April 2016 #11 by New Roots Magazine

NEW ROOTS issue 11 April 2016

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Honeypot Records, record store day, While She Sleeps, XREPENTANCEX, Live At The Lab, defeater, HECK AND LOADS MORE

break the cycle with their stomping new record

A NOTE FROM THE TEAM In this month’s issue we chat to skater punk heavyweights Giants about their brilliant debut record and how far they’ve come, from crowd funding donations to being signed to Holy Roar Records. You can read the full interview on page 23, as well as the album review feature on page 35. You can also expect to see another batch of UK photographers in our Behind The Lens feature, with Joshua Clarke, Zac Mahrouche and Kirsty Erskine all giving us their perspectives. We want to celebrate the wealth of creativity and talent within the scene, so if you’re thinking about picking up a camera then be sure to check out what these three have to say about being a live music photographer. If being in a band and producing records is more up your street, then we have two interviews that will definitely spark your imagination. Liam Hemmingway of Honeypot Records chats to us about his independent leeds-based label, and his ventures into putting on local shows on page 15, and on page 31, Jack Longman from Live At The Lab tells us all about the exciting new project he kicked off just under a year ago. As seen in our previous issue, you can catch Stateside making another feature- this time we are focusing on one specific city. Philadelphia is the home of many great bands, including the almighty kings of pop punk, The Wonder Years. There’s also a hell of an underground scene, and we are bringing you the top bands from across the state. We have also had some minor design changes, as you can tell with our new front cover layout, we are looking for designers as well as writers. We’d like to thank every single person who supports New Roots, as we have watched our team and readership grow significantly throughout the past few months. Any feedback about the magazine is welcomed, and we encourage you to get in touch and have your say in who we should feature and why. If you’re interested in contributing, then drop us an email and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Editor & Art Director: Isha Shah Assistant Editor: Chloe Rose Eaton Sub-Editors: Charys Newton, Natalie Webb, Amy Jones Contriburors: Isha Shah, Jack Webb, Joe Gilbertson, Arriana Corr, Soroush Fereydoni, Megan McMillan, Ashwin Bhandari, Reece Christopher, Dehbia Saber, Chloe Rose Eaton, Natalie Webb Photographers: Isha Shah, Helen Messenger, Lizzie Capewell, Jonathan Bell, Zac Mahrouche, Joshua Clarke, Kirsty Erskine, Ryan Dalton Rodrigues, Mr Stefan Heinrichs, Oliver Duncanson, Ashley Thomas Wood, Jennifer McCord, Martyna Wisniewska

contents Highlights of the month news the genius of dj khaled stormzyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s twitter highlights uprooted Grinds my gears record store day Behind the lens - joshua clarke q&a - honeypot records stateside - Philadelphia Interview - Giants BEHIND THE LENS- KIRSTY ERSKINE Live At the lab behind the lens- zac mahrouche album reviews- giants album reviews single reviews ep reviews live reviews

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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MONTH

news

Clique sign to Topshelf Records and release forthcoming album, Burden You. Weekend Nachos announce final album, Apology 20th May Via Relapse Records. Norma Jean tease album release for September 9th 2016. Aaron West And The Roaring Twenties announce Bittersweet EP May 20th via Hopless Records. Funeral For A Friend announces a one-off Cardiff charity show at Clwb Ifor Bach April 23rd to raise money for Matthew Prichard 100k Challenge. Burn announce an exclusive show at The Old blue Last in London on may 2nd. Evils Depressedly announce first UK dates and new LP titled Holo Pleasures/ California Dreamin. Architects tease studio video of them working on their next album, All Gods Have Abandoned Us, released on May 27th. SHVPES part ways with their bassist, Oliver Pike. Bring Me The Horizon have been announced for Glastonbury. Touring guitarist Chris Davis had been made an official member of The Ghost Inside. The Ghost Inside has been announced for Warped Tour 2017

jeremy corbyn is performing at Glastonbury Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has just been added to talk at 2016’s Glastonbury Festival. Last year brought The Dalai Lama and Pussy Riot, keeping up the festival’s tradition of pop and politics, Corbyn and shadow chancellor John McDonnell will speak at the Left Field stage on behalf of Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, following Billy Bragg. With headliners Muse, Coldplay and Adele set to headline, Corbyn is arguably one of the most exciting British acts on the bill. Announcing the news via the Glastonbury website, Bragg wrote: “The election of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader has galvanised

a new generation of activists this year at Left Field and we aim to give them a platform to discuss issues around social justice, the economy, gender and the possibilities for genuine change under a Corbyn government.” A spokesman for Jeremy Corbyn had told The Mirror: “Jeremy has long been a fan of Glastonbury, and is looking forward to attending as a guest of the CND and the festival organisers.” Words by Isha Shah

Jeremy Davis and hayley williams are caught in royalties battle Former Paramore bassist Jeremy Davis is involved in a legal dispute with the band he founded alongside vocalist, Hayley Williams. The company that owns the Paramore name, Varoom Whoa, sued Davis in February following his departure from the Nashville rock band in December 2015. Williams is now being charged with by former bandmate and bass player claims that Williams refuses to pay him alities, and also is lying about who

a federal lawsuit Jeremy Davis. He his cut of the roywrote the music.

Also named in the lawsuit is current band member Taylor York, Mark Mercado and Fly South Music Group who provided personal artist management services to Paramore. Davis is suing for breach of contract and fraud. He claims that Williams and York agreed to share authorship of songs writer for the 2013 self-titled Paramore album. Court papers stae Davis was not credited for any of the work he did

on the albums besides one ‘throw away’ song. The lawsuit claims: “Plaintiff is not listed as a co-author of any musical compositions embodied on the album Paramore, with the exception of a partial, one-minute-ninety-second interlude entitled ‘Interlude: Holiday,’ which is only available as part of the liner notes included with a purchase of the entire Paramore album, but not individually purchased singles.” The suit also says, “Davis has never been properly compensated for his co-authorship of the music and as a result he ‘suffered substantial monetary damages as a result of Defendants’ unlawful conduct, including, but not limited to, being excluded from participating in income arising from royalties, licensing, and other monies generated from the musical compositions and sound recordings embodied on the album Paramore.” Words by Chloe Rose Eaton

The Genius of

dj khaled From proposing to Nicki Minaj to spreading positivity to the people, DJ Khaled has taken the world by storm via the means of social media. As you can imagine this has also left him with a decent amount of disposable income with a net worth of around 18 million dollars. It’s evident that his personal favourite medium of social media is Snapchat; using it to enlighten his thousands of fans everyday with short 10 second images and videos depicting pretty much his every move. Khaled was named one of the world’s most influential people by TIME magazine, and started off this year by purchasing a new Miami mansion worth around four million dollars. His home is frequently featured on his Snapchat, and is equipped with a pool, seven bedrooms and a 45-foot dock for his Jet Ski. Alongside his work in the music industry, Khaled has used Snapchat to create a well-known image of himself, which has truly benefited him both financially and with his career, increasing his popularity by a large margin. Now considered a “living meme”, Khaled has become the world’s latest Internet phenomenon. Khaled claims that Snapchat is the “key to success” and it has clearly worked for him. Alongside naming his plants and hanging out with his celebrity pals

such as Snoop Dogg and Chef Dee, he also enjoys spreading positivity to inspire and motivate his fans. Some of his most influential and famous quotes include: “So important to keep the path to success clean”; “always have hope, always have faith” and finally “The key to success is more cocoa butter.” Very motivational indeed. It’s very rare to find a person of Khaled’s success still so humble and grateful for all he has been given. Part of his image is about motivating and spreading positivity to his fans; in today’s world there is a lot to be negative about but Khaled provides that small amount of positivity that lifts the spirits of his fans, even if it is just for a little while. Khaled has blessed the world with his presence, and with fans across the globe there is no doubt that he is not going to be remembered… as long as he doesn’t get lost at sea again! “I can deal with everything. I got the answer for anything. This DJ Khaled.” By Dehbia Saber

stormzyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Twitter Highlights

Photo by: Mr Stefan Heinrichs

o r p u R E G I T FEATURING: D O O G d n a , s r e i c a l G , N G I S BAD

d e t o o 8

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top songs: ‘Snake Oil’: The perfect balance between harsh and clean vocals, all set alongside a wide production. Itn builds and falls into a slower melodic break before a sidestep into a virtuoso guitar section.

‘67 Pontiac Firebird’: Technical riffs and massive sounding drums from the beginning. Emotionally moving and encapsulating of all that Good Tiger are about. Plus a throwback middle section that throws caution to the wind in the best possible way.

2015 - Present Elliot Coleman - Vocals Derya Nagle - Guitar Joaquin Ardiles - Guitar Alex Rüdinger - Drums Morgan Sinclair - Bass

that TesseracT would have released. A nine-track release, it swirls from acoustic melancholy to brutal vocals, which invoke the tech metal ideals of old. Originally financed through the crowdfunding site Indiegogo, the project drew in a total of $45,900 with the usual perks of digital downloads and exclusive t-shirts, alongside more abstract ‘”rewards” such as waxing Morgan Sinclair’s back. The production on A Head Full Of Moonlight shows an uncompromising band where care and attention is given to each musical measure equally. Textures within the music are accented with the versatility of Elliot Coleman’s vocals and allow the band to move from one idea to the next with flow and narrative.

Supergroups always attract a lot of attention, and with good reason, as many allow the members to head in differing musical directions to their other or previous bands. Good Tiger comprises of ex-members from heavyweight bands such as TesseracT, The Safety Fire and The Faceless. With such a potent pot of members from similar backgrounds it would be easy to assume that Good Tiger would keep plodding along the same paths as each member’s past bands, however the outcome is something far different.

Since the release, Good Tiger have toured with August Burns Red and Between The Buried And Me in the USA, as well as supporting Periphery on their UK tour in 2015.

