Having a warrior chant as an opener to their new album, HUN, it could only be done by the folk metal masters that are THE HU. Their goal is to grow and reach audiences all over the world, to share their world with their audiences. THE HU’s sound is so iconic that it has pioneered its own genre. The concoction of heavy rock riffs and traditional Mongolian instruments alongside throat singing is captivating, and it sounds incredible. First brought under the spotlight in 2019 by NPR, the band’s popularity has skyrocketed in the West, seeing them playing shows and festivals globally with no slowing down in sight. The band consists of members Galaa, Jaya, Enkush, and Temka, between them playing traditional Mongolian instruments such as the morin khuur (horsehead fiddle), tumur khuur (jaw harp), tovshuur (lute), and tsuur (flute). HUN is their third full length album, and it's a step up from their previous work, giving more of their signature style with a bit more grittiness, a bit more edge, and a story to tell. Warrior Chant begins with an atmospheric pounding beat and evolves into a layered loop, at its midpoint there’s a chant that makes you ready for battle, fiercely powering through you. The biggest surprise on the album is the track Lost Soul, featuring vocalist Jonny Hawkins from NOTHING MORE. This collaboration brings a whole new dimension to not only the genre but THE HU’s overall sound, giving a glimpse of what could be if they took a slightly different route. The track teeters on a more synth driven sound which hasn’t been fully embraced before by the band, but it works and is truly unique; there is genuinely nothing like this anywhere in the music world. Of this song, Galaa said, “To be not lost on your life journey, not losing your values, and go through life and having a courage to face the life obstacles are messages we are sending our fans through this song” which echoes as the group stay true to their roots in this track and throughout their career. The ripping riffs of The Men come crashing in, playing what feels like a guitar solo but sounds like a fiddle. Echoes of My Father builds tension as the story unfolds, the breathy vocals harmonising with the instrumentals, sounding like spirits in the mist. Drums beat in a regimental fashion, throat singing reverberates, the intricate melody laying underneath; the output is magic. The horse is a prominent animal in Mongolian culture, so a track called Horsemen shouldn't come as a surprise. The track is built of many elements, another awe-inspiring “guitar” solo, echoing whinnies both from real horses and instrumental soundalikes, embedded in a classic rock setting. Greed bounds in, this time with a western style focus, a guttural scream and ground rattling throat singing throwing everything back to where it should be. A highlight worth mentioning in Grey Hun, one of the album’s singles, is the furious solo that electrifies. The sheer madness of it grips you. On the other hand, The Universe at eight minutes long takes its time to show off, but it is beautiful and worth every second. Going out with a bang we have Second Face, a bouncy tune that warrants a crowd to dance without abandon. The power of THE HU is their ability to transcend the boundaries of language and location, and share their culture with the world. Mongolia is the most sparsely populated country on Earth, with only three and a half million living across six hundred and four square metres, which is roughly six and a half times larger than the UK. With such a rich and vibrant culture that could be seen as overlooked by the West, THE HU are able to amass listeners of all ages and walks of life, bringing them together to discover something they would have never dreamed of experiencing. Score: 8/10 HUN will be released on the 24th July 2026 via Better Noise Music. Words: Danielle Henderson Photos: Blgunee Hiroshi

Until now, Cork-based DAZGAK! had concentrated their post-hardcore, skate-punk into furious instrumentals to convey the trio’s tumultuous feelings into wordless sound - that all changed with their re-emergence as a four-piece, boldly showing off the elevated ferocity of their vocals-infused sound on new EP Stimpy. A play on Irish slang “that’s gak” (“that sucks”), DAZGAK! live and breathe this rebellious punk spirit, their chaotic energy and hard-hitting melodies balancing out their ability not to take themselves seriously. It’s clear from their determination to spread the DAZGAK! word from the Irish hardcore scene into some of the UK’s coveted underground venues that the band have their fingers on the pulse of disillusionment and bitterness in their audience, and channel that shared discontent into pile-driving hooks and whips to match fresh, caustic screams that range from grittily obscure to jarringly clear, maintaining the raw emotion throughout each breakneck track on Stimpy. Snapping into rabid action, Big In Tucson is a meaty start to a smorgasbord of rhythms, with Jake O’Driscoll and Jackson Weed’s frenzied riffs and stirring melodic strings lapping over Philly Purcell’s swinging beats that crash forward into cymbal heavy breaks, O’Driscoll’s hardened shouts paving the way for their new vocal direction. No Sweat’s guitar hook intro leads you into Enda Boyle’s shuddering and unforgiving bass line, fluctuating between leaden skate-punk chords and skittering guitars that bend sideways for a luscious bass solo and breathless shouts - in contrast to the song’s title, this will certainly work up a sweaty crowd. Tog Go Bog E (Top Sixteen) is another welcome piece of lingo, Irish Gaelic for “take it easy”. DAZGAK! are doing anything but going easy, keeping their focus firmly on frenetic rhythms whilst shifting the genre to a more pop-punk feel, O’Driscoll’s vocals shining through clearer as he sings raggedly “I wanna use my voice and learn how to control it”, symbolic of his triumphant addition to the band and their new sound. Hints of emo permeate Soulker and its interchanging tempo, the lone strums building to addictive and upbeat riffs and promising something more is to come on the track as the instrumentals collide together with the weighty screams. Trixie adds another genre and layer of emotional depth to the EP as it slows in pace and falls away from the edginess briefly to a disquiet, the vocals swollen with feeling as they still scream out but inject a soft sadness to the cries of “I don’t care”, the guitars taking on a dreamlike feel at war with the relentless bass and drums before a solo cuts through to deliver more despair. Named after the younger brother from Malcolm In The Middle, Dewey carries the frantic energy of the turbulent sitcom family as it closes out Stimpy in a short but sweet track that feels like one last effort to showcase their newfound strength as a four-piece, with beefy riffs and beats that boast an element of math-rock over the skate-punk melody. Stimpy feels like the paradigm for all angsty rock fans desiring the escape from their one-horse town, their belting voices and rhythms another beacon for post-hardcore fans looking for a sign of bigger and better things to come. DAZGAK! exploded onto the scene like a breath of fresh, sweaty-venue air, but it’s now that we see them completed and unified as they begin their upward battle to towering pinnacles. Score: 8/10 Stimpy will be released on 24th July 2026 via Floodlit Recordings. Words: Julia Stark Photos: Dylan Duncann

