dad for that matter – are both fiercely independent and do not need to be waited on hand and foot. But this place has all meals provided (with daily specials on one side of the menu and regular items on the other side)… yet, people may order from both sides. “I’d like the appetizer from this side, the entree from that side, and a dessert not even listed.”

Even though meals are provided, she has appliances in her new digs: refrigerator, stove, washer/dryer, etc. So she doesn’t always have to eat downstairs in the dining room. They clean bathrooms once a week (plus it’s a walk-in shower, which I like for her; no having to step over and into the shower). Simply walk in! Plus, the place cleans tenants’ linens once a week, AND changes their beds.

At this point, **I** was becoming interested in living there! How can I get a place? Damn, gotta be 60+. Almost there, though, haha! Even though my mom (and dad) are both in their early 80s, I am convinced that they could run circles around people much younger than them. Heck, they both still have black/peppery hair. The woman who gave us the tour had fully gray hair… at 55!

Let’s see, what else… tons of daily activities. Feel free to do all of them, none of them, or pick and choose. Activity room, daily happy hour, movie theater, a place for gardening, and so much more! Plus, they have a bus that will take tenants to their doctor’s appointments. Cool!

Here’s the kicker – she’s moving nearly a full mile closer to us, from 1.9 to 1.1. Hahahaha!

———————————————————————————————

Had a great weekend, albeit way too short. My bass player had a gig on Sunday down at Slim’s Last Chance Saloon. Every November/December I tell y’all about the annual All-Star Porn Jam. Well, this is the Summer version of that, called BreastFest! Instead of a charity event for animals [PAWS] and people [NW Harvest], this one is all about raising money for the boobs, specifically breast cancer (#FuckCancer). Also, the donation didn’t go to a single charity, but rather a single person. The recipient couldn’t stop crying because she was so happy and thankful. Raised nearly $7k – not a bad day for some rock ‘n roll!

Yes, it was on a school day [Sunday]… but it was in the afternoon, from 12-6. The theme was The Beatles vs The Rolling Stones. Ok, I can dig. Two bands I love. If you don’t know about Slim’s Last Chance or have never been, you gotta go. Incredible chili! It was a stimulating (and draining) day seeing so many of my musician friends that I only get to see a couple of times per year.

———————————————————————————————

Alright, one more quick note, a suggestion. I get the daily/weekly emails from the TV streaming options and received one some time ago from HBOMAX.

It is the 25th Anniversary of the show ‘Six Feet Under’ starring Michael C. Hall (aka Dexter), among others. Get this – the show absolutely blew up when it was released, yet I never watched it. Not a single episode. Wife had only seen a few episodes, if that, so it was mostly new to her, as well.

It’s a family of funeral directors, and each episode starts with a death. That said, if you do watch, you can’t just hop onto season three, episode seven. There is a storyline to follow from the beginning. If you’ve never seen it, throw it on your ‘to watch’ list. Great show and I’m sad that it’s all over now. They were my “evening” family :-(

———————————————————————————————

Well, color me shocked. Once again we were treated to a multitude of great albums over this past week, yet nothing rose to the top to claim the Album Of The Week trophy. The releases I enjoyed best from this batch were either live, EPs, and/or re-releases, and I try not to hand a medal to those, no matter how badass they are (except in the rarest of cases). Maybe next week? Please?!

Are you a casual fan who stumbled across this site? If so, be sure to SUBSCRIBE, as these are delivered every Thursday at 9 PM PT. With a subscription, you’ll be sure to never miss an issue!

😁 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

———————————————————————————————

Album(s) of the Week** – July 17th to July 23rd, 2026:

None.

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

2,113,706 – Yes – LIVE AT ROOSEVELT STADIUM, JERSEY CITY (6/17/76) (2 CDs)

Yes is one of the best prog-rock bands ever, right?! I am a MASSIVE fan of their classic ’70s (and some ’80s) output, and this live release is from a show in the mid-’70s. Perfect, right?! Yup. Guys are en fuego.

From Rhino Records: “On June 17, 1976, the formidable Relayer lineup of Yes—Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Alan White, and Patrick Moraz—performed in front of a capacity crowd at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City, NJ. The quintet was captured mid-tour during a live broadcast on New York’s WNEW-FM. While the performance has remained one of the band’s most popular bootlegs for decades, LIVE AT ROOSEVELT STADIUM, JERSEY CITY (6/17/76) marks its first official appearance.

