ELECTRON are based in London but come all the way from Portugal to bring shiny new modern metal to the ever-evolving music scene. The band has a rare duo combination, Jason Payne (vocals, guitar) and Joanna Hyde (vocals, bass). They have brought their talents together to release their second full length album Is This Worth Living For? - 13 tracks of modern metal. The first track up is Trap. It opens with spatial electronic synths and distant guitars, Jason coming in with his vocals, stretching to impressive heights and then slumbering down to whispering lows. The track is instantly reminiscent of modern metalcore bands like BRING ME THE HORIZON but Jason's unique vocal tone sets it apart. The last chorus is satisfying adding a new layer of synths to tie everything together. Lie To Me is next up opening with distorted guitars, their riffs dragging the whole mood through the mud with it. The deep bass and electronic beat followed by fry screams in the pre-chorus make for a coalition of madness on the ears. The breakdown comes in with a satisfying 'blegh' to accompany it, also making way for an almighty guitar solo. Modern metal seems to have moved away from such guitar solos, especially longer ones, but ELECTRON let the instrument sing for itself. Dying To Feel Alive opens with ample piano before a KORN style beat comes in with a wobbling guitar and deep twangy bass. It switches up the momentum of the album, not slowing it but introducing something new. The song lacks a breakdown but in its place has a long outstretched bridge creating its own section of the song, it also once again houses another guitar solo. Next up is You Betray which has a similar beat to the last with an addictive deep bass. At this point the album feels quite formulaic with not much variance, a low spoken or whispered verse, a screaming pre-chorus and then a vocal chorus followed by a guitar solo down the line. All the tracks individually sound great but the lack of variation bores the ears after a while, especially keeping all these songs in a row. Toxic starts with a faster paced beat and industrial drums, the vocals are low and distorted and the beat is addictive. The call out of “it’s so toxic” hits hard with the detrimental breakdown. The track once again follows the same formula with tweaked variations. The guitar solo screeches through the track before dropping into a lethargic half time beat to match the dragging lyrics. Echoes Of A Dying World is the 6th track in the album and once again follows a similar structure, however it is the best of the album yet. It’s chorus is particularly catchy with a slightly different structure but not straying too far from the path. The track has the most screams and vocal fry so far which is a particularly charming point, Jason's fry screams are incredibly satisfying and we’d love to hear him screaming more in the future. TAKEN features Benji Webbe from the infamous metal fusion band SKINDRED. This track completely changes the pace of the album, switching up the sound with something new and exciting. The chorus is addictive and the track has certain SKINDRED sounding quirks that help fuse Benji's voice to the ELECTRON sound. They layer their own screams with Benji's iconic vocals as well as having their guitar solo along with the vocals which blends it with the song nicely rather than taking away from everything else to make the guitar shine. Insomnia and Tether are the next two tracks; musically they stand out from the rest of the album but next to each other they’re quite similar. These tracks are more vocally driven and lean into the more traditional metalcore sound, even combining elements of classic rock. These are the kinds of tracks you can see being deep cuts for fans in the future and receiving a lot of love at live shows. The last full track on the album is Bleeding Heart which opens softly and slower than others, the track holds back on the screams in its first half to leave them all for the latter half. Halfway through the track slows and leaves space which is slowly filled by building drums, the breakdown is the most devastating, polarising the calmer half of the track. Multiple long screams really display the full vocal skills before leading the listener straight into the last guitar solo of the album. The last three tracks are live versions of Burning Inside from their 2024 EP HOLLOW and two tracks from this album, Echoes Of A Dying World and You Betray. The tracks give a real taste of what you can hear at their live shows, very similar to the recorded tracks with an extra element of their gritty performance. Is This Worth Living For? shows the band's identity and is a bunch of great tracks. However together, it lacks variation and it’s a great example of how much the track list can matter to the building of an album. Not all tracks followed similar formulas, yet all the tracks that did were grouped together, maybe the band would’ve benefited from revising this exact order of the album. ELECTRON have a few shows left to close out the year so keep an eye out for what they have to follow up this brand new album with! Score: 7/10 Is This Worth Living For? will be released on 2nd October 2026. Words: Amy Smyth Photos: Rob Blackham

If you have been paying attention to the British alternative music scene over the last few years, you will have heard about the Windmill in Brixton. You may have seen stills of your favourite up-and-coming weirdos playing in front of a gold tinsel backdrop, or you may have caught the shimmer of it in the background of a video where someone is shirtless and crowd-surfing over a handful of impassioned gig-goers. You may have even been lucky to attend a show there yourself, and come away wondering one thing - how is such a small venue seemingly such a huge catapult for the UK’s brightest new guitar bands? It's impossible to say, but that doesn't stop it from being true. With bands such as BLACK MIDI, BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD and FAT WHITE FAMILY even being grouped under the colloquialism of 'the Windmill Scene'. Local Brixton band ALIEN CHICKS are a natural extension of that scene - a strange, frantic and mesmerising three-piece, made up of Josef Lindsay (guitar, vocals), Stefan Parker-Steele (bass, backing vocals) and Martha Daniels (drums, backing vocals). Having released music since 2022 - including a live EP recorded at the Windmill itself - their sound has slowly become more refined and unique, and nowhere is this more evident than on new EP Toys Taken At Birth. Opening track Mad Men sees the band grappling with the reality of the political system - professing their belief that ‘democracy doesn’t exist anymore’ over a bed of pounding drums and guitars during the chorus, and then paring back the production to a steady bassline, twinkly guitars and a spoken-word delivery during the verses. It’s as stripped back as the EP gets, but the darker subject matter is always lurking behind the corner. We only make it two songs in before we reach the standard chaos that is to be expected from an ALIEN CHICKS release. Now I’m Big starts fairly tamely, but builds to distorted guitars and a rapped segment, similar in style to Northern contemporaries MARUJA. The bass line in the verse is hypnotic and pulsing, bringing an urgent edge to the track. But it’s the next track that really steals the show. 5/4 is frenetic, right up until it isn’t. Every instrument has seemingly been instructed to melt away the sanity of anyone who listens, with short snappy basslines and crashing cymbals, whilst Lindsay puts on a vocal performance like he’s in a theatre production - every line as emotive and energetic as the last. Around halfway through, the track turns momentarily into a cover of The Teddy Bear’s Picnic, before everything descends into chaos once again. Then, the words become indecipherable, whilst the drum kit seemingly explodes. It’s on this track that the step up in production quality from previous EP Forbidden Fruit is the most obvious, too, with everything sounding much cleaner - even in all of the chaos. I Killed Uncle Ben is the track that feels the most out of place on the album, though it’s not a bad track by any stretch. Lindsay’s vocal chops are fully on show here, able to fully shine without as much of a cacophony alongside it. It’s a mellower track for the most part, picking up towards the end but still feeling as though it doesn’t quite fit amongst the distortion and energy of the other tracks. The final track - a cover of MISSY ELLIOTT’s hit R&B song Get Ur Freak On - is an incredibly fun way to close out the EP. The guitar line feels like it could’ve been written by the band, it slips in so easily into their catalogue, and it’s always refreshing to hear an artist make a cover their own. When the final notes ring out, it’s hard not to wish for more tracks. Toys Taken At Birth is an insanely energetic EP, and another step forward in their catalogue. The pacing, structure and performances are well considered and measured, but everything is coated in a layer of fun and whimsy that’s so thick, that everything feels so effortless. Whatever is in the water at the Windmill in Brixton, has clearly worked its magic once again with ALIEN CHICKS. Score: 8/10 Toys Taken At Birth will be released on 2nd October 2026 via Alcopop! Records. Words: Ellen Lovell Photos: CJ Kerr

