Reviews JULI 26 -

PRIDE OF LIONS – Unbridled

Veröffendlichung: 10.07.2026

PRIDE OF LIONS, led by Jim Peterik and Toby Hitchcock, are proud to announce their new album, ‚Unbridled,‘ set for release on July 10th via Frontiers Music Srl. Produced by Jim Peterik and mixed by Larry Millas, ‚Unbridled‘ marks the eighth studio album from PRIDE OF LIONS.

Peterik comments on the album’s arrival:

“I am so excited about the release of the upcoming PRIDE OF LIONS album ‚Unbridled.‘ It is always a pleasure to team up with Toby Hitchcock, as we have since POL started recording for Frontiers way back in 2003. His powerful voice and positive attitude are a blessing to me.

„The album starts with the powerful title track and Greg Bizzaro video ‚Unbridled‘ with Toby and me harmonizing at full power.

„‚Edge Of Forever‘ is a cautionary tale about a fragile planet at the verge of collapse. ‚Is it really too late to turn back the hands of time?‘ The implied answer in ‚No, not if we all work together to save it.‘ Every song in this collection expresses concern, yet always a ray of hope on the horizon for a better world.

„I hope you enjoy the new PRIDE OF LIONS album as much as we did making it. Your enthusiasm for our music through the years has always inspired Toby and me to keep pushing ourselves to touch your souls and move your feet!
Much love. Jim Peterik“

With ‘Unbridled,’ legendary AOR torchbearers PRIDE OF LIONS return with their eighth studio album, a commanding statement from one of melodic rock’s most enduring acts. Since their formation in 2003 by Jim Peterik — the songwriting force behind anthems like “Eye of the Tiger” and “The Search Is Over” — and powerhouse vocalist Toby Hitchcock, PRIDE OF LIONS have been celebrated for fusing classic melodic sensibilities with modern rock energy. Over two decades later, they remain at the forefront of the genre, consistently delivering songs that resonate with depth, emotion, and unforgettable hooks.

‘Unbridled’ is a 12-track journey that showcases the band’s remarkable craft. Every element of the lineup shines: Ed Breckenfeld’s driving drums and percussion lay a solid foundation; Mike Aquino’s lead and acoustic guitars deliver both fire and finesse; Bob Lizik’s bass anchors each arrangement with strength and groove; and Jim Peterik’s keyboards and secondary guitar add lush melodic layers. The signature dual vocal performances from Peterik and Hitchcock — alternately commanding, expressive, and harmonically rich — elevate the songs to new heights.

The album is mixed by longtime collaborator Larry Millas, whose work brings clarity, depth, and punch to every track. Standout singles like the title track “Unbridled” — with its striking guitar intro and immediate melodic hook — and “Edge of Forever” underline the band’s ability to craft timeless rock songs that feel both classic and contemporary.

Through ‘Unbridled,’ PRIDE OF LIONS reaffirm their status as masters of melodic rock and AOR. It’s an album that will satisfy longtime fans while serving as a powerful introduction for new listeners, showcasing a band that continues to evolve without ever losing its core identity.

Pre-Order ‚Unbridled‘ HERE

‚Unbridled‘ Track List:

1. Unbridled
2. Edge Of Forever
3. Don’t Waste A Wish On Me
4. 1000 Long Goodbyes
5. What The Whole World Needs To Know
6. I’ll Be Your Rock
7. Hell Or High Water
8. Ride The Lightning
9. Lose Like A Winner
10. I Can See In The Dark
11. I Can’t Let Go
12. A Mighty Noise

PRIDE OF LIONS are:
Toby Hitchcock and Jim Peterik: Lead Vocals
Ed Breckenfeld: Drums And Percussion
Mike Aquino: Lead Electric And Acoustic Guitar

Keyboards: Jim Peterik
Secondary Guitar: Jim Peterik
Bass Guitar: Bob Lizik

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Smoking Snakes – All Lights On

Veröffendlichung: 10.07.2026

Swedish sleaze metallers Smoking Snakes are excited to announce the release of their new studio album, “All Lights On”, out on July 10, 2026, via Frontiers Music Srl.