A Head Full Of Moonlight, the band’s debut release is too melodic to be The Faceless yet too straight to the point to be anything

Words by Jack Webb

od tiger

bad sign

bad sign 2012- present

lows, and combining pitch perfect cleans with powerful screams.

Joe Appleford - Vocals/Bass Jonathan Harris - Guitars Kevin Miller – Drums

The South London-based group have already gained notable interest, having been signed to Basick Records and having their single, ‘Rebuild’ premiered on Daniel P. Carter’s Radio One Rock Show. They have already performed with the likes of Press To Meco, Attention Thieves and Emp!re as well as completing their own headline tour of the UK.

Croydon’s Bad Sign are hard to pigeonhole musically, but that’s not surprising as vocalist Joe Appleford describes them as an “outspoken band that refuses to conform to some of the standard band attitudes to releasing music and fitting in with scenes and genres.” The three-piece are more than just a “rock” band incorporating elements of post-hardcore into their music, alongside a punk attitude. Their heavy riff-filled songs are perfect for fans of Black Peaks, Jamie Lenman and Rise Against. Appleford’s vocals are astounding; being able to reach soaring highs, as well as guttural

You can catch Bad Sign at this years Hevy Fest, sharing the stage with Enter Shikari and While She Sleeps. They are also playing the Alternative Escape as part of The Great Escape Festival with Zoax and Counting Days. Bad Sign’s innovative and unique sound indicates that this band are one to watch out for. Words by Chloe Rose Eaton

top song: 1111Photos by: Jennifer McCord

‘Rebuild’ – Filled with heavy riffs and soaring vocals, ‘Rebuild’ is the latest single from the Croydon trio. Premiered on Daniel P. Carter’s Radio One Rock Show, it’s already gained them attention.

Photos by: Martyna Wisniewska

glaciers 2015- present

Brad Dorey -Vocals, Guitars. Billy Higgs -Drums, Synth. Ryan Anthony Wilson -Guitars, Keys. Ben Ysselmuiden -Bass, Keys, Vocals.

Coated with a whole lot of fuzz and a fresh instrumental aura, Glaciers are a brand new southcoast rock band from Portsmouth. Recently joining the scene, the four young guys begin their early days with an outstanding single titled ‘Vivid’. “Vivid is the first song we wrote together & it’s definitely the loudest one so far,” frontman Brad Dorey states. “I was listening to a lot of OK Computer and Wolf Alice at the time. The words were written more because of the way they sounded and felt with the music than having any purposeful meaning. By the end of it, however, there did seem to be a running theme... I’ll leave that open to interpretation though.” ‘Vivid’ develops artistically with an introduction that could have mistakenly been played at the start of a One Tree Hill episode. Glaciers then hit us with nostalgic utterances. Mixing modern vocals with a dated instrumental rhythm creates a whole new sensation. Glaciers experiment with a wave of sounds that ooze with atmospheric vibrations, swirling with a droning beat that hits impressively when joined by Dorey’s vocals. It goes without saying that the band gather a wide range of influences, especially from Radiohead, Everything Everything, Daughter, The Smiths, Tame Impala, Pink Floyd and The Flaming Lips. The list could quite literally go on and on. The quartet have over two albums worth of material in their palms, and they’re expected to ease us in with a new track every month. Finally, a band that is sticking their middle fingers up to album releases and instead putting out their music when and where they want. With just one track released, they are already teasing what else they have in store for us. Words by Isha Shah

top song: ‘The Walls’ – Glaciers have teased us once again with another great bit of abstract sound. Unlike ‘Vivid’ this track takes a very steady pace, instrumentally and vocally as the swirling daydreaming guitars ease us into a trance.

WHAT GRINDS MY GEARS NOT CREDITING PHOTOGRAPHERS Is it really that fucking hard to credit photographers? Most of us take live snaps of bands for free. Sure, we love doing it and that’s why we don’t complain about not getting paid, but when people share our photos without credit of any sort, it really pisses us off. If you’re like me and hate using watermarks, then there is no way of telling who took that photo (unless you have a really unique style, which let’s face it in 2016 is pretty damn hard). It’s not just the few scummy bands who think they can get away with cropping a watermark out of a photo or stealing it for a profitable gain, but even labels, promoters and fans themselves. Don’t even get me started on Tumblr. A lot of photographers use it to ‘advertise’ their work. Sure, it will get you bare notes if you upload pictures of Neck Deep and Basement, because people will constantly use your photos to chuck some meaningless lyrics on and claim it as ‘their edit’, but it has caused more problems than it has generated publicity. The people who use Tumblr religiously are the ones who will reblog a photo and delete your original caption, or even change the source to their own. They are also the same people save your photos and post them as their own, with the WRONG captions- could it get any more embarrassing?

What is also just as bad is people putting filters on your photos. Did I give you permission to use my photo, then whack some shitty Instagram filter on top to look edgy and credit it as my work? Because 1) it is not my work now, as you have edited it, and 2) It looks shit and I’d rather not be credited at all. It’s sometimes true when people say, “THIS IS WHY WE CAN’T HAVE NICE THINGS, GUYS.”” because there is always someone who wants what you have. Weirdly, one of the most common things I have encountered is band members who use my shitty Facebook-quality photos and upload it as their profile picture without credit. 1) You didn’t credit me, duh. 2) You have now made the quality 2x as bad. 3) People are going to think that my photos are of this shit quality, and I don’t even want to be credited at all at this point. Just ask! Ask for the HQ photos and don’t upload mine in shitty Facebook quality, please. So what I’m trying to say is, credit us, just add in a few more words at the end of the caption and we will be happy. We love doing what we do, but we work hard, and it would be nice for that fact to be appreciated. Words by Isha Shah

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Photo by: Isha Shah

With digital stores and the ease of online shopping dominating how we purchase and consume music, as well as large supermarkets like Tesco and Sainsbury’s now stocking vinyl, Record Store Day 2016 is an important date for putting independent record stores back on the map. On 16th April more than 200 independent record stores will be participating in 2016’s Record Store Day across the UK. With over 700 exclusive and limited edition vinyl and cassette releases from a wide range of artists including Sia and Justin Bieber to Marilyn Manson and Linkin Park, there’s something for absolutely everyone to check out at their local record store. We’ve pulled together some of the releases that we’re more looking forward to as well as a few of the record stores that we’re most excited about paying a visit. New Roots RSD 2016 Picks:

Parkway Drive – Horizons (Epitaph ADA)

Sensible Record Labels Vol. 2 (Alcopop Records)

After turning gold in Australia at the end of 2015, the metalcore five piece from down under are releasing their sophomore 2007 album Horizons on vinyl for the first time, on glorious blue and yellow splatter vinyl.

Alcopop Records pull together ten of their favourite independent UK based record labels including Transgressive, Holy Roar and Failure By Design for a splatter vinyl showcase of rising British talent. Priced at just £10 and accompanied by a bundle of downloadable goodies, this is definitely one to keep an eye out for.

Photo by: Isha Shah

Key RSD 2016 Participating Stores: The LP Cafe, Watford There probably isn’t a more perfect venue to start your Record Store Day pilgrimage at than Watford’s LP Café. Their self-professed “amazing coffee” will give you the kick-start you need for a day of perusing exclusive vinyl releases.

Banquet Records, Kingston Surrey’s favourite record store and gig promoters Banquet Records will no doubt be absolutely buzzing come the morning of April 16th. Displaying their passion for the event, owner Jon Tolley recently interviewed Frank Turner about the importance of independent record stores and Record Store Day itself.

Resident Music, Brighton Down on the south coast, Brighton’s Resident Music are pulling out all the stops for Record Store Day this year. With live music in-store, a huge raffle and an all-dayer over the road at Brighton Dome featuring Tigercub and Gang, there’s enough to keep you occupied from the early hours until the sun goes down. You can find a list of all participating stores as well as all of the day’s releases at http://recordstoreday.co.uk Words by Natalie Webb

Architects – Lost Forever // Lost Together (Epitaph ADA)

Deftones – B Sides & Rarities (Warner Bros)

On the run up to the release of their new album All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us, Architects release a deluxe version of their 2014 UK top 20 album on clear vinyl with two previously unreleased bonus tracks.

If Deftones’ eighth studio album, Gore, isn’t enough of a fix for one month, a repackaged two disc gold vinyl of the band’s B Sides & Rareties album originally released in 2005 will be available on Record Store Day.

I’m Joshua Clarke and I’m a full time Assistant Manager at a Frankie & Bennys, and do photography in my spare time. Based in Swindon, I’m 24 years old. Music has always been a big passion of mine and I’ve been going to gigs since I was about 14. Photography has also always been an interest of mine, from using disposables on holidays or sitting at home and flicking through family photo albums and loving the look and feel of film.

behind the lens

Seeing people you admire and idolise because of their music being seen through a lens, got me really excited to try my hand at concert photography so I dived straight in and bought myself a Canon 1100D and a 50mm f1.8 and started shooting shows at my local venue. My current set up is a Canon 6D, Sigma 24-70mm f2.8, Canon f1.8. Capsize are great to shoot, a really energetic band, and made me try and learn how to shoot flash which is something I’m really conscious about. Is it too bright? Am I annoying the crowd with it constantly going off? Do the band mind? Counterparts and Stick To Your Guns were great to shoot, as well as Moose Blood and Creeper. The Victoria in Swindon (my local venue) is small but the lighting is normally pretty decent. All Ears Avow, RAIN and As The Sun Sleeps from my town always put on good shows and I have made friends with many of the members, it’s a small but very welcoming scene in Swindon. Strong lighting production is key, A band I like is extremely important as it makes me even more motivated to get the best shots I can. I’ve never shot a big arena style show so any type of production like pyro, CO2 canons or projectors would be amazing. Doing live music photography because everyone has different styles and interpretations of the music and an eye for different things so 100 photographers could shoot the same show and you could get 100 different styles and images. Being apart of that and showing people my creative side is exciting and gives me a great sense of achievement.

