Content Breakdown
BabyMetal – Metal Forth
Good Charlotte – Motel Du Cap
Humour – Learning Greek
Dreamwake – The Lost Years
What is out on this #NewMusicFriday?
Take me to the Playlist
It’s a stacked week for notable releases with the likes of Halestorm, BabyMetal, and Good Charlotte dropping new albums. You can read my thoughts on the latter two below. You can also read what i thought of the impressive debut album from Humour, as well as the new record from Dreamwake.
Among today’s other releases, German goth rockers Lord Of The Lost kick off their ‘Opvs Noir’. trilogy of albums. ‘In Devastation’ from SINSAENUM sees the extreme metal supergroup show perseverance through mourning the loss of friends and family. Blues-y indie-rockers The Black Keys deliver their 13th studio album, ‘No Rain, No Flowers’. L.A. indie-pop mainstays Bad Suns serve up a summer-ready soundtrack with their fifth album, ‘Accelerator’.
There are also releases from Attack Attack!, Ethel Cain, Burnt Tapes, Thousand Below, and more.
BabyMetal – Metal Forth
It’s safe to say the stigma of BabyMetal being a novelty act has firmly disappeared. However, as they return with their fifth album, ‘etal Forth,’ you have to wonder why they’ve leaned into a wealth of collaborations. Nevertheless, it’s far from a stylistic departure as the trio maintains the kawaii metal sound that has taken them all over the world.
The cast of cameos is impressive. Poppy, Spiritbox, Tom Morello, Electric Callboy, Polyphia, Slaughter To Prevail, and Bloodywood bring their respective sound to the table, yet BabyMetal never sacrifice their foundations. However, some work seamlessly better than some. ‘From me to u’ (featuring Poppy) and ‘My Queen’ (Spiritbox) see the trio complement their collaborators with ease. On the former, Poppy comes off as an unofficial fourth member, partly due to Jordan Fish’s production work. Whereas ‘My Queen’ bubbles with industrial rage, showcasing Su-metal’s vocal prowess before Courtney LaPlante ramps up the aggression.
Good Charlotte – Motel Du Cap
It’s easy to forget that once upon a time, Good Charlotte were one of the biggest pop-punk bands. However, ‘The Young and the Hopeless’ was released over 20 years ago. In that time, Joel Madden (vocals) and Benji Madden (guitar, vocals), alongside Paul Thomas (bass), Billy Martin (guitar, keyboards), have expanded to dance-rock, emo-pop, and alt-rock. Meanwhile, the Madden twins have built some industry credibility through their artist management, publishing, and production company, MDDN.
In the present day, it’s been seven years since we had a new Good Charlotte record. Admittedly, unless you’re a diehard fan, you’ve not been yearning for one. Their eighth album, ‘Motel Du Cap,’ was spurred on by the quartet playing a private gig for a friend’s wedding in Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc in the south of France in 2023. The combination of being reinvigorated to play together again, along with a lack of expectation, ‘Motel Du Cap’ is set up as Good Charlotte returning to their roots.
Humour – Learning Greek
Glaswegian mob Humour first came to my attention earlier this year with ‘Neighbours’. The paranoia-induced number blended post-hardcore blasts with a post-punk twist. It’s also the opening track on their debut album, ‘Learning Greek’. Framed as a way for frontman Andreas Christoloudis to come to terms with his Greek heritage, the album draws on Greek poetry, mythology, and culture, weaving in themes of loss, grief, and the fear of death.
Musically, Christoloudis, along with guitarists Ross Patrizio and Jack Lyall, bassist Lewis Doig, and drummer Ruairidh Smith, navigates an uneasy blend of jangly slacker rock, jagged post-punk, and unhinged post-hardcore. It’s threaded together by subtle intensity. Tracks such as ‘Die Rich’ and ‘Plagiarist’ lean into Humour’s off-kilter tone, pairing it with a sharp melodic structure.. The latter disorientates through writer’s block, being one of several examples of how personal the album is to Christoloudis. Whereas ‘Die Rich’ stirs with a thick rhythm section. Along with ‘Dirty Bread,’ it lyrically dwells on later-life material possessions. These reflections stem from Andreas’ grandfather, who would buy paintings daily in Athens as a way of finding comfort in routine despite the looming presence of a military dictatorship.
Dreamwake – The Lost Years
On paper, Connecticut-based Dreamwake‘s mix of progressive metalcore with 80’s synthwave sounds enticing. It makes them stand out from the plethora of up-and-coming bands of their ilk. While their second album, ‘The Lost Years,’ thoroughly delivers on its promise, after a few listens, it loses its impact.
Undoubtedly, the quartet have the technical aptitude to pull off crushing breakdowns, twisting riffs, and versatile vocals. Yet the hazy pastel neon that clouds these 12 tracks more often than not hinders. The early pairing of ‘Stargazer’ and ‘Daydream’ set the tone early on, utilising dizzying synth and succulent saxophone to confidently paint the retro vibe.
Nevertheless, they do occasionally benefit from the additional tones. ‘Dark Eternal’ swirls with an atmospheric build, allowing Bobby Nabors’ impressive clean vocals to shine. It’s built towards a riveting finale, thanks to guitarist Dave Pazik and drummer Andrew Popolizio, making it an early album highlight. ‘Memories’ quickly follows, again elevating the quartet’s musicianship with Kevin Jacques’ chugging bass being a focal point in its verses.
However, at the halfway mark, the mix of bold djent riffs, soaring metalcore vocals, and the use of sax becomes tiresome. Sure, tracks such as ‘Afterglow’ and ‘Oasis’ thrive with density, but when you remove the retro-tinged lenses, Dreamwake lack any distinct characteristics.
‘The Lost Years’ aims to build a retro-futuristic world. One that is textured and expansive. To an extent, this is achieved, yet there’s a lack of variation. It results in a record that merges into a repetitive, saxophone-screeching, prog metalcore endurance test.
What is out on #NewMusicFriday?
BabyMetal – Metal Forth
Good Charlotte – Motel Du Cap
Halestorm – Everest
MGK – Lost Americana
Lord Of The Lost – OPVS NOIR Vol. 1
SINSAENUM – In Devastation
Ethel Cain – Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You
Dreamwake – The Lost Years
Humour – Learning Greek
Attack Attack! – Attack Attack! II
The Black Keys – No Rain, No Flowers
Bad Suns – Accelerator
Thousand Below – Buried In Jade
Burnt Tapes – New Lungs
LIV SIN – Close Your Eyes
Völur and Cares – Breathless Spirit
Lydia Night – Parody of Pleasure
For Those I Love – Carving The Stone
Curbside – A Lifetime To Outgrow
Jack Phemister – Sleeping Dogs
Neutral Snap – I Hardly Know Her
Shape of Water – Petrichor
Westside Cowboy – This Better Be Something Great
TITVN – The Death Experience
Protect This City – Heavenly Realm (Chapter I)
The Missing Peace – The Void
Deprived Of – Afterglow
If you think I’ve missed something or have a new album/EP/song to tell us about, tell us about it here.
If you’re looking for the latest tracks focusing on rock, punk, hardcore, metal, emo, and everything in between, then check out our ‘Newish Music’ playlist on Spotify or Apple Music.
