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Pennywise seen at the Media Wall during Frightfest 2025 at ODEON LUXE Leicester Square ...

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Firstborne – Lucky Review

By Angry Metal Guy

Written By: Nameless_n00b_604

What does it mean to be Firstborne? What does it mean to be carried or transmitted—borne—by First? This is a question likely left unpondered by the band Firstborne, who are too busy carrying the hard rockin’ glories of the past into the present and transmitting rollicking good times to the masses to care for such trifles. Comprised of ex-Lamb of God drummer Chris Adler, Girish and The Chronicles singer Girish Pradhan, and guitar journeyman Myrone, Firstborne’s sophomore album, Lucky, is the product of decades’ worth of collective experience and professional toil. They have the know-how. They have the chops. They have an awful name. But do they have the songs?

Firstborne is here for a good time, not for a long one. Across ten tracks and thirty-seven minutes, Firstborne provides high-energy, blues-infused hard rock that dabbles in thrash and punk. Songs like “Again (Lucky)” and “Prometheus (Nicotine Chris)” showcase Firstborne at their most meat-n’-taters as they brandish big riffs, slithering basslines, and huge, gravelly vocals that fit the rock radio mold. “Shine” and “Only a Fool” ooze greasy, bluesy rock while thrashers “Wake Up (It’s a God Damn F_cking Scam)” and “Human Interrupted” feel like takes on Anthrax and Testament, respectively. The biggest standouts on Lucky, “Rescue Me” and “Minefield (Ohhh Face),” are easily its highlights, the former adorning its Thin Lizzy-meets-Guns N’ Roses country rock with the most addicting chorus I’ve heard all year and the latter machine-gunning through Iced Earth triplets, Pennywise punk ‘woah’s and a surprise interpolation of Iron Maiden’s “The Trooper.” Brief and easy-listening, Lucky won’t open your mind to new artistic horizons, but it will open some pits on tour.

When Lucky works, it works because Firstborne knows how to let loose. Adler’s drumming, while not as rhythmically intense as on his Lamb of God material, is still tight and precise, and some of his signature double kicks do make appearances on “Again” and “Only a Fool.” Girish is a powerhouse belter, and his grunge grizzle and layered harmonies on “Shine” and “Prometheus” evoke Alice in Chains. But Myrone’s guitar soloing is the star of the show, navigating between uninhibited shredding (“Minefield,”) Slash-like bends (“Rescue Me,”) somber acoustics (“Heavens Return”), and southern blues on “Shine” so dank he doesn’t make it talk so much as make that shit drawl. Sometimes the band can get too loose, veering into plain goofiness on the upper-class-bashing “Only a Fool” when they espouse that “Sushi dinners are hotdogs at night.”1 Nonetheless, Firstborne can be a lot of fun when they break out and just let it rip.

But too often, the lads in Firstborne box themselves in with unimaginative songwriting. Frequently, they will sink into a groove, riff, or melody and rigidly stick to it well past its prime. This leads to real snoozers like “Normandy (The Crime Mind Anthem)” and “Prometheus,” which both plod through their runtimes with cheerless riffs and stock vocal melodies. Similarly, “Shine” and “Heavens Return” both aim for quiet-verse-loud-chorus formats but end up just boring, where the former’s “Lose Yourself” soundalike riff becomes irritating with overexposure and the latter’s sluggish chorus lands with a wet thud. These issues are further boxed in by Lucky’s brick-walled mix and sterile production. Not only does its short runtime feel much longer due to listening fatigue, but a lack of dynamics undermines any power or punch that songs like “Shine” and “Heavens Return” aspired to. Hard rock thrives on warm tones and breathable mixes,2 which this package just doesn’t allow for. Firstborne should dig deeper for more on album number three, both from their songwriting and their production.

Even though Lucky can be a frustrating listen, it still offers glimpses of what Firstborne can be. I’ll be humming “Rescue Me” all year, and even some of the songs I didn’t like have gotten stuck in my head throughout my time with Lucky. If Firstborne bequeaths every song on their next album the dynamite they brought to the highlights of Lucky, it’ll be a rager of an album indeed. But as is, Lucky is a fun, yet flawed, collection of throwback tunes worthy of any carefree highway cruise or rowdy house party. It’s not a sushi dinner, but a hot dog at night’s not so bad either.

Rating: Mixed
DR: 5 | Review Format: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: M-Theory Audio
Website: thefirstborne.com | firstborne.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/firstborneofficial | instagram.com/firstborneofficial
Releases Worldwide: August 8th, 2025

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"Take your pick, B-b-b-Billy boy..."

All shot practically using real figures, lighting and miniature sets.

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IT: Welcome to Derry – The prequel series gets a new trailer. Watch it here https://bit.ly/3IPlgrl

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🚨 PENNYWISE IS BACK! 🚨

The chilling new teaser for IT: WELCOME TO DERRY just dropped at San Diego Comic-Con! 🎈 This HBO original series takes us deeper into Stephen King's terrifying universe. You HAVE to see this trailer!

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https://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/2025/07/27/it-welcome-to-derry-teaser/