LILLIAN AXE has checked in with an update on their long-awaited forthcoming new studio album, which will be released on BraveWords Records in early 2027. The long-running New Orleans, Louisiana-based band, which rose to fame with such albums like Lillian Axe, Love + War, Poetic Justice and Psychoschizophrenia, has also announced that their new bass player is Keith Long.
Lillian Axe leader Steve Blaze talks about their new bass player: “When the situation arose that we would need to be getting a new bass player, I went to my trusted circle of friends. I had four different people tell me about Keith. Keith has been a well respected player in the Texas area for years. I had heard his name before, but never really looked any deeper because we weren’t in this situation. He came to the first rehearsal andkilled it. He is such a pro. In every aspect, from attitude to preparation to experience, he was amazing. We are very happy to have him as part of the family.”
Steve continues with an update on the new album: “We are finally in the mixing mode! After spending the last year and a half recording our new album, we are in the final home stretch. It has been a remarkably creative process, once again exploring and going beyond our boundaries. The band was so focused and transfixed on what we were creating. Once again, we went far outside the box, as we did with From Womb to Tomb.
We are almost finished with the artwork, and we are enthralled with the way everything is morphing. We are very happy about our new label, BraveWords Records, and are looking forward to this release. I feel we have taken that next leap into the next phase of our journey, and I feel we captured the epic power we were searching for—even more so than we thought we could. I am very proud of these guys.”
About LILLIAN AXE:
Lillian Axe is a million-selling dramatic hard rock band orchestrating a comeback with their latest album “From Womb To Tomb” and extensive tour dates which included their return to Europe for the first time in years. The album reached number 28 on the Billboard on the Hard Rock Album chart and has been touted as the band’s magnum opus. In 2010, they became the first-ever hard rock act inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. In November, 2021, Steve Blaze was inducted for the second time for his individual accomplishments as a guitarist and songwriter, which include multiple TV and film soundtracks and appearances, sessions for major artists, and nine years as guitarist for legendary rockers Angel. In 2017, Lillian Axe was awarded the Jackson Indie Music Ikon Award for their musical contribution to the Mississippi music scene for the last 30 years. Since releasing their debut album in 1988, the band has toured with icons such as Alice Cooper, RATT, Accept and many others, as well as rocking hundreds of thousands of fans worldwide at major festivals such as Sweden Rock, Firefest, M3 and Rocklahoma.
Over the past three decades, Green Carnation have never shied away from making grand and gloomy statements. The Norwegian prog bards reached crushing new peaks and delved into the deepest, darkest and most personal depths of the band’s storied career during the first two chapters of A Dark Poem. Now, they are putting an exclamation point on their critically-acclaimed album trilogywith its bold and uncompromising conclusion, A Dark Poem, Part III:The Messiah Complex.
“For Green Carnation, The Messiah Complex is not simply the end of a trilogy”, Echoes and Dust writes. “It is the final piece of the puzzle, and one that leaves a lasting shadow long after the music stops”.
“Above all else (and like its predecessors), The Messiah Complex showcases that Green Carnation aren’t slowing down after roughly 25 years”, The Prog Report writes, “rather, they continue to rank among today’s most reliable, idiosyncratic, and gratifying progressive metal masters”.
“It’s beautiful, ethereal, and so atmospheric that your thoughts drift away from everything and everyone”, writes Scream Magazine, who named A Dark Poem, Part III: The Messiah Complex the Album of the Month for September. “The common thread running through the whole trilogy is intelligent compositions, and the ability to create a varied and entertaining universe for the listeners”.
A Dark Poem, Part III: The Messiah Complexwas released yesterday Friday, September 4 on Season of Mist, and you can hear the entire album – including its epic orchestral finale – by listening to the full album stream on the Season of Mist YouTube channel.
“A Dark Poem is by far our biggest achievement since Light of Day, Day of Darkness”, Green Carnation vocalist Kjetil Nordhus. “Our new album trilogy returns to the epic storytelling that put us on the map back in 2001. While the reception to Part I and Part II has been overwhelmingly positive for us, we do believe that Part III saves the best for last”.
