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Rob Zombie

Rob Zombie

‘The Great Satan’

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ROB ZOMBIE – THE GREAT SATAN – ALBUM REVIEW

Rob Zombie returns with ‘The Great Satan’, his first album in five years, and he does so with a renewed vigour driven by nostalgia. That nostalgic feel doesn’t just come from early 2000’s metal undergoing a renaissance of sorts but from some recent line-up changes too.

With John 5 and Piggy D. both moving on (to Motley Crue and Marilyn Manson respectively) the door has opened for original members Mike Riggs and Blasko to return to the Zombie family. This means that ¾ of the line-up responsible for classic albums ‘Hellbilly Deluxe’ and ‘The Sinister Urge’ are present again.

That does lead quite nicely to this album sonically and aesthetically revisiting those hellbilly roots. The subsequent heavy rock/punk infused sound is much more akin to nu-metal era stylings then what we are used to with processed to death modern metal.

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Rob Zombie – ‘F.T.W. 84’

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That means that these songs are loud, rough around the edges and grungy as hell. That though is the perfect premise for a Rob Zombie album and old school fans will feel instantly at home with these songs.

Equally those that are jumping on the nu-metal renaissance bandwagon will get much enjoyment from ‘The Great Satan’ and tracks like ‘(I’m a) Rock “N” Roller’, ‘Heathen Days’ and ‘Punks and Demons’.

Naturally theatrical and expectedly over the top this is the right Rob Zombie album for 2026 and as mad as it is, it’s also ideal for the mad world that we exist within in 2026!

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Gorillaz

Gorillaz

‘The Mountain’

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GORILLAZ – THE MOUNTAIN – ALBUM REVIEW

Since playing the record in full at the “mystery” show during their House of Kong exhibition, the hype for ‘The Mountain’ has steadily risen. New Gorillaz albums always hit a bit different, and this new collection already feels like a monumental release for the group.

With much writing and recording happening in India, the influence of the regions culture is central to the sonic ambience of this album and helps to give these songs a unique identity compared to the big hitters in the Gorillaz back catalogue. This is of course still a celebration of world music; as recent Gorillaz albums have been.

Thematically, ‘The Mountain’ is very much a conceptual record based around the themes of life, death and the afterlife. This leads to some of their most emotive work to date with songs which we will all unfortunately be able to relate to.

As with any Gorillaz record, this is a collaborative project with many guests strewn across the album including Sparks, IDLES and Johnny Marr. A particularly nice touch though considering the themes of the record is the inclusion of unused vocal takes from previous collaborators who are sadly no longer with us such as Bobby Womack, David Jolicoeur, Mark E. Smith, Dennis Hopper and Tony Allen.

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Gorillaz – ‘The Hardest Thing’

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The collection is an album in the truest sense. Cohesively built and designed to be enjoyed as it’s put down. For those needing a reminder of how we used to do things before short-form media – that means to listen to the album uninterrupted, in order, from track one to fifteen. The album is a long one, needing your undivided attention, but it does reward you for your time completely with a fully immersive listening experience.

If you are viewing ‘The Mountain’ through modern music consumption lenses, then you’d say that the album is bloated and some fat needs to be trimmed, for example you’d say a near five-minute intro track is unnecessarily elaborate. That really isn’t the point of this album though! Every element adds to the grandiose, intense and spiritual aesthetic that gives the album its heart and soul.

What is somewhat amusing is that this is the album that has taken Gorillaz into Stadiums and it will be fascinating to see how the album is absorbed into their big summer shows, which tend to attract more casual fans.

That is a question for then though and the only question now is how Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewitt continue to evolve one of the most evolved projects in music. The term genius is thrown around too much, but you have to sit in awe at the pure creative force of nature that Gorillaz has become!

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Full Pelt Magazine

Vol. 123

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New Found Glory

New Found Glory

‘Listen Up!’

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The backstory to New Found Glory’s latest studio album, ‘Listen Up!’ is a truly remarkable tale.

The health battle fought by guitarist Chad Gilbert has been well documented. His ongoing battle with a rare form of cancer has led to his withdrawal from the stage, but whilst his bandmates hit the road, Gilbert hit the writer’s chair.

The result is an album thematically tied to the notion of offering hope to those going through hard times wishing to stir growth and strength. The title of the album is designed to get listeners to actively listen to the lyrics of these songs and absorb that encouraging meaning.

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New Found Glory – ‘100%’

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Musically, this is very much classic New Found Glory. The pioneers of pop-punk focus their energy into a record which carries their signature sound and delivers it with confidence.

This is a genre of course which was rooted in youthful exuberance and therefore many of the bands’ contemporaries have struggled to deliver impactful albums during the later stages of their careers. If any pop-punk bands want to see how to do so with real worth then ‘Listen Up!’ should be the textbook example.

It’s a great moment to be able to celebrate the band and everything that they’ve brought their scene and everything that we hope they’ll offer in the future.

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The Enemy

The Enemy

‘Social Disguises’

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THE ENEMY – SOCIAL DISGUISES – ALBUM REVIEW

After making a strong impression with their early work, the career of Coventry’s indie darlings The Enemy petered out in 2016. After a lengthy hiatus however, the band re-emerged in 2022 and have been reintroducing themselves to fans via well-received tours since then.

