BETH BLADE and The Beautiful Disasters – Vintage Rebel X Trauma Bond (2025) *HQ*
There are some artists that you just know you are going to have a good time with. For us, one of those is definitely BETH BLADE & THE BEAUTIFUL DISASTERS. Ever since being caught up in the promise and rousing exploits of their 2017 released debut album, Bad Habit, we have enjoyed numerous rock ‘n’ roll stomps with the Cardiff-hailing band. Now, they are back with new full-length, ”Vintage Rebel x Trauma Bond”, and we eagerly settled down to see if their involvement pulling prowess was still as potent.
The album is split in two as per the title and it deals with escape, escape from daily life, from hurt, anger and diving into music to feel some freedom if just for a short time. ‘The Vintage Rebel’ is all our old heroes, while ‘Trauma Bond’ does exactly what it says on the tin.
The successor to their acclaimed album ‘Mythos, Confession, Tragedies and Love’ of 2022, their new record sees the band share their most explosive and dramatically crafted collection of songs yet. It is a set of tracks that come woven in the emotional and intimate songwriting of Blade but equally offerings connecting to observational inspirations of this darkness bound world.
Musically, the release offers what could be called a two-part revelation but one of fluid evolution at the same time. It draws on the richness of the band’s previous rocking offerings within its Vintage Rebel persona but only to forge new rousing proposals that then aligns with a whole new aspect indeed depth to the BETH BLADE & THE BEAUTIFUL DISASTERS sound and songbook within its ‘Trauma Bond’ counter point.
As ever, the band’s sound is a blaze lit upon hard and classic rock kindling with anthemic winds fanning its uproar and album opening Never Let Go instantly embraces the contagious energy it bears. The song also calls on the pop-rock instincts that marked earlier BETH BLADE & THE BEAUTIFUL DISASTERS offerings, indeed there is also an echo of eighties flavoured indie pop within its virulent proposal too but only to colour the individually toned rock ‘n’ roll keenly familiar to Beth Blade.
You Only Love Me When You’re Drunk brings a more muscular and daring proposition to ears next, the song bound with dispute and defiance around one of the deviously grumbling and greed stirring basslines that blesses the release. Hungry catchiness though, also flows through the temptation inflamed encounter; an infection lit by rich guitar flaming and rousing vocal incitement while the following Down The Front merges punk and hard rock inclinations in its nostalgia meets thickly fresh tempting.
Already the varied palette of the album is at eager play within the record and I Still Want You only adds to the variety with its sentiment caressing power ballad before Over It taps into southern rock heat and voracity with its melodically sweltering uproar. Both tracks hit the sweet spot with the second pulling in keen participation before A Rock N Roll Romance embraces a harmonically rich vocal fire between of Blade and Arjun Bhishma of GORILLA RIOT, the track another powerhouse of a moment that beguiled with its sax flamed, country rock lined roar.
The trauma section of the album brings the striking change in the album’s proposal with Colour Of Our Bones darkening its skies with tension and metal induced shadows. It is a growling beast of a track but one still lit by Blade’s ever magnetic vocal power as a new wave of imagination stirs its rich enterprise and emotional waters.
The track is prime Beth Blade and co. but also an open door to evolution in their songwriting and sounds that Damage turns over further with its thick individuality. Darker hues adds to its power fuelled metal cured contemplation yet at the same time the song is as manipulatively infectious as anything the band has uncaged before and another anticipation enticing moment urging a hungry anticipation of things to come beyond the release.
Limerence pulls in electro rock essences to set its drama and innovation next, that ever imposingly growling bass at the fore of its emotionally driven atmospheric storm while Dysmorphia is a tempest emotionally and sonically. Both songs proved magnets to ears and the imagination, the symphonic rock hues and celestial harmonies of the first adding to its fascination and its successor breaching almost claustrophobic darkness in its gripping presence to match the captivation.
The album closes out with first up, You Never Screamed? Initially, the track is inescapable seduction, a guitar caressing Blade’s alluring tones. But soon, darkness descends emotionally and musically and the depth of its tenebrific heart is exposed in glorious drama amid creative fertility.
Eclipse is their final offering and proved just as compelling and addictive as it prowls heavy and alt metal pastures whilst regaling in a hard rock seeding. It is one last pyre of sound and imagination that nagged and burrowed under the skin in no time.
As impressive and enjoyable as the band’s previous records have been ”Vintage Rebel x Trauma Bond” is easily their finest and most irresistible outing yet. From its bridge to what could be called their older sound into a brand new realm of striking adventure, the record is one heady encounter that declares that Beth Blade & The Beautiful Disasters are taking things to a whole new level.
Highly Recommended
01 – Never Let Go
02 – You Only Love Me When You’re Drunk
03 – Down The Front
04 – I Still Want You
05 – Over It
06 – A Rock ‘N’ Roll Romance
07 – Colour of Our Bones
08 – Damage
09 – Limerence
10 – Dysmorphia
11 – You Never Screamed?
12 – Eclipse
Beth Blade – vocals, rhythm guitar
Craig Manning – lead guitar
Dan Rowe – bass
Sam Brain – drums
BUY
bethbladeandthebeautifuldisasters.com/new-album-pre-order
