For anyone who has had the privilege of digesting Visitiations they’ll know that Cryptic Shift are a supremely talented bunch of individuals, and maybe thought that there wasn’t really anywhere for them to go in terms of more technicality. However Overspace and Supertime find the band pushing the boundaries further in what could be considered more than just another technical metal album. In fact after several listens it seems that the band has blown straight through the traditional song structure music album area and into full blown space opera, movie soundtrack Astrodeath.
From the first notes you are whisked away on a journey, a continuation on the story from Visitations and plunged violently into the swirling maelstrom of thrash metal riffs firing backwards and forwards over drums which add a further layer to the madness that ensues each track or ‘chapter’ has a specific role to play in the composition as a whole further cementing the element of “illustrative imagination,” as drummer Ryan Sheperson elucidated. “We’re all massive Sci-fi nerds, so making an album like this and Visitations came naturally. Star Wars is a big influence on us, and we try to capture the idea that the music creates its own visuals as you work your way through the album.” It is clear that not only do Cryptic Shift take their work seriously, it also creates endless enjoyment for them, fulfilling, challenging and huge in its scope all at the same time.
The latest single from the Midlands alt-rock group and their first release via their new home of Manic Kat Records, ‘Lucille’ see’s Beach Front taking inspiration from all of our favourite bands of the early 2010’s alt rock and pop punk scene. However, this is not a case of standard revivalism from a band pandering to nostalgia for the sake of it.
Carrying an air of spirited carefreeness that’s metered with consideration and emotion, ‘Lucille’ is the sound of a band that harken back to those carefree days of adolescence as much as they look forward to the future. The end result is a track that carries the ensnaring pop sensibility of acts such as Tonight Alive, We Are The In Crowd and VersaEmerge whilst carrying that distinguishable UK lilt characterised by national bands of that era such as Canterbury and Straight Lines. Genuinely, it’s a breath of fresh air that’s void of some of the ills of the current scene.
“Lucille” is a special single release for us”, states vocalist Laura Whiston. It holds a lot of heart and really defines our sound at this moment. We’re incredibly proud of it and can’t wait for the world to hear it. Signing with Manic Kat Records is a huge milestone for us and we’re incredibly grateful to have this opportunity.”
Listen to ‘Lucille’ exclusively below and grab tickets for their upcoming show with A Loss For Words, Downcast and Lunar Hijack in Birmingham here.
Franco-Irish math-rock duo Bicurious return with new single ‘Papa’, announcing their forthcoming EP Afterthoughts. It follows their excellent 2024 sophomore LP Your Life Is Over Now which saw the band transition from mostly instrumental compositions to vocal-driven songs that punch above and beyond the math-rock niche, ‘Papa’ continues the duo’s efficient usage of vocals. Although this time, guitarist and vocalist Taran Plouzané is singing in his native French and the vocal parts are a bit more spread out, usually entering the fray to highlight the track’s catchy chorus before leaving space for Gavin Purcell’s drums and Taran’s array of guitar loops and layers to shift the song’s mood as it goes. Despite being known for writing generally upbeat songs and ‘Papa”s playful sounding chorus, the track does have a bit of a darker, moodier tone in places which is perhaps or perhaps not an indicator of what to expect from Afterthoughts. One thing’s for sure however, we certainly won’t be moping when Bicurious play Noizzefest this April. – Avrian O’Brien
Currently between albums, Scranton, PA’s The Menzingers find themselves at their most earnest on latest single ‘Nobody’s Heroes’. Starting as a way to help guitarist Tom May through a divorce, the song evolved into an anthem to tell the story of the band, and that they’re at their best when they’re nothing but their true selves. And they’re right, with a huge chorus, warm late summer guitar tones, and vocalist Greg Barnett at his crooning best, ‘Nobody’s Heroes’ is The Menzingers have released probably their best song since 2020. A powerful reminder that honesty is always the best policy, and a perfect taster for what might be round the corner. – Kevin Ashburn
The second single to be taken from the band’s upcoming record The Pain That Orbits Life, ‘Warpath’ – as you can probably imagine – is a total blitzkrieg. A song that captures the frenzied nature of Haggard Cat as an entity, ‘Warpath’ sees alt-rock duo tackling the subject of toxicity with all the reckless abandon one would expect from them. However, with it’s ghastly synth wails tempered rage, it’s also a single that highlights the detail and intricacy that Haggard Cat are distilling into their latest record. It’s still a total rager mind you, something that can be attested to by anyone who has seen this live recently. – Dan Hillier
Bristol alt metal up-and-comers Mallavora are counting down the days til the release of debut album What If Better Never Comes?, and have released one (presumably) final single ahead of it, in ‘Hopeless’. Instead of thundering riffs, though, it’s a far more vulnerable song that explores the album’s title, of being afraid that as bad as things are now, they won’t get any better. It’s a slow-burning, cinematic opus that echoes the refrain “maybe it’s hopeless” to devastating effect. As the band explain, “We wrote this song at a time when everything just felt too hard, and the challenges we face felt insurmountable. We learned that it’s ok to let your guard down, take off your brave face and accept that there really is no such thing as certainty… But it’s not about abandoning hope altogether.” – Will Marshall
