November 2015 #6 by New Roots Magazine

new roots issue 6 november 2015

broken teeth plus interviews with bowels and press to meco, whirr, house shows, our biggest uprooted section to date, and tons more Photo by Wondergirl

sad blood counterparts grandview state champs creeper1

Photo by Isha Shah

A Note from the team Slightly shorter issue this month due to a quicker turn around, but from now on, the first Friday of the month is New Roots Day, so you’ll know when to expect each issue. This month we’ve got Broken Teeth on the cover, and you can find interesting interviews with them, Press To Meco, and Bowels inside. We also introduce our photo heavy ‘On Tour’ feature, which in this issue features Up River, so you can find out exactly what its like for them being on the road. We’ve got a feature on one of our own favourites, House Shows, as well as discussing news such as the incident with Whirr and Twitter that happened this month. The gig guide is also packed full of shows around the south, so you can plan ahead with our calendar. Our incredibly talented team of photographers have as always, outdone themselves at shows this month, and you can see a huge 14 pages dedicated to live reviews at the back of the mag. We’ve also managed to squeeze more album reviews into this issue as we have been able to previously, which we hope you enjoy. As always, we would just like to thank our ever-growing team, as well as anyone that has supported us in any way. If you want to get involved, give us feedback, or just ask a question, remember you can contact us via any of the ways in the purple box at the bottom of this page.

Editors: Rosalyn Boder, Chloe Rose Eaton, Adrianne Goron, Isha Shah, Harriet Stanley Design Editor: Adrianne Goron Designers: Isha Shah Sub-Editors : Dylan Carey, Chloe Rose Eaton, Adrianne Goron, Amy Jones, Isha Shah, Harriet Stanley, Natalie Webb, Ash Valentine-Wells Contributors: Ashwin Bhandari, Rosalyn Boder, Chloe Rose Eaton, Joe Gilbertson, Adrianne Goron, Emily Gunn, Jack Hounsell, Hannah Jephcote, Ruby Kelly, Luke MarshallMegan McMillan, Phoebe Randall, Isha Shah, Sam Taylor, Ash Valentine-Wells, Jack Webb, Natalie Webb Photographers: Jonathan Bell, Gingerdope Photography, Niall Lea, Isha Shah, Wondergirl

All of the material belongs to New Roots Magazine, and may not be reproduced in whole or part without prior permission from New Roots.

Contents news

uprooted - sad blood

uprooted - pale waves

uprooted - the smokin’ prophets

uprooted - Grandview

preview - so punk fest ii

“you’re my biggest fan”

a master class in how to ruin your career on twitter

interview - bowels

interview - press to meco

interview - broken teeth

home is where the house shows are

album reviews

live reviews

gig guide

news mindset break up

Maryland’s MINDSET have announced the initial details about their final release and plans to call it a day in 2016. The EP titled Nothing Less closes the last chapter to the bands life released through REACTION! Records in Febuary. To coincide with this final EP, MINDSET will perform a string of shows through the end of 2015 and into 2016. A handful of shows are already confirmed, with more in the works and details on their last

2008 - 2016

show to be announced soon. “We’ve always been very meticulous in how we operate as a band and this final chapter is no different. This is something we’ve been planning for a long time. We’re proud of what we’ve built together and we’re excited to share these last songs and go out on a high note. We’ve created a final tour schedule that will allow us to play some of our favourite places

one last time, and hit a few that we’ve been neglecting, so keep your ear to the ground for details to be announced.”” Foundations crumble. Structures rust. I’d rather be ashes than a pile of dust. - Mike, Ev, Chris, Austin, Daniel Words by Isha Shah

the ghost inside frontman was jumped for conveying his views on fighting at shows

The Ghost Inside frontman Jonathan Vigil was ‘jumped’ as a result of comments he made about fighting at shows. The incident occurred over the weekend of 24-25th October. Vigil posted on Instagram: “Regardless of getting jumped for what I said about fighting at shows on Twitter, fighting at shows STILL

Photo by Isha Shah

sucks and will always suck.” The metalcore frontman also tweeted: “It happened because I used my social media as a platform to convey my believe that fighting at shows is terrible. Some kids took it personally and I got sucker punched for it. That’s what happened.”

It appears the event as not stopped him from still posting his thoughts on twitter. He followed up with another post: “Saying this AGAIN, and not specific to any one city or any one person. Stop fighting at shows, it sucks for everyone. “ Word by Chloe Rose Eaton

slipknot announce uk tour

Metal giants Slipknot have announced a UK tour. The tour, which takes place in February next year was announced on Daniel P Carter’s ‘Radio One Rock Show’. The demand for the American metal group has been so high, that the band have added an extra tour date. The extra date will be at London, Alexandra Palace on 10th of February, which is the day after they

play the same venue. Frontman Corey Taylor has recently appeared on an episode of BBC’s Doctor Who. He provided a voice over on a recent episode which was aired on Saturday 10th October.

February 8th – Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena 9th – London, Alexandra Palace 10th – London, Alexandra Palace 12th- Birmingham, Genting Arena 13th – Leeds, First Direct Arena Words by Chloe Rose Eaton

mastodon announced as first bloodstock headliner

Sludge metal group, Mastodon have been announced as headliners for next year’s Bloodstock Festival. The four-piece are the first group to be announced as headliners, and will play alongside Venom and Behemoth. Mastodon had to cancel their tour dates

and festival appearances this year, including Reading and Leeds Festival. They state that it was due to a personal family matter. Bloodstock Festival takes place on 11th-14th of August at Catton Park in Derbyshire. Early bird tickets are priced at £120 (subject to booking

fee.) Tickets are available from the Bloodstock website. (www.bloodstock.uk.com) Words by Chloe Rose Eaton

uprooted

sad blood Sad Blood Dan Goldberg- Drums Krys Bascombe - Bassist George Phillips – Guitarist and Vocals Claimed to be “a pun-loving emo, power pop band from London”, Sad Blood are pretty self-explanatory, that’s if you knew they’re a pun on Taylor Swift’s ‘Bad Blood’ (As you can probably tell the band loves puns). Fully forming this year, the trio have already put out a very short EP titled Ultimate Worrier, another label we can all closely relate to. Two days full of listening to Tiny Moving Parts, Prawn and IIOI, Sad Blood came out of the Ranch Production House with Neil Kennedy, with a solid three tracked EP. Of course no artwork would be complete without a dog wearing oversize glasses, http://sadblood.bandcamp.com/ free to download.

Like their sound, Sad Blood have equipped styles and inspiration from Pet Symmetry, Weezer, Prawn, Free Throw, Into it. Over It and Tiny Moving Parts. Where some of these bands may seem a little out-dated, or unknown, the three-piece work collectively to rekindled these sounds into something that certainly sets them apart. 2015 brings five upcoming shows, sticking to their neighbouring areas of the south, Sad Blood are headlining a date with Adam Asunder, Novellas and Bitter-Town Hounds in Southampton, as well as playing alongside some of the UK’s growing talent, Simmer, KidBrother, Itoldyouiwouldeatyou, Bowels and Fresh. Three may be a crowd but they all work collectively together, being solely DIY, the band books their own shows. Regularly attending gigs, and supporting their mates, Sad Blood are all about supporting each other and the music scene, which reflects on their surprisingly blissful music that George writes.

The band has been on the lips of every pun-loving fan as they’ve been featured on Kerrang! Radio Fresh Blood, that’s pretty big right? I’m sure playing with Free Throw just topped that. It’s an early start for Sad Blood, but they are already working so fast with plans to record an LP in March 2016, then return back to the Ranch with Kennedy for another EP, whilst doing as much touring as they can possibly take. Tracks to look out for Spider Diagrams, Thirty and Party, Animal Words by: Isha Shah

uprooted

pale waves Pale Waves Heather Baron-Gracie - Vocals and Guitar Ciara Doran - Drums Ryan Marsden - Bass Hugo Silvani - Guitar The look and attitude of the 90s is undeniably making a stylish comeback; baggy jeans, bowl cuts, and ill-fitting shirts are a common appearance these days. The influence of the era’s music is clearly visible with bands like American Football finding new life in vinyl repress, but also 90s-sounding bands popping up all over the place. No exception to this trend are Pale Waves. A fourpiece hailing from Manchester, they cite their influences from bands such as The Cure, The Smiths, and of course Taylor Swift. Friends Heather BaronGracie and Ciara Doran started the band whilst they were at University, before Ryan Marsden, and Hugo

Photo by Niall Lea

Silvani got in on the act. It’s also refreshing to see a band consisting of more than just a female vocalist. With many great new bands employing female power to drive a band forward (Milk Teeth, Tigers Jaw), the more representation for women in music, the better.

While the quartet haven’t been out of their hometown of Manchester to play many shows, the band’s distinct sound and incredible look will surely see them up and down the country in the near future. They supported Sundara Karma in Manchester on Saturday the 24th of October.

“Glitter and Reverb”; Pale Waves arguably nail what they are about in the genre section of their facebook page. In the eight month period Pale Waves have been around, two tracks in ‘The Tide’ and ‘Heavenly’ have been released. Both tracks feature guitars smothered in reverberation; the often minimal guitar parts in the verses of ‘The Tide’ bring out Baron-Gracie’s voice and really show off the bands versatile and positive-vibe sound, whereas ‘Heavenly’ is dynamically brilliant, and the feel-good lyricism set the band apart. The production of both these songs at such an early point in the bands life is impressive, and promises something very special from the group’s first proper release.

Tracks to look out for The Tide, Heavenly Words by Jack Hounsell

uprooted

the smokin’ prophets The Smokin’ Prophets

sets of the night.

Marty Mayhem Ali Williams Jayke Turl Matt Bristow

It’s no surprise to hear after witnessing their live show that they’re influences spawn from the 80s glam scene from LA, including Guns N’ Roses, Motley Crue, and even bands from the 90s punk scene including Green Day. Their image reflects the whole gleam as the members came on stage at The Firehouse, patched up in leather jackets, skinny jeans, completed with smoky eyeliner and hairspray.

