Doing things because of spite is generally not encouraged. However, doing things because of Spite, the notable Californian deathcore group, is in fact highly encouraged and welcomed in the community. Such things include going to Nottingham to see the stunning lineup they've chosen to tour with, featuring a veritable who's who of current aggressive American -core music. As comfortably the smallest band on the bill, Colorado's Mouth For War were opening up proceedings, but belied their youth and ripped the very air to shreds with a dominant set. The energy they played with, combined with the raw heaviness in songs like 'Roses In Place Of Your Ashes' made the whole set a defining statement of intent. You would never have known they were only touring the UK for the first time as they played like a band with years of touring under their belts and allowed every speck of vitriol to show through the entire half hour they were onstage, culminating in the song 'The Devil' which is about "harming paedophiles", a sentiment that was echoed back tenfold by the whole crowd. Every second of their stellar metallic hardcore was worth listening to - Mouth For War, take a bow and please return soon. Taking the mantle next were Connecticut's Boundaries, whose breakdown flecked metalcore was a perfect transition from the previous band into the rest of the set. The pits opened up nigh on instantaneously, everyone who wasn't moshing was headbanging, and the whole atmosphere was intensely enjoyable. Having only just released their fourth album on March 29th, we got to hear plenty of new songs alongside some of their older material which made for a great set, no matter how many times you'd seen them before. Splitting their setlist evenly to three songs each of off most recent release 'Death Is Little More', 2022's 'Burying Brightness' and 2020's 'Your Receding Warmth', it was a varied set that more than shared the love between their previous work and recent tracks too. Providing main support, Bodysnatcher joined us from Florida. The hellish gutturals combined with incredibly satisfying breakdowns and clear crowd support kept everyone's energy high. Songs like 'Black of My Eyes' and 'Take Me To Hell' enjoyed excellent crowd participation, and new single 'Murder8' went down a treat. It was, however, final song 'King of the Rats' that had the biggest reaction of the night up until then, with a huge roar in response to it starting and movement the entire way through. Possibly the best single word to describe the Bodysnatcher fans would be frenzied, as they kept pushing and screaming and jumping all set in a huge display of love for the band. Finally, headlining the entire event, Spite entered the fray all the way from California and gave an example to each attendee of how much fun ridiculously heavy music can be. On their Dedication to Flesh tour, they filled half their fourteen song set with tracks off of the new album. The title track and 'Crumble' were particular hits, but each song went down a storm, although considering the album came out nearly two years ago that was almost expected! However, the rest of the set was just as popular, with hits like 'Kill or Be Killed' stirring up a storm, and an encore of 'Despise' into 'Death Sentence' was a phenomenal way to finish off such a consistently excellent night of live heaviness. Featuring four incredibly heavy bands on one bill, riffs galore, barely a single clean vocal and innumerable breakdowns, the entire night was a riot. Every band gave Nottingham their best, and will all no doubt be welcomed back with open arms whenever they may return. Words: Jake Longhurst Photos: Ellie Jones

Out of nowhere, CANVAS SOCIAL shut down. A basement with a lot of heart and the ability to put on some amazing live shows, overnight the venue had a piece of paper cellotaped to the door with the words ‘WE ARE CLOSED’. This wasn’t widely reported, I had only seen it sandwiched in between a quickly-written article, listing it as another ‘live venue, bar or club that had shut down during the week’. Etcetera. However, this is the reality of the overwhelmingly devastating crisis that the cost of living is having on our nightlife, with the Music Venue Trust reporting that over 120 venues had closed last year. Dream State had announced their ‘Still Dreaming’ UK tour well before CANVAS’ closure- one of the many bands that had to navigate a short-notice venue change. At this point, the welsh titans had overcome hell-on-earth, a pandemic with almost all the original members leaving and the future of the band in jeopardy. From the embers, guitarist Aled Evans, brought back the band, with a new and (in my opinion) arguably tighter lineup. We saw the band gain some serious traction during their UK festival run last summer, with vocalist Jesse Powell, a vocal behemoth hitting all the notes with electrifying ease and dexterity. Dream State pride themselves on being an ‘independent band’, their platform is one they have worked extremely hard for. In the rafters, of YES! Pink Room, just down the road from CANVAS, hosted their 14 date homecoming tour with Graphic Nature, and local support. In Manchester, this was the turn of local heroes, Crushed By Waves. From the moment the doors opened, the band pushed themselves onto the stage, bringing with them an infectious amount of positivity and energy. The band’s uplifting debut album ‘More To Life’ was released last month and with it cascading choruses, ambitious but catchy riffs and a warm Mancunian welcome. Self proclaimed loudmouth, Andy Hoskinson, thanked the entire crowd ‘from the front, in the middle and the back for supporting live venues’. A brilliant set, finishing with the frontman in the middle of the pit, becoming one with the crowd. Graphic Nature, otherwise known as the 404, have had a monstrous week, debuting their second album, their second single and their first KERRANG! Cover. Out Of Rage can also testify to their greatness, with the band firmly in our top 5 for their album ‘A Mind Waiting To Die’. A overwhelming change to Crushed By Waves, the band, with a brutally crushing sound that pushes their jungle infused hardcore to its limits. Reminiscent of the subconscious ramblings of early Slipknot ‘ALL HOPE IS GONE’ era, their sound (and visuals) would not be out of place in the SAW bathroom. Meanwhile, their lyrics fully embrace the isolation and the outsider, speaking volumes about the bands awareness and activism for men’s mental health and