FESTIVAL REVIEW: RADAR Festival 2025

FESTIVAL REVIEW: RADAR Festival 2025




Despite facing huge adversities in the days prior to the festival, credit must be given to RADAR Festival and its wider community for ensuring that 2025’s event goes off without a hitch. The fiercely independent and progressive-leaning festival, now based in Manchester since 2023, has carved a special place in the festival circuit and with a myriad of bands gracing the O2 Victoria Warehouse, there was a lot of special talent on offer over the course of the early July weekend. Team DS were on the ground once again for this year’s festival. Here’s what went down.



Friday – July 4th

MOTHER VULTURE – Sneak Energy Stage Mother Vulture live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Coal Poet Media

Starting off the weekend is always a daunting task. You have to capture an audience that are intentionally reserved, holding back energy, but equally you’re getting the ball rolling for more than forty other acts coming after you through the weekend- so it’s got to be good. MOTHER VULTURE were absolutely the band for the job. Their energy is bursting with enjoyment their super authentic take on fuzzy, grungy stoner rock, it’s a pleasure to see these guys tear up the stage and loosen the crowd up. As MOTHER VULTURE’s performance of fan favourites Go Big Or Go Home, Slow Down and brand-new track Treadmill move from playful to downright stomping, it’s obvious how easily they command a stage. A hell of an opening set, MOTHER VULTURE are easily the most organic band of the weekend, hands down; What a start.

Rating: 9/10

FLOYA – Kerrang! StageFloya live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography

German pop-rock duo FLOYA‘s stock has been on the rise within the RADAR community ever since the band last graced the festival two years ago. This time round, the duo are tasked with opening festival’s main stage, a task they achieve with elegant ease. Blending their synth-laden beats with ample hooks, the band are built to perform on stages of this scale, with the likes of Willows and Drift sounding stunning in the live environment. Largely, this is driven by Phil Bayer‘s exquisite vocals, who carries the band’s time on stage with aplomb. His angelic cleans in the likes of Epiphany and Fluorescent are absolutely angelic and send shivers down the spine. It’s a set that shimmers with aural beauty.

Rating: 9/10

TROPIC GOLD – Sneak Energy StageTropic Gold live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Claire Alaxandra

TROPIC GOLD have both power and retrospect in their arsenal for their mid-afternoon set. Deep, heavy guitars with mammoth vocals, they’re a beast of an act to contain on the second stage. The room is at their mercy, with battering songs like Happy, Dead To All My Friends and Holy Horror. TROPIC GOLD’s blend of electronica and heavy riffs, combined with aggressive vocals is a winning combination that keeps the room packed, with a constant flow of new listeners arriving until the whole second stage area is full. There’s emotional moments, liberating pits and constant singing from this crowd, who either came knowing what they were in for or were happily discovering another future giant.

Rating: 7/10

LAKE MALICE – Kerrang! Stage Lake Malice live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography

RADAR Festival may have been just getting warmed up at this stage, but LAKE MALICE came equipped with the fire to light the fuse with their addictive blend of frenetic metalcore sprinkled with industrial stylings. With a catalogue-spanning set including debut track Blossom all the way through to the adrenaline-fuelled madness of freshly released Scatterbrain, the exuberant duo crammed as much energy into their performance as possible. Adding performance collective Kaos Kreative to the mix was a masterstroke, further elevating their already commanding stage presence. It is easy to see why they are becoming a must-see act on any lineup they grace with their presence.

Rating: 8/10

AVRALIZE – Sneak Energy StageAvralize live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Oli Duncanson

Keeping the momentum flowing in copious fashion were German metalcore powerhouse AVRALIZE, who had the attendees of the Sneak Energy Stage bouncing from the first note. Their undeniable charm and ability to slickly switch between monstrous beatdowns and electronica-fused melodies sent the crowd into a frenzy as they unleashed a considerable chunk of 2024’s FREAKS album betwixt recent efforts helium and upside down. You could sense the love received from the UK fans meant a great deal to the band and it was reciprocated during their lively performance. Considering the reception they received and that every inch of the warehouse floor was occupied with bodies, it won’t be long before we see this talented outfit make a return.

Rating: 8/10

AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS – Kerrang! Stage As Everything Unfolds live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography

2023’s Ultraviolet album catapulted AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS to the forefront of the UK metal scene. As soon as the feverish intensity of opening track Set In Flow kicked in, you knew you were in for a treat. Charlie Rolfe made the stage her own from the moment she set foot in front of the packed crowd inhabiting the Kerrang! Stage with her spine tingling vocal range bouncing between melodic hooks and ferocious growls. Powering forward with sure-fire hits like Slow Down and Hiding From Myself kept the energy levels at scintillating levels throughout.

Rating: 8/10

AS DECEMBER FALLS – Kerrang! Stage As December Falls live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography

Nottingham’s own AS DECEMBER FALLS bring a massive slab of emo goodness, a real party on the main stage. A tasty number of tracks from their upcoming album Everything’s On Fire But I’m Fine from Bathroom Floor, Ready Set Go and For The Plot receive ample time to shine live, showing the band’s positive future. The lightshow really brings the atmosphere to the next level, and the room is very receptive to Bethany Curtis’ extraordinary vocals. The fan favourites Ride and Carousel remind the crowd just how accomplished AS DECEMBER FALLS are as they seamlessly blend through their alt rock back catalogue.