If you’re a hard rock fan and are lost for any new or fresh bands then there’s no need to look any further because Hampshire hard rock outlet, The Smokin’ Prophets are slowly making a name for themselves in the local music scene. At the beginning of October they hit the stage at The Firehouse, Southampton’s premier metal and rock pub, that hosts a stunning array of live music. For the first night of the M.A.R.S Freshers weekend and they blew everyone away with a fierce performance and electrifying live show that ended up being one of the more memorable

The band has acknowledged the importance of supporting your local music scene and your local venues. Their favourite venue to play locally is The Joiners because they think it’s the “perfect rock and roll venue.” “The gig at The Firehouse was an awesome show, all the bands, which were all local, just killed it and the crowd was great. People turned

up in force for a good time. That proves that there’s a local scene and we should all play our part to support it.” This must also be why they love playing live so much, that and, “nothing beats having tons of people in front of you all responding to what they’re doing on stage.” The Smokin’ Prophets are a hard working group and if they keep it up, are sure to go a long way. Especially having already made a strong impression on Southampton. They’ve just finished recording their debut album, which will be called Deceived Diseased, and should be released on January 16th. It’s will be available on platforms such as Spotify and ITunes. As for now, check out ‘The Innocent,’ and ‘Let it Rest’ which are both on Spotify. Words by Megan McMillan

uprooted

grandview

grandview Billy Restivo- Vocals/ Guitar Josh Rosenberg- Vocals/ Guitar Lucas Restivo- Guitar Mike Beland- Bass Tom Rose- Drums Not necessarily a new band, however it’s been a whole year since Grandview released any new material, following their outstanding album Everything Between Paint And A Wall. Well what the fuck has happened to them and what are they doing? The five-piece from Burlington, MA may have started out in 2012, but haven’t really made much of an impact amongst the mainstream fans. Buried under all the generic bullshit that covers the music waves of today’s listeners, Grandview are a band that should still be relevant and talked about because of their undying potential. While

the band stick to their home boundaries, 2014 was a big touring year for them, playing alongside Somos, The Hotelier, Choke Up, Seaway and Major League. With these well-valued bands in the reach of supporting, Grandview could easily be main support on a UK tour. With such little recognition for the engrossing music they produce, the band seems to have given 2015 a little skip. Their sound follows with most American emo rock bands, however Grandview pull a greater depth of variations to each song. Dragging you in with soft whispers, to agonising screams, they have nailed the emotion filled journey. Clearly hitting hard influences from surrounding bands and just going to shows, they have a pure grip on music that makes every ounce of your body feel something.

you for a couple of years without going stale. Fans of local emo bands, Hindsights, Elder brother, Tiny Moving Parts, Daisyhead and Turnover, Grandview are another band you can complain about on twitter, who are not touring in your hometown. Tracks to look out for: Say Nothing, In Good Company, The Only Constant Words by: Isha Shah

With one EP and a full length, there may not be a lot of music to absorb; yet it’s enough to sustain

preview

Above The Waves Promotions in collaboration with Failure By Design Records

SO PUNK Following the great success from the first ever So Punk Fest, Above the Waves are already planning on returning for an autumn line up, filled with some of the UK’s best local talent now performing in a much more prestigious venue, The Joiners. Seeing your Scene, known for supporting locals noted: “So Punk Fest at Avondale House in Southampton was a great celebration of our DIY punk scene.” You may even remember a few bands from last year’s bill with Hindsights headlining, Homebound, Wallflower and Water Canvas return. With six amazing bands already announced, SPF still has a few more bands on the bill to add, so keep your eyes peeled for more announcements. While some of you probably don’t need reminding of how great of a fest this will be, you can grab your tickets for £8.60, www.abovethewavespromo.bigcartel.com Words by Isha Shah

10 10

Photo by Gingerdope Photography

K FEST II 1111

FEATURE

"i'm your biggest fan" no, you just have money What makes someone the biggest fan? Sure you could own every single limited edition pressing of a record, and buy all of While She Sleeps merchandise, hell even follow a band on their tour, but does that mean you’re their biggest fan,or does it just mean you have a lot of money? The expression has been used widely amongst most teen obsessed fans, who are constantly declaring that they are all One Directions biggest fans, (paying over £100 for a ticket you must be) but how can we decide on who actually deserves the title? “Genuinely being activity supportive of a bands music, going to shows, buying their merch and supporting them through the choices they make with their career,” James Bannister tells us. From someone who is very close in the scene, constantly going to local shows and supporting UK bands, he has a very clear understanding of what it means to be a big fan of bands. So maybe being a big fan is just supporting the band to the best of your ability, because lets face it, we don’t all have £3k we can use to travel cross the world and follow bands on

tours do we? “How else would you be the biggest fan that doesn’t involve money?” Barney Hall from Pale Cheeks raises, a question that we don’t really think about, but makes a lot of sense. To support someone with their music, you will need to buy their music, buy a t-shirt, go to a show, and pay for travel. All of these things cost money, and if you do it often, then a lot of it. Being ‘the biggest fan’ may just be a title only very wealthy rich people can claim, but it shouldn’t be that way. If everyone had an endless bank account then we could all claim to be your biggest fan, but money doesn’t always equal everything. It depends on the band and genre. Muse can sell out arenas but by you buying everything they own, won’t make them appreciate or acknowledge that you are their ‘biggest fan’. While a band like 30 Seconds To Mars who are of a similar value, constantly give fans freebies and opportunities to see or support them for those who can’t always afford it.

pictures and setlist makes you someone’s biggest fan,” Bannister continues. Again there are much smaller and simple things you can do to show your dedication to a band whilst spending nothing. Promoting their music, writing reviews about them, showing your mates their latest EP, are all small but very effective ways to show your support in a band, which benefits them in the long run. So at the end of a gig, instead of just grabbing a setlist, or hunting around for a picture, or just waiting in line for a photo with the vocalist, maybe go and talk to the band, make a conversation and speak to them about things which interest you and them. Small things like that build up relationships and lets them know you appreciate what they do. This way they will actually appreciate you, even if you don’t go to every single show they play in your hometown. Words by: Isha Shah

“I don’t think travelling long distances and getting

Photo by Isha Shah

FEATURE

a master class in how to r your career on twitter

whirr found out the hard way just how much damage you can really

Photo by Wondergirl

ruin

ly do in 140 characters

In 2006, a drastic change was made to the way we present ourselves online, with the launch of Twitter allowing each and every one of us the space to upload a continuous stream of our thoughts and actions, in snappy 140 character segments. It also allowed us to view the thoughts and actions of our friends, spy on our enemies, and stalk our favourite celebrities, with even the Queen and Barack Obama getting in on the action. What a great idea, right? And what a powerful tool as an artist, letting you keep up to date with, and speak directly to your fans. You’ve got a point to make, tweet it, let the re-tweets rack up, and watch as your message spreads like wildfire across the ever-influential web. What could possibly go wrong? Who’s heard of Whirr, anyone? The Bay Area shoegazers have gifted the world with a brilliant master class in how to ruin your musical career in no more than twelve tweets. How did they do this? They (or the friend who they claim had access to their Twitter account) posted a series of comments attacking G.L.O.S.S, a punk band from Washington, whose lead vocalist is a transgender female. Whirr have previously built up a bit of a reputation for being dicks online as well as in interviews, and have previously referred to the loss of some of their fans as “weeding out the pussies”. Nice. They began this incident with the incredibly intellectual *cough* and completely irrelevant “lol @ G.L.O.S.S,” followed by a variety of remarks including “There is literally nothing not hilarious about that “band”,” and “Misogyny is hating women. G.L.O.S.S is just a bunch of boys running around in panties making shitty music”. But it didn’t stop there. Three days after their initial tweet, the real nail in Whirr’s coffin was a photo captioned “This is G.L.O.S.S” featuring none other than ‘The Silence Of The Lambs’ Buffalo Bill. Just when you think there can’t be any pointless hatred left in the arsehole behind the keyboard, they jump (somehow?) to this absurdity: “lol attempting suicide. If you’re gonna do it, do it right the first time”. Rightfully, their label dropped them immediately.

think that they can get away with it. What better way to put them in their place than to prove to them first hand that they can’t. In a statement that the label published on Twitter, they explained, “We as individuals and as a label are accepting of all people and require the same from the bands and people we work with. We will not be working with Whirr from this point on and do not support that behaviour in any way. We will post a statement tomorrow. G.L.O.S.S is awesome and crucially important and we need more bands like them”. Too often artists are let off far too easily for comments they make online; a follow up apology often does the trick, things go back to normal, and eventually people forget that the guy on stage at some sold out venue is racist or homophobic or sexist. It isn’t okay to attack a person or another band, on Twitter entirely unprovoked, and it’s refreshing to see a label so straightforward in their approach and resolution. I find myself saying this so often, but seriously, isn’t it all totally pointless and avoidable? What is with people and these random outbursts of aversion on twitter? I can’t be the only one to think the whole thing is needless, spiteful, and entirely unnecessary. Twitter has given every single person a public platform for the things they want to say, but that doesn’t mean you have to use that opportunity to direct hurt at someone whilst sitting cowardly behind a screen. My favourite thing about this story is the reaction of G.L.O.S.S front-woman, Sadie Switchblade, who created her own twitter account (@trannyterrorist, if you’re interested) just to voice her response to the band. “Your band is nothing but background music for Pitchfork-reading GoogleGlass enthusiasts and NPR liberals,” she says, before adding that she isn’t going to waste any more breath on them and grab a pizza instead. I hope that the Internet begins to forget Whirr, their attitude, and abhorrence that has centred this situation. Words by Adrianne Goron

After a string of comments like this, I would want to disassociate myself from them in whatever way possible, which is exactly what Run For Cover Records have done. People make these kinds of comments because they think that they’re funny, and they

interview

B OW E L S We’re here on a nice sunny day, sun shining; we’re all on the beach- I’m going to get my surfboard soon. I can’t think of anything better to do than dye my hair bright blonde so it looks like I have been tanning in the sun, getting some piercings, maybe even one on my clit… On that note, we’re Bowels. WHY BOWELS? S: “That’s a very good question.” J: “It’s as if we haven’t been asked that question before.” S: “ We were undecided between Mattress Songs and Her Majesty’s The Queen Royal Trumpet Band, which are both really shit names. So one day I was sitting on the toilet, having a poo and I was like “Jack how about bowels?” and he thought it was a fantastic name, so that’s why we’re called Bowels.” DO YOU THINK YOUR NAME REFLECTS THE GENRE OF MUSIC YOU PLAY? S: “I don’t even think you can class us as a genre.” J: “It’s shit for the sake of being shit really. If you start your band out with an awful name you’re not going to take yourself too seriously. Or if you’re shit, people aren’t going to take you seriously, so it’s fine, there’s no pressure. ” HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT PLAYING MIXED GENRE SHOWS? A: “Honestly it works so well with our sound, because we haven’t put ourselves

Photo by Isha Shah

with any sort of genre. With the shows we are going to play now, it will attract a variety of different people.” J: “These are songs from two or three years ago when were angsty emo kids.” S: “A lot of the songs that I wrote are about my ex who I was still not over, but when we play them it’s just like naaaah, we really need to start working on new stuff.” J: “I mean ‘International Business Boy’ we made two days before we recorded it, so that’s more reflective of the sound we’re going for.” THERE ARE SO MANY NEW UK BANDS, WHY SHOULD WE LISTEN TO YOU? J: “We have a sound that’s not wholly generic, but at the same time is nothing new. If you like whatever, we are good for you.” S: “If you like The Pixies, you may be into us. Everyone always talks about making it, being big and selling out shows but we just want to make good music, as generic as that sounds.” WHAT BANDS WOULD YOU LOVE TO PLAY ALONGSIDE? A: “I would probably say Milk Teeth because when I was adopted into the band, that was the sound I thought of immediately. They’re lovely guys and have come along way from being a band for two years or so.” S: “I want to say Gnarwolves for sure.”

