New Wax Wednesday

It’s always refreshing to see young blood making a clear impact on the world of new vinyl — and this time, the artist doing so literally has the exact right name for the job. In this case, I’m talking about British punk-pop vocalist Yungblud, who recently collaborated with veteran American rock icons Aerosmith on One More Time, a tough ’n’ tender five-song EP that was released on November 21, 2025, via Capitol.

If you haven’t yet seen/heard how they do it, check out the video for the lead track “My Only Angel” below, via Yungblud’s official YouTube channel. Their collective exuberance while working together on this opening salvo is quite palpable, to say the least.

Yungblud has been on my radar for a while now, going back to his July 2018 LP on Locomotion/Geffen/Interscope, 21st Century Liability, and I loved seeing his viral moment of meeting Ozzy Osbourne backstage before performing at the final Black Sabbath show in Birmingham, England, on July 5, 2025 (a mere 17 days before Ozzy passed on). More recently, I also got into the blood flow of “Zombie,” a killer track from Yungblud’s June 2025 LP on Locomotion/Geffen, Idols, but I eschewed buying anything of his on vinyl — until now. (I know his name is often presented in all caps, but we’re going with a beginning cap only here.)

Aerosmith, of course, needs little/no introduction. I have most everything they’ve done on vinyl, of course — heck, I even bought Night in the Ruts new when it first came out on Columbia in November 1979! — so it’s good hearing them again with new music on wax, when many of us thought they had packed it in for good following the scrapping of their 2023-25 Peace Out: The Farewell Tour after only three shows. Maybe this new EP — which includes the first new music they’ve cut together since November 2012’s Music From Another Dimension! — is the opening salvo of some kind of Aero-return to the boards. We shall see.

As for the stats, all five songs on the 19-plus-minute One More Time EP appear on Side 1, while an etching dominates the label-less Side 2. The striking, dark-hued artwork was designed by Joe Foti/Chrome Hearts. A small “Made in Czech Republic” sticker is on the bottom left of the shrink on the back, so that likely means the vinyl itself was pressed at GZ. I also spied “JNH – STERLING” in the runout groove, so we know who (Joe Nino-Hernes) cut what, and where (Sterling Sound). The EP’s SRP is $25.99, and it can be obtained via Music Direct here, and/or via the MD link graphic that’s ahead of the tracklisting section below.

Might that SRP be a bit steep for an EP, you ask? I’ve actually seen One More Time going for a slightly higher pricetag at other outlets, tbh, and maybe some of that nut covers the freight for the aforementioned, detailed etching (admittedly a cool-looking one, if you like that sort of thing) — but if you’re into this kind of music, you’ll pick it up regardless.

Before I get down to my evaluation, I’d like to share some of the “how did this come about?” background info via the official press materials, along with some additional MM commentary thrown in here and there. First up, it appears that Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry got the all-in ball a-rolling. “A year ago, I got a call that Yungblud wanted to come to Sarasota [in Florida] to work with me and write some songs,” Perry confirmed. “I had heard his single and said, ‘Hell yeah, this guy’s got the juice.’ Four days in the studio, and we got to know each other, along with his team. I called Steven [Tyler] and told him, ‘You have to hear this guy Yungblud — he’s the real deal.’ Fast forward to May, and we’re in the studio with Steven recording new music. The end result turned out to be an amazing collaboration between Aerosmith and Yungblud. Let the music do the talking.” (Naturally, that last comment, always a favorite of Joe’s and mine, is also a nice callback to the title track of a March 1980 Joe Perry Project album that was later recut [and slightly recast] by Aerosmith for November 1985’s Done With Mirrors.)

“The decision to meet Yungblud and make this music with him . . . was like plugging into pure electricity!” Aerosmith vocal tornado Steven Tyler said in that very same press statement — and the ellipses are all his, btw. Continued Tyler — and I’m going to let how he put it pretty much run as is for the full free-flow effect, albeit with only a few bracketed additions of mine here and there: “For Joe [Perry] and me, it was another cosmic collision . . . to find ourselves in the studio with this outrageously talented and positively wild animal named Dom [a.k.a. Yungblud; his real name is Dominic Harrison]. Here’s this kid that lives his life out loud . . . grew up on our records and the British Invasion . . . and now we’re in the studio together creating something that bridges generations. He devoured all the same greats [we] looked up to . . . and then he started to dream on. It’s as simple as that.” (Admit it, you filled in the line “dream until your dreams come true” after reading that next-to-last statement, didn’t you?)

Continued Tyler, “When we sang and played together for the first time, there was an immediate unspoken vibration throughout the studio . . . it reminded me of the wheels of the car vibrating my seat as the boys and I drove into Boston 50 years ago for the very first time. [Actually, that Beantown entry-breach would be more like 56 years ago at this point.] It had that same deep intimate pressure of necessity. To make it . . . make it great . . . something fresh and new . . . and make it last forever. That’s the rock ’n’ roll way, baby! Yungblud wants this next chapter in rock history, and asked us to be a part of it. We got on so well . . . the vibe in the room was epic from the start . . . we had a blast . . . and were truly honored to write with him! Rock ’n’ roll becomes timeless when you pour your heart and soul into it . . . that’s when the magic happens.” (Truer words, as the saying goes.)

