“Wow! XIII Doors are ferocious. Amazing drumming, powerful, relentless guitars, and great choruses. Well done lads.” Those are the words of Def Leppard’s music encyclopedia, Joe Elliott, who does not big up a band for no reason. It is no exaggeration to say XIII Doors debut album, Into The Unknown, may just be shot in the arm that an underwhelming Irish rock scene needs.
XIII Doors – Into The Unknown (Independent)
Release Date: 20 February 2025
Words: Brian Boyle
An emerging rock band from the Emerald Isle with the potential to light up the four corners of the earth are few and far between. Hopes were raised in the past with the likes of My Little Funhouse, No Sweat and more recently, Samarkind, all looking like they had the chops to get in on the high-end action.
Emerging from Shannon, County Clare, XIII Doors have the chops by the truckload and are one of the most exciting and forward-thinking bands to emerge from the island for a long time.
The opening track, Unleash The Beast, could be the greatest hors d’oeuvre you will ever have in your life. It has a sprinkling of Alter Bridge but with just a hell of a lot more muscle. However, they do not follow the same path on Sorceress Of Lies, which leans more into Prog Metal territory, as does Make A Life Again, only this little gem is delicately dusted with a bit of grunge for good measure.
The varied approach to their music is no fluke. The majority of their eclecticism can be laid at the door of their ridiculously talented lead singer and guitarist, DJ O’Sullivan, whose knowledge and respect for Arabic, Hindustani and traditional Irish music allows these boys to take themselves to places where others would not dare dream of going.
But it’s the rock and Metal world where they reside, and that is where they will be judged. Despite the expansive influences and Cian ‘Whoasley’ O’Sullivan’s intricate drumming, Lead The Way keeps it simple, it just plugs in and lets rip.
And along with the following track, Face The Truth, the choruses are just out-and-out money shots. That said, there is nothing here that sounds manufactured and aimed at the mainstream.
You will never hear the dark and abrasive tones of Into The Unknown or Inside while you are out on the school run. But at the same time, there’s nothing here that sounds dated or hugely unfashionable. Yes, there are plenty of grunge notes, but nothing of the gloomy variety.
A track like See How You’ve Come So Far gives you a four-plus minute masterclass of what this band are all about. The guitars soar, the vocals are pristine, and the melodies simply majestic. This is a complete sonic high and with just the eight tracks, you can give the complete album your undivided attention.
I make no apology for my Irish bias, but genuinely, these lads are worth your time, money and excitement. And with blokes in the band called Flash Murphy and Pablo Byrne, you really cannot go wrong.