Rating: 8/10

FUTURE PALACE – Sneak Energy Stage Future Palce live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Charlie Bluck

Thanks t0 their much-acclaimed 2024 release Distortion, Berlin’s FUTURE PALACE are armed with enough fireworks to turn any festival slot into a fully fledged riot and they did not disappoint. One particular highlight being the much-welcomed guest appearance by AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS‘ Charlie Rolfe ensuring incendiary track The Echoes Of Disparity shook the very foundations of the O2 Victoria Warehouse. From the alluring catchiness of Decarabia to the crushing grooves of Uncontrolled, the titanic trio had the crowd in their palm of their hands for the duration in, surprisingly, their first ever UK festival appearance. Another win for team RADAR!

Rating: 9/10

ZEAL & ARDOR – Kerrang! Stage Zeal & Ardor live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography

Having delivered a career defining performance headlining Desertfest London mere months ago, at RADAR, the Swiss avant-garde collective prove that lightning does indeed strike twice. One of the festival’s more ‘extreme’ offerings compared to the bulk of the modern metal flourishes, the band are utterly seismic in their delivery. A strobe-heavy lightshow is pulverising against the thundering Don’t You Dare and Death To The Holy are absolutely cataclysmic in their weight, whilst the crooning Devil Is Fine and Gravedigger’s Chant grip the audience in a stranglehold. Frontman and band visionary Manuel Gagneux is as humble as ever, and closing with an appropriate call to “Free Palestine” – especially against the political fallout in the days prior to the festival kicking off – caps off another stunning performance from one of heavy music’s unicorns.
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Rating: 10/10

CARPENTER BRUT – Kerrang! Stage Carpenter Brut live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography

The power of RADAR Festival is the main stage being able to go from the blues-y, blackened groove of ZEAL & ARDOR, and without question shift to the powerhouse of CARPENTER BRUT, and it absolutely make sense. A show fully realised and enhanced with the addition of live drums and guitar, something you can absolutely take for granted of a genre like synthwave, but the stage presence is unmatched between the three piece. The command of the room requires no unnecessary chatting to the crowd, it’s banger after banger, the throng bouncing from the first note last.

The ninety-minute set is a bonanza of horror infused instrumentals, neon lights bathing the crowd (obviously including a swaggering Tyrannosaurs), the room is electric. Epic bangers like Roller Mobster and Turbo Killer have the pit swirling constantly, with Paradise Warfare and Le Perv adding to the delightfully demonic soundtrack of the evening. It’s a frenzy that flies by, the pulsing silhouette of the rave by a steady flow of crowd surfers. A finale of Maniac has the whole room pumping and chanting along, a glorious, strobe bathed chorus that has everyone frenzied by its end. It’s a hell of a way to close out the day, leaving everyone satisfyingly exhausted and eager for what tomorrow will bring.

Rating: 10/10

Saturday – July 5th

BREAK FIFTY – Sneak Energy Stagebreak fifty live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Claire Alaxandra

Some very enthusiastic two stepping this early in the day? It’s all down to BREAK FIFTY’s battering start to the second day. With a littering of last minute drop outs to RADAR, BREAK FIFTY’s nu-core aggression has a gaggle of folks already chomping at the bit for a day of exceptional musicianship. It’s a brutal start to the day, with tracks like Pillbox making a pretty solid impression on the early starters. Their onslaught of a set is highly impressive and clearly wins over those who’ve ventured out early today, BREAK FIFTY imposingly kick-starting Saturday.

Rating: 7/10

VMBRA – Sneak Energy StageVMBRA live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: @likeanao

Due to the rescheduling of the Saturday billing Manchester’s own VMBRA were given an upgrade to opening Saturday’s events on the Kerrang! Stage. Whilst some may have found this slightly last minute alteration quite daunting, the talented quartet seized their moment, acquiring a rousing reception from the crowd with their polished array of melody and technicality. The triple-threat of vocal arrangements worked a treat, providing a unique and engaging blend of styles which was a pleasure to witness. If their most recent track Money Tree is any indication of the music they have been cooking up for their future album release it will certainly be one to watch out for!
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Rating: 9/10

AIR DRAWN DAGGER – Sneak Energy Stage Air Drawn Dagger live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Coal Poet Media

Sometimes technology decides that it isn’t going to play nice, which isn’t ideal in the middle of a festival set. When AIR DRAWN DAGGER‘s Maisie Manterfields‘ in-ear monitors opted to cease functioning, she took matters into her own hands, leaping into the crowd and remaining there for the remainder of their set, also partaking in a circle pit for their unexpected but well-received mix of THE PRODIGY‘s Omen and BRITNEY SPEARS‘ Toxic. Fresh off the back of their newly released A Guide For Apparitions album, the Sheffield-based trio exhibited their genre-splicing skills, particularly during tracks Castle and Sanctifound. Unfortunately for them, being sandwiched between the enigmatic VMBRA and self-proclaimed “geezas” PINTGLASS took the shine off what was otherwise a solid outing.

Rating: 7/10

PINTGLASS – Kerrang! Stage Pintglass live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography

Whilst it has become a bit of an “in-joke” in the RADAR community that PINTGLASS has became the house band for the festival, they grasped the opportunity to play the Kerrang! Stage this year with both hands. From start to finish the hi-vis donning wrecking crew put on a masterful display of beatdown-laden hardcore that had the crowd grinning from ear to ear, whilst also dodging the sea of flailing limbs! As expected, their comedically named single PINTGLASS BY PINTGLASS OFF THE ALBUM PINTGLASS sent the pits into an utter frenzy with one of the most energetic and entertaining sets witnessed across the entire weekend.

