Alt-rock newcomers THISTLE. are releasing their new EP backflip on 29th May. Right from the start, the song pieces creates a complex, genre-bending mix that immediately defines the sound of the record. From synths to heavy drums and almost shoegazy vocals, the track is able to capture the energy of the EP really well. The song feels dark and introspective, underlined by mythical sounding synths and layered instrumentals that slowly build into something chaotic yet emotional. It’s an opening track that already shows how many influences the band is willing to blend together without losing focus. Compared to pieces, the second track pylon gives us a more melodic approach. The synths mostly disappear and it now reminds more of classic alternative rock or grunge tracks. While the first song feels atmospheric and experimental, pylon feels more direct and grounded. The guitars are rougher and the vocals sit more naturally inside the instrumental, creating a track that feels emotional without becoming overly dramatic. Even with the more traditional sound, THISTLE. still keeps their own identity intact. backflip in slow motion is a short interlude, definitely uncommon for an EP, but it feels perfectly placed here as a short break to breathe before the next track already starts more energetic than the last two. The interlude almost acts like a transition between the more dreamy beginning of the project and the louder, more emotional second half. It’s subtle, but important for the pacing of the EP. A faster-paced track is tied. With its melodic and emotional sound it catches you perfectly again after the small interlude. It’s one of the fastest tracks on the project, definitely feeling grunge and at times even showing post-punk influences. The drums feel more aggressive and the guitars become noisier, while still keeping a strong melodic core underneath the chaos. It’s one of the songs that best balances energy and emotion. With mean eye, the band delves even deeper into post-punk influences. What can be found here is an almost repetitive track structure. Simple, repeated vocals are used in the verses, only to explode into a messy but melodic chorus afterwards. The repetition works surprisingly well and creates an almost hypnotic feeling that slowly grows stronger as the song progresses. The end of the EP makes the song city,name. Its soft and melancholic touches make it one of the highlights of the EP. Keeping the grunge messiness intact, the song dives deeper into sadder and more emotional tones, both in the vocals and in the twinkly guitar parts that carry the song forward. It closes the project in a reflective and almost haunting way. All in all THISTLE. is able to create a small but genre-bending record that at times reminds you of older grunge bands like Nirvana, while still sounding modern and unique. It’s an interesting statement from the band and definitely makes you curious to see what happens next. Score: 7/10 backflip will be released on May 29th 2026 via REX RECS. Words: Hannah Martin Photos: Gabbi Goldman

Finding the words to describe Glasgow duo DOSS is a difficult job; their genre-blending style combines distorted rhythms, ambient electronics, and a dash of social commentary into something fresh and unexpected. They’ve played shows alongside the likes of DEADLETTER and FAT DOG, and soon, they’ll be putting out their self-titled EP DOSS. It’s fittingly titled: when you think ‘DOSS’, you should think this EP. Starting off the record in an incredibly ominous fashion is PREFACE, featuring a low, spoken-word intro against a fuzzy drone backdrop that sends unease running down our spines. It’s two parts horror-movie score, one part ETHEL CAIN. The spoken-word elements continue into YOUGOTSTYLE, establishing what we expect to be a recurring thread here. Low, almost melancholic guitar strums start as an anticipatory ripple that rolls into a steadily-ramping drumbeat, before a barrage of electric shredding leads us into the maelstrom of this groove-laden instrumental storm. Sorley Mackay’s vocals are downright deranged, a violent catharsis in the way he yells “You got, you got, you got style!” This is a track that doesn’t let up easy. Even in the small moments of respite, those slower seconds where Mackay turns from a shout to a whisper, we can tell it won’t last; Chilton Fawcett’s drumbeat is roaring thunder on the horizon. BIGFELLAFUNK follows, living up to its name already with a smooth, jazzy introduction. Mackay paints a strong portrait of our protagonist: a laid-back, easygoing man. He’s the man in charge, top of the totem pole, making all the calls. Confident and assured. The musical narrative is impressive; we almost buy this image, until that image shatters for just a few seconds. The one-two drums and the rhythmic vocals give into a rapid, chaotic melding of noise like a snarling frenzied dog, and quickly revert back to the status quo, as if nothing had ever happened. It’s a persistent trend, each break increasing in intensity as the track goes on. It’s very American Psycho, putting on a facade of nonchalance to hide the ticking of a mental timebomb. This criticism of those in positions of power continues into SUPERSECRETAGENT, though in a slightly different manner. Here, DOSS kick off with egg-punk riffs and quickfire vocals, bringing a lighter, earwormy edge to a subject more serious than its musical stylings. Mackay sings about surveillance and conspiracies. Paranoia that isn’t entirely unfounded, as evidenced by one of their inspirations for the track: the case of Willie McRae, a politician and activist whose alleged suicide they make reference to. They bring humour to their social commentary in true Glaswegian style, with biting satire and energetic instrumentals. HOWDYPARTNER brings something deeper to the table: a weariness about this never-ending rat-race the world has become. "It goes round and round and up and down and you don’t speed up and you can’t slow down,” Mackay sings. It’s somewhat depressing, these ruminations on a slow, meaningless death in a world driven by consumption and the endless climb on the ladder of success. Your possessions mean nothing; you can have everything you’ve ever wanted, but you’re still leaving this life alone. Bit of a downer ending, but it does leave us thinking. That’s what the Glasgow outfit do well: serve up platters of commentary and social theories and leave them at the table for us to pick apart and dissect. DOSS’ talent runs deep and between the lines. On the surface, we’re beholden to distorted rhythms, high-octane drum-pounding, and smooth, jazzy melodies that make this record one worth spinning. Lurking below are the satirical ruminations on society and its residents that earn it a spot in permanent rotation. Score: 8/10 Doss will be released on May 29th 2026 via Alcopop! Records. Words: Naomi Colliar Duff Photos: Mark Anthony Gilles

