The third full length from the London post-punk noise yob, Totally Fine is unhinged music for a time that’s ceaselessly chaotic and increasingly surreal. And much akin to how the threads of modern living have become frayed and how the usual adjectives once applied to our state of society are becoming redundant, to apply convenient genre tags to this would be pointless. But what would one expect from a band featuring members of USA Nails, Cower, Nitowski and Screen Wives and from a record produced by Wayne Adams? Totally Fine lies at the dead centre of a weird three-way Venn diagram composed of surrealist synth-punk, dystopian post-punk and nihilistic no wave. It’s a record that champions the belief that the first idea is always the best, that unfiltered spontaneity is best approach to art and an album that sounds like it was recorded with dentistry drills, shattered synths and vocals from beyond the veil. It’s madness, and it’s fantastic.
Channeling thoughts of The Locust, Thank and perhaps an evil twin of Devo, this record see’s The Eurosite forgoing the indulgence and traded loops of their previous work. In fact, minimalism is the ethos of the record. Built around edited improvisations, Totally Fine that just embodies the strange danceable cacophonies that The Eurosuite are known for. In fact, if anything, this approach has only strengthened the band’s penchant for authentic madness. Elements of genres are formed within the pressure of this record, but with everything from surf rock freak-outs, death disco waltzes and post-apocalyptic field recordings all inhabiting the same space, this record never remains footed in a singular environment for long. Truly, it’s bedlam, and a record that both mirrors the inherent chaos of reality and The Eurosuite’s knack for creating beauty from madness.
Totally Fine is released October 18th via Human Worth Records, with 10% of all sales proceeds going towards Refugee Action in order to help their crucial work in assisting those seeking safe asylum. The Eurosuite will also be performing alongside Thank and Ysing at the New Cross Inn, London, tonight. Find tickets and more information here, Pre-order the record here, and listen to Totally Fine early exclusively below.
California hardcore breakouts Scowl have been one of the hottest names in the alternative scene since their debut How Flowers Grow, and they’ve only continued to push their sonic boundaries since. New single ‘Special’ is even more of an evolution than their 2023 EP Psychic Dance Routine, as it blends both pop and hardcore in ever more bold ways. In particular, frontperson Kat Moss shows her massive growth as a vocalist, flitting effortlessly between confident melody and venomous snarls. It’s a bold declaration of Scowl‘s new era, blending the energy of hardcore with the likes of No Doubt and a frantic, horror video that pokes fun at some of the genre’s tropes. 2025 will be the year of Scowl, no doubt about it. – Will Marshall
‘Mug Song’ is math-pop darlings Orchards‘ third single of the year, and it’s just as catchy and infectious as ever. Lyrically taking a darker tone than before, as singer Lucy Evans explains “Mug Song is all the intrusive thoughts you have when you know a relationship is ending. Romantic, platonic whatever it may be. All those nostalgic memories that flood your brain. I wrote them all down. All the simple everyday things I miss. Just being alive with someone. It’s the culmination of existing in turbulent environments and not feeling like you can express your feelings out loud.” Despite this darker tone, it’s as uplifting musically as ever, lilting guitars and twinkly melodies entwined around a danceable drum beat that’ll get fans throwing all manner of shapes. – Will Marshall
While post-rock often gets a reputation as stuffy and slow ambient music made to go alongside pretentious European art films a handful of bands are working diligently to bring a sense of life to the genre, with their first new single in two years Bristol based trio Last Hyena are leading the charge. Blending post-rock soundscapes with urgent, disorienting math-rock rhythms ‘Bless This Unbeatable Miracle Priest’ shows off Last Hyena’s full range with stabbing, staccato guitar riffs weaving between the off-kilter rhythm section. Fans of post-rock greats like And So I Watch You From Afar and Adebisi Shank or the untamed instrumental math-rock of bands like Standards or Covet will be sure to find plenty to love in Last Hyena’s experimental fusion of sounds. – Tom Bruce
