It’s a feat in itself for a French band to break into the alt-rocksphere dominated by the American and English, but Parisian band PAERISH have been making waves taking on the behemoth of the Western alt-rock scene, sharing stages with heavyweights PUP, SUM 41, and MOVEMENTS and proving they deserve the spotlight. But to get to this pinnacle the band have gone through trial and error, drawing on a slew of musical and film-based influences to drive their sound forward while sti

When people talk about a band “evolving”, it can often feel vague. It’s usually in reference to an artist or group’s entire catalogue, and a gradual change over time - between consecutive releases they aren’t too dissimilar, but there’s a clear difference between, say, album three and album seven. These are your CONVERGE or IMMOLATIONs of the world; it usually happens in the more extreme genres where the music is already so envelope-pushing and singular that there’s very litt

DEAFHEAVEN, or more accurately, their fans, have been saddled with a certain reputation from extreme metal fans. If you’ve followed the band for any amount of time since the release of 2013’s Sunbather, you’ve no doubt heard talk of “black metal tourism” or “hipster metal” thrown around. Jonah Bayer’s Vice article from 2014 simply entitled “Why Are Black Metal Fans Such Elitist Assholes?” goes into various anecdotal examples of this, both in-person and online. Keep in mind, t

For fans of the gothic, the weird and wonderful, of alt-rock hooks inspired by classic horror writers, allow yourself to be put under the spell of VENUS GRRRLS and their new EP To Die As Lovers May. Drink your fill of pulsing, rich guitar riffs, become ensnared in the woven threads of industrial beats and gothic-rock notes, and lose yourself to powerhouse siren vocals that invite you to join the coven. Originating from across the Midlands and North England, the Leeds-based ba

Pop punk is a cornerstone of modern music, whether it bridges the gap for so many people to get into heavier rock music or offers a nostalgic trip for those who have hung up the battle jackets and stepped away from the mosh pits. It’s a genre that is universally loved, with so many fantastic artists having paved the way for brilliant new acts to emerge. RAY HAWTHORNE is a firm front-runner on that list. With his raspy vocals and screams that blast through the microphone, he i

A debut EP that encapsulates everything you’re capable of in six tracks is no mean feat. It’s a tall ask for anyone and the majority of bands still in their formative years grapple with it to the point of indecision. HOT MESS on the other hand hit the ground running with their first outing Make Myself Your Favorite Scene. The Milwaukee five piece pulled off an impressively considered body of work, that manages to balance the grit with electronic movement that make most songs

EIVØR’s Tungl is a spellbinding exploration of longing, transformation, and the courage to navigate the unknown, merging ancient Faroese traditions with industrial electronics, spectral atmospheres, and captivating vocals. For over two decades EIVØR has built a unique musical universe stretching across folk, electronics, and cinematic soundscapes, while also working on soundtracks for The Last Kingdom, God of War and God of War Ragnarök. Out on October 16th, Tungl (Faroese fo

MERYL STREEK takes the jarring and uncomfortable and spotlights it in front of us all on new album Stories They Don't Teach You At School, pulling our heads out of the sand to deliver incendiary punk-rage through spoken-word lyrics over a mix of jagged riffs, breakneck electronic mixes and relentless beats that pack power into every punching track. The Dublin punk poet maintains his status as a live wire in the political sphere, refusing to stay silent on matters the Irish a

There's a chill in the air as we enter this time of year so favoured by goths and emos. The moon hangs high in the sky, and the spirits of Samhain prowl through the dark of the night. Halloween is looming ever closer, and we're hoping for more treats than tricks - like these latest singles. Here's what we've been listening to lately: Track of the Week: As December Falls - Nervous (ft. Solence) Trust AS DECEMBER FALLS to come out with the dancey song of the summer just as we

Somewhere between indie-rock, alt-pop, and a film soundtrack not yet made, you’ll find AFTERDRIVE. The Ipswich-raised four-piece has been steadily making a name for themselves, from festival stages to hometown shows, while opening for major artists such as MAGGIE LINDEMANN, and MCFLY. With BBC Radio 1 already taking notice of the band’s growing momentum, Dress to Drive offers a clear insight into why. Dress to Drive captures the moment of remembering the kind of relationship