There’s always been something untouchable about STATIC DRESS. Not in a distant, polished way, but in the sense that they’ve never quite played by the same rules as everyone else. Since their inception, the UK quartet have built more than a band. They’ve built a universe: stitched together through graphic novels, glitching visuals, cinematic storytelling, and a noir-soaked lore that runs through everything they touch. It’s music as mythology, but also music as escape — until now. With injury episode, that illusion starts to crack. Nearly four years after Rouge Carpet Disaster, STATIC DRESS return sounding less like architects of a fictional world and more like people standing inside it, realising it’s started to collapse around them. This isn’t the same band hiding behind layers of distortion and stylised chaos. This is them pulling the seams apart. The record feels stripped of distance — minimal studio trickery, raw takes, emotion left unedited. It’s messy in a way that feels intentional, like the imperfections are the point. Because they are. And that’s what makes injury episode hit differently: it doesn’t feel constructed to impress you. It feels like it’s happening to you. It opens with lose the rain, and immediately there’s no safety net. It’s claustrophobic, frantic, and emotionally overloaded from the first second. Nothing is eased in. You’re thrown straight into it — distorted guitars collapsing into each other, vocals that sound like they’re already at breaking point. From there, questioning keeps that pressure alive, but starts introducing something more fragile underneath the chaos. It’s not just aggression anymore — it’s doubt, exhaustion, and emotional spill over. What injury episode does so well is refuse to settle into comfort. Even when it leans melodic, it never relaxes. Pharmacy Film and Adapter feel like they’re constantly shifting shape — half-memory, half-breakdown — with glitching textures and unstable pacing that never quite lets you breathe properly. The band are still cinematic, still conceptual, but it’s no longer polished storytelling. It feels like fragments instead of scenes. That sense of fracture becomes the album’s identity. Then comes Nostalgia Kills. Featuring UNDEROATH, it doesn’t just land as a collaboration — it lands like a collision. There’s history in it, influence in it, and something almost confrontational about how it plays out. It leans into that early-2000s post-hardcore energy without becoming trapped in it, instead twisting it into something sharper, more immediate. It’s one of those rare tracks that feels like it’s both paying respect and tearing things open at the same time. From there, the record sinks deeper. this farewell is a…bleeding into …hospice is one of the most suffocating stretches on the album. It doesn’t resolve itself properly — it just drifts, decays, collapses. There’s grief in it, but also disorientation, like the emotions are too tangled to name properly. It feels less like songs and more like moments you’re overhearing. And then the energy snaps back in different forms. lip critic. and Male-bomb hit with harsher edges, more abrasive textures, almost industrial in their aggression. But even at their loudest, there’s control underneath it — STATIC DRESS never lose their sense of structure, even when everything else feels like it’s falling apart. By the time dull blade disguise. and Classic.Death.Pose arrive, the album feels like it’s running on emotional exhaustion. Not burnout in a negative sense — more like release. Like everything has already been felt too strongly to be expressed cleanly anymore. And that’s where injury episode really lands emotionally. Adult Diamond. human props, and not a lesson to be endured, but one to grow from… don’t try to fix anything. They sit in the aftermath of it. There’s a heaviness in how unresolved it all feels, but also a strange honesty — like the band are refusing to tidy up what actually doesn’t get tidy in real life. Final track Treading doesn’t close the album with resolution. It just fades out like someone still trying to move forward after everything has already broken. What makes injury episode so powerful is how it aligns its concept with its execution. This isn’t just a continuation of STATIC DRESS’ lore-heavy world — it’s a deconstruction of it. The band have spent years building something fictional, only to now pull it apart and let real emotion bleed through the cracks. It’s still cinematic, still layered, still unmistakably them — but now it’s also exposed. This is STATIC DRESS without the mask fully on. And that’s what makes it hit harder than anything they’ve done before. Score: 10/10 injury episode will be released on 29th May 2026 via Sumerian Records. Words: Mia Gailey Photos: Static Dress

When SHOOTING DAGGERS headlined charity fundraiser, Punks For Palestine, less than a month ago, it was clear that shouting about the issues that matter to them was their oxygen. The release of their new seven-song, twenty-minute ‘mini-album’ The Real Life Thing is no exception to this rule. The abrasive London trio live and breathe supporting their community, uplifting queer voices and taking the fight to the underground. In their most genre-diverse and experimental release yet, this isn’t a record, but a statement - not just within the talented hardcore community around them, but words of wisdom to take into the wider world too. Their 2024 debut Love & Rage was a wakeup call, a loud, feisty record that centred itself on an Americanised sound, similar to SCOWL, JIVEBOMB and SPACED. It had seemed the band's sound had settled, at times melting into shoegazey tones that gave those moments of frantic frustration meaning. The Real Life Thing, however, sharpens its established edges for the love of the game to sink its blade into a septet of songs that each ooze with emotion, but in the context of an album, there’s real distance between them. It feels like this is a moment of re-invention, and there is a lot to love here. Adrenaline is true to form with a fast and anthemic hardcore sonata, dancing through pop-punk gang chants and high-intensity roller shred. Particularly potent in a hardcore setting, it pushes the same kind of optimism as an early TURNSTILE record. As it moves into the looser scathing single My Oh My, there’s a real U-turn of emotional direction. Conscious, debilitating, with a real understanding of the world around them, we’ve peeled the skin off the skull of the record to reveal the real anxiety inside. Amongst the post-hardcore slowness of the lingering guitars, at the end of this track, there’s a real message of hope that things are “going to get better”, as the track slowly fades out. T.R.L.T. is SHOOTING DAGGERS at their best, complete with dog growls and real moments of suspense that spin this record even faster. It bottles a very pure hardcore sound with a real groove-laden edge. Prefaced by the 28-second playground chant-style introduction We Just Wanna Play, the album dismantles the patriarchy with Loud Mouths, featuring fellow loudmouths THE MENSTRUAL CRAMPS. Taking down systematic oppression and TFL in one go, it works fantastically as a collaboration. Le Soleil is this track’s antidote, arriving just in time for summer. Its indie leanings are warm and glowy, a real moment of solar-powered self-reflection. The record finishes on Glow, a REFUSED-inspired single, featuring the band’s frontman Dennis Lyxzen. After joining the band on tour in the UK for their final shows, it felt only right to pass on the torch to the next generation. In parts, this feels more like a REFUSED track than a SHOOTING DAGGERS one. Doesn’t mean this isn’t fantastic, we would have just liked more of SHOOTING DAGGERS to shine from this big swing statement piece. Do not get us wrong - Out Of Rage will support this talented trio till the end. They stand for what we stand for, they change the game with their presence and push for a better future. The next generation is well and truly here, and it comes with a almighty one-two punch. The cohesion of the tracks together makes for an album brimming with emotional ooze, but gains numbness in feeling in how different the tracks were in tone. The record feels transitional, moving into a space that feels more conscious and brimming with identity. One where Queercore is not just a genre, but a feeling of solidarity. Solidarity not just for queer people, but for those who want a future that thrives on the principles of individuality, acceptance and a need to belong. And SHOOTING DAGGERS are quite right when they say, “We rule it. We own it. We prove it.” Score: 7/10 The Real Life Thing will be released on 5th June 2026 via New Heavy Sounds. Words: Amber Brooks Photos: Shooting Daggers

