Nova Riot – Blood, Lies & Lullabies

Nova Riot
Blood, Lies & Lullabies
Label: Eclipse Records
Out: 21. August 2026
Playtime: 26:00

Nova Riot were formed in 2024 in Durant, a small town in the south of the US state of Oklahoma. The trio play a style of music that’s hard to pin down, somewhere between gothic and hard/heavy rock. They describe it themselves as ‘Bubblegum Metal’, whatever that might mean. In any case, the three of them certainly stand out thanks to their shrill outfits. It’s best to have a listen for yourself.

After a few synths, powerful guitars kick off the opener ‘Haunting Me’. The expressive and versatile voice of the band’s namesake, Nova Ray, somehow straddles the line between rock and alternative. During the solo, the guitar sounds a bit off-key at times. On ‘Midnight Coven Crush’, rhythmic guitars accompany Nova’s spoken vocals. But these are only audible at times. Nova’s vocals on “Casket” are relatively laid-back. In contrast, the guitars – and above all the drums – deliver a powerful punch. On “The Altar”, Nova Riot enlisted the support of “The Bunny The Bear”, an American Post-Hardcore band, apparently mainly for the vocals. For the song is by no means hardcore. Melodic vocals dominate, occasionally underpinned by harsh growls. Various synth elements are also audible. There’s also a good, albeit short, guitar solo. Clean guitar riffs introduce “Like I Meant It”, though these are soon replaced by heavy riffs. The vocals are also largely melodic, particularly during the chorus. At the start of “Through The Storm”, synth samples can be heard once again. I suspect they are samples because no keyboard player is credited. Fortunately, however, these essentially serve the song and only occasionally push themselves to the fore. At first, a metronome ticks on ‘Sorry Mom’, then guitars settle in quietly. The vocals follow suit, even though there are occasional bursts of spoken word. An epic ballad, featuring what is arguably the best guitar solo on the entire album.

Thanks to ‘Blood, Lies & Lullabies’, I now have some idea of what Nova Riot mean by ‘Bubblegum Metal’. It’s a mostly melodic blend of Hard Rock and Metal with a subtle yet distinctly audible alternative edge. The sound is largely defined by singer Nova Ray – at times powerful, at times fragile – but she is supported by the two guitarists as well as the drums and/or drum machine.

Nova Riot – The Altar: https://youtu.be/UXNTvpFGIkw?si=cCI0-wPdFo0jdGqw

Lineup:

Nova Ray – Vocals
Orion – Bass Guitar
Ares – Lead Guitar

Tracklisting:

• Haunting Me
• Midnight Coven Crush
• Casket
• The Altar (feat. The Bunny The Bear)
• Like I Meant It
• Through The Storm
• Sorry Mom