J: “I would have to say Pile. My writing style is based on them and their guitar playing. Anything, even if we were first support for them.” A: “I think gurney and progressive is what we are aiming for really.” HOW DID YOU GUYS MEET? J: “I met Soroush in a Skype chat, and was like you’re pretty cool. We kind of hung out a bit after that. We were both learning guitar at the same time and had similar music taste. We always said we should start a band, then maybe like two years ago we thought fuck it, lets do it.” A: “Soroush was meant to sell me a Gnarwolves ticket, then he posted in UK PP…” S: “No, fuck UKPP, UK emo/grunge.” A: “Then he told me about a project called Bowels and we did some recording and spent a week and a half.” J: “Basically what he is trying to say that where I live is a little cabin in the middle of the woods where people go to kill themselves and you’re not far off.” A: “Thankfully that was the perfect influence for our demo.” J: “I think the small town depression, which is very pop punk of me to say, did influence it a lot.”

killing it, just a chilled as fuck band.” S: “I’d have to say Dissolve, sort of grunge and shoegazey sort of stuff.” J: “The best thing from Lincoln for sure is Carpets. Just the most powerful, heartwrenching, poetic, could describe it as sad-core, post-pop punk, and some emo influences. S: “Also look out for Fresh, they’re fucking killing it.” SUM UP BOWELS IN ONE WORD A: “Bowel.” S: “You can’t just say our name.” A: “Eccentric” J: “Cum” Watch the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDMBhZHhSSo

WHAT OTHER BANDS SHOULD WE BE LOOKING OUT FOR? A: “I’m going to go with Sad Blood, they supported Free Throw and they were

interview

Photo by Isha Shah

press to meco Having recently gained popularity with the likes of Scuzz and Rock Sound, we decided to catch up with the genre-crushing trio for a chat. Luke Caley – Guitar and vocals. Adam Roffey – Bass and vocals. Lewis Williams – Drums and vocals. You’ve sold out two shows on this tour, how does that feel? LC: Yeah it’s been cool. To have any sort of place on any tour sold out is amazing. It was London and Glasgow that got sold out and Newcastle was pretty much sold out. It was like a tiny little rehearsal room, but it was a really cool vibe. Yeah, it was just mental; the response to the album’s been really cool. You’re playing with Don Broco soon, how did that come about? LC: We met them through that Red Bull/Download thing we did ages ago and they were just really nice and really supportive from the get go. AR: Simon sort of kept in touch with us and came to a couple of shows. Stuff like that. LC: We sort of kept in touch because they’ve always been interested in how the band’s developed and we’ve always really liked their stuff. Simon came and watched our set at Camden Rocks the other month and that was really cool to catch up and then they just offered us the support. Your new music video for ‘Means To An End’ is on Scuzz T.V. It must be weird seeing yourselves on T.V.? LW: I haven’t seen it; I’ve just seen pictures. LC: I’ve never actually seen it. AR: I’ve seen it, it’s very strange. LC: Me and Lewis don’t have Sky. AR: It seems really unnatural. LC: It’s really fucking cool though. It’s really cool because you know when you’re like twelve- thirteen and you start a band you’re like “oh man, one day I’d like our videos to be on T.V.” Then it happens and it’s unbelievable. You’ve played a lot of festivals

over the years, what has been your favourite and why? LW: Hevy was cool. AR: Hevy was sick because all of our favourite bands were playing and it was just really good fun. LC: It’s a good size as well; I think it’s only a thousand capacity or something like that. To see all your favourite bands in one little field and all the stages sounded decent as well, it was amazing. Like, Download’s crazy but when you first go to it you’re kinda taken back by the sheer scale of it all - and it’s just a spectacle that your playing Download. It’s kinda like this prestigious metal festival. Tech Fest was really cool as well just because it was basically like a whole scene of music goes to this one festival. Playing nightclubs such as Facedown must be very different to playing shows? LW: Because everyone just came to that to get fucked up and party with their friends. LC: You’re kinda like the bit of entertainment to keep people occupied if they’re bored of whatever else is going on. It’s a weird vibe because you get a percentage of the crowd that’s there and really engaged. The rest of the room is like a big number of people that are kinda doing their own thing. Like, someone’s throwing up and they’re holding their hair back or someone’s slipping over. It’s kinda weird, but it’s cool. LW: That was probably a negative answer. It was really good. Yeah it was good fun. It is just weird because when you play normal shows, not everyone is fucked. Whereas somewhere like that everyone was drunk. What inspires you musically and lyrically when writing your songs? LW: Fucking life. LC: Lewis is the songwriter. AR: Other bands and watching other bands, I think, musically. Lewis does all the lyrics. LW: Yeah just stuff really. It’s quite varied, it’s hard to sum up in one thing but I don’t focus on any political things just because I don’t know enough to actually

chat about that. It’s more just the social aspect of things and humans really. LC: I think what I like about the subject matter of all the songs is that I feel like it’s stuff that everyone can relate to. How you sort of develop as a person and how you grow up, certain situations that you’re faced with that perhaps change your outlook on stuff. I feel like you can perceive them how you want as well. In the future who would you love to support? LC: We’d love to play with Acoda for the rest of our lives. Yeah honestly, they’re the best band in the world. AR: The Fall Of Troy I reckon. LC: I wanna go on a world tour with ABBA. LW: Everything Everything AR: A Don Broco tour. LC: A Don Broco tour would be sick. I’d love to tour with The Dillinger Escape Plan but we’re not extreme enough. Who has been your favourite band to support? All: Acoda LC: Allusondrugs LW: A lot of our favourite bands we’ve played with anyway. We found out about so many good bands just through playing gigs with them and they’ve become our favourite bands now. LC: We’ve been really, really lucky is this band that the majority of bands we’ve played with have been really good. There’s a band we played with the other day, Clockwork. LW: Yeah they’re really good. LC: Pretty much all the bands we’ve toured with have been amazing. Allusondrugs, Acoda, Foes, some other bands too. LW: Signals. If one of your songs could feature in a film, what would it be? LW: Pulp Fiction LC: Pulp Fiction would be sick. AR: If they made like a new 28 Days Later, 28 Years

Later. LC: Yeah, that would be sick. LW: Just like, Mission Impossible or something. LC: Or like Fast and Furious where people go and see it. AR: Or like a new Disney or Pixar film. LC: That would actually be sick, Disney writing is so good. I wish we had that kind of creativity to write for Disney. Maybe that’s the band’s next album, Disney tunes. Have you played with any tribute bands? LC: We played with Hyper Muse. LW: Yeah they were so good. LC: We’ve played with so many bands that are carbon copies of bands that they might as well be a tribute band. LW: A good tribute band is a band where they are meant to be a tribute band. We’d like all the classic rock tribute bands where they would get the look down as well. AR: I think it’s alright as long as people try to have a career first, not go straight into a tribute band. LC: Some people make like loads of money off it as well. The depressing thing is, is people will make like an Oasis cover band and they’ll literally live like rock stars and then you’ll get people like us who’ve got no money, just because we’re playing our own songs that no one likes. I think you’ve got two different kinds of people. People that want to sort of create and innovate their own thing and then people that just want to copy. If you could be a tribute band, who would you be? LC: ABBA tribute band AR: Focus LW: We jam a lot of Billy Talent in rehearsals and stuff. Or Ghost. LC: That would actually be sick. LW: Or Slipknot. LC: We actually always said that if we were to do a cover band that Slipknot would be the most fun. How fun would it be running around with masks and some sticks? What other bands should we look out for? LW: Acoda, Signals, Carnivores, Wallflower, Bad Sign, Foes, Allusondrugs. Them. Do you have any childhood cuddly toys still? LW: I’ve got a Squirtle in the attic. AR: I’ve got Kermit The Frog. It bends as well so you can put him in weird positions. LC: I’ve got like a bear. LW: I’ve still got all of my action figures though. What’s one question you’re sick of being asked? LW: Just the ones like, “how did you form?” and stuff. LC: “How’s the tour been going?” LW: Band name. LC I don’t mind the band name because we’re kinda nerdy about it.

Photo by Isha Shah

What does it mean? LC: Meco’s basically an acronym for main engine cut off, so it’s basically a NASA type thing. During a shuttle launch the astronauts will say Press To Meco when the shuttles reached enough momentum to orbit without the main engines. So they say that and it’s kinda like the everything went okay signal. Who are your favourite pop artists? LW: ABBA. I fucking love Simon and Garfunkel. AR: Michel Jackson LW: Taylor Swift, obviously. LC: Basically anything Max Martin writes. He’s basically the guy responsible for every song. Your videos are very quirky, where do you get the ideas from? AR: Normally the guy who films it comes up with the crazy ideas. LC: It’s kinda like a variation. We do a lot of our videos with a guy called Lewis Cater and the first one we ever did was the video for ‘Affinity’. It’s us running around on a farm and we all get chopped up. Me and Adam went through a phase where we really loved lots of Robert Rodriguez films. Planet Terror was really tongue in cheek slapstick gore and over the top gore. So we just thought it was really funny to do a video where we all get eaten by some crazy farmer dude. Lewis has had some ideas since then. I think ‘Means To An End’ because he does bands with like a bigger status to us, so any crazy ideas he has he can just use us. LW: ‘Means To An End’ we basically sent him the song and then he sent back a storyboard and we were just like “yeah cool, you got it” basically. LC: The next video we’re doing is a random idea Adam had, which I hope we do and it’s gonna be funny. LW: It might not work but if it does it’s gonna be good. LC: It’s a surprise. It involves dogs. Do you have an old album that you loved as a kid but can’t stand now? AR: S Club 7 but I’d still listen to that album now. LW: I think I had good music taste as a kid. AR: Steps. I used to love that Steps album. What’s the next big goal for you guys? LC: Just getting on some bigger support slots. I mean, bands at this level all have the same goals. Now the albums out, it’s literally just play to as many people as we can. If we can get on some good support slots that will be good, like the Don Broco one’s awesome. Apart from that, I’d just say writing for the next album. LW: We’d say 2017, maybe late 2016. It’s obviously gonna be a progression, we already sort of have a few ideas. It still sounds like us but hopefully just a bit better really. I think we are just gonna aim to finish songs and get as many songs as we can because we’re so good at writing a half song and forgetting about it and the writing a half song so then you end up with a massive pile of songs. So, I think we are just gonna start finishing songs. Interview by Chloe Rose Eaton and Isha Shah

interview

n e k o r B eeth

You’ve played a lot of festivals, what would you say has been the best one? OUTBREAK FEST, for the hardcore kids, by the hardcore kids. United blood in the US is a personal favourite for myself.

You’ve played a lot of shows all over the UK and Europe, can you pinpoint the best crowd and how they differ in different places? Manchester, Leeds always goes hard and every show is sick, Cardiff is real cool too.

It’s quiet different playing major festivals to small shows, recently playing outbreak twice in a row, how does it compare to smaller UKHC shows? It puts smaller hardcore bands on a bigger platform allowing more people to check them out. Like Shrapnel and Insist played this year to about 300 people where usually they would play the upstairs of a pub to about 60 people.

What has happened to Urban Spirit is it still going on? Still getting high, new record soon.

What bands should we be listening to right now? Higher Power, The Flex, Obstruct, True Vision, Day of Rights, Repentance, Redemption Denied, Risk It, Blood Eagle, Blind Authority, Arms Race, Die, Knuckledust, Xibalba, Turnstile. The list could go for days! What are you major influences musically as well as lyrically? The daily struggle.

The Sunday Roast Instagram account has been talked about a lot recently, are you a part of it? Nah, I think that’s an “in joke” amongst a few people in the Manchester, Fleetwood, Blackpool area. You’re gong to put out a full length pretty soon and Nick Jett from Terror is recording and producing, what can we expect from that? Riffs, riffs and lots of pit. What is the concept around Seeker? Trying to find out who you really are. Normal society brings people to live a straightforward life. Hardcore and alternative living opens the doors to many more

things than just eating, sleeping and repeating. Would you say the UKHC scene is growing even stronger now? Just by the amount of local shows that are being put on and supported by more and more people turning up and supporting the bands. It’s certainly better than it ever has been, especially with the quality of bands starting out. Our demo’s sucked so bad in 2006/2007, of course bands had good demo’s then but bands like higher power just smash it. We don’t need an American band to sell out a show or a tour, which was always the case in the past. What do you think it is about hardcore as a genre that inspires the kind of passion and close-knit familial atmosphere that it does compared to other genres? I wouldn’t class it as a genre, hardcore is a lifestyle which you are either part off or your not. It’s the people in the band that make it hardcore, be it a punk or metal vibe everyone is in it for the same reasons and it’s never a competition everyone supports each other. Hardcore shows in general are very male orientated in terms of the demographic of band members as well as in the crowd.