Pre-Order “All Lights On” HERE

Describing the new album, Smoking Snakes stated: “NOTHING STAYS HIDDEN WHEN THE LIGHTS COME ON. The shadows run, secrets surface, and every flaw, fear, and fire inside us is exposed. This album is a raw flash of truth, like the blinding light in a horror flick when the killer is revealed, or the stage lights right before the first scream of feedback”.

“There’s no place to hide. No mask to wear. No safe darkness”, they continued. “All Lights On” is where neon nightmares meet rock ’n‘ roll redemption. Electric, intense, and unfiltered, just the way it’s meant to be”.

Hailing from Gothenburg, Smoking Snakes are steadily carving out their place in the sleaze metal scene with a sound that blends attitude, melody, and raw energy. Inspired by the great arena rock bands of the 1980s, their music has evolved beyond its roots to develop a distinct and recognizable identity of its own.

A key part of their identity lies in their strong commitment to live performances. Smoking Snakes are a highly active touring band, hitting the road, playing shows, and building a direct connection with their audience. This dedication to the live circuit has allowed them to grow organically, sharpening their performance skills and expanding their fanbase step by step.

At the same time, the band continues to invest serious effort into their artistic development, working consistently to refine their songwriting and define a clear sonic direction. Their evolution reflects both persistence and a genuine passion for their craft.

Their new album, produced by Jack Stroem, captures this moment of growth perfectly. It delivers a collection of songs that balance grit and melody, showcasing a band that is becoming more confident, focused, and mature without losing its edge.

With a strong work ethic, an increasing presence on stage, and a clear vision for the future, Smoking Snakes prove themselves to be more than just an emerging act – they are a band on a steady rise, and one that fans of sleaze metal should keep a close eye on.

“All Lights On” deliver a band in perfect shape ready to take its place in the sleaze scene.

“All Lights On” Tracklist:

1. 103.1 The Scream – The 80’s Late Night Radio Broadcast
2. Don’t Touch
3. Trick Or Treat
4. All I Need
5. Look In Your Eyes
6. Last Man Standing
7. Screaming For More
8. Broken Heart
9. Nasty & Wild
10. Turn On The Lights
11. Pleasure & Pain
12. The Last Nightmare

Line Up:
Brett Martin – Lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Andy Delarge – Bass, backing vocals
Mackey Gee – Drums, backing vocals
Rob Raw – Lead guitar, backing vocals

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The XCERTS – I think i want to go home now

Veröffendlichung: 10.07.2026

Brighton-based, Aberdeen-originating The XCERTS announce their much-anticipated new album, i think i want to go home now., out 10th July via FLG Records.

An undoubted career highlight long-player, the remarkably consistent and immediate songs on i think i want to go home now. are sonic manifestations of the mutual support and friendship that carried the band through a particularly turbulent period, including Smith’s mother passing away and Macleod’s dad facing a cancer scare.

The new album also sees the band reconnecting with the raw urgency that defined early releases In The Cold Wind We Smile, Scatterbrain and There Is Only You. Intriguingly, there are a number of stark similarities to that very first record. Smith had lost his father before they made that one, and Macleod had gone through a devastating break-up. To say that history has repeated itself would undermine the emotional gravitas of these latest life experiences, but the band found it hard not to draw comparisons between then and now.

“It was really time for us to band together and celebrate our friendship,” says Macleod on the album. “We’re so proud that we’re still doing this, because we started the band 23 years ago. It’s astonishing really. This really is the purest Xcerts record there’s been since the first one. We dug really deep to discover what the defining sound of our band is and bled it all out”.

The power and strength of The XCERTS, both musically and personally, in the face of adversity is once again abundantly clear.

i think i want to go home now. arrives 10th July. Pre-order HERE.

The XCERTS are:

Murray Macleod – vocals and guitar
Jordan Smith – bass
Tom Heron – drums

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CODE RED – Incendiary

Veröffendlichung: 17.07.2026

CODE RED is a Swedish AOR & Melodic Rock project led by song-writer and singer Ulrick Lönnqvist (Sahara) and guitarist Morgan Jensen (Swedish Erotica). The band’s only album release „Incendiary“ (originally released via AOR Heaven in 2017) is now a genre classic of the 2010s and has since become a sought-after rarity.

