The All-American Rejects are not the early‑2000s angst ridden pop rock band of yesteryear anymore; they are entering a new era as “a band of the people,” returning to the scene with new album SANDBOX. The spark hit in 2023, first with the sold‑out Wet Hot All-American Summer Tour, then with the House Party Tour, a chaotic, free‑to‑all victory lap that felt less like a comeback and more like a band remembering exactly who they were. SANDBOX is the band's first full-length rel

In an instant, we’ve been catapulted back to the golden years of late-90s/00s pop-punk thanks to SUPER SOMETIMES, a Gen Z pop-punk band that pays homage to the bands that clearly inspired them to create the boisterous and nostalgic album Show The World What’s Underneath, released via Pure Noise Records on 15th May. After a tumultuous 2025 that saw a name change, record deal and first album, the San Diego-based trio have already high-kicked into this summer with a support slot

Vindicate sees BLACK VEIL BRIDES continuing to refine the theatrical and emotionally driven sound that has defined much of their career, while also showing just how much they have evolved musically over time. The album feels carefully constructed from beginning to end, balancing heavy moments with softer and more reflective sections in a way that keeps the pacing engaging throughout. Rather than feeling like a collection of disconnected tracks, Vindicate flows like a complete

One of the most exciting emerging names in metallic hardcore, YOUR SPIRIT DIES return with It Is Well…, a short but crushing three-track EP that further cements the band’s growing reputation within the genre. Hailing from South Carolina, the five-piece revive the spirit of early-2000s metalcore and sludge with a modern sense of weight and atmosphere. Following the success of last year’s My Gnawing Pains Will Never Rest, the band continue to build on the dark, groove-driven in

The Swedish melodic hard rock band SELF DECEPTION is set to release their seventh studio album, One Of Us, on May 15. Blending modern metal, electronic influences, and catchy choruses, the band delivers an energetic record that feels tailor-made for live shows and festival crowds. While the album may not reinvent the genre, it succeeds in creating an entertaining listening experience filled with sing-along anthems and heavy breakdowns. Opening with the title track, ONE OF US,

Portland trio RHODODENDRON carve their way out of the underground rock scene through relentless fusion and progressive experimentation on their second album, Ascent Effort. Formed in 2019, the band have established themselves through immersive, visceral live performances and unrestrained compositions that push beyond genre boundaries and refuse to be contained. The opening track, Firmament, cascades into a mystical synthetic atmosphere, combining high tones with distorted, sh

OLD MOON’s Home To Nowhere doesn’t arrive like a debut album trying to introduce itself to the world. It feels more like a document recovered from somewhere cold, wet and emotionally exhausted. Seven tracks stitched together from grief, collapse, isolation and whatever survives after all of that burns out. Born from the endless grey atmosphere of the Pacific Northwest, the Portland outfit leans fully into that environment, creating a record that sounds drenched in rainwater a

GADGET are, notably, fairly slow with releases. This isn’t a problem at all, but it’s ironically in stark juxtaposition to the immediacy of the genre they primarily operate in - grindcore. Outside of split releases with PHOBIA in 2010 and RETALIATION in 2021, their past two releases have been in 2006 and 2016 respectively. They’ve been around for over half the genre’s lifespan, and a lot can happen within a genre in 20 years, so it’s interesting to see if they can keep up wit

With a name that references a variety of works - from a song by VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR to a film by Robert Eggers, the band A PLAGUE OF LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS are no strangers to taking influence from across the spectrum of art and culture. Based in Haarlem in the Netherlands, the group has garnered a reputation for unpredictable and intense live shows, all the while collaborating with plenty of other musicians. Now, they’ve come to the point of releasing their debut EP, named T

There’s a fine line between contrast and contradiction, and on brutalist, SACE6 lean fully into the latter. Their whole approach hinges on a simple question: how heavy can something get while still feeling undeniably pop? It’s not about blending genres neatly together, but forcing them to coexist, and more often than not that tension is exactly what makes this debut hit as hard as it does. After making serious waves with 2025’s Limerance, the duo wasted no time in levelling u

Having formed in the Long Island, NY underground back in 2020 KOYO cemented their identity from the jump, bending their hometown’s revered sound into something raw, urgent, and uniquely theirs, with vocals from Joseph Chiaramonte, guitars from Harold Griffin, TJ Rotolico and bassist Stephen Spanos, and drums from Salvatore Argento,. Debut release Would You Miss It? was well received by critics and listeners alike, with people loving the unique blend of emotionally bare punk,

A new day is dawning for alt-metal band SUNGRAVE, a quartet that have been hammering at the French music scene and making space for themselves since 2023, and are now ready to let the world know who they are with debut album Afterglow, releasing through independent record labels including No Need Name, Ace of Wands, and Uproar for Veneration to name a few. Inspired by a mix of 90s grunge, metal, and prog-rock, SUNGRAVE takes all the classically loved features of these genres

As of 2026, it has been a decade since Taran Plouzané and Gavin Purcell formed the formidable post-rock duo BICURIOUS. They first made a lot of noise in Dublin, Ireland for a handful of riff-hungry concert goers with early tracks such as Sugar Beats, before gradually taking their thrilling energy to what’s now a mighty fanbase throughout Europe. They hail two full length albums, the first being re(constructed) in 2021, then in 2024 they released Your life Is Over Now…, a high

Richmond, VA punks STEELBOY keep it classic on their full-length debut Thanks for the Invite…, taking twelve tracks to run the gauntlet from 90s ska punk to pop punk. Lyrically tongue in cheek, the pop punk energy is distilled in musings on former relationships, with enough time taken at the end to talk about their favourite happy hour spot. Thanks for the Invite… starts with Cliffhanger, which sets the angsty yet forlorn energy that embodies the rest of the project as STEEL

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