The night felt bigger than a typical gig from the very start. Celebrating the release of their second album 25 Forever, CHROMA’s hometown show carried a sense of occasion, one rooted not just in a new release, but in identity. With a lineup made up entirely of Welsh acts with LADY GARDEN, BAMBEES, and CHROMA, it became something more: a showcase of the country's thriving music scene, and a reminder of the depth of talent coming out of it right now. LADY GARDEN opened the evening with the kind of confidence most new bands spend years chasing. Hailing from Cardiff, they may be the freshest name on the lineup, but you wouldn't know it from their performance. Having already headlined three sold-out shows thanks in part to a strong social media presence, but more importantly their undeniable musicianship, they're quickly cementing themselves as ones to watch. Their rise through iconic local venues like Fuel, Le Pub, and now Clwb Ifor Bach feels well-earned. Despite only having one released single, Funny, it already plays like a greatest hit. The crowd sang words back to them and a cheer erupted when it was introduced. The song is catchy, sassy, and a perfect snapshot of who the band are as a whole. If you're a fan of LAMBRINI GIRLS or PANIC SHACK, LADY GARDEN should already be on your radar. If LADY GARDEN warmed things up, BAMBEES had the whole place moving.They're the kind of band that thrives in small venues where energy matters. The five-piece band from Merthyr Tydfil delivered a set that was chaotic in the best possible way, raw, angry, and completely unfiltered. Their sound hit hard, but it was their presence that truly drove things forward. Heartbreak Kid emerged as a clear standout with an explosive chorus built around a single word "jump" , and that's exactly what the crowd did, moving in unison as the energy surged through the room. The response was instant and electric. Frontman Rhys Davies was at the centre of it all, relentless from start to finish. Rarely still for a second, his energy poured into the room and came right back at him. At one point, the band even split the crowd in half, creating a buzz of anticipation just before the floor detonated with even more energy, it was messy, loud, and alive, everything punk should be. Everyone was now ready and primed for CHROMA, people shuffled forward and the room filled, there was a clear sense of anticipation before they even stepped on stage. Emerging from the South Wales Valleys, CHROMA are a three-piece deeply embedded in the fabric of the Welsh music scene. From the cover art of their 2023 debut Ask For Angela being famously painted on a door in Le Pub, to appearing on major stages supporting the FOO FIGHTERS in Manchester and making an appearance at 2000 Trees Festival, their rise has been both grounded and expansive. Their second album, 25 Forever, marks a significant step forward, a coming-of-age record that captures the uncertainty and self-discovery of navigating your twenties with striking honesty. Their sound is built on real experiences, and nowhere was that more evident than in Coalminer's Granddaughter. As the first song written for the album it carried a striking emotional weight. Katie Hall's voice was full of passion, cutting through the room with clarity and conviction, all while Zac Mather's driving drums and Liam "Bev" Bevan's guitar worked together in an unstoppable, high-energy rhythm that powered the track from start to finish. Reflecting on the night, Katie described the whole experience as "all my dreams come true," and it felt genuinely earned. There was a sense of a band fully stepping into their moment. CHROMA didn't just close the night, they elevated it, leaving the crowd with the sense that they had witnessed something both personal and expansive, a band turning experience into something shared and unforgettable. It didn't just feel like a celebration of a new album, but a celebration of the band as a whole. Words and photos: Owain Morris

TURNSTILE are on a serious hot streak at the minute, opening the door to hardcore for a lot of people and propelling the genre into the public eye; This summer they take on All Points East sharing the stage with the ever so effervescent TYLER, THE CREATOR. Today we rank TURNSTILE’s EP and Albums to prepare for this evening of chaos. 7) MOVE THRU ME Starting off the list, we have the bands second EP released just after their second studio album Nonstop Feeling and just because it’s at the bottom of this list doesn’t mean it’s bad in any capacity, it’s just more of transitional EP, if anything it’s a 7 minute care package of TURNSTILE’s style and aggression at the time, featuring a song that was re-worked on their third album and 3 songs that feel like a quick fire round of how heavy hitting this band can be, if there was any doubt from anyone that these guys didn’t have an insane amount of energy, it was erased with this EP. We highly recommend this one for anyone wanting to tap into the band's older style, this is absolutely the way to go, with some bridges that definitely laid the path for the future stuff. 6) PRESSURE TO SUCCEED The first release from the band and frontman Brendan Yates’ first dive into vocals after drumming for the legendary TRAPPED UNDER ICE, the band really set an example of how underground Baltimore hardcore likes to tear it up, with some insanely tight riffs, bouncing bass-lines and some drum mixing that sounds so insanely tough; Sounding like a complete live recording with the echoey vocals, raw drums and crunchy guitars. This EP really begs to be heard live with every inch of its being being an inescapable black hole of ruthless fun, all you feel when listening to it is a sudden urge to stage dive into a sea of people below. 5) NONSTOP FEELING A special one for this publication, the origin of our name is within this album and what a string of bangers are inside this album; and honestly TURNSTILE’s last purely hardcore album, this one laid the groundwork for what was to come. The guitars are stripped back and simpler, but if anything it makes for a punchier and more gut punching sound, the drums followed suit with a lot of the tracks having a backing that again are slowed down but Daniel Fang is hitting twice as hard and really exercising his technical ability. The bands discipline with this album is really what stands out, holding back for the perfect amount to have basically every song a breakdown that leaves any heavy music fan unable to stand still. The album is perfectly named in this sense, it is a straight 27 mins of Nonstop Feeling and movement. 