Ten reviews you might have missed

Reviews from Wednesday 28 June 2017

Royal Blood – ‘How Did We Get So Dark?’

Listen closely and you can already hear the avid cries of punk purists, smashing away on their keyboards before pen hits paper (or fingers hit buttons) as we delve deep into the mind of Royal Blood and their difficult second child, ‘How Did We Get So Dark?’ The fact of the matter

Tuesday 27 June 2017

LIVE: Bongripper / Primitive Man @ The Underworld, London

Even among the metal underground, a community that thrives on exclusivity, selective appeal and obscurity, there’s something surrounding Chicago doom crew Bongripper that screams ‘cult’, especially on these shores. Whether it’s their lengthy, crushing instrumental odysseys or their scarcity on stages this side of the pond (understandable considering the increasing

Ratboys – ‘GN’

It’s indistinct and woozy, the perfect company for laying in the grass whilst heat rises on a sunny day. The simplicity and brevity of the story telling throughout ‘GN’ marks where the band veer away from their country and Americana inspired composition, swapping the intricacies of country

Monday 26 June 2017

Suffocation – ‘…Of The Dark Light’

Without question one of the all-time greats of death metal, New York legends Suffocation have spent the best chunk of 30 years carving a savage and bloody path through the extreme music scene. From their 1991 debut full length – and undisputed classic – ‘Effigy Of The Forgotten’, through

LIVE: Prophets of Rage @ O2 Academy, Brixton

Fresh off the back of a blistering performance on the main stage at this year’s Download Festival, Prophets of Rage arrive at the famous Brixton Academy with their tails up and ready to make Brixton rage again. As supergroups go, it doesn’t really get any bigger than this, consisting of

Live: Rory Indiana / Donnie Willow @ Subside, Birmingham

As touring partnerships, go Donnie Willow and Rory Indiana make an excellent combination. Both have an aura about them as though they’re on the brink of something special thanks to their ability to write catchy, accessible songs with a distinctive personality and edge. As part of their co-headlining tour,

Sibling – ‘Dream You Away’

After the release of their, quite frankly, stunning EP ‘Miserable Love’, Sibling soon became one of the most talked about and sought after bands within the post-rock scene. Shows alongside the likes of Nervus ensued and now they’re back for round two with their upcoming release ‘Dream You Away’. But

Friday 23 June 2017

LIVE: Rise Against / Milk Teeth @ The Garage, London

Chicago punk rock heroes Rise Against return to London for the smallest show they have played here in a long, long time. Having recently been playing a number of very small club shows over in the US prior to the release of their eight studio album ‘Wolves’ the guys

Wednesday 21 June 2017

LIVE: Citizen / Turnover / Sorority Noise @ The Underworld, London

Given the immense amount of love and attention we show the American emo scene over here, shows for bands on the Run For Cover and Big Scary Monsters labels manage to sell out quickly. While each group has enjoyed individual success from numerous returns to the UK, tonight unites

James Leese – ‘(I Have A…) RomComplex’

Now that it’s summer and the days are longer, there’s something so satisfying about listening to beautifully chilled out music whilst sipping a cold drink. If, however, you’re struggling to find that certain artist to complete the summer picture that’s just been painted, look no further than James Leese

Tuesday 20 June 2017

Flogging Molly – ‘Life Is Good’

Step into a modern pub and archetypes are likely to await you: the boozed-up Fred Perry fanboy fiddling with the pinball machine, the off-duty policewoman slumped by the pool table and the motley gang of withered regulars perched at the bar. Amongst the latter is usually a slender old

Monday 19 June 2017

Fort Hope – ‘The Flood Flowers, Vol. 1’

Since forming in 2013 from the ashes of My Passion, Fort Hope have quickly made their way to the top of the crowded and competitive UK alternative music scene. On the way they’ve been rewarded for their hard work with an ever growing fan base and a

Sunday 18 June 2017

Carpets – ‘Carpets’

Not to be confused with Inspiral Carpets, who are also from Manchester, the group originated in Lincoln before venturing up north to chase the dream. Despite being a three piece, their sound is expansive and manages to build on foundations of post-punk, shoegaze and noise rock and make it

Friday 16 June 2017

Rancid – ‘Trouble Maker’

Legacy is a poisoned chalice. To some you’ll always be their favourite band, no matter how many records you’ve put out. But to others you will “never be as good as the first 3 track demo that was given out on CD-Rs during your shows in the basement of

Broadside – ‘Paradise’

Pop punk needs a new name to show off. The genre isn’t doing too well right now and negative opinions are, rightfully, casting a shadow over a field that claims itself to be upbeat and inclusive but, at the moment, feels stagnant. Broadside’s new release ‘Paradise’ isn’t quite as

Carach Angren – ‘Dance and Laugh Amongst the Rotten’

Like many styles of music, black metal has itself spawned multiple further sub-genres that are now a far cry from what it was in the early 1990s. Many bands were heavily criticised for their use of keyboards and higher quality of production on the recordings. Twenty years later and

Thursday 15 June 2017

CHON – ‘Homey’

If you could bottle CHON, it would taste like beach side cocktails and feel like warm sun sliding down your throat. With ‘Homey’, CHON have developed on their first album ‘Grow’ substantially, both in terms of aural soundscapes and delivery. The album has allowed the band to reach out to

Color Film – ‘Living Arrangements’

Daryl Palumbo is a man of many hats. So many, in fact, that you have to believe his wardrobe is full of them. From changing the landscape of post hardcore with Glassjaw, bringing hip-shaking rock to Head Automatica, and flirting with dark hip hop as part of House Of

Wednesday 14 June 2017

LIVE: Minus The Bear / Joan Of Arc @ Gorilla, Manchester

Openers Joan Of Arc have been around the block for a long time (their debut album is 20 years old!) and there are clearly some die-hard fans in the crowd, but their set feels a little bit disjointed at first and struggles to find pace. Legendary emo lifer Tim

INVSN – ‘The Beautiful Stories’

Dennis Lyxzén is a man who doesn’t do things by half. Not content to just front Refused, one of the most groundbreaking post-hardcore punk bands of the last twenty years, he also led the garage rock revivalists of (The) International Noise Conspiracy to