With Dreamstate of Fear, MIMI BARKS delivers what feels like her most self-assured release to date. While the Berlin artist has spent years carving out her own lane with her self-described doom trap sound, this seven-track EP places far greater emphasis on the emotional and psychological ideas behind the music than simply pushing genre boundaries for the sake of it. At its core, Dreamstate of Fear explores heaven and hell as psychological states, examining cycles of fear, self-destruction, and personal transformation rather than presenting them as external forces. That concept runs throughout the EP, making it feel less like a collection of individual songs and more like a complete body of work. The inclusion of shorter interlude pieces such as Polarity and States of Consciousness reinforces that sense of continuity, encouraging the record to be experienced from beginning to end rather than dipping in and out of it. Trying to pin the EP to a single genre is pointless, as metal, industrial, trap, and electronic influences constantly overlap without any one style dominating. Instead of chasing acceptance from any particular scene, MIMI BARKS commits entirely to her own vision, creating something that feels distinctive even within an increasingly experimental heavy music landscape. That confidence is reflected in MIMI BARKS’ vocal performance. Her harsh, commanding delivery is immediately recognisable, but it’s the contrast between those heavier moments and the more melodic or spoken-word passages that gives the EP much of its emotional depth. Tracks such as Dreamstate of Hell showcase that balance particularly well, shifting effortlessly between aggression and vulnerability without sacrificing either. Power durch Verrat is perhaps the EP’s most striking moment. Performed entirely in German, it feels like a confident embrace of MIMI BARKS’ identity rather than a concession to accessibility. Surrounded by English-language tracks, its inclusion strengthens the record’s authenticity, serving as a reminder that staying true to your roots can often be more powerful than broadening your appeal. If there is one title that encapsulates the record as a whole, it’s Butterfly in Chains. Throughout the EP, moments of melody and vulnerability are wrapped in abrasive production and industrial chaos. Beauty is present, but it never arrives without resistance. That tension defines Dreamstate of Fear, resulting in a release that is uncompromising, emotionally raw, and impossible to mistake for anyone else. There is something about this EP that is deliberately confrontational. Metal purists are unlikely to embrace its collision of styles, while even listeners with more open-minded tastes may need several listens before everything clicks into place. However, whether it wins over every listener or not is almost beside the point; MIMI BARKS has created exactly the record she set out to make, and that conviction is what leaves the strongest impression. Nothing here feels designed to satisfy expectations or follow trends, and the music is stronger for it. Love it or loathe it, Dreamstate of Fear is impossible to ignore. Heavy music has never been more willing to blur genre lines, but few artists do so with the same boldness and individuality as MIMI BARKS. Score: 8/10 Dreamstate of Fear will be released on 24th July via DEATHKISS Records. Words: Zuzanna Pazola Photos: Mimi Barks

It’s been eight long years of silence since the last full length MADBALL release, and finally, the wait is over. The kings of New York Hardcore return with Not Your Kingdom, an album that feels like a much-needed shot of adrenaline straight to the veins. Few bands have carried the spirit and sense of community of the NYHC scene quite like MADBALL, and this record serves as another reminder of why they remain one of the genre’s most respected and enduring names. Powered by passion, intensity, and that unmistakable MADBALL attitude, Not Your Kingdom is here to remind everyone that hardcore is still alive and kicking. The album wastes absolutely no time getting down to business. Opening track Tethered lands like a sucker punch to the gut, driven by crushing riffs the kind of energy that immediately demands attention. As the first track of this fourteen song assault, it sets the tone perfectly. Rather than attempting to reinvent the formula, MADBALL do what they have always done best by delivering powerful, direct hardcore with conviction. Tethered reinforces exactly why they have remained one of the most reliable and influential forces in the scene for decades. Rebelude acts as a brief introduction before launching into Rebel Kids, where the moment the vocals kick in, the track instantly creates that classic two-step atmosphere, it has the kind of groove where the crowd will know exactly what to do. That momentum carries directly into Don’t MisStep, which picks up the pace and injects even more urgency into the record. With its faster tempo and relentless drive, this is a track that will undoubtedly become a favourite when MADBALL hit the stage, with pits opening and bodies moving before the first chorus has even finished. What Say You keeps things simple but sharp, proving that sometimes the most effective riffs are the ones that know exactly when to hit. The mid paced groove still carries plenty of weight and intensity, never allowing the song to lose its bite. Following this, Stab Wounds explodes with a heavier attack, and the bass immediately cuts through the centre of the track, becoming a defining feature of the song. The low end presence feels like a copper coin scraping relentlessly across the strings, adding another layer of aggression to an already powerful track. A short interlude Sunrise brings the sounds of the city into focus, with distant noises and a radio broadcast creating a brief moment of atmosphere before leading into Life’s a Mural. This track brings a slightly different flavour, leaning into a more punk driven approach while still carrying the unmistakable DNA of MADBALL. It shows that after all these years; the band can still introduce variation without losing the identity that fans have connected with for so long. Perhaps a tribute to the values that have always shaped MADBALL and the wider NYHC family, Family First captures one of the movement’s most important principles. Loyalty and looking after your own have always been at the heart of the scene, and the song embodies that message perfectly. Beginning with a slow, hulking groove before kicking ass. The underpin of a blistering tempo, while the vocals snarl, chefs kiss. This is an iconic song that if you heard this one first on a playlist you would instantly be like yeah that’s MADBALL, it is their classic sound we all know and love. Not Your Kingdom is more than just another strong MADBALL release, it's a statement where it makes you say this album has mad balls, get it, MADBALL. The band sound revitalised, playing with the hunger and conviction of a group with everything still to prove. The album carries the weight of their history while looking firmly toward the future. After eight years away, MADBALL have returned not just to remind everyone where they came from, but to show that they are nowhere near finished. If Not Your Kingdom is anything to go by, their legacy remains secure, and the future looks brighter than ever. Score: 9/10 Not Your Kingdom will be released on 26th July 2026 via Nuclear Blast Records. Words: Ciara Hicks-Evans Photos: Dave Causa