4) STEP TO RHYTHM The first studio album from these guys is one of their most vital and most influential, an unstoppable rocket that blasted onto the hardcore scene in 2013. From the opening riff, it lures you in, with an insatiable feeling of rage and a need to mosh pit. This album is simply iconic in how it still gets played by the band today, because without some of these songs it wouldn’t make it TURNSTILE show; the most recent tour showed us the power of opening two tracks as every night had fans erupting into a pit of pure carnage. This is the kind of first album where if a band says ‘this one’s for the old school fans’, you don’t roll your eyes, you lose all sense of calm and the music makes you go crazy. Hardcore at its finest, no remorse, just pure anger, sound and energy, the ultimate catharsis for any TURNSTILE fan. 3) NEVER ENOUGH The Grammy winner, the game changer, the best seller, the band truly hit the mainstream with this one, opening up the world of hardcore but perfectly blending, pop and alternative with hardcore. They took everything they had learned from the previous record and made it more atmospheric, more melodic and a truly brilliant album. TURNSTILE really rocked the world with this album and have been a dominating force ever since it dropped alongside the film to go with it, by far making it their more successful and recognisable. Although this album is fantastic, it can be a bit too long for the bands style, but it has possibly their best songs ever made on it, with fierce simplicity and infectious hook of BIRDS, the grand ambience and scope of songs like Light Design and the funky riffs of Seein’ Stars, this album has everything. 2) TIME AND SPACE Hope you like getting punched in the face, because this album is absolutely that, opening with one of the most hard hitting riffs the band has ever produced, Real Thing; apart from some intermissions containing some chill synths and samples, the album is relentless. It almost feels structured like how a show should be played, nonstop energy, nonstop passion for the genre of hardcore and a pure example of how outrageous their sound can be. The sheer speed and adrenaline of this album coupled with its eccentric use of other genres and samples really showed the bands depth and their love of all genres of music and this was absolutely the first album it became glaringly apparent. Some may call this TURNSTILE’s last good album, some may call it the beginning of something beautiful but there’s no denying how fantastic this album is. 1) GLOW ON There’s no other choice, their magnum opus, the leap of faith, the absolute slam dunk; TURNSTILE tried something new and redefined themselves to make one of the greatest post-hardcore albums ever created. The funky opening synths of Mystery set the tone of this album immediately, simple effective riffs, catchy vocals and an immense sense of positivity channeled through chaos and fun. You’d honestly be hard pressed to find a skip in this album, it is a genuine start to finish joy-ride that has something for anyone who has any ounce of love for guitars, drums and energy. For a lot of people this acts a gateway drug into post hardcore, easing you in as the album slowly infects you with its catchy songs, positive message and undeniable talent. We would be seriously shocked if TURNSTILE ever top this album as nothing comes close to the pure craft and skill put into Glow On, it is absolutely their best album and an instant classic. Words: Ben Blissett

On a night that joined two bands, one from each of Philadelphia and London, there was NOTHING to see at Hackney’s Moth Club. Supported by local band HITMEN for two nights - this being the second of the two - the American shoegaze icons took to the cosy confines of the East London venue to entertain and impress on equal measure. The gold glittered ceiling sparkled in anticipation as various punters grabbed a Red Stripe on tap as we waited for both bands to step on stage, and as the venue filled and the noise rose, we all took a step closer to the cramped stage to be at the forefront of the sound tsunami to come. Openers HITMEN had but half an hour with us, but their upbeat and energetic approach to shoegaze was somewhat reminiscent of MILITARIE GUN, and their setlist ran through both their 2024 EP Rock to Forget as well as both recent singles Early Riser and Three Drains. Even in that short time (and with a mild issue involving a bass guitar and its string) they presented themselves as a great live band who would be as much at home on small stages like the one in front of us as they would on a far grander one. A great start to the evening, and a fantastic introduction to a cracking local band. With only one band opening for them, it was a relatively short but sweet night for us with headliners NOTHING. The five piece are touring on the back of their recently released record a short history of decay, which showed on a night that had five songs off the record feature on the setlist. From opening the set with purple strings to playing the title track of the LP, we were treated to a healthy spread from across an excellent release, made all the better by the hefty volume and extra energy within the room. The lights were low, with the golden backdrop behind them rarely showing its true colours, but the simplicity and openness the band displays every time they play live always makes for an evening of earnest emotion and heart-on-sleeve feeling, from both audience and act. Of course, not everyone was getting caught in their feelings, with more than a couple of people headbanging along or jumping around to the higher energy portions of the event, but for a band as happy at Outbreak as they are anywhere else this is nothing new. Wrapping up with a song off the latest record, never come never morning, into an older fan favourite Eaten by Worms, the Philadelphians gave as good as we could’ve asked and finished with a flourish. Words: Jasmine Longhurst Photos: Herbert Barlow

Where others were sleeping off the bank holiday weekend, hundreds of fans decided to round it out at Dust, Brighton, by getting sweaty in the dance pit for MOUTH CULTURE, with support from OVERGROWN and CLUB BRAT. Having exploded onto the scene after supporting YOU ME AT SIX on their goodbye tour (we are not over it) and playing Slamdunk Festival in 2025, MOUTH CULTURE have been on an upward trajectory ever since. Performing at Takedown Festival 2026, selling out their Brighton tour show, and poised to take on the Avalanche stage at Download Festival 2026, word has spread from the growing fanbase’s mouths that this is the band to watch – wise words indeed. No one could have been prepared for opening act CLUB BRAT and their eclectic genre-blended sound. Opening their set in dramatic, statue-still poses to an alt-rock EDM intro, each musician utilised their set to display not only their musical prowess but their individual characters. From the bassist literally bending over backward to pluck a rattling bass line, the guitarists headbanging in their limited space while shifting from scratchy, distorted solos to harmonised riffs, and the drummer thumping out a consistently snappy beat with plenty of cowbell. CLUB BRAT’s singer maintained a stoic, intimidating presence, not letting tech issues get in the way of delivering noise-pop-punk singing across two microphones, heavy alt-rock screams, and sombre spoken word. Weaving through as many genres as possible in a funky, crashing sound that’s a little bit THE HIVES, CLUB BRAT close out again as motionless figures and let the music and lights fade them out. Scottish up-and-comers OVERGROWN switch up the pace and bring a confident sound and a genuinely humble attitude, repeatedly expressing their awe at the crowd numbers and energy in the room. They match