RYAN HAMILTON – HAUNTED BY THE HOLY GHOST – ALBUM REVIEW
Ryan Hamilton has always been something of a musical chameleon and on his new album, āHaunted by the Holy Ghostā, Hamilton evolves once again. For this album Hamilton takes elements from everything he has done already and wraps them in an Americana inspired bow.
Rock ānā roll, indie rock, power pop and influences from across generations, this album really is a smorgasbord of sonic delights. At this point in Ryan Hamiltonās career, itās important for listeners to leave their expectations at the door and strap themselves in for whatever wonders have been emanating from his mind.
This is a very enjoyable, fun listen which is obviously an important quality for any album. This record will have you laughing, crying and bopping through three quarters of an hour of finely tuned rock ānā roll mastery.
On one of the standout songs, āAssholeā, Hamilton sings āā¦donāt wanna be that guy Iāve been before..ā, which is something that seems like something of a motto throughout his career, as he continually reinvents himself.
One thing has remained consistent through his career however and that is the quality of his songwriting. Insightful, deep and meaningful one moment, tongue-in-cheek and brash the next, whatever he turns his mind to, Hamilton comes out with something spectacular.
āHaunted by the Holy Ghostā ultimately is another fine release from Ryan Hamilton, which will remain on repeat for quite some time for those that dive in. What comes next from Hamilton, only time will tell, but odds are it will be great!
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
We start this week with the 20th Anniversary of Download Festival which just got a whole load bigger! Yes 40+ new acts have now joined headliners Metallica (x2), Bring Me The Horizon and Slipknot across the special four day event.
Newly announced acts include Alter Bridge, Halestorm, Neck Deep, Bob Vylan, Jinjer, Hot Milk, The Amity Affliction, Empire State Bastard, Dinosaur Pile-Up, Deaf Havana and more!
Also on tap will be the likes of Architects, Evanescence, Within Temptation, Pendulum, The Blackout, Nova Twins, Disturbed, Placebo, Ghost and so many more!
Ahead of their appearances at this August’s Reading & Leeds Festivals, You Me At Six will perform two intimate warm-up shows in Leicester and Bournemouth.
Our News Report moves now to the best new releases from the past week and we get things started with the latest single from Bury Tomorrow!
‘Heretic’ featuring While She Sleeps frontman Loz Taylor debuted this week and you can check it out above. It was also revealed that Bury Tomorrow will join WSS at their huge Alexandra Palace show in September.
The track comes from upcoming new album, ‘The Seventh Sun’, which is out March 31st!.
Speaking on Heretic, lead-singer Dani Winter-Bates states āHeretic is here, and we knew from day one of recording that this song was something we wanted the world to hear immediately. Itās right up there with the most aggressive and visceral tracks on the album, with an inherently dark feel, both lyrically and musically, which allowed us to delve into some of the more brutal elements of The Seventh Sun. All in all, weāre extremely proud to showcase this track and canāt wait to see what people think.ā
Dani continues āfrom the off, we knew this song merited a guest vocal spot, and Loz Taylor of While She Sleeps sprang to our minds straightaway. Already an absolute legend in our eyes, working with him on this track has only confirmed that status further. His voice incorporated perfectly and has undoubtedly taken the song to the next level ā we couldnāt be happier.ā
The Raven Age have announced that their third studio album, ‘Blood Omen’, will be released on July 7th. To coincide with that announcement, the band unveiled their new single, ‘Parasite’, which you can check out above!
āParasiteā is bolstered by a blistering solo from guest guitarist Andy James of Five Finger Death Punch. āI’ve known the lads in The Raven Age for years now,ā says Andy. āI really like the direction they are heading with this third record and enjoyed doing a guest solo for āParasiteā. Itās a heavy but memorable track that hits you right between the eyes.ā
For the Essex quintetās āall-important third albumā, as George Harris puts it, they have expanded on every level.
