Photo-negative album cover of a creepy castle? Song titles about evil and murder? Out-of-time grooves that get your knees quaking and your booty shakin’? Yep, it’s definitely a new UNCLE ACID AND THE DEADBEATS album. To immediately dispel any sort of speculation from the get-go, Shapes Of Midnight is UNCLE ACID par excellence. After a time making a GOBLIN-esque movie soundtrack, the band are back with their first proper rock record since 2018’s Wasteland, which now seems like a lifetime ago. This time it’s a semi-concept album inspired by Edgar Allen Poe’s The Masque Of The Red Death mixed with the nightmares of the modern age - and there are few things more UNCLE ACID than that. It has been far, far too long since their last release, the last time they had an album out the economy was doing semi-ok and nobody had known the trappings of a global pandemic. But now here we are, older and wiser, and hopefully this gap is the longest this band has for the foreseeable future, because if UNCLE ACID can maintain their quality for this long, then it’s more than likely that they can produce greatness like this for years to come. From the outset this thing is absolutely red-hot with more jams than a pastry tart, the opener, House By The Grave, is an instant classic in the vein of URIAH HEEP (seriously, it could be a sister track to Walking In Your Shadow). It really has to be heard to be believed. In that typical UNCLE ACID style where it feels like a SABBATH song dunked in candlewax, the production is clearer and more biting than Blood Lust’s was, and the vibe is altogether creepy yet classic. Immaculate. When Evil Wakes shows that the band can still annihilate a slower jam if they feel so inclined, complete with some seriously disturbing lyrics. There’s always a compulsion to compare this band with some of the other classic rock groups of the 70s, and yes, the influences are worn clearly on the sleeve, but UNCLE ACID have absolutely perfected their niche and are SO good that they stand on their own. Don’t Let It Control You is a punky number in the vein of GENTLE GIANT’s I Betcha Thought We Couldn’t Do It as the very much non-punk group take a solid crack at the genre. Psycho On The Loose feels like it fell out of a time portal, and it would be pretty perfect for one of those Scooby-Doo chase sequences too. I Won’t Sleep (‘Til You’re Gone) is a glammy jam with a very sexy saxophone, and The Other Side Of The Sky swings low and heavy before ending with a corker of a solo. The album closes on the slow-jam Sleep No More, which grooves its way to oblivion. The album is altogether cohesive and tremendous. Once it's over it seems extremely difficult to not gently tap the “replay” button so you can experience it all over again. It is an added notch on their belt and another bonafide classic to enter the 2020s doom metal canon. Score: 9/10 Shapes Of Midnight will be released on 18th September 2026 via Killer Candy Records. Words: Kiarash Golshani Photos: Karin Hunt

Thrash metal has never exactly been known for its chill. It exists to be loud, fast and vaguely threatening to anyone within a five-mile radius. GAME OVER clearly didn't get the memo about taking it easy, because When Darkness Falls arrives with all the subtlety of a chainsaw through a bedroom door. Just a year removed from Face The End, the Italian thrash metal maniacs are back with their seventh studio album - and apparently decided that one year was more than enough time to sharpen the knives and make everything considerably more feral. From the opening seconds of Hollow And Cold, there is no gentle introduction. No atmospheric little warm-up. No polite invitation to take a seat. The riffs come swinging, the drums are immediately having an existential crisis and Danny Schiavina sounds like he has several grievances to settle. And honestly? Good. GAME OVER have never been interested in reinventing the thrash wheel, but When Darkness Falls proves they don't need to. They know exactly what they want this band to sound like and, more importantly, they know how to make it fun. Two Souls One Flesh comes charging in with exactly that combination, while Break Away refuses to let the adrenaline levels drop. This is music for people who hear the words "take it down a notch" and immediately turn the volume up. Then comes Fight For Your Mind, bringing one of the album's more infectious moments. The riffs are vicious, but there is an undeniable anthemic quality running through the record. GAME OVER aren't just writing songs to be listened to - they're writing songs to be yelled back at them by a room full of people who have probably lost their voices three songs earlier. Scream It Out is, thankfully, not false advertising. The band's sense of humour also saves When Darkness Falls from becoming another overly serious exercise in LOOK HOW DARK AND MISERABLE WE ARE. The album's world is crawling with demons, monsters and general nightmare fuel, heavily influenced by the glorious trashy brilliance of 80s horror cinema. It's dark, but there's a wink behind it. Think blood, guts and VHS static rather than sitting dramatically in a dark room contemplating mortality. Curse Of Strahd is the obvious horror-loving bastard of the record, embracing that aesthetic head-on, while What Fate Brings and Beneath The Ground keep the darker atmosphere bubbling underneath the surface. And then there is the rhythm section. Leo Molinari and Anthony Dantone are essentially responsible for ensuring this thing doesn't fly completely off the rails. The guitars can go feral, Schiavina can spit fire and the songs can barrel towards the nearest wall at 100mph, but the foundation stays brutally tight. Luca Zironi gets plenty of room to turn the guitar into a weapon, and there are riffs here that seem specifically engineered to cause neck problems. Self Denied is another reminder that underneath all the speed, there is a seriously disciplined band at work. The chaos sounds chaotic - but it isn't sloppy. That's the trick. By the time Command To Die rolls around, When Darkness Falls has essentially spent the previous nine tracks kicking the door off its hinges and setting fire to the furniture. There is no grand emotional comedown. No gentle landing. Just one final command delivered with the subtlety of a boot to the throat. Produced, mixed and mastered by Simone Mularoni at Domination Studio, the album sounds every bit as aggressive as it should. The production gives the riffs enough bite without polishing away the band's personality, while the drums retain the impact needed to keep the whole thing moving at frankly irresponsible speeds. What makes When Darkness Falls stand out is that GAME OVER understand the most important ingredient in thrash: fun. Yes, it's heavy. Yes, it's aggressive. Yes, there are enough riffs here to make a chiropractor very wealthy. But there is also personality. The horror obsession, the dark humour, the hardcore influence and the sheer refusal to slow the fuck down all combine into something that feels authentically GAME OVER. This isn't a band desperately trying to convince anyone they're still dangerous. They're simply proving that they are. When Darkness Falls is fast, filthy and gloriously unbothered. It's old-school thrash with its middle finger firmly raised, a horror movie playing in the background and absolutely no intention of hitting the brakes. Full speed or nothing. GAME OVER chose nothing. Score: 7/10 When Darkness Falls will be released on 18th September 2026 via Scarlet Records. Words: Mia Gailey Photos: Simone Furia

