UNSEVEN THE NEW PROMISE OF GLOBAL ROCK

UNSEVEN is a modern rock/metal band that transforms chaos, conflict, and emotion into music.
Featuring heavy guitars, striking riffs, intense vocals, and powerful choruses, the project explores.
themes such as pain, relationships, loss, addiction, defiance, and overcoming adversity.
The band embodies a dark, urban, and cinematic identity for a generation battling its own demons.
In addition to releasing "Won't Break" on their new YouTube channel, they have also made their debut
album available via Bandcamp. If you are looking for a new band with a unique and innovative sound,
you’ve found UNSEVEN—a band here to stay and carve out its own space amidst millions of generic acts.The band is looking for labels to release its debut.



Band links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unseven2026/
https://unseven.bandcamp.com/album/system-collapse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL6AUbwnwPQ&list=RDrL6AUbwnwPQ&start_radio=1
https://www.instagram.com/radiorock_finland

LIVE REVIEW: Breaking Benjamin @ O2 Academy, Birmingham

AlternativeGrungeHard RockLive ReviewsPhoto GalleriesReviews
LIVE REVIEW: Breaking Benjamin @ O2 Academy, Birmingham
July 25, 2026


It’s been a whole decade since BREAKING BENJAMIN last had the privilege of gracing UK shores, and judging by the fact all four dates sold out almost instantly, they’ve been sorely missed. This is undoubtedly one of the hottest gigs of the week, even with competition from 2000trees, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE and BRING ME THE HORIZON. If you’re a rock fan, this week is absolutely stacked. Arriving at the sweltering O2 Academy – upgraded from the original venue due to overwhelming demand – fans are already wrapped around the building long before doors open. They’re not queueing to escape the heat; they’re here for a band that has only visited the UK a handful of times, with no guarantee of when they’ll return. For many, this genuinely feels like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to catch one of the defining rock bands of the 2000s.
Rock Music



Return To Dust live @ O2 Academy, Birmingham. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography
Concerts & Music Festivals

One thing is immediately clear: RETURN TO DUST arrived with two goals in mind – rock hard and make sure nobody forgets their name.
Their thick, 90s-inspired grunge sound is the perfect way to kick off the evening and fits naturally in front of a BREAKING BENJAMIN crowd. Dual vocals blend together brilliantly, adding plenty of depth, while guitarist Sebastian Gonzalez refuses to stand still for a second. Headbanging, jumping across the stage and attacking every riff like his life depends on it, he’s impossible to ignore.

The only real stumble comes with a stripped-back version of OUTKAST‘s Hey Ya!. Despite a few reluctant singalongs, it feels unnecessary and disrupts the momentum of an otherwise strong set. For a band that’s been around for four years, they already have more than enough original material to fill a solid 30-minute slot without relying on a cover. Still, that’s a minor complaint. RETURN TO DUST leave a strong first impression, and plenty of people in the crowd will no doubt be adding them to their playlists on the drive home.

Rating: 8/10Chevelle live @ O2 Academy, Birmingham. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography
City & Local Guides

Support bands can sometimes feel like an odd fit, but CHEVELLE slot into the main support position perfectly. Their no-frills alternative rock is exactly what the packed O2 Academy needs. The three-piece make every minute of their 45-minute set count, digging deep into their back catalogue with a performance that offers something for everyone. Judging by the amount of heads nodding and voices joining in, they go down like air conditioning in the middle of a heatwave.

They also provide one of the night’s funniest moments, admitting they had to remind everyone who they were because they accidentally left their backdrop at home – and even if they hadn’t, it apparently wouldn’t have cleared customs in time for the show. It’s a light-hearted moment that gets a laugh from the crowd before they dive straight back into the riffs.

Rating: 9/10Breaking Benjamin live @ O2 Academy, Birmingham. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography
Music & Audio

BREAKING BENJAMIN waste absolutely no time getting down to business. Opening with I Will Not Bow, Until the End and Evil Angel, they hit the audience with a relentless run of fan favourites. With a new album due later this year and only two songs released so far, the band wisely resist the temptation to overload the set with new material. After such long gaps between UK tours, this crowd wants the songs they grew up with – and BREAKING BENJAMIN know exactly what they’re here to deliver.

Frontman Benjamin Burnley‘s voice is phenomenal throughout. Every note sounds effortlessly powerful, proving that time has done nothing to diminish his unmistakable vocal delivery. Combined with the additional vocalists on stage, the harmonies give many of the songs an extra layer of weight that makes them feel even bigger live than on record. One of the most heartwarming moments of the night comes courtesy of Burnley‘s son, Ben, who joins the band throughout the tour. Understandably nervous, he gradually grows into his role as his dad encourages him to speak to the crowd and introduce songs. Burnley proudly tells us that Ben also features on the upcoming album, making this an unforgettable introduction to life on the road. The audience quickly gets behind him too, chanting his name and visibly helping him settle as the night goes on. And what a set it is. With songs pulled from every studio album, BREAKING BENJAMIN know exactly how to keep the energy levels high. Whether it’s the crushing riffs of Polyamorous, the soaring emotion of Dance With the Devil or the massive singalong during Breath, every song lands with the impact you’d expect from a band of this calibre.Breaking Benjamin live @ O2 Academy, Birmingham. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography
Metal (Music)

At one point, Burnley admits he wasn’t sure whether BREAKING BENJAMIN were still remembered in the UK, but judging by the deafening response throughout the evening, those doubts disappear almost instantly. The good news doesn’t stop there either. The band reveal they’ve found an easier route to Europe by travelling by boat, meaning they’re hopeful UK tours won’t be quite so rare in future. Burnley even jokes that they could return “maybe every two years”. After waiting a decade, fans would happily take him up on that offer.

