ATREYU have fresh eyes on their tenth studio album The End is Not the End, creating their most hardcore-infused album while keeping their signature blend of thrash and metalcore. The End is Not the End's fourteen tracks are placed with purpose to create a satisfying build and resolve, capturing the energy of the new heavier sound for its first half then resolving into a conclusive yet theatrical finale that demands to be heard. A signature of ATREYU is their grandiose soundsc

The masters of old school death metal worship FROZEN SOUL are back and ready to get nasty. New record No Place of Warmth is all but upon us, so here’s a look into the next stage of life for the Dallas five piece. Opening into the pummelling title track, FROZEN SOUL have pulled all the stops out and, on this introduction to the album, have managed to coerce the iconic Gerard Way of MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE to come and spew vitriolic verse. His black metal style is a fantastic depar

While still a brand-new venture and yet to be known, SHORTDAUGHTER are undoubtedly a band that have overflowing potential to reach peak heights with their annihilating EP Promo 26, releasing 8th May. Hailing from Manchester, the newcomer alt-punk rock duo blend a variety of punk, emo, and hardcore genres into a sound that feels like being kicked in the teeth and asking for more. SHORTDAUGHTER is self-described as a vent system for lead singer Red Longson to “yell about men” a

The German metalcore outfit THE NARRATOR returns with their sophomore record Phosphor, a powerful follow-up that builds on the foundation of their debut while pushing their sound further into both emotional and aggressive territory. Opening with the title track Phosphor, the band wastes no time setting the tone. The track delivers raw metalcore energy right from the start, backed by great production and crushing breakdowns. It’s a confident opener that immediately showcases t

HAGGARD CAT are synonymous with the post-hardcore scene, already establishing their artistry in previous project HECK and their prowess and nerve by powering through the 2020 lockdown to create bone-shaking rhythms in their album Common Sense Holiday and follow up EP Cheer Up. They’re back to break down your door and crush the status quo with their charged up album The Pain That Orbits Life, via their new label Church Road Records, a blistering 10-track record that pushes the

Summer isn’t just around the corner, it’s epitomised by newcomer TRIAL TAPES on his debut EP 5 Notes, releasing 5th May. Every track feeling like you’re in an 80s movie where the colours are over-saturated and gauzy and you’re driving down the beachfront in a classic convertible to the promenade funfair. Perhaps a little too specifically descriptive, but from the first unrushed, hazy guitar licks and softened but poignant lyrics it conjures an affecting emotion that can’t qui

Chaotic, aggressive, ferocious yet equally danceable—this is the most accurate way to introduce TRIP VILLAIN as they unleash their debut album Dose. Formed in 2021 in Brooklyn, New York, the quartet pull from a wide spectrum of influences, fusing them into a psychedelic, doom-laden strain of industrial metal. They show no restraint in crossing genres mid-riff or mid-section, creating a volatile cocktail—abrasive, unpredictable, and at times overwhelming, yet strangely intoxic

Thursday night for a group of London metalheads was one of the most insane gigs in the alternative space this year. GRAPHIC NATURE played a sold out headline show at The Dome and the energy was electric. In the past year alone GRAPHIC NATURE have supported bands like THROWN and STRAY FROM THE PATH and played a multitude of festivals including Download, Slamdunk and 2000trees. Their momentum is far from slowing down with the start of a new era marked with the release of their

Nottingham’s Rock City was already spilling onto the streets on Saturday night. A sea of black stretched down the queue, wrapping around the block. A quiet signal that this was more than just another tour stop. By the time Florida’s DARK DIVINE took to the stage for their first ever Nottingham appearance, the room was still filling - yet the energy inside was already at full capacity. DARK DIVINE wasted no time establishing their presence. Opening with intensity, they leaned

KIM GORDON, the icon behind the cultural sensation that was SONIC YOUTH, has returned to London after two years. Bringing songs from her third studio album, Play Me, as well as her other work, the night was indeed a nostalgic leap in the past and a celebration of the present. Opening the night was LONNIE GUNN. The New Jersey-born and Brighton-based artist brought a full band with her to the Shepherd’s Bush Empire, and from the beginning it was obvious the performance at the w

