Varials Album Gets Praise
New album hype builds for Varials with phenomenal early reviews, alongside Erra, Motionless in White, The Pretty Wild's *zero.point.genesis*, Three Days Grace's *Alienation*, and Tetrarch's *The Ugly Side of Me*. Garage punk is making a raw comeback with messy guitars, DIY shows, and modern remixes of the past.
- The new Varials album, *Where The Light Leaves*, was released on February 27, 2026, and marks the debut of new vocalist Skyler Conder. Reviews note the album is a return to the band's heavier roots, with a sound described as a blend of nu-metal, beatdown, and hardcore. - Three Days Grace's album *Alienation* (August 22, 2025) features the return of original vocalist Adam Gontier after an eleven-year absence. Gontier now shares lead vocal duties with Matt Walst, who had replaced him, making the band a dual-vocalist quintet for the first time. - Motionless in White's new single "Afraid Of The Dark," released on January 28, 2026, is the first from a forthcoming album celebrating the band's 20th anniversary. - Erra's seventh studio album, *silence outlives the earth*, was released on March 6, 2026, via UNFD. The album features a closing trilogy of songs: "i. the many names of god," "ii. in the gut of the wolf," and "iii. twilight in the reflection of dreams." - The sister duo The Pretty Wild evolved from a self-described "y'allternative" country style to a darker, genre-bending metalcore sound on their debut LP, *zero.point.genesis*. Released on November 21, 2025, the album explores themes of trauma, mythology, and feminine rage. - Tetrarch's album *The Ugly Side of Me*, released May 9, 2025, includes the vocal debut of lead guitarist Diamond Rowe on the single "Never Again (Parasite)". Rowe, who co-produced the album, is also Jackson Guitars' first female signature artist. - Some music commentators have noted that conditions are ripe for a garage rock revival, citing a cyclical return to raw, stripped-down sounds as a reaction to the dominance of pop and rap in the 2020s. This new wave is taking root in various international scenes, from France to Japan.