Returning with yet another slow building gut-wrencher, emo and math rock icons American Football unveil their first single off their long-awaited fourth LP, in the form of ‘Bad Moons’. Mike Kinsella’s wounded lyricism evokes images of a man who’s struggling to keep his head above water as delicate harp and piano keys linger in the air whilst American Football experiment with a more post-rock influenced sound compared to their previous three albums. The slow escalation clearly influenced by shoegaze is highly effective and reflects the self-loathing soundscape perfectly as the Illinois quartet prove that although they have mellowed with age, their musicianship hasn’t faded. Maybe avoid this one if you’re having a particularly bad breakup, or wallow in irreparable sadness for the eight minute duration of ‘Bad Moons’, whatever floats your boat. – Ez Luscombe
Breaking financial news: earplug stocks skyrocket after legendary Seattle drone duo Sunn O))) release the latest single from their upcoming self-titled album ‘Butch’s Guns’. Clocking in at almost 15 minutes of eardrum shattering distortion, ‘Butch’s Guns’ is hardly a radio-ready rock single but it makes up for its lack of accessibility with layers upon layers of fuzzed-out guitars from the cloaked figures of Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson. After signing to Sub-Pop records, announcing a European tour and their tenth studio album, 2026 is bound to be that year that Sunn O))) finally deafen us all with their walls of drone. – Rowan Bruce
With the release of Death Fetish quickly approaching, Hunter Young, the mastermind behind nu-metalcore band Moodring, graciously dropped a 4th single, ‘Anywhere But Here’, teleporting listeners back to the bands’ Stargazer era. If you’ve been around since the beginning, then you’ll immediately recognise the nostalgic tones and reminisce on what was once a distant memory, stuck in limbo of unknown revival. Laced with melodic guitar designed to be harmonised with, it’s hard to deny limbs the opportunity to move along in unison, so expect to succumb to the nu-metal rhythm. Young proves once again that he’s a vocalist who embodies versatility, showcasing powerful harshes which lead perfectly into a chorus so undeniably catchy, there’s no avoiding that your neighbours are going to hear what you sound like singing in the shower. This track might be called ‘Anywhere But Here’, but it’s guaranteed that no one would be anywhere except wherever this is playing. – Hayley Nicole
Even when it’s short and snappy, Hot Mulligan have a way of making you feel angst that lasts long into the night. The surprise release of B-side ‘I Don’t Think It’s The Right Time For Emojis’ ahead of their upcoming European/UK tour is yet another prime example of that from the Michigan band. Riding the wave of momentum from their 2025 release The Sound A Body Makes When It’s Still, this single’s message is a blistering rebuttal of religious hypocrisy and the urgency of pushing religion onto people before they can make their own choices. Tades Sanville’s voice is his greatest weapon in his defence, and in calling out faith based selfishness, his screams and wails come right from the heart. When you put this together with Hot Mulligan‘s expertise in subverting the anger with melodic midwestern emo melodies, even on first hearing, this song, like many of Hot Mulligan‘s before becomes an earworm you can’t help but quote/scream in the privacy of your own room. It’s angry, sharp and to the point, but its soul, in every conceivable way, is everything Hot Mulligan is about. – Sean Jolly
The latest single from one of Philly’s finest, ‘Smoke Screen’ once again proves why Sweet Pill are one of the brightest flames in the North American emo scene. Taken from their upcoming record There’s Still A Glow – released March 13th via Hopeless – ‘Smoke Screen’ highlights the themes of reflection and hard earned growth that bind the record it belongs to in a fashion that’s honest, personal, yet still relatable. “This song is sorta like the inner monologue of battling your self doubt,” states vocalist Youssef. “The album has a lot of lyrics about burning or any sort of thing associated with fire: ‘Sun Blind’ mentions a sun, ‘Glow’ references haze, ‘Slow Burn’ with cigarettes and literally slow burning. For ‘Smoke Screen,’ I see myself being destructive like fire, not easy to contain and ruining everything I touch, spreading fast. Sometimes we need to slow down and clear the voices out of our head. Or in this case, blow away the smoke screen and have a little clarity. So unlike ‘Glow,’ where I want to be blanketed in ignorance, ‘Smoke Screen’ has this yearn to get out of the smoke and open my eyes.” – Dan Hillier
Just when we thought we couldn’t have expected more from noise rap legends dälek after the release of their collaborative album with HAYWARD, just two months ago, the New Jersey duo is back with a new song off their newest album, Brilliance of a Falling Moon, called ‘Knowledge | Understanding | Wisdom’. If the lyrics sound like a warning, it’s because it clearly is. The themes of resistance against authoritarianism, anger and frustration can be heard in the beats and the bars, which is nothing surprising for longtime fans of dälek. On a recent interview, they stated that this track is “righteous defiance in the face of those who attempt to keep us uninformed or misinformed. Nothing strikes fear in the heart of the oppressor like these three interwoven concepts”. It’s feisty, psychedelic and incredibly catchy, which only promises good things to come when the album drops on 27th March via Ipecac Records. – Nessie Spencer
Judging from the response, it’s arguable that Download Festival may be looking at it’s biggest ever year come this summer. It’s only getting larger though. Joining the bill today are easycore trendsetters A Day To Remember, Southampton’s finest Creeper, UK post-metal heavyweights Conjurer and the freshly reunited Marmozets. They’ll be joined by fellow newcomers Daughtry, Hot Milk, Silly Goose, BAND-MAID, Stampin’ Ground, Annisokay and Private School. However, what may be the biggest surprises of this announcement may be the confirmation of the Miss World Chile fronted DECESSUS and the official band of Final Fantasy XIV, THE PRIMALS.
