Since releasing their first single all the way back in 2022, The Family Battenberg have quickly risen through the ranks of the underground Welsh rock scene. With appearances throughout the UK and even over in mainland Europe, they’re now poised to release their first EP titled Spider Rock Forever.
Mixing multiple genres from psychedelic rock to garage rock, they’ve coined themselves a genre of their own, spider rock. And it’s hard to argue with it as the four band members are eight limbs of pure anarchy. As the EP kicks off with ‘Foggy’, the buzzing guitars of Ethan Duck and Eliot Jones are distorted and bone-tremblingly addictive. Jess Pritchard on bass adds to boost the depth of the rumbling strings while Billy Stillman behind the kit comes through crystal clear to combat the wall of noise.
Quite a lot has changed since we last heard from SEIMS. A life changing amount for certain people in fact, something that Simeon Bartholomew would most probably attest to. The principle songwriter for the Aussie post /math rockers, since the collective dropped their last record four years ago, Bartholomew has become a dad and entered the bewildering, strange but enriching world that is fatherhood.
Now, sometimes this can be a death kneel for musicians; after all, who has time to create central post rock belters let alone anything else when raising a toddler. Thankfully though, not only has such a fate seemed to have bypassed Bartholomew and company, it appears such a life changing event has only energised them even further – rich with both excitement and an evident desire for growth, V may be the most inspired record from SEIMS thus far.
Whilst all previous SEIMS records are products of a self-imposed ethos of ‘to try is to grow’, V sees Bartholomew and company lunge into this album with arms and digits outstretched. But what makes them stick the landing perfectly here is both evident determination combined with the skills they have collectively cultivated across their decade-plus long musical career so far.
‘Chaos Within A Construct’ and its respective interlude ‘Double Standards’ more or less establishes this from the record’s offset, its thunderous post rock brimming with confidence as it flows to and from the jazz inclined math rock sequences that bind the track. However, it’s the proceeding ‘Forever The Optimist’ that serves as the record’s first big, standout moment. Towering and beautifully composed, the track’s optimistic metropolitan post rock harkens And So I Watch You From Afar’s sense of imagination and amazement, something that becomes a defining sensibility that only grows across V’s runtime.
With their third album, Ohio death metallers Sanguisugabogg are laying down the gauntlet of brutality in a way that seems to be telling their fans, ‘You haven’t heard anything yet,’ regarding their first two albums. Known for their tongue-in-cheek response to parodying the ‘sillier’ side of death metal, Hideous Aftermath is a statement that tells their fans they’re done messing around with things being ‘tongue in cheek’. This album is more tongue in an industrial paper shredder.
Rotted Entanglement blasts things off with some focused blastbeats and capable death growls; the production quality is as crisp as it is filthy, which is something very few death metal bands can achieve, but with Kurt Ballou producing (Nails, Converge and Code Orange), it’s almost no surprise that standards are this high. Overall, the song teases and titillates their fans with what is to come, leaving an overall impression of an almost ‘crunchier Pissgrave’ with downtuned Primitive Man-style heavy hitting riffs, which makes for a winning combination for those who like their death metal just a little bit groovy.
Without giving their listeners a chance to breathe, Sanguisugabogg launch into ‘Felony Abuse of a Corpse’ – do not attempt to Google this without a VPN. Judging by the song’s title, it’s clear this song is obviously going to be about rainbows and unicorns, if the rainbows contained yellow rain and the unicorns were sodomising each other with their horns. Here, the band can achieve that ever-so-elusive ‘evil’ sound to their work. Sanguisugabogg slow down to remind their listeners that death metal isn’t just about pushing out face-melting blast beats like a collapsed rectum, it’s also about aura farming anxiety and a sordid existential disgust of: “Wait a minute, how did I go from enjoying The Number of the Beast by Iron Maiden to genuinely enjoying music like this!?” The song ends, leaving their fans with a feeling of an extreme musical ‘post-nut clarity.’
After feeling the sting of releasing 2020’s Infinity Stare during the pandemic and a huge gear theft in 2022, instrumental innovators Alpha May Tea Party have squirrelled away for the past five years to commit a daring renovation on their established foundations. Although the band have flirted with the occasional vocal throughout their discography (see ‘Infinity Stare’ and ‘No More’) Alpha Male Tea Party redefine their identity, yearning for greater emotional transmission and a platform to display their natural wit and personality.
