Ten reviews you might have missed

Reviews from Friday 23 August 2019

Knocked Loose – A Different Shade Of Blue

Knocked Loose is a name that everyone in metal and hardcore knows. A few years ago nobody had a clue who they were at all – now their name is on the tip of everyone’s tongue. The hype train left the station at record speed and the band started

Tuesday 20 August 2019

Noah Gundersen – ‘Lover’

Noah Gundersen is an artist of great ambition – that much is obvious from his numerous musical engagements which includes, but definitely isn’t limited to, The Courage, formed with his sister Abby. The Seattle native’s drive is also evident on his fourth studio album as he leans further into

Monday 19 August 2019

LIVE: 2000Trees Festival 2019 – Saturday

2000trees is advertised as being a ‘medium’ sized festival, but while medium can suggest mediocrity be misconstrued as ‘average’, nothing about the scorching weekend feels mediocre. With alternative fans from all of the country coming together to celebrate our special scene, 2000trees pens itself as one of the best

Friday 16 August 2019

The Murder Capital – ‘When I Have Fears’

The Irish alternative scene is thriving right now. Self-made and independant bands regularly pack hundreds of fans into cramped bars and local venues. Despite the loss of some of Dublin City’s most historic music venues, Irish punk refuses to go down without a fight. The house might

Off With Their Heads – ‘Be Good’

When there is chaos everywhere you look, whenever you read the news and all you see is tragedy and hate, when the cries to stop killing the planet are ignored and when there is a buffoon in charge on both sides of the Atlantic and all you

Cultdreams – ‘Things That Hurt’

It’s one thing to deal with trauma. It’s another to grow up with it, and to express and accept it through music. Yet Cultdreams’ pairing of Lucinda Livingstone and Conor Dawson, formerly known as Kamikaze Girls, are doing just that with ‘Things That Hurt’, the followup to

Oso Oso – ‘Basking In The Glow’

Oso Oso know about cynicism. That cynical, pessimistic outlook is what Jade Lilitri has spent his life writing about. Lilitri’s solo project after State Lines went on indefinite hiatus, he initially struggled to find a label for last year’s sophomore album ‘The Yunahon Mixtape’, before being courted by record

Wednesday 14 August 2019

LIVE: Dwarves @ Rebellion, Manchester

It’s almost half an hour after Dwarves have wrapped up another high octane, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it set and enigmatic frontman Blag Dahlia is wandering the streets of Manchester without a care in the world. “I like to walk,” he responds. He is still a good distance away from

Killswitch Engage – ‘Atonement’

If someone asked you to name a metalcore band, the first one you’d name would probably be Killswitch Engage. One of the original pioneers of the genre and still one of its strongest forces, they’ve continued to release corker after corker as they stun audiences all over the globe

Thursday 08 August 2019

Acres – ‘Lonely World’

The road to a debut album can be a long one – something south coast four piece Acres know all too well. Fortunately, as drinkers of Guinness can attest, good things come to those who wait, and two years after the release of debut EP ‘In Sickness & Health’

LIVE: 2000trees Festival 2019 – Friday

Gaffa Tape Sandy – ‘Family Mammal’

Bury St Edmunds via Brighton outfit Gaffa Tape Sandy are flying. One of NME’s 100 Essential Acts for 2018, they’ve supported the likes of Indoor Pets, IDLES, and Peace, as well as having played numerous festivals to critical acclaim. Gaffa Tape Sandy have produced just two short EPs to

Wednesday 07 August 2019

Russian Circles – ‘Blood Year’

Russian Circles appeared on the post-rock/metal scene in 2006 with their superb debut ‘Enter’ and the genre-bending power-trio have been making ambitious, challenging and innovative instrumental music ever since. You’d maybe wonder how fresh a sound can be created by just three people, with zero vocals, 13 years into

Monday 05 August 2019

The Contortionist – ‘Our Bones’

There are bands littered throughout metal’s sub-genres that continuously evolve, forever developing and moulding their sound into something new, never alienating their previous material. The Contortionist are one of those bands, sitting atop a varied yet fluid discography of music that could only have been composed by them. 2019

Friday 02 August 2019

The Rocket Summer – ‘Sweet Shivers’

There is beauty in simplicity, and many artists seem content to follow the age-old philosophy of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. You could name a dozen chart-topping musicians who have made a career out of playing it safe through pumping out record after record in

Slaughter Beach, Dog – ‘Safe And Also No Fear’

As you may or may not know, there’s been a heatwave in the UK. It’s been sweltering. When it gets that hot, it’s difficult to find music that’s both satisfying and cooling. You can’t listen to thrash hardcore – the rapid tempo naturally warms you up even more. Luckily, like

LIVE: 2000Trees Festival 2019 – Thursday

2000trees is advertised as being a ‘medium’ sized festival, but while medium can suggest mediocrity or be misconstrued as ‘average’, nothing about the scorching weekend feels mediocre. With alternative fans from all of the country coming together to celebrate our special scene, 2000trees pens itself as one of the

Thursday 01 August 2019

Throes – ‘In the Hands of an Angry God’

Holy Roar Records have always had their finger on the pulse when it comes to the best underground bands in the UK, but recently they’ve flexed their reach across the pond and shown that they’re not restricted by geographical borders. Last year we had the sublime Portrayal Of Guilt

Monday 29 July 2019

Northlane – ‘Alien’

After a heavy band releases a string of successful albums, most people would expect that band to start treading a slightly more accessible path. Not necessarily changing the style of their music, but writing songs that would allow their music to be played in new places, streamed

Tuesday 23 July 2019

Thy Art Is Murder – ‘Human Target’

Modern metal has so many different faces. Some bands choose to wear their hearts on their sleeves and use the power of the music to force their struggles outward. Others use that same power to illuminate their storytelling, painting a detailed picture onto a dark canvas. One thing that