There’s a lot to love about London. Its arts scene, its multiculturalism and its unparalleled sense of adventure. Unfortunately, there’s even more to hate about it, something Indoor Pets lament with their new single. Taken from their upcoming record due later this year via their new home of Alcopop! Records, ‘London (Love To Hate)’ is a primal indie-rock scream of anger addressing how living in the capital has become an impossible task for the creative everyman. Whilst its musical stylings may harken towards The Smashing Pumpkins circa Siamese Dream, heavily flirting with contemporary reverb-drenched indie rock, the track is a cacophony of pure bile. It’s, quite frankly, the sound of a band seeing how loud every amp and how stretched every vocal chord can become in order to exercise a very palpable sense of anger and apathy. “It’s about my frustration with struggling to make ends meet while surviving in the capital”, states vocalist Jamie Glass. “London is about watching the bills pile up and swell whilst the hourly-pay jobs needed as a small musician wither with atrophy. Living in one of the most exciting music hubs in the world and observing everybody and their dog take a pay-rise, book a holiday, and buy property off the back of the starry-eyed artists that litter the streets. Being thankful that there is a roof over my head for another month yet ashamed of the Universal Credit sum falling in my wallet, knowing there are so many in the city that deserve it more. The city is no longer a home for the working-class. And as those people leave in their droves, with them leaves the ingenuity and empathy that they provided.” – Dan Hillier
Ahead of their newly announced upcoming album Artificial Bouquet, Illinois’ Frail Body have dropped an absolutely cataclysmic new single. ‘Refrain’ is a brilliantly ferocious blend of hardcore and blackgaze, alternating between complex aggression and walls of crushing guitars and percussion with deft skill. Powerful grooves arise from the rhythm section throughout the track, particularly when everything else is allowed to be restrained. On top of this is a blistering vocal performance from Lowell Shaffer, whose incendiary screams tower over the track as he grapples with what life even means when it is always must come to an end. An explosive start to the latest era of a very exciting band. – Ryan Ward
Yet another standout band from the increasingly fertile Australian rock music scene, ‘Scream 2’ is the second standalone single the band have dropped in a few months and it’s also one of the heaviest, gnarliest tracks the band have done. ‘Scream 2’ is a dark track, as described by vocalist Emmy Mack; “‘Scream 2’ is the next chapter in a painfully relatable horror story for anyone who has survived narcissistic abuse. It’s about the aftermath of escaping the narcissist”. A fast, spiteful track lead by rollicking drums and an impassioned, dynamic performance by Emmy, it also features a chorus that won’t take long to get its (red) hooks into your brain. A song with a vital message that needs to be heard and will have you nodding along in agreement, until those nods become headbanging. – Chris Earl
Always mind-bendingly baffling but never boring, British technical metalcore dazzlers Oceans Ate Alaska return with a new singer and a new song that sounds – well, like Oceans Ate Alaska. Former Silent Screams vocalist Joel Haywood’s first foray with the band is ‘Endless Hollow’s, a guttural slab of riff salad with some classic machine gun drumming. There may be a lot of whispers floating around the band at the moment with such an upheaval in personnel but with the track dropping just before their tour supporting Currents, they’re more than willing to let their music do the talking. With all eyes on them, the latest chapter in the wild tale of OAA will surely be an intriguing one and it’ll be very interesting to see how their new lineup develops with a full record. – Chris Earl
Quintessentially Yorkshire grindy comedians Raised By Owls are back and before you say anything, that really is the song name. ‘I’m Sorry I Wore A Dying Fetus T-Shirt To Your Baby’s Gender Reveal Party’, a song about the social awkwardness of wearing an inappropriate metal t shirt in public, something that most fans of heavy music out there can attest to. A shrieking, buzzsaw guitar filled blast, what truly makes the song is the typically hilarious video that even features a cameo from the infamous Cradle Of Filth shirt among other NSFW tees. On a musical level it doesn’t break new ground, but it whets the appetite for the bands upcoming new album, Vol. 3 (The Satirical Verses) which is due out in May. – Chris Earl
The second LP from the noise and post-punk trio – featuring members of The Ghost Of A Thousand, Petbrick, USA Nails, Yards and Big Lad – Celestial Devastation is the natural reaction to finding oneself suddenly in a world that’s post-natural. Whilst the transition may have been gradual and subtle, we are now inhabiting a world where technology and AI is the guiding light in our lives. Why manually create art when an AI programme can coldly craft material in an attempt to evoke the same reactions? Why research interests when an algorithm can force-feed you disposable content on demand? Why be humbly content when one can programmable tools can create disinformation that sways public opinion towards your own ideologies? The sun may shine and the moon may rise as it did for millennia prior, but make no mistake, we are being forced into the age of cold digitalisation that’s post-heart. This brilliant record is the human reaction of that, a decry towards the tech titans that are selling our future, created with incomputable art and incalculable emotion and pure finesse.