The voices heard are guitarist Tom Peters who handles the delicate croons while bassist Ben Griffiths handles the gruff barks and howls while all contribute to the luscious harmonies which are now in rich and hearty supply. Each taking turns to lead and be led through Reptilian Brain where there is no one lead vocalist. Although its the first album where vocals are as essential as the instrumentals there is not one shred of it feeling like an afterthought. The yells of Griffiths ping pong off the melodious Peters while taking us down the wormhole riffs they are celebrated for in ‘Hostess Imperial’ and ‘Probably Just Hungry’. They are also not afraid of a stadium sized chorus as the ‘Oh well, I thought we’d find a way to make it work somehow’ will live inside the memory banks for a long time. Shades of Unpeople in these moments can only ever be complimentary as there is a simplicity and directness which make it impossible not sing to yourself long after the song has finished.
Agriculture have been developing quite the name for themselves since lading on the scene with their 2022 debut EP, The Circle Chant. Using black metal as the emotionally raw and cathartic foundation, the band showed a unique take on the modern blackgaze style that has become prevalent; drawing influences from bluegrass and folk as well as ambient, noise and post-metal touches. Their self-titled full length effort in 2023 was a critical darling, furthering honing in on their unique melodic sensibilities and again doubling down with their 2024 EP Living Is Easy, pushing the boundaries even further. Through relentless touring and open, honest collaboration, further evolving and pulling new influences, Agriculture have slowly sculpted their next vision of ecstatic black metal in the form of second album The Spiritual Sound.
The album makes for a distinctive fusion of two halves. The first locks into unbridled fury and explorations more firmly planted in the band’s black metal side, whereas the second half is a slower burn, deeper explorations of textures and more ambient and experimental moments. From the opening moments of first track ‘My Garden’, The Spiritual Sound is already in full demand of your attention and Agriculture are going straight for the jugular. A four count summons a flurry of churning metal fury, feeling inspired by Wiegedood’s nauseating instrumental intensity, vicious howls carry through the relentless assault as the track morphs. It sinks into a neck-whipping half-time chug before falling into an ambient bridge, a moment of spiritual ecstasy amongst the chaos that is welcomed back in harrowing fashion, rinse and repeat for the five-minute run for a breathtaking opener.
‘Flea’ feels more akin to the band’s earlier works, highly emotional melodic black metal over spoken word, however with developments into a post-hardcore realm and a ripping guitar solo packed with a weighty punch. Flowing straight into ‘Micah (5.15am)’ with a piercing scream, it breaks into screamo worship and seems reminiscent of Svalbard’s poignant blend of black metal and post-hardcore, heavy on the d-beat, melodic intensity and explosive noise hooks bridging the various sections of the track before collapsing with the final defeated melody. Aptly named ’The Weight’ follows as expected, with a mammoth noise soaked post-metal riff bludgeoning the subs of any sound system, continuing to build the intensity of the album’s first half with the atonal shredding becoming almost too much to bear. When the song reaches its climactic crescendo, the final melodies feel that much more frail and delicate. ‘Serenity’ brings the first half to a close with a burst of melodic black metal, ecstatic melodies balancing the unstoppable blast beats at the core of the track.
Not many bands get to a fifth album, bands usually crumble under the weight of expectation or a band endures one trial too many. But Manchester’s most resilient Claw The Thin Ice bring eccentric 90s rock and emotional rattle together on a glorious tandem bike ride through the bands most comprehensive effort.
Already showing capability of morphing for any support slot with Brontide and Michael Cera Palin already in the bag. Fever Dreamer demonstrates clear ability to glide across genres with opening tracks ‘Echo Effect’ and ‘Into The Snare’ driving itself down a highway of 90s alt rock and delicate emo. The crackle of a bass rooted into the arteries helps the bands other attributes twinkle and glisten while the voice of Ian Breen’s infectious delivery is charming but raw, there is a nostalgia in the tone which is comforting but capable of feeling like roads less travelled. A highlight comes from ’10 out of 10 Secret’ which holds the album’s catchiest hook in its chorus with ‘look out here’s my secret’ soaring high above any previous register to secure the track into a guaranteed replay. John Simpson who leads the vocals on the track plays off Breen’s more nasally tone wonderfully with a grittier, more recognisably brit rock quality.