this energy in spades, kicking off their set with a room shaking, prolonged bass riff, joined by the dual guitarist/vocalists in an emotive harmonisation. Their slow, intense lyrics juxtapose with the high toned riffs and the frantic drumming, moving fluidly from mournful sounds to rapid alt-rock tones and guttural screams. Calls for their “swayey song” entice the crowd closer, as they deliver an atmospheric sound that highlights the instruments and their individual skills, lying under clear-cut but devastating lyrics that plunge to the heart. They direct the crowd through moments to headbang and dance, advising “don’t pull a muscle though” – even if you’re unfamiliar with their music, OVERGROWN makes the effort to include everyone in their impressively polished sound. With a summer of tour support slots and festivals on the horizon, it won’t be long before the crowd need no direction. Within a minute the sold-out crowd have surged in to fill any lingering spaces, the stage lights dropping to a soft, orange back glow and we await MOUTH CULTURE, the band taking the scene by storm. One by one silhouettes take to the stage, distorted bass notes hyping up the vigorous audience until frontman Jack Voss bounced out with a “what the fuck is up Brighton – are you ready?”. Kicking straight into On and On, it’s not hard to see why they’ve been amassing their fanbase and accolades, as the audience screamed back their lyrics while Voss wheeled about with a delighted smile on his face, clasping the front row’s hands and repeatedly holding the mic out to the chants – this night isn’t just MOUTH CULTURE’s, it belongs to their devotees. With passionate screams and clean lyrics, the band performed as a tight-knit unit through their crowd-pleasing tracks, with the quality of a studio sound and the energy and sentiment of being connected to their fans for this packed crowd. Tod Groome’ captivated us with hauntingly high notes and jarring distorted guitar riffs in Dead in Love, coupling with Mason Clifford’s dark and intricate bass lines in Picking Wings Off a Butterfly, the pair commanding their stage space with headbangs and swaying, Clifford taking in the pulsing fans with clear admiration, while Groome looked utterly thrilled to be there. Touring drummer Max Nicolai didn’t hold back throughout the set, particularly on popular track Sharkbait, thrashing at his kit while Voss encouraged the crowd to open the pits up, a request they’re only too happy to oblige. Voss demands a cheer for each of his “best fucking mates” in a genuinely moving moment, before spraying the crowd with water as they propelled into a fully charged Cherry Red Rage. With fans literally swinging from the ceiling and mosh pits taking up almost the entire dancefloor, MOUTH CULTURE are already cementing themselves as a band guaranteed to bring chaotic, heartfelt excitement to their live shows. Words: Julia Stark Photos: Teala Lynas

For many of us, GOOD CHARLOTTE is one of the many cornerstones of early 2000’s pop-punk and our gateway drug into the genre. Now, in 2026, they are about to headline Slam Dunk Festival, playing a European exclusive show. Having formed in Maryland, USA all the way back in 1995, the band, built around twin brothers JOEL and BENJI MADDEN, accompanied by PAUL THOMAS and BILLY MARTIN, have been staples in the headphones of many since their inception. With a somewhat softer sound that some of their punk adjacent peers, GOOD CHARLOTTE have never shied away from singing about anti-conformity, frustration with wealth culture and family hardships, and have remained a consistent voice for the misfits and underdogs, many of whom adopted the spiky hair and studded belts the band were known to wear. Their music sits at the gateway intersection of pop punk, emo and alternative rock, where they mix emotionally charged choruses with radio-ready hooks, with lyrics delivered with heartfelt vulnerability. The band's first album, titled Good Charlotte, was released in 2000 and introduced the world to their melodic but scrappy sound. The release established their identity as the voice of kids who didn’t fit the mould, with tracks like The Motivation Proclamation and breakout single Little Things, setting the tone for their underdog identity. Arguably their best known release came just two years later. The Young and the Hopeless cemented their place in the pop punk scene, with the videos for breakthrough tracks The Anthem, Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous, and Girls & Boys gracing every rock music channel around and going multi‑platinum, despite Rolling Stone magazine giving the album a completely undeserved 2 out of 5. The follow up, The Chronicles of Life and Death, released in 2004 was a more ambitious, theatrical, and polarising album. JOEL MADDEN has said that the group faced "a lot of criticism from all sides" and felt out of place in both the pop scene and the pop-punk genre they had come from. This led to them internalising this whilst making the album, with the end result leading to contrasting tracks like The Chronicles of Life and Death, I Just Wanna Live and We Believe. The band released another diverse album, Good Morning Revival, in 2007, which turned out to be a sleek, dance‑rock‑infused reinvention of GOOD CHARLOTTE. With lead single The River, featuring AVENGED SEVENFOLD's lead singer M. SHADOWS and guitarist SYNYSTER GATES, the album was well received by fans, but critics were not so complimentary. However, with single tracks Keep Your Hands off My Girl and Dance Floor Anthem (I Don't Want to Be in Love) gracing the US Billboard Top 100 and the album going Platinum in Australia, they were to eat their words. Cardiology followed in 2010 with another flurry of fan favourites, like Last Night and Like It’s Her Birthday and the more vulnerable tracks Harlow’s Song and 1979. BENJI was quoted as saying of Cardiology; "It was really important, more emotionally than anything else at that time. That record was more for me and the band than it was for anybody else." After the release of Cardiology, the band announced a hiatus in 2011, but fans still got to hear from the MADDEN’s brothers, when they released a mix tape and full album, respectively. The band returned in 2016 with their comeback album Youth Authority; fan favorites include Makeshift Love, Life Changes and Keep Swingin', which featured KELLIN QUINN from SLEEPING WITH SIRENS. This album presented their more mature sound but was still packed full of underdog nostalgia, with a sense of reclaiming the scene they had stepped away from. Generation Rx was released in 2018 and to date, is probably the band's most raw, emotionally heavy record. The themes within the lyrics touch on addiction, trauma, and healing, in a short album which comes in at just over half an hour long. JOEL MADDEN’s vocals appeared more mature than heard previously, but compliments the themes of the album perfectly. After stepping back from the stage once again, GOOD CHARLOTTE returned in 2025 with their latest release, Motel Du Cap, which also marked the band's first album without their drummer DEAN BUTTERWORTH after his quiet departure from the band earlier that year. The album was a clear