“The intention behind A Dark Poem was to build a completely new musical universe”, Green Carnation bassist and primary lyricist Stein Roger Sordal says. “While the direction revealed itself as the creative journey unfolded, The Messiah Complex was carefully planned with a clear vision for where we wanted the story to end. Our goal was for all three parts to stand on their own, but Part III brings them all together into a unified whole”.
Had Green Carnation never returned from hiatus during the mid-2000s, the band would always be remembered for completing one of the most ambitious individual epics in metal’s historic archives. However, there was one tale – or three, to be exact – that eluded them until now.
While Part I and Part II of A Dark Poem left fans and critics more than satisfied with high praise from Loudwire, Metal Hammer, Blabbermouth and other major publications, Part III arrives as the trilogy’s missing key. Whereas The Shores of Melancholia and Sanguis showcased Green Carnation’s command of metal, rock and folk, The Messiah Complex ties together the story of Arthur Rimbaud’s Ophelia with rich strokes of prog. The album’s cup overflows with riffs that evoke King Crimson’s majesty and the ghostly reverence of Opeth with every rhythmic maze-like twist and turn. Just don’t get too lost in the pitch-perfect chorus of lead single “Unconditional Artificial Chemistry”.
The collective anxiety over encroaching technology, power-hungry leaders and social division that stirred below the surface of Part I and Part II surges to a head on The Messiah Complex. “The urge to believe / Must be human”, vocalist Kjetil Nordhus wonders amidst the album’s miraculous title track, which PROG Magazine named a Track of the Week. The divide runs so deep that it almost appears impassable on “Broken Souls, Common Enemies” were it not for a guitar solo that is, without a doubt, one of the highest of high points in the trilogy’s arc.
Of course, no final chapter would be complete without an epic finale. In keeping with the prevailing mood of Green Carnation’s discography, Part III of A Dark Poem does not end happily. But The Messiah Complex truly saves the best for last. In classic prog fashion, its orchestral suite is the veteran journeyman at their boldest. Over the course of 16 minutes, the band ties the story of Arthur Rimbaud’s Ophelia together by weaving in themes from across the trilogy with help of the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra and Opera Choir. To the very last dark and doomy note, the results are resounding.
With A Dark Poem, Part III: The Messiah Complex, Green Carnation finish a masterpiece that stands alongside Light of Day, Day of Darkness as the defining statement of their storied career.
A Dark Poem – Orchestral Suite (16:47) Full runtime: 38:31
Catch Green Carnation during their upcoming hometown shows and European summer festival dates.
During their headlining show in September at the Kilden Performing Arts Centre, the band will perform A Dark Poem in its entirety for the first and final time. Already, fans from 18 different countries have purchased tickets for this once-in-a-lifetime event.
Green Carnation 2026 + 2027 Show Dates September 12 – Kristiansand, Norway @ Kilden Performing Arts Centre [TICKETS]# September 25 – Bucuresti, Romania @ Bucharest Prog Day II [TICKETS] September 26 – Barcelona, Spain @ Be Prog! My Friend [TICKETS] May 1, 2027 – Kopervik, Norway @ Karmøygeddon [TICKETS] June 11, 2027 – Technikum, Munich @ Prog Metal Mania [TICKETS]
#Performing A Dark Poem, Part I-III
Since their very first journey into the night more than 25 years ago, Green Carnation have never shied away from a challenge. However, from the beginning, there was one tale – or three, to be exact – that eluded them. Until now. After reaching crushing new peaks and delving into the deepest, darkest and most personal depths of their career during its first two parts, the prog bards are bringing their critically-acclaimed album trilogy to a bold conclusion on A Dark Poem, Part III: The Messiah Complex.