Rating: 9/10

OCEANS ATE ALASKA – Kerrang! Stage Oceans Ate Alaska live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography

With a string of UK bands already proudly flying the flag on the Saturday, it was now the turn of Birmingham based metalcore titans OCEANS ATE ALASKA. Relatively recently recruited frontman Joel Heywood showed considerable swagger, taking little time to get the crowd moving. Showcasing an abundance of tracks from 2022’s Disparity alongside more recent effort Endless Hollow, the quartet raised the energy levels with aggressive riffs aplenty. It would also be criminal not to mention the human highlight reel behind the kit, Chris Turner, conducting a masterclass of flair and technique in what looked like effortless fashion.

Rating: 8/10

LASTELLE – Sneak Energy Stage Lastelle live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Oli Duncanson

Changing the tempo of the day is LASTELLE, who fully emotionally decimate the crowd in a totally different way to anyone before. Their atmospheric post-hardcore is a wash of beautiful soundscapes and crushing riffs. With songs like Bitter Seeds and Breathe Me In ranging from soaring vocals to bittersweet melancholy, there’s such a powerful response in the room to what the oxford band can sow into a crowd. It’s a hopeful and sombre set, with plenty of joyful singing along, and a few tears brought forward from the earnest and poignant words, both in the songs and between.

Rating: 8/10

NOVELISTS – Kerrang! Stage Novelists live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography

French metalcore outfit NOVELISTS have undergone significant lineup changes over their 12 year history, but in 2025, the band have never sounded this good. Oozing energy with ample technical flourishes dispatched by guitar wizard Florestan Durand, NOVELISTS stake a claim for one of the most enjoyable performances of the entire festival. Spearheaded by Camille Contreras, whose vocals are mightily impressive, the band power through their time on stage and keep the energy high. The likes of All For Nothing, Coda and Say My Name – all taken from this year’s excellent CODA – demonstrate a band fully comfortable in their own skin. And it shows. A highly impressive performance.

Rating: 9/10

ARCH ECHO – Sneak Energy Stage Arch Echo live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Coal Poet Media

Saturday seems to be a technically dense sort of day, with the brilliant ARCH ECHO proving that complicated instrumental music can absolutely have frivolity and fun. While their attempts to address the crowd had some technical issues, the lack of any vocal communication hasn’t stopped the five pieces from giving the onlookers a blisteringly good set. From keys to drums, and all through the three string merchants, the positive one-upmanship of every member is insane. There are no weak elements, with tasteful to outlandish moments for each instrument to shine, ARCH ECHO take the feel of summer and inject it straight into your ears.
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Rating: 9/10

INTERVALS – Kerrang! Stage Intervals live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Oli Duncanson

It’s been a minute since Aaron Marshall and company have blessed the UK shores, 2019 to be exact. It was no surprise that INTERVALS were embraced with open arms as soon as they hit the stage. Making up for lost time the set was predominantly built around 2024’s memory palace with a few surprising deep cuts from 2012’s In Time as well as rewinding the clock even further, back to Still Winning from 2011’s debut EP The Space Between. It was never in any doubt that INTERVALS were going to deliver a stunning display of musicianship but the extended absence definitely amplified the excitement of the occasion, culminating in one of the most enjoyable atmospheres of the weekend.

Rating: 9/10

ANNISOKAY – Sneak Energy StageAnnisokay live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography

With more than a decade of shows behind them, it’s amazing that ANNISOKAY haven’t played a UK festival yet. Their huge metalcore energy is soaked up by the crowd immediately with the likes of Shed My Skin and Calamity. With brutal heavy vocals seamlessly intersected with cleans, the groove and grit of ANNISOKAY bellows through the smaller stage and the onlookers absolutely thrive on it. It’s a stacked set with a great energy, one that keeps the day flowing and the people very much entertained.

Rating: 7/10

NORMANDIE – Kerrang! Stage Intervals live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Coal Poet Media

It’s not every day that you are thrust into a festival headline slot, which is exactly the position that Swedish metalcore darlings NORMANDIE found themselves in come the Saturday evening of RADAR Festival. Announcing to all in attendance that they were due to play their longest set to date, spanning 17 songs, was received with considerable adulation as the energy levels reached fever pitch before they hardly made a dent in the evening’s festivities. Hit followed hit as they buoyantly cruised through sizeable chunks of both 2024’s Dopamine and 2021’s Dark & Beautiful Secrets. It was evident for all to see that this good fortune meant a great deal to the energetic quartet and they responded by turning a turbulent series of events into a performance to remember.

Rating: 9/10

Sunday – July 6th

TIBERIUS – Kerrang! Stage Tiberius live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography

Have you ever wanted prog metal riffs with a side order of beach balls? Well, look no further! This is exactly what the effervescent TIBERIUS brought to the table for one of the biggest shows of their career to date. From soaring choruses to dinosaur encounters, the Edinburgh-based quintet meticulously navigated their way through a selection of favourites from recent offering Singing For Company. Known for fret gymnastics aplenty, tracks like Tip Of The Spear and Juggernaut were particularly impressive to witness in a live setting. The ideal way to open proceedings on the Kerrang! Stage and to tee everyone up for the final day of a suitably stacked RADAR Festival.

Rating: 9/10

LOVE IS NOISE – Sneak Energy Stage Live Is Noise live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Coal Poet Media

Stepping in at the ninth hour LOVE IS NOISE, who offer up a beautiful selection of their distinct sound. With a blurred line between uplifting grunge and bittersweet emo, their set goes down a storm with those who need a cathartic moment by day three. Songs such as Hole In Me, It hurts to know you’re there and Soft Glow, with various others from their debut To live in a different way all went down very well. The crowd, many of whom weren’t perhaps super well versed in the work of LOVE IS NOISE warmed to their charms and there will absolutely be some new fans made from this set.