return to the band's roots with a more personal, reflective edge, with the concept built around an imaginary hotel, in a liminal, dreamlike space inspired by the band’s 2022 visit to the Hôtel du Cap‑Eden‑Roc in the south of France. Critics praised the release for feeling like you were experiencing every GOOD CHARLOTTE era, all at once, in just one album. GOOD CHARLOTTE are a band built on connection and this is heavily felt in their live shows. On stage, it feels less like a performance and more like a church congregation; fans singing the songs like hymns, with dedication and passion, and the band performing with a matching electric energy. Despite years of playing music, there’s a complete lack of arrogance and only an sincerity that reaches out. Their fanbase spans literal generations now; from their debut self titled album back in 2000, up to their return with Motel Du Cap in 2025. The crowd can always expect that perfect mix of nostalgia and evolution; with the classics like The Anthem, Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous and Hold On always making an appearance on the setlist, but you’ll also find deep cuts like Actual Pain, Last Nightctual Pain, Last Night and Wondering, showcasing the darker and more mature material they’ve released as they’ve grown. JOEL MADDEN often talks in between songs in a way that adds even more emotional weight, but without preaching, about mental health, the band’s sometimes difficult journey and the families they’ve now made. He is a born storyteller who wears his heart on his sleeve. Couple this with every member's ability to still be a tight, talented musician, even after years of touring, and you expect a polished but dynamic set ahead of you. From the very beginning, GOOD CHARLOTTE carved out a place in the pop punk scene for themselves to deliver their working class, underdog storytelling, in a way that has been increasingly commercially successful. With their legacy sitting on on the skate ramp alongside bands like BLINK‑182, SIMPLE PLAN, and SUM 41, they have outlived even the biggest of bands, and since their return in 2025, they show no sign of retiring any time soon. Catch Good Charlotte headlining Slam Dunk Festival this summer. Words: Lou Viner Flood

Florida’s quintet, WAGE WAR, are solidifying the fast approaching sweaty and humid summer season with their upcoming EP It Calls Me By Name. Their previous album, Manic, has seeped into the crevices of our minds with catchy lyrics and rhythmic tracks. An album that's created sleeper agents ready to scream along and spin kicks. WAGE WAR have solidified their position within metalcore since 2010 and constantly prove to listeners that their enhanced sound is a mutation of familiarity that deserves a spot in playlists. Bringing brutal screams paired with dense riffs, this is an EP that you’ll walk away from with a sore neck. Metalcore remains one of heavy music’s most contested entry points, often framed as both a gateway and a battleground for evolving tastes. It Calls Me By Name is a tightly curated five-track EP that highlights the genre’s evolution, weaving together elements that have defined metalcore across its past and present. The EP consists of layered bridges and pulsating breakdowns alongside heart wrenching ballads, highlighted on the middle track “BLINDFOLD”. The tracks are anchored by strong emotions and urgency displayed in the suffocating humidity of a swamp bound landscape. With the sounds of nature, the gentle croaks of frogs paired with the trickling rain, listeners aren't prepared for the lurking danger upon the horizon. The single Song of the Swamp introduces Briton Bond’s ferocious snarls, tapping into a sense of familiarity found on tracks loved by fans before. The track has already sunk its teeth into your shoulder, and there is a certainty in listening to the rest of the EP. The blood thirsty screams paired with the harsh drums create a perfect song to bounce into a mosh pit. 4x4 makes sure you've got hooks right down your spine with a gradual build and catchy chorus that you’ve memorised before the end of the track. The short track merges the genres that are craved by modern listeners: metalcore and nu-metal. The pairing of the drum work and melodic guitars allows the vocals to offer a chaotic yet contained environment for a live crowd to rage to. The harshness is dialled back with the soul crushing ballad, BLINDFOLD. With the strip-back, the track accentuates the vulnerability and cracking rage that lingers within Cody Quistad’s clean vocals. There is a projection within the chorus that allows the track to soar without losing any substance. Listeners are forced to reset and have their heartstrings pulled, which WAGE WAR have mastered. The EP swings back on its fourth track, Karma, celebrating the various elements of metalcore explored in the previous songs. The placement of the third and fourth tracks now feels purposeful, bringing a clearer sense of cohesion to the EP as a whole. As the track builds, its bridge channels a surge of rage, only to be undercut by rapid drum cymbals that ultimately diminish its impact. Closing the EP with the most atmospheric track, Purify drags you back by one leg through the murky mud water to the first track, Song of the Swamp. An eerie ambience crawls out of the track with darker tones that are slashed by high pitched cymbals that inject urgency. The monstrous screams build up to the breakdown, which features a sharp animalistic squeal. As the track ends, the landscape of the swamp resurfaces, compelling you into another playthrough. WAGE WAR isn’t trying to create something completely new but are proving their ability to refine the skills they had already mastered in previous metalcore projects. The five tracks are meticulously placed in their respective orders and allow you to dive from the surface of a swamp down to the gritty mud at the bottom. It Calls Me By Name is the clear mutation of metalcore that is swerving its way onto your playlist. Score: 8/10 It Calls Me By Name will be released on 17th April 2026 via Fearless Records. Words: Theviya R Karunaharan Photos: Wage War