This new version of the album contains the 10 original tracks which were produced by Daniel Flores (Find Me, Hydra) who also played drums on the record. The new version includes two onus tracks: „Into The Fire“ with Lönnqvist on vocals was produced by Hal Marabel (Bad Habit) and later recorded by Rick Altzi (Masterplan) for his solo album „All Eyes On Me“, and „Some Of Us“, produced by Michael Palace (Palace, First Signal) plus a demo version of the track „Saving Grace“.

„Incendiary“ will be released digital and on CD via Pride & Joy Music Classixx (Vol 26) on July 17, 2026, is limited to 300 CD copies only and was remastered by Jimmy Gunnarsson. The CD will be available exclusively via shop.prideandjoy.de

Motörhead – Kiss of Death (20th Anniversary Edition)

Veröffendlichung: 03.07.2026

Ursprünglich 2006 veröffentlicht, ist „Kiss of Death“ eine gnadenlose Erinnerung an Motörheads kompromisslosen, schnörkellosen Geist und zugleich eine treffende Verbeugung vor dem legendären Status, den sie sich als eine der größten Hardrock-Bands aller Zeiten erarbeitet haben.

Getragen von Lemmys unverwechselbarem rauem Gesang, angetrieben von Phil Campbells furios glühender Gitarrenarbeit und Mikkey Dees messerscharf präzisem Schlagzeug, knüpft „Kiss of Death“, das 18. Studioalbum der Band, nahtlos an „Inferno“ (2004) an. Motörhead zeigen sich hier ganz in ihrem Element: laut, schnell und kompromisslos.

Mit einem noch stärkeren Fokus auf die härtere Klangkante präsentiert das Album zudem Gastauftritte von Mike Inez (Alice in Chains) und C.C. DeVille (Poison) und überzeugt mit Highlights wie „Sucker“, „Trigger“ sowie dem Fanliebling „God Was Never On Your Side“.

Zum 20-jährigen Jubiläum erscheint das Album in einer neu aufgelegten Edition, die auf Basis der Originalbänder im Half-Speed-Verfahren remastert wurde. Ergänzt wird sie durch neue Linernotes von Classic Rock-Autor Dave Ling, der darin auch das Vermächtnis des legendären Phil Campbell würdigt.

Zusätzlich enthält die Veröffentlichung eine exklusive Bonus-Live-LP mit dem Mitschnitt des Lowlands-Festival-Auftritts von 2007 in Biddinghuizen (Niederlande), der somit erstmals auf Vinyl erhältlich sein wird. Die CD-Version wird zudem um drei weitere Bonustracks ergänzt.

Komplettes Tracklisting sowie aktuelle News unter:
www.imotorhead.com

1. Motörhead – Sucker02:59
2. Motörhead – One Night Stand03:05
3. Motörhead – Devil I Know03:01
4. Motörhead – Trigger03:53
5. Motörhead – Under the Gun04:45
6. Motörhead – God Was Never on Your Side04:21
7. Motörhead – Living in the Past03:45
8. Motörhead – Christine03:42
9. Motörhead – Sword of Glory03:58
10. Motörhead – Be My Baby03:41
11. Motörhead – Kingdom of the Worm04:09
12. Motörhead – Going Down03:35
13. Motörhead – R.A.M.O.N.E.S.01:22
14. Motörhead – Whiplash03:50
15. Motörhead – R.A.M.O.N.E.S. (Live)01:35
16. Motörhead – Snaggletooth (Live at Lowlands Festival, 2007)
17. Motörhead – Stay Clean (Live at Lowlands Festival, 2007)
18. Motörhead – Be My Baby (Live at Lowlands Festival, 2007)
19. Motörhead – Killers (Live at Lowlands Festival, 2007)
20. Motörhead – Metropolis (Live at Lowlands Festival, 2007)
21. Motörhead – Over The Top (Live at Lowlands Festival, 2007)
22. Motörhead – One Night Stand (Live at Lowlands Festival, 2007)
23. Motörhead – In The Name off Tragedy (Live at Lowlands Festival, 2007)
24. Motörhead – I Got Mine (Live at Lowlands Festival, 2007)
25. Motörhead – Going To Brazil (Live at Lowlands Festival, 2007)
26. Motörhead – Killed By Death (Live at Lowlands Festival, 2007)
27. Motörhead – Ace Of Spades (Live at Lowlands Festival, 2007)

MEINUNG:

Was soll man da zu sagen…DAS muss man nicht bewerten!