The recording finds the band at a creative peak during the “Solo Albums Tour.” Following the success of RELAYER (1974), the members spent 1975 recording five individual solo projects; this 1976 tour was the first time these new arrangements were integrated into the live set. The performance balances full-band epics like “The Gates Of Delirium” and “Ritual” with staples like “Siberian Khatru” and “Heart Of The Sunrise.” The set also features rare individual spotlights for Anderson’s ethereal selections from Olias of Sunhillow and Moraz’s rhythmic explorations from The Story of I, alongside Howe’s acoustic signature, “Clap.” The performance concludes with a rare rendition of “I’m Down,” a high-energy classic originally by The Beatles.”

1,053,449 – Tesla – Homage

I have LOVED hard rock band Tesla ever since they released their debut album ‘Mechanical Resonance’ way, way back in 1986 –– 40 years! Wow, congrats on such a storied career, guys! This is an all-covers release, plus one original, tracklist below. They picked some fantastic songs and delivered them with fiery passion!

From amazon: “It’s hard to believe that it’s been over 40 years since we started out as a cover band in the nightclubs of California before writing and recording our own songs and selling millions of albums. Just like our musical heroes, The Beatles, Rolling Stones, or even Jimi Hendrix, all artists who honed their craft by learning cover songs from the legends before them, we did the same as youngsters and still enjoy paying tributes and recording cover songs today.

HOMAGE is our new album that not only pays tribute to legends but gives us a chance to showcase our lead singer’s diversity as well as the musical dynamics we learned as a band many years ago. And now, our new album HOMAGE is a thank-you note written in sound. An offering to the great singers and songs that shaped the music we grew up listening to and the songs we would eventually write.

Each track showcases Jeff Keith’s incredible vocal ability. Something that may have been overlooked throughout our long career. But not by our fans………!!! HOMAGE isn’t about imitation. It’s about acknowledgment. About tracing the line from influence to identity, from listening to becoming. You ask why? …..why not! It felt like a good thing to do; it’s been 20 years since we did Real to Reel…..It sparked writing a new original Tesla song called “Never Alone”. And it’s what bands are supposed to do… make music.

These songs were picked for various reasons… Mostly because they’re some of the greatest singers of all time: Elvis Presley, Freddie Mercury, Sam Cooke, David Ruffin, Etta James, James Brown, and some of the others because we liked the songs and grew up hearing them on the radio or on our turntables. Anyway, we hope you all enjoy this as much as we did making it….Thank you for all the years. Keep it Real and keep Rockin!!!!!”

Tracklist:
1 Never Alone (Original)
2 Bring It on Home (Sam Cooke)
3 Spread Your Wings (Queen)
4 I Wish It Would Rain (The Temptations)
5 Night Moves (Bob Seger)
6 If I Can Dream (Elvis Presley)
7 Come and Get It (Badfinger)
8 I Got You (James Brown)
9 Give a Little Bit (Supertramp)
10 I Love You (2026 Version) (Climax Blues Band)
11 The Ballad of Curtis Loew (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
12 Have You Ever Seen the Rain (CCR)
13 I’d Rather Go Blind (Etta James)
14 Mind Your Own Business (Hank Williams Sr.)

794,273 – Gin Blossoms – Congratulations I’m Sorry [30th Anniversary Expanded Edition – 1996]

The Arizona-based band that brought us “Hey Jealousy” [1993] returns with a 30th anniversary edition of their 1996 classic third album, ‘Congratulations I’m Sorry’… music geared for the adult-alternative crowd. Kinda sorta reminds me of other similar-ish bands, such as Drivin’ N’ Cryin’, Candlebox, etc. In other words, nothing too “dangerous”, kinda hooky, but also kinda cookie-cutter. But you know what? I’m ok with it; I liked it. Good, solid songwriting!

Fun (and not so fun) fact about the album title: “Congratulations” is what people would tell the band since they blew up on their previous release, ‘New Miserable Experience’ [1992]. But they would then follow that up with “I’m Sorry”, in reference to former band member Doug Hopkins [lead guitar] who committed suicide.

From Interscope Records: “Celebrating the 30th anniversary of Gin Blossoms 3rd studio album and 2nd on A&M Records! This special edition 2LP release features 5 bonus tracks on Side D including “Til I Hear It From You” from the Empire Records Soundtrack + the previously unreleased studio version of “Everywhere.””

576,688 – Loathe – A Stranger to You

Color me pleasantly surprised! I have listened to three of their four full-length releases, this their fourth, and fully wrote them off as “yet another metalcore band” (blech). I feel that they made HUGE strides with this release, though, their first in six years. A friend compared them to Deftones, and I’d say that’s fairly accurate. I tend to lean more in the Deftones range, but found this a pleasant listening experience. Ok fine, they do hit some of their metalcore tendencies at times, and I did not care for those, but if you can make it through that, you will be rewarded!