Whilst Cower’s debut BOYS was a more oil-greased industrialist post-punk effort, Celestial Devastation sees the trio harness the towering nature of gothic rock to articulate themselves. However, to even use arbitrary genre tags to describe this record would be a redundant exercise. Across the span of the record elements of noise, goth, post-punk and all manner of musical motifs intertwine in order to produce a distinctive sound that circumvents pre-established boundaries. One only has to be throttled by the mechanical arms within lead single ‘Summoner’, be dragged by the corrupted gothic thrall of ‘Buffeted By Solar Winds’ or lacerated by the noise-ridden saxophone melee within ‘False Flag’ in order to get an understanding of the mercurial nature of this record. The alchemising of these genres may be chaotic, but such is the intention. This a fluid and boundless record, one that highlights the human intent and nature at the crux of this creation.
Potentiality one of UK punk’s most provocative bands – and for good reason – The Menstrual Cramps are back with ‘Abortion’, a rallying call for reproductive rights everywhere. Coinciding with their signing to Alcopop! Records, the track is the full encapsulation of what makes The Menstrual Cramps such an urgent and crucial figure in 2024; it’s urgent, frank, rightfully furious and inescapable. “I wrote the song ‘Abortion’ when debates started happening in the run up to the Roe v Wade overturn in America”, states vocalist Emilia Elfrida. “Roe v Wade had guaranteed a constitutional right to abortion, that was subsequently overturned in 2022, denying millions of people the right to have an abortion in America. Although in England abortion is legal, you still need to get two doctors’ permission and specific grounds need to be met. You cannot legally have an abortion in England just because you want one. This song is a response to these archaic rules, and for me to break the taboos around having abortions, to open up discussions about my experiences having had two abortions, and to fight for everyone to have the right to have abortions. As the song says ‘I’ve had an abortion, no I’ve had two, if you don’t like it, then fuck you.” – Dan Hillier
The husband/wife Scottish folk/melodeath duo Hand of Kalliach have announced their signing to Prosthetic Records, along with a new album and its first single, ‘Fell Reigns’. The amalgamation of Celtic folklore, stirring Gaelic folk music and extreme metal proves a fertile ground and one that’s extremely compelling. ‘Fell Reigns’ pairs haunting melodies with guttural roars, searing lead guitar with some traditional instrumentation and a progressive sensibility that twists and turns the combination into spine-tingling forms. – Will Marshall
Countrygaze? Slowfolk? Libarycore? However you want to describe this, the new single from Sheffield’s Since Torino is a tender and gorgeous slab of minimalist sentimentalism that pulls upon the heartstrings with effortless ease. Cosily reminiscing thoughts of acts such as Foxing, Sparky Deathcap and other emo-adjacent acts that make brilliant use of quiet negative space, ‘Everything Else’ is one of those tracks perfectly engineered for those still, soft and silent evenings spent with one’s own thoughts. – Dan Hillier
Buffalo, NY is home to many amazing hardcore bands, with the likes of the much-missed Every Time I Die and Buried Alive just to name a few. Now, with the release of their newest single “Landslide”, Spaced can add themselves to the ever growing list of Buffalo greats in the NYHC scene. “Landslide” is an exciting take on the genre, utilizing a Turnstile-like influence before diving into a sound like Ontario’s Fight On Sight, Spaced has given plenty of room to two-step, head-bang, and shake that butt all in one track. Recorded and mixed by Buffalo, NY producer and engineer Jay Zubricky with mastering duties taken on by Dead Air Studios, this track fits the NYHC mould perfectly while displaying what Spaced is all about in 2024. – Nathaniel Maure
Bad Omens have been teasing something called Concrete Forever for some time now, a play on the “concrete jungle” seen in latest album The Death of Peace of Mind, but this might be the first true taste of it we get. ‘V.A.N.’ is a collaboration between them and alt pop/metal artist Poppy, is heavily indebted to the likes of HEALTH and Pertubator with its pulsing, glitching electronic, industrial tinges and hints at a bold new evolution for the metalcore outfit. With Poppy assuming sole vocals for the song, it flows from thundering electro breakdown to distorted synthwave, all the while propelled by a sensuous drumbeat. There’s also a sense that there might be much more experimentalism where this came from – bring it on, we say. – Will Marshall
Joining Meshuggah atop with the bill for the festival’s 10th birthday are post-rock pioneers Mogwai and Explosions In The Sky. Both acts are quintessentially legends of both the scene and genre, with Explosions In The Sky’s appearance being their second time at the festival following their 2017 set.
