It’s gloomy. Of course, it’s bloody gloomy. Paradise Lost are playing the Islington Assembly Hall in October. That might be one of the most gothic sentences ever composed. They’re also hot off the heels of their new album, Ascension, which has had quite the good time critically as of late. This has to be the umpteenth time the Paradise Lost boys have played in the capital, and for good reason. No British metal band has shown themselves to be musical chameleons quite like these guys. From the post-mining teenage wasteland that was the north of England in the 80s, this band emerged as a death metal, then a goth metal, then a synth metal, and then back to a sort of death metal group in the span of nearly four decades. They’ve got fans of all types, fans of their Depeche Mode era, fans of their early death metal careers, even new fans, you name it. Paradise Lost remain, as ever, a band for all seasons, though autumn still suits them best. They have brought with them fellow Northerners High Parasite and Italian doom aesthetes Messa who are also just coming off of a fantastic album. This is set to be a hell of a night. Starting off things are High Parasite who are pretty much the best band you could ask for to open for Paradise Lost. High Parasite is fronted by vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe (recently) formerly of My Dying Bride, another forerunner in the wave of northern doom of the early nineties along with Anathema. While there are similarities with Paradise Lost in their sound, the sound of High Parasite is one that developed independently to sound distinct yet clearly of the same musical haplogroup. Last year they came out with their debut album, “Forever We Burn”, and the songs played from that album are received quite well. It’s an opening set that feels both respectful and self-assured, a fitting continuation to the story of English doom. Next up is Messa, which was hotly anticipated this evening. Many in the lobby are clad with black Messa shirts, Italian accents threading through their conversations, clearly for them this is the real main event. “The Spin” was solid gold to anyone who had the pleasure to hear it, “scarlet doom” they call it, a fusion of Joy Division’s airy sensibilities and the delicate ghostly tones of modern doom. Much like Paradise Lost, it’s a pretty sophisticated affair. Sara Bianchin, dressed in a sharp black suit, commands the stage with an effortless gravitas. Blue and white lights dance across her face as the band launches into “Fire on the Roof”. There’s moments of quiet interspersed with moments of heaviness when they play “At Races” and “The Dress”, and although there’s the absence of some studio vocal effects, they still put on a whopping good performance. Guitarist Alberto Piccolo has his eyes closed as he rips into a fabulous guitar solo on “Immolation” whilst all the crowd can do is stare agape at the glory of the spectacle. It really is incredible, and this band deserves their own headline tour. Setting the fog machines on overdrive mode, they lumber out of the mist; Paradise Lost. Opening on “Serpent on the Cross”, they’re still as resplendent now as they were 20 years ago. What is a bit strange is drummer Jeff Singer looking like he’s been imprisoned inside the Fortress of Solitude, as the drums are behind plexiglass screens. While it does improve the drum sound, it does also bring to mind the band’s ever-rotating rhythm section. Ho hum. With little pomposity or flare, they break into “Tragic Idol” and “True Belief” and it is very clear that this will be a deep-cut show with some cuts of the new record sprinkled in. There is no doubt that there are a few people pissed off that staples like “Embers Fire” and “Enchantment” are absent, but these are seriously good songs in their own right, and they manage to include at least one song from each of their albums. Frontman Nick Holmes is back with his legendarily dry northern wit that led him to befriend the likes of Mikael Åkerfeldt and Peter Steele. Before an amazing performance of “Mouth” he says “the next one is from ‘Believe in Nothing’… the one with the bees on it”. And before “Nothing Sacred” he beckons to all of the fans of the “Host” era, which he follows up with “…all three of you”. At another point he states he will take a picture of the crowd to send to his grandmother “who lives pictures of crowds in London for some reason”. Not too long into the following song he informs us, wryly as ever; “my grandmother is dead, by the way”. A wonderful bit of dark humour to offset the even darker music. The performance is tight, confident, and unpretentious, the clear work of a band who have long stopped chasing validation. What was an hour and a half setlist ended up feeling a lot shorter, and before you know it, it’s all over. By the time the crowd filters out into the cold October night, Islington feels wrapped in a gothic veneer that lends it a bit of character. Paradise Lost, High Parasite, and Messa together create the picture of endurance, all with incredible new albums in tow, they are living proof that doom is still king even in 2025. Paradise Lost remain not just a band for all seasons, but for all time, and autumn, once again, is theirs for the taking. Words: Kiarash Golshani Photos: Cate Neves

“To love unconditionally, without fear or regret” is a rare and courageous sensibility for anyone to live by. To have it guide you, as you slam dance your way across international stages, smashing out aggressively positive hardcore bangers, well, that's nothing short of magnificent. The Aussie five piece, SPEED, carry this phrase and ethos alongside the release of their latest EP, ALL MY ANGELS. Born from their tortuous experiences of grief and its shifting landscape of existential pain, the record is testament to the strength found in expressing genuine vulnerability. Their epic and ecstatic rise in popularity over the past few years, has been accompanied by a series of tragic bereavements, shaping their creativity and truly cementing the messages of love and inclusivity they imbue. The blazing storm of global injustice fuels the sound of the EP’s first track, AIN'T MY GAME. As it blasts out, a frenzy of drums and distortion, lyrically, it's espousing solidarity and compassion, ‘The hardest fights take integrity. My loyalty lies where my heart and values meet. Gave all the fear in me to my misery.’ JEM SIOW's emphatic delivery punches through the irrepressible energy from the band, made up of AARON SIOW (bass), JOSH CLAYTON (guitar), DENNIS VICHIDVONGSA (guitar), and KANE VARDON (drums). This is a ride or die group, a real blood brothers team, making music for themselves, and for their beloved Sydney scene. Forming only six years ago, they are already in high demand internationally, and their down to earth sincerity, truly an Aussie gift, translates across all mediums making it impossible not to root for them. Thankfully, they consistently produce top notch hardcore, so it's an effortless exchange. When reading the track listing, the purposeful usage of ‘all caps’ is noted with an involuntary cognitive wince. PEACE opens with a blast of irrepressible anger and frustration, building to a grooving breakdown, ecstatic enough to make our eyes roll back and you sink right in. The first single released from the EP back in September, the strain of holding back the tide can almost be heard in the cracking in SIOW's voice as he repeatedly cries out, ‘I wiped all my tears to see’. The last part of this triptych is ALL MY ANGELS, a heart-breaking howl of loss in a cloud of unanswerable questions, ‘The burning question tugging on my soul is, when a life gets taken, where does it all go?’. Whipped up into a storm of power chords and riffs but slower than elsewhere on the EP, SPEED are seemingly weighed down by their grief. This is a chugging lament with a crowd rousing chorus, using the titular line to throw down amongst the rabble. Shifting tempos with well placed down tuning to finish off. It's piercing and it’s raw. Yes, hardcore’s having this breakthrough moment right now, and not to mention it in relation to SPEED would be negligent. For a genre that's still riddled with outdated forms of masculinity and gatekeeping, the new wave of inclusivity is a breath of fresh air. But in today's often lightning quick turnover of cultural production, the longevity of maintaining this position is impossible to predict. Regardless, it's pretty fucking exciting to see this vanguard of heavy music receiving such recognition, and SPEED, sits right beside US bands, TURNSTILE and KNOCKED LOOSE. ALL MY ANGELS is the work of friends experiencing life's tragic inevitabilities. In an era of tasteful displays of health and wellness, they are sharing real time processing of their deepest pain in a raw and authentic therapeutic release. SPEED's got that ‘big heart energy’ and throwing in a flute solo or sharing experiences of emotional struggle is par for the course. Consistently outspoken against inequality, cancelling slots at big name festivals in support of political boycotts and pushing boundaries of ‘acceptability’ for a hardcore band, shows us the credibility of their message. Undoubtedly, they are pushing an aesthetic and sound that is heavily ‘masculine’, which for some, breaches a code we haven’t necessarily made peace with yet. You can’t deny that the ferocity of the band's moshing is something that would keep many at a distance. Back in the 90s, FUGAZI tackled this head on with an outright ban at their gigs, and under a banner of 'inclusivity’, it for sure warrants consideration. However, there is something that runs bone deep in their effort to establish what is encouraging and welcoming in their music. It is also key to remember, that part of the beauty of hardcore is as a subculture, and by de facto, is not meant for the many. Only time will tell how this message translates out, on to the forefront of popular culture. Score: 9/10 ALL MY ANGELS was released on 23rd October 2025 via Flatspot Records/Last Ride Records. WORDS: Alana Madden PHOTOS: Speed

For the first time in thirteen years BIOHAZARD have released a new, louder than life album, Divided We Fall. Established in 1987, these trailblazers were amongst the originators of the fusion of hiphop hardcore and groove metal causing many generations of metal fans to be instantly captivated. Returning with their original lineup after a hiatus, fans have been stunned by their raw and chaotic live performances. Notably, BIOHAZARD have headlined stages at events such as Download Festival and Milwaukee Metal Fest in recent years. Fans have been enthusiastically anticipating the new album's release - but will it live up to their expectations after so many years? Well, to put it bluntly - BIOHAZARD has still got it. The album is overflowing with authenticity and emotion. They continue to demonstrate their influential position, showcasing their pure talent and relentless love for their music. If you're desperate for the pit, looking for an early morning pick me up, or simply a lover of the band, look no further than Divided We Fall. It is filled with chaos and standout moments, and quite frankly BIOHAZARD should be commended for their commitment to their sound and continuation of socially conscious lyricism. Guitarists and guitar enthusiasts in particular, this album is for you. Guitarists Bobby Hambel and Billy Graziadei provide abundant energy with powerful riffs and breathtaking solos. Death of Me is a standout for their prowess as guitarists. Crafted with precision and talent, the song features shining examples of their hardcore influences. The song contains heavy chugs, perfectly lingering notes and an astonishing solo. The song leaves the listener involuntarily headbanging and ready to two step the night away; it's pure aggression at its finest. To add to this, bassist Evan Seinfeld serves up a platter of chunky baselines that you can feel exploding in your chest. His bass brings a feeling of total dominance, especially in tracks where he plays alone. An example of this is the start of Fight to be Free, where the bass sets the tone for the whole song and increases the hostility of the track throughout. Many believe drums are the foundation to any good song. BIOHAZARD’s Divided We Fall is littered with dynamic drumming - from blast beats to exhilarating build ups. The album’s opening song Fuck the System has untamed rapid drumming, providing a shot of adrenaline