This motivation is written into the albumās concept. Following the theme of its two predecessors, the raven motif looms large, this time centering on the overthrowing of old masters, with the bandās Raven King character coming to prominence. Even in the artwork, things are bolder, a close up of The Raven King, says George, ātaking his rightful place on the throne.ā
The theme weaves itself throughout ‘Blood Omen’, kicking off with āParasiteā as MJ explains, āThereās the legend about the ravens in the Tower Of London, that if they were ever to leave, the monarchy falls. Without being too political, āParasiteā is hinting at these dark notes of the hierarchy, the bottom feeders that tend to run everything and then screw everything up. Our Raven King, he’s basically ascending to the throne to bring down the monarchy, bring down the establishment, weed out the parasites, as it were.ā
āIt’s a heavy track,ā MJ continues, āWe knew we wanted to come back with a real punch between the eyes. Itās the full introduction to our Raven King, and it touches on elements of everything to come. It really shows where weāre going on this album.ā
The album also sees the recorded debut of new guitarist Tommy Gentry, the prodigiously talented axeman ā whose previous work includes stints with Marco Mendoza and former Judas Priest six-stringer KK Downing.
āTommy was in our sights from day one,ā says George. āHe’s, without doubt, the most talented musician I know. Not only is he an amazing guitarist, he’s a grade eight pianist, he can score orchestral music, and all that brings something to the table.ā
‘The Price of Progress’, the latest album from The Hold Steady is out on March 31st. This week the band continued to preview the record with new single, ‘Sixers’, which you can check out above.
āāSixersā was written in the first days of the pandemic,ā says frontman Craig Finn. āItās basically a song about knowing your neighbors. Two young professionals meet up in their building late on a Friday night and spend the weekend partying together. They try to find a love connection, but itās not quite there. Itās hard to make friends when your job is so demanding. Tad and Steve chime in with some beautiful guitar harmonies.ā
This week saw The View return with news of their first new album in eight years! ‘Exorcism of Youth’ will be released on June 9th and was preceded this week by the single, ‘Feels Like’, which you can check out above!
Frontman Kyle Falconer says, āWorking with Youth on our third album ‘Bread and Circuses’ was one of the best experiences of my career so we jumped at the chance to revisit the opportunity with him in Spain. To be able to go into the studio again as a band with added experience was just magical.”
On the single Falconer adds, āThis one felt anthemic from the get go. Even though under the surface itās about somewhere everyoneās been in their life before: regret of losing someone amazing due to your inner demons and seeing them moving on with their life, when youāre stuck in a ānightmare not a dream.ā When I first sat down to write it I had Holden Caulfield from āCatcher in the Ryeā in mind. Itās playing out in his mind and itās his own paranoia destroying him from the inside out when in reality sheās the perfect woman.”
Texan singer-songwriter Ryan Hamilton has shared his latest single, ‘Asshole’, which you can check out above. The track comes from upcoming album, ‘Haunted by the Holy Ghost’, which is out March 10th.
A music video for the track features World Champion Barrel Racer, Ryann Pedone & Conor the badger. Ryan says, āItās not everyday you shoot a music video with a badger! Why a badger? Because badgers are assholes. Theyāre adorable assholes. Haha. So proud of this song. The self sabotaging title will keep it off most radio stationsā¦ which is a shame, because it deserves to be a big hit.”
The Dollyrots have released a brand new UK single titled ‘Still Holding On’ to kick off their first ever UK co-headline tour with Don’t Panic and special guest Royals.
You can listen to the track above!
āāStill Holding Onā is the first song weāre releasing off our newest recordings, from the first full album sessions since 2019! Itās a hint of a flavor for the next LP to be released later this year. Since weāll be touring the UK this month we thought weād give our friends here a treat and release it exclusive to the United Kingdom.”ā says singer Kelly Ogden.
This week saw Millie Manders and the Shutup share their new single, ‘Rebound’, on Valentine’s Day! You can of course listen to the track above!
