Progressive is a loaded term in music. For some it signals forward thinking, expansive music that experiments in ways barely dreamt of. For others it’s a synonym for beard stroking fretboard onanism in as many time signatures as physically possible. There are many shades of progressive in heavy music, each trying to push boundaries further…
There is one sure fire way to tell if a gig is going to be well attended before the queues starts. Look for the touts. Listen for them. You will find these parasites at only the best selling of events, and tonight their disgusting practice is in full flow. Tickets bought for twenty pounds and…
The North-East has quietly become a burgeoning hub of hardcore. The nascent scene is producing bands who are speedily earning their way onto coveted tours, with the likes of Loathe, God Complex and Astronoid all hailing from upper regions of Britain. Despite its infancy as a hardcore destination, the North is coming out with new…
Expectations are high tonight. After releasing the best album of 2018, Fucked Up need to do something special to live up to their own standards. The mood in the room is one of camaraderie, with everyone unanimously anticipating the events about to unfold. A gang of four misfits who don’t look comfortable in their own…
What if Primitive Man were a hardcore band? If that proposition has you salivating as it should, then settle in for one of the finest releases of 2019 so far. An album that is as punishing as it is cathartic. An album that will have you overwhelmed with murderous rage then praying for the sweet…
Post-Rock is the ultimate Marmite genre. For some it is a limitless exploration of musicality through carefully expanding soundscapes and subtle rhythms, but for others it is tedious, pretentious and a waste of time. When a band eschews vocals and is completely instrumental, then you have one of the least accessible propositions on your hands….
Nowadays it’s hard to have any national pride. With the rise of populism and the far right leading to such wondrous results as the incumbent United States President and Brexit, taking gratification in one’s birth country is nigh on impossible. How refreshing then that, certainly for British readers, we can take solace and delight in…
The 1980s were the glory days for a multitude of musical disciplines. The genre that had the biggest and longest lasting impact – at least in the realms of heavy music – was undeniably thrash. Whether it’s Master of Puppets or Raining Blood that instantly jumps to mind, it was a decade that saw a…
Prog hasn’t always been cool. In the 1970s, the excessive virtuosity and middle classed barrier to entry gave rise to the rebellion of punk, and prog shrank away to a genre that one would only admit an affinity for in hushed tones. Prog became the antithesis of cool. Over the years this ostracisation lapsed, though…
111 days til Roadburn (at least at time of writing)! As a new year approaches, it’s time to start getting excited about one of the world’s best and most respected festivals. Taking place from April 11th to 14th in the humble Dutch town of Tilburg is the latest edition of the mighty Roadburn festival. It…