Back in the glory days of alt-metal, Marilyn Manson was a massive deal. Nobody else has managed to combine over-the-top religious-Right-baiting showmanship with fierce intelligence and raging, in-your-face rock in the same manner Manson did around the turn of the millennium. But after 2003’s The Golden Age Of Grotesque, things took an awkward turn with a series of albums that Read more…
Hitting the eardrums like a boxer’s glove-free knuckles, Idle Hands pulls no punches. All biting cynicism and Read more…
Sometimes, an EP is so good that you can’t quite get your head around it. So Read more…
I’ve never heard anything quite like this.
The automatic response to the unfamiliar is often to find a quick way to dismiss it, to chuck it in the metal box labelled Read more…
One of my favourite things about the Boileroom is the sheer diversity of musical styles that are welcomed within its walls. For this year’s DengFest, Selectric set up an appropriate air of unpredictability via Read more…
Howls occupy the straight-ahead, no-nonsense end of the post-hardcore spectrum – and it won’t be long until they’ve carved out their own niche down there. Listening to No Living feels like riding an ancient rusty rollercoaster on the edge of falling apart; sophisticated, smooth, and genteel this is absolutely not. Read more…
Acoda have spent the last few years forging a real reputation for pushing themselves right to the edge of their abilities – and Truth Seeker sees that edge extended even further than before. Injecting a post-hardcore core with guttural guitar tones, syncopation aplenty, wickedly snaky grooves, and extra-strong songwriting chops, Acoda are going to make a serious mark on the rock world’s 2015 with this album. Read more…
The fact that this show even happened is a true testament to the strength and indomitable passion of its organisers. Few life experiences are as devastating as losing a friend or family member to cancer; when that happens, most of us would become too overwhelmed to function, and with good reason. Nobody would have blamed Tom Morley and the team behind Smile For Hatti (a campaign set up to support the courageous and inspiring Hatti Sandall, who sadly passed away only three days before this gig) had they rescheduled or cancelled this fundraiser – but they didn’t. For that, they deserve all the respect in the world – not to mention the sheer success of this awesome event, which raised over £2000 for Smile For Hatti (which is in the process of becoming a new charity, to which future donations will be directed) and Sarcoma UK.
As far as opening acts go, Read more…
Hailing from the edge of Cornwall and pissed off beyond reason, Patrons have set out to shatter skulls with their upcoming EP The Momentary Effects of Sunlight – and in that mission, they will absolutely succeed. Comprising four tracks of harsh and raw post-hardcore, The Momentary Effects of Sunlight is an absolutely essential set to add to your collection if you like your music made of 100% pure catharsis, with just enough light/shade contrast to prevent it all from becoming overwhelming. Read more…
Over 22 years since its release – and more than half a decade since Killing in the Name famously wiped the floor with X Factor pop puppet Joe McElderry – Rage Against The Machine’s ten-track debut remains as fierce and stirring as ever. This album is one of my very first musical loves – and it continues to be a regular soundtrack to my daily goings-on even in the face of the innumerable songs I’ve given time to while running TMMP.
At the start of 2015, Read more…