Emerging from the influential depths of horror films, dark industrial synthwave, and a mix of 80s dance tracks, San Diego’s new answer to haunting darkwave I WILL DESTROY YOU are set to release their debut EP Dead Before Dawn. But for those with a familiar ear or anyone who’s been on the scene for a while, you’ll know this isn’t the musicians’ first forays into the music world, the band formed from the likes of AMENITY, ILYA, and CRUSHED ON YOU to name a few. These seasoned artists have come together to announce a new dawn rising for darkwave. Channelling their love for the disturbing horror films that linger and the jarring rush of 80s electronic synth music, they’ve combined these elements with heavy industrial beats into an EP of cinematic and emphatic tracks, each song feeling like it was composed for a specific dramatic film or game score and standing almost independently of each other, but unmistakably the sound I WILL DESTROY YOU will become synonymous with. Composed to adapt to its surroundings and feelings, be that appreciating it in dim, lonely rooms or late night drives, the EP itself doesn’t tell a complete story but each track has been curated to stand out in its own element. At less than a minute, we’re introduced to Dead Before Dawn by the utterly chilling From Beyond, eerie synths wavering between two notes as a synth drum beat pounds steadily in the background, before it slows to a heartbeat pace and a siren builds in volume - it’s entirely reminiscent of 80s horror films like John Carpenter’s The Thing and Halloween, designed to build your anticipation for what’s to come and leave you uncertain of what comes next. WitchHammer steps away from the frightening horror aspect and goes into racing music with synths and fired up guitar riffs, the exact score you would hear when a protagonist is in the final fight for salvation and the tide could turn either way. It’s 80s electronic soundtrack fused with industrial beats and classic metal guitar riffs, the likes of which HeMan would wield the power of Grayskull to. Nekromantik walks a different path to its predecessor in its sound but no less carries that compelling cinematic quality to it, like something out of Mad Max. High-pitched haunting synths drive through the track as it slowly begins to build, the announcement of the first breakdown in the form of a disembodied voice admitting “I killed a man. A man who looked like me.” before descending into classic metal riffs that spit back. There’s no definite theme to this track, it’s open to interpretation of how you feel in the moment and how you want the melody to shape your next choices. Terror Vision starts with a disturbing dialogue about the “Messiah question” as instrumentals rise in volume and strength, giving way to a rushing techno drum beat that feels both modern and of another time long ago. Written to have a paranoia-like feel to it and an underlying of political unrest, this track spends the first half in a claustrophobic state before a guitar solo rings out and shatters the walls down. Lighthouse Keepers returns us to the battlefield with explosive synths overlaid on drums, before everything crashes together in a melody that doesn’t follow one thread but multiple, including a slightly funk-infused riff that hits out of nowhere. It doesn’t quite feel like the song has a set destination in mind, playing more on the feeling of isolation as the world collapses around you. Closing out their striking and immersive debut to the world, Deathstalker has no time to waste, barrelling forward with a crispy drum beat and rising synths at war against fuzzed guitar riffs. It gives you no space to breathe or process from the first listen, it’s a track (in fact, an entire album) that demands you listen over and over until you understand what I WILL DESTROY YOU are creating in the long run. What they’ve created in Dead Before Dawn is an eclectic movie score that can be utilised in every-day life, almost begging the listener to decide whether they will be the protagonist or antagonist to their own story. Score: 7/10 Dead Before Dawn will be released on 29th May 2025 via Futureless. Words: Julia Stark Photos: I WILL DESTROY YOU

“Committed”, “connective”, “control freaks” - all words used to describe London based SAINT AGNES, and aptly so given their self-made upward momentum over the last 8 years, carving out their space to create a sound that sets them entirely apart from anyone else. While they’ve successfully instilled their mark with their distinctive sound of raw industrial rhythms and arcane elegance, their purely raw energy and infectious body-moving beats, and their impassioned lyrics so many fans feel a deep affinity to, it feels like SAINT AGNES have merely been testing the waters in order to build up to their most honest and audacious work yet. That moment has finally arrived with the unveiling of their album Your God Fearing Days Are About To Begin. Steadily releasing singles since the end of 2025 and performing unreleased tracks to those fortunate to see them supporting the likes of VUKOVI and ALT BLK ERA, SAINT AGNES have cultivated an album that fuses the best parts of their intense sound with their absolute grit and emotional breadth. Despite being self-confessed “control freaks”, the band handed the reins to renowned Jim Pinder (SLEEP TOKEN, BRING ME THE HORIZON), harnessing his mixing skills with their off-the-wall sounds. Their trust in Pinder and themselves has paid off in abundance, creating an album that tells a story per track as well as an undercurrent that speaks to the internal void inside the listener whilst also making you feel heard. From the rising synths and plucked guitar strings on opening track Good Boy, a distorted crunchy bass rattling through, lead singer Kitty Austen’s rich and commanding voice breaks through speaking of the illusion of following the rules and being just another faceless sheep in a line. Drums and synths, courtesy of guitarist and programmer Jon James Tufnell, akin to composer Daniel Pemberton (Into/Across the Spiderverse, Project Hail Mary) propel The Ghost forward as it gradually builds to an industrial-metal melody, Kitty moving between guttural screams and cries of “I feel myself fading away” in a moment of raw vulnerability. The Father, The Son and The Holy Beast begins with a whisper of “I’m right here, don’t be scared”, but in such a hair-raising tone you feel nothing but fear as the rhythm shapeshifts between instruments and the drums change pace unexpectedly, climbing to distorted, visceral screams creating a sinister sound. The Beast is one of the most vulnerable tracks on the album, delving into Kitty’s