To say that TEAM DRESCH have been away for three decades wouldn’t be entirely accurate. Not long after the band broke up at the end of the 90s, Kaia Wilson and Melissa York would go on to form THE BUTCHIES for a time, releasing four albums under the moniker. Around the time of their fourth and final LP, Make Yr Life, Wilson and York would perform with TEAM DRESCH once again, as they have done for over twenty years now. In that time, they’d released the occasional single (including quite a nice cover of ELLIOTT SMITH’s St. Ide’s Heaven). So while they’ve never really gone away, it’s clear that something had to give at some point. In an interview, Donna Dresch mentioned that out of nowhere, at a vegan restaurant in California, Jody Bleyle flipped over a table and exclaimed “I’m not playing another show until we have a new album!” So here we are, Furthermore is the first full-length studio album from TEAM DRESCH since 1996’s Captain, My Captain. Keep in mind, this is a band who managed to help define what the Queercore movement even entails with just two albums - and it’s a movement that has continued to evolve over those three decades (as has the riot grrrl that it often overlaps with). The past decade has provided acts like DAZEY & THE SCOUTS, CONTROL TOP and THE HIRS COLLECTIVE, whose infectious energy and in-your-face politics feel like a natural evolution of what TEAM DRESCH were doing on songs like I’m Illegal and Remember Who You Are. With that in mind, one has to wonder what a modern TEAM DRESCH would sound like. Opener and first single One Song answers some of these questions. It’s a little more anthemic and indie-tinged, almost like some more recent offerings from a group like SLEATER-KINNEY. More emphasis on the occasional guitar effect in the verses, ramping it up in the chorus with a rocking lead melody and performances all around - having two drummers this time around certainly packs more of a punch. The lyrics here are meant as a letter to the group’s past selves - though judging from the music video, it could equally be applicable to young people in the present. The chorus, beginning with “they say there’s danger in the night kitchen, but it’s a dreamland, and it’s for all of us” is a reference to the book “In the Night Kitchen”, by queer author and illustrator Maurice Sendak, who the band describe as some who could create “magical dreamlands”. With the context of the book being banned, this could easily be seen as a metaphor for queer escapism. It conjures images of The Pink Opaque or Camp Miasma in the works of Jane Schoenbrun, these idyllic settings for queer people to imagine themselves in, to imagine a universe where our identities aren’t a point of contention - it’s a dreamland, and it’s for all of us. One Song is a fairly optimistic and nostalgic opener, which is fine. It’s their first album opener in thirty years, after all. Growing Underground on the other hand is a direct response to the current moment. The second track on their first album, Personal Best was called Hate the Christian Right, and this feels like a spiritual successor to that song in many ways. The band don’t mince words here - you don’t get any less vague than “you are terror, you are the terrorists” and “our love offends you, fuck you, our bodies are a threat to you”. The chorus ends with the line “we’ve always been here”, and there’s something so deeply resonant about this in a time where being openly queer can feel all the more difficult with each passing year. Hearing these words can feel reassuring and empowering. We’re still here, and we’re not going away either. Accompanied by a commanding and imperative lead guitar melody and explosive outro, this is one for the ages. It’s an extremely important song, not only within the group’s discography, but it’s also a significant piece of queercore. Elsewhere on the album we have songs like (Where Do) I Belong appears to be about struggling to understand identity, specifically gender identity with lines like “I was a boy, then I was a girl, then I was a boy [...] you are not anything, you are worse than nothing” seeming to be referring to the ensuing self-hatred that so many queer people can relate to with the feeling of being unable to work everything out. One has to wonder if the trans-coded lyrics can be attributed to drummer Marcéo Martinez, who came out as trans-masc around the time the group’s early discography was reissued. He mentions in an interview that if his younger self could see what TEAM DRESCH would become after thirty years that he’d be “for sure stoked to see a trans-masc drummer”. Perhaps in some way this song is meant as a sort of token of solidarity with him, and there’s something really beautiful about that. The album closer here, Protectors, ends the album in a similar way to how it started, feeling like a love letter to the younger generation. When Kaia sings “let them be, leave them the fuck alone, this is their home”, it feels like she’s singing to younger queer people - hence the title. It’s done over a slow, fuzzy riff, with some absolutely gorgeous tremolo-picked guitars in the second chorus. Each snare hit feels so impactful too, and when you hear them played in the outro under “if you don’t leave us now, we’re gonna kick you out”, it works to greater effect. Once again, TEAM DRESCH end an album with a clear statement - they see us, the queer audience who’ve been following them for thirty years, all of us with our own struggles, yet somehow united by one core unshakable part of our identities. Furthermore is an album that didn’t necessarily need to happen. The group had been touring for twenty years without a new album, so it was never a guarantee. But we need music like this more than ever, and while parts of the album are a little shaky at points, an album like this doesn’t need to be entirely made up of memorable songs to prove its point - and if they’ve managed to unite queer punks all over again in the process, it’s more than worth it. Score: 8/10 Furthermore will be released on 18th September 2026 via Jealous Butcher Records. Words: Noise Leonard Photos: Twylo Landey

