THE HOT ONE TWO – Virtues (2025) *HQ*
We were very impressed by Cambridgeshire based combo THE HOT ONE TWO debut album from two years ago. This 5-piece straddle a fine line between contemporary hard rock bordering on metal, but also incorporating old school flourishes to their material. Sioncally kinda a mix of Swedes ECLIPSE and the underrated HEAVEN’S BASEMENT; catchy kick ass stuff.
THE HOT ONE TWO are one of those bands with the mindset of arena rockers. Their new album “Virtues” just augmented the hook factor to the maximum.
”Virtues” is a Frankenstein of everything that made Rock glorious: crunchy riffs, soaring solos, and vocals that sound like they were recorded inside a whiskey barrel. It’s got the DNA of Aerosmith, the attitude of Guns N’ Roses, and just enough polish to make it radio-ready without losing its edge. I wouldn’t say its dripping with uniqueness; it has no darker vibe and isn’t trying to occupy an artistic edge.
Nope, The Hot One Two are just trying to be a straight up rock n’ roll band. And it works. Unapologetically loud, proudly melodic, and tighter than your old leather trousers.
Simon West’s vocals are a perfect blend of grit and charm; like a rock frontman who’s been through heartbreak, bar fights, and still knows how to work a crowd. Most of that is true, however, the vocal sound is slightly softer than I would expect, when accompanied by Nick Manner’s roaring Les Paul. In fairness, the smoother edge to Simon’s voice probably acts as quite the balance to Manner’s grinding chords. There’s enough punch to make you smirk and enough heart to make you raise a lighter (or phone torch, if you must).
The percussion on ”Virtues” deserves its own postcode. The drummer doesn’t just keep time, he kinda controls it. Every track is driven by upbeat, relentless, bang-your-head-and-spill-your-pint kind of drumming. It’s the kind of rhythm section that makes you want to quit your job and start a garage band.
Opener ‘The Reaper‘ is a riff-laden anthem that feels like a stalwart of rock’s past. Thumping, consistent, sing along choruses. On ‘Blow Your Mind‘ you think Blackstone Cherry just called and want their riff back. Whilst obviously not a direct copy, there’s defo some southern swagger and banging pace to this number.
‘Saint Restraint‘ offers a more melodic groove, demonstrating the ability of the band to be more heart if they need to be. 80’s inspired for sure, definitely got Motley Crue and Steel Panther in there somewhere!
‘Grindstone’ is proudly working class—an anthem for the grafters. And you wouldn’t bet against these boys working their way right to the top either.
Plenty here is built to get fists in the air. ‘The Edge’ was made for it. Even when they slow things down, like on ‘Distant Love Affair’, it’s marked by a class you don’t always get. That track also gives Simon room to shine on vocals, his versatility really cutting through.
It would have been a shame if the album didn’t end on something upbeat—and it does. ‘For You’ has that extra spark this record always seems to find when it needs to, not to mention a guitar solo that sounds absolutely filthy.
The very last line on the album is “did you enjoy the show?” Let’s keep the answer simple: yes. We can’t extol the virtue of “Virtues” enough.
Highly Recommended
01 – The Reaper
02 – Alive Again
03 – Blow Your Mind
04 – Let The Good Times Roll
05 – Saint Restraint
06 – Grindstone
07 – The Edge
08 – Distant Love Affair
09 – For You
Simon West – Vocals
Nick Blackburn – Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals
Kev Baker – Rhythm Guitar
Nick Manners – Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Joe Chivers – Drums
BUY
thehotonetwo.com/virtues-pre-sale
