Back with their fifth studio album, THE WARNING are more ambitious than ever! Comprising of Daniela (lead vocals, guitar), Paulina (drums, vocals), and Alejandra (bass), the Villarreal Vélez sisters are becoming one of the most unstoppable bands of a generation. Following the success of Keep Me Fed (2024), and Error (2022), the trio's newest album Everything’s Falling is one of their greatest yet. Breaking onto the scene in 2013 on YouTube with a cover of METALLICA’s Enter Sandman, THE WARNING have not only earned praise from the rock legends themselves, but have since toured with the likes of EVANESCENCE and HALESTORM. Drawing power from their sisterly bond, Everything’s Falling began its journey with the release of three singles; Ritual, Ego, and Kerosene. Opening track Ritual is the perfect prologue; it teases what is to come. Very bass heavy, the stalking guitar is almost predatorial in nature. This coupled with a grungy sound and tasteful lyrics sets the scene for a transformative album. It imposes how there will be many challenges to overcome, so prepare to take off the rose-tinted glasses. This leads into the second track: Perfect Daughter. The beginning of the narrative, it is an anthem for defying authority. Rebellious, yet grounded, it contains a mix of ethereal vocal runs and quiet growls. It explores the balance of relationships, expectations, and self belief. This is definitely one to belt in the shower. Titular track Everything’s Falling is the ultimate power ballad. Exploring the topic of freedom and leaving the past behind, the harmonies help to represent trying to find synchronicity with the self. It focuses on the transition from one stage of life to the next, and figuring out where you belong. Guitar heavy Why Do You Like It When I Cry features a sludgy bass line and very catchy riffs. The primal screams add to the anger behind letting go, and realising it’s time to move on, which is only amplified by the following track. Bite My Tongue is very much about having to restrain true thoughts, feelings, and keeping up appearances. ‘Looking up and down my body for cracks to sink their teeth into my porcelain’ represents the underlying theme; the feeling that personally and professionally, the band members are being put on a pedestal and stuck in a cycle of perception. Led forward by the drums, one has to step carefully to regain power. What’s better than a short, sharp guitar? Adding a cow bell! The prominent instrument in Kill Or Be Killed represents time ticking towards sadistic regression. The catchy chorus ‘ I can be the worst kind of person, I kind of like that version’ channels the consequences of actions that can lead to the ultimate self-destruction. Single, Ego, is the only song on the album in Spanish. It embodies power and self-validation. The hard-hitting riffs and primal screams bring back the predatorial nature teased within Ritual. It is about taking charge and wearing pride on the sleeve to ensure success and make sure nothing will stand in the way; ‘No es mi culpa que siempre gano’ (It’s not my fault that I always win). Strategically placed in the middle of the album, it is the transformative pivot point; the chrysalis of hubris. Following track Bloodsport nurtures that approach. It is a warning of expectation, further fuelled by the lower vocal register. The spoken word chorus with gradual harmonious layers are reminiscent of a cheer chant, further enhancing the competitiveness portrayed. Back with another power ballad, Break, is, in fact, the breaking point. It encompasses the realisation that things are harder than they have appeared and the rose-tinted glasses are definitely off. Beginning with a more acoustic sound and a strong beat, the crushing song has an underlying wish for the heart to break in order to better understand feelings and situations; ‘I don’t know how much more I can take’. With the return of the tight guitar, Bruises portrays the battle of relationships. The menacing bass and soft anger in the vocals, highlight being at the end of a tether. The subsequent track Waste Your Time On Me uncovers how the sense of self is broken. With pop undertones, the track has stand out moments for all three band members, and is a fantastic display of talent. Finally, the single, Kerosene, pulls a 180. It is fierce, punchy, and full of assertiveness. The reclamation of control is evident. A hard-hitting rock anthem, the chants and key change create the self-assured ending this album needed - THE WARNING know who they are and won’t indulge in unwanted opinion. Everything’s Falling is a perfectly blended album. With hard-hitting vocals, controlling drums, and crisp guitar, each song is fresh, unique, and able to stand on its own. THE WARNING have created something masterful, and deserving to be endlessly on repeat. Score: 9/10 Everything’s Falling will be released on 28 August 2026 via Lava Records and Republic Records. Words: Beth Goulter Photos: Brian Ziff

On their previous album, In My Saddest Dreams, I Am Beside You, DREAMWELL offered up one of the best screamo releases of 2023. It was extremely versatile and genre-bending, with hints of metalcore and post-rock at points. Songs like I Dream’t Of A Room Of Clouds and Rue de Noms displayed the band at their most ambitious yet. The combination of the sheer catharsis of the song structures, breakdowns as well as the painfully introspective lyrics was all they needed to make their mark on the world of heavy music. Clearly, then, they aren’t quite done yet. Three years later, and they’re following it up with Hymns For The Denial Of God, their third full LP. It’s worth touching on the title for a moment too, as frontperson Keziah Staska (otherwise known as KZ) has mentioned several times that an underlying theme of the album is criticism of organised religion, stating that “The prevailing narrative in heavy music is often, ‘If you believe in God, you’re stupid.’ This isn’t our narrative.” This is immediately clear from the opening track Hypercrucifixion, beginning on a spoken word intro, slowly easing you in as light guitar arpeggios play over it, before KZ shrieks “What would you do if a voice spoke back?”, and as if in response, the instrumentation joins in, almost sounding unsure of itself as it stutters between leaving and joining with the vocals. This is all before everything comes together in a 2000s post-hardcore-esque chorus. It’s got more tricks up its sleeve yet though, because after an absolutely brutal breakdown the song slows down, with a bright guitar tone, as KZ presents the question “What would you do if Christ came back, as something that scares you, like an immigrant child or a homeless black man?” It’s a cutting and powerful verse, directly confronting the way Christianity as organised religion attempts to justify its ideology of mindless discrimination and white nationalism, laying it completely bare. “What would you do with the hammer and nails then?”, KZ says, as the music leaves their voice to linger in the air, but just for a moment, as the last 30 seconds burst into intense noise and screams. Hypercrucifixation is a great start, but it’s also the longest track on the album. We have to wonder if we’re going to see anywhere near the same level of ambition on the rest of the album. Sissy Hate Machine is a metalcore-tinged track reflecting on KZ’s non-binary identity. You feel the desperation in their voice, and the need to escape binary classifications is clear from the very first line. The idea of their very identity being weaponised in lines like “I am not the enemy, but the weapon you create”, the sheer anger at violence committed towards fellow queer people. It’s a reminder that our voices need to be heard no matter what, and we are allowed to be angry - and sometimes, perhaps, we have to. Plath Vs. Kafka Vs. Romance is the closest thing this album has to a centrepiece, and it might also be the most straight-forward. Don’t let that fool you though, this song is still packed full of the emotional gut-punches that DREAMWELL are known for. The Kafka-inspired lyrics like “All flowers turn to ash whenever I let my voice be heard”, the discordant chord progression, the breakdown in the middle. They hit all the marks here, describing it as a “mosh-y early-2000s style we’d been ignoring for a while”. It’s absolutely that, and maybe the only song on this record you could describe as “fun”. Finally, we have the closing track, Cherub Rock Of Gibraltar. If you’re expecting SMASHING PUMPKINS based on that title, you’re totally off the mark. This is the explosive finale to an explosive album. There are guitar passages that one could describe as “anthemic”, and it’s in clear opposition to KZ’s lyricism here, opening on the line “I want to watch everyone that I love die. Let there be no one left to bear the weight of my absence when I’m gone.” It’s the final song, and it feels the most strongly-aligned with the previous album. Where the rest of the album seems to look outwards, this song looks inward. “Just snuff me out” is the line they leave us on. Hymns For The Denial Of God is several things. It’s a fantastic screamo album, for one. The lyrical content, the visceral anger present in almost every line, and the nasty breakdowns are the spirit of emotional hardcore. It is also the follow-up to an album with more sonically tantalising instrumentation, and it makes it seem as though DREAMWELL don’t exactly have a clear signature sound. Whether or not they need to is up to them, though. This is a great effort regardless, the more simple arrangements let the lyrics shine even more, with some beautifully put-together criticisms of organised religion and reflections on the suffering of marginalised peoples. Score: 8/10 Hymns For The Denial Of God will be released on 28th August 2026 via Prosthetic Records. Words: Noise Leonard Photos: Nat Lacuna

