Music Reviews

What do you get when some of the world’s best metal bands come together to record an album? 'Horns For A Halo' by the metal supergroup, Elegant Weapons. With Vandenberg and Rainbow’s Ronnie Romero (vocals), Judas Priest’s Richie Faulkner (guitars), Uriah Heep’s Dave Rimmer (bass) and Accept’s Christopher Williams (drums), 'Horns For A Halo' is an ode to the heavy metal of the 70s and 80s.

From blood curdling screams and some seriously crushing breakdowns and riffs, to piano melodies and ballad sensitivities, and even some tasteful use of autotune and electronic elements inspired by trap songs, 'Take Me Back to Eden' has pretty much got it all in an album that’s bound to take Sleep Token to new heights.

After a highly successful European tour supporting Neck Deep and Boston Manor in 2022, there is a lot going on for happydaze. With over forty-three thousand monthly listeners on Spotify, the Scottish alt-rock/pop are back with their new EP, 'Full Free Radical'.

We all know that the seaside city of Brighton and Hove as a hotbed for the creatives, and once again it has spawned a group that are more than deserving of your attention. Since their formation, Staff Party have made a point of blending all of the finer points of the 90s alternative rock and grunge acts with their own contemporary take on heavy music. Up until now, the group have released a handful of singles, but now in 2023 the band have penned their first proper release in 'Dread'.

Although the pandemic may have devastated live music, it gave Picturesque the perfect opportunity to create an EP that shows they are multifaceted. By blending different elements of genre, they evolve from being a Warped Tour band to something more. They are not constrained by post-hardcore, but rather a pioneer in what could be post-post-hardcore in the next few years.

With plenty of high-octane riffs and synths, a good blend of classical elements, and even the occasional scream or two, 'A Kiss For The Whole World' is a perfectly suitable new album by Enter Shikari. Though it ends up being a little shorter than we’d care for, and its placement after 'Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible' can make it come across as a ‘safer’ entry, everyone can rest assured that the St. Albans band did not disappoint us this time, either.

From Fall To Spring are reviving nu-metal on their debut album 'RISE', showing both old and new fans of the genre that it deserves to be taken seriously. 

Bury Tomorrow are one of the UK’s most popular metal exports of the past decade. Offering classics like 'The Union of Crowns' to modern day masterpieces such as 'Black Flame' and 'Cannibal', their discography competes with the best of them. So how does 'The Seventh Sun' compare to the rest of their discography?

Combining the power of collaboration, strengthening the connection with his community and coming to terms with embracing his true authentic self, 'VOID ETERNAL' sees nothing, nowhere release a game changing record that represents the Soundcloud days that made him and the alternative scene that defined him.

The build-up to slowthai’s third record has been perhaps the most exciting yet. Pairing up with legendary producer Dan Carey and boasting a new age punk sound, one that we hadn’t heard from the Northampton artist before, how does the new combination fair?