Not gonna lie: For me, next week is all about the Gizz. But I understand that not everyone appreciates the many splendors of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard to the same extent that I do. If you happen to be one of these poor unenlightened souls, you need not despair — there are plenty of other stellar artists out there who are ready, willing and eager to entertain you with their latest creations. Read on and see / hear for yourself. Here are your plays of the week:
Babymetal
Metal Forth
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Babymetal’s fourth original album is the group’s first original album since their third release, Metal Galaxy, in 2019, and follows their 2023 concept album The Other One. Titled Metal Forth — as in “beyond metal” — the album features collaborative tracks with artists the band has connected with from around the world over the past 10 years, as they’ve continued to perform worldwide. In addition to live-show favorites like Metali!! (ft. Tom Morello) and Ratatata (Babymetal x Electric Callboy), the new album features 10 standout tracks, including collaborations with Poppy, Jordan Fish (ex-Bring Me the Horizon), Canadian metalcore band Spiritbox, Slaughter To Prevail, a Russian death metal band, the Indian band Bloodywood, singer Polyphia, Daidai from Paledusk and more. Packed with collaborations from artists leading the next generation of the metal scene, this album sets the stage for Babymetal’s dynamic world tour. The latest evolution of metal, as presented by the band today, is set to go beyond metal and rewrite music history.”
Bloodshot Bill
So Fed Up!
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “For fans who want their rock ‘n’ roll wild, weird, and handmade, Bloodshot Bill is back with So Fed Up, his brand-new 19th album. He recorded So Fed Up! straight to tape at his own SIN Studios, the way he always does it: Fast, loud, and barely in control. This isn’t a collection of love songs — it’s a series of warning shots, a swaggering set of tunes from someone who’s been through the wringer and comes out swinging on the other side. A one-man rock ’n’ roll wrecking crew that is equal parts wild-eyed ‘50s punk, greasy garage-rock and untamed hillbilly howl, Bloodshot Bill hails from Montreal, where he’s known for his raw, lo-fi sound, frantic live shows, and immutable outlaw energy. As his reputation has grown, Bloodshot Bill has been deemed a musical wildman, a primitive, a seminal punk, a throwback to the wild ’50s, and the deranged spirit of psychobilly madness. Written in the aftermath of a breakup and a barrage of unsolicited advice (“Cut your hair?”—come on), So Fed Up! crackles with the defiance of someone who’s had enough and isn’t shy about saying so. Relationships — rocky, romantic, and everything between — have always fueled his craft, but here, there’s a new sharpness to the storytelling. These songs don’t just smolder—they cut. Think homemade shiv, or a shard of broken glass: raw, improvised, and dangerously effective.”
Buckcherry
Roar Like Thunder
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Buckcherry’s followup to their 10th album Vol. 10 (which made its mark across 10 official charts, including a No. 4 spot in the U.K. Rock and Metal Album Chart and No. 6 in the U.K. Independent Album Chart), Roar Like Thunder saw the band return to Sienna Recording Studios in Nashville with long-time writing collaborator and renowned producer Marti Frederiksen (Aerosmith, Mötley Crüe, Ozzy Osbourne) to record the album along with Marti’s son Evan Frederiksen. The Grammy-nominated band have created an album that’s bursting at the seams with lightning-hot rock ‘n’ roll. From the the horn-swelling swagger of “I Go Boom” and the honey-dripping riffs of Blackout, to the AC/DC stomp of Come On and the frantic runaway train rhythm of the title track, Roar Like Thunder sees a band that bring live rock ‘n’ roll to the stage more days a year than the sun is seen in Britain and set that energy off like a bottle rocket in the studio. Frontman Josh Todd comments: “Roar Like Thunder rocks from beginning to end. It grooves, it thumps, and there is subject matter in each song everyone can relate to. Strap in and enjoy the ride.”
