Malevolence are arguably the kings of UK underground hardcore; they take their time between releases, but every single one sees them step their game up massively and their live shows have swiftly made their way into the stuff of legend. The second single from upcoming third album Malicious Intent, Malevolence’s latest single captures them at their most aggressive and beatdown-laden. ‘Life Sentence’ reinforces not only that they can write songs with planet-sized riffs, skyscraper choruses and heart-felt ballads but for anyone worried they might go soft – that they can still make you want to smash your house to pieces. From the two singles they’ve released so far, it’s abundantly clear that Malicious Intent will see them step their game up yet again – the breakdown that closes ‘Life Sentence’ alone, never mind the fist-swinging calls of “guilty as charged!”, are sure to get bodies flying in the pit. – Will Marshall
Conquer Divide returned to active band status after a two year hiatus in 2020, and they’ve been drip feeding us new songs ever since. Their latest release, ‘Atonement’, hits that sweet melodic metalcore spot that fans of bands like Spiritbox and Bury Tomorrow are sure to relish in, and we can only hope the band are gearing up for a full record release in the near future. The harmony between the harsh and clean vocals of the bands dual vocalists on this track swirl together like milk and honey, capped off with one of the heftiest breakdowns in modern metal in the latter half of the song. If they keep giving us tracks like this, it feels like there’s no doubt Conquer Divide could become one of the most coveted bands in the scene. – Elliot Grimmie
Yes, one would be expected to have reservations about the prospect of Trivium frontman Matt Heafy creating a melodic black metal track with the once emo heartthrob Gerard Way. However ‘Ronin’, the latest track from Heafy’s black metal project Ibaraki, is absolutely brilliant to a startling degree. Telling the tale of the isolated and perpetually wandering rōnin, the track is host to a guest solo from Ihsahn, guest group vocals from the black metal icon’s own family – and most prominent of all – truly unhinged black metal wails from the My Chemical Romance frontman himself. Whilst such an amalgamation of names could have resulted in something being resembling a gimmick, it’s anything but. The nine minute track truly mirrors the fury and reflective composure of the titular warrior and is presented with elegance and carefully considered melodicism. With no hyperbole implied, ‘Rōnin’ stands as one of the most dynamic, surprising and best metal tracks to be released thus far this year. – Dan Hillier
InVisions have recently released their album Deadlock, the band’s third album that is as ferocious as it is ambitious. With themes that ooze emotion and lyrics that are the band’s most personal to date you’d imagine the creation process of crafting such a body of work either took it’s toll or was a cathartic part of processing and coming to terms with feelings brought to the surface. We took the time to take some of these thoughts and gain Guitarist Lucas Gabb’s perspective and understanding of the composition of such an ambitious album. From what we can see underneath all of the grit are poignant undertones and heart-wrenching themes that are wholly and tragically relatable there is a sense of optimism and hope in wearing these feelings so openly on the band’s collective sleeves.
Related: InVisions – Deadlock | Album Review
Lucas: “In all honesty it was a bit of a roller coaster writing this album. We had to battle through a lot of uncertainty and self-doubt which meant we became our own worst critics. In hindsight, I think that became a huge fuel for this record. We were trying to prove to ourselves we could live up to our own standards. All in all, it was very organic and never felt fabricated or forced because if anything didn’t feel right or genuine we had the time to reflect and re-work it until it was perfect!”
Lucas: “It just seemed like the next logical step for us. We’ve worked with Sam & Joe Graves of Innersound Audio on all our music over the years, but our pre-production of the songs has just got closer and closer to the final product that it didn’t make sense to re-record them! Capturing performances can be like catching lightning in a bottle and by recording it ourselves it meant we had the time and ability to really hone in and make sure every microscopic detail was perfect. Having worked with Sam & Joe in recording bands over the years, I’m familiar with their techniques and so taking on this responsibility felt very natural.”