neurodiversity. Perhaps not the right crowd to have a big mosh pit, the 404 brought a damaging amount of energy from the stage. A band undoubtedly on the rise, Graphic Nature is the band that is on the brink of a breakthrough. Dream State grace the stage shortly after, opening with ‘Still Dreaming’ the title track of their new album. With ten days already on the road, they started not in the best form, but the diehard fans at the front carried the vocals, and the energy. However by their third song ‘Comfort in Chaos’, it felt like they had flipped a switch and found their rhythm. Vocalist Jesse worked wonders with the crowd, making us all feel a part of the show, delighted at both the familiar and new faces in the crowd. The alt-rockers turn the heat up with ‘Chin Up Princess’, gravitating towards deep engulfing screams, pushing the sound into damaging breakdowns. At this point, they threw it back with ‘Made Up Smile’; and ‘Hand in Hand’, both released on their early album ‘Primrose Path’ from 2018. The setlist, away from the monumental set they did on RADAR Festival’s second stage, has definitely evolved to fit the image of the newly-reformed band, especially after the release of their new album. The crowd embraced both new and old, building up the energy from ‘Anxious State of Mind into the defining sound of ‘White Lies’. An encore follows, with a very special version of ‘Taunt Me’ with Harvey from Graphic Nature, finishing on crowd favorite, ‘Primrose’. If anything, this show demonstrated how resilient and powerful live music can be, always bouncing back at the first opportunity. Whilst CANVAS is an unforgivable casualty to the state of live music, there will always be spaces and artists to uplift the music community. The alternative music scene has always appraised the underdog, the DIY, and unifying to make those moments of pure escapism that only can be felt on a sticky floor. Advocacy for who you believe in carries so much further these days, especially in hard times. And if you come out of a show feeling resolved, feeling bleak, feeling ecstatic, feeling sad that it’s over or just feeling is enough to save life and make a difference to your local scene. Words: Amber Brooks Photos: Jake Griffin

April has arrived, and with it Spring may have finally sprung! The weather is looking better, temperatures are a bit more mild, and most importantly it’s a new month of music! However, not all things revolve around music, and this month it is Autism Awareness Month. Autism and other forms of neurodivergence affect millions of people in all sorts of ways, so if you aren’t aware of how autism can manifest and affect people then this month is a good time to educate yourself on it! It’s also Girls Behind The Rock Show's Diversity Awareness Month, which we are huge fans of. Diversity in music lineups and music journalism is enormously important, and whilst it is improving we can all do better. There’s also some big news on UK venues, with the new Co-op Arena in Manchester opening its doors for the first time, and London’s Brixton Academy reopening too! Now, onto the music. Bob Vylan are heading on tour to celebrate their new album ‘Humble As The Sun’ which is coming out tomorrow, and sure to be a thoroughly enjoyable listen. The grime-punk duo cover incendiary political messages which have rarely, if ever, been as important as they are now. With Palestine being occupied, LGBT rights being encroached upon, and discrimination at a UK high, Bob Vylan are a band of our time and signify the changes we need to make. Oh, and they also happen to be fucking brilliant live too. Not to leave Bob Vylan as the only group with a new political punk album of late, Kid Kapichi released their third LP ‘There Goes The Neighbourhood’ in late March and, having just embarked on a record release tour, are off again on a full UK tour supported by Dead Pony and Dumb Buoys. Tackling immigration issues, the police and even love, Hastings’ own aren’t afraid to talk about anything - the one consistent theme is how great every song is. Another early April tour is the Dream State and Graphic Nature tour, which is one hell of a lineup, and also fits wonderfully into this month - Dream State have one of the coolest female vocalists in the game, Jessie Powell, who is ceaselessly promoting diversity, and Graphic Nature’s song ‘Fractured’ is about struggling with autism. Both bands are live powerhouses, and having them tour together will make for a phenomenal set of shows all across the UK this month. One of the heaviest tours of the year is hitting this month, as Spite roam the United Kingdom with Bodysnatcher, Boundaries, and Mouth For War all tagging along. The colossal weight of this tour cannot be overstated - each band could comfortably wreck a building with the sheer aggression of their music, so putting them all on one lineup is quite possibly a safety hazard that should absolutely be witnessed. Any fans of the various -core’s will particularly enjoy this, going from Mouth For War’s metallic hardcore brutality to Boundaries’ metalcore, and deathcore from Bodysnatcher and Spite. This is likely to be an intense, visceral show, and will need to be seen to be believed. Speaking of heavy tours, the all UK lineup of Sylosis, Burner and Harbinger is not one to trifle with. Opened by technical deathcore merchants Harbinger, and followed by Burner’s pulverising blend of blackened death metal and hardcore, with British heavyweights Sylosis headlining the whole thing. After supporting Lamb Of God and Malevolence, Sylosis are taking themselves around the country on an almost entirely sold out tour, so any spare tickets should be grabbed ASAP! April has far more than it’s fair share of excellent heavy lineups, but this one provides a little more than the rest: Pupil Slicer are playing with Coilguns and God Alone, but won’t be playing any old set - the London group are playing their stunning second album ‘Blossom’ in full at every show on the tour. On what is their first ever headline tour, they’re taking Swiss noise band Coilguns and Irish mathrock group God Alone to make up the rest of the bill. Don’t wait any longer than you need to to grab a ticket, this will be wonderful. For a slightly less heavy evening, you could go and see punk rockers Millie Manders and the Shut Up who are touring across most of this month! They’ll be taking the Angry Side Tour all around the UK from the 10th of April right up till the 27th, and will be joined by either power-punk band Voodoo Radio or emo pop riffers All Ears Avow as main support, so check out both and catch whichever show you can! Finally, NOIZZE UK are celebrating their tenth anniversary as an online publication and are running their very own day festival, NOIZZEFEST. With an amazing lineup of bands including VEXED, CLT DRP and Burner, as well as some friends of Out Of Rage in Wallowing and our first cover artist Death Goals! If you’re near Cardiff on April 27th then you’d best get yourself down to see this phenomenal lineup of bands, and support the British scene! Words: Jake Longhurst Cover Photo: Jake Griffin

