Frontiers Music s.r.l.
Release: 6 June 2025
Words by Kris Peters
I first stumbled across Inglorious when they released their third album Ride To Nowhere in 2019. I was fresh into the driver’s seat at HEAVY and as such was overwhelmed with a constant barrage of new material from bands I didn’t even know existed. I remember trying to listen to as many as I could to see what I had been missing out on, and although there was some great music from bands of a wide variety of genres, there was one that stood out above most others.
And it was a rock outfit from the UK by the name of Inglorious. I’m pretty sure the song I listened to was She Won’t Let You Go and I was instantly hooked. Here was a band with all the rock meatiness you could handle, delivered by a silky smooth, yet authoritative voice and an irresistible swagger that I’m pretty sure led to me reaching out to the label to request an interview with the band.
I quickly digested their back catalogue of music and was just as blown away by the older material, so, in 2022 when Inglorious announced a hiatus, I remember cursing the Rock Gods in anger for taking another of the scene’s shining lights away from the table. So imagine my delight and restored faith in humanity when a press release landed on my desk a month or so ago announcing a new Inglorious album. Again, I went against protocol and reached out to the band via their label and once more vocalist Nathan James agreed to shoot the shit with me out here in Australia, so the least I can do is listen to the new album V – which is due out on June 6 – and give my thoughts.
Kicking off with Testify, an ominous burst of reverb soon dissipates as the band fires up, seemingly intent on making up for lost time. Already there’s a sense of urgency present with returning original bass player Colin Parkinson joining new family members guitarist Richard Shaw and drummer Henry Rogers.
It doesn’t take long for frontman Nathan James to step up to the plate, and an instant sense of familiarity rushes through my ears, and the rock world suddenly seems right again.
James has one of those voices that most of us are insanely jealous of. His ability to shift between harmonics and soaring high notes to the kind of rock-drenched vocals that could raise the Titanic are not only the cornerstone of Inglorious’ sound, but also the benchmark for aspiring rock vocalists the world over.
Eat You Alive follows and begins with some nice harmonies before Shaw gets his groove on, and the niceties quickly fade into obscurity. This track is dirty and tough as fuck. Just the way we like it. The swirling guitar riff dominates proceedings as James’ voice rises, falls, bites and scratches its way to the fore, adding a vocal accompaniment befitting of such a frenetic opening salvo.
As the chorus kicks in, the song pulls back a bit, which from past experience, is a feature of Inglorious’ music. The band refuse to let any one song fade into mediocrity or become repetitive with subtle changes of vocal urgency and delivery acting as a sonic segue between musical harsh and light. I’m not sure if it is a deliberate tactic by the band or just their natural writing style, but whatever it is, it works, so don’t mess with it.
It seems Shaw is intent on reaffirming his status as the new Inglorious axeman as he launches into a tasty guitar solo that leads into a mini breakdown of sorts that could almost go anywhere before another guitar run sets things back on track and James returns to the fold to act as a buffer of sorts for whatever carnage is simmering beneath.
Devil Inside is next, and I strangely find myself wondering if Inglorious have decided to cover our own INXS. But that thought is immediately tossed to the side when Shaw rips into a tough as fuck guitar run that sets the tone for a dose of potential.
This is definitely a track borne from the more hard rock recesses of the Inglorious catalogue, but despite the heavy undertones, James manages to keep things more in the realm of hard rock than metal, despite Shaw, Rogers and Parkinson doing their best to ignite the metal with a massively heavy undercurrent. So far on V Inglorious are on absolute fire, with each member complementing the musical whims and desires of their bandmates to create an underlying sense of menace that drives the belly of the beast.
Say What You Wanna Say bursts out of the blocks with a rapid opening salvo that carries through as James enters the fray with a different vocal approach that almost sounds like he is singing through a megaphone. Whatever it is, it’s a fresh and impactful turn of events that reeks of anger and frustration, even if it does sound a little humorous being delivered with a British accent.
This is a pumping hard rock tune that is relentless throughout. Awash with guitar solos and bass runs, it is the powerful and definitive stick strokes from drummer Rogers that is the backbone of this track, acting as judge, jury and executioner for the rest of the band as he guides them from one rocky slope to the other without ever feeling displaced. Personal favourite thus far.
Believe is listed next, and for some reason, I get the overwhelming sensation that this could be the token album ballad. And from the subdued acoustic strains that herald the song’s arrival, I know I am on the right track.
But a slow burner from Inglorious is much better than most of the obligatory album ballads, and so far this one isn’t too bad. It has a strangely familiar feel that I can’t put my finger on. Maybe it’s a cover? Or a cover of a cover?
