There’s heavy, and then there’s THROWN. The Swedish hardcore and metalcore outfit have built their name on doing what they do best delivering raw aggression, crushing heaviness and music that makes listeners want to throw themselves straight into the nearest pit. With UNWANTED, they've taken everything that made them stand out in the first place and pushed it even further. Heavier, more brutal and louder than before, this is THROWN at their absolute best, delivering an album that leaves little room for disappointment. Since forming in 2021, thrown have gone from a rising name in the heavy scene to one of its biggest modern success stories. From their EXTENDED PAIN EP to 2024's EXCESSIVE GUILT. They've built a reputation for no-nonsense songwriting and a sound that gets straight to the point. There's no need for unnecessaries here. thrown know exactly what they're about, and UNWANTED feels like a band determined to prove they're nowhere near finished yet. critic is an absolute standout and arguably the best song they've released so far. It's pure heavy hardcore and exactly the kind of opening statement an album like this demands. From the get go, it grabs listeners by the throat and refuses to let go. There's no messing around, no long introduction, just THROWN doing what they do best and hitting with everything they've got. The track already sounds like an absolute monster in a live setting. The energy, the aggression and the sheer weight of it make it feel built for a room full of people losing their minds. The prospect of hearing this live, with pits opening up and bodies flying everywhere, is enough to get any hardcore fan excited. If this is the standard THROWN are setting for the rest of UNWANTED, then something special is certainly in store. What makes the album even better is that THROWN haven't simply tried to recreate what they've already done. type of way is a perfect example of a band staying true to themselves while still moving forward. Within the first few seconds, that recognisable thrown sound is immediately present, and it's exactly what fans have come to expect. However, there's also a twist to the newer style they're bringing into UNWANTED, giving the track its own identity without losing what makes the band so good. It's great to hear a band stick to their strengths without becoming stuck in the past. There's always a risk that a group finds a formula that works and ends up repeating it until it loses its impact. Thankfully, THROWN avoids that feeling here. They understand exactly what their listeners come to them for, but they're still finding ways to develop their sound. That balance is a big part of what makes this record such a satisfying listen. Then there's off, which brings another element into the mix. The eerie backing track gives the song a different atmosphere, and it works brilliantly in making the vocals stand out. Rather than taking away from the heaviness, that unsettling backdrop makes everything hit harder. It gives the track another layer, allowing the aggression to feel even more pronounced. It's a great reminder that heaviness isn't always about throwing everything at the listener at once sometimes, what sits behind the violence makes it hit even harder. Across UNWANTED, that feeling of increased intensity is what really sticks out. The album sounds more brutal, more aggressive and more unapologetic, yet it still feels unmistakably thrown. That's no small achievement for a band who have already established such a recognisable identity in such a short space of time. UNWANTED represents the best work thrown have put out so far. It takes the sound they've built their name on and pushes it somewhere even heavier, while showing that there's still room for new ideas and different approaches. Nothing about this feels like a band content to coast on past success. They weren't messing around when they made it clear they wanted to be the heaviest band in the world. With UNWANTED, they're making a pretty convincing case for themselves. If this is where they're heading next, the future looks incredibly promising. Until then, these tracks are destined to cause absolute chaos when played live, preferably somewhere near the front of a very chaotic pit. Score: 9/10 UNWANTED will be released on 6th November 2026 via Arising Empire. Words: Jack Norris Photos: thrown

With their fifth full length LP Everything We Love, We Destroy, Swiss noise-rock innovators COILGUNS are entering a new era; what they are calling “Coilguns 3.0”. Having started out in the DIY Hardcore scene they evolved from frantic, scrappy hardcore to a sound they describe as “lazier, fatter and darker” on 2018's Millennials. From there has evolved further into something often much more melodic but never losing their noisy edge, culminating in their critically acclaimed record Odd Love (November 2024). An extensive 85-date world tour followed, after which the band jumped right back in the studio to make the most of their creative momentum. This time they wanted to switch things up - dial back the noise and chaos, and turn up the atmosphere and melody. This approach is immediately clear on the title track album opener; Everything We Love, We Destroy. Primarily driven by a rumbling bass, urgent drums and atmospheric piano, the song is an instant contrast to the band’s previous work. There’s a moment in the back half of the song punctuated by what is either a falsetto vocal hook ran through a vocoder or a theremin, and honestly the fact it's hard to tell makes you love it even more. The track bounces back and forth between anger and sadness as vocalist Louis Jucker grapples with the fact that we as a world have simply ignored the Paris Climate Accords in the 10 years since they were signed. Peace Trader is driven by an almost sludgy feeling bass part, not that it overshadows the sadness buried deep in the song; shown perfectly in the post-chorus breakdown. Replication Crisis is maybe the most accessible and most opaque song on the record at the same time, feeling a little like something from Puzzle era BIFFY CLYRO. It manages to be catchy and melodic whilst still having moments of noisy unpredictability shine through. Platform Decay is the song that the band point to the most directly as the ideal of COILGUNS 3.0 with subtle details sitting throughout the entire track; such as the pulsating synths that sit way in the back of the mix, just audible enough to put you on edge. Punisher Disclaimer is a great straightforward punk rock song about ignoring detractors and making what you want, acting as a nice middle of the record rager to close off side A. Days Before the War is a haunting little acoustic track that has really stuck with me since listening. The song’s sparse soundscape compared to the rest of the album, allows it to feel like a rare moment of fragility. This follows on to Teach Ourselves, which might be the standout track of the album. Sitting in this darker, heavier and sludgier tone that the album leans into during its best moments. The pulsing rhythm section once again being the focal point of the soundscape with sparse guitars giving the song this building oppressive feeling almost like it’s creeping up on you. This may perhaps be intentional given the song’s lyrical message that men must teach other men to be better. Contrasting the previous song and a perfect example of the mix of old and new COILGUNS, Carbon Magic comes in with almost nervous sounding math rock verses contrasting with the huge chorus. Unfortunately, Forever Chemicals, may be the only spot where the album doesn’t totally come together. By no means a bad song, simply sandwiched between an album of preferable songs. Which is to say it comes directly before the spectacular closer Perfect Fit Content, a true anti-AI art anthem. Opening by firmly stating “This music’s born from a human organ” and concluding with a piece of spoken word poetry over a darker and heavier repetition of the intro riff. The album ends on this note, begging you to remember the mantra: “Your art is esoteric”. All in all, Everything We Love, We Destroy is an album reflecting on time. The time since the world signed climate accords that have been ignored since. The time spent watching their home country, once a symbol of peace, rot into something much darker from the inside out. The time the band have spent together creatively; how they can continue to evolve without losing sight of who they are. Score: 8/10 Everything We Love, We Destroy will be released on 6th November 2026 via Humus Records. Words: James Meyer Photos: Andy Ford