Five years is a long time for a band to be away. In that time, music can change, audiences can move on and the sound that once felt current can quickly become something nostalgic. For SUMMER WARS, though, the wait has done little to diminish what made the band worth listening to in the first place. Closer Than It Seems marks their return with four tracks that sit comfortably within their emotional pop-punk sound, bringing the catchy melodies and energetic instrumentation that longtime listeners will expect while showing that the band understand when to hold back. There is an immediate sense of energy on Stuck In This Moment. The track is upbeat from the beginning, with the kind of melody that makes it difficult not to move along with it. It is not trying to be complicated, and that works in its favour. The lyrics are catchy without feeling forced, while the overall production gives the song the polished quality expected from modern pop-punk. As an introduction to the EP, it does exactly what it needs to do, getting things moving quickly and establishing the band's sound without wasting time. If Stuck In This Moment is about making an immediate impression, Victim Of The Suburbs is where SUMMER WARS start showing more of what they can do with that sound. The song has a stronger sense of dynamics, pulling the instrumentation back at different points before bringing the energy back in. It might seem like a small decision, but it makes a difference when the heavier moments arrive. Rather than four tracks that remain at the same level from beginning to end, there is a sense that the band are considering how each section should feel. The breakdown is particularly effective. It gives the song a moment of impact without feeling like it has been added simply because a pop-punk song is expected to have one. Combined with another memorable vocal melody and strong production, it becomes one of the EP's most complete tracks. There is enough going on to keep it interesting while still retaining the accessibility that runs throughout Closer Than It Seems. That sense of restraint continues into Blink Of An Eye. The guitar tone immediately stands out in the opening, giving the song a distinctive starting point before the rest of the instrumentation comes in. Once again, the band know when to pull back, allowing certain parts of the arrangement to breathe instead of filling every moment with noise. It is a quality that becomes increasingly noticeable as the EP progresses. There is a temptation with energetic pop-punk to keep pushing forward until the final second. While that can work, it can also make songs start to blend into one another. SUMMER WARS avoid that problem by giving their songs different levels of intensity. The result is still recognisably the same band across all four tracks, but there is enough variation to keep Closer Than It Seems from becoming a collection of songs following exactly the same formula. The best example of this comes with Long Gone. Closing the EP with a more relaxed track is an effective choice, particularly after the energy of the songs before it. The harmonies add another layer to the vocals, while the more stripped-back sections allow the emotional side of the song to come through. Its lyrics are catchy, but there is also something more vulnerable about the way they are delivered. Eventually, the song picks up, but the impact comes from having spent time in the quieter sections first. This is where SUMMER WARS sound at their strongest. They do not need to be at full force to make an impression, and Long Gone proves that the band can create an emotional moment without abandoning the pop-punk identity that runs through the rest of the EP. That balance is what makes Closer Than It Seems work. There are moments where the songwriting stays within familiar pop-punk territory, and the EP is not necessarily trying to reinvent the genre. However, that does not feel like the point. After five years away, SUMMER WARS are not returning with something completely unrecognisable. Instead, they are picking up the parts of their sound that already worked and showing that they still know how to use them. The production helps tie everything together, giving each instrument enough clarity while allowing the songs to retain their energy. The melodies are consistently memorable, but the release is at its best when those melodies are combined with the changes in pace and dynamics. Victim Of The Suburbs has one of the strongest arrangements, while Long Gone is the emotional highlight and arguably the song that leaves the biggest impression after the EP has finished. For a band that has been away for half a decade, Closer Than It Seems feels surprisingly comfortable. There is no obvious attempt to chase whatever sound happens to be popular now, and there is no need for one. SUMMER WARS know what kind of songs they want to make, and these four tracks show that they still have the ability to make them well. Closer Than It Seems is not a release that completely changes the conversation around pop-punk, but it does not need to. Its strength comes from being catchy, energetic and emotionally aware without overcomplicating any of those qualities. The quieter moments are just as important as the bigger ones, and that understanding gives the EP more variety than its short runtime might suggest. After five years away, SUMMER WARS have returned with a release that feels less like a comeback designed to prove something and more like a band simply getting back to what they do best. Closer Than It Seems is a solid return, with enough energy to satisfy existing fans and enough variation to make the four tracks feel worthwhile on their own. It may not push the band's sound into entirely new territory, but when the strongest moments are this catchy and Long Gone shows just how effective their more restrained side can be, there is little reason to complain. Score: 8/10 Closer Than It Seems will be released on 18th September 2026 via Adventure Cat Records. Words: Con Macadam Photos: Summer Wars

