I haven’t been this excited for an album in a long time. I’ve loved Don Broco for the best part of ten years now and watching their evolution has been a treat. Not to mention that they are one of the best live bands I’ve ever seen, so I know I’ll be listening to this album with the stage in mind just waiting for those dates to be announced so these new songs can be experienced live.
So I’m going to do this review on a first listen through and get my initial reaction but there is a benefit of them releasing singles earlier and it’s that you have time to sit with them and learn them and love them, so what I’m most excited to see is how these songs fit into the whole package and how the album itself flows to become the masterpiece I’m positive it’s going to be. OK so let’s go…
The album opens with the first taste everyone heard of the new material ‘Cellophane’ which by the way was my number 1 song of 2025 on my Spotify wrapped, with a pitiful 140 plays. I hope that 42 cents helped fellas. This song is insanity at its best. Actually, I think that sums up Don Broco, insanity at its best. How they create songs like this is something to be studied, it’s that thing of no one else sounds like this and that’s why they stand out. ‘Cellophane’ is that perfect opener before ‘Disappear’ kicks in, and another familiar one and one of my favourites, the twists and turns in a Don Broco song are so well thought out and what has always been special about this band is the vocal difference and use of Rob and Matt. That balance is special. ‘Somersaults’ oooh first time hearing this and the sweeping chorus surrounded by crunching guitars before dropping back in the verses is excellent work. This slower one this early is great as the balance of tracks will be important on this album.
The title track is next, and you may or may not know that MTRBWY is a Nickelback friendly zone as endorsed by Ryan and Mike of Nickelback so I’m here to say that this song is a fucking masterpiece. That goddamn riff at the start is amazing, and the only time we hear it which is criminal!! The sequencing and overall way this song is put together should be the benchmark for all songs in the future. This is how you do it! How the pairing of these two came about I hope to discuss with the band but sometimes things just work. Listening to this in my headphones is a trip, the things going on in this song is insane yet it’s in no way muddled. Round of applause for the producer here. Now as I enjoy the end solo that takes us away and I know that this will be one of my songs of the year for sure.
‘Ghost In The Night’ starts off in what I thought was going to be acoustic but goes full ‘One True Prince’ immediately (you’ll get what I mean) but oh my god, what is this?! This is the most powerful power ballad I’ve heard in a long long time and I’m gob smacked. This might just be my new favourite Don Broco song, this should be a single, in fact it must be. That chunky ending!! Wow. Simply wow. OK, ‘True Believers’ starts off interestingly but this is about to explode, yep there it is. Sam from Architects on this one is unbelievable and that vocal control… damn, and in classic Don Broco style the middle hits different, and I love it before they get even heavier. Back to a previously heard one with ‘Euphoria’ and my MVP on this track is Tom’s bass work. Once again, these are songs that could only be done by Don Broco, there’s no one else out there that could sound like this and pull it off. ‘Pacify Me’ with another big chorus and that atmospheric brilliance keeps the album moving along nicely, some of these songs will take you on a ride, and you truly have to experience that ride for yourself.
‘Swimming Pools’ has Si fuzzed up, and has my foot tapping along immediately. Oh fuck this is epic, how they explode and then drop it back immediately is magnificent but wow, this is really cool. ‘Hype Man’ we know but how can you not love this one, it’s brutal and soothing at the same time. Then we sadly close the album with ‘The Corner’ and another ballad that powers up and does it what. Epic! What a way to finish the album. Oh that outro was perfect. With that ‘Nightmare Tripping’ is done and what a trip (pun intended).
Don Broco aren’t only a band, they’re an experience, and with Nightmare Tripping they’ve basically given us a whole theme park full of rides that take you on absolutely wild journeys. It’s the heaviest and most experimental the band has been and because of that they just made the album of the year that I know far too many people won’t hear, but everyone needs to and actually even better, trust me when I say this you must see this band live as you’ll understand it and them even more.
An absolutely monstrous and marvelous masterpiece. I’m sorry every other album this year, you won’t be as good as this.
Essential Information:
From: Bedford, London, UK
Release date: 27 March 2026
Record label: Fearless Records
Produced By: Dan Lancaster
Website: https://www.donbroco.com/
Track Listing:
Cellophane
Disappear
Somersaults
Nightmare Tripping
Ghost In The Night
True Believers
Euphoria
Pacify Me
Swimming Pools
Hype Man
The Corner
