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…
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…
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…
Fans of snappy suits, ska-punk songs, and skanking rejoice: The Interrupters are back once again with a fresh set of Tim Armstrong-produced tunes. Fight The Good Fight is mostly intended to act as an escape hatch for those tired of the world’s trials and tribulations, and Read more…
With festival season fast approaching, 2000 Trees (12-14 July) and ArcTanGent (16-18 August) are set to host some of the best alternative acts in the world right now. From At The Drive In, Twin Atlantic, and Enter Shikari to And So I Watch You From Afar, Glassjaw, and Shellac – to mention the headliners alone – both lineups are guaranteed to satisfy any reasonable rock fan.
Meanwhile in Shoreditch, I got chatting to James Scarlett, co-founder of and booker for both 2000 Trees and ArcTanGent Read more…
With so many contemporary rock bands lining up to give the sellout gods a rimming, albums like this are a welcome fucking relief. Rat Scabies has been around far longer than the aforementioned, and throughout P.H.D. he makes it clear that he hasn’t lost his connection to the punky vitality that kick-started his career as a member of The Damned Read more…
In the music business, everyone wants to tell you they did something first – and most of them are full of shit. The Damned, on the other hand, can legitimately lay claim to multiple punk landmarks.
As aficionados will already know, The Damned scored the first-ever Read more…
Punk’s roots have always been political, but in recent decades its pop-enamoured descendants have pulled focus away from politics and onto more adolescent concerns. Getting dumped, not being invited to parties, and being in love with Stacy’s mum are undoubtedly less than ideal situations – but they pale in comparison to the struggles faced by the far less fortunate every day. As a concept album about the European refugee crisis, Drones’ latest is unlikely to make you feel wistfully nostalgic, or pine for the days when you really did worry if nobody would like you when you turned twenty-three Read more…
When you spend your life immersed in music, it’s easy to assume that you’ve seen and heard it all. When I headed down to Brighton to watch The Dillinger Escape Plan tear the town a new one, then-support-act Ho99o9 immediately shredded said assumption. For more about that show, click here.
Ho99o9 (pronounced “Horror”) live up to their name on United States Of Horror. Focussing mainly on Read more…
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When pop-punk bands write songs about getting older, they tend to put a negative spin on their ever-increasing accumulation of time on Earth. The assumption is that aging is a bad thing, that each passing year must bring with it a mandatory reduction in fun, joy, and happiness.
The Menzingers disagree – and After The Party is their on-record counterargument. Yes, the pressure may be on to “grow up” and learn how to adult – but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a laugh and keep your spirits up. After The Party is an album designed to be played in barroom jukeboxes, its songs intended to be belted out by rowdy crowds across the world as they party hard, decades be damned Read more…