With over 25 years behind them, Canadian hardcore legends COMEBACK KID are back with their seventh LP, Chosen Hell. COMEBACK KID's iconic backlog has massed them a dedicated fanbase over the years, and this album keeps within their renowned sound while adding experimental layers that show exactly why they’ve been a household name in hardcore punk for so long. The album starts off strong with Target On My Back. High speed and riff heavy it’s exactly what one would expect from COMEBACK KID. Adding in booming vocals, it’s an almighty start. Vindication is next lacing melodious fury with potent energy in exactly the way you would expect from COMEBACK KID. Another dead ringer of a song that gives the dynamism you experience fully at one of their live shows. Going into a standout song on the album, not only because it features legendary Courtney LaPlante from SPIRITBOX, but Shedding Season is also full of rage and bravado and delivered impeccably. Once that breakdown hits, you can completely feel it. Not losing any momentum, we go into a much more hardcore punk feel with Lost and Found, an absolute instant add to playlist song that you’ll want to listen to repeatedly. It encompasses COMEBACK KID versatility perfectly and makes it hard to forget why they are such an iconic band. Underneath The Pressure is up and the album goes back into full throttle mode with some amazing vocals that really does just prove that vocalist Andrew Neufield can make anything sound great. The instrumentals in the song carry the entire track perfectly. Into the title track of the album at the halfway mark, Chosen Hell is full of rage, covering the moral and virtuous battle between good and evil. Chosen Hell has already been released to give you a taste of just how incredible this record is. Without a breath we go into Yesterday’s Gone, featuring Brendan Garrone of INCENDIARY, another perfect example of how versatile vocals and flawless instrumentals blend so well. Tunnel Vision keeps this reputation up without fault. Another solid breakdown that you come to know and love from COMEBACK KID, and yet it still hits like a hammer every time. Becoming goes back to full ferocity and unwavering, fast paced playing. Noteworthy vocals, gripping choruses and unrelenting drums, all amalgamated into the perfect concoction. Then onto the catchiest song you've heard in a long time. The more you listen to Heartland Elegy, the more you find that you just can't stop. The singalong chorus is the perfect earworm to begin wrapping this album up, because you’re going to want to go back and listen to it over and over again. This song feels like it would be a live show core memory. Too Late wraps the album up perfectly. Slowing down slightly but not losing momentum for a second, by the time you reach this song, if you weren’t a COMEBACK KID fan you will be by now. Full of feeling and before picking up the pace again, this song is the perfect end to a perfect album. COMEBACK KID have managed to produce an album that just gets better song after song, listen after listen. The versatility, unexpected shifts, hooking choruses, COMEBACK KID have come back with a force. If you haven’t ever given this band a chance, this one is going to convert you into a loyal fan after one listen. Bringing the energy that COMEBACK KID are known for without faltering for a second, injecting both the nostalgia of their back catalogue with a newer feeling hardcore element. COMEBACK KID have managed to not only keep their momentum after all these years but elevate it, communicating struggles and destitutions in an unforfeiting way. Score: 9/10 Chosen Hell will be released on 6th November 2026 via SharpTone Records. Words: Shay Decay Photos: Keith Thompson

Consistency and patience are often what it takes for a band to develop its own identity and find its place in the music world. SPANISH LOVE SONGS are no strangers to that journey. Over the last decade, the five-piece from Los Angeles have steadily reaped the rewards of their hard work, building a following through their melodic punk rock sound, selling out tours, appearing at festivals and sharing stages with some iconic names such as ALKALINE TRIO and KNOCKED LOOSE. Their latest offering, Future Nausea, could well be their finest addition yet. The album opens with its self-titled track, Future Nausea. Meredith Van Woert’s rapid keyboard work establishes an infectious, toe-tapping rhythm, while Dylan Slocum’s unmistakably wavering vocals bring the rest of the band together. Guitarist Kyle McAulay, drummer Ruben Duarte and newly welcomed bassist Mike Trujillo all find their place within a track that carries an unmistakable early 2000s THE KILLERS feel. The keyboards remain prominent, the drums never miss a beat and the guitars weave effortlessly around one another. It’s an inviting introduction that immediately establishes the album’s direction. Good American follows and is arguably one of the album’s strongest moments. Its melody is ridiculously infectious, with a deliciously groovy rhythm that brings THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM to mind. The chorus is instantly addictive, making this the sort of song that demands movement rather than passive listening. Slocum’s vocals are perfectly suited to the track, never feeling strained or overworked, while the guitars provide just enough bite without overpowering the melody. There’s even a sprinkling of BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN in its DNA, and it works wonderfully. It’s the sort of track that can turn a good album into a great one. Welcome To Hell and New Fears continue the momentum. Both feel tailor-made for festival crowds, combining raspy vocals, head-swaying melodies and lyrics that carry a genuine sense of reflection. There’s a nostalgic MATCHBOX TWENTY quality running through both tracks, particularly in their melodic delivery. Beneath the infectious choruses, however, lies something more vulnerable. It’s this balance between accessibility and emotional honesty that makes SPANISH LOVE SONGS so compelling. Jan666 takes a step back, easing off the accelerator for a slower, emotionally weighted offering. It’s a track that allows its subject matter to take centre stage. There’s no need for unnecessary theatrics or overcomplicated arrangements. Instead, the band give the emotion room to breathe, delivering another reminder that their songwriting is just as effective when the volume comes down. Doom Tripping is arguably the album’s most vulnerable moment and undoubtedly one of its lyrical highlights. Sonically, it takes on a more expansive, synth-driven direction, but its real strength lies in the message. The simple mantra, “Post-apocalyptic doesn’t mean we all stop dancing”, is particularly striking. It’s a reflection of the world’s increasingly bleak outlook, viewed through the lens of personal struggle and mental health. Slocum’s writing captures that uncomfortable feeling of trying to navigate an increasingly difficult world while refusing to surrender to it. It’s deeply personal, yet there’s something universally relatable about its message. Shadowland introduces another shift in sound, drawing heavily on 80s-inspired American rock. Its melody and lyrical delivery have an almost cinematic quality, while the guitars carry a distinct SAM FENDER influence. Fender has become one of the strongest modern examples of incorporating retro rock influences into contemporary songwriting, but SPANISH LOVE SONGS demonstrate here that they can operate in similar territory without losing their own identity. It’s a refreshing change of pace and another highlight. No Dreams is a track that feels destined to become a crowd favourite. While it shares some of the mournful undertones of Jan666, there’s considerably more weight behind its delivery. The drums almost seem to float beneath the arrangement, allowing the guitar work and Slocum’s raspy vocals to carry the song. The addition of a saxophone is an inspired touch, elevating the track without feeling like an unnecessary gimmick. It’s a wonderful example of an instrument being used to complement a song rather than simply decorate it. Future Nausea Pt. 2 takes a noticeably different approach to its self titled predecessor. Produced by former DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE guitarist Chris Walla, alongside ILLUMINATI HOTTIES’ Sarah Tudzin, the album benefits from a production style that allows the band to experiment without losing their identity. This track is perhaps the clearest example. The lead guitar shifts through an array of textures, at times almost resembling a bassline before evolving into something more synthesised. There’s a real attention to detail throughout, and it demonstrates just how much thought has gone into the album’s construction. The penultimate track, See You On The Way Out, takes another unexpected turn. There’s a noticeably poppier, more mainstream feel to its opening, which initially makes it stand apart from much