Alter Bridge are steadily building momentum towards the release of their upcoming eighth studio album, the cleverly-titled Alter Bridge, and the campaign hit another milestone this week as second single What Lies Within was voted into the very top position on our Tracks Of The Week tree. So congratulations to them.
Las Vegas rockers Dark Chapel will surely be delighted with the second-place award for their Sign Of Life single, while Cheap Trick will be dancing in the streets of Rockford, Illinois, as a third-place position for The Riff That Won't Quit is confirmed by our adjudication committee.
Below, you'll find eight more candidates ready to wrestle in oil and mud for this week's glory. Please vote for your favourite.
Mother Vulture - Phoenix
Back with a bang – or rather, a big fat riff – Bristol’s Mother Vulture kick their livewire vibe up a gear on this soaring, oomphy newbie. In one sense it’s a healthy nod to their classic roots (guitarist Brodie Maguire was once Angus in an AC/DC tribute band), but with its angular alt-rock verse grooves and beats, offset by a moody, anthemic backdrop in the chorus, it all just seems to punch that bit harder and higher than their previous work. “This latest tune holds a really special place in all of our hearts,” says Brodie. “Phoenix is really special to all of us, I think the lyrics kind of speak for themselves on this one. We’ve worked really hard to get where we are, and this tune feels like a cathartic release.
Orianthi - Dark Days Are Gone
One of our favourite tracks on the singer and guitar star’s new album, Some Kind Of Feeling, the Kevin Shirley-produced Dark Days Are Gone is a toe-tapping, head-bobbing rocker, all funked up strutting and expansive diva energy. Imagine the Pointer Sisters’ I’m So Excited being reimagined with a load of sassy 80s rock guitars – including a blistering flash of wah-tastic soloing from Ori – and you’re in the right territory.
The Southern River Band - One Of These Nights
The Western Aussies get stuck into some proper lighter-swaying, arms-in-the-air feels (captured in the accompanying video, complete with live outdoor gig footage and an inflatable alligator bobbing across the crowd’s heads) on this lovely ballad from their new album, Easier Said Than Done. Warm, merrily old-school, full of roots-infused heart and pepped up with a lush bridge solo, it’s evocative of the wide vistas and long desert drives of their motherland (also shown in the video).
Sugar - House Of Dead Memories
Fresh from the announcement of their first live shows since 1995 (they’re happening in May 2026, in New York and London), the reunited alt-rock legends sound totally invigorated and ready for action on this incisive, short n’ sweet but bracingly commanding single. Frontman Bob Mould has enjoyed something of a purple patch as a soloist in recent years, but House Of Dead Memories suggests there’s ample fire in his old band yet.
Willie Dowling - Sadie Goldman
Arresting notes of Squeeze and Elton John weave into this gorgeous piano-led ballad from Willie’s latest album The Simpleton. "'Sadie Goldman’ started out as an idle speculation: a song that roughly imagined where the lives of ghosts from my past might have taken them,” Willie says, “but it quickly turned into more of an observational commentary on the nature of relationships in the modern era, told through the fictional character of Sadie Goldman.” Happily Sadie seems to reach a hopeful resolution, but her journey there (captured in Sam Riddlestone’s quietly effective animated video) is all searing, beautifully depicted heartbreak.
Heavy Pettin - Line In The Sand
Back with their first studio album since 1989, Scottish rockers Heavy Pettin make a strong start to this comeback on the brooding, riffy Line In The Sand – peaking with a triumphantly singalong-ready chorus. “The song is really about never giving up when there is always chaos going on all around you,” singer and founding member, Stephen “Hamie” Hayman says.
Mason Hill - Remember
Back after a few quiet years with a new singer (Tom Ward) and a taut, darkened new hard rock sound, Mason Hill make a moody, muscular return with Remember – all contemporary metallic punch with notes of Those Damn Crows and Enter Shikari. "The new tune 'Remember' is dark, it's heavy and it embodies the direction we're headed,” says guitarist James Bird. “We can't wait to blow the roof off our sold-out London and Glasgow shows with this new track. They are both going to be nights to remember!"
Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts - Love Don't Live Here Anymore
Before you ask, no, it's not a cover of Rose Royce's 1978 Motown classic. Instead, it's Tuk Smith with one of those epic, acoustic-led ballads he's so good at (see also: Blood On The Stage from last year's Rogue To Redemption album). Smith's songs are so fully-formed and so arena-ready – and his commitment to rock'n'roll so apparent – that you wonder why the major labels aren't tossing thousand-dollar bills in his face as they wrestle over his signature, especially since he's reined in some of the more overt sonic references to the bands (Cheap Trick, Thin Lizzy, etc) that inspired him. Very, very good.
