Niva - Incremental IV (Album Review)

If you've ever wanted AOR legends Journey to sound more like a melodic pomp-rock act with a singer whose high pitched vocals make Steve Perry’s sound like a restrained baritone, then behold Niva. Be warned, though, you'd best remove the glassware before spinning ‘Incremental IV’.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Wednesday, 10 September 2014

Ryan Adams - Ryan Adams (Album Review)

If an artist tends towards the prolific, it can be more difficult to gauge a dip in form. If you fire a hundred shots, after all, a few will hit their intended targets. But, with this self-titled effort, it’s clear that Ryan Adams is in good shape; confident and exhibiting the sort of swagger we haven’t seen around these parts in a while.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Wednesday, 10 September 2014

In Flames - Siren Charms (Album Review)

Never ones to stand still, In Flames have had a somewhat tumultuous career. Since helping create, modify and perfect the Gothenburg death metal sound with the immortal triptych of 'The Jester Race', 'Whoracle' and 'Colony' the band have, in the eyes of many, stretched to unfathomable lengths to piss their fans off.

Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Monday, 08 September 2014

Interpol - El Pintor (Album Review)

Four years on from their eponymous fourth LP, Interpol are back, reinventing themselves as a trio following the departure of bassist Carlos Dengler just prior to their last release.

Written by: Graeme Marsh | Date: Monday, 08 September 2014

Danny Bryant - Temperature Rising (Album Review)

Photo: Barbara van Geffen When an artist releases a new album and claims it's their best to date, the cliché police should really spring into action and slap on the handcuffs.  But, when British blues guitarist Danny Bryant rolled out that familiar phrase when discussing ‘Temperature Rising’, he whacked the nail on the head with a definitive hammer blow.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Friday, 05 September 2014

The Kooks - Listen (Album Review)

On ‘Listen’, the Kooks have set out to prove that you can teach an indie band new tricks. This is an almost feverishly diverse effort when placed next to the post-millennial Kinks shuffle of their early stuff. And it’s nowhere near as good.

Written by: Matt Williams | Date: Friday, 05 September 2014

Pulled Apart By Horses - Blood (Album Review)

Imagine psyching yourself up to fight Pulled Apart By Horses’ debut album. Picture its moves: flailing limbs, unhinged swings and, probably, a bit of biting. ‘Tough Love’, though, that’d be a different proposition; more boxing match than street brawl. ‘Blood’, the band’s third album, would be something else again. It’d set its feet and try to knock you the fuck out.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Wednesday, 03 September 2014

Miss Behaviour - Double Agent (Album Review)

Contrary to what The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and The Killing would have us believe, it's not all crime-infested doom and gloom in Scandinavia.  Over the last decade, an increasing number of quality melodic rock acts have emerged from the region, bashing out stadium-sized escapist anthems doused in the pheromones of LA's hedonistic Sunset Strip, circa 1985.  

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Tuesday, 02 September 2014

Maroon 5 - V (Album Review)

On ‘V’, it’s hard to pin down exactly what Maroon 5 do well. The early pop smarts of ‘Songs About Jane’ were long ago cast aside, with the dancefloor ubiquity of Moves Like Jagger and ensuing producer-heavy thump of ‘Overexposed’ drawing a line in the sand between past and present.

Written by: Gavin Rees | Date: Tuesday, 02 September 2014

Incite - Up In Hell (Album Review)

Photo: Glen LaFerman As a rule of thumb, metal folk are a tad sceptical when it comes to the issue of nepotism. It’s sketchy and, some might say, downright unfair for bands to receive publicity based even partially on their blood ties.

Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Monday, 01 September 2014

Kid Vishis - Timing Is Everything (Album Review)

Being a younger brother is not easy, especially when you have to compete with a successful older sibling. It is natural to assume, then, that Kid Vishis, younger brother of Eminem-endorsed Royce Da 5'9”, would want to make a name for himself. ‘Timing Is Everything’ is not a juvenile cry for attention though, rather a declaration of intent.

Written by: Jonathan Rimmer | Date: Monday, 01 September 2014

The New Pornographers - 'Brill Bruisers' (Album Review)

There are few rushes quite like falling for a pop song, and there are few bands out there with as many star-crossed moments in the vault as the New Pornographers.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Friday, 29 August 2014

Wednesday 13 - Undead Unplugged (Album Review)

Photo: Maureen Montgomery It’s safe to say few surprises await the music lover these days, but sometimes an album comes along and totally knocks you off your feet. Wednesday 13 has created just such a record with ‘Undead Unplugged’, stripping back his sinister growl while guitarists Roman Surman and Jack Tankersley trade in their amps for ambient acoustics.

Written by: Gemma Johnson | Date: Thursday, 28 August 2014

Royal Blood - Royal Blood (Album Review)

Look beyond the hype and the ‘guitar music’ hopes pinned to their chest and Royal Blood’s debut record is gloriously direct. It is a primal beast; a muscular exercise in riffs and kit smashing.

Written by: Matt Williams | Date: Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Ariana Grande - 'My Everything' (Album Review)

There are few nobler pursuits than attempting to write the perfect pop song. It has preoccupied bedroom romantics for decades, teams of crack songwriters and pop factories for almost as long. Now, though, we appear to be in the midst of the pop song’s industrial revolution. Chart bothering is now being conducted on a mechanised, all-conquering scale.

Written by: Gavin Rees | Date: Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Philip Sayce - Influence (Album Review)

When it comes to great guitarists, reviewers love to amp up the metaphorical wattage with descriptive bombs: “electrifying”, “scorching”, “fiery” and so forth.  But, combine those words, multiply them by a massive number and throw the result into a furnace and you still won't capture the primal fretwork of rock, soul and blues marvel Philip Sayce.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Tuesday, 26 August 2014

Luke Sital-Singh - The Fire Inside (Album Review)

To borrow a footballing phrase, there’s currently a league within a league in the UK pop scene. Toting six strings and some gentle dispositions, singer-songwriters are jostling for position on an increasingly crowded ladder, with big name players like Ed Sheeran fending off youngsters like Luke Sital-Singh, whose debut album, ‘The Fire Inside’, is set to win him plenty of admirers.

Written by: Gavin Rees | Date: Thursday, 21 August 2014

Blackberry Smoke - Leave A Scar (Album Review)

Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia and with collars as blue as a Smurf's arse, Blackberry Smoke have garnered a healthy reputation as one of the finest southern rock acts of recent times. On this scorching live album they effortlessly justify that hype, with their roasting repertoire of songs about love, heartbreak, fighting, drinking and life's bitter lessons making them worthy heirs to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s crown.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Wednesday, 20 August 2014

DragonForce - Maximum Overload (Album Review)

“If it ain't broke, don't fix it” is seldom a positive turn of phrase in the music industry. With the exception of AC/DC and Motorhead, bands are largely condemned if they're not churning out some sort of grind-rave-dubstep-reggae-arse-core hybrid. This is unfortunate for DragonForce, who are constantly battling accusations that their music sounds like Super Smash Bros.

Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Wednesday, 20 August 2014

Twin Atlantic - Great Divide (Album Review)

The moment that a band consciously begins shooting for the stars has long been one to divide fanbases. Twin Atlantic, though, can quite simply view it as a problem for other people. The Glaswegian four-piece hit the ‘arena ready’ button with ‘Free’ three years ago and are now following up for the tap in.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Tuesday, 19 August 2014