Tucked into the iconic North Wales venue, Llangollen rocked on Friday night as Texan pop-punk legends BOWLING FOR SOUP joined forces with folk-punk favourite FRANK TURNER AND THE SLEEPING SOULS for a huge co-headline show, bringing their Bowl My Bones Tour to TK Maxx presents Live at Llangollen Pavilion. Thousands of fans attended for an evening packed with pop-punk, folk and alternative rock, complete with massive singalongs, plenty of laughs and a setlist full of crowd favourites. Photo by Cuffe & Taylor AMERICAN HI-FI got the night underway, warming up the crowd with an energetic opening set which carried throughout the venue and over the surrounding hills. A surprise highlight was drummer Gary Wiseman from BOWLING FOR SOUP joining their opener as a friend to play The Geeks Get The Girl. “The best thing about touring with your friends is getting to play with them,” said frontman Stacy Jones. A great reminder of how close knit a tour can be and the connections that last a lifetime. Handing over to FRANK TURNER AND THE SLEEPING SOULS. Making his first appearance in Llangollen, Turner had the audience singing along from the outset with favourites including I Still Believe, Photosynthesis, 1933, Recovery and a rousing finale of Four Simple Words. Getting the crowd involved in a circle pit is no easy feat but Turner encourages with confidence that's easy to join in with. A message of love and kindness is clear throughout the set, with personal links to mental health struggles and support that we can all offer each other: for example the wall of death instead being the ‘wall of hugs’. Taking a moment to soak it all in, Turner told the crowd, “This is my first show in Llangollen. That means I’ve played 3,162 warm-up shows just for this gig. You guys rule!” Photo by Cuffe & Taylor BOWLING FOR SOUP closed out the night with a hit-filled set, opening with Almost before tearing through fan favourites High School Never Ends, Ohio (Come Back to Texas) and Today Is Gonna Be A Great Day — also known as the theme song to Disney's Phineas and Ferb. Packed full of swagger, jokes and larger than life personalities, BOWLING FOR SOUP commanded the stage from start to finish. Not afraid to let themselves be led into the first few lines of songs completely out of their genre if nothing to amuse themselves and the crowd. With a variety of pyrotechnics, inflatable beach balls, a guitar giveaway and enough confetti to cover the pit twice, it’s no wonder why BOWLING FOR SOUP are great live. Photo by Cuffe & Taylor Speaking backstage ahead of the show, frontman Jaret Reddick said, “It’s so great to be here in Llangollen, and my goodness, what an amazing venue, what an amazing crowd and what an amazing night. We’re really glad to be here.” One of the standout moments of the night came during a venue-wide singalong to FOUNTAIN OF WAYNE's Stacy's Mom, with AMERICAN HI-FI frontman Stacy Jones joining BOWLING FOR SOUP on drums. The band rounded off the night with Girl All The Bad Guys Want and 1985. With an endless amount of crowdsurfing, full crowd singing along to every word and fans of all ages packed into the Llangollen Pavilion it’s clear to see why BOWLING FOR SOUP are still rocking us and stages all around the world. Words: Tyler Whiting Photos: Cuffe & Taylor

Even a brief mention of TURNSTILE these days instantly evokes all kinds of feelings and sentiments. Where discussions can be stretched on their relationship with hardcore as the genre and the scene, most people would agree that no matter what TURNSTILE do, they do it absolutely brilliantly. The Baltimore natives have built a community far beyond their geographical and musical origins, crossing the generational divides with movement and rhythm. At the end of the day, they will keep being a manifestation of two simple things: love and connection. The hardcore punk network of Baltimore, MD, was always quite tight-knit, but precisely that was what allowed it to thrive even more. Formed in 2010 in these exact communal and DIY spaces, TURNSTILE were originally situated well within those rigid genre boundaries, with fast-paced heavy riffs that invite as much movement and moshing as physically possible. The band took big inspiration from their predecessors, the likes of BAD BRAINS and INSIDE OUT, and they have always been equal participants in the culture ever since starting out. TURNSTILE released two EPs — Pressure to Succeed (2011) and Step 2 Rhythm (2013), followed by a debut LP record Nonstop Feeling in 2015, beginning to tour successfully with it. After another EP called Move Thru Me was put out the following year and was already rising in charts, we began hearing the first signs of a shift in the air with the legendary Time & Space album (2018). Everything that TURNSTILE have been doing up until this point was slowly leading to the creation of their signature sound, which shone the most prominently on this record — and, as a foreshadowing, that we can also clearly hear in the two that follow. The essence of hardcore is getting extended with flowy melodies, the riffs last longer, and the production is cutting off the sharp edges, making the songs appear more well-rounded but no less punchy. Finally, we get to the album that truly changed it all — GLOW ON (2021). In over a decade of existence and non-stop creation, TURNSTILE have evolved enormously, arriving where they were always meant to arrive. Blending in the dream pop synths, shoegaze effects and even some rhythm and blues, the album still keeps the core at its core. No other band could have written it, and this alone should speak volumes. GLOW ON did cause some inevitable criticism, which has to this day been following the band around, although they choose to simply and eloquently ignore it. However paradoxical it may be to the spirit of the movement, the hardcore fanbase does involve a degree of gatekeeping and overly aggressive protection, which we can all understand the reasons for. Still, TURNSTILE have powered through and has since proved that letting your creativity flow along with the melodies can lead to the most beautiful places. And does it all even really matter if most people still tune in, listen, and rejoice? NEVER ENOUGH (2025) is a continuation of their story, but certainly not a pure repetition thereof. If anything, the band has now completely submerged itself into their new sound and evolution, and found a strong and steady footing within. Both albums also contain much more mature lyrics and introspection, which adds to the growth aspect even further. The level of acclaim and success that GLOW ON, but especially NEVER ENOUGH, have brought on is truly extraordinary for the guys who started out as a grassroots hardcore band, what seemed like yesterday. It is getting to play sets at some of the biggest festivals across the board: from the dearest to heart Outbreak, to the Glastonbury and Coachella for the popular girls. It is winning two awards at none other than GRAMMYs — Best Rock Album with NEVER ENOUGH and Best Metal Performance with BIRDS (those higher-ups do think anything that sounds slightly more atypical than alt-rock is suddenly metal). This is not all a result of TURNSTILE selling out and just catering to the big mainstream events. It is the big mainstream events inviting them after seeing their impact and how generational they are. It is a result of the band’s hard work and grit, and coincidentally evolving into a music style that unites people from all walks of life. If TURNSTILE can teach us a lesson, it is that sometimes it might be worth expanding your safe space. Seeing them live and seeing how buzzing the room always is, without a miss, it is abundantly clear they did not forget where they originated from. The pit grew bigger and bigger, but instead of leaving people out, it invited them in — from age 3 to 83, from a die-hard mosher to someone who will try stage-diving for the first time, and is guaranteed to get addicted. People contain multitudes, and TURNSTILE is for the people. Catch Turnstile supporting Tyler, The Creator this summer at All Points East. Words: Mariia Bulkina