Teasing the album on their Prowler tour and creating anticipation amongst the fanbase, WATERPARKS showcase their ambition through sixth studio album JINX. The band showcases their creative risks through infectious earworms that linger long after the music ends. With a commitment to evolution, JINX follows a musical story that encapsulates the vulnerabilities, tensions and complexities of everyday life. Awsten Knight operates from pure instinct which had resulted in him previously scrapping a fully completed album. Geoff Wigington brings a range of driving guitar rhythms. Otto Wood showcases his powerful drumming skills. Tune into an album that embraces their indie pop experimental and alternative rock sound. Immersing the listeners straight into the theatrical universe of JINX, TELL ME WHY dives into the existential crisis of living. The back and forth between Awsten and the single’s features as devils and angels evokes the dynamic nature of a musical theatre number. An animated environment during the bridge is formed as opposing forces close in, guiding Awsten toward hell with nowhere left to run or hide. The fan favourite singles smoothly follow along. RED GUITAR captures the hearts of previous fans who are ready to indulge in WATERPARKS’ previous pop rock albums. Diving straight into the realities of the music industry and feeling burnout after chasing childhood dreams, the heavy topics are contradicted by the upbeat instrumentals. Opening with steady drums and trains, IF LYRICS ARE CONFIDENTIAL takes inspiration from 80's hip hop. This confessional track channels the band's anger and frustration at the toxic behaviour of sections of its fanbase. By bleeping their own track, Awsten highlights the extent to which fame can demand self-censorship. Taking on similar elements, GWEN STEFANI is the most publicly acknowledged WATERPARKS demo and Awsten had finally cracked the code. This track filled unwavering drums, majestic violins and glittering piano notes. PROWLER opens with a podcast sample “Wait Waterparks. If this is heavy metal, I’m going to be so fucking pissed”. Whilst the track is not heavy metal, this is one of the heaviest tracks on the album as it features raw vocals and distorted synths. The track's simmering anger is built through gradual layers of instrumental tension, mirroring the emotional weight of its deeply personal lyrics. Focal points of dreamy pop tracks such as NOBODY BY YOU, NO NO NO NO NO and PLAYING MUSIC revolve around themes of love. NOBODY BUT YOU encapsulates a sensual environment with deep devotion lingering within the fingerpicked melody. If any track were to be found on a teen rom-com, NO NO NO NO NO and PLAYING MUSIC would be the first in line. Both tracks feature playful glistening synths that maintain an upbeat atmosphere. Whilst these are catchy tracks, they ultimately find the band playing it safe after their success with Telephone. BETTER THAN THERAPY contradict the rose coloured view on relationship as the bubblegum-rock track follows the whirlwind of a relationship. Awsten Knight is engulfed by their love for the other person whilst remaining self-aware of one's own toxic traits. With its melancholic atmosphere, MIRAGE draws listeners into an exploration of loss and longing. Through recurring imagery of light and shadow, the track captures the fragility of lingering memories as the narrator believes “Why does time heal everyone but me?”. ANY MINUTE NOW reflects on the past, present and taking everything one day at a time. Weaving through hopeless feelings to reflecting on his childhood, there will always be some lingering hope. What if it works out? The soft drums and acoustic guitar have already connected to fans, forming slow dancing pits and glistening lights in crowds. Taking influences from an imaginary video game album, TASTES LIKE TANGERINE truly is the song of the century. There is a heavy industrial sound paired with catchy guitar chords that formulate a loud and sonic track. From a quiet bridge filled with whispering and layered breaths, listeners are launched back into organised chaos. Closing with a political track, GIRLS NEED GUNS opens as a slower track featuring Awsten’s mother talking about female reproductive rights in America. “If the past’s a sign, the world’s fucked up”. Acting as a wake-up call, this is a calm approach to addressing the situation. JINX resists being confined by one genre, instead WATERPARKS is proving their ability to master a range of genres. Give this album a few spins to fully appreciate the intricacies of each track. It might end up being better than therapy. Score: 6/10 JINX will be released on 26th July 2026 via BMG. Words: Theviya R Karunaharan Photos: wATERPARKS

Throughout the alternative rock scene, musical developments and evolutions often become integral to its progression. Instrumental rock has grown into a major player over the last decade, with bands like POLYPHIA paving the way for a new wave of artists to flourish. GUDEWIFE are the latest example of this with their new EP Atoms, Don’t Die. The duo from the North West of the UK have created a beautifully addictive sound that incorporates a vast array of styles, taking experimentation to another level. Drawing influence from jazz, post-rock, math rock and touches of IDM, they have crafted a sound that feels both fresh and ambitious. Breaking down the EP’s five tracks highlights both their potential and the creative heights they are willing to reach as they continue to establish themselves within the scene. The EP opens with Tahrir, featuring guest-spoken-word vocals from Palestinian-American poet and psychologist Hala Alyan. Rapid percussion and crushing guitar chords launch the track with intensity before easing into slower passages, only to aggressively return to its heavier foundations. Alyan’s softer delivery acts almost as a narrator throughout, creating the feeling of a dystopian landscape reflecting the troubled world we live in, particularly the horrific events unfolding in Gaza. The occasional pauses in the instrumentation allow her powerful words room to resonate, leaving the listener with moments of reflection. It’s a powerful opening and an excellent example of how impactful instrumental music can be. Millennial Rot follows, maintaining the aggressive pace established by its predecessor. Guest artists Pleiades lend their post-rock influence to the track, and it’s difficult not to appreciate how naturally both bands complement one another. Andy Calderbank's harrowing screams blend seamlessly with the relentless instrumentation, while Tom Holmes delivers controlled yet frenetic drumming that provides the perfect platform for Luke Burrows to unleash snarling riffs and intricate guitar work. Next comes Halcyon Collider, a title that perfectly suits the track’s approach. High-pitched guitar melodies collide with thunderous drums, creating the feeling of a musical battle between guitarist and drummer, almost like atoms crashing together inside their own collider. It’s one of the slower moments on the EP and relies heavily on rich chord progressions before drifting into psychedelic territory through impressive guitar solos. At times, those solos carry a subtle science-fiction quality, while the drums keep everything firmly rooted in rock, allowing Burrows to explore his technical ability without ever sounding self-indulgent. The penultimate track, When Silence Forgets Itself, showcases some of the strongest guitar work on the release. The movement between riffs, melodies and tempo changes feels effortless, flowing naturally throughout. There are moments where vocals almost feel absent—something that can often divide listeners when it comes to instrumental rock. However, Burrows’ expressive playing gives the guitar a voice of its own. It’s an incredibly difficult technique to master, and the clever use of synths alongside the production creates an added sense of mystery and individuality. The closing track, Slow Hound, is anything but. While it opens at a measured pace, it’s merely the calm before the storm. Once again, the production deserves praise, particularly for the way it allows the guitar to adopt yet another distinct character. A spoken-word passage intertwines with repeating arpeggios and pounding drums, creating the feeling of a closing monologue that reflects on the short but robust journey the duo have taken the listener on. Overall, Atoms, Don’t Die serves as an excellent introduction to GUDEWIFE. They have shown not only an ability to write energetic and engaging music, but also a clear understanding of how to produce instrumental rock in a way that feels immersive and emotionally resonant. As instrumental rock continues to grow into an increasingly prominent part of the wider rock scene, GUDEWIFE deserve to be recognised as one of the artists helping to shape its future. Score: 9/10 Atoms, Don’t Die will be released on 26th July 2026 via Ripcord Records. Words: David Waites Photos: Nathaniel Scott

