LIVE REVIEW: Lambrini Girls @ Rescue Rooms, Nottingham

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LIVE REVIEW: Lambrini Girls @ Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
April 15, 2025Elliot Leaver


What a rise it’s been for LAMBRINI GIRLS. The feminist punk duo have seen their profile explode over the past few months, both in the build up to and since the release of debut album Who Let The Dogs Out in January – as a point of argument, their show tonight at Nottingham’s Rescue Rooms was initially scheduled for the much smaller Bodega, was upgraded due to a fast sell out, then sold out again. In the autumn, they’ll headline the Kentish Town Forum, a stunning achievement for a band with just eighteen songs available on Spotify as it stands right now. There’s no question – for all that’s going on in the East Midlands tonight, this is easily the hottest ticket in town.

Loose Articles live @ Rescue Rooms, Nottingham. Photo Credit: Izzy Sheldon

Those who wished to catch opening band LOOSE ARTICLES, but took the stage times from the venue’s social media pages, will have reason to be aggrieved; the Manchester quartet start half an hour earlier than advertised. They then immediately run into technical issues as bassist Natalie Wardle has a couple of gremlins within her setup, but recovers quickly enough for them to resume normal service. Despite a bit of movement during the second song, there’s a distinct lack of energy onstage, with their grunge-tinged, sampled-smattered punk is one-dimensional and played at a turgid pace. Perhaps it’s just an off day, but there isn’t a hint during their half hour on stage where they show why they were handpicked to open for the mighty FOO FIGHTERS last summer at Old Trafford. Perhaps what sums up their set most is when they ask if there are any welders in the room; it’s an interesting line of stage banter, and goes down as well as you might expect – the silence is both deafening and awkward.

Rating: 5/10Lambrini Girls live @ Rescue Rooms, Nottingham. Photo Credit: Izzy Sheldon

Right now, more than ever, punk music seems vital, perhaps even more so than nearly fifty years ago when THE RAMONES and the SEX PISTOLS were ushering in a fledgling genre that captivated a frustrated youth and rallied against the establishment. It’s never gone away, of course, but in this day and age, where the world seems to be going as backwards as it is forwards, when the threat of the far-right looms large, where misogyny, racism and homophobia are given free reign to escape punishment. And not to mention even the original frontman of the band who swore on live TV and sang ‘God Save the Queen/It’s a fascist regime’ is openly supporting the area of politics he once lambasted. To be inclusive, accepting of everyone and, you know, not a dick, is arguably one of the most punk things you can do, even though, at its very core that’s what the movement was always about. This is indeed a strange world that we inhabit.

Tonight, LAMBRINI GIRLS show why they are THE punk band to follow. Confrontational, abrasive and unashamedly themselves, this is part gig, part rally where members of the LGBTQIA+ community are announced as “queer legends” before Help Me I’m Gay, God’s Country is preceded by chants of “Free Palestine” and Bad Apple receives an ACAB call and response. Phoebe Lunny spends just as much time in the audience as she does onstage, leading raucous renditions of Big Dick Energy and Filthy Rich Nepo Baby along with an audience who are eating out of the palm of her hand all night. The absolute highlight of the set is an explosive Company Culture which, by a mile and a half, has mosh call of the year sewn up with “Michael, I don’t want to suck you off on my lunch break!”Lambrini Girls live @ Rescue Rooms, Nottingham. Photo Credit: Izzy Sheldon

But more than the music, this is what all gigs should be – a haven away from the trials and tribulations of the outside world, where people can leave their troubles at the venue door, mix with like-minded individuals and, even for the smallest amount of time, feel what everyone aspires to experience: complete liberation. LAMBRINI GIRLS play for less than an hour and yet they produce a euphoria that will be cherished for months, maybe even years to come. This is a band destined for superstardom, and there’s very little that will stop them achieving that.

