Album review: MASSIVE WAGONS – Earth To Grace

Earache Records [Release date 08.11.24]

Amazingly this is album number seven from Massive Wagons, and their fourth on Earache Records, with their last two albums both making the UK top 10 album chart. No pressure then lads!

The pre-released songs/singles from the album have all been instant hits, as indeed any single should be. ‘Night Skies’ is perhaps the best of them, with a touching and uplifting lyric, showing the band are not all hard rock & metal anthems.

Mind you, if you are after said metal anthem look no further than ‘Sleep Forever’. A belter of a tune, with some splendid guitar solos – great work Adam Thistlethwaite and Stevie Holl. If Metallica hailed from Morecombe they may have sounded like this…

‘The Good Die Young’ features Hundred Reasons’ Colin Doran, another feel good anthem as is ‘Free And Easy’. Surprised the latter didn’t get released as a single as it is one heck of a catchy tune.

Plenty of musical gems dotted throughout the album, including the humorous ‘Like A Fox’ and ‘Rabbit Hole’, where Massive Wagons unleash their inner Wildhearts. Baz Mills and co. don’t pull any punches on this one as they take aim at the conspiracy theorists.

Grab the Epilogue edition and you get four extra tracks, including the classy cowboy version of ‘Free And Easy’, complete with honky-tonk piano. Takes the song to a whole different place. ‘Punk At Heart’ is also worth shelling out the extra for.

Massive Wagons have released their best album since ‘Full Nelson’ in this reviewer’s humble opinion. Bangers the lot of ‘em! ****1/2

Review by Jason Ritchie

Tour dates (2024)

MASSIVE WAGONS (with Florence Black)

Tue 12 Nov Bristol Rough Trade
Fri 22 Nov Nottingham Rock City
Sat 23 Nov Bristol SWX
Sun 24 Nov Southampton Enginerooms
Tue 26 Nov Birmingham O2 Institute
Wed 27 Nov Glasgow SWG3
Fri 29 Nov Manchester O2 Ritz
Sat 30 Nov Shepherds Bush Empire
Fri 06 Dec Dublin Grand Social
Sat 07 Dec Belfast Limelight 2

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Next session: Sunday 1 December

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 3 November 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 29 October 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024

ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)

Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)