By the time Live From Suffocate City was recorded, THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT were no longer the band knocking on the door—they were standing inside the room, taking stock of what they’d built. What began as an opening-slot act playing to a few hundred people had quietly evolved into chart-topping singles, festival mainstays, and a fiercely loyal following that doesn’t just support the band, but actively inhabits their world. Captured at their first-ever Suffocate City Town Hall Meeting during a sold-out hometown show at Atlanta’s The Masquerade, this album documents a moment of arrival without ever slipping into self-congratulation. This is not a victory lap. It’s a pressure chamber. From the outset, Live From Suffocate City feels urgent, volatile, and alive. There’s no easing into it, no gentle framing device. The crowd is already roaring as Generation Psycho tears open the set, establishing the tone in seconds; loud, unfiltered, and razor-focused. The band sound tight but unrestrained, feeding off the chaos rather than trying to control it. You can hear the hunger in the performance, the sense that this night matters. That momentum carries straight into You’re So Ugly When You Cry and Paper Mache Man tracks that balance theatrical menace with emotional exposure. Live, the edges feel sharper, the sarcasm darker, the vulnerability harder to ignore. The Masquerade doesn’t feel like a venue so much as a shared space of release, with the crowd responding not just to the hooks, but to the feeling underneath them. Blood Mother marks a tonal shift, leaning into something more ominous and suffocating. It acts as a hinge point in the set, pushing the performance from spectacle into something more intimate and confrontational. That transition pays off with Voodoo Doll the emotional centre of the album. A song rooted in the pain of loving someone lost to addiction, it hits differently in a live setting. JENNING's vocal delivery is raw without being indulgent, and the audience response transforms the track into a communal reckoning. It’s not catharsis as escape - it’s catharsis as confrontation. From there, the album refuses to loosen its grip. Chernobyl and The Crash arrive back-to-back, detonating with controlled chaos. The guitars feel industrial and abrasive, the rhythm section relentless, yet nothing feels sloppy or overstated. This is a band that understands pacing, knowing exactly when to overwhelm and when to pull the listener deeper under. Flowers In The Attic offers one of the record’s most immersive moments, pulling the set into darker, more introspective territory without sacrificing intensity. It’s followed by Alien which lands as an anthem for outsiders without ever feeling hollow or performative. The sense of belonging in the room is palpable - not forced, not marketed, but earned through years of shared experience between band and fans. Stay Weird injects a defiant sense of identity into the set, less a novelty and more a declaration. In this context, it feels like a thesis statement for the band’s entire ethos: embrace the chaos, reject the polish, and wear your difference like armour. The closing stretch of the album confirms exactly why THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT now command rooms of this size. Dark Thoughts carries the weight of the band’s rise, its chorus hitting with the confidence of a song that’s lived many lives already. Holy Water erupts as the undeniable anthem it’s become - massive, communal, and charged with belief - while Suffocate City doesn’t simply end the set, it claims it. The song feels less like a finale and more like a declaration of ownership over the world the band has created. The inclusion of Casanova as the final track is a smart, almost mischievous choice. It doesn’t offer closure or resolution; instead, it sends the album out with a sharp grin and unfinished business. It’s a reminder that this band isn’t done evolving, and that comfort has no place here. Live From Suffocate City isn’t about capturing a flawless performance or chasing nostalgia. It’s about preserving a fracture point - when ambition met belief, when a band realised the crowd wasn’t something to win over anymore, but something that had already arrived. Raw, theatrical, and emotionally exposed, this album stands as proof that THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT's rise isn’t hype - it’s history in motion. Score: 8/10 Live From Suffocate City is released on 16th January via Better Noise Music. Words: Mia Gailey Photos: Angelo Joseph

Born out of Nevada, one of America's hottest and harshest states, the blackened deathcore crew OV SULFUR know a thing or two about the pain of seemingly never-ending, scorching sun. That experience has clearly put them in good stead for their sophomore LP Endless, which considers the premise of eternal suffering and the various forms it could take - for example, the age-old philosophical quandary of eternal life and what would actually happen were one to really live forever. With a brief intro, coming in at under two minutes is Endless//Godless, and it acts perfectly as a summation of the sonic onslaught the listener is about to be exposed to. The blackened deathcore style of their debut hasn't been removed, but has instead been broadened - within the chaos, there are moments of melody, clean vocals, and sections that are clearly deliberately restrained, so that those truly insanely heavy moments hit all the harder. Second track Seed shows off more of this approach, with moments of melody interspersed with the brute force of their usual approach. Vocalist Ricky Hoover has rejoined the band and plays off of guitarist and vocalist Chase Wilson excellently, allowing both to maximise their own vocal talents without detracting from the other. This then makes its way into Forlorn, a behemoth that throws everything the quintet have at the listener. From the symphonic elements found within, the searing guitar lines, and the sombre lyrics about the unstoppable passage of time, OV SULFUR are streamlining their approach to make it easier to distil the story they're telling, whilst safely keeping their musical core intact. Tracks four and five are somewhat disparate in their sounds - whilst the former, Vast Eternal, follows the same path as the previous three tracks in its blackened deathcore brutality, the latter Wither dispels much of the pummelling weight of the band and takes the scenic route through a much less aggressive sound, giving the guitarists fingers a very well-deserved rest. Speaking about the themes across the record as a whole, and specifically lead single Evermore, Ricky had this to say: "When coming up with the theme for 'Endless', which is basically endless suffering and the various ways that could rear its ugly head, we questioned what it would be like to have endless life. This kind of allows it to be a bridge to our earlier anti-organised-religion material, as eternal life is a major tenet of many religions. In THEORY, living forever sounds incredible, but stop and think about what would come along with it: the death of your loved ones, the world around you gets worse (politically and physically), and no doubt eventual insanity from the eternally stacking heart break. 