ALBUM REVIEWSALTERNATIVEPUNKREVIEWS

Let it never be said that LAURA JANE GRACE is not a forward thinking and progressive woman. She is a warrior. One who has stood up for the trans community time and time again and has taken her strongly held beliefs out into the world via mouth, through her powerful autobiography Tranny: Confessions of Punk Rock’s Most Famous Anarchist Sellout and of course, via her music both with AGAINST ME! and solo efforts.



Hole In My Head, Grace’s third full-length solo effort comes at an interesting time for the musician. It has been little over two months since her marriage and not much longer since she undertook the massive decision to shave her head (as a woman, her hair was symbolic as a prominent figure in the trans community) to enable the master Japanese tattoo artist Gakkin to tattoo her head. Musically we see somewhat of a return to Grace’s musical roots, with an album that is much more sonically powerful and well-rounded than her previous full length Stay Alive. This is not to say that the previous album is weak in any way. However, this time out the sound is much larger with a more rounded full band approach.

The album opens with the short but sweet title track. This is a punchy, straight-forward punk rock song and draws a parallel between LAURA JANE GRACE‘s current art and her roots with AGAINST ME! This is the perfect way to open the album, grabbing attention and luring the listener in. The following song I’m Not A Cop is much more satirical. This is another fun song, with tongue in cheek lyrics and a upbeat vibe and when you close your eyes and really listen you get swept up in the usual punk rock feeling that you could listen to this at a basement show and imagine Grace having the time of her life playing it up close and personal.


The next track Dysphoria Hoodie changes the mood slightly. The singer has brought so much positive attention and understanding to the wider world with regards to the very real issue of gender dysphoria and this is another soulful and honest insight into the struggles of someone suffering from the condition. This is a particularly powerful song, that shows you just how important music can be to help others understand and empathize, as well as explain certain feelings in a way that usual words never can.

Later in the album Cuffing Season is a beautiful acoustic song. There is no sweeter sound than a talented singer/songwriter bearing their soul with a simple melody over simple chords. The same goes for Tacos & Toast. With a song of that name, you would not expect a singer to be pouring her soul out on tape, but here we are. “I think I’ll bet a line tattooed through your name. You will be read as a clear mistake” sings Grace for the refrain, with what sounds like a smile on her face.

On the song Mercenary you can really hear the influence of bassist Matt Patton as the notes accentuate the chord progressions. This track has a really catchy chorus, something that Grace has mastered over the course of her long a decorated career and the closing lyrics of the song “I want you to love me, to love me like I love you” is a painfully simple, yet intensely profound line that so many of us have felt in our own lives. Such is the power of the woman behind the microphone.

The closing track on the album Give Up The Ghost has an almost bluesy feel to it as emotional vocals from Grace float over the simple chord progression. This music is honest and open, and as a result it is easy to lose yourself in and connect to on a deep level. For decades now Grace has laid down some of the most influential and important music in the punk rock scene, carving out her own path throughout a genre that often tries too hard to be true to its roots rather than peel off and create new ones. The line “I’m standing at the centre of the universe screaming I’m not done” couldn’t be more apt for a songwriter who appears to be hitting her creative stride at 43 years old. With no signs of slowing up creatively any time soon.

We all want AGAINST ME! to reform someday. It goes without saying. However, if LAURA JANE GRACE continues to roll out music of this quality, then we can wait a little while longer. Hole In My Head is a triumph and one that will undoubtedly be in rotation for the rest of the year.

Rating: 9/10



Hole In My Head is out now via Big Scary Monsters.

Like LAURA JANE GRACE on Facebook.

ALTERNATIVEBAND FEATURESFEATURESMELODIC DEATH METALMETALCORENU-METAL

Time, the latest album from Moldovan metal band INFECTED RAIN sees them hit new heights sonically with a hard hitting collection of soaring metal anthems. Prior to the release of Time and the festive season, we caught up with vocalist Lena Scissorhands to discuss the new album and its creation, and how she celebrates Christmas.