An ode to toxic online dating, as Millie explains: āRebound reflects my experience with online dating, but most people I have spoken to have had similar and worse experiences with it. I wanted to write a song that was in solidarity with those on the receiving end of a rebound relationship and let them know they were never the problem.ā
The comes ahead of the bands upcoming UK Tour in April.
The steady stream of fantastic new music in our News Report continues to flow from iconic Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett. You can check out his latest solo effort, ‘Black Top White Lines’, above now!
This week also saw Pet Needs revealed as the special guests on Lottery Winners upcoming UK Tour. That wasn’t the only news for Pet Needs this week however, as they also debuted their video for ‘Ibiza in Winter’, which you can check out above!
New album ‘Primetime Entertainment’ available here.
Watch Episode 11 of The Full Pelt Music Podcast with guests Pet Needs!
The Full Pelt Music Podcast – ‘Episode 11’ – Pet Needs
Glasgow four-piece Spyres return with their new single, ‘Sleep Forever’.
Vocalist/guitarist Keira McGuire explains:
āSleep Forever is a song about blocking out the realities of life and living in your own world, not wanting to grow up, becoming an adult which puts an end to teenage daydreams and fantasies.ā
FUDGE.- ‘Y.F.F.G.’
FUDGE. release their new single, ‘YOUR FALL FROM GRACE’, taken from their forthcoming ‘THATāS JUST IT, THIS IS NOW’ EP!
Commenting about ‘Y.F.F.G.’ singer Cam says: āItās different to our usual songs but itās a fan favourite and shows a very atmospheric, abstract vibe and I see it as a rebellious love song. The feeling I get from this song is the same as the almost surreal sensation you get when youāre on your own late at night or early morning. That may sound strange but some of you might get what I mean.ā
Guitarist Otto expands: āI call this our quiet song. I wrote it whilst someone was sleeping in the same room as me, so I picked something sweet sounding and played it with compassion. Luckily, the outcome was one of our most palatable songs for the listener and, honestly, one that I never meant to write but am grateful that I did.ā
Drummer Angus adds: āYou get to hear Camās sensitive side on this song, which is usually hidden behind his radginess. Itās a lot smoother in its ebbs and flows and playing drums to this is actually quite a relaxing experience because, for once, I can sit back and let the song do the work. For that reason, itās bigger than its constituent parts. A bit of a banger in other words.ā
IKONIK – ‘Wall of Stone‘
‘Wall of Stone’ is the debut single from IKONIK, the brainchild of Copenhagen’s Katrine Wachmann.
āāWall of Stoneā is a song about commitment issues and being stuck in a relationship that is going nowhere, though knowing that vulnerability might be the only way to make a relationship work. Whatever the listeners get from this song Iām just truly humble, amazed and excited that IKONIK is off on its wings and ready to fly out into the worldā.
Happy New Year everyone and welcome to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
We start this week with the news this week that the Royal Mail have commissioned 12 new Special Stamps celebrating the legendary Iron Maiden.
Maiden become only the fifth music group to feature in a dedicated stamp issue following in the footsteps of The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Queen and The Rolling Stone – illustrious company indeed.
Iron Maiden founder member and bassist, Steve Harris comments:āWe were all absolutely astounded ā in a good way! – when we heard first about the commemorative project, and equally pretty much speechless when we saw the stamps for the very first time. They look superb and I think they really capture the essence and energy of Maiden. Weāre all very proud that Royal Mail has chosen to honour the bandās legacy like this and we know our fans will feel the same way.ā
Iron Maiden manager, Rod Smallwood adds:āAs a band who have never played by anyone elseās rules for over 40 years, itās very gratifying to see them honoured in their home country in this way. Weāre proud to show how these six band members are still appealing to more and more fans every year with their music and their legendary shows – which I think these stamps really capture well. Itās also fantastic that Eddie has been honoured too ā itās incredible to think that Her Majesty, may she rest in peace, saw these and lent her iconic silhouette to them too.ā
David Gold, Director of External Public Affairs & Policy, Royal Mail, said:āFew bands in the history of rock music can be called bona fide rock legends ā but Iron Maiden are just that ā and more. With legions of devoted fans of all ages and from every corner of the globe, not only have they changed the way rock music sounds, but they have also changed the way it looks. We fully expect their fans will love these stamps as much as we do.ā
Our News Report takes a look now at the best new releases from the past week and up first is ‘Panopticom’, the brand new single from Peter Gabriel.
