Sum 41 are one of the most recognisable punk-related rock bands of all time. Their back story is famously riddled with everything from near-death experiences in war-torn countries to a certain uncomfortably public divorce, not to mention frontman Deryck Whibley’s descent into Read more…
I’m not normally a big fan of live records. With so many literally moving parts, and an almost endless list of things that can go wrong, a truly awesome live recording is a rare thing. With 25Live@25, Skunk Anansie have cherry-picked no fewer than 25 gems from across their entire career, and assembled them into a compilation structured as if it were a single live set.
Of course, Skunk Anansie have something of a reputation for great live shows – and so this collection’s quality is Read more…
Although Periphery are primarily worshipped as all-conquering djent overlords, they’ve never been the kind of band to go in for constant, unrelenting brutality. Even Insomnia, the opening track from their self-titled debut album, started off with clean, faded-in backward swells and electronic glitches before Read more…
Calling The Black Queen’s debut album Fever Daydream a masterpiece is not an act of taint-tonguing, banus-licking sycophancy. It’s merely a statement of plain and simple fact. It’s been more than two years since key tracks The End Where We Start, Ice To Never, Secret Scream, and That Death Cannot Touch saw the light of day, and those converted by Read more…
Very few bands make it through three and a half decades – but over the course of multiple lineup adjustments, creative direction changes, tragedies and triumphs, Voivod have kept the dream alive since the early 80s. Whether laying down 17-minute songs or covering the Batman theme, Voivod keep pushing their boundaries and stretching Read more…
Working under the Beartooth banner, Caleb Shomo has always been up for a fight. His opponent comes cloaked in shadow, has no concrete physical form, and has claimed far too many victims. Its name is depression, the Disease referred to by Read more…
Some bands are born special. I first came across Black Peaks (then known collectively as Shrine) back in 2014, within a year or so of their initial formation, and it was obvious even then that these guys would go on to achieve big things. Fast-forward past their Closer To The Sun EP, 2016’s beautifully batshit debut album Statues, massive amounts of touring, and more than a few Read more…
Since 2014, Monuments have managed to stay near the top of the tech-metal pile on the back of The Amanuensis, which happens to be one of the greatest albums to ever emerge from that particular scene Read more…
After a decade of slogging away as one of the most hated pop-punk bands of all time, Good Charlotte went on hiatus and returned with 2016’s Youth Authority. It was a decent effort, and recognised as such, a promising sign of lessons learnt and extra miles run while sweating blood in the name of self-improvement. At their best, Good Charlotte stood up for the world’s downtrodden misfits – and that positive stance is likely why Read more…
Thrice have always thrived on diverse creative approaches. Their on-record history has already taken in a set of post-hardcore classics (The Artist In The Ambulance), experimental compositional sorcery (Vheissu), and the all-encompassing masterwork The Alchemy Index. Since the latter epic saw the light of day, Thrice have never quite managed to Read more…