Rating: 9/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Nottingham from Izzy Sheldon here:







































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ALBUM REVIEW: March Of The Gods – King Kraken

It’s been a busy couple of years for Cardiff’s KING KRAKEN. Following the release of debut album MCLXXX, the quintet spent their time on the road raising their profile considerably, supporting big names like GEOFF TATE and CROWBAR, pulling the largest ever headline crowd at Station 18 Festival in May of last year and topping it off by playing at the same time as CLUTCH at Bloodstock that summer and holding their own. Not wanting to lose any momentum, the band immediately went back to the studio for the latter half of 2024 and now their sophomore album is ready; out on Friday April 18th, March Of The Gods is released independently.



There’s only one thing you need to like to get on board with KING KRAKEN, and it’s riffs – lots and lot of riffs. They might originate from a country closely associated with rainclouds, windswept hills and cool temperatures, but March Of The Gods takes you a few thousands miles away from Wales to sunset-dripped deserts, barren plains dotted with rock formations and the open road; this is an album for driving trips and its forty minutes are drenched in character. Opening track Scream is a stomping, southern rocker, with elements of BLACK STONE CHERRY mixing with a hint of the New Orleans sludge scene in the guitar tones. Berzerker contains BLACK LABEL SOCIETY vibes along with some Great Southern Trendkill-era PANTERA seeping through for good measure; it builds extremely well, particularly in the chorus. The title track sees a touch of MASTODON creep into the riffs, while PREACHER brings the sound a bit closer to home, reminiscent of BLACK SPIDERS in their pomp.


However, by far the biggest influence on KING KRAKEN is the band they were up against at Bloodstock. From the guitar licks to the powerful drumming to the gravelly delivery of vocalist Mark Donaghue, there is no question that without CLUTCH, KING KRAKEN do not exist. Whether it’s the rich textures of El Giganto or the more deliberate, methodical pacing of closing duo Chainsaw Saviour and Under the Sun, the mind instantly connects to messrs Fallon, Sult, Maine and Gaster. Of course, that doesn’t always work in a band’s favour, and KING KRAKEN are guilty on this record of wearing their inspirations a little too much on their sleeves; as a result, they lost a bit of their own identity in the process.

There’s also an issue with Hero, although not the song itself – on the contrary, it’s in contention for being the best song on the record and Donaghue‘s best performance to date. Where it stumbles is its placement: after the first four songs, March Of The Gods has built up a nice head of steam which then evaporates due to Hero‘s more vulnerable, ballad-like feel. If the track had been at the very end, it could have been far more potent by bringing a reflective coda to the body of work; as it is, one cannot shake the notion that KING KRAKEN put the brakes on too soon.



There is a really bright future ahead of KING KRAKEN – they boast serious musical chops and March Of The Gods is a strong, well-layered album that is bursting with catchy riffs and excellent song writing. A touch more of themselves at the forefront and they could easily be world-beaters, because they’ve got everything else in their arsenal to be just that.

Rating: 7/10



March Of The Gods is out now via self-release.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Necro

 

Swedish riff sorcerers LIK have charged back into the forefront of the classic death metal scene with their fourth album Necro. Incorporating the shock-horror elements as well as all the ingredients of the great and glorious genre. The quartet stand proudly, churning out monstrous riffs combined with vicious melodies. For the last decade, LIK have been a flag bearer for the traditional sound of Swedish death metal. Combining a dyed in the wool love for the genre and an immense sense of joy in what they create. They’ve continuously built upon they’re previous albums and this latest offering is undoubtedly a stand out milestone in their career.



This is an album that takes you on a tour de gore. The screaming feedback the plunges into a blast beat driven pulveriser of opener Deceased should leave no in any doubt that LIK are here to set it up once again. All the hallmarks of their native genre tightly packaged and delivered with technical precision yet counterweighted with a passion that ensures every note is felt with an authentic gut punch.


Necro takes a turn at delving into facets of the human condition. Fields of Death takes on a brutal battlefield landscape. Delivering punishing riffs and thunderous rhythms while the guttural vocals narrate the actions of a crazed soldier. Take a heavy metal trip into a feverish nightmare with Worms Inside. Arguably the heaviest track on an album that is wall to wall crushing power. The imagery that the four-piece conjure is as potent as the music is commanding.