ENDLOS GEIL!

TESLA – Homage

Veröffendlichung: 17.07.2026

The acclaimed American hard rock band TESLA is proud to release their new album, ‚Homage,‘ out now via Frontiers Music Srl. Marking a full-circle moment in their storied career, the album finds the band returning to their roots with a collection of covers honoring some of rock’s most timeless hits.

To celebrate the announcement, the band shares their rendition of The Temptations‘ 1967 classic, „I Wish It Would Rain.“ The track arrives alongside an official music video, available below.

Brian Wheat comments:

„‚I Wish It Would Rain‘ is a nod to one of the greatest singers of all time, David Ruffin. It’s a great song, and I’ve always loved it. One of the things I’m most proud of about TESLA’s version is that I think David Ruffin would be proud to hear Jeff sing it. He did an amazing job on this one. As far as the band goes, there are lots of bands that can play. I’m proud that TESLA has developed the maturity to know when not to play. With a song like this, it could’ve easily gone the other way. We could’ve overplayed it and added all kinds of extra parts that would’ve been too much. Instead, we stayed true to the original arrangement, with five guys playing very sparsely and letting Jeff’s vocal carry the song.“

Watch the Official Music Video for “I Wish It Would Rain” HERE

It is remarkable to reflect on the more than 40 years since TESLA began as a cover band performing in California nightclubs before going on to write and record original material and sell millions of albums.

Much like their musical heroes — The Beatles and The Rolling Stones—artists who honed their craft by performing songs from those who came before them, TESLA followed a similar path in their early years and continues to embrace the tradition of paying tribute through cover songs today.

‘Homage,’ the band’s upcoming album, not only honors legendary artists but also provides an opportunity to showcase lead singer Jeff Keith’s vocal diversity. The album stands as a thank-you expressed through music, an offering to the iconic voices and songs that shaped the band’s influences and, ultimately, their own songwriting.

‚Homage‘ is not about imitation, but acknowledgment, tracing the line from influence to identity, from listening to becoming. The project also arrives more than 20 years after the ‘Real to Reel’ series, a release that helped inspire the creation of a new original TESLA song, “Never Alone.”

The selected songs on ‚Homage‘ were chosen for a variety of reasons, primarily representing some of the greatest vocalists of all time, including Elvis Presley, Freddie Mercury, Sam Cooke, David Ruffin, Etta James, and James Brown. Additional selections reflect songs the band grew up hearing on the radio and on their turntables.

On the new album, TESLA shares:

„Our new album ‚Homage‘ is a thank-you note written in sound. An offering to the great singers and songs that shaped the music we grew up listening to, and the songs we would eventually write. We hope you all enjoy this as much as we did making it. Thank you for all the years – Keep it Real and Keep On Rockin‘!“

Order ‘Homage’ HERE

‘Homage’ Track List:

1. Never Alone (Original Song)
2. Bring It On Home (Sam Cooke Cover)
3. Spread Your Wings (Queen Cover)
4. I Wish It Would Rain (The Temptations Cover)
5. Night Moves (Bob Seger Cover)
6. If I Can Dream (Elvis Presley Cover)
7. Come And Get It (Badfinger Cover)
8. I Got You (James Brown Cover)
9. Give A Little Bit (Supertramp Cover)
10. I Love You (2026 Version)(Climax Blues Band Cover)
11. The Ballad Of Curtis Loew (Lynyrd Skynyrd Cover)
12. Have You Ever Seen The Rain (Creedence Clearwater Revival Cover)
13. I’d Rather Go Blind (Etta James Cover)
14. Mind Your Own Business – (Hank Williams Sr. Cover)

TESLA is excited to be hitting the road this summer on The Return of the Carnival of Sins Tour with Motley Crue and Extreme. The tour begins today in Burgettstown, PA,and winds its way through the United States before concluding in Ridgefield, WA on September 26th. For a full list of dates, please see below.
In addition, TESLA will be making an appearance at The Sound Garden in Syracuse, NY, on July 23 at 6:00 PM, signing copies of ‚Homage.‘

TESLA are:
Jeff Keith – Vocals
Frank Hannon – Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Organ, Backing Vocals
Dave Rude – Guitar, Backing Vocals, Bass
Brian Wheat – Bass, Keyboards, Piano, Backing Vocals
Steve Brown – Drums and Percussion

Zan/Cody – Beautiful ‘N Damned

Veröffendlichung: 24.07.2026

Zan/Cody – the project of Shotgun Messiah’s original singer Zinny Zan (vocals) and Harry Cody (guitars) – return with a new studio album, “Beautiful ‘N Damned”, out on July 24, 2026, via Frontiers Music Srl.