The heat inside Foundry feels less like weather and more like the kind of pressure that builds in a room when everyone knows they’re about to be hit square in the chest. PUP (an acronym for Pathetic Use of Potential) has that effect on people. Before they even step out, the crowd is already vibrating: people clinging to the barrier, older fans grinning like they’ve survived this chaos before, everyone braced for the kind of night where catharsis comes loud and fast. Opening for the Toronto based band were North‑West trio GEN AND THE DEGENERATES, who’ve built a reputation on sharp humour, emotional honesty, and gloriously chaotic live shows. Fronted by Genevieve Glynn‑Reeves, they wasted no time in getting in the faces of the crowd, with their unapologetic presence. On paper, this show should not work: the drummer is off his ADHD meds, one guitarist is performing with a foot broken in two places, and Genevieve has already joked about the ever‑present risk of a wardrobe malfunction, plus they forgot to set up merch entirely. It’s the kind of pre‑gig disaster bingo that would flatten a lesser band. Instead, they turn it into fuel. They rip through Hotter on the Internet, Girls, and Wahoo with a feral looseness that feels intentional, like they’re daring the night to fall apart. Sex Symbol becomes a sweaty, defiant celebration of body autonomy; Girl God Gun lands with raw, non‑binary fury with Genevieve climbing off the stage to get up close and personal, and Anti‑Fun Propaganda closes the set as a snarling, anti‑capitalist rallying cry. Every flaw becomes part of the charm, every near‑miss part of the thrill. It’s messy, loud, and gloriously human. With their new album Earthly Delights out in January, GEN AND THE DEGENERATES are a band not to be missed. Off the back of breaking the stage at their show the previous night, PUP came out swinging and ready to tear the place apart. Walking onto the stage to DONNA SUMMER’s Hot Stuff (perhaps a gentle nod to Sheffield and The Full Monty?), the band were greeted by a baying crowd, who were ready to sing along, crowd surf and just take it all in. PUP tear into their set with the precision of a band who’ve spent over a decade turning anxiety into anthems, and the crowd responds as a mass of bodies moving as one, every lyric launched back with full-throated conviction. It’s sweaty, frantic, communal, and exactly what a PUP show should feel like. Thirteen years as a band, ten years since their debut, and Sheffield greets them like they have been overdue for far too long. They play along with instant singalongs, the kind that erupt before a note is played, and vocalist Stefan Babcock grins like he knows exactly what kind of night this is going to be, alongside bassist Nestor Chumak, guitarist Steve Sladkowski, and drummer Zack Mykula. “This world is a piece of shit”, he tells the room, “but in here we can look out for one another. Go off, but take care of each other. Give help”. It lands with the same weight as the inevitable Yorkshire chant that follows - heavy but triumphant. They open the run with the raw early chaos of Guilt Trip, My Life Is Over and I Couldn't Be Happier, and Dark Days, three punches from the debut that immediately turn Foundry into a choir. Concrete follows with serrated bite, then Free at Last and Closure bring the room into full communal roar. Paranoid, Morbid Stuff, and Kids arrive like a victory lap for the album that made them festival staples. Totally Fine twists the energy into newer tension before the night drops into Hallways, introduced with Stefan’s deadpan “Welcome to the sad portion of the set!” exclamation. Scorpion Hill swells into its usual heartbreak. Shut Up starts as a fragile solo moment and detonates when the full band crashes in. Sleep in the Heat and Old Wounds hit with familiar Dream Is Over ferocity. Familiar Patterns lands with an extended drum loop intro, and Reservoir gets pulled out after someone yells for it. Stef points into the crowd, Who said that, before launching straight in. The surprise is Pine Point, played only a handful of times before this tour, stretched with an extended outro and chorus reprise that turns the room reverent. Penultimate track If This Tour Doesn't Kill You, I Will is dedicated to the bands best friends, and DVP closes the set with the urgency of a band who still refuse to slow down. PUP do not do encores. They never have. Instead, they finish like they started, loud and honest and shoulder to shoulder with the people who showed up. It feels less like a performance and more like a promise kept. It is the kind of night that reminds you why live music matters. No theatrics, no fakeout walking off the stage only to come back minutes later, just a band meeting a crowd at full intensity and proving they are still one of the most vital acts around. Words: Lou Viner-Flood Photos: Kelsey Tomlinson

This weekend saw London packed to the brim thanks to METALLICA’s final tour dates, colour-bursting London Pride, and the continuing beautiful weather (or as we like to call it, Satan’s holiday home) - this heated, vibrant energy of London was felt at full force in the Electric Ballroom, Camden, with a crowd spilling out all the way to the entranceway to see Nashville emo band FREE THROW on their immense world tour for all-hits-no-misses album Moments Before The Wind. Gig-goers could be seen bopping and beaming to the interim music before anyone had even taken to the stage, the excitement rippling through the humid air as the lights darkened. POOL KIDS are still riding the high of their so-far momentous year, their infectious energy not waning for a second and the crowd giving it back at a resounding force. Seeing their exhilarating live performance, it’s easy to figure out why the math-rock band have swiftly made a name for themselves with dynamic movements matching their rousing sound, as drummer Caden Clinton brought thumping, tempo-morphing beats on Dani and bassist Nicolette Alvarez gamboled across the stage from the first notes of Last Word. Vocalist and guitarist Christine Goodwyne delivered impressive high-kicks to rapturous applause before she aimed the mic at the crowd to bellow back That’s Physics, Baby, lead guitarist Andy Anaya full-body headbanging through every song emphatically as he struck every curated note and sang in tandem with Goodwyne on heavy hitter Talk Too Much. With their energy spilling off the stage it only made sense for Goodwyne to follow it into the crowd, singing along with the front row and leaping into a brief crowdsurf, before clambering back onto the stage and powering through Conscious Uncoupling as the crowd whirled round joyfully. Decidedly limbered up and sweatier than a marathon runner, the crowd split almost immediately as SATURDAYS AT YOUR PLACE paced out onto the stage to welcome and launched into cross my heart, its nostalgic