Music Reviews

Over the past few years, we've had to develop almost inhumane levels of patience with regard to our favourite bands getting back on the road and dropping new releases. Fans of No Bragging Rights, however, have had to wait over seven years for a taste of new material and now, in the bizarre year of 2021, they have been blessed with a new self-titled EP from the Californian melodic hardcore outfit.

Delaire The Liar are a band who know how to keep listeners engaged, with 'EAT YOUR OWN' providing a narrative that readily unstitches. There is something oddly comforting about a band that isn’t afraid to unmask the internal fears and fragilities that plague the mind, offering solace to those on the edge themselves.

'Control My Sanity' is easily Like Pacific’s most coherent body of work to date, telling the story of vocalist Jordan Black’s experiences through heartbroken and frustrated lyricism.

After teasing fans with singles, 'Weighted', 'Pixelated' and 'Holywater', Volumes could just be the masters of anticipation. Their latest release 'Happier?' has cut the cord of a four-year long drip-feed since their last album 'Different Animals', which debuted in 2017. With major changes to the Los Angeles band since then, will 'Happier?' bring a certain nostalgia or a new beginning?

Whilst preparing to tour with PVRIS in 2022, genre-defying, Grammy-nominated Illinoisan Kristine Flaherty, also known as K.Flay, has unveiled her new five-track EP 'Outside Voices'. Contrasting her previous EP, which was released this April, 'Inside Voices' saw collaborations with pop-punk superstar Travis Barker and Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello. Although, 'Outside Voices' continues to comment on intricacies of life through K.Flay’s signature sound of alt-pop vocals, indie influences and lo-fi vibes, this time it’s with a 90s grunge edge.

With a new line-up and a new EP, zebrahead have a lot on their hands. This EP comes after over a dozen studio albums and could very well mark a new beginning for the band. This means juggling a lot of expectations from fans new and old, but can they pull it off?

IDLES are the UK post-punk band of the generation. Now four albums in, if they were to retire their mark will have been left on music for years to come, which speaks of the sheer greatness of this band. So, does 'CRAWLER' continue this legacy or tarnish it?

When heavy metal music was being forged amongst the backdrop of the industry in the Midlands of the UK, it's hard to think that anyone involved thought “I can’t wait until we mix this all with the swing and jazz music that was popular decades ago." It's a sentence that most likely did not manifest from the brains of anyone in Black Sabbath. But in 2003, a fine group of folks from Sweden decided to go all in on this idea, and thus Diablo Swing Orchestra was born. Now, on their fifth album, the band are determined to go so far beyond the original idea that it's hard to fathom. If this is your first experience of the group, strap in for a colourful and unforgettable ride, because you have never heard anything quite like this.

Cradle of Filth’s guiding force, vocalist Dani Filth, compares their previous record to 'Existence is Futile' as "ornate" and suggests this new release is anything but...and if this is Cradle trimmed of all fat, it makes you wonder how overblown this record could have been. That said, the decision to focus on the best elements, even if there are a lot of them, and refine them has resulted in an expertly crafted album that never really outstayed its welcome.

When you think of the top metal bands to come out of the UK in the 21st century, Bullet For My Valentine have to be up there. The Welsh outfit have consistently produced banger after banger, and their self-titled seventh record is their most brutal and heaviest yet.