STACK #231 January 2024

FEATURE MUSIC

Asking Alexandria Where Do We Go From Here?

Ben Bruce and his merry band of metalcore men have presented their ninth album, a clamorous return to the band’s origins while

displaying evident maturation into several glowing, melodic pockets. ”Metallica, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Aerosmith, AC/DC… all the greats that we fell in love with as kids have greatly influenced this new album,” lead guitarist Bruce promised fans, and Where Do We Go From Here? certainly delivers: from anthemic lead single Dark Void to the hurricane force of the emotive Hold On to Something More, the English five-piece have nailed the brief. Bad Wolves Die About It From the moment they Bad Wolves were out to show their original material was something special – and four albums later, that truth has never been more evident. Mercurial but with reins firmly in-hand, Die About It is an incredible display of masterly dynamics from the four-piece, led with gusto by Daniel ”DL” Laskiewicz’s elastic vocal that turns from fragile to commanding on a dime. From Ashes to New Blackout that years of recording and touring experience have contributed to this fascinating four-piece’s art. Exploring the emotions which ravage the human experience in a pre-apocalyptic world, this album sees clean/unclean vocalist Danny Case deliver the performance of his life, while raps from sole remaining founding member Matt Brandyberry punctuate some soaring soundscapes. Angie McMahon Light, Dark, Light Again Brutally honest and totally captivating, Angie McMahon’s the late, great Sinead O’Connor, McMahon’s voice is all that’s needed to create a mood. And as the title suggests, her second album is a roller coaster of emotions. These are brutally honest songs about self-doubt, striving to stay positive and trying to find what works. Amidst the ache, McMahon is struggling to find the dance within. Genesis Owusu Struggler The ingenious Ghanaian-Australian artist Kofi Owusu-Ansah, AKA Genesis Owusu, has delivered a second album that presents as a curious joyride, and sheds some light on that demolished the charts with their 2018 cover of The Cranberries’ Zombie, LA heavy metal mavens Serving as a thematic precursor to the hardcore act’s 2016 debut Day One, From Ashes to New’s Blackout glimmers with the vitality second album reveals more layers to the Aussie artist’s talent. Like

Busby Marou

Genesis Owusu

Red , is as vital as its title suggests, exploring the yearning for human bonds, the real experience of living on the land, and their appreciation for the ways music can wrap us in shared harmony. Luke Combs Gettin’ Old as one of country music’s most genuine and influential voices, delving into themes of love, family, and his own identity’s development. Gettin’ Old is the companion record fans of Growin’ Up (2022) were waiting for, and in the words of the artist, this collection of gems is all about ”living in the moment, but still wondering how much time you have left.” Brad Cox Acres rubies firmly supports his belief that connection with the natural world is ”the most important thing there is,” as he told us: ”Crazy people are the ones that don’t get outside and smell the roses.” Hear the man’s stirring expressions of these ideas on the brilliant Acres. Holy Holy Cellophane The dudes with the preternatural ability to paint enveloping soundscapes of heart-squishing indie rock presented us with another belter in last year’s third quarter. On their fifth album, Timothy Carroll and Oscar Dawson showcased another enormous feather in their cap: the ability to (and fearlessness in) shimmying off the forces of expectation, and taking intrepid leaps into new realms of experimentation. Crafting songs from his freshly minted office on 100 acres of Central Queensland farmland, Brad Cox’s third album of country-pop On his second album in two years, Luke Combs maintains his position

scuttling anthropoid character he’s been embodying. Struggler pedals its many legs relentlessly, boiling with lysergic energy – but Owusu’s ideas always have one foot in the soil of lived experience: depression, racism, prejudice. Blink-182 One More Time... Maybe one of the most anticipated records in recent memory One

More Time... is a staunch reminder that Blink-182 are, and always will

be, the pop-punk band. From their major label debut of Dude Ranch in 1997 to this, their ninth

Blink-182

studio outing, the trio are responsible for more hits than word count will allow, and with One More Time..., the Californians have penned a true love letter to their roots. Busby Marou Blood Red Thomas Busby and Jeremy Marou craft music that speaks to the ephemeral, connected threads of biology and beauty in nature. The fifth album from the blues and roots act, Blood

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