From Townsend Music: “Liverpool metal quartet Loathe return with A Stranger To You, a fourteen-track opus six years in the making. Spanning progressive metal, shoegaze, psychedelia, and electronic ambiance, the album weaves personal milestones into their most sonically ambitious work yet. A front-to-back listening experience that cements their place among heavy music’s most vital acts.”

357,085 – The Waterboys – Atlantic Rain: The Lost Fisherman’s Blues Recordings (3 CDs)

I’m a late bloomer to The Waterboys, but have loved them ever since my introduction to them a few years ago. They play heartfelt “meat ‘n potatoes” rock-folk in the vein of Springsteen, Gaslight Anthem, et al. This triple album revisits the band’s writings from 1986-1988 when they were preparing to release 1988’s ‘Fisherman’s Blues’ (which I had not heard). This was an excellent introduction to the album and really fun to hear all of this music. These guys are great! Excellent songwriting, excellent delivery, excellent production!

From amazon: “THE WATERBOYS ‘Fisherman’s Blues’ album sessions have been revisited for a brand new 3CD and 3LP Vinyl box set featuring previously unreleased recordings. Almost 400 multi-track tape reels, totalling 150 hours of music, were recorded during the Waterboys’ famous Fisherman’s Blues sessions of 1986-88. Among these were 80 tapes with no song titles, just rough notes like “jam” or “unknown.”

In 2024, band leader Mike Scott went through most of these, listening to them for the first time since they were recorded, and discovering in the process dozens of tracks the band had forgotten about; lost recordings, some improvised on the spot, others painstakingly worked on, that in many cases equal the quality of those on the original classic 1988 album.

Scott has compiled these into a triple CD and vinyl collection titled THE LOST FISHERMAN’S BLUES RECORDINGS. This fascinating release will gain much attention and will come with a book containing 15,000 words of Scott’s own sleeve notes plus lyrics and unseen photos.

The Waterboys will be on tour in Europe with a special “Fisherman’s Blues Revue” live shows throughout August and September 2026, celebrating the album with an eight-piece band featuring special guest Steve Earle and fiddler Steve Wickham at Hydro Glasgow, O2 Arena London, 3 Arena Dublin, along with shows in Belgium, Spain, Norway, Sweden, and The Netherlands.”

247,334 – Haken – in a fever dream EP

Haken return with their second EP, and it’s pure prog-rock/metal bliss. Haken is such an amazing band! If you dig old-school and new-school prog-rock/metal, give this a listen. You can totally hear their influences of Yes, King Crimson, Dream Theater, Muse, Dixie Dregs, and more. I cannot wait to see them live… this shit rules!

I will say, though, I was a bit concerned before diving in because a couple of band members left, including longtime guitarist Charlie Griffiths and bassist Conner Green. No steps lost, still f’n beautiful! My only complaint is that I wanted more… much more. This EP contains five songs and has a run time of 26:22.

From the band: “The band describes the EP as a product of “reflection and rediscovery,” born from a need to look inward following recent challenges. They emphasize a “completely honest” writing process that embraces vulnerability, resulting in songs with significant “weight and purpose”.

Musically, they describe the project as pushing into new territory while maintaining their core identity, noting that producer George Lever helped bring this “genuine” vision to life at Vada Studios. The band frames the in a fever dream EP as a raw and honest creative reset following major lineup departures earlier in the year.”

219,626 – Protest The Hero – Within

PTH returns after a long six-year wait. They are a super-talented prog-metal/metalcore band outta Canada, eh… not a fan of most metalcore, but these dudes deliver the goods almost every time. Good album!

From the band: “This album has been in the works for a very long time. While being a completely independent band has its perks, it also comes with some incredible challenges. We appreciate both your patience and your willingness to come back to the table and listen all over again. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone taking the time to check it out.

While we still make music for ourselves, and genuinely love the arduous process of bringing it to life, we all know we wouldn’t be doing this without you. It’s really that simple. So we hope these songs bring you some joy, however fleeting that feeling can be sometimes.

Lastly, we’d like to thank everyone who helped us put this record together. It takes a village to bring something like this to life, and we wouldn’t be here without an amazing group of old friends, new friends, and even a few people we haven’t met yet!

Be good to each other, and thanks for listening.”

From Metal Injection: “Six years after their last release, Protest The Hero have announced their forthcoming record, Within, will be out on July 17.

Speaking on the record, Rody Walker said that the new single focuses on the macro, whereas the rest of the record focuses on the micro. “”Mouthpiece” is the only song from a macro perspective. This is not without reason. It is about the controlling powers that have convinced us that everything needs to be divided into binaries, despite the fact that very few things truly exist within them.