Please Mr Postman, bring me a letter… He's done one better. London-based psychedelic rock band The Deniros have released their first single of 2024, which as fans of their live shows over the last two years will tell you used to be a staple in their set list until it was retired for a bit while it got a polish and what a polish it is. With influences such as Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles and early 2000s indie bands, The Deniros possess a nostalgic quality while maintaining complex guitar solos and a community-based vibe at their shows. ‘Step No More’ is a well-written and interesting track with passionate, drawling vocals, and no shortage of heavy riffs they've captured the same feeling you get listening to 70s rock of a similar style. It's managed to drag that kind of soul back from then, stick it in a white suit and do a more modernised take on it whilst not being oversaturated. There are differences between their last release and this one as the band has two separate leads with different inspirations and lyric writing styles. The song itself is about accidentally licking an LSD stamp when going to post a letter and then walking into your partner cheating on you but you're too high to care is a world away from the societal issues and mosh pit solos of ‘Squire’, however, keeps the same kind of energy that flows through their back catalogue, since they've seemingly made their brand of psychedelic rock and soul. It's got less edge as a result making it closer to one of their much earlier tracks ‘Here with you’ which makes it a fun and energetic sing-back track as opposed to a more agro one. It's enjoyable that the members all take turns to write over just one of them doing so as it always gives different takes on the same influences. The Deniros have been working behind the scenes for a while building up a dedicated fanbase around their music as well as tackling social issues and as a result they've gained a lot in a short time but it didn't come without work behind the scenes. As a result, they'll be playing O2 Islington on 27th April as well as a year of busking, festivals and more songs to be recorded. Their Road to Deniros series showcases what they've been getting up to since late 2022 and their journey to eventually get to the man himself, Mr Robert De Niro. Words: Kitty Aurora Photos: Provided by The Deniros

Powerhouse Finnish folk metallers Korpiklaani are back with their twelfth studio album ‘Rankarumpu’; with shamanic frontman Jonne Järvelä returning to form penning the lyrics for the majority of the record. Reflecting Järvelä’s move from the city to the secluded lakes and forest of the Finnish countryside, this new setting has definitely inspired the themes explored in this new album; the Finnish landscape, scandinavian legends, and with just a little bit of the raucous camaraderie that we have come to know the band for sprinkled in for good measure. The album opens with a metaphorical punch to the face with the extremely catchy and velocious ‘Kotomaa’, translated as ‘Homeland’. Detailing the blue skies and snowy white lands of the band's Finnish home; the tempo and sonic chaos of this opening number, allows you to imagine that it would not feel out of place soundtracking a few rowdy nights out down at the Green Dragon in Hobbiton. The real headbanging anti war monolith, ‘Tapa sen kun kerkeet’ (translated to ‘Kill it when you can’) follows. Järvelä’s delivery and the fierceness of the music carries through into the meaning of the song. ‘Rankarumpu’ is the first studio outing of former Turisas violinist Olli Vänskä, getting stuck straight into proceedings he is responsible for possibly the catchiest tune on the record, track 4 ‘Saunann’ (‘To the Sauna’). With lyrics penned by drummer Samuli Mikkonen, this toe tapping jig, will surely be a favourite amongst fans. Those who attended the recent UK and Ireland tour can attest to this as they would have witnessed the chaos of ‘Saunann’ in the flesh as part of Korpiklaani’s supporting set. The titular ‘Rankarumpu’, described by Järvelä as a “conscious tribute to the band and its members, summing up what Korpiklaani is”, is an impassioned chuggy romp that you will find impossible to stay still to. This is immediately followed by ‘No perkele’ (‘Well the devil’ or ‘Well god damn’), which opens with the once again strong fiddle work of Vänskä, fingering a tune that is oddly familiar (reminiscent of Slipknot’s ‘Wait and Bleed’ perhaps). Perkele being both an evil spirit of Finnish folklore and a modern day profanity in Finland; you’ll find this particular track a real ear worm. It’s catchy and we will be humming along to it for days to come. The album sticks the landing with the soaring ‘Harhainen höyhen’ (‘A Stray Feather’), this time bringing in wind instruments and more of a banjo tone in the guitars. Järvelä goes into full shaman mode, with his chant-like lyrics. The song really builds to a melodic anthemic finish to the record. This track in particular feels like it is best listened to whilst surrounded by woodland on an astrologically important day of the year. Stepping away from the slightly slower tempo of recent records, such as 2018’s ‘Kulkija’ and most recently 2021’s ‘Jylhä’. ‘Rankarumpu’ see’s the sextet back to their high tempo best. Korpiklaani have always been experts of blending traditional instruments in with the more mainstream harsh vocals, rousing riffs and fierce drum beats of their music; but fans of the more folky sounds will be pleased with not only the skill of the extremely talented Vänskä on violin and Sami Pertula on accordion, but also the way that those instruments are pushed to the forefront and are truly celebrated on this album. Sadly the depths and nuances of the lyrics will elude all but those fluent in Finnish ( as this whole album is penned in the band's native tongue). However, ‘Rankarumpu’ appears to continue the band's evolution into themes that have a deeper meaning to them since their first release back in 2003. Die hard fans will surely agree, although (to our english speaking ears at least) the record appears to lack an out-and-out lyrical drinking song in the vein of past favourites: ‘A Man With a Plan’, ‘Beer Beer’, ‘Jagermeister’ or ‘Vodka’. ‘Rankarumpu’ is a familiar foray back into the high tempo folk chaos that they would have fallen in love with some twenty something years ago. Soon to embark on a headline North America Tour (supported by Visions Of Atlantis and Ilumishade); UK fans will be able to catch Korpiklaani headlining, what is sure to be a highlight party set, on the Sophie Lancaster Stage on Saturday August 10th at this summer's edition of Bloodstock Festival in Derbyshire. ‘Rankarumpu’ is released April 5th via Nuclear Blast Records. Words and Cover Photo: Simon Arinze