We begin with Lena proclaiming how excited she is to kickstart 2024 with the release of Time. “We’re very proud of this album and the anticipation is very real for sure.” Lena goes onto explain how the lineup of INFECTED RAIN has changed for this record. “We announced a change of lineup in the band, which was very serious for everybody but our new bass player Alice joined in May and with the drop of the new single, we introduced her to our fans and listeners.”

She goes on to explain how this change has reenergised INFECTED RAIN and how excited the collective are with the new lineup. “I feel like it’s a complete new chapter in general in our lives and careers as musicians and even though Alice joined when the album was already composed, she recorded a couple of songs on the album and it already still feels a completely different chapter. A new way in our careers, and we are enjoying it so far very much.”

In fact, it’s all systems go for INFECTED RAIN as they have more things planned ahead of Time being released. “We’ve done a lot of work together in such a short time, we filmed many music videos, three already are out from this album and another three I believe, have to come out, and then the album itself.”

We then discuss the songs on Time and how they are all linked together as Lena explains. “I think that it is our first album that is so conceptual because every song is its own story, its own emotion. With this album, I feel like even though songs are very different and about different topics as well, in the same way they have something in common somehow. I tried to have this imaginary thread that goes through the map of the entire album. When it comes to lyrics, at least that’s what I was trying to incorporate.”

Lena then divulges about her powerful vocal performance on the new album and how she has evolved as a singer. “I feel like I’m learning every year. I have more knowledge and more practice. Every year and with every algorithm, it is going to be slightly different, hopefully to the right, so I would say that is definitely to the full capacity of my body. In the time being, we asked when we were recording because they said I feel like every year, something happens to us, as individuals as professionals, our body changes, our stamina changes, and there’s plenty things that can become either better or worse, depending on how much work you put into it. I put the maximum I can and I put fully everything, all my energy and my body capacity into albums every time.”


Lena explains about how the sound of INFECTED RAIN has developed on this record. “Almost half of the songs on the album recording were on eight string guitars, which changes the tune and the sound of the song for sure. It is INFECTED RAIN, but maybe with the fresher sound in a way.”

Lena talks about the band’s recent tour with WEDNESDAY 13 in America but it turns out that while the tour went well, it wasn’t without its share of problems. “It was a very tricky tour for sure. First of all, it was a very long tour, and we had some difficulties getting visas for certain musicians in the band. We had to miss five shows because two members of the band weren’t able to do to have the visa approved in time. and we had a lot of trouble with the bus that was rented. It was pretty stressful, but, of course, the shows were absolutely fantastic. Our favourite thing to do is actually play shows.”

Lena then reveals what INFECTED RAIN are up to in 2024 when it comes to live shows. “We have some plans that are already announced. We are going to start the year on a very fun metal cruise in America called 70,000 Tonnes Of Metal, which is a week on a cruise with a lot of bands and a lot of fans. We are excited for that. Then in February and March, we have a very big tour in Europe. We go together with AMARANTHE and DRAGONFORCE. After that, we await summer with its festivals and we are working on some plans for Autumn 2024.”

With this interview being conducted right before Christmas, the talk moved away from music for a moment as Lena tells us how much she enjoys the festive period. “I am not a religious person, but I love Christmas and its traditions. I love mixing traditions because I lived in four different countries in my life and I picked some little traditions from each country in each culture that I lived in. I really like to create my own little atmosphere for Christmas. For example, I have a Christmas tree, but it’s black, to make it a bit more unique. Watching Christmas movies and eating foods that are specific for Christmas, I really like that. I grew up celebrating mainly New Year, so I like celebrating both that and Christmas, basically the entire week of celebration!”

