Ten reviews you might have missed

Reviews from Tuesday 04 October 2022

LIVE: Cassyette / Kid Bookie / CRASHFACE @ O2 Academy Islington, London

Despite the relative infancy of the line-up, the more than respectably sized O2 Academy Islington was humming with anticipation. The evening was rich with promise for a refreshing showcase of London’s alt scene’s brightest new offerings. First up to the mantle was CRASHFACE; the pandemic-born duo stepped out to the

Thursday 29 September 2022

Slipknot – ‘The End, So Far’

When Slipknot burst onto the scene in the 1990s, bellowing out furious, impeccably penned anthems about death, rage, and disillusionment, clad in identikit boiler suits and horror masks straight out of a video nasty flick, what really made them stand out was their capacity to shock. So how can

The Wonder Years – ‘The Hum Goes On Forever’

It’s not quite as simple as calling The Wonder Years a pop-punk band anymore, even if they did make their name that way. To many they remain as one of, if not the, greatest pop-punk outfit in the history of the genre. While

Saturday 24 September 2022

LIVE: Leeds Festival 2022: Sunday

A staple of British culture and somewhat riddled with controversy, this year’s Leeds festival was set to take a stride forward into new territory. What used to be a lineup filled with primarily rock and indie offerings has morphed in line with the music zeitgeist. Whether part

Friday 23 September 2022

Kid Kapichi – ‘Here’s What You Could’ve Won’

Sometimes, writing close to a delivery deadline is a dangerous game. As an example, this review has almost certainly breached the guided deadline for submission, and I’ll have to pull strings to get it published in time – this says more about me than anything else. But for a

LIVE: Leeds Festival 2022: Saturday

Thursday 22 September 2022

The Mars Volta – ‘THE MARS VOLTA’

On their album sleeves it reads ‘The Mars Volta is the partnership between Omar Rodríguez-López and Cedric Bixler-Zavala’. That partnership ended in 2012, abruptly. They quickly reunited, playing in noisy bands Antemasque and At The Drive-In, but it has taken ten years to write that epigraph again.

LIVE: Leeds Festival 2022: Friday

Wednesday 21 September 2022

The Devil Wears Prada – ‘Color Decay’

When we sat down with The Devil Wears Prada’s guitarist and vocalist Jeremy DePoyster last year around the release of the ‘ZII’ EP, he told us that he and the band wanted to completely rethink the way they approached releasing music. Following in the footsteps of bands like Bring

No Devotion – ‘No Oblivion’

During the 2015 tour No Devotion vocalist Geoff Rickly would proclaim ‘We’re a brand new band’. Riding high on a wave of promise they named their debut album ‘Permanence’ because it was a monument, something to last, a record that staked out their existence. The thing is,

Friday 16 September 2022

Behemoth – ‘Opvs Contra Natvram’

Behemoth is one of metal’s most unlikely success stories. They’re a band that’s found success and crossover appeal that extends well beyond the black and death metal underground while being unflinchingly extreme in their creative approach. They have reached heights that are unprecedented for the genre in recent years,

Thursday 15 September 2022

Clutch – ‘Sunrise on Slaughter Beach’

If you’re a fan, here’s something you already know; Clutch is one of the most consistently brilliant rock bands in the world. While they may not have reached household name status, they have built a massive cult following that buys the record, turns up to the shows, and cops

Wednesday 14 September 2022

Stray From The Path – ‘Euthanasia’

Lots of bands are angry, but no one communicates it quite like Stray From The Path. The New York/UK-based band have been an ever-raging fire for over a decade, stoked by capitalism, racism, fascism, political complacency and so much more, and every passing year (or week as it seems

LIVE: ArcTanGent Festival 2022 – Saturday

For obvious reasons, it’s been three years since the last ArcTanGent festival. For 156 long weeks, fans of math-rock, post-rock, post-metal, ambient and noise fans, plus weird alternative music nerds of all other persuasions, have been without their mud-swamped mecca. Well: ATG is back, and it brings with it

Tuesday 13 September 2022

Parkway Drive – ‘Darker Still’

Always evolving and never standing still, Parkway Drive continue to push the boundaries of their sound with their latest instalment ‘Darker Still’. It’s a controlled explosion that continues the band’s journey into the reaches of heavy metal, while keeping a foundation that fans of the band’s earlier work will

LIVE: ArcTanGent Festival 2022: Friday

Monday 12 September 2022

Beauty School – ‘Happiness’

Beauty School’s roots are firmly in the constantly thriving music scene of Leeds. Their debut album, ‘Happiness’, is the culmination of years of playing in various bands together, long-term friendships and overcoming a difficult two years. It sees the quintet confidently carry their collective influences on their shoulders, blending

LIVE: ArcTanGent Festival 2022 – Thursday

Sunday 04 September 2022

The Callous Daoboys – ‘Celebrity Therapist’

If you’ve been missing The Dillinger Escape Plan and The Chariot, say hello to your new favourite band. Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, sextet The Callous Daoboys (an actual band, not someone that’s too drunk trying to say The Dallas Cowboys) and their brand new album ‘Celebrity Therapist’ provides a

Friday 02 September 2022

Armor For Sleep – ‘The Rain Museum’

We’re going to talk about concept records so let’s choose a concept for this review; time capsules. Think about it. They’re an ideal way to describe an album; a brief period in an artist’s life, written, recorded and captured. Listen back and you can hear the creative