Reviews

Harbinger have been quite the rising force within the tech-metal scene within the UK for a notable length of time now, whilst managing to be unchained to any of the musical presumptions that are typically served with such a feat. The London quintet have raised 5 tracks from the depths of death and tech metal to spearhead their latest release, Paroxysm.

It's always a risk for a band to make changes to their sound and their creative process, but by taking one, O'Brother have produced probably their most haunting, experimental, thought-provoking record to date.

The term "emo revival" is thrown around a lot these days, and more often than not it is met by cynicism and a sense that the word emo and the heartbroken dudes that come along with it, is something that should be left in 2005. Whilst there’s reason behind the cynicism, it’s bands such as Pity Sex that are proving that there is still a place for emo, and that it is a genre that can look past the teen angst and become something more mature.

Glaswegian metal band Blackwork have released their debut EP Impasse, which consists of five tracks that totals a running time of 24 minutes. The record showcases elements across the metal spectrum, with bucket loads of aggression and some beautifully melodic moments.

Brighton's Architects are one of modern metal's most reliable and consistent acts. Back with their highly anticipated album 'All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us' they may have returned with a familiar sound; but have they taken it to the next level?

One Hundred Percent Strong starts off quite enjoyable - gutsy and noisy, similar to Pulled Apart by Horses, loud enough that it jars nicely against the saturation of jangly guitars and acoustics that are about nowadays. But does the rest of the EP follow suit?

Back with a new name and a short but strong EP, it’s Banshee: a rebranded, female-fronted alternative band with a promising future on some heavier festival stages.

The past 18 months have been a whirlwind for Against the Current, who have two sold out headline UK tours under their belt, arena support slots to All Time Low and millions of views across their YouTube channel. The Poughkeepsie three-piece achieved all of this having released only two EPs: Infinity in 2014, and 2015's Gravity. Needless to say, their highly anticipated debut album In Our Bones had some huge expectations, but have one of the most in-demand bands of 2016 lived up to it?

Recently, Bad Ideas announced that they would be calling it a day on the music front. Amongst their goodbyes, they have left us with one last release to enjoy in the form of their third and final full-length self-titled album.

Over the last 12 months Sussex based quartet Black Peaks have been a band that anyone with a keen interest in up & coming rock music in Britain has been keeping an eye on, after delivering some very promising singles and some outstanding sets at 2000 Trees, Hevy Fest and on tour with Lonely The Brave last year. Embarking on their first UK headline tour, we caught them at the famous King Tuts Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow to see if they're worth the hype.