We finished this great chat with Lena proudly telling us all about her highlights of 2023, a year that has been a massive one for her. “The change in the band was something fresh, something new. It was, in a way, challenging, but at the same time, very exciting and it went even smoother than I could even predict. Recording the two albums, one with INFECTED RAIN, and one with DEATH DEALER UNION, was a big achievement, because it’s a lot of work that I put together.”

Time is out now via Napalm Records.

Like INFECTED RAIN on Facebook.

MR. BIG SAYS GOODBYE TO NEW JERSEY

VIEW GALLERY

Mr. Big announced this year they will do one last world tour tilted "The BIG Finish". Singer Eric Martin, guitar wizard Paul Gilbert and bassist Billy Sheehan without original drummer Pat Torpey who passed away in 2018, now joined by Nick D'Virgillo. This run of U.S. winter dates started out in January, and unfortunately.by the time they arrived at the Starland Ballroom in New Jersey, February 2, Martin was sick, struggling through the set but soldiered on with a lot of help from his band, and the crowd.

Speaking of, in a very cool moment, Eric spoke to the crowd about his situation and asked for some help on the hit ballad "To Be With You" and Jersey rose to the occasion. The tour also features the band playing the entire Lean Into It album, bookended by rockers like opener "Addicted To That Rush", "Take Cover", "Alive And Kicken", with Gilbert and Sheehan breaking out the electric drills for "Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy", and a cover of the Talas/David Lee Roth ("Eat ‘Em and Smile") song "Shy Boy". Plus, three covers to close out a nineteen song (guitar and bass solo) set, which I thought they would have cut given how Eric felt. What a trooper.

COBRAKILL – SERPENT’S KISS

Cobra Spell, Cobrakill, Night Cobra – are we now in the age of the Cobra? The German newcomers formed in 2020 and are already on full-length number two and first with Frontiers. Their Cobratör debut was a fun, sleazy, raw record that showed promise. Serpent’s Kiss tries to build on that foundation, but ultimately fails with too many mundane ideas that’s overlong.




The debut sat a crisp eight tracks and 32 minutes while Serpent’s Kiss keeps the lip lock on for 12 songs at 47 minutes. Way too much for this style of music – the quality has to be top notch to pull that off.




Serpent’s Kiss presents a cleaner production job and goes for a more glossy, commercial approach in the choruses, the use of keyboards as well as the inclusion of background “oohs” and “ahhs” and it detracts from the dirty, scuzzy vibe of the debut. The formula and riff usage is also stock and uninventive with lyrics all over the place. There’s sleaziness and then outright blatant sexual bravado of “Ride My Rocket” and then a puzzling, serious character on “Concrete Jungle” and “Silent Running”. They don’t fit how the band presents itself.

Album review: Crawlers – The Mess We Seem To Make

Viral and vital Scouse rockers Crawlers prove they’re ready to take on the world with heart-tugging first album, The Mess We Seem To Make.

February 16, 2024
Words:Sam Law


Crawlers arrive with their long-awaited debut album not on hands and knees, but with strident purpose and fractured hearts beating out of their chests. It’s understandable. Having blown up on TikTok and been invited out on tour with giants like My Chemical Romance and YUNGBLUD, the Liverpudlian quartet have every reason to be overloaded with strident self-belief, but the striking vibrancy and surging energy with which they translate it to these 12 tracks is utterly remarkable.

There’s little time for looking in the rearview mirror. Yes, mega-hit 2021 single Come Over (Again) makes the tracklist – its grungy, hooky, melancholy brilliance shines as brilliantly here as it on each of the tens of millions of streams already racked up – but this is an album built for the road ahead.

As pumping opener Meaningless Sex thrusts into the fuzzy Kiss Me, their meld of vulnerability and intimacy with stadium-ready composition continues to bear fruit. Hit It Again proves a willingness to crank the heaviness when the moment calls. The brilliant Would You Come to My Funeral is a teasing lyrical masterclass with a pulsing bassline and soaring chorus that are impossibly full of life.