of the record. That’s not necessarily a criticism. As the track progresses, elements of the band’s more familiar sound begin to emerge, bringing everything back towards the identity established throughout the album. It’s an interesting detour, even if it doesn’t quite reach the heights of some of the earlier tracks. The album closes with Until The Sun Explodes, an acoustic offering that strips everything back and allows Slocum’s songwriting to take centre stage. There’s a rawness to the production that feels entirely deliberate, with distorted audio messages appearing between moments of deeply personal reflection. It’s hauntingly beautiful, heartbreaking and incredibly powerful without ever needing to raise its voice. It might not be the explosive finale some listeners expect, but it is arguably the most fitting way to close the record. It’s a track that demands attention, patience and, above all, the respect its subject matter deserves. SPANISH LOVE SONGS have thrown everything into Future Nausea. They’ve resisted the temptation to follow a familiar formula, instead allowing themselves the freedom to explore different sounds, textures and emotional territories. That approach can sometimes leave an album feeling disjointed, but here it works remarkably well. Despite its stylistic shifts, there’s a consistent emotional thread running throughout, held together by the band’s unmistakable identity and Slocum’s deeply personal songwriting. Future Nausea is a record that understands the importance of connection. Even in an era increasingly defined by isolation, uncertainty and disillusionment, people are still searching for others to stand beside them in the darkness. SPANISH LOVE SONGS have created an album that acknowledges that struggle without allowing it to define everything. It’s honest, adventurous and packed with moments that deserve to be heard. Ten years into their journey, the band sound more comfortable than ever in their own skin Score: 9/10 Future Nausea will be released on 6th November 2026 via Pure Noise Records. Words: David Waites Photos: Mitchell Wojcik

On a night where the entire UK was being rained on, there was nothing better to brighten the mood than some heavy music. THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA came to the UK and Europe off the back of releasing their latest LP Flowers in November 2025. Southwest England’s biggest vibe OVERSIZE opened the night. Being, self-admittedly, the least heavy band of the tour, they created a warm atmosphere for everyone coming in from the pouring rain. Their 2025 debut album Vital Signs was the focal point of their set – to much enjoyment from the crowd. Relative newcomers to the scene, they have been making waves ever since their formation in 2019, and being brought around the UK and Europe by a band with the stature of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA shows why they are ones to watch. 156/SILENCE followed to bring the heavy vibes to the night. The Pittsburgh natives released their new album From A Distance not long before the tour began, but even in that short time it has got crowds singing along and moshing in perfect time. A much more intense set than the openers OVERSIZE meant that any last raindrops left were shaken off in the mosh pit. 156/SILENCE are a band that have grown a lot and gone from strength to strength in the eleven years since their inception, and From A Distance is another big chapter for a band that still have a lot to come. France’s finest NOVELISTS kept the high energy up. 2025’s LP CODA was a huge success, and is a testament to the revitalisation brought to the band when vocalist Camile Contreras joined in 2023. Famous for their huge breakdowns to the intricate guitar solos, NOVELISTS had the whole room captivated from the second they entered the stage, until the second they left. Every member of the band has such a radiant charisma on stage, that it leaves the crowd wishing they could look in five places all at once to see everything. With the recent release of the single Ravage, NOVELISTS are continuing their rise through the scene and are definitely a band to keep on your radar. THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA are a timeless band, having been around since 2005, they have seen a lot of change. The Ohio icons have flawlessly managed to keep themselves as a mainstay of the scene throughout the past two decades. Coming to Europe and the UK with the hit new record Flowers was always going to excite fans. Starting the set with the opening tracks from Flowers immediately made the floor open up and sent the bodies of moshers flying. A chorus of fans sang every word back from the very first lyric until the very last, so much so that the band let the crowd be the backing vocals during their song For You. With this being the Flowers tour there was a lot of love shown to that album, but the band perfectly balanced the setlist with songs from throughout their career, as a flawless homage to their, so far, twenty-one years together. The five-piece are known for unapologetically intense songs, however, equally as known for being able to slow it down and let people really connect with the meaning behind the words. Slowing it down for Broken created a feeling of unity in the room. So many people have felt what it’s like to relate too closely to the words of that song and let the music help guide them through it. There were complete strangers coming together as one in understanding, because despite the fact they’ll likely never meet again, in that moment they shared a deep connection. In between songs, vocalists Mike Hranica and Jeremy DePoyster took the time to thank the fans for the continued support that the UK and Europe have given them since they very first came over from North America, and expressed their hope to return. In a set full of new and old favourites, the band decided to have a bit of fun with their encore by starting with Play The Old Shit from their latest record, before ending the night on Hey John, What’s Your Name Again?, which released nineteen years prior. They really did play the old shit. THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA have rightfully earned their place in the metalcore hall of fame with the incredible work they’ve consistently been putting in for twenty-one straight years, but they are far from done yet. There is still so much more to come from them, and the future is looking bright for a band that have had such a remarkable history. Words: Alex Long Photos: Katerina Stepanikova

Some performances leave you wanting more when the lights dim; AFTERDRIVE makes you wish the night would never end. Taking the stage at the intimate O2 Islington 2, they delivered a set that showed not only why they're an exciting band to watch, but also what a great band can be. From the initial chords of Necklace to the closing notes of Afterdrive (Outro), they commanded the stage with electric energy that never dulled. With SWRVE and BABY SAID joining the lineup, the evening had plenty to offer before the headliner took the stage. SWRVE brought an immediate commanding stage presence, carrying themselves with a confidence that made them not only engaging to watch but opening the evening with a strong impression, amping up the atmosphere. BABY SAID followed with an outstanding performance with catchy lyrics and power voices immediately standing out. Their energy throughout their set was undeniably infectious, bouncing around the stage and keeping the momentum going. They also displayed a real talent for building excitement and to create the perfect atmosphere that set the scene for a night not to be forgotten. Opening with the recognisable guitar riffs of Necklace, AFTERDRIVE immediately ignited the room with unquestionable energy. There is a certain confidence that comes from a band that knows exactly who they are and what their sound represents, and AFTERDRIVE brought it in abundance. The band commanded the stage effortlessly, with undeniable chemistry that was just as entertaining as the performance itself. Their interactions made it clear they weren’t simply musicians sharing a stage, but a group that genuinely loves what they do. And their passion for music translated clearly throughout the set; the guitar solos were nothing short of insane, adding an extra layer of excitement to tracks that already sounded fantastic. If the performance couldn’t have been any more perfect, their set list had something for everyone, mixing tracks from their recent EP Dress to Drive with earlier releases. Although Often was a particular highlight, Cars really brought the room together. The reaction the crowd had to the song was ultimately infectious; there is something special about watching an entire room get swept up in the same song, and AFTERDRIVE made it impossible to not join in. The venue’s intimacy worked in their favor, bringing the band and the audience together, and their constant engagement with the crowd took that energy and ran with it. There was never any sense of separation between the band and the crowd; instead, the entire room felt part of the experience. As Afterdrive (Outro) brought the evening to a close, one overwhelming, inescapable feeling ran through the room: nobody wanted it to end. There’s just something about seeing a band play with that level of real passion that makes the music really hit you, and that was undeniably one of those nights. With a performance like this, it was an unforgettable and fitting end to the Dress to Drive tour. AFTERDRIVE have proven exactly why they're a band worth watching; if this tour is any indication, they’re only going to get better. Words and Photos: Morgan Ashman