What do you have to say about the stereotype that girls in the hardcore scene mostly stay at the back of shows, and what would you say to a girl who wants to join a band or get more involved in the pit but maybe feels a bit intimidated? It’s their choice if they don’t feel comfortable moving upfront, I know a lot of girls that do and enjoy being stuck in, I wouldn’t say it’s intimidation it’s more common sense and that’s why a lot of people don’t stand in line of a fist or someone jumping on your head. I’m sure you are familiar with the UKHC II group on Facebook, what are your views on it in general and the people who are so active on it yet never turn up to shows? I don’t necessarily have a view on it, just know that it’s a place for posers to talk shit on bands and bitch about what goes on. Before Facebook you had people doing the same stuff on forums with exactly the same type of thing. And I think Bridge Nine still has a forum, I’ve not been on it in years but can guess that people are still talking shit on bands and people at shows! Interview by Isha Shah

Photo by Isha Shah

FEATURE

Photo by Isha Shah

home is where the

house shows are "there is nothing better than crawling on the ceiling, diving off table tops into the arms of a band you love" America is more known for doing a streak of house show tours. Playing in your parent’s basement, attic or even garage, these small DIY gigs happen all the time over there. However the UK seems to be picking up all the slack, with it being a hot spot for these free events in recent years. 2015 has had its fair share of house shows from Leeds, to Bristol to Southampton, but what has caused this sudden demand for them? With the UK’s growing talent, and more people being involved in the scene, anyone is capable of putting on a decent house show, with their local mates in Headrush who ONLY seem to play them. House shows are a very special intimate thing you have with a small line up of bands, it’s nothing like a gig or a festival or anything else. Essentially it’s like

a glamorous band practice, where the band try and not to fuck up over the really shit sounding amps you’ve borrowed form your stoner mates, or dodgy leads that always cut halfway through their set. All these small interruptions are what makes a house show a house show; without them, you wouldn’t have the same feel of it being DIY and pretty much shit from a journalist perspective. House Shows are a great thing within the community, as you’re surrounded by some of your best mates and grungest sounding bands. To an extent they are better than any other live experiences, topping gigs, in stores and festivals. Sure the sound usually is pretty shit but there’s nothing better than crawling on the ceiling, diving off table tops into the arms of a band you love, while everyone

just goes wild and makes up for the mic not working. Now being added to tour posters as part of a bands UK run, they are becoming more popular and reoccurring, but does this take away the value of what they were? Attending three in the past few months, each one has certainty been different and unexpected. Nothing is predictable nor goes to plan, after hosting our very own; we can say that it’s more hard work that it looks. So keep the DIY scene alive, keep supporting bands and keep putting on these rare shows. Words by: Isha Shah

ALBUMs press to meco good intent

Since gaining video play on Scuzz, and featuring on the pages of Kerrang! and Rock Sound, things have really taken off for Crawley’s Press To Meco. After the release of their second EP Affinity, they are back with their debut album Good Intent which features some of the tracks from their previous

10/10

EP, such as ‘Honestly,’ ‘Affinity’ and ‘Tired Bones.’

the upbeat melodies and catchy hooks give it a positive feel.

Combining elements of progressive rock, metal, pop and even djent, it’s hard to fit this trio into a particular category or genre. ‘Family Ties’ is a pop rock song, whereas the beginning of ‘Affinity’ almost sounds like a Meshuggah song. The boy band style vocals of all three members juxtaposed with the heavy, complex riffs create something completely innovative and different to anything out there right now. Even though many of their lyrics could be described as sombre, (for example “Where’s my passion gone/apathy has settled in”)

You can tell the band are influenced by many great progressive rock bands such as The Fall Of Troy and The Dillinger Escape Plan, especially on the track ‘Tired Bones’. Luke Caley, Adam Roffey and Lewis Williams’ vocals harmonise well throughout the entire album, but even more so on this track. ‘Ghost’ is very metal sounding, with Caley’s intricate guitar work playing a particular highlight. The band’s most recent single, ‘Means To An End’, is more pop rock sounding and very reminiscent of a newer Lower Than Atlantis or Young

arcane roots heaven and earth ep

6/10

From signing to Easy Life/Sony Red to playing numerous festivals this year such as Hevy Fest and 2000 trees, as well as supporting Fightstar on their UK tour, Arcane Roots have progressed massively as a band. Following up from their fairly successful first album, which reached number seven in the UK rock chart, they are back with their fourth EP – and their first that isn’t self-released. Although there are some differences from the band’s previous releases, the Surrey-based group’s signature sound can still be heard throughout this record, most noticeably on the Jamie Lenman sounding ‘If Nothing Breaks, Nothing Moves’, the first single released from the EP. Arguably the heaviest track on the record, it offers a smooth transition from Blood & Chemistry to Heaven & Earth. Thunderous riffs and Andrew Groves’ one of a kind vocals present you with the perfect opening to the EP. Many other tracks on Heaven & Earth are slightly softer in comparison. ‘Leaving’ and ‘Vows & Ceremony’ allow the band to showcase a calmer side to their music, making the EP

Photo by Isha Shah

more diverse and perhaps signalling a change in the band’s sound. However, the best track and second single to be released from the EP, ‘Slow Dance’ really does demonstrate both aspects of their sound. It starts off as a soft, soothing song and then surprises you with the heavy, complex riffs Arcane Roots are well known for. The alternative rock trio have managed to produce something different, while still sounding like Arcane Roots. This shows promise that they will continue to grow as a band and hopefully continue the loud/soft dynamic, with Grove’s soothing vocals and the robust riffs they are famous for. Words by Chloe Rose Eaton

Guns song. In short, if you put Arcane Roots, Meshuggah, The Fall Of Troy and One Direction into one big super group, this is what you would end up with. Press To Meco have managed to create a catchy progressive rock album, with just the right amount of pop, metal and mathcore thrown in. A truly exciting change and direction for rock music. Words By: Chloe Eaton

fairview

moonlight

Meet Fairview, an indie rock band from Bristol who carry both emo and gothic tendencies. Recorded at J+J studios, Fairview released their debut EP titled Moonlight. Taking some inspiration from bands such as: Moose Blood, Hindsights and Muskets, the EP kicks off with an instrumental track called ‘Dusk’, which sets the tone perfectly for the rest of the EP with a raw drum sound seconded by it’s reverberating guitars, which are layered over a murmuring sample.

7/10

harmonies on this song work well with its passionate lyrics such as “I need some room to breath ‘cause reality doesn’t agree with me anymore”. The last track ‘Fade’, is a consuming and devoting song with dazzling lyrics which brings the EP to a calming Tracks such as ‘Moonlight’ end. Overall a delightful EP and ‘Snowstorm Paralysis’ with a mixture of great emo are reminiscent of a 60’s vibe love songs. with solid drum beats, funky guitar riffs, and distinctive By Hannah Jephcote bass tones with an indie edge; both songs have beautifully written lyrics. Track 3 fades out like a love song “If Winter lives or dies, Winter lies, Just for you and I”. This then leads onto an emotional acoustic song, named ‘Old Haunts’ the

fightstar Behind The Devils

7/10

four green bottles

The recent burst of attention they’ve had has given their comeback record the feeling of a brand new force in British rock. It only takes a few listens through Behind The Devil’s Back to see exactly what’s driving the hype: while it’s nothing especially new or innovative, there’s enough quality songwriting, variety and emotion to make this one of the more enjoyable metal records of recent times. The band’s strong point is undoubtedly the versatile and passionate vocal work of Simpson and Alex Westaway. The band move between 90s-esq alternative rock singing and harsh, aggressive vocals on tracks like ‘Sharp Tongue’ and ‘Murder All Over’ with enough prowess and emotive harmonies to keep these songs interesting on those grounds alone. Even some of the weaker cuts like ‘The Blackest of Birds’ are redeemed by the sheer quality of Simpson’s voice, which of course further compliments the consistently catchy and effective hooks and choruses littered throughout most of the album. Musically, the album combines fairly familiar alternative rock sounds with heavy, prog-metal riffs that sound almost Periphery-like in places. ‘Overdrive’ is one of the catchiest songs on the record, with its radio rock verses, pure pop chorus and 80s-Rush-style synth-led outro. In fact, it’s only the awkwardly injected heavy riffs in this song that give it any real metal credentials, and yet they ultimately serve to do little else besides take the flow out of an otherwise fantastic song. Often, the heavier moments on the album such as the title track or ‘Animal’ leave a fair bit to be desired. The riffs, while generally acceptable rarely stretch beyond that, lacking the vicious intensity of bands like Mastodon or Gojira, and mainly just sound a little too generic and sterile. With a total run time of less than 37 minutes, and being only ten tracks long, Behind the Devil’s Back benefits hugely from not outstaying its welcome. What’s more, every song feels as though it fits in the context of the record perfectly: the aforementioned synthy outro of ‘Overdrive’ flows into poppy semi-

singles You Live What You Feel

ballad ‘More Human than Human’ so smoothly that it doesn’t even feel like a token “kinda soft song on a metal album”, like so many of its equivalents on lesser albums. ‘Animal’ spends its first two minutes flicking between pummelling riffs and ingeniously used keyboards until the rising intensity smashes them together in one of the best fusions of heavy and catchy elements on the album. Penultimate song ‘Sink With The Snakes’ comes the closest to sounding like generic 2015 metal, but once again is mostly redeemed by Simpson’s vocal hooks. The album ends on atmospheric pop-rocker ‘Dive’ which, despite having some lovely melodies, wastes what could have been a truly beautiful closing track on a disappointing coda of generic, lacklustre metal riffing. When looking at the sum of its parts, Behind the Devil’s Back doesn’t necessarily sound as good as it is, but that may well be part of its charm. Many recent metal albums of this high a profile end up feeling more like a carefully-planned career move than simply a rock ‘n roll record: aiming to be bigger, better produced, catchier or somehow more timeless than the one before (see: the last releases from Parkway Drive, Bring Me The Horizon, Avenged Sevenfold). Although not stunning, Behind the Devil’s Back has got the songs and the passion needed to keep Fightstar up where they deserve to be. Words by: Joe Gilbertson

Despite it not being a new song, a year from now, Four Green Bottles released a song that encapsulates a contrast of emotions. Matched with a perfect title, it suits the journey it takes you on, with Paolo Squarise’ distinctive vocals powering the melody. Very simplistic and easy to follow, the band produces a song that is so strong in every aspect. Musically they are a light delight to the rock genre, with jumpy guitar bounces and steady drum beats.

little envy pill

Ever wanted to hear something acoustic that doesn’t just sound as terrible as Never Shout Never? The duo, Little Envy put out a very sweet track that goes from a soft utterance to a song that is just lightly touching on your heartstrings. Beginning with such raspy vocals that are paced out so peacefully, the song soon progresses to faster pacing beats and layers of tension. Ever so subtle, it builds on you, without even knowing, it all gets too much towards the end. Pushed to the brink of explosion, the track ends with a scream of a final rage.

splitsville Blackouts

Bands seem to be popping up all over the place with even weirder names - Splitsville produce sharp vocals that are weighed down with way too many anchors to be uplifted again. The song carries a heavy guitar riff that remains consistent throughout, while the vocals are rugged and broken. A sweet little interlude sweeps in, breaking up the track a little before the pace is delayed to a halt. Words by: Isha Shah

ALBUMs FOXING

7/10

DEALER own pop sensibilities, with its great chorus hook, and it’s vast-sounding post-rock crescendoing, meaning that ultimately neither aspect feels fully developed and making for something disappointingly lacklustre.

