Taking inspiration from trailblazing female-fronted alternative acts such as Alvvays, Rilo Kiley, and Bully, The Beths have been crafting their sound over four studio albums, from the fuzzy, DIY ethics of their debut EP Warm Blood to their impressive attempt at a throwback jangle pop sound akin to The Smiths and The Cranberries on Expert in a Dying Field. Fourth album Straight Line Was a Lie blends the influences of yesteryear and successfully modernises them courtesy of lead guitarist and producer Johnathon Pearce and the talents of Michael Howell and makes for a varied listen that will make you contemplate and maybe even shed a tear.
‘Metal’ was the first single released for the promotion of their latest effort and the dreamy guitars and stream of consciousness lyrical content wouldn’t sound out of place on an early 90’s Sundays release, but the intricate guitar riffs blended with dreamy guitars bring the sound up to date and the way Stokes fully embraces her Kiwi accent on Straight Line Was a Lie is commendable, as it adds a more human feel to the entire release.
The softer, more acoustic moments on this release leave a profound emotional impact; ‘Mother, Pray For Me’ (written about Stokes’s own complicated relationship surrounding her mother) is sure to leave you bawling everywhere from your messy teenage bedroom to the middle of the supermarket queue, ‘Mosquitos’ evokes personal memories of simpler times like enjoying time in nature and walking by the creek; and the sparse instrumentation that puts the focus on Stoke’s vocals is a love letter to times that may be happier, but are never forgotten.
While the queer community have rarely had moments of rest between fighting for their rights, the last few years have been increasingly exhausting. Enter queercore duo Death Goals and their latest EP Survival Is An Act Of Defiance, bringing together their uniquely unhinged brand of mathcore inspired rage with a collection of some of the scene’s most important voices for a timely and cathartic celebration of community resistance.
Despite guitarist Harry Bailey and drummer George Milner flying through the EPs five tracks, Survival Is An Act Of Defiance punches well above its weight, making a huge impact with just a few minutes of screams and panic chords. Opening track ‘Kill With Kindness’ throws a barrage of clashing distorted riffs and blast beats at the listener with Bailey’s usual demented screams bolstered by Harry Nott of underground heavyweights Burner and their deep, throat ripping growls. If anyone were to blindly stumble upon Survival Is An Act Of Defiance then ‘Kill With Kindness’ would act as a perfect primer for the rest of the EP with its lightning fast pace and pre-breakdown mosh call of “your God doesn’t love you”.
Whenever a band rises from the ashes or contains other members of others, it draws eyes. Comparison is impossible to ignore, no matter the previous projects and most often, if the bands involved have a certain level of legacy, those comparisons can crush a band before they begin to gain momentum.
Containing members of legendary ‘core acts such as Stampin’ Ground and Romeo Must Die, Fates Messenger are posed as a formidable proposition from the off, even tempting the phrase “supergroup” into the conversation. Add in the production credentials of Stu McKay (Desolated, Ingested) and you’re surely in for a bruising, battering time.
Their early singles from this new effort, Eternal War heralded tremendous promise, blending the band’s various influences and experiences into an uncompromising metallic hardcore sound that would sound as much at home in the late 90’s as it does today. ‘Hellstorm’ kicks things off viciously, in a whirlwind of drums and riffs that are just right in terms of sharpness with a hint of ramshackle. Featuring a chorus that brings to mind the vocals and cadence of modern Sylosis and enough seismic groove to make an elephant unsteady, it’s a brilliant start. Soon to follow is the title track, which contains a mighty guest vocal feature by one of the most underrated heavy vocalists of all time, Tim Williams from Vision Of Disorder and his legendary rasp adds another layer of grit and bug-eyed intensity to a track that’s already kicked you in the ribs and spat in your face.
TikTok is a well of curious discovery where thousands of bands are all competing for the same few seconds, and the majority struggle to set themselves apart from each other, but with Vanitas we have lore, passionate storytelling and a vibrant brand of progressive metal which harkens back to a time when djent was still buzzing with excitement. Birmingham’s Vanitas are sincere and fresh, taking from the genre’s most flamboyant voices in Devil Townsend and Periphery it’s a barrage of soaring melodies and instrumental wizardry with a degree of endearing pomp to peacock their visuals into the memory. The band have an impressive array of visuals to bring additional dimensions from video game influences from Dark Souls to Final Fantasy, which litter an impressive 4 full production music videos to accompany the EP. The band’s commitment to their artistic imagery has rightfully enticed a cultish following and for a band in their infancy their potential feels limitless.
It’s 08:15 on a sticky summer Thursday, the heat is already picking up. You sit in your sweat-box of a car, ruing not getting your AC regassed and look left and right in the static traffic. To your left another worker drone does the same as you, but to your right you are surprised, someone sits there belting out the air drums to an unknown track, sweat pouring off them, but the biggest grin is writ large across their face. They’re probably listening to the new Dinosaur Pile-Up record I’ve Felt Better, and really you should be too, here’s why.
With just a light scratch, the depth of this record is revealed. If you look past the raucous riffs, big arena rock drums and buoyant vocals there’s a stark revealing truth hidden behind it all, it’s clear that it’s not been an easy period for Dinosaur Pile-Up. Just like that person hammering out the drums in their car next to you, Matt Bigland decided he was going to do things his way with the latest record, releasing the ego and the unconscious bias towards success and acclaim to produce a record that is a product of catharsis, vulnerability, pain and ultimately resilience in the face of what life has to throw at us.
It’s been a mixed bag for the past 15 or so years for Deftones. Gore was, let’s face it, not great. Ohms didn’t fumble the bag quite as hard, but it was hardly the monolithic efforts of Koi No Yokan and Diamond Eyes (was that really 15 years ago now?) The band have had a resurgence in recent years, selling out larger and larger gigs, culminating in the wildly successful show at Crystal Palace Park recently, where they ripped it up delivering a varied set with old favourites and newer tracks alike. Despite this it is with a little trepidation that we open private music the latest 8 (or 9) string riddled piece of work from the masters of straddling shoegaze and nu metal.
The opening track ‘my mind is a mountain’, the lead single, is a big stomping mammoth akin to the heavy smashing vibes of Diamond Eyes, but it takes a few tracks before we get something a bit more fresh in the form of ‘Infinite Source.’ It still carries the hallmarks of classic Deftones with Moreno flexing his vocal range more, pushing the boundaries of what he is capable of.