Hailing from the town of the same name, Swedish sludge metal act Horndal have used their music as a means to tell the extraordinary tales of their home, as well as to speak out against the systems of oppression and capitalistic greed that have plagued it throughout its history. After the success of 2021’s ‘Lake Drinker,’ the group are back once again with their 3rd LP ‘Head Hammer Man,’ bringing both their epic storytelling and brutal performances to new heights. From the haunting chimes that kick off the record, Horndal create a chilling atmosphere that persists throughout ‘Head Hammer Man;’ few moments break away from this crushing sense of dread and despair that ties perfectly into the album’s lyrical content. Across its ten tracks, the LP tells the story of Alrik Andersson, who fought to keep Swedish iron workers on strike in the early 20th century in the face of food shortages and military evictions. Though he was successful, Andersson was subsequently blacklisted from work throughout Sweden, eventually leading him to spend the final years of his life in Chicago. Weaving excerpts from his speeches into the anthemic title track, Horndal have used this album as ‘a chance for his story to live on,’ and have masterfully drenched every song in the appropriate melancholy. Tracks such as ‘Fuck the Scabs’ or ‘Famine’ are laced with such poignant and honest imagery that you would swear the band were speaking from personal experience: the twisted imagery of ‘hunger is a knife, starvation is a gun’ and the captivating simplicity of ‘they don’t need what they have, we don’t have what we need’ persistently tug at the listener’s heartstrings. Brilliantly, Horndal also present the cold and calculated view of the antagonists, such as the haunting final remarks detailing the rights— or lack thereof— of third class passengers as Andersson undertakes his voyage across the Atlantic. This would all be for nought, however, if the band had not delivered such captivating and electrifying musical content. Across its 43-minute runtime, ‘Head Hammer Man’ is consistently brutally heavy, packing in crushing riff after crushing riff while never growing stale or monotonous, largely due to the record’s palpable energy. Levahn’s vocals are simply massive, being perfectly suited to a story this sweeping and emotionally gripping— from the naked rage of ‘The Shining Specter’ to the hair-raising growls of ‘Famine,’ his performance is raw and even frightening at times. The rest of the band is similarly impassioned, transitioning between clean and distorted playing seamlessly without sacrificing character. This is only further uplifted by the group’s uniquely fuzzy guitar tone that will likely be many listeners’ first impression of the band. This praise cannot, unfortunately, be said for the drum production, which is consistently thin and underwhelming throughout— a great shame, given the ferocity with which Levahn is obviously hitting those cymbals. The album’s songwriting also stands out as a cut above the rest. The gigantic opening title track sets the mood with its thunderous guitar riffs and driving rhythms, thrusting the listener swiftly into a pounding verse and subsequently terrific chorus— seriously, try not to sing along to the domineering statement of ‘I am the head hammer man.’ ‘Calling: Labour’ keeps the energy high soon after while also showcasing Horndal’s capacity to write more melodic sections, sporting triumphant guitar leads straight out of a power metal record. This mix of intense heaviness and more eerie passages continues throughout ‘Head Hammer Man,’ continually keeping things fresh and engaging. ‘Fuck the Scabs’ has the frenetic drumming and blazing tempos of a prime Slayer song, while the album’s most grandiose moment, ‘The Shining Specter,’ incorporates unexpectedly well-suited brass and clean guitar moments that make it feel more like a dark and twisted symphony than a metal track. While cuts such as ‘Exiled’ or ‘Creature Cages’ may not be quite as memorable as their contemporaries, not a single moment feels superfluous as Horndal excel from start to finish. Much like Alrik Andersson, Horndal deserve so much more recognition than they’ve been given; on ‘Head Hammer Man,’ the group prove that they are a force to be reckoned with in modern metal. Their 3rd LP is emotionally gripping, wonderfully ambitious and straight-up heavy in a way few bands are brave enough to pull off in 2024. This album speaks to a band with a clear and precise vision, and hopefully to one with a bright future ahead of them. 'Head Hammer Man' is out on the 5th of April via Prosthetic Records. Words: Jay Kirby Photo: Daniel Liljas