Deep in the depths of Underworld in Camden, there's a small band causing earthquakes with the intense bursts of energy from themselves and their fans as they bounce up and down. Only a few can pull off this level of raucous chaos, and by no means are they stopping any time soon. The energy that Bristol punk collective KNIVES hasn’t gone unseen. A recent tour with THE CALLOUS DAOBOYS has put them on the map, and a supporting slot with WITCH FEVER has taken them even further. Amongst upcoming festival slots at 2000Trees, Outbreak and Noizzefest - and the time between shows in the recording studio - we got talking to bassist Ben Marshall about the chaos that is intrinsic to the DNA of the band. When Callous Daoboys vocalist Carson Pace found Jay Schottlander’s PUSHA T references in their lyrics, coupled with KNIVES’ aggressive and unrelenting sound, they were the first ask to join the Atlanta chaosmakers on their European romp. Alongside LOVE RARELY's mathcore-infused melodies in the UK to complete the lineup, this raucous collective proceeded to tear up every venue they could. The chemistry on and off stage made the tour really special. In downtime, the close-knit connection became some of the tour’s most memorable moments. Ben recalls watching the Super Bowl in a Hungarian bar and playing Magic: The Gathering between sets. In return, this would result in plenty of stage invasions from all the bands and a real shared love of music. Eventually, this would lead to Carson featuring on the track Sugar from their newly-released EP Reglitter I. It's hard to really put into words how perfect this tour suited KNIVES. “A lot of the UK shows on the Daoboys tour stood out as well. We pretty much had one of our family members at every show.” Their reputation as one of the UK’s most ferocious rock bands made every show turn into a rage room (OOR pun intended!). The six band members bring together the avengers of the underground experimental music scene. Comprised of one of the most aggressive drummers in the scene, two guitarists who bounce off each other like magnets, Ben, who has the most off-the-wall energy in the best way possible, and a singer who has a voice so demanding that you can’t help but rally to it like a war cry. With the unlikely addition of a saxophonist, their sound becomes both abrasive and ridiculously cool. And doesn’t the rest of the scene know it! From talking with Ben, the recently released Reglitter I came from KNIVES’ great relationships with other bands, always connecting over shared love of music. Here, collaborations with DITZ’s C A Francis, OOR darlings DEATH GOALS and CHEST, take centre stage. However, Ben says his favourite collaboration is yet to be released, with Brighton-based math-hardcore band HOW LONG YOU BEEN DRIVING set to release a revamped cover of Rhinestone Cowboy. “It’s stupid in the best way possible.” So much of this band's core sentiments and values are based on community, creating a safe space for anyone, standing up for what’s right. As they’ve described themselves, they are a movement, not a band, and it is very apparent through their politically charged lyrics and infectious energy. You can very much see this on their most recent studio album, Glitter, as so many lyrics reflect a feeling of constant frustration, rebellion and rage. The album is an absolute war cry, demanding movement and energy. KNIVES are an inclusive band. As Ben put it, “We’re normal people, we are doing the bare minimum, and it should be a standard expectation for everyone.” This is chaos being heard. “Sharing a room with a collective of people who all share the same morals and having a crowd shout back lyrics about homophobia and xenophobia is really special. A lot of the time, it can feel disheartening seeing all the awful stuff that’s happening in the world. Moments like that are a big reminder that there are so many people who want change, and we’re all in this together.” As KNIVES have just finished up a tour with WITCH FEVER, they’re now in the studio right working on new material and, in Ben’s words, “bringing back the dab”. After some much-needed time off in May, they are doing a crazy festival circuit, starting with Noizzefest in Cardiff, 2000Trees, and the band’s most anticipated show of the year at Outbreak. “I’m excited to see END IT, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and TRUCK VIOLENCE. CONVERGE’s new album is so good! Also, we were lucky enough to play with THE ARMED in France a couple of years ago as well, so it will be nice to see them again!” Words: Ben Blissett Live Photos: Ben Blissett Cover Photo: Titouan Massé Cover Design: Robert Halls With Thanks To: Demi Wu and Marshall Records

One of the most exciting pop punk bands to emerge from Canada since SUM 41 and SIMPLE PLAN, CHIEF STATE present their third studio album, Keep Your Friends Closer. Hailing from Vancouver, the five-piece channel the essence of pop punk with precision. Emo-laced melodies collide with driving rhythms, while their lyrics explore friendship, loss, and self-discovery with clarity and intent. The album captures the nostalgia of early 2000s pop punk without feeling derivative, striking a balance between homage and progression. No Brakes launches the album with immediate impact. A distorted guitar intro quickly gives way to a relentless, high-tempo burst of energy. The interplay between lead guitar and vocals is particularly sharp, locking together with a level of cohesion that elevates the track beyond a standard opener. Resonate draws heavily on nostalgic pop punk elements, building from a familiar opening into a tightly crafted anthem. The hook is immediate and impactful, while the lyrics strike an emotional chord without becoming overindulgent. It’s easily one of the album’s strongest moments. April Showers introduces a more dynamic structure. Beginning with a stripped-back, almost off-the-cuff drum entrance, it transitions into isolated vocals before expanding into a full, driving arrangement. The shifts in tempo and pacing are handled with confidence, adding tension and release without sacrificing flow. DAMN! continues the album’s momentum with a polished, radio-inspired opening. Built on layered harmonies and a fluid progression, it feels engineered for crowd interaction. There’s a natural accessibility here that doesn’t compromise the band’s edge. Metaphors slows things down slightly, bringing a more introspective tone to the forefront. The song-writing leans into reflection, supported by textured guitar work and spacious production. It’s a track that prioritises atmosphere as much as melody. Can’t Let Go shifts gears again, introducing a grittier, more rugged sound. There’s a rawness in both delivery and structure that adds depth to the album’s pacing. The closing moments, with repeated vocal echoes, leave a lasting impression. Paranoia arrives with force, cutting through the previous track’s fade-out with a sharper, more aggressive edge. The contrast between its jagged verses and smoother, rolling chorus creates a compelling push and pull. A guest appearance from STU ROSS adds further intensity, his harsher vocal tone reinforcing the track’s urgency. Over It continues this heavier trajectory. It reimagines the familiar themes of a pop punk breakup song through a more confrontational lens. The instrumentation feels tighter, the delivery more forceful, resulting in one of the album’s most emotionally charged performances. Falling reintroduces a more traditional pop punk sound. While it doesn’t demand the same attention as earlier tracks, it feels somewhat formulaic and lacks the dynamism found elsewhere on the album. It’s not a weak song, but it struggles to stand alongside the stronger material. Loser offers a stylistic detour, embracing a lighter, more playful tone. Its upbeat, slightly offbeat energy recalls the influence of WHEATUS, giving it a distinctive character within the tracklist. Positioned where it is, the track adds variety without disrupting cohesion. Somebody strips things back to a more grounded, guitar-driven core. The instrumentation feels direct and unpolished in the best way, allowing the rhythm section to anchor the track. It builds steadily, serving as a strong lead-in to the closing moments of the album. The title track, Keep Your Friends Closer, brings everything to a measured and reflective close. Opening with a restrained a cappella section, it gradually expands into a layered and emotionally resonant finale. As both the album’s namesake and conclusion, it carries a sense of intent, tying together the themes explored throughout. CHIEF STATE’s longevity is no accident. Over the past decade, they have refined their sound while staying true to the foundations of the genre. Keep Your Friends Closer feels purposeful and cohesive, capturing a band fully aware of their strengths. It’s an album that not only reinforces their place within pop punk but also signals continued momentum. Score: 8/10 Keep Your Friends Closer will be released on 17th April 2026 via Mutant League Records. Words: David Waites Photos: Brandynn Leigh