For a band who broke out on attention-deficit social media, Crawlers command the long-form with no lack of substance and impressive pacing. The mournful, piano-driven Golden Bridge finds room to sprawl and fully develop mid-album. The probing Kills Me To Be Kind loses nothing for sitting alongside their breakout hit, painting a picture of how the band have grown up since. The tentative alt. pop of Call It Love wears the influence of icons like PJ Harvey and Fiona Apple on its sleeve before heart-rending closer Nighttime Affair delivers a masterclass in theatrical understatement.

Perhaps most impressive is how this is a record destined to delight not just Crawlers’ fans – the affectionately named Creepy Crawlies – but pretty much anyone whose earways it happens to invade. The, ahem, crawl to superstardom is well underway.

Top Emerging Bands That Will Make Their Mark In 2024

PSYCHO-FRAME



In a scene that’s well oversaturated with LORNA SHORE chasers and cookie cutter production polish, Florida/Missouri deathcore purists PSYCHO-FRAME stand out far more by taking the genre back to the essentials. On Bandcamp they promise “NO SYMPHONIES / NO PUSH PITS / NO WHISPER VOX / NO GIMMICKS” and across two EPs last year – REMOTE GOD SEEKER and AUTOMATIC DEATH PROTOCOL – they delivered exactly that. The all caps thing makes a lot of sense too; this is a band who don’t do anything by halves, every pinging snare and gurning slam and glorious sub drop pushed as gleefully far into the red as possible.

They didn’t even play a show last year but by the end of it they’d earned the respect of the likes SCARAB, VAMACHARA, VOMIT FORTH and WAKING THE CADAVER – members of whom all guested on the second of those EPs – and they’ve already promised two more releases for the year ahead. Add to this the fact that they will soon rectify the lack of live performances with stacked bills in Alabama and Florida and 2024 could well be the year that ‘spinkick deathcore’ becomes the dominant force in the scene, with PSYCHO-FRAME proudly leading the charge.


Sacredeath



Sacredeath is one of the biggest bands in Brazil, has played with destruction, dream evil, sepultura, death ANGEL, toured with paul dianno, the band has been on the road for 17 years and recorded 4 albums, Thrash Heavy, death metal, and Blackmetal. check it out

https://linktr.ee/sacredeath.metal

UNPEOPLE



Before PRESS TO MECO had even reached the forests of Upcote Farm for their final show at 2000trees in 2023, UNPEOPLE were already beginning to rise like a phoenix from the ashes. Led by guitarists and vocalists Jake Crawford and Luke Caley, and joined by bassist Meg Mash (SARPA SALPA) and drummer Richard Rayner, UNPEOPLE have already supported the likes of CONJURER, signed to SharpTone Records (home to rising British stars like HOLDING ABSENCE, LOATHE, and VUKOVI), and kicked their way onto festival lineups like 2000trees, Radar, and Burn It Down — and they’ve only got a single song to their names.

Debut single smother bursts through the flesh, revving up riffs like it’s the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, as fuzzed-up basslines, gargantuan drums, and gang chants so catchy you’ll be singing them in your sleep. Add in some introspective lyrics that pack more punch in them than One Punch Man — the opening line of “are you being honest with yourself?” alone is enough to have you taking up journaling — and you’ve got a recipe for success. Who knows what 2024 holds for UNPEOPLE; all we know is we want more songs, more shows, and more where smother came from, please and thank you.


SOUTH ARCADE



With the Y2K revival that has increased in popularity in recent years, it makes sense that music would be influenced by the same period and take notes moving forward. One such band that exemplifies that style and sound to a tee are London’s SOUTH ARCADE, a pop-rock four-piece that take inspiration from that decade in a fun and unique way.

