“To me, it’s just about doing your art and doing what makes you happy.” Ever since their 2002 formation, The Bronx have become rock’s ultimate misfits, whose scattergun hardcore arrangements and catchy melody writing has awarded them the title of “the best punk band in the world”. Whenever hardcore punk>>
When a band goes on hiatus, upon their return it is hard not to get a little bit nostalgic, go through their back catalogue and get re-familiar with the work they have produced. So when pioneers of the New York hardcore scene Burn announce that they would be returning with>>
“I don’t want to be known as a band that’s always on a downer, just because we’re fucked up,” concludes Rebuilder’s Sal Medrano as we wrap up a near hour-long chat. It’s a comment that comes as a surprise considering the ease with which Medrano talks (and, by his own>>
“We wouldn’t be beating a dead horse if no-one gave a fuck” Bands come and go. Lineups change, sounds evolve but once in a blue moon comes along a band which defines a generation of music fans. For punk/hardcore bands growing up in the late 90s / early 2000s, that>>
“If people are still talking about Counterparts twenty years from now, then I’ve won” Brendan Murphy is in a relaxed mood as we join him from his home in Hamilton, Ontario. Having recently returned home from a gruelling-yet-rewarding trek across the USA on the Vans Warped Tour now is the>>
“We don’t wanna make a clear distinction between band and private, but this is our primary focus and endeavour” Being removed from the Western world can have its disadvantages, especially when you’re a band with a message that rides along the line of “everything isn’t what it seems”. With their>>
“It feels good to have the control back in my hands” It is human nature that relationships are complex. You agree on some things and disagree on others. Relationships of any sort come and go, some more important than others. Within the music industry, relationships between bands and labels continue>>
Gut instinct can count for a lot, as can being spontaneous, and it is a combination which is proving fruitful for Philadelphia four-piece Small Circle. With the core of the band made up of members from one of the leaders of the modern emo wave in Sorority Noise, Small Circle>>
“It’s intimidating to be vulnerable but one thing I’ve learned is you can’t hold back.” While some bands are comfortable to stay independent, for others, the opportunity to be supported by a label matters. For Jay Martinez, vocalist for San Antonio pop-punks Across The Atlantic, joining the rapidly rising Sharptone>>
It can be tough to stand out in metal when every band seems to be on a mission to be the heaviest, the fastest and most technical in their playing field, so when we find a band who just want to play the nastiest music possible for their own twisted>>
For Ohio’s Dead Leaves, it’s all about the moments. A little detail here, a nostalgic remembrance there. When these moments are added together it makes for some powerfully sentimental vignettes that hit hard and speak volumes of the human condition. It’s in these stories – and boy, can Dead Leaves>>
“I think this is where I’ll really become an artist in my own right” In the vast sea known as YouTube, there is a pocket of budding singers and musicians crafting a living out of covering established artists and bands. While some might be satisfied with building an online following,>>
“We’re very diverse people when it comes to our music tastes, we listen to everything, but with this band, it’s all about being heavy and abrasive.” It’s common knowledge that hardcore music lives in the underground, and like most genres, it goes through cycles of popularity. Nevertheless, 2017 has seen>>
When you’re one of the world’s biggest hard rock bands, playing a mammoth festival the size of Download for the sixth time shouldn’t faze Alter Bridge. Nevertheless, for drummer Scott Phillips, gracing the Donington stage never fails to lose its significance. “It doesn’t get less special,” Phillips tells us. “The>>
If you didn’t know already, the 2000 Trees Festival is a respected gathering of underground rock, hardcore and punk. Every year, the Cheltenham-based festival puts plenty of emphasis on giving opportunities to emerging British talent. Amongst the names playing this year’s festival was Bellevue Days. Returning for the second year>>