There are very few bands from the mid 2000's pop punk and emo scene that have managed to evolve without losing the qualities that made them special in the first place. MAYDAY PARADE have always built their music around honest songwriting, huge melodies and an emotional connection with their audience, and twenty years into their career those strengths remain as clear as ever. After spending the last year releasing Sweet and Sad, Sugar completes the trilogy by bringing together the energy of the first release and the reflection of the second. Rather than feeling like three separate projects, the final chapter ties everything together, showing a band that is still finding new ways to explore their sound while staying true to the identity that has defined them for two decades. Produced once again by Zack Odom and Kenneth Mount, Sugar sounds polished without losing its heart. Every instrument has room to breathe and every chorus feels carefully crafted, allowing the emotion behind the songs to take centre stage. The record opens with Set Phasers To Bummed, beginning with an unexpected voicemail before leading into a short instrumental. It is an unusual introduction that feels more like setting the scene than trying to immediately grab attention. The transition into Blame It On The Youth is seamless, creating an opening that flows naturally and establishes the bright, melodic direction of the album. The opening stretch is undeniably enjoyable. The hooks are memorable, the production is clean and there is plenty of energy throughout. However, this is also where the album feels at its safest. While songs like Blame It On The Youth and Sad Sweet Sugar are catchy enough to stay with the listener, they do begin to blend together slightly. There is nothing particularly weak about these tracks, they simply do not offer the same variety that arrives later in the record. It is the only point where Sugar briefly loses some momentum. Everything changes with Weekend Music. As the lead single, it immediately stands out thanks to its fresh approach and confident songwriting. The shift in sound gives the album a much needed spark, while the huge chorus and powerful vocal performance make it one of the record's defining moments. It is the type of song that feels built for live shows, encouraging singalongs while still carrying the emotional honesty that has always been at the centre of MAYDAY PARADE'S music. From this point onwards, Sugar becomes a much stronger and more diverse listening experience. Instead of relying on upbeat choruses throughout, the band allow the album to slow down when it needs to. Lying To Myself is one of the best examples of this. Rather than demanding attention through volume, it creates an atmosphere that gives both the listener and the album space to breathe. It is a reminder that some of the band's strongest moments come through restraint rather than constant energy. That willingness to vary the pacing continues across the second half. Two Hearts introduces another subtle change in direction, balancing glossy production with a more relaxed performance that still remains instantly memorable. These quieter moments stop the record from becoming repetitive and make the bigger choruses feel even more impactful when they arrive. Songs such as Patriotism Of First Tiger Called Into Question provide exactly that, delivering one of the catchiest moments on the album while showcasing just how consistently strong the production remains from beginning to end. One of Sugar's biggest strengths is its pacing. Although the first few songs feel slightly similar, the second half opens the album up considerably, moving confidently between upbeat anthems, reflective moments and emotionally driven songwriting. Every change in mood feels natural, making the album feel like a complete journey rather than simply a collection of songs. That balance between energy and vulnerability has always been one of MAYDAY PARADE'S defining qualities, and it is arguably presented better here than anywhere else across the trilogy. The closing track, What Happens Next, provides the perfect ending. Opening with a beautiful piano melody before gradually building throughout its runtime, it feels intimate from the very first note. The harmonies are among the strongest on the album, while the emotional lyrics give the song genuine weight without ever feeling forced. As the arrangement grows, so does its impact, creating a finale that feels both satisfying and open ended. It is a fitting conclusion, not only to Sugar, but to the trilogy as a whole. Rather than looking back with nostalgia alone, the song leaves the impression that MAYDAY PARADE still have plenty more to say. The album is not flawless, the opening section occasionally lacks the variety found later on, but its strongest moments more than make up for that. By the time the closing notes of What Happens Next fade away, Sugar feels like exactly what it was intended to be, the perfect combination of the energy found on Sweet, the reflection of Sad, and a confident statement that this band still has plenty left to offer. Score: 7/10 Sugar will be released on 24th July 2026 via Many Hats Distribution. Words: Con McAdam Photos: Eli Ritter

Fresh out the oven, MOUTH ULCERS are an up-and-coming group of goth and post-punk lovers from London. Starting out as a band only last year, they have already managed to grow quite a bit, putting on headline shows around the country and across the channel. In line with the release of their fantastic debut EP Silent Pictures, we caught Zak and Jamie-Lee from MOUTH ULCERS to hear their personal perspective on the record. The band discuss what moving parts go into their sound and visuals, whether their souls are truly as dark as their lyrics, and how music of other genres may inspire their creative directions. Nothing in the world of MOUTH ULCERS is predetermined, as the band did not originally set out for any big projects, but simply worked their way through GarageBand demos, adding more layers each time. Moreover, they did not even necessarily set out to create a goth band, but it was something that came naturally from their influences. “We’re all from small towns out of London where not much really happened. And it’s always quite mysterious and gloomy at night”. The darkness of the suburbs, and their own melancholic, introverted characters were bound to shape the direction of MOUTH ULCERS. The choice of musical