Released on the week of Halloween, the London gothic rock band JESUS AND THE ZEALOTS have weaved their way onto 31st October and gothic playlists. The debut EP, The Mask, showcases their creativity through moody psychedelic hints and folk horror sounds that are perfect for casting a spell. With complementary Spotify playlists curated by the members of JESUS AND THE ZEALOTS, listeners are able to grasp an understanding into the inspirations and influences found within The Mask. Opening with layered whispering and a slow piano melody, the listeners are instantly hooked before launching into steady drums. Hold the Night is characterised by its declamatory ghostly vocals that guide listeners through the mysteries and acceptance of the unknown. Driven by layered vocals and a repetitive hook, the chorus is an instant ear worm that forces movement from within. The Mask is an engaging track that catapults listeners into elegantly sung lyrics exploring the deep emotional journey of constructing a persona and eventually breaking it down to embrace one's authentic self. The rhythmic bass lines create a dramatic and eerie environment. Daunting keys and high pitched screams are used at the end of the chorus signifying a moment of finality. The chorus is flooded with rapid drum work and clashing cymbals. Glistening melodies are present during You with tension built through rapid drums. This is a classic gothic rock track that compels listeners to dance in a misty forest. You explores the band’s capabilities and creativity through psychedelic sounding keys and intricate rock guitar riffs. The third track faded out with muted guitar notes allowing listeners to digest the intensity of the song. Willow is a closing instrument piece that opens with the calming sound of the wind paired with guitar plucks. A calm yet hopeful atmosphere is created, the perfect way to end an EP. Whilst this EP only features 4 tracks, JESUS AND THE ZEALOTS are able to showcase their wide artistic range within the gothic genre as they blur boundaries. These textured songs showcase the potential this band possesses as every song is unique and apparent that goth is not dead yet. Score: 9/10 The Mask was released on 28th October 2026. Words: Theviya R Karunaharan Photos: Adrian Zeqja

After finding her footing within various Tampa Bay acts, the Floridian vocalist SUMMER HOOP broke loose to start a solo venture, finding breakout attention through a myriad of singles and local shows that would lead her to collaborating with the likes of BILMURI. Half a decade into this path, she is on the verge of releasing her debut EP, titled Self Disrespect, which promised to display unrestrained angst, fragility and, above all else, kickass alt-rock/dark-pop bangers. The EP is described as being an exploration into the struggle of wanting to be loved without needing to adjust your personality to appease another, and shows the desperate moments where self-sabotage ultimately takes over. Opening the record is the full-throttle lead single, The Pursuit Of Misery, a punchy, pained song expressing how someone can acknowledge their flaws and struggles, but cannot escape the harmful cycle that continues to funnel them deeper into anguish. Fuelled by sultry guitar tones, fiery drumming and HOOP’s remarkably controlled voice, this track lays down an atmosphere that is uncomfortably honest about the experience of spiralling into your own mind, and the consequences this inflicts upon your own wellbeing and your relationships with those you care for. Continuing into a more playful, risqué yet vulnerable theme and tone, Shock Collar depicts the longing for intimacy, forfeiting one’s independence while putting herself down simultaneously. With a highly flavourful vocal performance and catchy instrumentals, with a particularly irresistible chorus, this song has no trouble rocking heads, though a somewhat casual structure makes it easy to digest without taking any risks. If one thing is clear by now, HOOP has no doubt in her singing ability, demonstrating heaps of confidence during every vocal run. Mindlessly, the next track in the project, was offered as the second single, taking a much grittier approach, immediately coming on as an angsty, forthright follow up. Here, the voice expresses how deeply they idolise another, being willing to follow them mindlessly, detailing lots of religious imagery to convey this desire, such as in the line “I met god, they look just like you”. Much like the voice in the song, you feel an urge to be swayed by the allure of the expressive vocals and infectious beat, continuing the pattern of commanding efforts by HOOP. Next, the blissful submissiveness is shattered by an intimidating voice, flipping desire into disdain in Suffer, a song laden with fury towards someone who treated the voice like dirt. Picking up the power, the guitarwork is meaner, the drums struck with venom and the frontwoman sings with impressive flow, this song is truly the antithesis of the prior two, as though the voice has been able to self-reflect and is channelling that shame into freeing themself from this toxic person. The post-breakup torment continues into Dizzy Dirty Daydream, a song that mere seconds into you already know was born to thrive in a live atmosphere, one that reverses the rage from the previous track to highlight a deep inescapable longing to be with your ex again, as much as you know it can’t happen. The penultimate song shows off a more rapid-fire cadence capability from HOOP, an element that once again serves to emphasise the desperation in the voice, trying to come to terms with losing the person she feels so torn without, unable to escape the thought of the girl who replaced her living the life she failed to seize. The graphic imagery and pain conveyed through the lyrics and vocals weighs heavy, with a powerful beat to accompany, making for a great soundtrack to let loose your frustration. Lastly, we go all out in Tore Up, a song teeming with character and grit, embodying going to the club and dancing your cares away. Featuring Ashe Locke of GILT, this was a recipe for rampant vitality, with both vocalists bouncing off of each other's energy through contagious levels of chemistry as they paint the town red. With an ominous opening, the listener can sense the build up towards a kickass chorus, one that will undoubtably break necks and fling limbs in the pit. This electric finale is wickedly catchy, and will dominate any live show as an absolute rager. Self Disrespect achieves more than your typical debut EP, being a demonstration of formidable vocal talent, a fiery attitude and no-nonsense writing that already serves as a cohesive round-up of the best of SUMMER HOOP’s abilities. Score: 8/10 Self Disrespect will be released on 6th November 2026 via Oxide Music. Words: Paul Cutts Photos: Mack Knox