For EROTIC SECRETS OF POMPEII, music has never been confined to what happens between the first and last note of a song. Drawing from film, theatre, literature and surrealism, the Bristol-based band have built an artistic identity that extends beyond their sound, creating a world where the grotesque, the theatrical and the dreamlike exist together. Their music videos feel like fragments of something larger, while their live performances invite audiences into an experience that is as much about imagination as it is about the music itself. Their latest album, Pitchfork Libra, continues this approach, weaving the life and ideas of rocket scientist and occultist Jack Parsons into a loosely connected collection of songs. Speaking while on tour, the band reflect on the creative process behind their distinctive identity, the influences that shape their visual storytelling and their desire to create something that extends far beyond the traditional boundaries of a rock band. From the beginning, the band wanted to create something that felt like more than just a musical project. Drawing on their shared interests in film, theatre, short stories and poetry, they began developing an identity that could connect their music with the visuals surrounding it. "We wanted a visual identity that would be something authentic but kind of theatrical, and work live as well, with an interplay between the music, the visuals, the live shows, the videos and the artwork," Thomas Hawtin explains. The result is what they describe as a "grotesque sub-reality", drawing from gothic and Victorian aesthetics, historical influences, science fiction, sexuality and surrealism. Death and birth sit alongside one another, creating a world that embraces contradiction rather than attempting to make everything fit neatly together. For the band, this world-building is as important as the music itself. With an interest in creative writing among its members, the idea of constructing an immersive environment came naturally. They want audiences to step into this world while leaving enough ambiguity for people to interpret it in their own way. "We're really focused on making the band a world that people can hopefully find sanctuary intellectually and creatively within," Tom Hackwell says. That creative freedom is reflected in their influences, with Salvador Dali and David Lynch helping shape the dreamlike quality of their work. Rather than explaining every detail, they allow their imagery to suggest emotional ideas and multiple meanings. For the band, one of the greatest compliments is hearing that their work has inspired someone else to create something of their own. This approach carries into Pitchfork Libra, an album shaped in part by the extraordinary life of Jack Parsons. A scientist involved in developing solid rocket fuel, Parsons was also deeply interested in ritual magic and the occult, making his life a natural fit for the band's fascination with the strange and contradictory. The album's connection to Parsons began with an idea that had been sitting with the band's vocalist for years. "I got quite obsessed with him, and for years I wanted to write a musical about him," Thomas explained. "But sitting on your own, trying to write a musical is very hard. So you've got a band, and I've got all these lyrics and things sitting around. I brought it to the band and we worked it in." Rather than following Parsons' life from beginning to end, the album allows his story to weave through its songs. His outsider status, scientific achievements and involvement in the occult provided a wealth of material, particularly in the contrast between his scientific ambitions and his interest in the supernatural. The music itself developed through a more collaborative process. Instrumental demos often came first, with the lyrics gradually fitted around the existing arrangements. The vocalist would bring together loose ideas, phrases and rhymes, finding melodies and rhythms that worked with the music. The result is a loose concept album in which Parsons' influence is felt most strongly through the writing rather than a rigid narrative. That same balance between thematic connection and creative freedom extends to the band's music videos. Each one is approached as an opportunity to explore a different visual idea, with the band actively avoiding repeating themselves. "We have a mad idea and then we figure out how little money we've got, and then we try to work out how to do it," Tom explains. Working with a small group of collaborators, they look for ways to connect each video's imagery to a song's themes without making the relationship too obvious. Their videos have incorporated animation, surrealist filmmaking, dance and puppetry, with collaborators bringing their own creative practices into the band's world. For one project, they worked with Bristol-based artist C F Sherrat, who created animation for Moving Sideways Into Lightning, while the band took on much of the practical work themselves, including green-screening and editing. More recently, their collaboration with performer MORBID MERRIMENTS brought elaborate puppets and masks into their visual world. Working alongside performer ESTHER CS, Merriments helped create a video centred on the body, transformation and the boundary between life and death. Filmed at an old fort on Brean Down, the project brought together unusual imagery and physical performance, allowing the band's surrealist influences to take shape in a new way. Their live performances are another extension of this creative identity. The band are careful to ensure their recordings can be recreated on stage, avoiding excessive layering in favour of music that retains its energy in a live setting. Costumes and theatricality add another dimension, but the performances remain rooted in the intensity of a punk show. "We're not a band that will layer up 50 different parts on a song and then be unable to perform it," Tom explains. Photo: Richard Peers For the band, playing live is ultimately about bringing people together. They describe their shows as a place where people from different backgrounds can connect through music, with the opportunity to speak to audiences after performances being one of the most rewarding parts of touring. Looking towards the future, EROTIC SECRETS OF POMPEII are keen to expand that experience. Larger stages, more elaborate lighting, projections and dancers are among the possibilities they would like to explore, although the practicalities of touring in just a couple of cars currently limit what they can bring with them. Beyond the stage, they acknowledge that reaching new audiences remains one of the biggest challenges for a band today. With so much competition for people's attention, they hope their distinctive visual identity will help their music stand out. Through their combination of music, filmmaking and surrealist world-building, EROTIC SECRETS OF POMPEII continue to create something that invites listeners to engage with their work on their own terms. Whether through the loosely connected mythology of Pitchfork Libra, the unsettling imagery of their videos or the theatrical energy of their live shows, the band are building a world that extends beyond the music itself, leaving audiences free to explore it in their own way. Words: Con Macadam