midwest emo riffs and vocalist and bassist Esden Stafne’s pining vocals capturing the crowd’s attention. Guitarist Mitch Gulish jumped and kicked excitedly through the set as he shredded on i’d rather be in michigan, grinning proudly at the crowd as they sang along to loon mobile pt 3. Gabe Wood thrashed at his drumkit and led a scream-a-long in the background for it’s always cloudy in kalamazoo, tucked away toward the back of the stage but giving so much energy it felt like he was playing in the pit. The three-piece didn’t have to throw themselves about the stage to make it clear what their punchy vibe was, choosing instead to insert a hop, skip, and a jump at times and gaze appreciatively as the crowd shook the floor and belted out to what am i supposed to do? and future, spinning like a tornado to fast-paced cross my heart before crowdsurfers started flinging themselves onto sturdy hands. A calm settled over the crowd as i give in began, people placing arms round shoulders in solidarity for the emotive song that build up to a cathartic crescendo, before SATURDAYS AT YOUR PLACE closed out with one final pit and shouting match for tarot cards. Before the lights had even dimmed, enthusiastically wild screams drowned out the interlude music, the audience barely able to contain their eagerness to see FREE THROW. It wasn’t long before the five-piece rocketed out with waves and ecstatic smiles and the crowd were able to unleash full chaos to opener MissingNo, surging forward to the rushing riffs and beats as vocalist and guitarist Cory Castro shifted from classic emo-rock melodies to hoarse shouts on the breakdown. While this tour was in celebration of latest album Moments Before The Wind, FREE THROW peppered in beloved classics like Pallet Town and Tongue Tied, their joy at playing their favourite tracks alongside their celebrated new work evident in their expressions and in the way they performed, clearly giving their all to play as perfectly as possible while still having the time of their lives on A Hero’s Grave and Mike Nolan’s Long Weekend. Crowdsurfers appeared in unstoppable droves for addictive Two Beers In, the frenzy of the fans reaching a towering high as they scrambled for purchase on an animated audience, their final chance to let loose in the form of steady and triumphant Hey Ken, Someone Methodically Mushed The Doughnuts. The crowd rolled around like crashing waves, a push pull motion to the compelling rhythms and affecting lyrics as we journeyed through the band’s career to arrive at the here and now, tracks like The Outlaw Star and The Waters Of Life a clear sign the band have kept to their musical roots yet grown their sound into something expansive and entirely true to themselves, without losing their signature marks. Words and photos: Julia Stark

After years defined by burnout, fractured identity and the weight of expectation, Patty Walters stepped away from music entirely, only to rediscover the part of himself he thought he had lost. That reconnection, first with himself and then with Ben Langford‑Biss, Ali Testo and Patrick Foley, lit the fuse for AS IT IS choosing to exist again on their own terms. What follows is not nostalgia, but a reclamation. It is four brothers rebuilding the thing that once saved them, clawing their way back to the spark that first pulled them into a room thirteen years ago and finally letting it save them again. The album lunges forward with ⁠I’m So Alive!, signalling the start of a more upbeat, positive vibe to the band, but with lyrics that contradict a little more with each line. It is the epitome of a pop punk song, complete with saxophone and choir backing vocals. A bold but impressive opener. AS IT IS at their most stark and unfiltered comes through via ⁠Ruin My Life feat. Murray Macleod from THE XCERTS. A track built on raw storytelling, pulling every buried truth to the surface with a clarity that stings and tracing the bruises of identity, pressure and emotional collapse without flinching. Musically, it leans into the band’s love of earnest, stage commanding rock, letting each line land with the weight of lived experience. From this emerges a portrait of reckoning in real time, a moment where survival becomes self‑recognition. Do You Remember? is their most nostalgic and self‑mythologising track yet. Co‑written with Max Helyer of YOU ME AT SIX and penned as a candid look back at fourteen years defined by chaos, camaraderie, and the kind of hard‑won connection that only comes from weathering every high and low together, the track features choruses of voices asking the key question, “We fucked it up and called it art - do you remember?” backed by heavy pop punk guitars and energetic drums. Confronting the ever worsening political climate in vocalist Patty Walters' home country, Live, Laugh, Love Los Angeles is a track that unpacks Patty’s relationship with the USA and having to watch from afar as tensions rise, where “you’ve got no cash for the ambulance” and “you can’t afford to live, you can’t afford to die”. It’s a track infused with their bright riffs and even an unexpected saxophone. As the band have clearly stated themselves alongside the release of the single - fuck fascism. Sitting on the album as one of the most quietly devastating tracks is Marilyn. The band describe it as a song about recognising how a near‑stranger’s goodness can shape you early on, and how hindsight sharpens that impact. That meaning threads itself through the track’s warm, melodic foundations, where Patty Walters leans into a gentler vulnerability. What emerges is a reflective portrait of growth, built on memory, gratitude and the belief that people never truly disappear while their values live on in those they’ve touched. ⁠Watching the World Go Bye presents itself as a love song, with the expected ups and downs with Patty stating “I don’t wanna leave the world behind, unless you do”. Throughout the album, AS IT IS carve out moments of reckoning, drawing a hard line between who they were and who they refuse to be anymore. Lose Your Way & Find Yourself becomes the point where healing stops being hypothetical and turns into a daily choice. Its slow‑burn intensity reflects the year of work, therapy and reconnection behind it, each lyric landing like a step toward clarity. It’s catharsis with teeth, the sound of a band rebuilding themselves from the inside out. Last at the Party pulls the tempo down in an expected, but still gutting way. Echoing the mood of Still Remembering from okay, it sketches someone clinging to any scrap of social contact just to avoid the silence waiting at home, desperate not to be “the last at the party.” Turn to Dust snaps back to that earlier upbeat, self‑sabotage energy, with Patty and Ben trading lines over gang vocals built for a live room; it’s the kind of track that’ll hit like a brick on stage, tears guaranteed. If I Ever Lost You circles back to the slower pulse, but lands even heavier. Patty’s verses trace the fallout of leaving behind a life and a love, while Ben’s entry cracks open the reality of the hiatus and the weight Patty was carrying; “I forgot where I was when I got the call from Dot, it’s a lot, needs to stop, can you save a life for an art?” It’s devastating, full stop. After the heartache from the previous track, ⁠Not Anymore delivers another blow, with just acoustic guitar and Patty’s voice; a simple, but poised. ⁠What If It All Works Out is the perfect ending to the album; defiant and apologetic, with Patty confessing he never stopped to ask the question “What if it all works out?”. The gang vocals throughout the track and the gentle drums, with the guitar, makes for a special combination. In choosing to make As It Is their self‑titled statement, the quartet cement exactly what this era represents. Not a reset, not a rewrite but a return to the truth that built them, sharpened now by experience, healing and a level of honesty they once had to bury just to survive. These songs carry the weight of who they were, the clarity of who they are, and the hope of who they might still become. It is connection without compromise, purpose without pressure, and joy without apology. It is the band choosing each other, their art and themselves again. In doing so, they have created a record that feels less like a comeback and more like a homecoming. Score: 10/10 As It Is will be released on 17th July 2026 via FLG. Words: Lou Viner-Flood Photos: As It Is