internal demons and how she gave herself entirely to ‘The Beast’, the track switching from pounding rhythms to stark, stripped-back piano, before plunging back into a gut-punching beat as the instruments ring around her emotionally charged, repeated words. Completely changing tack, Song For Mia has a gritty drum and synth track intro, building up to a dark and dirty beat that guarantees bodily movement of swaying and staccato motions. Everything You Denied keeps the pace with a constant frantic synth over Andrew Head’s rampant drumbeat and Tuffnell’s heavy guitar riffs, combining together into something gothic and refined as Kitty yells she “never needed you”. Taking a more alt-rock approach to The Blood Beat (Angel in the Marble), the track is entirely relentless in its racing drums and searing guitar riffs, the lyrics possessive and deceiving, leaving you wondering if this is the Beast singing to the void or SAINT AGNES singing to you the listener as it proclaims “you belong to me”, the ending falling into melancholy piano and strings, “I am a god” echoing maniacally in the background. Gods of War hauls in instrument and vocals one at a time, for a moment threatening an overwhelming cacophony before it fades back into bass and snare and Kitty singing gently how we don’t need the Gods of war - it’s not SAINT AGNES without a sudden musical punch, the breakdown delivering a sound that feels like a mouthful of loosened teeth. With a frantically rapid punk-like opener, Get Them Out is a hopeful, uplifting message about seeing yourself the way others do wrapped in a ferocious sound that feels like a pep talk being screamed in your face. Where Do I Begin? closes the album out with a plinky music-box tune, a menacing synth raging behind it, everything suddenly falling away to pure piano and Kitty’s heart-wrenching lyrics of “without you, I am nothing” - the track builds and falls, the only constant the exposed lyrics and sombre tone, fading to the nothing Kitty worries she’ll become. When you’re not feeling the weight of the lyrics you’re throwing yourself round unrestrained to the charged beats akin to POPPY and NINE INCH NAILS. Your God Fearing Days Are About To Begin is a sound that conforms to a multitude of fans and fits any stage, whether it’s in a club, venue, or your own mind. Score: 9/10 Your God Fearing Days Are About To Begin will be released on 29th May 2026 via Spinefarm. Words: Julia Stark Photos: Jesse Rose

We are back at Camden Town’s premier celebration of bone-dry guitars, nasty tones, Orange amps, Red Stripe beer, sick-ass riffs, and desert rock madness known as “Desertfest”. Once again, for those not in the know, Desertfest is the home of Stoner/Doom/Psych metal in the UK. And just for your convenience, dear reader, your reviewer-photographer dream-team (who are currently recovering their necks from three days solid of riff-slanging and head bangin’) are here to give you the rundown on what transpired on that magical weekend in May. Not much sun this year, though, actually this might have been the coldest edition of Desertfest yet, which means it was actually viable to wear a leather jacket this year AND the Underworld was actually (mostly) a bearable temperature! (We thought the day would never come, but we live in unpredictable times.) Last year we quipped that the event was becoming less “doomy” and more “zoom-ey”, with bands generally picking up speed to be known as the fast and sludgy “desert rock” rather than the slow, methodical “doom metal”. The question is… is it still awesome? (Spoilers: yes) But enough waffle, here’s who and what we witnessed. SERGEANT THUNDERHOOF It was a bit of a shock when RUBBER SNAKE CHARMERS pulled out of the festival with barely two weeks left until they were due to play, but luckily they were replaced by the resplendent SERGEANT THUNDERHOOF, much beloved by OOR for their wondrous personalities as well as their swell music. Even with an expectant crowd, they manage to conjure up a wild storm of a performance, mixing their upbeat numbers from 2022’s This Sceptred Veil with their more sombre offerings from 2024’s The Ghost of Badon Hill. The laities in the crowd are struck by the sheer magnitude of emotion they manage to convey through the vocal and riff delivery, with them receiving a grand cheer at the end of their performance. It is not a stretch to imagine they will be back once more, but on a grander stage, possibly one more rounder and house-ier. LORQUIN’S ADMIRAL Somewhat lesser known are LORQUIN’S ADMIRAL, the project of HERMANO bassist Dandy Brown and his wonderful wife Dawn Brown, as well as having members of AFGHAN WHIGS, YAWNING SONS, SONS OF ALPHA CENTAURI and LUNA SOL. Sure, unless you’re enamoured with the scene, you probably won’t know some of these names, but trust us, this is a damn good lineup. They have one album out, and it absolutely rocks, so hopes were high. Turns out that before they were standing before us at the Underworld, their flights to the UK from the USA got cancelled - but they made it anyway, and the show must go on, as they say. So not only is this their first show together, it's their first ever rehearsal together. Many other bands would cancel given the short notice, but not Lorquins; they put on a good show regardless of the circumstances. Sure, they were reading off a lyric sheet, and their microphones were barely audible at times, and certain sections of songs were met with confusion by the guitarists who appeared utterly confounded - especially for their last song, Inexplicable Things. But above all that, the ethos of the band shone through, and Dandy seemed to be having loads of fun onstage with his wife, so what’s there not to like? It’s cute, and we like cute. They deserved better for sure, hopefully, once they return, LORQUIN’S ADMIRAL can truly spread its wings. CWFEN Glasgow’s CWFEN are a truly transformative band, as evidenced by their interview with OOR last year; a band with about a million influences that transmutates each of them into their own sound - the very essence of solemnity. On-stage, they’re a bit like a neutron star, with the gravitational pull of their supermassive sound pulling everyone away from the bar and into the crowd at the Underworld. One thing is certain: this is not the same band that played with FAETOOTH at the Black Heart last year. They’ve been refined like tempered steel from their tours with PARADISE LOST, sharper and heavier. Hell, they were great before. Now they’re on another level. They uphold their dour tone through heavy use of reverb and a substantial gothic influence to bathe everyone in their trademark tenebrous atmosphere. Vocalist Agnes Alder careens around the stage in dreamlike motions, occasionally leaping out at any unsuspecting filming phones whilst Guy De Nuit strums dark riffs that won them their accolades in the metal press last year. It all feels very involved and is a surefire highlight of the weekend. Long live CWFEN! HÄLLAS Hopes were high for HÄLLAS before they even set foot on the stage. Their new album, Panorama, is a brilliant piece of music, with it making some people’s Album of the Year lists already (blimey!). They came, wielding some beautiful instruments with capes on their backs and delivered the goods. “Eight years since we last played the UK!” yells Tommy Alexandersson, singer and bassist, wielding the most beautiful Rickenbacker bass you’ve ever seen, as they careen