JOSHUA CLARKE I’m trying to do a city break once a year or so, like I’ve recently been to Antwerp and Berlin with one of my friends and we spent everyday just walking around aimlessly shooting whatever took our fancy. Architecture and landscapes fill my photography needs in between gigs. In the future I’d like to be able to have the capability and resources to go on tour with bands as it brings together the two things I love, live music and travelling. Making money isn’t a necessity for me I’d rather get recognition and have people like my work more than anything. No major discrimination has happened directly to me, just a few tuts and looks of annoyance when I have to make my way through the crowd or am utilising a spot to take shots from. When I was shooting Bury Tomorrow at The Bierkeller in Bristol, my first photo pass a mum with her daughter shouted “For fuck sake” when I stood next to her to take shots and wasn’t very happy with me. Generally though people are pretty friendly and accepting of photographers at gigs. Words and photos by Joshua Clarke

Honeypot Records We chat to Liam Hemingway, founder of Honeypot Records about his exciting new project. COULD YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT HONEYPOT RECORDS? Honeypot Records is a project that I’ve been working on over the past six months or so - I run the label independently, and we put out our first release, which was a line of cassette tapes for Drawstring’s ‘Three’ EP last month. I’m really happy with how that went, and I’m looking forward to getting started on the releases that I have planned over the next few months. WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO START HONEYPOT RECORDS? The motivation to start this project has mostly stemmed from my experiences within the DIY scene in the UK. I’ve been able to see tons of great, up-and-coming artists play shows all over the UK, and that’s inspired me to put myself in a position to work with some of them and help them find their feet in a scene that is, in my opinion, more supportive and more inclusive than most other music communities out there. Is there a particular genre of bands that you’re looking to sign? I think it’s important to approach a project like this with an open mind, and I think it’s equally important that labels, such as this one, try to be as inclusive as possible in terms of the artists that they work with. In

that sense, I’d be open to working with pretty much anybody. Having said that, I know the ‘emo’ scene in the UK pretty well and it’s a genre that I’m really into, so that always seemed like a logical place to start. HAVE YOU PUT ON ANY SHOWS, if so HOW HAVE THEY GONE? I’ve been putting on shows in Leeds fairly regularly over the past year, and fortunately I’m yet to have a bad experience with that. Most of the bands that contact me about playing shows are bands that I’ve played with in the past or are friends in bands from faraway places, and it’s always nice to be able to organise a show for them and introduce them to the scene here in Leeds. Putting on shows can definitely be really challenging, but it’s something that I’ve always had a really good time doing. ARE YOU PLANNING ON PUTTING ON ANYMORE SHOWS, IF SO WHO CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE? I don’t have any shows planned for the time being; I graduate from university over the next couple of months, and I’m going to be spending some time sorting out some new releases, as well as playing some shows with Walleater, so I’m expecting to be pretty busy throughout the rest of Spring. That said, I’d definitely be open to the idea of putting on some more shows over summer. It’s only a matter of time, really.

“

I want to work with artists that are passionate about what they do, and help them create something that they feel represents their art. THE UK SCENE IS PRETTY SOLID, WHAT BANDS SHOULD WE BE CHECKING OUT? Yeah, it’s really cool to see the UK scene doing so well. The New Tusk are probably my favourite band from the UK scene at the moment, their new record is seriously good. Rosseau and Long Body are two bands from the Leeds scene that I’m really into, they’re both relatively new and they definitely deserve some attention. Finally, for those of you that haven’t quite recovered from the Hindsights break-up yet, check out The Sinking Feeling from Glasgow, you won’t be disappointed.

LIKE RECORD LABELS HAVE LOST THEIR IM-PORTANCE WITH MUSIC FANS LIVES? On the contrary, some people just won’t rest until they’ve got a physical copy of their favourite record, and in that sense, I don’t think that the concept of the record label is going to go anywhere anytime soon. Even in times of austerity, people are willing to spend money on independently released records and tapes, and I think that says a lot about the strength of the DIY community in the UK and the culture surrounding it.

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS AS A LABEL? Simply put, I want to work with artists that are passionate about what they do, and help them create something that they feel represents their art.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE WAYS TO LISTEN TO MUSIC ? Vinyl is such an intimate format, it’s definitely my favourite way to listen to music.

DO YOU FEEL THERE IS GOING TO BE AN UP RISE IN CASSETTES? I think that the shift in favour of cassette tapes has actually been happening for a while - they’re really cool to own, and they’re super cheap to produce, which makes them a pretty flexible format. As an up-and-coming artist, there’s really nothing more legitimising than releasing your music on a physical format, and the ‘revival’ of the cassette tape means that many more bands are able to have access to that, which can only be a good thing.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE LABELS AROUND AND WHY? There are tons of labels doing cool things all over the UK at the moment. I’ve worked with Close To Home Records in the past, and I’m really stoked on the bands that they’ve been putting out recently recently. The diversity of the Get Into It Records roster is incredible, and Chris’ attitude towards music, ethics, and life in general are all very much on point - so check them out. I’m also quite fond of Struggletown Records, who’re based up in Glasgow; they do great things for the music scene up there, and even from afar, that’s always been really cool to see.

HAVING EVERYTHING STREAMED ONLINE, DO YOU FEEL

statesid

a l i Ph

Whilst Philadelphia is home to some America’s best punk bands such as Modern Baseball and The Menzingers, there are so many other hidden treasures in this great city.

The Ambulars For those whose hearts are heavily involved in indie pop punk, then The Ambulars are the band for you, with their full length Dreamers Asleep At The Wheel stirring your inner passion. Although their album maybe eleven tracks long, with an average track length of two- three minutes, the record wizzes by and before you’ve finished your cup of tea, it’s all over. The trio’s lyrical stance is bright and uplifting with upbeat tempos that sing the tales from dead end romance to working jobs, to growing up and feeling disconnected. These guys have all of your teenager heart throb years covered, with power pop beats that have just enough punk for you to scream out to.

Radiator Hospital

“We are a rock band of rockers who love to rock. We also can be just one person who is much quieter but still loves to rock,” is the long description on the band’s Facebook bio. Although this pretty much sums the band up in just a sentence, there is so much more to this quartet than just good old rock music. Radiator Hospital make music that your teenage ear yearns for, while combining the feelings of being over worked and tired with a slightly pop punk beat that wears its heart on your sleeve. Founding member, Sam Cook-Parrott has six years of high punk energy in his grips as he writes with a great deal of wit.

Words by Isha Shah

Heavy

Three years ago Heavy Bangs released a two-dem recording it still managed to capture the band’ tal, Very Ok and Zombie Dogs it’s a given that

One of the tracks released, ‘All The Girls’ few years ago. No such luck with her fo

Mumblr

a i h p l e

KITE PARTY

The 2013 Philly bred punk band Mumblr emerge from the basement scene with a strong emotional melodic sound that captures the best and worst of the current youth. Made up of four close mates, the band have released a full length LP titled Full Of Snakes, which is packed with fuzzy punk guitars and a whole lot of noise. If you’re already judging this band by their album cover, which hardly covers the band’s genitals, then you probably know what you’re in for already. Mumblr have also put out a very short EP, Bang Bang, which debuts the gritty neighbourhood of Kensington in North Philly. Released in the same year, the band stick to their unique song titles of ‘Slut’, ‘Masturbation’, ‘Black Chicks’ and ‘My First Black Friend’. The quartet takes on the full DIY attitude, which can be explored in their latest record exploding with this ethos. Loving their hometown as much to name a song after it, ‘Philadelphia’ captures their hometown aura, with even more fuzz and slightly whiny vocals.

Two years ago brought Come On Wandering, Kite Party’s strongest release since 2012’s Baseball Season, (now come on Philly, we know there are other things than baseball in your city.) Sounding a lot like various other bands which we all enjoy and love deeply such as My Bloody Valentine, Caspian and a tiny bit of Arcade Fire, comes Kite Party’s influential sound. Offering atmospheric rock at its finest, the band have a perfect chill out vibe for those long dragging days in the house, or late night drives on the motorway. The record isn’t one of those really exciting new shiners, unless you find chilling music exciting, but it does offer a comfortable break with twinkly guitars and fuzzy pedals that don’t overpower the vocals; Kite Party deal with every relaxing mood.

If you’re digging a bit of Donovana Woldington, Ex Wife, or brothers in the same state, Glocca Morra, then Mumblr are your band to check out. Offering atmospheric rock at its finest, the band have a perfect chill out vibe for those long dragging days in the house, or late night drives on the motorway. The record isn’t one of those really exciting new shiners, unless you find chilling music exciting, but it does offer a comfortable break with twinkly guitars and fuzzy pedals that don’t overpower the vocals; Kite Party deal with every relaxing mood.

Cayetana

Bangs

mo track on their Bandcamp, and although this is a bedroom ’s punk tune. With Cynthia Schemmer from Radiator Hospit Heavy Bangs were going to produce some banging music.

’, was actually a dated song that Schemmer wrote a ormer bands, she’s brought it back for Heavy Bangs.

This trio of girl power pop have been around for just about five years, after forming in the fall of 2011. Much like their influences of bad jokes but good hair, the three-piece embodies the modern wave of indie pop bands with wetly sharp vocals. Nervous Like Me, is their debut LP; highly addictive, filled with fuzzy lo-fi distortion, Cayetana manage to transport you from your time frame. The band has even released two new songs this year titled Tired Eyes. Although the two-year gap is pretty average between bands, their sound has clearly matured vocally as well as the production. So much sharper and clearer now, the vocals speak of a woman, rather than of the teenage girl in previous releases.

