If you’ve ever wondered what a jam involving The Mars Volta, Coheed And Cambria, Protest The Hero, and The Cat Empire might sound like, Things To Place On The Moon is the answer to that unspoken question. Odd Palace throw all of the above into a blender while leaning heavily on heavily effected guitars, expensive-sounding chords, and syncopated riffage – and they’ve come up with a Read more…
Alt-rock up-and-comers Black Orchid Empire definitely know a thing or two about quality songcraft. My Favourite Stranger opens Yugen with sick bass tones, cool riffs, impressively subtle odd-time verses, and – most importantly – a catchy-but-not-overbearing chorus hook. It’s a strong Read more…
As one of modern prog’s most definitive bands, Spock’s Beard have a reputation for consistently high-class performances. Historically, musical missteps have been few and far between – and more recently, they’ve been on a formidable winning streak 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…
Beach Slang’s James Alex could have taken the easy, lazy route when reimagining the above band’s songs as Quiet Slang. He could’ve called in a bunch of reasonably able Ableton jockeys and let them warp his songs into a quaking mass of depressingly shit EDM and R&B tracks. There would be four-to-the-floor beats, obligatory guest rap vocals, and factory-preset synths all over the place, and the resulting criticism would have been fast, brutal, and merciless 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…
Korn were the first band to get me into heavy music. After blowing up in the ‘90s, they paved the way for the djent-embracing pioneers who now represent metal’s cutting edge. While much has been made of Korn’s use of extended-range guitars, it’s important to remember that they’re successful because of their songwriting – and, of course, the idiosyncratic vocal belonging to one Jonathan Davis Read more…
Parkway Drive fans are incredibly passionate – and Reverence is set to spark off a civil war. Over on YouTube, this album’s advance singles repeatedly met with heated and mixed reactions. For some, each new track is a solid gold winner, while others have been quick to play the “sellout” and “dad rock” cards Read more…
If your favourite bands have always been acquired tastes, prepare to meet the next one. If you automatically love music that makes you think “what the actual fuck” before you realise you just said it out loud, Boss Keloid’s third full-length will Read more…
Back in the day, I was a massive Godsmack fan. Awake and Faceless were constant companions for years, and they got me through some difficult times. Godsmack also had their own unique sound, and it seemed like nothing could stop them.
Fast-forward to 2018, and honestly, I don’t think any Godsmack fan would’ve seen this coming Read more…