The last hardcore function of the summer is finally upon us — Burn It Down is more back than it has arguably ever been; bigger, stronger, absolutely erratic and unmatched. Over the three days spent down in the coastal South West, we travel all around the country and even the world, which somehow only takes us a one minute walk at most. Packed up neatly in one single street in Torquay, the festival offers four uniquely set up (no barrier!) stages, a variety of creative merchandise, wrestling, skating, and a brand new addition in the form of a fully vegan market just down the road. Is there anything else a modern hardcore gathering even needs? The Burn It Down lineup this year deserves its own special praises sung. From the headliners VUKOVI, DRUG CHURCH and SPEED to the booming acts like UNPEOPLE, LOCKED SHUT and PEST CONTROL, there really is something to satisfy every taste bud and craving. Another mention has to go to the sheer amount of emerging bands that are either female-fronted, or include queer and POC members. From the attendees to the team itself, the warm welcome is felt throughout, and hardcore is slowly but truly going back to what it always stood for. This festival is all about diversity, in both platforming the artists that go beyond the binds of one genre and sound, as well as accepting everyone who does not fit in. Just for three days, nothing matters, as we’re fully immersed in the dream world of Torbaydos. LOVE RARELY The math rock icons seem to have had a fantastic year, jumping in between releasing their debut album Pain Travels and supporting STATIC DRESS on their UK tour later in October. Although the Fireball stage experiences some technical difficulties throughout the whole day, LOVE RARELY do not let the anxiety get to them. Including both the newly born babies and old hits into the set, CJ hits the nail on the head with her vocals on each one of them. The lighting is beautiful, the fans are headbanging, the riffs are flowing — quite a perfect start to the day ahead. SUNDAY BEST From LOVE RARELY in Leeds, we’re sprinting right into the capital to meet its post-emo heathens, SUNDAY BEST. All dressed in coordinated black and yellow outfits, the band explores themes such as the past, present, and future of living in a colonial empire, topping it off with some thick breakdowns — be careful or you might as well gain your first bruises of the festival. The whole set SUNDAY BEST keeps us on our toes, going from more melodic Ghost and Dig Deep to their latest single Knife on the Fight Tracks, at which point Alex asks every single person in the room to sit low for about two minutes — works every time, talk about crowd control — right before the last and wildest car crash. PENGSHUI Speaking of car crashes, the next set feels like being surrounded by the stereo sound of the ambulance and airplane taking off at the same time. PENGSHUI immediately justify their right to take on the Fireball stage, as the whole room is buzzing like at a rave, only it is still 5pm. "Round and round we go, round and round we go", they repeat while they also don’t forget to turn their bangers into a statement, with songs like Eat the Rich that ultimately speak for themselves. UNPEOPLE The sound issues at the Fireball stage need to be studied — fortunately, this is the only significant letdown we’ve had. On the flipside, it is the cost of playing the biggest venue of the festival, and everyone coming to see their band, cheering them on and filling the room with even more anticipation. It all pays off as UNPEOPLE come out of the darkness, everyone clapping at the first song. By now we all know these four are destined for success, Burn It Down being the last festival of 2026 after their insane run of Slam Dunk, Download, Reading, Leeds… and the list could go on for another paragraph. Still, UNPEOPLE give us their all no matter what size the audience, and it is so well-reflected. After playing the newest friends and clouds, they finish off on the garden, with Luke getting on someone’s shoulders for the obligatory circle pit of all time. VUKOVI The lights dim again, until it is time for VUKOVI’s grand appearance. With the absolutely crushing opening riff going right into GUNGHO, Janine does not hesitate to pop the legendary champagne bottle, letting everyone taste who they’re dealing with. Although the lights do stay dim to immerse the listeners more into the fantasy, it doesn’t stop the crowdsurfers flying in one after another. VUKOVI join us all the way from Killwinning in Scotland, which is about a 700km drive down here to Devon, though they seem to love performing so much it must all be worth it. Jake Crawford from UNPEOPLE — long time, no see — gets back up on stage to sing MY GOT HAS GOT A GUN in a beautiful duet. Too soon, VUKOVI must leave us, but not before playing La Di Da and going out on a bang. Thursday has been truly incredible all around, and could you believe it is only the first day?! MISHIKUI The Midwest London emos have been the talk of the town recently, after getting signed to Devil Dog and touring the country, picking up new loyal fans one by one. And boy do they show up already, piling up on the singer Harry with the same energy you would expect for a big festival headliner. They’re full with the kind of vivid rage and outburst of raw emotion that is hard to replicate, and we know that MISHIKUI feel their lyrics with every bone. This tiny room sees people doing crowdsurfing, two-stepping, climbing on bars and crawling on the ceiling — doing anything and everything. As the band rounds it off with Sam’s Son, we overhear someone else’s truest words: “That MISHIKUI set was like seeing Jesus”. MONOCHROME A quick pop down to Bristol, MONOCHROME represent the Southwest in the best way possible. With the thickest SPIRITBOX-infused riffs and thunderous growls interrupted by the mellisonant vocal melodies, they begin to redefine metalcore in their own way. The Redstripe stage in the Apple & Parrot is typically reserved for less heavy acts, so it was not particularly ready for the havoc that was about to ensue, to say the least. MONOCHROME keep us in an absolute chokehold the whole set, and it is so hauntingly beautiful that it would be almost impossible not to walk away their biggest fan. PEST CONTROL Forget all said before, this is where the true berserk action actually starts. Burn It Down went all in with their decision to do all-day no-barrier, Outbreak platform-style, after successfully testing it out for one set last year. Say less, as PEST CONTROL take full advantage of it, encouraging everyone (especially the girlies!) to stagedive and grab the mic fully at their disposal. We even get moshers suddenly breakdancing and doing cartwheels, and the singer Leah is enjoying every second of it. You cannot really go wrong with PEST CONTROL, it will always be a blast no matter where in the crowd you are. Leeds truly breeds the best. STICK TO YOUR GUNS After we are blessed with a little bit of sun at last, we go back into the darkest pits to catch the Californian legends STICK TO YOUR GUNS. Everyone is already waiting inside patiently, packing out the venue to the brim. Right from the first track Nobody, the whole crowd starts to lose it, screaming the words and moshing like it is their last day alive. It is not only the strong bass and raw energy that they’ve got to show though, as their message also speaks to many, encouraging us to always “Keep Planting Flowers”. FALSE REALITY The Verdant Stage is another unique location, where the artists play right in the middle of an indoor skatepark. Although it could get quite busy, as it definitely does for FALSE REALITY — show up late, stay by the smoking area and jump up to see a glimpse of the band. As long as we hear it we are in good hands, the sound and energy is bouncing off the concrete walls and right into our eardrums. It is not the first time that the London hardcore stars grace the streets or Torquay: “Every time we are shocked that we are asked to come back, and it’s always an honour”. FALSE REALITY erupt with the nastiest riffs one after the other, and even though they are still on the rise, we know they are destined for world domination. DRUG CHURCH Still have energy left? Odd, but be prepared to spend the last bits of it at our Friday headliner. It is always special to see a band from overseas, and we can feel just how long some fans were waiting for them. DRUG CHURCH are well-suited for the task, as Patrick brings out the most welcoming, almost wholesome dad energy trying to teach the kids the moshing etiquette. The Fireball stage at the Foundry is an awesome, compact venue because it gives you a chance to either be in the centre of action, or take a step back and look at all your friends flying side to side from the balcony. After playing the iconic Grubby and Unlicensed Guidance Counselor, DRUG CHURCH invite the newcomers to try out the crowdsurfing and micgrabbing for the first time, even letting even the photographers join in on the action. The crowd at this show acts as one big living organism, and this fantastic set goes straight into our core memory. As the New Yorkers called it, “a lovely cultural exchange”. INCASEYOULEAVE If there is anything we haven’t heard over the weekend yet, it’s some good old miserable screamo. Thank god for INCASEYOULEAVE, as they hit the nail on the head with the irregular time signatures and strong build-up throughout the song. The vocalist and the rest of the band give us their all, and it clearly pays off. This set is a breath of fresh air for any weird kids out there, as well as anyone who is tired of only seeing all white cis man lineups everywhere. HAD SANDY A representation of the ever-growing Brighton scene, HAD SANDY had almost not made it to the festival. Originally scheduled for Friday, they were kindly sorted out by the Burn It Down team after a transport breakdown — and we could not be more