The beauty of live music is that it can often be complimented by a high-budget lavish production which brings new life to the band and music. In a world where stage deigns are now being limited to just a screen and lights, it’s strange to think what bands have achieved in the past. Many bands saw themselves propelled to success through pushing the limits on how intricate a stage setup can be. Sometimes rock and roll needs to be truly over the top, and we've compiled a list of our top 10 memorable stage productions that stayed with fans long after the curtain closed. 10) THE DAMNED - A Night of a Thousand Vampires 2019 In 2019, punk and goth legends THE DAMNED combined circus, theatrics and their signature sound to create a one-off performance. The stage was a gothic castle and the theatrics did not just stop there. Performers form The Circus Of Horrors performed alongside the band to add an element of spectacle, with everything from sword swallowing to contortionists. With a lot of the design harkening back to the early years of horror movies, the concert is the perfect watch for Halloween just to bask in the gothness of it all. 9 KANONENFIEBER German blackened death band KANONENFIEBER have pushed the theatrics of what can be seen in a 500-cap venue with the sheer amount of stuff they put on a stage. With the stage already covered in sandbags and at some moments fIr trees, they push it even further with costumes, props and effect, the band all wearing matching uniforms which change between songs. When they sing about being in a submarine, they will have submarine worker outfits on. When the band use a snow machine on stage to signal the brutality of winter, they will be wearing massive coats. Using flamethrowers in many performances, they treat every song live like a tale to be recounted. There’s nothing like leaving a gig covered in fake snow. 8 Peter Gabriel - Secret World Tour 1993-1994 Peter Gabriel has always been theatrical, from his early days with GENESIS to helping to define the music video as a medium. His Secret World Tour opens with him rising onto stage in a phone box, from that moment on you are taken into another world created on stage. The stage itself was crafted with a circular stage, a catwalk with a treadmill built in, and a traditional square stage which has since become standard for many arena tours. Featuring a tree rising from the stage, a boat floating on stage, and trapdoors hidden in luggage, the tour was captured on film and it’s just as impressive now as it was back then. 7 GWAR Legendary evil alien overlord metal band GWAR have always pushed the absurdity on stage. Clad in giant spiked armoured monster outfits whilst dousing the stage and crowd in fake blood, they embrace the absurdity of extremity where the sheer amount of violence on stage is always comical. Each tour they have done since the 80s has simply added to their legend as putting on a true spectacle of humour and blood. Many fans have embraced the fact that you will leave the front row of the concert doused in blood and bring along white t-shirts to show just how much blood there is on stage. They transport the stage into a cheesy 80s B-movie. 6 CULT OF FIRE CULT OF FIRE remain unique within the world of black metal with a lot of their imagery stemming from Buddhist and Hindu traditions, with the guitarists of the band sat cross-legged on thrones in priest-like robes whilst the stage is surrounded by the smell of incense and candles. Often featuring giant statues and decorative backdrops to try and bring the stage into being a temple they look like no one else, the band will have offerings on stage such as fresh fruit and flowers. This spiritual approach to black metal makes them stand out so much within their genre. 5 BATUSHKA Polish black metallers BATUSHKA are another religiously inspired band, with their influence coming from the Orthodox church. Their concerts are based upon traditional mass and the stage reflects it. Spending a lot of the time before they take the stage lighting the copious amount of candles and setting up the alters on stage, there is something so deeply ominous about BATUSHKA when they hit they play, it feels like you are watching some sort of spiritual event. The band members stay still throughout the performance, making the metal feel almost like some forgotten chant. A true marvel of using atmosphere to build theatrics. 4 MUSE MUSE have become renowned across the world for their stage shows and how far they push creative limits. Often being built upon a sci-fi aesthetic to match the band’s sound, their sets feature an obscene amount of pyro and lasers that turn up the maximalism on their shows to infinity. Many of their recent tours have featured a robot statue overlooking the band from the back of the stage that works as a major set piece. Frontman Matt Bellamy becomes a futuristic rock god, often wearing light up outfits and wielding a guitar with a screen. It’s arena rock at its most theatrical in the modern world. 3 David Byrne - American Utopia Tour 2018-2022 David Byrne has pushed forward the medium of concerts ever since he first started playing music. From his time in TALKING HEADS to where he stands now, every show is a masterclass in performance. His American Utopia tour was a natural evolution of everything that came before. Although the most simple stage setup on this list is made up for by everything that is done on it, coming across less as a concert and more like some modernist theatre piece. Every member of the backing band is moving including the drums, so the stage is truly bare to showcase the music. The choreography and lighting works in tandem with individual squares of light following some performers during each song. Every moment is choreographed in David Byrne’s signature style. The tour had a yearlong period on Broadway which arguably brings it the closest to true theatre. 2 PINK FLOYD - The Wall Tour 1980-1981 One of the most legendary tours in the history of rock, PINK FLOYD redefined what a concert can be with The Wall Tour. The most iconic part of the tour was the literal 10-metre wall gradually built throughout the set to separate the band from the audience to showcase the disconnect being sung about on the album. The show opened with a plane crashing into the wall and exploding, while other highlights included giant puppets and projections onto the wall itself. The show was just the album played in full as one continuous performance piece. The tour has become one of the most legendary within the history of rock and is still seen as being a true theatrical spectacle. 1 GENESIS - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway Tour 1974-1975 The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway was already a deeply confusing concept album without the addition of a full stage show. The tour marked Peter Gabriel’s end with the band before both became major pop stars. The tour featured 1,450 slides to help tell the story, complete with costumes, stage props and pyro. The tour became a way for Peter Gabriel to push the performance art he had already been doing with the band to another level. During one song a giant spinning cone came down to surround him on stage and other songs featured mannequins of him on stage lit with strobes to make it look like he was moving about. The most famous element of the show was the Slipperman, a truly grotesque over the top costume which made it nearly impossible to use a microphone with. The tour is the book end of the Gabriel era of GENESIS. The tour is so legendary that tribute bands recreate the whole production in large venues. It’s rock theatrics at its most over the top. Words: Will Freeman

Halloween is the favourite time of year for your average goth/alt person and it deserves a suitable soundtrack. Whether it's for a party, walking through the crumbling golden leaves, or to enjoy in the warm comforts of home on a dark evening. Anyone in the know is already familiar with the likes of CREEPER and ICE NINE KILLS who are taking the helm on Halloween metal, so here is a list of some songs and artists you may not be aware of to elevate your spooky playlists. This list hosts a number of artists, some very well known, some underground, all spanning a wide variety of sounds, styles and themes. Get your spooky season off to a good start. MOTIONLESS IN WHITE - Werewolf MOTIONLESS IN WHITE have since their inception been a quintessential Halloween band. From their early days wearing stage makeup and songs about Tim Burton movies, to their modern radio metal antics and larger-than-life stage shows, they truly embody everything spooky. Werewolf was a stand out track on their sixth studio album Scoring The End Of The World, this is a masterclass in catchy hooks, cheesy 80s synth lines and embellishments from sleeve worn influence, including a fun arrangement of outfit and dance taken from MICHAEL JACKSON's Thriller. This could easily have been the soundtrack to an 80s horror classic. CROSSES - Bitches Brew One of the side projects of DEFTONES frontman Chino Moreno, CROSSES is a mostly synth based venture away from the more traditional shoegaze influences and heavier nu-metal stylings that DEFTONES are known for. While not traditionally a band you might associate with Halloween, there is a palpable dark and chilling atmosphere across their music as well as lyrical content exploring the seductiveness of the obscure. Bitches Brew is their magnum opus, a sensual display of desire for an unearthly enchantress and a tentatively chilling moment within your playlist while still being acceptable for a party. KNOCKED LOOSE - In The Walls Crossing now into much heavier territory, KNOCKED LOOSE are still a massive artist in the alternative scene, but their second album, A Different Shade Of Blue, rarely gets as much