'I Was Too Scared to Leave My House': While She Sleeps Fight Anxiety on 'Sleeps Society'
Photo: Marcia Richards It’s June 28, 2013 and things could not be going better for While She Sleeps. The metalcore upstarts are in Las Vegas, opening stages all over America as part of the prestigious Warped Tour. Not even a year ago they released their debut album ‘This is the Six’, an animal that made them darlings in their genre’s thriving UK scene, alongside bands such as Architects and Bring Me the Horizon. Tours with Parkway Drive, Crossfaith and Asking Alexandria in the last few months alone have jam-packed their schedule.
Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Tuesday, 13 April 2021
A Different Kind of Freedom? Artists on Patreon's Role in Music
Photo: Employed to Serve It couldn’t be a tougher time to be an artist. Though a return to something approaching normality is apparently in sight, the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic are inevitably going to echo through economic and social structures for years to come. The arts and entertainment industries will be hit hard.
Written by: Sam Sleight | Date: Monday, 22 March 2021
Future Plans: Stereoboard's 2021 Events Guide
Image: London's Field Day festival As we approach the 12 month anniversary of the first UK lockdown, the mood is beginning to shift towards cautious optimism. Following the release of the government’s roadmap out of the most recent bout of Covid-19 restrictions, with a pledge from Boris Johnson for all adults in the UK to be offered their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine by the end of July, live music is once again an enticing spot on the horizon.
Written by: Stereoboard | Date: Monday, 15 March 2021
Here Flows My Blood: Cult of Luna on Returning Home with 'The Raging River'
Photo: Silvia Grav “I think that a lot of musicians are trying to live up to the image that other people have of them—that stage persona. I don’t have that need.”
Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Thursday, 04 February 2021
Tribulation Has Become Life: The Occult Magic of 'Where the Gloom Becomes Sound'
Photo: Ester Segarra Johannes Andersson grew up in a fairytale. Born in the countryside, a mile away from the small Swedish town of Arvika, he was raised by a potter mother and painter father. There was a workshop in the barn out back and an easel in the master bedroom upstairs. While his parents created, his neighbour would take him fishing by the lake, or he’d pick wild mushrooms.
Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Tuesday, 26 January 2021
Now And Next: Stereoboard's Ones To Watch In 2021
td#right {display:none !important;} It feels like we’re stuck in a holding pattern. Looking ahead is a dangerous business when the present is as perilous as it is. But in 2021 there will be new music, new stars, new favourites. Here are 10 artists to keep an eye on in the coming months as we plot a way out of this whole thing.
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Thursday, 07 January 2021
The List: Stereoboard's Best Albums of 2020
td#right {display:none !important;} Well, that was weird, wasn't it? 2020 will not be fondly remembered (aside from one particular bloke losing a big job) and 2021 is starting its race with some ground to make up, but as we locked down and stayed home the soundtrack was excellent at least. So much good music made its way into the world over the past 12 months, reminding us of what we have to cherish and also what we potentially have to lose. Here's our pick of the best of the best with a reminder: the artistic and creative industries cannot be allowed to wither and die. Support your local record shop. Support your local venues. Keep going.
Written by: Stereoboard | Date: Monday, 14 December 2020
Heavy Hearts: The Bands That Made Metal A Rare Bright Spot in 2020
Clockwise: Code Orange, Loathe, Svalbard, Respire, Sharptooth, Misery Signals After COVID-19 brought the world to its knees, 2020 deserves to be a write-off year. However, despite the horrid lack of gigs, the last 12 months have been some of the best for new metal music this century.
Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Wednesday, 02 December 2020
The Tailspin Continues: Pallbearer Confront Grief on 'Forgotten Days'
Photo: Ebru Yildiz & Jacob Slaton On the front cover of Pallbearer’s fourth album, a mother looks on in heartbreak with a baby in her arms, as her parents fade away in the background. You could not find a more fitting image to underscore ‘Forgotten Days’.
Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Wednesday, 21 October 2020
Devon Allman Talks the Allman Betts Band Coming of Age on 'Bless Your Heart'
Parents can be a tricky presence in our lives. To most of that simply means suffering countless embarrassments at their decidedly uncool hands during our teenage years. But when said folks happen to be legendary musicians who formed one of history’s most influential bands, that’s a whole different ball game. Especially if you’re looking to follow in their sizable footsteps.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Monday, 07 September 2020
Bring it On, Come What May: Gregory Porter is Here to Help Us Rise
Photo: Amy Sioux Life is tough. We’re facing an extraordinarily challenging time right now, with the Covid-19 pandemic serving as the latest trial to test humankind. We can’t avoid or ignore problems like this. But we can choose how to respond. We can stay positive as the storm encircles us, and we can rise above adversity and fight.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Thursday, 27 August 2020
A Ride on the Boardwalk: Inside Nicole Atkins' Eclectic New LP 'Italian Ice'
Photo: Barbara FG After absorbing Nicole Atkins’ eclectic new album ‘Italian Ice’, you might wonder if the New Jersey songwriter possesses psychic abilities. And it’s not just that the material boasts some eerily prescient lines that resonate with the current pandemic crisis despite being penned over a year ago. It’s also down to the way she assembled a seemingly incompatible group of musicians in order to craft a boundary-pushing, timeless sound with foresight that indicates an almost prophetic vision guided her creative hand.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Thursday, 04 June 2020
Farewell The Old: Caligula's Horse Discuss the Vibrant, Introspective Metal of 'Rise Radiant'
Photo: Rachel Graham It’s 6:30p.m. in Brisbane, Australia, and, for Sam Vallen’s baby boy, it’s showertime. He doesn’t seem to like showertime. “Excuse him, he’s having a bit of a cry,” the youngster’s father apologises, safely sealed away in his home studio the next room over. “Whenever he’s having a shower, it’s a very crazy and chaotic time.”
Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Thursday, 21 May 2020
Tragic Idols: Paradise Lost On Encapsulating Three Decades Of Doom With 'Obsidian'
Photo: Anne C. Swallow This year has been shit. From COVID-19 to the Australian wildfires to ‘murder hornets’, it seems the only thing 2020 has wanted to do is spread panic and hopelessness worldwide. People are scared. Nick Holmes is also grimly fascinated.
Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Tuesday, 12 May 2020
Introducing The Hirsch Effekt: The Eclectic Metal Trio That Can't Be Pigeonholed
Photo: Christoph Eisenmenger For over 50 years, the key appeal of heavy metal has been its grassroots aggression. Early progenitors such as Black Sabbath, and even blues-adjacent rock bands including Led Zeppelin and Cream, connected with their audiences not because of their technical ability, but rather their gloomy yet exciting approach resonating with the angst of the working class.
Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Wednesday, 06 May 2020
Surrounded By Music: Introducing Garage-Rockers Cruel Hearts Club
"Artists who are mothers used to be a minority, a novelty and a rarity. It's just not that way anymore. We want to be represented as prevalently as male bands."
Written by: Milly McMahon | Date: Monday, 04 May 2020
Band Together: How The Music Industry Is Reacting to Covid-19
Photo: Craig Thomas/TallBoy Images It would be an understatement to say that the impact of the coronavirus on the music industry has been swift and devastating. As more and more gigs, festivals and album releases get postponed or cancelled by the day, many of us have had to cut our losses and realise that this escalating situation is ever-changing, with no real end in sight.
Written by: Sophie Williams | Date: Friday, 24 April 2020
Introducing Irist: The Ambitious Crew Out To Push Metal Forward
Photo: Susy Irais Reyes “Ultimately, I want our legacy to be that we pushed the heavy metal genre forward,” Irist frontman Rodrigo Carvalho says, laying out his band’s mission statement in one simple sentence.
Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Monday, 30 March 2020
The Best Buzz: Leif Erikson Pose Some Serious Questions
London-based guitar outfit Leif Erikson have made a habit of creating elegant sounds. On their latest EP 'Question Time', the band explore the current socio-environmental climate, discussing the changes to our planet and the responsibility we have in seeking a halt to the destructive curve we are riding.
Written by: Milly McMahon | Date: Wednesday, 18 March 2020
Some Very Good Years: Getting Reflective With The Shires
When poised to move forwards and embrace exciting new opportunities, it’s often worthwhile to look back and take stock first. We have to know where we’ve been to appreciate where we’re going. Following a short hiatus that saw them recharge and reflect, the Shires are set to return with ‘Good Years’, an album that meditates on their journey so far while also being tailor made to catapult the duo to even greater heights in future.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Tuesday, 10 March 2020
