I had the pleasure of reviewing The Cruel Intentions’ new album, releasing tomorrow on the 29th of May 2026. For those who haven´t yet discovered this gem, this isn’t just any rock band riding a juicy wave of nostalgia. Formed in 2015 and thriving in the Scandinavian sleaze rock revival, The Cruel Intentions have built their name on raw attitude, relentless touring, and a lineage that runs straight through the Sunset Strip.
Lizzy DeVine—formerly of Vains of Jenna—brings with him that famous LA vibe, and you can hear it in every riff, every hook, every line that feels like it was written by stories, that you need to live through to understand. The vibe is pure magic, nostalgic, yet relentless all at the same time.
The Cruel Intentions are excellent at creating that very specific vibe—the one where you want to bask in the sunshine, roll on a skateboard, and drink beer ‘til the sun goes down. It comes as no surprise, then, that All Hail Hypocrisy—their third studio album, released via Indie Recordings on May 29, 2026, feels like a fully curated experience rather than just a collection of songs.
The album begins with a bang with the song “Beating in My Chest”, that sets the vibe with deliciously rough riffs, followed by “Living Out of Line” continuing the momentum with something that can be described as a feeling of nostalgia. The sound is so jammable, it’s hard not to headbang whilst listening.
Now wow – When the title track “All Hail Hypocrisy” starts to play, I feel like I´m living in an American Pie movie. The best feelings of teenage years re-emerge, and the chorus makes me want to to pull out my dusty Vans Old Schools from the back of my closet. This is a song I easily imagine being one that could be played in either a skatepark or a raunchy movie – the vibe is dirty, “sing along”-able, and most importantly, synonymous with The Cruel Intentions ‘sound.
“Triple Threat” continues the fast tempo of the album so far, and I am happily surprised the more metal borrowed breakdown sounds. One for my books, and yet again, the guitar wails in such beauty, that I´m already starting to imagine the basics for two-step. “This is my last goodbyeeee!”, damn, another banger.
When I thought the whole album would be in the tempo of mosh pits and two-step, “Wasteland” starts playing like a perfect breather during the madness. The simple riff just blends with the mellow vibes, as “we are living in a wasteland, and everybody´s hurting”. This is a more ballad-coded song, but it doesn´t fall under the trap of any clichés – it sounds like the band and feels like home.
The energy gets built back up with straight up rock n roll magic. “When Eden Burn” is an interesting song, that has a melancholic melody, but a fast tempo. This falls into the category of the songs that for sure works, but doesn´t stick out to me as the strongest tracks within the album. To begin to think of it, The Cruel Intentions has become so synonymous with technical excellency with their melodies, that as a listener, you already expect every song to make you mosh. If nothing else, the curation of the song arrangement in the album is seamless.
As I just wrote this, “Pseudo Genius” hits me in the head like a boot in a mosh pit. Yet again, jammable and shoutable. “Pseudo genius!! In disguise!!”, I can already see the pit going round and round as the drums dictate how high the knees need to rise. Now then, “Bad Addiction” is a sultry, sexy song, that needs to be enjoyed in a dirty pub, wearing a red leather jacket. Love indeed, is a sweet, but at the same time, a bad addiction. This is for sure, a “hot girl summer” song for all those who feel like their heels have been burned by someone.
My favourite song title of the whole album goes to, without competition, to “Porridge Head”. Again, synonymous with the band´s sound, and a seamless continuation to the excellently curated album. In terms of sound, very similar to the themes and sounds we´ve already encountered, and yet it works. There isn´t one song, that I couldn´t imagine including to my playlists.
As the second-last song on the album “Whatcha Gonna Do” starts playing, its clear to me, that this an album, that is meant to be sung along to as a whole. Nothing new again, but damn, that the sounds make me mosh. In the midst of trying to find new sounds all the time, it seems that I have been missing the point: If something isn´t broken, there is no need to fix it. Finally, the groove hits me, and I understand that this collection of sounds is meant to be enjoyed as a seamless blend of rock energy that lifts you up.
The album winds down – or rather goes out with a bang, as “Cashed Out” ties it all together. The Cruel Intentions isn´t indeed falling back down: They´re teaching us the basics of enjoying alternative sounds as they were meant to be: Pure magic with straight up attitude, that bites you in the best way possible.
Rating: 5/5
For: punks, rock enthusiasts, nostalgic souls, and metalheads who forgot how fun music is supposed to feel like.
