EP Review: Tallboy - House of Glass (2025)
- Stuart Ball
- 3 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Written: 26th July 2025
Emerging from Cumbria, England, Tallboy make no attempt to mask their intent with their debut EP House of Glass. Fronted by Brad Crook’s intense vocal delivery, the band’s lineup – completed by Arron Ward-Twinney on bass, guitarists Jordan Gelling and Adam Twinney, and Callum Warren on drums - collaborate to craft a sound that is at once heavy and nuanced.
Opener Insomnia immediately sets the tone, a deliberately disorientating piece that is anything but aimless. After beginning with the sounds of various digital alarms, a drum n’ bass type riff springs to life before guitars attack and Brad Crook’s venomous vocals descend. In the track, night-time becomes a psychological battleground, where hope for rest is met with persistent anxiety, a dwelling on past mistakes and a strong desire to escape a personal hell. Trying to process another day / I swear the clock hands are mocking me / While midnight reigns and my mind decays / The silhouettes are dancing on my wall / The shadows sing of my regrets / They’re praying for my downfall. It is an infectious track on which Arron Ward-Twinney’s bass and Callum Warren’s drum create a pounding, claustrophobic feel that mirrors the clear depiction of unrelenting turmoil for the protagonist. The final, slightly hidden lyrics, I can’t get no sleep, are a reminder of Insomnia by Faithless.
Second track Snake – which is slightly more groove metal in approach - is equally uncompromising. Grinding riffs, heavy and unyielding, dominate the sonic landscape, refusing subtlety or compromise. There is melody in the chorus but it is shrouded behind a punishing rhythmic shield that does let the listener relax for a moment. Guitarists Jordan Gelling and Adam Twinney do not stay still for many moments of the song and Crook’s phrasing is sharp and rhythmic, each line landing with weight but never tipping into theatricality. The condemnation within the lyrics feels personal, a genuine purge. Aggressive and defiant, each word reflects intense feelings of betrayal and emotional scars. Fangs of terror / Lashing out fast / No time to blink/ Your time won’t last / The scars you left are fading / But the pain within is raging.
Name and Shame shifts gears, possibly the EP’s most accessible moment – while retaining thematic depth. Beneath the grit lies a compelling groove, propelling the track forward and it never dips in relation to the overall anguished feel of the EP. Tallboy do not compromise at any point in the five songs here and clearly understand the way to balance urgency and control. Guitars create a dense yet dynamic backdrop and Ward-Twinney’s steady bass and Warren’s slightly measured drumming add muscle. Its commentary on public humiliation, particularly in the digital age, feels authentic and resonant. Let’s watch you thrive on the drama, thrive on the hate / Pulling their strings, twisting their fate Let’s watch you hide from the shadows, stir up the brew / Take a sip and lean back / Enjoy the view.
Penultimate track Ego Trip turns the lens inward, scrutinising the curated in an era obsessed with image. Social media influence is hinted at within the lyrics as a mania for visibility and external validation is torn apart. Showtime, I’m walking like I own this place / I’m in the zone, watch my face / You all should bow to me / Take your shot, do I even need to say. It is a track that embraces different aspects of the band’s music. Brutal and vehement with growling vocals at one point and a more melodic chorus elsewhere, the layers of instruments lead us towards almost dark, sludge metal in some moments. It takes a few listens to pick out everything that is happening during the more chaotic sections but these only add to the malevolence of the overall feel. Â
Closing with Pressure Point, the EP widens its scope, dissolving the boundary between personal and political pressure. Although the tension is structural and systemic, the chorus is the closest we come to an underlying love of the melodic within the band. After a patient build, the track unleashes its full weight unflinchingly. Crook’s imagery is stark and urgent. Doctors holding empty scripts / hospitals turn to sinking ships; There is no help coming / we are the ones drowning. Despite the grim narrative, the band never lose control. The instruments fracture but never collapse, and the vocals remain steady, framing frustration with clarity rather than chaos. The final third of the track features a spoken word section seemingly from a drug company (cleverly titled TB Pharmaceuticals) promoting how its latest treatment – this EP – works wonders at erasing the stress of everyday life. This is followed – during the last twenty seconds of the song – with a raw, cathartic explosion that somehow crams seven lines of viciously spat lyrics into these final moments.
Taken together, these five tracks form a coherent narrative, exploring the discomfort and fracture at the core of self and society. Tallboy do not scream their message; they trust the listener’s awareness, and this trust is what lends House of Glass its weight and depth. Throughout the EP, the band sound assured and self-contained. Gelling and Adam Twinney’s guitars are heavy but never muddy, Warren’s drumming adds shape and pulse, and Ward-Twinney’s bass underpins with grit. Crook’s vocal shifts - from spoken monotone to melodic shout to hardcore screams - feel deliberate and purposeful. There is no wasted space here.
House of Glass is not just an introduction; it is a declaration of intent. Tallboy have arrived with discipline, vision, and authority. If this EP marks the opening statement of their career, what comes next holds real promise. With its fusion of measured heaviness, precise songwriting, and emotional resonance, House of Glass – a title which coalesces the themes of exposure, fragility, emotional volatility, and the breaking point of truth - is a severe but often compelling listen for anyone seeking alt-metal that refuses to settle for formula.
House of Glass is out now.
Tallboy online