SACE6 took the world of heavy music by storm after their 2025 EP release Limerence. Not even a year later and they’re set to release their debut album brutalist. It builds upon their previous releases; showcasing their artistic growth and vision whilst keeping the hauntingly beautiful sound we know and love. Although the personal experiences and emotions both Sace and Noah went through during the creative process played a crucial role in shaping the meaning of the songs, they want listeners to apply the tracks to their own lives to make it feel more personal with every listen. Although Noah and Sace live together, they are still able to separately work on parts of these tracks and come together to create exactly what they want to do. It either goes one of two ways, Sace tells us “He (Noah) makes the whole instrumental, sends it over, and I just sing over it like a rapper, or I'll have a sixteen-bar chorus or pre-hook that I sing over and send back to Noah so he can write the rest of the instrumental around that.” “Then we wrote Ego, and we were like, 'Oh, fuck,' now we get it.” The lead single from brutalist was Ego, a track that is sitting on almost one million streams on Spotify alone already. Noah expresses that Ego felt like the “graduated sound of Limerence, what we’ve been trying to portray this entire time.” After writing Ego, each track that followed seemed to fall into place better than they could have ever expected. They had a wide range of inspirations whilst writing this album, some to be expected and some, not so much. Musically, Sace tells us that TATE MCRAE was a big inspiration for him and other inspirations included “Any 90s romance movie, Notting Hill, Autumn in New York.” For Noah, a non-musical inspiration included the Life Is Strange video game. All very different inspirations, but ones that somehow slot together better than you could imagine, inspiring the sound of brutalist. Although this is their debut album, they managed to complete it in around three months, they had just been sitting on it for longer than that as they had to work around all the touring they were doing. The album name and cover pair together and represent the overall sound of the record with ease. When asked about the album name, Sace says “It comes from what the album sounds like, it’s based off feeling and then also playing into actual brutalist architecture and the texture of this album.” brutalist is concrete and stainless steel for them, going forward, they want everything to have texture for the world they are trying to create around their art. Despite the quick turnaround time for the album, they still faced some challenges. Noah dives deeper into how easy it is to get burnt out whilst creating such a big project. “The real struggle was continuing having a consistent creative energy, if you’re burnt out, it's hard to get that back. The modern music industry has taken away that time to write music.” Noah also touches up on some tough experiences he went through just before some of these tracks were made “Instrumentally, it was like me moving through what I was going through, like putting it in sonic form. As I grow, I feel like the songs are growing with me.” Knowing this and knowing the haunting, eerie sound we have heard from the already released singles, listeners should be prepared for a heavy but ethereal listening experience. With only three singles being released before the full album drops, this is an album you need to listen to for the first time in full, preferably with headphones on, volume loud and in a dark room for the full experience. It is no secret that SACE6 seem to always be touring, and that is not slowing down for 2026. This year, you can catch the new album live in Australia, North America, Europe and the UK. This will be their first year of headline touring and they show how grateful they are for the opportunity and all their overseas fans. In 2024, they came overseas to support JXDN on a run of shows, “We had never been over there, it was just so cool to be in these countries that we never thought we would go to, and there's people singing along to our songs, letting their feelings out as they resonate with it, especially so far away from where you're from. It's so crazy.” If you want to catch a band before they end up becoming one of the names discussed about everywhere in music, SACE6 will be releasing their debut album brutalist on May 8 via Sumerian Records. You can catch them on headline tours in America, Europe, UK and they will be supporting CHIODOS in North America this summer along with 156/SILENCE and CALVA LOUISE. Words: Isabella Jacklin Photos: sace6 With thanks to: The Noise Cartel and sace6

Although LOVE RARELY have just only released their first record, the artists have gone through a decade-long journey of disbanding and then starting over again. This makes Pain Travels feel even more special, as if it was not enough before. "When we did finish the album, we were just unbelievably happy with it", shares CJ Levitt, a statement that must feel quite surreal to express, especially for the perfectionists that the band are. "It was a shock to the system, it was something that we didn’t even prepare to feel". The singer has walked us through the LOVE RARELY creation process, talked about her favourite moments, and the album’s significance in the past, present, and in anything the future holds. Pain Travels circles around familial trauma, something that is very common but not talked about enough. "I think our generation has clicked onto it a lot with how much we’ve figured out", - CJ credits having platforms like social media for driving this shift. For one, it is the realisation that our parents had probably had kids at a much too young age, and the self-awareness it takes not to accidentally repeat this pattern. “Obviously I know a lot of people are deciding not to have them. But I want them, and I want to be in a place where I can’t do anything wrong to the kid in the form of upbringing”. On the flip side, LOVE RARELY also reflects on how much fault and responsibility we might put on other people. Blame came into the world after the singer realised, "I can’t keep using these excuses for the way that I act and treat people, I've got to start looking at myself." Although a lot of Pain Travels is about passing the blame and guilt, CJ acknowledges you need to