Music Reviews

With a new line-up and a new EP, zebrahead have a lot on their hands. This EP comes after over a dozen studio albums and could very well mark a new beginning for the band. This means juggling a lot of expectations from fans new and old, but can they pull it off?

IDLES are the UK post-punk band of the generation. Now four albums in, if they were to retire their mark will have been left on music for years to come, which speaks of the sheer greatness of this band. So, does 'CRAWLER' continue this legacy or tarnish it?

When heavy metal music was being forged amongst the backdrop of the industry in the Midlands of the UK, it's hard to think that anyone involved thought “I can’t wait until we mix this all with the swing and jazz music that was popular decades ago." It's a sentence that most likely did not manifest from the brains of anyone in Black Sabbath. But in 2003, a fine group of folks from Sweden decided to go all in on this idea, and thus Diablo Swing Orchestra was born. Now, on their fifth album, the band are determined to go so far beyond the original idea that it's hard to fathom. If this is your first experience of the group, strap in for a colourful and unforgettable ride, because you have never heard anything quite like this.

Cradle of Filth’s guiding force, vocalist Dani Filth, compares their previous record to 'Existence is Futile' as "ornate" and suggests this new release is anything but...and if this is Cradle trimmed of all fat, it makes you wonder how overblown this record could have been. That said, the decision to focus on the best elements, even if there are a lot of them, and refine them has resulted in an expertly crafted album that never really outstayed its welcome.

When you think of the top metal bands to come out of the UK in the 21st century, Bullet For My Valentine have to be up there. The Welsh outfit have consistently produced banger after banger, and their self-titled seventh record is their most brutal and heaviest yet.

Knocked Loose are a band that seemingly everyone is a fan of. Whenever they release music, most bands will rave about it on their socials, and chances are your timeline will be flooded full of love for the band – and in our opinion, that is rightly so. Last month, the band dropped a surprise six-track EP and short film - here's what we thought.

Will Varley may very well be the best singer/songwriter you haven’t heard of. His ability and immense talent have shined through in his previous records, but with a new producer and record label, can he keep riding the same wave of momentum that has made him such a cult hero?

The world looks entirely different in 2021 to the way it did when Every Time I Die started out, more than two decades ago. With eight previous full-length albums under the belts and a wealth of experience, you could forgive Every Time I Die for getting comfortable and resting on their laurels. Hell, two of the main songwriters in the band have children now and the other guitar player is a full-time professional wrestler with one of the biggest companies in the world today. Yet with their ninth studio album 'Radical', the band seem as focused as ever and are ready to fire on all cylinders once again.

Don Broco are one of the best bands the UK has to offer. Off the back of the huge 'Technology', the boys from Bedford embarked on a huge tour including UK arenas - will 'Amazing Things' continue their ascendancy to stardom?

We have waited far too long for a new album from Vildhjarta, with their previous effort, the superb extended play 'Thousands of Evils', released more than eight years ago. It was important for the Swedes to come back with a bang and leave a lasting impact on their awaiting audience. Fortunately, they do not deal in low quality output and their new release, 'måsstaden under vatten', is a testament to that very fact.