Long Island’s hardcore heavyweights Stray From The Path have announced their hotly-anticipated new album, Euthanasia, with a brand new single ‘III’. As its name suggests, it’s the third in their Badge and a Bullet series that takes aim at policing in the US with a critical eye. That Stray are politically-charged will be no surprise to fans; calls of “Part 3, ’cause fuck 1 2” and “a badge and a bullet are a deadly weapon” leave no room for doubt as to where their allegiances lie. Backing up the blunt lyricism are the trademark groove-laden guitars, technically proficient but no less pummelling drumming, even featuring blastbeats, and hip-hop meets hardcore vocals that reminiscent of Rage Against The Machine. It all leads off from an ominous radio sample into an uproarious track that’s sure to decimate live as much as, if not more, than it does on record. – Will Marshall
Much-loved hardcore outfit Bastions originally called it time just after their acclaimed debut, Hospital Corners but now they’re back with their upcoming second album Majestic Desolation due July 29 through Church Road Records and have released their second single, ‘Acres Of Love’. It melds sludge, alt-rock, hardcore and post-metal seamlessly, feedback loops and a rumbling bass ushering in a slow-burner of a song that’s more glacial inexorability than hardcore battering ram. Along with first single ‘A Broken Crown’, this isn’t so much a comeback as it is picking up where they left off and learning the hard lessons of the intervening years. Shot through with desolation, desperation and grief, ‘Acres Of Love’ exacts an emotional toll on listeners in the way that only Bastions could. – Will Marshall
Gunning for sinister reimaginings of their already established take on contemporary alt soundscapes; the Big Smoke alt rockers Anavae, never cease to keep listeners on their toes as they venture into the realms of overwhelming emotional destitution, with their latest single ‘Sacrifice’. With the band celebrating over a decade long reign within the alternative music sphere, their latest track’s ability to harness the essence of assumed capriciousness is profoundly arresting when compared to previous releases; avid fans and casual listeners alike, rejoiced when first experiencing the high concept production value, which lead to fascination online after presumed screamo elements were revealed to be expert voice manipulation. Although such toying with the minds of public has created quite the buzz, it’s not the only source of fascination readying our emotional landscape for complete overload; the main chunk of lyrical content plus the accompanying music video, truly captures a sense of degradation on all facets of existence, when allowing yourself to be swept up in the malaise riddled descent into mental decomposition. Truly a must listen, but be warned its music video has been flagged as a possible photosensitive epilepsy trigger due to its intense usage of flashing imagery. – Bennie Osborne
The group’s second record, Pure Evil see’s the London riff barons further pushing the themes established on their initial EPs and their 2019 LP The Goat without compromising the formula that makes them such a unique act. Across 13 chainmail-clad tracks, Puppy take spiked gauntlet adorned metal aesthetics and repurpose them for contemporary pop structures in a way that’s complementary to the foundations of the metal sound. The resulting product is something that’s akin to a broadsword to metal stoicism, a funeral pyre for cliched alt-rock sound that now quantities as success and something that’s fun, charming and ultimately brilliant.
With the record out now via Rude Records, we got in touch with Puppy to break down Pure Evil, Track by Track.
“We’d never really done a proper “intro” for an album or EP before so wanted something massively imposing and grand like the 20th Century Fox Theme or the music from a Christopher Nolan trailer. It makes use of a drone which is like a fun musical device we’ve never got to use before too.”
“This was a track originally written for our debut album The Goat that we picked up again when this album started to take shape. When it became clear that Pure Evil was gonna be a bit more diverse from song to song we felt like this had more of a place. We re wrote the lyrics to sit more with how we felt about the potential pressures of making a second album; talking about “destroying your ego” and a “faceless fear” following you around.”
“This was a fun song that just came together super quickly. We wanted it to hit fast and hit hard so we kept shaving it down to make it rush past and feel like you wanted to listen to it again rather than labouring the point. It’s also got two guitar solos in it which equates to roughly a guitar solo per minute, which I feel is the golden ratio.”
Whilst for some it may be your first time wrapping your ears around this band, Void Of Vision are certainly no strangers to the game. With a career spanning almost a decade, the Melbourne collective have made their mark on a global scene through a committed touring regime, three full length albums and four huge EP’s that were nowhere near long enough. With their latest record ‘CHRONICLES II: HEAVEN‘ entering the release chart last week via UFND, the band are currently gearing up for an explosive run for the Into The Dark tour with support from UK high flyers Holding Absence & Aus up & comers Bloom – a lineup so stacked it’s enough to make any live music connoisseur green with envy.
Taking a step in a different to its predecessor ‘HEAVEN’ still packs a savage punch, but incorporates a huge sense of dynamic melody. The 2021 release ‘CHRONICLES I: LUST’ marks a story of pure aggression – however here in ‘HEAVEN’ vocalist Jack Bergin takes a lyrical swerve with the narrative pushing a sense of hope onto its audience, and with it the bands own perspective on finding heaven on earth. Fear not, the bands signature introspective study and melancholy tones remain thoroughly intact – and this record is concrete proof of their growth as both artists and performers.