Also joining the bill today are some of the best and most in-demand names in the contemporary music scene that ArcTanGent brilliantly caters for, with the likes of Clown Core, Electric Wizard, Amenra, Julie Christmas, Caspian, Zetra, Author & Punisher, Slift, Earthtone9, Ihsahn, Underdark, Show Me The Body and load more joining the ranks. On top of this, scene legends Brontide will also be reforming for the festival’s 10th year and will also be playing their record Artery in full for the occasion.
“After playing the first ever ATG back in 2013, we knew that one day we’d love to come back.”says Brontide. “2024 not only marks the festivals 10th year, but our 2nd album, Artery’s 10 year Anniversary. The timing couldn’t be more perfect and we’re so happy to have this moment to open up a new chapter for Brontide.”
ArcTanGent 2024 will take place at its usual home of Fernhill Farm, Bristol, between August 14th – 17th. Find further details and all those important tickets here, and catch the lineup thus far in all it’s glory below.
Ahead of their upcoming headline tour, Enter Shikari have returned with a ballistic new track in the form of ‘Losing My Grip’. From the lead synth melody that verges on near total discordance, to the abrasive choruses that punch out from the dark with huge, chunky guitar riffs, the whole affair is bristling with the kind of electrifying energy that only Shikari at their best can bring. On top of that, the track packs a beastly verse from Jason Aalon Butler of FEVER 333, who will be joining them on tour as support. Butler brings some slick rapped bars to the track with an almost menacing delivery, brilliantly contrasting Rou Reynolds with his chaotic and frenzied vocal performance. Pure genre-breaking goodness. – Ryan Ward
How do you follow up a rager of a debut EP in Temple Corrupted? The answer is to drop a preview what is shaping up to be an album of the year contender in newly announced debut album The Waking Sun. Lead single The First Man On Mars showcases the vibrant and diverse energy and ideas from these Brightonians. It opens with a fresh twinkle in their eyes with beautiful guitar and vocals before revealing one of the heaviest riffs in their arsenal. Lyrically this talks of the current dystopia and wealth gap we are experiencing on this wretched rock with billionaires choosing vanity over others, a message they will undoubtedly continue to deliver with their ever passionate live delivery at Noizzefest this year. – Adam Vallely
With new album She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She on the near horizon we get another taste of Chelsea Wolfe’s new material with a twist. As with the previous singles, ‘Everything Turns Blue’ mixes in a heavier portion of electronic elements to her ever-brooding voice. A psalm about “finding yourself again after a long era of being part of something toxic” it oozes the wounds of time through musical and lyrical delivery. Swathes of textures in this song illustrate the mood of topics enclosed in a beautiful yet austere package. – Adam Vallely
The first new music from Aussie alt rock outfit Yours Truly since 2022 EP is this what i look like?, ‘Call My Name’ shows another sonic leap forward for the band as they take the heavier guitar tones from the EP and evolve the pop shades further with the intro to ‘Call My Name’, that they teased prior to its release. With shades of post-hardcore and Mikaila Delgado’s powerful voice, it’s an earworm from start to finish. There’s a darkness at its core, though; as Mikaila says the song “is about the internal struggles of being addicted to a person that you know is bad for you… At the end of the day you realise some things aren’t meant to be and you need to make peace with that.” It’s an exciting time to be a fan of the band, as ‘Call My Name’ kicks off what sounds like an extremely promising new era for them. – Will Marshall