Following a debut as instantly refreshing and powerful as The Albatross was never going to be an easy task. Perhaps this is the main reason that St Louis’ Foxing have moved away from their signature warm blend of indie, emo and post-rock and sailed off towards unmarked territory on their eagerly awaited follow-up, Dealer.

Those lucky enough to have seen Foxing live will surely agree that the highlights on The Albatross sounded far more impressive when performed on stage rather than on record due to the phenomenal conviction and intensity the band bring to their shows. However, on Dealer there is, if anything, a noticeable lack of the energy needed to make the emotional power of the songwriting as striking as it deserves to be. The vocals often sound less forward, drifting in the album’s sonic landscape, which while very effective at times leaves a sort of vacant hole in the record where moments like the chorus of ‘Rory’ or the second verse of ‘The Medic’ should fit. The amount of beautiful colours and shades on this record often just highlight the need for more striking, climactic moments which are largely sadly missing. However, all is not lost. When it gets good, it gets fucking good. Album opener ‘Weave’ builds up dramatically over its three minutes,

Everything about this album feels darker, denser and a little colder than its predecessor. Guitars blend together with synthesizers and

occasional drum machines to form layers of swirling snow and fog. The beautiful, haunting melodies are still present, but besides a few tracks they’re largely obscured by the clouds. While on some tracks - ‘Weave’, ‘Glass Coughs’ and the excellent ballad ‘Night Channels’ the earworm vocal parts shine through and make for wonderful sad-pop songs, many others such as ‘Laundered’ and ‘Indica’ simply fail to ignite in the same way. ‘Eiffel’ seems to be awkwardly straddled between indulging in its

MONTROSE

Monster under the bed Monster Under The Bed is the sophomore EP from Bath based pop punk four piece, Montrose. The band have clearly honed what they do in order to write songs that have a noticeably different sound to the majority of their peers, which is commendable. Instrumentally, Montrose are miles ahead of other pop punk bands their size. Opener and recent single ‘Underperformer’ storms in no holds barred and has you hooked from the outset. The production on Monster Under The Bed is also

Photo by Isha Shah

really great throughout; every element is super clean and that really works in Montrose’s favour. The fundamentals that let the band down, however, are their lyrics and vocals. So much so that at points, you’d rather they just weren’t there at all. Some of the lyrics are so uninspiring that Montrose begin to fall into an unfortunate pop punk band cliché which is a huge shame. There are some promising tracks on this EP though, along with

taking the sombre, reflective mood to electrifying heights with some of Conor Murphy’s stunning falsettostyle vocals. ‘The Magdalene’ is one of the catchiest songs on the record, but also manages to be one of the most atmospheric and emotional too. Instrumental ‘Winding Cloth’ is possibly the saddest piece in its simple, beautiful elegance, building to a climax of noisey strings. The aforementioned ballad ‘Night Channels’ and ‘Glass Coughs’ aren’t necessarily what we’ve come to expect from Foxing, but they both show that the band can write pure, brilliant pop hooks and inject them into their stunning soundscapes to elevate them to whole new levels. While Foxing have definitely moved into a new sound fairly effectively on this album, they sound perhaps less confident in their own abilities as songwriters. It sounds beautiful, of course, but there simply aren’t enough stand-out tracks to make the album feel as captivating from the beginning to the end. In some ways, Dealer feels more like the debut release of a band than The Albatross did. Words by: Joe Gilbertson

6/10 ‘Underperformer’, ‘Walking Contradiction’ is probably the strongest track on this release despite some pop-punk-bynumbers lyrics. Vocally it’s a cut above the rest and far more memorable than some of the other songs. Overall Montrose show great potential to break the mould of a genre that’s at risk of becoming extremely repetitive, they just need to iron out some creases first. Words by Natalie Webb

“We play songs and this is our way to find happiness” Hungarian emo quintet Vernal’s sombre disposition deftly reflects the past emo culture that appears to have gone amiss of recent. With hushed melodic guitars overlapping the muted rock sentiments that shape the album, it appears emo has been greatly revived in their new EP I Hope You’re Happier Than Me. Anguished cries greatly reminiscent of the early My Chemical Romance era (one track similarly being called ‘I Don’t Love You’), the opening track ‘Haw’ leads no

misconceptions that this is a wholly emo EP - melancholic overtones in abundance. This, combined with the mostly despondent, colourless vocals makes for a greatly downcast and sometimes wistful EP positive attributes of their genre. However, I Hope You’re Happier Than Me lacks progression of sorts - ‘Hairbreadth’ being the only track illustrating Vernal are capable of a more tonally upbeat direction. There are definitive glimpses of strong musicianship, yet the six track EP’s continuous tones fails to enable them to fully showcase it.

TESSERACT POLARIS

I Hope You’re Happier Than Me glimmers with potential, it’s saddened yet pensive sound resurrecting the alternative/emo genre in all it’s sorrowful glory. Yet Vernal lack progression of kinds - a direction. Perhaps this is due to being restricted by six tracks, in which case a future LP may come has highly anticipated.

6/10

good tiger A HEAD FULL OF 9/10

Djent is a dirty word. The birth, pinnacle and death of the genre has been witnessed in just over five years. From Youtube imitators, to the genre’s greats, it is strange to think that this is all down to the power of the internet. TesseracT have seen all three stages of Djent’s life, and they plan to outlive it. With no less that three vocalists over their now three album career, one might think that TesseracT are lost without a goal. Polaris takes that idea and kicks it into the dirt. The long awaited return of original vocalist Daniel Tompkins, coupled with the band coming off of one of Djents most paraded albums, means that Polaris has an insurmountable amount to live up to.

Good Tiger formed out of the ashes of ex Tesseract vocalist Elliot Coleman, ex The Safety Fire guitarists Derya Nagle and Joaquin Ardiles, along with ex-The Faceless drummer Alex Rudinger, and also their bassist is Morgan Sinclair, who has been out on tour with Architects. Their debut album is coming out in November and is simply titled A Head Full of Moonlight.

Evolving from the screams and grandiose nature of the band’s debut, the aptly titled One, Polaris is the sound of a band that have reached maturity and are finding a second wind. Rhythmic storytelling and an impressive use of dynamics means that each track sounds unique and has its own character. ‘Messenger’ weaves between suspense and climax with its engaging nature, whilst ‘Phoenix’ trades this in for straight to the point riffs and groove. Bassist Amos Williams

Polaris can be listened to as a collection of singles, or as a cohesive narrative that cocoons the listener in its atmosphere. Each member’s imprint can be heard throughout the album and finally TesseracT have broken free from the confines of the Djent manifesto. Coming across as a progressive metal band that cannot be completely defined, Polaris is a well needed breath of fresh air for everyone still hung up on copying Meshuggah. Words By: Jack Webb

i hope youre happier than me

Words by Ash Valentine

9/10

crafts weaves of low end symphonies that allow for both space and tightly regimented parts to reach their full potential.

Vernal

The album is short and sweet but their explosive rock sound is enough to make an impact. Starting off with a groovy indie infused rock track called ‘Where are the Birds,’ the album starts off on a positive note. Good Tiger may not have the most original of sounds, sounding a mixture of alternative rock bands such as Marmozets and Mallory Knox, but there’s always something going on. As a result, A Head Full of Moonlight is an album that constantly keeps you engaged with songs like ‘Aspirations’, that starts off with the bombastic energy fuelled hard rock sound and distorted guitar, before shifting to beautiful irresistible echoing melodies. Whereas tracks like ‘I Paint what I see’ are straight forward, to the songs packed with punchy guitar and a bold vocal style from Coleman. While the musical style is constantly shifting one thing that stays the same throughout the album is that most of the music is groove led. ‘Latchkey Kids’ is a perfect example of this. It’s one of the softer songs on the album with a melancholy mood, jazzy baselines and some great guitar work. Some amazing musicianship is shown here, particularly with Coleman’s vocals who proves to be amazingly dynamic. In fact, all the musicians

MOONLIGHT

show that they are capable of playing more than just your atypical rock song, and their music is sometimes very complex. The production is fundamentally what makes the feel of the album. Obviously being a new project, they’re not going to have the best sound quality but it’s that rawness from the choppy sound quality that really brings out the emotion in the music. Tracks like ‘Understanding Silence,’ that serves as a beautiful acoustic piece and is one of the most moving songs on the album. It’s also the most simplistic track and perhaps it’s the simplicity that makes it such a stunning piece of music. Everything from the modest acoustic guitar riff to the harmonious vocals is just absolute bliss to listen to, and is a perfect autumn track. While the album finishes with a heavier, more in your face track titled, ‘67 Pontiac Firebird’ to close things off. Of course there are imperfections here that could be changed, but for a debut effort it’s honestly impressive. Definitely worth checking out if you like alternative rock or even more hardcore style bands like Hacktivist. Words by Megan McMillan

ALBUMs the front bottoms back on top

6/10

When New Jersey (then) two piece The Front Bottoms started as a project between childhood friends Brian Sella and Matthew Uychich, they never intended to achieve anything other than play around their home state to escape their tedious 9-5 jobs. Now with the addition of Tom Warren on bass and Ciaran O’Donnell on guitar, trumpet and keys, the emo quartet sound just as passionate and angsty as ever. With influences brimming at the seams from bands like Weezer, Brand New, and elements of Bright Eyes rather than the familiar fast folk instrumentation from before, Back On Top may not be the most energetic and caustic album out there compared to the rest of their discography. The shift in lyrical content to more mature themes and moments of sincere reflection, is apparent in lines such as “ladies and gentlemen, the DJ just threw up on the dance floor, the party is over, it’s time to go.” in ‘Laugh Until You Cry’. The opening track ‘Motorcycle’ seems to echo this, with a choir melody in the background of the line “sometimes you’ve gotta close your eyes to truly see the light, most of us are older now, we should know wrong from right”. It’s a nice contrast from the escapism that TFB thrive on typically in their songs. Gone are familiar songs obsessing over ex-girlfriends and songs predominately about smoking weed all day (although one or two still crop up on here), and instead are replaced by the harsh

Photo by Isha Shah

realities of being burnt out from partying all the time and generally growing up. If The Front Bottoms and Talon Of The Hawk were the underage drinkers at a friend’s house party, Back On Top is the college student having to wake up hungover and clean his own mess up. ‘West Virginia’ is a perfect example of this, which features some of the catchiest lead guitar riffs Sella has ever written. Furthermore, when it was first released as single, reminded us how well TFB work as a full band, as well as ‘Cough It Out’ with its insatiable harmonies and simplistic drum fills thought. As with Talon Of The Hawk, the album does however suffer the same problems of having the first half of the record include arguably the strongest material, fall dramatically, and then save the best track for near the very end. You could say that it’s harder to connect with some of the content on here when it seems a lot more personal and refined than the previous releases, but in some respects it doesn’t seem like they learnt from their bad track listing mistakes from last time. The final track ‘Plastic Flowers’ is a whimsical but uplifting rollercoaster, featuring a few spoken word sections from Sella, where he stands a neutral ground on stereotypically positive phrases like “it gets better”, and reiterating the concept that we all have a plan, even if it ends up ultimately blowing up in your face in the end. It’s a bittersweet write off for the record and is probably one of the more thought provoking tracks out on here. Back On Top may not be perfect, but there’s plenty of material here to really sink your teeth into, especially if you’re a first time listener. Words by Ashwin Bhandari

counting days

Liberated Sounds

4/10

With ex members of TRC and Heights involved, Counting Days has the weight of the UK hardcore scene resting on its shoulders. While debut EP The War Of the Wolf went down as a little messy and disjointed but nonetheless exciting and melodic, Liberated Sounds cancels that out in its first notes.

nearly overstays its welcome with a run time pushing 50 minutes. Music like this needs to be punchy, quick, and leave you screaming for more, but there is A borderline black metal intro just not enough substance here. hails the beginning of ‘Burned By Faith’. The adrenaline filled With such a professional vocals meld with the classic sheen you want to believe that early 2000’s metalcore guitars to Counting Days can be something create an extremely potent mix. more. All of the elements are But it’s the following track, the here, along with some of the melodic and bouncy ‘Die Alone’ cleanest - yet not over produced that takes Counting Days to - drums put out in recent another level. With synths that memory, yet still Liberated herald the Heights elements of Sounds comes across more as a the band, this track deserves side project, not the new full time airplay all over the world. band it is promoted as being. Other more hardcore influenced tracks such as the title track and the phenomenally gritty ‘Cold Truth’ do well to bring more to the table, but beyond these tracks everything seems to become one long piece of music. Liberated Sounds very

Counting Days may well be wrapped up in a “supergroup” cloak, but there is little underneath. There is a bottomless pit of albums that rip off the While She Sleeps formula, and Liberated Sounds is just another one on the pile.