“A Dark Poem is by far our biggest achievement since Light of Day, Day of Darkness”, Green Carnation vocalist Kjetil Nordhus says. “Our new album trilogy returns to the epic storytelling that put us on the map back in 2001. While the reception to Part I and Part II has been overwhelmingly positive for us, we do believe that Part III saves the best for last. The Messiah Complex ties the whole story together with our most ambitious statement to date”.
“The intention behind A Dark Poem was to build a completely new musical universe”, Green Carnation bassist and primary lyricist Stein Roger Sordal says. “While the direction revealed itself as the creative journey unfolded, The Messiah Complex was carefully planned with a clear vision for where we wanted the story to end. Our goal was for all three parts to stand on their own, but Part III brings them all together into a unified whole”.
Founded in the early ‘90s by Emperor’s original bassist Tchort, Green Carnation amassed a cult following behind critical acclaim for Light of Day, Day of Darkness, an album containing a single hour-long song that still resonates as one of the most ambitious epics in metal’s archives. Current members Bjørn Harstad (guitar) and Endre Kirkesola (keyboard, producer), along with Nordhus and Sordal, were already in place by 2001. But whether it was the gothic crush of A Blessing in Disguise or pitch-black hard rock of The Quiet Offspring, Green Carnation continued branching out through the mid-2000s. Even before going on hiatus in 2007, they still flashed a flare for the dramatic by performing their acoustic verses underneath a mountain dam.
“Green Carnation use Leaves of Yesteryear to prove once again they are titans of the craft”, Metal Injection wrote about the band’s 2020 comeback album, which welcomed drummer Jonathan Pérez.
The idea for penning A Dark Poem after Arthur Rimbaud’s dreamy ode to Sheakpeare’s tragic Ophelia steams all the way back to Green Carnation’s earliest reflections of life and death. But when Part I of A Dark Poem was unfurled in 2025, right away, it was clear that the Norwegians had completed their masterpiece. While clouded by a gloomy worldview, The Shores of Melancholia reached newfound peaks of heaviness, swept out to sea by Floydian whirlpools and second wave black metal courtesy of Enslaved vocalist Grutle Kjellson. The album washed onto year-end lists at Loudwire , Angry Metal Guy and other major publications.
“Epic in both scope and sound, the latter being the band’s rich, melodic take on the genre best described as Rainbow’s Rising if it were a prog album”, PROG wrote. “Part I works as an entity in its own right while also leaving the listener desperate to hear the next installments”.
If Part I of A Dark Poem set sail from a familiar place of melancholy, then Part IIfound Green Carnation fighting to stay afloat against the storm raging in their mind’s eye. The heaviness from The Shores of Melancholia continued to age like a fine wine on Sanguis. Over the course of nine minutes, the title track vowed to forgive and forget familial wreckage, only for a traumatic memory to come flooding back during its doomy coda. But the album revealed the band at their most raw and intimate with ballads that unfolded like the grace of a wilted flower. In a rare appearance, Sordal stepped in front of the mic on aching centerpiece “Loneliness Untold, Loneliness Unfold” for the first time since “The Burden Is Mine…Alone”.
“Green Carnation have added another superbly realized song cycle to their catalogue, and the third part of this trilogy cannot arrive soon enough” wrote Blabbermouth.upon the release of Sanguis in April 2026. “Just be prepared to shed a tear or ten”.
While Part I and Part II left fans and critics more than satisfied, Part III arrives as the missing key to A Dark Poem. Whereas The Shores of Melancholia and Sanguis showcased Green Carnation’s command of metal, rock and folk, The Messiah Complex ties together the story of Arthur Rimbaud’s Ophelia with rich strokes of prog. The album’s cup overflows with riffs that evoke King Crimson’s majesty and the ghostly reverence of Opeth with every rhythmic maze-like twist and turn, though don’t get too lost in the pitch-perfect chorus of lead single “Unconditional Artificial Chemistry”.
“The world is moving with such frightening speed. You get the feeling like we’re no longer in control”, Nordhus says. “As individuals, we can’t really cope with everything that’s going horribly wrong”.
