DEAD EYES - “BLACK HOLE HEART”
Dead Eyes has been on a trajectory to bigger and better things for awhile now and with this release they have finally started ascending. This is my album of the year and its filled w/ hits from front to back. From “Mad Ones” All the way to “Mr. Dead2U” the album encapulates the absolute best of hard rock / metal in 2025. Zach’s vocal performance on the record is second to none as he screams in pain and sings w/ agony. The band released nearly half the record as singles before the album came out and that is a testament to just how strong this record is. When you hear it you’ll realize that every track could be a single. There is simply not a weak moment on this album…
Release Date: October 10th 2025
Songs - 13
Personnel
Zach Williams - Vocals / Jim Poggi - Guitar
Eric Rembecki - Bass / Chris Chapman - Drums
01. “Mad Ones” 02. “Good Die Young” 03. “Thanks For Nothing” 04. “Black Hole Heart” 05. “Turn The Lights Off”
06. “Relapse” 07. “Tourniquet” 08. “Pieces of You” 09. “Dear Life” 10. “Better Off” 11. “Take Me Too”.
12. “Everyone But Me” 13. “Mr. Dead2U”.
Release Date: August 8th 2025
Songs: 11
Personnel:
Aj Geiman - Vocals / Parker Ohrel - Vocals / Donovyn Ross - Guitars
Jordan Baker - Drums / Owen Kulp - Bass / Dylon Prugar - Guitars
ATLAS AT HOLD - “WHEN OCEANS RISE”
When Atlas at hold released “Nightmare” in 2024 we all knew something special was brewing. With the full release of “When Oceans Rise” in 2025 that realization came to fruition. Songs Including “Nightmare” and newest single “Kiss of Death” the band exploded into the local scene and they don’t plan on being in the local scene only long. This band is destined to go places. Heavy hooks, melodies and gutteral screams fill this record from start to finish. Clocking in at just under 45 minutes it will feel like you went through a tornado of emotions and the best part is you’ll feel like it lasted about 10 minutes as it just flies by.
01. “VALHALLA” 02. “KISS OF DEATH” 03. “ILLUSIONS” 04. “MY LAST BREATH” 05. “NIGHMARE”
06. “WHEN OCEANS RISE” 07. “FADED MEMORIES” 08. “THE CHARIOT” 09. “DEADWEIGHT PT. 2”
10. “IMMORTALIZED” 11. “TRAVESTY”
EMILY’S TOYBOX - “ITS OK TO SWEAR”
To sum up Emily’s Toybox in a word you’d have to veer towards “Fun”. Just fun. 30 Years in and the band is still angsty, punky and downright hilarious. The bands first new material in 20 years comes in the form of a double record. One full onslaught of hilarity from the studio and one a live album. Don’t get it confused though, underneath the comedy there is immense talent and real great songs. They tackle subjects such as Walmart, Star wars and loss. Yes there is sincerity on this record as well. When I say it has it all you can take me serious. Its rare but in the midst of the up beat pop / punk you’ll find some real pain in songs like “Don’t Fade Away”.
01. “Monday Morning Coffee” 02. “Eat a Dick” 03. “Ain’t Drunk Enough” 04. “NSW Sux”
05. “The Prettiest of Perfect” 06. “I Wanna Get Nude with You” 07. “Who Farted” 08. “Ky For MIcheal”
09. “Fuck Walmart” 10. “Just Shut up and Sing” 11. “The Ambiguously Cryptic Ballad of RIck”
12. “Don’t Fade Away” 13. “Back of The Bus” 14. “G.T.F.H.” 15. “I Wanna Get Nude w/ You (Extra Nude)”
Release Date: October 28th 2025
Songs - 30 (2 Discs)
Personnel
Mike Wise - Vocals / Brandon Reece - Guitars
Rick Lienhard - Bass / Muff - Drums
Release Date: October 14th 2025
Songs: 11
Personnel
Alfonso Civile - Vocals / Richard Pruneau - Guitars
Waylon Fox - Bass / Barak Haring - Drums
HEARTSICK - “BREAK THE CURSE”
Heartsick is a metal band out of Michigan that grinds every single year. “Break the Curse” is the bands first album in 6 years and its thier strongest to date. The title track is a standout track w/ double bass kicking and growling vocals. One of my personal favorate songs thats on the record called “Sadness” which features the female vocals of Sapphire Noel is an outstanding duet between her and vocalist Alfonso Civile. Primarily a full tilt in your face metal record, there is range and balance as well and that’s its strength.
01. “Debt To Pay” 02. “Pyramid Head” 03. “Sinister” 04. “Break The Curse” 05. “Sadness”
06. “Tryst” 07. “Stuck in The Ground” 08. “I Am” 09. “Eight Years” 10. “Honey” 11. “Dice”
JUNGLE DREAM - “WE ARE LEGION”
Jungle Dream is a force out of Dover Deleware that mixes Metal, nu metal, goth and other elements of heavy music to form one sonic sound. The most intense screams from the debts of hell mix w/ the growls from somewhere in the cauldron that the band mixes. Lead off single “Are You Saved?” also incorporates the some keyboards and ambient type sounds to enhance the experience.
01. “We Are…” 02. “Legion” 03. “Revelations’ 04. “Are You Saved?” 05. “La Liorona”
06. “Death’s Design” 07. “Nothing” 08. “The Raven’s Tale” 09. “Dead and Gone”
10. “Speedball” 11. “Necromancer”
Release Date: November 28 2025
Songs: 13
Personnel
Legion - Vocals / Bmann - Guitar / Draugr - Guitar
Smiles - Bass / Rusty Jr. - Drums
Release Date: January 17th 2025
Songs: 13
Personnel
Lonna Nelson - Vocals / Johnnie Bitting - Guitar
Caiden Nelson - Keyboard / John Bitting - Bass
NAILBITE - “NOSTALGIA”
Nailbite is an absolute machine. They are putting out singles nearly every week and somehow everyone gets better then the last. The band is a metal band but there is so many elements to them that its next to impossible to just lump them into one category. “Rock Bottom” features all your favorite sounds from Bikini Bottom (yes that bikini bottom). “Shimmer” is almost a electronic / rock made for radio single, w/ an intesnse breakdown. Intense breakdowns are this bands forte. “The Heart” is another track that is made to be heard on radio waves again topped off w/ that insane breakdown. When they say “this album has it all” there is no band that feeds into that like Nailbite...
01. “Nostalgia” 02. “You Know Who You Are” 03. “Shimmer” 04. “Endless” 05. “Rock Bottom”
06. “It’s Fine” 07. “You’ll Never Know” 08. “The Heart” 09. “Parasite” 10. “Cirkus.exe”
11. “Sideways” 12. “Goofy” 13. “Silly”