The ten tracks on offer will leave little room for breath and almost certainly no respite. The aforementioned tracks are dark enough, but LIK are happy to go further, Morgue Rat is gruesome. The track broods and swirls as the nature of the narrative unfolds in horrifying details. For all the dark depths that the band plunge into, there is a balanced nuance with the breakdowns matching the timbre. Yet somehow, they’re still able to create a powerful high. The subject matter is ruinously gloomy in places, but their passion for the music does shine through and they are able to write a hook that brings a giant smile while the lyrics crash around. This is pure unbridled fun and at every turn LIK deliver nigh on perfect Swedish death metal.

While they could be seen to be playing at safe by remaining within the pre-determined boundaries of their chosen genre. The fact that at every turn they nail the specifics that make death metal so particularly glorious showcases that they are in fact masters of their craft. While in some instances it’s great when a band breaks new ground and pushes limits. In many other cases is sublime when a band can also display the fundamentals to such an extent that it makes a tried and tested formula sound fresh and invigorating. That’s what LIK have achieved here.

It’s bloody, its gory and utterly visceral. LIK tick all the extremities off the death metal list and Necro surges with a palpable power. It’s a fun record that will bring about an enormous grin to match the sore neck that is guaranteed with these tracks of pure distilled Swedish death metal excellence.

Rating: 8/10



NECRO is out now via Metal Blade Records.

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METALLICA’s “Master Of Puppets” Joins Spotify’s Billions

“Master Of Puppets”, the title track of Metallica’s third studio album, released in March 1986 via Elektra Records, has surpassed one billion streams on Spotify.

The band shared the news via social media, stating, “We’re psyched to share that “Master of Puppets” has just made its way into Spotify’s Billions Club – Thank you! Send it on its way to two billion, and listen to every member of the Billions Club at metallica.lnk.to/MoP-Billions.

EP REVIEW: The Wrath Of The Silent Temples – Noirsuaire

Like many of the best underground black metal acts, France’s NOIRSUAIRE have creatively hit the ground running since the release of their debut demo, Possessed By A Malignant Lust, in 2023. Each of the band’s subsequent four EPs has showcased a lean and focused brand of raw black metal that manages to incorporate lots of ethereal atmospherics and angular, biting guitar work and vocals that is incredibly engrossing in a way that many records in this style don’t tend to be. The duo’s latest EP Wrath Of The Silent Temples is, if anything, a far sharper and immersive release than anything else they’ve done previously, without sacrificing the harsher production and abrasive musicianship too drastically, making for a tighter and punchier effort that will still hold plenty of charm for fans of black metals sepulchral, grimier elements.



After a haunting ambient piece sets a foreboding and immersive tone, the record proper kicks off in a burst of rabid, frenetic intensity in the form of The Scourge From Kisijevo, an unflinchingly coarse and speed-driven slab of biting black metal with an overt second wave influence. Grating hooks, feral shrieks and thunderous, pummelling drums all create a dark and ferocious sound that’s significantly more robust than the vast majority of rawer black metal tracks, beginning proceedings in muscular and authoritative fashion.



At The Scream Of Porphylic Seraphs strips away the denser elements of its predecessor in favour of an acerbic and lean approach, with lighter guitar work and thinner, acidic vocals, without sacrificing any of the ominous mood or blistering pace that informed the last offering. While Waiting The Rats, another shorter instrumental piece, this time built upon the gothic pomp of expansive organs, captures the drama of the records opener whilst embracing impressively cavernous flourishes that is every bit as grand as the previous two tracks were caustic, providing a great segue between this EP’s two halves.