The collective anxiety over encroaching technology, power-hungry leaders and social division that stirred below the surface of Part I and Part II surges to a head on The Messiah Complex. “The urge to believe / Must be human”, Nordhus wonders amidst the title track’s endless mysteries. “Whether it’s religion, money or the media, we use things in order to justify our bad habits and get what we want” he grimly surmises. The divide runs so deep that it almost appears impassable on “Broken Souls, Common Enemies” were it not for a guitar solo that is, without a doubt, one of the highest of high points in the trilogy’s arc.
“Originally, that solo was quite different. You can hear our original idea on the bonus LP that comes with the box set for A Dark Poem”, Nordhus teases. “Luckily, we found the perfect place for it to just build and build”.
Of course, no final chapter would be complete without an epic finale. In keeping with the prevailing gloom and doom of Green Carnation’s discography, Part III of A Dark Poem does not end happily. But in classic prog fashion, the closing orchestral suite to The Messiah Complex is the veteran journeyman at their boldest. Over 16 minutes, the band weaves in themes from across the trilogy with returning flautist Ingrid Ose and her colleagues in the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra and Opera Choir. To the very last dark and doomy note, the results are resounding.
“For quite some time, I have been exploring the idea of setting Arthur Ribaud’s poems to music”, Sordal says. “For A Dark Poem, I chose to use Rimbaud’s interpretation of Ophelia, Shakespeare’s tragic character, as a source of inspiration, rather than directly adapting them – until the title track. Listeners will recognize Ophelia, whether through oneself or our society”.
“Everyone we’ve talked to is surprised by what we chose to do with the orchestra”, Nordhus says. “It’s a bold statement. But from the moment we started our journey into this trilogy, everyone in the band agreed that we were not going to accept any compromises. To end A Dark Poem with an orchestra and all its capabilities is a very proggy thing to do, like the great bands did back in the late ‘60s”.
With A Dark Poem, Part III: The Messiah Complex, Green Carnation finish a masterpiece that stands alongside Light of Day, Day of Darkness as the defining statement of their storied career.
Recording lineup Kjetil Nordhus – Vocals Stein Roger Sordal – Bass, Rhythm Guitars, Lead Guitars, Keyboards Bjørn Harstad – Lead Guitars, Effects Endre Kirkesola – Keyboards, Synthesizers, Organs, Effects Jonathan Alejandro Perez – Drums
Guest musicians Ingrid Ose – Flute on “Broken Souls, Common Enemies” Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra and Opera Choir on “A Dark Poem – Orchestral Suite”
Live lineup Kjetil Nordhus – Vocals Stein Roger Sordal – Bass Tchort – Guitars Bjørn Harstad – Guitars Trond Breen – Guitars Endre Kirkesola – Keyboards
Recording & Mixing Studio dUb Studio Mastering Studio Rorysound Studios
Production Credits Producers – Endre Kirkesola, Stein Roger Sordal, Kjetil Nordhus Mixing & Sound Engineer – Endre Kirkesola Mixing Assistant — Bjørn Harstad Mastering Engineer — Lawrence Mackrory
Credits for “A Dark Poem – Orchestral Suite” Recorded at Kilden Performing Arts Centre in Kristiansand, Norway Performed by the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra and Kristiansand Opera Choir Symphone Orchestra Conductor – Alexander Hanson Choir Preparation and Conductor – Anne Haugland Balsnes Mixing & Sound Engineer – Simen Endresen Hefte Mastering Studio – Rorysound Studios Mastering Engineer – Lawrence Mackrory
SPIRITS BURNING, Don Falcone’s long-running psychedelic/space rock outfit, combine once again with sci-fantasy legend MICHAEL MOORCOCK and Blue Öyster Cult’s Al Bouchard for the album An Alien Heat.
Released on October 16 on blue vinyl and CD, An Alien Heat is a musical reimagining of the first book in Moorcock’s Dancers At The End Of Time trilogy, itself the inspiration behind four Spirits Burning albums.