right from the off. The drums have a key role in leading the track into an explosive breakdown when paired with defiant lyrics like “How much more can we take?”, leave listeners feeling empowered and angry over the current political climate. Lyrically, the album is well written and thought out. Billy Graziadei and Evan Seinfeld’s non-compliant shouts echo throughout the tracks. They are vocally profound and their voices feel unchanged, despite time away from performing. With uplifting songs such as I Will Overcome, the band portrays a positive message of living life in the moment, not regretting any choices while overcoming life’s obstacles - predominantly when people try to put you down. The prospect of fans all coming together to yell “I will overcome!” during live shows feels extremly exciting, and is sure to create a sense of unity and community amongst fans. It's especially important for inspiring music at a time where many feel uncertain of their future. On top of this, the track Forsaken highlights the importance of “justice and change”, showing the band's stance of distaste for war and declining human rights. The song features points about individuals fighting for women and children, despite not caring about them to begin with. The track feels like a riot, seeping with emotions of sadness and unbridled anger. The song feels currently incredibly relevant and the band should feel pride for continuing to speak out on the world’s issues. BIOHAZARD have remained legends in the metal scene, and this album removes any doubts over that. Whether you're a long time fan looking to reminisce, a recent fan or someone looking for something new, this album is for you. BIOHAZARD have stated that they will be embarking on a tour post album release, and it will definitely be worth attending to see the album live - especially if you love a mosh pit. Score: 8/10 Divided We Fall was released on October 17th 2025. Words: Alix England Photos: Biohazard

Even though warm and sunny days are no more, for some of us it is pop-punk season all year round. ACTION/ADVENTURE’s sophomore album Ever After provides a perfect soundtrack both to cheer up the listener, as well as to accompany the heaviness that comes with autumn - or fall, as they say in the band's home of Chicago. This release offers a great interpretation of what a classic pop-punk record should be, this time loaded with hefty riffs and overall a heavier, denser sound. The band formed a little over a decade ago, with their breakthrough moment being credited to a viral Tiktok video the band made back in 2020. Barricades, the song featured within, highlights the hurdles and prejudice faced by the all-BIPOC band in the scene. Indeed, the lack of diversity and representation within pop-punk music is still striking, despite big portions of the audience coming from a wide range of backgrounds. This experience, however, also meant that ACTION/ADVENTURE have their own unique story that they continue to tell all throughout their music journey. Shortly after having been signed to Pure Noise Records in 2021, the group released an EP titled Pulling Focus, followed by their debut full-length record in 2022. Its name Imposter Syndrome is self-explanatory: the lyrics focus on the aftermath of finally receiving some form of recognition and success, and the feelings of self-doubt that inevitably come along with it. Fast forward to this year, the band continues to explore similar themes with their sophomore album Ever After. Although the sound of some songs may appear bright at first glance, in true pop-punk spirit, it's loaded with some of the most vulnerable emotions one could confess. A group of musicians made it, did a couple of successful tour laps, and got to work with some of the loudest names in the scene: but what comes at the end, ‘ever after’? As guitarist and vocalist BROMPTON JACKSON discloses, the band has recently experienced one of the lowest points in their mental state. This is reflected in tracks such as That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime [AMV] which discusses the duality that touring life brings. Having to come down from the high, back home and once again to their day jobs, artists often lose themselves in the process: “I’ve relived so many lives, I forgot which one is mine”. Once we dive deeper into the lyrics, a lot of the songs on the new ACTION/ADVENTURE record simply cannot be taken lightly anymore. Seconds/Centuries opens with a melancholic acoustic intro, painting the imagery of hopelessness and despair. The song later grows into rageful screams and progressive riffs and solos, as if physically pulling the narrator out of this state and giving them energy to keep fighting. Floortime is another prime example; a cry over the world always moving on while all we can do is lie on the floor about it. The heavy topics of the record are also mirrored by the heavier texture of its musical sound. Tracks like Big Al Dente, despite being just short of three minutes, manage to include plenty of development within and even a breakdown at the end. ACTION/ADVENTURE did not forget to include some catchy choruses either: the melody of Spiral just begs to be sung along to next festival season. The album manages to keep uniformity and continuity without plummeting into bland repetition. Moreover, having two vocalists whose voices compliment each other so well makes for plenty of ability to expand their sound - so even those unfamiliar with the band at all are also in for a treat. If one could be convinced enough by this point to at least take a look at the tracklist, it would take them by surprise. It is ACTION/ADVENTURE’s first run of bringing on featured artists on an album - and it's three great names straight off the bat. Ex-REAL FRIENDS’ DAN LAMBTON joins them first, followed by BEN JORGENSEN of ARMOR FOR SLEEP, who also wrote a bridge for the song, and of course the UK’s pop-punk YouTubestar NOAHFINNCE. For the band, this must feel like one of the ‘pinch-me’ moments, but it is truly a glowing sign of their success. Despite all the self-consciousness the artists express in the lyrics, the music that they can create together will always be worth it. Ever After is clearly not the case of an album where all the hits have already been released as singles – there are plenty of gems hidden within, and every song is a great standalone piece. With all its unique genre-bending tricks, it is also an album that could satisfy not only the pop-punk audience, but also any lover of hard rock and heavy metal. Lead single Real Juicer Hours opened with: “I heard you had another breakdown, who cares?” Whether they meant it in the emotional or musical sense of the word, we suggest someone should and does in fact care. Score: 8/10 Ever After will be released on October 24th 2025 via Pure Noise Records. Words: Mariia Bulkina Photos: Action/Adventure