try to find a happy medium in the end, "it’s one of the things that are so simple, but sometimes you just miss it”. Learning a lot from the writing process, the artists have also managed to get the invaluable sense of closure after pouring their all into a song. Through Families talks about alcohol problems and how deeply this can affect the relationships that are supposed to be your closest. Like a lot of the songs, this ended up being "a letter to those people in a very subtle way". Dormant plays another important part in the record, which CJ dedicated to her grandmother with dementia. Since then, it has become a comfort blanket for her, something she can always put on and have a little cry over. "I’m not one to listen to my own music", - the singer admits, - "so I never thought I would have something that I was involved in creating that would be like that, it’s really strange". Speaking more broadly of the album and the love their project is getting, CJ cannot hold back her gratitude and thrill. "The singles have just been received so well, people are already saying it’s album of the year". And this is not coincidental, but a well-deserved result of LOVE RARELY’s hard work. So much so that it managed to pierce through their shyness, getting the band to acknowledge their own talent. Through Families and Haunted are CJ’s personal favourites: "I don’t feel like we could’ve written better than these songs, and I think that’s the best example of us as a band". This could never have come without the steady foundation the band have laid out, which includes the predecessors that led them to find their sound. It is always LA DISPUTE, along with DEFEATER, COUNTERPARTS, and a ray of other bands that follow in the same vein. "I think we just landed in that perfect mix of when math rock and hardcore was at its peak, we were growing up in it". The singer continues: "and luckily we decided to make a new band when it is all coming back". Talking about inspirations, it is impossible not to mention THE CALLOUS DAOBOYS. Acting more as an older sibling band in this case, they took LOVE RARELY under their wing, and on what was the first ever tour for the Brits. Needless to say, it turned out to be one of the most overwhelming experiences for everyone involved. "Do you know when the crowd’s singing that loudly it almost takes your breath away?" - CJ recollects from the biggest sold-out 600-cap venue of the run in Bristol. With all the lights up, from the side, it felt like a "made it" moment for someone, and the singer admits they were both happy and also slightly envious in a good way. With the dopamine plummeting after it’s ended, it was clear the next milestone would be finally putting on LOVE RARELY’s own tour. First, the band are doing an exclusive Pain Travels release show in London. With such a bulk of work finally out to the world, the only thing they need to do for now is rest. As their debut record came about quite unexpectedly as an album, CJ is excited to start working on the next project completely from scratch. Of course, for better or for worse, it is always a matter of how their current work performs amongst the audience and whether the artists would be able to expand on it. One of the biggest dreams for LOVE RARELY is not so much commercial as an artistic one. It is to get to a point where people could look at them as one of the legacy bands. "I want to do with a work and create a world where we’re deserving of that" - states CJ. Pain Travels, in all its true beauty, glory, and uniqueness, is the first step forward, and certainly in the right direction. "I know I’d still have to work alongside it though, cause there’s no money in this at all. So, my tattoo shop will probably always exist no matter what, I’ll just take it on the road". Words: Mariia Bulkina Photos: Alex Dixon With thanks to: Good As Gold Group and Love Rarely

Forged from the raw, erratic spirit of ‘90s screamo, KNUMEARS are a formidable force rising out of Los Angeles. The three-piece (originally born in 2018 under the name TURN AWAY) have spent years honing their craft, from SoundCloud demos to the stages of underground music’s most revered festivals, eventually landing on Run For Cover Records and Summer Shade, as well as recording with the legendary Jack Shirley (responsible for the sound behind DEAFHEAVEN’s Sunbather). Now, with their debut album Directions arriving tomorrow, they’re ready to show exactly what they’re made of. We caught up with them to talk about the record, their heroes, and why all-dayer gigs are a special kind of torture. When we jump on Zoom, the geographical split is immediately obvious. Matt is beaming in from a tidy, sun-drenched office in LA, the kind of setup that makes you feel vaguely unproductive by comparison. Meanwhile, Frankie is somewhere in Europe, phone in hand, wandering down a dark street like a man with somewhere to be and no particular hurry to get there. It’s a dynamic that feels very on-brand for a band who wear their chaos as comfortably as their charm. But despite the chaos, there’s a clarity of purpose to where KNUMEARS are right now, and nowhere is that more evident than in Directions. Matt is visibly excited when the conversation turns to the record, and it’s easy to see why. For a band whose earlier material captured a snapshot of who they were at the time, this feels like something different: a document of who they’ve actually become. “I think we’ve all grown personally and as musicians,” he says, “And I think this is a good representation of who we are now.” From where we’re sitting, it’s hard to argue with that. Screamo and post-hardcore have been having a moment, and KNUMEARS find themselves riding that wave at exactly the right time. Ask them why the genre has reconnected so hard with a new generation, and Matt’s answer is simple: people needed somewhere to put all these intense feelings. After years locked indoors from Covid-19, there’s something uniquely cathartic about music this loud and visceral. “It’s a pretty good, aggressive way to get your emotions out,” he says. Frankie, meanwhile, thinks the revival was almost incidental, and that post-lockdown energy could have swung toward hardcore or metalcore just as easily. Although, the timing couldn’t have been better for KNUMEARS. “It’s really rad that it was what we were doing at the time,” he grins. Highlights, as it turns out, come quickly and genuinely. Getting the record deal ranks high, and signing with people they actually looked up to was, by Frankie’s own admission, huge. But just as significant was the more personal stuff, like the friendships built on the road and the slow accumulation of people you get to know. Matt goes a step further, pointing to the moments where their musical heroes stopped being distant figures and became actual people they could talk to. JEROMES DREAM were a foundational band for them early on, and now they’re friends, plus Matt got to sit down with Jeremy Bolm of TOUCHE AMORE. ‘Don’t meet your heroes’ is the conventional wisdom, but in this corner of the scene, it turns out, that rule doesn’t really apply. “Everybody’s pretty nice,” Matt laughs, and somehow, that says everything. Festival