Robert Jon & The Wreck - Heartbreaks & Last Goodbyes (Journeyman Records)
In the music industry it's good to know people especially if you've been at it for a while as it can mean that your hard work will pay off.
Heartbreaks & Last Goodbyes is a testament to hard work, the ninth album from SoCal rockers Robert Jon & The Wreck sees them still signed to Journeyman Records, the new venture between Joe Bonamassa and manager Roy Weisman (as if they haven't got enough to do), for a second album ready to consolidate the journey they've been on since 2011.
Even more so when they get to record with the legendary, and that isn't hyperbole, Dave Cobb who is one of the leading lights in the country music genre having produced the likes of Chris Stapleton and Jason Isbell, he lends his deft, warm production touches to what is a reflective, soulful record from RJ&TW, the funky Long Gone for instance has a co-writer credit from John Oates, again doubling down on the place where Robert Jon & The Wreck find themselves today.
Yeah of course there still plenty or Allmanisms with the twin guitar harmonies on (I Wanna Give It), the blue collar lyricism of The Heartbreakers (title track) but there's more than that, it's a relaxed overall vibe to the album, a band in unison with each other, blending all of the facets of Americana together as country, rock, blues all merge. Highway for instance is an ode to the road while Dark Angel is a a slide guitar stomp.
This was the first time they recorded while living together at the studio and you can hear the cohesion as these songs have been written, worked on, rewritten and refined until they're the best they can be, like a muscle car that has been tweaked to be the best it can be, the pistons pump on opening rocker Sittin' Pretty, while Ashes In The Snow let's a little bit of Skynyrd creep in Better Of Me honks the tonk with the piano.
Heartbreaks & Last Goodbyes then is Robert Jon & The Wreck fitting comfortably in their position as one of new leaders in Americana, with the backing they have who would bet against them? 7/10
Storm - Join The Storm (Indie Recordings)
Is millions of TikTok views the way we measured the popularity of an artist today?
There does seem to be an abundance of people "creating content" today so where does that leave musicians, artists, hell even journalists? Whatever my opinion on it, this is how the music industry is in 2025, so an artist like Storm then can claim plaudits such as "Breakthrough Of The Year" at the GAFFA Nordic awards which has led to Storm playing festivals including Download.
All of which is great, but unless the musical talent is actually there, regardless of style, then it's all for nothing isn't it? Storm cites Bring Me The Horizon, Billie Eilish and Yungblud as influences on Join The Storm there's pop punk, metalcore, edm, rap all sorts of genres merging together to create a modern approximation of what rock/metal is today.
Black Hole takes the emo/punk route, while there's thumping electronics on Moonlight and Alien Perspective, shifts towards other genres, the inclusion of Snak The Rapper on Fever Dreams, and emotion and heaviness of metalcore on Walking Dead and Suffocate which features genre stars Fixation.
So does it hold up musically? Yes if the modern amalgamation of alternative chart music is your craving of choice, you'll be hearing, seeing and more importantly streaming a lot more of Storm soon. 7/10
Ashen - Leave The Flesh Behind (Redefining Darkness Records)
Redefining Darkness Records are going all in on Aussie death addicts Ashen. They re-issued their debut album earlier this year but now they drop their second record Leave The Flesh Behind via Redefining Darkness Records with visions of conquering the extreme metal world.
The way they're going to do that is with some diverse heaviness influenced by bands such as Gojira, Dismember and Bolt Thrower, never relying fully on high speed double kick blasting or an atmospheric grooving crush but shifting easily between the two. Cherry picking the best but of multiple influences to create their own style of heavy.
The opening duo of Devourer and Ancestral Gate both showcase Ashen's hybrid style of death, flitting between monolithic slowness and raging fury, all the while orchestrations and choral elements add an epic, cinematic atmosphere to proceedings. Josh Harris' bass pushes the low end, dragging down all the rigs with it while Ben Mazzarol drumming can switch in an instant between blast beats and singular percussive strikes.
Shannon Over's guitars are filthy, riffs down tuned and fuzzy, never really getting to some clean leads, speaking of clean I don't think this word ever enters Richard Clements vocabulary as he growls, roars and snarls his way through each track. It's not all mechanical battery though as Leave The Flesh Behind and Aeon though they pick up the pace, shifting between mid-pace and the faster end of Ashen's sound.
Those strings return for the Severed which has an aggressive black metal sound as Ageless is just a rumbling monster that features one of the only lead solos on the record. Leave The Flesh Behind sets Ashen up as one of the top bands on the Redefining Darkness roster, if you like your death metal build on groove over speed you'll be slow putting to this in no time. 8/10
Europa Reign - Europa Reign (Self Released)
Wolverhampton rockers Europa Reign very much deliver the goods with their self titled debut EP. Sitting in the style of modern hard rock they have similarities to Alter Bridge, Black Stoner Cherry and Seether in their sound as the classic metal lead guitars are blended with fat riffage and some gritty vocals.
Villainous is the ideal way to kick things off putting Load/Reload era Metallica against BSC, the chorus hook is huge and the riffs build into to some flashy soloing, they set out their stall here leading into the grungy Rust and the thrashier style of Marionette which is all about the guitars and that pacey, punchy rhythm section, the middle eight shifting into some light speed Maidenesque twin axe harmonies as Europe Rising
Broken Heart, the single of this EP sees Europa Reign showing off their swaggering heavy side as Trechary returns to locomotive speed. It's all very slick, muscular and has bags of experience to it. If this EP is anything to go by expect big things from Europa Reign soon. 8/10
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