Pre-Order “Beautiful ‘N Damned” HERE

When two of the founding architects of Swedish sleaze hard rock reunite, the result can only be explosive. Zinny Zan (vocals) and Harry Cody (guitars), the original front duo of cult legends Shotgun Messiah, are back together under the banner Zan/Cody, delivering a brand-new album, aptly titled “Beautiful ‘N Damned” that reconnects directly with the genre-defining sound they helped create.

Shotgun Messiah’s self-titled 1989 debut remains a cornerstone of glam and sleaze metal, a record that shaped an entire generation and secured the band’s status as one of the most influential cult acts in Scandinavian hard rock. Now, decades later, Zan and Cody rekindle that chemistry with a record that proudly revives the classic Shotgun Messiah sleaze vibe, while pushing it forward with renewed energy, attitude and modern punch.

At the center of the album is Harry Cody’s unmistakable guitar work – sharp, melodic, gritty and instantly recognizable. Long regarded as one of the most respected guitarists to emerge from the Swedish scene, Cody delivers riffs and solos that are both streetwise and technically refined, perfectly complementing Zinny Zan’s raw, charismatic vocal delivery, steeped in attitude and rock ’n’ roll swagger.

Mixed by Chris Laney (Pretty Maids, Crazy Lixx), the album captures the perfect balance between classic sleaze authenticity and contemporary production power, ensuring the songs hit hard while retaining their dirty, dangerous edge.

With their highly anticipated appearance at Sweden Rock Festival and a new album on the way, the sensation is real: Zan/Cody are not here to rewrite the past, but to carry the Shotgun Messiah legacy into the future. Fans can expect uncompromising sleaze hard rock, undeniable hooks, and the spirit of a band that helped define a scene – reborn, louder and sharper than ever.

“Beautiful ‘N Damned” Tracklist:

1. Sever
2. I Am The Shit
3. Ride Or Die
4. Suffer City
5. She Walks With Violence
6. Damn
7. Let’s Be Heroes
8. Beautiful ‘N Damned
9. Bad Bad Man
10. Tear It All Down

Line Up:
Zinny Zan – Vocals
Harry Cody – Guitars

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As It Is – As It Is

Veröffendlichung: 17.07.2026

Transatlantic pop-rock quartet, As It Is, have released their self-titled fifth album via FLG.

Speaking of the album, frontman Patty Walters says, “It would probably take me hours, if not days, to fully express what this record means to us. When the band fell apart – slowly, painfully, and unceremoniously – and each of us exited the project one by one, we had little choice but to make peace with the near certain eventuality that this band had no future. There was no closure or chance to celebrate everything that this project meant to us, to all of us – the band, the team, and the fans.

We wanted it to end differently, but thankfully, it never really ended at all. Because if being in this band has taught us anything, it’s that, in the jaws of hopelessness and hurt, you have two choices – turn the aching into art or let it eat you alive. Which is how, one song at a time, we wrote an album that helped heal, reunite, and reclaim our future as a band.

In many ways, this feels like our second debut album. We’re not the same people we were before the band’s hiatus, for better or for worse, but our bond has never been stronger, and our future has never felt brighter. We never thought we would get to write and record another album together, and we couldn’t be any more proud, grateful, and overjoyed to be sharing these songs with the world today. We hope that this, our first album together in eight years, was worth the wait. This is As It Is.”

To mark the album’s release, the band have premiered a live session, recorded at Marshall Studios, alongside Espera, which kicks off with new single, ‘I’m So Alive!’. „This song holds a really special place in our hearts and the story of the band, and we’re absolutely overjoyed to be sharing it with the world today.’ says Walters. “It’s not directly what inspired the lyrics, but we all started feeling like this one became a really powerful embodiment of the band’s return, and opening our first album after the hiatus with I’m So Alive! felt too right to ignore. I’ve also always felt that songs like these are what the band does best – upbeat, catchy rock songs drenched in dark, sarcastic, and very vulnerable lyrics.

