The debut EP from the London group, No End see’s Higher Walls drawing upon the linage of hardcore in order to address the sociopolitical nightmares of today with the level of urgent rage required to do so. Think the stomp of Terror, the savagery of Nails and bloodshot-eyed drive synonymous with our current national hardcore scene all implemented together and delivered via a sledgehammer to the walls that keep us penned in mentally and culturally. There’s no grace to be had here, just pure rage that’s articulated with both musical chemistry and phlegm-flying fury in their rallying against a system that attempts to justify war, genocide and widening cultural divides.
With that in mind, and with No End out now, we got in touch with Higher Walls to break down the EP, track by track.
Related: Higher Walls – No End | EP Review
‘Musically, the songs for No End have existed in some capacity for years. We’ve tinkered with them and got them to the finished state they are now in but lyrically, we wanted all subject matter to be fresh. There is a cohesion in theme amongst the tracks on the EP, almost explicitly so, but with everything that’s happening globally it was impossible to ignore.’
‘The opener to our EP, History’s Eyes is about how we move forward despite bearing the burden of generational and global trauma. We have the power to make positive change by addressing what’s current structures, pulling up from the roots and starting again. We are the successors to pain and destruction wrought on us. We have witnessed, we have weathered, and we are still not hopeless.’
‘Cloak & Dagger speaks to the reality of the war machine and how the people instilled to protect us use their influence to profit from the donations of warmongering elites.’
After dropping one of the best punk records of 2023 with Blouse Club, Belfast’s Problem Patterns are back, and this time with another punk legend in tow. Featuring the brilliantly unhinged vocals of Pissed Jean’s Matt Korvette, ‘Sad Old Woman’ see’s Problem Patterns bucking back against how misogynistic stereotypical perceptions of older women have become somehow not only culturally normalised, but expected. It’s an abssoute barnstormer of a track, and a single that once again bares witness to the energy, drive and cultural crucial nature of this band. “Sad Old Woman is about accepting the inevitable”, state the band on the track. “The older women get, the more they’re forced to maintain a certain image and decorum, lest they become grotesque or even worse, invisible. There is a checklist of life goals ingrained in our society that we feel pressured to complete by a certain age; many that seemed obvious in previous decades seem less attainable for the majority now. To critique these standards can often invite remarks of bitterness. Aging is a gift, and we should embrace it while we can.” – Dan Hillier
Dark, gritty, full of dread – but enough about the state of the economy, it’s time to talk Burner. One of the hottest heavy acts in the UK have just dropped the second half of their new two-track release, with ‘The Night Does Not End’ now joining ‘City 17’ – like a second pistol emerging from the waist band of a gunslinger not yet finished clearing house. The song starts with extreme aggression and rapidly progresses into a flurry of guitar chugs and blast beats, as pained screams coat the last varnish on this well polished rager of a track. Never one to fall into a predictable format, Burner shake things up with groove changes and tempo changes as the song develops, with everything from punk style beats to full on death metal double kicks. A Dillinger Escape Plan style outro wraps things up nicely and serves as a brilliant end to another great song by the rising stars of UK heavy. – Jude Bennett
Dropping just a few weeks after the release of their last single and taken from their freshly announced new record Slow Fade, ‘Version’ see’s Lakes dipping their into toes into darker waters. Documenting the perils of wasting time and effort in living inauthentically and not as your true self, this single see’s the Watford emo outfit sinking into a more brooding, hard-rock sound. However, this isn’t a total plunge into depths unknown for the bonafide glock-stars. Still retaining that sparkle, glisten and irrefutable charm that has long characterised Lakes, ‘Version’ is less a sudden departure and more further evidence of the musical innovation that has long bounded this wonderful act. – Dan Hillier