'The world is going down the shitter, this is music that represents it'. Ahead of WristMeetRazor's upcoming third album, vocalist Justin Fornoff talked to Jake Longhurst about the music, the imagery, and the inspiration for the next step in the evolution of this band. Jumping straight into the sound and feel of the album, inspirations for the album were the first port of call - with an industrial sound I felt the whole release was reminiscent of Code Orange's 2020 album 'Underneath', but Justin instantly shot the thought down - "I wouldn't say it's influenced by Code Orange, though we have played with them, but I would say it's influenced by some of the influences of Code Orange for sure", namedropping 90's groove metal and 90's industrial as two huge influences, as well as smaller takes from black and death metal, with plenty of metalcore still in the mix. Notably, he mentioned the relative lack of screamo which has been a staple of their sound up until now: "we wanted to take the band in a different direction... there's enough bands doing the chaotic screamo thing and it was time for us to go a different direction." The record is, of course, not just made up of its influences. Each song was written individually, without a specific thought of a concept, but forms a cohesive semi-conceptual album that revolves around a core set of themes. On the first listen it felt nihilistic, but Justin reassured me otherwise saying that "It's about this absurdist, misanthropic kind of view that I've taken on that I feel is more relevant now than it's ever been before." Having as much care for the world around him as Justin does has led him to hating the things pushing the world down, giving the record its misanthropy which is not aimed nearly as wide as it first seems. Each speck of loathing and venom is targeted, whilst the listeners are encouraged to try and take solace from the hopelessness, that there is still something out there to be fixed if we can work together to fix it. One thing that struck me particularly was Alex Eckman-Lawn's striking art for the cover, and Justin was more than happy to go into depth about the design and decision making behind it. Shown above, the front of the record depicts four human figures tied up on power lines, with their bodies made up of mechanical parts. Asking on whether the religious motif of crucifixion was deliberate, Justin gave an emphatic nod and explained that "there was a heavy influence for it to be not necessarily messianic, in that there's multiple of them, but more so that it's the degeneration of the crucified kind of person within society, how every person that kind of raises themselves up to speak out is eventually crucified and degenerated into a rusted through machine." Further explanation gave way to the thought of how the working class are left to rot and have further power lines built over them, by other working class people, all in the service of some supposedly 'important' person. Justin and the band spent plenty of time working on more than just the music, as clearly shown by the art, but that wasn't the only thing they worked on. The build up to the album included a veritable treasure hunt that started off with just 12 zeroes, in order to find the name of lead single 'Trepanation' and get 12 seconds of the song. The entire record is built upon these little details - "this is a maximalist record where the minutiae all matters, literally to every tiny extent". Not content to leave it at the incredible depth of the imagery and the treasure hunt, the whole record is full of little pockets of detail. Without giving too many details away, Justin had this to say about all the nuance and subtlety involved "There's a tonne of stuff hidden in this mix of clips and different sounds... I don't think anyone will ever find it unless you somehow get the files to the record and can bump up the sound and some of them... It's part of the the mystique of the record". The last note of the interview was on Justin's favourite part of the record, and he ended up settling on tenth track 'The Vanity Procession' in part due to how buried in the record it is, as well as the lyrics and subject matter of the song. He's taken aim at everyone who believes in the power of fame and celebrity to boost themselves when they're only using it to step on people who are barely one rung lower on the ladder than they are. His feelings on all this came out quickly, "the only things that actually mean something are when you're putting out music that you really and truly believe in and care about, and when you're putting a tonne of effort into creating a piece of art that will speak for who you are and say what you want to say." Lyrics like "You can't own the shadow, it's just an ego veil" sum up his thoughts poetically and let any vitriol flow steadily through the song, pinpointed at all who've made this move. "the only things that actually mean something are when you're putting out music that you really and truly believe in and care about, and when you're putting a tonne of effort into creating a piece of art that will speak for who you are and say what you want to say." With that last bit of detail, Out Of Rage and Justin parted ways. Feeling suitably enriched with plenty of new tidbits of knowledge, the record has opened up the next of its many layers to us, and with further listening maybe we'll be able to uncover a few more of its panoply of secrets. 'Degeneration' is released on March 29th via Prosthetic Records. Words: Jake Longhurst Art: Alex Eckman-Lawn

WristMeetRazor’s screamo-styled metalcore has its fair share of fans, but on their third record the group are taking a turn away from the introspective lyricism and core sound of their first two records, and evolving into a leaner, meaner, industrial beast. ‘Degeneration’ finds the band in the midst of a world at war with itself whilst society caves in, and have penned a claustrophobic, caustic LP that fits in perfectly with this backdrop. The now five piece sound worlds apart from their previous incarnation. In their 2019 and 2021 releases, there were only three band members, and they were sonically quite distinctly different from what has come to be created here. Album three is a more aggressive release that shares much more with Code Orange, 90’s nu metal and even black and death metal than it does anything they’ve done till now. Kicking down the doors with a savage guitar riff and gutturals, ‘Turn On, Tune In, Drop Dead’ gets proceedings off to a flying start. The Code Orange comparisons may come thick and fast here (more on those tomorrow when our interview with Justin goes live!), but should be left at the door as second song ‘Static Reckoning’ is firmly rooted in death and black metal influence. The lead single for the whole release, ‘Trepanation’, comes in third on the songlist and is the most groove-laden so far, evoking Machine Head amongst other bands. As seen by the wide variety of bands and genres mentioned here, each song has a very definable personality that marks them all separate from each other, but what is more impressive is that all of these varied sounds and styles still mesh phenomenally well into a crushing and cohesive piece of music. ‘Xeroxed Reflection’ has the album’s one and only feature, coming from Kevin Iavaroni, and the first true breakdown