Giants are one the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most important ban you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand why, then maybe bas tells us a bit about their brand new album 23

Photo by: Oliver Duncanson

nds right now, and have been for some time. If ssist Pete Rickards, can change your mind as he m and how the band are making waves. 24

“ April 1st marked a special date within Giants’ history, as this was the first release of their pit raging full length, Break The Cycle. This is the first release the band has put out through Holy Roar Records. “It’s a bit of a weird one, because you wait and wait as we did to finally release it. We received the physical vinyl and CDs and got really excited by it,” Rickards begins to tell us. “Holy Roar did a great job with the vinyl, they look awesome! I guess now that it’s out its all systems go, and a bit of a weight off if I’m honest. I think I speak for us all in saying now is all about playing the new songs at some fantastic shows, and getting back to what we do best!” Break The Cycle includes tracks from their previous 2012 release, These Are The Days, including favorites such as, ‘I’ve Been Low’, ‘Did It Mean So Much To You’, and ‘Another Day, Another Year’. The band wanted this record to be the best work they could possibly

Photo by: Ashley Thomas Wood

release, which includes their proudest of work from the past. “We worked hard on it, and as much as some of the songs on the album are older, we’re still really proud of them. They are still relevant to us.” These tracks are some of the ones Giants love playing as they fit in with the album as a whole. “When you get bored of your house you paint and decorate, but you don’t dig the foundations!” “Personally, for me it is a toss-up between the title track, ‘Break the Cycle’, and ‘Evergreen’,” Rickards says, telling us what his personal favourite tracks are to play live. “The groove of BTC, that nu-metal bop, the message behind Ed’s lyrics, it’s massive to me in every sense, and it is SO fun to play live!” ‘Evergreen’ also holds a great importance to the band, but on a whole new level. “When we wrote ‘Evergreen’ there was a chill, it was raw as hell and just absolutely honest. We’ve all dealt with loss in different ways. As a band we have lost friends, and family members, and loss is something

“

We have always worked for everything we have, both in band and out. I’m not sure we know any different.

that no one can escape. It feels good to have written something that can hopefully put some perspective and positivity to really shitty inevitabilities.” Giants recorded this monstrous record d at The Ranch Production House in Southampton, a place where there are no distractions but instead pure focus on the work at hand. Holding a long-standing relationship with Neil Kennedy and Daly George, the band felt comfortable and in control of their creative flow there, so it was a no brainer to choose a place sacred to them. However, when it comes to funding for such a large project, and Giants doing everything themselves, they opted to start a GoFundMe campaign where donations were welcomed. Rickards explains how this contributed the record. “It helped us a great deal and was actually so pleasing to see that

people genuinely believed in us even from such an early stage. We are eternally grateful to our fans, we all work jobs and have bills to pay at the end of the day, so back then without a label to help – it really was the only option for us. The record honestly wouldn’t have happened without them!” Giants have carried the true spirit of DIY throughout the nine years of being together. This strong ethic will never die or change. Tying in with a constant theme found within the record of what the band think is wrong with society, Giants have struggled to find a piece of art that portrays this without exposing too many messages that didn’t fit with what they are like as a band. “A record’s cover can make people think loads of stuff about you before they even listen, so we had to get it right. Our friend out on a skating trip in California took the photo; he was astounded by the poverty there and the amount of stuff on the streets, so he took a series of photographs

documenting people’s stuff thrown out on the streets. The photo we used just caught our eye, the colours and general tone of it was exactly what we were looking for.”

with Capsize and Landscapes. “Who knows how far you can push anything, we’ll always strive to do the bigger tour and the furthest countries, as will any band. Why else would we do it? It’s great fun! We can’t wait to be reaching new people in new places, and making great memories along the way.”

Despite the album art representing doom and gloom, the band themselves speak strongly of positivity. “What’s the point in general negativity?” Rickards asks. “If you can discuss a bad situation and come to a positive conclusion, you can move forward. That’s just who we are, and I guess, the message we want to share. I’ve never heard of a positive story of murder, corruption, war, famine, it’s all negative. There’s never a positive tragedy, but it is up to you to write your own positive conclusions. I’m not saying we can change the world one thumbs up at a time, but why not try!” Truly inspiring words there, and many others can be found in tracks such as ‘Misguided’, ‘Won’t Be Told’ and ‘When It Comes Down To It’.

The real question we want to know is: who do Giants dream about going on tour with? It’s a pretty obvious choice of Bad Religion and The Offspring, Rickards tells us. “I was so stoked when I saw that tour get announced, if our band got to the point where we could support bands like that I’d die happy.” While 2016 is already looking big for these guys, they also have some heavy touring plans for Autumn in the works, so if you miss them at festivals this summer, then be sure to keep your eyes peeled.

Recently the band have received a wave of good news. After supporting Defeater at London’s Scala, Giants have also been announced for a bunch of festivals including Hevy and a UK/EU tour

Giants are a band who have always supported the local scene, and grown fond of the bands that represent the UK. To name a few, Rickards suggests that we should be keeping a watch on Bad Sign,

“ 27

“Go to shows. Just go to shows,” are some of the final words of this interview. As well as listening to new bands, going to shows and seeing them live in front of you is another way to support the scene, and bands who really deserve it. “Discover some new bands, support them by being there, and being open to them growing. Live music is the best catharsis anyone can experience. Bands only play, to play to people. No crowds = no shows = no bands = dead scene and generic bullshit.” There you have it, go to a show tonight! There’s probably one on at The Unicorn in Camden. Words by Isha Shah

We’ve all dealt with loss in different ways. As a band we have lost friends, and family members, and loss is something that no one can escape. It feels good to have written something that can hopefully put some perspective and positivity to really shitty inevitabilities.

“

Napoleon, Control, Splitknuckle, Plague Vendor, Darko, Weatherstate, Trash Boat, and Chapter & Verse. The list could go on and on, literally the UK is on fire right now, so don’t sleep on it, check out these bands.

behind the lens My name is Kirsty Erskine, I’m 21 years old and a Scottish based photographer studying Fine Art at University. I always loved going out to gigs back when I was 15/16 years old, it took me a while to find a genre of music that I loved purely because at school I was pushed into the more pop genre of music. It wasn’t until I discovered The Blackout because of some girls in my year (one who is now my best friend) that I started going to gigs all the time. I remember going to a concert and seeing all the photographers in front of the barrier and thinking ‘How cool would it be if that was your job? I took my little digital camera along with me to a The Blackout gig and annoyed so many of my friends taking photos from the crowd. So when I turned 18 years old and bought my first camera, I decided to give music photography a go. I took my camera along with me to a gig (The Defiled) and started shooting. The photos are the worst things ever haha. But at the time I felt so proud, I got a buzz from it. That’s what made me keep on going. I’ve had a few people look at me oddly when I tell them what camera body I’ve got. It’s a Nikon D3100, the first camera I ever bought and still the one I use today. The main reason I haven’t upgraded is because being a student is expensive haha, but I am saving and hopefully one day soon I’ll be able to finally put my D3100 down to rest. I also use a variety of lenses, but my pride and joy is my Nikon 1.4 50mm lens. It will forever be my favourite lens. The sharpness is unbelievable. My favourite band I’ve shot at the moment has to be Bring Me The Horizon, their lighting was insane and just because I had always wanted to photograph them made it extra special. The way they made the crowd react made it such an amazing atmosphere. I also got to shoot alongside some fantastic and inspirational photographers such as Ashley Osborn and Joshua Halling. I also love the Glasgow band Number Them, they were the first ever band to contact me, which made me feel like I was actually doing something right. Bands like that are definitely the better ones to photograph. Scotland doesn’t have the best of venues; most of them are small and dark. However when I shot Architects last year at the O2 ABC in Glasgow the lighting was perfect, bright and colourful. Thank you O2 ABC/ Architects. For me, it’s all about the lighting. I always feel that the venues in Scotland (like I said previously) are quite dark apart from one or two, so I always get very excited and happy when a

band has a good lighting set up. A lot of small venues allow me to use a flashgun, but I don’t particularly like the look it gives my photos. So a gig with lovely bright lighting would be perfect. However, a band that is really into what they’re doing is key. Seeing a band with loads of energy, a passion and love for what they’re doing, getting the crowd hyped is always a winner. The main reason why I do live music photography is because I love it. Do what you love. If you’re doing something you don’t love, then why do it? Since I study Fine Art at University I use photography as my main way of working and expressing myself. I mostly do portrait photography, I love using the Universities studio and working with all the professional lighting. It’s always nice trying something new and have a break from what I’m used to. I also just love portraits, everyone is different so every time I take a portrait its always new and exciting. My dream band when I first started was Bring Me The Horizon, I always said that one day I would photograph them. Then finally, November last year, it happened. It was at the Corn Exchange in Edinburgh and it was the most eventful night of my music photography life. I was so excited I forgot to pack extra SD cards so only had the one in my camera. Half way through the first support band (PVRIS) my SD card stopped working. 8 photos on a 32GB card and it was telling me it was full. I freaked out so much. Within half an hour between bands I found one of the other photographers and he put my SD card onto his laptop, fixed it and I was sorted for Neck Deep. I honestly thought that I was going to have to leave and forget it. But it happened and I swear on my life, it was one of the best gigs I have ever had the pleasure to photograph. It was a real learning experience. Since I’ve managed to photograph my main bucket list band, I would now say that Slipknot is the next one for me. I’ve seen them twice at Download Festival and their stage presence is insane. The masks are so theatrical, I love it. To photograph them would be amazing. My main goal would be to go on my first ever tour, I’ve had bands consider me in the past but it never happening. However I’m kind of glad it never happened, I feel like I’ve improved hugely since then. Also, to get my work published in a magazine. I see photographers all the time getting their work in magazines, I would love that. Words by Kirsty Erskine