praise as it seems to deserve. The album's title track is certainly one of their darkest and their first attempt to bring aspects of horror into their writing. With its tension throughout building to the line “I will hold on to that memory until your skin turns grey”, it certainly paints a gory and disturbing picture. Finally, as the track concludes with a sample from the Kojima horror phenomenon PT, it cements its place in this list. MIRRORCELL - Glitter MIRRORCELL are still a smaller band, yet to have their breakout moment, but have already released one of the most fun and interesting metalcore albums of the year. Their sound revolves around heavy pop and electronic elements to build and create their atmosphere, but what makes their particular track Glitter a good addition is its lyrical and thematic parallels to this year's horror blockbuster Obsession. A song about a love that ends in blood feels fitting and its carefully crafted sound makes it dreadfully appealing to anyone with a penchant for low tuned guitars. GRAUR - I Don’t Belong Here GRAUR is an artist that there doesn’t seem to be a lot of information about online. Existing in the sub-style of electronic music known as “angelcore”, they are best represented by their use of ghostly vocals and haunting synth top-lines. While I Don't Belong Here is a lot different to all the others on this list, it is exemplary of the atmosphere created by a cold, rainy October day or exploring around a haunted abandoned building in the countryside.This recommendation serves to help expand the horizons of anyone into heavy music that has not yet found the wonders of obscure internet electronic artists. LIFE ON VENUS - What Lies Beneath LIFE ON VENUS is a dream pop trio from Russia which blends joyful and dramatic feelings expressed with noisy, reverberated instruments and hazy vocal lines, reminiscent of the 80s and 90s shoegaze scenes. What Lies Beneath encapsulates that sound as well as the late autumn gloom that can only be lovingly expressed with these melancholic chords and soundscapes. Much less of a party track and more of an accompaniment for a walk in the grey dusk of self reflection and contemplation. ZEAL AND ARDOR - Ship On Fire Another outlier to this list, ZEAL AND ARDOR are unique, beloved by many and incredibly outlandish for their blend of black metal and early American gospel. Ship On Fire is infectious in its continuously building vocal lines to each chorus, its virulent distorted guitar lines and the breakdown of the song in which vocalist Manuel Gagnuex seems to be summoning demons. This is a piece of the occult in audio format, a sermon and a ritual contained in three and a half minutes. MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE - Mama Everyone knows who MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE are. Their seminal album The Black Parade is a world renowned exploration of death and the afterlife that has influenced countless pieces of art, movies, books and music. Mama is one of many that could have made it on to this list, but above the others it offers a dramatic descent into madness comprised of eastern european musical stylings seldom seen in rock and alternative music. MAGIC WANDS - Black Magic This track differs a bit from most of the others in this list. Rather than being based in metal stylings and electronic sensibilities, Black Magic takes more from a 2010s indie rock sound synonymous with the golden age of tumblr and pumpkin spice lattes. Its guitar tones are gross and stand out amidst the driving bass and drum loops and hypnotic vocals. One might almost call this witchy in nature, something to be enjoyed and admired between rewatches of The Addams Family movies or Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost. METHWITCH- Crimson Halo For the final track on this list, this is the heaviest and most abrasive by quite a significant margin. Where halloween is concerned, it seems pertinent that there should be something truly horrific to listen to in comparison. METHWITCH is a one man mathcore/deathcore project heralded by some to be one of the heaviest bands in existence. Crimson Halo is loud, fast, aggressive, schizophrenic even. Everything is distorted, even down to the church choir sample wrapped around the beginning and end of the track. This song is not for the faint of hearted so be careful where it goes on your playlist. Words: Alex Boyd

There is a moment in the evolution of ICE NINE KILLS when the distinction between a band and a horror franchise begins to disappear. It is difficult to identify exactly when it happens. Perhaps it begins with a Michael Myers reference hidden inside an early song. Perhaps it is Every Trick in the Book, when the band discovers that entire albums can be constructed around other people's stories. Perhaps it is The Silver Scream, when horror cinema becomes the band's central language. Or perhaps it happens later, when Spencer Charnas stops merely singing about monsters and begins to inhabit a fictional world in which he himself might be one. ICE NINE KILLS began as a band influenced by the pop-punk and post-hardcore culture of the 2000s and gradually became one of the most elaborate examples of theatrical world-building in contemporary heavy music. Their recent identity is no longer adequately described as simply "a horror-themed metalcore band". The band has created a mythology in which famous horror films provide the source material, fictional versions of the musicians provide the protagonists, and an original lore provides the connective tissue. What makes that evolution particularly interesting is that it was not originally planned as a grand cinematic universe. It emerged organically from the band's increasing interest in adapting stories. Every Trick in the Book established the method; The Silver Scream perfected the formula; Welcome to Horrorwood turned the formula inward. The material that followed increasingly blurred the line between homage and authorship. The history of ICE NINE KILLS' horror mythology is therefore also a history of the band discovering what it could do with other people's stories and eventually realizing that it could tell its own. Before Horrorwood: The Genesis ICE NINE KILLS' early history is important precisely because the band did not emerge fully formed as the theatrical horror act it would later become. Their early sound belonged much more to the pop-punk and post-hardcore world, and Spencer Charnas has spoken about growing up admiring bands such as FINCH, LESS THAN JAKE and FENIX TX. Yet horror was already occupying a big part of the singer’s imagination. He has described discovering horror films as a child through the VHS section of a video store located inside a supermarket. Films such as Halloween and Friday the 13th captured his attention at an age when most children would probably have been more interested in almost anything else. He eventually began dressing as Michael Myers for Halloween, explaining the appeal through a remarkably revealing piece of childhood logic: if he became the monster, the monster could not hurt him. Horror, for Charnas, was not merely about fear. It was about inhabiting fear, controlling it and transforming it into entertainment. The band's early work contains traces of this fascination without yet making it the organising principle. Horror references appeared as jokes, imagery and lyrical details. The band's 2006 debut, Last Chance to Make Amends, already contained the sort of dark references that would later become central to their identity, while subsequent material continued to incorporate horror culture. As Charnas later explained, they were "sprinkling things in" long before they went fully into the concept. ICE NINE KILLS did not invent a horror persona and then retrospectively claim that it had always been there. The horror obsession genuinely predates the modern version of the band. What changed was the realization that it could become a framework for songwriting. That realization arrived with literature. Every Trick in the Book: Learning to Borrow a Story Released in 2015, Every Trick in the Book is arguably the most important album in the band’s history precisely because it is not yet The Silver Scream. The opus takes its inspiration from literature, with songs drawing on works including Animal Farm, Carrie, Dracula, The Exorcist and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. At first glance, the concept seems straightforward: take a famous book and write a song about it. But the significance of Every Trick in the Book lies in the creative problem it forced the band to solve. How do you compress a novel into a four minute song without simply turning the lyrics into a plot summary? The answer was perspective. ICE NINE KILLS began treating