glad to catch them after all. The band fit right into the sunny coastal picture, with a shoegaze and emo blend that could only be described as “TIGERS JAW but nasty”. SPLIT CHAIN Secret set at Burn It Down?! Perhaps not so secret as most visitors could figure it out from the teaser posted a couple days before, but still not less exciting. SPLIT CHAIN, coming back to the festival for the third year in a row, have practically earned a certified status by now. The band is set to play on the Verdant stage at the skatepark, which is overflowing to the point that they stop letting people in. For the lucky ones who are there from the beginning, there are special privileges in the form of a compulsory lift up in the air. The Bristol nu-gaze is receiving its rightful flowers, as SPLIT CHAIN play both their new and old material, to round off what ends up being one of the most active sets of the entire weekend. HERIOT Back to the basics, and to our first no-barrier set on the Fireball stage today, which HERIOT made the absolute most of. The band has recently been on a long run of opening up big stages, such as supporting TRIVIUM and playing Slam Dunk and Outbreak, which is why this set feels particularly refreshing. Debbie Gough is the definition of a woman who can do both, with her stunning hairdo that is ready to be demolished after a lot of headbanging and soulcrushing screams. The instrumentals are creeping in like a tidal wave, the whole room is shaking front to back; we are truly burning this place down. LOCKED SHUT A relatively newer band from Missouri, LOCKED SHUT have already established themselves a steady spot in the hardcore scene. Pure chaos ensues as they start with Steel Spine, before moving onto insane renditions of BLUR’s Song 2 and Paranoid by BLACK SABBATH. The band has such invasive, at times even ridiculously fun energy that it doesn’t even matter what they play, the crowd will go breaking each other’s necks regardless. “Short and sweet”, LOCKED SHUT go out with an iconic cover of I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor, which must remain one of the most memorable moments of the day. SPEED Too early, but we have to do this one last time. Everyone and their mother has heard of what SPEED is like — and some are, rightfully so, scared. We can see it clearly by how high the demand for the balcony view is rising, as visitors are already waiting upstairs an hour before the set. But no matter how far away you retreat, SPEED’s enormous sweep of force is going to get you. REAL LIFE LOVE and SHUT IT DOWN bring out exactly the energy we were all expecting for our Saturday’s headliner, and all the hardcore kids and adults alike show up for it. Jem Siow takes a second to talk about their recent performances at Reading & Leeds, bringing hardcore to the masses and teaching the new generation of teenagers how to do it. He also reminisces on growing up as an Asian Australian kid, and how it was exactly events and places like this that always included everyone and raised him. That is precisely why Burn It Down this year felt so important and at times cathartic — we could not understate the importance of a festival that was built out of practically nothing, for the people, by the people. Seeing so many queer, femme, and marginalised artists from so close as next door, and from so far as across the globe, is just as crucial to its integrity as the moshing and the good times. In the words of the greatest: “Test two: live the style that you choose. My life, my attitude!”. An iconic flute piece and many broken bones later, SPEED wave their final goodbyes, and we are left to wait for an even more frantic and fantastic Burn It Down 2027. Words: Mariia Bulkina Photos: Ollie Hayman and Mariia Bulkina

Before EXPLORING BIRDSONG had even stepped on stage, the sense of community around the band was impossible to miss. Fans from the Discord were handing out bracelets outside the venue, including one that lit up, showing just how much friendship and community seemed to sit at the heart of the band. There was even a community move to get the bracelets to light up during Spy In The House Of Love, turning the crowd into part of the show before the band had even played a note. With no barrier separating the photographers from the crowd, fans could get right up to the stage and, at times, directly into the singer’s face. It made the whole evening feel incredibly intimate and personal, particularly in a medium-sized venue. First up were OUR GLASS HAVEN, who immediately suited the intimate atmosphere. Their singer had a gorgeous, incredibly clear voice, particularly during their almost acoustic set. They introduced Godspeed as a new song, explaining that this particular rendition would never be heard again, which only added to the special feeling in the room. The venue was so quiet during their set that you could genuinely hear everything. Even someone speaking across the room could be heard, and rather than taking away from the performance, it made the whole thing feel even more special. Their next song, the new single Dreams, came with another little joke from the singer, who told the crowd that if they wanted to know what it really sounded like, they should check the band out. It was a funny little moment that fitted perfectly with the relaxed atmosphere. They closed with Poison In The Well, which the lead singer described as their favourite. The fans in the crowd joined in with the song, making it a lovely way to finish a set that had felt genuinely close and personal. Then came EXPLORING BIRDSONG, touring their debut album Every House We Built. There was not a huge amount of direct interaction between the band and the crowd, although the drummer did plenty of his own, standing up, clapping and acknowledging the audience throughout. When Spy In The House Of Love came around, the pink glowing bracelets appeared throughout the crowd. It was one of those little moments that showed how much effort the fans had put into making the night feel like something they were all part of. The female vocalist Lynsey Ward was brilliant throughout, with a voice that was exceptionally clear and beautiful to hear. Every member of the band had their own moments to shine, and the softer songs had the whole room completely captivated. Footprints was a particular standout, with the backing singers coming in around the repeated “she calls my name” refrain and sounding genuinely angelic. It was one of those moments where the vocals completely filled the room without needing anything else. There were also little moments between the band members themselves that made them feel more human. They had their own interactions on stage rather than simply standing in place and playing through the songs, which worked really well with the relaxed atmosphere of the evening. The interludes around the house and property themes of the new album also worked well alongside the outfits and staging, particularly with the album being centred around the idea of Every House We Built. The lighting was particularly impressive, changing with the different themes and completely shifting the feeling of the room. The sound mix was brilliant after a few tweaks following the first song. The heavier drums and guitars were balanced beautifully against the quieter piano, giving everything plenty of room without one element fighting against another. The staging itself could probably have been stronger, there felt like there was wasted space there. But the lighting during the solo singing moments more than made up for it. With the lights focused tightly around the singer, the medium-sized venue suddenly felt much smaller and far more intimate. There was no mosh pit and no madness, but that was never really what this gig needed. There was something lovely about seeing a crowd completely captivated by the music instead. For a band with heavier elements to their sound, the whole evening had a surprisingly relaxed feel. For a style of singing that leaves very little room for mistakes, there were none. EXPLORING BIRDSONG delivered a relaxed, beautiful and incredibly atmospheric set, while their fans made sure the whole evening felt like something much more personal than a standard gig. Words and Photos: Lauren Wenham

