Monsters We Made (LP)

A musical career is a living, breathing thing - a sonic moodboard of passions and influences that goes wherever the muse takes it.

For Kris Barras Band, formed in 2015 and led by MMA fighter-turned-musician Kris Barras, that muse has guided them from blues beginnings to a hard rock renaissance. It continues to be one hell of a ride, having reached number 5 in the Official UK Album Chart and number 1 in the Rock & Metal Album Chart with 2024's Halo Effect.

That fascinating evolution continues on their forthcoming sixth album, Monsters We Made, with a sound that continues to suit the scale of the legendary venues they've played, including Wembley Arena and the Royal Albert Hall, while drawing comparisons with the likes Black Stone Cherry and Shinedown - which suits Kris just fine.

"We wanted big singalongs, big riffs, big solos," the band's leader says of their creative ethos this time around. "The kind of hard rock music that belongs in arenas - dense, complex and able to energise the biggest crowds."