Alright, turn the speakers up until the windows rattle, because we’ve got a record that feels like it was dug out of a dusty crate from 1972—except it wasn’t. “Island Poetry”, the new full-length from Boston’s own Mad Painter, is out on October 1, 2026, and it reminds us exactly why we fell in love with heavy, organ-drenched hard rock in the first place.
Let’s get the introductions straight. This crew is led by Alex Gitlin, and he wears a ton of hats—he’s the lead vocalist, the keyboardist, and the guy writing the songs. You can tell this isn’t just another copycat band chasing a retro trend. Gitlin and his bandmates are dead serious about their craft. They grew up worshipping the golden era of British hard rock, and the way they play it, it’s as natural as breathing. They don’t treat those classic sounds like a museum exhibit; they treat it like a living, breathing language that belongs to them.
If you’re a fan of Deep Purple or Uriah Heep, you’re already in the right neighbourhood. The Hammond organ isn’t just rattling around in the background trying to be cute here—it’s completely front and centre, leading every charge. But this band has a much wider palette too. You’ll catch hints of Spooky Tooth, Atomic Rooster, and even some of the early, theatrical grit of Queen woven into the fabric of these twelve tracks.
Right out of the gate, “Debt Collector” hits you with a down-and-dirty bluesy rock groove. It’s a heavy, shoulder-swinging cut that sets the stage perfectly. But then they keep you guessing with “Empty Bottles”, a track that plugs in a foot-stomping rock shuffle. The rhythmic drive on this one will have you banging your head before the first chorus is over. You can practically hear the rest of the band pushing each other to play harder.
They don’t stay in one gear, though. “Spin Your Ventilator” strips things down to raw, attack-heavy guitar riffs that feel totally feral. Then you get a moment of pure, dramatic bliss with “Last Night You Dreamed I Was in Love with Someone Else”, which hits with heavy Rainbow vibes and finds Gitlin pouring his soul into the mic. “Shadow of the Words” takes a whole different turn—it starts with an insistent, pounding piano and a soaring vocal that feels almost like some kind of psychedelic oracle shouting down the heavens. The constant harmonic shifts keep it feeling unhinged in the best way possible.
And guess what? These guys have the guts to go full weird. “Nektarized” brings some intricate, space-disco rhythms into the fold. It pulls from the late 70s weirdness of acts like Ganymed and Amanda Lear, yet the guitar solos still have that fiery, classic-rock bite that keeps it grounded. It is a mesmerizing trip, plain and simple.
The crown jewel, though, has to be the six-minute epic “I Am the King”. It starts soft, with a beautiful, lonely piano figure before strings sweep in with a massive, 1980s-style film score atmosphere. The emotional weight of the story, which paints a picture of a sorrowful ruler, is incredible, and the way the band transitions from somber melodies into brighter, soaring passages just shows off their maturity as songwriters.
They keep the intensity going right to the end. “Stand Your Ground” has a gritty, punk-rock edge to it that just erupts with energy. If you’re seeing these tracks live, you will definitely be raising a fist in the air. And as the final act, they drop a cover of Uriah Heep’s “Circle of Hands”. It’s a perfect closer that shows massive respect to the forefathers of this sound while proving they can hang with those legends any day of the week.
Is it a nostalgia trip? Nah. It’s got too much life in it for that. “Island Poetry” is a hard rock record with a killer spine, a phenomenal frontman, and an organ player who is way too good to be playing second fiddle. This album is a must-spin for anyone who still believes in the power of a real amplifier. Make sure you fw Mad Painter and be ready to grab this when it drops in the fall. It’s a proper victory lap for classic rock, and we are here for it.