Overall, this is exactly what everyone wanted from a BREAKING BENJAMIN headline show. The biggest hits, a taste of what’s still to come, and a reminder of why they’ve remained one of modern rock’s most beloved bands. Every song sounds immense, the atmosphere never drops, and seeing the next generation of the Burnley family stepping onto the stage offers a touching glimpse into the future. Let’s just hope we don’t have to wait another ten years to do it all again.

Rating: 10/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Birmingham from Serena Hill Photography here:






Breaking Benjamin live @ O2 Academy, Birmingham. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography
Photographic & Digital Arts





























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INTRODUCING: Urzah

INTRODUCINGPROGRESSIVE METALSLUDGE METAL
INTRODUCING: Urzah
July 20, 2026Laura McCarthy


Bristol-based URZAH are making huge a noise through the UK scene with their exceptional sludge stylings. We caught up with guitarist/vocalist Tom McElveen and bassist Dan Bradley on their new album A Tranquil Void, on twin songs, the importance of face to face time as a band and the gradual cohesion of the record.
Metal (Music)





With a name inspired by the Dark Crystal, and a collective love of horror and fantasy, URZAH are brimming with cosmic themes and ideas. With many heavy tracks that intertwine and overlap, while other elements soften through and add a lighter texture. “That’s kind of what we’re aiming for,” Tom agrees, “[to] have things that were really super heavy and then things that were very calm as well, really playing with the extremes and making sure we introduce plenty of variety throughout to make sure that it remains interesting, but still feels like part of the same kind of cohesive piece. […] the love of elevated fantasy definitely bleeds into the writing of everyone music.”

“We try to be really patient with space and dynamics and the way the songs flow together on the album. I think because we’re trying to create that kind of music we want to listen to – as much as we all love sludge and doom and riffy music, we kind of want to keep it interesting for ourselves and our listeners as well.”

URZAH manage to balance the epic expanses of progressive space and the frantic intensity of harder, more aggressive sludge in a way that immediately grabs your ear and doesn’t let go. They’re bold and adventurous writing sees pairings of songs that compliment and contrast with each other, as well as seeing huge behemoth tracks that swell out into these wonderfully immersive pieces.
Writers Resources



“I think something like Entwined Twisted Roots Of Chaos, the last song on the album plays for thirteen minutes, it’s a very, very long run up,” Tom continues, “but it’s a deliberate build to what we think is a really cool ending. But I think it’s the confidence to just like create that space, not feel uncomfortable with everything. Yeah, we’re really proud of how it came out.”

Dan gives us a perspective of the whole process as the newest member of URZAH. “Yeah, I think like a lot of our writing is months and months and months of just like pushing and pulling sections,” he reflects, “I joined the band about 18 months ago. And you can test the dynamics in the room and see what’s working and what’s not. On the album we always wanted to get like layers of drum and cello and things on there. I think like a lot of the stuff we do, we don’t write very quickly.”



The process of writing evidently is an important one, with the themes and ideas coming through gradually, revealing themselves as the band develop their sound and the intentions behind each song. “I always think of heaviness as really only as being relative; something is only as heavy as the previous bit wasn’t,” Tom muses on the dynamics of the record. “So you can build heaviness in different ways and heaviness works in so many different ways, with melody and sound and structure. With Mouth of the Wolf for example, we kind of felt like we’re quite particular with that bit of the album. We knew that it had been quite busy up to that point and we really wanted like a palate cleanser to come in before I kind of thought we need something atmospheric, so we wrote the prelude to that, Bark and Branches.”

“There’s something quite nice about a song having a twin, a partner to sit next to in a way. It means you sort of separate [A Tranquil Void] into four chapters of an album, rather than it being a lot of different songs. And I think that really assists with the cohesion of it all as well, which we always try and really concentrate on.”
Music & Audio



“It wasn’t planned like this, but [the songs] do connect very well in terms of the pacing and the melody and the kind of sense they create,” Dan considers. “I think that the engine of the band is working really well together. Yeah, it’s nice that there is that cohesion because obviously, it’s hard enough just getting time to rehearse, never mind write and get material that feels confident and full and real enough. So I think having that time in the room, even if we spend two hours of it rehearsing, two hours chatting about plans for the next tour, I think that contact time is really important. It’s good to instantly be able to get across what it is you’re thinking at the time and hear it in its entirety instantly as a concept. If you want to add something straight away, it’s easy to do.”

““It wasn’t planned like this, but [the songs] do connect very well in terms of the pacing and the melody and the kind of sense they create,” Dan considers. “I think that the engine of the band is working really well together. Yeah, it’s nice that there is that cohesion because obviously, it’s hard enough just getting time to rehearse, never mind write and get material that feels confident and full and real enough. So I think having that time in the room, even if we spend two hours of it rehearsing, two hours chatting about plans for the next tour, I think that contact time is really important. It’s good to instantly be able to get across what it is you’re thinking at the time and hear it in its entirety instantly as a concept. If you want to add something straight away, it’s easy to do.”

“The narrative of the whole thing itself kind of starts to form in its own way, almost kind of like a collective subconscious and by the end it’s clear what the idea is, and we never really had to really put a finger on exactly what it was we were trying to do. It just kind of happened, and there it was.”

A Tranquil Void is out now via APF Records. View this interview, alongside dozens of other killer bands, in glorious print magazine fashion in DS130 here.


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