It is a fascinating collaboration, and today sees the release of the first single from the album, a delicious taster for what is certain to be ranked among the very best of all Spirits Burning albums.
“Hothouse Flowers,” described by Falcone as, “A special collaboration between Mike, Al and me,” was originally based on poet Theodor Wratislaw’s poem of the same name.
Described by Moorcock as “a British poet associated with the Oscar Wilde circle,” Wratislaw languished “largely unpublished in his lifetime. The poem is probably his best. His life was basically dull and he died in 1933.
“I felt some sympathy for him and wanted to give him his moment of fame since he was so unsuccessful during his lifetime and because ‘Hothouse Flowers’ related so closely to the theme of the book. The people at the end of time are indeed hothouse flowers although they are immortal! I intended to write a story about our world’s end that was not gloomy! And Dancers at the End of Time was that.”
Having already brought the remainder of that trilogy, The Hollow Lands and The End Of All Songs, to shimmering life on Purple Pyramid, Moorcock and Spirits Burning go all out on this first chapter. Guests include Hawkwind family members Harvey Bainbridge, Adrian Shaw, Mick Slattery and Bridget Wishart.
In addition, Falcone credits Bouchard with “bringing onboard some musicians previously unavailable to Spirits Burning, such as Blue Öyster Cult’s Donald ‘Buck Dharma’ Roeser, who provides the lead vocals to this piece.”
Bouchard explains, “I had already asked some other people to sing some of the songs and join the SB collective. I thought Don… would be perfect for the song and, when I sent him the track, he thought so too. It was the first time we had collaborated on a concept album since Imaginos in 1988. I felt the same way doing this as I did while I was doing [that]. The sum was greater than the sum of the parts, which is as good as it gets in the creative world.”
He continues, “I had previously contributed two songs to Spirits Burning. Then Don [Falcone] asked me to write some new songs for a few chapters of the book and I found I really enjoyed it.
“I asked him if I could do more. He liked what I did and agreed. He said the album would have a couple of instrumentals like the other songs I had done for him. But reading Mike’s words, I felt they were too good to not be put into the songs. [So] I started adapting the instrumental pieces that Don had created to Moorcock’s words.”
The album itself is still a month away, but “Hothouse Flowers” is the perfect introduction. As Falcone concludes, “We chose well in making it the album’s launch point, and it’s great to have it renew life as a single.”
1. Hothouse Flowers 2. Geronimo 3. Soirée Of Fire 4. In The Future 5. Doomed 6. Fall In Love 7. Any Particular Interest 8. Dark Dominion 9. Seven Finger Solution 10. To Steal A Space Traveller 11. Virtue & Mrs. Amelia Underwood 12. Learning The Art 13. Back To 1896 14. Quest For Bromley 15. Thank You For The Fog 16. Old Friends With New Faces
DIVISION:DARK release their new single “Beautify Me”. The song is taken from the new studio album “The Eternal Baptism”, out on 2 October 2026 at Metalville.
With “The Eternal Baptism”, DIVISION:DARK present their most ambitious work to date. The new studio album consistently builds on the dystopian mythology of this anonymous collective. Following their debut album “Prophecy”, the collective opens a new chapter, blending modern industrial metal, electronic soundscapes and a cinematic atmosphere into an intense concept album.
At the heart of “The Eternal Baptism” lies the idea of a spiritual rebirth of humanity. Embedded within DIVISION:DARK’s futuristic lore, the twelve tracks tell of a world in which emotions, creativity and individuality have been supplanted by technological perfection. The ‘baptism’ of the album’s title symbolises a return to the lost human frequency – a journey through hope, despair, resistance and redemption.
Musically, powerful guitars, modern industrial rhythms, orchestral elements and electronic sound designs merge to create a powerful overall sound. Amidst anthemic choruses, dark soundscapes and atmospheric soundtracks, the band creates a sound that is as emotional as it is monumental. In doing so, DIVISION:DARK remains true to its hallmark: viewing music not merely as entertainment, but as a message, a signal from a possible future.