With vocalist Victor Kaas now well entrenched in the musical odyssey of Danish space-metallers LLNN’s ranks we get our first taste of recorded material featuring his simply disgusting vocals. ‘The Horror’, appearing on a new split single with label and soon to be tour mates Sugar Horse, is a reworked version of John Cxnnor track Stormgate, performed previously at Roadburn and ArcTanGent by the respective acts as an opener. A dark shroud of looming noise fills the air before Victor unleashes a vicious bark from the bleak setting. Joined by Heilung warrior Martin Skou on throat singing duties this is as weird as it is wonderful. Inspired by epics such as Dune, Hereditary and Event Horizon this could easily act as the Danes’ CV to soundtrack a film one day. – Adam Vallely
The other half of a split single with LLNN‘s ‘The Horror’, there are few acts that could reach the level of galactic decibel levels of LLNN but these Bristolians ‘came to the realisation that it would have to be pure dissonance’ as lead ear drum abuser Ashley Tubb explains. Opening ominously with an anxiety riddled riff coupled with an echoing unnerving vocal line, it twists the strongest of stomachs before bursting. Punished later by the deepest cavernous riffs and brutal screams. Word of warning to those seeing LLNN and Sugar Horse on tour next month: bring cement for earplugs. – Adam Vallely
Mike Vennart has been a tiny bit busy enough putting together one of 2023’s most anticipated albums with Empire State Bastard and preparing for their next run of shows supporting the mysterious Sleep Token. But the ever-creative force that flows through his electrons has pulled together what will be his new album due next month, Forgiveness & The Grain. His tenth album he has made in 20 years, this is ‘a more reflective and sombre record’ he mentions. New single ‘Fractal’ is an ethereal and soothing piece forged together entirely with vocal and guitar loops and a tonne of fuzz pedals. Layers up layers of sound to wander through, explore and lose yourself in. An all-consuming wall of sound that warms the core. – Adam Vallely
It’s been nearly half a decade since the last record from Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties. But the story of Aaron West has continued silently over that period, and with the Roaring Twenties now a band 16 members strong, the American troubadour has returned with the title track of their new record. A genuinely heart-wrenching tale of West tending the now festering emotional wounds he’s ignored over the years, ‘In Lieu Of Flowers’ is a testament to West’s unparalleled talent in storytelling via songcraft and the band’s now blossoming personal. Truly, as the track’s horn arrangements, stings, slide guitar and keys all work in unison, ensuring they have the individual room to breathe, it’s impossible not feel the ache of this track as well as the weight that has accumulated over the years and records that characterise the overarching tale of Aaron West. With the new record set for release April 12th via Hopeless Records, it won’t be long before we all experience what may be the final arc of this decade spanning story together as one. – Dan Hillier
One would forgive SNAYX for briefly resting on their laurels after the year they had in 2023. Quite frankly, after releasing their Weaponised Youth EP in March to rushing the UK live circuit over the course of the remainder of the year, the South Coast power punk trio had the kind of year most emerging bands could dream of having. But resting is not in the nature of Snayx, something proved with their breathless new single ‘Sink Or Swim’. Taken from the band’s forthcoming new EP Better Days – released March 9th – ‘Sink Or Swim’ is a venomous statement of resentment of the bottomless mire that is the culture of our country and the social norms that dictate how we’re meant to live, act, dress and exist. “We’re poked and prodded into conventional shapes and forced to fit.” says enigmatic frontman Charlie Herridge. “‘Sink or Swim’ is about rejecting social pressures and finding comfort in being different. Embracing your true identity and being able to block out the maelstrom of voices and opinions writing you off and holding you back. In a time where it feels like ‘nothing ever changes’, it’s important to reflect inwards and find comfort in your uniqueness and the simple happiness in being ‘awake and alive’.” – Dan Hillier
