A chaotic night of intense futuristic music enjoyed by a young crowd simply living in the moment. The bill of acts featured music that sounded like the future. The first artist of the night was GORESHIT. Unusually, GORESHIT’s set started only fifteen minutes after doors opened, meaning many of the fans, who had arrived early, were still outside waiting to be let in while the music started. GORESHIT’s set consisted of intense breakcore sounds that were slightly off kilter. The set was a fun blast of intensity to open the evening, the crowd even hit a few dance moves to start the descent into chaos as the night unfolded. The music was crafted through live beats and mixes, creating an organic sound despite being fully digital. It worked well to bring the venue into this otherworldly futuristic atmosphere. Next up was AYA, bringing a blend of interesting beats and intense performance. She put many aspects into her stage presence, from mixing sounds while crawling on the table to cracking jokes about growing up queer in Yorkshire, it was honest and relatable to the crowd. The floor started to gain traction as the first pits of the evening opened. It was a combination of standard moshing with people just throwing any dance moves, and a world of freedom without labels or rules. Everyone was one under modern music. One of the highlights of the set that felt almost comedic was the use of a sample from the chorus of Gimmie Chocolate by BABYMETAL. The use of interesting samples and musical textures created something that could not be heard anywhere else. MACHINE GIRL sounded futuristic and have done for a while. Their current sound is a blend of everything they have achieved. Currently performing as a three piece, their live sound makes them function more as a punk band than anything electronic. They are this intense mixture of elements, electronic and organic, and are simply powerful on stage. As soon as the band hit the stage they became one with the audience. The crowd simply exploded in joy and everyone was moving in some way. Crowd surfers in the sky, two steppers, moshers and silly dancers, everyone was in the mood to party with MACHINE GIRL. Every single moment of their set was intense. The lighting was almost as ferocious as the band with its unrelenting movement. The best way to describe the sound of MACHINE GIRL is simply brain scratching. Every song they played in this hour and a half was simply joyful. They managed to flow effortlessly between styles. One minute you were bopping along to a groove, then had your face melted off with metal screams. The crowd did not rest for one second of the show. The music powered them to keep going. The venue was full of love and passion, anyone who entered as a casual fan left like a lifelong devotee. The crowd was young, very few “Radio 6” dads in sight, but it was a cross section of everyone - metalheads, punks, scene kids, ravers and just general music fans. MACHINE GIRL appeal to everyone who wants something different in music that they can just have a fun time with. The band did not spend much time talking to the crowd but they spent all the time interacting with them. MACHINE GIRL’s vocalist spent a significant amount of time performing in the crowd. In different areas around the venue, on stairs and even on the sound desk. It was hard to know where to look so everyone just kept moving to the beat. Words: Will Freeman Photos: Kelsey Tomlinson

SELF TORQUE show daring resilience in the face of adversity with their spirited debut album A Brutal Nadir. With an energy that could no longer be contained within Brighton’s underground punk scene, SELF TORQUE are breaking out with an eruption of vibrant rage, desperation and raw realism. A band brought to life from skeletons of each member’s previous musical projects, this DIY punk group has hit the ground running with a modest confidence and collaborative strength that seizes the attention of the listener with no chance of letting go. The same can be said about their anticipated record A Brutal Nadir, which has all the youthful excitement and potential of a debut album without being naïve - this is a band who knows who they are and what they’re doing. The album drives relentlessly forward through all ten tracks, powered by the polarising push-and-pull momentum between hopelessness under the pressure of capitalism and a desperation to live life fully in spite of it all. The production feels fresh and raw, rough around the edges without being sloppy, giving the album room to move and breathe organically, a moment captured in time rather than trapped within a studio. There’s an urgency to it, both in sound and performance, as each line is delivered with a deliberate gravity that commands importance. Opening track Wicker Incident sets a fast pace for the album, led by bright, driving guitar strums and rough, determined vocals. With the first note it’s as if a spark has been ignited, setting into motion an electrifying cacophony of rage and frustration, mirrored by lyrics that look back on childhood rebellion and the insatiable need for change. Fortitude and (All The Things I) Wannabe follow closely behind with the same impenetrable force, GABRIEL MACKENZIE's vocals reaching an almost guttural despair that can be felt as much as heard while begging for a different, more just reality. With an energy so palpable and high octane comes the danger of an album that reaches its climax early and sits there, offering no movement or exploration of the musical space being created. Any risk of A Brutal Nadir being an example of this are quickly dissipated as SELF TORQUE carves out an atmosphere of both tension and relief in satisfying measures. Del Shannon rears to life at first with a sharp punch, before pulling back into moments of stripped-back vulnerability exposing only vocals and gentle guitar strums, dancing between these two dynamics before reaching towards an epic instrumental crescendo. Fade To Blank follows in these footsteps with what at first feels like a defeated plod but morphs into a grand, almost victorious