BRING ME THE HORIZON released their first album 20 years ago and despite a complete change in genre, they decided to re-record it just for its anniversary. The album is complete deathcore madness and being 20 years old it has its imperfections and blemishes. But the new version has repented that all, not only is it now perfectly polished music but the quality of the vocals, riffs, drums and everything in between has proliferated. Straight into the first track Pray For Plagues is one of the most iconic songs in BRING ME THE HORIZON's 20 year history and they made it better. Those that know the album well will clearly be able to hear the added depth and sharpness of the song, sonically it’s been taken from something quite flat and dull to something just perfectly mixed and mastered. One of the main differences being lead vocalist Oli Sykes’s vocals, there’s a clear deliberateness to each turn he takes in the song and intent behind every note. Tell Slayter Not To Wash His Dick comes up next instantly opening with intense deathcore beats. In this track you can really hear the difference in Oli’s vocals as he switches for certain lines to his more natural shouting voice like we’ve heard in recent albums, mixing it together with his deathcore screams and deep growls. Before the breakdown about 2 minutes in, Oli shouts “move” which he really tears his inner demon out for, flaunting the depths his voice can reach. Each track seems to unintentionally highlight a new difference in the rerecord. In For Stevie Wonders Eyes Only (Braille) there are many guitar shredding riffs on the higher end where you can cleanly hear each note as well as half time break downs which a piercing snare shots through with a booming hit of the bass drum underneath it. You can hear both ends so clearly where as in the original the distinction between the two was lost in the noise. A Lot Like Vegas is one of the shorter tracks on the album, it leans slightly more into the metalcore sound that you can hear in their songs like Antivist. It adds some variance to the solid deathcore onslaught but now with the rerecording sounds much more like something the band could release in current day. It’s a song in which it strikes you that no matter how far the band have come sonically, they really have stayed true to that sound in some ways and really are the same lads from Yorkshire. Most of the songs on the record are true to the original only with a brand new level of production. However the band did decide to rename the fan favourite Liquor & Love Lost, returning it to its original title Dragon Slaying. Fifteen Fathoms, Counting is also a track to note, a break in the noise for really beautiful slowed acoustic guitars and shallow drums. Much like the original, it's soothing and leans more to their emotional side that you can see in later albums with songs like Doomed and Follow You. It's much easier to tell from the rerecording but the album really has all the building blocks that slowly stacked their way to what Bring Me The Horizon is today. All the emotions, the lyrics, the genre switching and the undertones are like small tastes of what the band later grew to become. Of course the re-recorded tracks in the album ends with the ever famous Off The Heezy, the track is metal onslaught that leaves a brilliant sour taste in the back of your throat. It's a song that seeks revenge and that's exactly what they're doing with this re-recording. It feels like two fingers up to anyone that doubted the band along the way or their skills now that they've shifted genres. The album closes with the brand new song Dehumanized in which the band return to their deathcore sound with strong graphic imagery, taking a stance in the loudest way possible. The track came as a shock to everyone just to hear the band returning to their roots and with the re-recorded album it is the cherry on top to complete it with something that is so new yet fits in so perfectly. It's hard to mend something that both fans and non fans are so used to and have been listening to for so many years without people rejecting modernity. But online reactions have seen this re-recording widely accepted and appreciated, impressing everyone with the sheer difference in quality. To celebrate its release and the band's 20th anniversary, they played two insane sold out no barricade shows for Outbreak , in Manchester. Two shows with stacked line ups and we cannot wait to see the carnage at these shows. Score: 9/10 Count Your Blessings | Repented was released on 10th July 2026 via Sony Records. Words: Amy Smyth Photos: Bring Me The Horizon

Five years can feel like an eternity in the music world, but if Dear God proves anything, it's that THE PRETTY RECKLESS has made every second count. Rather than trying to recreate what made their previous albums successful, the band has delivered a record that feels like the natural next chapter in their journey. It's familiar enough to satisfy longtime fans while still showing growth, maturity, and a willingness to explore new emotions. From the opening moments of Life Evermore Pt. 2, the tone is set beautifully. There's a rawness to the track that immediately draws the listener in. It doesn't rush into the heavier moments of the album but instead creates an atmosphere that feels reflective, almost haunting, preparing the audience for what's to come. It acts as the perfect introduction to an album that's built as much on emotion as it is on hard-hitting rock. Without question, one of the album's standout moments is For I Am Death. From the very first listen, it has all the qualities of an instant classic. Every element of the song works together seamlessly, from the powerful guitar work to the thunderous rhythm section, but it's Taylor Momsen's vocal performance that truly elevates it. She moves effortlessly between vulnerability and aggression, delivering every lyric with conviction. It's the kind of song that reminds listeners exactly why THE PRETTY RECKLESS has built such a loyal following over the years. If there's one track that defines this album, it's this one. When I Wake Up serves as an important moment within the record because it bridges the gap between the band's previous material and where they are today. There's a familiarity to it that longtime listeners will immediately recognise, carrying forward the signature sound that has become synonymous with THE PRETTY RECKLESS. At the same time, it never feels repetitive or overly safe. Instead, it demonstrates how the band has evolved without losing