'Evermore' encapsulates these thoughts, building as the character reaches the point of insanity. Fortunately, it mirrors the build of the song, too. We knew it had to be our album launch single." Ricky was joined by Chase, who added "When I finished recording it, I kind of laughed at the whole thing. It was fun to write. We have a really fast melodic riff to start the thing off, go into a beefed-up chorus, and then top it all off with a slam-style breakdown to shake things up. It's kind of all over the place in the best way possible, because as different as these parts are, they work together." He's not lying either, whilst the track does twist and turn in various ways, bringing a number of different sounds to the fore, they all end up working together deceptively well - and the gnarly breakdown that comes right towards the end of the track really does top things off. From there comes a three track run of features - track seven is Dread, featuring Josh Davies of INGESTED throwing his mic into the ring, before Bleak sees CARCOSA's Johnny Ciardullo follow suite, only for Alan Grjna of DISTANT to follow up on the penultimate track A World Away. Each brings their unique style of heavy vocals with them, injecting some new tones and timbres into the bloodstream of Endless, and Bleak even brings a guitar solo that could just about have been tracked by a much younger version of AVENGED SEVENFOLD. As all things do - with the exception of the album's themes - the LP must come to an end, and it does so with Endless//Loveless in the greatest departure from their core sound so far. Utilising acoustic guitar alongside singing that borders on crooning at points, even drummer Leviathvn displays highly restrained parts across the finale. This dramatic variation feels like a breath of fresh air after having been drowned in gutturals and blast beats, so even the majestic solo towards the end still feels bright and airy in comparison. As the record makes its way to a close, it does feel that - even though the brunt of it is made up of blistering deathcore - that the most memorable moments will be those two much softer tracks. The band were certainly spot on that Evermore is a highlight, but it may well stand out that much more precisely because of its proximity to Wither. This is of course no bad thing, but may suggest that the band could well consider even more breathing room on the next record. Pummelling metal is always enjoyable, but you can't hear how truly heavy it is without something right next to it to compare it to. Score: 7/10 Words: Jasmine Longhurst Photos: Ov Sulfur

Very few instruments have crossed the undefined cross-cultural barrier of communication like the electric guitar. Like a fire from heaven, when in the possession of certain mortals you realise it’s a tool from a higher plane. It’s capable of so much, it speaks different languages depending on who's got their hands on it. There aren’t many places where this is more apparent than the Sahara, where the language it speaks is one of an unpretentious love for the experience of music. You may have seen the videos online as you scroll down the endless video rabbit-hole; groups of Tuareg men in the desert at night, nothing but pitch darkness for miles, the only light coming from the band and the circle of people around them. The guitars played by people who aren't thinking about landing a record deal, they’re just playing because the music soothes the soul, because it's the sound of who they are. This is the world of Tishoumaren, or Assouf, or what the occidental ethnomusicologists have denoted as “desert blues”. It is a long and much-covered story, but to those unfamiliar, Tishoumaren has captivated the world of music in the last few years. It is a genre that has existed for a number of decades, with the pioneers working with limited resources. The Tuareg people are a nomadic Amazigh people from the western Saharan region who have been fighting for their very existence since the partitioning of French West Africa. From the background of the Tuareg rebellion, trailblazers like IBRAHIM AG ALHABIB traded blank cassette tapes and crude mp3s on flip-phones of their virtuoso guitar playing synchronised with traditional Tuareg music. As a result, you get a genre of danceable songs that feature spectacular playing. When the Tuareg rebellion ended in the 90s, the bands truly began to take form, and now many of the groups are prominent in certain musical circles. Bands like TINARIWEN, BOMBINO, LES FILLES DE ILLIGHADAD and MDOU MOCTAR tour North America and Europe now, end up in vinyl collections next to the VELVET UDNERGROUND and THE STOOGES, and get written up in music magazines alongside the greats of rock ‘n’ roll. They all have incredible stories of their own and are worth looking into. More recently, however, new Tishoumaren groups have been emerging and finding great success online, bands like ETRAN DE L'AÏR, SONGHOY BLUES, and the subject of this review, IMARHAN. Few seemed to be moving this genre into the future like IMARHAN. Hailing from a southern Algerian city and the gateway to the Sahara, Tamanrasset, IMARHAN's mission is to expand what has been placed there by their predecessors, injecting psychedelia, folk, and funk into the mix. They have had only three other albums before, but their most recent one is Essam (meaning lightning in Tamasheq). It proposes to push the genre ahead, but does it succeed? Let’s find out. The opening track, Ahitmanin is a stripped back affair, a treated acoustic guitar plucking away along the vocal line in C#, with some ambient synths simmering underneath. It evokes the image of a sand dune being gently blown over, a slow and deliberate number. It serves as a nice overture for the album, something gentle and subdued. The next track and lead single is Derhan N’Oulhine, a love ballad that rides upon a phased-out beat and a clean electric guitar. There are loops of claps and what sounds like a traditional Tuareg drum, the tinde, the whole arrangement is almost like a pocket orchestra. It really is the heart and soul of this album, an absolutely beautiful number as well as infectiously catchy. The hooks on this thing are absolutely unprecedented, and when it picks up, so does your heart. You don’t have to be fluent in Tamasheq for this one to move you, it is definitely the highlight, proof that sheer emotion transcends the barrier of language. Tellalt is next, an ode to a type of rare acacia wood used by the Tuareg people. Between the fingerpicking, it has quite a reggae pacing to it, with the guitar carrying a double skank rhythm throughout the song. The final verse really hits from the heart; “One day, the truth will appear/Our country will come back to its people/And our flag will be raised.” Moving stuff. The next song Tamiditin is another stripped back one. With a rhythm that seems to mosey along with the minimalist leads, it’s one that evokes journeying and being far from home, yearning to return to a loved one so far away. Universal themes played through a Tuareg lens. For large swaths it is only the tinde and the electric bass, then the guitar comes in, plucking away like birdsong. The world is large, but the yearning heart grows ever larger. Okcheur may feature a perky flanged guitar and funky bass, but don’t let that fool you, there’s a palpable melancholy to it all. It is a song of uncertainty, of a crossroads, “Help me to find my way/Show it to me/I’m fearful of getting lost/I have the feeling that I’ve strayed and forgotten myself.” A nice easy-going tune, if you pay no mind to the lyrics. There’s a lovely keyboard flare at the end of this one as well. A small moment that sticks. “Azaman Amoutay” has something of a muted club beat, but like the last song hides something else beneath; in reality it’s a lament for living in modern times. It’s a theme that resonates with all young people today; the feeling of disenfranchisement, alienation from their expectations of life versus their reality. There’s quite a spacey mood to this, helped in part by the droning synthesizers and dreamy delivery from guitarist and lead vocalist SADAM, as well as something that sounds like a dulcimer. Things take a turn with Tin Arayth as the mood shifts quickly to upbeat, the beat is a strong four-on-the-floor and the verses are done with a near call-and-response. The guitar on this is red-hot, with miniature solos festooned throughout. The