Following an unstoppable summer that saw fans colliding full-pelt in mosh pits, CATCH YOUR BREATH is clearly not a suggestion for the unrelenting Texan band nor their frenzied crowds, but a name to remember and chant at the top of your breathless lungs. Having already gained momentum over the last few years, the four-piece are about to catapult themselves to stratospheric heights with the release of their stunning album Not Broken Enough, an 11-track record that sees the band approach with their familiar vivacity whilst bringing extra layers of emotion and ferocity that refine their sound. Undoubtedly an emotionally charged album, Not Broken Enough almost feels as if we’re intruding on the expressive feelings poured into the gut-wrenching lyrics that plead to unseen subjects and impressively explosive instrumentals. Instead, CATCH YOUR BREATH invites us in to feel this with them, to connect on a level of “brokenness” and ultimately pass the torch of this album onto us, letting it become our own emotional outlet. Opening with an ethereal intro of a tape played in reverse, Contaminated drops into vocalist Josh Mowery lamenting that things can’t be changed but begging the subject “don’t run away”, an electro-beat melding into a thunderous beat from Onell Hernandez as Mowery layers raw pitches with high notes, muffled vocal screams of “we’re contaminated” echoing in a progressive breakdown that feels akin to BAD OMENS more dramatic tracks. Red Alert leans more into the core instrumentals with crashing beats, gothic synths, and a bassline from Cianan Madigan hammering into the core of the rhythm, the entire pitch descending down as coarse screams flood through. Blood Money drops into pure metalcore with guitarist Teddy Herrera flexing the strings to piercing notes that SPIRITBOX fans will appreciate as Mowery attacks with guttural screams and acidic lyrics, before a breakdown that sounds like he’s channeling Joe Bad’s notorious growls. Carnivore has a sensual drumbeat and a deliciously wicked rhythm that juxtaposes the lyrics “So when you fall apart, don’t come to me / Don’t beg or plead, you asked for this”, the biting tone almost sneering at having been underestimated, a mistake that won’t be repeated. The first track to be teased before album release, Control still hits hard with barely restrained verses that unleash into searing breakdowns, Mowery’s voice becoming steadily more desperate as he gives more of himself to someone who won’t reciprocate the emotion. Rewind has a stripped back intro that ignites into a roar of instruments and subtle low harmonies, minor chords breaking through to give a devastating feel to the track as it swings from reminiscing of a relationship lost to wishing it had never happened, a piano medley adding to the sorrowful tune against a backdrop of fading calls. Lost is an almost instant change of heart and becomes both an attempt to be stoic and not reveal how much Mowery is wounded, and a yearning plea of “Can we go back when it was us two / Lay inside a bed and hold you close, before you let me go”, capturing the feeling of helplessness and identity loss against deafening, hardened instruments that feel like drowning. Dark begins to take on a self-aware tone amidst the heartbreak as the lyrics shifting to an understanding that this was needed even if unwanted, Herrera’s riffs punctuating through in a push pull motion as the tone shifts. Taking on a more cinematic tone that echoes ICE NINE KILLS sweeping rhythms, The Basement is a progression in this story of heartbreak as it reaches a new understanding of one-sided love and being taken for granted, culminating in a lone scream that raises goosebumps before the instruments thrash together once more. [Gen]inside fades in softly before a scream shatters the calm and leads us into a melody of soaring notes and pulverising beats, Mowery utilising his primal growls as Kemi Kehoe harmonises between clean and gritty vocals, the album title repeating in the guttural screams. Seeing us out with another reversed sound effect intro in a full circle moment to the album’s beginnings, Hollow Dreams is a full-body sigh of relief and closure to Not Broken Enough as it combines thumping metalcore beats with high vocal pitches and heavenly synths, a brief moment of Mowery alone descending into belting strings, not necessarily moved on from the emotional onslaught but leaving you with the sense that you can start to heal, and start to breathe again. Score: 8/10 Not Broken Enough will be released on 28th August 2026 via Thriller Records. Words: Julia Stark Photos: Catch Your Breath

Nearly two decades into a career built on transforming a spectacle out of darkness and pain into power, IN THIS MOMENT has little left to prove but plenty left to say. With this ninth studio album entitled Witch, out on August 28th and first release through Better Noise Music, the band goes from confession to reframing the shame. Since the early days of Beautiful Tragedy, we’ve seen them evolve from the melodic metalcore of the MySpace era into something far more theatrical, industrial and unmistakably their own. This new opus embraces that identity and takes it a step further. It builds on the figure of the witch, persecuted, feared, powerful and ultimately unbowed, and turns it into the perfect metaphor for everything IN THIS MOMENT has become. These intentions are set straight off the bat with Shame. Ethereal harmonies hover as the atmosphere thickens and Maria Brink's repeated declarations: “you should be ashamed” and “shame on you”, feel like a sentence being handed back to its rightful owner. The track grows into something heavy, dissonant and almost physically uncomfortable. Its marching rhythm resembles a protest gathering momentum, empowering and unafraid. Witch begins by refusing to carry somebody else's guilt. This reclaiming of power continues into I Want To Believe, featuring DAYSEEKER's Rory Rodriguez. The pairing of Rodriguez's affected, vulnerable clean vocals with Brink's theatrical menace makes the song a force to be reckoned with. They shock by contrast, hope and threat, yearning and resistance. The mix entangles them further, building hope and making the two singers build each other up, creating an answer to the anger and a held out hand for the hope. It serves as a reminder that survival is rarely a solitary act. Then comes Crawl, and the album sinks its teeth in. Built around an industrial leaning stomp, a huge low end and a hypnotic electronic darkness, the song shows the band operating at full strength. Brink moves from threat to a full on attack scream while the march keeps pushing forward. The result is both confrontational and empowering, throwing back the weight that’s been carried for too long. It stands tall facing those who dominate and abuse, turning the mirror back around and making them face the consequences of their actions. The built up created by those songs being back to back makes it clear that the album doesn’t aim to ease anyone in, it intends to grab them by the collar. Into The Dark switches to a softer, more electronic ballad. It recalls the atmospheric cover the band made of In the Air Tonight. After the confrontational opening stretch, this feels like a piece of evidence of the pain endured to get here. It is openly uneasy, like walking through mud, trying to free yourself from everything that has been expected of you while simultaneously trying to work out what it is you actually