finish. There’s rise and fall to each track, quivering with life and full of character. The remaining tracks continue to explore this rich soundscape in bold strides of passion and reflection, from the bouncing aggression of High Temperature Serpent, to the electrifying instrumental track Respite and the earnest, almost ballad-like Between Strangers closing this chapter with an emotional flurry. The album’s final notes channel a worn-down frustration and reflection taken at a slower pace to the earlier tracks, in stark contrast to the relentless high-octane tracks but no less powerful, singing with every ounce of human emotion “I’m dying for something to change.” With A Brutal Nadir, SELF TORQUE explores the conflicting desires to thrive versus survive in a country, in a world, growing more and more hostile. At once timeless and immediately relevant, this album paints a clear picture of who this band is, exploring the many facets of its sound and musings. Their DIY ethos seeps into each song without seeming amateurish, instead bringing an organic humanity to the album that is becoming increasingly rare in this industry. SELF TORQUE showcase modern punk music with vibrancy and fresh perspective. Score: 7/10 A Brutal Nadir was released on 30th January 2026 via Sugar-Free Records Words: Heather Swift Photos: Sam Luck

You Wish is DREAM NAILS’ striking return to centre stage after developing a new dynamic as a trio, following the retirement of previous lead singer JANEY STARLING. This time around the band have announced they are “asking different questions” as a “tighter-knit unit”. And they certainly are asking different questions. The album starts with The Only Way Out Is Through. An intro comprised mainly of its title, along with an incredibly repetitive sound that reminds you of the times you've tried to sleep through an alarm, and a twangy instrumental that starts to set the tone and build anticipation. As an introduction, it doesn’t really capture the variety of sound across the album. Its repetitive nature carries on just slightly too long to be enjoyable. But, in the spirit of The Only Way Out Is Through, the listen does only get better as we continue. The next track, This Is Water, is immediately a more enjoyable experience, and one that would have possibly been a stronger opener to the project as a whole. The chorus builds in a way that feels almost wavelike, while the repetition of “This is water, this is water. / This is water", alongside a sort of stream of consciousness about mysticism, self-esteem and nature gives it a sort of existential but personable feeling. As well as this, the instrumental taking control about two minutes in feels like being pulled into the currents. The confessional nature of This Is Water is immediately juxtaposed by Organoid. The track Organoid opens with “I guess I won’t say anything / I guess I won’t say anything / Cut my lips off and snip out my tongue / But where’s all I’ve got meant to go if I swallow it up?”. It’s a definite favourite from the album. It’s funky and punky. Sounding both timeless and cuttingly modern in its vitriol towards data processing centres and technology’s domination of our lives. To top it all off there’s an excellent guitar riff, playful use of voice recordings and several sections that long for the push and pull of a live audience. As far as experimental tracks go this one itches the brain perfectly, albeit ironically given its subject matter, it’s a topic the band revisit later for The Information. Talking about the themes and topics explored within the album, drummer LUCY KATZ said “The world that we live in is so complicated, and the old ways of trying to challenge it or make art about it aren’t working for us anymore, we wanted to regroup and find a new kind of creative and spiritual response to our times.” The band added that the ‘new’ focus still included political issues, but also personal struggles of strength and resilience, alongside the way everything from animals and elements interact with people trying to stay human in a technological environment. This can also be seen in The Spirit Does Not Burn, a sort of empowering track that's rooted in a sense of primality which then transcends to a dreamlike bubblegum indie as we move into Pack My Wax. Next in the running order is House of Bones, another strong contribution. This song really emphasises the use of patterns and rhythm to create depth, using both instrumental and vocals, with some sections feeling similar to spoken word poetry, and alternating backing vocals. This is followed by The Information, which continues to touch on themes of digital dystopia, this time in a way that feels a little less confrontational. There are times in the following track, Can’t Lose, where it feels like the vocals and guitarist are standing on opposite sides of a divide, and others where they seem to blend into one fully submerged sound, which is fitting for a song with lyrics such as“Remember that it’s just a game / A sword for every player/I’m just trying to pass through / And not get lost in the mirror”. It’s another interesting example of the band playing on contrast and similarity to create a sense of concept. Move Like An Animal is a classic pit song that seems designed to be best played live, particularly with how it relates to horse spirituality. It’s slightly wacky but definitely has the “good energy” it talks about, though if you do start hearing horses talk to you, we recommend consulting a professional. Zeros is more reflective, feeling softer with a meditative emphasis on melody, whilst A Sign is a strong folky song that reflects a sense of determination to continue on despite the challenges, surreality and community “Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah / This message is a dream/This dream is the beginning / Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah/A sign For us there is no ending” DREAM NAILS have called this era a recalibration. It’s a transitory period both in going from a band of four to three and shifting roles (particularly for bassist turned lead vocalist MIMI JASON), recalibrating sonically and dynamically. For us, this change does feel evident. There’s a lot of experimentation, and while some lands, a few bits feel rough around the edges, possibly due to the focus on freewriting and a more collaborative creative process. This is likely incredibly beneficial in the long term, but does take some teething. The album is a definite departure from what the band have showcased before, and does pave the way for their future “punk preserved in amber” endeavours. Score: 6/10 You Wish will be released on 6th February 2026 through Marshall Records. Words: Q Cummins Photos: Dream Nails