into their feel-good setlist. One qualm would be with the sound in the Underworld itself. On the record, they sound large, as they use actual equipment from the 70s, but they can’t help but sound a little subdued in the room they were playing in. Face of an Angel felt more like it was being played in a pub than the large arena sound it deserves. Perhaps that’s a bit of a large ask for them, but they still manage to get the whole joint singing and dancing along. Overall, the Swedish boys put on a real corker of a performance that leaves the whole crowd satisfied and hungry for what the future brings. INHUMAN NATURE Ok, let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way; they ain’t doom. There’s nothing desert about them either. INHUMAN NATURE is a straight thrash metal band, and the first band to play the Roundhouse this weekend. Do we care? Do we ‘eck. These guys are the real article. Desertfest isn’t a stranger to bands from outside of the genre, and these guys still deliver some metal thrashin’ madness. But… (and that’s a big but), it is pretty early on in the day for most, and they bring their guitars screaming for succour in front of a doom-fed crowd that can’t manage to do anything aside from politely nod along. As the show unfolds, people appear to be waking up, and some miniature mosh pits begin to form. But nothing that this band deserves, like people throwing themselves towards the barriers and crowd surfing, it’s far too early on for that. Nevertheless, they put on a hell of a show, and hopefully next time they play to a thrash crowd with little regard for their own well-being. WYTCH HAZEL The Christian cavalcade has come dressed in all-white to tell us how much they think Lucifer sucks, and they have a hell of a way of displaying it. With more crosses here than a graveyard, some even rendered on their guitars with Gorilla Tape as a cute DIY touch, they deliver their own brand of noblebright lawful-good metal with soaring vocals and cinematic instrumentals. They get the people boppin’ and the unbelievers droppin’. Seriously, there are SO many crosses onstage. ELEPHANT TREE You’ve got to love London’s own ELEPHANT TREE for stepping in for CHURCH OF THE COSMIC SKULL of all bands. The first actual slow doom metal band that day at the Roundhouse, their luscious and weighty riffs pack the venue airtight, and by God, it's beautiful. There’s no extravagant stage set-up, no set-pieces, no flashy lighting and certainly no crosses, nope, just the guys, their equipment, and their big-ass logo being projected behind them. They certainly appeared unsure of themselves, too, with frequent banter alleviating the mood. Very much a jam band, like SOLACE, it feels like a couple’a dudes having a good ol’ time onstage, and that’s a-OK in our book. Kudos, gentlemen. PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS The hand-picked penultimate band of the Roundhouse are none other than PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS, whose set feels less like a performance and more like a test of endurance. People go absolutely bananas for these guys, and we’re not sure what it was. Was it the humongous sound, brutal riffs, epileptic lighting, or guitar tone so monstrous that people around us were complaining that they nearly crapped themselves? It could be anyone. Their energy is magnetic, and whilst the crowd is all sweating in one writhing, cavorting mass to the thrumming of their pandemonious sound, you can’t help but notice your chest rumbling. Their set is a damn good time, and for a time, it can be said that the Roundhouse truly experienced perdition - and we’re all eating from the trough. Oink oink. GREEN LUNG Here it is, the main event. The central vehicle with which this particular Desertfest was promoted, proudly advertised with “hey look, guys, we have GREEN LUNG headlining!” And that’s seriously all it takes. These guys are the darlings of the scene, the ones that got away. That made it big and signed with the largest label in metal, their meteoric rise has been such that we may never see its like again. They’ve also got a new album coming out in September, Necropolitan, of which they only played one song, the new single Evil in this House. No new tracks, but this is a celebration of 10 years of the Lung. Beginning on the bombastic “Old Gods”, the band very quickly establish why they’ve made it so far; with an unassailable energy and a panache for the theatric, with the band getting their legendary roadie Metal Joe to don a giant caprine monster costume for one song (which feels like something out of Spın̈al Tap). They crack open some deep cuts and songs less play’d, Woodland Rites, One For Sorrow, Song of the Stones, and the classic Into The Wild (though to us, it will always be known as Freak on a Peak). Drummer Matt Wiseman pounds along a heavy rhythm whilst Scott Black channels his guitar god mode with an energy siphoned from Brian May himself. Everyone gets their moment in the sun, even original bassist Andrew Cave returns for their hit Let the Devil In whilst current bassist Joseph Ghast breaks out the sax. It’s a triumphant return and the crowd are churning in the mosh-pit like butter. For those that can’t get enough, they only have to wait until December when the Lung returns to the Roundhouse with HIGH ON FIRE and GNOME in tow. Excelsior! MIDHAVEN Many stumble in heavy-headed into the Underworld for MIDHAVEN in their Desertfest debut. All the way from Mumbai, it’s clear that they’re here for a good time and to rock the house down. They sound like an Indian HIGH ON FIRE with their larger-than-life sound and haughtily thick riffs. And they’re having an absolute blast whilst they do it. One of the members even admits to breaking into a Desertfest as a broke college student years ago in search of some of that doom goodness, and now here he is sporting a triple-A badge. Funny how things work out. For sure, they are one of the bands that people who missed them think “dammit, I should have been there!”, and all are in love with ‘em by the end of their set. Magnificent stuff, lads, please come back soon! TRUCKFIGHTERS There may not be much energy to go around on Sunday, but it seems that the real place to blow any energy reserves you may have left is TRUCKFIGHTERS. Hot from releasing their new album, Masterflow, they’re back in the big smoke to cover the Roundhouse in more fuzz than that sandwich you forgot about at the back of your fridge. Between ‘Ozo’ on bass n’ vocal duties and ‘Jolo’ banging out the driving four-on-the-floor drum lines, you have shirtless guitarist ‘Dango’ jumping and sprinting around the stage whilst simultaneously cranking out riffs in a thunderous purr. Many in the crowd struggle to film him as he sprints hither and thither, and all video footage ends up making him look like a cryptid. But the energy in the room is static lightning, by the time they get to all-time bona fide desert metal classic Desert Cruiser, the whole room is bouncing along. And to be fair, if you don’t bounce along to Desert Cruiser, you might actually be legally dead. Fun is the name, and fun is definitely the game here too, and by the end, we’ve all but run out of fuel (Oh yeah! Oh yeah!). EARTHLESS We were warned pre-EARTHLESS that their set is actually “one long guitar solo” and told in conversation by Scott Black of GREEN LUNG that guitarist Isaiah Mitchell “is one of the greatest living guitarists”. To say