Walker continued on: “It describes a world of brilliant colour reduced to black and white by charlatans like podcasters and corporate media. It suggests the only true binary we should pay attention to is the very wealthy and everyone else.”

Guitarist Tim MacMillar chimed in, saying that this will be the band’s first record in their catalog that is fully theirs. “We are excited to have this record as the first in our catalogue that we fully own.” He explained, “We’ve paid to make our own albums and do everything on our terms. Owning our intellectual property is incredibly important to us. In the past, we signed away those rights and saw firsthand how that hands control to someone else, sometimes to the point where we couldn’t even access or manage our own work. That’s something we’re no longer willing to accept. This record is us putting our foot down. We’re not interested in participating in that system anymore. We’re focused on the future. And for the first time, it’s completely in our hands.””

213,793 – Fantastic Negrito – Alive!

Oh man, I have loved dude’s releases for several years now – and I like this one, as well. Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz (bka Fantastic Negrito) plays a bangin’ blend of super-tasty bluesy, gospel-ey, roots rock. Fun fact: He has released seven full-length albums and won three Grammy Awards, yet this release marks his first live album. Based on this release, it’s obvious that his shows are f’n killer!

From Storefront Records: “Three-time GRAMMY® Award winner and critically acclaimed artist Fantastic Negrito returns with his new album Alive! capturing the power of human connection at a time when culture is increasingly mediated by algorithms. The new project documents an artist whose performances have been described as “church without the religion,” as gatherings where listeners don’t just observe, but participate.

Composed of grit, soul, funk, rock, foot stomps, handclaps, and blues, Fantastic Negrito has built a global following through performances that transcend genre and dissolve the boundaries between stage and crowd. His live shows are not simply concerts, they are collective experiences driven by emotion, vulnerability, and fearless musicality. This new album captures that experience in its purest form.

The forthcoming album continues this theme, presenting live performance as one of the last truly collective art forms: completely human, unedited, and shaped in real time by the exchange between artist and audience. Negrito’s concerts are known for dissolving the boundary between stage and crowd, creating an atmosphere that feels immediate, participatory, and deeply alive.”

102,755 – Quicksand – Bring On the Psychics

This is the post-hardcore band’s first release in five years and only their third in (seemingly) a million years – “only” 31 in reality – and… well, I was never much of a fan back in the day, but I fully dug this release. Angular, gritty, raw, but still cohesive. Yeah, I can dig this!

From Rough Trade Records: “It’s impossible to overstate the influence that Quicksand has had on the hardcore scene. Formed in New York City in 1990 out of the ashes of Gorilla Biscuits, Youth of Today, Burn, and Bold, the band took the aggression of hardcore and added a more groove-driven crunch to it, unintentionally inventing the genre known today as post-hardcore. After releasing two major-label masterpieces in the nineties—1993’s Slip and 1995’s Manic Compression—the band split up at the peak of their powers, only to reunite in 2012 and release Interiors and Distant Populations.

Inspired by a quote from scientist Carl Sagan, Bring On The Psychics, Quicksand’s first album in five years and Equal Vision Records debut, sees guitarist/vocalist Walter Schreifels examining his past through his present reality. “For this album, I was going back to a lot of my earlier influences like Break Down The Walls or Start Today,” he explains. “Regardless of whether you’re into hardcore or youth crew, they’re really cool records because they’re speaking to the time and providing possible paths to a better future … with mosh parts. That’s the energy that I wanted to bring to this.”

From the hook-driven heaviness of the opener “Get To It” to the shoegaze splendor of “Crystallize,” the band covers a lot of sonic ground on Bring On The Psychics, but it always sounds like Quicksand. Its technical virtuosity is on full display here as well, from bassist Sergio Vega’s locked-in bass grooves on “Cool Guy” to Alan Cage’s dynamic drumming on the album’s title track. The band also stretched out musically on the album as evidenced by the breezy ballad “Days You Run To,” a song that might even surprise longtime fans.”

46,856 – BIG SPECIAL – Big Special on Audiotree Live

Big Special is a British punk / post-punk duo. Like their previous releases, I didn’t totally love this, but it made me take notice. It has angular riffs and thick British accent vocals. I’m gonna continue to keep my eyes on ’em. Wasn’t expecting to like this, but did. Just wish it was longer than six tracks and 18:59.

From their bandcamp page: “Hailing from England’s industrial West Midlands, BIG SPECIAL channel working-class life into a raw, urgent blend of post-punk, spoken word, and alternative rock.