style is precisely what Jamie-Lee attributes the band’s rapid success to: “there’s not really other younger bands that are doing this genre specifically, I feel like it stands out quite a bit. You’ve got post-punk, but this is more goth in a way.” Whether it is a certain craving for the bass-fuelled angst in the air these days, or whether MOUTH ULCERS are simply fulfilling the niche that was always out there, it is clear the band has already gathered a strong, loyal audience in what is only the foundation stages of their journey. Diving into Silent Pictures more deeply, Zak has shared that his favourite off the EP might be Satisfy. The track starts off slow, but gradually intensifies, resulting in a big, dramatic ending: “It’s not an instant catchy song right from the start, you’ve got to let it build and let it sink into your skin a little bit”. Even more, the listening experience would be elevated when the EP is played on a night drive along a dark, fast motorway, as Zak explains: “You’ve got to be careful though, because sometimes you can drive a little bit too fast if the songs are going quite quickly”. The same raucous energy of MOUTH ULCERS is also translated live, especially on tracks such as Closer to You. This one is Jamie-Lee’s personal pick: “I just like how strong it is, and Zak also goes quite mental when we play it”. Another reason why MOUTH ULCERS became so beloved so quickly is the strong, cohesive visual world that they have managed to build, whether it is channelled in the music videos or their social media promotion. Both Jamie-Lee and Zak are visual artists themselves, and they admit that this certainly helps the band’s creation process. “We do it all ourselves. Even most of the photos of us are self-shot on a tripod, because we want it a specific way” - shares Jamie-Lee. Zak also adds that the visual experience always goes hand in hand with the music for this band: “we’re also making music that people can experience like images and video inside their head”. For such intricate visual detail, there is a giant volume of influences that MOUTH ULCERS take inspiration from, beyond just music. Both Zak and Jamie-Lee give a lot of praise to David Lynch and his work like Blue Velvet and Lost Highway: "in a lot of those moments they dive into another world, they don’t fit anywhere on Earth”. The vocalist also mentions Eraserhead and its soundtrack full of ambience, noise, and harshness. He goes on to picture: “I’d like to think that you could put some of our songs on in the background of those films and it would work, it wouldn’t do any damage to the film”. And Zak is not wrong, which further shows how intertwined both the sonic and the visual world of MOUTH ULCERS truly is. Circling back to their post-punk core, Zak also cites BAUHAUS’s Daniel Ash as one of his all-time icons, and someone he would one day dream to work closely with. The band are not always constrained by the genre, where Jamie-Lee’s favourite artists range from SLOWDIVE to the likes of BILLIE EILISH, admittedly, all quite dark in their own ways. And these influences are not forgotten, as the band’s next material might lean more into shoegaze, with dreamier and softer tones. Zak adds: “in the future, going a bit more electronic might also be quite cool. I think it’s inevitable, you're going to want to experiment”. MOUTH ULCERS are clearly thinking ahead, as their next goal is to head straight to writing an album, which has already been a steady work in progress. Whether it is going to sound similar to Silent Pictures, or divert into another dimension, we're sure it's going to sound no less phenomenal. MOUTH ULCERS are set to conquer the stages all around the place over the course of next year, playing iconic venues such as Kentish Town Forum in London. As Zak eloquently summarised: “it’s a lot to keep up with, but we’re enjoying it all”. MOUTH ULCERS released their debut EP Silent Pictures on 10th July 2026. Words: Mariia Bulkina Photos: Jake Schneider With thanks to: Super Cat PR and Mouth Ulcers

After almost ten years as a band, half of which involved intensive construction work, EXPLORING BIRDSONG are finally ready to let us step into the world of their debut album, Every House We Built. This material might be the strongest they’ve had on show yet, as it keeps the core BIRDSONG sound, but exploring and developing its depths and corners - a sentiment that is also fully shared by all of the band members. Lynsey, Jonny and Matt take us through their own journey, talking about their creation process, the breadth of inspirations, what music means to them, and how deep their newly born storyline truly goes. Every House We Built circles around relationships, whether it is within a family, between friends, or with romantic lovers. Lynsey Ward admits that prior to this moment, the band would find it simpler to write about stories that are more impersonal to them, placing themselves into distant narratives. Years and years down the line, EXPLORING BIRDSONG are now ready to dig up deeper wounds, something that they simply were not equipped to talk about before. In Lynsey’s words: “we’ve gone through everything together for a very long time now, including the subject matter that made it onto the record”. Even more, the band members feel so interconnected that they call themselves a ‘hivemind’, now being able to create anything separately as well as together. The first melodies from the album can be traced as far back as 2022, so best believe its brick-by-brick creation process was full of both great highs and great lows. When asked how they’re able to stay on track and not get tired of their own songs, EXPLORING BIRDSONG mentally bring us into the mixing and mastering studio. Here, the band give a lot of praise to Connor Sweeney (THEBOYSHADOW, ex-LOATHE) for helping bring these songs to life again. Although they were written with a certain framing in mind, he “reimagined them in his own way that felt intuitive and instinctual to him”, almost as if putting the cherry on top. Lynsey continues: “and they do have a sparkle to them, they do have quite a significant depth to them, and I would hope that the people listening can agree”. It is always hard to put BIRDSONG into a neat, tidy genre-box, and this becomes even more apparent when we look at the breadth of their musical inspirations. From the legends of vocal technique like Amy Lee of EVANESCENCE to their male peers Mark Tremonti (CREED, ALTER BRIDGE) and Claudio Sanchez of COHEED AND CAMBRIA, the band does not limit themselves only to the rock and metal scene. For instance, Lynsey also gets a lot of influence from RnB, citing some of “the best singers of the world” WHITNEY HOUSTON and MARIAH CAREY. And of course, almost no conversation with her avoids a mention of KATE BUSH: “I do think she is a genius. It’s like she can see around corners; she can feel where things are headed and she has that intuition to take it there and to experiment with it, and to pioneer”. For the not so fortunate of us who are not yet so familiar with the EXPLORING BIRDSONG catalogue, there’s still a chance to experience Every House We Built in full for the first time. When asked how they would approach the task, Lynsey shares that she prefers to immerse herself into a new album in the dark, dulling all the other senses. Matt, on the other hand, would rather be on the go, with headphones in, the music lightening his routine. Jonny lies somewhere in between, where all the greatest albums chase him around train and car journeys, being the ultimate “soundtrack to a moment”. In his opinion, “one