Children of the fence rejoice, weirdo prog-emo legends Coheed and Cambria are back with their heaviest single in years ‘Blind Side Sonny’. Having more in common sonically with their early 2000s singles like ‘Devil In Jersey City’ or ‘A Favor House Atlantic’ than their last album, 2022’s Vaxis II: A Window Of The Waking Mind, ‘Blind Side Sonny’ feels like a fiercely energetic throwback to the band’s early days. With some of frontman Claudio Sanchez’s most ferocious screams to date and sing-along gang vocals in its memorable chorus, ‘Blind Side Sonny’ throws off much of the band’s more progressive tendencies in favour of non-stop post-hardcore energy. After a pair of standalone singles released this summer it looks like Coheed are finally gearing up for their next album, if this first single is anything to go by then it’ll be one to look forward to. – Tom Bruce
Serving nothing but the essence of unadulterated theatrics, the Scottish alt rock powerhouse VUKOVI, deliver the first taste of their post-NULA ascension to greatness; the first single ‘Gungho’ from their upcoming 4th studio album MY GOD HAS GOT A GUN that serves up ultra sensual vibes and dominating sonic insurgence. Never a band to leave fans unsatisfied, the duo are also hitting the road on their biggest headline tour to date, as they spread their intoxicating soundwaves across Europe and the UK in February and March next year. We expect great things from their newly invigorated era, and with ‘Gungho’ off the starting blocks, it’s an intriguing start. – Bennie Osborne
One of the shining lights of the British post black metal scene, Copse, are experts in channelling beauty, however abstract, from the dark unknown. ‘Wish Ender’ , the band’s brand new single is a perfect example of that. Despite the title being a Destiny 2 reference, the track is not something light and referential, instead being a scorching blend of pained shrieks and howls, frantic drums and an atmosphere akin to fleeing through a never-ending burning forest. The guest vocals from Hundred Year Old Man‘s David Duxberry are phenomenal, adding a layer of almost crooked melody to the scathing affair. They allow things to breathe, to settle before the cacophonous final blast takes the air out of your lungs. A stunning track that sets out the band’s stall for their future work perfectly. Chris Earl
Guiding listeners through their experience of chronic illness while providing a space of safety, acceptance and love to those who feel the most alone and depressed; the Nottingham sister act Alt Blk Era, deliver the feels and throwback vibes with the 3rd single off of their upcoming debut album Rave Immortal due late January via Earache Records. ‘Come On Outside’ is an especially impactful anthemic track, poised to capture the comfort appeal of the lonely and lost souls who yearn for better days on the horizon while gifting some much needed grace and time to properly heal from trauma. – Bennie Osborne
Following on from this year’s amazing festival, the bastion of all things left-field ArcTanGent have announced the first wave of acts for next year, including their first main stage headliner. Headlining the Friday of next year are Perth’s finest prog export Karnivool, who will be appearing at ArcTanGent as a 2025 UK exclusive. On top of this, The Fall Of Troy, Between The Buried And Me and We Lost The Sea will also be performing full album sets, with the latter two confirmed to be playing twice across the weekend.
Also confirmed today are sludge metal pioneers Melvins, festival staples Rolo Tomassi, post-metal artisans DVNE, returning heroes Alpha Male Tea Party, a freshly reformed Adebisi Shank, the sacrilegious synthwave icon Gost and local legends Sugar Horse. They will also be joined by Kylesa, Inter Arma, Kayo Dot, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Heave Blood & Die, Vessels, As Living Arrows, Burner, Boneflower, Chalk Hands, Drongo, Giant Walker, Maud The Moth, Meth., NI, Papangu and TAYNE.
On today’s announcement, festival organiser and head honcho James Scarlett states; “We go again! We’ve already got some huge reunions in the form of Kylesa, Adebisi Shank and Vessels, plus some legendary albums in full from The Fall Of Troy, We Lost The Sea and Between The Buried And Me. We’re also delighted to welcome Melvins and our Friday headliners, Karnivool, to their first ever ATG. We’re starting as we mean to go on – ArcTanGent 2025is going to be ridiculous!”
Today’s announcement comes shortly following ArcTanGent Festival 2024, arguably the best rendition of the festival thus far. With the festival now becoming the de-facto home for all things experimental, interesting and generally left-field, ArcTanGent has swiftly gone from humble origins to something of a global pneumonia, with fans of music and in it’s most experimental form and talent travelling from across the world for visit. And with today’s lineup in mind, it appears that the festival’s legacy will only grow. ArcTanGent Festival 2025 will take place at Fernhill Farm, Bristol, between the 13th – 15th August. Tickets and additional information can be found here, and see the lineup thus far below.