“I’d rather be a band that polarises a little bit, rather than being a band where everyone says ‘they’re alright’” Over the past few years, the name Bad Sign has been bubbling underneath. Formed in the South London borough of Croydon in 2012, the trio consisting of frontman Joe Appleford,>>
In a time when the doom and gloom of the world seems to be dominating the headlines, it is sometimes harder to see the lighter side of life. Even in the musical world, artists seem to be using the political climate and the state of the world to influence their>>
“The last few years were kind of rough on me, I’m getting it together; 27 has been good so far, I’m hoping next year’s better,” muses Laureate’s Giancarlo Talarico on ‘Come Around’, one of the strongest cuts off the Montreal quartet’s debut full-length. It’s a sturdy piece of positive reinforcement>>
When asked to sum up the past 12 months, Trash Boat vocalist Tobi Duncan states it as “Hectic!” and it’s easy to see why he says that. Since releasing debut album, ‘Nothing I Write You Can Change What You’ve Been Through’, last June the St. Albans pop-punks have almost constantly>>
“We stopped caring about and thinking ‘that doesn’t sound punk rock’” For a majority of bands, you’re given a few years and releases to find your sound before making the leap towards recording a debut full-length. However, for Australia’s Trophy Eyes, they were thrown in the deep when it came>>
“We always say ‘if the thing we’re doing currently isn’t as good as what we just did, then there’s no point in doing it anymore.’” “Yesterday we played in the Swiss Alps, and we literally played to a mountain,” states Every Time I Die guitarist Andy Williams, as he returns>>
With their latest album, ‘Our Pleasure’ about to be released, it has been a bit of a labour of love for Canadian four-piece Single Mothers. For a band which burst into the scene and quickly gained a reputation for a band to keep an eye on, things all of a>>
“Boy meets more boys, plays music, ‘Bonjourno Deano’!” states Youth Killed It vocalist Jack Murphy when asked to explain the band’s origins. However, if you dig a little bit deeper, there’s more than the simple offering Murphy makes. Jack and company were once part of Kings Lynn metal rap-rockers Under>>
Taking their cues from old school thrash and hardcore, Southampton’s Grove Street Families continue to evolve from being “that Grand Theft Auto themed hardcore band”. Their new mixtape, ‘Vol. 1’, is a seven-track blast of unrelenting hardcore and thrash. From the razor sharp guitars of ‘Beat It Up’ to the>>
For any musician or artist, when it comes to creating their craft it is all about finding that sweet spot to make people take note, or at least stop and listen. For Human Future that sweet spot was found in becoming more collaborative as a unit, and with six moving>>
On their debut album, ‘Love Is Not Enough’, South Wales quintet Casey showcase a blend of tender, heartbreaking lyricism and explosive angst to create a captivating record. Rooted in a failed relationship, the album serves as an emotional outpouring for vocalist Tom Weaver. Since its release last September, Casey have>>
South Wales trio, Junior, have been on our radar for awhile. Since delivering their ‘JuniorLand’ mini-album in late 2015, they’ve gradually been evolving their sound, moving away from the routine pop-punk. Last year’s split EP with Fierce Morgan, and more recently, their latest single ‘Veronica’, hinted an edgier approach. Nevertheless,>>
The Download Festival is a big opportunity for any band; no matter how big or small they might be. For London hardcore punk band, Drones, it’s a chance to re-introduce themselves. Although they first played at Donington three years ago, 2016 saw them go through a transition with vocalist Lois>>
It has been an impressive 18 months for Sweden’s Normandie. Having released their debut album, ‘Inguz’, to critical acclaim in early 2016, the trio ended the year supporting Yellowcard on their final UK tour. They’re now returning to these shores to make their Download Festival debut. ‘Inguz’ saw them demonstrate>>
Like many Download Festival attendees, the members of South London/Reading quintet Brutai have dreamt of stepping onto a stage at Donington Park. Now after years of playing shows on the underground circuit, honing their brand melodic technical metal, they’re about to make their Download debut. The past few months have>>