As this album’s title indicates, crossover thrash masters Suicidal Tendencies have a habit of getting straight to the point. They generally live and play as fast as possible while still remaining musical, rarely wasting a moment on listener-boring self-indulgence. They know when to Read more…
Since absolutely smashing it with the incredible Guiding Lights back in 2014, Skyharbor have been through more than their fair share of upheaval. Drummer Anup Sastry and vocalist Daniel Tompkins left within six days of each other back in June 2015, while Sunshine Dust itself was taken back into the studio and re-recorded late last year. Inevitably, a creative direction change has been coming – but especially considering the great music that’s come before, this album is largely Read more…
Let’s start by stating the obvious: Depression is a cunt. According to the UK’s Mental Health Foundation, combined anxiety and depression is the most prevalent mental health issue in this country, ruining and even destroying life for far too many people. Add in the fact that over one million people a year die by suicide worldwide, and you’re only scratching the surface of the topic tackled by As It Is throughout The Great Depression. Read more…
On last January’s All These Countless Nights, Deaf Havana hit an all-time high. Countless musicians dream of the Holy Grail, the achievement of simultaneous commercial and artistic success – and these guys achieved it in style. All These Countless Nights was sick, and hit the UK Albums Chart in fifth place.
Everything was looking up, and everyone wanted Read more…
“Electronicore concept album” is something of a mouthful, but it perfectly encapsulates what Crossfaith have lined up for their fifth full-length release. Already globally notorious for their consistently inventive mix of assorted metal and electronic styles, these guys have managed to make an admittedly Read more…
Relocation is usually key to creative development, whether it be stylistic, mental, or physical. New perspectives, directions, lessons, discoveries, and opportunities rarely come when people sit and stagnate – and Trophy Eyes have never been ones to stick fast and stand still. That fact has earned them plenty of detractors, but it’s also Read more…
Given that I live a few miles from Woking (the original British setting of H.G. Wells’ The War Of The Worlds), anything related to that title naturally grabs my attention. Of course, the fact that this album happens to have been made by Michael Romeo – one of the most proficient guitarists in progressive metal, and the founder of Symphony X, a band I’ve been into since the days of V and The Odyssey – also marks it out as Read more…
With so many soundalike metalcore bands out there, The Agony Scene managed to differentiate themselves by going darker and harder than most of their peers. Now making their return after a lengthy hiatus with Tormentor, their first album in ten years, these guys have decided to mark the occasion by Read more…
Plini is one of the most highly respected instrumental guitarists in the world right now. Steve Vai heavily praised Plini’s first (and so far only) long-player Handmade Cities, while the Australian virtuoso’s DIY work ethic landed him on Download Festival’s Dogtooth Stage for the legendary event’s first ever instrumental guitar set. Although Plini first Read more…
Five years is a long time in rock ‘n’ roll – and that goes quintuple for former talent show contestants, who are normally expected to vanish into obscurity within twelve months of emerging into the public eye. But then again, Chris Daughtry is a star with proven staying power – and Cage To Rattle is a strong showing for a Read more…