Little Angels Big Bad & Back Review: 32 Years Later, The Angels Are Still Flying

Review by Glen Parkes

There are comebacks, and then there are comebacks that actually make sense. Little Angels’ Big Bad & Back arrives 32 years after their last new recordings, yet these five tracks make the wait feel worthwhile.

To be Released on 6 November 2026, the EP finds the classic Scarborough line-up of Toby Jepson, Bruce Dickinson, Jim Dickinson, Mark Plunkett and Mark Richardson reconnecting with the sound that helped make Little Angels a defining British hard rock band.

The opening ‘All For One’ immediately sets the tone, bringing the big, communal rock spirit back into the room. This is followed by ‘Hero (That Was Then, This Is Now)’, a track that perfectly captures the thinking behind the whole project. Rather than pretending they are still the young band that conquered the early ’90s, Little Angels are looking at where they have been and who they have become.

‘Small Town Boys’ keeps the guitars moving, while ‘You Want Love’ brings a little more soulful grit into the mix. Closing track ‘Raised To The Ground’ provides the heavier finish, leaving the EP with plenty of punch.

What really stands out is the way these songs were recorded. The band headed to Chapel Studios in Lincolnshire and tracked the material together, attempting to recapture the immediacy of making rock records in a room rather than constructing everything piece by piece. That approach gives Big Bad & Back an organic quality, and the decision to bring Mike Fraser into the mix adds another fascinating connection to Little Angels’ history.

Fraser mixed the band’s number-one album Jam at Little Mountain Studios in Vancouver, and his credits include landmark Aerosmith records. Here, his production helps connect the old-school character of Little Angels with a modern recording.

Most importantly, this EP does not feel like five songs written simply to sell a reunion. It feels genuine, and the songs prove it. The band has clearly found that old chemistry, but they are using it to tell the story of where they are now.

Big Bad & Back is therefore more than a nostalgic return. It is Little Angels discovering that the spark is still there.

And after 32 years, that is worth turning the amplifiers back on for.

Line-up:

• Toby Jepson – Vocals
• Bruce Dickinson – Guitar
• Jim Dickinson – Keyboards
• Mark Plunkett – Bass
• Mark Richardson – Drums

Track Listing:

1. All For One
2. Hero (That Was Then, This Is Now)
3. Small Town Boys
4. You Want Love
5. Raised To The Grou