To spend time with your friends is already a blessing; to centre your deep-rooted friendship at the core of your music is on another level. OLIVE VOX aren’t just a Texan alt-rock quartet, they’re best friends, brothers in blood and music, a sentiment that has seen them taking on the rock scene and quickly earning a growing fanbase that are hungry for their emotional honesty and self-reflection, their evident joy at performing live, and medleys that weave catchy guitar riffs with boisterous drum beats and fresh vocals. Now they’re ready to launch their breakthrough EP Trace It Back, a collection of hard-hitting, personal tracks that don’t stay within the lines of genre and emotion, shifting from alt-rock to skate-punk to hints of post-grunge, as the band open their pasts to us and take us through the healing journey they've taken so far to a brighter future. Hear Me Out introduces the quartet with Dayton Phillips’ pumped up beats and stirring bass from Ben Reid that’s quickly joined by Caden Shea’s upbeat riffs, all belying the tragic lyrics of vocalist Parker James as he desperately tries to break out of the never-ending cycle of guilt and feeling like he can’t move on, breaking into a heart-rending scream of “hear me out” and pleas to be noticed. Baby Doll blends genres together with the grittiness of grunge, the attitude and rhythms of Britpop indie-rock, and the deafening power and intricacy of alt-rock, creating a track that doesn’t play by anyone’s rules and yet is probably the band at their most precise and serious on the record. Climbing guitar riffs and a crispy drum beat sweep us into I Do before it reaches a pinnacle of raucous screams and forcefully played instruments with a chorus that demands to be sung along to, a moment of connection between OLIVE VOX and fans that will be sure to raise goosebumps as they howl back and forth. Things slow down and a heavier emotional weight is felt on Far From Heaven, a melancholic tinge to the guitar riff that echoes James sorrowful vocals that shift from soaring steadily to raw and coarse on “my heart weighs heavy, the truth is upsetting”, the track feeling like a lament for the band who have worked tirelessly in an unforgiving industry and potentially even their generation that was promised the world and now faces moving goalposts. We Are Not The Same fades in gently with an acoustic guitar, its subtle minor chords already hinting that this will not be a positive ballad before Phillips smashes in with pulverising beats and Reid grips us in a thudding bass line that carries the track, while Shea moves fluidly from reverbed, climbing riffs to fuzzed and heavy riffs, James building to a cry of “don’t you feel my pain now?” and a repeated statement of “we are not the same” dropping to a final lament in a low whisper. Sufficiently saddened by the previous track, closer Black and White ramps up the pace and energy again with a racing rhythm and beat, a relentless guitar solo, and a juicy breakdown that strips back the instruments for a primal scream of “somebody bury me alive!” before the wall of noise slams back in like a welcome brick to the face. With the release of Trace It Back, OLIVE VOX draw a pretty solid picture of why they should be on your watch list. Score: 8/10 Trace It Back will be released on 18th September 2026 via Big Machine Rock. Words: Julia Stark Photos: Kylie Green

ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN are back with their first album in 12 years that showcases the lighter jangly side of their music. For a band best known for atmospheric dark brooding post-punk, it sometimes escapes memory that ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN have a foot firmly in the world of neo-psychodelia. Apples For Issac showcases the band in their more 70s-inspired moments with a heavy dash of indie influence within it. The band have long been influential on so many aspects of the rock world, and it seems as if their influence has come back around to them. Apples For Isaac feels like it’s a nod to where the band have come from and a celebration of layering guitars for jangly charm. It has a sound that feels like many of the 90s indie bands they inspired while still retaining a foot in the 70s. As with all the band’s releases, it is good, however they have a legacy of perfect songs (such as The Killing Moon) to live up to that no band has ever been able to top since its release and that includes ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN. As a collection of songs, the album is a lovely listen. As previously mentioned, it’s on the easier end of their music but it still has the depth the band is known for. All the songs are around 3 and a half minutes long and so get straight to the point. The atmosphere is built more through layered guitar effects than layered lengthy songs. It almost touches on some shoegaze and dreampop style textures but still stays grounded in neo-psychodelia flair. It could be argued that this is an album of singles as every track fits neatly into a old style single format and is of similar quality. Nothing stands out, but that’s because everything is of the same great quality the band have become known for. Lyrically it is as strong as ever, ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN lyrics have always been outstanding and nothing has changed in their time as a band. The words flow like the best poetry and help add to the atmosphere of the album. The history of the band’s working class background shows through the lyricism on display, becoming like a warm cup of tea keeping the album even in its more theosophical moments, fully grounded. The band under the current lineup have become a duo of Ian McCullouch and Will Sergeant who still retain their power. Ian McCullouch’s vocals carry the listener into the world that the band always create, being a guardian in the world of Will Sergeant’s layered textured guitar. For how bright the album sounds, it does get to a stage where the level of guitar effects washes over the listener in waves. Apples For Issac likely won’t convert any new fans into worshiping the legend of ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN, but it proves to fans that they were right to always believe in them. It will be interesting to see how these new songs fare in a live setting when placed against the rest of their discography, it may work as a respite in the darkness of their other work. The band as song writers know what they do well, and they know where to take their music. They command their writing like many of the better legacy bands do, without resting on their laurels, but also without radically redesigning their sound. The band have light and dark in their discography, and this is a great showcase of them bringing the light. Score: 7/10 Apples For Isaac will be released on 18th September 2026 via BMG. Words: Will Freeman Photos: Fritz