literature as raw material rather than scripture. They could isolate a character, a theme, an image or a psychological conflict and reconstruct it through their own musical vocabulary. The band wasn't trying to compete with Orwell or Bram Stoker. Charnas himself acknowledged the absurdity of placing their song-writing alongside literary classics while explaining that the appeal was having "great stories to work off." That is the album's real breakthrough. The band discovered that existing stories gave them something that personal songwriting could not: an enormous mythology to enter immediately. They did not have to establish the world from scratch. The audience already knew the basic architecture. This also made the songwriting more playful. Charnas has described the thematic records as particularly rewarding because they allowed him to write about material he already loved rather than repeatedly mining personal experiences. The result was not merely a concept album, it was a demonstration of a method. And once the band had proved that the method worked, the next step was almost inevitable. If literature could provide the stories, what could cinema provide? The Silver Scream: Discovering the Perfect Medium The answer arrived in 2018 with The Silver Scream. If Every Trick in the Book was a literary anthology translated into metal, The Silver Scream was the cinematic version of the same experiment. Each track drew from a different horror film, spanning slashers, psychological horror, supernatural horror and creature features. While literature requires the listener to imagine the world, cinema has already fleshed it for them. A horror film arrives with costumes, faces, locations, cinematography, sound effects and music. It has an established visual and audio language. ICE NINE KILLS could therefore borrow not only the story but the entire cultural memory, tangible atmosphere surrounding the film. This is one reason The Silver Scream hit on a much larger scale than Every Trick in the Book. For example, Stabbing in the Dark does not simply tell you that Michael Myers exists, it constructs a musical identity around the atmosphere of Halloween itself, making the track accessible to a much wider audience as well. Enjoy Your Slay brings the psychological deterioration of The Shining into a theatrical language built to translate in metal; Thank God It's Friday transforms Friday the 13th into a campfire where characters ultimately sing of teenage vulnerability and slaughter. The band avoids traps that could have made them fall under soundtrack or goofy territory by putting emotional fidelity before a scholarly one. This also allows people to attach to the song, discover something new in something old. It’s not a repetition but an offering from fans to other fans. But how do you make something that is by definition theatrical even more so to ensure that it translate into music? You exaggerate the most recognisable elements of the source material. Horror cinema is already heightened, and so is metal. Combining the two becomes an echo chamber. However, there’s an important innovation in The Silver Scream that cannot be overlooked: the films are not the only stories being told. When the Band Became the Story The music videos surrounding The Silver Scream began constructing a second narrative underneath the individual movie adaptations. Through them, ICE NINE KILLS turned from narrator to actor. They introduced the fictional persona of Charnas, which would become central to many story arcs. His obsession with horror there turns sinister, playing on the singer’s real identity to make the audience question the line between reality and artistic fantasy. The introduction of Dr. Ian Black creates a narrative pivot in the band’s lore. Charnas has explained that the therapy setting was partly inspired by The Sopranos, where Tony Soprano's therapy sessions provided an overarching structure through which the audience could enter his internal world. For the band, therapy became a gateway into their horror fantasies. It allows an ambiguity that offers creative freedom for them: Charnas can sit in a session and discuss his thoughts, but being a horror fan it also can have the story descend into recounting a nightmare based on Halloween, Friday the 13th or another film. Then the sequence ends, the audience returns to the therapy room where the clock resets before the next song. That setting also creative an infinite multitude of universes and interpretations as the fictional persona of Charnas exists inside a horror narrative while simultaneously creating horror. He is both the performer and the potential monster, the victim and perpetrator. The Fear of Becoming Your Art Beneath the jokes and references, there is a theme running through this era of ICE NINE KILLS: it is the fear that an artist might eventually become indistinguishable from the art they create. Charnas spends his career singing about murderers, he dresses like killers, he recreates horror films, he builds an entire identity around violence. Then the fictional world begins to ask the obvious question: what if he actually is what he sings about? That question turns the band's career itself into a narrative line. The more successful they become at depicting horror, the more suspicious their fictional counterparts become. The band's greatest creative strength becomes the evidence used against its protagonist. This is where the Horrorwood concept becomes more than a sequence of references. The horror films are no longer simply inspirations, they are evidence of someone’s psyche. Welcome to Horrorwood: When the Sequel Turns Inward Where The Silver Scream established the base of a lore, The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood turns it into a franchise. Released in 2021, the sequel continues the band's horror film adaptation formula while making the original ICE NINE KILLS narrative considerably more prominent. The band took the risky bait of making itself the next horror focus. Charnas has described Welcome to Horrorwood explicitly as a sequel in the tradition of horror franchises such as Halloween, Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street. The intention was to go further in building a saga in which the music videos function as parts of a larger cinematic universe. That goal also impacts the way we listen to the album. Assault & Batteries can be enjoyed as an adaptation of Child's Play, The Shower Scene as one of Psycho, Rainy Day as a Resident Evil tribute and more. But together, the songs are also pieces of a much larger narrative. The distinction between the source movie and the ICE NINE KILLS lore becomes increasingly blurred. Hip to Be Scared and the Art of Self-Awareness Hip to Be Scared is perhaps the clearest example of how intricate the band's approach to adaptation had become. The song draws from American Psycho, but rather than simply reproducing Patrick Bateman's story of violence, it focuses heavily on the character's obsession with image, status and cultural performance. That is the connection point which ties the story to ICE NINE KILLS. Patrick Bateman is a man performing an identity; Charnas is on video a fictional character performing as a musician who performs as a killer. The layers begin to mirror one another. Charnas has also described American Psycho as a film that became more interesting to him with repeated viewings because of its layers, particularly its relationship with 1980s culture, fashion and music. The band continues to gravitate towards horror that already has something to say about identity, performance, entertainment or spectatorship. They are not just interested in blood, they are interested in what the blood means. Horrorwood as a Satire of the Entertainment Industry Their introduction of Roy Merkin as a character in their own mythology becomes another pivot. Roy functions as a sensationalist media figure. If Charnas represents the artist and the Silence represents the killer, Roy represents the Hollywood machine that turns violence into entertainment. He serves as a direct tangible form of the industry. The murders in Horrorwood are not simply crimes, they are stories that can become videos. These videos can become music and the music becomes entertainment. This entertainment becomes just another product that can be consumed by an audience and capitalized upon. Horrorwood therefore becomes a distorted, blood stained mirror for the real entertainment industry where everything is packaged, dramatised and sold for profit. The band however carries this with self awareness and the irony of doing the same thing themselves. They critique because they are participating in that same system. The Silence: From Homage to Authorship The creation of the Silence is arguably the