It’s been over six years since Gouge Away released their last record, though not for want of trying. Relocations, pandemics and finding it difficult to get everyone in a room together all put the record on hold, but on the 15th of March, Deep Sage will see the light of day. ‘Stuck In A Dream’ is the second single and it’s a more straightforward, short sharp shock than ‘Idealized’ was. Christina Michelle’s iconic vocals hammer the song title home into your brain on a pounding, punky post hardcore backdrop. – Chris Earl
Metalcore stalwarts Darkest Hour have unveiled the latest single from upcoming album Perpetual | Terminal, the grooving, furious ‘Societal Bile’, Described by the band as touching on “the bile that immerses us as we navigate this modern life,” and “an acknowledgment of the personal responsibility we all share to ourselves to reject all that attempts to consume us and fight each day to find our own space to exist in peace with a world at war.” Hulking, death metal-flecked guitars pair with thrashy aggression and a dear love of early Swedish melodeath to form, as we’ve come to expect three decades in from Darkest Hour, a battering ram of a song that’s a scorching blend of extremity and catchiness. – Will Marshall
Finnish four-piece Cyan Kicks are fresh off their debut UK tour supporting Smash Into Pieces and already kicking 2024 off with major news; their latest single, ‘Dancing With Demons’ is also their entry for the chance to represent Finland in this year’s Eurovision. Blending pop hooks with crunchy metallic guitar, it’s exactly as you’d expect from them with a danceable beat, singalong hook and emotional undercurrent. This time addressing facing their demons and instead of being beaten down, turning those weaknesses or doubts to their advantage, ‘Dancing With Demons’ has the Finns continuing a strong 2023 with what could be an even bigger year. – Will Marshall
UKHC is thriving, with Desolated being a band consistently churning out solid, beefy metallic hardcore. Teaming up with Detroit hardcore unit D-Bloc, Desolated has made it abundantly clear they didn’t come to mess around with their new single ‘Victim’. This also marks the first release from the group since 2019’s A New Realm of Misery. Pummelling blast beats and monstrous vocals lead the way for the first two minutes before D-Bloc’s Camden Good welcomes the Detroit powerhouse with their signature band call out before truly letting you know what Detroit hardcore is all about. Closing out on an absolutely massive breakdown the only way the two groups know how; Desolated and D-Bloc really go the distance on this new single. – Nathaniel Maure
Liverpool’s most exciting up-and-coming band Gen and the Degenerates are building up to the release of their highly anticipated debut album Anti-Fun Propaganda with the release of their latest single ‘Kids Wanna Dance’. Capturing the cathartic energy of their live shows with a synth infused, dance floor ready alt-rock beat ‘Kids Wanna Dance’ blends this upbeat instrumental with sharp lyrical, nihilistic lyrical content tackling humanity’s destruction of our planet. Fans of modern post-punk bands like Panic Shack, Lambrini Girls and SPRINTS are bound to love Gen and the Degenerates and their potent mix of witty punk and upbeat alt-rock. – Tom Bruce
The avatar of gay chaos made gyrating flesh is back. Taken from their upcoming and widely anticipated debut full length Abomination – released April 12th via Heavenly – ‘CPR’ is a pulsating and throbbing documentation of those harbouring saviour complexes and how they utilise others just to satisfy their own fantasies. In true Lynks fashion, it’s brilliantly unapologetic and viscerally provocative. “There’s this temptation to shrink yourself and make yourself seem all helpless and vulnerable with those guys, so they get to feel like some Big Strong Man protecting you. ‘CPR’ felt like the perfect metaphor for that weird dynamic,” states Lynks on the track. “I first had the idea for CPR while doing a first-aid course at my old job. I was mid-chest compression on my dummy, and suddenly the chorus just came into my head over the rhythm of my hands on the doll. I quickly ran to the toilet to do a voice note, then got back to saving imaginary lives.” – Dan Hillier