Established in 1984, German industrial rock pioneers KMFDM are back releasing their twenty fourth album. Fuelled by rebellion and dance, KMFDM fights the world’s injustices with profoundly honest lyricism and bold instrumentation. The band’s brave commitment to their beliefs is an honorary achievement and should be listened to by revolutionary souls worldwide. Ripped from their eighties origins, ENEMY invokes an uprising from the dancefloor. The album has contrast, from aggressive riffs to fun, funky electronic elements to accompany the challenging themes of the lyrics. ENEMY sets the tone for the band's stance on current society. The song capitalises on the band's industrial roots with scathing vocals and traditionally rock instrumentals. The band pleads listeners to keep moving to make justice and see the change we want to see in the world. With lyrics such as "Weaponise, Unify in a world that wants us quiet” and “We don’t need no false leaders, no place for hypocrisy”. Those lyrics alone prove the compelling nature of KMFDM , one which demands change. Sultry and alluring, VAMPYR captivates its audience with soft melodies that explode into a catchy chorus, underlined by an unmistakable groove. LUCIA CIFARELLI’s hypnotic vocals entice you to join her in song and embrace her demands. She is complimented by riot-worthy drumming and powerfully intricate guitar riffs. With Lucia exclaiming ‘be my vampire’, It gives gigantic 90’s dark romance vibes full of all the vampiric blade-esque blood rave energy you could ever ask for. Heartwarmingly, daughter of LUCIA CIFARELLI, ANNABELLA KONIETZKO makes her songwriting debut with the band in YOÜ. She confesses her hatred of jealousy with cheeky lyrics such as “praying on your downfall” and “I hope your bitch-ass boyfriend cheats on you”. The song perfectly encapsulates feminine rage and competition. The song is backed with futuristic synths and bouncy beats sure to get you catching the desire to dance. She plainly states "jealousy doesn’t taste like sugar” showing the bitterness of rivalry, almost serving as a cautionary tale. This song is an absolute stand out and it’s sure to make listeners hope for more written by ANNABELLA KONIETZKO in KMFDM. GUN QUARTER SUE is the album's stunning interlude, allowing the musicians to showcase their viciousness and aptitude with their instruments. Needing no lyrics, the song begins with chaotic guitars and transitions to a jazzy yet aggressive electronic beat that KMFDM are renowned for. The drums are saturated with rapid fills accompanied by a thrillingly powerful guitar riff and solo. No instrument feels overshadowed allowing each to get its time in the spotlight to create a flawless composition. Although it heavily contrasts with the rest of the album, this track definitely shouldn’t be overlooked. Creating an ominous atmosphere, THE SECOND COMING relies on a dark bassy instrumentation and deep vocals. The song sounds reminiscent of ‘War of the Worlds’ and the video game ‘Doom (2016)’. The lyrics are chillingly stated over the backing with haunting words such as “Things fall apart, the centre cannot hold mere anarchy” and “Surely the second coming is at hand”. The song feels like a warning of the future of society if change doesn’t come about - it feels uneasy with even the guitars seeming to scream a representation of how the band feels in the current political climate. With this song ending the album it leaves you sat in contemplation and the yearning to listen again to reveal the song's deeper meaning. KMFDM are always sure to give you grooves and show their hearts on their sleeves through honest lyricism. Whether you're a long time fan of the band or interested in delving into the amazing genre of electronic industrial metal, this album does not disappoint. Score: 8/10 ENEMY will be released on 6th February 2026 via Metropolis Records. Words: Alix England Photos: KMFDM

SATURDAYS AT YOUR PLACE are a classic American midwest emo band from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Formed when they were at university, the band are bringing energy, fun lyrics, and coming off the back of their hit second album These Things Happen, they are gracing a packed in Southampton on a completely sold out UK tour. Hailed as one of the biggest noises in the midwest emo scene currently, there was a real buzz in the venue from an audience who couldn’t wait to spend their Friday night dancing and immersing themselves in some brilliant music. Philadelphia band CARLY COSGROVE opened this show. Whilst opening a show can normally be nerve wracking, they were ready to entertain an audience packed out with fans and eager listeners. With a band name hailing from the character and actress from cult childhood show, Miranda Cosgrove/ICarly you can instantly tell that this band would be nothing short of fun with both their band name and each song referencing the nostalgia surrounding a Nickelodeon childhood. Since forming in 2018, this band have released 2 full length albums and countless singles, including their most recent release The Cleanest of Houses are Empty. Hitting off with You Ate My Enchilada! They started as they meant to go on. Blending math rhythms, intricate guitar work, and vulnerable lyrics, they had the audience eating out of their hands as they seamlessly moved through their back catalogue to create a 45 minute set of hits. Stand out songs had to be the early 00’s inspired You