of the great things about music is that people interpret and enjoy it in their own way. So if people can have that for us as well, it’s amazing”. The music is actually not the only interesting part of this chapter, as the band have launched their very own Birdsong Property Development. “What’s cooler than 90’s estate agents?” - says Matt, as all three parts of the hivemind follow, in the same breath: “Nothing!” A string of accidents, the band never originally set out to write an album with the story planned out; all the houses, rooms, windows and doors just followed them around and kept creeping up in their metaphors. Now we’re at EXPLORING BIRDSONG’s first open house viewing; in other words, a special one-night album listening party. “It’s a passion project. We love property” - who doesn’t? Rocking their brand suits everywhere they go now, the band has to keep it to the theme even in the scorching UK heatwave. Despite that, EXPLORING BIRDSONG are willing to pay the price if it means building something unique and special. “You know, we’ve done the whole thing with just standing in the warehouse. We rocked, we’ve done that,” - Matt explains - “and we wanted a bit more, because when we consume music, we want more”. The band also view their worldbuilding as a way to not only entertain the listener, but share elements of their own personalities. Both funny and serious at the same time, the inspiration here, for example, can be traced back to The Office and other sitcoms; and only by reworking their unique mosaic of influences were BIRDSONG able to present us with the album the way it stands today. Lynsey adds that when there is more to the lore than appears on the surface, “you feel part of the gang, you feel like you are in on it with them, and it feels deliberate that you’re meant to find it”. Even though the band, admittedly, do not have every detail planned out decades in advance. Sometimes, it is the opposite - were it not for the lucky chain of events and the actress from the first music video being free on the day they were shooting the other one, the lore could have turned out entirely different. Either way, from now on, EXPLORING BIRDSONG let us take the story and run with it: “the tale is wherever you want to take it next”. EXPLORING BIRDSONG released their debut album Every House We Built on 26th June 2026. In September, they'll be embarking on a UK tour to celebrate its release. Words: Mariia Bulkina Photos: Luke Tatlock With thanks to: Turn The Page and Exploring Birdsong

2000Trees is the hottest weekend of the year. No, seriously - it scorches any other competition as one of the flaming flagbearers of the UK underground. Vying for your attention, amongst the chaos of BRING ME THE HORIZON's northern exposure and MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE's London residency, is a stellar roster of future talent gleaming with the promise of a loud and urgent tomorrow. Matched only by PITBULL's immense can-do party attitude (and we haven't even included the infamous silent disco in this conversation), this weekend of wham acts dazzles year after year as one of this country's music community's best-kept secrets. Only a week ago, we were beginning to think it's coming home, but at Upcote Farm in Gloucestershire, we were already there. Here's everyone we caught at 2000Trees 2026. Words: Adrian Chapman (AC) and Libby Percival (LP) VENUS GRRRLS For those who arrived at the festival on Wednesday, there was an array of different bands spanning various genres to get stuck into upon arrival. Ahead of their UK tour this autumn, one band not to be missed was VENUS GRRRLS on the Word stage, no strangers to the festival, having played last year too. The band welcomed us to their coven as they blend their own signature sound of riot grrrl-influenced goth-grunge. Whilst their witchy ethereal aesthetic drew in the crowds, GK’s hypnotic vocals led the charge, backed by powerful riffs from Eliza Lee, keeping the audience engaged from start to finish. - LP LAKE MALICE LAKE MALICE brings an unstoppable force with each show, and festival slots are no exception. With the recent announcement of their debut album I wanna know if it’s real and their biggest headline tour to date on the horizon, their performance at 2000 Trees was a treat for existing fans and a chance to entice new listeners to the party. The duo made sure to bring the full Malice experience, complete with matching white outfits symbolic of their new musical era, Blake Cornwall’s signature split jumps, both members getting involved in the crowd and of course, plenty of catchy genre-bending songs, including Ghost In A Hell, Scatterbrain and a metal cover of BEBE REXHA’s New Religion to top off the set. - LP BUDS BUDS immediately turned an unforgiving early slot into a party, opening up the Main Stage. Anyone lucky enough to be down the front early was handed goodie bags stuffed with bubble wands, balloons and party hats, the Southampton quartet leaning fully into that summer-camp energy from the off. New single Time Well Spent set the tone perfectly, all driving guitars and singalong hooks built for a scorching afternoon. There’s something refreshingly communal about a BUDS set, strangers becoming mates within minutes. Closing with 2019 favourite Building Blocks felt like the final scene of a coming-of-age film, the whole field grinning through the heat haze together. - AC SAINT AGNES A gothic industrial pop fever dream crashed the Main Stage courtesy of SAINT AGNES. The barrier filled fast with a wave of goths draped in chains and fishnets, the earlier indie-punk crowd melting away as darker devotees swarmed in. Frontwoman Kitty A. Austen was mesmerising throughout, less performing than hypnotising, turning the whole performance into something closer to theatre than a festival set. She had the entire crowd screaming ‘Who the f*** are you?’ back at her during Bloodsuckers, before delivering a sincerely moving speech on grief right before The Beast. Not a bad way to convert a field full of strangers into disciples. - AC PUP Coming off a full acoustic run-through of The Dream Is Over the night before, PUP arrived on the Main Stage with something to prove. Their live set is a dry-witted, big-hearted punk showcase built on the tension between cynicism and hopefulness, capturing the messiness of being young and reckless. Opening with Morbid Stuff and Kids back to back was a statement of intent, huge favourites that had crowdsurfers arriving in surges. Stefan Babcock wasn’t content to just watch, launching himself into the crowd to surf alongside everyone else. A pointed mid-set speech on bigots not being welcome landed with weight, never dampening the joy of a band that adores their fanbase. - AC LONG GOODBYE Say hello to LONG GOODBYE, the underground band from the North East you need on your radar if you’re a fan of metalcore and hardcore. Fresh from their June tour supporting I KILLED THE PROM QUEEN, LONG GOODBYE took on 2000 Trees with a mid-day Thursday set, which could have indicated a slow starter, but festival goers didn’t hold back as the pits were brutal from start to finish. If you missed these because of their early set times, you won’t have to wait long to get the chance to see them again as they are soon to be joining MERAUDER on the lineup for From The Inside, a hardcore festival in North Wales, before touring the UK alongside GUILT TRIP. - LP STATIC DRESS Headlining a packed-out Cave stage, we witnessed STATIC DRESS with an unrelenting set. Vocalist Olli Appleyard runs around the stage commanding the audience