It’s pretty well documented that, aside from a host of dangerous creatures, there is something in the Australian water which causes them to produce some of the heaviest metal bands of the last 20 years. HEAVENSGATE is no exception to that rule, and in fact quite exemplary of it, with their sophomore EP A Heart Is A Heavy Burden. This release comes off the back of their first large tours overseas, hitting the road in Europe, the UK and the USA for the first time. This EP pulls no punches as it immediately confronts you with a chaotic assortment of chugs, blast beats and obscene noises somehow made by a guitar with the opening track Burden Of Being. From here the listener is catapulted into the first single to drop in the lead up to this release Oblivion. Much like the opener, this track is an onslaught, building to a truly cataclysmic breakdown preceded by the line “this world will ruin me”. This continues on into the second single Rain which is an overall similar experience, littered more with blast beats this time around. So far this experience has just been an auditory punch to the face. However, as we reach the midpoint of the EP, and the last of the 3 singles to be released, we see where HEAVENSGATE really stands out above the rest with Petichor. This heavy, atmospheric ballad is a moment of reprieve and reflection with the soft vocals courtesy of both the band’s singer NAZARETH THARATT and studio member JOSH ANG against a backdrop of ambient guitar driven soundscapes. This softer touch is continued into the next track Darling Blue. A lot of artists in metalcore try to mix softer elements into their heavier sound but few seem to stand out the way this band does. While this track contains the same reverb soaked guitars as the previous, it is the drum beat driving the verses and pushing the listener along gently through the track that makes it so unique. Finally, the EP ends with a return to annihilative heaviness on the closing track A Fawn Flayed. There’s not much that can be said that hasn’t been said already. This track is heavy and truly pushes the boundaries of that extensively. What is interesting however is how the end breakdown seems to almost call back to another project that some of the members of HEAVENSGATE were a part of, perhaps as a means of demonstrating their influence and their ability to execute the same ideas with greater intensity and precision. Regardless, this EP is a monolithic moment in this band’s career, which is likely to reach incredible highs in the future. This wonderful cacophony of metalcore, hardcore influence, shoegaze elements would easily be a release of the year contender for any fans of ALPHA WOLF, THROWN or MAKE THEM SUFFER. Score: 8/10 A Heart Is A Heavy Burden is out on 24th October 2025 via Pure Noise Records. Words: Alex Boyd Photos:

With her new album Poster Child, the first since signing with Fearless Records after nine years of independent releases, Pennsylvania native, but Nashville based TAYLOR ACORN infuses the gritty energy of late ’90s and early 2000s pop-punk with a contemporary edge, reinventing the genre that defined her. Best known for her pop punk, emo style with an added country vibe, the album is nothing short of a breakthrough and breakout sound for the new generation. Opening track People Pleaser dives straight into the feel of the album, giving a sense of optimism under the self-deprecation of lines like “Call me a people pleaser, only here for your leisure”. It’s clear from the first chorus that this album has been written with ACORN’s heart and soul laid bare. ​Following up is recent single Crashing Out, which has a heavier feel, with similarities to the likes of AGAINST THE CURRENT and HONEY REVENGE. The song benefits from a heavier guitar backing and is a high-energy pop-punk anthem, lamenting about the chaos of a turbulent relationship. ​Debut single Hangman is a guitar-fuelled, emotional pop punk ballad that blends raw energy with a melancholy edge. Taylor explores feeling emotionally stuck, saying it was "like the universe was playing a weird game," illustrated by lines like "Shake my fists up to the sky, is it my fate caught on the line? Can't you go easy on me?" ​Title track Poster Child talks of the need for showing yourself some love before being able to love someone else. "Poster child for screwing everything up, including us,” sings ACORN as crashing guitars underscore the emotional weight. ​ACORN said of the album, “When people listen to this album, I just want them to feel like they’re back in a time period that makes them feel good.” That sentiment is perfectly captured in Home Videos. Bringing us back to the year 1999, with nostalgic tales of childhood memories where “the worst thing you could break was a window or an arm”, the track sounds like it’s going to be a crowd favourite when played live. ​Cheap Dopamine is another slower track, where we hear ACORN asking questions to her past lover, and coming to the realisation of being in a one-sided, toxic relationship where she “Got so used to you using me, didn’t know I was losing me”, and comes to terms with the consequences of emotional dependency. ​Blood On Your Hands stands out as one of the album's strongest tracks, drawing from a place of heartbreak, anger, and defiance. With lines like "Only you, me, and God know the truth" and "Somehow you threw down the victim card," the song warns its antagonist after causing hurt. ​Goodbye, Good Riddance was selected as the lead single from Poster Child. Despite straightforward lyrics, the track delivers a hard-hitting, unapologetic message, offering