7/10

There is a noticeable sense of purpose running through The Simpletone's long-awaited new album 'The Eternal Now'. After years away from recording and performing, the Cambridgeshire outfit have not returned with a cautious comeback record or an attempt to modernise themselves for changing trends. Here, they have delivered something unapologetically sprawling, heavy and immersive; fully committing to atmosphere, scale and patient songwriting.

Originally formed in 2010, The Simpletone steadily built a reputation through intense live performances and a refusal to sit comfortably inside one genre. Early comparisons to bands like Black Sabbath, Soundgarden and The Doors make sense when listening to 'The Eternal Now', but the record comes across like a culmination of years spent absorbing different corners of heavy and psychedelic music into something distinctly their own.

The album’s greatest strength is its confidence in taking its time. Across eight lengthy tracks, The Simpletone allow songs to evolve gradually, as riffs stretch outward into dense, hypnotic passages while moments of gothic atmosphere and progressive rock ambition emerge naturally from beneath the heavier foundations. There are flashes of grunge rawness, psychedelic looseness and even post-punk melancholy woven throughout, yet the record never feels disjointed despite its broad palette.

Recorded with Neil Haynes at The Parlour Studios in Kettering, the production strikes an effective balance between heaviness and atmosphere. The guitars carry a warm, organic bite, while the rhythm section constantly pushes the songs forward without sacrificing space or dynamics. The arrangements feel carefully considered, rewarding repeat listens exactly as the band intended.

There is also something refreshing about how unconcerned the album feels with accessibility. In an era dominated by short attention spans and algorithm-friendly songwriting, The Simpletone embrace long-form composition unapologetically. Several tracks push well beyond the six-minute mark, allowing tension and texture to develop naturally, while the nine-minute opener 'Spiders' highlights the band at their most adventurous, balancing progressive structures with emotional immediacy remarkably well.

Yet despite the ambition on display, 'The Eternal Now' never disappears into self-indulgence. Beneath the expansive arrangements and genre-crossing experimentation remains a clear emotional core rooted in introspection, uncertainty and persistence.

More than anything, the album feels like a statement of intent from a band returning on their own terms. Rather than sounding nostalgic for the past, The Simpletone sound creatively reenergised, embracing complexity and depth at a time when much rock music feels increasingly simplified.