OPINION

With a varied career of staggering highs and massive lows, it’s fair to say that California artist TYLER, THE CREATOR, born Tyler Okonma, is one of the most controversial musicians alive who still manages to get radio plays. From being banned from entering countries for lyrical material, to winning Grammys and performing six consecutive sold-out nights at the biggest arena in Los Angeles, he has done it all, all whilst writing and producing almost the entirety of his own cata

2000Trees has long been one of the UK’s most exciting festivals for fans of alternative music, bringing together the best of rock, punk, hardcore, metal, emo, and everything sitting somewhere in between. Its reputation has always been built on more than just big names, with the festival consistently giving space to the bands pushing heavy and alternative music forward. Taking place from Wednesday 8th to Saturday 11th July at Upcote Farm in Cheltenham, this year’s lineup is st

The pleasure of your company is requested this festival season for a banquet of sound oozing with decadence and baroque pop delights. Meet THE LAST DINNER PARTY - a London-based indie-rock and pop band playing the main stage at the Isle of Wight Festival this June. The band are no stranger to the music scene, having played the festival back in 2023, and touring globally since their first show at The George Tavern in 2021. Their earliest commercial success can be credited to

Few bands in modern alternative music have built a connection with their audience quite like TWENTY ONE PILOTS . Formed in Columbus, Ohio by Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun , the duo have spent over a decade blending hip hop, alternative rock, indie and electronic music into something uniquely their own. Their songs are deeply introspective yet often delivered on some of the biggest stages in the world. Across albums such as Vessel , Blurryface , Trench and Clancy , the band hav

When discussing the modern-day titans of Hardcore, TRAPPED UNDER ICE simply cannot be ignored. Exploding onto the Baltimore Hardcore scene in 2007, their influence over today’s scene is astronomic, and they are rightfully one of the most well-respected groups in hardcore, with bands like SPEED citing them as influences. TRAPPED UNDER ICE was originally founded by Sam Trapkin on guitar, Justice Tripp , who went on to later found ANGEL DU$T , on vocals, with Daniel Klipa on

Storied on an isle along the coastline, a singular music festival continues to lure in approximately 55,000 continuous festival goers and first-timers. Since the revival of the modern in 2002, the Isle of Wight festival is returning in 2026 for its 23rd edition with a three-day weekend. What an impossible weekend to miss! Rooted in pop and rock but rarely confined by them, the lineup blends future favourites with artists who’ve already earned a permanent place in fans’ hearts

Download festival is one of the biggest festivals in the UK and the largest gathering of metalheads you might ever see, so we want to help you navigate its 900-acre grounds. This list contains our top 10 bands you won't want to miss from the top end of the bill (The main Apex and Opus stages). This list isn't just the headliners but the performances that we truly think you shouldn't miss, whether it's a band that has travelled from far or bands that rarely visit the UK, the a

If you are a fan of post hardcore, you would be amiss to have not heard of the band ALEXISONFIRE . Having been around the scene since 2001, these musical legends have not only grown a fierce, loyal following, but have made record after record of hit songs that have been the soundtrack of rebellion, teenage angst, and all-around fun. Born out of St Catherine’s, Ontario, Canada in 2001, the lineup brought together musicians from different local bands, creating a unique blend o

There’s something about modern heavy music that thrives on contrast. The quiet before the breakdown, the tension between vulnerability and fury, the collision of electronic atmosphere with guitars that feel like they could tear the walls down. Few bands embody that balance as effectively as BAD OMENS . Over the past decade, the Virginia outfit have evolved from promising metalcore newcomers into one of the most compelling names in alternative heavy music, building a sound tha

Forming 30 years ago and becoming one of the largest bands on the planet, LINKIN PARK have cemented themselves as one of the greatest metal bands in history, even after the passing of their legendary singer Chester Bennington , they have continued on the legacy with Emily Armstrong ; This year they return to Download for the first time in 12 years so we thought it only right we have a retrospective on what led them to this point and rank all of their albums. 8 - ONE MORE LI

