Album Review: Leatherjacks - Surviving The Beginning Of The End (Rock 'n' Roll)

Once you start to listen to this album by Leatherjacks you may think that it is indeed the typical Rock 'n' Roll song collection you would expect by them. But it all comes quickly to a change by track number two already. That's the point where I started to realize something different is going on with this one.

Many symbolic elements make this cover one to have a closer look at. 

Having heard this record on my very own just sitting in front of my trusty stereo system made listening to music different.

You just have the music and nothing else around you so you focus more on what's coming out of the speakers. This time it felt like a blessing that's coming my way. 

The beginning of the album with "Who cowers against the law" feels rough and hard. It knocks me out of everyday routine with it's hard hitting refrain and the hacking guitar riffs. But one thing is already evident: the rhythm style is centered in Rock 'n' Roll style.

"Baby Hit and Run" goes a similar route but blazes with more aggressive intensity and a much faster vocals. It presses heavily through the speakers.

If you need air to breathe now hold on - track three gives a lighter feeling also the heavyness in the vocals can be felt. It's a joy to follow the riff packed music with intermissions of lighter music sections.

The air keeps being lighter with the "Mechanimals" rising in the next round. It's a easy rock tune which is fine to enjoy. A solid tune.

"Surviving The Beginning of the End" unfolds as a balanced rocker with a longer refrain. 

If things become too flat for you just go to "Dead and Gone" - here's the full package of agression put into the song. The refrain won't leave your ears and brains for a long time so this is one to remember.

Leatherjacks has always been good for a surprise and "Somehow" needs no drums to still put out a hard rock song and made me curious on how it can be able to move just with guitars present in the music.

So this list is a short look into how the songs of the album sound like. The full record comes with twelve tunes so maybe you'll want to check it all out for yourselves now. Just hit the button on the player below. Mauro Cordeiro is the head behind the music and the record is available for download for only 10 Euro at the Bandcamp page of the Leatherjacks. 

Wicked Smile release metal hymn of the year

Music has always been something in my life I was able to stick to. While I'm open to new experiences and sounds it's still great to hear some bands still keep pushing further on the road all the classic bands have opened up.

The album sleeve of Wicked Smiles new album feels like being in a nightmare.

The newest song by Australia's Wicked Smile is kept in a midtempo format and the voice of Danny Cecati with it's many high peaks put's a typical metal flag on the title track of the upcoming album "When Night Falls". The next highlight comes into play when the refrain knocks in as it is build like a hymn and strongly invites to sing along to it. The nice thing is that it is embedded into the whole sound so it doesn't break the structure. 

For this particular track the band worked together with Paul Laine (The Defiants) and Roy Cathey (Cold Sweat) who both provide backing vocals.

The second record by the Australian five piece will be available in February 2026 with the only exception for Japan where the release date is set to 29th October 2025.

Touring plans include Japan this November with dates in Osaka, Nagoya & Tokyo. Europe (including the UK) is slated for May & June 2026 which also includes a festival date at the upcoming Call Of The Wild Festival in the UK.  

This first single is also available on many of the other streaming platforms out there.