The Bug Club
Very Human Features
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Bug Club are back, again, for their annual appointment at the garage-rock makers’ market, where they’re flogging yet another pedigree record. LP No. 4, Very Human Features, arrives hot on the heels of 2024’s On The Intricate Inner Workings Of The System. On Very Human Features The Bug Club have continued in their habit of presenting as a collective mind. Two-in-one. Rarely do you find a band with two creative forces that have such a singular, shared perspective, sense of humour and knack for a pop melody. In Beep Boop Computers, vocalists Sam (also on guitar) and Tilly (on bass) swap between “I”s, “my”s and “we”s as if there isn’t any difference between the lot, all the while skewering interpersonal relationships and experiences in a glorious, glam-rock dismantling of the human aspects the album’s title references. Other songs does that-thing-The-Bug-Club-really-know-how-to-do where they, again speaking as two voices from the same mind, pluck out common aspects of how we all live and make them sound ridiculous. The surreal is in the familiar, not in ignoring the familiar — The Bug Club know this and that understanding joins an unrelenting bassline in forming the backbone of this garage-infused belter.”
Eater
Wasting Time: The Lost 1978 Sessions
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Eater are a teenage punk band from North London that formed in 1976. They took their name from a Marc Bolan lyric and quickly made their mark on the U.K. punk scene. Their first single Outside View was released in March 1977 and is considered one of the earliest U.K. punk singles. Eater’s music captures the raw energy and rebellious spirit of punk. Their sound is characterized by fast-paced guitar riffs, aggressive vocals, and lyrics that challenge societal norms. Their unique blend of catchy melodies and unapologetic attitude continues to resonate with fans today. Rescued from the vault, these tracks originally recorded for Eater’s unfinished second album finally see the light of day. Originally recorded in London 1978 — with extra guitar tracks added by Andy Blade in Oxfordshire later that same year — these recordings were completed and had vocals addes just last year.”
Genesis
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Even in the incredible body of work that is the Genesis catalogue, The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway is a landmark record. It is no exagerration to call it one of the most influential and important progressive rock albums of all time. And now it’s even better. Originally released in November 1974, The Lamb… is celebrating its 50th Anniversary with a four-CD + Blu-ray Super Deluxe Edition. This definitive compendium was created with input from all band members who were involved in the original record, and follows the arc of the album’s creation and tour, giving fans a deep dive into the music and visual elements. The box includes the original album remastered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road from the 1974 analogue tapes; the complete Live From The Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA show from January 1975, including two previously unreleased encore tracks; The Lamb… Dolby ATMOS mix overseen by Peter Gabriel and Tony Banks at Real World Studios; a download card featuring three never-before-released demos from the Headley Grange sessions; and high-resolution audio of the new remasters. The set is augmented by a 1975 tour programme reproduction, replica ticket, poster and a 60-page coffee table-style book featuring rare images and new liner notes.”
Goblyns
Three Sisters
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Goblyns masterfully blend funk, soul, power, and psychedelic grooves. This (mostly) instrumental trio — comprised of South African brothers Liam and Francis Broek and longtime friend Giovanni Votano — were born out of a craving to channel the authentic joy they feel when uniting with their respective instruments. Drawing influence from bands such as Kikagaku Moyo, The Meters, Khruangbin, W.I.T.C.H. and Can, the trio crafts a sound so pure it defies direct comparison. Breaking barriers with driving krautrock hypnosis, fuzzy Zamrock riffs, dreamy guitar psychosis, sticky syncopated drum and bass hooks, and a nod to Motown funk, the innovative sound of Goblyns is impossible to ignore — and unstoppable.”