A brooding embodiment of their mercurial approach to organic and electronic stylings, the two new singles from Crosses are testaments to their eclectic skill. As clearly proven, the two new tracks from the duo – which is composed of Deftones’ Chino Moreno and multi-instrumentalist Shaun Lopez – showcase the darkly seductive stylings that make the band so haplessly appealing, albeit in two completely unique ways. Whilst ‘Initiation’ is a creeping and shadow-like with it’s fatalism, ‘Protection’ see’s the duo bathing in swatches of electronic textures, digging deeper into their influences with masterful production. Much like their craft, Crosses are mysterious and enigmatic, but with new music on the shadowed horizon, it appears the duo are back once again. – Dan Hillier
The third single taken from their upcoming debut release, ‘Siege Fire’ is Burner at their, aggressive, hardcore-infused death metal best. At barely a minute in length, they don’t waste a single second of it. Opening at a frenetic pace, it spends the first 45 seconds careening through chaotic violence before the final fifteen unleash a mid-paced groove of gargantuan proportions. Since signing to Church Road Records, the band have kept up a steady stream of ferocious singles, with ‘Ingsoc’ and ‘Rat King Crown’ preceding ‘Siege Fire’. It’s once again proof that some of the most exciting – and heaviest – new music is to be found in the UK underground and is more often than not signed to Church Road. – Will Marshall
Having already demolished several doors on their rapid ascent, bruising hardcore/sludge metallers Heriot have released the latest single, the title track of their upcoming debut EP Profound Morality. Marking a departure from the previous, high-aggression and high-speed singles, it takes a far sludgier approach, dialling down the speed but dialling up the industrial and sludge elements. Haunting clean vocals courtesy of guitarist/vocalist Debbie Gough permeate its opening minutes, atop a serpentine bassline. It still features a titanic breakdown of course, but the band show the mastery of their sound by moving from crushing straight back into the unsettling ambience, with bassist/vocalist Jake Packer taking over vocal duties for the second half. Both an encapsulation of all we’ve heard from them so far, as well as boldly breaking new sonic ground, it’s a sure bet that ‘Profound Morality’ is still just the tip of the iceberg and Heriot will continue to push their sound into new, exciting territories with their debut and beyond. – Will Marshall
Documenting the feelings of shame that followed a sexual assault suffered by vocalist Milena Eva, the latest single from dark innovators GGGOLDDD is a painful yet wholly crucial listen. The title track of their new record – which is released April 1st via Artoffact Records – the single is a pulsating and darkly hypnotic affair, one that takes the shape of a commentary on how society as a whole victimises people who have experienced harrowing sexual trauma. Yes, it’s unflinchingly intimate to a degree that borders upon being uncomfortable – but that’s point to be had. This single is the acceptance of the presence of trauma, a mantra to banish such an unwanted spectre and a much required denunciation on how we refuse to acknowledge how sexual abuse has taken a form of a pandemic. Simply, it’s a vital listen in every way possible. – Dan Hillier
Whilst the midlands math-rock trio finely established their sound and namesake with their wonderful self-titled debut, their latest record Lights Out serves the product of a creative metamorphosis. Instead of resting on their laurels over the course of the pandemic, A-Tota-So reinvented themselves, retaining the math-rock stylings that defined them all whilst moving down new musical avenues.
Yet, the biggest change to their sound however is the departure from their once purely instrumental focus. Each of the eight tracks on Lights Out features guest vocals from some of the best names within the UK and Irish contemporary scene, with the album boasting the talents from the likes of Damien Sayell (The St. Pierre Snake Invasion/ Mclusky), Ashley Tubb (Sugar Horse), Ellie Godwin (No Violet), Aisling Whiting (Sang Froid) and many others. The end result is an incredibly varied album that touches upon a variety of genres and sounds from all across the contemporary music spectrum in a way that’s exploratory, collaborative yet still focused and precise.
It’s truly an extraordinary album, one that almost serves as a who’s who of the best talent of the thriving scene this corner of the continent is host to. So with that in mind, and with the album out now via bUTTONpUSHER, we got in touch with guitarist Marty Toner and every guest vocalist to break down Lights Out, track by track.
Related: A-Tota-So – Lights Out | Album Review
Marty: “This was one of those rare songs that just seemed to write itself, during the first lockdown I was just writing a lot and playing a lot of guitar to stay sane. I was messing about in different tunings in parts and wrote this knowing I wanted to keep it pretty short and to the point, when we finally got together to rehearse again between lockdowns it didn’t take us long to get everything sorted in terms of arrangement at all and it definitely felt it needed some angrier vocals so we got Jake from an awesome Irish band called God Alone involved.”
Jake: “The lyrics to this song were created in a fairly abstract way which is the way I usually like to write lyrics. I started by going through books and magazines and picking out random words or phrases that I found interesting.”
“I then rearranged these snippets in a way that would make sense and fit rhythmically. I like writing this way as it leaves the meaning entirely up to the listener and could mean something different with every listen. I tried to make the lyrics and vocals are dark and cathartic as possible to match the dissonant and unrelenting instrumental.”