Fuck knows but I do know it’s a tidy little number full of angst and pain that James delivers in a higher pitch than usual throughout which only adds to the moment of intimacy. As the track progresses, it toughens up in places, but never enough to drain the emotion from its intended focus. It is enough to keep an old anti-ballad crusader like myself interested, and I’m glad I listened through to the end because there are flashes of vocal brilliance from James that rise above the pain and anguish to instil a strange sense of contentment that I guess is what most ballads strive for.
Stand has the opportunity to get my blood pumping again and doesn’t disappoint, a nice bass run leading us back into hard rock territory. This is a strange number so far, and although I am enjoying it, I have no idea where it is going to go. I can tell you its a swirling melstorm of anarchistic intent with a gentle swagger of groove that is accentuated by the continuously cool as fuck bass run from Parkinson that dictates terms throughout.
One minute, Stand chuggs along into almost nu metal territory before withdrawing into itself and morphing into something more resembling the blues fraternity before rapidly gaining momentum and returning to hard rock town. It’s sonically confusing as fuck but also irresistably captivating in a sense that the whole song almost seems like a rudderless ship sailing through treacherous waters but still strong enough to find safe passage. Strange analogy, I know, but it’s also a strange song. Awesome, yes, but also strange.
In Your Eyes could also be a slow song, but if there’s one thing I know about Nathan James and his band Inglorious, is that they prefer a good party to a sob story any day, so I’m hoping that rings true here. And from the moment a savage chug from Shaw fills the landscape, I know that my assessment of James is thus far correct.
This has more of an old-school rock vibe to it, complete with soaring vocals that have become a trademark of Inglorious’ sound. But James must also subscribe to the less is more ethos because it would be so easy for him to show off his vocal prowess and range to the point of annoyance, yet he maintains control of his senses enough to use these tools more for effect rather than saturation. A powerful voice only remains powerful when used to highlight parts of a song, not obsessively control it.
But what do I know? If I could sing like that, I would probably overuse the hell out of it too just because I can.
Silent could be a lab of quiet nothingness, and veers in that direction initially with a more delicate opening that I’m sure Inglorious have thrown in just to get me on edge. Things do steer quickly into more rock territory, but a tasty morsel is all Inglorious are offering as Believe continues down a more meaningful path that, I guess, is warranted to combat the hard rock extremities that have punctuated V so far.
This is a sultry and purposeful track that I’m guessing has a much deeper meaning, with James seemingly intent on getting silence from someone or somewhere, judging by the number of times he demands it. It’s a strangely comforting song despite my obvious need for something meatier and I shall quietly sit back and nod in approval at what is actually a damn fine track.
But keep that between us, please.
End Of The Road is almost that, but is the second song from the end, so is possibly meant to be misleading. Fuck knows, but my computer is loading slowly tonight for some reason so I have time on my hands to analyse such things, sorry. It kicks in with a rabbit punch to the throat, a quick drum smash enticing Shaw to the fore before the rhythm section go off in a robust tangent with all roads leading to Rock City.
James eases into the picture, his voice almost an instrument of his own that guides the song through calmer waters that are frequently drowned out in tidal waves of intent. This song runs the gamut of emotions at Inglorious‘ disposal. From soaring guitar solos to meticulous gatekeeping on drums to a phat as fuck bass line that keeps the wheels firmly on the ground, Inglorious are the masters of building a narrative with their music that allows James to interject and sprinkle the mood with vocal increments that ultimately decide the final destination of each song. Theirs is a sonic journey of disparity that is bound together by a common musical thread that is impossible to teach and difficult to perfect.
Power Of Truth breezes out next on the back of some soft and delicate guitar play that has an almost flamenco feel to it. I have to admit it isn’t the closing shot I was hoping Inglorious would fire off, but full respect to the band for throwing a curveball into the mix.
Despite every bone in my body screaming to say different, I am actually really enjoying the peaceful nature of the track before James and co throw yet another curveball that smacks me square between the eyes as they turn up the heat considerably without warning.
It’s a powerful segue that only serves to add further depth to the song, which in turn showcases yet another side of Inglorious’ musical psyche. The song drifts between subtlety and abrasiveness before trailing off into the distance, leaving a sense of unfinished business that I’m sure Inglorious plan to rectify in the not-so-distant future.
V is a fitting return to the fold for a band who should be anointed into the top shelf of rock royalty, and if they keep producing albums like this, that will only be a matter of when, not if.
