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Features, Reviews

New Music: The Lost Releases II

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We’re back with another one of these! Sadly, we are only human, and we can’t quite get to every single album and EP each week it release. However, we listen to plenty more, and here is a handful of our very favourites from the ones we haven’t yet written about!

Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra: [SKA] SHOWDOWN

A band that I actually didn’t know about until chatting to Suburban Legends a couple of months back, they are quickly becoming a bit of an obsession of mine. Not only am I a big fan of the genre in general, but these guys do it so damn well! Whether it’s the punkier edge that got me into the genre to begin with or the slower, more jazz-leaning end, the band showcase that they are utterly phenomenal at both throughout this entire release. I also love that they alternate between the two styles with each track, keeping it constantly interesting and making nearly 50 minute so insanely interesting. It’s honestly impossible to pick highlights, it’s all so good! It’s impossible to have a bad time listening to this, and I’ve spun it a LOT over the last couple of months. The band are all such talented songwriters and musicians, and how they aren’t global superstars at this point is beyond me. Check this out immediately, no matter what you are into, you won’t be disappointed! Spoiler alert, this is very high on our albums of the year list so far. 9.5/10

Bite Down: Violent Playground

I found this while searching for a band of the same name as the album title, and what a find it was! This is absolute brutality from front to back, and an excellent 23 minutes of hardcore/metal music! Whether it’s the excellent riffs, crazy drumming, amazing screams or truly crushing breakdowns, it’s all written and performed to perfection! Also, at such a short release, it’s truly impossible to pick highlights, each track being as good as the last! Having said that, the tracks that feature guests in Orbit Culture and HÅRD are both spectacular, and utilise the other people so damn well. The band deserve so much more love than they are getting, though have certainly carved out a rabid fanbase for themselves among the underground scene, in large part due to this debut album. If you are into anything on the deathcore or heavier hardcore side of things, do yourselves a favour and give this a listen ASAP. It gets a very easy 9/10 from us, and don’t be surprised to see it high on our top albums list come December!

Morgan Myles: Laced

The much-anticipated second studio album from the rising country star dropped back in Feb, and is another release that has not gotten nearly enough love! I’ve been a little obsessed with it since I first heard it, and have spun it a good few times in full in the last few months. It’s a throwback sound to the 90s and early 2000s country world, and I fell in love right from the opener. From Shania to Reba to Miranda, she wears her inspirations on here sleeve perfectly. Tracks like ‘Love is Lonesome’, ‘Que Sera Serenade’ and the title track are also big highlights, but there really isn’t a bad song on the release! Heck, the vast majority made it onto my personal playlist. Her vocals are amazing, as is her writing. If you are at all into country, this is an absolute must-listen. I’ve not gotten sick of it yet, and feel like I won’t for the rest of the year at this rate! 9/10

Ondt Blod: Bauta

The third album from the Norwegian hardcore punk rockers is every bit as good as their previous two. Longtime readers here would know my complicated relationship with hardcore, but this is the absolute best way to be doing it, honestly. It has elements of crossover thrash, straight up punk, old-school hardcore, and plenty of melody to go with it. It’s also packed full of massive highlights, from ‘AUX’ to ‘Mortal Enemy’, ‘Máddu’ to ‘Flamma’ and everything in between! As is a growing trend with this list, the band deserves so much more love and attention than they are getting, as they really are something special. I’ve spun this a bunch since I first heard it, and it has not once gotten old in that time! Heck, I don’t speak the language but still feel every bit of emotion put into the vocals. It’s yet another incredibly solid 9/10 from us!

Colton Bowlin: Grandpa’s Mill

I’ve seen a LOT of love for this release in the country scene, and rightfully so! It’s old-school country through and through, and Colton has really captured lightning in a bottle across this 41 minutes of music. And, while every song on it is amazing, personal favourites include ‘Don’t Come Home’, ‘Dirty River’, ‘State Lines’ and ‘Set me Free’. Colton’s voice is incredible, and his lyric writing is up there alongside the very best. He’s a classic storyteller and up there alongside the likes of Zach Top and Braxton Keith as the very best of the revival sound. Even if you aren’t typically into the older country sound, this is well worth checking out, it would surely win over even the firmest of skeptics. It feels modernised as well as traditional, and is a very easy 12 tracks to listen to! I’ve spun it a good few times since it dropped, and it’s a solid 8.5/10 from me!