Dave Gutter
The Music Industry Is Trying To Kill Me
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Music Industry Is Trying To Kill Me is the first full-length solo album by Grammy winning American songwriter Dave Gutter. It’s a concept album about the darker, often absurd side of being a starving artist, and Gutter’s struggle to reconcile his love for music with the brutal reality of what it means to be a musician in a system that is often indifferent to the artist’s well-being. The concept behind the album came during an existential crisis that stemmed from conversations he had with Dave Godowsky and Evan Smith while lobbying for musician’s rights in Congress. The reality was worse than he thought and Gutter pictured the character from the lyrics of Bread’s Guitarman. Blissfully ignorant to the shrewd politics of the industry, it suddenly occurred to Gutter that the very thing he had dedicated his life to was out to get him… and every other artist too. It sounded like the plot to a Broadway musical. As the frontman and founder of Rustic Overtones, once the industry prodigy of Clive Davis and the writer / co-writer of more than 100 songs for the likes of David Bowie, Imogen Heap, The Roots and Aaron Neville, Gutter was the poster child for this story: The music industry is trying to kill me.”
Teri Gender Bender
TGB
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Mexican-American singer, songwriter and producer Teri Gender Bender — born Teresa Suárez Cosío — is ready to show you another side of her eccentric artistry with an album called TGB. Filled with electronic, psychedelic, and experimental pop-rock, TGB” is an empathetic auditory vessel Teri created to understand her loved ones on a personal level. Inspired by her close friends’ woes, the singer-songwriter shows sincerity and kindness by purging their most negative feelings and transforming them into sonic masterpieces for them to reflect and heal with.”
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Phantom Island
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The companion album to 2024’s Flight B741 album — and recorded during the same sessions — Phantom Island sees King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard expanding their sonic to include a full-blown orchestra across its 10 tracks. Blending their signature psych-rock energy with sweeping orchestral arrangements, King Gizzard take you on a psychological journey into the mind as it creates its own “phantom island” of illusions, fears and chaos. The band’s prolific nature has led them to release music at a frenetic pace, and their intense desire to seek out new sounds and follow new creative paths means that every one of their multitude of releases sounds different from the last. Phantom Island’s radical step forward began in June 2023, when King Gizzard took the stage at L.A.’s Hollywood Bowl for a three-hour marathon set. Backstage, the sextet crossed paths with members of the L.A. Philharmonic, who quickly put forward the idea of a collaboration. A year later, as they blazed through the sessions that produced the ten tracks of Flight b741, they worked out 10 further promising tracks that didn’t fit. “Musically, they needed a little more time and space and thought,” bandleader Stu Mackenzie says. “The songs felt like they needed this other energy and colour, that we needed to splash some different paint on the canvas.”
Mecca Normal
Water Cuts My Hands Reissue
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Mecca Normal (Jean Smith, David Lester) started in 1984 with the express purpose of changing the world. Thus one discovers bursts of social justice interspersed with moments of introspection: Water Cuts My Hands, Mecca Normal’s third album, originally co-released by K and Matador in 1991. It is now being made available to the digital realm for the first time. Mecca Normal are known as a fore-runner and inspiration to the riot grrrl movement in the ’90s. In her 1991 Bikini Kill zine interview with Jean, Kathleen Hanna said, “Mecca Normal: it makes me wanna cry, I am so glad they exist.”
Mister Romantic
What’s Not To Love?
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “What’s Not To Love? is an album of music from John C. Reilly’s vaudeville-inspired show — in which he embodies a character called Mister Romantic. The show, which was created to foster empathy and love for one another. John is backed by a band of Grammy winners performing songs from the Great American Songbook as his character sets out on a mission to get someone (anyone!) to fall in love with him. The album was recorded in 2024 in Los Angeles at Nest Recorders and was co-produced by Reilly and Davíd Garza (Fiona Apple, Sharon Van Etten). In addition to Garza on piano and guitar, the band also includes Gabe Witcher (Punch Brothers, Rosanne Cash) on violin, Sebastian Steinberg (Fiona Apple, Phoebe Bridgers) on bass, and Charles De Castro (Keb’ Mo’) on accordion and cornet. The 13 tracks include a pair of Irving Berlin songs, a trio of Tom Waits songs and many songs made famous by Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Jo Stafford and more. Reilly and this special band reimagine and re-embrace these beloved tunes and bring them again to another generation.”
