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

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

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

Hailing from the Isle of Man, SILO emerged in a landscape where life moves slowly and creative opportunity doesn’t exactly knock. With no established scenes or circuits to plug into, the band was moulded by the island’s stillness and separation. Rather than looking outward, they channelled that isolation into their work, forging a sound that’s equal parts abrasive, melodic, and deeply human. The band came together in the post‑Covid lull, when five long‑time friends, - Kriss