Ten reviews you might have missed

Reviews from Thursday 13 June 2019

LIVE: Underoath / Parting Gift @ Electric Ballroom, Camden

Since they reformed in 2015, Underoath playing live in the UK has been a rarity, with the band citing cost as the primary reason. When they have made it over the pond, though – usually for festivals and warm up shows – they’ve been lauded as being at the

Monday 10 June 2019

LIVE: Slam Dunk Festival 2019

Slam Dunk continues to be our favourite way to kick off festival season, providing the perfect opportunity for pop-punk/rock/alternative fans to surround themselves with like minded individuals, dressed head to toe in our very own version of festival clothing. Once again, fans find themselves happily floating in a sea

Friday 07 June 2019

LIVE: Neighbourhood Weekender 2019

It may only be in its second year, but Neighbourhood Weekender festival is already making quite a name for itself, pulling in some of the biggest acts across genres for all music lovers of the North to enjoy, kicking off festival season with a bang. The Punktastic team headed along

Thursday 06 June 2019

John Floreani – ‘sin’

When Trophy Eyes front man John Floreani first started releasing music as a solo project under his Little Brother moniker back in 2014, the acoustic emo stylings of EP ‘Terrace’ couldn’t have been much further from the thrashing hardcore-influenced releases of his band at that time. Five years is

Heavy Rapids – ‘Cash In Hand’

There’s been a bit of a resurgence in post-hardcore punk recently. Bands like Idles, Metz, Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs – and Glasgow’s Heavy Rapids are a band who appear to be benefiting from the rise of such bands. That hard hitting, grizzly punk sound has become

LIVE: Alexisonfire @ Alexandra Palace, London

The contrast between the refined Victorian embellishments of Alexandra Palace’s entrance hall and the rough edges of its populace tonight is beautiful. There are fishnets and Docs, ripped jeans and tattoos, bobbing heads in all colours imaginable, and band shirts – a sea of them, many representing headline act

Heart Of A Coward – ‘The Disconnect’

Heart Of A Coward are one of the UK’s most beloved heavy acts, and they’ve got something to prove. After the departure of front man Jamie Graham, they found themselves in search of a new vocalist that had some very big shoes to fill. That man ended up being

Wednesday 05 June 2019

LIVE: Leeched / Ithaca / Mastiff / Wolfbastard @ The Star & Garter, Manchester

The Star & Garter is a loud, sweaty little venue, and as such is the perfect arena for four loud, sweaty bands to peddle their aggressive wares on a muggy Thursday evening. Leeched and Ithaca are two extremely important young bands in a scene that is the healthiest it

Monday 03 June 2019

LIVE: Bring Me The Horizon @ The Dome, London

War Child’s BRITs week together with O2 started in February – and now comes to an end on 29 May, 2019. Originally booked to play a show at The Dome in February, Bring Me The Horizon were forced to reschedule to tonight due to front man Oli Sykes requiring

LIVE: Charly Bliss @ The Garage, London

If the Brooklyn bubblegrunge’s debut voyage to our shores two years ago was anything to go by, upgrading from Old Blue Last to The Garage means Charly Bliss aren’t here to fuck around. This is particularly emphasized by their ceremonial entrance theme to Martika’s ‘Toy Soliders’ , as each

Cave In – ‘Final Transmission’

The last decade has not been a fruitful one for fans of Boston’s premiere hardcore-space-prog luminaries Cave In. Though the band’s members have engaged themselves in a number of high profile side-projects (Mutoid Man, Wear Your Wounds, Old Man Gloom, Zozobra, etc), the number of live shows

Saturday 01 June 2019

Royal Republic – ‘Club Majesty’

We’re on the cusp of summer, and that means you need a perfect summer album. Something bright, bouncy and light-hearted that you can chuck on at a barbeque and bring the mood up. So look no further than Royal Republic’s latest release, ‘Club Majesty’. Sweden’s greatest musical export since Abba,

Friday 31 May 2019

Frank Iero and The Future Violents – ‘Barriers’

Friends, Frank Iero returns with the third iteration of his solo band, The Future Violents, and his first new music since 2016’s ‘Parachutes’. ‘Barriers’ also marks three years since a life-altering accident that left the former My Chemical Romance guitarist openly questioning his own mortality. With that in mind,

Wednesday 29 May 2019

Yonaka – ‘Don’t Wait ‘Til Tomorrow’

Yonaka have become a staple on the live circuit over the years, playing everywhere from Camden Rocks and Neverworld, to supporting Bring Me The Horizon and heading out on their own headline tours of grassroots venues. Now, the band are ready to come into their own with

Tuesday 28 May 2019

LIVE: The Great Escape 2019

As The Great Escape took over Brighton for another year, it is fair to say that this line up was one of its most diverse yet. Partnered with The Alternative Escape it provided three days of music ranging from pop to punk and everything in between. Thursday kicked off

Friday 24 May 2019

LIVE: Chapter And Verse / Delaire The Liar @ Night People, Manchester

It doesn’t feel like an overstatement to say that British alternative music is in one of the best states it’s been in for years. While the big names – bands like The 1975, Don Broco and Nothing But Thieves come to mind – grow ever bigger, there is, more

New Found Glory – ‘From The Screen To Your Stereo Part 3’

In the tumultuous world of pop-punk, where bands lasting longer than a handful of years feels like a rarity, there is one thing that remains ever constant – our studded-belt-and-backpack lords and saviours, New Found Glory. The inspiration for many who’ve come (and gone) after, no rock night

Thursday 23 May 2019

LIVE: Employed To Serve / Devil Sold His Soul / Loathe @ The Garage, London

Album release shows are always a little more special than the average gig. The energy in the room is different, both from the crowd and from the band. The crowd are in attendance to see a band they love perform a brand new set, celebrating their first steps onto

Wednesday 22 May 2019

Petrol Girls – ‘Cut & Stitch’

In late-2018, Petrol Girls released new material for the first time in two years. The three-track ‘The Future Is Dark’ EP was a ferocious onslaught of pent-up anger. It was a raging 15 minutes which held one hand on your throat, clasped your eyes open and screamed

Tuesday 21 May 2019

Defeater – ‘Defeater’

Defeater have been gone a long time, and their absence left a void that was difficult to fill. A band loved and adored for their poetic lyrics and powerful, emotive music, their passionate storytelling burrowed deep into the minds of hardcore kids everywhere. Their last record ‘Abandoned’ was released