Following the release of the EP Entertain Me and singles Angel Wings and Grief is for the Living, Out Of Rage had the privilege of sitting down with J of VIENNA VIENNA on the second night of their first UK/EU headline tour to fully grasp his reality of trying to become the most authentic version of yourself, exploring self image, queer identity and what 'Glimmer Rock' means. J was super excited for this new adventure saying: "I've never left North America so I'm so beyond grateful for the places that pursuing this has taken me. I'm trying to really take as much in as possible" Before his debut show in Barfly, Camden, J was able to take a walk around Camden Market joking that "the average apartment in the UK is like a historical building in the United States. I've just been enjoying the sites, the architecture and the people" and being able to “really connect to being somewhere new”. Amazon’s ‘Off Campus’ used Make a Man Out of You in the most recent season’s soundtrack and J provided us with inside knowledge into how the track came together, stating “there was another song that didn't come out on the EP and at the last minute, I was listening through the songs and trying to pair it down to the the top six, I swapped in unnamed song for Make a Man Out of You. And as it came out I was like, this is kind of underrated, but fans really like it and I really like it”. He also told us that the live reaction to the song has changed as it seems like “people are a bit more excited for it”. Other songs, such as Buzz, have also had unexpected reactions “At first, it was sort of angsty and coming from a place of not quite anger, but there was a chip on my shoulder. And the emotion that it's presenting progressed and feels sadder now” and “people dancing to Molly has been really cool and exciting.” After playing in Camden the night before, J also enjoyed an excited reaction to Idle Hands, “Last night I was surprised to see, but people seemed really excited. I felt very connected to the crowd last night in a way that’s new”. Following the new singles, Grief is for the Living and Angel Wings, J explained a little more about his EP writing process becoming more non-linear and tied to his feelings at the time, “Wonderland was written and then Grief is for the Living and Angel Wings, and then Entertain Me. It's just that as I started writing Entertain Me I got really inspired really fast. I think I try to be conceptual about my life, and then I try to live within that. It's all made of true whole moments and sections of my life. But I have changed a lot over time. ” On the subject of style, J has developed his own signature brand of "glimmer rock", an authentic exploration into his own self identity. He explains it smartly like "trying to talk about genre and what genre is, when you're not really pursuing one sonic identity. It has become a conduit for self expression and a way that I felt I could describe community building and catharsis that was shimmering and bright, unafraid to be flamboyant and glamorous.” This flamboyancy is prominent throughout VIENNA VIENNA’s discography so far however, J admits that there is a ongoing feelings of self deprecation, “I have a tendency to tease or make fun of myself for feeling emotions. In Company Hunting, the subject is quite sad, but it could have been sadder. It’s filled with innuendos and things that made me laugh and poking fun at myself for being sad. It has been a bit of a motif within the songs. Right before I would take myself seriously, I'd take one step back, and then I would write that song.” He has used similar humour in writing God Save The Queens, “ My friend described it as toying with a bigot and I wish I had the courage to do something like that. So I wrote it and I hope that gave people a feeling that they could be bolder. The person that I was when I was writing it, is somebody who really needed to feel a little bolder and less afraid. I had the idea that my queerness made me lesser and that if I wanted to not be lesser, I would have to win in some way, to say, I have the upper hand in a very sarcastic and comedic way and I felt like the character of that, especially in the first verse.” J shared more about the personal struggles of becoming more openly queer in life and how this project became “Somewhere that I could be free to change and grow into a person that I thought people wouldn't want. So instead of trying to run away, I could run towards it.” He opened up, “I knew that there were people in my life that I would lose. And I did. That was part of the deal. But they weren't really my friends. They were friends with the person that I was projecting.” He also shared that since the project, “My relationship with myself and my self-love has grown. I've got a better understanding of myself and it was 100% worth it. I don't think I could have gotten it running away.” Ending the interview J talked about wanting to make sure that everyone, including the queens and all of the in-betweens feel safe at a VIENNA VIENNA show. J stated “I will always make a point to make sure that my shows and the community that I build is exactly that. It would defeat the whole point for me. If people were uncomfortable I'd fix that so fast, it should always be a safe space for people to feel like they can be the wildest version of themselves.“ We can’t wait to see where VIENNA VIENNA takes us in their musical journey and hope that J continues taking in more of the world and running toward that bold, open place where life becomes music, humour and Glimmer. Words: Alexandra Archer Photos: Nas Bogado With Thanks To: Halestorm PR & Management

HRLTSS have done an impressive amount of growing up in the last year, evident in the captivating, emotional new EP The Devil On My Shoulder. The Cambridge four-piece have fine tuned their ambitious sound in the space of seven singles, marrying together metalcore, R&B and electronic elements and culminating in these four tracks that truly embrace what makes them special. Story led from the opening riff, The Devil On My Shoulder feels like an EP that could comfortably sit on the shelves of BAD OMENS, SLEEP TOKEN or PRESIDENT fans. It effortlessly weaves heavy emotions with an equally heavy sound but delivers it with soaring melodies and brutal screams. HRTLSS embark on a heart rendering journey to explore the inner depths of toxic love and self preservation, their characteristic metalcore sound paired with emotional lyrics feel like a friend taking you by the hand and leading you through the toughest of self realisations. Although the lyrics are raw and effecting, their intimacy isn’t intrusive. Perfectly striking the balance of unfiltered vulnerability and relatability, songs like Pulling The Thread and title track The Devil On My Shoulder don’t lose their resonance as they build to their hookiest choruses, instead their message comes away with you. Pulling The Thread is a remarkable opening track, setting the scene for what will unravel over the next fourteen minutes, but it also serves as a precursor for the level of swift storytelling that can be inked into each song of this record. Introducing the toxic relationship that will play a central role in this EP, the moments of silence, broken up with a driving electronic beat bring the chorus crashing in from greater heights. Following that track with The Devil On My Shoulder, another bruising song that leaves a mark on the psyche for its introspective examination of trauma and the reluctance to accept responsibility. It’s brutally honest but not unapproachable. Breathe Me In offers a seductive reprieve, calculated in its placement in the track list, at exactly the point where you need it. It’s a breath of fresh air in the form of a tight, alluring moment that reminds you that you wanted everything that has caused the hurt and raw emotion of each track up until this point. To close the EP, HRTLSS could have opted for more of this sensual storytelling, but instead they go for the jugular. They hold you accountable. As the final chords of To Dust push you towards an understanding of the destructive nature of every track thus far, it closes the album like the chapter of a book. There is still so much left to unpick but there are no more words on the page, no more music left to experience. Only the vaguely unsettling feeling that you’ve sufficiently unpacked more baggage than you maybe initially intended to. Intimate, devastating, brave. It’s a record of opposing sides - push and pull, yin and yang, love and loathing - with a seductive sound that feels part diary entry, part confessional outpouring. At its heart, it’s about honesty. With yourself, the world around you, and the decisions you ultimately make. And the lyrics stay with you long after the album has stopped spinning, leaving you wondering "Do you hear the butterflies?". Score: 9/10 The Devil On My Shoulder will be released on Friday 2nd October by Papercut Recordings. Words: Jade du Preez Photos: HRTLSS