The mysterious identities of the musicians involved remain hidden. Rather than individual personalities, the focus is on the vision: DIVISION:DARK sees itself as an artistic collective that uses music to tell stories, pose questions and invite its listeners to become part of a larger narrative.
With “The Eternal Baptism”, DIVISION:DARK deliver an epic, emotional and, at the same time, thought-provoking album that blurs the boundaries between metal, industrial, cinematic sound and science fiction lore. A work for all those who seek more in music than mere entertainment – and who are ready to tune into the new frequency.
TRACK LISTING
01. LET ME SHOW MY WORLD 02. FACE THE LIAR 03. BEAUTIFY ME 04. THE CURSE 05. BLACK DOMINION 06. BREAK DOWN 07. WITHIN THIS FAKE 08. AFTERLIFE 09. CAUGHT IN THE LOOP 10. FIELDS OF MIDNIGHT 11. EVE 12. BURN THE TIMELINE
The rhythm-driven German Groove Thrashers SMORRAH are still buzzing from their successful gig at the Rock Hard Festival 2026. For over two decades, that’s been the band’s ‘home’ – and now, at last, they’ve finally taken to the stage themselves.
Yep, and when you give it your absolute all on that stage – performing with mega-authenticity and giga-honesty – you’re bound to earn some well-deserved praise – in this case, from Rock Hard magazine itself:
➤ “Local heroes SMORRAH deliver a perfect opening act. The lads led by singer Marius are hotter than Jens Peters in Mötley Crüe and unleash their mix of thrash, death metal and a pinch of hardcore with full force onto the already packed crowd. The Ruhr Valley band is bolstered by former Kreator bassist Christian ‘Speesy’ Giesler. The veteran performs with a confidence that cannot be learnt, effortlessly elevating the set to another level. Meanwhile, Marius acts as the driving force, screaming his lungs out and relentlessly whipping the crowd into a frenzy.”
The audio production, including the live video clip, was produced entirely by frontman Marius on a DIY basis – so just as much energy and passion went into it as SMORRAH always put in when they take to the stage for their fans, the Necrosouls. [ … learn more here » ]
SMORRAH say: “Get ready for a live recording bursting with energy, captured in all its raw power!”
Artwork: Gelsen Metal Designs
SMORRAH • 2026 Marius Wegener • Vocals Daniel ‘Pumper’ Hartmann • Guitars Christian ‘Speesy’ Giesler • Bass Raphael ‘Rapha’ Swierczynski • Drums
Riding a wave of critical acclaim, UK Southern-rock four-piece Wood Burnt Red make a major statement with the release of their highly anticipated debut album Hold On Tight, released on Friday September 4th. Bursting with country soul, southern rock fire, and the band’s unmistakable grit, the album arrives alongside their brilliant brand-new single “Best Things” and an official music video that captures the song’s sharp wit and infectious energy.
Described as a Southern fried rock and roll stomper with a country edge, the new single takes a tongue-in-cheek swipe at modern-day values, ownership, image, and lifestyle pressure. The single is available on all streaming platforms HERE. Watch the “Best Things” music video HERE.
The album features eleven tracks written by the band and produced by Tyler Spicer. The CD and vinyl edition of the album is available HERE. The digital edition of the album is available HERE.
“Best Things is a feel-good song about being completely skint,” says Wood Burnt Red’s lead singer and guitarist, Tom Franklin. “You’ve got a nice home you don’t own, a car you haven’t paid for, a mortgage you can barely afford and a pension that thinks you’re worthless, but from the outside, you’re absolutely smashing it.”
“It’s our tongue-in-cheek take on keeping up with the Joneses and the ridiculous pressure to have everything, even when you can’t really afford any of it. The reality is everything costs more than it used to, and it feels harder than ever to keep up. They say the best things in life are free… we’re still trying to work out which things they meant.”