Since emerging in 2023, the duo of Joe Hicklin and Callum Moloney have earned critical acclaim, chart success, and a reputation for relentless touring alongside acts including Placebo, Pixies, Sleaford Mods, and Public Service Broadcasting.

Following their UK Top 40 debut album “POSTINDUSTRIAL HOMETOWN BLUES” and the UK Independent Chart-topping “NATIONAL AVERAGE,” BIG SPECIAL continue to push forward with their latest EP “O’JOY!” while laying the groundwork for their next chapter. Watch their full Audiotree Live session, hosted by Fingy.”

39,219 – Dust Bolt – No One Can Stop Us EP

Oh yes! Full-on, kick-ass thrash metal assault with chunky riffage, sweet solos, nice production… these Germans ain’t fuckin’ around! They’re GD right that no one can stop them – good shit, mang! Congrats on taking things into your own hands. Great job! The only complaint – four songs and a short, short run time of 15:38. Can’t wait for the next full-length from these rippers!

From the band: “The new EP ‘No One Can Stop Us’ comes directly from us. Written, recorded, produced, and arranged in our rehearsal room – without high budgets, without expensive technology, without an overwhelming amount of know-how.

It was definitely tracked with blood. With sweat. With tears. With endless hard work.

Welcome to the family. It’s a madhouse.”

25,100 – Aaron Lee Tasjan – Get Over It, Underdog

Excellent blues-folk-soaked singer-songwriter album – I liked this release! I also like the story behind the album, as well (read ahead). Don’t give up, keep ’em coming!

From Blue Elan Records: “What happens when an artist stops believing in himself? Get Over It, Underdog is Aaron Lee Tasjan’s answer.

Acclaimed Grammy-nominated artist, activist, and songwriter Aaron Lee Tasjan’s new album kills sacred cows and pokes holes in the dam, while leaning hard into the idea of perseverance. Comprised of 11 masterfully crafted songs, Get Over It, Underdog is an ambitious and spirited collection as Tasjan examines the mythology of the American underdog, unraveling its contradictions and complexities with wit, urgency, and a deeply human perspective. The record confronts the idea that the same qualities that elevate an underdog can just as easily lead to their undoing, offering a nuanced portrait of resilience, identity, and self-perception.

There is a deep melancholy that surrounds the release of Get Over It, Underdog, as a pivotal figure behind the album’s creation was the late, beloved songwriter Todd Snider. Snider’s mentorship helped reshape Tasjan’s creative outlook during a period of artistic uncertainty. After reaching out to his long-time friend for guidance, Tasjan was met with a thoughtfully considered response that offered both practical direction and philosophical clarity. It sparked a prolific burst of writing for Tasjan, freeing him from expectations and reconnecting him with the core purpose of his work. Snider’s inspiration can be felt in the album’s sense of conviction and independence, and the two co-wrote “The Real”. Snider’s passing shortly after the album’s completion casts a long shadow, but his spirit endures in the record’s restless creativity and commitment to artistic honesty.

Produced by Tasjan alongside longtime collaborator Mark Miller, Get Over It, Underdog is both a personal reckoning and a broader reflection on the stories we tell about ourselves and others. It captures an artist pushing through doubt and rediscovering purpose, delivering a work that is as thought-provoking as it is immediate. Get Over It, Underdog reaffirms Aaron Lee Tasjan as one of the most compelling voices in contemporary Americana—an artist unafraid to challenge, question, and ultimately connect.”

6,577 – zakè & Coppice Halifax – Tree Grid

zakè is Zach Frizzell and Coppice Halifax is Brian Grainger. They play super-minimal, ambient, soundscape-y drone. Really nice, beautiful, mellow stuff!

From the bandcamp page: “Toward the end of 2024, I sent Brian Grainger (Coppice Halifax) a collection of sounds, loops, and textures, giving him complete creative freedom to reshape them into something entirely new. Much like his remarkable reinterpretation of LL (‘LL1 (Beige Mix)’ ZD-026, 2023), every piece on this album was constructed exclusively from the source material I provided. What makes this especially extraordinary is that the original recordings contained no beats or predefined rhythmic structures. Brian painstakingly built every rhythm, melody, pattern, and gesture from those raw sounds alone.

This is far more than a remix album. It is a complete deconstruction and reconstruction of the original material, revealing possibilities I could never have imagined. Experiencing these pieces for the first time left me with the same sense of amazement I felt when I first heard his LL reinterpretation in 2023. Brian has an uncanny ability to uncover music hidden within the smallest sonic fragments, transforming the familiar into something wholly unexpected while remaining deeply connected to its source. The result is an entirely new body of work that unmistakably carries the DNA of zakè while bearing the unmistakable creative imprint of Coppice Halifax.