There’s something pretty satisfying about taking a debut album, throwing it back into the chaos, and seeing what happens when a whole load of other bands get their hands on it. That’s exactly what SPLIT CHAIN have done with motionblur [DELUXE]. Released via Epitaph Records, motionblur [DELUXE] takes the band’s 2025 debut and expands it into a 26-track monster, combining the original record with new material and a whole host of reworked versions featuring some of the alternative scene’s rising names. And honestly? It’s a pretty fucking good way to revisit a record that already had plenty going for it. The original motionblur wastes absolutely no time getting into it. Under The Wire sets the tone before bored. tired. torn. and I’m Not Dying To Be Here bring that hazy, distorted heaviness that SPLIT CHAIN have made their own. Rookie and who am i? keep that momentum going, while SPIT feels like the point where everything gets a little more pissed off. Then there’s greyintheblue, The Space In Between, Subside, Headway and my mistake…, rounding out a debut that sits somewhere between shoegaze, grunge, nu-metal and the heavier edge of modern alternative music. But the deluxe edition doesn't stop there. untitled [DLX] brings something previously hidden into the fold, while sylvia (i won't belong to you) and scatterbrain add two more pieces to the SPLIT CHAIN puzzle before things get properly interesting. Because from Under The Wire [DLX], featuring DAY ACHES, onwards, the album starts changing hands. bored. tired. torn. [DLX] gets the CONCEALER treatment, I’m Not Dying To Be Here [DLX] features SLOW DEGRADE, and Rookie [DLX] brings in WHITHER. Then COMMONER step into who am i?, FALSE REALITY take on SPIT, and RITUAL join the chaos for greyintheblue. And the collaborations keep coming. POSTDROME appear on The Space In Between, Nodding Off take on Subside, while ROMAN CANDLE get their hands on Headway. Then my mistake... [DLX] gets a ZETRA version before GROVE STREET bring the whole thing home with untitled [DLX]. It’s a lot of music. Twenty-six tracks, to be exact. But that’s also what makes the concept work. Rather than simply chucking a couple of bonus tracks onto the end of the album and calling it a deluxe edition, SPLIT CHAIN have essentially opened up motionblur and invited their mates to fuck around with it. And that’s where the charm lies. There’s something genuinely cool about hearing songs like SPIT, Rookie and The Space In Between reimagined through different artists, because it takes something that belongs to SPLIT CHAIN and gives it back to the scene around them. The band have spoken about wanting to celebrate the people and scene that helped them get where they are, and that comes across far more naturally here than it would in a standard “deluxe edition” cash-in. motionblur [DELUXE] feels like a snapshot of a scene. It’s SPLIT CHAIN saying, this is what we made - now show us what you can do with it. And while the original Under The Wire, bored. tired. torn. and I’m Not Dying To Be Here remain the backbone of the record, the additional versions give the album another reason to exist. It’s familiar, but there’s enough new energy around it to make revisiting motionblur feel worthwhile. If the original album was SPLIT CHAIN announcing themselves, motionblur [DELUXE] feels like them turning around and bringing everyone else into the room. Same songs. New faces. A whole lot more chaos. And we’re absolutely here for it. Score: 8/10 motionblur [DELUXE] was released on 11th September 2026 via Epitaph Records. Words: Mia Gailey Photos: Ashlea Bea

She is shrouded in mystery. She speaks to an unknown entity. She writes emotionally charged lyrics and instrumentals, delivered in primal screams and ethereal vocals. She is CENOBIA and she invites us into her world of the unknown with decimating EP Lethal Devotion. Little is known of the latest metal-genre blending artist taking over the scene, only that she has swiftly amassed a following online with cryptic videos and sound bites announcing her imminent arrival and that we should be prepared to worship at her altar. The altar of Lethal Devotion is laden with offerings inspired by CENOBIA’s love of dark and transcendent music as well as video games and personal stories that shaped each song. The EP is a woven narrative braided around shimmering instruments, thunderous screams, and spell-binding moments that stay with you after the story has ended, creating a well-measured introduction into her new world. Opening track Devour Me immediately immerses us into a creative dark fantasy-scape with first lines “You are the sun eater, devour me”, CENOBIA’s voice floating through a faint guitar riff and sound effects until it rises to a higher key in time with crashing drums, her reverbed vocal screams lending a back drop to her plea to the unknown entity to devour her, harsh guitar and bass crushing any illusion this will be gentle with us. Hypnotic guitar notes are joined by otherworldly sounds on Throne Of Want before descending into a dramatically gothic melody that weaves from angelic backing vocals to guttural screams, clean vocals puncturing through before ripped away on the winds of addictive guitar riffs and a deliciously vicious breakdown of screams and guitar squeals. Make Us Whole Again is restrained in comparison to its counterparts, CENOBIA dropping to a lower octave that she powers through until her voice soars to a level that plateaus with the slowed guitar and stripped back drums, the bass felt more than heard, the medley continuing to climb to new peaks as she calls sorrowfully that she “doesn’t know myself anymore” and begs the entity to “make us whole again” to a fading sound akin to starlight. Swallowed By The World edges its way in with an electronic beat and spacey synths before deep, visceral screams break through and make space for a rhythmic bass riff and crisp drum beat, the tone staying consistent with the narrative of worshipping the entity but with an added layer of desperation and frustration as whispered screams become “lost in the mindgames”. Hypoxia has a gentle introduction of mournful piano and fuzzed guitar, CENOBIA’s high-pitched vocals giving a dreamy quality to the track, sudden drums jarring the deceptive peace before a low scream shatters the illusion, the melody growing into a cinematic, gothic metal piece EVANESCENCE would appreciate that almost feels like the titular character discovering themselves and their own strength outside of the entity’s thrall. The EP ends on a full-circle moment with Constellation, a word alluded to in the opening track, featuring echoing harmonies and a riff building menacingly behind them as the lyrics elevate to CENOBIA promising “I’ll wait for you” as she pledges herself once more to an entity or to a new higher power over instrumentals that raze the fantasy-scape to the ground and drag us into the beginnings of a new chapter. Score: 7/10 Lethal Devotion will be released on 18th September 2026 via Fearless Records. Words: Julia Stark Photos: Cenobia