“We work ourselves into the ground to buy things we can’t afford, to maintain a lifestyle we’re told we should want. Best Things pokes fun at that — it’s not meant to preach; it’s meant to make you laugh, sing along and maybe feel slightly better when you check your bank balance.”
“We’re constantly told the best things in life are free, but apparently nobody told the mortgage company. Best Things is about having everything you’re supposed to want — the house, the car, the lifestyle — except technically none of it belongs to you.”
Hold On Tight is the debut album Wood Burnt Red were born to make — a thunderous, heartfelt statement from a band hitting full stride. Rooted in country, fuelled by rock and roll, and forged from real-life stories that hit hard because they are true, it delivers eleven tracks of unfiltered emotion, huge hooks, and raw Southern-rock fire from one of the UK’s most exciting new bands.
They did not set out to make something safe or polished; they set out to make something honest, loud, and alive — and that honesty is what makes Hold On Tight hit with such force. From roof-raising anthems built for crowds to roar back every word, to bruised, intimate moments that stop you in your tracks, the album charges through love, loss, resilience, survival, and the turning points that define us. It is the sound of a band firing on all cylinders: explosive when it needs to be, vulnerable when it has to be, and unmistakably Wood Burnt Red from the first ringing guitar chord to the final note.
ALBUM TRACK LISTING
1. Best Things (3:11) 2. Fire Me Up (3:30) 3. Count My Blessings (4:24) 4. Bartender (3:09) 5. Drifting (3:17) 6. One Chance (3:07) 7. Every Road (3:13) 8. Time’s A Healer (2:49) 9. Simple Place (3:52) 10. To The Moon (3:33) 11. Where You Are Now (3:39)
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Writers: Wood Burnt Red & Tyler Spicer Producer: Tyler Spicer Mixed By: Todd Peterson Mastered By: Sam Moses
BAND LINE-UP
Tom Franklin – Lead Vocals & Guitar Rob Graney – Lead Guitar Russ Staples – Bass Guitar Ed Baldwin – Drums
ALBUM TRACK BY TRACK
1. BEST THINGS The album opens with a knowing wink and a wry smile. “Best Things” is a sharp, relatable take on the modern-day paradox of materialism — the pressure to keep up appearances in a world that increasingly equates happiness with possessions we cannot truly afford. With lyrics that cut straight to the bone — “I got a nice home that I don’t own. And a car on the drive that’s not paid for” — the song turns financial reality into an anthem that anyone living on the edge of their means will recognise instantly.
2. FIRE ME UP The album’s lead single and a statement of intent. A full-throttle southern rock anthem co-written with producer Tyler Spicer, “Fire Me Up” arrived almost fully formed — the melody instant, the lyrics natural, the result undeniable. With a chorus that burns with conviction and a message aimed squarely at anyone who’s ever been told their dreams aren’t worth chasing, this is Wood Burnt Red at their most electrifying. “Fire me up and watch me go. Foot to the floor, I’ll keep running on down the road. You can take that to the bank. I’ve got plenty more left in the tank.”
3. COUNT MY BLESSINGS One of the album’s most unflinching tracks. “Count My Blessings” goes straight to the heart of addiction — not the habit itself, but the brutal reality of what comes after. The confusion of getting clean and still not feeling whole. The urges that don’t just disappear. The question that haunts so many in recovery: why don’t I feel fixed? Raw, honest, and utterly without judgement, it’s a song that understands addiction doesn’t end — you just find a better way to carry it.
4. BARTENDER Already a fan favourite, “Bartender” spent eighteen months on Apple Music’s prestigious Today’s Country playlist and racked up over 600,000 streams — and it’s not hard to hear why. A raw, aching plea for relief, it captures that specific kind of hurt that only a barstool and a patient bartender can meet: “I’m in need of something stronger to help me ease the pain. Something that lasts a little longer and helps the memories fade away.” Timeless, universal, and catchy as hell.
