Ten reviews you might have missed

Reviews from Wednesday 15 August 2018

Death Cab for Cutie – ‘Thank You For Today’

For over a decade, Death Cab for Cutie’s Benjamin Gibbard has been making daily pilgrimages to the studio. Cut off from the rest of the world, this recording space is where the band’s front man can allow his headspace to roam free, where ideas good and bad

Tuesday 14 August 2018

LIVE: Deaf Havana @ St Pancras Old Church, London

Album release days are always filled with nervous anticipation for both artists and fans – as the former brace themselves for whatever response might be coming their way, and fans try to hold off from high expectations to avoid disappointment. For Deaf Havana – playing St Pancras Old Church on

LIVE: Bad Cop/Bad Cop / Traits @ The Key Club, Leeds

Today is Yorkshire Day, so what better way to celebrate this momentous – slightly dubious in its origin – date on the calendar than heading into a sweaty Leeds club to watch a gang of Californian punks? And it would not be a show in Leeds without

Monday 13 August 2018

Foxing – ‘Nearer My God’

Success is relative. You can be in one of the biggest bands in the world and still be miserable, or you can be in a band who are struggling yet still be having the time of your life making the music you want to make, content in the knowledge

Friday 10 August 2018

Bad Rabbits – ‘Mimi’

Surprisingly enough, Punktastic doesn’t cover a lot of R’n’B. It doesn’t exactly fit within the standard genres we write about. And yet, here is a review of the third album by Boston group Bad Rabbits – the self-released ‘Mimi’. You’re probably wondering how we ended up at

As It Is – ‘The Great Depression’

When As It Is returned with the first song since their 2017 sophomore album, it was pretty clear it wasn’t just their wardrobe that got made over. ‘Wounded World’ shone with potential, hinting at the shape the album would potentially take whilst showcasing a band on the precipice of

Thursday 09 August 2018

With Confidence – ‘Love And Loathing’

Pop punk is a difficult genre to get noticed in. While there are legions of fans around the world, it also seems like every town has their own local pop punk band – it takes something special (and a decent dose of luck) to make your name

LIVE: 2000 Trees – Saturday

2000 Trees is one of the most beloved festivals of the season thanks to consistently superb line-ups that focus on the best of British alternative music, along with an unrivalled atmosphere that embraces the spirit of our own, cosy corner of the music industry. This year’s festival sees US

Monday 06 August 2018

Static Fires – ‘Thirteen’

There seems to be a real punk resurgence coming out of Wales at the moment. The likes of Neck Deep and Dream State have reminded us that we don’t have to rely on the old guard of Skindred, Bullet For My Valentine and Funeral For A Friend – so

Friday 03 August 2018

Crossfaith – ‘Ex_Machina’

After gaining international success with 2012’s ‘Zion’, Crossfaith have been on a mission to ensure a lasting impact overseas. The Japanese quintet have succeeded in this, becoming well known for their intense live shows and limitless energy. Their new record ‘Ex_Machina’ is their first full length release in three

Thursday 02 August 2018

Deaf Havana – ‘Rituals’

It sometimes seems impossible for anyone to talk about anything Deaf Havana do without mentioning “That Lineup Change”. It’s understandable – it was a major event for any band and is possibly one of the best examples of how to handle losing a vocalist – but to continue to dwell

LIVE: The Hunna / Judas / Airwaves @ KOKO, London

From the moment the first pit materialised during Airwaves’ opening set, it was clear the next few hours were going to be hectic. Whether the band is just particularly good at amping up a crowd, or the audience had arrived prepped and ready to rock remains uncertain, but the

LIVE: The Gaslight Anthem @ O2 Apollo, Manchester

In the summer of 2008, four fresh-faced friends stepped out on to a stage in a field in Yorkshire, thousands of miles from home. Wrapped in checked shirts, faded jeans and flat caps they captivated a sparsely attended lunchtime crowd. This was their Woodstock, they looked on

Tuesday 31 July 2018

LIVE: Palm Reader / Haggard Cat / Cove / Hinges / 99% Cobra @ The Key Club, Leeds

It’s bloody hot at the minute. Like, everywhere. Do you know what places are hot even when it’s not hot everywhere else? Gig venues. Especially ones that are actually underground with no windows like The Key Club in Leeds. The heat in this cave-like space is nigh-on unbearable. And

Trophy Eyes – ‘The American Dream’

Trophy Eyes are an unpredictable band. They may have only released two full length albums so far, but the difference in style between them is striking. They move from the punky, aggressive hardcore of ‘Mend, Move On’ in 2014 to the more varied, alt rock and pop punk influenced

Planet Loser – ‘S/T’

Migrating from the hardcore scene to dreamier pastures is not a move that’s wholly unheard of. If it weren’t for the frenetic energies of Poison the Well, we may not have Derek Miller creating noise-pop mischief in Sleigh Bells, and could we have ever had the darkwave musings of

Monday 30 July 2018

LIVE: 2000 Trees 2018 – Friday

Friday 27 July 2018

Axis of Despair – ‘Contempt for Man’

Although this is their first full-length album, Axis of Despair are entering the frame with cap-doffing pedigree. Emerging from the ashes of drummer Anders Jakobson’s post-Nasum grindcore mob Coldworker, the Swedish quartet also boast one-third of Livet Som Insats amongst their lineup. It’s with this reputation that they come roaring

Rise Against – ‘The Ghost Note Symphonies Vol 1’

Acoustic records are a product that can divide, lessen or expand a band’s following, popularity and public opinion. For some it is a risky move, for others an inevitability to keep themselves relevant and get another release onto the market to appease record labels. But this series of haunting

Thursday 26 July 2018

LIVE: ROAM / Milestones / Wolf Culture @ Arts Club, Liverpool

Summer is a pretty rubbish time to be a gig fan in the UK. As festival season takes over and temperatures increase from ‘meh’ to ‘perma-sweaty’ overnight, the steady flow of tours dries up faster than you can say “hosepipe ban”. Tonight, the drought ends in more than