Old Dog where vocalist and guitarist Lucas Naylor showed the rawness of their lyrics and the layers of growth that comes with growing up; and Really Big Shrimp where both bassist Helen Barsz and drummer Tyler Kramer really showcase their skills as performers. Ending their set with Not My Job, a song that had nearly the whole crowd singing, dancing, and completely lost in the moment. By the time SATURDAYS AT YOUR PLACE came to stage, the room was packed, there was a buzzing in the air and a rapturous applause the moment they emerged and dived straight into their first song of the set Cross My Heart. From the moment vocalist and bassist Esden Stafne started singing the opening lines, the audience were screaming the words back at him. With a distinct sound, the band lent on their multi talents of singing and playing instruments to bring a blend of riffs, harmonies, and lyrics that had the audience entranced. Racing into their new album, they showed the audience that their skills weren’t in recording but performing too. From Strawberry to Loon Mobile Pt3 and Stay, it’s clear to see that their sophomore album is arguably one of the best emo releases of 2025. Leaning into the chaos of learning who you are, the 19 song setlist was full of songs that fed into themes of grief, love and humour to create something captivating on stage. By the time they played the 2021 single First of All, the audience had created a pit and endless stream of crowd surfers jumping on stage to join both Stafne and fellow band members Gabe Wood and Mitch Gulish in what could only be comparable to a house party show full of friends. There’s something quite magical about a show when the audience and artist form such a clear bond throughout the night that by the time they reach the final three songs, no one seems to want the night to end. Rounding off the show with Waste Away, with its classic midwest emo riff and the iconic Tarot Cards with its singalong chorus, the audience could have generated enough energy to power the night. However, by the time we reached the slow building finale of I Give In, the audience could take a moment to truly understand how magical this show had been, and how everyone in the room had experienced a band that is no doubt going to continue to build in popularity and create iconic songs. Word and Photos: Laura Davies

EPIMETHEUS’ debut album Perseus 9 arrives like a transmission from a dying star; dense, disorienting, and with a strange allure. It’s an album that understands heaviness not as brute force, but as a gravitational pull, where chords are given space to ring and fill a room. Made up of BEN PRICE (vocals, bass), CILLIAN BREATHNACH (guitar), and JAMES JACKSON (drums, vocals), the Bristol trio take us on a journey of sci-fi myth-making across seven tracks that somehow feels both ancient and futuristic. EPIMETHEUS’ approach to heaviness is refreshing; rather than stack layers or chase maximalism in their sound, they lean into the creative limitations that can come with being a three-piece. Each instrument is in conversation with each other, orbiting one another in slow, deliberate cycles. At times PRICE’S vocals rumble like subterranean currents, and BREATHNACH’S sustained notes at times resemble distress signals, decaying into the void of space. JACKSON’S drumming gives structure to the music, giving the trio a centre of mass to ground their sound. The decision to record Perseus 9 live proves essential to its character. You can hear the air move. You can hear the amps strain. There’s a palpable sense of the trio thinking together in real time. There’s no safety net, no overdubbed scaffolding beneath solos, and no attempt to sand down the rough edges. Perseus 9 is a perfect example of a band trusting their chemistry, and trusting the listener to come on the journey with them. It’s a rare example of a live-tracked heavy record that actually sounds heavier because of its imperfections. In their music, EPIMETHEUS channels sci-fi as emotional architecture. Lyrically, the album is steeped in 1970’s sci-fi pulp - and it is no surprise to hear that Philip K. Dick was a key influence on the trio. While an easy genre to fall into kitsch traps or cheapen otherwise solid work, EPIMETHEUS clearly understands how to use this framework as a prism rather than a costume. It is treated not as a novelty, but as a tool to refract the human experience by distorting it. The imagery may be cosmic, but the emotions are very painfully terrestrial. Across the record, spacecraft crash, bodies transcend, and cosmic horrors loom, but the real drama is internal. Earthbound opens the album and wastes no time plunging the listener into the band’s world. With the stark first line “warning - system fail,” the track immediately establishes a sense of crisis, unfolding from the point of view of an alien vessel crash-landing on Earth. With lyrics that read like a scene ripped straight from a sci-fi novella, and a track that builds in urgency and inevitability, the track is a gripping introduction to the album anchored by a hooky riff that lodges itself in the brain. The titular track, Perseus 9, is an eight minute descent into claustrophobic repetition. Musically, the band sonically traps us in the very same nightmarishly looping “concentric circles” as those aboard the ship. The riffs repeat and cycle without resolving themselves, building a sense of entrapment, of needing a conclusion. The chords don’t just hit, they linger, not resolving so much as decaying, droning and creating a creeping sense of dread. Some listeners may find the track’s length demanding, but with discomfort a key motif of the song, that demand feels intentional. Perseus 9 is a striking debut that is focused, atmospheric, and refuses to compromise. It is melodic, but not polished. Conceptual, but not pretentious. Raw without feeling unfinished. There is space to evolve and offer more sonic texture, however this is a solid first album. If this is EPIMETHEUS’ first transmission, they have certainly left an impression and we look forward to whatever signal they send out next. Score: 7/10 Perseus 9 will be released on 6th February 2026. Words: Cara Hyndman Photos: Connor Standfield