listeners a clear sense of the album's overall energy and direction. ​ Sucker Punch downshifts the album into a gentler rhythm, with TAYLOR ACORN showcasing her crafting of emotionally resonant choruses wrapped in softer verses. ​The guitars shine in the track Vertigo, where ACORN tells us how her “heart's dead set” but her “head's so dizzy”, comparing her crush to dizzying disorientation. Theme Park brings us back to that nostalgia thread that winds through the album, where ACORN likens a new love to being a kid on a theme park ride, with feelings of adrenaline, excitement, and of course, throwing your hands up on a ride. ​Closing track Masquerade encapsulates the recurring theme of disenchantment and within her voice, ACORN displays a perfect medley of strength and fragility, mirroring the emotion she’s channelling with each line. The song culminates with the closing line “I’ll smash the champagne as I run out the door, cause this isn't fun anymore”, which delivers the final blow of the story we’ve been hearing throughout the album, where it’s clear that she’s ready for what comes next, but where she’s been hasn’t been so fun. ​Poster Child captures the infectious, nostalgic feel of what we expect from a pop punk artist, with each track clearly infused with her country influences. With each track, TAYLOR ACORN has presented an album showcasing that she’s not just revisiting the genre, she’s reshaping it for today. Score: 8/10 Poster Child is out on 24th October 2025 via Fearless Records Words: Lou Viner-Flood Photos: Good As Gold / Taylor Acorn

Hailing from Southern California, DAYSEEKER has long been known for their emotionally charged blend of post-hardcore, ambient rock, and melodic metal. While they’ve never leaned heavily into concept albums, their sixth full-length release, Creature In The Black Night comes close with its horror-inspired themes and cinematic vibes. From the first chord, you can hear that this is clearly their most immersive and deliberate musical statement to date. With its recurring vampiric imagery and death iconography, Creature In The Black Night may divide the opinions of followers of the band but will surely generate new interest from a new group of people. The first single, Pale Moonlight, offers an introduction to what people could expect from vocalist RORY RODRIGUEZ and the band in this era. The track showcases the sharper emotional edges and heavier melodic weight that carries through all of the songs on the album, with the vocals delivering aching vulnerability and seductive intensity. Charged with a captivating darkness that pulses beneath every note, with lines like “Fuck me in your dreams like you can't escape it; I can make a scene when I feel degraded”, Creature In The Black Night might be one of the slower tempo songs on the album, but it certainly conjures up specific images that accompany the listener as you make your way through the tracks. After a brief introduction to the seduction of Creature In The Black Night, Crawl Back To My Coffin solidifies that, though it is not a traditional concept album, it could be, if that is what the band wanted. There’s no other way to interpret the line “Came all this way, got out of my grave again, just to crawl back to my coffin” other than the narrator speaking of death and rebirth. We all know that a shapeshifter is something that can physically transform its form, and track Shapeshift encapsulates this with its continuation of the thread of darker, cinematic imagery with more shadowy, visual identity, with a synth-heavy guitar backing from GINO SGAMBELLURI and RAMONE VALERIO, and heavy drums from ZAC MAYFIELD. Soulburn follows next, driven by a melodic fire that meets lyrical precision; though the song is one of the slower tracks on the album, RODRIGUEZ spits venom with each line, “And when you say goodbye to all you've lost, I’ll be there so I can watch your soul burn alive”, spinning heartbreak into haunting harmony. What appears on the forefront as a sultry, vampiric anthem, Bloodlust soon reveals itself to be more about letting go of inhibitions and surrendering to the shadows within, conjuring images of dramatic graveyard rendezvous, with its deep layers of storytelling. Despite the track name, Cemetery Blues presents itself as the one track from the album which has a more typical DAYSEEKER sound to it, with tragic, emotive tropes like “The afterlife is colder than they told me it would be”. Nocturnal Remedy is a standout example of the way DAYSEEKER delivers poetically tragic lyricism. The song is expertly built around a chorus that's magnetic and demands attention. RODRIGUEZ also manages to showcase both his powerful clean singing alongside his screams, which heightens the emotional intensity of the track. The Living Dead slows down the allure after a run of high-energy tracks, bringing in a more heartbroken, sorrowful pace. It’s a track that is unflinching in its honesty and haunting in its beauty. Bringing the tempo back up towards the end of the album, Meet The Reaper aches with longing, tangled in the tension of love and surrender, with lines like “I’m addicted to the siren song, it’s a dull sound, drowning me out”. It evokes the death-tinged imagery that has been woven into the fabric of the album. Closing out the album is Forgotten Ghost, another track that breaks you in the softest way, with longing and aching feelings of grief and regret. Whilst we were expecting a heavier end to the album, it feels only right for DAYSEEKER to leave the listener wishing the story would unfold into more chapters, but instead being shown that life is temporary and nothing is promised. With Creature In The Black Night, DAYSEEKER have clearly evolved from their post-hardcore roots into something darker, and more mature. Crafting lyrics with raw emotion alongside seductive melody shows why they are considered to be a band whose songs continue to unfold across genres with heart and precision. Score: 8/10 Creature In The Black Night is out on 24th October 2025 via Spinefarm Records Words: Lou Viner-Flood Photos: Dayseeker