They played an excellent set at 2023’s Misery Loves Company, as well as other shows across the country that they showcase across their social media. In addition, they plan to take songs like unaware, Sound Of An Empty Room, Silverlight, and their recent single Nepo Baby to more venues this year. Not only are they joining AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS on their tour as support, but they also have their own ArcAngel tour planned in March, meaning more chances to catch this band live and witness their varied, energetic, and relatable songs. A band that has a great relationship with their fans is rare to find, and SOUTH ARCADE have that in spades, this band is not one to skip out on.


HIGH REGARD



HIGH REGARD merge buoyant pop with more eclectic rock influences to create an energetic wall of uplifting noise and the results of these collision of sounds are never anything other than highly infectious. After a busy 2023, that saw the band release their latest EP Subside which featured huge sounding songs such as Dead To Me (featuring Charlie Rolfe from AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS), Surrounding and Life Sentence, HIGH REGARD earned deserved plaudits both for this release and for their joyous live shows.

Aiming to build on this momentum, they’re shooting for an even stronger 2024 and hopefully the new music that HIGH REGARD bring out this year will take them to even higher heights as they certainly have the potential and the talent, and this coupled with their live shows continuing to be must see events is evidence that this year will be the year that HIGH REGARD make an even bigger impact.


WORLD OF PLEASURE



The hardcore scene continues to be a fertile ground for all manner of experimentation, but sometimes all you need is some bruising riffs, a snare that pings like nobody’s business, and buckets of righteous rage. Enter WORLD OF PLEASURE, featuring MORTALITY RATE‘s Jess Nyx and SERRATION‘s Colter; the outfit are staunchly vegan and straight edge, and make sure you know it. With regular callouts of their band name, “vegan straight edge” and screeds against animal abuse, they’re furiously intense with the metallic heft in their riffs to match.

They’ve dropped two EPs (2020’s World of Pleasure and 2022’s World Of Pleasure & Friends) along with a split with fellow straight edge noise merchants XWEAPONX, with a combined runtime of not even twenty minutes, but it’s taken them across the world opening for the likes of STATIC DRESS most recently. If you can put on the likes of Everybody Finds Love and Nyx’s screams of “everybody finds love / I hope you don’t” without feeling the urge to start swinging, get your hearing checked, then get in the pit because WORLD OF PLEASURE are bringing vegan domination.


SHOOTING DAGGERS



Since erupting from the depths of London’s fertile hardcore punk scene, queercore trio SHOOTING DAGGERS have gone from strength to strength. 2022’s debut EP Athames, showcased 13 minutes of aural rage and countless appearances up and down the country and gracing the likes of DesertFest and CULT OF LUNA-curated Beyond The Redshift have poised the band to cement their status as an exciting name in our scene.


Fusing together the rawness of punk and the ferocity of hardcore, for anyone who has an ear for heavy music, SHOOTING DAGGERS tick all the right boxes. 2024 sees the trio unleash their debut full-length record, Love and Rage in February, a record that will channel their rage at the world and calling for women and queer people to channel their power together as one. Angsty and adrenaline-surging, SHOOTING DAGGERS are quickly becoming one of the most exciting names in hardcore and on the back off their whirlwind journey thus far, 2024 is theirs for the taking.


CYAN KICKS



The Helsinki-based CYAN KICKS is no stranger to the alternative music scene in Europe. They’ve been active for seven years, a lot longer than some bands on this list, and with multiple releases under their belts they turned more heads than they bargained for in the last year with their new album I Never Said 4Ever. Their brand of melodic synth-laden metal is all the rage right now with a lot of bands employing the same sounds, but CYAN KICKS has a genuine edge that a lot of bands don’t have.

Their music has a clear message and meaning, and they aren’t afraid to push boundaries with their visuals or lyrics. Their energetic tracks are only enhanced by Susanna Alexandra’s soaring vocals that sing only the best of pop hooks. With latest single Dancing With Demons in contention to represent their homeland Finland at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, there is a good chance we will be hearing a lot more about CYAN KICKS in 2024.


