Album review: Kill The Robot – Kill The Robot

Kill The Robot is the sonic brainchild of Stephen Gibb, eldest son of legendary Bee Gee Barry. But don’t expect disco strutters, ballads or feathered hair on this album. Stephen’s musical output is as eclectic as it gets.

Having played with his dad, as well as the likes of Crowbar and Black Label Society, his taste spawns the far reaches of pop, the sludgy underbelly of metal and the grooves of stoner rock. This musical background is reflected in this ambitious self-titled debut with Kill The Robot, amalgamating all the very best elements of sleazy stadium rock, experimental prog and ’80s pop sensibilities.

The first single from the album, Western Shores, is a soaring tribute to the late, great Taylor Hawkins. It’s a stadium-sized belter, with pounding drums, galloping riffs, and a chorus built for fists-in-the-air moments. Before transitioning into See The World, a glossy ’80s-inspired pop ballad, drenched in synth sheen and boasting actual backing vocals from Barry Gibb himself.

Later on, the driving force of No13Ie throws it all back into the fire, led by a swaggering riff that wouldn’t feel out of place on a Velvet Revolver record. It’s sleazy, sharp and straight-up cool, and a stark reminder that the boy knows his way around a fretboard.

And just when you think you’ve figured this band out, closing track Atomic Haze arrives with jangly guitars, as it erupts into this prog beast that twists, turns and evolves like a shapeshifting leviathan. From delicate ambient flourishes to skull-rattling breakdowns, it’s the sound of a band unafraid to dream big.

Kill The Robot isn’t just a vanity project or a legacy flex; it’s a bold, brilliant, and bizarrely cohesive debut. Stephen Gibb has finally arrived out of the shadows, and he's brought riffs.

Verdict: 3/5

For fans of: Pink Floyd, Foo Fighters, The Cure

Kill The Robot is released on July 11 via Dark Lab