AUSTEN STARR – I Am The Enemy (Frontiers Music Srl) – Album Review

Review By Halina Wegner

There’s something fitting about AUSTEN STARR naming her debut I Am The Enemy. It feels less like a battle cry aimed outward and more like an admission of the wars waged within. Released via Frontiers Music Srl on February 13, 2026, this long-awaited first full-length is a defiant, emotionally charged statement from a self-confessed “anxious wreck” who has finally decided to step into the light.

From the opening moments of “Remain Unseen”, STARR makes it clear this isn’t a tentative introduction. Driven by Joel Hoekstra’s razor-edged guitar work and anchored by Chris Collier’s muscular rhythm section, the track surges with urgency. There’s a modern hard rock sheen here that invites comparisons to The Warning and Halestorm, yet the DNA of classic hard rock runs deep through its core. It’s polished without being sterile, powerful without losing emotional grit.

“Medusa” slithers in with attitude, its riffs coiled and venomous. STARR’s vocal delivery shifts between controlled restraint and full-throttle release, showcasing impressive range and command. There’s bite in her phrasing, but also vulnerability just beneath the surface—an emotional duality that defines much of the album.

The title track, “I Am The Enemy,” stands as the record’s centrepiece. Lyrically introspective and melodically explosive, it captures the album’s thesis: confronting self-doubt, fear, and contradiction head-on. STARR’s confession that releasing this album feels “terrifying, exhilarating, and freeing” resonates deeply here. Hoekstra’s solo work elevates the track further, blending technical precision with raw feeling, while Chloe Lowery’s background vocals add a cinematic lift to the chorus.

“Read Your Mind” and “Get Out Alive” keep the energy high, the latter surging with a near-arena-ready hook. There’s an unmistakable sense that this material was crafted with both heart and stage in mind. Steve Ferlazzo’s keyboards subtly enrich the soundscape, adding texture without overpowering the guitar-driven foundation.

Mid-album cuts like “Effigy” and “Running Out Of Time” lean into darker thematic territory. The production remains crisp, yet there’s an underlying tension—an emotional weight that prevents the record from becoming formulaic. STARR’s narrative voice, sharp and occasionally self-deprecating, feels authentic rather than performative.

“All Alone” strips things back slightly, allowing her vulnerability to take centre stage. It’s here that her storytelling shines brightest. Raised in a household where pursuing music wasn’t encouraged, STARR channels that resistance into something empowering. The track balances melancholy with quiet resilience, proving she’s as compelling in introspection as she is in defiance.

As the album moves toward its closing stretch, “Not This Life” and “The Light” provide contrast—one simmering with frustration, the other edging toward hope. By the time “Until I See You Again” closes the record, there’s a sense of catharsis. It’s reflective, melodic, and emotionally satisfying, bringing the journey full circle.

What makes I Am The Enemy particularly impressive is the cohesion between seasoned musicianship and deeply personal songwriting. With heavy-hitters like Hoekstra, Collier, Ferlazzo, and Lowery supporting her vision, STARR could easily have been overshadowed. Instead, she stands firmly at the centre, her voice—both literal and narrative—driving the project.

This debut doesn’t just introduce AUSTEN STARR as a rising rocker; it establishes her as an artist unafraid to expose the cracks in her armour. I Am The Enemy is bold, hook-laden, and emotionally resonant—a hard rock album with heart, forged from anxiety, contradiction, and an undeniable determination to be heard.