Babylon A.D. When The World Stops Review
Babylon A.D.
When The World Stops
Kivel Records
2025
California’s resident bad boy Glam/Hard Rockers, Babylon A.D. have returned, swagger intact, with a brand-new slab of fire. Hot on the heels of “Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day” (2024, Perris Records), their latest record, “When The World Stops” (via Kivel Records), dropped just days ago. Some might ask why a band would deliver two albums so close together, me? I say life’s too short. If the music’s in your blood and the band is burning hot, why keep the flames in the furnace? Babylon A.D. never faltered. Since 1989, they’ve walked the tightrope between indie spirit and major label polish with grace, leaving behind a catalog without dead weight. Derek Davis and his crew don’t just write songs; they craft lifelines for their loyal fanbase.
“When The World Stops” feels like a continuation of the resurrection sparked by “Rome”. But this time, the band sounds more sure-footed, more comfortable in their skin, more dangerous in the studio. The recording is pristine, yet the pulse is raw. The flow is effortless, every song feels like it belongs. From arena-sized scorchers to slow-burn ballads that reach into your chest, this record knows its audience.
Take “Love is Cruel”, a song that doesn’t just play, it haunts. Close your eyes, and you’re back in the high school gym, the lights low, the smell of punch, perfume and smoke linger in the air. You and your girl sway slowly, clinging to each other like the world could vanish if you let go. There were nights that I prayed would never end. Thankfully, they never did – a love that started in 1991, still burns as hot and wild as it did back then. That’s the magic, music that resurrects memories, that makes time collapse. Derek’s vocals soar like they did back in the glory days, and the band surrounds him with a wall of sound that feels both modern and timeless. Dare I say this might be their finest moment since their debut album. I felt every lyric and every piece of music deep in my soul.
Of course, Babylon A.D. hasn’t forgotten their penchant for anthems. Tracks like “Toxic Baby”, “Power of Music”, and the title cut “When The World Stops” bring the hooks, the fists, and the neon haze of 1989 flooding back. You can almost taste the denim and leather and the fog machine mist.
And let’s be clear: I’m a Sleaze rocker to the bone. Call it “Hair Metal” if you must, but I despise that label, it was never about Aqua Net clichés, it was about fire, lust, and melody. Sure, I dabble in Psychobilly and worship at the altar of all things Metal, but Sleaze is my soul. Bands like Babylon A.D. raised me and made me who I am today and when they deliver an album like this, it feels like HOME.
So, here’s my advice: grab this album, turn the lights low, pour a strong one and grab your girl and hold her close. Let Babylon A.D. do what they do best, make the world disappear for a while.