After 8 long years, SHIELDS are back on the scene with the gut-wrenching Death & Connection - a testimonial to dearly departed guitarist George Christie as well as Joe Edwards and Samuel Kubrick Finney's struggles in the aftermath. Across 12 songs SHIELDS pull no punches in their lyricism and elevate the technical elements of metalcore, particularly in Alastair Wain's drums, while crafting a soundscape varying from thrash to the opera. The first thing to note on Death & Connection is the amount of poetry throughout the album, starting with This Is Not A Dream, where Edwards screams at the subject about being left in the mud, with the themes of death across its 4:34 setting the scene for the discussions of George to come. Abuser changes the energy immediately, pushing the calm and spacy atmosphere away with force in exchange for a thrash metal track with impassioned screams and belches atop an unrelenting high tempo soundscape. Kill is the taste of the rawness in the lyrics of Death & Connection, off the bat with “I’m gonna kill, kill kill/everything that I love” before a spoken section that admits to drink driving and the isolation of only having drinking buddies. Kill speaks on the side of sobriety that’s hard to admit - “the hardest part I thought was not drinking/the hardest part is life without drinking”, with the rest of Edward’s admissions coming in screams and clean vocals that feel as if they’ve come from the pit of his stomach. Kill is also where some of Wain’s drumming comes to the fore, wherein the second act bridge he is able to switch into an ISSUES-sounding hard hip hop fill section before swapping back into normative metalcore with ease. Parasite is where Death & Connection hits its stride, introducing gorgeous harmonies into its chorus and a choppy double-bass led drumline before hitting a pitched up guitar-harmony solo that builds the track's tension effectively. The screamed vocals come back in the outro to crescendo the track perfectly, then fades out and into the first feature of the album - Lacerate, with GRAPHIC NATURE's Harvey Freeman. The thrashy elements from before come back with a bang to serve the hardest end of metalcore as the subject is wished “nothing but misery.” The pre-breakdown goblin scream just about prepares for the face-scrunching breakdown at the midpoint of Lacerate: the segment is not 10 seconds long, but manages to have the anger of a minute- long hardcore piece. From here the track descends to chaos with the goblin vocals returning and another electronic infused breakdown with broken vocals and a half-tempo segment as the wish of misery is driven home before Lacerate’s hard stop - album highlight, no question. Womb is a slowing of the pace in comparison, focusing more on layered chord progressions and clean vocals and swinging breakdowns instead of the all or nothing of the thrash and spoken word. In it’s lyrics SHIELDS promise “no more running” from the traumas of the last few years, though the elongated guitar reverb at the end makes Womb run a little longer than it needs to. Brother’s Lament is the next spoken word section and the point in the album where tracks become more bluntly about George: a short poem about a true brother leaving the fold bathed in red and green placed atop ambient noise with a layer of distortion on the vocal to drive home the disconnectedness that often comes with heavy grief. They link this with the name to its follow up Red and Green, which mixes poetry with vocals as it details the haunting memories of George that Edwards lives in. Red and Green is as angry as it is sad, with lyrics detailing how heavy his loss was (“the weight of a lost brother bears down on my back as I suffer through the last few years”) and the feeling of being abandoned by god over the top of layered easycore sounds. There’s a break for some chaos in wolfskin, featuring LEFT TO SUFFER’s Taylor Barber with dirty sliding riffs and the two vocalists trading screams before a gnarly thrash breakdown. The final interlude with reversed vocals called Loser. This interlude was the only element of Death & Connection that felt unnecessary, but at only 1:21 that can be artistic choice. The final two tracks of Death & Connection are the most impactful; the title track is the penultimate, which starts full hardcore before moving into a beautiful classical guitar style solo as well as a feature from Wagnerian tenor Jonathan Finney in its final section. It’s striking to listen to: the contrast between the breakneck beginning to the midpoint lull before going into a black metal movement layered with Finney’s tenor. Finally there is Miss Me, which strips itself back in a more country feeling track and lays bare the events of George’s funeral, including the members of SHIELDS carrying his coffin along with his father and son. Miss Me is like a machete to the abdomen, with its chorus begging to be missed and lyrics such as “chained together in agony/ I felt his weight on top of mine”. At this point the tears were pricking, but fell alongside Edwards’ by the end of Death & Connection as his voice breaks on the final note and the album closes with his sobs from the booth. Death & Connection is a beautiful album to listen to in its drumlines, choppy riffs and perfectly executed tempo changes, but mostly in its honesty about grief and the places it takes us as humans. It pulls no punches without assigning blame, and the metalcore soundscapes perfectly cultivate the mix of sadness and anger that comes from the places Death & Connection were written from. Rest in Peace George, you’re dearly missed. Score: 8/10 Death & Connection was released on 30th January 2026 via Long Branch Records. Words: Julia Brunton Photos: Shields