Forcefed Horsehead & Shaving Werewolf: From Horrid to Worse

Collab albums seem to be becoming a rather popular thing these days, and if they’re all this high quality I’m all for it! What is interesting is that the bands take four tracks each instead of all eight being both. However, both bands fit together well, and it has surely worked in shining a light on both individually! It’s certainly not going to be a release for everyone, but if you are a fan of death metal, grindcore or hardcore in general, this is certainly one to check out. It’s only 25 minutes, but an all-out assault through that whole runtime, in the best way possible! ‘The Will of the Many’ and ‘Smoking the Crack of Dawn’ were personal favourites of mine, but none of it is bad by any stretch. The two bands are all insanely talented, and have put out something rather special with this release. A solid 8/10, and definitely my go-to heavy release the last month or two!

Joshua Sinclair: Dirty Dirty

Album six from the country rocker is a fantastic, fun release from start to finish. ‘Black Rose’ had me hooked from first listen, while tracks like ‘Check One Two’, ‘Hank’ and ‘Sundays are for Shots’ are also big personal highlights. As with everything on this list though, there really isn’t a bad song throughout! It’s a real early 2000s sound in the best way possible, and is such an easy listen. I honestly don’t have much else to say about it other than check this out as soon as you can if you are in any way interested! I’ve since gone back and checked out his other stuff and he has a big new fan in me. Hopefully he gets the attention and love he so sorely deserves soon, as he is one of the most overlooked talents in the scene. 8.5/10

Paul Cauthen: Book of Paul

Album six from the old-school country superstar is a fun, awesome 40 minutes of music! His vocals are as amazing as they have always been, and instrumentally it’s as good as any modern classical revivalist. He did a fantastic job picking the singles, as both ‘Texas Swagger’ and ‘Dark Horse’ are big highlights, but both tracks features, both Jake Worthington and Delaney Ramsdell, are also excellent! If you like an older sound as opposed to the modern radio sound country has, this is very much an album you need to hear immediately! It’s just a lot of fun, and goes by in a flash. A very easy 8/10, and an album I’ve spun a lot since its release.

Kröwnn: Santa Somnia

This is an awesome metal album, and a welcome return after six years from the doomy quartet. From ‘You Died’ to ‘Skullknight’ to ‘Permadeath’, this is packed to the brim with awesome tracks. However, there really isn’t a bad song throughout, and it flows together perfectly, like any good doom album should! It’s an absolute must for anyone into the genre, and has been on regular rotation for me since it dropped back in February. They deserve so much love in the scene, and hopefully this release helps them build that up, as I’d love to see them make it out to the UK for a show or two at some point! The band are all insanely talented, and have crafted something truly awesome with this album. 8.5/10

The Imaginary Band: Self-Titled

Some more country/folk/Americana and, as I’m sure you’re aware given the purpose of this article, another excellent release! And, it’s yet another band that are criminally underrated, and this album hasn’t had nearly enough love since its release at the end of March. Andrew Christopher and co are all hugely talented, and have crafted a great, chilled-out half-hour with this release. From ‘If You Only Knew’ to ‘Smoke Song’ to ‘Polka Hands’, there is plenty to love, and there really isn’t a bad song throughout! If you are at all interested from my words give this one a listen, you’re bound to enjoy it as much as I do! A very solid 7.5/10 from us, and a release that I’ll certainly be spinning plenty more still through the summer!

Black Veil Brides: VINDICATE

How we missed this back in May I don’t know. While I’ve never been the biggest fan of the band generally, there was no denying their huge popularity when I was a teenager, and I did enjoy their big tracks despite the cheesiness. And, their recent lean into their old heavier side has served them well the last few years. The same can be said for this album! The opener/title track SLAPS, as does single ‘Hallelujah’ and ‘Woe & Pain’. Then you have ‘Alive’ that goes harder than arguably anything they’ve done before, and they even convinced Robb Flynn to be on ‘Revenger’, and it’s pretty sick! There are times where it goes a little too cheese for me, but for the most part the album as a whole is excellent, the best they have put out in a VERY long time. The band have blended the 2000s and modern metalcore styles together perfectly, and the result is a lot of fun. 8.5/10, awesome stuff!