Rating: 7/10

DAVID MAXIM MUSIC – Kerrang! Stage
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David Maxim Micic live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: @likeanao

More guitar wizardry comes through DAVID MAXIC MICIC. Beautifully atmospheric, he and his band aren’t much for talking, which honestly works absolutely fine as the crowd are treated to a myriad of gorgeous arrangements. There was a silly, easy sort of dynamic on stage with MAXIC MICIC and his band, with Jamiroquai hats materialising out of nowhere and smiles all around. It’s quite a surprise when suddenly there’s a vocalist, unannounced but absolutely adding a brilliant new layer of glorious sound and hype to the set. The unnamed singer – who only bowed out at the end of the set with, “we are him” in gesture to MAXIC MICIC – and the rest of the band inspire and leave the crowd in a joyful awe by the end of the set.

Rating: 9/10

HIGH REGARD – Sneak Energy Stage High Regard live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Charlie Bluck

On the final day of the festival, when your energy levels are starting to wane, you require some high-octane hooks to get the adrenaline flowing and perk up the mood. This is exactly what alt-rock outfit HIGH REGARD brought to proceedings. Their mix of plentiful melodies and emotive passages was immediately infectious, drawing the crowd in for the duration. Tracks Dead To Me and more recent effort Red Lights proved to be particular highlights. Radar Festival has garnered a reputation for shining a light on some of the UK’s hottest up-and-coming bands and this talented troupe certainly fall into that category. Definitely one to watch for the future.

Rating: 8/10

SHIELDS – Kerrang Stage! Shields live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Charlie Bluck

Anyone already educated on the journey SHIELDS have encountered up to the present day will be aware that it’s been one hell of a bumpy ride filled with grief and adversity. This is immediately displayed for all to witness as frontman Joe Edwards commences their performance with a bleak, expressive spoken word monologue which, ultimately, catches a lot of people off guard. What soon followed was laced with enough acerbic aggression to send seismic waves through the O2 Victoria Warehouse. Equipped with the explosive artillery of Black Dog and the emotionally charged Red & Green, the Newcastle-based bruisers certainly left a lasting impression.

Rating: 8/10

CONTINENTS – Sneak Energy Stage Continents live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography

There’s an interesting feeling in the air for CONTINENTS; an eagerness from fans who have been die hards from day one, and those who have only recently come across them, potentially just days before in prep for this very performance. Their material is both bludgeoning and emotive, and the room responds accordingly with plenty of moshing and many an arm raised. From the release of their monumental EP Lifeline in 2023, the crowd is treated to Gaslighter, Hurricane as well as fan favourites Alone and even fresher tracks CORRUPTED. It’s a set of big vocals, bigger riffs and heartfelt crowd interactions, with a message of perseverance and self- survival that many resonate with.

Rating: 8/10

YONAKA – Kerrang! Stage Yonaka live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography

The poppy, accessibility of YONAKA‘s offerings is a stark contrast to the ferocity that has preceded them but this does not make them any less effective or alluring. Theresa Jarvis has the crowd in the palm of her hand with her silky smooth vocal prowess as she powers through anthemic tracks such as By The Time You’re Reading This, Seize The Power and Rockstar. This is precisely why people continue to instill their faith into RADAR Festival, the variation in what the lineup offers allows you to stumble across bands which would not usually fall under your gaze. Witnessing the same people who were pitting like maniacs to CONTINENTS and SHIELDS grinning at the upbeat, vibrant fun exhibited by YONAKA is exactly what a festival experience should be about.

Rating: 8/10

ARTIO – Sneak Energy Stage Artio live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography

There’s been plenty of online hype over the past year or so for ARTIO, and for damn good reason. These Leeds youngsters have poured their heart and soul into giving their music their all, and it absolutely translated to their live performance. Fan favourites Babyface, Head In The Sand, Finger On The Trigger from their debut album are phenomenal, the room is totally taken aback by the strength of Rae Brazill’s voice and the and confidence of the band. From older tunes to their latest single Split Soul, there is an energy about them that’s almost perfect. They might be being a little polite with their crowd commands, with a softer audience interaction that some appreciate, but others might like a little more of a playfully commanding presence, as they’ve more than got the chops for it. With their biggest hit Pyrokid bowing out the set, there are for sure many who are hungry to see these incredible new performers again.
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Rating: 8/10

VUKOVI – Kerrang! Stage Vukovi live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography

For those who know VUKOVI, this was a set you wanted to get down for early. Adored in sequins and tassels, Janine Shilstone is a force of nature that most everyone in the room is both endeared by and in total awe of. Her voice is punchy, powerful and oozing sass, she strutting and jumping around the stage, the band pummel their instruments to match Shilstone’s energy. The Glaswegians bring their A-game, from I EXIST, GUNGHO to MY GOD HAS GOT A GUN, the light show is unmatched and the good vibes are unparalleled. With some spontaneous crowd surfing to top things off, this has been a wonder to behold. The band’s final sentiment of “be kind to each other” is one that we can all agree is something we need reminding of at the moment. It’s just as well final song La De Da throws everyone into a frenzied pit of delight, to really set the marker of a band high on the rise.

