RESTLESS SPIRIT return with a self-titled album as honest and unpretentious as it gets. These headbangers deliver straightforward American heavy metal with a dash of stoner rock, tons of catchy tunes, frying guitars, and raw energy in expertly crafted songs.
The first advance single and music video, ‚The Burning Need‚, perfectly exemplifies the Long Island, NY band’s core values and sets the tone for great things to come: Restless Spirit – The Burning Need [Official Music Video]
RESTLESS SPIRIT comment: „With our first advance single, ‚The Burning Need‘, we present Restless Spirit at our most clear and focused“, vocalist and guitarist Paul Aloisio writes. „We took everything we learned from the last decade and put together a track that gets straight to the point while staying interesting and heavy. The lyrics revolve around the theme of resilience, and this song ranks among our most personal to date.“
With their self-titled full-length, RESTLESS SPIRIT have reached a point in their career where the band of friends from Long Island, New York knows exactly who they are and where they stand. As the eight tracks on „Restless Spirit“ are the most distilled version of what the trio is about, they saw no need for further explanation in the title.
So, what are RESTLESS SPIRIT about? Pure metal, no more, no less. Born from the steel mills of Birmingham this musical style has deep English working class roots that the East Coast outfit translates into an American sonic slang with elements from desert and stoner metal and even the occasional progressive flourish. As a result, they seamlessly merge classic heavy solos with roaring guitars and a pinch of psychedelic fuzz.
RESTLESS SPIRIT also share a down to earth outlook with the British pioneers that values honesty and a no-nonsense approach to songwriting and lyrics. „Restless Spirit“ mainly deals with the idea of perseverance through hardship, of pushing through and starting over when everything seems bleak. This makes the album a companion piece to its predecessor „Afterimage“, which revolved around descending into and giving in to growing despair.
RESTLESS SPIRIT grew out of childhood friendship. Frontman Paul Aloisio and bass player Marc Morello first met back in the summer before Kindergarten and grew up discovering music together. Influenced by such greats as BLACK SABBATH, TYPE O NEGATIVE, and THE SWORD, RESTLESS SPIRIT officially started out in 2019 when their album debut „Lord of the New Depression“ was released. At the time, their sound fit equally well into the stoner, doom, and sludge moulds. On the following „Blood of the Old Gods“ (2021), the three-piece evolved stylistically into a more varied, melodic approach with added complexities.
With the stated mission of never wanting to sound exactly like before, RESTLESS SPIRIT resorted to shorter, sharpened shocks that hit straight home on their acclaimed third album, „Afterimage“, in 2024. This album was driven by tragedy and personal loss with singer and guitarist Paul Aloisio putting his heart and soul into it.
In hindsight, the massive punch to the gut delivered by „Afterimage“ set the trio onto a course that led directly to „Restless Spirit“. Trimming away all sonic fat, focusing on the essentials, and refining their sound and songwriting down to its heaviest core has yielded a record that promises to be timeless.
RESTLESS SPIRIT are throwing out a rescue rope to all headbangers and particularly those dealing with all the cruelty that life can bring. „Restless Spirit“ is a call to persevere in the face of others not understanding or even outright rejection. This album is about living on one’s own terms, which was and is the essence of metal.
