Reviews

When listened to again and again - and you'll want to listen to it repeatedly - Light We Made is the band discovering exactly what they can achieve by mellowing out a little more, and experimenting with a larger sonic spectrum. This isn't Balance and Composure with an entirely new sound, it's them building upon what they've done before.

You might be forgiven for thinking with such a ridiculous name, Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard were some kind of parody band, or pedallers of bog-standard doom metal. You'd be mistaken: on their sophomore album, Y Proffwyd Dwyll, MWWB have taken the doom metal format and shaken it up, incorporating airy vocals, keyboards and psychedelic rock influences.

Blues rock babies RavenEye got 'Out Of The Rain' at Drownload and straight into the studio to create new super album, 'Nova'. If you're a fan of last EP Breakout, you may find this one a little different. It's as if they've disected their previous sound with a rusty razor and tied up all the loose ends; and the result is infectious. Disclaimer: the songs are so catchy they will take over your brain.

The Classic Grand is absolutely packed this Sunday evening, with Royal Republic's small but dedicated fanbase turning up in spades. The venue's 500 person capacity is pushed to its limit, there barely being space for anyone to move by the time Dinosaur Pile-Up have started.

By this point it is inescapable to mention American Football without mentioning the fact that they haven't released a record since their self-titled debut back in 1999. Whilst somewhat of a cult hit at the time, it wasn't until the band had stopped making music that things began to click for the Illinois quartet. The band's rise to acclaim came during the so called "emo revival" and it eventually lead to a reformation back in 2014. Two years on we have finally been graced with the long awaited second album, American Football (LP2).

Cody is without a doubt Joyce Manor's most mature work, but that sounds like we're calling their previous records immature, when they were the exact opposite. In fact, we loved Joyce Manor for being some of the most self-aware punk out there. The band seem to have lost that a bit, and settled into a groove which is slightly more predictable. All the same, these new songs retain the band's signature honesty and lyrical finesse, and feels like a very much needed bridge into whatever they're going to do next.

2016 marks the first year of Manchester’s newest music venture, Neighbourhood Festival. Spanning 11 venues across the city with acts including Blossoms, Vant and Twin Atlantic, there is no denying the strength of the line-up for a festival in it's first year; but did it live up to expectations?

Integrity Blues might not win any awards, but there's something here for everyone and as both Jimmy Eat World and their fans grow up, it's a fantastic reminder that at least one of the bands we fell in love with as teenagers still haven't lost their old magic.

Despite once again being pulled off the road due to Austin Carlile’s continuing battle with Marfan Syndrome, Of Mice & Men were able to complete several of their UK dates before cancelling the remainder of the Cold World European tour, and we were lucky enough to catch them at Glasgow’s o2 Academy.

Destroy Something Beautiful is latest EP from Hertfordshire quintet Chasing Cadence. Formed of five tracks it features some intriguing titles, lashes of energy and vibrant tones. Following their collaboration with TNA Xplosion, the anticipation for their EP is high; but does it live up to it?