Forty three years is a long time for anyone to imagine but MOVING TARGETS have been making and releasing music for exactly that long. Red Eyes is their 8th studio album which is their 4th album since their revival in 2018. The album is packed with classic alt and punk rock, just like it was in the 90s. The opening title track Red Eyes is a completely instrumental number that establishes the general sound for the album. With a building structure and a repetitive descending riff which the drums dance around with a ringing guitar hums in the background. The track builds and drops just like a track with vocals would but stays this one goes without them. Saw Too Much opens with a twangy bass before those classic punk guitars enter, the vocals following not long after. The layered vocals bring a classic texture as well as tambourines and rock drum beats. The song structure is basic but perfectly enjoyable, a short number that perhaps could've used another few bars to finish it off. On The Run brings a darker vibe with minor chords and thorough crash usage, the instrumental is almost reminiscent of more classic rock rather than punk like a lot of other tracks on the album. The lyrics are simple and relatable referring to a relationship at its tail end, the melancholy chords reflecting the lyrics. Superficial World opens with definitive drums and guitars, fast paced with a repetitive, catchy bassline. Much like the other tracks so far on the album the song structure is simple and repetitive, lacking much variation or interruptions to the pace of the song. The next track Fly Away has a building introduction with the same descending guitar riff through the entirety of the track. The chorus is short and simple before returning to the verse, the lyrics also don’t vary much, the bridge changes up the drum beats and welcomes a very distant guitar solo that isn't given much light. Lost and Found is slightly more punk with a bit more distortion and layering both instrumentally and vocally offering more texture than previous tracks. The tone is more melancholic but again the lyrics and riffs are very repetitive with very little deviation. The last pre-chorus offers possibly the best guitar solo on the album, following the basic structure of the song but singing alongside it. King Zen is an instrumental track which is slightly lighter than the last with tambourines and an acoustic guitar layered in. The instrumental has the same structure as every other track with space for verses and choruses. Surface is a slower number with a deep twangy bass that repeats through the track. The chorus only brings four bars of variation between the verses, perhaps longer choruses could provide a longer break from the repetition. Nine Lives starts with a fast paced bass line, picking up again from the last track. The second half presents another short guitar solo adding more character before cutting the track short with a ringing guitar to finish off. The last track of the album Regrets doesn't provide much change with another alt rock track that repeats its riffs and has short sections. The second half has a short drum fill which is highlighted by the silence of other sounds, as well as a guitar solo filling out the rest of the song before an anticlimactic end. Overall the album is pretty paint by number with nothing creeping outside of the lines of alt or punk rock, but all in all the album is well made, mixed and mastered and there's nothing to fault. The album was well received by fans and is a comfortable medium album for the band and their long term listeners. Score: 6/10 Red Eyes was released on 25th July via Boss Tuneage and Dead Broke Records Words: Amy Smyth Photos: Moving Targets

SMOTE seem to draw their inspirations from the Earth. From the foundations and the vibrations that the world has to offer. There’s a sense of the ancient ritualistic forms intertwined with the trials and tribulations of modern everyday life. Here electronic elements embolden the rhythmic chanting of old. Welcome to Songs From The Free House. SMOTE’s main man DANIEL FOGGIN combines psychedelic drone-led magic with traditional folk roots and glimpses of electronic influence that embellish the band’s offering. This album is comforting, experimental, showcases all kinds of heaviness in sound, with moments that are unsettling but commanding. Songs From The Free House is their fifth release in four years. This particular album was recorded in Blank Studios with SAM GRANT of PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS, noted as being a first for SMOTE, who are used to being fully hands on with their projects. Intro track The Cottar comes at you in three parts. To begin with you’re thrown into a realm of wavy electric taunts with a hint of impending doom. By the middle of the track you’re faced with something urgent, flourishing. For act III there’s distortion charging from note to note, with flickering buzzing, blinkering, that in parts is uncomfortable as the track is brought to a close. The Linton Wyrm tells the legend from the borders of a large serpent, dating back to the 12th Century. With repeated drony vocals (including a guest appearance by SMOTE’s live band’s SALLY MASON) and doomy guitars alongside trancelike electronics, peaking through euphoric chorals makes for a very satisfying track. The guitar loops with a welcome little solo flourish and once the tune gets going the continual melody is so welcome you don’t want the track to end. The trashing of the Wyrm that supposedly decided the unusual landscape in the surrounding area can be felt in the rumbling of the incantations. The third and shortest track Snodgerss feels like you’re being chased through the forest, it becomes frantic and uncontrolling. Percussion drives the song forward, and is punctuated with an abrupt end. Chamber is soundtrack worthy, you can hear the flute over a low drone that sounds like a mystical adventure is afoot. Around the four and a half minute mark it blends into an electronic pattern, then into haunting vocals. Archaic chanting builds into bursts of precise drumming and doom distorted guitars that feel ghostly. The final offering Wynne is reverberating and smattering with psychedelic wavering that drowns out distant voices. The sound of the Uilleann pipes lent by IAN LYNCH of LANKUM flutter through the latter end of the track. Repetition becomes homely and embeds itself in your being as you take this album in. From start to finish you are confronted with a body of art that feels like an outlet, that you can relate to and shelter in. Although SMOTE's album tour cycle has already begun, there are a scatter of dates throughout the UK until the end of the month that promise an intense and unforgettable evening. Score: 8/10 Songs From The Free House was released on the 17th October via Rocket Recordings. Words: Danielle Henderson Photos: Smote