lyrics talk of sitting on the mountaintop near their hometown, watching the multi-cultural workers find their way, contemplating the mountains at the mouth of the Sahara. Watching the world go by, their world. The world of IMARHAN. Tinfoussen brings the energy down a bit, and combines a simple guitar line with the percussion, doing something complex and simple at the same time. It’s very clearly about loss, from the vibe you can instantly tell. The suffering voice is heard through the song, “I’m going through a painful time/Everything seems gloomy, lost in darkness/I’m like a long night/So black and endless.” This is heavy stuff, something that wouldn’t be out of place on a WARNING record, but the overbearingly large atmosphere amplifies the melancholy. Adounia Tochal is another song about loss, one lynchpinned by a mourning chorus, it sounds almost like DIRE STRAITS Brothers in Arms at times. The final track Assagasswar is a hypnotic way to end. The modular synthesizers do the most lifting here, as the name of the track is punctuated after each verse. As well as this, the tinde returns here, as well as another traditional instrument, the imzad, sort of a one-stringed violin. It’s the first and unfortunately last time that this album ventures into the realm of psychedelia proper, but as the album fades out into synth and humming, you can’t help but peer a bit into your own soul and wonder when the last time you were truly happy was. So that’s Essam, truly one of IMARHAN's more emo endeavours. It’s also one of their ventures into the realm of modern production, with long-time engineer MAXIME KOSINETZ now as album producer enlisting the aid of EMILE PAPANDREOU of French electronic duo UTO (who had a song appear in ‘Emily In Paris’) to help with modular synthesiser. Both of them travelled to Tamanrasset to work with the band, and the result is Essam. While there were moments where the synchronisation between Assouf and other genres were at their height (especially strong on Derhan N’Oulhine), the modular synth seemed to work less in tandem with the group than parallel to it, running alongside the group in their element rather than intertwining with the music. You get the sense that Imarhan could have pushed it further, or even done less of it, that is, after all, the great challenge of modernising something traditional (see: The Howlin' Wolf Album by HOWLIN' WOLF for more on that). Nonetheless, it certainly aided in the creation of atmosphere, especially imagery pertaining to the desert. With song themes ranging from isolation, political upheavals, loss, to even acacia trees, the overall mood on Essam is one of mourning, physical mourning for the loss of a loved one, and more intellectual mourning for the feeling of disenfranchisement. Essam doesn’t always succeed in what it sets out to do, the production choices can’t help but feel a little safe and the genre synchronisation is a little underused. But when it works, it's fantastic. There’s no novelty with IMARHAN, the music is good no matter where you’re from, and the themes resonate with everyone. It’s recognisably a Tishoumaren record, but they’re driving the genre forward into the great unknown, from Tamanrasset, from the edge of the Sahara, from a place most of us will never see. Score: 7/10 Essam will be released on 16th January 2026 via City Slang. Words: Kiarash Golshani Photos: Marie Planeille

As one of the preeminent bands within the UK’s death metal scene, CONJURER took the heavy music world by storm late last year with the release of their outstanding new album Unself - which, amongst its many accolades, is now Out Of Rage's sound of 2026. Now, sat with Dani Nightingale (vocals, guitar) and Brady Deeprose (guitar, vocals), we took the opportunity to delve into an album that champions poignant discussions about queerness and neurodivergence in the modern age, bigotry, billionaires, and never quite feeling like you belong. CONJURER have spent years working on this album, but that stems in part from the personal growth that all four members - particularly Dani - went through in order to get here. "I can't remember the exact time frame across the writing process where I had an idea of what the album's going to be about, like the concept and all that. But I know at one point, the things that were on my mind and that I wanted to touch on, they all revolved around the notion of the self, the Jungian philosophy, and in particular how people's senses of self are affected by the world and the systems around them." With an album of immense breadth and depth as Unself is, where loneliness and capitalism are back to back, the album closely intertwines an understanding of both identity and neurodivergence, in relation to the startling second track All Apart. "For a lot of people, that's in school - it's the first time that you're put into a situation that isn't the comfort of your home, your parents, your family; here are all these new people, you've got to learn to get along. Learning all these things - embrace yourself, embrace your differences and each other's differences, that is not how it goes - they preach one thing and practice another. Then comes There Is No Warmth, which was based on a post-diagnosis feeling of ‘Okay, I know who I am now, but it hasn't made things any easier. I still struggle with all these things that people don't see.’ It was a documentation of the thoughts I had post-diagnosis." Brady continues with how he relates to the record, as a self-identified neurotypical man. Having been able to know Dani through their journey of both an ASD diagnosis and exploring themself as non-binary, it’s “given [him] a chance to learn and grow as a person.” Not only has it allowed him to feel able to contribute to this record, but he’s also felt lucky in a number of other ways; “it feels like a real blessing to have been able to go through this process and get to know my friend better, and learn so much more about these struggles and meet so many of our fans that do identify with people that aren't like myself, and be able to support those people.” Alongside the people he’s connected with, the music itself has offered a bridge as well: “It's such a privilege to be able to have contributed to a record that’s got people saying, ‘Oh no, I do identify with this, and I do feel like I've got something.’ We get so many messages on social media all the time of people sharing their stories, or thanking us for speaking about this, and it really means a lot.” This all stems from those quintessential themes found on Unself: queerness, neurodivergence, the self, capitalism, eviction, and more. With all this complexity, one might easily mistake this record for a concept album, but in the words of the vocalist: “ I hesitate to even call this a concept album; we’re no RUSH, it’s not that kind of album.” The act are unashamed in discussing how all over the place their ideas are within the writing process, and worried if it could be considered messy, although funnily enough also had a pretty sound response for that very eventuality - “Well, humans are messy. The world is messy. We're all pretty fucked. It was going to be messy, but it was all about capturing feelings and frustrations more than anything else.” As far as a concise summation of the general state of things goes, that’s up there with the best of them. Trying to go through everything across the album without dividing it up would be a real test, and so Dani relates the process of their songwriting to this: “When I write, I think of things a lot like films. I think of movement and pacing and things like that. And so I imagined the intro as being the prologue, setting the general theme, almost like an overture. This is the general theme, these are the kinds of places that the album's going to go.” Eviction, queer liberation, billionaires - nothing can escape the gaze of the immense CONJURER, especially on such a profoundly powerful album. Let Us Live is a notably poignant and vulnerable song: “It talks about how trans people and queer people are constantly vilified, marginalised people are constantly blamed and vilified for the problems that are going on.” "When it comes to the capitalist themes, it's more how, with things like data harvesting and the way that billionaires are hoarding all the wealth, they could help anyone at any point, they could end so many of the world's problems, but they choose not to. That affects your sense of self and your place in the world, because this fucking sucks. Why aren't things being sorted?” It’s arguably a more overtly political song than the band are known for, which was something both Brady and Dani felt strongly about, with Brady first saying, “We've been the Switzerland of metal bands for quite a while, and through a lot of internal discussions, have never really been one to put our opinions out there in a big way. I think after everything recently, we got to that point where that wasn't an option for us anymore.” Dani felt the song was almost a necessity, as a “clarion call” about the plight of queerness, and specifically trans people that they know - “I have friends and acquaintances that have told me stories of what's happened to them out in the public, when people have realised that they're trans, and it's utterly fucking heartbreaking and infuriating that these things happen. So, yeah, the song isn't so cathartic to sing and play, it's more about solidarity.” Dani wanted the track to ultimately be a release - the band got a number of trans and non-binary friends in to do gang vocals at the end of the track to emphasise huge catharsis and solidarity. Even so, they mention that at points they feel like an imposter in the LGBTQIA+ community - “I know a lot of people have gone through a hell of a lot more physically and mentally, in terms of surgery and medication and therapies, all sorts of stuff. There are people out there who are true fucking superheroes with the shit they've unfortunately had to put up with, whereas for me, the realisation of being non-binary was just that - it was a realisation, rather than a transition. Other than putting nail polish on and makeup on every now and then - not to say that isn't enough or anything like that - but that is the only real change I’ve made. And I liked wearing that stuff when I was a kid. It's more like, ‘Nah, fuck it. I'm going to be me now.' "I kept the non-binary thing, until fairly recently - now that it's all in the press - close to my chest. Not to say I hide myself or anything like that, but I know how people can get.” Sadly, after those stories that Dani alluded to earlier, people hiding parts of who they are is becoming increasingly common, but the best way to manage this is community - find your people, support your people, do what you can. Of course, compressing all these ideas into one album was no mean feat, and Brady considered that exact issue regularly in the studio - “ I remember sitting down with Dani, and going, ‘Okay, I understand this is the frustration, - I think Hang Them In Your Head was one of these tracks, where I went - but what specifically? What is it that is affecting you and frustrating you?’ And we would talk about making it less general, more personal and more directly from Dani’s perspective in a lot of places. I know that we've talked a lot about making sure it’s not just a one to one retailing of Dani’s thoughts and experiences, and it being a bit more relatable, but a lot of that has to be grounded in the personal, and we didn't want to just be running off stats or having us tell you about what's wrong in the world, but more talk about how those things affect us and how we feel about them.” Each track and each idea started off raw, but the band worked on every track with carefully considered thought and time. The writing process proved to be a work of not just musical proficiency, but also a revisitation of secondary school English classes for Brady; “The process of how I write a song is I'll write a mini essay, everything I can possibly think about on the topic, and then from there whittle it down, explore any interesting avenues, see if there are any phrases that have come out that could work. And we did a lot of that in talking about how we were feeling about the songs - I'd go into them, write more about it, and then we’d drill down into what the things are that, at our core, get us the most emotional about these topics. That really helped us focus in on the stuff we wanted to say, and tied everything together in a bit more of a personal way.” Brady took us through how the basis of letting their music dictate the lyrics guides the whole LP, as each song becomes a part of the whole - “It’s all about what serves the album best, the guiding principle with anything is we will work on the song until it feels right, and then we choose the songs that feel best together for a record, and then the lyrics all hold on to that. It's something that I love about this band is that all of those things tend to just fall into place, even when we feel like we have no ideas. We'll be slaving away over stuff for months and months and months, and when push comes to shove, everything does fall into place in a really pleasing way. I think that is the sign that runs the right track with a song or an album or whatever it is that we're doing, is that it feels right by the end of that. I don't think anything has felt as right as this record by the time we got it down. ”From there, the final track, sharing a title with the original, was born first, when Dani was “just trying to write a doomy song, and then the lyrics just came into my head!” The act then came upon this idea of starting and finishing with those same lyrics, and then it “became the spine of the album - it tied everything together.” It was at this point that Brady made the point that, not only does the pair of tracks offer context to everything found between them, but it also allowed the album to spread out a little more across the seven songs within whilst still having a defining line that coursed throughout, and as he said, “it was the first thing that made it feel like this was an album.” Upon even the first listen, the opener feels like a precursor of things to come, but the real power comes with that final, heartwrenching rendition that hammers home all of the feelings within Unself, bringing it full circle and summing it up eloquently, viscerally, and quite beautifully. With that, our time with the brains behind CONJURER’s breathtaking heaviness was up, and our fascinating look into the vulnerable behemoth that is Unself came to an end. Unself is out now on Nuclear Blast Records. Words: Jasmine Longhurst Cover Design: Robert Halls Photos: Mettieu Gill With thanks to: Hold Tight PR