Despite it being a self-titled album, this feels like our most collaborative project and era yet, and this track wouldn’t be what it is without the incredible creativity and musicianship that Espera and Justin Klunk brought to it. It’s safe to say that it’s one of our all time favourite As It Is songs, and we hope that anyone enjoys it even half as much as we do.“

Watch the video for AS IT IS featuring ESPERA – ‘So A-Live Studio Session’ HERE

To create art for art’s sake is as pure an intention as a band can have. Writing a song that may never even see the light of day, but speaks to the very reason that you want to create in the first place. Putting joy, connection and fulfilment above anything else, and reaping the rewards that come from pushing such human endeavours. It’s a noble and selfless position to place yourself in, one that sits at the very root of why we all fall in love with music in the first place.

For As It Is, it was an absolute necessity to do things like this.

It was the only way that they could even attempt to recapture what once brought them together 13 years ago. A moment in time where Patty Walters, Ben Biss, Ali Testo, and Patrick Foley could reconvene for the first time in a long time, look back on the highest highs and lowest lows they have experienced together, and draw hope and inspiration from them once again.

From that, they have created ‘As It Is, the first body of work made as a quartet in eight years. A record that finds them at the most comfortably bold they have ever been, delivered via the most beautiful brand of collective catharsis. However, to even consider reaching this sort of solace, a different kind of work needed to be done first.

For Patty, that meant finding a purpose outside of the band. For so long, he had felt like he had no choice but to be in As It Is. That, without it, there was nothing else. To listen to 2022’s ‘I WENT TO HELL AND BACK’, the band’s fourth full-length album and only piece of work to not feature Ben or Foley following their respective departures in 2019 and 2020, is to hear Patty in fight or flight, unfurling some seriously dark thoughts and making music that bleak because it felt like it was all that he had.

But in stepping away from not just the band but music altogether around the birth of 2024 to seek professional help to exorcise demons, muddle through trauma and realise that there is a life beyond music, he was able to realise that he can be all of the things that he wants to be. He just needed to relocate who he was within them, not who he thought he had to be.

“I realised the most important thing for me to do was find happiness, fulfilment and a sense of identity outside of all of this,” he explains. “So, I found stability. Found help. Found that happiness. Then I slowly started to realise that the possibility of returning to music wasn’t a regression but an opportunity to introduce more purpose into my life and use it as an outlet for self-expression. That’s always been the best way that I’ve communicated with the world, through songs and performance, and I had been denying myself that for so long.”

It feels serendipitous that around the same time, Ben had contacted and reconvened with Patty, not as a bandmate but as a best friend to show support through the emotional turmoil that unloading so much from within can produce. The band never even came into the equation at this point; this, instead, was an opportunity for the two of them to just be. A support network without any add-ons or other intentions. Joined then by Ali and Foley for meetups, heart-to-hearts, and general hangs, starting in The Eagle in Brighton, this was four friends loving each other as that, and nothing else, for the first time in a very long time.

“I think that Ali is the only one of us with an actual brother,” Patty laughs. “But I now have brothers because of As It Is. Because of how much they loved me and showed up for me when I needed them. I feel like we are going to be brothers first always and till the end because of that.”

Before all of this, Patty and Ben had attempted to write music as a pair, not for anything, just because it’s what they had always done. After realising he wasn’t ready for it and taking those steps to properly heal through actual therapy rather than through writing lyrics alone, only then did the conversation turn to the possibility of As It Is being their focus once more. But things could never be the same as they once were. Why would they want them to be? So, if they were going to do this, it was going to be entirely on their terms.

It’s because of this that the first fruit of their labours, the raw, rallying and very real ‘Lose Your Way & Find Yourself’ took almost a year to the day of these conversations to be mixed, mastered and ready to go. 365 days of love, care, consideration, and patience have gone into it, a reminder that this is a choice rather than a necessity, and that really making sense of the heaviness in your chest takes time. What would follow would be three additional trips into the studio with producer Kel Pinchin, at the Ranch Production House in Southampton, allowing them to space out their writing rather than forcing it. For the first time in their career, the band were making an album whilst not being in the middle of at least 200 days of the year on the road. When you are spinning so many plates, just trying to make it to the next venue, you don’t have time to face any sort of demon or make sense of any trauma, let alone let anyone else know what you’re going through.