Kirs

sty Erskine Photos by: Kirsty Erskine

LIVE AT THE

E LAB

Live At The Lab is an exciting new experience into the raw live sessions, where you get to see your favourite artist perform in their truest form. We had a chat with Jack Longman, a music fanatic from Essex, who directs Live At The Lab sessions, as well as producer for the studio for a chat about his exciting new project. Longman works for Basick records in the merch department as well as screaming and playing guitar in the hardcore punk band, Giants. Situated on the outskirts of North East London, in a suburb town called Loughton in Essex, lives Soundland Studios. “The studio opened its doors around seven years ago, stemming from my colleague James’, dream of running his very own studio to help keep local music thrive, after cutting his teeth working as a studio assistant at Abbey Road studios,” Longman begins to tell us. “We are a multi purpose music studio, meaning that whilst we mainly focus on recording sessions for bands, we also operate as a rehearsal studio for bands and artists. When the place was being built, we made sure to hire the best studio developers the country has to offer in order to build the best sounding rooms we could. We all grew up rehearsing/recording in studios that were absolute dives, so we wanted Soundlab to offer a higher quality of service without being too corporate feeling.” After being fed up with the format of the way we check out new bands, Longman wanted to give listeners an unpolished, real life experience to bands. “When a person checks out a band these days they will go to their Facebook/website/whatever, see a shiny polished music video of the band miming to some perfect studio audio and that is then how they perceive the band to be, which in my opinion is not always the case. Some bands sound/come across completely different in a live setting and I think that that is a great thing!” These live sessions are also a way to give bands that have a greater live sound the opportunity to embrace it. While we are all consumed by our iPhones and iPad’s, viewing bands though a live platform is something not a lot of us get to do. “I wanted to give people the opportunity to see and hear how a band sounds performing absolutely live, no editing, no vocal fixing etc.” The sessions began to pick up with a rapid interest, Longman decided to start a YouTube channel. “Being in a band myself I also knew that this was a service that bands crave, especially when it’s being used to promote album releases - bands always want different ways of showing their music to fans!” The channel already has over twenty live videos that you can check out and experience for yourself. “I think seeing the band perform can help you feel the energy that the music is producing in the room with the band, we do our best to try to capture this in our videos!” Due to his music background and love for punk and hardcore scenes, the sessions tend to focus on the local talent. However the guys aren’t really fussy with what genre you’re in, as they want to branch out and support a wide range of bands who come their way. “I actually have a session for an awesome pop/electronic band, being held back at the moment, can’t wait to release it!” If you are interested in getting involved and getting some live sessions recorded and put out there, then you can drop them an email at UKLiveAtTheLab@gmail.com and you can get chatting. Words by Isha Shah

behind the lens

zac

Mahrouche

I’m Zac Mahrouche, an 18-year-old photographer based just outside Cambridge, England. I’ve been shooting since the age of 14. My interest initiated due to an already prevalent passion for live music that I possessed. I developed a fixation with imagery and capturing people that is stronger than ever today. At the time when this passion began to transform into a hobby, I would email various promoters, bands, venues or whomever I could get my hands on, in order to gain access to shows and shoot some quite honestly horrible photographs. Over time, like all hobbies, my work began to take on it’s own unique style and my passion flourished. I am still in the progress of evolving my interest and learning new things every day. In the last year I have seen my interest in photography take a turn I hadn’t expected into the world of portraiture and fashion, it’s something I am passionate about pursuing, but music photography remains a big part of my life and present aspirations. In addition to this, I have dreams of incorporating sports photography into my skill set one day, particularly within Premier League football. As I work almost primarily within on-location portraiture in photography, my favourite current set-up consists of my old reliable Canon 600d and a 50mm 1.8 lens. I have been fortunate enough to work with some of my favourite artists over the last few years, amongst the most memorable is pop-star Charli XCX. Not only for her on-stage attitude and music itself, but the aesthetic qualities she brings to her live performance. After shooting shows ranging from the sweatiest of clubs to far more grand and illustrious venues such as Brixton Academy, I’d have to say my perfect set-up would integrate the two. I’m a big fan of grand lighting set-ups; in particular ones featuring neon, but when the spirit of the crowd matches that of the underground sweatbox shows, it makes for the perfect atmosphere. I pursue photography simply out of my own passion and interest; I thrive off of the interaction with artists and capturing special moments. So much so that I find it hard to attend shows without my camera! As I mentioned before, I am a keen fashion photographer and currently focus my work almost primarily within that area. My clients range from bloggers, to friends, to fellow artists and I have a blast doing it. I have also had the pleasure of working on London Fashion Week. Paramore are a huge bucket-list band for me. Whether I will ever get the chance to work with them remains to be seen but I’d jump at the chance. I am also a huge Laura Marling fan and would be blown away by the opportunity to work personally with her and create something special. My main goal within photography is simply to build upon the foundations I have set myself. I still have a lot to learn and am setting out on the path of higher education soon. I have dreams of living within London and making some type of living, perhaps at a magazine or from my own freelance work. This is much easier said than done however, there is a lot of work to be done. In terms of not being taken seriously as a young creative person, this is an obstacle all photographers commonly face. It is essential to know what you’re worth and sell yourself as a professional even if you are inexperienced. I feel increasingly confident in my ability to value my work and myself but still regularly find my time and effort being exploited. This is not only an issue for photographers but artists from all creative sectors and it simply must change.

Words by Zac Mahrouche

gia

ALBUMs

break the cycle

8.5/10 It has been a long time coming, but the Essex skate punkers Giants have finally released their first full-length album through Holy Roar Records. Resting their talent purely within the DIY ethos, the quintet produced Break The Cycle at the famous Ranch House in Southampton through crowd-funding donations.

taposition. What makes Giants so exciting is their ability to combine the tiny details found within heavy music and mash it up to create thirteen livid songs.

Four years down the line since These Are The Days, and the five-piece still haven’t lost their fist punching breakdowns. ‘Underachievers’ kicks off the record with a heavy riff intro that is soon joined by Edward Parker’s biting vocals. This invites you into the next two tracks, ‘I’m Not Around’ and ‘Our Own Enemy’, following a seamless transition.

‘Eastbound’ is the track that gets your feet stomping along to every beat. Short and sweet, the simple track gives enough time for a little dance with its destructive break down. Adding in two old favourites, ‘Did It Mean So Much To You’ and ‘Misguided’ are played back to back giving us a couple of re-invented classics. Presented with an edgier adaption of Jack Longman’s vocals, Parker’s still remain as rugged and sharp as ever, creating a perfect punch that the songs originally had.

Musically the band has grown tighter, with groovy beats that represent the mosh of UK hardcore, and harsh vocals that are on a constant jux-

Re-recorded tracks are usually seen as overkill, but Giants bring back the faith we once lost with songs that sound even better than their originals.

35 Photo by: Ashley Thomas Wood

nts Out April 1st Holy Roar Records

Giants have solidly managed to deliver us track after track of pure raging skate punk that is heavily influenced by classic hardcore bands such as Comeback Kid and Bad Religion; Giants are the band 2016 needs in their ears.

hostile visuals. A perfect example of their modernisation is found within ‘Evergreen’, a soul sucking experience that rests on a steady beat. Very much alike to the work of Capsize and Landscapes, the track pays tribute to those we’ve lost but still hold so close.

As we reach the title track, it’s clear from the very first bass line that we’re in for a pit stomping treat. Parker’s vocals enter in due course, while the chugging continues into pits of heavy riffs. ‘Break The Cycle’ debuts the record’s angsty charm, with a whole load of fast pace grooves that allow the short track to reach its highest impact.

You can also expect to see a few favourable tracks, hidden within the record, such as ‘I’ve Been Low’, which ends the album on elevated levels. For their first record, Giants have proved that the wait has been worth it, pulling together an album that showcases their best work to date.

There are so many variations of the current music we know and love that are mixed with nostalgic melodies. ‘Resignation’ balances their edgy tune with Longman’s powerful vocals that add a soft howl to their

Words by Isha Shah

ALBUMs Asking Alexandria 3/10 the black

Asking Alexandria had something special back in 2011. Stuck between former frontman Danny Worsnop’s delusions of grandeur, excessive drug abuse and some truly unwholesome riffs, their second record Reckless & Relentless was a masterclass in mixing savage yet tired-sounding metalcore with perfect pop hooks. Its follow up, 2013’s From Death to Destiny, did not have the same effect. By that point Worsnop’s love for 80s dad rock and flirtations with sobriety left the two key ingredients of the band’s power feeling strangely unbalanced. By early 2015 Worsnop would be out of the band, demonised by the remaining members in the press and replaced by Ukrainian Denis Stoff. Asking forged ahead with some singles so clearly aimed at Worsnop that they sampled their own interviews stating that they weren’t on their newest album, as some sort of disclaimer. But when taking into account the whole record, it becomes clear that this actually isn’t just about Danny being the bad guy of the Asking Alexandria saga: if anything it’s more of an origin story for lead guitarist Ben Bruce as the horrendous new supervillain. While The Black ditches the hard rock of From Death To Destiny, despite teasing a return to the heaviness of old with fantastic singles ‘The Black’ and ‘Let it Sleep’, this album largely finds Asking trying to redefine themselves through misguided re-workings of other band’s tropes. ‘Sometimes It Ends’ is pure Sempiternal-era Bring Me The Horizon in it’s glitchy electronic production, albeit with a breakdown and end section that is simply Asking-by-numbers. ‘The Lost Souls’ is like everything bad about Avenged Sevenfold made worse, and then ruining ‘A Little Piece of Heaven’ as well. ‘Just a Slave to Rock ‘n Roll’, is every bit as terrible as the name