that’s high praise is a bit of an understatement, and hopes were indeed high. What was witnessed afterwards was immaculate. Desolate, huge, spacey riffs cut through with Floydian guitar solos and hardly any beginnings and endings to speak of. Indeed, all the songs they play flow into each other, and there’s no time for the frivolities of stage banter and other pleasantries. The synergy of the group is absolutely flawless, the soloing seems to go on for ages, and just when you think it can’t get any more impressive, it does. Until there’s a song break towards the end and some actual vocals, it all felt like one extremely long and fantastic instrumental. The Roundhouse may never see shredding like this ever again. Phenomenal. There are a few bands that can follow that up! THE SWORD Although Texans THE SWORD are one of those bands. Coming onstage to a rap number for some reason, they waste no time and launch into their set for the hungry crowd, and you can really tell that people have been waiting eagerly for them, as there are some bodies half-hanging off the barriers in anticipation. They take a few songs to get going, but by the time they break out the bangers like Tres Brujas, Maiden, Mother, & Crone and Freya, the party has well and truly started. Their retro sound and slow chugs get people jumping about and flinging themselves into crowd surfs and other such mosh-isms like a medieval brawl. And by the time they’re finished, they have everyone eating from the palm of their hand. CLUTCH And now we have the finisher, our last band of the festival, the mighty stoner metal mainstays CLUTCH. Flushed in red light, they emerge and waste no time getting into it as frontman Neil Fallon careens into his mad southernisms, it almost feels as if he is the head pastor at some insane megachurch that’s warning people about psychic attacks on their mind and assuring us, You better believe it, brother! They’re aware that everyone seems a bit exhausted, with Neil quipping, “I hope you’re not thinking about Monday…” and just like that, we’re all thinking about Monday. Psychic warfare at work. Their set is a good mix of older and newer numbers to showcase the history of this band that’s been a part of this scene for so long, and people are loving it. They deliver the goods, and after a quick encore, their bizarro-awesome set, and the festival itself, is over. Well, that’s Desertfest 2026 complete. And compared to other years, this one seemed to be more rounded out and complete. There were far fewer left-field bands that divided the regular attendees, and it appears they really emphasised the desert scene this year. And as the last pints and being pulled and the amps are packed away for another year, one thing is for sure. In terms of camaraderie, professionalism, and vibe, Desertfest might be the best damn festival in the whole country. It proves that the scene is alive and well, and that London remains the home of grassroots doom metal in the UK and possibly even Europe as a whole. Roll on next year! Words: Kia Golshani Photos: Oz Davies

Coming from Skövde, Sweden is screamo act KID, FERAL. Making a return to recorded music that’s awfully long-awaited - their first album was released in 2018 - follow-up 2019 was recorded all across the period since LP1 and now. The eight tracks across 2019 are shaped by hardships, failed relationships, serious injuries, and personal ruin. Written largely during the band’s youth but released at what they’ve called the ‘dawn of their middle age’, the album reflects years of persistence, frustration, and creative obsession. The drums were recorded all the way back in October 2019, while the rest of the album was written, rewritten, recorded, and reworked over the years, revising the guitar and bass parts again and again until they reached the form we hear them in today. The fifteen or so minutes of time the release spans rush by in a blur upon listening, as the heartwrenching sounds of opener Funeral In A Grocery Store morph into the more tender intro found on penultimate track I Want To Be Your Canopy before breaking into raucous, anguished chaos. Substance and Medieval Poetry go back to back with emotive shrieks and stabs of noise through the wall of sound, and Puddle Jumper closes off the LP with more desperately sorrowful yelling. The most important thing to keep in mind here is that this release should, nine times out of ten, be listened to in full. It’s very short and flows incredibly well so won’t feel like much time has passed at all, but dividing up the vast well of emotion present into smaller segments will only serve to diminish the beauty and spectacle of 2019’s fifteen minutes. In a weird way, the album is quite endearing, feeling like an old friend after just a couple listens, and is certainly one worth visiting over and over again. Summing up 2019 could either be done in just a few short words, or with pages and pages of work, but to try and cut that down the middle here are our thoughts. It will leave you with a mushy pang of searingly aching nostalgia for a time gone by that you don’t quite remember, all drenched in a slightly cold but deep yellow sunlight. Every moment manages to worm inside of you, and each extra listen will push this closer to your heart and open you up that little bit more until you’re barely holding yourself together. That is the point of this album. It’s brilliant, it’s devastatingly sad, and it’s angry and pissed off and needs you to listen to it. Score: 8/10 2019 will be released on 29th May 2026 via Backpack Records. Words: Jasmine Longhurst Photos: Kid, Feral

Manchester’s underground metal scene has never lacked intensity, but with The Final Nail, BEYOND SALVATION sounds ready to push themselves far beyond local acclaim and into far heavier territory. After years of sharpening their craft through EPs, relentless live shows, and support slots alongside some of the UK’s most respected heavy acts, the band’s long-awaited debut full-length arrives with all the force you would expect from a group that has spent years building momentum the hard way. From the opening moments, The Final Nail wastes no time making its intentions clear. This is an album rooted firmly in old-school thrash values, but it avoids sounding dated or trapped in nostalgia. Instead, BEYOND SALVATION channels the spirit of classic aggression into something modern, muscular, and genuinely exciting. There are traces of groove metal woven throughout the record, while flashes of death metal brutality add extra weight without overwhelming the songwriting itself. What stands out most is the strength of the writing. Rather than leaning on trends or studio trickery, BEYOND SALVATION trusts the quality of its material to do the heavy lifting. The riffs are memorable, the arrangements are tight, and every track serves a purpose. It is a confident approach that pays off throughout the album A huge part of that success comes from the chemistry between the members. Vocalist and rhythm guitarist Jon Pedley delivers every line with venom and conviction, balancing hardcore intensity with a thrash metal snarl that feels authentic rather than forced. His vocal performance throughout the album constantly drives the songs forward, adding urgency to already punishing material. Lead guitarist Arun Kamath deserves equal praise for bringing technicality and melody into the chaos. The solos across the record never feel