5. DRIFTING The most personal song lead singer Tom Franklin has ever written — and perhaps the hardest. “Drifting” explores depression from the perspective of someone who had never truly experienced or understood it until it arrived without warning and carried him to places he never expected to go. Written from the darkest corners of that journey, it is a song for anyone who has ever felt completely alone inside their own head. Difficult to write and difficult to perform, it was impossible to leave off the record — because if it reaches even one person and helps them feel less alone, then every difficult second was worth it.
6. ONE CHANCE Perhaps the most personal song on the album. Tom Franklin first wrote the bones of this chorus back in 2014 — intended as a surprise first dance for himself and his wife Liz, but left unfinished, too close to complete. Years later, it became this: a tender, powerful song about two people shaped by difficult pasts learning to trust again. “One Chance” isn’t just a love song — it’s a promise. That what came before doesn’t have to define what comes next, and that some people are worth breaking down every wall for.
7. EVERY ROAD Some people get under your skin and never leave. “Every Road” captures that feeling with pinpoint precision — the one you love becomes an addiction you can’t shake, and no matter how far you run or how hard you try to clear your head, every road leads straight back to them. Aching guitars and an irresistible melody make this one of the most quietly powerful tracks on the album.
8. TIME’S A HEALER The most satisfying kind of revenge — the kind where you don’t have to lift a finger. “Time’s A Healer” is Wood Burnt Red at their most knowing; a song about watching karma do its work on someone who made all the wrong choices and having the best seat in the house when it does. Equal parts cathartic and celebratory, it’s the track that’ll have crowds grinning from ear to ear.
9. SIMPLE PLACE One of the boldest songs in the Wood Burnt Red catalogue. “Simple Place” is a stark and unflinching reminder that as a society, we’re losing sight of what really matters — humans helping one another, loving thy neighbour. With lyrics that don’t flinch from the darkness around us, it serves as a gentle but urgent wake-up call that love, community, and connection are still within reach. Country music is all about truth — and Wood Burnt Red proves that hasn’t been lost.
10. TO THE MOON A shot of pure adrenaline. “To The Moon” is the album’s rallying cry — a reminder that your moment is yours for the taking if you’re bold enough to reach out and grab it. Euphoric, uplifting, and impossible to sit still to, it’s the kind of song that makes you feel like anything is possible. Take the bull by the horns. The ride starts now.
11. WHERE YOU ARE NOW The album closes on something quietly devastating. Written after Tom watched a close friendship be used, manipulated, and ultimately discarded at the worst possible moment, “Where You Are Now” is a song about the people who pass through our lives — and the mark they leave whether they meant to or not. Each member of the band hears something different in it: betrayal, self-discovery, the natural drift of relationships over time. That’s what makes it the perfect closer. It means something different to everyone who hears it, but it hits everyone the same way.
WOOD BURNT RED – BIOGRAPHY
Wood Burnt Red are a UK-based four-piece blazing a trail with an electrifying fusion of southern rock grit, country soul, and arena-ready swagger. Lifelong friends turned bandmates, they channel decades of brotherhood into songs packed with raw emotion, big-hearted hooks, and real-life stories of love, loss, resilience, and the defining moments that shape us.
Fusing rock swagger with country storytelling, their sound is bold and unmistakable: searing guitar riffs, powerful harmonies, and lyrics that cut straight to the core. Their on-stage chemistry is undeniable, forged through decades of friendship and shared history, creating performances that feel as authentic as they are explosive.
With more than half a million Apple Music streams and a coveted spot on Apple’s “Today’s Country” playlist, Wood Burnt Red is building serious momentum. With their debut album Hold On Tight set for release in September 2026, they are ready to deliver everything from whiskey-soaked ballads to foot-stomping anthems made for roaring crowds — songs that resonate as deeply as they energise and uplift your spirits.
Praised by Planet Rock’s Elles Bailey as “the UK’s answer to Brothers Osborne,” Wood Burnt Red are carving out a distinctive place in the Southern Rock and Modern Country Rock music scene — and they are only just getting started.
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