:: Shihad - Love Is The New Hate

Shihad

With the confusion surrounding the name change a couple of years ago, the guys have wisely reverted to reinventing the Shihad name. It had been a testing time amid a small backlash from their long-time fans. Now, all is forgotten and the tours this year have seen a new enthusiasm and this new bunch of songs. The first priority for Jon Toogood and band was to reclaim the fan’s loyalty and to maintain a bold, fiery sound that saw their initial rise. This album does that in belligerent and rocking style. The tracks prove how good this band are and sets them on a path where they’ll sit near the top of the Australian pile. We’d already heard the single “Alive”, a cracking, energetic song that saw the band unleash any gremlins from the past. The rest of the tracks display Shihad’s relentless guitar rock, with Jon’s ferocious singing in good form. Fans should get ready for a blistering live attack whenever the band is out and about on the live scene. Their “Homeland Security” tour in September should step things up robustly.