Related: Void Of Vision – Chronicles II: Heaven | EP Review
We caught up with Jack following release day to hear all about the records creative process, working alongside Architects drummer Dan Searle & taking their tracks from the studio to the road.
“On our last tour we played a show in Newcastle with Lull and we became fans and mates there and then. If you’re into hardcore then get this new single from them in your ears, ‘Something In The Way’ gives me a very nostalgic feeling. Also we may have some touring plans with em’ soon!”
“This is just a straight up jam, lifts a mood and always comes on the radio at work so it’s definitely going on the van playlist.”
“I remember maybe at the tail end of lockdown Sleep Outside came up on my Spotify. Lucky for us we’ll get to catch them at Pwer festival! Straight up emo vibes, buzzing to catch this one live.”
“Treehouse are on the Noizze stage and we only heard about them when Pwer announced the festival. So stoked to check them out so get down early. Big Departures vibes which is a great thing.”
“Probably my favourite song/album of 2021. This record hit me at the perfect time, feeling lost after the world went to shit. Just like everyone I was overthinking everything, if I’d get to play shows again. Even make music again. This one got me through so it’s definitely on the van playlist. If you like Phoebe Bridgers then you’ll love Charli Adams. Also Novo Amor is a genius.”
Heriot. A name that has now become synonymous for brutal riffs, eerie industrials and savage aggression. The re-branded metallic hardcore quartet from the South West have swept the rug from under the UK metal scene’s feet over the last year and turned it on its head, as a result becoming the band on everyone’s lips. With a series of crushing grindcore infused singles and a slew of significant support slots, Heriot have built a fierce reputation as riff machines whilst gaining a passionate and loyal fanbase in the process. Their debut EP Profound Morality has quickly become one of the most highly anticipated releases of the year. We sat down with Julian Gage (drums) to discuss all things Profound Morality and everything surrounding the band’s meteoric rise from the depths of obscurity.
Related: Heriot – Profound Morality | EP Review
When asked about how it feels to be the band everyone is speaking about, Julian’s response is a humble one; “In all honesty, we haven’t had much time to sit back and think about it too much, because it has been so quick and intense. There’s been a few moments where we’ve done bigger gigs and we’ve been like ‘This is really cool’, but yeah it’s just been so quick and a bit overwhelming. It still hasn’t really kind of hit yet.”, even so “It’s great to see everyone liking what we’re doing, the online reaction has been wicked.” With their determined work ethic launching Heriot into the upper echelons, the band have been nominated for Best Breakthrough Artist at this year’s Heavy Music Awards. “Me and Erhan (Alman, guitars), were lucky enough to attend last year as guests. We were joking around saying we’ll be there next year, and the fact that it actually happened was pretty mental. I think we were all a bit overwhelmed when we got the email because the other nominees are way ahead of where we are.”, this was definitely a case of being careful what you wish for but it is also thoroughly deserved.
Originally commissioned for the 2020 edition of the renowned Roadburn festival, finally performed at 2022 and now seeing a studio release for all those not lucky enough to witness it in person, Final Light is the union of synthwave artist Perturbator along with post metal extraordinaire Johannes Persson (Cult Of Luna). A fascinating prospect, and one borne out in Final Light‘s lead single, ‘In The Void’. A nine-minute undertaking of epic proportions, it encompasses alien synths, eerie six-string melodies and thundering, all-consuming basslines all capped by Persson‘s iconic anguished bellow. With both artists known for creating atmospheric, often long-form compositions, ‘In The Void’ sees the best of both musicians brought to bear in one fascinating, genre-decimating once-in-a-lifetime piece. – Will Marshall
Recent Church Road signees Graywave have released the title track from their upcoming EP Rebirth. Jess Webberly’s solo project, she fuses dreampop and shoegaze into something that wavers between ethereal and heavier moments with ease. The title track, ‘Rebirth’, is raw and honest lyrically while Webberly’s voice floats between haunting and arresting command. Softer moments still carry weight with crashing drums though it’s still a more subdued affair than previous single ‘Build’, showing a different side to Graywave and their command of different atmosphere and textures. With such texturally rich music, a broad church of influences and the backing of one of the UK’s finest underground labels, Rebirth promises to give Graywave all that and more. – Will Marshall
Sheffield bruisers Malevolence have reigned as kings of the UK underground for some time, but their pairing with Nuclear Blast and their own MLVLTD label for latest album Malicious Intent shows a band on the verge of breaking through. Latest single ‘Still Waters Run Deep’ is the third from their upcoming album and continues the band’s run of form, with beefy, groove-laden guitars vying with authoritative screams and more melodic, but no less aggressive, distorted sludgy vocals. The accompanying video delves into the band’s history; vocalist Alex Taylor explains, “This video is a deep dive into the history of Malevolence. We dug through hours of old archive footage and picked out some highlights from over the years as the song is a tribute to the journey we have set upon together, and the bond it has formed between us.” – Will Marshall