If there was ever a prime example of getting knocked down but refusing to stay down, it’s Nashville artist Emmyn Calleiro, better known under his project name GAMES WE PLAY. Taking over social media spaces and seemingly rubbing shoulders with all our emo-punk heroes, Calleiro suddenly dropped off the face of the earth and left us with plenty of questions but without his catchy music. Now, Calleiro returns having rekindled his passion for music and making the steadfast decision that he will no longer write based on what the industry wants. Remaining faithful to his craft has resulted in I Wish I Never Quit, an album that’s 100% his words and his heart, a lesson to others who feel burned out to take that deep breath and dust yourself off when you feel able to. First landing on our social media screens through humorous TikToks and reels, Calleiro caught the attention of FALL OUT BOY’s Pete Wentz with his self-exposed lyrics, warm personality and humour, and a sound that transports us back to classic 00’s pop-punk-emo. Wentz was quick to sign GAMES WE PLAY to his coveted Fueled By Ramen label - for those dreaming of the ‘glamour’ of success, this felt like the first peak in the mountain rage of a career, a surety that it could only go upward from there. Instead, Calleiro suffered from burnout, the constant cycle of write, perform, post, (barely) sleep, repeat invading on his personal life, while the industry’s pressure on him to write a certain way for streams sucked the joy out of music. Calleiro reached a breaking point that could have seen him walk away from GAMES WE PLAY and the industry for good, something his own dad had done years before when his son was born (Jason Calleiro was the original vocalist for GLASSEATER). Having become a father himself, Calleiro decided to break the generational cycle by returning to his creative outlet and keeping his life balanced - this time on his terms. I Wish I Never Quit is Calleiro at his most honest and treads the line between self-assured and still working on himself, against a backdrop of catchy melodies and nostalgic hooks. “I guess my time is up” is the first thing we hear on opener A Proper Introduction, pretty bleak but apt for a track that sees Calleiro reflect on his success within his personal life and career before flipping it into a scrutiny of his parents and the comparison of where everyone expects him to be versus him actually doing better now despite appearances saying otherwise. It’s a vulnerable display played over a contradictory boppy rhythm that judders between speeding instrumentals and stripped back moments that bring the song to a screeching halt, finally exploding into an entertaining commotion of drums and horns. Is This What I’m Made Of feels borderline Midwest emo but with a focus on horns and piano that would sit it comfortably on PANIC! AT THE DISCO’s Nine In The Afternoon album, Calleiro lamenting “there’s a light, I can feel it, but I’m bound to mess it up” before his voice rises to a false scream over trumpets. There’s no innuendo or interpretation of The Smash, it’s a no-holds-barred attack at the industry puppet masters who tried to mould the entire sound of GAMES WE PLAY into something unrecognisable, with Calleiro standing his ground and refusing to play the game by their rules over undulating rhythms, acoustic guitar, and a deadpan delivery reminiscent of WEEZER. Silver Lining starts to see a turn in the personal growth but still focusing on the feeling of being stuck in quicksand as Calleiro works out if starting a band is the best path for him, his voice rising to a screech of “where’s my silver lining” over a melody that will keep early TWENTY ONE PILOTS fans listening. Right Place, Wrong Timing is a step further in the right direction of self-acceptance, but starts to look at the cons of being a musician in the modern world where it’s not enough to be an authentic creator with catchy acoustic and piano compositions coupled with harmonising choruses, you have to make friends out of industry enemies and play to the crowd on your socials just to get a crumb of notoriety. “This is a song about getting better, and if you sing along then we can do it together” is one of the first lines of This Is A…Song and feels exactly like the emotional gut punch it is, Calleiro inviting you in to share insecurities and fears over a stripped back, repetitive piano scale and acoustic guitar that gradually builds as he decides this can be a song for when your happy or sad, as long as you keep hope alive. The Worst Thing I’ve Ever Done feels like a mix between P!ATD and Bo Burnham in its self-flagellation of Calleiro not being around more for his daughter and a brutally honest and terrifying look into the future where they’ll become estranged if he doesn’t balance his life better over layered vocals, upbeat piano and steady drums, the track fading out on a melancholic piano note. Enid takes a slower approach that hops between elements found in JIMMYEATWORLD’s gentler songs and OF MONSTERS AND MEN’s understated beats and soft acoustics, Calleiro mourning someone who’s “not around anymore”, whatever spark they had vanishing and leaving his life dimmed. Final track Maybe I’m Right is a last struggle to silence the negative voices in his head that tells him he’s not good enough now, with hard-hitting lyrics “I am trying but I’m barely hanging on” over a sentimental guitar riff, the final segment showing Calleiro looking into a new future where he’ll play guitar for his daughter and he’ll finally be happy that he “didn’t quit”. Score: 8/10 I Wish I Never Quit will be released on 18th September 2026 via Nettwerk Music Group. Words: Julia Stark Photos: Juan Flores

Thrash legends and one of the big four ANTHRAX are back with their first album in 10 years that seems to mark the end of something. ANTHRAX have never been the heaviest band in thrash, and this album is no exception. They have often brought sounds from across the rock spectrum into their music and this doesn't change that. As a collection of songs it’s the most modern the band has ever sounded, with crisp modern metal production. Songwriting-wise they still retain many of their signature structurally choices, but there's a noticeable modern edge with many of the riffs feeling less like the 80s party band ANTHRAX are often known for. Take a song like The Edge Of Perfection, it sounds almost like a VOLBEAT song in the way it combines thrash elements with an alt-rock sound - the album does not sound out of place in the world of modern rock radio. The band have developed in their 45 years together, but Joey Belladonna’s vocals sound as great as ever and ring clear through the album. They retain their characteristic power and charisma, which for a 65-year-old is no easy feat. The