Review: Final Thirteen

Next up is the brand new single “This Time” from Northern Ireland alt-rock punks Final Thirteen.

Marking a fresh chapter for the band with a new line-up and new material, This Time proves immediately that while things may have evolved, the energy, passion and intensity that built their reputation remains firmly intact.

Final Thirteen have rapidly established themselves as one of the most exciting emerging acts from Northern Ireland, blending bruising guitars, huge hooks and emotionally charged songwriting into a sound that feels equally at home in sweaty punk clubs and on massive festival stages. Since emerging in 2024 with the acclaimed debut single Why You Sacrifice Me Now, the band have steadily built momentum through strong releases, international radio play and a growing reputation for explosive live performances across Belfast, Dublin, London, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

And honestly, This Time feels like another huge step forward.

The song powers in with a strong melodic slab of riffage before the vocals cut through and create a beautifully unique balance between sweet and dangerous. The vocal line twists and shifts in a wonderfully non-linear way before the band explodes into one of the most singalong choruses we have heard in 2026.

There are flashes of The Distillers and The Wildhearts buried in the DNA here, but make no mistake, this is unmistakably Final Thirteen.

The punk spirit remains throughout the track, but there is also a polished authenticity to it that stops it ever sounding forced or over-produced. The song ebbs and flows with a kind of pop-punk perfection before disappearing far too quickly. What really stands out is the authenticity. There is a rawness to the performance, but underneath sits a softer emotional underbelly that makes the song even more addictive.

The layers within the arrangement constantly pull you forward, keeping you hanging on every note.

We loved This Time so much that we decided to dive deeper into the back catalogue and honestly, we are very glad we did.

Why You Sacrifice Me Now screeches into life with a ripsaw guitar riff, quickly joined by a soaring vocal before the whole band locks into an almost gothic punk verse. It is epic, bold and beautifully unhinged before crashing into a layered chorus delivered with a passion that simply cannot be faked.

There is a guttural swagger here that even Courtney Love would appreciate.

This band constantly feel like they are holding something just beneath the surface and when it finally breaks through, it hits with both barrels. The song descends into a chaotic 90’s grunge-inspired breakdown that threatens to completely derail before the band expertly drag it back from the brink and build towards a huge final crescendo.

A genuinely outstanding track that lingers in your head long after it ends.

We also checked out Go, which opens with an excellent “breaking point” sample before a riff as heavy as a collapsing building takes over and drives the song forward. There is an ungodly swagger to this track that makes it impossible not to move along with it.

The vocals really stretch their legs here too, soaring above the chaos with real beauty and control. The intertwining guitar work adds extra layers and depth that, in lesser hands, could sound messy or overcrowded. Final Thirteen somehow make it sound massive, driven and completely effortless.

The constant breakdowns, rises and shifts show a band completely unafraid to throw away the traditional songwriting rulebook and trust their instincts instead.

And that is exactly what makes Final Thirteen so exciting.

At a time when so many bands feel manufactured or overly polished, Final Thirteen sound real. Dangerous when they need to be, melodic when it matters and always emotionally honest. They have the hooks, the attitude and the live energy to genuinely go a very long way.