season, though, is a slightly sourer subject. There’s a running joke in the scene that every all-dayer announcement is met with immediate complaints, and KNUMEARS are not here to push back on that. “Not every single show has to be a festival,” Frankie says flatly. “That shit is annoying.” Matt agrees: three bands maximum, done by 10pm. That’s the dream. The problem, as Frankie sees it, is well-intentioned but ultimately self-defeating. A big band comes to town, promoters pile on every local act they can, and suddenly you’ve dragged the night out so long that people actively avoid going altogether. “Nobody wants to sit through eight bands to see the one they actually came for,” Matt adds. The intention to put everyone on is understandable, but the execution ends up hurting the very bands it’s supposed to help. Keep it tight, keep it moving, get people home at a reasonable hour. That’s clearly not too much to ask. It’s a perspective that makes more sense when you consider the scene they’re operating in. The LA landscape has shifted pretty dramatically – where screamo once had a real foothold, metalcore has largely taken over. Matt puts it down to something bigger than just music taste. “LA moves so fast with trends and pop culture,” he says, “No matter what it is, whether it’s music or fashion, everybody gets into it and then everybody moves on so quickly.” Outside the city, though, screamo is still very much alive. “It’s still pretty big, and people want to hear that,” muses Matt, but in LA, KNUMEARS were almost ahead of the curve without realising it. Luckily for them, the rest of the world isn’t done with it yet. Not that Matt is particularly heartbroken about the metalcore takeover, mind you. “I don’t know, we’re just biased,” he shrugs, and when pressed on whether that’s going on record, he’s quick to clarify. “Not like biased, or partial to ourselves. We don’t think we’re the best band ever.” Just, apparently, not huge metalcore fans. For the record. The best band ever, obviously, have one last thing to say. Matt takes the joke with the same easy good humour he’s carried throughout. “I just wanna say thank you to everybody for giving us an opportunity to play cool music for them and for listening to us,” he says, “And thinking... whatever they think about it.” It’s a quietly sincere note to end on. No grand statements, no hype, just genuine gratitude for anyone willing to give them a listen. With Directions out on April 3rd, there’s never been a better time to do exactly that. Make up your own mind. Words: Adrian Chapman Photo: Kara Aguilera

There was a lot going on in New Jersey in 2006. Post-hardcore was hitting a peak on the Jersey scene, with bands like SENSES FAIL and THURSDAY dominating the top-8 friends list of every cool teenager with long black hair on Myspace. Somewhere in a New Jersey basement, Gerard Way was bleaching his hair white, preparing to unleash the most impactful rock album of the 21st century into the world with their band, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE. But away from the chaos and distortion of the post-hardcore landscape, a couple of college students were fooling around with an acoustic guitar and a drum kit in a New Jersey college dorm room. Now, twenty years later, THE FRONT BOTTOMS have played that acoustic guitar and drum kit all over the world, released 6 studio albums, and are showing no signs of stopping any time soon. Whilst there have been additional members over the years, THE FRONT BOTTOMS currently consists of vocalist and guitarist Brian Sella, and drummer Mathew Uychich. Having spent the first few years of their career self-releasing music and touring aggressively, they were finally signed to Bar/None Records in 2011, and released their debut album the same year. Mixing stripped-back acoustic folk-punk with nasally, emo vocals, this self-titled debut spoke to a brand new genre of fans looking for something a bit more raw than other artists in the genre at the time were providing. Sella’s lyricism is unfocused and random, with themes of loneliness and love, friendship and anger – often all in the same song. It’s this unique approach to songwriting that adds to the mystery of the band; something that they have confessed is intentional over the years. It’s not always clear what they’re talking about, what the song is about and who the characters are. Heartbreakingly personal lyrics are often sung beside seemingly meaningless throw-away lines, like someone panicking after spilling an accidental secret and covering it up with a joke. This humour is refined into sarcasm on their second album, Talon Of The Hawk, which was a springboard for their success upon its release in 2013. This sarcasm was carefully balanced alongside their most anthemic and emotional hits - tracks like Tattooed Tears and Twin Size Mattress – which are still amongst their most beloved and impactful. A year later saw the release of the first ‘grandma’ EP. These EPs – each named after a different grandmother of a member of the band – are often released between full-length albums, and feature previously unreleased songs and old, re-worked demos. The first EP of it’s kind, Rose, featured Twin Size Mattress, which is an energetic love song and a solid staple in their set-lists to this day. Following their signing to pop-punk label Fueled By Ramen in 2015, the band went on to release their most commercially successful album to date with BACK ON TOP. Whilst the band note that this was their first “professional” recording experience, the sound still remained as authentic as anything released previously. Even on later releases, such as 2017’s Going Grey and 2020’s In Sickness And In Flames, their unique style and approach to making music remained. THE FRONT BOTTOMS know their strengths, and they never waiver from them. They always sound like they’re having fun, even when the songs slow down and their angst is palpable. The tracks are simple but effective, the lyrics silly or serious, or both and then neither. And so it makes sense that their live shows are the same. With their touring members, each show is as fun and cathartic as the next. Two decades of heavy touring has distilled Sella’s natural showmanship, and their love for the stage is clear. Since 2014, they have held their own annual festival in their home state of New Jersey, named Champagne Jam; the idea being that the band drink champagne and play until they’re too drunk to continue. Over the years, bands such as BALANCE AND COMPOSURE, JOYCE MANOR, SWEET PILL and REMO DRIVE have joined them on the bill, with a special London edition taking place in 2023. With their most recent album You Are Who You Hang Out With having been released in 2023, their most recent tours have included a ten year anniversary tour for Back On Top, alongside some shows supporting KINGS OF LEON in stadiums. With their sole planned UK show this year being at Outbreak in Manchester performing their seminal album Talon Of The Hawk in full, who knows what’s next for THE FRONT BOTTOMS? The only thing that is for sure is that it’ll be worth paying attention to. The Front Bottoms will headlining the Friday of Outbreak Festival this year. Words: Ellen Lovell