What say you, Yungblud? “Aerosmith have been such a staple of rock ’n’ roll and showmanship for me, so I’ve been ready for this my whole life,” the 28-year-old observed. “As soon as we entered the studio, the chemistry exploded, and the songs just poured out of us. It’s the kind of collaboration that young me wouldn’t even dream of, so to sit here holding a vinyl in my hand that says Aerosmith and Yungblud on it is truly blowing my mind. Steven and Joe are at the top of their game, and working with them is a huge f---ing honor. I’m making records with my heroes, the show’s insane every night, and rock ’n’ roll is waking the f--- up, whether you like it or not. I’m loving every second.” (Rest assured, Dom — I too very much like it, if not outright love it.)

Yungblud added that he first met Aerosmith when they paired up in the studio with the intention of having them featured on a version of his 9-minute epic “Hello Heaven, Hello,” which became the eventual opening track on Idols. Chemistry started to flow, as the saying goes, and what began as a guest spot soon turned into a writing session, soon enough evolving into what we hear on One More Time. Beyond the lead single, the EP showcases — using their words now — “Yungblud’s raw spirit colliding with the band’s legendary musicianship. Joe Perry and [Brad] Whitford’s guitars cutting through with signature fire, [Tom] Hamilton’s bass anchors the arrangements, and Tyler’s unmistakable voice intertwining with Yungblud’s across every track.” Longtime friend of the band Matt Sorum, former drummer of Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver, lent his presence behind the kit across the EP, though original Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer, who was also sitting out the kiboshed Peace Out tour, is listed in the credits as providing drums as well. (Though it’s not specified beyond that, we can make an educated guess as to where he is, once we get there below.) Yungblud producer Matt Schwartz was behind the boards, and Blud’s own band also shared in the recording duties.

The initial announcement of the One More Time EP and release of ”My Only Angel” followed less than two weeks after Yungblud, Tyler, and Perry joined forces for a powerful tribute to Ozzy Osbourne at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards back on September 7, 2025. It’s a medley worth checking out via the official MTV YouTube clip below, especially as another guest collaborator, Nuno Bettencourt, absolutely shreds the first half of the proceedings on electric guitar before switching to acoustic in the back half.

So how’d these cross-gen collaborators do on the EP? Well, I can first report that the One More Time vinyl itself was deep black and well-centered, with no noticeable skips or pops sans a few clicks between Tracks 04 and 05 (but not during any musical passages). As I’ve already notated in the previous sentence, each single-digit track on Side 1 has a “0” before it, so that’s how they’ll be listed here. Also, while the artist names are stacked on a) the hype sticker, b) the back cover, c) the EP label on Side 1, and d) the inner sleeve’s side that has the lyrics and the credits, a circular, filled-in bullet symbol (●) is what ultimately separates the two artist names on the spine. For my purposes, I’m going with an ampersand (&) linkage between them instead, for that to me best signifies a unified collaboration.

And that’s how the music comes across. The vocal blend between Yungblud and Tyler on the opening phrases of “My Only Angel” (Track 01) is pure manna — though I could do without the, er, Auto-Tuning effect that appears to crop up elsewhere in the early verses. Real singing thankfully returns during the more critical ensuing moments. Hearing Tyler extend the vowels in the word “angel” multiple times all throughout will surely bring to mind how he did something similar with an Aerosmith power ballad from August 1987’s Permanent Vacation with that very same word as its title. Plus, Perry’s toggle-switchlike riffing breakdown the middle adds another flavorful treat here.

The main riff of “Problems” (Track 02) brings to mind some Scottish/Irish vibes, while the muscular middle break is the kind of Aero-groove I can’t ever seem to get enough of, leading to siren-like riffage that’s mixed behind Yungblud’s vocals — and the second pummeling section in the back half, with even more forceful Blud-dy wailing, is even better than the first one.

The country-tinged “Wild Woman” (Track 03) commences with an acoustic start, carries a good bass groove, and has strings behind it all. The vocals are more duet-ish here, and, once again, in his extended readings of the title word “wild,” Tyler continues to reinforce why he is the MVE — Master Vowel Extender. “A Thousand Days” (Track 04) also offers an acoustic opening, with Yungblud showing how he clearly studied at the Bryan Adams school of throaty balladry — and very much in a good way, mind you — replete with a countrified solo, and the return of the strings again.

The side ends with the turgid sinew of “Back in the Saddle (2025 Mix)” (Track 05), with what I take to be some alternate galloping riffage in the left channel at the outset and some new vocal gymnastic shuffles down the middle. Using the word “Mix” in the title parenthetical rather than, say, “Version” makes me conclude the balance of the backing track was picked up from the original song (which was the lead track on May 1976’s Rocks), with just a smattering of new vocals and guitars as the updated seasoning since it sounds pretty bleepin’ close to initial, albeit remastered form — but it kicks ass nonetheless. (“Riding high . . . ooh hoo hoo,” indeed.)

As for my ratings, the Music gets a cumulative 8 (some tracks are 7.5, some are 8, and the last one is a stone cold 9), and the Sound gets an 8, as it matches essentially what you’d expect for a 21st century production-style rock record. The more you listen, the more you love, and that’s what good albums and/or EPs do, don’t they — they reward anew and reveal more with each playback. Since One More Time is a pretty good (re)start, how about y’all come back with something like what I’d humbly suggest you call Second Time’s the Charmer, eh lads?

AEROSMITH & YUNGBLUD
ONE MORE TIME
EP (Capitol)

Side 1
01. My Only Angel
02. Problems
03. Wild Woman
04. A Thousand Days
05. Back In The Saddle (2025 Mix)

Side 2
**no music; etching only