The utterly pummelling blackened anger filled hardcore of Grief Ritual was one of the highlights of 2022 as their Spiritual Disease EP announced them onto the scene in a big way. Now, they’ve joined forces with perhaps the only man with as devastating and as pissed off a voice as vocalist Jamie Waggett in the form of Harry Nott from Burner on their new track. The first single from their 2025 debut full-length Collapse, arrives in the form of ‘Bile’ and it sounds exactly like the name suggests. A rage-filled shotgun blast of a track, it clocks in at just under two minutes. Lyrically, it continues the bleak lyrical themes that the band are known for, this time a lament to the future extinction of the human race due to the horrific state of the world currently. As vital and as exciting a track as you’ll hear this year, the closing rasp will send shivers down your spine if the rest of the lightning fast, skull crunching moments that can before haven’t destroyed it first. – Chris Earl
After a year of more or less total silence, one would be forgiven in thinking that The Winter Passing had thrown in the towel. Thankfully that’s not the case and ‘Shadow Boxing’ sees the Dublin indie punk coming out swinging. A downright one-two power pop knock out that sees the band infusing their take on modern emo with giddy gusto, the track stands as one of the most energetic cuts yet from the Irish champions and stands as a reaffirmation of what made this band just so lovable and brilliant. No news on an upcoming record has been announced yet, but with this under their collective belts, it’s likely that any upcoming bodies of work won’t see The Winter Passing pulling their punches. – Dan Hillier
After dropping their last single just last week, one would be forgiven in thinking that we would be waiting a bit to hear more new material from Cultdreams. Clearly and thankfully this isn’t the case though. The title track of their upcoming album that releases November 15th via Big Scary Monsters, whereas last week’s ‘Want It More’ was a delightful dream-pop mirage, ‘Love Won’t Let Me Go & Death Consumes Me’, like it name implies, is bit more of a grim affair. Full of the melancholic fuzz that one would associate with Cultdreams, this a dreary albeit fantastic counterpoint to the band’s previous single and a track that hints towards the sense of contrast that juxtaposition that is set to the crux of their new record. – Dan Hillier
After January’s excellent debut album Letter to Self, Dublin’s Sprints didn’t waste time, with sold-out tours in several countries; they’ve also just released brand new music in the form of ‘Feast’, the first taste of their new lineup after guitarist Colm O’Reilly amicably left the band and Zac Stephenson joined. It comes ahead of another UK/EU tour, and in their words explores their “love of grunge and gothic, [exploring] the idea of gluttony, consumption and desire, particularly when it comes to sexuality and romance,” alongside the “interlinking of [Ireland’s] Catholic Church and state, particularly in education. The Bible stories and fables of good, bad, morality and sin were always pressed upon us. I thought it was interesting to use this iconography and imagery reimagined in a queer context.” With Karla Chubb’s ferocious vocals, explosive guitars and pounding drums, ‘Feast’ is a fantastic taster of where Sprints could be heading. – Will Marshall
Newcastle’s Giant Walker have just unveiled their second album, and first for new label home Church Road Records. Billed as for fans of bands from Soundgarden to the much-missed Black Peaks, it’s a big sell but one they live up to with ease. Silhouettes is triumphant, riff-filled celebration of prog-leaning, bluesy riffs from guitarist Jamie Southern and further fuelled by their powerhouse vocalist Steff Fish. The two of them have kindly broken down the album for us, track by track.
Steff: This riff is one of my favourites on the whole album. Despite it being one of our latest singles, we’ve been playing it live since last year and it’s probably going to be a mainstay in the live set for a while because it just grooves so hard and we love playing it together live. Jamie came up with the initial idea for the lyrics in the chorus, “On and on and on” and then the rest sort of fell into place around that.
Steff: This song is about witnessing someone you care about making terrible decisions and the reality of your own helplessness knowing that nothing you say will influence their judgement, as they can’t or won’t acknowledge that their actions are perpetuating the problem. So, it becomes an endless cycle of delusion and bitterness.
Steff: Thematically, Silhouettes explores feelings of being constantly beaten down to the point where you want to bring everyone down with you – almost like life is out to trip you up at every corner and then smiling when you fall. I guess that’s really epitomised by the lyric, “I could dig a nice hole in the ground, but then I guess I can’t watch the world drown.”
Steff: Use On You is probably my favourite song from the whole album. We went to see Queens of the Stone Age at Dreamland in Margate just before this was written, and that definitely inspired where this song ended up. The concept being that you’re stuck in a situation you need to get out of – dreaming of the things you should say and the things you should do – but in the end, you do nothing, so you’re just left holding on and telling yourself it could probably be worse.
Jamie: The initial idea for Halcion emerged from a drum groove, although it evolved through several different iterations before culminating into its final form. Sonically, it’s quite dark and angular, and so, when it came to crafting the lyrics, the aim was to encapsulate that feeling of uneasiness that came from the music and weave it into a story. It just so happened that amidst writing the song, we ended up watching a documentary about a serial killer, which felt very fitting to the music – this ultimately shaped the lyrical direction Halcion took. [Note – ‘Halcion’ is the brand name of Triazolam, which is a sedative to help with insomnia.]