“We weren’t previously able to heal and grow when we were in the thick of it,” Patty admits. “We just had to cope and do our best, and within that, not always share that with each other. We could only share it with ourselves. When we were writing our second and third records, we were thinking about the bigger rooms we wanted to play and the bands we wanted to tour with as a result. This one was about as long as we are bringing out who we are and ourselves into the writer’s room. It’s not about what happens after we write, record and release. This is just who we are.“

Such space to make sense of not just their own journey but also that of their brothers has resulted in some of the most emotionally stark, curiously brash and, ultimately, healing songs the band has ever committed to tape. Musically, rather than attempting to fit in any sort of particular scene, the quartet have spoken to the kind of sounds they actually adore instead of what they think others do. There are as many flickers of The Starting Line and The Early November as there are Counting Crows; big, bold rock songs with the earnestness and euphoria that make them want to pursue this life in the first place. Forged in a space where every instrument was ready to go as and when, rather than the regimented practice of tracking each element block by block, allowed spontaneous creativity to take precedent and more luscious and layered songs to blossom and bloom.

And lyrically, it is as warts and all as they have ever been, and that’s saying something for a band that has worn their hearts on their sleeves in the way they have over the last 14 years. Looking back on the people they have been with the most open eyes they have ever had, being honest in the ups and downs of what they experienced, and writing down their findings, the result is as nostalgic as it is earnest. From the raw storytelling of ‘Ruin My Life’ to the hope speckled ‘What If It All Works Out’, the open looking back of ‘Do You Remember?’ to the curious understanding of ‘Marilyn‘, every song holds a different sort of sentiment. A realisation, defined by a situation, person or thought process, that speaks for who the band used to be, as well as who they thought they used to be, as much as who they really are now. It is the sound of healing in real time, which makes for a band rejuvenated, impassioned, and more awake and alive than they have been since their inception.

“This is an amalgamation of the last 12 years as well as a new level of honesty and transparency,” Ben explains. “This is the core and crux of who we are. We’re never going to change from now on. It really is more about our relationship with each other and how, through everything, the four of us still have this bond, both as friends and musically. That has been tested a lot through the years, and these songs are now a real testament to our overarching brotherhood and love for each other.”

It’s because of this that the quartet knew that this had to be their Self-Titled record. For any band, making such a statement can either signal a moment of reinvention or a doubling down on what you believe defines you by reconnecting with what initially pushed you. And though the former is not strictly untrue, for Patty and Ben, the latter is what this whole experience is about. In remembering why they started this band in the first place, with the wisdom, experience, and drive they now possess all these years later, they feel they almost come full circle. Though in taking stock of what it takes to nurture something as precious as this and not viewing this as an all or nothing situation, both within their friendship and relationship with the music, they have produced a piece of art that will inspire, instil belief and live long in the hearts and souls of all who let it in.

It is everything that As It Is was, is and will be, and it means the absolute world to them.

“You can never manufacture genuine connection with people,” Ben remarks. “Just find what is honest to you and honest to your journey, and that’s all any artist has to offer to the world. This is our reality, and reality is looking a bit more positive these days. We’re a band known for four quite depressing albums. But days fluctuate, and things change. That’s mental health. But to be able to look at everything with a different and more positive outlook on the future is all that we wanted to say.”

“This is the spirit and intention of the joy that formed As It Is in the first place,” Patty adds. “It is reconnecting with the kids that we were when we started to write songs. And now, we’re showing up with life in our eyes. We can listen to and support each other. This is the most in control and confident the band has been in a long time, but also the most proud. In the past, I had no choice but to be in As It Is. This new era of the band is my choice. Our choice. A choice. But in having it back, it means having maybe the biggest piece of myself back, too.”

TRACKLISTING
1) I’m So Alive!
2) Ruin My Life (Feat. Murray Macleod)
3) Do You Remember?
4) Live, Laugh, Love, Los Angeles
5) Marilyn
6) Watching The World Go Bye
7) Lose Your Way & Find Yourself
8) Last At The Party
9) Turn To Dust
10) If I Ever Lost You
11) Not Anymore
12) What If It All Works Out
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13) Headlights & Stars (Physical editions Bonus Track)