You can listen to the track above, which comes from upcoming new album, ‘i/o’.
“The first song is based on an idea I have been working on to initiate the creation of an infinitely expandable accessible data globe: The Panopticom,ā says Gabriel. āWe are beginning to connect a like-minded group of people who might be able to bring this to life, to allow the world to see itself better and understand more of whatās really going on.“
The release of the track on the full moon is no coincidence and in true Gabriel fashion the approach for ‘i/o’ will be a little different from the norm. The lunar phases will guide the release plan in 2023, with a new song revealed each full moon.
“Some of what Iām writing about this time is the idea that we seem incredibly capable of destroying the planet that gave us birth and that unless we find ways to reconnect ourselves to nature and to the natural world we are going to lose a lot. A simple way of thinking about where we fit in to all of this is looking up at the skyā¦ and the moon has always drawn me to it.”
Each new release of music will come with a specific piece of art, “weāve been looking at the work of many hundreds of artists,” says Gabriel, and ‘Panopticom’ features the work āRed Gravityā byDavid Spriggs.
“It was the theme of surveillance that connected me with the work of David Spriggs because heād done a piece relating to that. David does this amazing stuff using many layers of transparencies so you get these strange creations with a real intensity to them. Part of what he does is imagine what art might look like a few years in the future and then try and create accordingly and I think heās done that very successfully in this particular piece.”
Next up, you can check out ‘Sideways Skull’ above, which is the brand new single from The Hold Steady.
The group have returned with news of their ninth studio album, ‘The Price of Progress’, arriving March 31st.
āSideways Skull is a rocking song about rock and rollers,ā says frontman Craig Finn. āIn this case, theyāve been taken out of the game for a bit of rest, but still keep their dreams alive as they discuss past glories. We loved the big sound of this when Tad Kubler brought it into the band, and the studio performance of it felt especially joyful. Weāre happy to put this forth as a first look at The Price of Progress, and the albumās title even comes from this song.ā
There isn’t long now to wait for ‘Gigi’s Recovery’, the new album from The Murder Capital, which arrives January 20th.
There is even less time to wait to hear their track, ‘Return My Head’, which you can listen to above now!
Front man James McGovern explains further on the themes: āReturn My Head was written in a place of pure frustration, feeling like our sanity had been unwillingly removed through periods of isolation. All I wanted at this point was to get my head back, and to throw it away again. But on my own terms. āReturn my head, and throw it to the crowdāā
Bassist Blake had the following to say about the making of the video:
“I wanted to show the rag dolling that can occur to us going from one state of being to another, while always remaining being the same person. The extensions of ourselves that we create to protect ourselves even when weāre alone, and the evident and necessary advice that we receive to continue following and perusing our passions from our friends and family, demonstrated by my own family friends Megan, Nic, RuairĆ and Pump.
To me, āReturn My Headā is the desire to return your mind to a place of peace and stability, and the belief that to do so, is possible. We shot it in my old secondary school recreational hall. We produced it ourselves. At its best to me, the narrative of the āReturn My Headā about coming back to a safety.”
The Lemon Twigs returned this week with their new offering, ‘Corner of My Eye’, which you can listen to above.
On the release, the band say, “We recorded this track winter of 2021 in our old rehearsal studio in Midtown, NYC. Apart from the vibraphone, the instrumental track was recorded live with Andres Valbuena on drums and Daryl Johns on upright bass. We laid down the vocals late that night once the traffic outside had died down. Weāve had the song for a while now, so weāre excited to share it with fans who may have heard it live over the years!”
Finally in our News Report this week we bring the latest from Ryan Hamilton who this week shared his new track, ‘Haunted by the Holy Ghost’.