SURVIVALIST have returned with their sophomore LP, and their first full length release since 2022, A Place For Those Who Suffer, Alone. The twelve tracks have been defined by the band as "groovecore”, and discusses themes of isolation, control and emotional endurance in lived experiences. They've not only been hard at work in the studio too, growing their live reputation by supporting the likes of CHELSEA GRIN, POLARIS and ATREYU, alongside a full UK and Ireland tour with THY ART IS MURDER. After a few singles from the album surpassed a collective 100,000 streams, the release on 30th of January is clearly much awaited by fans. The album starts off with title track A Place For Those Who Suffer, Alone, which will be joined by a music video release alongside the album release. Starting off strong with an electronic sound before breaking into heavy guitar and vocals ,encasing both their live aggression and the emotional weight that courses throughout the album. Following onto track two is Radio Bleed, where we hear strong lyrics about being wronged by someone trusted. The record is by no means an isolationist experience though, as a number of other artists join them across the album - one such track is Failure of Being, which includes JOSH SID ROBINSON, one of Ireland's most sought-after heavy producers. The song deftly expresses the band's groovecore style, as a small nu-metal influence becomes noticed. Deathbed is another such track that includes somebody else, as ALEX KOEHLER (formerly of CHELSEA GRIN and AMEONNA) steps up to the mic, whilst SURVIVALIST provide a heavy bass sound that harks back to their earlier work. The final feature is from none other than KID BOOKIE, shortly after his own single release, adding another nu-metal twist onto Speak Up (Louder). Weaponised God Complex has a clean vocal start that reconnects the listener in a moment of relative calm, before it morphs into a bold and powerful track, full of heavy riffs and fierce vocals. Ruined By Grief further showcases the vocal skills and range of GAVIN SHARP, not least including his potent growling. The vocal line becomes clean once more in Denial In Your Deception, as the instrumentals keep the song heavy, making for a very enjoyable contradiction of vocals and instruments. The lyrics resonate well here, with a lingering feeling to keep the emotions of the album close. ROT (Redux) comes in with a punch whilst twisting into a softer melody that shows off the creativity of the writing throughout the track and album, with clever hooks and a lot of nuance that is well worth diving into. The rhythmic chorus of I, Tyrant adds a heft that would translate excellently to a live show, as the track would almost certainly incite moshing at a festival. The finale of the album, How Do I Stop Thinking About Death, brings a twist of emotion as it builds from clean vocals to a place of gritty sonics and allows the powerful emotions carried within the song to burst free. Across these twelve tracks, SURVIVALIST talk about their emotions and feelings in incredibly vulnerable moments, whilst simultaneously making these songs easy enough for any listener to relate to. The album shows a massive step in the right direction for the band, and showcases their success of late as they expand their sound and take on new influences. Score: 7/10 Words: Angel Turley Photos: Survivalist

EPICA and AMARANTHE join forces to bring their brand of vocal focused symphonic metal to the crowd. Although the tour was a co-headline, the audience was still treated to a support act. CHARLOTTE WESSELS brought her new solo project to open the show. Unfortunately, the set did not feature a live drummer due to injury, so instead the band utilised the drum tracks from the studio recordings. Luckily, this did not hinder any enjoyment by the crowd. Most of the tracks of the short set came from the most recent CHARLOTTE WESSELS album The Obsession and showcased why the songs work in a live setting. The lighting and stage craft for the opening act were beautiful and WESSELS’ vocals were complimented by it, as it highlighted the theatrical nature of the music. It was an overall great set that helped to set the mood for the rest of the night. Next was the first of the headliners, AMARANTHE. Having three vocalists is unusual within metal yet this feature defines the sound of the band for more than a decade now. Unfortunately, the mixing at some points during the set made the power of the vocals muted due to being too low relative to everything else happening on stage. Luckily for most of the set this was not an issue. The use of three vocalists did make the band at times come across a little bit euro-popish with how cinematic their music was. The crowd unfortunately was largely subdued for the set as the audience was a peculiar mix with many of which not seeming like traditional metal concert goers. However, this did not mean they did not enjoy the set, as every song was received with rapturous applause. There was of course typical headbanging and horns raised to the sky but unfortunately no moshing. The band seemed at ease on stage as everything was tightly rehearsed and created a cohesive vision for the band. Unusually for the first headline of the night, AMARANTHE included an encore which they did fairly naturally. Their set included eighteen tracks which, compared to EPICA’s set of thirteen tracks, was significantly longer. However, in the moment of the gig this was not noticed. The set was built on a variety of their material with a significant amount coming from their album Manifest, despite the staging featuring artwork from The Catalyst. Luckily, the set was paced in such a way to make sure every track flowed well. The set was overall fun, but would likely be more enjoyable in a more lively crowd. EPICA were a beautiful band live. They knew how to stage themselves and understood how to work with lighting instead of against it. The set opened with a short video asking people to live in the moment and to not use phones. Even this video was stylised for the concert, almost too stylised as people still used their phones during the set. From the moment EPICA started their performance they commanded attention. Their use of darkness in their staging helped to use the lighting to punctuate songs, making them feel ever