Elles Bailey: Can’t Take My Story Away

The fifth album from the modern blues superstar is every bit as good as her last two! The title track is excellent, and opens the release in spectacular fashion. Then you have songs like singles ‘Better Days’ and ‘Take a Step Back’, and ‘Angel’ that are all equally amazing. The whole album slaps though, spanning up-tempo blues/jazz rock and slower ballads perfectly, all providing an excellent backdrop for Ellles’ effortlessly powerful vocals. It’s an incredibly easy listen, and 46 minutes goes by in a flash. This is another album that I’d recommend to absolutely anyone, and I can’t give it any less than 8/10. It’s been a regular revisit for me for the whole year, and I’m sure it will be the same for you!

Sticks N’ Stones: Diggin’ For Daylight

The sophomore album from the Canadian brothers comes just a year after their debut, and packs one hell of a punch! The band are a fantastic blend of classic rock and modern metallic metal, and it makes for an awesome 35 minutes of amazing riffs and catchy melodies. Hell, we even get the odd great growl throughout, fitting the sound surprisingly excellently! It reminds me of everything from Alter Bridge to Mammoth to Florence Black in the best ways. From ‘Saviour’ to ‘Feel Again’ to the truly epic ‘Last Goodbye’, it’s packed full of highlights, but every song is amazing in its own right! The band are already gathering some amazing momentum, and have a massively bright future ahead of them if they keep putting out music of this quality! It is right up my street, and the band have a huge new fan in me from this release! 9.5/10, and I’ve already gone back and listened to their equally awesome debut!

Archspire: Too Fast to Die

I have seen that this is already a lot of peoples album of the year in the heavier circles of metal. And, honestly, it’s hard to argue with that. This is 40 minutes of technical, brutal death metal performed by some of the very best in the genre. The sheer pace that Oliver Rae Aleron Peters can scream at is second to none, and is a phenomenal talent in of itself. However, the other four members kill it just as much at their respective instrument. The whole album is beautiful chaos from start to finish, but personal favourites include ‘Red Goliath’ and ‘Limb of Leviticus’. If you are into the heavier end of metal, this is absolutely an album for you, and it may be my favourite the band have ever point out at this point. It has been on regular rotation for me since April, and I can’t give it any less than 9/10!

Angine De Poitrine: Vol.II

I feel like I can’t go without talking about the breakout band of the year finally, can I? These guys are suddenly massive and everywhere, which is insane given that it is instrumental, technical prog/jazz rock. Still, they have clearly captured lightening in a bottle, sitting at nearly one million monthly listeners on Spotify alone, some four months after this album dropped. So, we’ll get the obvious out the way immediately: holy crap are the duo talented! From the playing to the arrangement, it’s all phenomenal. And, while I didn’t really ‘get’ it at first, after a couple of listens it is certainly growing on me. Don’t get me wrong, it can certainly get repetitive at times, especially when it’s six songs, each based around the same sort of riffing, spread across 36 minutes. But, the pair are so talented it almost makes up for all of that! It’s impossible to pick specific highlights as it’s all like one big piece, so if you are interested, certainly give this a full spin! 8/10 for now, and it may continue to grow on me more with more listens!

M.ILL.ION: Legend

The latest album from the Swedish melodic hard rock band follows up 2021’s Back on Track perfectly. It’s a grandiose 37 minutes of amazing riffs and catchy, arena-filling vocal lines. Right from opener ‘Kingmaker’ I was hooked, and through highlights ‘Bad Lovin’’ and ‘Private Dancer’ to the epic closer, it’s a real tour de force of modern AOR. If anyone is into that 80s style that the band started in, this is absolutely the release for you, and it shows that the band haven’t lost a step in their nearly four-decade careers. I’ve listened to this a few times since I got told about it, and it hasn’t once gotten tired since. A very solid 8/10 from us!

