Right before the solo on “Testify”, the opening track on V, there’s a telling line: “All those things that I did before, they don’t matter to me anymore.”
The symbolism is clear — this is a new start.
Anyone who cares knows the band’s history. It’s been a little turbulent, shall we say, and it’s been four and a half years since the last proper studio album.
So, while we’re catching up, let’s do the rest. In this brave new world, alongside Nathan James is original bassist Colin Parkinson — not only writing the songs with James, but also producing the record. Then there’s Richard Shaw, and in the category of “sentences I never thought I’d write,” he’s best known for being in Cradle Of Filth. The drums are handled by Henry Rogers, Prog Magazine’s Drummer of the Year and a collaborator with Marillion’s Mark Kelly.
Got it? Good.
The point here isn’t just who this unlikely gang are — it’s whether V is any good.
And I’m here to tell you, it really is.
That opener arrives with something slightly grandiose, and James has always had that kind of roar. But this is tougher-edged than you might remember.
That energy flows throughout the album. “Say What You Wanna” is something new entirely: heavy, vitriolic, and clearly settling scores. It’s superb, and its payoff line — “I’ll never listen anyway” — is a delightfully sassy middle finger to the haters (and Inglorious have always had their fair share, for reasons I’ve never quite understood).
The acoustic stylings of “Believe” switch the mood and tempo, with James wrestling his doubts.
But mostly, while this isn’t exactly the Inglorious of old, if you ever liked them before — or just like your hard rock with a bit of swagger — there’s plenty here to enjoy. “Stand” and “In Your Eyes” have it in spades, but there’s a twist this time. Whether it’s the falsetto-led “Silent” or the soaring “End Of The Road,” there’s something more seasoned, more spiced, in 2025.
Maybe it’s all distilled in the closer. The slow-building “The Power Of Truth” might well be their way of saying that this version of Inglorious is more honest, more real.
Bands often talk about “fresh starts” so often it feels like a cliché. But Inglorious mean it. They sound fresh, they sound invigorated — and above all, they sound determined. Determined to silence the doubters, or maybe just to prove it to themselves.
Whatever the motivation, it’s V for Victory — or maybe just high fives all round.
Rating: 8.5/10
REVIEW: INGLORIOUS – V (2025)
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