Originally hailing from Jacksonville, Florida, YELLOWCARD became one of the most influential alternative pop punk bands in the 2000s, leaving an incredible mark on the scene after selling over 4 billion albums worldwide and gaining over one billion streams. After disbanding in 2017 and leaving fans heartbroken, they later reunited in 2022 to embark on a new musical journey. Now, in 2025, they're releasing their highly anticipated comeback album Better Days. On this album YELLOWCARD have both revisited their old sound as well as leant into their classic pop punk sound. Better Days kicks off with the title track, an exceptionally good start to the album. The song reminds us of the 2000s pop punk scene that YELLOWCARD have their roots in, and immediately we're impressed. Chanting into the next song Take What You Want, this track has an incredibly catchy chorus that you will without a doubt have stuck in your head for days. The repetition on the lines “Say what you want,” “Take what you want,” and “Give all I’ve got” leaves a profound impact and has us catching ourselves singing the song throughout the day without even realising. The next track Love Letters Lost features MATT SKIBA of ALKALINE TRIO - their voices are perfect together, coming together to create this beautiful track filled with outstanding vocals and insane guitar riffs that really bring the song together. With it being one of the faster songs on the album, MATT SKIBA was definitely the right choice for a track feature. honestly i is filled with impactful lyrics alongside the passionate, hope filled vocals - here, RYAN KEY delivers us a song that touches the depths of our soul. To us, this song is about being “saved” by love and feeling stuck in the circle of life until that one person comes into the picture - then suddenly you feel the most alive you’ve ever felt. It truly is a beautiful feeling and the song captures every bit of it. Halfway through the album we have a feature from AVRIL LAVIGNE on the song You Broke Me Too. This song is a slower one, and AVRIL comes into it perfectly with her angelic voice, really adding to the song's overall emotion. Towards the end, her and RYAN's voices harmonise together to create the perfect ending. City Of Angels starts with a slow build up leading to a soul-crushing solo, but the mood quickly switches with an upbeat sound taking over the overall feel of the song. Although the lyrics stay the same, your mood feels elevated and that feels like the message this song is trying to give; feeling lost until that person comes into your life and suddenly everything changes, everything feels brighter. “Tear down my bedroom posters, don’t say those days are over”. These lyrics are sure to be on a loop in your head. Bedroom Posters is an incredibly catchy song with more of a pop vibe to it, and we can already imagine ourselves dancing around our rooms to this song. Skin Scraped starts off with a mellow beat before the guitar picks up and keeps a steady riff as the vocals are introduced. Similarly to Bedroom Posters, this song also has a pop feel to it with some isolated vocals added in which really adds to the song. Once again the chorus really stands out - it makes you want to just get up and dance. These two songs are excellent to just let go to. Barely Alive touches the inner depths of your soul with its lyrics, the song curated to go through your emotions to and let it all out. This track is a heartbreaking one - about losing the person previously mentioned in honestly i; the one who came into your life and made you feel alive. Lastly, the song that ties it all up and brings the album to an end is Big Blue Eyes. It's a slower song, giving us a bittersweet ending to this album, but nonetheless we can’t help but feel happy and proud at how far this band has come over the years. They have really outdone themselves once again with this album. It is truly a special listen, with themes of love and heartbreak that many people around the world will relate to. This release was highly anticipated, and many fans were incredibly excited for it - and for good reason, because YELLOWCARD has not let us down yet. Score: 9/10 Better Days was released on 10th October 2025 via Better Noise Music. Words: Kelsey Mainwaring Photos: Yellowcard

There’s a special kind of madness at work in The Hardest Thing About Being God Is That No One Believes Me. The new album from New Zealand’s BLINDFOLDED AND LED TO THE WOODS isn’t just heavy, it’s completely possessed. For those who have been paying attention, this record feels like a natural and unsettling evolution of what the band have been building towards. Their 2023 record Rejecting Obliteration proved they could play tech-death with terrifying precision, but here they sound freer, stranger, and far more dangerous. Self-producing for the first time has clearly unshackled them. Every track teeters on the brink of collapse, and that’s exactly where BLINDFOLDED AND LED TO THE WOODS thrive. Where earlier material went straight for the jugular though, The Hardest Thing About Being God Is That No One Believes Me is a slower bleed, more deliberate and psychological. It’s the band’s first concept album, charting the mental unravelling of a stalker consumed by obsession, and it plays out with dreadful control. Thematically, it’s about fixation and power, but the band approach it with an eerie kind of elegance. Each song feels like a page torn from a diary written in panic, the boundaries between love, possession, and annihilation blurring until nothing makes sense. Opening track Arrows of Golden Light sets the tone perfectly. It begins in eerie calm, with shimmering clean guitars and ghostly ambience, before mutating into a twisting, hyper-technical