Out of south Wales come Torchbearer. A hardcore punk quartet with a brand new EP on the way. Against the Tide is it’s name. Recorded across two studios, the EP is made up of five, furious tracks that are sure to draw some interest from fans of hardcore.
Blackpool punks, Strange Bones plan to hit your ears with several EPs over the course of 2019. Blitz Pt 1 is the first of these, recorded by the four piece at their home studio and mixed by Thomas Mitchener. The band have a solid punk core, evident not only from their DIY recording but from their sound too.
Let's not beat about the bush here, The St Pierre Snake Invasion have one of those band names you just don't take seriously, like Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!. The fact is, Chunk and most other bands who have made it anywhere despite having a ridiculous name can back themselves up with good music. With the new record from The St Pierre Snake Invasion, however, the question lies not in the name, but in the music.
Doors opening at 7pm to a Sold Out show, with all patiently waiting for an hour before Palisades are set to take the stage. Everyone seems to be keeping themselves fairly entertained though by singing such "hits" as Bob The Builder, Spongebob Squarepants and Bon Jovi's 'Living On A Prayer' to name a few, in such a football chanting way.
Manchester five piece, Pleiades offer up their new EP, All At Your Mercy. The band worked it's way from a soundscaping three piece to it's current form, churning out this release at the end of it all. The post metal this group makes is truly huge.
The low-tuned mob in MTXS have released a ferocious album titled Ache which will prove to serve them well in the long run as the start to take the bull by the horns and set up camp with the juggernauts of the metal scene.
The Punk 5-piece from the big city of London EAT DIRT. thrash their way through 14 songs with the majority of the tracks being between 1-2 minutes long collectively completing the record in 26 minutes. 'Short and sweet' is a pretty accurate term to use here but we should forget about sweetness part of that statement, sure the songs are bangers, but sweet is not a word that works in this pacey-punk madness.
It seems these days I write the word 'punk' in practically every piece I write, be that punk of the pop variety, of the hardcore variety, or of the not very good variety. 'Born A Cynic', Weatherstate's first full length, ticks the boxes of the first two.
The Ballet, a queer NYC based indie-pop duo, present to the world their fourth full length, strangely titled 'Matchy Matchy'. This is definitely not something I'd choose to listen to, but here goes.
Temple Newsam, Leeds, 25th May 2019: Never will you find a more wretched hive of snapbacks and Vans. As the fans begin entering the festival grounds, the day is bright and warm... sadly it won’t last, but rain, thunder or snow wouldn’t have kept the legions away from Leeds today.
With their debut album, Harbinger showcase bags of potential. With a sludgy aura and thrashy riffs, there’s tonnes of influences throughout this record. It swings from metalcore to death metal. It’s a record that will perk the ears of many metal fans. Perhaps the only downside of this record is that it drags a bit. At 49 minutes long, there isn’t enough to keep you interested for that length of time. There is a lot throughout that shows potential but at the length it is it certainly needs to be more consistent.
Day two of Slam Dunk 2019 sees us hit Hatfield for the final day of the touring festival. As a regular to the Birmingham date, it was weird heading to an all outdoor version of Slam Dunk. What was weirder but probably the best thing about the festival, was the fact that there were double stages, allowing for clashes to be minimised.
Danish RnB-Core band Siamese have just released their 5th studio album Super Human (3rd as Siamese, previously know as Siamese Fighting Fish) and is possibly the album of 2019. Admittedly, this may come across bias as I have been hooked on them since my first encounter as a support band for Dead By April a couple of years ago... But cast that aside, you need to check out this album!
London feel-good indie trio Black Surf have served up 1 of 2 EP's for 2019 titled Make Friends is like a fuzzy feeling both internally and in their own instrumentals.
Late 90s emo band The Get Up Kids, return with their first album in 8 years. Problems is a brilliant return to form that is up there with some of the best of the current emo revival. The hooks slipped in between gripping emo verses and bouncy riffs are inescapable. There’s certainly a pop punk side to this album. In the sense that it is laden with hooks and poppy choruses. The songs flow from seemingly upbeat to more melancholic. Ultimately this is a great album from veterans of the scene, that more than holds its own against their younger counterparts.