album’s introspective feel is helped by how directly he sings every line. The band do retain some of their old sound on tracks such as Infectious, which feel like it came directly from an excellent remaster of an album from the 80s. Another of the older style tracks is NYC 93, which features some of the punchiest bass of the album. The mix allows every instrument to shine without anything getting lost, it’s a true testament to the power of modern recording techniques. Scott Ian’s guitar is as great as ever, there’s plenty of reasons as to why he is known as a guitar legend. Every riff played and every solo taken is metal joy. No song comes across as one note as the entire spectrum of what guitars can do in the band is on full display. The title track is a 6-minute journey showcasing the band on full form going through a range of textures, which for ANTRHAX is a little unusual. With the lyrics stating “now it’s over” it feels like the band are coming to the end of their journey. With many contemporaries recently announcing retirement tours and final albums, it feels like they too may be nearing thar point. The band on the album sound like they have plenty of life left in them and it would be a shame to lose such an important legendary band. The band manage to make metal songs that have hooks and an almost pop structure to them without sacrificing any of their metal principles. They have been a band full of consistency for years. ANTHRAX are as metal as ever, they don’t sit around without absorbing any new influences they add them into their sound. The band have managed to create another collection of songs that will be a joy for metalheads around the world, and will fit in with other tracks in their live set. If this is the end for ANTHRAX it’s a high to go out on. Every member of the current lineup of the band creates a cohesive song writing unit for the album making it a strong release. With the album title translating to something like ‘my journey is over’ it does feel like that something is coming to an end for the band. Realistically they have less years ahead of them than they do behind, but whatever time ANTHRAX have left is sure to be a good time. Score: 8/10 Cursum Perficio will be released on 18th October 2026 via Nuclear Blast Records. Words: Will Freeman Photos: Travis Shinn

For so many millennials, EVANESCENCE has been a lifeline, a band whose fusion of vulnerability, theatrical darkness and raw catharsis offered a language for emotions they didn’t yet know how to name. With their songs shaping adolescence, survival and identity in ways that still echo through the people who grew up with them, seeing them perform over twenty years since they arrived on the scene is something special. An EVANESCENCE live show does not ease you in, it hits like a cathedral collapsing in slow motion. Supported by American shape‑shifting artist K.FLAY and alt‑music’s most unpredictable force POPPY, the opening night of the Sanctuary tour at First Direct Arena in Leeds was no exception. Photo courtesy of Seanen Middleton/Chuff Media Opening up the evening was K.FLAY, whose appeal sits in her ability to fuse emotional excavation with jagged hooks and genre‑fluid production. Despite a few early technical difficulties, she tore straight into Scratch and Raw Raw, with a jolt of adrenaline that snapped the room awake. A heady setlist of tracks followed; Tomboys Don’t Cry dragging its knuckles through self‑mythology, Blood in the Cut detonating like a long‑buried confession, and Rabbit Hole brought that familiar, frantic self‑interrogation. By the time she hit High Enough and unveiled Ants, a new track crawling with static‑charged tension, K.FLAY was no longer performing - she’s peeling back layers in real time, each line landing like another cut opened under the arena lights. Second support act POPPY delivered high energy from the very first line; the crowd was instantly captivated by her surreal, heavy, genre‑warping set. Leeds got the full collision course from her performance: the sugar‑rush twitch of Scary Mask, the pulse of crystallized, the weight of vital and Guardian, the industrial snarl of Public Domain, and the pit‑splitting violence of the BAD OMEN’s collaboration track V.A.N. Every shift in the sound felt deliberate, contrasts of cute twisted into terrifying. Finishing with If We’re Following the Light, her performance commanded the crowd, and proved she’s operating at a level far beyond just a support act. Leeds is already roaring before Amy Lee even steps into the light, a silhouette sharpened by two decades of turning vulnerability into something volcanic. The moment her voice cuts through the dark, the room is captivated and locked in. This is not just nostalgia, but a band proving their legacy still has teeth, still has fire, still has the power to pull thousands together. From the first chord of Sanctuary the crowd was ready for more. The band moved through the opening track with an urgent energy that set the tone for a show built on contrasts: brutality and tenderness, spectacle and intimacy. Tell Me When You've Had Enough and Afterlife landed with precise aggression from both guitars and drums, while Amy’s voice threaded through the noise with uncanny control. Rapture and Going Under shifted the mood mid set, digging into familiar territory, but it was the stripped moments that followed that cut the deepest. Lithium was played on the catwalk of the stage, on a piano that rose from the ground, with the arrangement bringing beauty to the raw and exposed track. A highlight of the night came with Like You, played live for the first time in the UK, twenty years since the release of The Open Door. The song’s live debut felt like a rediscovery, old wounds and new perspective braided into a performance that honored the original while reframing it for now. Self Destruct and Calm Down reintroduced the heavier textures, reminding the audience why the band’s dynamics remain so compelling. The staging around Call Me When You're Sober was cinematic: a wall of fire before the band, the official music video projected behind them, turning the song into a ritual. K.FLAY returned to the stage for Fight Like a Girl and injected a fierce, contemporary edge; making the collaboration electric and defiant. Beautiful Lie and Wasted on You followed, each delivered with emotional clarity, showing Amy Lee’s incredible vocal range. Forever Without You returned to the bare-boned intimacy shown earlier in the set, with the piano’s resonance filling the venue like breath. Breakthrough hit Bring Me to Life had the crowd erupting before the chorus even had a chance to arrive; shouting every word from the first piano strike. The staging leaned into the spectacle without overwhelming