Rating: 9/10

DREAM STATE – Sneak Energy Stage Dream State live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography

Having sub-headlined the same stage two years ago, DREAM STATE return to RADAR and are welcomed back like glorious heroes. A heaving crowd awaits the Welsh post-hardcore band and helmed by the energetic and captivating Jessie Powell, the band deliver a memorable and thumping close to RADAR‘s second stage. It helps when the band have an arsenal of modern metal showstoppers – with the likes of Chin Up Princess, Still Dreaming and Anxious State of Mind all being delivered with the utmost urgency and keeping the crowd pulsing in harmony. Powell‘s stage presence is impeccable, with her delivery of older material (particularly Primrose and Hand in Hand) executed brilliantly, and the way in which she builds and maintains a strong bond with the crowd makes their set a joy to experience, ;eaving longlasting smiles sketched upon every beaming face.

Rating: 9/10

UNDEROATH – Kerrang! Stage Underoath live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography

Having made an insane trip to be here, flying overnight and which unfortunately had the band’s luggage go missing in transit, and with a a return flight straight after they’re done, you’d maybe expect UNDEROATH might be a little tired and run down. Amazingly, the band is practically foaming at the bit to get going, and by god do they put on a show. Kicking off with Loss, it’s so evident how monumental UNDEROATH are, their professionalism and calibre is unmatched. Spencer Chamberlain is a hurricane on stage, frenzied and bouncing around like his life depends on it, barking into the crowd and whipping everyone into a delighted stupor.

There’s constant crowd suffers and the most confident pits of the weekend breaking open, the likes of songs Hallelujah. It’s wall to wall bangers, with new tracks from their new record All Love Is Gone, Shame and Generation No Surrender are as well received as their iconic Young and Aspiring, Down, Set, Go and of course A Boy Brushed Red Living In Black And White. The room is dripping with sweat as Chamberlain decides to descend into the crowd, a blissful moment that added a cheery on the cake of an incredible set. Undisputed heavyweights in the metalcore, it’s felt like getting the best of both worlds with a youthfully energetic set underpinned by years of playing at the highest calibre.

Rating: 10/10

Words: James Weaver, Laura McCarthy, Dan McHugh

Check out our photo gallery from the weekend’s action from Serena Hill Photography here:








































































Novelists live @ RADAR Festival 2025. Photo Credit: Serena Hill Photography

HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: Hours – Funeral For A Friend

Following up your debut album, especially when that debut has made a blistering impact, is a daunting challenge for any band. For FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND, that impact had come quickly. Their 2003 debut, Casually Dressed And Deep In Conversation, followed fast on the heels of their first two EPs. The Welsh post-hardcore/emo five-piece hurled that album together at breakneck speed, assembling it from re-recordings and rapidly written new material, and found it received unexpected critical and commercial success. How to go about topping that?



In defiance of that debut’s scrappy origins (and rollout: in the US, a compilation EP was released instead, the album following six months later), sophomore effort Hours was a much more intentional affair. The band travelled to the US, setting up shop in Seattle to give themselves time and space to craft an album purposefully. They recruited producer Terry Date, famed then for his work on seminal DEFTONES and LIMP BIZKIT albums (and who would later helm the desk for BRING ME THE HORIZON‘s Sempiternal). Date focused on capturing the band’s live energy, letting them express themselves rather than imposing a particular sound or style.



The result remains a classic of the genre and a favourite of the band. Where Casually Dressed And Deep In Conversation is a live wire of energy and chaos, Hours is much more polished and packed with variety – but no less powerful or raw. Single Streetcar sticks in the memory with its phone dial tone intro and galloping thrash riffs. The band mostly discarded the unclean vocals from drummer Ryan Richards, save for some accents on The End Of Nothing (the closest Hours gets to IRON MAIDEN). In their place are more ballads and dynamic contrasts – the contemplative Drive, the electronics of closer Sonny, and the fan-favourite ballad History.

Vocalist Matthew Davies-Kreye puts in a bravura performance across the album. There’s a ferocity to his voice on opener All The Rage, a perfect capture of the contemporary wave of emo angst and aggression. Keen to inspire a natural performance, producer Terry Date took the unusual move to record vocals outside the studio, including in the back of a moving vehicle for Drive and on a busy street for the bridge of History. Also key to the sound is the guitar work from Kris Roberts. Hours is replete with technical chops – the chorus runs in Streetcar, the two-handed tapping of Roses For The Dead. But more importantly, his lead lines bring a heartstring-tugging melodic sense to rival any of their best contemporaries.


Hours contains plenty of the tropes of relational anguish typical of emo music, but there’s also an undercurrent of political outrage and statement. Hailing from a small South Wales mining town, playing music was a creative escape in an area with limited economic prospects, a frustration Davies-Kreye expounds upon in All The Rage: “Who was it that said great things come to great men? | Well that fucker lied to us | There’s nothing here but a wasteland”. The music video for History depicts the violent conflict between police and workers during the miners’ strikes of the 1980s. Most striking is the album’s artwork: its interior sleeves depict teenager Mandi Kreisher cheerfully wearing school outfits from each decade from the 1950s to the 1990s. On the cover representing the 2000s? A bulletproof vest over a school uniform, the smile wiped from her face. An iconic image, and a powerful statement at the time in the US, with the release just three months after the Red Lake school shootings. Twenty years on, it is even more horrifically relevant.
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By Christmas 2005, Hours was certified Gold – it was again a success both amongst fans and critics. Fans of the heavier components of their debut and EPs voiced some disapproval, in particular, the scaling back of the unclean vocals. But it won many more fans, too. The band toured extensively to support the album, playing slots on Warped Tour 2005, Taste Of Chaos and Download Festival, with a final show supporting the album at the Hammersmith Palais in 2006, later released as a live album. A performance of Hours from start to finish in 2014 at Islington Academy was also released as a live album.