Live to Thrive is a statement of intent from a band that has spent years refining its identity. Hailing from Rome, Italy, PAVIC has long fused modern metal power with classic rock melody, and this album feels like the clearest expression yet of what that fusion can achieve. Produced by guitarist and founder MARKO PAVIC, Live to Thrive is fast, uplifting, and emotionally charged, built around technical confidence but grounded in sincerity. Rather than chasing heaviness for its own sake, the album prioritises momentum, clarity, and connection, making it as engaging emotionally as it is physically. From the outset, the album establishes its sound world as energetic and expansive. Crisp production allows every instrument to sit clearly in the mix, which is especially important given the speed and density of much of the material. Guitars are sharp and articulate, drums precise and driving, while bass and keys add weight without overcrowding the arrangements. Across the record, PAVIC strikes a balance between modern polish and classic rock warmth, creating a sound that feels contemporary yet rooted in tradition. The album’s opening track and first single, Save You From Yourself, encapsulates this approach perfectly. Fast-paced and uptempo, it launches the album with confidence and urgency. The track’s most striking feature is the powerful trading solos between MARKO PAVIC and MISTHERIA, bringing a pronounced neoclassical edge that blends guitar and keyboard lines without tipping into excess. Rather than interrupting the song’s flow, the solos heighten its intensity and sense of forward motion. As a single, Save You From Yourself works exceptionally well. Its anthemic vocal delivery and confrontational lyrical tone give it immediacy, while the technical precision beneath the surface rewards repeat listens. The clarity of the production ensures that even at its most complex moments, the track never feels cluttered. It’s the kind of opener designed to ignite a live crowd, establishing themes of resilience and self-confrontation from the very first moments. While Live to Thrive thrives on energy, it avoids emotional flatness by introducing contrast early on. Track three, One of These Days, represents a significant tonal shift and serves as the album’s emotional grounding point. Stripping back aggression, the song leans into softer synth textures and a more exposed vocal performance, placing emotion front and centre. The dynamics of One of These Days mirror its emotional content. Verses feel intimate and restrained, while the chorus gradually builds before easing back again, creating an ebb and flow that feels honest and human. Placing such a vulnerable track early in a predominantly fast album is an unusual but effective choice, deepening the surrounding tracks rather than disrupting momentum. That sense of purpose comes fully into focus with Live to Thrive, the album’s title track and second single. Melodic, fast, and immediately engaging, the song feels like an emotional resolution, built around a strong singalong-ready chorus that radiates affirmation and perseverance. Instrumentally, the track is one of the album’s highlights. The neoclassical-inspired solo section expands the song’s sonic landscape before guiding it back into its melodic core, showcasing technical confidence without losing emotional focus. The unexpected inclusion of harsher vocal elements briefly disrupts the flow, creating tension that makes the return to the chorus feel more powerful. Crucially, Live to Thrive never feels like empty motivation. Its uplifting message is earned through contrast with moments of heaviness and vulnerability, reinforcing the idea that thriving is not about denying hardship, but pushing through it with honesty and strength. Beyond its key tracks, the album maintains a strong sense of cohesion. Thoughtful sequencing and dynamic variation prevent the its fast pace from becoming exhausting, while consistently clear production allows both technical detail and emotional moments to land effectively. In the context of PAVIC’s wider career, Live to Thrive feels like a confident reaffirmation of identity. It is technically refined without being sterile, heavy without being oppressive, and uplifting without feeling naïve. Ultimately, the album succeeds because it understands the value of balance, offering explosive drive, emotional honesty, and genuine connection in equal measure. Score: 9/10 Live to Thrive will be released on 16th January 2026. Words: Con Macadam Photos: PAVIC

As we ring in the new year here at Out of Rage, we're no longer looking back at 2025 - we're looking forward to everything 2026 has to offer. We've had countless tour announcements, albums teases - and of course, all the latest singles we've had on repeat. As It Is - Ruin My Life (ft. Murray Macleod) Accompanied by the announcement of their long awaited self titled album, coming later this year, AS IT IS have dropped the brand new track Ruin My Life (ft. MURRAY MACLEOD). Accompanied by a hilarious video, which is a homage to Jackass, the track is a grown up version of old favorite Pretty Little Distance from 2017’s okay; it’s melancholy pop punk for 2026 and it hits hard with lyrics like “self sabotage on my mind”. The boys are back and better than ever. Words: Lou Viner-Flood GUV - Chasin’ Luv If Winter blues are dragging the vibes down, GUV’s latest single Chasin’ Luv offers a quick fix. The track is immediate and sunny, a delightful blend of breezy guitar textures and unpretentious vocals, inviting us to bask in the melody. The song serves up a healthy dose of 90’s Britpop nostalgia, nodding to the era without ever feeling stuck there. Released as another taste of the upcoming album Warmer Than Gold, the single reinforces BEN COOK - the mind behind GUV - may be “chasin’ luv”, but he sure isn’t chasin’ trends, instead doubling down on a timeless sound that invites repeat listens, fitting comfortably between playlists and seasons. Words: Cara Hyndman Kid Kapichi - Worst Kept Secret Ahead of their new album Fearless Nature, KID KAPICHI return with Worst Kept Secret the final track written for the record. Emerging after moments of fear and uncertainty, the song reflects a cautious optimism. Dark, atmospheric textures mix with spiky guitar lines, a loopy bass nodding to the influence of Richard Ashcroft and UNKLE, and drums that carry the momentum. Soft, intimate vocals sit atop the instrumentation, delivering defiant yet vulnerable lyrics. Leaving behind the raw anger of earlier work, the track hints at the reflective turn of Fearless Nature while keeping the unmistakable KID KAPICHI character. The band will support the album with UK in‑store performances and 2026 festival appearances including Bearded Theory, Y Not, and Truck Festival. Words: Lorena Hurtado Sylosis - Erased SYLOSIS thunder into 2026 with second single of their upcoming album The New Flesh, releasing on February 20th, Erased. The band are returning to a heavier sound than recent years, more akin to their earlier work Edge Of The Earth, especially with the intro guitar lead. Yet it still sounds like modern-days SYLOSIS at the same time. Of course you can't have them without epic solos by guitarist and vocalist JOSH MIDDLETON and monstrous drums from ALI Richardson, this single being rife with them. This is only the second single of the album but it shows that SYLOSIS simply never miss. One of many stand out lyrics near the end of the track that really does hit is “What's it take to sleep soundly these days?" - a pretty hard-hitting lyric making you think. You can catch them live on their tour supporting the album with 2 UK dates in February right in time for the album's release. Words: Lucas Grayson Yungblud & The Smashing Pumpkins - Zombie YUNGBLUD’S song Zombie is well known from his album Idols released last May, receiving Grammy and BRIT nominations and critical acclaim for the album, with the both reaching number 1 in the UK Charts. This success has led to the collaboration with THE SMASHING PUMPKINS for a version of Zombie released on January 7th. The music style leans into the alternative 90’s rock sound that he is bringing back, which is why this collaboration works so brilliantly with the two artist voices and styles intertwined. Keeping with the heavy guitar based track, they add even more layers whilst singing emotional and gripping lyrics that will sound amazing live. It’s a perfect lead ahead of his UK tour in April! Words: Angel Turley Editor: Naomi Colliar Duff Photos: Various Artists