Titans of emo, AMERICAN FOOTBALL started out in 1999 as mostly clueless unbridled teenagers. After their reunion 15 years later to release two new records, the band have lain low once again, practically up until recently. American Football (LP4) is undeniably the band's most mature and honest work yet, to the point that one could even be taken aback by their bluntness at the first listen. It is also the darkest and eeriest out of the four records, which is reflected by the ap

There’s something unique about The Far Fallen Fruit, the first studio release from the American hardcore band GOTTLIEB. It manages to feel comfortable within traditional hardcore punk, reminiscent of bands like REFUSED, while also diving into the depths of post-punk emotion. The album successfully conveys both styles and combines them into a new, unique listening experience. But it isn’t just a good listen, it’s highly political and doesn’t shy away from showing us the harsh

Three decades of pioneering metal music would feel exhausting to any band worth their salt, but metal legends SEVENDUST are more charged up than ever, as they gear up to release their landmark 15th album One via Napalm Records on 1st May. One isn’t just a testament to SEVENDUST’s notorious career over such a period, nor is it simply a tribute to their devoted fanbase, fondly called the 7D Army. It’s a statement of the new heights their sound has reached, with soaring powerhou

There’s a version of Theft World that probably could’ve existed where LIP CRITIC doubled down on what previous album, Hex Dealer started - more chaos, more sharp left turns, more of that “anything goes” energy that made them such an immediate talking point. Instead, this feels like a deliberate shift. Not a retreat from that previous intensity, but a refinement of it into something more focused, more suffocating, and in a strange way, more purposeful. A lot of that comes down

CAGE FIGHT are on the rise and continuing to climb the ladder of success. Born out of the Covid lockdown, musicians came together to create a bedroom project that has evolved into something rather special in the world of femme fronted metal. After recently finishing a tour supporting EMPLOYED TO SERVE, they are now releasing their sophomore album Exuvia. Using a word like 'exuvia' as a title reflects not only the meaning of the word; the outer shell that sheds by creatures g

THE FLATLINERS don’t reinvent themselves—and they don’t need to. What they’ve built over two decades is a sound that refuses to lose urgency. Cold World is proof of that: a record that doesn’t feel polished into submission, but sharpened by time. Ska-infused punk with bite, momentum, and something to say. Hailing from Ontario, Canada, they’ve stayed unchanged for over twenty years. Same core. Same intent. That matters more than people admit. Unchanged and unapologetically aut

On paper, a three-band bill in a venue the size of Glasgow’s Slay might read like a fairly standard night out. In reality, April 24th delivered something that felt far bigger than the room could reasonably contain. With AD INFINITUM making their Glasgow debut alongside support from SKARLETT RIOT and SECRET RULE, this was a stacked lineup that never once dipped in energy. First up, SECRET RULE wasted absolutely no time setting the tone. From the first few moments, it was clear

THE DEAD COLLECTIVE embarked on their first ever headline UK tour with twelve shows this April, we were lucky enough to catch them at their London stop at O2 Academy Islington. The Metamorphosis tour is a perfectly polished show full of their best rock and roll tracks, with more shows throughout the UK still to go. The London supporting act was ANCHOR LANE all the way from Scotland, this being the first show they’ve played in London for four years. Before they started the roo

SEAHAVEN have always felt like a band suspended in that liminal space between confession and catharsis, and revisiting their world now feels a bit like opening a long‑sealed letter - you brace for the sting, but you’re drawn in anyway. What makes them compelling isn’t just the moodiness or the slow‑burn tension they’ve perfected; it’s the way their songs seem to articulate emotions people don’t usually say out loud. Performing their album Winter Forever in full, to celebrate

HIRAES are no strangers to an energetic London crowd. With two previous performances at The Dome and the O2 Academy Islington as supporting acts for DARK TRANQUILITY and BE LAKOR. These previous incredible performances had left long-lasting impressions and created a group of devoted fans, ecstatic to see another show in the UK. The Black Heart, located in Camden, is primarily known as a haven for metalheads and those who enjoy alternative music. HIRAES had seized the opportun