Music Reviews

As the latest album by Deftones, 'Ohms' is a sonic punch that only solidifies the Sacramento gang as masters of their art. It constantly ebbs and flows, balancing melodic choruses with crushing guitars riffs and infectious rhythms which make you bob your head to their steady pacing - even more proof that when they work with producer Terry Date, the band strikes gold.

When we all look back on the year 2020, its probably not going to be a year many of us want to remember much about. It’s a year that has lead a lot of people to despair, defeatism and rage. If you were on the lookout for a record that unapologetically channels that feeling, grindcore God-emperors Napalm Death may have just given us exactly what your looking for.

For some bands an overhaul of members can be a death sentence. For others, it can be a rebirth and a new age of creativity. Fortunately for Oceans Of Slumber it has proved to be the latter. Since the release of the critically acclaimed The Banished Heart in 2018 the band lost the entirety of it’s stringed section, leaving longtime band leader and composer Dobber Berverly behind the kit, vocalist Cammie Gilbert and keyboard player Matt V. Aleman searching for new members before any momentum would be lost. Enter guitarists Jessie Santos, Alexander Lucian and bassist Semir Ozerkan to save the day, giving the band a new lease of life and a creative force that is sure to see their new self-titled album take them on the next step forward.

Their new 'MMXX' EP only proves one thing: Eskimo Callboy won’t be deterred by a mere line-up change. The band is firing on all cylinders, the re-recorded songs sound even better, with punchier drums and melodic keys and synths, and newcomer Nico Sallach’s voice ties everything together in a package that not only screams “HYPA HYPA”, but most importantly, “we’re here to stay”.

“I FEAR NOTHING AND NO ONE EXCEPT THE TEMPTATION TO HOLD BACK.” What would you do if these words rang true in your head every morning? Dream Nails might just have the answer with their self-titled debut full length release.

Emerging out of the bright city lights of Los Angeles, the dusty desert land of Las Vegas and the more hilly mountain terrains of Utah, The Killers have come out of their comfort zone and return in colossal, stadium-filling style, with the release of their new studio album, 'Imploding The Mirage'.

In Hearts Wake have always been a band with a message. Throughout their career they have hammered the point home time and time again, that we as a species simply do not do enough to preserve the earth that we inhabit, and that a lot of irreparable damage that we have done to it up until this point has been totally avoidable. With their latest album 'Kaliyuga', the band appears even more dead set on educating the masses than ever.

Brighton punk-rockers LibraLibra bring it all on their debut EP, 'Hail Mary', which sees them showing off all their strengths. A promising debut from a band who refuse to play by the rules.

The saying goes “all good things comes to those who wait”, and that particular expression has never seemed more appropriate than when it comes to Black Crown Initiate. There have been plenty of issues that have befallen the band over their brief history, including number of line-up changes where they are still searching for a permanent drummer even now - but with the leap to a new permanent home with Century Media Records, the band look hungrier and better backed than ever. Now with Black Crown Initiate in their strongest position to date and the extreme metal world eagerly watching and waiting, the big question is… has the wait been worth it?

Sweden's AVATAR abandon their royal garb and leave 'Avatar Country' behind, pushing forward with their stellar (and comedy-devoid) new album, 'Hunter Gatherer'.