Modern Rituals are a sore thumb. They play rock music but it comes out in twisted shapes and odd angles, with scant regard for scenes, structures and formula. They write these wonky songs with acoustic guitars but if their debut album is anything to go by, they record them with rolling boulders. And they do it all while on a […]
Read moreStomach are suitably named. From their fuzzy, rumbling riffs to lyrics like “I’m trying out all of your old hobbies, reaching for something to hold on to”, this is music that punches at your gut. Like Brand New turned all the way up to 11 or a Ken Andrews project determined to drill into the dirt rather than soar into […]
Read moreBlanket have named their band all wrong. The sound of this, the Blackpool quartet’s debut, is not something small and cosy, it’s enormous and epic. It is slow-swelling waves of lush, cinematic post-rock, sweeping instrumental drama, and widescreen ambience. The best bits are excellent- ‘Our Tired Hearts’ successfully incorporates alt-rock riffing and choral vocal blips, ‘Words Collide’ adds acapella, digitally-altered […]
Read more“Who is LIMBS?” If you’re asking that question then you’re not alone. Hell, if their website address and social media handles are anything to go by, even the band themselves aren’t sure. With their ferocious debut album however, the Floridian five-piece have produced plenty of reasons to find out more. Opener ‘Fed’ sets a trap. It begins with a restrained […]
Read moreAntiguo seem like nice guys. The Glasgow quartet’s first proper release might touch on loss, death, and decay but on the whole ‘Joy’ presents a warm and fuzzy version of post-hardcore. ‘Black Glitter’ has something of the Hot Water Music about it and frontman Bobby Simpson’s voice cracks at times but you’re much more likely to hear indie rock or […]
Read moreTwo years ago the members of Sigur Ros hired a van and drove a 24-hour circuit of Iceland’s largest ring road, streaming the whole thing on YouTube while a pioneering piece of software used the component parts of one of their new songs to create a living, breathing, unique soundtrack. Now, if that sentence alone doesn’t pique your interest in […]
Read moreIt seems increasingly unlikely that Cancer Bats will recapture the magic they snagged on ‘Hail Destroyer’. While they’ve not necessarily made a bad record since that landmark event and remain one of the most likeable bands in the business, the Toronto outfit have released a trio of increasingly ordinary albums to continually decreasing fanfare. ‘The Spark That Moves’, a surprise […]
Read moreWill Haven have been as low as they can go. Since the late 90s the Sacramento outfit have mined a seam of thick, dark, downtuned metal that, despite the changing scenes around them, has remained untainted by outside influence and uniquely, instantly recognisably, their own. They peaked (or descended if you like) with 2001’s ‘Carpe Diem’, a titanic slab of […]
Read moreMetal records often work best when they sound as if they’re being played live. The massive, monstrous, sprawling debut effort from Ssanahtes couldn’t do any better without the French five-piece knocking on your door and plugging into your living room. Opener ‘Kumaru’ sets the pace- over 10 minutes of doom-laden post-metal that fills every available space in the mix and […]
Read moreFrom JR Ewing to Kvelertak, Blood Command to Honningbarna, Norway has a fantastic habit of producing bands capable of combining hardcore fury with colossal hooks. Ondt Blod don’t let the side down. ‘Natur’, the quintet’s second full-length, starts with a Sami chant before accelerating to include punk rage and stomping riffs. Then, bursting out from behind the feedback comes a […]
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