the identity that made audiences fall in love with them in the first place. One of the album's greatest strengths is its emotional honesty. Rather than relying purely on heavy riffs or catchy choruses, Dear God allows space for its lyrics and performances to breathe. Love Me is a perfect example, feeling like a song searching for something that's been lost while balancing vulnerability with strength in a way that feels incredibly genuine. The emotion never feels forced, and that's what makes it resonate. The album's title track, Dear God, is another standout and it's easy to understand why it lends its name to the record. The song builds patiently before opening up into something immense, with Taylor Momsen delivering one of her strongest vocal performances to date. Her ability to move seamlessly from softer, intimate passages into soaring, powerful choruses is genuinely captivating. It's emotional without becoming overdramatic and powerful without sacrificing the sincerity that runs throughout the album. From a lyrical perspective, Spell On You is among the album's finest moments. The songwriting is exceptional, painting vivid emotions while remaining incredibly memorable. Combined with its infectious rhythm and driving beat, it's one of those songs that invites repeated listens, revealing new details with every play and rewarding listeners each time. What impresses most about Dear God is how cohesive it feels. Nothing seems out of place, and every song contributes something meaningful to the overall experience. Rather than feeling like a collection of individual singles, the album unfolds as a complete body of work, rewarding those who experience it from start to finish. That sense of flow has become increasingly rare, and THE PRETTY RECKLESS deserves credit for crafting an album that feels carefully constructed from beginning to end. There's also a confidence running throughout the record. The band isn't chasing trends or reinventing itself simply for the sake of change. Instead, THE PRETTY RECKLESS doubles down on what it does best while allowing room for creative growth. It's a reminder that some of the strongest albums come from artists who know exactly who they are. For longtime fans, Dear God will feel like a rewarding evolution. For newcomers, it's an excellent introduction to everything that makes THE PRETTY RECKLESS such a compelling band. It's packed with huge moments, heartfelt songwriting, and outstanding performances while never losing sight of the emotion at its core. After several listens, one thing becomes clear: Dear God isn't just another album in THE PRETTY RECKLESS catalogue. It's one of the band's strongest releases to date and a record that deserves to be experienced in full. It captures everything that has made THE PRETTY RECKLESS so beloved while confidently pushing its sound into the next chapter. Score: 8/10 Dear God was released on 26th June 2026 via Fearless Records. Words: Jack Norris Photos: The Pretty Reckless

There’s a particular kind of restlessness that defines THE PLOT IN YOU, a tension that’s lived in the project since Landon Tewers first broke away from BEFORE THEIR EYES back in 2010. Over the years, the band has evolved from brutal metalcore to wounded post‑hardcore to dark alt‑metal, never settling long enough for anyone to pin them down. Their upcoming full‑length release, The Volume Series, feels like the most honest expression of that instinct yet. It’s a record built slowly, in fragments of a four-part project, across years of touring, burnout, and emotional excavation. When vocalist Landon talks about how the project came together, there’s no grand concept, no master plan. “On the last album, anything that wasn’t a single just didn’t get attention,” he says. “We wanted to try something where we could treat every song like a single.” Instead of locking himself away for a month to force an album into existence, he wrote whenever the moment felt real. “It gave me the freedom to do it when I actually felt like doing it, rather than any pressure,” he explains. “And getting to play new songs every tour kept things fresh - testing the waters, seeing what works live.” That looseness shaped the emotional DNA of the record. Across the series, certain themes echo through loud and clear - cycles, repetition, and the sense of returning to the same emotional rooms even after you’ve sworn them off. But Landon insists none of it was planned. “Oddly enough, not very intentional,” he says. “I’ve been trying to let things come out naturally instead of sticking to a concept. A lot of the songs talk about different things, all condensed into one. They apply to different parts of my life.” Writing, for him, is a kind of overlapping excavation of ideas, rather than a single one. “It’s always been therapeutic,” he adds. “Each song being its own idea has been really inspiring.” Some of the record’s sharpest edges come from looking outward. Divide, one of the series’ most pointed tracks, was born from the post‑COVID fracture that tore through friendships and families. “Everybody in my life was super divided on everything, like politically, socially,” he says. “It was irritating. Nobody was getting along. It was just an observation of that, as someone who just wants to enjoy friendships without everything turning into an argument.” Forgotten, one of the emotional anchors of the project, is a meditation on erasure, speaking not just of people, but of entire stories. “I have friends back home with addiction,” Landon says quietly. “Sometimes I’ll hear someone from my hometown has passed. It’s really sad thinking about how many people suffer in silence without resources.” The song resonated more deeply than he expected. He admits he was pleasantly surprised by how people reacted to the track, “Sometimes songs just skip over people’s heads, but that one connected. It’s one of our favourites to play live.” Reinvention has always been the engine of THE PLOT IN YOU, but The Volume Series pushes that instinct further. “We went into it with the mindset of trying as many different things as possible and not playing it safe,” Landon says. “Some songs don’t even sound like they belong on the same album, which was the intention.” He laughs when talking about the risks. “Forgotten was a huge gamble; an all‑out heavy single with a big‑budget video. And Spare Me was another one that was super heavy with a high‑pitched, upper‑range chorus. But pushing boundaries keeps it fun.” Despite the band’s evolution, one thing hasn’t changed: Landon still writes everything. “I’ve always been the only songwriter,” he says. “I have a very specific idea in my head, and I change my mind a lot. It would be taxing on someone else. It’s easier for me to connect to what I’m singing if I have full control.” But he’s quick to emphasise that the band is still a machine with multiple moving parts. “Everyone serves their purpose. We’re a well‑oiled machine.” Photo: Tyler Whiting for Out Of Rage His vocal identity, from the venomous screams, the wounded croons to the radio-ready hooks, has become the band’s signature. But he doesn’t overthink it. “I almost always write the instrumental first,” he says. “Whatever the instrumental calls for, that’s where I go. I experiment a lot. After almost 20 years, I’ve built different ways of conveying emotion.” He’s aware that fans split into camps: the ones who want the heavy stuff, the ones who want the melodic stuff. “It’s cool seeing both sides connect to different