Genesis said it best: “this is a land of confusion“. With so much to navigate over the last few years and World War Three seemingly at our doorstep, there is only more uncertainty to be found. This breeds universal frustration and contempt. Pushed to breaking point, hardcore outfit Bitter Branches release Your Neighbors Are Failures…
Power metal is certainly a niche amongst niches. It’s there for those partial to the most potent of selections on metal’s cheeseboard – complete with a complimentary set of chainmail and some stupendously named weapon – but it rarely breaks out beyond those accustomed to the smell. Yet the opening stages of 2022 alone have…
Frank Turner has been known for many years now as a folk rock singer, adding The Sleeping Souls as his backing band in more recent years. A prolific songwriter, he has churned out high quality albums and now he bounces back into the world’s eardrums with FTHC. With this release, it seems Turner wants to…
Since their inception in 2005, the mysterious French black metallers Celeste have become something of a cult band in extreme metal circles, blending black metal with various different genres, chiefly post-hardcore and sludge metal. Their 2013 effort Animale(s) in particular cemented their status as one of the scene’s most interesting propositions, and last year their…
Metal II is the start of a project that will see almost all of the Annihilator back catalogue re-released by Jeff Waters as he aims to tidy up his legacy and remind everyone why Annihilator is Canada’s leading thrash metal band of all time. Annihilator‘s back-catalogue is certainly an interesting one. There are some stone-cold…
With live shows on the comeback post lockdown, the pressure on artists to live up to expectations is at an all time high, a difficult feat for any artist to achieve. Add to this a last-minute support act pull out on doctor’s orders and typical British weather, and you have what I can only imagine…
Turnstile’s rise has been one of the greatest success stories from hardcore in recent years. On their second album, Nonstop Feeling, they were one of the most exciting hardcore bands in the underground, with a live show that had many describing them as one of the best live bands around. Time & Space saw their…
It’s been a long, strange journey from Bloodywood’s beginnings to the release of their debut album Rakshak. Starting out covering pop songs and Indian traditional music on YouTube then dropping their own material, you could be forgiven for thinking this is a novelty act that have gotten lucky. This couldn’t be further from the truth,…
The opening throes of Schizophrenia’s debut album Recollections Of The Insane are buzzing with screeching feedback and pick-scrapes that resemble revving car engines in the build-up to a drag race. It’s not long before the band have their foot to the floor. We’re off… and we aren’t stopping. 2020’s Voices EP introduced us to Schizophrenia…
How different would our present be if one event in history didn’t happen? The theory of alternate timelines is a limitless and robust equation. Take Zeal & Ardor for example. Had one person on an internet forum not made a particular request, Manuel Gagneux wouldn’t be about to release the project’s third album. The band…