In many ways, Hours marked the peak of FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND‘s success. Their 2007 follow-up, Tales Don’t Tell Themselves, expanded in ambition and scope but moved into alternative rock territory. It left behind portions of a fan base eager for the heavier post-hardcore sound. Several more albums bounced between styles before the band disbanded in 2016. A comeback followed in 2019, with the fast-selling post-COVID dates featuring a set comprised of their first three albums, bookended each night by All The Rage and History. Davies-Kreye has since departed the band, with Lucas Woodland of HOLDING ABSENCE taking up the mic for a celebration of the album’s 20th anniversary at outdoor headline shows in Leeds and Cardiff in July.

Twenty years on, Hours has grown into a classic. That debut record may still inspire more nostalgia among the earlier fans of FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND, and their later work may have held more ambition and accessibility. But Hours is a statement record: a perfect hybrid of the raw energy of their early years and the polished intent of a mature band.



Hours was originally released on June 13th, 2005 via Atlantic Records.

Like FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND on Facebook.

INTRODUCING: Cwfen

With a gleam of enthusiasm in the eye. Agnes, holds up a phone to the camera of the zoom meeting. “Just look at all these!” She exclaims before scrolling, seemingly endlessly through a litany of names. All of which potentials for what would eventually become the final agreed upon name, CWFEN. What began as a light hearted question about how many times they’ve been asked on the exact pronunciation, (it’s ‘coven’) has turned into a rabbit hole of a discussion about what’s in a name, but also highlights just how much care and attention the quartet put into their work.



Agnes Alder – vocals, rhythm guitar and
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For those that have heard the current singles from debut Sorrows, the laid-back atmosphere that surrounds these two musicians seems at odds with the emotive weight and passion that comes through in their music. However, there is no sense of underestimating either the talent or experience contained within CWFEN. As Agnes explains when asked about the seeds of this project. “Both of us have been in bands and playing music for a very long time. Yet it had been a while since I had played live, I had been writing in secret for a while with no intention of anyone seeing it.”

With this outlet aspect, it’s clear that the soul of the music is a passion project and that fits with the intensity that they have subsequently weaved into their latest releases. However, the origins were not clear-cut metal in terms of genre identity. “I was doing some kind of electronic stuff initially,” is how Agnes describes the germination. Turning to Guy, “then I let you hear it.” Through nods of agreement and a knowing look. It appears that CWFEN may have originally been heading down a darkwave route. Discussing the first rehearsal and the preparation he went through with equipment, “I brought a lot of equipment. Synthesisers, drum triggers all set to get electronic, then I went away on tour with the band I was in.”



“And I ruined it,” says Agnes with a chuckle. With no hesitation in agreeing, Guy confirms “yep, I get back you said right, ditch the synths we’re a metal band now I’ve written new demos.”

From this point forward, the idea of what would become CWFEN formed very quickly. Rös Ranquinn was in place on drums. Guy says of him “he’s a long-time collaborator with myself. We go back to high school. So long term friends and playing together our adult lives.” The final piece of the CWFEN puzzle is bassist Mary Thomas Baker. Again, a previous collaborator of Guy‘s “Mary was at my birthday party and heard some of the demos and wanted to contribute. So, the three of us, Rös, Mary and I have all played in bands previously.”
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With a group now assembled, with the added bonus of previous understanding of influences, playing styles and creative influence Guy continues, “the four of us got in a room, you brought in the seeds of ideas [gesturing to Agnes] and we got the ideas down quite quickly into what is heard now.”


From having fledging demos recorded, the next logical step for CWFEN was gigs. For four seasoned musicians live is where they can hone their collective sound and allow the preconceived ideas to flow. “Everything with this band happened really quickly, at that point we thought we should try and get some gigs,” Agnes explains before adding, “we had the demos down before we’d played live. What we found, quite quickly, after playing live is that we’re much, much heavier (than the demos). That has shaped the sound and made it’s way back into the style.” This is born out by the reworked versions of Embers and Bodies both of which were on those demo recordings and are now fully realised on Sorrows having been through this evolution process.

The organic nature of how CWFEN have come to be, is one of the clearest things that come through in their music. Even though Agnes undertook a hard pivot from an electronic idea into metal, many of the songs owe their origins to this singular outlet of creativity. The subsequent combination of working with friends who are all accomplished musicians within the field of metal has helped nurture the music. Agnes sums it up succinctly, “I had a clear vision initially with how I wanted these some of these songs to sound, the natural chemistry of playing with these really good friends has translated beautifully.” Adding with a shared laugh with Guy, “it’s surpassed all our modest expectations!”
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When it comes to the live experience, CWFEN are very much a band looking to make their mark and deliver something memorable to audiences. For them this is a work of fun, they’re writing and playing music in the vein that got them into playing music in the first place. As Guy puts it, “to make a record that would fill a gap in our record collection when we were teenagers.” This infectious enthusiasm for what they’re writing and playing may at first seem jarring upon hearing the swirling, at times ethereal metal soundscapes that the debut album delivers. However, the recording does hold a level of enjoyment that translates from the rehearsal room to the finished product. This is the energy that they want to capture and deliver on stage.

“Come and see us,” says Agnes. “We want to give people a reason to get off the couch and come and see us. We want to give you a show, energy, dedication to making that happen. We want you to leave thinking wow! Guy sums it up, “we want to give everyone and anyone who happens upon our music something to latch onto. It’s more fun when everyone gets into it together.” Picking up as a final thought on how they want to be inclusive for as many audiences as possible, Agnes concludes. “We’re a heavy band who write different moods.”