Dust: Thoughts of a Falling Man

This is the second album from the Italian metalcore/melodeath band, and honestly feels like the second coming of Trivium. This album reminds me a LOT of Ascendency in all the best ways, and I honestly haven’t been able to get enough of it the last four months. ‘Before You Awaken’ is the perfect opener, setting the tone for the rest of the album excellently, but honestly every song that follows it is just as good! The whole thing is packed full of incredible riffs, solid drumming and some surprisingly catchy vocals for them being so harsh. It’s almost criminal that this didn’t get the love it deserves when it dropped, so I can only ask that if you are at all interested, give this a spin, you’re sure to love it as much as I do! I can’t give this any less than a 9/10, and already can’t wait to hear where they go from here!

Vanderlust: The Human Farm

This is an incredible, proggy metal release. Nestled somewhere between Dream Theater and Tool, the album takes the listener on a phenomenal journey through its whole 47 minute runtime, and hits plenty of awesome musical beats along the way! Tracks like ‘The Turning Point’, ‘Battlefield’ and ‘Reborn… Again’ are personal highlights, but the whole album is great. It flows perfectly, and the concept and story behind it is really excellent. We don’t get enough releases like this these days, it channeling both Mindcrime and The Metal Opera in its sound and execution. If any of that sounds like your sort of thing, give this thing a spin, you will surely love it! And it is another that is absolutely worth listening to from front-to-back, not that that should really require saying! A solid 8/10 again from us!

Features, Reviews

A Thousand Horses and Jacquline Rock The Bodega!

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A band that I have wanted to see since they first broke into the country scene a decade ago now, A Thousand Horses have really reinvented themselves the last few years in a major way. Being fully independent now, the band have been creating a huge buzz, as well as putting out one of the best albums of the year so far. So, when they announced this tour, there was no way we weren’t heading down, especially at one of our favourite venues! And, not only that, but they also had an awesome support band. So, let’s dive into everything that happened that evening!

Though they are a Nottingham-based band, I’d somehow not heard of Jacqueline before now. However, they instantly have a big new fan in me! Firstly, her and her band are all such talented players and songwriters, their unique brand of folk-rock sounding fantastic in a live setting. Her vocals are powerful and so interesting, giving off vibes of Alanis Morissette or Dolores O’Riodan in her delivery. She is also a fantastic frontwoman, holding the crowds attention throughout and being an excellent storyteller through both her lyrics and between tracks. And as I said, the band behind her played their asses off through the whole set, fitting her vibe perfectly. Only having one EP out, 2025’s Still Running, meant that we got the lot and then some! Their setlist had a great flow to it, and it’s had me listening to them on track much of this week. I already want more music from the band, and am also desperate to see them live again!

After a short break, the headliners took to the stage! As I’d said, I’d been wanting to see them for a while, and safe to say they didn’t disappoint! Right from the fantastic new opener ‘Dead Man Walking’, I was hooked, and not let go through their entire set. It was White Flag Down-heavy in the best way, with each of the other four songs off it being equally incredible. ‘Part of My Story’ and ‘Voices’ seemed to be particular fan favourites already, the place singing along to every word of them and cheering loud at their conclusion. However, that was far from all we got. From the excellent ‘Room Full of Strangers’ and ‘Highway Sound’ of The Outside, to the very best of Southernality, to even a cheeky addition off not only their Bridges EP, but an early track from their repertoire, ‘Suicide Eyes’ from 2011’s Footloose. It was a jam packed set to say the least! Everyone loved their breakout hit, ‘Smoke’, of course, and the one-two-punch of the encore being ‘Drunk Dial’ and ‘Heaven is Close’ was excellent. The only one missing for me was ‘Song to Remember’ but hell, there’s always next time…

As for the performance itself, it was also amazing! The band are incredibly tight, it sounding close to the track while still having room to breathe, like a great rock show should. The band all played their asses off, putting every ounce of energy out there for the packed-out crowd. And, what’s more, they genuinely seemed like they were enjoying themselves up on stage, which is always great to see! Michael’s voice was on top form throughout, and he’s a really great frontman. However, both Bill and Graham were fantastic performers in their own right too, all putting on one hell of a show. They gel so well together, and it’s clear to see they have been doing it for a while, while also still clearly enjoying being up there together. And the other two, who I assume are more session players(?), also killed it. It was a straightforward show, just five guys getting up there and playing some great songs, but it was such a pleasure to watch, and felt like it went by in no time at all! It was loud, and a hell of a lot of fun!