Produced by Daniel Fox of Gilla Band, the latest track from Nerves quite frankly sounds like the final few minutes of a five day bender. It’s impossible not to listen to ‘Dirty Fingers’ and literally feel it’s jagged guitars pricking one’s skin, the piercing feedback either being the trigger or symptom of a distant migraine and not knowing if frantic, phlegm-casting sprechgesang is either coming from next door or behind bloodshot eyes that have not blinked in some minutes. Genuinely, this sounds like laying on your back on the floor of room you have not left in what feels like eons, as the final colours of an already monochrome existence fade into a soft oblivion invited by days of lonely substance abuse. It ain’t comfortable listening, but ‘Dirty Fingers’ is sure as hell darkly provocative. – Dan Hillier
Scuzzy Canadian rockers The Dirty Nil have unveiled their latest chapter, The Lash, along with its lead single ‘Gallop of the Hounds’. Describing this album as far more back-to-basics than their previous work, the medieval torture dungeon/early punk liner art certainly bears that out, its black & white aesthetic promising barebones rock. The band deliver, but with The Dirty Nil‘s own swaggering twist on it. Trading in the usual romanticism in their lyrics for something far more personal and cathartic, The Lash is jokingly described by drummer Kyle Fisher as “Luke [Bentham, guitar/vocals]’s therapy record.” Well, it’s certainly got the riffs and the attitude. Roll on July. – Will Marshall
Musically a product of the long winters of their native Finland, thematically touching upon the splendid beauty of sun-kissed nature, ‘Härlig är Jorden’ see’s Svarta Havet conjure blackened post-hardcore that holds a real sense of wonder. Taken from their upcoming record Månen Ska Lysa Din Väg – released May 9th via Prosethetic Records – this single may sound utterly frostbitten at times, but as the track progresses, a decliate sense of beauty emegres not unlike the first blooms of srping following a harsh winter. “In the Nordic countries “Härlig är jorden” is a christian psalm sung at many occasions, often funerals”, states vocalist Lotta Green. “Personally I´ve always liked it, not because of its christian message, but because of its harmonic grandiosity that somehow captures the essence of life. When I heard the track taking shape my thought immediately went to this psalm that I sang all through my school years and I wanted to rewrite it as a simple declaration of admiration and love for life and the earth – with a more specific focus on how fantastic it is that we get to spend time on this wondrous globe.” – Dan Hillier
Emerging from the sun-kissed and creatively fertile streets of Oakland, California, Pillowprince take the often lethargic sounds of slowcore and shoegaze and revitalise them with the free-spirited, energetic joy of queercore. An odd musical proposition, some might say. But there’s no denying the emotive and musical finesse of this band. Theirs is the sound of having one too many drinks with friends, seeking warmth in the arms of others, and smiling down the evil that wishes to end queer existence.
Formed of Olivia Lee (guitar, vocals), Sea Snyder (drums) and Liza Stegall (bass), Pillowprince is a vessel for using collective joy as an act of resistance. Their aptly dubbed queergaze is as both playful as it is sincere and serious. And moreso, there is palatable urgency to it. Pillowprince’s very existence and sound is a bucking kick back against the oppression being systematically weaponised against queer people on a global level, one that rallies both joy and the action required to fight the misery being inflected by the malicious powers that be. Showcasing this brilliantly is the band’s forthcoming EP Pretty, Baby!.
Released 25 April via Dune Altar, Pretty, Baby! takes the often po-faced and ashen stylings of shoegaze and revitalises it, animating it the with the inherent freedom and energy of queer joy and collectiveness. It’s also a record that injects a haste into a sound many perceive as stereotypically apathetic.
Across the four songs that form this record, Pillowprince emit joy in a fashion that sometimes subtle, other times overt. Whereas the sparkling, and glitter-clad snarl and joy of ‘R The Straights OK’ and the breezy yet confrontational nature of ‘Mercurial’ may remind listeners of the likes of Feeble Little Horse and Kississippi, other tracks play into the expectations of the genre. Such is the nature of ‘Care About’, a tentative yet immediately powerful track born out of grief for the victims of the tragic Club Q shooting of 2022. But such is the mercurial nature of Pretty, Baby!. It’s a wonderful record, one adorned in cracked leather and human sweat, and an EP that both resonates and encourages joy in a time where it’s needed more than ever whilst being one acutely aware of the now very real culture war being waged against queer people.