7/10

TRIVIUM

Silence In The Snow

Trivium are ever-changing; from the classic metalcore of The Ascendancy to the more hard rock and David Draiman produced Vengeance Falls. Vocalist Matt Heafy has gone on record multiple times regarding his issues with harsh vocals, stating problems with his health and also the general direction of the band. Silence in the Snow therefore, is an entirely clean vocals affair. Having more in common with power metal and 80s metal than anything else they have released, Silence in the Snow still however comes across a far more personal album. Behind the thin veil of crisp production, this album reads cleaner as a journal than anything else. The title track is but an appetizer to what is to come, filled to the brim with beautifully orchestrated twin guitar work, it serves as a pedestal from which Heafy’s new found vocal techniques can be shown.

Don’t however take this album as Trivium gone soft. The colossal intro to ‘Until the World Goes Cold’ shows that there is still a touch of the old school Trivium going, even if it does wander a little too close to radio rock. Dead and ‘Gone’ should be on every guitarists ‘to learn’ list, dripping in melancholic melody, it is possibly the stand out track. ‘Breathe in the Flames’ shows how dynamics can be used without sounding like a cop out, the acoustic section acting as reinforcement to the track rather than detriment. But at the end of the day, Silence in the Snow is not what a Trivium fan wants. If Vengeance Falls was a step towards a goal, the this is a full on leap towards it. This is a strong metal album without a doubt, but Trivium are one inch away from alienating their fanbase. Words by: Jack Webb

creeper

THE CALLOUS HEART

Being a band that is made up of previous big name bands from the South coast music scene (Our Time Down Here & Hang The Bastard) you would expect nothing but the best from Creeper. After taking over the UK alt rock scene in mid 2014, they have been building up their cult fan base through constant touring and it is nice to see a second EP finally coming out after such a long time since their first release. The Callous Heart comprises of 5 tracks and opens with “Black Cloud”, a song with a haunting start that gradually leads into

catchy pop punk guitar and typical pop punk lyrics about being young and free. These are the type of lyrics that you can easily imagine their fans shouting along with at their shows. The second track “Honeymoon Suite” is the lead single from the EP and is a fast paced track that could potentially be the best live song of the bunch. Around tracks 3 and 4 in the album the songs become slightly monotonous and begin to blend into one another which is disappointing after such a strong start. Despite this, they manage to finish on a high with the final track

6/10

“Henley’s ghost” a slow melodic song that closes up the EP well. It is a marked change from the other four songs on the album but it shows that Creeper are no one trick pony and with time they have the potential to become one of the biggest UK exports for rock music. Overall, the whole EP flows seamlessly from one song to the next and although it does become a bit dreary half way through, it is a well produced it is clear that Creeper have immense talent and only going to get better from here. Words By: Ruby Kelly

new manners give me your bones track with catchy hooks, feelgood guitar melodies and drums layered over a raw riff. Strong vocals are introduced - something that is very consistent across the EP. The quintet present their soft/loud dynamic, going from simple phrases to more complicated ones, displaying the band’s variation in sound. For a Californian band, New Manners certainly exhibit a very British sound with an Irish twang. Give Me Your Bones is a young, feel good EP that could be featured in a Made In Chelsea Episode. The six track EP begins with ‘So Nice’, a light-hearted positive

Stand out track ‘On and On’ has an upbeat pace to it. The repetition in its chorus makes it catchy, and recurrent lyrics happen throughout the EP - another thing that makes it so consistent. Lyric: “Please don’t go/I’ve told you before you know I hate telling you no” is both the first and last line of the song, giving the end a pleasing

feel to it. Vocally, it hints at Two Door Cinema Club’s Alex Trimble. ‘Window’ has a sense of reflecting back: “Where did the time go, I would love to know.” This track particularly shows the vocalist’s ability to sustain vocals and again shows influence from Two Door Cinema Club, and also musically like Young Kato. Influences don’t stop there however, track ‘Workweek’, slightly hints at Kings Of Leon’s ‘Radioactive’ and brings in a folk element. ‘Give Me Your Bones’ sums up the whole meaning of the EP, and “was written around the idea of giving someone your all”. It takes musical elements from

itoldyouiwouldeatyou itoldyouiwouldeatyou have expanded not only their members, but also repertoire and skills in the past 18 months since the band first started. Having supported acts such as The Xcerts and Hindsights, and put on many shows of their own, they have very much cemented themselves in the UK DIY emo-punk scene. The stand out track is definitely ‘All Unwritten Classics’. It’s a textbook emo anthem; there are shouty choruses, a simple yet effective melody and a punchy bass line that gives the

track an added flurry of rhythm. Another strong track is ‘Learning From American Mistakes’. It’s got that slow, sad-song sway vibe which is captured by the stripped back instruments. But as is the case for most slow songs, everything builds up to a climax as drum rolls and guitar riffs are hurtled around, while “it’s my very first time” is repeated over the top. Although the vocals are hit and miss throughout the EP, in these two songs they are the strongest. It’s obvious that they are still trying to find their own sound,

8/10 Of Monsters and Men and also has a feel of German band Paper and Places. The repeated lyric in the chorus that happens on other tracks gets very repetitive but remains catchy. However, the song tricks us into thinking there’s going to be an explosive finale but ends suddenly, leaving us wanting more. Give Me Your Bones maybe a little samey, but repetition makes for addictive, catchy music. Even though New Manners may not be completely original in their sound, they certainly have a refreshing air about them for those sunny days and cold autumn evenings. Words by Rosalyn Boder

dont cheer up

7/10

which may be why some songs are a little rough and unfinished, but this gives the EP a DIY feel. They may need a bit of work to refine and tweak some things but all in all this EP is a good start. Words by Emily Gunn

ALBUMs The Color Before the Sun

coheed and cambria Coheed and Cambria’s 8th studio album The Color Before the Sun was released October 9th and is the first Coheed and Cambria record not to be a concept album. The first track off the record ‘Island’ kicks things off in an emphatic yet emotional way, and is a perfect way for this record to start. Its resonating melodies really set a great tone for this album. The next track ‘Eraser’ keeps the energy going with its endless hooks and filthy yet huge sounding guitars. The start of this record is hugely promising. However, the songs that follow

feel like a random collection of ballads just thrown onto the album. Whilst each song is individually powerful (the track ‘Ghost’ is undeniably great and worth everyone’s attention) it does introduce a dip to the record when they could of thrown in a few faster more up beat songs in.

with the first single ‘You Got Spirit, Kid’ and ‘The Audience’, which are both sure to please long-term fans of the band. Album closer ‘Peace to The Mountain’ - whilst yet another ballad - is a certified classic and is sure to be a huge hit live bringing a smile to every face and a tear to every eye.

That said whilst it does impact your listening to The Color Before The Sun as a whole, individually every song is filled with heartfelt lyrics and choruses that would make even the coldest of hearts melt. The record picks up again into familiar Coheed territory

Overall this is yet another solid Coheed and Cambria album. Although at times it can drag with the lack of heavier songs than their previous albums have, it still delivers a lasting impact. Whilst it does tear

8/10

modern baseball MoBo Presents: The Perfect Cast featuring Modern Baseball Philadelphia based band Modern Baseball recently caught fans attention by jumping back into the scene, releasing their surprise EP MoBo Presents: The Perfect Cast featuring Modern Baseball and announcing that their upcoming album Holy Ghost will be released in 2016. Incorporating the use of more instrumentation, the band has started to experiment with a new sound whilst still keeping their same loveable uniqueness, suggesting an insight to their album next year. Kicking off the EP with ‘The Waterboy Returns’, the track begins with the band’s signature style, as cofrontman Brendan Lukens’ vocals are accompanied by a couple of simple chords on an electric guitar. The track then breaks into a more upbeat tempo and uses a wider range of instrumentation than the band have used before.

Photo by Isha Shah

the tracks have a varying selection of sounds and keeps

away from the band’s history in concept albums, it does show you that real life is possibly the best concept for any album. Words by Luke Marshall

The Amazons 9/10 Dont You Wanna EP

Every now and again an artist comes along that right from the off, displays the effortless talent and individualism that sees them fit to headline the country’s biggest stages. Although still in their youth as a band, Reading’s The Amazons demonstrate they are exactly that with slick new four track EP Don’t You Wanna, released via their own label Goth Cruise Records.

The thicker texture of their music runs throughout the EP and it’s clear to see the band’s progression from their previous content. Along with exploring a new sound, the lyrics are deeper and more emotional and cover much darker topics as Lukens uses the lyrics as a place to open up about his experience with battling depression and anxiety (“You can’t find help in a bottle or a cut”). Maturing as both artists and a band, the lyrics show how they have grown within themselves and their song writing since the release of their 2014 album You’re Gonna Miss It All. The same goes for the track ‘The Thrash Particle’ which covers issues of heartbreak and jealousy within a relationship (“Said I loved you to your face, but you just laughed and walked away”) and is one of the heavier tracks on the EP. With the catchy chorus and hook, it ensures that

8/10

interesting.

