Trivium - In Waves (Album Review)

Trivium – amongst many metal-loving friends of mine – are almost that musical marmite that divides our crowd. Usually echoing praise for the same bands and not really feeling certain bands’ vibes, it’s a strange moment to find a band that can earn so much respect yet evoke such disagreement in a usually unanimous group. I suppose, in a weird kind of way, they’ve managed to break our group and offer for an interesting debate. Some say 2006’s ‘The Crusade’ was their peak and, ever since, they’ve been unable to remotely compare. Others have rather enjoyed watching them progress to 2008’s ‘Shogun’ and “can’t wait to see where they go from here”. Well, that mystery is over as Trivium unleash their fifth studio album ‘In Waves’ for our judgement; filling many I know with excitement and dread in equal measures. So, which side of the group will be proved right?

Written by: Heather McDaid | Date: Monday, 08 August 2011

Noel Gallagher Tickets For London & Edinburgh Shows ONSALE 9AM (Friday 5th Aug)

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds have announced details of the first of their highly anticipated  live shows this Autumn. Noel and Co are to play Dublin, Edinburgh and London during October. Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds Tickets are ONSALE 9AM TODAY, Friday 5th August.

Written by: Jon Stickler | Date: Friday, 05 August 2011

Coma Recovery - Goddverb (Album Review)

New Mexicos purveyors of dark, industrial post rock Coma Recovery, return with their latest offering the deeply intense 'Goddverb'. Conjuring visions of a scorched, cracked earth scattered intermittently by deathly, bare, skeletal trees encircling broken, desolate, grey cities engulfed by vicious, tumultuous, biting winds choking the air with grit and dust, 'Goddverb' can be seen as a perfect soundtrack to this post apocalyptic landscape teetering on the edge of the abyss. Depressing stuff?? Not in the least.

Written by: Patrick Gormley | Date: Thursday, 04 August 2011

Ryan Leslie - Glory (Single Review)

Do you know who Ryan Leslie is? The R&B singer, multi-instrumentalist, rapper, producer, songwriter and entrepreneur has been working to make other people successful since his internship with Younglord in the early 2000’s, which he claims ‘jumpstarted his career’.

Written by: Emma Newlyn | Date: Wednesday, 03 August 2011

TEETH - Care Bear (Single Review)

Remember Outrun? That game where before you start a major race you hear that 8 bit “bip, bip, beeeeeeeep!!!” Well, that’s a reasonable description of the first few seconds of the first actual single from TEETH. What follows gets a little more layered and then a LOT more noisy. This is the epitome of lo-fi, with heavy synths, catchy melody and then the fuzziest, most primordial, crunching drums n overdrive guitar combo you’ll hear this year, and it’s in no way unpleasant.

Written by: James Ball | Date: Tuesday, 02 August 2011

The Victorian English Gentlemens Club - Bag Of Meat (Album Review)

Once again it's the same old story of don't judge an act by the name. The Victorian English Gentlemens Club are not really what I expected. The name suggests violins and pianos or at least some kind of stomping jigs. But none of this can be found here.

Written by: Craig Willis | Date: Tuesday, 02 August 2011

City Reign - Daybreak (Single Review)

This track by Manchester (even though two of them started life in London) newcomers City Reign is pretty good if slightly unspectacular. It has all the ingredients to break it above being average into definite “good” territory, including a stabby punchy guitar, insightful lyrics, a long “whoooaaaaaahhh” section and some drum fill that make you worry for Sam Jones’ arms as he crashes with utter devotion, especially towards the end of this track. It’s got that bratty sound that Dive Dive have managed to perfect over recent years, while still tipping their caps at arguably Manchesters biggest export, Oasis.

Written by: James Ball | Date: Monday, 01 August 2011

Innerpartysystem - Not Getting Any Better (Single Review)

I had strong hopes for Innerpartysystem. They liked to sit on the fragile fence between dance and metal when releasing debut single 'Don’t Stop' a few years ago, and I loved every single second of it. It was intense, lyrically strong and able to get feet tapping and pulses racing. It would have been acceptable to listen to at Download and equally so at Global Gathering. It was a genre-breaker.

Written by: James Ball | Date: Monday, 01 August 2011

Of Mice & Men - The Flood (Album Review)

After several line-up changes in the past year, Of Mice & Men are back together with a nearly original line-up and are stronger than ever before. Since Austin Carlile's departure early last year, the band have toured strenuously with ex-Sky Eats Airplanes vocalist Jerry Roush. However, the start of 2011 proved to be a historic one in the bands history, as Austin Carlile took up the offer put forward by the band and label Rise Records to create a sophomore album.

Written by: Matt Turner | Date: Friday, 29 July 2011

Collapse Under The Empire & Mooncake - Black Moon Empire (EP Review)

Merging the combined talents of one of Germanys most influential and well respected post rock bands Collapse Under the Empire with the blissfully talented yet reclusive Russian post rock quintet Mooncake, give us the heady ingredients that are used to make Black Moon Empire, arguably one of this years most eagerly anticipated EPs.