with enough energy to encourage the crowd to follow suit and keep the pace, even after a long day of back-to-back bands. Pits quickly formed, and crowd surfers made their way over the barrier one after another, with fans at the front screaming every lyric back throughout. Overall, their stage presence was exceptional, and it was entirely evident how this band is continually building a cult following with each new release and each performance. - LP HOUSE OF PROTECTION Watching HOUSE OF PROTECTION go from a debut UK show at Camden’s Underworld to commanding the Main Stage at 2000trees says everything about how fast this duo has clicked with British audiences. Stephen Harrison and Aric Improta could’ve coasted on pedigree, but instead built something spectacular, hardcore’s brutality fused with an electronic sheen. Opening with Pulling Teeth, with the crowd screaming the bridge back before detonating into the pit, is the kind of moment most bands spend years chasing. Jordan Fish’s cameo for Learn to Forget cranked the chaos further, the circle pit for the chorus now an iconic live staple. Even the flare gun in the crowd felt like it belonged. - AC FREE THROW FREE THROW’s Axiom Stage set proved a hot ticket, the tent hitting capacity well before they even walked on. The Nashville outfit brought in classic Midwest emo, twinkling, off-kilter guitar lines paired with Cory Castro’s raw, cracked-open vocal delivery, built for shouting your feelings back at a stranger stood next to you. That’s exactly what happened as the set built towards a rapturous mass singalong for closer Two Beers In, a decade-old fan favourite about watching an ex move on while quietly falling apart at the same party. Every single word came back at the band like a confession nobody had the guts to say sober. - AC MILITARIE GUN MILITARIE GUN have made a career out of confusing hardcore purists, and their main stage set was a perfect case study in why. Their roots lie firmly in the hardcore scene, but the songs themselves are stuffed with pop-punk hooks and choruses big enough to make even the toughest crossed-arm veterans sing along, a hilarious sight given the crowd. Do It Faster and Very High hit hard, but it was Thought You Were Waving that stole the show, Anthony Green of CIRCA SURVIVE, L.S DUNES and formerly SAOSIN joining Ian Shelton for a goosebump-inducing moment. Turns out even the hardcore kids will let themselves go soft for choruses this good. - AC FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND Lucas Woodland’s ascension to full-time FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND frontman has been one of the scene’s more heart-warming stories, anyone still on the fence about the HOLDING ABSENCE singer filling such large shoes clearly hasn’t been paying attention. He remains one of the most powerful vocalists working today, with the Friday headline slot only cementing that further. Opening with All The Rage set an immediately ferocious tone, while Roses For The Dead sent crowdsurfers over in waves. Woodland thanked the crowd in Welsh, delighted that two-thirds of the weekend’s headliners were Welsh acts, and moments later NECK DEEP’s Ben Barlow walked out for a joint rendition of Juneau. History brought one of the weekend’s most moving moments, the entire field hoisted onto shoulders holding two fingers aloft in unison. Closing on throwback Escape Artists Never Die capped a triumphant set from a band clearly firing on all cylinders again. Whether you were losing it in the pit or watching from the hill with a pint in hand, this was a set built for absolutely everyone. - AC PINKSHIFT PINKSHIFT arrived at 2000trees for the first time, living up to their reputation for chaos within their live sets. The Baltimore trio graced the Main Stage with their 90s grunge grit, riot grrrl fury and pop-punk infectiousness, filtered through Ashrita Kumar’s ferocious, genre-defying vocal range. New single When We Were Friends hit even harder live, the whole crowd throwing themselves into the pit like they’d all lived through the same heartbreak. PINKSHIFT have never been interested in playing it safe, and this crowd ate up every second of it. - AC HO99O9 HO99O9 turned their slot at the Axiom Stage into pure sensory assault, it’s safe to say that there’s genuinely nothing else on the bill like them. TheOGM and Eaddy blend thrashcore riffs with horrorcore rap and industrial noise, arriving in avant-garde costumes that match the delightfully unsettling energy of the music itself. Tearing through The Dope Dealerz was a highlight, all snarling menace and pure adrenaline. It’s chaos by design, unpredictable and confrontational in the best way, closer to a horror film crossed with a hardcore show than anything resembling a typical festival set. Not for the faint-hearted, but for anyone chasing genuine anarchy at 2000trees, this was the set to find it. - AC CODY FROST CODY FROST is truly paving their own unique path in music, combining influences ranging from punk, rock, to pop and even donk. After featuring on tracks from the likes of BURY TOMORROW and ENTER SHIKARI, along with the release of their latest EP Mechaevil they’re cementing themselves as ones to watch in the alternative music space. Despite the singer camping for the full weekend and their set being right before the headliners of the final night, CODY FROST's set was still as high-energy and unrelenting as you would come to expect from their performances. The singer also sympathised with the crowd, politely requesting a pit, to which the crowd promptly complied. -LP NECK DEEP NECK DEEP have long lived with the running joke of being dismissed as ‘generic pop-punk’, yet their headline set made a mockery of that label entirely. Opening with Can’t Kick Up The Roots sent every finger in the field shooting skyward instantly, the genre’s most reliable crowd gesture in full effect. Ben Barlow called for an all-girl pit during She’s A God, the response was a triumph in itself. His between-song banter kept things light too, joking about the main stage screen being football-ready and imagining the goths in the crowd fuming while the lads stood ready, “Two pints in hand, one for drinking and one for chucking,” before an earnest speech about the band’s long-standing political streak ahead of We Need More Bricks. Those who had lost phones and shoes in the pit didn’t care anymore about their belongings by the time A Part Of Me was played, the whole crowd screaming Laura Whiteside’s verse note for note. Closing with December and In Bloom turned the field into one enormous party, no trace of stoicism left in sight. Whatever anyone still thinks NECK DEEP are, watching thousands of people lose their minds to songs this well-loved says otherwise. - AC