37 Photo by: Helen Messenger

suggests, in the exact fucking way the name suggests, but with an ill-fittingly brilliant pop rock chorus. With ‘Send Me Home’s downright sickly fucking 30 Seconds To Mars-level mopey pop rock wank, the band manage a rare feat: three indescribably tasteless tracks, awful in three different ways, in succession: and not a single one that actually sounds like they wrote it. Then what? Ben Bruce taking lead vocals for the most uncomfortably shmoozey piano-ballad ever penned? You couldn’t make this shit up. Denis Stoff proves himself to be an impressively versatile vocalist on the opening track alone, but with a producer like Joey Sturgis it hardly counts: the whole album is so washed out with huge “WOAH-OH” vocal samples and effect upon digital effect it’s hard for him to not sound flawless. Although the heavy reliance on vocal effects works in some cases (‘The Black’), in most it just sands off the rough edges that made Reckless and Relentless so good. Asking hit the mark with three solid metalcore belters on this record, but mainly just sound like they don’t know which direction to be heading in. Lyrically, a lot of it could be aimed at Worsnop, most of it is generic pish, and some of it is dire. What the album really seems to be about is how Ben Bruce has emerged from the last three years as the sort of man who would call out an old bandmate for believing himself to be the voice of a generation, and literally proclaim himself to be the same on one album. The sort of man who releases an album of inconsistent tangents under the guise of a comeback. The sort of man who samples his own interviews on an album. Worsnop may be gone, but Bruce has stepped up to the role of Asking’s deluded narcissist on The Black, and he does it with none of the charm. Words by Joe Gilbertson

wray 9/10 hypatia

Having knocked around the Birmingham, Ala scene since their teen years, the power trio, Wray are at a crucial moment in their career. With their second record release, Hypatia is their prized passion, and a bloody good prize too. The record heavily replies on washing guitars and wavy shoegaze rock. Intro track ‘Below’ is a subtly oozing welcome. The tracks adds tone to the bands raw sound found in their 2014 self titled record, by pulling a steady tempo. Mr Brown’s vocals are soft whispers that float in and out of the delicate music. Highlighted at some points and almost disappearing at others, his vocals remains at a constant alteration of pitch. ‘Giant’ picks things up a little, with a faster tempo and dominating vocals that don’t juggle about so much. Wray’s title track implies strictly what the band has tried to accomplish, power through repetition and tension. This slight more rounded track gives us just a little more to the band than we’d expect from the first two tracks. Brown’s dreamy vocals are outstretched here to build on the climax of the track, while the moaning guitars make their appearance. Hypatia maybe an album for nonshoegaze lovers, as it offers more than your typical blur of sounds. Wray, now in their thirties have realised they need to make a record that says something about the music they want to make, and this twelve tracker, just maybe what

singles wallflower 'sleep forever' We probably all want to do exactly what the title of this song says, but listening to this track forever seems like a pretty great alternative. Wallflower are back with a striking brand new track that fulfils all those late lonely nights. Vocalist Vinicius Moreira-Yeoell introduces us to his delicate choice of words, before he blasts out handfuls of sharp utterances that are packed with desire. The whole song is consumed by a sweet melody that puts Wallflower head first in the deep end of bands that are making a difference to your senses.

bloody knees they needed. As the record progresses so do the tracks. ‘May 23rd’ is the perfect example of this, with wailing vocals that solidify the swaying music. As the bands draws on music that can arguably be classed as shoegaze, they do manage to capture the best of it with droning intense sounds that are precisely on point. It’s a tiny bit obvious that the band enjoy listening to huge influential musicians such as Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine. Wray also brush up against the 60’s Psychedelic pop era with ‘Jennifer’ and ‘Shiva’ proving to be true distortions. The three-piece maybe from the states, however they have brought back a classic sense of old British shoegaze, which is a delight to see a new band exploring the style for themselves. The last track of the record really grabs your attention for one final time. ‘Mounts Minding’ is a slow starter, but like most of the other songs, it’s progressive build is worth the wait. Words by Isha Shah

'i want it all' It has been quite some time since we’ve heard from the big-haired bad boys, Bloody Knees, but they’ve returned to give us a gnarly track that explodes with soft punk blasts. “I want it” becomes the constant moan of vocalist Bradley Griffiths, who socks us with his downbeat cries that heavily contrasts with his previous sound. Following on from Stiches, the band have taken the progressive grunge route with their new track, giving us an updated view of what Bloody Knees have become.

lightcliffe 'roses' With only three tracks currently released, Lightcliffe are taking the UK scene by storm. Bittersweet in the introduction, the band carries a gentle melody that gives you a swaying daydreaming sensation. We all love roses; they look beautiful and smell nice, which is exactly how this song makes you feel. Light and fragile, the four-piece are musical masters as they dominate in the vivid melodic side of their talent. Singer Theo Byrd once again sweeps you off your feet with his stargazing vocals that collide perfectly with the track. Words by Isha Shah

heck

Instructions

Nottingham four-some, HECK, (originally known as Baby Godzilla but they were forced to change their name for copyright reasons) have released their widely anticipated first full-length album simply titled, Instructions. If you look at their Facebook page information, all of their answers are short and straight to the point much like their unique rendition of hardcore. However, they don’t fit into one specific genre; instead they just classify themselves as “genuine extreme noise”, which is possibly the most accurate way to describe them. HECK are offering something completely raw and honest and the general noise they create is something that really tickles the wrong nerves, stirring up a great amount of anger. When you’ve finished listening to the record it leaves you feeling amazing, like a huge amount of weight has been lifted off your shoulders. The first taste you get of this rage infused sound is from the fiery album opener, ‘Good as Dead.’ It’s a track composed of frantic, chaotic riffs and intense screeching vocals and furthermore sets the tone perfectly for the rest of the album. One of the strongest tracks on the record is ‘The Hardcore Swindle,’ as it’s something a little more than just reckless noise. It has a punk vibe to it and an irresistible harmony embedded in the chorus. HECK have

RAIN

mastered the perfect balance between melody and loudness on this track. ‘Fastback’ is a one minute and fourteen second mess of clunky, hardcore guitar and pounding drums. It’s short but sweet and follows the philosophy of extreme bands like Napalm Death thus showing diversity in their sound. Meanwhile, ‘The Breakers’ has a sludgy, doom led sound and although at times the guitars pick up the tempo, it’s generally a very slow paced song but the feedback from the amps and the distorted guitar gives off a huge impact thus adding a lot of heaviness to the track. The album finishes on a high note with a three part track titled ‘i. I see The Old Lady Decently. ii. Buried Although. iii. Amongst Those Left are you.’ It’s the most ambitious track on the album with a hardcore and progressive rock crossover. You can tell the band have leapt out of their comfort zone, introducing some new styles that by this point, if you haven’t enjoyed the rest of the record, you’re craving. There are lots of tinges of melody coming from both the guitar and vocals scattered throughout the epic 15-minute track, which are mixed with their trademark aggressive hardcore style making for an eclectic sound. There’s even some softer, more emotive guitar at some points, which again shows a different side to the band than we’ve previously seen.

symphony pains

The Ranch Production House in Southampton seems to be producing most of the UK’s best talent in the last few years, with 2016 being a prominent era for them, Symphony Pains is another top hitting result. Back in October ‘Slur’, broke into our world with a concrete slab of fuzz-rock that predicated the bands out-breaking EP. Rain are musicians who can never have too many pedals, as their large use of these creates delays that are filled with euphoric ambience. Right from the very start of the song, its pretty clear that this five-piece from Swindon are on big things, despite only being a band for less than a year. ‘Indigo In Blue’ focuses on the beauty side of the craftsmanship. Altering between high and low tempos, the quintet have a varied spectrum that they can dip between, without sounding try-hard. Rain are a band that the UK so dearly needs, resurrecting 90’s

7/10

Photo by: Helen Messenger

classic shoegaze to a modern audience. Very much alike to ‘Dandelion’, the song offers a soft meditation. The delicate track is packed with tension that is progressively released as each element truly develops. Symphony Pains passes of as an easy light listen, with a short EP that is bursting with natural intensifiers. Words by Isha Shah

9/10

Furthermore, the track is a great showcase of the band’s excellent musicianship and ability to create music that’s outside of conventional boundaries. While Instructions is a decent album, it feels like the music isn’t going to be able to be experienced properly unless it’s in a live environment just because the production doesn’t serve the band justice and you can’t feel the true impact of the music. This is expected considering the great live reputation that HECK have, although they have managed to at least capture a small essence of their music on a record. Negatives aside, HECK are good at what they do, which is creating the most chaotic and extreme music they feasibly can and if that’s your sort of thing then you’ll definitely dig this. Words by Megan McMillan

Kal Marks

9/10

Life is Alright, Everybody Dies Welcome to the gloomy, dark, sludgy world of Kal Marks. To understand Kal Marks, we must first understand their background. Kal Marks are not alone in their scene within the city of Boston, Massachusetts (USA). Being a band signed to Exploding in Sound Records is about more than just being a part of a record label – it’s like being a ranking member within a cult like the Freemasons with Kal Marks being part of the highest rank, Master Masons. Exploding in Sound Records have been around for five years, giving life to extremely experimental punk/post-punk bands such as Pile and the late Krill. Life is Alright, Everybody Dies is Kal Marks’ third LP, meaning that the band have had a great amount of time to refine their sound to the point where hearing a Kal Marks song instantly makes you think about the danger of communism. This album’s agenda is introduced slowly - ‘Life is Alright’ feels like the rising sun, slowly coming up to greet you. But then imagine that rising sun begins to shout at you

about the loneliness of being the only star around its parts. This track is a perfect example of how an album can immediately introduce what it is that you’re going to face, both instrumentally and lyrically. Once you feel at safe place within the record, ‘Mankind’ takes the album to the logical next step of an insanely intoxicating ire. As weird sounding and out of place as ‘Sweet Lou’ is, it’s an imperfection this album required to be a beautiful display of scream blue murder, continued on the single ‘Dorothy’ and furthered by the ambivalence of ‘Loneliness Only Lasts Forever’. Kal Marks think you need a break, so they pause for the haunting ‘It’s So Hard to Know How to Say Goodbye’; but it’s less of a break and more of a moment to reflect before ‘Everybody Dies’, the second part of the album title, which follows in the footsteps of ‘Mankind’. The samples in ‘Heavy Hands’ may be confusing and unnecessary, but the punchy bassline that penetrates your skull during

this track was something the world of music was missing. Second single ‘Coffee’ is presented to once again remind you of the underlying themes of tiredness and the need to feel “tired and wasted” on the inevitable path towards death. This entire project is perfectly rounded up in a way that strangely doesn’t leave a desire for more, but rather a desire to return to the beginning – to not let it all end. Everybody might die, but as long as there is a chance to revisit the perfect purgatory of this album with the haunting vocals to keep you company, then life will be alright. Words by Soroush Fereydoni