want. What could be a breathing space amongst the heaviness and punch is more of a bubble where the oxygen slowly runs low. It, however, makes Sleeping With The Enemy’s confrontation and explosion even more necessary. The track balances heart-bruised vulnerability with throat-shredding aggression, moving between sultry restraint and raw fury. Industrial textures sit alongside classic metal structures while the enormous hooks give the song an unmistakable live potential. Betrayal isn't some distant threat here, it is sitting in the same room. That proximity creates tension, building the cold realisation that sometimes the enemy isn’t outside at all. Wrapped Around Your Finger puts that psychological tension up against a fogged up mirror. It confuses and shows the tangled web that control is. It questions who controls who and how obsession, possession and desire interplay. The production makes that uncertainty tangible by being ominous, seeming to circle around the listener. We feel tangled in it, as if someone or something is stalking us, but we can't quite determine whether we're the prey or the predator. A wild card is then thrown onto the table with Heretic, featuring KIM DRACULA, in a way that is gloriously unhinged. If the previous songs are carefully constructed battles between darkness and empowerment, this one simply sets the battlefield on fire. It is a collision of influences, of industrial metal, scraped synths, vicious whispers and explosive screams. It is chaotic, unpredictable and perfectly excessive, exactly what you would expect from a collaboration between people who are not interested in apologising for who they are. Father ties in with the band’s roots, echoing the band’s song Mother. It brings back a conversation we never thought we would finish and reminds us that before anything else, Witch is the result of previous experiences. Without Me There's No You dances around the flame, between devotion and threat. Electronic undertones create suspense and forceful drums create a strange sense of ritual. Despite this instrumentation, Brink's vocals feel exposed, almost a cappella in their hypnotic delivery. It is cinematic without becoming overly grandiose. Even though the band is well known for its covers, they come in as a surprise to close this opus. The first being no other than Another Brick In The Wall from PINK FLOYD. While a daring choice to include such a popular song, its themes of control, conformity and rebellion make it a good fit for the album. It is delivered packed in the band’s industrial and dystopian flair, feeling mechanical and deliberately cold. It, however, takes a bit away from the personal and intimate feel we’ve had so far. The second cover, NINE INCH NAILS’ Something I Can Never Have brings back that intimacy and gives us a taste of how someone else’s song can still fit in. This vulnerable and emotionally raw track feels like it could be one of the band's own compositions and becomes a befitting end. At the end of it all, Witch is about transformation. It spans through a multitude of emotions and acts of resistance, reminding us that even if the wound is still visible, we do not need to carry the blame for it. IN THIS MOMENT does not shy away from a fight and steps up as the leader of an angry mob. They do not try to reinvent themselves, simply because they don't need to. They stand by the witch who is both victim and creator, persecuted and sovereign, wounded and dangerous. And on Witch, IN THIS MOMENT once again makes the flames look good. Score: 9/10 Witch will be released on 28th August 2026 via Better Noise Music. Words: Lysandre Pons Photos: Jeremy Saffer

Some bands spend years trying to find their sound. COLORBLIND seem more interested in finding out how many sounds they can seamlessly fit into one. On Who Sold You This Truth ++ Was It Yours To Hold, the Austin quartet leans fully into the push and pull of their self-described “dreamcore”, blending pop, electronic music, metalcore, hip-hop inspired rhythms, and atmospheric balladry into something that feels difficult to pin down (and all the more exciting because of it). Since forming in 2017, COLORBLIND has steadily carved out its own space in the modern heavy scene. But this record feels like another step forward, less concerned with defining exactly what the band is and more confident in letting them be whatever the song demands. The opening track, Pressure, makes that clear immediately. It bursts in with the energy of an anime intro, carrying a dynamic mix of pop, electro and metalcore. It is fresh, restless and instantly grabbing the listener’s attention, pulling them into the record before they have much time to figure out where it is going. Car Crash shifts into something dreamier, balancing pop hooks with deeper, heavier chords. The track also establishes Travis Moseley’s distinctive voice as a red thread, keeping us grounded through different territories. The dream goes deeper into exploring emotions with Needle Eye. Starting slowly and almost ballad like, it gradually moves into a much more vulnerable space. Moseley’s raw vocals carry a sense of fragility that gives a cinematic edge to the song, making it easy to imagine it as the soundtrack of a melancholic early 2000s film. It is the kind of song that creates its own little movie in your head as you listen and feels right away personal and intimate. Chemical Warfare disrupts that softness by injecting a dissonant and languid rhythm to it. Turning heavier with the vocals pushing further into screams, it creates a contrast between melody and aggression, which is becoming one of the album’s defining characteristics. On Letdown, pulsing synths sit alongside hard-hitting drums and lush harmonies, creating a layered backdrop that constantly moves the song forward. It feels like setting the scene to Misery Loves Company which takes things even further into the aggressive side. Electronic textures fuse with sharp instrumentation, creating a sound that feels noticeably different while also connecting. It builds momentum towards a memorable chorus carrying a sense of exhaustion and frustration. It is anthemic and catchy, in the way that has you singing along before it is even over. It instantly become something familiar that you carry around with you. Incomplete adds some groove to elements found it Needle Eye without it feeling like a copy. Right after, Royal Blood maintains the record’s catchy energy with a chorus than almost feel like scene related, reminding us to expect the unexpected and trust the experiment. That becomes ever so clear on Neversleep, which brings a laid back, hip hop inspired beat before a punchy and mesmerizing chorus. The whole pacing of the EP also feels right with slower songs, such as The Countdown, coming in to force us to catch a breath and ensure that the next hard parts hit the way they should. The track feels soft and dreamy, with harmonies enhancing that. We believe that it continues in God Complex before it turns into one of the record’s heavier tracks. The chorus feels deeper and more textured while abstract guitar melodies, emotionally charged vocals and driving drums collide into something haunting and powerful. Lost in Translation feels like a struggle to make something tangible out of confusion. It has a restless quality, as if the song is constantly searching for its footing while still pushing forward. Heavy Heart is perhaps more expected after this adventure but its catchy chorus. Meanwhile, Paradox lives up to its name, emphasizing highs and lows and giving the record another moment of depth and contrast. We close things off with Cynical which is surprisingly soft, dreamy, and almost suspended between wakefulness and sleep. It feels like slowly drifting away at night, surprising by how sharply it contrasts with the high energy opening of Pressure. In a way, the album comes full circle, from waking up with an explosion of energy to being gently lulled to sleep. That sense of cyclic movement is ultimately what makes Who Sold You This Truth ++ Was It Yours To Hold so compelling. COLORBLIND never seems interested in staying in one lane for too long. They float across heaviness and softness, electronic textures and detuned riffs, screams and vulnerable melodies, and all of that often within the same song. Rather than making the record feel scattered, those shifts reinforce the emotional honesty at its centre. The band has spoken about not always knowing exactly what they are writing about until later, describing the process as something that simply flows out before its meaning becomes clear. It is that vulnerability that is audible throughout the album, creating something both fragile and strong at the same time. Its unpredictability doesn’t delve into chaos, it is catchy without becoming shallow and heavy without sacrificing its atmospheric side. Most importantly, it sounds like a band becoming increasingly comfortable with the fact that they do not have to choose just one version of themselves. And that might be their greatest strength, changing the question before you have time to settle on an answer. Score: 7/10 Who Sold You This Truth ++ Was It Yours To Hold will be released on 28th August 2026 via Solid State Records. Words: Lysandre Pons Photos: Alexander Bemis

