Beachheads: Singing Their Sorrow

You’re in a band called Kvelertak. You play an unholy concoction of black metal and classic rock. Your lead singer wears an owl on his head every night. Surely, at some point, you’re gonna have to fishbowl the whole operation and realise there might be more to this whole rock ‘n’ roll thing. Something simpler, perhaps.

Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Tuesday, 31 January 2017

Look Back To Move Forward: The Menzingers' 'After The Party'

When you look like Robert Redford, there’s an expectation that things will go your way. Hubbell Gardiner looks like Robert Redford and spends most of The Way We Were, Sydney Pollack’s glossy ‘70s romance, expecting things to go his way. Your man’s got blonde hair, blue eyes. At college, he rowed, threw a mean javelin and laughed his way through pickup football games. He’s charming, intelligent and gets paid to put words in actors’ mouths. By the end of the film, as he shares a few beers on the deck of his old friend JJ’s boat, he’s also a cheat who’s about to walk out on his family; a political inactivist who might lose his career to McCarthyism. But can he still crack a cold one and reminisce about his favourite Saturday as the California surf goes about its business? You bet he can.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Thursday, 26 January 2017

Pop Goes DIY: Introducing Sacred Paws

Photo: David Pollock “Energetic pop music that comes from the heart, but also comes from a place of DIY punk, so it’s more stripped back music making, but also influenced by a lot of African pop music.”

Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Thursday, 26 January 2017

From Falun To Brixton: Sabaton And The Rise Of Power Metal

Falun is a small city in the middle of Sweden. Once an integral copper mining community, the capital of Dalarna County boasts a population of around 35,000 and is surrounded by idyllic greenery and ski slopes. Its shopping centre is a sprawling, suburban loungeabout and on the outskirts of town there’s a Max Burger restaurant. Its mine and the surrounding areas are a Unesco World Heritage site, too.

Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Wednesday, 25 January 2017

Keep It Snappy: Slowcoaches And The Art Of Pairing Pointed Words With Sharp Hooks

You don’t need a thousand words to make a point. Usually, a single phrase is enough. Often, a pop song can tell you all you need to know about a person or situation in three minutes.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Friday, 20 January 2017

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes: More Than Modern Ruin

“Before, I was just an obnoxious, arrogant little cunt. I didn’t have any respect for what I had. I didn’t appreciate what I had.”

Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Wednesday, 18 January 2017

Code Orange: Bleeding Through Blurred Lines on 'Forever'

In its purest form, hardcore can be the most liberating, primal art you’ll ever come across. Minor Threat made you want to scream at a wall. Black Flag made you want to damage inanimate objects. Sick Of It All would make most unsuspecting civilians vomit on the spot. It’s a dangerous, bare-knuckle sport that contends with the fastest bands thrash has to offer and the ugliest, coldest of black metallers.

Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Tuesday, 10 January 2017

Fresh Faces: Stereoboard's Ones To Watch In 2017

td#right {display:none !important;} A new year means exciting fresh faces. You know how it works. Head below to get acquainted with some of the artists we think will be shaping the musical conversation in 2017.

Written by: Jennifer Geddes | Date: Monday, 09 January 2017

The Doors: Many Happy Returns To 'The Doors'

As 1967’s Summer of Love swirled around Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco, the free spirits of the hippie movement reached their zenith in a cocktail of sex, drugs, music and anti- Vietnam war sentiment.

Written by: Graeme Marsh | Date: Friday, 06 January 2017

Stereoboard's Staff Picks 2016

With Stereoboard’s top 50 albums of 2016 now out in the world, it’s time to get up close and personal. Head below to check out individual lists from our staff and contributors. Happy listening.

Written by: Stereoboard | Date: Wednesday, 21 December 2016

50 From 2016: Stereoboard's Albums Of The Year

td#right {display:none !important;} It’s the most wonderful time of the year...list time. It might seem like a lot to take in, but here are some solid gold picks from 12 months of reviews at Stereoboard. They’re not in any order, so think of this as a digital vinyl bin.  Happy discovering/reminiscing/listening. We'll see you in 2017.

