Madball Not Your Kingdom
Consensus is still forming across 3 professional reviews. Madball's Not Your Kingdom arrives as a concentrated shot of New York hardcore, a 30-minute statement that critics say reasserts the band's unflinching identity. Across three professional reviews the record earned an 85/100 consensus score, praised for its relentless energy, concise songwriting and commitment to street
The best song is the explosive opener “Tethered” for its irresistible bounce and colossal drums.
Shared criticism is still limited across the current review sample.
Best for listeners looking for legacy and rebellion, starting with Tethered and Rebel Kids.
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Full consensus notes
Madball's Not Your Kingdom arrives as a concentrated shot of New York hardcore, a 30-minute statement that critics say reasserts the band's unflinching identity. Across three professional reviews the record earned an 85/100 consensus score, praised for its relentless energy, concise songwriting and commitment to street-level social critique rather than studio indulgence.
Reviewers consistently flag the best songs on Not Your Kingdom as immediate live scorers: “Tethered” opens with cut-throat intensity, “Rebel Kids” reads as a gnarled rallying hymn, and “Flammable” supplies compact, mosh-ready payoff. Critics note recurring themes of legacy, resilience and hard-edged authenticity - moments of nostalgia and rebellion sit beside direct calls-out of power in “What Say You” - while tracks like “Life's a Mural” and “The Ride” provide melodic or thrash-tinged relief without diluting the record's bite.
While some reviews emphasize familiarity over experimentation, the consensus suggests that cohesion and brevity are virtues here: fourteen concise assaults that prioritize catharsis and singalong menace over subtlety. Across professional reviews critics agree that Not Your Kingdom is worth hearing for fans of traditional hardcore and anyone seeking a compact, ferocious reminder of Madball's enduring place in the scene. Below, detailed reviews unpack how these standout tracks and themes shape the album's hard-won, crowd-ready character.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
Tethered
2 mentions
"Tethered opens the record in an awesome style"— Distorted Sound Magazine
Rebel Kids
2 mentions
"Recent single "Rebel Kids" is this year's gnarliest hardcore punk hymn"— Blabbermouth
What Say You
1 mention
"What Say You , which is one of the more anthemic tracks"— Distorted Sound Magazine
Flammable is 59 seconds but feels like it contains an hour’s worth of thrashing within the confines of the minute mark.
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Tethered
Flammable
Rebelude
Rebel Kids
Don't MisStep
What Say You
Stab Wounds
Sunrise
Life's a Mural
Family First
Clockwork (feat. Killing Time)
IWI
The Ride
Chase a Dream
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What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 3 critics who reviewed this album
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Critic's Take
MADBALL's Not Your Kingdom is a full-throttle reminder of why they matter, songs like “Tethered” and “Rebel Kids” hitting with bruising immediacy and fist-pumping conviction. The record trades subtlety for catharsis - “What Say You” becomes anthemic, rallying against billionaires and false power with the album's title line. Mid-album highlights such as “Life's a Mural” and “The Ride” sustain the momentum, cheeky, vicious and memorably heavy. By the finale, the band have delivered fourteen tracks that let you rage, feel and have fun in equal measure.
Key Points
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The best song is the explosive opener “Tethered” for its irresistible bounce and colossal drums.
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The album's core strengths are relentless energy, memorable anthems and a legacy-minded yet adventurous hardcore sound.
Themes
Bl
Critic's Take
MADBALL sound utterly essential on Not Your Kingdom, a 30-minute blast that picks up where they left off and refuses to relent. From the opening cut-throat intensity of “Tethered” to the bloodthirsty sprint of “Flammable”, the record is built for bedlam and singalongs. “Rebel Kids” stands out as this year’s gnarliest hardcore punk hymn, while “Stab Wounds” and “Life's a Mural” show the band’s range from thrash-tinged violence to yobbish abandon. In short, the best songs on Not Your Kingdom are immediate, violent, and unmistakably Madball, crafted to dominate live shows and remind listeners of the band’s relentless realness.
Key Points
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Tethered is the best song because it is labeled an instant anthem that ignites live bedlam.
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The album’s core strength is its relentless authenticity and cohesive, belligerent hardcore energy.
Themes
Critic's Take
Madball do what they do best on Not Your Kingdom, delivering unapologetic, old-school hardcore that feels comfortingly familiar. The reviewer's voice revels in the album's relentless, mosh-ready momentum while celebrating concise assaults like “IWI” and “Flammable” for packing huge impact into tiny runtimes. There is praise for surprising flourishes - the melodic backing on “The Ride” and the hooky lead on “Chase a Dream” - yet the tone remains clear: this is New York hardcore, served without apology. The piece reads as affectionate and wry, arguing that the best tracks are those that embody Madball's relentless spirit rather than grand experimentation.
Key Points
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The best song moments are the concise, high-impact tracks like "IWI" that linger despite their short runtime.
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The album's core strength is its unwavering commitment to traditional New York hardcore energy executed with clarity and occasional melodic flourishes.