KULK are a band that can communicate a lot through meaningful lyricism without including very many vocals at all. Their second album, Choosing to Die, is no different. Encased in a shell of beautiful gloom packed in nine tracks, the album explores true lamentation. Through the art of thrashing guitars and resounding drums, the two-piece has firmly grasped how quickly idyllic realities can be shattered. They rely on music as their great communicator to present something bigger than every human being: the harsh reality of life and death. The tone is set with the album’s opening track, An Endless Knife, with high-pitched whining guitars. Then, as though intent on impact, the haunting lyrics “Time ends us all” are screamed by vocalist/guitarist Thom Longdin. Before you know it, you’re steeped in sludge, and you would be wise to wade through it. Making a short, fast-paced track is where KULK excel. Each track thunders in at three minutes forty, or often less. There is something rather punk about this, leaving you no choice but to devour each track quickly. We’re Worried About You is a prime example of this, coming in at precisely one minute thirty-seven. It crashes through like a whirlwind through the way it rips through riffs.Some tracks are deliberately sparser in their lyricism. Collapse begins with a haunting drone and contains a mere five words that are repeated (“Don’t take me / I am”). However, this does not detract from the energetic charge packed within the song. Once the tradition of lyrics in a song has passed, a grunge-y explosion occurs. It descends into guitars and drums that turn more frantic, like a drastic descent into madness. Comparably, For Blood is where composure is gained, if only for a short while. After a thumping drum intro, the first minute and fifty seconds are dedicated to instruments that gradually gain momentum and urgency. Each song implies the bitterness at existence and the totality of this life. One does not have to claw to decipher the agony that permeates these tunes, which is foremost in the genre of doom. The Saddest Holiday is where you feel the softness of love. A low-pitched guitar sound makes it akin to a waltz. Whether it is intentional or not is unknown. The rage of the first half simmers down to a quiet melancholy as words are softly sung. This feeling of sorrow continues into Ache as strings are introduced. To conclude, the album closes with ambient noise on the closing track Our Last Walk, giving the listener a chance to mull over what they have heard. What’s particularly impressive is how KULK have achieved this release as a two-person show. The duo are composed of guitarist/vocalist Thom Longdin and drummer Jade Ashleigh Squires. Together, they prove they are well-equipped to show the world what they are made of. They have chosen not to tread with caution, laying out the inner workings of their minds for everyone to see. KULK brush shoulders with great company on their label, Church Road Records, too. Sharing a label with the likes of HERIOT and EMPLOYED TO SERVE, it is doubtless they are exactly where they belong. Choosing to Die has earned its place amongst the gritty tunes their peers create. Although naysayers exist who say heavy music has no meaning, they should understand it takes courage to be as vulnerable as KULK have been. To make music out of one’s grief is one of the most powerful things a musician can do. To centre that grief around your debut album is even more daring. Nevertheless, they put on a show for those who have chosen to devote themselves to hearing beyond harsh vocals. On Choosing to Die, KULK have explored grief with blazing honesty. The album is designed to convey a poignant message about losing those you love, even if it means losing yourself in the process. If the album were a fruit, the flesh would be each song’s impenetrable toughness before it is pierced; the innards would be the tenderness towards loss. This deep intimacy should be cherished. It should be appreciated even more that KULK chose to spill the contents of their hearts for a wider audience. Score: 8/10 Choosing to Die will be released on 28th August 2026 via Church Road Records. Words: Shania Richards Photos: Kulk

Walking into HECK’s last ever (but one) show at Signature Brew Haggerston, the room is packed and full of energy from doors - friendly and familiar faces in all corners. There’s a feeling of enthusiastic anticipation - it’s clear from the vibe that it’s not this crowd's first rodeo with HECK and they know exactly what they have got themselves in for. The gig kicked off with RUENA who, fresh off of her first tour where she cycled cross country from gig to gig, you’d think she wouldn’t have much left to give - but you’d be wrong. Bouncing onto stage and launching into her anthemic track Kamikaze, she demands your attention with an unwavering vibrant and powerful energy. Her set ranges from trudging guitars fit for a good ol’ hair flinging head bang, to faster paced moments performed with an infectious energy the crowd can’t help but move to. With a set list full of words worthy of a chorus, a highlight track was Feel the Fear (and do it anyway), which RUENA introduced to the audience from the middle of the crowd, encouraging us all to just go and do the thing, and do it scared! Next up were CHAOS REIGNS, who immediately kicked it up a notch, living up to their self described ‘feral hardcore’ energy. With the front-man chucking the mic stand off stage and jumping off the drum kit within what feels like seconds, it’s hard to avoid getting swept up in their force. If the crowd wasn’t convinced by the first track, when they launched into Sins of Success, a scorcher of a track from their recent EP Sweet Violence, it’s hard to ignore the fury of the lyrics. Screams of “LIE. CHEAT. STEAL. KILL. Whatever it takes to pay the bills” detailing a deserved discontent with the state of the world. The band’s energy is unfaltering throughout the rest of their set. With many moments of catharsis reminiscent of our headliners to come, it’s no surprise when their front man shouts out the influence HECK have had in paving the way for them and many bands alike. And finally our headliners, the formidable HECK. Take a second to blink and a mic is already hanging off the lighting rig with the audience scrambling to get their moment to get stuck in, Matt’s on the floor and Johnny has already done a lap around the venue - everyone is everywhere. If you thought the crowd was lively before, when HECK arrived on stage it was immediately clear the whole room had been storing their energy for this moment. There is no doubt that HECK’s legacy will be true chaos, and we are shoved into it before you realise. The first half of the set is a whirlwind, stacked from top to bottom with hits from their 16 years of wrecking havoc, only offering a moment of calm when we reach the track Totem for a brief reprise. Matt checks in with the crowd, making sure everyone’s survived their wrath up until this point with a thumbs up, and states “When someone asks what your best gig of 2026 is we better be on the fucking list!” - a deadset for this crowd who commit with everything they have until the last note. The intensity returns, with their disorder only ceasing for fleeting moments of concentration to nail insane riffs, demonstrating that even though their live show has always been a pull, they have the musicianship to prove they were always everything but a gimmick. Powering their way through the setlist, handily written up Matt’s arm, they still find the time to perform from all corners of the venue; from multiple flight cases in the pit, up on the bar, storming the merch desk, and so far back from the stage they’ve basically left the venue. As a fan, the moment a band disbands is bittersweet, but there’s barely time to think about it as in classic hardcore fashion, Matt lines the crowd up for a wall of death telling the crowd that this moment is all about love, assuring us that “no love was ever lost in this band, it was just time”. Following a good ol’ singalong and a brief stage invasion for the classic track Powerboat Disaster, we arrive at the last song. The band convene around the bar - drums and all - to play us out, swapping instruments as they do, sustaining the chaos until the very last note. Blink again and they are back on the stage, thanking the crowd for the past 16 years, smiles on their faces. At one point in the beautifully manic set, HECK take a moment to try flog the CDs they have of their 2016 album Instructions, pleading “If you haven’t heard it, please take a fucking CD”, going on to say that any that are left are going in the canal. After their stellar last but one performance, there is no doubt the CDs would’ve flown off the merch desk, but if any did make it to the canal it’s a weird comfort that they will live on, in true chaotic HECK style, in a plastic wrapped CD at the bottom of an east London canal. HECK played their last ever show at ArcTanGent on Friday on the Yohkai Stage. Once that was over, the next best thing will be fishing for a copy of Instructions along the Union Canal. Words and photos: Georgia Grant