And with that in mind, we got in touch with Pillowprince to discuss the band and the new EP.
Taken from their upcoming record Totaal Techniek – released tomorrow via Human Worth – ‘Adult Proper’ is just one raging gear of Klamp’s noisy, dirty, motorik engine. Whilst the band might be composed of members of IDLES, Pulled Apart By Horses, Tall Ships, Sex Swing, Mugstar and Manatees, this single is just one glimpse of the new mechanical beast that Klamp has birthed; an analogue, diesel-stained machine that has created by the welding of krautrock, industrial, post punk and noise rock panels. Those with even a passing interest in the genres aforementioned will find plenty to fawn over as they’re chewed by the gears that drive ‘Adult Proper’ and the wider machine that is Totaal Techniek.
Related: Klamp – Totaal Techniek | Album Review
On the video, Greg Wynne (vocals, guitar, electronics, percussion) states, ‘(It’s) another trippy slice of Troma esque low budget vibes with a nod to Gaspar Noe’s intense neon title cards melded into another psychedelic nightmare. Kind of what the song is!’
Totaal Techniek is released tomorrow via Human Worth, with 10% of all proceeds being donated to Compass Collective in aid of their work supporting the integration of refugees and people seeking asylum in the UK through the arts. Pre-order the record here, and watch the video for ‘Adult Proper’ exclusively below.
Having cut their trotters in the underground clubs and heavy psych/stoner metal all days, their stock began to rise around the time they release their second album King of Cowards, which saw them being championed by the likes of Mary Ann Hobbs and Sean Keaveny on BBC6Music. They became a household name – at least in households that enjoy heavy riffs and infectious grooves when they released Viscerals in 2020 as the Pandemic was taking hold and the world was crying out for some much needed sonic escapism.
Their previous record Land of Sleeper was released as recently as 2023, and was followed by a relentless schedule of touring which took them across the world to play countless live shows. ‘Maybe too many shows’, laughs vocalist Matt Beaty, ‘But, you know, the benefit of that is that we came out the other side of it just so in tune. You kind of feel invincible. Not in a physical way, but it does afford you sort of the confidence to kind of throw a little bit more in when you’re performing.’
During that time their heads were fully in that album cycle and they barely got any time to write, other than the odd riff here and there. Somehow in that time they managed to come back less than two years later with their fifth album Death Hilarious. Given how busy they’ve been on the road it shouldn’t be possible for a band to write an album of such sheer brilliance in such a short amount of time.
In fact the bulk of the writing was done in just seven days. Matt explains how this was even possible. ‘Individually, we’ll all kind of have little ideas that will squirrel away while we’re touring. And then what we tend to do is we’ll just block book a week in the studio and just start writing and demoing so at that point, we kind of come together. We don’t really talk at all about, you know, what direction we want any new album. It’s just like “Oh, hey, I’ve been working on this. What do you think?”