of the album as well. The lyrics here, and on much of the rest of ‘Degeneration’, speak to the state of humanity - on ‘Xeroxed Reflection’ lead vocalist Justin and Kevin debase the idea of fame, and spitting vitriol at those who would change their looks, their personality, their entire being just for a second of time in a spotlight that doesn’t care for them. The most potent and powerful lyrics come further on, between ‘Love Thy Enmity’ right through to ‘No Ceremony’. Possibly also the most upfront sets of lyrics, the three songs (and intermission in the shame of ‘Culled and Forgotten’) give an excellent view into the way Justin was thinking whilst writing this. Each one shares his contempt for the people up above us all, and without much work at all you can understand exactly what he thinks we should be doing to them - “Give them the rope” sums things up succinctly enough. Tenth track ‘The Vanity Procession’ further continues the train of thought set out by ‘Xeroxed Reflection’ but with less subtlety and more venom in every word. The industrial feel of the album shows itself off here, with some more of the black and death metal influence peering through the cracks, and even little bits of nu metal appear throughout. ‘Negative Fix’ certainly focuses back onto the nu metal influence some more, but doesn’t compromise any industrial sound here. At this back end of this review, you could be forgiven for thinking that this release seems to be hopeless and nihilistic - on the contrary, the perspective shown here is almost absurdist out of love for humanity. The desire Justin so clearly has for a better world has manifested itself here as what appears to be nihilism but is just absurdism pushing for us all to live better lives, without oppression. The last song on the main album, ‘Greatest Love Offering in the History of the World’ is the last outlet of this, and is at once twisted, but also completely sensible with the hindsight of everything that has come before. However, it is worth listening on, letting this track play out, and you might find more than meets the eye. This album should not, and I believe can not, be discussed without a mention of its album cover. Four people being crucified on power lines is, on the surface, an unsettling image that rings with the message of the album, but is much more than that. The sacrifice of those people on power lines is a note perfect replica of the way individuals are given up for the wealthy throughout this album, and the biblical tangents I’m sure are no coincidence, for a band from America where government and church run in concordance, contrary to those lines in the First Amendment detailing the separation of church and state. An album as thought through as this deserved an album cover that was equally thought through, and WristMeetRazor most definitely have that in this piece by Alex Eckman-Lawn. What was once a screamo three piece has become a five piece who are totally unafraid to mix a very wide variety of subgenres of heaviness, forming an amalgamation that is incredibly heavy, lyrically scathing, and immensely accomplished at what they do. WristMeetRazor have given us a belter of an album that, with any luck, will work its way into the conscience of any listeners and stay there for years to come. 'Degeneration' will be released on March 29th via Prosthetic Records. Words: Jake Longhurst Photos: Ashley Simpson

Violent, abrasive music. It's the kind you’d expect your parents to call satanic, your teachers to deeply frown at, and your gran to disapprovingly tut-tut towards. Surely it couldn't be written by anyone other than crazy axe murderers, hellbent on the destruction of the human race? Death Goals could not be further from that, frankly they're as kind-hearted as they come. On Sunday, they are performing their one and only headline show of the year at Camden’s Black Heart to support Mermaids, the British charity supporting trans/gender and non-binary children and young adults. Both members of the band are very openly queer with both their albums directly dealing with queerness and all sorts of things surrounding it, including gender expectations, toxic masculinity, and pain. Of course, these are things that all too often can be dealt with and felt by those of us in the queer community. However, this does not stop them being upbeat and bubbly whenever we’ve caught them at a show, and their incessant positivity is a glorious thing to bear witness to. The utterly wonderful queer hardcore duo Death Goals, aka Harry Bailey (he/they) and George 'Grog' Milner (he/they), earlier this year played their first ever European tour in support of Danish hardcore band EYES. Booked to play at the Dutch festival Roadburn in Tilburg this April, there’s arguably no band better suited for our first feature. Our first time meeting Death Goals was at ArcTanGent 2023. Hearing fom Pupil Slicer that this small hardcore duo were “Cool as hell and queer as fuck” it was only natural we’d want to talk to them. Chatting about the need for queerness in hardcore, they provided a lot of insight into the way they write and their thought processes around music - and as they said, “queer rights have never been in more jeopardy than they are currently”. Queerness is being persecuted the world over, and in a week where the NHS have just banned puberty blockers for children it is more important than ever to have good queer representation. Death Goals know just how much representation means to people, “We have a lot of trans people come to our shows… they feel like they can mosh and have a good time, they don’t feel like that at some shows… that should be the norm.” Happy to disregard the status quo musically and personally, the duo wrote album one, ‘The Horrible And The Miserable’, over the COVID period and let it just fall out of themselves and their conversations about queerness. They then focused in on it as not just lyrical content but a band identity for their phenomenal sophomore album, ‘A Garden Of Dead Flowers’. Having played numerous shows with other hardcore bands, they stated that they “play a lot of X, Y and Z in genres and scenes where it can be heavily straight male dominated, and that's not necessarily inherent, but it just happens, and it’s quite nice to come in and kind of kick the door down and be like ‘Hey what’s up, we’re queer as fuck’ you know?”