Consistently working outside of the status quo to fuse raw emotions with enthralling melodies, DEAD POET SOCIETY have established themselves as artists who test the boundaries between genres for distinctive, sonically intricate projects, using their personal experiences as the foundation to their musical story-telling that resonates on a deeper level with their listeners. They’ve once again adopted this method to create their third album Monarch, an intense project that borders on sensuous in its vocal and instrumental deliveries, whilst beneath the surface menacing rage plays its part in the fractious lyrics and rhythms. Where the Massachusetts four-piece have focused on the moment in time to drive their music, Monarch was instead borne from personal heartbreak and betrayal, the band rallying together to ask themselves what feelings they shared in the moment and beyond. The collective answer - resentment. This shared feeling soon transformed from a cathartic outpouring to a stacked 12-track record that rips away the image people have to reveal the true DEAD POET SOCIETY, in their anger, their truth, and their unapologetic selves. Each track tells a different story, with some joining together to create a complete picture. They focus on emotion over technical prowess to bring gut-punching honesty of everything they’ve been through as a band and as individuals, from heartbreak to addiction, loss, and betrayal. While feeling may be their core element, their instrumental work and production cannot be ignored, particularly with the likes of Paul Meaney (TWENTY ONE PILOTS, PIERCE THE VEIL) and Adam Hawkins (TURNSTILE, MKG) at the helm of producing and mixing. Taking what the band gave them and moulding their sound into something more dangerous and more aligned with how they feel, Monarch is DEAD POET SOCIETY at their most realised and free. Haunting falsetto notes reach us from beyond a fuzzed veil on opener Hollywood On Fire, before descending into a pulverising bass and drum beat from Dylan Brenner and Will Goodroad respectively, vocalist and guitarist Jack Underkofler layering unsettling howls over soul-baring notes as Jack Collins’ guitar rings in the distance - it’s an immediate demonstration of the danger they invoke in their sound as they stretch and shape to a form more fitting. A metronome beat on Roach is hijacked by distorted guitar and bass, the vocals dropping down an octave and racing at an unstoppable cadence as if they’re mid-fight and they’re going to get the last word in no matter what, the rhythms teetering on the edge of crashing into a breakdown but never quite giving in to us. Disarming riffs and hooks war against the drums as Die If You Don’t opens, creating a sonically fascinating melody that feels like it shouldn’t match but instead fuses into something disconcerting and delicious. Sinner Systems goes further into the darkness with foreboding riffs and changing beats under borderline sinister and vengeful lyrics that promise to give back the negative energy tenfold to whoever wronged or used them, creating a sound that THORNHILL fans will deeply enjoy. Lost sees the band embrace vulnerability in an utterly euphoric, cinematic track that falls away to an almost tranquil quiet with heart-wrenching feeling before it crests like a tidal wave of dramatic drums and bass and stirring guitar riffs. Cold continues in the same vein of cinematic sounds, Underkofler’s voice rocketing up to spine-tingling notes as he faces the brutal self-awareness of becoming desensitized and facing the consequences of someone reciprocating the coldness against a backdrop of blistering drums and meaty guitar and bass. Psalm 136 drops into a post-hardcore mix as they question their beliefs and upbringings, a drum roll building into a crescendo of rising screams and strained riffs as they question the mercy promised by God in the psalm and call out “can you hear me now?”. Rumbly bass akin to DON BROCO pulls us into Dead On The Inside and its addictive rhythms, contradictory and haunting minor notes swaying us from the expected, pulling back slightly for a slowed pace that feels like QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE’s more unearthly songs, and then racing forward for a track that feels impossible not to move to. Miami For The Weekend plays by no one’s rules and feels entirely like the band having fun with rhythms, the track zipping between relentless alt-rock to post-hardcore, to rapid-fire punk-rock as they declare “I think I love you, I really do” in a heady intoxication for someone. Get Hot picks us up and hauls us along for a rocketing beat as Goodroad attacks his kit in a frenzy and Collins and Brenner slide up and down the scales in tandem with each others riffs, Underkofler daring the listener to watch them show their mettle, a defiant smirk practically audible in the delivery. The Park starts on an eerie tone before layered cries punch through, dropping away to a disquieting pace and a steady beat that threatens to take over, the track feeling like TWENTY ONE PILOTS and early ROYAL BLOOD melded their more menacing aspects together into something that would live comfortably in a horror game. Solemn guitar notes ring out on closer The Art Of Suffering as Underkofler laments “I just do what my demons tell me”, the instruments both adding weight to an already heavy emotion and lifting us into an out-of-body experience, looking down on this jagged connection between DEAD POET SOCIETY’s feelings and ours. Score: 10/10 Monarch will be released on Friday 2nd October via Spinefarm. Words: Julia Stark Photos: Darren Craig

With almost twenty years on the metalcore scene behind them, there is no doubt MISS MAY I is one of the key bands of the genre up to date. Upholding a very distinctive sound in most of their work, there is hardly a dull moment - and their upcoming album No Place For Me is a spectacular testament of this. Boasting ten new songs, the eight album (and a debut one since they got signed with Solid State Records) will take the listeners through the insides of the band members’ minds. Sanctuary opens the piece with an urging dive bomb, before diving straight into the double-bass rhythm kicks, setting the tone for the rest of the album. Vocalist Levi Benton does not hold back and gives the listeners his unmistakable vocal screams right away. Ryan Neff and Elisha Mullins’ guitars set the direction of the song right away and lead the way forward, while Jerod Boyd’s drums aggressively followed them. “Desecrate me - your finest work of art.” is not only a verse in Portrait of Pain, it is also a declaration resonating throughout the whole song, as it is being relentlessly screamed by Benton multiple times. The double-kick drum brings a powerful strength with it that became the very foundation of the melody, yet remained perfectly in balance with the other components. With the whole album circling around the matters of mental health, it is only right that songs like Hand Me A Halo and Death Threat touch on more serious motifs. The first-mentioned delves into the reality of living with anxiety, as Benton’s singing the line “I try and try to fix it, but I’m dead behind the eyes; So hand me a halo’, admitting that he would rather die than let the anxiety take over him, which is a daily reality for many people. Paired up with distinctive industrial sounds, the song is on the heavier side of the album, yet still attains the band’s distinctive sound. On the other hand, Death Threat is a groovier song, but that does not make its message less heavy. Touching on the issue of blackmailing someone for their flaws, it is yet another song many of the listeners can relate to. Boasting stand-out riffs that give the song its energy and manifest its boldness, it will absolutely be a fan favourite for the moshpits at every show and will be on par with the band’s earlier work. As many albums do, No Place For Me too brings a slower, yet emotionally charged track to the listeners. Fire Falls is with no doubt a stand-out of the entire album, as it portrays yet another lugubrious battle in one's head with Brenton’s clear, melancholic vocals and Boyd’s striking beats, that are making the bass drum run for its life and the snare sing a wistful soliloquy of pain. As most of the songs on the album are very swift and uncompromising, Fire Falls feels like a gust of fresh air that allows the listener to take a breather. Bury Me Down brings the energy of its predecessors, and while it does not boast any innovative riffs or vocals, it still brings touching lyrics full of emotions and a sense of grievance heard not only in the words, but through the melody as well. Pray For Silence, on the other hand, draws on a unique and melodic approach, typical for a metalcore song. It is easy to find yourself humming the melody, as it very easily stays in the head for hours after listening to it. Meanwhile Die On The Vine and Ashes Of The Altar are all about Neff’s and Mullins’ work with their big guitar riffs once again taking over the songs. Highbrow Thieves, the closing song of the album, is not coming in short, as the last track starts with “From dusk till dawn; Enslaved, we carry on; Minutes, prayers; No one fucking cares” and ends with Brenton screaming “You’re gonna have to fucking kill me” - a fitting end for the album indeed. No Place For Me is a daring trip into your deepest worries with a side of whimsy. It takes on every day fears of all of us and that is precisely why the album is so easy to relate to. MISS MAY I’s immense comeback was belated, but the new release was worth the wait. Score: 8/10 No Place For Me will be released on Friday 2nd October via Solid State Records. Words: Katerina Stepanikova Photos: Miss May I