Consider this a precursor to a more formal collaboration between Brian and me, with more to come in the near future. Until then, enjoy the sounds.”

Remixes & final iterations produced by Coppice Halifax. Additional layers and field recordings in final iterations by zakè. Source material produced by zakè. Mastered by zakè. Vintage postcard collage, layout, and design by zakè. ©℗ 2026 Zakè Drone Recordings. This is ZD-052.

5,362 – Rys – The Haunting, Part II (Silksong Metal Covers)

Super-tasty all-instrumental djent-y prog-metal album. Great tunes, great playing, great recording, super-tight… dig!

3,681 – Black Sites – For Eternity

Pretty cool and very brave… I guess this band contains a couple of dudes in death metal bands, but they wanted to write an album that reminded them of what they used to grow up with: Maiden, Priest, Motörhead, etc, etc… pretty killer NWOBHM / heavy metal / thrash metal album here!!

3,373 – Seedy Jeezus – Hell Yeah!

Seedy Jeezus are guitarist/vocalist Lex Waterreus, drummer Mark Sibson, and bassist Paul Crick. This won’t be for everyone, but I fully enjoyed this trippy psychedelic-stoner/garage rock album. There are some vocals, but for the most part, it is just intense musicians simply jamming like their lives depend on it!

From the band: “Seedy Jeezus announce new album Hell Yeah! — their rawest and most feral release yet.

Created to mark the band’s fifth European tour, Hell Yeah! strips away the cosmic drift of recent releases and dives headfirst into loud, primitive, heavy psychedelic garage rock. Featuring brand new originals “Riff Song,” “Warwhores,” and the volcanic title track “Hell Yeah!,” the album channels the spirit of MC5, Comets on Fire, High Rise, White Heaven, and Flower Travellin’ Band.

The record also pays tribute to underground rock history with crushing takes on Cactus’ “Evil,” Chris Knox’s “Pull Down the Shades,” and Human Instinct classics “Stoned Guitar” and “Midnight Sun” — the latter featuring vocals from Human Instinct frontman Maurice Greer himself.

Hell Yeah! isn’t polished or restrained. It’s a high-volume celebration of riffs, fuzz, chaos, and the transcendent power of turning the amps all the way up.”

1,892 – Chris Ballew – Newborn Human

Once again, the former vocalist/bassist of Presidents of the United States of America and Caspar Babypants goes solo and… I like it! I love how he is able to separate the three projects, each sounding reminiscent of the other, yet totally different. Here he puts his big boy pants on, and the results are wonderful…

1,756 – Darryl Jenifer – The Weather Channel

Oh fuck yeah! Darryl Jenifer is the bassist of legendary D.C.-based punk/reggae-dub band, Bad Brains. Here he goes solo – for the first time since 2010! – with an all-instrumental jazz-funk-reggae album. And it’s got all the groove. Tasty AF! Now if we could get Bad Brains to release something… it’s been nearly 15 years since their last full-length!

From amazon: “The Weather Channel is the new instrumental album from Bad Brains bassist Darryl Jenifer. It follows his 2010 solo debut, In Search of Black Judas. The record features a venerable lineup of heavy-hitters from the jazz world, including the likes of John Medeski, Ben Perowsky, Jack DeJohnette, and Karl Berger, among others. The tracklist includes nine new compositions, as well as new interpretations of two Bad Brains classics.”

691 – Ross Harding – Blues Shadows EP

Straight-up, no BS, tasty blues… and far too short, with four songs – one as a radio edit, so really three – and a run time of 18:40. Looking forward to hearing more from him!

From Ross Harding: “South African guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Ross Harding announces Blues Shadows, a three-part release exploring the darker edges of the blues through his distinctive style of Dark Blues — cinematic yet raw, minimal and atmospheric.

London— Today, UK-based Dark Blues artist Ross Harding announces the ‘Graveyard Blues’ Single Release.

Graveyard Blues is an atmospheric and cinematic reinterpretation of one of the Blues’ oldest themes: the mythology of the crossroads and the sacrifices that accompany a life’s calling.

Drawing inspiration from the folklore surrounding Robert Johnson, the song explores the personal cost of pursuing authentic artistic expression. Rather than seeking wealth, fame or fortune, its narrator is driven by a deeper need to create — to follow a path that is often uncertain, demanding and difficult to explain.

At the heart of the song is the line, “Signed the page in blood so I could sing these Blues” – a vow to the craft itself. The act of sacrifice is artistic rather than material — a willingness to give parts of oneself in pursuit of something honest, meaningful and enduring.