parts,” he says. Writing about personal conflict without romanticising it is a tightrope, and Landon admits he doesn’t always get it right. “Sometimes I probably do romanticise it unintentionally,” he says. “But I try to be as honest as possible. People gravitate toward authenticity. Sometimes I realise things about myself as I’m saying them, like, I didn’t even know I felt that way until it came out.” He lights up when talking about other artists. “I love BILLIE EILISH’s last record,” he says. “There’s a heavy band called VILLANOVA who are a perfect gym band. I don’t get much time to listen for enjoyment, but those have stuck with me.” Whilst playing at Download recently, he caught THROWN and BREAKING BENJAMIN’s performances, both of which left a mark, but says, “Mostly we hid in the green room playing video games.” As for what comes next, he doesn’t offer a genre or direction. He offers rest. “I’m taking a breather,” he says. “It’s been tour, write, record, nonstop. I need to live some life. After this tour, I’m in rest mode. No music.” He laughs, but there’s relief in it. In the end, THE PLOT IN YOU haven’t outrun their restlessness; they’ve learned to sit with it without letting it consume them. The Volume Series isn’t a declaration of identity; it’s a place where the band stops breaking themselves open just to prove they can. For a project built on emotional violence, the most radical move now is choosing not to bleed. The Volume Series will be released on 10th July 2026 via Fearless Records. Words: Lou Viner-Flood Cover Photo: Wyatt Clough Photo Design: Robert Halls Live Photos: Tyler Whiting Editorial Lead: Amber Brooks With Thanks To: Hayley Connelly and Good As Gold

For more than two decades, THE XCERTS have taken the music world by storm with their alternative music style that seems to stand out from the crowd. Their sixth album i want to go home now is one that proves that longevity of this Scottish born, Brighton based trio doesn’t mean that passion and talent has to be compromised or sacrificed. The opening song of the album is a short and haunting interlude that is full of emotion. Named after the album title, this emotionally fuelled song leaves lead singer Murray Macleod repeating the words i think i want to go home now in a fraught plea. No sooner has this song ended, does the album burst into do it to myself, that is packed full of energy and nostalgia with Tom Heron’s drums channelling through the song. The song almost feels fitting for an early noughties TV teen drama and feels akin to a song from a BIFFY CLYRO album with the energy levels that exude. wow comes in even harder with the nostalgia factor with a nod and feel that it could have almost been lifted from a previous album. With perfect blends of acoustics and harsh noise it gives the essence of FEEDER’s early work and a sound that screams summer fun. sinking feeling gives a more modern feel that feels like a slower break from the noise whilst still keeping up the momentum. There feels like an almost cinematic sense to the album with each track feeling like it would be fitting to be added to an angsty soundtrack. With themes running through consisting of life experiences and facing adversity, it’s clear to see how relatable this album can be to the masses. This is particularly apt in the song bury you which is arguably one of the best tracks of the album with the lyrics ‘all you do is give, give, give and you’re gonna break’ feeling poignant to the themes that lie within the album. The song feels punchy and punky from the get go yet leads into the softer rinse repeat. Giving us an almost ballad-like feel, this heart wrenching song truly feels like the perfect break in an otherwise high octane album. The second half of the album feels much like the first, packed with nostalgia, emotion, and everything in between. pretty ugly blends power vocals with incredible breakdowns whilst dream you in feels like it has stepped out of FEEDER’s Comfort in Sound album in the best way. A true testament to how a band like THE XCERTS can create a shoegaze style ballad for the ages. The last three songs end the album with a bang. Leaning into the vulnerabilities of the themes of the album breathe in what was leaving Macleod singing the lyrics "I’d give anything to feel anything at all" to unravel the layers of heartache and anguish to the listener. The album finishes with in your eyes, a song that feels like the perfect ending to this emotionally charged album. Starting soft and ending with a breakdown that juxtaposes the first half of the song to give a fitting ending. THE XCERTS have taken a while to get back to where they started and the album title feels fitting for the feel of the album. Wanting to get back to their roots and reconnect with what truly make them a brilliant band. This album is one that will last the test of time and is truly an alternative masterpiece. Score: 8/10 i think i want to go home now will be released on 10th July 2026 via FLG. Words: Laura Davies Photos: Sam Carter

“Compared to where we'd been, the alternative was to end the band, so we might as well just try this and see if we fall back in love with it.” Kitty A. Austen says this almost breezily, reminiscing on SAINT AGNES’ experience recording emotionally decimating album BLOODSUCKERS, an album borne from grief and turmoil that, at times, is still overwhelming for the band and vocalist Kitty in particular. Where it could have broken them down they instead made space for the grief to exist in a present but unobtrusive manner, the ongoing results being them healing as individuals and a unit and feeling able to create their boldest and most triumphant work to date, Your God Fearing Days Are About To Begin. “We went into the studio with the intention that we would go with whatever inspired us in the moment,” guitarist Jon James Tuffnell explains of their recording process. “Because we didn't know what we wanted to make, and we absolutely didn't feel the pressure in any way to have to sound like what we'd done before.” This candidness is a testament to how they moved forward as a band in letting go of a rigid recording process and choosing to enjoy their time in the studio, a time they intend to celebrate as friends when they're on a break from their support and festival slots. Going with the flow and taking it easy is unfamiliar for them, self-confessing to having “lofty ideas” they only trust themselves to see to fruition. “We are kind of control freaks in the sense that we have such a specific idea of how we think things should be. You've got to have a good working relationship with someone, normally you need time,” admits Tuffnell. “We do all of that ourselves. We come up with a concept, we book everything, we direct it, we edit the videos. We know we can't afford to do it in the conventional way of hiring a director and teams, so we just teach ourselves how to do it.” This DIY approach has seen them learn to play entirely new instruments in a bold approach to enhancing their sound and introducing methods that have been an ambition up to this point. “We just bought some synths secondhand and clone versions of synths,” Austen explains, “We bought them because I wanted to play and be inspired by something new. The childlike fun of taking a different path, really.” “I'll just know that we need something like that, and be like, ‘well I kind of know how to do that on a guitar, but I also know how it's gonna sound’, and I'd like to try and do it with