Sorrows is out now via New Heavy Sounds. View this interview, alongside dozens of other killer bands, in glorious print magazine fashion in DS121 here:

The Wildhearts: Sticking Around For The Punchline

Photo Credit: Andy Ford
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“There was only two ways it was going to go. I was going to end up in jail or in the ground.” When THE WILDHEARTS announced their hiatus in 2022, it appeared that the wheels may have well and truly come off the band. Although its members ploughed on with various solo projects, it also seemed like this disintegration of the group might take frontman Ginger Wildheart down with it.



“My life had spun out of control,” Wildheart candidly shares. “I ended up getting sectioned, which turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me.” Known as one of rock’s most prolific artists, taking his foot off the pedal was exactly what Ginger needed to take stock. “It allowed me to just stop everything and refocus – and focus on myself.” However, the temporary cost was his lifelong passion for creating music.



“When I came out of the hospital, I had no interest in music. None at all. And obviously, I had no songs.” Considering Ginger’s near hundreds of song-writing credits over the years, it was an atypical position for the Geordie troubadour to find himself in. Dedicating time to his own recovery however led to inspiration eventually striking. And it struck hard. “The songs just started coming! It was like a dead direct line, a hotline to something bigger than me.” Wildheart chortles and adds, “The material was coming in so fast and furious, I was having to say, ‘look, can you fucking slow down?!’”

To say the recovering Wildheart was caught off-guard by the sudden inspiration would be an understatement. “I literally didn’t want to play the guitar. I hadn’t played for so long, I couldn’t play!” But that rustiness proved reinvigorating too. “It was like starting out again. And that’s where I found the magic was.”

Unexpectedly armed with a wealth of material after this particularly difficult patch in his life, Ginger found himself in the position of now trying to get an album off the ground. After recording demos, an offer was soon on the table from Spinefarm, though with a key condition, as Ginger explains. “We can do a deal, provided you don’t do this with the last lineup.”


For longtime fans of the band, particularly its “classic” line-up (debatably Ginger, CJ, Danny McCormack and Ritch Battersby), this may seem like a bit of a surprise, but not to Ginger. “I don’t blame them,” he admits. “As exciting as anyone might think a bunch of 50-odd year olds getting drunk, taking drugs and getting into trouble is, it’s not.”

Was it that easy to close the door on the old line-up however? “I’m fatally loyal sometimes,” Wildheart begins. “Which is probably something that people won’t believe about me because you know how many changes there’s been in the band,” he adds with a self-aware smile. Before recording began proper, Ginger reached out to both CJ and Battersby, sharing the material and asking if they’d do the record. They both turned it down, providing Wildheart with the closure he needed. “Great, you’ve both allowed me to move on,” Ginger adds gratefully.



That did however mean rebuilding the band ahead of recording this new album, for which Ginger tapped a few familiar faces from his pool of collaborators. Jon Poole, ex-CARDIACS member and often-times WILDHEART himself, was a no brainer for the bass. Ben Marsden, who Ginger describes as “the man most biologically predisposed to be in THE WILDHEARTS” slotted in to the other guitar slot naturally. Rounding out the lineup for recording was Cheb Nettles who had played on the demos. With the pieces in place, recording went uncharacteristically smoothly. “We did the album and it was one of those magic sessions where, from the first beat that went down, everything worked,” Ginger beams.

The resultant record, Satanic Rites Of The Wildhearts, feels like a departure of sorts from the last few releases under THE WILDHEARTS banner. Ginger notes, “there was an innocence about this one where we weren’t questioning any part of the process – is that song too poppy, is that song too heavy?”

Rather than be hemmed in by what THE WILDHEARTS should sound like, Satanic Rites… sees the band stretch their musical focus beyond punk-thrash melodic aggression. Instead, it taps into the more experimental vein of releases like Fishing For Luckies and Ginger’s varied solo material. It’s a course correction for the band that Wildheart implies has been coming since their second album, 1995’s P.H.U.Q.
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“P.H.U.Q. was supposed to be a double album and I had this vision that we were going to be able to go anywhere. And then the record company said, ‘We’re going to cut all the long and interesting songs and we’re going to try and make a carbon copy of the first album.” While the excised tracks would soon resurface and become classics in their own right (first as part of the aforementioned Fishing For Luckies and eventually in 2022’s P.H.U.Q. Deluxe), Ginger took the pushback to heart. “It killed me. It killed my spirit.”

Satanic Rites Of The Wildhearts is both the first step in this new chapter for the group and an opportunity for Ginger to let go of some of the band’s past. “You’re dragged down by the past,” he reflects. “The present is the only place you’ll ever be. So that’s how I’m approaching everything now. And that means putting things to bed!”



It’s certainly not the first rebirth of THE WILDHEARTS and who knows if it’ll be the last. But with a new record on the horizon and a tour kicking off just as the album drops, Ginger’s enthusiasm for this moment is infectious – though he’s well aware of the sceptics. “I’m really excited about where this is going. And everybody who’s going to accept change and wants to follow us on board, it’s going to be very exciting for them!”

After over thirty years in the game and weathering countless setbacks with THE WILDHEARTS, Ginger’s resilience and longevity is driven by one key lesson above all: “Don’t die. Stick around for the punchline.”

Satanic Rites of the Wildhearts is out now via Snakefarm Records.

Like THE WILDHEARTS on Facebook.