Written by: Stereoboard | Date: Monday, 19 December 2016

Reigning Champion: Why Freddie Mercury Is Still The Greatest

You could spend a billion dollars, use all the futuristic technology at your disposal and have a crack team of scientists working around the clock, but attempts to custom build the perfect rock ‘n’ roll frontman will always be futile. Why? Well, because the results will always pale in comparison to Queen’s Freddie Mercury.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Monday, 19 December 2016

David Bowie: Many Happy Returns To 'Hunky Dory'

This year will be remembered in future as one of great loss. Legend is a term loosely applied these days but the late Merle Haggard, Prince and Leonard Cohen all comfortably fell into the category. It was David Bowie, though, whose passing was perhaps widest felt.

Written by: Graeme Marsh | Date: Thursday, 15 December 2016

Creative Outlet: Black Foxxes Talk 'I'm Not Well' And Future Plans

Last summer, Modern Baseball had plans. The Philadelphia pop-punk band were set to play Reading and Leeds festivals and tour Australia, both big events for a group still in its relative infancy, but scratched them from the calendar at short notice. Brendan Lukens, one of their two guitarist-vocalists, needed to take some time out to deal with long-standing anxiety and depression. “After the last few months it's evident that it's time to put everything else aside to focus on making steps towards positive mental health,” he wrote at the time.

Written by: Jennifer Geddes | Date: Wednesday, 14 December 2016

Smash The Status Quo: Gojira's Unstoppable Rise Through The Metal Ranks

“We are Gojira and this song is called Back. Fucking. Bone.”

Written by: Alec Chillingworth | Date: Tuesday, 06 December 2016

Keeping It Honest: The Shires Talk 'My Universe' And The Rise Of Country Music In The UK

When it comes to British country duo The Shires, the word remarkable seems apt. After only three years as a band the achievements and accolades they’ve accrued are impressive enough, but considering they’ve done it playing a style of music that, not so long ago, was about as welcome on this side of the Atlantic as a fox in a hen house, their story is all the more interesting.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Monday, 05 December 2016

Still Standing: Billy Talent Talk Longevity And 'Afraid Of Heights'

I can’t remember what I was doing 25 years ago, but that’s probably because I was a six-year-old maniac who spent most days running around/into the dining room table. Billy Talent frontman Ben Kowalewicz remembers the early ‘90s well. Back then, his life revolved around garage bands in Mississauga, Ontario. And from where he was sitting, Ian D’Sa was the best guitarist in town.

Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Monday, 28 November 2016

Pick Up The Pen: Fliptrix On The Thriving UK Hip Hop Scene And 'Patterns Of Escapism'

Photo: AboveGround Fliptrix isn’t "just a rapper". In many ways, he’s carried the UK hip hop scene on his shoulders for over half a decade. Since setting up High Focus Records in 2010 he’s helped launch the careers of artists who are now considered innovators: Jam Baxter, Ocean Wisdom, Dirty Dike. The list goes on.

Written by: Jonathan Rimmer | Date: Wednesday, 23 November 2016

Alter Bridge: Mark Tremonti Talks Creative Partnerships, 'The Last Hero' And Future Goals

With song titles like Show Me A leader, Writing On The Wall and Island of Fools, Alter Bridge’s ‘The Last Hero’ seemed incredibly timely when it was released in October. A month later, following the outcome of the US election, the anger and bewilderment contained within its bombastic, angst-ridden tracks now appear terrifyingly prophetic.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Monday, 21 November 2016

For Better Or Worse: The Legacy of Bon Jovi's 'Slippery When Wet'

Beyond the sales numbers that run well into eight figures. Beyond the way it catapulted its creators to superstardom. And beyond the pin-up good looks of the band’s frontman, Bon Jovi’s 1986 breakthrough ‘Slippery When Wet’ was a game-changing release with far-reaching consequences. It reinvigorated the ‘80s rock scene, only to play an unwitting part in its demise.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Thursday, 17 November 2016