The Stone Foxes 9/10 Twelve Spells The rock world nowadays is plagued by so many mainstream and generic rock bands that don’t bring anything new to the table, and it has given the once mighty genre a bad name. However, the deeper you dig you’ll find that modern rock has a lot more to offer than you first thought. Blues rock outfit from San Francisco, The Stone Foxes, are creating exciting music and their fourth offering, Twelve Spells, has a lot of examples of this. Twelve Spells is one of those rare albums where every song on the record blows you away. From the beginning to end you’re kept engaged by the eclectic blend of bluesy rock and explosive indie rock. Also to some extent there’s a progressive element to the band’s music simply because they are importing several different musical styles at once, which creates different patterns of music throughout the songs. ‘Eye for Love,’ the opening track, is a dreary track with an incredibly melancholy feel to it. Furthermore, you get a taste of the band’s amazing song-writing talent with this solid and memorable track.

Much of the music here is groove led and the album has a tone of awesome jams. ‘This Town’ has a killer lead riff and great rhythm, all of which create a happy indie rock party vibe. ‘Cold as a Killer’ is one of the darker tracks on the record. The pristine production and old school blues rock grooves transport you into a shady bar on the back streets of New York. ‘Dying Star’ is your classic indie rock anthem with furious, almost punk-esque guitar. The song itself is about a fallen cover girl and features some of the finest lyrics on the album. Prepare to be transported into a blissful world of music when listening to this album. Not only is the music intoxicating but again the lyrics are so vivid and narrative driven that it’s like having a film playing in your head. ‘My Place’ actually has a country thing going on, and a beautiful romantic melody throughout with a very strong love story that you can picture in your mind.

Overall, this is a great album that’s enjoyable from the moment you press play to the moment the last song, ‘Count Me As One’, finishes. It’s hard to say anything negative about it because every aspect of the music from the lyrics to the song structure is spot on. While the band do experiment a lot with different rock styles, if you don’t like indie or bluesy rock you probably won’t enjoy this album as much because they tend not to branch out from these styles. However, if you enjoy bands like The Black Keys or even mainstream indie acts like Kasabian then you should check out The Stone Foxes. Words by Megan McMillan

eps Coast to Coast Stylistically speaking, this EP is diverse. The two sandwich filler tracks, ‘Bloom’ and ‘Cornerstone’ are meaty and fulfilling, whilst the introduction cleverly blends the duality meaning of Dwell with the EP’s opposing themes coming together, using a blend of lyrics from each of the three songs. It illustrates being torn between reminiscing over the past and finding the strength to move on to new places to live out your dreams. In comparison to label mates Better Than Never and upcoming tour companions Catch Fire and Best Years, Coast to Coast craft distinctively punchy British flavoured pop punk. Lastly, twilight acoustic number ‘Bunkbeds’ proves the strength of the bands’ songwriting with just vocals and guitar sketching out an easily relatable innocent and nostalgic story of growing up and leaving home.

“I was on top of the world, but now my head’s six feet in the ground, ‘cause that’s the difference when you’re not around,” it appears that despite the positivity, there is a distinctive sad tone to these

Larger than life feelings are dictated in Keiran Hyland’s distinctively Brummie accent, “I can’t quite comprehend how much you mean to me,” during the EP’s highlight song, ‘Cornerstone’. This stitches the high emotion together with a taste of reality, and it’s hard not to be drawn in by someone who is using their own unique voice to tell their story. As he continues,

vocals, which openly invites a sympathetic audience. During debut single ‘Bloom’ we hear the full power of such a voice, which is shouting but mellow – adding weight without the need for gruff edge or aggression. Strangely comforting, rolling drums and crashing cymbals build upon full-frame guitar chords. Tight playing and colourful

pushing daisies 7/10 You know that gloomy, grungy hole that Hindsights left in your music library after announcing their split? Well Pushing Daises could satisfy your needs, with the release of their latest EP Stay Sad. Taking influences from alt-rock/emo bands such as Title Fight, Basement and Superheaven, the Bristol bunch have impressed enough with previous releases to land them shows with the likes of Heck and Pity Sex. Dreary instrumental tones, mixed with shouty vocals create a sound that isn’t unique, but is strong and addictive nonetheless. ‘Kintsugi’ stands out as the strongest song from the EP, with an ending that consists of repetitive lines and passionate

Dwell

Photo by: Helen Messenger

8/10

melodies further flesh out this weighty, heavy pop punk quartet’s gutsy, bold, Four Year Strong like encouraging chants. Brave but honest, Coast To Coast scream proudly from one beat to the next with an unmistakably organic Birmingham-based sound. Rolling out at the end with Real Friends type lead riffs and a repeated outcry of, “I’m broken and jaded, I fell apart, I hate it,” in attempt to disassociate from a fragmented form of self, the penultimate track shows the most romantic shades Coast To Coast have on offer. Like a painter screaming colours onto the walls of an abandoned warehouse, Hyland sings, “You light up the best in me, parts that I rarely see,” illuminating the song with engaging and unique lyricism for themes that could easily fall victim to being cliché. What Coast To Coast have on offer is powerful, persuasive and gripping with enduring charm and distinctive character present in every song. However, the EP only features two fully produced songs. All that is missing is more content - which is surely to be eagerly anticipated by anyone who enjoys this impressive punch of emotive punk. Words by Arriana Corr

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vocals, which suits their softer tone in this particular song. What works best for Pushing Daises is when they slow the tempo down and isolate the vocals like in ‘Phil Collins Was There For Me More Than My Dad Ever Was’ – it creates a more impactful tone, and one which is easy to listen to and must create great moments when playing the songs live. Despite being repetitive at times (which is extremely common in the genre) Stay Sad provides a work-in-progress and somewhat experimental product from a band who are full of potential and who are perhaps

still trying to find out what they are best at tonally. Far from the best release they will ever put out, but even further afar from an amateur production. Words by Reece Weatherley

Super American Golf Pop EP 10/10 Colourful and playful but down-to-earth in candid delivery - Golf Pop is a bubble-gum burst of summertime. It’s a release that would comfortably blast its effervescent, flavoursome sound waves over a worn out cassette tape deck in a dusty Cadillac. It’s not infected with shopping mall cookie-cutter-pop that devastates so many bands’ attempts at creating catchy feelgood pop rock. Instead, Super American, a four piece from Buffalo, New York (a group which have recently sprung up from the ashes of now defunct I Can See Mountains) run explosively headfirst into their very own DIY brand of a commonplace genre with a refreshing debut EP. Dreamy, dusty sunlight strung guitar melodies capture the essence of Transit, whilst being laced with characteristic vocals that hold a warm resonance but rise above the mix tonally, reminiscent of older The Story So Far material. Effortlessly romantic, with lyrics like, “You left them out like roses for the crows,” alongside casual conversational lines, where we are jokingly told, “It takes years and years to master that shit – of course it does!” – Super American

STORY

tease between a casual conversation with a friend and the deeper and more surreal and subliminal things that can occupy anybody’s headspace. This casual interplay rolls through the five songs with an everlasting supply of riffs, tunes, and constantly updated rhythms and dynamics. Whilst keeping you attentive and providing exciting energy, the compositions run so smoothly that Golf Pop could quite easily be something to kick back and listen to with friends in your laziest t-shirt and jeans. From the highway ready ‘Push Up’ to the jumping-on-the-bed carefree optimism that runs throughout ‘On Top of The World’ and ‘Love to Hate’, Super American also provide more bitter emotion, as track four drops into epic surging guitar echoes and a weighty chorus that remorses, “No sunshine on the inside, just a couple flowers that say that they don’t remember him, don’t remember him…” This only makes final track, ‘Airway’, even sweeter as it runs along with its blissful charisma

Hopeless but Hoping Delicate strings like pinpricks of light filtering through are ambient but epic. Soft, serene backing vocals make a velvet sky setting of twinkling stars over which Bill Hobson scratches a deeply emotionally pained and driven lead, “I’m choosing to leave you behind when I’m gone,” during lead single ‘Article 10’. This intricate, elegantly brutal track cracks the album open like a bottle of champagne exploding into glittering jewels that capture glory found amidst even the darkest times in our lives. The result is rich and explosive, yet attentive and fragile. Hands Like Houses-esque threadbare beauty is woven throughout the six songs but especially shimmers during title track, ‘Hopeless but Hoping’; before it rushes to an emo/hardcore finish, with lavish alt-rock guitar leads drawing emotions sky high. ‘Article 10’ is the pinnacle of Story’s creative stride, demonstrating the sheer range of dynamics and stylistic fluency the

and sing-song vocal melodies that match the daydreams of Angels and Airwaves and Owl City with additional punk energy. Camels laughing hysterically against a cloudless summer sky could not sum up the effects of this EP any better: genuine fun from four guys who are just happy to express being themselves. Words by Arriana Corr