something else,” Tuffnell adds. Austen sums up their new approach, “There's a lot of different genres in the record, and a lot of different ways of singing and playing, and I think that's because we were just feeling so light going into that record.” SAINT AGNES are no strangers to creating new elements to accompany their sound, their self-taught proficiency expanding past music into the technical and artistic industries. ““I like shows that don't necessarily have a constraint on them, using [lights] in a kind of artistic way to enhance the performance is really exciting,” says Tuffnell as they reminisce on their slot at Hellfest 2024 where they utilised screens they only found out hours before they had access to use, Tuffnell putting together a design in mere hours around soundchecks and load-in. “I think a graphic novel would be so perfect for our band of songs, I'd love to have a companion to the album, because there is a lot of vivid imagery and stories there that would really lend themselves to a dark graphic novel,” Austen considers, her visual creativity the main driving force behind the band’s lyrics. “The Beast I see at the start of the song is like a massive wolf, blocking out all of the light coming through, a terrifying, hulking monster. By the end I see it as a puppy, because the song is about letting grief in and making a friend of it. You don't have a choice, you're gonna have to carry it with you throughout life. So, learn how to live with it and hold it.” The Beast has certainly resonated with many fans who have interpreted the lyrics to mould around their personal experiences and help them heal, Austen being made aware of the song’s impact by the number of fans sharing their stories and thanking the band. “If that's the way you're hearing it. It's also about that music is universal, isn't it? I think the more honest the song is, the more it resonates with people. And that's always my goal now, is to just try and strip away layers of artifice, and try to be as honest and vulnerable as possible, because that really seems to make sense. It connects with people. Existing is lonely, so anything that can make people feel less alone is a really worthwhile endeavour.” It’s this honesty and vulnerability in their characters and music that has seen an influx of new fans come out to support them, not only to feel seen by the music but to connect with the band as they work through their grief together. As new listeners fall in love with their music, so too has SAINT AGNES fallen back in love. Your God Fearing Days Are About To Begin was released on 29th May 2026 via Spinefarm. Words: Julia Stark Photos: Jesse Rose With thanks to: Spinefarm and Saint Agnes

“I was trying to create a world of mine that was similar to those games that I love,” explained Braydon Hill, the creative force behind dark shoegaze project ZERUEL. Now that the long awaited Ruin;Rebirth has arrived, we sat down with Hill to talk about the road that led there. Going from delving into the difficulties of creating music as a side-project to the unexpected creative opportunities that came within the COVID-19 lockdowns, our conversation explored the making of this album and what it meant to take ZERUEL’s cinematic, game inspired sound to bigger stages on tour with metal icons like PORTRAYAL OF GUILT and DEAFHEAVEN. Musical career’s are rarely a linear path for even the most accomplished artists, and Hill's journey has been no exception. “I was more of an athlete,” Hill explained, admitting music didn’t become a serious pursuit until his teenage years. Even then, his early experiments were a far-cry from the dark, atmospheric sounds that define ZERUEL. “I was starting off with electric… I don’t wanna say EDM, but kind of hip-hop, electric-pop influenced kind of stuff,” he recalled. Shortly into this journey, it was another lifelong passion that began shaping Hill’s musical direction. “I’ve always done OST’s, because I was super inspired by Final Fantasy and the Souls games and that sort of stuff,” he explained. It was these cinematic, emotionally charged soundtracks that would go on to leave a lasting imprint on his music, with their influence now thoroughly interwoven into ZERUEL’s immersive sound. It wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a standstill that Hill decided to take music more seriously. With lockdowns keeping everyone indoors, he had the time and inspiration to pursue the creative ideas he had been mulling over. “When COVID came around, [artists] would be going live to make music and they’d be showing their setups,” he recalled. It was this that gave him the motivation to invest in a home studio, with the help of his dad. “I had to prove that I was serious and stuff, so I was doing stuff on GarageBand,” he joked. Our conversation turned to Ruin;Rebirth, ZERUEL’s long-awaited debut album and the successor to the project’s earlier EP, Awakening. Naturally, discussion shifted to the stark, black-and-white aesthetic of the project and where the inspiration for this came from. “I’m a huge soulsborne, and soulslike and metroidvania kind of gamer,” Hill detailed. Midway through writing the album, the release of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree reinforced this creative vision. “That sealed the deal,” he said, confirming the direction the project would ultimately take. When asked what song he was most excited for fans to hear, Hill pointed to And For An Angel Who’s Fallen. “It captures the whole album sound in one” he explained. “It has the clean, ethereal ghostly kind of vibe. Kinda like you’re just starting in one of those games. Then it has the kind of boss battle type of moment where it’s really heavy.” While he sees the track as the albums defining statement, its emotional core lies elsewhere. For Hill, the most meaningful song is A Feather Falling With Wind. Although the band had been performing this for months before its release, its themes of acceptance and grief make it particularly personal and poignant. More broadly, Hill wanted Ruin;Rebirth to be more hopeful than ZERUEL’s earlier work. “Wherever you are, whatever may have happened, it’s not the end, and you can always come back from it,” he said when discussing core messages of the album. It was one that was shaped by his own experiences writing it. Juggling two jobs and even briefly considering a career as a professional MMA or Muay Thai fighter, music became both a creative outlet and a welcome escape. Most importantly, though, “it was fun to make.” One of the challenges Hill faced while developing Ruin;Rebirth was stepping behind the microphone. While he’d spent time developing his clean singing, the album marked his first serious attempt at incorporating classic metal screams. “I started learning harsher vocals for this album, because I wanted to have those boss battle, heavier parts,” he said, once again drawing inspiration from the video games that have shaped ZERUEL’s identity. The real test came while on the road. Touring alongside DEAFHEAVEN and PORTRAYAL OF GUILT gave Hill the opportunity to put those newly acquired screams to the test night after night, while also taking advice from the frontmen of both bands. “I would ask questions specifically to George and Matt about vocals, because I’m kinda new to harsh vocals, and they helped out with that,” he mentioned. Hill couldn’t hide his excitement. “That tour is probably top three moments of my life, it was amazing. Everyone showed us so much love,” he