And there you have it, another fantastic night of live music! Both bands killed it and I would recommend seeing either in person if you at all can, as well as spin their stuff if you somehow haven’t heard them on track before. I had a blast and already want to see both bands again. And, with Horses saying they’ll be over here more regularly moving forward and Jacquline being from down the road, there is a very big possibility I can do both soon! The Bodega has also been knocking it out of the park with gigs at the minute, so I’d highly recommend keeping an eye on them if you’re local. What a gig!

Features, Reviews

My Chemical Romance and Skunk Anansie Rock Wembley!

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The first time the Black Parade had rolled through the iconic stadium since 2007, they now top the bill on the reprive of that show. Backed by British legends Skunk Anansie, it was set to be one hell of a show! From the iconic imagery of the album to the newly added Soviet-style set dressing and moments, I somehow knew exactly what to expect and not at all what to expect at the same time. We’ve all seen the videos but how does it hold up in person? Let’s dive in and find out!

P.S. first of all, fuck the Golden Circle concept. Forcing fans to be nearly as far back as the halfway line if they don’t cough up even more money on top of the already high GA prices is insane. Especially when, looking at photos, the GC area wasn’t even full! Ticket-Nation is going to be the death of big gigs at this rate, or at least will price out a lot of actual fans. And let’s not even talk about the security for the event, especially on the way out. But anyway, onto cheerier things…

Coming on slightly late, Skunk Anansie claimed the stage from the moment they stepped on it. This was the first time I’d gotten the chance to see them live in 15 years, and they certainly didn’t disappoint! 12 awesome songs spanning their expansive back catologue, and all played to perfection. Whether it was older bangers ‘Hedonism’, ‘Charlie Big Potato’ or ‘Tear the Place Up’ or stuff off the newer album that translates better live than on track in ‘Lost and Found’ and ‘An Artist is an Artist’, it was full of greatness. And that’s not even mentioning the three off my favourite album, Paranoid and Sunburnt. ‘Weak’ will always be a firm crowd favourite, ‘I Can Dream’ is one of my favourite songs they’ve ever put out, and ‘Little Baby Swastika’ is an awesome set closer.

The band themselves played their asses off, too. Skin is such a fantastic front woman, holding the crowd in the palm of her hand throughout. As I’m sure plenty of people have pointed out before, what she lacks in stature she more makes up for in presence and personality. And she seemed to be having a blast up on the stage too, which is also a plus. The inclusivity speech she gave in particular resonated perfectly with the crowd she was in front of, and resonated a lot with me personally. However, the rest of the band played their asses off throughout, too. Cass is a criminally underrated bassist, while Ace and Mark are fantastically talented players and performers in their own right. For a support slot, they put on a massive show still, and I imagine won over plenty of new fans in the process!

After what felt like a surprisingly short turnaround, the sounds of Vera Lynn’s ‘We’ll Meet Again’ filled the speakers to herald the start of MCR’s set. And, to get this out of the way early; HOLY FUCKING SHIT. I’d been waiting to see them for most of my life, but didn’t expect them to be quite so phenomenal. The Black Parade is one of my favourite albums of all time, so to see it live from front to back was honestly a dream come true. Every song on that album is perfection, and they all tell such an amazing, bittersweet story when put together. But not only that, after the album was done we got another hour of spectacular tracks from their back catologue. Hell, the moment they opened their second set with ‘Honey…’, the first time they’d played it live since 2010, I knew we were in for something special. Both ‘Thank You for the Venom’ and personal highlight ‘Cemetary Drive’ followed it up fantastically, while ‘Give ‘Em Hell, Kid’ was another Three Cheers banger. Then you have underrated Danger Days tracks in ‘Planetary (GO!)’ and ‘DESTROYA’, as well as their big three other singles, and the setlist truly was superb. Heck, we even got a cover from their early days, Morrissey’s ‘Jack the Ripper’.