. Hardcore and queerness have always gone hand in hand, and queercore is rapidly starting to define this newest wave of metal. Growing through the cracks of the underground to start flourishing, this nascent style is rapidly gaining traction across the UK and the world - bands like Good Cop, The Callous Daoboys, Pupil Slicer, Cainhurst and more are all queer and hardcore or hardcore adjacent, with more always on the way. The chaotic duo are gaining plenty of traction themselves as well, with a crushing set at Reality Unfolds Fest in January - read our review here - alongside the aforementioned European support run and coveted Roadburn slot which they are feeling truly privileged to be a part of. Now also booked for NOIZZEFEST and a show with Spaced in Nottingham in April, touring with KNIVES and headlining MAY/HEM day fest in May, playing Second Impact in Italy in June and Burn It Down in Torquay this August. They're building up a head of steam, and the momentum they certainly appear to have created is not going to be easy to stop. Now chatting to them over Zoom a few days before their sole 2024 headline show, they're passionately saying just why it's so important to support not just trans and non-binary people, not even just queer people, but every single person you can. As people with a platform, they take it, and think it's incredibly important to do so - "if people aren't using their platform for fundraising or spreading awareness, then it makes the idea of being queer completely redundant. First and foremost, the idea of being a queer person is about supporting and celebrating the community that you find yourself a part of". Being a queer band matters so much to them because being a band has given them this very platform they can use to help others, which they feel is fundamental to the idea of anyone with a platform but in particular punk and alt bands, summed up very eloquently by Harry here "If you're a punk band, and you're not addressing the fucking horrendous acts that are going on the world against other people, you're fucking shit." "If you're a punk band, and you're not addressing the fucking horrendous acts that are going on the world against other people, you're fucking shit." After the decision taken by the NHS this week, it feels to them even more pertinent than ever to support the community that's given them so much love, saying "if we play one show where we can give a percentage of proceeds that's making a difference to someone's life, if the money that we make via this show benefits one trans youth life, then we've done what we set out to do." By setting their stall so openly, against the tide of the government and public opinion, they have also inadvertently helped expand the scene that has birthed them, whether they would admit it or not. There has been, according to George, "a movement in the dial" where there's now enough queercore bands that they can have tours and shows of just queercore bands without it feeling performative, and yet still fostering that same safe atmosphere. Asking a horrible question to finish our chat, Harry and George each had a moment to sum up the band's perspective and intent in a few words. Harry gave us a few gems of knowledge as varied as 'Make Metalcore Gay Again' - watch out for the merch - and 'Kiss hard, mosh harder', a brilliant mantra indeed. George managed to make the short sentence into a paragraph describing his position on what he settled with, but the resulting words 'Look out for everyone' have never been so crucial. If you see Death Goals on one of their already announced shows, or one of the litany they have yet to announce for this year (yes that's a small heads up, get excited), then take that to heart. Protect queer kids, use your platform for good, and look out for everyone. Writer's note - Out Of Rage has not existed for very long, and so hasn’t ever released a feature of this size before. We knew that, since the publication was formed around the hardcore community, we wanted to start off with a band from that scene, and that with so many queer people involved we almost knew we’d start with a queer band. With all this in consideration, Death Goals felt like truly the perfect place to start. An enormous thank you goes out to both of them for their time and their efforts, in everything they have done and continue to do. Words: Jake Longhurst Photos: Kayleigh Fryer Editor: Amber Brooks

New Orleans' BRAT are very much out of bubblegum on their debut album 'Social Grace'. Combining death metal, hardcore and grindcore into a deeply intense concoction, the ten song and 21 minute album rips through speakers and eardrums galore. Out the gates we have 'Ego Death' running rampant, at less than a minute and a half long it kicks down the door of the album starting off fast and frenetic before slowing right up and turning down the corners of your mouth, as it descends into a gruesome breakdown fit for spin kicks and flying elbows. Not content to rest on their laurels though, BRAT get riffing and let 'Hesitation Wound' do the rest. Befitting musical comparisons with bands like Kublai Khan and GEL, the biting guitar tone and half-growled half-shrieked vocals leave little to be desired in terms of pure heaviness - anyone who has so much as seen a moshpit in their life will be aching to stagedive once the breakdown here kicks in. The best and worst thing about this album is summed up in one word: consistent. The riffs are consistently good, the breakdowns are consistently satisfying, the lyrics are consistently well-written, and the production is consistently excellent. However, so much consistency seems to have bred some similarity here, so the midpoint of the album falls down a little on repeat listens as it gradually blends together into one churning onslaught of brutal yet persistent sonics. There are plenty of separately memorable moments, for example 'Truncheon' has an utterly brilliant riff towards the end of the song, but portions of the album feel slightly lacking in uniqueness. That said, it is still deeply visceral and with more moderate listening it would almost certainly feel less cut-and-paste. To cut back to the positives, 'Sugar Bastard' and the title track both feel like instant classics. The former has some crisp two-stepping parts and gripping lyrics, with tempo changes that keep it refreshing and also heavy as all hell, whereas the title track is the longest song on the whole album at three minutes long and features a few Slayer-esque guitar parts, enormous bass tone, and the best breakdown on the entire LP. Lyrically it stands strong too, with scathing words about humanity spat back at the world with pure venom that closes the album out in fine fashion. For a debut album in a genre that has always struggled with homogeny, this is a stellar release. Even where it struggles with similarity, songs being similar to other good songs is a great place to be in on a first album. With some standout moments and a high level of song-writing shown, there is potential aplenty for BRAT. Words: Jake Longhurst Photo: Greta Gerstner