The time has come though for the trio to back up their reunion with new music and that arrives fully in the shape of their fifth studio album, ‘Social Disguises’.

Their return has been accompanied by a humility and maturity which contradicts the brash youthfulness of their early years. When writing and recording this album however, the band have said that they tried to make it with the same frame of mind as their first.

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The Enemy – ‘Trouble’

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That leads to their signature swagger being present but being structured by the added experience that they now possess. This manifests in songs which represent the best of both worlds and translate particularly well for an audience who have likely themselves also matured but will want to relive what drew them to the band in the first place.

The pre-release singles, ‘The Boxer’, ‘Not Going Your Way’ and ‘Trouble’ represent the album well, acting as a good indicator of what fans could expect.

The final run of ‘Serious’, ‘Innocent’ and ‘Finish Line’ is also particularly enjoyable. In fact, amongst the ten tracks (plus one interlude) there isn’t a particularly bad track. The album flows nicely and does their return the justice it deserved.

Where many bands in this scenario would fail to deliver something of worth, The Enemy can be proud of what they have created.

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Vol. 122

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Cardinals

Cardinals

‘Masquerade’

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Cork’s Cardinals have been turning heads over the past year with a string of engaging singles and now that time has arrived for their debut album, ‘Masquerade’, to go the microscope!

Well those looking close enough will notice the care and love placed into the craft of this record. Indeed, each song means something, but the album in its entirety becomes greater than the sum of its part with very particular placings for these songs making the album evolve over the course of the ten tracks.

Cardinals are band of brothers (both literally and figuratively) having grown up together and their shared experiences held to bring a vivid honesty to the record. This aesthetic will undoubtedly get some high profile and somewhat obvious comparisons but there is an aura which sets them apart woven throughout.

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Cardinals – ‘Barbed Wire’

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You can’t help but pick up on the emotive and vulnerable nature of these songs and that only manages to cultivate those all-important feelings of relatability. Songs that can make you feel something mean more and this is an album made of those songs.

Just take the morose epic closer ‘As I Breathe’ as case in point. The track provides the perfect juxtaposition to the rockier first half of the record and does its job perfectly in making you want to hit play again!

With folk storytelling, punk attitude and indie style there is plenty going for Cardinals and now they have navigated the tricky set of a debut album with such ease it is exciting to consider what the future will hold for them!

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Gogol Bordello

Gogol Bordello

‘We Mean It, Man!’

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GOGOL BORDELLO – We mean it , man! – album review

Nearly four years have passed since Gogol Bordello released, ‘Solidaritine’, their show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people in the face of the Russian invasion. Sadly for the world, that tragedy continues and now the band are back with an album of hope.

‘We Mean It, Man!’ really does pick up after its predecessor but looks to offer optimism that healing will be possible once the atrocities end – see ‘Life Is Possible Again’.

Led by charismatic frontman Eugene Hütz, the ensemble band again bring a chaotic mix of genres and styles together into their signature sound.

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Gogol Bordello – ‘Life Is Possible Again’

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Working with Nick Launay and Adam Greenspan whose recent works include Amyl and the Sniffers and IDLES does however bring some additional post-punk grounding to the album. But by and large this is another riotous listen from the self-proclaimed gypsy punks.

The album closes with another version of Angelic Upstarts anthem ‘Solidarity’ featuring New Order icon Bernard Sumner. This feels like the perfect way to conclude these pasts two records and send that important message of unity.

With the band almost three decades into their career, it’s not a surprise that there isn’t anything groundbreaking on this album. But for fans of the group, it’s reassuring that they still have the heart and energy to deliver such driven work.

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Demob Happy

Demob Happy

‘The Grown-Ups Are Talking’

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DEMOb happy – the grown-ups are talking – album review

Demob Happy have never been a band to pigeonhole and as they return with their fourth studio album, they remain as enigmatic as ever!

‘The Grown Ups Are Talking’ is a manifestation of every element of the bands past whilst again showing a willingness and capability to explore further than ever before. Kicking off with trademark riffs across the opening trio of songs, the album suddenly pivots 180 degrees on the melancholic ‘Don’t Hang Up’.

From there the middle section of this record is a real fever dream as the group infuse some eclectic influences into their style. ‘Who Should I Say Is Calling?’ is a catchy number before the two part ‘Miracle Worker’ absorbs you completely.

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Demob Happy – ‘No Man Left Behind’

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Sonically this album is Demob Happy being free and that makes it a fun listen. Deep down however the lyrics on the record cover some of the most deep and personal yet for the band as evidenced by ‘Somethings Gotta Give’ which covers the passing of singer Matthew Marcantonio’s father.

The closing duo of ‘Little Bird’ and ‘Give It All To Me’ then summon forth the rifftastic powers of the trio once again for the big finale.

This album is something of a journey which makes it as fascinating as it does scintillating. It’s fuzzy, it’s psychedelic, it’s outlandish and it’s just very enjoyable!

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Full Pelt Magazine

Vol. 121

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