Review: Juliet’s Not Dead – This World is Ours

TMR Music (February 7^th, 2025)

Reviewer: Jason Hopper

Juliet’s Not Dead is a band that started out as Twister, who released a debut album before deciding to rebrand themselves under a new moniker. Believing their sound had evolved in a way that required a name change, the lads from the UK feel they have the chops to break to a wider audience.

My description of their sound would be a modern tuned down guitar with old school melodic constructs. The album opens with the ripping ‘Sinner or Saint?’ where parts of the verse showcase the bass taking a more standout role with the guitar relegated to a backing rhythm, with the chorus exploding with melodic goodness. The melody takes a left turn after the second chorus with a bridge that slows down considerably but increases in the heaviness before blasting back immediately with a closing chorus. Shake ups like that keep things surprising and fresh.

That mix of modern sensibilities and old school melodicism carries over into the next two tracks, ‘Thrillseekers’ and ‘Open Fire’. ‘Thrillseekers’ has a sound that could best be described as Ozzy Osbourne if he fronted My Chemical Romance. The verses lend themselves to Ozzy, with the chorus being the My Chemical Romance influence. Heavy and powerful stuff. ‘Open Fire’ is a standout track, having one of the best riffs and catchiest choruses. The band were wise to release it as a single. It has a chord progression that is auditorily pleasing and builds to a layered vocal chorus with pop sensibilities that will get you to sing along immediately. Very representative of what to expect from this band.

A few other favorite rockers include ‘Last One Standing’, with a terrific guitar melody in the chorus that alternates between power punk chords and a higher end, isolated string ostinato.  ‘King and Queen’ incorporates metal sensibilities into its main melody, making it one of the heavier songs on the album. It makes its way towards a power pop chorus that serves as a nice counterpoint to the heavier parts. The band has numerous genre influences, and it shows.

The album has what could be considered three ballads, although they fall somewhere between semi and power ballads. ‘Battle Scarred’, ‘Passing Ships’ and ‘Capsize’ are all unique from each other and all work well, but I have to give a special mention to ‘Capsize’. I can usually anticipate the direction a ballad can take. The first half plays out as a rather quiet, sad, and morose narrative from singer Stevie Stoker. With a change up from the drums, it abruptly builds after the two-minute mark, conveying the rising rage. The sped-up tempo takes the song to a whole new level of bombast that saves the album from ending on a dour note. Totally unexpected and greatly appreciated.

I would like to point out the need to listen to the deluxe version of the CD, which contains three extra acoustic tracks. I’m not a big fan of acoustic versions of existing songs, but the three tracks here are reinterpreted in a way that is remarkable. Their approach to the ultra-catchy ‘Open Fire’ is fantastic. Multi-layered guitars give a song a fullness that is lacking in many acoustic renditions. ‘Passing Ships’ utilizes a piano, once again adding a thick, layered sound underneath the acoustics. You also get to hear more background vocalizations, with the band harmonizing in a way that was not entirely captured in their electric counterparts.

The band pulls from different sub-genres to create their own sound.  I heard aspects of bands from the 80s, 90s, and today. Having briefly checked out their previous band, I would say the change in name is warranted as their style and song-writing has evolved into something that is sure to please many. It has a crossover appeal that makes them standout. Check out their singles now and the album when it comes out. This is a band with a promising future.

Tracklist:

1. Sinner or Saint?
2. Thrillseekers
3. Open Fire
4. Battle Scarred
5. Notorious
6. Passing Ships
7. Double Life
8. Last One Standing
9. King and Queen
10. Capsize
11. Battle Scarred (Acoustic)
12. Open Fire (Acoustic)
13. Passing Ships (Acoustic)

Line-up:
Stevie Stoker – Vocals / Guitar
Dan King – Guitar / Vocals
Niall Whittaker – Bass / Vocals
Jack Corbett – Drums / Vocals

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