Coming out of India's most populous city Mumbai comes the post-hardcore quintet PACIFIST. Proudly having no music on Spotify as a stand against AI music and Spotify's profits going to warfare, the act are no strangers to political messages and it shows within their music. With one previous EP, Greyscale Dreams, available online, as well as two previously released singles, five will mark a leap further for this exciting act as they make their way towards playing Lollapalooza India, before embarking on a release tour. Opening track and lead single Running Out is a fantastic opener, setting the stage from the off with clear sonic reference to late 90's post-hardcore outfits like REFUSED and AT THE DRIVE-IN. Discussing the all-too unsettlingly likely chance of a global doomsday, vocalist SIDHARTH gets himself nicely warmed up ahead of the rest of the release here, whilst APURV and ASHISH rip out distorted riffs underneath, with a slight hint of earlier brands of emo echoing within the heaviness. Ad Nauseam carries on the same post-hardcore sound but with a little less emo and a little more funk, in a similar vein to the almighty TURNSTILE on such tracks as BLACKOUT - a bold comparison certainly, yet the earworm drum lines and pacey hi-hat runs from VARUN stick long after the track exhausts its three minute run time. UTKARSH's bass holds the fort down here as the guitars play against each other to use slight measures of dischordance to their advantage. Third in the running order is Skunk Leather, which ups the tempo slightly whilst reflecting on change in a brief but impactful two minutes, before Built To Destroy absolutely tears the whole EP apart. Addressing humankind's innate violence, the track flatters to deceive with a cooled off intro, before building up into one hefty jolt of power and then a gnarly breakdown that is nigh guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. Purge, Atone wraps up the short but oh so very sweet affair that is five, taking its lead from the previous track with plenty of energy and razor-edged riffs that precede an eerie, unsettling instrumental, closing out the release with just enough time to stew on what's come before. PACIFIST don't just show promise and potential in spades here - they show technical ability, musicianship, and a great understanding of how to write great music. The EP sounds excellent which is in no small part down to the fact that it was entirely self-produced by APURV, with mastering done by BRAD BOATRIGHT at Audiosiege. Showcasing their devotion to hardcore and its morals on a political record that could have been put out by a giant of the genre, they had better keep putting out music like this. Score: 9/10 Words: Jasmine Longhurst Photos: Pacifist

If there is a country who never misses with its representation on the metal scene, it is with no doubts Finland, who has been reigning over the world of heavy music for decades. And one of its greatest representatives, ENSIFERUM, has returned to London in the new year after a few years, bringing a fresh start to the new season of concerts. Composed of MARKUS TOIVONEN (guitars, backing vocals), PETRI LINDROOS (guitars, harsh vocals), SAMI HINKKA (bass, clean and harsh vocals), JANNE PARVIAINEN (drums) and PEKKA MONTIN (keyboards, clean vocals), the Finnish melodic folk metal band not only performed songs from their latest album Winter Storm, but also served many songs from their previous releases. The Winter Storm Over Europe tour is taking place across Europe for approximately one month, with only one UK stop - The Dome in London. Supported for its duration by FREEDOM CALL and DRAGONY, the tour was already promising even before the doors opened. The first band of the night, DRAGONY, was a symphonic power metal band from Austria that managed to make the venue move since the lights went off. Featuring SIEGFRIED “THE DRAGONSLAYER” SAMER (vocals), HERBERT GLOS (bass), SIMON SAITO (guitars), MANUEL HARTLEB (keyboards), MAT PLEKHANOV (guitars), CHRIS AUCKENTHALER (drums), and a MARIA NESH (vocals), who joined the band permanently right before the tour, it was the youngest band on the lineup, although it formed in 2007. The setlist was short and contained only nine songs, including three from their 2024 release Hic Svnt Dracones, yet the set was captivating, as SAMER and NESH mostly sang together, creating a beautiful mix of voices accompanied by the symphonic melodies. DRAGONY was certainly a pleasant surprise for anyone, who did not know about them prior to the night, and absolutely accomplished to make the crowd more excited for the next two bands. FREEDOM CALL is a band that does not need any introductions in the power metal world. Formed in 1998 in Germany and founded by the vocalist CHRIS BAY, the lineup currently includes the guitarist LARS RETTZKOWITZ, bassist FRANCESCO FERRARO and drummer RAMY ALI and needless to say that it is a pretty solid lineup, even whilst BAY is the only founding member left. Also known as a “Happy Metal” band and recently given a title of the happiest metal band in the world by the Metro US, FREEDOM CALL still knows how to make a big show even after twenty-eight years, and the big crowd that took over The Dome for their set was the indication that it will be a really special one. Playing their newer songs, including their fresh release Heavy Metal Happycore, that is featuring PETRI LINDROOS from ENSIFERUM, as well as older classics like Warriors and Silver Romance - a titular track from their first release, FREEDOM CALL put on an unforgettable performance packed with good ol’ riffs that assured the fans had an amazing time after waiting for their comeback after four years. The atmosphere from the first two bands had filled The Dome with even more excitement, as the moment for ENSIFERUM to take over the stage was rapidly approaching. Once the lights dimmed and the tape started playing Aurora, from their latest album Winter Storm, the crowd’s cheering began, and did not stop until the end of the set, and rightfully so, as their favourites did not hold back with roaring vocals, riffs and beats that echoed throughout the venue. Playing more songs from their latest album like Fatherland, Scars In My Heart and Winter Storm Vigilantes, as well as showcasing their older work, it was obvious that the fans were longing for the folk-metal legends more than ever. LINDROOS and HINKKA did most of the vocal work of the night, while interacting with the fans, but there were moments, when MONTIN left his keyboards to join the band on the front to sing. As the set reached the point, when Scars In My Heart was finally about to be played, LINDROOS invited MARIA NESH of DRAGONY onto the stage, to deliver an emotional performance that was with no doubt one of the highlights of the evening. Having a simple staging with their logo behind them and occasional steam coming out at the front, while having no barriers in between themselves and the fans, the band had the chance to connect closer with the crowd, and it was to no surprise that oftentimes the members leaned forward into the floor, or even shaked hands. With thirteen songs on the bill, the evening ran past quickly, and before anyone realised, it was already time to bid a farewell to the Finnish five-piece. Closing the evening with three encore songs, Axe Of Judgement, In My Sword I Trust and Two of Spades and a cheeky promotion of their upcoming beard care products, ENSIFERUM once again managed to prove to London that they are indeed a band that is ready to grow, while staying true to its roots. The entire lineup of the night was spectacular and anyone who went in expecting good music and an amazing atmosphere was indeed not let down in the slightest. Words and photos: Katerina Stepanikova