more powerful. The use of screens was not just a typical video package, instead they used it with darkness to create shaped video which in some moments helped to create the illusion of a fully new backdrop. One of the stand out performers of the band was the keyboardist COEN JANSSEN. His touring rig featured a moveable keyboard and a wearable one, which he used to show off his true showmanship. JANSSEN used the moveable keyboard whenever he had a chance to spin it and ride it around while playing it. It was an unusual sight within a metal gig. The whole band formed almost an orchestra with the intricate song structure. The vocal mixing issues that happened during AMARANTHE’s set were still present but to a much lesser extent. EPICA are at the height of their career and show no signs of slowing down. The set was a career spanning mix of tracks with a focus on Aspiral. They seem to be gaining younger and younger fans and carve their place in heavy metal history. Words: Will Freeman Photos: Claire Cabanac

Not often The Dome in London is overtaken by Kings and Witches, but when the Swiss powerhouse is on the bill, everything is possible. Bringing with them their latest offering Inquisition, the night promised a great deal of head-banging, as well as singing. HAMMER KING, the power metal royalty from Germany, opened the night in a pompous manner with an enthusiastic crowd and loads of steam. Assembled in 2015 and celebrating their anniversary, the four-piece already made many promising offerings to their supporters, the latest being a full-length album Make Metal Royal Again, as well as a remaster of their first ever release Kingdom Of The Hammer King, that were both presented to the kingdom last year. The band’s uplifting energy that emanated from every move and beat, as well as engaging theatrics, made the performance fun both for the audience and the members, and while the atmosphere was predominantly about enjoyment, the band did stop and talked about the importance of the metal community and the acceptance of everyone with no judgement, expressing gratitude to every single fan who was present in the venue, as well as fans, who listen to their music at home. Making the venue move and sing almost instantly, HAMMER KING achieved exactly what support bands should - make the crowd ready and excited for the headline band. Coupled with a few lucky fans, who were able to obtain a plastic token with the band’s name and logo on it, it was a set that could have easily been dubbed as a co-headline. One change-over later, The Dome was finally ready to welcome the BURNING WITCHES. With a big applause and even bigger cheers, the members ROMANA KALKUHL (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), JEANINE GROB (bass), LALA FRISCHKNECHT (drums, backing vocals), LAURA GULDEMOND (lead vocals) and COURTNEY COX (lead guitar, backing vocals) walked onto the stage one by one, to start the set with one of the songs from their latest album Inquisition, the powerful Soul Eater. From there, the five-piece only turned more restless, as the energy was picking up at a fast pace with each song. Only three songs in, GULDEMOND put on a Devil mask, to perform yet another one of fan-favourite songs - Dance with the Devil. From there, the presence on the stage was unstoppable, as if all the witches of the past talked through the all-femme band. Using props throughout some of their songs such as masks or even a beheaded head, as well as jumping into the crowd for a duration of one, BURNING WITCHES very quickly bewitched every single fan in the room and proved to them why they are one of the leading bands of the heavy metal scene. As the ritual was coming closer to its end after intense fifteen songs, the crowd was not ready to let the Swiss five-piece go, but eventually bid them a big farewell with cheer and applause, showing them that the capital is already ready for another show. The Swiss powerhouse BURNING WITCHES had many members throughout their ten years on the scene, but it is evident that this lineup is one of the strongest the band has ever seen. From screeching vocals, to enchanting riffs, the band always surprises with new ways to utilise their potential, and it is to no surprise that after only ten years, they are a staple of the modern heavy metal scene. Words: Katerina Stepanikova Photos: Claire Cabanac

Well, what feels like the longest month in the year is almost over - it's dragged on, but we certainly wouldn't have gotten through it if we didn't have so much new music releasing, like the tracks below! Here's what we've been listening to: Dead Pony - Eat My Dust! DEAD PONY are back with a new single, Eat My Dust!; a very fitting title because they waste absolutely zero time cutting into the action on this track. From the starting seconds, we’re hit with an intense wall of sound, frenetic guitars, rapid-fire drums, and a radical bassline to tie everything together. There’s an element of metalcore in the heavier instrumentals, which is something new for the band. The lyrics coincide with that - it’s about leaving the past behind and forging a new path for yourself. This is a bold, promising new direction for DEAD PONY, and we’re eager to see where it leads. Words: Naomi Colliar Duff Kila Kosa - Bodies One of the newest and certainly most exciting additions to the UK metalcore scene, KILA KOSA, took over with their second release - Bodies. Boasting sick beats, big riffs and aggressive vocals, the South Londoners put even more energy and rawness into this song then they did into their debut one, creating a perfect piece to mosh to. Finished off with a beautiful, yet grounding breakdown, Bodies promises big and exciting projects from the five-piece in the future. Words: Katerina Stepanikova Motionless In White - Afraid Of The Dark The metalcore five piece from Pennsylvania are getting ready for their Europe tour starting next week and just announced this new single would be dropping with only twenty four hours notice. Afraid Of The Dark is a track for the fans, with frontman CHRIS MOTIONLESS thanking them