9. March 2025
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Media Review

Cold Years – Goodbye To Misery

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

Cold Years - Goodbye To Misery

Cold Years - Goodbye To Misery
4.7

Rating

 4.7/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Great, entertaining punk rock album
  • Good and fun to listen songs

Some rock tunes from Scotland: Cold Years are a band from Aberdeen, who released their second album Goodbye To Misery on 22nd April 2022. I was able to have a listen to their songs and share my thoughts with you.

 

Cold Years – About The Artists

Cold Years have been founded in Aberdeen in 2014. Initially, frontman Ross Gordon wanted to go for a personal project, but then decided to go for a band. The current lineup also includes Finlay Urquhart, Louis Craighead and Fraser Allan. The project grew in the Scottish music scene, which also lead to their first album release. The 2020 Paradise received quite a lot of attention, which you can also read from the fact that the most-streamed song so far, Night Light This, has over 700k plays on Spotify only. Covid-19 slowed down the band effort a bit, but they finally were able to release a couple of tracks en route to Goodbye To Misery.

 

Cold Years – Goodbye To Misery – Track by Track

The twelve song album lasts 40 minutes.

1. 32

The 4:42 minutes track induldges itself with a quiet and slow start, before 32 turns into what the whole main sound of Goodbye To Misery will be like: straight, good punk rock, which here and there cannot deny a Brit rock influence. Nice starter.

2. Britain is Dead

British people are typically regarded to be rather proud of their country. The Scots definitely are not agree to this prejudice. The title of this track already stating it… And if you need a stronger proof, the first sentences of the press kit state “Britain IS dead. There’s nothing to be proud of in this country. […]”. At least the country feels to be a great basis for a straight punk rocker, which even has air raid alarm sounds. Britain may be dead… But as a song, it’s not at all bad.

3. Goodbye to Misery

Like the opener, the title track goes for a rather slow start, before the guitars are able to act more freely. Nonetheless, the song feels less punk-alike than the two tracks before.

4. Headstone

The press kit of the album really gives some nice statements about the songs. The nicest statement about Headstone is “If I keep doing it, […] I’ll die too young”. Would be a shame for the good music. Nice single release with a good, energetic drive and a catching chorus, which stays in your mind.

5. Hey Jane

Hey Jane is about… Love – what else? Even though the band states that the song might be a bit of cheesy, I stay in line with what they say in the press kit (do I quote it too often?): I don’t care. Because the song is good – and it is fun to listen.

6. Home

Small town living is a main topic in country music songs – this is why I am exposed to that one rather often. Glad that the song is adding some more views – and very different sounds to that stereotype. Scottish small town life feels good in these 3:34 minutes.

7. Never Coming Back

The seventh song nicely describes the struggle of getting into lock-down, especially as a young person. What am I doing with my spare time? How can I deal with all the stuff I will miss? The result is another good listen.

8. Wasting Away

The eighth song is connecting to the idea of Never Coming Back. Cold Years are discussing in this track how life will be after the lock-down. We know now: there will be a new album by the band after lock-down. The track is not that catchy as many of the songs before.

9. Say Goodbye

Say Goodbye is one of the track of the album which most clearly gives a mixture of punk tunes and typical Brit rock lines. The result is a rather characteristic rocker with a lot of energy and fun.

10. Kicking and Screaming

The tenth song is the last of three tracks which have already been featured before album release. The track is about being committed into something, because you invested so much – but somehow you know that you have to get out of it. Nice.

11. Jack Knife

Looking into my cheat sheet (aka press kit) does not help me too much this time. About this song, Cold Years solely state “Sex, drugs and rock and roll”. I enjoy the stomping rhythm and the smashing riffs… and think about these things while listening.

12. Control

Cold Years name this closing track their We Are The Champions. A song, which is accompanying them and describing them. A song about their music. Freddie might prefer his very own stuff, but it is nice way to close these twelve tracks indeed.

 

Cold Years – Goodbye To Misery – Spotify

Here is the album on Spotify

 

Cold Years – Goodbye To Misery – My View

I am not the hugest punk rock listener out there – but Goodbye To Misery perfectly characterizes how I would describe a great punk album. First of all, it is straight. Not too plushy, not too picturesque. A straight opinion like a fist hit right in your face. Then, it rocks. Finally, it is fun, it makes you feel to enjoy the music, even if some stories feel a bit darker. All that just has to lead to a very good rating.

 

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