7/10

group have confidently progressed into since their much more static metalcore EP, The Divide, released this time last year. Through the duration of Hopeless but Hoping, the Sheffield quintet introduce an irresistible interplay of pop rock, metalcore, alternative rock and post-hardcore drawing influences from Architects, Northlane and Of Mice And Men as well as the more radio friendly Young Guns and Mallory Knox. This EP draws in an extensive scope of far out, distant reaching melodies – each one is beautiful and powerful, delivered by the growling but charming vocals from Bill Hobson – brandishing an incredibly wide dynamic range. ‘Carry Me Home’ loses itself at the end of the release in dreamy sprays of stars in its bridge before throwing you back into a stadium chorus that is torn open with deeply emotive, “These bleeding tears will be the death of me…” This EP offers an artistic release for soaring spirits with poetic

unburdened freedom, exploring an atlas of styles surrounding modern post-hardcore. Aside from the lead single there is not one outstanding composition and therefore it may take some time to grow on listeners – but Hopeless But Hoping certainly stands its ground once it has made its home in your heart; offering more depth, character and quality than it would appear on the surface. Words by Arriana Corr

Live hotos in p

amongst the chaos The Joiners, Southampton 12.3.16

realm of torment

Photos by: Isha Shah

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deafheaven heaven, London 14.3.16 10/10

Photo by: Helen Messenger

It has been six years since Deafheaven came out with their straight up black metal demo debut; a demo that they couldn’t even afford to pay the recording costs for at the time. Having played the likes of Pitchfork Festival in the States, headlining Arctangent in the UK last year and gradually being accepted into the metal community without being tarnished by the term “hipster”, the San Francisco quintet are currently riding on a monumental wave of success. Their 2015 record New Bermuda might have further polarised their true black metal fans and those who preferred the shoegaze/post-rock influences on Sunbather, however their performance of New Bermuda in its entirety is nothing short of breathtaking. Vocalist George Clarke, while usually quite reserved when speaking to the audience, seems more than grateful for the turnout tonight, giving praise for coming out and announcing each track title before reverting back into his menacing on stage persona. His signature coarse vocals soar majestically over the rest of the instruments in the mix. Deafheaven have never sounded so tight yet so sonically abrasive when performing the likes of ‘Brought To The Water’ and ‘Luna’. The softer elements on New Bermuda, such as ‘Gifts Of The Earth’ and ‘Baby Blue’, are accompanied by stunning blue lights that really emphasise the band’s emotional brevity and how much their music can juxtapose between post rock and black metal. At times there’s a slightly awkward silence in-between songs whilst the band are tuning, which somewhat breaks the immersion that Deafheaven’s music is designed for, but thankfully it doesn’t stop the music itself tugging at the audience’s heartstrings. The encore, however, completely demolishes the floor this evening. With the backdrop gradually fading from blue into pink (the backdrop for Sunbather which is supposedly what you see when you close your eyes) both the dynamics in the instrumentation and the audience become frantic and flirt with being almost euphoric. The closing few minutes of their set always evoke the most animalistic response from their audiences and tonight is no exception. Ending on ‘Dream House’, Clarke throws himself onto the barrier as fans cathartically scream the final lyrics along with him; “I’m dying. Is it blissful? It’s like a dream, I want to dream.” If only that ending could somehow be extended for live sets but alas as it ends it becomes clear that Deafheaven are a majestic force to be reckoned with. Words by Ashwin Bhandari

astroid boys

+ youth ma

vintage rock ba doncaster - 11.3

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47 Photos by: Jonathan Bell

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ar, 3.16

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heck the joiners, southampton 20.3.16 - 9/10

Photos by: Isha Shah

If hardcore has a home in Southampton, then it’s The Joiners. Still as grungy and degraded as it always has been it’s a fitting backdrop to a HECK headline show. As much as local openers We Deny try to capture a filled out Joiners, their poppy modern pop-punk fell flat before it really got started. An odd fit on a bill such as this means that many a cigarette break was called and the room kept their eyes on their phones. Raketkanon fare much better, and their sludgy psychedelic tinged noise is met with welcome appeal. Playing as a three piece without a vocalist tonight, they make the most out of the chance and deploy dynamic evolving beats with a professional sheen. HECK guitarist Jonny Hall stood in for two tracks, adding yet another layer to Raketkanon’s performance. HECK, however, leave no doubt to their sound and their presence. Starting straight into the rabid madness that is ‘Good as Dead’ it sees both guitarists take many trips into the crowd and then on to the back of the venue. Microphone stands are thrown along with guitars as the caustic sound envelops everyone. Screaming and shouting their way through most of their debut album Instructions, HECK have finally matured into a band where the music matches the visual aggression. It is not all wantless anger however, as the band break their “characters” to say thanks for such a filled out crowd. ‘Powerboat Disaster’ creates the largest sing along moment as the breaths in between each chorus throw the venue into disarray harder and faster each time around. Ending with the 17 minute three parter that closes the album, HECK show the newfound dynamics in their sound and it builds to a feedback loop leaving the audience drenched in as much sweat as the band members themselves. Unapologetic and straight to the point, HECK are the true pinnacle of live hardcore music. Words by Jack Webb

lock & key Lennon's, southampton 20.3.16 - 8/10

Lennon’s is not a typical venue, acting more as a nightclub there is little room for a band so bouncy and pit ready as Lock & Key. However this didn’t stop anyone from throwing themselves in headfirst tonight. Openers and local troupe Old Boy kick off proceedings with a classic 90’s metal/hardcore vibe. An animated performance sees guitarist Jacob Walker spend more time off the stage than on it. The highlight of the set was new track ‘Tremor’ which sees a syncopated rhythm lay waste to Lennon’s. However, Nebraska failed to keep up the energy. Starting late due to technical issues sees the band only perform a handful of tracks. Custom made to whip up a storm but lacking definition with the twin vocalist dynamic, Nebraska act as a lull in the lineup tonight, never really connecting with the crowd further than the front row. Vocal issues aside however, Nebraska show that downtuned hardcore still has a place in many a heart. Reinstating the vibe next are Griever. A band clearly fast on the rise, their appearances may have put some preconceived ideas into the heads of some audience members, but as soon as the electronic tinged metalcore kicks in it is difficult not to get caught up in it all. With a stage presence that suits their sound, Griever will soon leave venues this size behind. Lock & Key have been criticised for being too simple and basic in their ideas. Those people have clearly never seen the band live. A pummelling display ends the night on a high as the band tear through tracks both new and old. Neither of which compromise their up close and personal appeal to fans. Clear sound but with an obvious metallic edge shows that Lock & Key have progressed from being just another UK hardcore band playing the toilet circuit. Words by Jack Webb

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Photos by: Lizzie Capewell

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while she sleeps + create to inspire The Bullingdon , Oxford - 25.3.16

while she sleeps

Photos by: Hellen Messenger

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while she sleeps

defeater + Insane kids + Giants + Break even Scala, London 17.3.16 - 8/10

Photos by: Isha Shah

With a tour that has hardly been promoted and a line-up that should sell out every date, Defeater return to London’s Scala for the last date of this very short run of UK shows with Break Even, Kids Insane and locals Giants. Amongst three very deserving support acts, Giants take to the stage just ten minutes after doors. With a new record about to be released, the five-piece blast out fresh tracks that have never been heard before. Just like their fast pacing skate punk music, the band bounce around the stage, leaving no space untouched. Adding some Israeli fusion to the line up, we welcome Kids Insane, a manic hardcore punk band from Tel Aviv. It’s only the second band of the night, and yet the adrenaline built on stage is pumping so high that it could give someone a heart attack. Following Giant’s heavy hardcore grooves, the quartet bound around the stage blasting out bitter vocals with every theatrical gesture they make. Flying onto the stage from the other side of the world, arrives Perth’s very own Break Even. After a two-year break, the Aussies are back to fill our ears with their melodic infused hardcore hits. Scattered across the stage, vocalist Mark Bawden reaches into the air above him, grasping it ever so tightly as though he were trying to catch every damped emotion that escaped his body. The quartet perform one hell of a set, constantly moving from one photographic position to another. Break Even sure know how to keep us entertained. Kicking off their set with ‘Unanswered’, a bold track from their recent record Abandoned, Defeater set the crowd up for a full interactive show. Despite the over-packed photo pit, and the security guards that stand in front of each band member, (not to mention the low stage that doesn’t do anyone any favours) the band use every ounce of energy to make themselves seen across the stage. Vocalist Derek Archambault soon makes his way to the barrier, as ‘December 1943’ makes it’s racketing start. Almost disappearing into the waves of hands that cradle his head, Archambault screams out each spitting lyric before a new voice is yelled back. The Boston quartet keep their words at bay; as one song finishes, another begins, following their fist punching music. Melodically, Defeater give you a whole new experience live. ‘No Shame’ debuts their slower paced melodies that still explode with a high concentration of emotion. Each word that leaves all three mouths’ on stage is delivered with an overwhelming impact. The band alter between their two latest records, although Travels is not forgotten as they bang out ‘Blessed Burden’ and ‘The Red, White and Blues’ as the crowd greet these tracks with the utmost appreciation. Although there were a few tracks that would have fully satisfied our yearly dose of Defeater, the band does play ‘Dear Father’. Still to this day, that one song can create such corruption and drive heavy hearts to the front of the barrier. Nevertheless we all know there is only one song that the quartet can end on. ‘Cowardice’ breaks the short silence during which the band thanks everyone, once again, for their continuous support throughout the years. Words by Isha Shah

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Live hotos in p

MASSMATIKS THE JOINERS, SOUTHAMPTON 10.3.16

Photos by: Lizzie Capewell

the makarov scheme

loco ono

snake

the makarov scheme Photos by: Isha Shah

bowels

bowels + The Makarov Scheme + loco ono + snake THE Surya, london - 30.3.16 62