After the release of the EP IT CALLS ME BY NAME in April of this year, WAGE WAR fans were more than satisfied, but clearly the band weren’t and carried their creative streak onwards. The band's 6th full length album Landfall was announced almost exactly a month before its release, crashing into the scene and causing a stir with such an unexpected release. The album is a 13 track onslaught of the best WAGE WAR have released yet. Having produced the album themselves for the fir

Already labelled as one of the UK’s most exciting heavy bands, LOVE IS NOISE are far from happy to stand still and bask in the success of their debut album, To Live In A Different Way. Instead, they’ve self-produced their latest four-track EP; The space between happiness and heartache. The trio from Nottingham consists of Cam Humphrey on drums, Alex Ioannou on bass and lead guitar, alternating with fellow guitarist Sam Clark. Alex takes on a much more prominent and busier rol

Something unseen is creeping, tip-toeing on the worn floorboards of Glasgow’s alternative music scene. Enigmatic, esoteric, they’re the kind of coven you might encounter while wandering alone in the woods upon the witching hour. The fairytale melodies you hear in your peripheral. The haunting harmonies that seem to lurk in your footsteps, hiding in the gaps in the treelines. Listen to them, those beings of the night. What music they make. TANZANA live in the shadowed spaces b

Download, 2025. The festival debut of a new, fairly unknown band that had only formed two years prior. Download, 2026? After an insane year, UNPEOPLE had graduated to the Apex mainstage, and opened the day for headliner, LINKIN PARK. It was one of the most electric performances across the weekend - who else can get moshpits going at 11am on a Sunday? Now they are finally here to launch their first album, we are unpeople. After releasing their introductory single, smother, bac

Bristol stands as one of the most beloved cities in the UK for punks and alt kids, housing a plethora of iconic venues, a rich history within the punk movement and birthing plenty of big names and local legends. Such artists would inspire M/X, a trio created within the south-western city, who are one of those unassuming acts that leave a lasting impression on any soul to witness them at a gig. The band, consisting of all queer members fronted by Max Pickering, emerged in 2023

Some albums spend their opening minutes trying desperately to convince you they're important. Death Of The Altar doesn't bother. OF VIRTUE come out swinging with the sort of confidence that suggests they've already decided what this album is going to be — and they're not particularly interested in asking whether we're ready for it. Following 2023's Omen and its considerable 65-million-plus streams, the easy move would have been to stick a few more massive choruses over the sa

ELECTRON are based in London but come all the way from Portugal to bring shiny new modern metal to the ever-evolving music scene. The band has a rare duo combination, Jason Payne (vocals, guitar) and Joanna Hyde (vocals, bass). They have brought their talents together to release their second full length album Is This Worth Living For? - 13 tracks of modern metal. The first track up is Trap. It opens with spatial electronic synths and distant guitars, Jason coming in with his

If you have been paying attention to the British alternative music scene over the last few years, you will have heard about the Windmill in Brixton. You may have seen stills of your favourite up-and-coming weirdos playing in front of a gold tinsel backdrop, or you may have caught the shimmer of it in the background of a video where someone is shirtless and crowd-surfing over a handful of impassioned gig-goers. You may have even been lucky to attend a show there yourself, and

HRLTSS have done an impressive amount of growing up in the last year, evident in the captivating, emotional new EP The Devil On My Shoulder. The Cambridge four-piece have fine tuned their ambitious sound in the space of seven singles, marrying together metalcore, R&B and electronic elements and culminating in these four tracks that truly embrace what makes them special. Story led from the opening riff, The Devil On My Shoulder feels like an EP that could comfortably sit on t

Consistently working outside of the status quo to fuse raw emotions with enthralling melodies, DEAD POET SOCIETY have established themselves as artists who test the boundaries between genres for distinctive, sonically intricate projects, using their personal experiences as the foundation to their musical story-telling that resonates on a deeper level with their listeners. They’ve once again adopted this method to create their third album Monarch, an intense project that borde