You can listen to the track above, which will feature on the upcoming album of the same name which is due for release on March 10th.
Of the song, Hamilton says, “I grew up in a VERY conservative Church of Christ. We used to go to church 3 times a week. There are parts of that upbringing that I will never shake. The “fear of God” is ingrained in me, & will seemingly be a part of me forever. Like a ghost, haunting me. This song is about that.”
Somebodyās ChildĀ aka Cian Godfrey has shared new single āI Need Yaā – another taster of his debut self-titled album out 3rd February.
Godfrey says, “This was one of the first songs that defined the sound and pace of the album. We’ve been playing it live for a while now and have been dying to get it out. Some of this album can be boiled down back to my chronic fear of growing older. To me this track in particular is a gentle reminder to stay young for as long as you can.”Ā
On the video he adds “Drift culture is a big thing in Ireland and when the director came to me with the idea I immediately thought it was cool as some of my friends are big into it. We didn’t want an emotional video but something fun and energetic, while also shining light on an Irish subculture that goes a little unnoticed. It was a lot of fun.”
Blake Cateris – ‘Days, Weeks, Months & Years’
Australian Sydney-sider, Blake Cateris has shared reflective folk singer-songwriter single, āDays, Weeks, Months & Yearsā.
āThis song is about living out of balance with yourself. Watching the world go by feeling like you might be losing touch with far more important things in life than what youāre focusing on right now.
Itās a daily struggle to break old and unhealthy habits that no longer serve you or have been damaging you for some time. But the struggle is what we live for.
Iāve played in many different types of bandsĀ –Ā hard rock, rock nā roll, modern rock, hardcore, straight up punk, pop punk, art rock, the list goes on. But nothing quite feels as honest to myself than theĀ music Iām making right now and this is a big step in the rightĀ direction for me to start living a moreĀ balanced lifeāĀ – Blake Cateris
Ed Barnes – ‘Criticise The Poor’
Fellow Aussie, mid-wave singer-songwriter Ed Barnes also joins the playlist this week with his single, ‘Criticise The Poor’.
The track comes from his Frank Turner mastered new album.
“It was a blast working on Ed’s new record, it’s fantastic, and this is a standout song – hitting the mark while raising a smile, and catchy as hell to boot.” – Frank Turner
Welcome to another edition of our weekly music News Report! We start this week with a run through of this weeks festival line-up announcements, and there has been plenty!
First up is the above announcement from Standon Calling. This year the event will feature four days of music including headline sets from the likes of Madness and Primal Scream.
Also performing across the weekend will be acts such as Self Esteem, The Cribs, Yard Act, Pigs x7, The Subways, Billy Nomates, Lynks, The Skints, Bob Vylan and Bessie Turner.
Truck Festival also gain a slew of new acts over the past week. Already announced for the event were the likes of Kasabian, The Kooks, Sports Team, Shame, The Subways, Dinosaur Pile Up, Yard Act, Black Honey, Vistas, Lauran Hibberd and Gender Roles.
They’ll now be joined by acts including Sea Girls, The Murder Capital, Pulled Apart By Horses, Noisy, The Hara and Grandmas House.
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes join Bearded Theory lineup
The fantastic looking Bearded Theory festival now looks even better following the addition of Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes this past week.
They join a bill including Placebo, Yonaka, Nova Twins, Lauran Hibberd, Frank Turner, Shame, Ferocious Dog, The Hives, Bob Vylan, The Ninth Wave, October Drift and many more!
We move now onto the past weeks new music releases, and where better to start than with the news that Red Hot Chili Peppers have a new album on the way?
Yes, ‘Unlimited Love’ will arrive on April 1st. The band also debuted new single ‘Black Summer’ which you can check out above.
We close out our News Report this week with the latest from Puppy. This week the band revealed their latest single, ‘and watched it glow’, which you can listen to above.
The track will feature on their newly announced upcoming album, ‘Pure Evil’!
The album will be arriving on May 6th and you can pre-order here.