most important development in the entire ICE NINE KILLS lore. Up until this point, the band could always be described as borrowing its monsters except for their singer with an ambivalent status. Creating an original “villain” means that the band now owns a character capable of carrying stories independently of existing horror franchises. The Silence can evolve as the band's own narrative needs it to. In a sense, it represents what they had spent years borrowing. Their own horror icon. This is also why the mask matters so much. A masked killer is one of the oldest visual archetypes in slasher cinema and bringin their own twist to it allows to continue a legacy rather than starting from scratch. What was previously an homage now becomes authorship. Beyond Welcome to Horrorwood: ICE NINE KILLS as a Horror Institution What followed Welcome to Horrorwood is a concept that escaped the boundaries of the studio. ICE NINE KILLS started branching out as a horror institution rather than simply as a band with horror-themed music. The Silver Scream Con is potentially the more telling example: this horror convention initiated by the band places them within the broader horror community alongside actors, filmmakers and genre fans. It’s an open door to the field as a whole and a connection point with the fans, pushing their idea of an experience further. They’ve also discussed their wish to go even further in terms of horror movies, haunted houses, games and other forms of entertainment, always trying to go further into an all-encompassing fan experience. Coming Full Circle The ultimate irony of ICE NINE KILLS' evolution is that the band may eventually reach the point where it no longer needs the films that inspired it. The development of the upcoming horror-comedy slasher film The Slashin' of the Christ points toward that possibility. The project represents a milestone for the band as they set to create a movie like the ones they’ve been inspired by. The band's horror obsession has endured where a simple gimmick might have become exhausting because they are not merely dressing up as horror characters but studying what makes horror recognisable and then feeding those mechanisms back into their own art. Their songs started as a product of passion and nostalgia, but their lore evolved because of growth. Their music videos imitate famous films, but the story connecting those videos belongs to them. ICE NINE KILLS has spent years exploring the boundary between fiction and identity. That is why the progression of their career and visual identity matters so much. Their records are not simply thematically related albums. Together, they document a band discovering how to construct its own mythology. The first stage was imitation, the second was adaptation and the third was transformation. The band began by asking what their favourite horror films would sound like as metal songs. After nearly two decades of evolution, the more interesting question is the one they now appear to be answering themselves: What does it sound like when a band becomes its own horror movie? The answer is ICE NINE KILLS. And the story is still being written. Words: Lysandre Pons

WINDWAKER's smile, you're on camera is packed with so many sounds that it is overwhelming in the most delightful way possible. The Australian band's third album finds them continuing to blur the boundaries between metalcore, nu-metal, electronic music and pop, creating something that feels as chaotic as it is infectious. From rap-metal verses and bubblegum riffs to stadium-sized choruses and bloodcurdling screams, the record pulls from seemingly every corner of modern heavy music. In the modern scene where genre boundaries are becoming increasingly difficult to define, WINDWAKER seem particularly uninterested in drawing any themselves. low immediately establishes the album's identity, opening with a collision of rap-metal and electronic influences that feels like a culmination of everything modern metal has spent the past decade experimenting with. The bubblegum riffs and infectious hooks are almost disarmingly playful, making the sudden shift into a crushing breakdown all the more effective. It is an introduction that makes clear just how much WINDWAKER are willing to throw into a single song. Meanwhile, closer takes a more melodic approach, with reverb-soaked vocals and a pop-leaning instrumental that initially feels worlds away from the band's heavier material. Beneath that polished exterior, however, there is an unmistakable emotional angst that gradually reveals itself. Crunchy guitars and bass give the track a much-needed weight, but it is the screams that truly make it work, cutting through the melody with an intensity that threatens to pull the song apart. Where low thrives on the sheer number of sounds it can fit together, closer finds its strength in the tension between its softer and heavier moments. That tension becomes even more unpredictable on click, which leans into nu-metal with a fast-paced, aggressive sound driven by electronic flourishes and particularly playful drumming. RinRin's contribution adds another dimension to the track, her vocals bringing an eclectic, almost sugary pop sensibility that sits surprisingly well against the surrounding aggression. dna brings the album's introspective themes into sharper focus, exploring the frustration of recognising your own destructive tendencies while questioning whether you can ever truly escape them. Its subject matter gives the record's wider fixation on authenticity a more personal dimension, shifting the focus away from the expectations of others and towards the uncomfortable process of confronting yourself. It is an idea that feels particularly relevant to an album concerned with the performance of identity, where the desire to be understood exists alongside the fear of revealing too much. One of the album's most striking moments of contrast is with burn, its unexpectedly heavy outro feeling almost like an entirely different track. Rather than disrupting the song, however, the sudden shift gives it a satisfying sense of unpredictability, reinforcing the feeling that WINDWAKER are most comfortable when they refuse to settle into a single sound. victory lap and overlord continue to explore the band's familiar blend of melodic hooks and heavier instrumentation, demonstrating just how readily they can move between the two without abandoning the identity that holds the record together. That said, the album's constant movement between styles does occasionally become less surprising as it progresses. lie to me and wait for me lean much further into pop, trading some of the record's heavier aggression for infectious melodies and a lighter, more immediately accessible sound. The two feel like sister tracks, sharing a similar approach that highlights WINDWAKER's ability to write catchy songs without relying on their heavier tendencies. Yet their similarities also make the album's recurring formula more apparent. Having spent so much of its opening stretch demonstrating just how dramatically the band can shift between genres, the record becomes slightly less unpredictable when several songs begin to occupy similar melodic territory. loser provides a welcome change of pace, leaning into a hyperpop-meets-metalcore sound that feels like one of the album's most unexpected surprises. Its playful beats and distorted guitars push the band's genre-blurring instincts into particularly colourful territory, while Mikaela Delgado's feature adds another layer to the song's already eclectic, Porter Robinson-esque sound. The collaboration feels especially effective, giving the track an identity of its own rather than simply adding another voice to the mix. some days closes out the record's explorations with a more familiar combination of melodic accessibility and heavier influences, bringing the album back towards the sounds that have defined much of its journey. Ultimately, smile, you're on camera is a record built around contradiction. WINDWAKER pair some of their most accessible melodies with moments of true aggression, moving between bubblegum pop and crushing metalcore with little interest in maintaining a consistent sonic identity. At their best, these contrasts feel entirely natural, creating music that is as fun as it is unpredictable. Elsewhere, the similarities between some of the more melodic tracks make the album feel slightly less adventurous than its opening stretch promises. Even so, there is something compelling about a band so willing to embrace the absurdity of their own influences, refusing to treat heavy music and pop sensibilities as mutually exclusive. Score: 7/10 Smile, You're On Camera was released on 23rd October 2026 via Fearless Records. Words: Adrian Chapman Photos: Windwaker