self-indulgent; instead, they elevate the tracks and give the album moments of atmosphere among the violence. Whether unleashing frantic lead work or locking into crushing groove sections, his playing helps give the record its identity. The rhythm section is equally essential to the album’s impact. Bassist Luke Entwistle provides a thick backbone that keeps everything sounding huge without becoming muddy, while drummer Owen Ashworth delivers one of the album’s strongest performances. His drumming is relentless but controlled, shifting effortlessly between breakneck thrash patterns, groove-heavy stomps, and tighter death metal passages. Together, the four musicians sound completely locked in, which is perhaps the album’s greatest strength overall. Tracks like Broken Reflections perfectly showcase what makes this record work so well. The title track combines ferocious riffing with memorable hooks and enough groove to stay stuck in your head long after it ends. It captures the balance the band achieve throughout the album: aggression without chaos, heaviness without sacrificing structure. It feels like the natural centrepiece of the record and fully earns its place as the album’s title. Elsewhere, the album thrives on variety without losing cohesion. Some songs lean harder into blistering thrash speed, while others embrace slower, crushing grooves that hit with almost hardcore-like force. Despite those shifts in tempo and influence, the album never feels disjointed. Every track sounds unmistakably like BEYOND SALVATION, which is impressive considering the range of styles being fused together. What also makes The Final Nail such a strong debut is how confident it sounds. There is no sense of a band still searching for their direction. This feels like a record made by musicians who already know exactly what they want to be. That confidence likely comes from years spent building their reputation on stage, including appearances at major festivals and support performances alongside respected names within the UK metal circuit. The live energy translates directly into the recording, giving the album a constant sense of momentum and danger. Fans of modern thrash bands like SYLOSIS will appreciate the precision and weight on display here, while listeners drawn to the hardcore-infused aggression of HATEBREED or the groove-heavy attack of SEPULTURA will also find plenty to enjoy. Still, The Final Nail never comes across as imitation. The influences are obvious, but BEYOND SALVATION uses them as foundations rather than crutches. For a debut album, it feels remarkably complete. It is aggressive, focused, and packed with enough memorable riffs to keep listeners returning long after the first spin. More importantly, it establishes BEYOND SALVATION as a band capable of standing alongside the strongest names in the modern UK metal scene rather than simply supporting them. If this album is intended to be the next step forward for the Manchester quartet, then they have driven that nail straight through the coffin lid with absolute force. Score: 9/10 The Final Nail will be released on 29th May 2026. Words: Jack Norris Photos: Beyond Salvation

Consisting of members of some seriously big names in heavy music, ABLATION is the new death metal supergroup that you need to listen to. The iconic NY death metal scene is one that needs no introduction for long-time listeners of extreme metal, and so a band with members from SANGUISUGABOGG, SUFFOCATION and DEHUMANIZED should feel right at home. Their first release, the EP Lethal Abuse, is a six track hit-and-run intent only on causing sonic decimation - luckily enough, the title track (and lead single) opens the EP to do just that. Starting off with a nice aggressive sample, as all good death metal and hardcore releases should, it swiftly launches into assault on all the senses, battering the listener into submission in moments. Track two, Victim Kink, not only carries on the brute-force pummelling from the song before, but also introduces a very special guest - rejoining his two former bandmates Eric Morotti and Derek Boyer, both members of ABLATION, comes the one and only Frank Mullen; original vocalist of SUFFOCATION, making a return to the microphone. Tracks three and four are no different in their single-minded aim of destruction, as Sporadic Slaughtering and Indecorous Disembodiment make eardrums into some form of soup, before Mullen once again joins the fray - talk about kicking us while we’re down - on the penultimate song Eradicating The Feebleminded. Finale Immersed In Carrion ties everything up in a lovely, bloody, slightly meaty, gristly, and rather chewy bow, with something that most definitely isn’t a cherry on top, but you would not want to look any closer to find out what it actually is. Now to say that this EP does only one thing would not be fair, there is notable variation between tracks, tempo changes, different drum lines and riff styles can certainly be found across the entire release. However, it does not actually matter in the slightest whether it evolves hugely or not in any capacity, as you’re not listening to this for ‘musical progression’ or ‘evolving technique’. This is music for gurning and headbanging, or for crowdkilling. Or for brooding on top of a really tall building in a mask that looks like a bat but is legally distinct from being a Batman mask and then jumping down to pummel people who are in costumes that resemble henchmen for a clown, but are of course legally distinct from being associated with the Joker (who is of course not called the Joker). Long story short, go listen to this if you need to be really angry and want a suitably crushing soundtrack to yell along to. It’ll be a blast. Score: 9/10 Lethal Abuse will be released on 29th May 2026 via Fortress Records. Words: Jasmine Longhurst Photos: Kamryn Nickdow

Hopping across the pond for the first time since 2022, the Canadian singer-songwriter LIGHTS is bringing her sixth album A6 on a near sold-out UK tour. This body of work is LIGHTS in her truest form, produced and fully owned by the artist herself. The synth-pop star managed to pour her joy into the rest of us tonight, sharing this sacred moment with the London crowd. In her own words: "We’re humans, we’re not AI, so let’s get together and dance!" It’s a Friday night at the Garage, and the whole room is almost at capacity already just past 7pm. This is admirable, especially considering that there are no supports for the evening, just the one and only. Whether it is an unusual choice or a return of events, it’s refreshing to see all the attention focused on the main act for a change. Even more, it points to how successful and charming LIGHTS is to be able to pull it off with just her and the band, and raise such a high demand in the capital seemingly effortlessly. And oh did she prove the set was worth the wait. From the first chords struck and the first words sung, the whole room got pulsing in excitement. Starting off with the strong opener Come Get Your Girl, LIGHTS moved right onto belting it in River and Running With the Boys. The singer sounded miraculous throughout, and every new track seemed to be a crowd-favourite, with lingering claps after each one and careless, joyous dancing all around the venue. This is her first headline tour in the country since 2019, and LIGHTS is now taking us seven back, to this very room. She notices familiar faces arriving here from far beyond