DARLAHPhoto Credit: Pearl Cook

“2006 called, they want their sound back” is the tagline on DARLAH’s Facebook page. It’s an unfair statement to make, even in jest, because they’re far better than that. There’s a lot of different strings to the trio’s bow, from the huge, swinging metalcore riffs and snarling vocals to some of the most melodic and catchiest choruses around – just listen to the one in Sequel on debut EP Human Nature, it’ll be fixed in your head for the next month of Sundays.

Indeed, Human Nature might be the band’s only release to date and just a couple of months old, but the craftmanship on show across its five songs and sixteen-and-a-half minutes is seriously impressive: rarely do bands so young and so early into their career reach such a level of songwriting ability. The band are on tour with AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS from the end of the month and throughout February and, while they’re naturally the first band on the bill, you wouldn’t put it past them making the biggest impact on the night. For DARLAH, 2024 is there for the taking, and only a fool would bet against them doing that.


DIN OF CELESTIAL BIRDS



Leeds instrumentalists DIN OF CELESTIAL BIRDS absolutely leapt into people’s consciousness last summer. While their first EP released back in 2019, last year’s The Night Is For Dreamers really hit the mark for what the band are capable of. A gorgeous set of songs that ranged from mountainous soundscapes to valleys of soft, tranquil electronic ambiences, it instantly made waves. Backed with performances at Damnation and ArcTanGent, DIN OF CELESTIAL BIRDS have also shown themselves to be an excellent live band to boot.

Ranging from darkly aureate, in stomping dirges and colossal drones, to almost whimsical ecstasy in ethereal melodies that feel light as the wind; DIN OF CELESTIAL BIRDS encompass the best of post-rock in their crushing beauty. With gig announcements for throughout the year mounting, including StrangeForms Festival and a returning slot at ArcTanGent, DIN OF CELESTIAL BIRDS have a big year ahead of them.


FLOYA



Born from the ashes of both members’ previous projects, traveling to exotic locations in the wake of worldwide lockdowns has been the birth of Phil Bayer and Marv Wilder’s ambitious new undertaking FLOYA. What may be brand new to the ears of some, has actually been in the works for three years and slowly building momentum since their debut single Wonders was released back in mid 2022.

Coming together to form a unique mix of modern rock, EDM and world music elements, FLOYA are sonically a standout across the board of generic noise which largely dominates, and breathe fresh life into anyone who listens to them through inspiring and uplifting lyrics and an unwavering optimism designed to spark joy. Their upcoming full-length debut, Yume, is in their words a “curated anthology, eager to fully immerse the senses” and, if their premier UK live show at 2023’s Radar Festival is anything kind of strong measurement – we believe it absolutely will. Yume is out March 8th via Arising Empire.

BLAZE BAYLEY RELEASES OFFICIAL VIDEO FOR NEW "MIND READER" SINGLE

Former Iron Maiden singer, Blaze Bayley, will release his new album, Circle Of Stone, on February 23. Today, Blaze releases the official video for the new single, "Mind Reader", the opening track of the new record.

Says Blaze: "I wish to thank the guys at Lion Island Media for their brilliant work shooting and editing the video, and thanks also to Paul at the fantastic Priory Park Boxing Club for allowing me to use the gym as the perfect location for shooting this video and for the guidance given whilst shooting. I also wish to thank my incredible fans for their pre-orders so far and wonderful support and feedback."

In the video, Blaze repeatedly gets up off the canvas, with a nod to the world famous Rocky movies where, as we well know, Sylvester Stallone's character defiantly keeps getting to his feet.


Lista de músicas:

"Mind Reader"
"Tears In Rain"
"Rage"
"The Year Beyond This Year"
"Ghost In The Bottle"
"The Broken Man"
"The Call Of The Ancestors"
"Circle Of Stone"
"Absence"
"A Day Of Reckoning "
"O caminho do homem justo"
"Até nos encontrarmos novamente"

"Círculo de Pedra"



"Raiva"