Marty: “This was just meant to be a dirty grunge tune and it’s one of the most fun to play , we love The St Pierre Snake Invasion and it felt like a no brainer to get Damien involved as we’ve been mates for a good few years now. It’s a song that really lets you get your rage out when playing it and it was nice to hear Damien do something out of his comfort zone on the record.”
Damien: “Marty asked me if I’d be interested in putting some vocals down for a song on the new record. He sent me the song, I liked it and had ideas for what I wanted to do pretty much straight away. Recording the vocals was a veritable nightmare. The ideas I had were difficult to actualize, a lot of the vocals I sent to the producer were flatter than the Netherlands. He worked wonders, and he deserves a medal.”
“The lyrics are about the horrible realisation that comes when an all night session of debauchery nears its inevitable conclusion. The sun comes up, you have to face reality, all you want to do is escape your thoughts and the decisions that brought you there, but you know deep down you’d do it all again because you’ve been kept in drink and conversation with people you love.”
The Scottish metal veterans Bleed From Within have excelled once again, latest single ‘Levitate’ taken from their upcoming album Shrine is almost undoubtedly the most fine tuned demonstration of a band that have had years to absolutely master their craft; from beautiful violins, massive chorus and an epic guitar solo thrown in, there’s still somehow room here for full throttle aggressive velocity. The band have thrown everything they have into one track, this is a fully fledged representation of the heights Bleed From Within are capable of soaring to, and if ‘Levitate’ is anything to go by, Shrine has the potential to be the bands greatest record of their career so far, and solid proof that the only way this band is going for the foreseeable future is up, up, up. – Elliot Grimmie
Grunge supergroup Lowlives are back with a new double track release; ‘Misery’ and ‘It Makes Me Sick’ (which serves as the B Side). The group, featuring ex-members of The Defiled, No Devotion and The Atari’s, are one of the most promising bands in the grunge revival scene right now. With relatable lyrics, hefty guitar riffs and a big, anthemic songwriting style, the band are well overdue a full album release to really put them on the map at this point, opting instead to stagger their music releases into a few tracks at a time, the future remains open for the band. ‘Misery’ is a fantastically 90’s rock track complete with a raging bass heavy intro, fuzzy guitars and a hefty chorus, before a crescendo finale of headbang ready guiar riffage. – Elliot Grimmie
Canterbury’s freshest pop-punk outfit Fountain Island have released their second single; ‘The Color Red’, channelling the spirit of classic US bands in the genre like Good Charlotte and Blink 182 for a heartfelt emo ballad, there’s a stark comparison with the vocal style of Tom Delonge and Fountain Islands own Alex Porro here. Here you’ll find a track that’s all about being unashamedly yourself and striving for the things you want even in the face of adversity, the band are definitely ones to watch for putting out tunes of such quality so early on in their career. – Elliot Grimmie
One of the many interesting bands operating out of Brighton right now, Sick Joy‘s latest release hits notes all over the brit-rock and grunge spectrum, a bassy, mopey experience backed up by distorted guitar and Mykl Barton‘s melodic vocals. Taken from the bands upcoming debut record We’re All Gonna F***ing Die, ‘i’ve got more than i need (and i don’t have much)’ is an evolution of elements the band has been lurking in since their inception, muddy, crestfallen songs that offer a glimmer of hopeful uplift within, woven into the fabric of despair. Following on from their more aggressive previous release, this is just one piece of a much wider picture the band are building towards, with their album produced by Space (IDLES, Jamie Lenman, Never Not Nothing) there’s a lot of great new noise to come from Sick Joy in the near future – Elliot Grimmie
George Glew, the Bristol based singer-songwriter making a big impact in the world of music right now with releases of his own amassing tremendous critical acclaim as well as writing credits for a plethora of artists having written some emotional bangers for/with the likes of Emie Nathan, Keir and James Cherry. Glew’s EP ‘Gravity dropped in 2020 and features some of his most expansive, thoughtful and emotive work to date as well as gaining significant traction during and following its release.
Amassing a tremendous amount of Spotify streams on his own music and a monthly listenership of around 114k you have to ask if it’s a matter of when and not if. George Glew’s unique blend of vocal technique and delivery of off-kilter melody with silky guitar tones and experimentation, including the clever use of auto-tune and falsetto’d harmonies, really set him apart from what could otherwise be considered quite an oversaturated music scene.
We caught up with Glew to gain an understanding around his creative processes, future musical direction and endeavours for the remainder of the year. In addition WetheDee aka Dean Harries, Photographer/Videographer and fellow Noizzey, managed to capture an extra special acoustic performance of “Last Light” which we are showcasing below.