just London; another indicator of just how enormous the power of music can be that it has brought us together here. Although much of the setlist consists of the cuts off her newest release A6, LIGHTS goes on to explain that this album is all about looking back at different versions of ourselves. With that, she puts on a medley of Timing Is Everything / Flux and Flow / We Were Here for the fans who were there during the older eras. The disco balls begin to shine as the cover of Love Me by FELIX CARTAL rolls on, followed by the rave-fit energy that Batshit unleashes. After a half hour of tireless jumping, LIGHTS decides to wind it down for a brief moment, letting her band leave the stage to play a solo piece. Written on this very soil, Cactus in the Valley is deeply relatable to many, even if we’ve got no cactuses around. Sprinting right back to the hits shortly after, LIGHTS has full control over the audience, not letting them lose an ounce of energy too early. Witnessing the performance of Okay, Okay and Surface Tension leaves you in shock, thinking "Damn, they know every single word!" A few more crowd-pullers and a cover of All The Small Things later, it is encore time, the walls vibrating one last time before she sings Up We Go and finishes off with Education. As nice as it is to get home early, we all waddle out of the venue wishing it could have lasted a tiny bit longer. On the flip side, there is still plenty of time to soak in the feeling and catch your roommates in the kitchen to tell them all the stories from the show. As always, LIGHTS has put on a stunning performance, both visually and sonically, that certainly makes you feel Alive Again. Words: Mariia Bulkina Photos: Nicola Small

When it comes to the current state of hard rock, there are bands who focus on creating really catchy, albeit bland-sounding music with a structure that people are used to. This is fine, but this isn't something that'll make you stand out. This is where SHINEDOWN come in. With EI8HT, the band, who have never been more popular, will be marking the release of what is their most unique, and varied album yet. With 18 songs on the tracklist, this is the American four-piece at their peak. EI8HT kicks off with At The Bottom. At first, the song sounds like a piano ballad, the first verse being led with piano and acoustic guitar melodies. This leads into the chorus, where the full force of SHINEDOWN appears for the first time. The second verse is much more cinematic, with strings appearing in the background, before the drums help to build the energy up ahead of the second chorus. A guitar solo follows, and this leads into the final chorus. The track ends with the repetition of one of the chorus vocal lines, drilling the hook into the back of your head, and starting the record with a song that instantly keeps you on your toes, not knowing what to expect. The third track is Burning Down The Disco, and this one, especially for those familiar with SHINEDOWN, will give out a sense of nostalgia. The main riff sounds huge, and the verses are rather mellow, which contrasts the explosive chorus. This is a formula that the band has used for years and years, and it works for them every time, and this track is no exception. After the second chorus, another guitar solo takes place, before the chorus gets built up from something soft, just like the verses, into the bombastic-sounding hook that plays the first couple of times. Dizzy is the band at their most vulnerable, and as a result, this is one of the songs that stands out the most. The chorus kicks the track off, but gently. The first verse starts with just the bass drum, and strings. This gets built up before the pre chorus which leaves the listener with a sense of anticipation as the chorus returns much livelier. The second verse is pretty similar, but when the chorus returns, there are different vocal elements, which matched with the clever use of the synths, really elevates this song. The instrumental section here is a mix of synths and stellar guitar work, which is another reason as to why this song not only deserves to be in the spotlight on EI8HT, but also in SHINEDOWN's discography. Properly kicking off the second half of this record is Safe And Sound, one of the most fast-paced tracks throughout the 18 songs. After the ferocious start to this song with the main riff and first verse, the chorus is where this song stands out. It sounds humongous, and ambient, which is very rare to find in hard rock. This is helped with the use of the vocal layers. After the solo section, which is short, yet effective, one of the best hooks in hard rock this year returns to wrap things up. The main riff returns at the very end with the repetition of “one by one” to finish the song up. The following track is a ballad, but despite there being a few on this record, the vocal performance here is above any other on these slower tracks. Starting with just vocals and acoustic guitars, frontman Brent Smith is stellar here. After the first chorus, the drums make their presence known, but this is very much a vocal driven song, and every member does their very best to help them shine through. There is a very delicate guitar solo which leads into the final chorus. Searchlight ends just how it begun, with the stripped back guitar, giving the song a really satisfying finale. Deep End is one of the most experimental sounding songs on this record. It is rapid tempo-wise, but it is synth driven, as opposed to being guitar focused. The chorus is just as much of a highlight as the keys are. It is rapid, but irresistibly infectious. After the second chorus, the simplistic approach to the guitars come through as the solo is basic but works with the vibe this track brings to the table, and the transition from solo to the chorus is possibly the best on this album. Back To The Living is another standout Smith performance. This song is a particularly gradual builder. It starts off with just Smith and the synths, which leads into a stripped down first chorus. Things get gradually louder during the second verse, but it is the following chorus where the track really comes to life. It is not loud, or heavy, but it is cinematic, and the guitar solo that follows is sensational. The song ends with an extended final chorus, before a combination of electric guitars, acoustic guitars and keys end the song. This is the ultimate SHINEDOWN album. It has glimpses of their past, glimpses of their more recent sounding releases, and teases of where the band may be heading in the future. Musically, this is what you would expect from this band, there are some guitar solos scattered, but the highlights lie in the vocals, and the amazing choruses, making for an outstanding listen. When it comes to the evolution of musicians and artists in general, very few embrace change. SHINEDOWN know that they are the most popular they have ever been, and they know what people expect from them, but with an album this big, both in the length and the anticipation, things need to be slightly out of the box, and this is what this record is. It is an experiment of new sounds, combined with the classic sound their fans adore. This is not only a triumph, this will be a release that defines this hard rock outfit for years to come, and that is not a prediction, it is a guarantee. Score: 9/10 EI8HT will be released on May 29th 2026 via Atlantic Records. Words: Itay Gilad Photos: Ryan Camp