BATHORY has long defined the extreme side of metal. Being one of the founding fathers of the first wave of black metal, their legacy rings through the sound of many bands, with their sound still coming through today. BATHORY was founded in Sweden in 1983 and during its time active featured frontman and the only songwriter of the band, Thomas "Quorthon" Forsberg . Their debut self-titled album was released in 1984 and became arguably the first truly black metal album to be r

TURNSTILE are on a serious hot streak at the minute, opening the door to hardcore for a lot of people and propelling the genre into the public eye; This summer they take on All Points East sharing the stage with the ever so effervescent TYLER, THE CREATOR . Today we rank TURNSTILE’s EP and Albums to prepare for this evening of chaos. 7) MOVE THRU ME Starting off the list, we have the bands second EP released just after their second studio album Nonstop Feeling and just becau

There was a lot going on in New Jersey in 2006. Post-hardcore was hitting a peak on the Jersey scene, with bands like SENSES FAIL and THURSDAY dominating the top-8 friends list of every cool teenager with long black hair on Myspace. Somewhere in a New Jersey basement, Gerard Way was bleaching his hair white, preparing to unleash the most impactful rock album of the 21 st century into the world with their band, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE. But away from the chaos and distortion of th

To stand in a festival crowd, surrounded by thousands of other fans singing every word, is to witness Mike Shinoda at his absolute peak. Not just as a performer but as a producer, songwriter, singer, rapper, artist and above all a leader. Few artists in the modern era of music have shaped the sound of this generation quite like him. The visionary that never stops evolving, the one and only Mike Shinoda . Best known as the co-founder of the band LINKIN PARK as well as the cre

Kicking off its third edition this year, Noizzefest is coming back stronger than ever. Taking place across the Fuel Rock Club and Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff on the 25th April, the festival is a celebration of the British underground scene, while it is also not shying away from booking big names for their stages. With such a packed bill this year, there is a big chance that everyone will find themselves a handful of bands they need to absolutely check out, as well as names the

If the name ‘Lambrini’ sends a shiver through your soul and an ache in your head just to hear it, it’s time to realign those thoughts to something powerful and daring – LAMBRINI GIRLS , the punk-rock band that have the chaotic, dazzling energy of firecrackers. Hailing from Brighton, the enigmatic duo is made up of vocalist Pheobe Lunny and bassist Lily Maciera , touring drummer Misha Phillips, and the fourth unsung hero that is their absolute grit and ambition to get their s

There’s an old book out there your more mythologically inclined friend most likely owns. It’s a tome in a beautiful black hardback with a glossy golden embossed title, Folklore Myths and Legends of Britain . The front also displays a horned screaming face, the Ooser of Dorset. Within the pages is an exhaustive compilation of the wyrd and wonderful traditions of this very ancient land once known as Albion, and hardly a stone is left unturn’d. The book goes region-by-region and

KID KAPICHI have been releasing music into the world for over ten years, and there’s no sign of them slowing down anytime soon. They blend everything from punk to indie to alt rock, making there something for everyone. As of July 2025, they have been made up of vocalist Jack Wilson and bassist Eddie Lewis , with guitarist Lee Martin and drummer Miles Gill becoming official members once album five rolls around. After having a lineup change in 2025, KID KAPICHI may sound

In the summer of 2017, the music world lost an icon: Chester Bennington , the lead singer of LINKIN PARK , DEAD BY SUNRISE and STONE TEMPLE PILOTS . A pioneer of the nu-metal genre, he possessed a voice that defined a generation and a soul treasured by millions. Nearly a decade later, the legacy he left behind remains just as powerful today as it was during his lifetime. On his birthday, we remember the legacy of Chester Bennington . LINKIN PARK , Chester ’s most recognised b

Slam Dunk Festival has long been one of the UK’s most beloved celebrations of alternative music, building its reputation on bringing together the best of pop-punk, hardcore, metalcore, and alternative rock. What started as a relatively small gathering has evolved into a staple of the UK festival circuit, balancing scene legends with the rising acts shaping the future of heavy music. Taking place on Saturday 23rd May in Hatfield and Sunday 24th May in Leeds, this year’s lineup