Satanic Rites of the Wildhearts

Satanic Rites of the Wildhearts
Studio album by the Wildhearts
Released	7 March 2025 (2025-03-07)
Studio	Treehouse (United Kingdom)
Genre	Hard rock heavy metal pop rock punk rock [1] [2]
Length	45:43
Label	Snakefarm
Producer	Jim Pinder
The Wildhearts chronology
21st Century Love Songs (2021) Satanic Rites of the Wildhearts (2025)

Satanic Rites of the Wildhearts is the eleventh studio album by British rock band the Wildhearts, released on 7 March 2025 by Snakefarm Records. ^[1]

Background

The band's previous album 21st Century Love Songs (2021) was recorded by a reformed lineup from the Wildhearts' most successful period in the mid-1990s. That lineup split acrimoniously in 2022; ^[3] band leader Ginger Wildheart took a short hiatus from the band and then assembled an entirely new lineup with former bassist Jon Poole, who had last played with the band in 2018, plus guitarist Ben Marsden and drummer Pontus Snibb. ^[2]

This lineup recorded Satanic Rites of the Wildhearts in mid-2024. The album features a guest appearance by saxophonist Jørgen Munkeby on the song "I'll Be Your Monster". ^[4] The album was produced by Jim Pinder. While Poole, Marsden, and Snibb had participated in warmup shows starting in early 2024, their status as official members of the WIldhearts was left secret until the album's release was announced in October 2024. ^[5]

Critical reception

The album received generally positive reviews. Kerrang! noted that it is not the best Wildhearts album, but it indicates a renewed focus in Ginger Wildheart's songwriting, with the magazine repeatedly calling him a "genius". ^[1] Louder Than War noted "the gravity, humour, honesty and intelligence" of the lyrics, while praising Ginger as "one of the most underrated songwriters of his generation." ^[6] Narc magazine called the album " throat-shreadingly heavy, imbued with glam pop stomp, and always catchy as hell." ^[7] Classic Rock opined that the album is "arguably their most cohesive and complete yet." ^[8] Uber Rock noted the lyrics exploring "a variety of themes, from personal struggles and societal issues to more abstract concepts of darkness and redemption," and concluded that the album has "a sense of catharsis and empowerment that runs throughout the album, making it as uplifting as it is intense." ^[9]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Ginger.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Eventually"	6:15
2.	"Scared of Glass"	5:16
3.	"Troubadour Moon"	4:39
4.	"Fire in the Cheap Seats"	4:32
5.	"Kunce"	2:59
6.	"Maintain Radio Silence"	4:08
7.	"Blue Moon over Brinkburn"	3:05
8.	"Hurt People Hurt People"	3:46
9.	"I'll Be Your Monster"	3:20
10.	"Failure Is the Mother of Success"	7:46
Total length:		45:43

Personnel

• Ginger Wildheart – vocals, guitars
• Jon Poole – bass, additional vocals (tracks 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10)
• Ben Marsden – guitars, additional guitars (tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10), additional vocals (tracks 1, 3–8, 10)
• Kavus Torabi – guitars, additional guitars (tracks 1, 2, 4, 6–10), additional vocals (1, 4, 6, 8, 10)
• Dudge – drums, additional vocals (tracks 1, 3–5, 7, 8)

Additional musicians

• Carol Hodge – additional vocals (tracks 1, 3, 5, 10), backing vocals (2)
• Gabby Horne – backing vocals (track 2)
• James Horne – backing vocals (track 2)
• Jørgen Munkeby – saxophone (track 9)
• Maggie – barking (track 9)

Technical

• Jim Pinder – production, mixing, engineering
• Carl Brown – mixing
• Ste Kerry – mastering
• Dan Fox – engineering assistance
• Eliza Pinder – additional production (track 5)

Visual

• Ginger Wildheart – hand-written lyrics, graphics, drawings
• Matt Read – design, art direction
• Andy Ford – photography
• Emily Jade Elliott – make-up

Charts

Chart performance for Satanic Rites of the Wildhearts

Chart (2025)	Peak position
Scottish Albums (OCC) [10]	4
UK Albums (OCC) [11]	29
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [12]	2

References

1. "Album review: The Wildhearts – Satanic Rites of the Wildhearts". Kerrang!. 2025-03-03. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
2. Colothan, Scott (24 January 2024). "The Wildhearts announce new line-up and world exclusive concert". Planet Radio. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
3. Wilding, Philip (2024-10-30). "Ginger Wildheart on friendship, the fans and the return of the Wildhearts". louder. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
4. "The Wildhearts - Satanic Rites of the Wildhearts". Metal Epidemic. 2025-03-03. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
5. Lewry, Fraser (2024-10-21). "The Wildhearts announce new studio album Satanic Rites of the Wildhearts". louder. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
6. Boardman, Robin (2025-03-02). "The Wildhearts: Satanic Rites of the Wildhearts - Album Review". Louder Than War. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
7. Grainger, Mark (6 March 2025). "Album Review: The Wildhearts – Satanic Rites of the Wildhearts" . Retrieved 2025-03-08.
8. Wilding, Phillip (2025-03-07). "The Wildhearts prove once they're one of the UK's greatest bands with The Satanic Rites Of…". louder. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
9. "The Wildhearts Satanic Rites of the Wildhearts (Snakefarm/Integral)". Über Röck. 2025-03-03. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
10. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
11. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 March 2025.
12. "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 March 2025.