After some gentle teasing with billboards and profile picture changing, the once-cult hardcore band turned global darlings Turnstile are back once again to provide the soundtrack to summer. ‘NEVER ENOUGH’ begins with soaring vocals over a floaty backdrop but when those guitars kick in, it feels like all is right with the world. Continuing the band’s sonic evolution that reached new heights on GLOW ON, this could easily have featured on that record on first listen but the more you spin it, the more you realise that you’re hearing a band reaching the current pinnacle of their powers. At times, it seems to float along the air and weaves in-between the emerging sunbeams. What direction the rest of the record will take remains unseen but as a first taste, it’s so enticing and ahead of the band’s festival appearances this coming summer, it could be the perfect record for the band to grow even bigger. – Chris Earl
Not many bands bow out with intentionality; sadly joining their ranks are London emo/post hardcore crew Delaire The Liar. Unveiling their farewell singles ahead of last night’s sold-out farewell show at The Lexington in London, ‘Lamplight & Quiet’ is classic Delaire, Ffin Colley’s emotionally fraught voice belting out mammoth choruses and vocal harmonies between him and bassist Em Lodge. It’s a celebration of everything that made them unique from the off-kilter anthemic hooks to heart-on-sleeve emotion. They’ll be sorely missed, but the one-two of ‘Lamplight & Quiet’ followed by the furious ‘Vanishing Act’ is a stunning parting gift. – Will Marshall
If there’s anything we know now about The Callous Daoboys, it’s that they’ll always surprise us. In the run up to third album I Don’t Want To See You In Heaven, they’ve treated us to excoriating nu metal flecked mathcore (‘The Demon Of Unreality Limping Like A Dog’), a song that sounds like the long lost cousin of Justin Timberlake‘s ‘Like I Love You’ (‘Lemon’), and now, with ‘Distracted By The Mona Lisa’, they’ve delivered an ode to mid-career Fall Out Boy. Yet, in spite of the thoroughly bewildering array of style shifts, there’s a consistent identity that runs through them all and ‘Distracted…’ features Carson Pace delivering one of his most anthemic vocal hooks. It’s impossible to know where they’re heading next, but with a month to go until their new chapter, it’s anybody’s guess – and that should make fans very excited. – Will Marshall
Taken from their freshly announced new record I’ve Felt Better – released August 22nd via Mascot Records – ‘My Way’ see’s Dinosaur Pile-Up rejecting not just the trends and naysayers that rule the alternative music scene but the history that almost ended their career with newfound purpose and determination. Delivered with the lovable saunter that has long characterised Dinosaur Pile-Up, ‘My Way’ is a brandish sashay of a single, one that see’s the band flaunt their swagger in that’s lovable and perfectly justified. – Dan Hillier
Even for a band known for their uncensored vulnerability, ‘Disappear’ is arguably the most exposed track to date from math / emo quintet Love Rarely. Documenting the reality distorting nature of being the victim of manipulation and the winding road to recovery, ‘Disappear’ perfectly details the nature of being at the whim of others via it’s sidewinding riffs and melody reminiscent of The Fall Of Troy and it’s raw yet poetic delivery one would associate with La Dispute. Love Rarely may still be a relatively fresh proposition for some, but it’s tracks like ‘ Disappear’ that wonderfully showcases the promise and talent of this fantastic band. – Dan Hillier
After igniting the European riot grrl scene with their fantastic 2023 debut, Ukraine’s Death Pill are back with first single from their upcoming record Sologamy. And whilst this upcoming record promises to be a more expansive effort featuring shades of emo, pop, hardcore and even prog, ‘Crafterface’ remains to be what we’ve come to love and expect from Death Pill; skin tearing thrash inspired punk. Recorded remotely, with each member living in a different country due to the ongoing invasion of their home country, ‘Craterface’ stands as a testament to their collective tenacity and drive, especially with the track’s central theme of overcoming adversity and wearing one’s scares and craters proudly. With Sologamy releasing June 20th via New Heavy Sounds, Death Pill once again refuse to bend to oppressive reality that threatens their existence as a band. – Dan Hillier
The most unyieldingly ingenious band in post rock? Well, ‘The Intoxication Of Power’ makes such a sentiment regarding BRUIT ≤ pretty much inarguable. Taken from their upcoming record The Age of Ephemerality – released April 25th via Pelagic Records – ‘The Intoxication Of Power’ almost feels akin to the total encapsulation of the values, integrity and originality that binds this band as an entity. It’s a continuation of the band’s rally against how music has become nothing more than a cheaply mass-produced disposable commodity served by algorithms, a single that visually resonates this as it’s ornate strings struggle and stress against droning music industrialism that ebbs and flows. Yet, it’s the video that truly animates this experience, with the music video for ‘The Intoxication Of Power’ seeing the band and peers perform in the bowels of the Toulouse metro system in a fashion that just mirrors the stress of producing art in an artificial environment designed to suppress it. – Dan Hillier