As 2026 kicks off, I PROMISED THE WORLD make their first big statement of the year with their self-titled EP. Arriving on January 16th via Rise Records, it is both a nod to the past and a declaration for the future. Formed in 2023, the Texas five-piece started as an outlet for vocalist and guitarist CALEB MOLINA after the death of his father during the pandemic. While that loss shaped the band’s earliest material, it’s now the spirit of resilience, carving meaning out of heartbreak, that drives their sound. Alongside HUNTER WILSON (unclean and clean vocals), MASON ZSCHAU (drums), MASON NOWLIN (guitar), and AIDAN VICKERS (bass), the band have already toured with DEAFHEAVEN, HARM’S WAY, and KOYO, and are currently on their first headlining US tour, setting the stage for a record that that moves between early-2000s nostalgia and their own evolving sound. The EP opens with the track Proud. It starts slow, with an emotional, nostalgic guitar line that feels like it’s pulling you somewhere far away: a memory, a feeling, a version of yourself you haven’t visited in years. And then, it hits you: an electrifying riff pulls you in, and suddenly we’re back with that familiar sound we used to blast through wired earphones plugged into iPods - volume dangerously high. WILSON’s alternating harsh and clean vocals dance with MOLINA’s melodic lines, softening the edges just enough to let the story breathe, while the screams carry the band’s emotional core. Next come the two previously released singles that set the tone for the self-titled record. A Pure Expression, the second single, opens with weighty riffs that wrap emo, screamo, and post-hardcore into something that feels both familiar and unknown. Guitars, pulsing bass, and expressive drums that drive the song forward, give the track its structure and emotional weight. The bridge slows down, letting the vocals and instruments breathe before driving back into intensity. Produced by JON MARKSON and ADAM CICHOCKI, it’s a collision of nostalgia and modern production that keeps the sound fresh and alive. Following this, Bliss in 7 Languages, the first single, is heavy, aggressive, and emotive, anchored by metalcore riffs and driving drums. The energetic breakdown towards the end releases everything that the track has been building up to this moment. Its music video deserves a special mention: a throwback so authentic it could have been pulled straight from a Y2K MySpace vault. In contrast, Future Worth Dying For shifts into a slower, fuzzier feeling. The track evokes the soundtrack of a movie you’d put on a rainy winter afternoon. The EP then closes with Emerald Waltz, which builds gradually, layering clean vocals before erupting into a layered, climactic crescendo. It’s cathartic, expansive, and a fitting ending to this journey, capturing the technical precision and emotional intensity that runs throughout the record. From start to finish, the self-titled EP from I PROMISED THE WORLD brings a fresh perspective to early-2000s nostalgia. It nods to the sounds that shaped a generation without lingering in the past. The impeccable guitars, bass and drums establish the EP’s stylistic direction, bringing those familiar sounds into the present across the track list. Each track occupies its own space while contributing to a unified universe. The record flows flawlessly, intensity and emotion balanced perfectly, and with its January release, it marks I PROMISED THE WORLD as a band to keep on your radar this year. Score: 9/10 I Promised The World will be released on 16th January via Rise Records. Words: Lorena H Photos: Ryan Johnson

As one of the longest playing bands on the symphonic metal scene, EDENBRIDGE hardly ceases to surprise with their new music. Eleven albums deep, with their twelfth album Set The Dark On Fire coming out in less than seven days, the Austrian six-piece does not seem to lose its appeal even in the slightest. Composed of SABINE EDELSBACHER (vocals), LANVALL (guitars, hammered dulcimer, electric sitar and other instruments), JOHANNES GRAL (drums), STEVE HALL (bass) and SVEN SEVENS (lead guitar), the band promises to go beyond their own limits with Set The Dark On Fire, unleashing powers that were waiting for the right time to strike. Opening the album with the energetic song The Ghostship Diaries was an excellent choice, as it gives the listener a perfect taste of what is to be expected - while keeping many secrets hidden until the right moment. EDELSBACHER’s voice echoes through the song in an almost ominous, yet very powerful way, while the guitars and drums offer their magic with memorable riffs and beats. Although the song is on the longer side, it still manages to keep the listeners engaged the whole time. Cosmic Embrace is melodically similar to the first song, while Where The Wild Things Are is taking the audience on a big journey. The second mentioned is also the first song that fully showcases LANVALL’s talent, as the hammered dulcimer compliments GRAL and SEVENS’ riffs. The song is once again on the more energetic side, yet also feels more like the song is telling an engaging story. The next track, Tears Of The Prophets, is a transitional track composed of guitars that slows the atmosphere down a little, before continuing onwards. Our Place Among The Stars feels slower but heavier with the layered sound of guitars. It is yet another example of the band’s ability to successfully execute longer songs without losing the listener’s interest, which is with no doubt a key accomplishment. It is also a good preparation for one of the songs with the fastest pace EDENBRIDGE ever released, the titular Set The Dark On Fire. Melodically very close to power metal and boasting a head-banging solo that felt more than right in the midst of the chaos, it is with no doubt one of the most memorable songs from the release. The same can be true about the following song, Bonded By The Light, that does feel almost like a ballad from a James Bond movie, bringing in melancholic vocals and emotional riffs and synths that are only adding depth to the already stunning piece. The next track, Divine Dawn Reveal, is yet another transition between the songs, but this time hinting towards Middle Eastern topics, unveiling what the next song might be about. And indeed, the next song Lighthouse combines metal with the melodies from the Middle East, creating a unique sound and even bringing an extensive solo that is well suited for it. Apart from that, however, the song has moments when it sounds similar to many previous ones from the album. The last four tracks of Set The Dark On Fire are the center-piece of the release, as they are a four part song called Spark Of The Everflame. Starting with Spark Of The Everflame - Let Time Begin, that is the introduction to the long story, and transitioning into Spark Of The Everflame - The Winding Road To Evermore, Spark Of The Everflame - Per Aspera Ad Astra and the final Spark Of The Everflame - Where It Ends, Is Where It Starts, the thirteen minute long piece is a perfect summarisation of EDENBRIDGE’s entire sound spectrum throughout the years, combining energetic melodies, melancholic elements, almost cinematic experience and a big dollop of talented musicians. EDENBRIDGE’s latest album Set The Dark On Fire is the band’s most ambitious work to date and it is needless to say that it does not only offer new perspectives and turns, but also brings familiar sounds and themes. Even after twenty-eight years on the metal scene, the band does not seem to run out of inspiration and instruments they can use in their work, and it is certain that anyone, who enjoys their work, or is interested in the symphonic metal, will enjoy the release to the maximum. Score: 8/10 Set The Dark On Fire will be released on 16th January via Steamhammer Words: Katerina Stepanikova Photos: Edenbridge