With All Points East Presents: Outbreak on the horizon, now is the perfect time to pick out the 10 best bands to see over that coming Sunday of fun; the lineup is quite diverse so here are our picks for the best. MANNEQUIN PUSSY The ultimate badass punk band that deserve to be heard for this festival, their blend of loud spoken word and beautiful melodic singing make for some absolutely beautiful songs that are an impeccable balancing act to create MANNEQUIN PUSSY’s unique sound. Expect ups and downs during this set for as much as the band love to be loud and abrasive they aren’t afraid to slow it down and take you through the motions, exploring all the vocal ranges of singer Missy Dabice; you’d be seriously missing out if you didn’t catch these guys. INTERPOL Definitely one of the lighter bands on the lineup, don’t expect any screaming or brash breakdowns; Interpol are the calm before the storm for this festival, with many people flocking to them for their harsh indie sound that blends in elements of punk to make their iconic sound. Although they come from a genre not many heavy music fans dive into, they seem to have a direct route into the brains of fans for their dark and ominous sound. Even if they quite aren’t your thing, just for the sheer level of talent and how iconic the band is, you don’t wanna miss these. ¥Ø$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U The story of this DJ is utterly legendary, originally playing parties and underground shows, keeping DJing as his hobby, he impressed many local DJs with his unique mixes and intense style; in 2016 however after being diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, he quit his day job as a construction worker and pursued his passion full time. Now he has become one of the biggest DJs in the world, playing even the likes of Coachella; his hardstyle mixing and his choice of songs will no doubt be off the chain for Outbreak, and if he’s in a tent, expect absolute chaos. AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS The definition of speed and aggression, these punk rockers are the crowning example of how fun this genre can be, lead by Amy Taylor and her unapologetic persona, this band are a force to reckoned with; Their brash drums, heavy riffs and Amy’s unique and harsh vocals; you cannot expect them not to have you wrapped up in the music. With this set, expect nothing less than a fun time and a pure cathartic release of anger. WISP In a complete musical juxtaposition, WISP offers a sound unlike any other working today, a solid mix of WISP’s ‘light-than-air’ vocals and the unrelenting shoegaze sound with some extra added nu-metal elements, work surprisingly well together to deliver a sound that any fan of this festivals headliner will absolutely love. Expect to hear her hits such as the massively viral Your Face and the beautiful Pandora, as she will make you want to headbang to the softest voice you’ve ever heard. ESDEEKID Somewhat of an Oddball choice for this festival but the more you think, the more it fits; with the release of his latest album Rebel, ESDEEKID blew up overnight, his fusion of US Soundcloud rapping and his thick scouse accent made for a combination that made him stand out among the rest. His energetic shows, his insane set design and stage presence will certainly make for a brilliant show and we all know that his hit 4 Raws will tear it up at Outbreak. AFI These veterans of the rock scene have had audiences in a chokehold since 1991, with a small dedicated fan base who have stood by them through their diverse discography. From an early hardcore punk style to their newer goth rock and post-hardcore sounds, they’ve done it all; you’d be seriously missing out if you didn’t catch the scenes when this band play their massively popular and insanely catchy Miss Murder. BASEMENT The Sunday headliner of this festival’s Manchester branch, BASEMENT are on such a hot streak with their newest album in 8 years, Wired, they are on top of the world right now, their energy is the same as it ever was, an absolute shining example of the peak of post-hardcore. Though they aren’t in a headline slot this time round, We are willing to bet this set will draw and huge crowd and be one of the best of the day as an absolute fan favourite of Outbreak attendees, it’s only fitting this is the only band to play both versions of this festival, they are one you can’t miss. IDLES The pure embodiment of modern punk, IDLES are nothing short of a class act who use their anger to spread a positive message; Joe Talbot’s unique voice and Mark Bowen’s ever so strange riffs and chords are the perfect cocktail for their sound. They will no doubt be one of the most chaotic sets of the day, expect to collide from the beginning as they will absolutely open with Colossus and that will brilliantly set the tone for the show. DEFTONES The headline act, the legends, the band who have had one of the most incredible second winds in recent memory; their newest album Private Music has been one of their most successful and widely acclaimed album runs ever, selling out arenas, headlining festivals, DEFTONES are on of the biggest bands in the world right now. If you didn’t catch them on their tour back in February, now is the time, the sheer ferocity of Stephen Carpenter’s guitar and Abe Cunningham’s drums will blast you with a wall of sound you can’t help but move to. See you in the pit this weekend! Words: Ben Blissett Cover Photo: Lizzie Jones

The infinitely accelerating death-spiral of our samsara, seizing, trapped between monolith mistakes of man’s own make is but one hyperstition; an ever-accelerating, self-fulfilling prophecy of gradual insanity. The State, in its multifaceted, janus-faced form so writhing through and gnawing at the bones of the world, is but one vector for such an open season against our vague pre-conceived hopes of sanity. STATE POWER’s Hyperstition, on the other hand, is a deafening, explosive, silent stopping, briefly, of that spiral: an interlude between the seemingly inevitable end and the long winding collapse we have endured throughout. To look up, past the shadows, and scream: afraid, angry, anxious- but most importantly, absolute. Crashing through your sound system directly from Utrecht in the Netherlands, STATE POWER have been bringing love-induced nervous breakdowns to the hardcore scene since 2024, and with the upcoming release of their full-length album, Hyperstition, show great promise to continue to do so. Building up from a truly sturdy foundation of collaborating and brilliantly attuned friends, this particular ensemble shows a particular brilliance in seamlessly concocting terrific, terror-inducing riffs, rupturing drums and a united creative vision that that blends together in a way otherwise unexpected of the traditionally gruff and rough sounding hardcore genre. In no way does this mean Hyperstition is not outright deadly: rather, that STATE POWER have turned such blunt-force audio violence to an art. Pim Cruiming and Daan Lutgernik on guitars, not only bring their tempered talents from their time with TWO AND A HALF GIRL but their skill in working side by side to make each track flow and feel fantastic from first song to last- with this particular mixologist’s talent only reinforced by the full band. Mert Güngör’s drumming, kindled by sheer passion for hardcore as much as experience from HALF CAB, keeps the otherwise ravenous and jittering rage of their sound on track, alongside the silent workhorse vigil of Rinus van der Weerd’s bass: all