LIVE REVIEW: Unleash The Archers @ Slay Glasgow

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Power metal is an incredibly popular subgenre, yet in recent years, fans say that the genre has fallen into a rut. It’s hasn’t quite innovated or pushed the envelope, unlike, say, black or death metal. As a result, the list of bands that have broken into the upper ranks of popularity in the last twenty years is short. One of those bands is Canada’s UNLEASH THE ARCHERS, a four-piece that completed their mission of hybridising melodic death and power metal compellingly. As the years passed, they dropped the melo-death and kept smashing through the max popularity ceiling. Despite the rising number of power metal fans in the UK, it seems that fewer bands are including London, let alone anywhere else in the UK, on European treks that would have certainly touched down in the capital over ten years ago. So it’s perhaps no surprise that when UNLEASHED THE ARCHERS announced a London date for earlier this year, it sold out in four days and was upgraded to a roomier venue. Naturally, all the extra tickets vanished rapidly, prompting the band to actually listen to the fans for once and come back a few months later to travel elsewhere in the UK.

All For Metal live @ Slay, Glasgow. Photo Credit: Duncan McCall

The Glasgow show takes place on a Tuesday, and Slay is absolutely crammed with bodies. The room is so rammed that there’s a security person who’s sole job seems to be to get people to shuffle forward away from the exit to allow more attendees to squeeze in. The only support tonight is ALL FOR METAL, a power metal band of dubious origins. There’s an argument to be made that power metal is struggling in the light of bands that dress up and get popular on social media due to their wacky, cartoony looks over musicianship. This German/Italian collective was artificially assembled by the record label AFM (hence their initials), instantly given a huge marketing budget, popular tours and festival slots. Formed in 2022, they already have two albums and approximately 15 music videos.

You can imagine what they sound like: generic and uninspired power metal that takes cues from SABATON, HAMMERFALL, MANOWAR, DYNAZTY etc. There are two vocalists: Antonio Calanna with a traditional power metal higher range complete with a piercing falsetto, and Tim Schmidt who sounds similar to the gruff deeper tones of SABATON vocalist Joakim Broden. Their stage presence is very pantomime-y, which may appeal to those who prefer crowd interaction over music, like those dragged along to the show. The music itself is the typical kitsch heavy/power metal themes with the exact same metal, Viking, warrior and camaraderie themes that MANOWAR, DREAM EVIL, RHAPSODY and a thousand other bands have adopted since. Songs played are titled Raise Your Hammer, Born in Valhalla, Gods of Metal, and Goddess of War.
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All For Metal live @ Slay, Glasgow. Photo Credit: Duncan McCall

The venue’s sound makes the guitars scratchy, but the audience is up for this cliché performance, given the hearty responses given to the band on request. Perhaps the most surprising inclusion is a bass solo by

Rating: 4/10Unleash The Archers live @ Slay, Glasgow. Photo Credit: Duncan McCall

Just before Canadian power metallers UNLEASH THE ARCHERS take the stage, you can feel the lofty expectations in the air. The five-piece immediately ignites the performance to remember with the self-titled song from Abyss. This dynamite-laden anthem is hampered by singer Brittney Slayes‘ vocals being criminally too quiet. Fortunately, this is rectified very quickly, and just as well. Slayes‘ voice is fantastic on record but live, they’re jaw-droppingly incredible. Effortlessly, she smashes out sustained falsettos and belting vibratos, wielding her enviable vocal talent like a broadsword. Soulbound and Faster than Light from the same album continue the rampage, dazzling the audience, who eats up every note from the band.

Next, two selections from 2017’s Apex, the headliner’s breakthrough album, are presented – The Matriarch and Awakening. The metal is technical without being distractingly so, with nods towards SYMPHONY X. Guitar harmonies, sparingly used growled vocals and electrifying solos are the order of the night, all configured to make outstanding power metal that excels in the live environment. The following two songs are
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Unleash The Archers live @ Slay, Glasgow. Photo Credit: Duncan McCall

Last year, UNLEASH THE ARCHERS released Phantoma, so they play four prime cuts from this, including Ghosts in the Mist, Green and Glass and Gods in Decay. On stage, they don’t seem to stop headbanging, and it’s refreshing to see a band still having fun playing live. They’re constantly swapping smirks and private jokes with each other throughout. It seems they hold all the cards for being an all-around excellent metal band. They last played Scotland in 2017, and when Hayes asks how many were at that Edinburgh show, about five people put their hands up. Clearly, word of how outstanding they are has rightfully travelled. After Blood Countess, the cool Canadians leave the stage, only to return for their encore. This is a cover of the STAN ROGERS folk song Northwest Passage, their most played song on Spotify, almost double the number of listeners of their second one. Far from their best song, this example of patriotic Canada sees large swathes of the fans singing along to each lyric. It certainly rounds the rest of the set out sublimely, and the ovation UNLEASH THE ARCHERS receive is epic. They absolutely must return to Glasgow again.

Rating: 10/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Glasgow from Duncan McCall here:









































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Desaster release new song ‘Throne of Ecstasy’

Photo Credit: Omer Barzilai


German black thrash metal veterans DESASTER have released a brand new single!



The new single, titled Throne Of Ecstasy, is the latest track lifted from the band’s upcoming full-length studio album, Kill All Idols, which is scheduled to be released later this month, via Metal Blade Records.



Speaking about the new song, founding guitarist Infernal says, “The song is a traditional DESASTER black/thrash song, which immediately encourages headbanging and fist-raising in the middle part. The riffs were created spontaneously in the rehearsal room during one of the legendary sessions with lots of (of course legal) stimulants and only had to be arranged a little. It was an easy birth! The songs that emerged from jams are usually our best.”

Listen to Throne of Ecstasy here:


Kill All Idols is set for release on August 22nd via Metal Blade Records. Pre-orders are available now and can be purchased here.

For more information on DESASTER like their official page on Facebook.