Rich with haunting imagery and melancholy textures, Graveyard Blues reflects on devotion, perseverance, and the pieces of ourselves we leave behind in the pursuit of meaningful art. It is a song about commitment to a craft and the sacrifices made.

Built around voice, dark and weighty acoustic guitar and slide, Blues Shadows strips the music back to its essence while drawing on themes of the prophetic, artistic sacrifice, power, faith, desire and consequence. The performances are intimate and unvarnished, capturing a sense of tension and immediacy that runs through each track.

Entirely self-produced, the record carries a depth and weight in its acoustic guitar sound that sets it apart — a modern, heavy approach to a traditionally stripped format, where tone, space and performance drive the production.

From the stark, prophetic tone of John The Revelator, to the personal weight of Graveyard Blues, and the darker, more confrontational edge of If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day, the release moves between confession, warning, and internal struggle.

Blues Shadows marks a defining moment in Harding’s Dark Blues Revival — a modern take on the genre rooted in tradition but driven by mood, space and emotional weight.

Featured in Blues in Britain, Blues Rock Review and more, Ross Harding continues to build a growing audience across the UK with his distinctive sound and live performances.”

248 – Rick Fowler – Back On My Good Foot

Tasty, passionate, fiery blues-rock, courtesy of guitarist/musician Rick Fowler, who is typically a studio guitarist, playing on other people’s records. Been 18 long years, man… let’s get another solo album out there, Rick!

From amazon: “In a landscape where modern blues-rock often leans on flashy solos and heavy-handed production, this album offers a more restrained and deliberate approach. It avoids the genre’s common excesses, favoring substance and mood over spectacle.

The result is a collection that feels grounded and soulful, leaning into the expressive roots of blues. The lyrics deviate from the conventional clichés, while the playing is crafted to enhance the song’s narrative and allow the listener to fully immerse themselves in its story.”

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

9,469,901 – Gracie Abrams – Daughter From Hell

Gracie is a poppy singer-songwriter. She has a solid voice, the production is incredible, and I totally get the appeal – my sister’s kids love her – but the tunes aren’t in my wheelhouse, and, frankly, as a whole, I don’t believe Gracie’s music is particularly for my demographic.

2,196,851 – Motionless In White – Decades

This band receives a lot of praise, but I don’t think they’re all that great. On one hand, they do this super-heavy, super-hardcore metalcore type-shit, then the next song is all Marilyn Manson-esque, doing the whole industrial-goth schtick… then back again, ’round and ’round we go. By no means did I care for this album. However, it is probably the most “palatable” one I’ve heard to date. I will say, though, that their cover of Corey Hart’s ‘Sunglasses At Night’ hits HARD! I listened to it at least a half dozen times. Fun fact: Corey Hart was my first concert (opening for the inimitable Hall & Oates).

963,598 – Aaron Lewis – Give My Country Back

Aaron Lewis – the frontman of (shitty) ROCK band Staind – goes COUNTRY (yet again)! This definitely doesn’t sound like a rock guy trying to add rock to country; this is full-on country, all twangy and shit. Speaking of shit, I am not a fan of country music and therefore did not care for this album. At all. PS Fuck Aaron Lewis.

600,008 – Tricky – Different When It’s Silent

Trip-hopper Adrian Nicholas Matthews Thaws (bka Tricky) releases another album and… frankly, I hadn’t heard much that I’ve liked since his 1995 debut ‘Maxinquaye’. This album? Not so much. Not something I’d listen to again.

253,239 – Nia Archives – Emotional Junglist

Dehaney Nia Lishahn Hunt (BKA Nia Archives) plays lo-fi jungle meets drum and bass meets electronic on this, her sophomore full-length (after a handful of EPs and debut full-length)… and it’s not good. Or rather, it’s not for me.

198,503 – The Menzingers – Everything I Ever Saw

Not a bad album, per se, but not one I’ll listen to again, either. They have this pop-rock / pop-punk thing going on… good songs, good production, but I dunno. Nothing memorable, and nothing I’ll jam again…

176,039 – Yoko Ono – Season Of Glass [45th Anniversary – 1981]

I am relatively unfamiliar with Yoko Ono’s work other than the screeching vocals that she is well-known for. That said, this release was quite the departure. She’s singing! And the music is solid, too! None of this weird, artsy-fartsy, experimental garbage. That said, it is nothing I’ll reach for again.

From amazon: “To mark the 45th anniversary of its release, Secretly Canadian has announced that Ono’s seminal 1981 album Season of Glass will be released in July 2026, in expanded CD and digital versions, and on vinyl for the first time in more than forty-five years, with expanded and enhanced artwork. Hit single “Walking on Thin Ice” is now available to stream everywhere for the first time.