working in perfect tandem to make Stefan Bonestroo’s ever-accelerating, ever-insane, ever-on-the-verge-of-breakdown shine as they deserve. An almost insidious change from his work with BONY MACARONI, it is audibly clear that the sound of STATE POWER is equal parts passion for hardcore and appreciation for what everyone brings to the table, bringing to mind a far higher production value than expected of a debut album. While STATE POWER attest that their sound comes from a place of righteous love, their past track record of frothing riffs is only further blown out of the park by Hyperstition. This album is dark. Very dark. Bringing to mind an endlessly apocalyptic, unmedicated successor to the prophetic cultural observations of Operation: Mindcrime, the album is almost absurd in its appreciation of the reality of the modern world. Beginning with a hypermodernist ironic sneer towards the rise of AI, thinking machines and thoughtless man in the introductory Dominant Threads, the band put to sound the deep, internal, confusion-laden red-hot hatred towards the seeming catastrophe of this time of monsters we dwell in. Turning the sickness in his stomach not to spitting vomit but spitting bars, STEFAN’s rage at the endlessly whirring systems we are trapped in is audible from the first screeching lament of Brain Bug. An anxiety attack in song form, it remains impossible to listen to without at least twitching the eyelid in angered solidarity, totalising the meaningless toil of maximising shareholder value just to eat despite the constant horrors. Each lyric feels less written for performance, nor written for a manifesto: but discerned in a post 3-hour sleep 12-hour shift hallucination that would’ve otherwise caused a peasant revolt and another instance of Stadtholder cannibalism in Holland in simpler times. If Brain Bug is the anxiety attack brought on by the weight of reality, Schizoscene is the post-realisation insanity; a permanent breakdown at breakneck speeds, breaking down the walls of sleepy ignorance to revel in the psychosis of modernity - only restored from the brink by a hauntingly lamenting chorus. From the Spoils Of Empire in the rotting imperial core to the distress at the death of logic and the bypassing of consciousness in Gnaw - where Mert’s drumming particularly performs as perfect psychopomp through these dying times - to The Sin of Empathy, continuing STATE POWER’s sin theming, each song is a rapid-fire burst of neurotic hyperviolence against systems, powers, rich men and horrors whose breadth and scope of sheer sadism could never compare to. In some ways, this ensures much of the songs blend together almost too well: yet in a way, this ensures losing yourself into the ever-swirling messages and sounds throughout the album becomes even more immersive, considering the maddening topics at hand. It is clear that listening to these songs be played one after another in a maelstrom of a crowd, live, would leave one with one or two lifelong memories whether you could recognize exactly where one riff ends and the other begins: and that may perhaps be the most important in hardcore. Hyperstition is an album that less-so grows on you, and more makes you realise it has been silently screaming in your mind, only waiting to be given a sound. STATE POWER’s quintessentially hardcore sound is a beautiful, almost pure-bred, every-beat-a-painting attempt of a genre otherwise concerned with setting fire to the paintbrush. Let it be known the brush is certainly still on fire- we are simply impressed that they have created such while it burns in their hands as it does the art in their minds. Score: 7/10 Hyperstition will be released on the 28th August 2026 via Parasocial Records. Words: Jakub Czaicki Photos: State Power

RADAR Festival tore back into Manchester’s O2 Victoria Warehouse for its 2026 edition. Now firmly established as one of the UK’s most exciting heavy music weekenders, this year’s line-up was headlined by THY ART IS MURDER, SKINDRED and ANIMALS AS LEADERS. Three very different flavours of heavy, all delivered at full throttle. Spread across two stages with a strict no-clash policy, alongside artist masterclasses, a music and gaming market and retro arcades, RADAR continues to champion the artists shaping the future rather than resting on the past. Whether you were there sweating it out in the pit or are wondering what all the fuss was about, here’s our round-up of the acts that stood out across the weekend. Words: Adrian Chapman (AC) and Will Tott (WT) Photos: Loztogs, Charlie Bluck, claire.alaxandra ROZEMARY Merseyside’s finest opened up the entire weekend on a high. The Shure Stage was already packed before a note had even been played, proof of RADAR’s knack for championing the right names early. ROZEMARY traded in techy, blistering metalcore for Izabel Lavin’s shrieking screams collapsing into surprisingly tender sung melodies, guitars lunging between jagged riffs and cinematic swells. Fresh off their new EP The Lies They Made Me Believe, the set drew heavily from it, landing with real force in the room and igniting movement instantly. Watching a crowd of teenagers scream every word back was a reminder that young people are still very much the heart of this scene. (AC) CLT DRP Brighton trio CLT DRP brought a healthy dose of chaotic fun to the Shure Stage. Frontwoman Annie Dorrett prowls the stage screaming feminist-charged lyrics, the band forgoing a bassist entirely and running guitars through a barrage of effects until they howl like a synth, drums frenetic and unrelenting behind it all. It’s a futuristic strain of electro-punk – part rave, part riot – that embodies the quirkiness RADAR has built its identity on and the direction the festival is heading. Newer cuts sat comfortably alongside older favourites, the crowd fully locked in from the first note. (AC) GRAPHIC NATURE Beloved by many, the barrier was full long before GRAPHIC NATURE took the Main Stage. The Kent nu-metalcore crew fuse 90's riffs with chugging electronics and hardcore's brute force, and the pit responded in kind: two-stepping, flying spin kicks, even the Cookie Monster throwing down. Tracks like their latest single Faceless and the classic Killing Floor landed with equal ferocity, the room screaming every word. Frontman Harvey Freeman paused mid-set for a moving speech about men allowing themselves to be vulnerable and the scene being a safe space for all, a staple of any GRAPHIC NATURE set. Equally tender and brutal, they're proof the community can be lovely (even with moshers flailing elbows into jaws). (AC) SIKTH SIKTH brought their mathy, genre-warping chaos to RADAR’s Main Stage, all lurching time signatures and dual-vocal barks colliding with soaring melodies. With their usual bassist unable to make the show, Periphery’s Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood filled in, having grown up idolising the band, locking into their notoriously knotty grooves like he’d been there for years. The crowd, clearly full of devotees, met every jarring rhythm shift and sudden collapse into breakdown with total commitment. It’s a rare opportunity to watch a band this technically unhinged still feel this human and joyful. (AC) VOLUMES The air was thick with anticipation as LA prog metalcore legends VOLUMES took to the stage, returning to RADAR for the first time since their beloved 2023 set. Despite being a fill in for CHELSEA GRIN, the band performed as if they’d been preparing for this set their entire lives. Dual frontmen Myke Terry and Michael Barr were running, jumping and dancing across the stage, not giving the audience the slightest opportunity to lose interest, with a standout moment from the 15-song set being during Edge of the Earth, a heavy anthemic cut from their 2016 debut Via, when Myke Terry descended from the stage to sing the massive chorus with adoring fans at the barrier. It was a true shining example of stagecraft, giving the crowd some of the best onstage presence and energy of the entire weekend. Overall, if the band’s set proved one thing, it’s that VOLUMES are hurtling towards that future headline slot, and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop them. (WT) THY ART IS MURDER Closing out RADAR’s heaviest day, THY ART IS MURDER arrived with a brand new frontman in tow. Jerry Grimefeld, only days into the role after replacing Tyler Miller, tore into opener Blood Throne like he’d fronted the band for years, guttural and commanding from the first breakdown. Blast beats and double kicks came thick and fast, the pit never once letting up. Holy War landed as a clear highlight, every word screamed straight back at the stage by a crowd