Ten reviews you might have missed

Reviews from Friday 21 July 2017

LIVE: The Wonder Years / Muncie Girls / The Dirty Nil @ The Hippodrome, Kingston

Pop punk shows are an equaliser. It’s impossible to judge anyone based on superficial things like social status when you’re four beers deep, arm around a stranger screaming your favourite band’s lyrics right back at them. These shows are communal therapy of sorts, but due to the unshakeable stigma

Wednesday 19 July 2017

Basement Revolver – ‘Agatha’

Well, this is just delightful. Basement Revolver’s ‘Agatha’ EP is a sombre affair, focusing on mental struggles and their physical manifestations, but there’s something sweet amongst the bitterness. Four tracks of poetic, anatomical and environmental imagery, it’s a dark but beautiful record and one to turn to for a

Rozwell Kid – ‘Precious Art’

If you like Weezer, you will enjoy West Virginia’s very own Rozwell Kid’s new album ‘Precious Art’. The album might feature humorous lyrics, but the underlying meaning to this album is singer and guitarist Jordan Hudkin’s battle with mental health. ‘Wendy’s Trash Can’ features typical indie rock guitar riffs and

Tuesday 18 July 2017

Sleep Token – ‘Two’

The press release for Sleep Token’s second EP ‘Two’ describes the band as “an entity unlike any encountered before. The mortal representatives of the ancient deity known only as ‘Sleep’, Sleep Token are led by the masked and cloaked figure appointed ‘Vessel’. Encountering Sleep in a dream, Vessel was

The Smile Bunch – ‘…But Do the Aliens Believe in Me?’

The ability for bands to record, release, and promote their own EP or album through any of the many online platforms shows what is possible even if you don’t have a record label, magazine cover, or summer of festival appearances to boost your profile. Such an approach

LIVE: Linkin Park @ The o2, London

Californian rockers Linkin Park return to London for the first time in three years and as we’re about to find out, things have changed in that time. Whether or not that change is for the better will depend on how long you’ve been a fan of the band. Linkin Park

Sunday 16 July 2017

Decapitated – ‘Anticult’

‘Anticult’ opens as you would expect a Decapitated record to open – with a haunting lick and the promise of a tirade of punishment. But the subsequent stylisation and effects pedals used show a new direction for one of extreme metal’s greatest ever bands. The build up to the drop and

Friday 14 July 2017

Oh Wonder – ‘Ultralife’

Oh Wonder have been nothing short of a phenomenon since the duo popped up on the scene. Boasting melodic choruses and beautiful harmonies, this London-based pair have gone from strength to strength off the back of their 2015 self-titled album. With such a successful debut, it can be daunting

Cocaine Piss – ‘Piñacolalove’

Self-described as a ‘glittershitstorm’, Liege, Belgium’s noisiest sons (and daughter) Cocaine Piss have been tearing up stereos, venues and general presumptions about hardcore’s inherent machismo since their 2013 demo through to last year’s debut full-length, the Steve Albini-produced ‘The Dancer’. This month the band have returned with

The Gospel Youth – ‘Always Lose’

The Gospel Youth have already found a place in the hearts of plenty. With heartfelt lyrics and melodies that possess that intangible ability to stir your emotions, they tread the line between pop rock and pop punk with ease and they’re a band it’s not hard to fall in love

Thursday 13 July 2017

Wren – ‘Auburn Rule’

If there’s one record label that consistently has its finger on the pulse of the UK underground scene, it’s Holy Roar. They championed the likes of Rolo Tomassi and Gallows way before they became household names, and more recently have put out releases by some of the UK’s most

Bad Sign – ‘Live & Learn’

London’s Bad Sign are a band making huge waves everywhere they go at present and those of us who have followed them from the beginning have been waiting for the release of a full length album for longer than we can remember. But that wait is finally over. ‘Live

Wednesday 12 July 2017

Best Ex – ‘Ice Cream Anti Social’

Alcopop! Records are doing pretty well right now, aren’t they? Latest signing Best Ex, formerly Candy Hearts, is set to add another string to their bow with latest release ‘Ice Cream Anti Social’. Proud and poppy, it’s different to what you’d expect from the previously pop rocking group. ‘Girlfriend’ opens

LIVE: The Smith Street Band @ Stereo, Glasgow

Growing up and studying in Glasgow gives you a certain fondness for a Friday night ‘up the toon’ – especially if, like me, you’re now officially a soft southerner living in and around another big old messy town at the opposite end of our island. The official Scottish holiday period

Tuesday 11 July 2017

Fleshpress – ‘Hulluuden Muuri’

Finnish blackened doom crew Fleshpress have the perfect title for sixth full length, ‘Hulluuden Muuri’. Unless you’re a Finnish speaker, however, you’ll have to trust to Google Translate to get the full effect – ‘The Wall Of Dread’. A fitting description of an album that looms large, presenting the

Monday 10 July 2017

Reckless Intentions – ‘Lights’

The snarling vocals and lo-fi production of ‘Ghost Town’ signify straight away that Reckless Intentions have no interest in sounding polished or perfect. “Oh no,” is lackadaisically sung as grungy guitars pass by with a cool and casual effort fitting for a bunch of punk rockers. In contrast, ‘Stitches’ sounds

Sunday 09 July 2017

Stone Sour – ‘Hydrograd’

When you’ve reached a status where fans hang on to every word you say, worship every song you sing and back every project you undertake, anything you release is a sure bet in selling by the bucket load. Corey Taylor and his immeasurable success has hit those heights, having

Friday 07 July 2017

LIVE: ’68 / 100% Beefcock And The Tits Burster @ Old Blue Last, London

Josh Scogin has proven time and time again that he thinks outside of almost every box imaginable. Thriving on chaos throughout his career, most notably with Norma Jean and The Chariot, Scogin isn’t just a force to reckoned with but one with something of a Midas touch. ’68 is

LIVE: Pup / The Tuts @ Old Blue Last, London

When you think of Canada, what’s the first thing that pops into your head? Maple leaves? Alexisonfire? Tim Hortons? Well if it doesn’t already, Toronto-based punk outfit Pup should also come to mind. Having ventured to our shores countless times since their inception in 2013, today they are hauled

Thursday 06 July 2017

Bellevue Days – ‘Rosehill’

Croydon-based quartet Bellevue Days were (and still are) an incredibly exciting indie-pop act to have come out of London in recent years. Their last EP ‘Sad Boy’ was released to critical acclaim and it seemed almost impossible to think that the band would be able to create another piece