The Wrath Of The Silent Temples leans prominently into an abrasive and cacophonous sound that constantly teeters on the brink of chaos whilst managing to pepper in some tighter, melodic touches in amongst its more visceral and grating moments, showcasing a bellicose extremity and tempering it with far punchier moments in a way that strikes a fine balance between two distinct musical polar opposites without any jarring clashes. To Roam Among The Darkest Hounds adopts a ponderous, mid-tempo style, with percussive drums and full, weighty chords replacing the energetic and frenzied aural assaults that came before it, shifting seamlessly into a catchy piece of black ‘n’ roll with a solid groove, with this chunkier sound being counterpointed by the arid, soaring vocals and discordant bursts, standing apart from the rest of the efforts on this record whilst still being indebted to the same musical approach of faster, fiercer fair on here. Outro, one last, brief outing of driving organs in a very similar vein to While Waiting The Rats, caps proceedings off in a an epic way, albeit in a much more streamlined form than its earlier twin did.

Perhaps the closest record within NOIRSUAIRE‘s discography to Wrath Of The Silent Temples is 2024’s Black Flame Of Unholy Tradition, a similarly longer offering that boasts an impressive amount of heft and soaring hooks not unlike this most recent EP. A side by side comparison between the two shows not only a more polished mix on the latter, but arguably defter, dancing quality to the music itself, especially when it comes to the guitars, which opt for a greater hint of melody and less primal thrashing than Black Flame, a powerful and effective record that is nonetheless a little rougher around the edges when it comes to the precision of the performances.



The fact that Wrath Of The Silent Temples manages to embrace a cleaner mix whilst not losing any of the frenetic intensity or claustrophobic murk that its predecessors possessed also works in its favour, and signifies a refining and even perfecting of many of NOIRSUAIRE‘s strident, underlying brilliance rather than a jarring shift to a different style of black metal, accentuating just how feral their music can be.

Rating: 7/10



The Wrath Of The Silent Temples is out now via Khaoszophy Productions.

HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: Endless Forms Most Beautiful – Nightwish April 3, 2025Elliot Leaver

Looking back, this could have been viewed at the time as the make or break moment for NIGHTWISH. Nearly a decade on from the acrimonious firing of former vocalist Tarja Turunen, the Finnish symphonic giants had faltered with Annette Olsen at the helm – not that she or the band were truly at fault.



Much like other vocalists who replaced a big name – and we could be here all day naming them – Olsen faced significant criticism and adversity from the band’s fanbase, at one show in Brazil even leaving the stage in tears after just six songs due to the abuse she was receiving. Neither album she recorded with the band was awful – both 2007’s Dark Passion Play and 2011’s Imaginaerum have some excellent moments – but it was apparent this was not a marriage destined to last. “The one time the band seem genuinely at ease” wrote Jerry Ewing in Metal Hammer about the band’s 2009 gig at Brixton Academy “is when, with Anette absent from the stage, they link up for an instrumental jam and actually appear to start enjoying themselves.”



It was therefore unsurprising that Olsen and the band parted ways in November 2012, just one month after Imaginaerum’s release. Coming into the fold as cover was Floor Jansen, best known at the time for singing with Dutch outfits AFTER FOREVER and RE-VAMP. She would complete the band’s touring commitments for that year and the next, before being announced as permanent lead singer in October 2013, with long-time touring member Troy Donockley also being brought into the fold. From the jaws of despair and uncertainty, NIGHTWISH now had new hope, entering the studio in 2014 to record their eighth studio album.

“The previous album was a tribute to the power of imagination…[this] would be an equal tribute to science and the power of reason” NIGHTWISH main man Tuomas Holopainen would say in the run up to the album’s release, titled Endless Forms Most Beautiful. Although not a concept album, much of the record was inspired by the work of naturalist Charles Darwin, the title taken from the final paragraph of his world-renowned book on evolution, On the Origin of Species. “It’s all about the beauty of life, existence, nature, science” Holopainen would explain in the same interview to EMP RockInvasion, and that he would also like fans to listen to the album from beginning to end, rather than random songs.