Outbreak has gone all out for their 15th anniversary, taking over the nation with festivals, pop-ups, and re-release showcases celebrating some of hardcore’s most prominent bands and their humble beginnings. The cycle begins anew as Outbreak gave the stage to up-and-coming SHOWING TEETH on their history-making debut headline show at The Barfly, Camden, having flown across an entire ocean to prove without a doubt they can command any stage anywhere. EXIT DREAM are no strangers to the stage, a supergroup that originated from Bristol and now boasts members from NAPOLEON and HOLDING ABSENCE. They brought shoegaze-metal-post-hardcore to their support slot, refusing to let the heat of the compact venue deter them from giving an unforgettable performance. Inviting the crowd to get closer during the sound effect intro, vocalist Wes Thompson launched into a melodic kaleidoscope, Murray Deaves guitar hooks adding a dream-like quality to the track as the crowd began to loosen up and sway to the hypnotic rhythms. Released a mere month ago, By Design surges in with Deaves rising strings, Luke Shadrick’s sturdy basslines that keep the track grounded, and Ashley Green’s ironclad drumbeats. Thompson took a moment to acknowledge their genre was “different to Showing Teeth’s, thanks for being so patient”, the band’s modesty garnering respect from those who certainly came for a hardcore show. Regardless of the contrast in sound (EXIT DREAM truly aren’t so far removed from the scene to not be enjoyed, suited for fans of THORNHILL), their musical skill and crowd engagement mark them as a band to watch, at the least limbering up the crowd for the hardcore main act as Thompson’s screams breaking the shoegaze elements and also the sound barrier as the mic struggled momentarily to keep up with the sound level before blasting the screams on spiralling. Inviting the crowd to “open it up if you want, go for it”, they watched appreciatively as goers leapt about to set the closer last cadence. For a band that confesses they’ve only just started, SHOWING TEETH has filled the floor with eager fans hungry for hardcore sounds. Mosh pits split the room when vocalist Showing Teeth had barely taken to the stage for Bad Exchanges. “We expected maybe 20 people, this is so cool,” she said with a look of pure awe on her face at the cheering crowd. With only two songs released so far, everyone in attendance was treated to tracks only heard by the lucky few who saw SHOWING TEETH at Outbreak Fest the previous week, performing their splintering track Disfigured By Fear before they promised everyone would hear the two releases and “get what you paid for”. Headbanging and wheeling about, the band put in as much energy as they got back on Shallow Grave with its chaotic mosh pit, taking a hydration break to apologise for bringing the Nashville heat to the UK, followed swiftly by an apology for their impersonation of a British accent (it’s a work in progress). Shifting between clean, lifting vocals and gritty screams, Make It Out gets its first stage-diver of the night, the palpable energy of Outbreak still going strong tonight. The band built dense anticipation with the rising instrumentals until it came bursting out in a wall of sound and visceral screams on Paradigm. Teeth takes a moment to give the audience an anecdote about heavy metal musician and radio presenter Dan Carter (present in the crowd) accidentally confusing her with musician Addison Rae. Their answer to this mix-up? A dedicated metal cover of Rae’s Fame Is A Gun, received with laughs that quickly changed to delighted headbanging. Sufficiently heated up and having proved to themselves they can sell out on their debut headline from across an ocean, the band end with their relentless Labyrinth with Teeth, hesitating for a moment to measure the crowd, saying, “I don’t know if I’m going to be able to crowdsurf this bitch.” Trusting in the crowd and a steely glint in her eye, Teeth leapt out and crowdsurfed to the final crashing moments of their set before returning to the stage to profusely thank everyone for being there. It’s this personability combined with raw talent that makes SHOWING TEETH a band worth being on the radar, with sensational hardcore sounds, real crowd engagement, and a humour that shifts from calculated to quick-wit. This is just a taste of a career of sold-out headline shows in their future. Words and photos: Julia Stark

2278 days between releases, and LOATHE still have time on their side. Six years' worth of work has culminated in the fabled return of one of the UK’s most urgent heavy acts, and much like their earlier discography, when the band deliver, they provide their best. A Stranger To You was never late; instead, it arrived right on schedule - ahead of the curve and still at the top of their game. In the grand scheme of things, it’s nowhere near as long as the two thousand-plus years of history detailed in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, but if the fates have anything to do with it, these two mythic bodies of work released on the same night in the UK seem almost poetic. After all, Odysseus was described as ‘Polytropos’, translated as a man of many twists and turns, and LOATHE’s sonic labyrinth of experimentation provides one hell of a breathtaking epic, a Trojan horse of sonic fury that confronts metalcore head-on. As an album shifting over the years between various states of completion, A Stranger To You seemed to loom over the alternative scene almost mythically, with fans foaming at the mouth for its grand debut. After a cancelled tour in 2022 (to complete the album), the record seemed to be pushed further and further away, until the release of Gifted Every Strength in May 2025, signalling that something unprecedented was on the way. The singles have been telling a story of hard-line aggression, the cut-and-thrust brutality of Revenant (featuring ex-CODE ORANGE co-conspirators Jami Morgan and Shade Balderose) and the unwavering gloom of recently-released Fangs. However, this album flips the narrative entirely. A Stranger To You is a wicked experiment of letting the references speak for themselves. Amongst the grit of the DEFTONES-inspired shoegaze and the bombastic heaviness, there is some inspired use of personal influence, such as jazz, hip-hop and electronic, that can give so much necessary contrast to this album. The record becomes unlike anything else entirely, moved into its own space that’s so unique and personal. Real sensitive care has been taken from the moment the album begins, with a spoken word segment from Bucki Sugar, who, according to an interview with Kerrang!, serves as the album’s narrator, adding perspective against the darkness of the sludgy base segments. From here, the record falls into a brutalist landscape bombarded with a vocal feature from STATIC DRESS frontman Olli Appleyard. From the etherealism of 2020’s I Let It In, And It Took Everything, released a month before the pandemic, there’s an underlying grit that comes through in the bass tone that wasn’t there before. In some ways, this makes the album feel loose, with plenty to dissect after the first listen. In tracks like Harder To Pretend, there are some tangy moments of dance, encircled by electronic synths and cascading vocals. The tone shifts again in The Way It Breaks to go full pelt on a face-melting guitar solo. Meet My Maker adds this real pop-centric drive running through the centre of the record, melting garage-style beats and BOSTON MANOR-esque harmonised choruses into a gloriously groovy ooze. The Ladder really challenges the LOATHE sound with acoustic guitar and wandering lyrics that make this track a standout. Little inflexions and added musical parts give this record real definition, one that just could not be made in quick succession. Trilling guitar notes that aim themselves towards real moments of catharsis, a dazzling display of Erik’s synths and style. Kadeem ties it all together with outstretched lyrics that are the band’s most heartfelt. And it does not feel pretentious at all; it feels honest and, at times, raw. During the course of this project, the band really found themselves, and it’s that imperfect nature that drives this record home. LOATHE are a tastemaker, and this record proves that as much as you can build the foundations of a genre, it’s just as easy to tear them down. Rating: 10/10 Words: Amber Brooks Photo: Steve Gullick