for “pulling me from some of the darkest periods of my life.” Powering in with charged vocals the track is ferocious from the start, the whole band on form for the year ahead. The breakdown later on becomes earth shattering in true Motionless style. Afraid Of The Dark is a mighty anthem about not facing your fears alone and giving life everything you’ve got. Words: Danielle Henderson Static Dress - human props A bold new era for STATIC DRESS with an impressive return to form with human props. Dazzling, fast-paced guitars build towards an explosion of noise, set to vocalist OLLI APPLEYARD's fierce shrieks. Building towards an impressive and emotive bridge, they show off their innovative sci-fi-inspired visuals, straight out of a Matrix movie. This, as we are yet to understand, is an impressive play for 2026’s post-hardcore darlings. Currently on tour with PALEFACE SWISS, the metalcore outfit is representing the underground with intense fury. Words: Amber Brooks The Devil Wears Prada - Play The Old Shit Originally a hidden track exclusive to the vinyls, Play The Old Shit finally made its way to everyone in their fanbase. Calling out people who complain about the band focusing more on their new work, while expressing their gratitude for the big journey with the band's typical blend of harsh and clean vocals, supported by strong riffs, the song sums up the situation every artist encounters on a daily basis. It is a remarkable insight into THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA’s growth over the years, and a song that gets stuck in the head almost instantly. Words: Katerina Stepanikova VENUS GRRRLS - 3x3 3x3 is VENUS GRRRLS at their grungiest yet; it’s a track packed full of groovy riffs, funky vocal effects, and an explosive shot of feminine rage. The drums clash with urgency, and GRACE KELLY cries out “Leave me alone, I can’t breathe!”. The band are open about their self-proclaimed status as the real-life Hex Girls from Scooby-Doo, and the accompanying music video has them leaning fully into that influence: flashy colours, electric rhythms, and a dash of spookiness to top it all off. Words: Naomi Colliar Duff Editor: Naomi Colliar Duff Photos: Various Artists

Death metal is a much-maligned subgenre outside of heavy circles. Heck, even within heavy music it tends to be the butt of plenty of jokes, and routinely gets overlooked as an unserious sound. However, back in 1996, amidst the strongest period of releases death metal has ever had, CRYPTOPSY released an LP that has since come to define a more niche version of the subgenre - None So Vile became the benchmark for potent technical death metal, and to this day is still hung at the very top of what that sound has to offer. So, when the best of the best decide to tour their seminal album for its 30th anniversary, it would be a little silly to turn it down, no? We headed to London’s O2 Academy Islington to see the quartet in action, with 200 STAB WOUNDS, INFERI, and CORPSE PILE in support. On their first ever European tour, openers CORPSE PILE were a fantastic way to start the evening. Mixing their death metal sound with a healthy dose of hardcore and more than a little grindcore, the brute force assault of their sound was more than welcome. From their equally amusing and depressing anecdote about the US’s chronic lack of walking space and public transport before Where the Sidewalk Ends, to their impassioned speech before Fed to the Starved, the band stood proudly behind their politics and decried fascism, capitalism, racism, queerphobia and more in a show that was as morally strong as it was sonically pummelling. Second up was INFERI, an act with a much less stomping sound - opting to take their guitars the more refined route of progressive death metal, with a little black metal thrown in for good measure. Fitting just five songs into their half hour compared to CORPSE PILE’s ten, their differing influences make themselves as well known on the set list as they do in the flesh. Whilst they were technically fantastic, they did not engage the audience to quite the same degree as their precursors, although final track Heirs of the Descent was certainly received well. As opposed to the technical excellence they followed, 200 STAB WOUNDS’ name sounds as aggressive and savage as their music. The menacing act stepped up the ominous tone of the evening with their pulverising guitar tone and gargantuan riffs - so hypnotically brilliant were they, a crowd-surfer who looked to be roughly fourty years past his athletic peak managed to evade a security guard just to climb onstage and headbang with every member of the band, before finally being escorted off by a chuckling member of security. From Masters of Morbidity to Fatal Reality, the set was a hit and they walked off having caused suitable devastation. Of course most, if not all, members of the audience were most excited for the final act - the headliners, the technical death metal kings, the Canadian icons themselves in CRYPTOPSY. And not a soul was disappointed. Playing all but two songs off of the album of the hour - sadly Dead and Dripping and Lichmistress did not make the cut - it was a true celebration of None So Vile. With five other songs joining the fray on the night, including three off of their latest release An Insatiable Violence, it was not only a night to look to the past but also one to celebrate the present, and to look forward at what else CRYPTOPSY may yet accomplish. Successfully riling a crowd into a baying mass of frenzied bodies sounds like a zombie fiction, but not only did the quartet manage it with relative ease, they kept a smile (and a gurn) on their faces all the while. CRYPTOPSY and co showed up and showed out on a night that showed us the best that the heaviest end of metal has to offer - from brutal blast beats and furious fingers flying over fretboards, to glacial guitars and vomitous vocals. Everything was of the top draw, and once again the desperate need of crushing death metal has been sated in the capital - for now… Words: Jasmine Longhurst Photos: Oz Davy