By Lily O’Delia Vanessa Funke has spent the past several years developing a version of melodic death metal that leaves plenty of room for gothic atmosphere, black metal and electronic music. On her fifth album, Aura, those elements come together with some of her strongest songwriting yet. Across eight tracks, Funke handles every [more…]
WEDNESDAY 13’s explosive live version of “I Walked With A Zombie”, recorded at Pol’and’Rock 2025 in front of 700,000 fans. By Darren McIntyre WEDNESDAY 13 comes charging back with the live version of “I Walked With A Zombie”, taken from UnAlive at Pol’and’Rock 2025, and this one hits us like a monster [more…]
By Darren McIntyre French dark folk outfit SKÁLD return with “Dǫkksalir”, the third single from their upcoming album Ørlǫg, and this one takes us somewhere wonderfully dark and mysterious. Due for release on September 25 via Napalm Records, the album sees SKÁLD continuing their journey into ancient Nordic mythology. Dǫkksalir – Gentle, [more…]
By Glen Parkes There is something refreshing about a band that understands exactly what it wants to sound like. Eternal are not hiding behind layers of studio polish or trying to reinvent thrash metal for the sake of it. On their debut album Conspiracy Of Warheads, the Athens four-piece take the speed, [more…]
By Glen Parkes There are some bands whose names are so firmly planted in rock history that a new album can feel like a trip back through the past. Europe, however, have never been content to live entirely on nostalgia. With Come This Madness, their twelfth studio album and first in nine [more…]
‘CALL OF THE WILD’ THE NEW SINGLE OUT NOW USA rockers Big Engine are excited to release their good time rock n’ roller single ‘Call Of The Wild’ out now on all good digital platforms. On the feeling of the song, their second this year, front man and lead guitarist Tony Mikus [more…]
Single – For You Release Date – 1st October 2026 Review by Linda McDermott I’ve seen The Hot One Two live a few times now, so I already know the energy they bring when they hit the stage. I was also lucky enough to be at a private listening session for Virtues, and the album has become [more…]
By Glen Parkes There are albums that arrive as collections of songs, and then there are albums that feel like someone has opened the door to a much darker room and invited you inside. DE STAAT, the seventh album from Dutch five-piece De Staat, belongs firmly in the second camp. Released on [more…]
DATE – 5th September 2026 Words + Pictures – Graeme Wright In what has become an annual event for me, I was in Manchester watching Wailing Banshee, who just like last year were supported by Rattlesnakes. I predicted big things for Rattlesnakes as they blew me away last time out, and they’ve [more…]
Review by Glen Parkes There is freedom running through the album. The songs do not sound written to satisfy a scene; they feel built for people who believe a riff and amplifier can be enough. That honesty gives the record bite, leaving The Bitter Pills with a debut that feels like a [more…]
RELEASE NEW SINGLE “FOR YOU”ON THURSDAY OCTOBER 1st, 2026Artwork Credit: Freddie McKie at 993 Art & Illustrations – https://993artandillustration.com/ THE HOT ONE TWO, ARESimon West – VocalsNick Manners – Lead Guitar & Backing VocalsNick Blackburn – Bass & Backing VocalsJoe Chivers – Drums BIOGRAPHY “Putting the swagger back into UK rock n’ [more…]
Review by Glen Parkes King Kraken have never been a band afraid of making some serious noise, but ‘Shadows Fall’ takes the South Wales rock/metal four-piece somewhere considerably darker. Inspired by found-footage horror, particularly The Blair Witch Project, the new single feels like stepping into the woods knowing something is following you. [more…]
By Lily O’Delia Vanessa Funke has spent the past several years developing a version of melodic death metal that leaves plenty of room for gothic atmosphere, black metal and electronic music. On her fifth album, Aura, those elements come together with some of her strongest songwriting yet. Across eight tracks, Funke handles every [more…]
WEDNESDAY 13’s explosive live version of “I Walked With A Zombie”, recorded at Pol’and’Rock 2025 in front of 700,000 fans. By Darren McIntyre WEDNESDAY 13 comes charging back with the live version of “I Walked With A Zombie”, taken from UnAlive at Pol’and’Rock 2025, and this one hits us like a monster [more…]
By Darren McIntyre French dark folk outfit SKÁLD return with “Dǫkksalir”, the third single from their upcoming album Ørlǫg, and this one takes us somewhere wonderfully dark and mysterious. Due for release on September 25 via Napalm Records, the album sees SKÁLD continuing their journey into ancient Nordic mythology. Dǫkksalir – Gentle, [more…]
By Glen Parkes There is something refreshing about a band that understands exactly what it wants to sound like. Eternal are not hiding behind layers of studio polish or trying to reinvent thrash metal for the sake of it. On their debut album Conspiracy Of Warheads, the Athens four-piece take the speed, [more…]
By Glen Parkes There are some bands whose names are so firmly planted in rock history that a new album can feel like a trip back through the past. Europe, however, have never been content to live entirely on nostalgia. With Come This Madness, their twelfth studio album and first in nine [more…]
‘CALL OF THE WILD’ THE NEW SINGLE OUT NOW USA rockers Big Engine are excited to release their good time rock n’ roller single ‘Call Of The Wild’ out now on all good digital platforms. On the feeling of the song, their second this year, front man and lead guitarist Tony Mikus [more…]
Single – For You Release Date – 1st October 2026 Review by Linda McDermott I’ve seen The Hot One Two live a few times now, so I already know the energy they bring when they hit the stage. I was also lucky enough to be at a private listening session for Virtues, and the album has become [more…]
By Glen Parkes There are albums that arrive as collections of songs, and then there are albums that feel like someone has opened the door to a much darker room and invited you inside. DE STAAT, the seventh album from Dutch five-piece De Staat, belongs firmly in the second camp. Released on [more…]