Written by: Patrick Gormley | Date: Thursday, 28 July 2011

Soundgirl - Don't Know Why (Single Review)

Bringing back the feisty sense of feminism that girl bands have been seriously lacking since bands such as The Spice Girls and Sugababes are the brand new British pop group Soundgirl. With certain influences from the likes of Destiny’s child and TLC the girls are bringing back the traditional sounds of Old School R’n’B while creating their own individual and fresh beats, ready to wow the charts.

Written by: Catherine Rea | Date: Tuesday, 26 July 2011

Enter Shikari - Live From Planet Earth (Album) Fizzy Water & Spikey Blankets (DVD) (Review)

For a band that created such a big impact when entering the music scene with their electronic hardcore sounds and visual shows of 2003, is Enter Shikari’s live album too much of an ambitious move? Though Shikari fans have always been loyal, even when the dynamic band was experimenting with different sounds in a never-ending battle with the music industry and an obsession with gaining further popularity, does this new album stand out as good as their previous work?

Written by: Catherine Rea | Date: Tuesday, 26 July 2011

Thrice - Yellow Belly (Single Review)

If you haven't heard of Thrice, I'm not sure I can forgive you. Granted, no album or single has entered the UK top 100, but who listens to the charts anyway?  Last year they played on the main stage at Leeds and Reading Festivals (they were immense) and they supported the outstanding Brand New at Wembley Stadium prior to their own UK tour.  Oh and did I mention they are awesome? They formed back in 1998, they are well known for their heavily distorted guitars, prominent lead guitars and frequent changes in time signatures.

Written by: Kimberley Martinez-Meakins | Date: Friday, 22 July 2011

*shels - Plains of the Purple Buffalo

Rising from the ashes of cult hardcore noiseniks Mahumodo, *shels were formed in 2003 by vocalist Mehdi Safa and drummer Tom Harriman. After a couple of early EPs, the band sent out the first real signal of their obvious talent with the release of their critical acclaimed debut, 'Sea of the Dying Dhow' in 2007. Now four years on and after meticulous care, detail and attention *shels unleash its stunning follow up, 'Plains of the Purple Buffalo'.

Written by: Patrick Gormley | Date: Thursday, 21 July 2011

Olly Murs - Heart Skips A Beat (Single Review)

It’s often the case that the runner up in talent shows go on to have equally, if not more, lucrative careers in the music business than the winners themselves... JLS, Adam Lambert, Diana Vickers... but there is none more so than the man who came 2nd in 2009’s X Factor - Olly Murs. With numerous hits already under his belt including ‘Thinking Of Me’, ‘Please Don’t Let Me Go’ and the more acoustically based ‘Busy’, Olly has teamed up with Rizzle Kicks for a new musical experiment with his latest offering ‘Heart Skips A Beat’.

Written by: Heather McDaid | Date: Wednesday, 20 July 2011

Blink 182 - Up All Night (Single Review)

Six years is a long time to be away from the charts without being forgotten about. Luckily Blink 182 have a hardcore base of fans sticking with them through thick and thin, and that includes a six year hiatus. After last years' hugely successful headline shows at Reading and Leeds festivals, Blink are finally back with some new material.

Written by: Katie Territt | Date: Tuesday, 19 July 2011

Rise To Remain - Nothing Left (Single Review)

Rise to Remain are a five-piece band from London whose new song has been described by some as “a powerful statement of intent". The band have recently been awarded 'Best New Band' by both Kerrang and Metal Hammer and if you have been to one of the heavier music festivals this summer, chances are that you have already seen them as they have played Download, Sonisphere and are due to play Kent's Hevy Festival in August.

Written by: Kimberley Martinez-Meakins | Date: Tuesday, 19 July 2011

Noah And The Whale - Life Is Life (Single Review)

After the success of Noah and the Whale’s re-release of ‘Five Years Time’ - the single that had everyone whistling and learning to play the ukulele - The band went on to release singles from second album ‘The First Days of Spring’. These songs weren’t as celebrated in the charts, but earned five stars from the Sunday Times and was quoted to be ‘Magical’ from Q magazine. It’s understandable then, that Noah and the Whale might have felt pressure from a few different directions as they prepared to release tracks from the ‘difficult third album’ entitled ‘Last Night on Earth’.

Written by: Emma Newlyn | Date: Tuesday, 19 July 2011

Francis Neve - I Wont Make You Better (Single Review)

Multi-instrumental Essex boy Francis Neve is here with new single ‘I Won’t Make You Better’ from his seven track mini-abum ‘The Second Time We First Met’.

Written by: V O'Hagan | Date: Monday, 18 July 2011

Breathe Carolina - Hell Is What You Make It (Album Review)

Breathe Carolina are the prime example of the digital fairytale. Creating tracks on Garage Band for fun then posting them on Myspace took them from making music as a pastime to their more professional status. 2009’s ‘Hello Fascination’ really put the duo out there in the scene, but the question is whether their new release ‘Hell Is What You Make It’ can keep them there.

Written by: Heather McDaid | Date: Monday, 18 July 2011