IMMINENCE have never been a band to stick to a single genre. Throughout their career, they’ve continually switched things up with each release, always experimenting, exploring new ideas, and refining their craft. Although the band are no strangers to taking a cinematic approach to their work, this time they’ve taken it to another level. Since the release of the first single for their upcoming album Axis Mundi, the cinematic quality has been striking, with vivid imagery helping to bring the story to life, and it hasn’t let up yet. Axis Mundi will be the sixth studio album for Swedish metalcore pioneers IMMINENCE. Earlier in the year with the announcement of the album was the news of the band signing to Sumerian Records after their previous album The Black was self-released. The transition to Sumerian has marked a significant boost in the band’s rollout marketing ahead of Axis Mundi, with puzzles and an entire website packed with mini-games and clues that have been revealing the band’s latest drops over the past couple of months. Despite some cynical backlash online surrounding the signing, the band have stated that the label had no input during the recording process, and that the ideas behind the album have been entirely their own. Inspiration was said to have been drawn from Sweden’s Midsummer, and the phrase 'Axis Mundi' is derived from the Latin meaning “world axis” or “centre of the world”, but in mythological terms often refers to the concept of a connection between Heaven and Earth. IMMINENCE were formed in 2009 in Trelleborg, Sweden, with the current line-up consisting of Eddie Berg (vocals, violin), Harald Barratt (vocals, guitar), Alex Arnoldsson (guitar), and Christian Höijer (bass). Their 2024 album, The Black, quickly became their biggest-selling release and marked a turning point for the band. Its distinctive blend of metalcore and classical elements helped propel them further into the spotlight. In the lead up to the release of the full album, the four singles were released sequentially with three of them having accompanying music videos, each emphasising a different “chapter” and contributing to the album’s overarching narrative. The story so far follows an immortal knight on a quest to die, pillaging settlements as they go, until they come across a dog amongst some of the settler’s belongings. The most touching moment in If Not Now, When is the light shining around the knight when seen through the dog’s eyes. Despite the viewer witnessing all of the killing and destruction the knight has caused, to the dog the knight means everything. It has since been announced that an hour film has been created around the album’s story, with screenings taking place in cinemas worldwide in the days before the album’s release. Twisting In The Wind gently eases you into things, its leading melody settling you in for the ride. The chord progression is emotional and introspective; the fry screams mixed with the violin playing are euphoric. The songs IMMINENCE create have a remarkable ability to draw you in, creating an all encompassing feeling that makes you feel deeply connected to the music. Even without focusing on the lyrics, the structure and composition alone are enough to evoke a sense of immersion. The Sword That Never Bends ramps up things from where Twisting in the Wind left off. It’s one of the album’s more buoyant tracks, leaning further into a classic metalcore anthem than some of the others. The chorus is instantly catchy, with an infectious hook, while the violin feels nothing short of transcendent. Charging into your ears next is Devil May Try, beginning in a frantic fashion before settling into a surging chorus. The track shifts between urgent cries and clean vocals, creating a sense of paranoia that perfectly complements the lyric, “I need to look over my shoulder.” There’s plenty of vocal layering throughout, with each added dimension intensifying the track’s frantic, unsettled nature. Crestfallen allows you to relax for a brief moment, with its haunting collective of instruments laying themselves bare. In addition the vocals here are incredibly impressive, with Berg effortlessly shifting between the soaring highs and deep lows. It’s safe to say that False Light might be one of the band’s most unhinged tracks ever. Following in the footsteps of Death Shall Have No Dominion that came out last year, False Light definitely doesn’t hold back. Its fury-fueled unadulterated rage is a force to be reckoned with, with no band member left in the dust. It’s full throttle from start to end. From here the tone shifts ever so slightly, If Not Now, When is a shoegaze-y, dreamy number that if you have seen the music video will stay with you for much longer. Didn't Think About You (Lately) will possibly be the track that people will pick up on the most as there are almost zero metal elements here; Berg has called to his other influences such as BON IVER and the band’s love for SIGUR RÓS has informed this track amongst others in their career but not quite like this. IMMINENCE tends to have their lyrics presented in an abstract way, allowing the listener to make their own connections in it, but in Didn't Think About You (Lately) specifically the lyrics are more straightforward, exposing and fragile. The song’s electronic sound culminates in a drum and bass breakbeat, an unexpected addition that works surprisingly well and adds dynamic to the track. As a track Leviathan seemingly feels like an interlude of sorts, whilst it stands well on its own there are certain patterns that sound reminiscent of earlier in the album. The guitars here are relentless, pairing in harmony with some of the album’s most satisfying screams. Shed Your Skin is another track that is led by a distinct shoegaze sound. The hazy, laidback feel to it showcases the instruments softer tone, the fuzziness making you feel safe. The penultimate track, Power Divine, has a crunchy undertone, with its guitars sounding abrupt and gritty. Throughout the album, the band uses the voice as an instrument in its own right, and this track is an example of that approach. The chorus is captivating and unmistakably IMMINENCE, while the final forty seconds erupt into something cathartic and enraged. Exodus brings together many of the elements heard throughout the album, combining them into one meaty, distorted rumble. The duality at play here encapsulates much of the album’s overarching themes, with “I wanna find god” ringing out as the track shifts between its heavier and softer moments. The guitar solo acts as a turning point, leading into an extended orchestral outro that offers a powerful sense of liberation, bringing the album to a fitting close. The album will also have a mysterious additional track that will only be available to the listener via a physical copy, with the band apparently having no intention of ever releasing the track digitally. Axis Mundi as a whole is a cohesive and full experience, some of the songs may not make sense on their own, in the context of the album they contribute to a deeper and expansive lore. In one album there are elements of drum and bass, shoegaze, post hardcore, orchestral and symphonic, and of course melodic metalcore. For those expecting a follow-up to The Black, Axis Mundi may not be quite what they anticipate, although elements of its predecessor remain. The sound doesn’t feel entirely unfamiliar; rather it feels like a natural evolution. One that is searching for the light in hopes of redemption. The Axis Mundi film is set to be shown in cinemas worldwide, with screenings taking place on 29 September and 1 October. Following the album’s promotional events, the band will head to the States for a tour with DYING WISH and GAEREA. Early next year, they’ll return to Europe for a run of shows with AUGUST BURNS RED and HOUSE OF PROTECTION, with a number of summer dates already announced for next year. Score: 10/10 Axis Mundi will be released on 2nd October 2026 via Sumerian Records. Words: Danielle Henderson Photos: Dorota Szulc