said with a grin. The opportunity arrived in fitting fashion; “when I got the email, me and my band were actually at a rehearsal.” If the moment wasn’t surreal enough, he laughed, before continuing, “my drummer actually pulled up his shirt and he had a SUNBATHER shirt on.” Despite the tour being a highlight, Hill singles Damnation Festival 2025 as his favourite live music memory. “That was actually the biggest crowd we’d played for, but when we started it wasn’t that big of a crowd,” he recalled. “My drummer said there were people singing the words at that show,” he added, a moment that made the performance more special. Another standout came from Barcelona, where the venues lighting techs unexpected elevated the set, offering shifting and dynamic lighting that matched the band, despite a lack of setlist. “It gives us more aura, as they say,” he joked. From the beginning, Braydon Hill set out to create music inspired by the games he loves. With Ruin;Rebirth, the vision is alive and if this debut is anything to go by, ZERUEL’s journey is just beginning. Ruin;Rebirth was released on 19th June 2026 via Rise Records. Words: Chloe Sodeau Photos: Zeruel With thanks to: Good As Gold and Zeruel

Few bands have navigated the modern release cycle quite like THE PLOT IN YOU. Rather than unveiling a traditional full-length album in one moment, the band has spent the last few years gradually constructing The Volume Series across multiple EP releases, before finally bringing the material together as a single collection. With only one previously unheard track, Carved, accompanying recent singles Silence and You Get One, the release functions less as a conventional album and more as a definitive closing statement on one of the strongest creative periods of the band’s career. Viewed as a complete work, the decision makes considerable sense. While listeners who followed each EP as it arrived may find little in the way of surprises, The Volume Series highlights just how cohesive this era has been, despite each track retaining its own distinct identity. Across twelve tracks, THE PLOT IN YOU seamlessly moves between crushing metalcore, industrial textures, atmospheric electronics, and emotionally driven alt rock without sacrificing the identity that has earned them an increasingly devoted audience. That identity is anchored by vocalist Landon Tewers, whose versatility remains one of the band’s defining strengths. His clean performances carry remarkable vulnerability, often sounding as though they are on the verge of breaking apart, while his harsh vocals retain an unpredictable intensity that gives the heavier moments genuine weight. Rather than existing as separate tools, the two approaches constantly complement one another, creating emotional shifts that feel earned rather than formulaic. The opening trio immediately establishes the emotional and sonic scope of the record. Divide pairs towering riffs with haunting melodic layers and choral textures to explore themes of conflict and division, setting an ominous tone from the outset. Left Behind follows with one of the album’s most cathartic moments, transforming the pain of a toxic relationship into an empowering release, as its lyrical perspective gradually shifts from lingering resentment towards personal liberation. Forgotten delivers the collection’s most devastating blow, confronting addiction with striking honesty before erupting into a breakdown that has already become one of the band’s signature live moments. From there, The Volume Series refuses to settle into a predictable formula. Closure deliberately eases the intensity, placing emotional vocal delivery and polished melodies at the forefront without losing the sincerity that defines the heavier material. The respite proves short-lived, as Don’t Look Away immediately plunges back into abrasive territory, combining distorted instrumentation with one of the album’s most unsettling vocal performances to create an atmosphere of complete emotional exhaustion. The melodic side of THE PLOT IN YOU continues to receive significant attention throughout the record. All That I Can Give is among the most accessible entries, prioritising memorable songwriting over sheer heaviness. It may not leave the same lasting impression as some of its counterparts, but its restraint arguably prevents the album from becoming overwhelmed by constant attempts to escalate and shock the listener. Likewise, Been Here Before introduces lighter instrumentation and subtle pop-punk influences, demonstrating a willingness to broaden the band’s sound without abandoning their emotional core. That balance becomes one of the record’s greatest strengths. Pretend channels the same deeply personal songwriting that made Left Behind so impactful, leaning into soaring melodies and communal hooks that seem destined for festival crowds. Moments later, Spare Me reminds listeners that THE PLOT IN YOU remains capable of producing caustic heaviness, pairing aggressive riffs with bleak reflections on disillusionment, before closing with another punishing breakdown. The final stretch showcases perhaps the clearest representation of the band’s evolution. Silence begins with little more than acoustic guitar and vocals before gradually expanding into a dynamic piece, blending introspection with controlled aggression, and reflecting on themes of maturity and acceptance. By contrast, You Get One is deliberately disorientating. Glitching electronics, fragmented vocal effects, and sudden shifts between delicate melodies and violent outbursts create an uneasy listening experience. The song’s heavy use of religious imagery hangs over everything, adding to its atmosphere and perfectly complementing its existential examination of modern life and humanity’s tendency to lose sight of what truly matters. Closing track Carved offers the album’s only entirely new material and provides an appropriately reflective conclusion. Rather than directing blame outward, it explores personal accountability and regret, presenting an emotional perspective that feels refreshingly uncommon. While its melodic focus means it does not command attention quite as immediately as the album’s heavier highlights, it serves as a fitting epilogue to a body of work built on vulnerability as much as aggression. As a standalone release, The Volume Series presents an unusual proposition. Existing fans will already know almost every song, making the album feel less like a collection of new material and more like a celebration of everything THE PLOT IN YOU has built throughout this chapter of their career. Yet heard from beginning to end, the sequencing reveals a consistency that may have been less obvious when experienced in separate instalments. Perhaps most importantly, the collection demonstrates a band entirely comfortable embracing every facet of its identity. The crushing breakdowns remain as devastating as ever, but they are given equal weight alongside quieter, more melodic compositions. Rather than chasing expectations of what a modern metalcore band should sound like, THE PLOT IN YOU allows both sides of their songwriting to coexist naturally. In doing so, The Volume Series stands as not just the conclusion of a successful experiment in long-form storytelling, but also as compelling evidence that the band’s creative ascent shows no signs of slowing. Score: 8/10 The Volume Series will be released on 10th July 2026 via Fearless Records. Words: Zuzanna Pazola Photos: The Plot In You