Nottingham heavy metallers RATTLESNAKES come out swinging on their debut album “Shadows In The Night”, mixing sharp NWOBHM steel with speed-metal bite and a darker modern edge. Female-fronted, loud and built for the stage, the band sound like they have no interest in easing their way into the room.
Formed in 2024, RATTLESNAKES quickly built a reputation on the UK underground circuit with sweat-soaked live shows and their 2025 EP “Deeper Shades Of Torment”. After signing with Listenable Records in early 2026, the next step was obvious: push that raw energy into a full-length without sanding off the danger.
The backbone here is traditional heavy metal — twin guitars, pounding drums, galloping momentum and riffs that owe plenty to the early NWOBHM school — but there is enough speed and aggression in the attack to keep things from turning into simple retro worship. Rowena Neale’s vocals add another layer of character, shifting between commanding clean lines and a rougher, more forceful edge when the songs need extra teeth.
The title track opens the album with immediate intent, while “Forever”, “Breakdown” and “Destroyer” keep the pressure high with hooky choruses and plenty of guitar muscle. “Spellbound” stretches things out into more dramatic territory, and the short instrumental “Dreamland” works as a brief flicker of calm before “The Other Side Of Midnight” kicks the doors open again.
The closing run is especially strong. “Lost Nor Found” and “Where The River Meets The Sea” bring a little more atmosphere into the mix, while “For Even Gods Can Die” finishes the record on a suitably heavy note.
There is something refreshingly direct about RATTLESNAKES. No overproduced chrome, no attempt to disguise where the riffs came from — just old-school metal blood pumped through a younger, faster heartbeat.
Country: UK
Label: Listenable Records
Genre: Heavy Metal / NWOBHM / Speed Metal
Release date: October 30, 2026
Format: CD / LP / Digital
Total time: 39:09
Tracklist:
01 – Shadows in the Night (03:23)
02 – Forever (04:45)
03 – Breakdown (03:52)
04 – Spellbound (05:11)
05 – Destroyer (04:19)
06 – Dreamland (00:41)
07 – The Other Side of Midnight (04:32)
08 – Lost Nor Found (03:36)
09 – Where the River Meets the Sea (05:13)
10 – For Even Gods Can Die (03:37)
Rowena Neale – Vocals
George Charleston – Guitars
Josh Brown – Guitars
Elliott Dryden – Bass
Nathan Gratton – Drums
Produced, mixed and mastered by Audiomage.
Recorded at GODhand Studios, Derby, UK.
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