Review: Godzillionaire ‘Diminishing Returns’
Right off the bat I’m going to say this, if there’s one band who you should be firmly pointing your attention at, it’s these guys, Godzillionaire. Featuring one of my all-time favourite vocalists, I have been following the band since the release of their debut opus, Small Change, way back in 2016. To be honest I happened upon them accidentally, while scouring the internet for news of singer Mark Hennessy, who had been the vocalist of one of my biggest loves of the nineties, Paw. Criminally overlooked at the time during the whole grunge phenomenon, Paw never got the exposure they deserved, and after two sublime albums and a lesser known EP the band had gone their separate ways.

Having always sited Hennessy as being right up there with Layne Staley vocally, the fact that he had essentially dropped off the face of the earth hadn’t ever sat well with me. Finding out that he had become one instrumental element of the newly formed, and superbly eclectic, Godzillionaire made me so happy at the time, and ever since I have watched the band slowly build and evolve to where they are in 2025. So here we are, with a new long-player, and hopefully finally a time to really get that long overdue exposure that’s rightfully deserved and with it, an early contender for my top albums of the year.
Diminishing Returns sees the band now well established, pretty much a decade in, and if you haven’t heard of them before, then you really need to change that. It may have taken a couple of years to see a new full release, but it’s been completely worth it.
This new album has seen the band evolve into a fully-fledged world beating unit. Aside from Hennessy’s legendary vocals, the culmination of the other elements of the quartet are equally inspired, and the result is an enjoyable, listen, filled with fantastic tunes, where you can hear the magic between the guys pouring through the speakers. Michael Dye and Cody Romaine provide an exquisite backline, and Ben White’s guitar work is ridiculous. The unity the band has is utterly breathtaking, and it’s an absolute joy to behold.
Coming to the album, its eight tracks of grown-up, hard-rocking goodness, presented by a band that obviously know about legitimacy. As someone who’s hitting their fiftieth year, to have a soundtrack which perfectly complements my ride is crucial, and I truly believe that Godzillionaire is the one band who can make good honest music which is both vibrant and feels like it’s for adults. There isn’t any teenage angst, or hard and fast pomp trying to prove they can keep up with the younger bands, Godzillionaire is as aged to perfection as I like to believe I am.
For where I’m at, I don’t need drama, I just want cool heavy quality, made by artists who are doing it because they want to, on their rules, and it shows.
The heavy rock mix of rumbling bass, punchy drums, and adventurous guitar provides the perfect playground for Hennessy to usher forth those simply astounding vocal skills…
Coming in at just under forty-five minutes, every second is engaging from the opening seconds of Drowning All Night, to the dying moments of Shadow Of A Mountain. It’s a robust experience, where throughout, even when the tunes change, at no point is it anything other than Godzillionaire.
Tracks like the aforementioned Drowning All Night along with 3rd Street Shuffle and Common Board, Magic Nail show just how vibrant the band can be. The heavy rock mix of rumbling bass, punchy drums, and adventurous guitar provides the perfect playground for Hennessy to usher forth those simply astounding vocal skills. There is a real energy to the band, which is captured beautifully on record, and it feels like an uplifting, heartwarming experience.
As I fanboyed earlier, Mark Hennessy is an idol of mine, and this album perfectly shows exactly why I rate him so highly and always have. In Paw he was instantly recognisable for his gritty and gravelly notes, which could be transformed into the most luxuriously sultry tones in a way I’ve never witnessed elsewhere. The plays between shouts to whispers has always been his trademark and so it’s wonderful to hear he hasn’t lost it at all. Yes, there isn’t as much ferocity these days, but boy can he still carry a tune unlike anyone else.
And that’s the thing with Godzillionaire, he gets the opportunity to shine, without having become a parody of an earlier time. The music works so well to accentuate the vocal, it shows that, unlike his peers from yesteryear, the longevity is sheer class. This is especially evident on tracks such as Boogie Johnson and Astrogarden, where those skills are fully realised, and work so eloquently. Elsewhere we get to see the more ambient side to the band, Spin Up Spin Down is a masterclass in quality as White’s soaring guitar is intoxicating atop of Romaine and Dye’s perfectly orchestrated backdrop.
It is, however, on the final track where the band truly realise just how epic they really are, and Shadow Of A Mountain is the perfect moment to send us off with. Over the eight minutes, the band slowly build and build, each element piling on the intensity until it explodes into a soaring experience, it’s majestic and drives home just how astonishing this band are.
For me, this has been a long time coming, reviewing Godzillionaire has been an absolute pleasure and finally having the chance to celebrate my favourite male singer is nothing short of incredible.
Label: Ripple Music
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Twitter | Instagram
Scribed by: Lee Beamish