On a Tuesday night in mid-September, you'd expect people to be avoiding the creeping longer nights or watching the Bake-Off. But at The Lady Luck in Canterbury dozens of people mill about inside and out, here to cheer on their homegrown bands and find the best upcoming music from Kent. Five-piece RETAIL PARKS are first to warm up the crowd, fuzzed guitar ringing out on Aim Up while lead singer Jack Saunders paced back and forth into the front row for alt-emo anthem You Are My Blood as cymbals build to a wall of crashing noise, the track fading to a melancholic guitar note. Saunders threw his head back to deliver vocal screams on Foundations, the instrumentals dropping to a heavier tone as their bassist headbanged enthusiastically and led them into faster Circle and Love Unknown, switching up the pace and tone of their set that drew the crowd in, the lyrics “I couldn't be more proud” hitting hard for everyone. Saunders paused for the intro of Flowers Will Bloom to admire the RETAIL PARKS duo guitarists before singing beside the front row of the audience again, until a recorded intro shattered by drums announced their finale Grim, the emotionally charged track closing out to echoing harmonies and loud applause. Genre-defying trio TAILBLOCK stepped up to the plate next, immediately launching into a frenzy of riffs and thrashed beats on Trying, a track with weighty lyrics that call out self-made victims, before racing into Social Hand Grenade that has elements of early FOO FIGHTERS in its guitar notes, crackling bass and thumping, effortlessly paced drums from percussionist Ella Delamare. Vocalist Gary Ptaszek drops down an octave on Somewhere In Between before ramping back up on the chorus, bassist Jak Coleman whipping his head back as he slammed through bass notes. Coleman and Delamare swapped funny faces and laughs on Being Weird, before they collectively launched into their recently released single MSN, the poignant words looking back on a bad situation and wishing they could go back and try again. Things sped up for new single Make The Most Of It and I'll Be Your Right Arm, the trio looking much more relaxed and at home on the cosy stage as the crowd became more animated, leading up to their closer Gather Up Your Good Luck, an emo-pop-punk melody that rocketed through right to the end. The Lady Luck is filled back to the doors now, to the point fans are having to stand practically on the side of the stage just to get a glimpse of headliners DESIRE/LINES. Describing themselves as “fuzz” rock, the homegrown Canterbury quartet weave inspired grunge rhythms into iconic emo hooks and sentiments, an enigmatic backing track introducing their set before they launched into unreleased, gritty track Thin As A River, swiftly followed by Morning Is A Turn Of The Page, Grant Bailey bringing frenetic rhythms that give no room to rest as guitarist Marc Prentice wielded his weapon in front of the drumkit in a show of musical connection. Static guitar crept in before it was obliterated by Jasmine Marceau’s staggering bass lines on Atlas, their latest released single that’s teased at promising sights on the horizon for DESIRE/LINES, with James Drouot injecting a soulful ache into his vocals on “tell me that I’m good enough” as the track built to a breakdown more akin to post-hardcore rather than fuzzed grunge. Drouout paused mid-set to thank everyone sincerely for coming out, glowing smiles on his and Marceau’s faces, even grins breaking Prentice and Bailey’s stoicness as the audience applauded loudly and shouted their names. It’s clear the camaraderie extends beyond the stage, the crowd full to the brim with their friends, loved ones, and even members of RETAIL PARKS and TAILBLOCK staying behind to support them. Buoyed by the welcoming energy, they struck chords and distorted vocals for Imposter Syndrome, drums steadily building to a rhythm that strayed from the status quo, breaking almost immediately into Breathing Space and its time-centric melody emulating 90s fuzzed grunge. DESIRE/LINES broke from their standard setlist to treat the crowd to unreleased tracks Marc and Whale, an inescapable swaying spreading through the crowd to the enigmatic music. Closing out to Cinero, DESIRE/LINES give a final thank you to deafening applause from a crowd pushed up to their speakers in an attempt to fit more fans in the snug venue. Tonight was an opportunity for the band to showcase exactly why they're destined for bigger things - no one left disappointed. Photos and words: Julia Stark

Hyde Park Book Club was the home to MALLAVORA’s multimedia evening of pensive metalcore. With support from BREATHING BELOW and SIXTH WONDER, MALLAVORA’s mission to create spaces for those with disabilities manifested into a night of letting go with a strong community feel. The walk down to Hyde Park Book Club’s basement was filled with the touches that foreground MALLAVORA’s commitment to accessibility for their live presence - earbud jars at the doors and the back of the room and QR codes on the walls with lyric sheets that felt touching to the hard of hearing among us. Hyde Park Book Club themselves added small trinkets at the merch stand, free of charge for those that cannot spring for merch but would appreciate the memento. Within these accessible boarders there was a warm atmosphere as gig-goers filtered in, milling around the middle until openers BREATHING BELOW were ready to go BREATHING BELOW impressed from the jump, being the first of the frontwoman to blend ethereal vocals with a shattering scream. the quintet didn’t quite have the room for them all to boogie, but vocalist Em Marks commanded presence while the crowd flirted with the idea of the pit. Two of the crowd took the opening to make a two man circle pit which got so intense they needed to resolve it in a slap fight, by which point BREATHING BELOW had hit their stride. The midpoint of their set was Oxygen, a track that strikes the balance of alternative rock and metalcore through the blended vocal style and spacey yet powerful chord progressions that had the room head banging. The setlist itself was well paced as it started with the slower, emotional tracks before crechendoing into closer Salience. starting with a floor lead then gearing up into its finale where Marks squatted down and ended their set with a scream to remember. The gravelly scream of SIXTH WONDER’s Rebekah Kirk let Hyde Park Book Club know they were in good hands, with their own brand of floaty metalcore accentuated by Kirk ease working the crowd. SIXTH WONDER kept the energy up though their half an hour set, with unrelenting power chords backing up Kirks effortless switches from powerful clean vocals to her commanding scream. The themes of SIXTH WONDER’s music include burnout, where Kirk asks Hyde Park Book Club if they resonate with the feeling of being sick and tired. for SIXTH WONDER there was mainly sways and headbangs as they worked through their set, while SIXTH WONDER’s collective passion was a current in the air for their whole runtime. MALLAVORA began with setting up a white screen on the floor of Hyde Park Book Club, that first displayed a countdown timer set to SYSTEM OF A DOWN’s Lonely Day. as the count hit zero a visualiser from the PRS foundation played on the screen: a dissociative piece featuring the body on the album cover of What if Better Never Comes, traversing in circles through never ending steps and hallucinogenic spirals. the pensive space of the visualiser faded into the excited energy as set opener Host kicked off; a good warm up as Waste got the people moving. Vocalist Jessica Douek and guitarist Larry Sobieraj kept time with one another as they stomped and smiled across the stage, guiding Hyde Park Book Club in Douek’s request for the room to all let go together. Douek and Sobieraj got their floor time each by the midpoint of the set, as Douek glided through the crowd during Lilith and Esther and Sobieraj positioned himself just behind where the pit for Birth of a Son would break. With a semi-circle back to the front to get on the stage to finish Birth of a Son, they both took a moment for Hopeless. Hopeless was a defeated track over the low acoustic chords, with the track plus the silence creating an intimacy for Douek and Sobieraj that got emotional by the end. To close out the set SIXTH WONDER’s Rebecca joined them on stage to perform Empty where they screamed their back-and-forth lines to each other while Hyde Park Book Club started moving again. After Skin the finale Disorder closed the set, beforehand Douek highlighted how happy they are as two disabled people to create a space for their community to enjoy live music and a reminder that not all disabilities are visible. Though there was a false start from one overexcited members of the crowd, this did not stop Hyde Park Book Club from enjoying the last dance. MALLAVORA’s first headline in Leeds was a joy and a testament to their mission for accessibility in rock and metal. The sense of community was strong and the space carved allowed for walking aids in the mosh pit; being accommodated creates space for everyone to unwind and connect with one another. There was a warmth in the cool air as the crowd joined the stragglers of the Otley run heading towards Leeds city centre - Saturday evening well spent. Words: Julia Brunton Photos: Kierah Jaggers Hakin