seemingly unfazed by the change at the mic. Closer Reign of Darkness felt like an apocalyptic send-off, and proof this new era is already firing on all cylinders. (AC) PROTEST THE HERO Making their return to the UK festival scene after ten years, it was immediately clear that PROTEST THE HERO had been sorely missed across the pond from their home country of Canada, with frontman Rody Walker’s triumphant belted vocals being matched by the voices of a horde of enthralled superfans screaming along at the front of the crowd, especially during fan-favourites such as Bloodmeat and Clarity. Unlike many bands on the RADAR bill that seemed to take a heavier and more melancholy approach to songwriting, PROTEST THE HERO brought a distinctly uplifting vibe to their set while never once sacrificing on the technicality of the music, with a sound that lies somewhere between that of Periphery and Dragonforce. This was reinforced by the comedic between-song banter, and set them firmly apart from the rest of the lineup, leaving a memorable and lasting impression once their incredible set concluded. (WT) NORTHLANE A cyberpunk metalcore fever dream took over the main stage during NORTHLANE’s set, complete with festival-goers dressed as spacemen crowdsurfing over the barrier. Marcus Bridge’s vocals swung from soaring cleans to guttural screams while the band’s electronics-laced riffs made the whole set feel less like a gig and more like stepping onto the set of The Matrix, all neon menace and mechanical precision. The pits were insane, the energy more insane still, bodies colliding from the first breakdown onward. Pure main stage chaos ‐ arguably a masterclass in how heavy music can look and sound genuinely futuristic. (AC) UNPEOPLE Headlining the Shure Stage, unpeople once again proved they're unbeatable amongst UK live acts. The London quartet boast a sound that refuses to sit still, careening from massive singalong choruses into thunderous, unpredictable riffing that never goes where you expect. Unreleased tracks from their upcoming debut album We Are Unpeople were a hit, whilst crowdsurfers came over in hordes for fan favourites like overthinking – the energy infectious from their first song to the last. As is now a given in any unpeople set, guitarist Luke Caley rode shoulder-high through the crowd during the final circle pit of the garden. A first RADAR appearance that won't be forgotten in a hurry; if you're not in the know by now, you're undeniably missing out. (AC) SKINDRED Saturday's headliners tore the roof off O2 Victoria Warehouse. Benji Webbe prowled around and, rapping through opener This Is the Sound like a preacher donning his now-signature flamboyant stage wear, set the tone instantly. The genre-hopping chaos hit full force throughout, a reminder that no two SKINDRED songs ever sound the same. It was a delight to see the room bouncing as one to the reggae-tinged basslines and sudden lurches into full-throttle riffing, whilst the energy climbed higher and higher within the set. Spookz from BLACKGOLD joined for closer Warning, the whole crowd whipping their shirts overhead for the ritualistic Newport Helicopter. Unfiltered mayhem from start to finish. (AC) MAEBE Waking us up at the start of Sunday was Bristol-based instrumental triple-guitar prog/mathrock band MAEBE, who owned the Shure Stage with the confidence and swagger of a band that would be on much later in the day, really outdoing themselves and proving the high caliber of the bands that get booked for RADAR. Despite not having vocals in their music, the songs were undeniably catchy due to the incredibly tasteful lead guitar work from frontman Mike Astley-Brown that created toplines and ‘vocal’ style melodies that were easy to latch onto and provided some good ‘ear candy’ for those in the crowd who were perhaps more used to more conventional band setups that include vocals. (WT) GLASS BRIDGES After seeing quite a few fans sporting their T-Shirts around the site for much of the previous day, it was finally time to see what GLASS BRIDGES were made of. Safe to say they did not disappoint. Their upbeat, catchy guitar riffs and the emotional vocal performance from frontwoman Simona Cutifani blended together into one to create their powerful brand of infectiously fun emo-tinged alternative rock that proved that, despite the festival’s usual crop of progressive, metal-focused acts, the band’s style easily deserved its place on the RADAR bill and thrived. The slower emotional moments were all the more poignant when paired with Cutifani’s mid-set commentary on some of the personal struggles that come from being in a band pursuing music as a career, becoming a source of inspiration to the musicians or anyone who was struggling in the audience to keep pushing through, which was very endearing and left the crowd with a hopeful, optimistic sentiment. (WT) EMPLOYED TO SERVE Bringing their heavy style of groove-laden metalcore to the Shure stage, Woking-based EMPLOYED TO SERVE, certainly brought the heat with their set. From the opening song Atonement, a track which usually features the mighty Will Ramos, they set the tone and energy for the remainder of their time onstage: Heavy, chuggy guitars; feral screams from singer Justine Jones; and melodic clean-sung and guitar solo passages that offer somewhat of a break from the unrelenting heaviness that the rest of their sound carries. This sound clearly resonated with the audience, as there was rarely a moment where the moshing in the middle of the room slowed or stopped, a sign of a really great heavy set which EMLOYED TO SERVE most definitely delivered. (WT) TEN56 Closing the second stage on the Sunday were French nu-deathcore giants TEN56, bringing their signature blend of thunderous heaviness and dark electronic elements to RADAR for the third time, being a bit of a staple for the festival at this point. However, this time felt somewhat special as rather than just being another band on the undercard, they have now passed the milestone of headlining a stage. The set opened with Doormat, the whole room instantly buzzing with energy as moshpits erupted across the crowd, and didn’t slow down until they had time to breathe during the more chilled-out rap cut IO, before the band plunged headfirst into the ultra-heavy Boy, proving to any doubters why TEN56 more than deserve their spot at the top of the second stage bill. (WT) ANIMALS AS LEADERS Playing RADAR for the first time since they headlined the festival’s debut, to call prog royalty ANIMALS AS LEADERS’ set a triumphant return would be an understatement, with the group offering up a true masterclass in musicianship and stage production that was truly a sight to behold. Despite being an instrumental band without a traditional frontperson to lead the charge onstage and musically, it never felt like there was any ‘missing piece’ within the band’s expansive sound. Opening with Tooth and Claw, it was immediately clear that this would become one of the best sets of the weekend, and the band didn’t let up from there, ripping through a selection of incredible songs including long-unplayed deep cut An Infinite Regression and their most popular track, Physical Education, which was by far the loudest singalong of the festival. Quite the impressive feat for a band with no lyrics in their entire discography. Aiding the set’s incredible musicality was the otherworldly lighting production, which felt chaotic yet controlled, always matching the feeling of the music, whether that be crushingly heavy or rich and ethereal. The band closed the book on the festival with an encore of their iconic fan-favourite masterpiece Cafo, with founding guitarist Tosin Abasi instantly humbling the guitarists in the audience with its blistering sweep-picking intro and intense technicality throughout that proved(as if it needed proving) that ANIMALS AS LEADERS truly embody progressive metal of the highest pedigree, setting the bar immensely high for future RADAR headliners. (WT)