February is a big month of music and music related events in the UK, and arguably none more so than Independent Venue Week! Celebrating all the small venues that each and every one of your favorite bands started their careers playing, Independent Venue Week is so enormously important to every single music fan out there, not to mention the entire music industry and all the workers at the venues, musicians and bands, and so many more people. Supporting independent venues is essential, so please check out the Independent Venue Trust and see what you might be able to do to support your local venues - and don’t forget to visit your local for gigs whenever you can! The Mobo awards are also happening on the 7th of this month, and the nominees for best alternative act are as follows: ALT BLK ERA Arlo Parks Deijuvhs Kid Bookie Skindred Young Fathers Check out the Mobos, and watch out for the best alternative act award, we’re excited to see who comes out on top from this extremely strong lineup. As mentioned last month, Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes are touring early this month, but they’re far from the only band on tour right now, and they’re not even the only band to have headlined at the one-off Download Pilot to be touring the UK this month. Enter Shikari are going on their first ever arena tour, after their first ever number one album last April ‘A Kiss For The Whole World’. With Fever 333 and NOAHFINNCE in support, plus Enter Shikari’s phenomenal live pedigree, it’s bound to be a spectacle. Malevolence are also touring early this month, doing the complete opposite to Shikari as they head out to hit as many small venues as they can! If you can somehow grab one of the remaining tickets, you’re surely in for a belter of a show as their pummelling hardcore sound is some of the best in the world, and they’re easily one of Britain’s best heavy bands. Pain Of Truth and Rough Justice will be joining them for the whole tour, which frankly is just asking for something wild to happen each and every night. On a slightly less brutish note, progressive metal band TesseracT are touring the UK starting in Nottingham on February 20th, with an excellent lineup behind them of Unprocessed as the main support, and God’s favourite band (as insinuated by their recent EP) The Callous Daoboys will be opening proceedings. Mixing TesseracT’s brilliant new material and breathtaking musicianship with Unprocessed’s masterful guitarwork and The Callous Daoboys’ pure madness is a recipe for one of the most insane metal tours of the year, and is sure to be a highlight for anyone who makes it down to see them. Late in the month on the 23rd and 24th is the latest edition of CVLTFEST, which is being resurrected for an amazing weekend of acts such as Conan, Wallowing, Sugar Horse, Pijn, Torpor and more! With an array of the best bands in the scene right now, any lovers of doom, noise, or similar genres should absolutely be getting themselves over to Manchester for this exquisite lineup. Best part is, it’s a Friday and a Saturday, so you can be hungover on the Sunday and then not feel horrible at work on the Monday, it’s perfect! Finally we have Knocked Loose, who are touring at the very beginning of March with the mighty Deafheaven acting as their main support, and Parisian hardcore band Headbussa taking the opening slot. Mixing a couple of different styles of heaviness on one lineup is becoming more and more popular these days and Knocked Loose are no strangers to it, with their last UK tour featuring two outright dream pop bands on the lineup! This time however, they’ve stuck a little closer to home, with some San Francisco blackgaze warming up the crowds before they turn the volume to 11 and the crowds IQ points to 1 at every show on the tour. Cover Photo- Jake Griffin Words- Jake Longhurst

Come one come all, it’s time for the first ever Out Of Rage preview! We’ve got a lovely list of events we’re looking forward to attending, either to review or photograph, or just enjoy as punters! First up, there’s a notable event happening today and tomorrow that we think is incredibly important - Boom Leeds is holding two days of benefit gigs in order to keep their doors open, and the star studded lineup includes bands such as Static Dress, Higher Power, Cauldron, Pest Control, Bodyweb and more. With one of the UK’s best DIY venues under threat, we’d love to see as many of you as possible down at such an important event. Next up, a week from now is another heavy couple of days. Reality Unfolds festival is happening at the New Cross Inn in London from the 12th to the 14th of January. With a blisteringly good lineup of artists it would be criminal not to consider going down - Pupil Slicer’s first ever London headliner, Fuming Mouth and Genocide Pact playing their first ever UK tours, and an amazing supporting lineup of Cage Fight, Death Goals, Celestial Sanctuary, Ghetto Justice, and so many more brilliant bands. We’ll be there all weekend and will say hi to anyone around! There’s a particularly notable heavy tour heading round the UK later this month too, with Sheffield’s own Bring Me The Horizon getting themselves around to a number of arenas in support of their upcoming album. With a new single released today and the news about Jordan Fish still fresh on everyone’s lips, this is bound to be a tour to remember. Finally, at the end of this month and beginning of next there is a little band called Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes who are doing a small acoustic tour, followed by a full UK tour, all in support of their upcoming fifth album Dark Rainbow. You should find about half of the Out Of Rage team at the Manchester show, and I will likely be at both the Nottingham and London shows too! There’s plenty of other big and small heavy music events coming up, but we’ll tell you all about those at a later date. In the meantime, we’ll see you in the pit! Cover Photo: Kayleigh Fryer Words: Jake Longhurst