Xiu Mutha Fuckin’ Xiu: Vol. 1, is the latest album from the experimental, cult band, XIU XIU. A compilation of twelve eclectic covers, vividly described by the band as “a sonic self-portrait built from borrowed voices: post-punk anxiety, queer euphoria, industrial dread, tenderness, glamour and despair”. Due for release on the 16th of January, via Polyvinyl Records, the tracks provide not only an interesting exploration of the band's musical talents, but like a much beloved mixtape of yesteryear, it's the privileged peek into a cool kids record collection. Confidently jumping straight in, XIU XIU chose the iconic, Psycho Killer, by TALKING HEADS, as opener. Gone is the sparse eighties clarity of the original, rebirthing it through a filtration of lo-fi, retro effects and dub-like echos. The synths, guitars and samples run through the track with an easy going, back-alley sounding clamour, balancing neatly with that brilliantly catchy chorus. There are natural similarities heard in the vocals of founding member, JAMIE STEWART, and TALKING HEADS front man, DAVID BYRNE, and with their distinctive touch of modulated sounds, there's a few moments you might be wondering if this was a XIU XIU original all along. ROY ORBISON’s, In Dreams, is the next effortless reinterpretation. Pulling in all the trademarks of ORBISON’s romantic rockabilly and adding layers of sumptuous rippling synths, it’s been given an extra dose of that addictively melancholic, Country sound, a truly luscious kind of lonesome. Following on, in complete contrast, is a tortured, EDM cover of SOFT CELLS’s, Sex Dwarf, from their brilliant Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret album. A high camp electro pop song, flashing us with the transgressive queer sex politics and expression of the early eighties. XIU XIU embraces the humour, alongside the gritty dark explorations of the original, and reproduces it in a contemporary landscape, post-Berghain touches of techno lapping at its chorus. A more contemporary icon of queer nightlife, is the cover of faultless ‘sad banger’, Dancing On My Own by ROBYN. The lyrics of unrequited love are drawn out in this version, shaped by a vaguely CLIFF MARTINEZ composition, with string sections and a hollow sounding drum machine for a quivering lament. Reintroducing it as a downtrodden torch song, XIU XIU take the electro banger off the sweaty dancefloor of 2012’s G.A.Y., and under the spotlights of a half-empty auditorium in downtown Vegas. These tracks are amongst our favourites on the album, not least due to the karaoke effect - their avant-garde explorations of noise are wonderful, but the addition of having a bit of a sing-a-long too, makes them the hands down winners, too perfect for the dry-Jan-blues. Celebrated for the range of their music's deep emotional undercurrents and social commentary, stunning albums like, Knife Play, Le Foret and 13" Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips, have kept their fans loyal and stalwart. The group, made up of JAMIE STEWART, ANGELA SEO and DAVID KENDRICK (ex DEVO and SPARKS), often expresses the dark and devastating sides of life, just as much as the sophisticated technical prowess of the band. Consistently outspoken, the band have sparked debate about the content of their artwork and lyrics, most recently, a vehement anti-war stance leading them to removing their music from Spotify, an out and proud financier of horrific weapons of war. Other topics have fans more divided, with some arguing they have overstepped the mark, speaking from positions they do not inhabit, particularly in line with subjects like race and sexual exploitation. Pursuing a transgressive approach to complex and sensitive subjects is always an active invitation to debate and critique, both regarding the topic raised, but crucially also from where this perspective comes, how the idea is delivered and the repercussions of its provocations. Creating, performing and releasing music for the last twenty odd years, XIU XIU, has amassed an impressively vast back-catalogue of work. Now, sharing an album of just covers, feels like an intimate and playful chapter for a band who is used to laying it all out there. There’s a lot to lovingly comb through on the LP, including interesting takes on THROBBING GRISTLE’S, Hamburger Lady, Lick or Sum by GloRilla and COIL’s Triple Sun. Some less successful tracks still hold our interest, if only for the cultural references, but the songs seem to hit hardest when the band accesses the vein of raw vulnerability they are so adept at transmitting. Their creative energies are flowing, as strong as ever, reflecting that “whether confronting violence, commerce, or the limits of pop itself, they’ve built a career out of asking how art should exist, and who it should serve”. Score: 7/10 Xiu Mutha Fuckin' Xiu: Vol.1 will be released on 16th January via Polyvinyl Records Words: Alana Madden Photos: Xiu Xiu

Needing little to no introduction, the sensational group ALTER BRIDGE have recently released a stunning new self-titled album to captivate new and returning listeners once again. Twenty years on, ALTER BRIDGE are still releasing generationally beloved and memorable songs that are sure to leave you headbanging or swaying rhythmically to the music. ALTER BRIDGE has a relentless musical depth and excellently manages to showcase the full band's range. From powerful solos, to prominent basslines, and soulful vocals, this album gives out something for everyone, whilst still maintaining their iconic sound. This album is sure to create excitement for their upcoming headline tour, including support from DAUGHTRY and SEVENDUST, starting next month. Disregarded is a dark, sultry track to the ears. The instrumentation is an absolute standout, with the guitarist, MARK TREMONTI and MYLES KENNEDY delivering breathtaking riffs and solo sections reinforced by a harsh yet complimentary performance by their drummer, SCOTT PHILLIPS, setting the theme to support the lyrics. Lyrically, the song is crafted with attentive wordplay showing a defiance to being hurt again after betrayal. In what feels like an ode to Blackbird, Hang By a Thread opens with soft, melancholy acoustic guitar and lyrics. Heart wrenchingly, the lyrics give an insight into the realities of hurt and overcoming hardship. The song crescendos into a climax of self worth and resilience which is sure to pull on the heartstrings of listeners facing similar situations. Those who cherish ALTER BRIDGE’S earlier works (namely Blackbird and Watch Over You) may resonate within this song’s themes and writing. In contrast, What Are You Waiting For has a stark aggressive tone with stronger drums and dynamic guitars. It highlights the challenges to be better and better oneself, and not taking the chance to fail. The song radiates anger and shows the bands’ vulnerability to human emotions in self-reflection. It demands the courage to be honest in healing and personal development. Catchy and unforgettable, Trust In Me’s strong choruses and MYLES KENNEDY’s experienced vocals demonstrate the extent to which these four people can operate as one collective unit. Every instrument has its moment in the sun, and relentlessly shoots out a unification of all aspects of their sound: heavy, dark, melancholy, emotive, and grandiose music that connects directly to the heart of ALTER BRIDGE and their established fanbase. ALTER BRIDGE are powerhouses in the rock genre and adept at constructing deep sensitive songs through eloquent lyricism and skilful instrumentals. It is abundantly clear ALTER BRIDGE can still produce emotionally intelligent heartfelt music with impressive musical talent after twenty years of performance. The album forms deep meaningful connections with listeners and can help navigate them through life's trials and tribulations allowing them to feel less alone in hardships. Perhaps this consistency is why fans are so dedicated to ALTER BRIDGE and their unwavering commitment to their phenomenal sound. Fans are sure to be eagerly waiting for their tour and any future music. Score: 9/10 Alter Bridge was released on 9th January 2026 via Napalm Records Words: Alix England Photos: Chuck Brueckmann