the song, with sharp lighting bursts punctuating each transition, the band’s heavier live mix gave the track a grit that’s grown with them over the years and Lee’s vocal delivery was unwavering, cutting through the arena with clarity. The final lines had thousands of voices rising in unison. Imaginary followed with a different kind of intensity, delivering a slow‑burning surge where the band’s heavier edges softened into something dreamlike, letting Amy Lee’s phrasing hover in the air making the track feel both weightless and quietly devastating. Better Without You and About Us threaded through the encore with cathartic release. What made the performance stand out for both tracks was the way the band held the tension from start to finish, never letting the energy dip, with Amy’s phrasing carrying a quiet vulnerability that resonated across the arena, especially in the moments where the instrumentation pulled back and her voice sat almost alone. Next came the live debut of End of You with POPPY, which was a moment of theatrical collision. POPPY’s presence transformed the song into something darker and more playful, which the crowd enjoyed every moment of. The live arrangement for Who Will You Follow leaned darker and more expansive, giving the track a slow-building tension that paid off in its final stretch. The band’s interplay was tight and deliberate, each part locking into place as the song grew. When the chorus opened up, the arena erupted with voices, turning the track into one of the emotional peaks of the night. During My Immortal, the penultimate song of the night, the arena became a constellation as thousands of phone lights lit up the arena, with a communal hush that made the song feel even more sacred than it did back in 2003. Wide Open Heart, the closing track on EVANESCENCE’s sixth studio album, Sanctuary ensured the set ended on both triumphant and reflective notes. Amy Lee’s vocal delivery was striking in its restraint. Rather than leaning into power, she shaped the song with a careful, aching clarity that made every line feel close. Photo courtesy of Seanen Middleton/Chuff Media After the final song of the night, Lee spoke to the crowd, with her final words landing like a call to action: “Take the fire and let it feed you - into the darkness and out the other side.” The line summed up a night that burned and healed so many in equal measure, as the red confetti fell from the ceiling. Words: Lou Viner-Flood Photos courtesy of Seanen Middleton/Chuff Media

It’s not often that a death metal band hailing from Colorado visits the UK, even less so when it’s The 1865 stage in Southampton where ALLEGAEON decide to start their UK tour. The metal community of Southampton were ready for a night of headbanging with the US band, alongside French rockers GOROD and UK metal risers DEFECTS. Opening up the night were DEFECTS. A band that ingrained deeply cathartic lyrics and themes throughout their songs were the perfect openers for the night. Vocalist Tony Maue delivers deep growls contrasted by a wide vocal range throughout each song. Encouraging the audience to fully participate before diving into Signs, from the upcoming album Artificial Icons, the band shout for the audience to wake up and move throughout soaring vocals and tight instrumentals. It can be hard to be an opening band, however DEFECTS took it in their stride and whipped up the audience demanding movement before heavy breakdowns in a precise way that feels both intentional and like they have been doing this for decades. By the time they hit All For Nothing, the audience were thoroughly warmed up ready for the rest of the night ahead. Next to the stage were GOROD. Hailing from Bordeaux, France, this old school technical death metal band started their night with 2018 hit Bekheten’s Curse and did not slow down for even a moment. Originally formed in ‘97 they have generations of fans old and young and this was reflected in the sea of t-shirts in the audience. Filled with huge technical guitar moments, and heavy bass lines, the songs felt cinematic and alive. By the time they played We Are The Sun Gods in the middle of their set, the audience were in awe. Perfectly blended dual vocals with insane screams came from lead vocalist Julien Deyres and guitarist/backing vocalist Mathieu Pascal. The latest album The Ember Gone may have only been released days before the show, but the audience seemed to know the words and connect with the music, especially through songs Forgiveness and Remains. By the time the band had reached the end of their set, the audience had witnessed huge interludes that focused on the technicality of guitars. A stand out moment of the set was undoubtedly a solo section dedicated to the double necked guitar and skills that were entrancing and beyond impressive. Playing a headline worthy set as main support is no easy feat, but GOROD rose to the occasion. Finally it was time for the headliners to take to the stage. American death metal legends ALLEGAEON took to their headline slot like pros and delivered nothing but a spectacular performance. With 18 years under their belt as a band it is easy to see how they can command an audience and dominate a stage. Opening with Threshold Of Perception, vocalist Ezra Haynes was engaging and every part of a frontman that you could ever want from a band. Interacting with the audience, bringing them into the fold, it felt like a party of friends as he screams “let me fucking hear you” to a rapturous cheer. Featuring songs from their entire back catalogue allowed them to not only show their skillset, but also show how they have refined their craft to something close to perfection. Riffs, breakdowns, and solos were heavy features throughout the set from guitarists Greg Burgess and Michael Stancel alongside bassist Brandon Michael. Adding the distinct drum style of drummer Jeff Saltzman, it truly was a wonderful experience for audience members to see such cohesiveness within a band. Their technicalities within the performance were crafted to perfection throughout songs such a Of Beasts And Worms and The Swarm. The band managed to capture a moment of pure enjoyment on the faces of everyone in the room, with whole audience singalongs bringing together performers and fans into something rather special. By the time ALLEGAEON reached their last song, Proponent For Sentience III - The Extermination, Haynes declared to the audience that the song was about ChatGPT and “how it’s ruining our fucking lives”. A true warning that the use of AI could lead to the destruction of bands. An important ending to a show that showed the best sides of metal and highlighted that 18 years on, ALLEGAEON are still at the top of their game. Words and photos: Laura Davies