Despite the change within the musical aspects of the tracks and the maturing lyrics, Modern Baseball have held onto their conversational story-telling lyrics that make them so alluring to listen to. If their new album Holy Ghost is anything like this EP, fans are definitely in for a treat. Words by Phoebe Randall

Opener ‘Ultraviolet’ is a beautifully constructed, punchy track, which is “a tribute to the nights you may not have been invited to the party/ but you don’t let the bastards get you down”. With tones of The Vaccines, Matt Thomson’s subtle, yet powerful vocals build with the track easily, into something just shy of flawless. Slower ‘Junk Food Forever’ doesn’t pack all the punches of its predecessor, yet still rivals the kind of track released by artists years ahead in their careers. This level of proficiency continues throughout ‘Millions (The Party)’ and concluding track ‘Something In The Water’, with its pacing drums and striking guitars. It seems incredible that the four piece have managed to pack so much into just these four tracks, forever surprising in terms of the sheer level of professionalism in what they produce. Fast forward a few years, and we are potentially looking at the next big indie icon. Tribe forever. Words by Adrianne Goron

STATE CHAMPS

8/10

AROUND THE WORLD AND BACK New york quintet State Champs are considered to be one of the leading forces in the pop punk scene and they are further proving it with their sophomore album Around the World and Back, their follow up to 2013’s The Finer Things. Around the World and Back is perfectly titled, where each track is about different experiences State Champs have had while relentlessly touring the world over the last two years. Derek Discanio’s vocal range has expanded into new regions and is tidier than ever before; he is now able to reach new notes thatb he never quite struck or struggled with in previous releases. This comes through particularly in the track ‘All You Are Is History’ where Discanio’s tone changes almost to a higher pitch almost instantly in the lyrics “Speak slow I want you to know” in comparison to the rest of the lyrics. The band are truly in sync with one another now,

this is apparent from the first few seconds of the first track ‘Secrets’, where everything works perfectly, fitting riffs in between gaps in the lyrics, a melody that fixes perfectly with the tone of the vocals, and the lyrics are coordinated with the beats of the drums . State Champs have begun to experiment with softer tracks and are swaying towards the pop side of pop punk, taking influences from the likes of All Time Low. This is reflected in tracks such as ‘All or Nothing’ including acute orchestral elements and diluted riffs as well as the simple acoustic track ‘Around the World and Back (ft Ansley Newman)’ that echoes ‘Remembering Sunday’. However, there are several tracks on Around The World And Back that are on par with bands like Sum 41 and New Found Glory, for example opening track ‘Eyes Closed’ has distinctive elements of

a will away

bliss

sure shows a great deal of potential and solid influences that they still are inspired by now.

There will always be an opposing pessimist who will say anything acoustic and slightly alternative is samie and boring. That maybe the case to some, but if what they produce is enjoyable and essentially something to chill to, then why the fuck would you not want to listen to it? Being the case with Bliss, A Will Away still seem to walk over all the generic chatter, and blow you away with a sweet little EP filled with five charming tracks.

After a muddled mix of sounds in their first release, Cold Weather, the four-piece have been through making something to get their name out there. Although this EP may have lacked strength, it ‘Ten Or Eleven’ throws the

New Bermuda 8/10

their genre: a jumpy start, clean strong vocals and a chorus that packs a punch instrumentally with contrasting softer verses. The track ‘Losing Myself’ also is a display of how pop punk State Champs truly are with a combination of upbeat tempos throughout, strong melodies from Tyler Szalkowski on guitar and an anthemic quality in the chorus. Overall, Around The World And Back is an excellent record. It manages to display how broad the pop punk genre can be, with an assortment of both softer and harder tracks. The album combines thoroughly enjoyable melodies with outstanding vocals. You will not be disappointed. Words

Sam

Taylor

8/10

cards right off the table with a Citizen-esq start, before you are slowly then eased into their signature style. Aggression and hair pulling Newly adopted to Triple actions are involved within this Crown Records, the quartet mind tricking sorrow. become part of the family with bands like Foxing, Caspian, While there is a clear honey Fireworks, Tiny Moving Parts suckle buzz to Bliss, it does fall and Into It. Over It. ‘Play under the danger of being just Dead’ invites you to the bands another rip off release. You sweetly modified tune. If would think that, if you don’t you’re a fan of their partnering enjoy the pleasure of listening bands, Speak Low If You Speak to progressive music, music Love and Elder Brother, then that A Will Away nail. you will instantly be hit with a sense of recognition. Words by Isha Shah Chilled out guitar chords are plucked repeatedly, acting as a perfect intro for ‘My Sitter’, an easy to follow trac,k that is very simple, yet so alluring. Vocally the band are just as strong as the hard rock lullaby melodies that float around this song. Picking up the pace towards the end, a slight change course for sharper and powerful blasts of the chorus being sung in an even sweeter tone.

deafheaven

How do you go about following up a record which not only met universal acclaim amongst critics and fans alike, but also seemed to stretch the boundaries of what is considered ‘traditional’ within its genre? This question would have undoubtedly crossed the minds of San Francisco based quintet Deafheaven, whose breakthrough sophomore album Sunbather truly challenged the nature of black metal with its personal lyrics, heavy shoegaze/emo influences and generally uplifting atmosphere. The answer to this question would seem to be evolution, rather than continuation or complete departure, and thus New Bermuda was born; a record which perfectly represents this will to evolve. There are a lot of nuances on this record that pay homage to Deafheaven’s preceding album; blast beats and tremolopicked sections are still in abundance, as well as George Clarke’s distinct wretched vocals. In fact, the thunderous intro on the opening track, ‘Brought to the Water’, gives the impression that we’re in for Subather Part 2. However, the Metallica-esque riff that follows this intro propels the song into a completely different direction, and it’s through these first minutes in which the entire essence of New Bermuda is encapsulated. Songs like ‘Lunar’ still have the trademark ‘Deafheaven feel’, with heavilyreverberated guitars and pounding drums creating an emotionally-intense and triumphant atmosphere. However, it’s fair to say that the emphasis on individual riffs is far greater on New Bermuda than its predecessor, with the chugging bridge riff in ‘Baby Blue’ providing a perfect representation of the familiar, yet more streamlined Deafheaven that seems to have been born out of this record. All in all, this exciting band has produced yet another dynamic, progressive and unique output, and the evolution of sound required to achieve this is subtly superb; New Bermuda is derivative enough to appeal to the passionate Deafheaven fanbase, but simultaneously manages to incorporate enough alternative influences and musical evolution to help the band progress even further in their inevitable journey to stardom. Words by Lewis Edwards

Live

carry the weight festival tumbrige wells - 17.10.15 On the weekend of the 17th October, Carry The Weight Records put on their 6th annual Carry The Weight festival. Having been putting on the fest since 2009, this label has had a huge impact on the current UKHC scene and had a helping hand in getting it to the level it is at today. This festival has always been about showcasing the best of what the UK has to offer in terms of hardcore - predominantly bands that are signed to the label. Carry The Weight boast having signed Abolition, Ark of the Covenant, Never Again, Cold Snap and Wayfarer to name just a few. Originally the label was based in Canterbury in Kent but is now located in Brighton where it is well known for bands such as Breaking Point (who split earlier this year), X Repentance X and Renounced. This years Carry The Weight fest moved back to label's Kentish roots and was held at The Forum in Tunbridge Wells due to the fact that there are no large venues in Brighton without barriers. This year's festival has completely upped the game from previous years with the vegan straight edge band Earth Crisis coming from the US and playing their album Destroy The Machines in full to mark the albums 20th anniversary. Given that the band have been a monumental force in the XVX hardcore scene for around 26 years, and the fact that this year's festival was held on Edge Day, nobody could have asked for a better headline act. Opening the day was the Southampton UYC band Overturn. Having been around for just over a year, the band have already released a 4 track EP and completed a UK tour. As many people were still travelling from around the UK and Europe, the room was still only just starting to fill up for Overturn's set. This however, did not stop them from performing an amazing first set of the day which had people 2 stepping and mic grabbing from the onset. It was great to see a band who have been around for such a short amount of time getting people hyped so early on in the day (10/10).

Jumping to the stage swiftly after were Higher Power who are from Leeds. The band instantly had people shouting all the words back and it is clear why this band have become an instant favourite with many people across the UK in such a short amount of time. At times the vocals erred into sloppy territory but the stage performance and the energy that emanated from the band went someway into making up for it. (6/10). Next on were one of the newer CTW bands called Day Of Rights. Considering this band have not played many shows, they killed their set and despite not many people knowing the words, the crowd seemed to be enjoying themselves. The new track that they played was an instant hit and shows how much this band have progressed in the year they have been around. It is clear they are only going to bigger and better with time. (8/10) Seeing as Day Of Rights are made up of most Ego Trip members, there was the last minute addition of the final ever Ego Trip set. This was played as soon as the formers set finished with members picking up their other instruments with no time for a break. The vocals were provided by none other than Pat Hassan of CTW records which was pretty cool to see. The set was short and sweet. It is a huge shame that Ego Trip are calling it a day as the crowd's reception to their final show was crazy and shows there is still an appetite for their music. (8/10) Speaking of appetite, I unfortunately missed the Insist set due to a huge queue at the amazing vegan food stall. The hot dogs and kebabs they were selling were however, one of my personal highlights other festival goers apparently agreed as they completely sold out well before the end of the day. UK based hardcore crew Blind Authority were on next and completely destroyed the stage and the crowd.

Photos by Wondergirl

Having released their debut album earlier this year these songs were played flawlessly with a memorable speech from front man Niall O’Riley about the sexism in the hardcore scene and encouraging people not to tolerate it. The issue of women being mistreated even within the scene is something that I think should be spoken about more openly to help stamp it out and it was reassuring to hear someone speaking out. Overall Blind Authority are a band that are not to be messed with and have a point to make. (9/10). On next were Shrapnel. Their set was high energy from the get go and the crowd were clearly enjoying themselves the whole time. The raw aggressive vocals of the front man blended perfectly with the fast paced guitar and drums. This set really got the crowd going and had people flipping off the stage. (8/10). Next up were Obstruct who played a strong set even though the crowd seemed on the quiet side. The band didn’t stop moving when on stage and blasted through their set in what felt like minutes. Obstruct are only going to go from strength to strength if this performance is anything to go by. (7/10). Next up were the Leeds lads who have been taking the USA by storm, The Flex. Having been playing there own brand of punky hardcore across the pond for a fair amount of time this year it is nice to see The Flex playing more frequently in the south of England. Once the band take to the stage the whole room goes crazy with the pit opening up from wall to wall. At this point in the long day people were getting tired, but this did not stop anyone from having a great time. (9/10). When X Repentance X took to the stage you could sense that people had been waiting for this set for a long time and no one left disappointed. Nearly every person in the venue was shouting the words back at the top of their lungs with people flipping off the stage through out the whole set even with a cover of xCanaanx which had people going crazy. It is clear that despite X Repentance X not often playing live shows, they know how to have the crowd eating out of the palm of their hand, with their own ideals about

animal liberation and the straight edge lifestyle being prominent throughout their lyrics. With this set X Repentance X could have headlined CTW fest 6 and people would have left happy. (10/10). Ending the day were Earth Crisis, a band which anyone who is even vaguely into hardcore has heard of. The band have been prominent in the scene for over 20 years and are probably responsible for inspiring most of the bands on the line up with their message about the straight edge vegan way of life. Even if you do not follow either of these lifestyles you can understand why this band have been so important. Playing Destroy The Machines in full was a perfect way to celebrate Worldwide Edge Day and the celebration of 20 years since the record. As the performance today shows this band have not aged with time and all of theses songs have the crowd going crazy and shouting back every word. Their commitment to their message was clear as between songs they spoke about veganism and being straight edge. It was truly inspiring to see a band who have always believed in something strongly still having such a positive impact on the world around them. Throughout the set the crowd was constantly moving and people of all genders were moshing. It was refreshing to see the women in the audience in particular feeling like they were in a safe environment in which they could join in fully and express themselves, which is sadly not a common sight when bigger bands are playing. The prevailing school of thought about hardcore being a "boys club" was noticeably absent and the show was all the better for it. The day finished with Firestorm and the whole room was going crazy and fighting to get the microphone. I don’t think a single person left feeling negative and everyone left having been educated on the topics of veganism and the straight edge way of life. Earth Crisis have been a heavyweight in the hardcore scene for a long time and their performance at Carry The Weight proved that they will be around for a long time to come. (10/10). Words by Ruby Kelly