Holopainen, alongside bassist Marko Hietala and audio engineer Tero ‘TeeCee’ Kinnunen, would record a 12-song demo from April to May of 2014, with the full band rehearsing at Röskö Campsite and recording mostly at Petrax, both in their native Finland. However, just prior to recording beginning, drummer Jukka Nevalainen stepped aside as a performer due to his ongoing battle with insomnia, with longtime friend Kai Hahto of WINTERSUN and SWALLOW THE SUN deputising; Hahto would join the band permanently in 2019.

Alongside Darwin, the album also took inspiration from biologist Richard Dawkins, specifically his 2009 book The Greatest Show On Earth: The Evidence For Evolution, which would lend its name to the epic, 24-minute closing track. Indeed, Dawkins would provide spoken word vocals on the album: Tuomas wrote him a handwritten letter explaining the vision and, two weeks later, Dawkins would accept. “I hadn’t heard of them before the letter arrived” he confessed to The New Statesman “but I was interested, I was intrigued and fascinated…I was pleased to do it.” Dawkins would later appear onstage with the band at Wembley Arena in London, a concert captured for the DVD Vehicle of Spirit.



Endless Forms Most Beautiful saw NIGHTWISH strike a perfect balance between the high end, operatic metal they had delivered with Tarja as vocalist and the more accessible, rock-oriented sound of Anette’s tenure, helped out in no small part by Floor Jansen’s incredible range and ability to sing both with consummate ease. The opening duo of Shudder Before the Beautiful and Weak Fantasy proved this, the former a more classic-sounding NIGHTWISH with a soaring chorus, the latter a fist-pumping anthem with added teeth. Floor would even display an impressive ability to death growl on Yours Is An Empty Hope.

Vocalist aside, this is also arguably NIGHTWISH’s most complete album, portraying everything they’ve been known to do musically without compromise. The sparkling Élan and understated My Walden are playful and tap into the band’s folkier side, the catchy Edema Ruh provides a goth rock edge and Our Decades in the Sun is a vulnerable, almost lullaby-esque ballad, floating through with serene grace and beautiful frailty.



The Greatest Show On Earth, however, is not only the stand out track, but is also in contention for being the band’s best ever song – its title may have been considered too ‘pompous’ for the album overall by Tuomas, but it more than fits the track: a grandiose extravaganza across five distinct chapters that twists and turns effortlessly and doesn’t just close the album in the perfect manner, but has also done the same for NIGHTWISH’s live shows since its release, albeit in a shorter version; it’s only seventeen minutes long, here!

Released ten years ago on March 25th 2015, Endless Forms Most Beautiful garnered critical acclaim and excellent chart positions across the world and proved NIGHTWISH’s demise had very much been exaggerated. Rejuvenated and re-energised, their status as torchbearers for the world of symphonic metal wasn’t just cemented again; it was made insurmountable.



Endless Forms Most Beautiful was originally released on March 25th, 2015 via Nuclear Blast Records.

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SACREDEATH NEW SINGLE BLACK HORIZON

SACREDETH is in the studio recording another studio album. The band has released the track Black Horizon and Sonata Dela Muerte on their social media, a piano theme that is very reminiscent of horror films. The released track Black Horizon reminds us of bands like Dissection Darkthrone and the roots of Black Death Metal. According to (Vocalist, guitarist) Alessandro Martins, the songs on this new album are inspired by the destruction that humanity is experiencing today, and many songs, such as the new single, are Temple of the Black Light and the book Azerate. Could this change in musical styles be a reflection of the changes in the band's members, which currently consists of (Alessandro Martins) (Guitar, vocals), Gustavo Fernandez (Bass), John Ruch Drums, and is divided between Brazil and Norway. The world of music today is plasticized and disposable, all bands sound the same, we live in dark times with wars, destruction, fake humans hungry for power, we want to sound like what we live in today. Darkness is everywhere inside you.
The group's latest release is the EP “Guardian of Death” which came in fourth place in the vote for best EP of 2024 according to the Metal com Batata Brasil vote.


“BLACK HORIZON”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqAUDrZYV9A



https://linktr.ee/sacredeath.metal