One of Pitchfork’s Top 200 albums of the 1980s, Season of Glass was released in June 1981, just seven months after the senseless murder of Ono’s husband and creative partner, John Lennon. Full of songs about love, loss, anger, and fear, the album reflected Ono’s experience in stark detail, creating almost a companion piece to Ono and Lennon’s 1970 Plastic Ono Band “primal scream” albums. “Season of Glass was really just being me, I suppose,” Ono told Newsweek in 1982. “Sort of, it was like a primal scream in a way; you know, something happened in my life, and I just had to say it. And I think it was therapeutic for me more than anything else. And I was pretty honest, I suppose.”

Ono’s fifth studio album, Season of Glass, was also the artist’s most commercially successful to date, cracking the Top 50 on Billboard’s Album Chart, but it was not without controversy. The album’s cover was a photograph of Lennon’s blood-soaked glasses, just as they were returned to Ono from Roosevelt Hospital after his murder. Though David Geffen, the head of Geffen Records, who had released Ono and Lennon’s Double Fantasy in November 1980, and released the original version of Season of Glass, implored Ono to change the cover, Ono stood her ground. “The record company called me and said the record shops would not stock the record unless I changed the cover,” Ono wrote in the liner notes to ONOBOX. “I didn’t understand it. Why? They said it was in bad taste. I felt like a person soaked in blood coming into a living room full of people and reporting that my husband was dead, his body was taken away, and the pair of glasses were the only thing I had managed to salvage – and people looking at me saying it was in bad taste to show the glasses to them.” “I’m not changing the cover,” Ono recalled telling Geffen. “This is what John is now.”

Backed by the same band that had played on Double Fantasy, the sound of Season of Glass sits in alignment next to that album, which at the time was already considered an artistic triumph for Ono, who was inspiring young artists like the B-52s and Sonic Youth. In the years since its release, the honest, loving, sometimes harrowing nature of the songs on Season of Glass have meant that it has only gained in stature. Now universally embraced as a powerful artistic statement about grief and loss, it is considered a landmark release and among Ono’s best works; a fully realized artistic statement.

Ultimately, Season of Glass is a stunning, cathartic listen. Still, Ono has always insisted there’s one thing the album is not: healing. “What healing? That’s another thing most people don’t know, but the widows of the world will know,” she told the Los Angeles Times nearly a decade after the album’s release. “Losing a husband is something you can’t shake. It’s not just a feeling of missing him. It’s something more that could never heal. His loss will always stay.””

149,908 – Yard Act – You’re Gonna Need A Little Music

This is the post-punk meets indie rock band’s third full-length album. All three are complete and total crap.

115,740 – Boundaries – Yearning: The unbeautiful after

Talk about a band that sounds pissed off at the world, holy shit! Connecticut-based metalcore. Not really my scene, and this release did not change my mind. What’s next…?

62,834 – Slow Crush – Aurora In Full [Live At Roadburn 2026 – 2018]

This is the shoegaze band’s 2018 debut in full, in order, and live at the Roadburn Festival in Tilburg, The Netherlands, on April 17th, 2026. I have enjoyed some of their more recent output, but their studio debut (and now this, the live release of that album) just miss the mark for me. Quite meh-ish…

36,186 – Mohini Dey – The Dey Way

Mohini is a jazz-funk-fusion bassist from India. She is an absolute beast on the instrument, but I was bored to tears.

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

None.

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…

99,451 – Lotus – Eat The Light: 10 Year Expanded Edition [2016] (2 CDs)

EDM, Funk, Post-Rock, Dance-Rock. From their bandcamp page: “Expanded edition of the 2016 album Eat the Light. Includes 4 new reworked studio tracks, 6 live tracks, Drink the Light 4-song EP and 7 remixes.”

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

7,095,453 – Charli xcx – Music, Fashion, Film

6,701,952 – The Strokes – Reality Awaits

3,543,894 – Shania Twain – Little Miss Twain

1,082,051 – The HU – Hun

231,843 – Punch Brothers – The Unsung Adventures Of Punch Brothers

204,692 – Combichrist – The Venom In The Mouth Of God

198,675 – Madball – Not Your Kingdom

42,199 – REZN – Cycles In The Infinite Dream

2,903 – MOULD – Hoping As A Coping Mechanism

2,380 – North Sea Echoes – How To Cast A Shadow

788 – Tu-Ner – Rendezvous Rodeo

277 – Yeti On Horseback – Traditional Addictions

110 – Svindel – Drömfeber

69 – Stay Dead – Beneath The Weight Of Worlds

…and several others. Some that I am looking forward to and others not so much.

———————————————————————————————

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