storm. There’s space here, moments of quiet unease that make the explosions hit even harder. It’s a stunning opener, all menace and creeping insanity. From there, things only get darker. Compulsion is the album’s wild-eyed centrepiece, bringing a violent rush of riffs and blast beats that captures the exact moment reason gives way to mania. Red adds a different flavour, its intricate riffing darting between dissonance and melody like a trapped animal, trying to escape its own skin. Then 600 Milligrams slows everything to a suffocating crawl, eerie synths wrapping around STACE FIFIELD’s desperate screams until it feels like the walls themselves are closing in. The title track, The Hardest Thing About Being God Is That No One Believes Me, distils the record’s central mania into its most frightening form. It’s claustrophobic and unrelenting, with a swirl of convulsive guitars, blast beats, and vocals that blur the line between fury and delusion. Lyrically, it marks the moment the record’s protagonist fully snaps, breaking into their victim’s home in a deranged act of devotion and control. Musically, it mirrors that descent with spiralling rhythms and suffocating tension, as if the whole track is gasping for air inside its own obsession. Everything culminates in Coalescence, the haunting closer, where Icelandic artist Hera Hjartardóttir drifts in like a ghost at the edge of the carnage. Her mournful refrain of “this cold world” feels like both a confession and release, a final breath after total collapse. FIFIELD doesn’t just deliver the story of this record; he becomes it. His voice splinters and convulses, embodying the central character’s descent with unnerving conviction. The rest of the band match that intensity at every turn. Guitarists STUART HENLEY-MINCHINGTON and DAN HAYSTON weave together jagged riffs, off-kilter melodies, and waves of synth, giving the record its unpredictable shape. HAYSTON’s arrival has clearly expanded the band’s sonic range, with his atmospheric touches adding texture and unease throughout the record. Drummer ANTHONY “COOTA” ASIMAKOPOULOS and bassist NICK SMITH form the bedrock, locking into a groove that’s both mechanical and strangely alive. If Rejecting Obliteration was the band’s act of rebellion, The Hardest Thing About Being God Is That No One Believes Me is their reckoning. It’s a record about power, control, and the seductive pull of obsession - both the character’s and, in a way, the band’s own. BLINDFOLDED AND LED TO THE WOODS have never sounded more focused, more fearless, or more disturbingly alive. Score: 8/10 The Hardest Thing About Being God Is That No One Believes Me was released on October 10th via Prosthetic Records. Words: Zuanna Pazola Photos: Blindfolded and Led to the Woods

Is there a better way than spending Friday night out than listening to metal? Absolutely not. Especially when SINSAENUM are in the city! The multinational supergroup features FRÉDÉRIC LECLERQ (guitar, keyboard; KREATOR, LOUDBLAST), STÉPHANE BURIEZ (guitar; LOUDBLAST), SEAN ZATORSKY (vocals; DÅÅTH), HEIMOTH (bass; SETH) and ANDRÉ JOYZI (drums) - they blend blackened death metal with melodic and experimental elements and have recently released a new full-length album named In Devastation. Their set at The Underworld in London was the last stop of the UK leg of their tour, before heading back into Europe, and has seen three supports for the evening - DENDERA, DAMIM and DIE EGO. First support band of the evening, DIE EGO, hails from London, and although their crowd was not big, they still managed to make the fans move and sing along. Consisting of DIEGO FARDEL (lead guitarist), GABE SCAPIGLIATI (vocals and bass) and EDOARDO MARIOTTI (drums), the heavy-metal trio blends heavy-metal with thrash, classic, death and doom metal in their songs and takes influence from bands like PANTERA and SLIPKNOT. Their set was quick, yet energetic, and set off the mood of the evening in the right direction. Next up was yet another band from London, DAMIM. The extreme metal three-piece, that features NATHANAEL UNDERWOOD on vocals and guitar, FLOW TOULMAN on drums and FAUST PEREZ on bass, brough raw and unforgiving show to the venue, together with aggressive vocals and riffs. As well as its predecessor, the band unfortunately did not have a big crowd, but that did not stop them from putting up a set that was met with success with the fans that were present and hype the crowd even more. DENDARA, the last of the three supporting bands, had seen the biggest crowd of the evening during their set. Formed in 2007 in Portsmouth, the heavy metal five-piece with two guitars DAVID STANTON and STEPHEN MAIN, who has been in the band since its founding, vocalist ASHLEY EDISON, bassist BRADLEY EDISON and drummer ANDY FINCH has been influenced by the likes of TRIVIUM, TESSERACT and LAMB OF GODS, and are very popular with the British crowds. The band’s set was fast-paced, immersive and non-compromising, and the fans around The Underworld knew words to every song. Although some fans left right before SINSAENUM’s set, the crowd was still lively. The supergroup did not hold back with fan interactions, piercing screams and emotional moments and it made the set absolutely stand-out. Coming out with a ten-track setlist, the band was working with about an hour long set, which is not very long for a headliner, but they managed to make the fans sing with them every single word, form a big moshpit in the middle of the floor and express their feelings of gratitude every chance they got, as the headliner show in the iconic venue and the support of their fans were immense. Playing songs from their latest album In Devastation, as well as few older songs, SINSAENUM was able to cater for all their fans and create an evening that was both memorable and filled with excitement. SINSEANUM’s headline show in The Underworld was an amazing opportunity for the band’s fanbase to see them up and close and it was obvious they grasped that opportunity immediately. Supported by the great DENDARA, DAMIM and DIE EGO, who have all come onto the stage with amazing sets, the evening had an incredible atmosphere and the floor was shaking from the moshpits, dancing and jumping. Words and Photos: Katerina Stepanikova