On today’s lineup, Download head honcho Kamran Haq says: “We’re really proud of our line-up this year, and our second announcement brings further depth and diversity to DLXXIII. We have huge artists like A Day To Remember, Daughtry, Creeper and Hot Milk, as well as bringing Final Fantasy XIV’s official band THE PRIMALS to Download for their very first show outside of Asia. And due to popular demand, Miss World Chile – Ignacia Fernández – will be performing with her band DECESSUS after surprising the world with her incredible death metal vocals a few months ago. We have even more surprises to come, and tickets are selling out faster than ever this year, so this is your last chance to snap up the final remaining tickets.”
As usual, Download Festival 2026 will take place at Castle Donington between the dates of 10-14th June. Find those final tickets here and peep the line-up thus far below.
The diamond in the prosperous British extreme metal scene, Heriot, have bestowed a new track upon us to celebrate the deluxe edition of their spectacular debut album, Devoured By The Mouth Of Hell. ‘Master Of Deceit’ is another slab of foreboding, sinister heaviness, that fits perfectly onto the record. Debbie Gough’s pain-stripping shrieks blend perfectly with the bands fierce stomp for yet another entry in the bands already stellar catalogue, which poses the question, why was this left out of the original album as it fits so perfectly? It isn’t entirely a track from the album sessions as it turns out, as Randy LeBouef and Erik Bickerstaffe (Loathe) were involved with the production, meaning that this is a new track (along with last year’s ‘Commander of Pain’) and hopefully not the last we get from Heriot in 2026. – Chris Earl
Even for Sugar Horse this is bleak. The first single to be lifted from the band’s freshly announced third LP Not A Sound In Heaven, ‘Secret Speech’ see’s the Bristolian noiseniks continuing to forego the sardonic wit that was once characteristic of their earlier work in order to truly mirror the inherent horror of the subject at hand. And has it happens, the subject here is the collapse of the western empire we’ve had the relative luck of being born into. Essentially, this is oppression encapsulated sonically; a granulating reflection on how the great western empire we call home is crumbling before our very eyes from the sagging weight of the ruling class, dwindling returns from the exploitation that fuels it, and the unceasing war machine that protects it as a construct. It’s a bleak listen, but a timely reminder on how the ephemerality of empires remains unchanged. – Dan Hillier
Two frankly gargantuan names in the field of uncompromising, abrasive music, Melvins and Napalm Death have joined forces for a collaboration album which even on paper promises to be one of the more intriguing releases of 2026. The first release from Savage Imperial Death March is the delightfully named ‘Tossing Coins Into The Fountain Of Fuck’ and as you’d probably expect, it’s not for the faint of heart. A swirling, ugly piece of music replete with Barney Greenway’s roar sitting atop some odd guitar work and disturbingly hypnotic drums, it sounds as deranged as you’d expect and God only know what form the full record will take when it drops on 10th April via Ipecac Recordings. – Chris Earl
Knocked Loose are well and truly back. Kentucky’s own bring their new track ‘Hive Mind’, 3 minutes and 26 seconds of everything that is right and wholesome with hardcore; blistering, intense, unapologetic and carrying a catchy 2 word chorus you can scream along to, as long as you’re not too busy throwing yourself around the room in the meantime. The addition of Denzel Curry brings a new flavour to their already extensive heavy palette. Rap and rock have been hand in hand since the 80s, and here it hits no different in some senses but completely new in others. It doesn’t feel forced to fit the tone of the song or the flow, instead it appreciates and accentuates the verocity and fever of ‘Hive Mind. This feels like some of Knocked Loose‘s best work, an entire band seemingly in tune and producing their prime in their own fields. As the band prepares for a huge 2026 including supporting Metallica, more tracks like this will have their names first on people’s lists of who they want to see. – Sean Jolly
