Burials – ‘Gloaming’ [Review]
If your face is feeling too solid for your liking, this is the track you need to get it melted off. This is about as far from chirpy, cheeky and cheerful as you could ever hope to get. Read more…
Exist Immortal – ‘Darkness Of An Age (Deluxe Edition)’ [Review]
Sometimes a band’s endorsements say it all. Exist Immortal affiliates Chapman Guitars have made a name for themselves as supporters of a new generation of fresh-thinking musicians – and so it comes as no surprise that this tech-heavy album stands as a prime example of that generation’s capabilities.
Exist Immortal do with their influences what this guy does with everything from iPhones to hockey pucks. Meshuggah. Fear Factory. Devin Townsend. Will they blend? Apparently so – and further than that, they Read more…
Takedown Festival 2015 [Festival Review]
The first thing that needs to be said is this: Takedown Festival 2015 was really well-run. Organising an event that takes in over 40 bands across five stages, runs to schedule, and delivers a smooth, hassle-free and fun experience for punters is a serious ask – but the Takedown crew rose to the challenge and did an awesome job. Even the security were nice guys. Or maybe paid actors.
The second thing that needs to be said? Fuck Read more…
Essence – ‘Smoke And Mirrors’ [Review]
Although metalcore’s boundaries have become defined to the point of dogmatism and the suffocation of originality, there do still exist bands who aim to employ stylistic constrictions solely as guidelines rather than snares, or the bars of a gilded cage. It’s one thing to sit down and say Read more…
Red Seas Fire – ‘Blood Bank’ [Review]
In an age of unrelenting retromania, music desperately needs to move forward. In the rock and metal underground, we’re lucky to be a part of that movement in supporting bands like Red Seas Fire. Massively syncopated, sensorily hyperstimulating, and modern yet emotive and non-clinical, Blood Bank forms just one quarter of Read more…
ACODA – ‘Truth Seeker’ [Review]
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…
TMMP’s Top Albums Of 2014
The “death of the album” has been declared many times in recent years – but nonetheless, musicians keep making them and are showing no signs of stopping (and thank God for that!). Almost a decade and a half into the twenty-first century, there still exist bands and artists capable of composing immersive, engaging, and fully satisfying collections of songs that stand up to repeated, unshuffled listens. Here are fifteen of them. Read more…
TMMP’s EPs & Tracks Of 2014
I have a very strong emotional attachment to many of the releases listed below. Choosing this list was exceptionally tough; I’ve been fortunate to discover some incredible bands and artists over the past year, and it’s safe to say that outside this list lie a great many immense tunes that can be found via a quick browse through TMMP’s archives when you’re done with this lot. However, the following choices are the cream of the crop. Read more…
Like Vultures – ‘Win Some X Lose Some’ [Review]
Cute. Cheerful. Bright and sunny. Nice. Win Some X Lose Some is none of these things. Read more…
The Hell – ‘Groovehammer’ [Review]
The first time I heard about The Hell, I was advised to imagine The Lonely Island – only metal. Well, The Hell might not have Justin Timberlake crooning about how “Every Mother’s Day needs a Mother’s Night”, but they do have a bottomless bag of fat grooves and slightly less than serious lyrics. And they’re called The Hell – which should really be enough for any self-respecting metal fan. Read more…