The scale and size to which anonymous collective PRESIDENT have grown is something of a phenomenon. It only felt like yesterday when the band launched their masked music endeavour, premiering the band back at Download Festival with no original material to their name, yet an ungodly buzz surrounding their mystery and strong rumour of who…
Takedown Festival 2026 returned to Portsmouth Guildhall to kick off festival season and offer a selection of newer bands and more established bands, with a resulting balanced lineup of well-loved artists and exciting new music, to discover across the two days. The multi-room format encouraged constant movement between stages and a variety of high-production sets…
It seems crazy to me that a band like Orthodox has completely passed me by. They have been around for nearly 15 years and are 4 albums deep into their career, but this is the first time I’ve ever heard them. Talk about a shock to the system. A Door Left Open is one of…
Our first and probably heaviest band of the day. Defects waste very little time hyping up the crowd over on Main Stage East. Starting off their set with End of Days, it doesn’t take long for a serious circle pit to open up. To the visible delight of frontman Tony Maue who barks repeated orders…
Kicking off the day with some mid-2000s nostalgia, Hit The Lights bring their brand of pop-punk to an early crowd, but perhaps not with the impact they hoped for. Their tunes feel a little dated: unsurprising considering most of their set is taken from 2006’s ‘This Is A Stick Up…’, and despite the sugary, upbeat hooks, it…
There is no feeling in the world better than experiencing live music. A communal event that brings people together for a few hours to get lost in something and share a manner of emotions together as one. There is something to be said then for seeing a band very early in their touring career and…
Youth Code is one of most exciting duos in heavy industrial music not named Nine Inch Nails. When they took a break their future seemed uncertain. I can report wholeheartedly that upon their return their future, at least musicall remains as bleak as ever. While not as chaotic and frantic as their previous releases Yours,…
After quickening more than few pulses last year with their debut EP, Galore. House of Protection have been back in the studio once again in 2025, complete with Bring Me The Horizon alumni Jordan Fish. Returning with their latest, provocatively titled EP, Outrun You All. Born from the ashes of what was arguably Fever 333’s…
The Mysterious Four piece return with powerful and haunting new album… In past decades, the typical career rhythm for bands and artists followed a predictable cycle:release an album, go on tour, disappear from the spotlight, then return with a new album, touragain, and repeat. It was a monotonous loop driven by industry expectations, with little…
I think we can all agree that at a certain age, the prospect of a 4 band bill on a Thursday night is not that appealing. When the gig in question is the first date on the first ever Make Them Suffer UK headline tour…well that changes things quite a bit. Rolling into The Engine…