There’s something wonderfully stubborn about WESTSIDE COWBOY. In an era when young guitar bands can feel engineered for immediacy - polished, packaged and desperate to be the next big thing - the Manchester four-piece have built their reputation on the exact opposite: scrappy guitars, instinctive songwriting, gang vocals and the kind of chemistry that sounds less like a carefully assembled band and more like four mates discovering what happens when they plug everything in and turn it up. It Goes On, their debut album for Island Records, is the payoff. Across eleven tracks and a lean 35-and-a-half minutes, WESTSIDE COWBOY take their self-appointed “Britainicana” tag and stretch it far beyond its novelty value. Americana, folk, post-punk, classic indie and scuzzy guitar rock are thrown into the same battered old van, somehow all fitting comfortably together. The result is an album that feels simultaneously familiar and completely alive. The crucial thing is that It Goes On never sounds like a band trying to prove they belong in the room. Opener Kick Stones (The Boys) immediately establishes the album’s communal, live-wire spirit. Built around a propulsive rhythm inspired by THE VELVET UNDERGROUND’s What Goes On, it has the looseness of a rehearsal-room favourite but the hooks of something destined for much larger rooms. There’s a sense of movement throughout - guitars churning, vocals colliding, the rhythm section refusing to sit still - but underneath the noise is an enormous amount of warmth. That warmth is what separates WESTSIDE COWBOY from a lot of their contemporaries. Paper Chains and Dobro push further into their warped take on indie rock, the latter carrying the kind of scruffy, STROKES-adjacent swagger that could easily become irritating in lesser hands. Instead, WESTSIDE COWBOY give it personality. They sound like they understand the history of guitar music without becoming trapped by it. And then comes Well Done Kid, You Did It, one of the record’s most affecting moments. The album repeatedly circles around the uncertainty of being young and attempting to make sense of a world that seems increasingly difficult to navigate, but there’s very little self-pity here. Instead, the band find something uplifting in simply continuing. That emotional directness is central to It Goes On: the lyrics may leave room for interpretation, but the feeling rarely does. Worried Age takes that anxiety and turns it into momentum. Its title could easily belong to a miserable post-punk record, but WESTSIDE COWBOY aren’t interested in wallowing. The track steadily expands until the tension finally gives way to something approaching release. It is music for being worried together rather than being worried alone - an important distinction for a band whose entire identity seems rooted in community. Big Wheels offers another side of the band, its bittersweet vocal melodies and loose-limbed charm providing one of the album’s most immediately loveable moments. Then Pin Up Boys arrives like someone has kicked the door off its hinges. Already a live favourite, the track reportedly became increasingly “heavier and more aggro” each time the band played it. That evolution is audible. What begins sparsely soon erupts into a wonderfully ragged collision of guitars and drums before eventually pulling itself back from the brink. It is the clearest demonstration of the band’s ability to take a classic quiet-loud dynamic and make it feel genuinely physical rather than merely nostalgic. If there is a criticism to level at It Goes On, it is that the album’s aesthetic is so deliberately loose that some of its edges occasionally blur together. WESTSIDE COWBOY clearly favour instinct over immaculate precision, and while that gives the record its personality, it can occasionally make individual moments feel less distinct than they deserve. But then Coyote and Patchwork arrive to pull the album in different directions, before Take My Leaving As I Love You strips everything back. It is perhaps the album’s most important song. After nearly half an hour of guitars, harmonies and forward momentum, Reuben Haycocks is left with little more than an acoustic guitar. The resulting intimacy feels enormous. At live performances, Aoife Anson O’Connell’s haunting vocals have added an almost folk-traditional quality to the song, and on record the space around Haycocks’ voice becomes as important as the notes themselves. Then, rather than ending in melancholy, WESTSIDE COWBOY save their biggest statement for last. You Could Have Died There On The Dancefloor is exactly the sort of finale this album needs: wide-eyed, hopeful and slightly battered around the edges. Its philosophy is wonderfully simple - nobody has to be perfect; trying is enough. The band deliberately chose it as the final track, and it lands like the closing scene of a coming-of-age film where nobody has quite figured everything out, but everyone has decided to keep moving. That is ultimately what makes It Goes On so compelling. For all the talk of guitar music being back, there is very little sense here that WESTSIDE COWBOY are attempting to revive anything. They are taking the pieces they love - the jangling indie guitar, the American folk influence, the Velvet Underground chug, the scrappiness of post-punk and the communal release of a great live band - and making them their own. The hype surrounding WESTSIDE COWBOY has been enormous. They have already graduated from tiny rooms to festival stages and major headline dates before even releasing their debut, with the likes of The Guardian, NME, Dazed and Rolling Stone UK all piling praise onto the band. But It Goes On is where the conversation needs to change. This isn’t simply an album from an exciting young band. It is an album from a band that already understands exactly why people fall in love with bands in the first place. And, as the title promises, they keep going. Score: 9/10 It Goes On will be released on 21st August 2026 via Island Records. Words: Angel Turley Photos: Clementine Schneidermann

Another surprise EP drop was an incredible way to celebrate the Celestial events of 2026. POWER SNATCH, formed by Hayley Williams and Daniel James, have a short history of releasing surprise music as they create freely. EP1 was an experimental release with the curated atmosphere of a late night fever dream. Featuring three tracks, POWER SNATCH fans have received a taste of the duo’s artistic spirit. With a blog post on Substack, HAYLEY WILLIAMS reiterates her want to give away music. EP 2 was dropped with the awe of natural occurrences. Accompanying the four tracks are lyric sheets saved in a notes app, alongside a YouTube visual link. Taking inspiration from 90s alternative rock and trip-hop, Williams and James have curated a piece that leaves fans wanting more. MACHETE opens with clean pianos that launch into a hip-pop break beat. Navigating a journey through the woods, the narrator is haunted by not returning with a certain person. With previous Substack posts describing the perspective that life is circular, the lyrics “path caved like a circle” emphasises already exploring a particular area within the woods. The glistening keys form a magical feel to the track. A presence is never forgotten with the imagery of mockingbirds haunting the narrator. The bridge is formed of muted strums with the repetition of “I am not lost”. Finishing the track, Williams harmonises with the keys creating an ethereal touch. The trip-hop feel is carried into NEW LEGS. Muted vocals create a ghostly atmosphere which correlates with themes of trying to fit into old versions of yourself. The repetition of “it’s not the same. Without the pain” could refer to Williams' solo track Good Ol’ Days where she emphasises that the pain of the past was part of the experience. There is no need to heal from this pain any more but to move forward. The layered vocals when singing “new legs” represent the multitude of lives lived to get to this very point. BORN DEAD takes on alternative indie inspirations. Taking religious inspiration and imagery of a church marquee sign, this track focuses on the high standards that the public holds Williams to. There is a longing to start over again from the negative effects of being in the public eye. The mellow guitar melodies paired with a steady drum pattern highlights how repetitive the cycle appears as past effects are engrained into the person you have become. EP 2 closes with HELL IS A HALLWAY which takes elements of all these other tracks. The imagery of a hallway portrays the never ending state of limbo and transition. Previous themes of comfort within pain is paired with the moody atmosphere of the track. The distorted bass allows Williams vocals to effortlessly flow. This is a track that could be seen played in the Bronze, a soft yet heavy ending to the EP. Some may compare EP2 to Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party, featuring sister tracks, as the tracks are connected through similar themes and a unified sound. Seeing both Hayley Williams and Daniel James experiment with their music style, POWER SNATCH proves there are no limits to making music. After listening to this EP, fans sure to be eager for a full length album. Score: 7/10 EP2 was released on 12th August 2026. Words: Theviya R Karunaharan Photos: Zachary Gray