From Ashes To New – ‘Downfall EP’ [Review]
Fans of metal mixed with hip-hop are going to fucking love this EP. Fat, slick, sharp and intense in equal measure, Downfall contains four fully arena-ready anthems sure to get fans of Enter Shikari, Hacktivist, and recent Ashes To New tourmates Hollywood Undead bobbing their heads under headphones.
Title track Downfall doesn’t mess about and sticks Read more…

Picture a hip-hop video, and somewhere within that visualisation will be a party sequence. It’ll come complete with the usual ingredients: Endless bottles and glasses and shots and enough debauchery to put Roman orgies to shame. The underlying message will be obvious:
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.
As a music venue embedded into Stamford Bridge (the stadium called home by Chelsea F.C.), Under the Bridge was an appropriately unique venue for this unique show. An industry showcase set up by trade paper Music Week, networking hub MusicConnex, promoters ILUVLIVE, and south coast music school BIMM, it goes without saying that the high-profile nature of this show inevitably brought its own special set of performance pressures. A quality showcase set has the potential to push an act to the next level, while a duff performance can see a band crossed off “Ones To Watch” lists in the blink of an eye.
Some tracks just leave you stunned. This is one of them. Deadly-sexy, funky, deep, and gorgeously bass-heavy, So Good is…well…
Bands capable of speaking out intelligently about political issues are few and far between these days. Most seem set on insisting that it’s all about the music and having a good time, rather than encouraging their audiences to educate themselves and act on issues that mean so much to so many, but are often ignored in the age of cheap flatscreens and Xbox Live.
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.
With very few exceptions, Christmas music is terrible. Fortunately, the Boileroom team have good taste in tunes – and so this show was the perfect antidote to the overwrought saccharine pap that’s been unavoidable for the past few months.