Photos by Wondergirl

Live

s o t o h p in

BLCKLIST ALL scream lounge - 11.10.15 bird skulls

rough hands

counting days

PALE CHEEKS

soul crusade

DAYER muskets

water canvas

wallflower

Photos by Isha Shah

Live

knuckle puck

roam

state champs + knucle puck + roam hippodrome, kingston - 03.10.15 - 8/10 With a line up for every pop punk kid to scream about all over twitter, the UK has finally been given its dream line up. Joined by the UK’s own explosive quartet, Roam swept the packed out crowd with a fresh track off their latest EP, Warning Sign. Growing immensely with every performance, the five young lads have now grown with confidence to put on a further exciting show. Vocalist Costello may not have delivered his signature backflip, however by debuting a brand new track off their upcoming album Cabin Fever, it’ shows how much Roam are expand, yet still drawing in more fans. Moving a few states away, Knuckle Puck bounce onto the small stage with ‘Disdain’, meeting the crowds gaze. Flashes of bright light hits each member as they race around the stage in small jumps and energetic strums, elevating the atmosphere to their infectious tune. With a rather disappointing setlist from the Chicago quartet, it seems a little too short to fully enjoy. Full on posi jams such as ‘Gold Rush’ and ‘No Good’ were still on their list, (thank god) which picked up their set, ending it with more bodies in the air than ground. With an early close, State Champs play a shortened set to wrap up their UK/ Europe tour with ‘All You Are Is History’. The Hippodrome may be a tiny venue, but with the cramped faces of excited fans, it looks like a ballroom, gleaming with sweaty devotees. Even though this may be their first

song, bodies make their way over the barrier - with security out of their depth, John Tolly of Banquet Records makes leaps to help crowd surfers over the lower barrier. ‘Remedy’ and ‘Deadly Conversation’ maybe oldies to the band however this didn’t stop them from giving it an uplifting and fresh performance as vocalist Dereck Discanio reaches to the crowd. Although Around The World And Back has not yet been released, the band debuted a few leaked tracks to Kingston’s eager faces. ‘Secrets’ and ‘Losing Myself’ are now being amplified to a crowd who surprisingly know every single lyric, as they spit their saliva all over Discanio’s red face. Living up to all expectations, State Champs close their set with the one ultimate banger. ‘Elevated’ pulls everyone’s last effort to get one final mic grab, with the competition at it’s highest. The band treats their last song as though they were headlining Wembley stadium, with such strut and confidence, the band have grown ever so tightly musically. Surrounded in a venue which is usually a nightclub, the sound for the trio of bands is not at it’s best, however each overwrite it with their slightly more poppier melodies, that is now demanded with upcoming pop punk bands. Words by: Isha Shah

Photos by Isha Shah

Live

muskets + coloured in + fairview surya london - 25.10.15 7/10 Some of England’s freshest and underrated acts gather tonight for a show put together by Masonry Booking. With headliners being Venn record’s Muskets, who in the last year have built popularity, touring with Moose Blood and playing all over the country. Kicking off the night are local Londoners, and two members of Water Canvas, Pet Grief. The emo two piece preforms a short but delightful set, carried by their talent as musicians and song writers, there is not a dull moment from them. Following Pet Grief are Pale Cheeks, who have only been a band for a short time, have managed to play with some pretty impressive names. Tonight they suffer some issues (mostly technical) but overall they prevail and deliver an acceptable performance. Now from Bristol, Fairview, who can only be described as moody, but this is not an insult. Their soft melodies bring joy to the ears, and with lots of well placed effects, superbly written instrumentals

and an excellent vocal performance, Fairview prove to be one of highlights this evening. From Kent and wrapping up their tour with Fairview with this show, grunge trio Coloured In takes to the stage. Coloured In give the impression they’re here for a good time, with a flying beach ball and interaction with the crowd, it’s hard not to be charmed and love this trio. Now for tonight’s Healiners, Muskets, the grunge four piece hailing from Brighton who have worked hard to be where they are now. Watching them live is honestly delightful, this is a band that truly seems to love what they do and it shows with high energy they display. With the audience chanting lyrics back to them, this is a sure sign Muskets deserve to be headlining and the future for this band is bright. By James Bannister

coloured in

fairview

Photos by Isha Shah

Live

s o t o h p in

they say scunthorpe - 27.10.15 7/10

y fall

Photos by Jonathan Bell

Live

acoda

Photos by Isha Shah

press to meco + acoda talking heads, southampton 22.10.15 - 9/10 Alternative metal band ACODA warm up the crowd with their interesting mix of alternative metal, punk and hardcore aspects. Their set includes powerful riffs and chanting style chorus’ that make you want to dance and sing along, especially during ‘Won’t Go Running.’ The bands sound is somewhere inbetween Thrice and The Fall Of Troy, especially on ‘Make It Up As You Go.’ ‘Whispers Like Roars’ is a catchy tune, with serene vocals from vocalist and guitarist Damon Tang, who’s vocal range is particularly evident on this track. The juxtaposition of his cleans with the screams of bassist and vocalist Stephen Crook and guitarist and vocalist Jake Crawford is superb. So many metal bands that use both clean and scream style vocals together, usually lack something in one aspect, thankfully this Northamptonshire four-piece manage to execute the combination of the two flawlessly. It’s been a pretty busy year for genre defying Press To Meco. After playing festivals such as Download and Hevy, appearing in Kerrang! and Rocksound, they are now on tour in support of their debut album Good Intent. Playing through most tracks from the album, the Crawley/Croydon trio start off with ‘Family Ties’, vocally all harmonising well together. Their perfect harmonies continue throughout their set, and are particularly evident on The Fall Of Troy style track

‘Tired Bones’ and Arcane Roots sounding ‘Honestly.’ Vocalist and guitarist Luke Caley’s intricate guitar playing is a highlight, as he effortlessly performs technical and complex riffs throughout. Their recent release, Don Broco sounding ‘Means To An End’, is a crowd favourite. New track ‘Ghost’ is almost metal sounding, until vocalist and guitarist Caley, bassist and vocalist Adam Roffey and drummer and vocalist Lewis Williams’ boy-band style vocals kick in. Finishing on ‘Affinity’, (the opening of which could easily be mistaken for a Meshuggah song) it’s evident the band have done an excellent job of exciting the crowd. After being begged for an encore, they than go on to perform their version of well known children’s nursery rhyme ‘Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.’ It’s hard to believe, but the progressive rock and djent style rendition of the song causes a mosh pit, giving a perfect ending to the show. Press To Meco manage to incorporate elements of progressive rock, pop, mathcore and even djent perfectly into their sound. The juxtaposition between the soft, boyband style vocals with heavy, technical riffs is what makes them one of the most exciting alternative rock bands out there. Words by Chloe Rose Eaton

Live

Photo by Isha Shah

renounced

Photo by Isha Shah

counterparts + senses fail + capsize + renounced underworld, london - 1 0.10.15 - 9/10 It’s Counterparts first UK headline tour and London has just sold out. Joined by good friends Renounced, the London hardcore band take to the stage with a very familiar crowd gazing upon them. From start to finish the band attract a UKHC crowd, with moshers opening a small pit to throw shapes in. Joining The Underworld for just this one off date, Renounced easily provide everything any hardcore lover wants to see, doing the scene proud. Filling the room with younger faces, Capsize join the stage with their heavy melodic music filling the room with bodies colliding into another. With less empty space and more hands in the air, the band returns back to their favourite venue in London. Hair flicking in all directions while Daniel Wand tames the crowd’s mouths. ‘I’ll Take The Blame’ and ‘Linger’ leaves the crowd with more crowd surfs, as Wand joins them on the floor. A band who has been in the tweets of every UK fan, Senses Fail finally return to the UK with even more catchy songs that takes you from pop punk to some heavy hardcore riffs. A band who has worked and worked and carried on working so hard to be where and who they want to be, Senses Fail have pretty much reached these goals and gone further. Before playing their famous ‘Can’t Be Saved’, Buddy Nielsen takes a long breath as he pelts out one

senses fail

hell of a speech. Every single person’s hands then moved in agreeing claps with his raising awareness words of sexism, homophobia, and everything that’s wrong with the music scene. Sure you could say that these are generic acts, however a band who stands up for these things and takes the time out of their set to explain, is a band who is worth listening to, whether you agree or not. As the band hit on hard topics they also hit some pretty gnarly beats with ‘The Courage of an Open Heart’ a truly hard song song to mosh to. ‘Carry the Weight’ sums up the bands new sound, still keeping in time with their heavy hearted lyrics and punky breath. “We’re not a band who usually do this sort of thing, we don’t headline, so the fact that you are all here and sold it out is fucking incredible,” screams vocalist Brendan Murphy after ‘Stillborn’ sets in, opening Counterparts set. From a band who were only opening up for Architects at The Roundhouse earlier on this year to a sell out show, they were doing pretty well for themselves. Hurdlers of people all trying to stage dive at the same time and landing aimless on top of each other filled the humid air while ‘Ghost’ kicked in.

from their latest release, playing it for the first time, the reaction is immensely powering. Lips and hands moving faster than camera flashes, no words are left alone, while microphone grabs fill Murphy’s silence. ‘Compass’ takes a leap as yet another diver flies into the crowd, while the bands sweat hydrates them. Counterparts are a band who can surprise you on record but live, they give a whole new sense of vibrations. Heavy fucking riffs that make you head bang to every beat; they will have you wrapped up in their emotion filled rage as each song tops the next. If not stronger, the band owns the stage with their confident voices filling the room with angry spit’s of groovy melodies. Just as you think it’s over with the sweet enchanting intro of ‘Burn’, the band returns back on stage with two more fist punching songs. Counterparts who are now welcomed back with a cheering crowd end their show with a fresh track, ‘Solace’ to ease the night to a gradual finish. Words by Isha Shah

Counterparts debut a weighted amount of tracks

capsize

gigs Monday

left behind presents:

dirt + fallen to flux @ The Black Heart London

Tuesday

Wednesday

kerrang! fresh blood

trash boat + boston manor + brawlers + fort hope @ Macbeth Hoxton

foals @ The Hippodrome Kingston

in dynamics

kurt vile and the the violaters neighbourhood + Waxahatchee

@ Barfly Camden

@ Heaven London

chvrches

bane

last ever sho @ The Underworld

ancient

@ Concorde Brighton

reverend and the makers maximo park

@ Brighton Dome Brighton

Thurs

@ Unde

19 the va

@ The B

@ Koko London

@ Roundhouse London

hindsights + aologies i have none ON TOUR

slayer

@ O2 Academy Brixton London

50 82

Photo by Isha Shah

stray from the path @ Underworld Camden

@ Con

tigercub @ Barfly Camden

the 1975

@ Brighton Centr

sday

Friday

rafd

every time i die

ncorde Brighton

re Brighton

sanity fm the + the lanes amity affliction

@ The Islingworld Inn Brighton

14 ayp birthday: press to meco + attention thieves @ The Cricketers Kingston

independence festival

+ aologies i have none The Unicorn Camden

the Myrrors @ The Hope And Ruin Brighton

@ Southampton University

22 the macabees @ Brighton Dome Brighton

@ O2 Academy Brixton

hindsights

@ Koko London

everything everything

defeater @ Banquet Records Kingston

+ superheaven + milk ON TOUR

t bards

uilt to spill

heck

+ anvil + old boy @ The Anvil Bournemouth human future + Eulogy + cold holding @ Alâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;burrito Bar Portsmouth

erworld Camden

Brighton Centre Brighton

Sunday 1

ow d Camden

accines

Saturday

29 bring me the horizon

so punks fest ii @ Joiners Southampton

@ Alexandra Palace London

51 83