In terms of the stageshow itself, it was also truly phenomenal. The lore behind their sudden Soviet turn in recent years is a bit odd, but makes for a damn fun show indeed! The actual stage itself was cool, the lighting rig adding a lot to the visuals. And all the video stuff with His Grand Immortal Dictator, and even him watching the Black Parade set, was a fantastic addition. Their use of pyro started out sparing, not really kicking in until ‘Mama’, but they had PLENTY of flames then, and it added so much to the atmosphere. And my god, ‘Famous Last Words’ is going to be etched into my mind forever. All the pyro, the emotion behind the song, the excellent sound and the 50 thousand plus people screaming every word back to the band, it was truly something special to be a part of. The big fireworks shooting across the pitch and from the top the stadium was honestly magical.

And then just like that, the Black Parade was over. The wonderful Clarice Jensen performed masterfully while they set up the smaller b-stage in the middle of the crowd, and then they launched into a completely different kind of set. No frills, no screens, no pyro, just a band having a blast, playing songs to an adoring crowd. We really got the best of everything!

And, speaking of the band, they sounded even more excellent than I’d have hoped they would! The sound for a stadium was fantastic, and the band all played their asses off for over two hours. And, on top of that, they all looked like they were genuinely having a blast up on stage, even through their Black Parade characters, which always enhances the experience even more. The band are all super talented, and Gerard arguably sounded better than he has since they reunited. He sounded almost as good as the tracks, yet knew where his limitations were as he’s not exactly in his 20s any more. And, whether it was the leader of the Regiment or his slightly quirky self later on, he was a magentically captivating performer, a born frontman.

So, as you can tell, I enjoyed this rather a lot! Skunk Anasie were good, but they were very much the warm-up act for the main event. Meanwhile, MCR’s triumphant return to Wembley was everything nine year old Joe would have wanted and then some! They have earned every bit of love and adoration and praise that they are getting, and absolutely deserve a nearly sold-out three night residency at one of the most famous stadiums in the world. They have more than proved that they are one of the biggest bands of the millennium. I already need them to come back over here with another tour, and some more new music wouldn’t be too much to ask for too, right…? Holy shit. Long live the Black Parade, and long live My Chemical Romance.

Features, Reviews

Download 2026: The Big Bad Review – Day 3

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The last day of the festival kicked into high gear immedialy with Kublai Khan TX. The new kings of hardcore brought the heavy and swagger right from the moment they stepped on stage, and had a surprisingly long set filled with bangers. Matt is such a good frontman, making everything from his growls to his interactions look so effortless and cool. The rest of the band very much give it their all though, putting on a show enough to match. The setlist was great too, a full 12 tracks of attitude and brutality. And the crowd were all for it, even at barely midday, throwing down and shouting back to the band at Matt’s every command. I am already desperate to see the band again, hopefully in a smaller, more intimate setting, but I’m shocked that even seeing a band like this on a stage as big as this was so good! What a way to shake off the cobwebs and start the day off with a bang!

Next up was the legend that is Mammoth. Another one that we’ve seen once or twice at Graspop, not only do Wolfgang and co. keep growing more each year, but they somehow keep getting even better, too! I was a big fan of their album last year, and to hear a good chunk of it live was awesome! Honestly, it was just a really great set to sit and chill out in the sun to after a busy weekend (and the madness of Khan). I don’t really have much else to say about it other than it was fantastically good hard rock music, and if you’re into that you should absolutely go and see them ASAP!

Over in the Avalanche tent we saw one of my new favourite bands next in The Pretty Wild. Sisters Jyl and Jules are absolute powerhouses not just on track but on stage too, and their band absolutely back that up in a massive way. The sheer talent of both of their vocals is off the charts, but the fact that they can sing and scream like that while also putting on the performance like that is honestly phenomenal. The setlist was perfect, giving us the very best of their album and single stuff, and actually felt like the best possible length (though I’d have happily taken another ten minutes, honestly). They already had one of my favourite albums of last year, and now on top of that they have one of my favourite sets of this year! I already can’t wait to see them again, we need a headline UK/EU tour next year please!

Bloodywood absolutely tore apart main stage next. I’d only seen them the once before, and I think the sound quality played a big part in me being ever so slightly let down by the set. This more than made up for that instance. For once they got the sound right on the main stage; this hit hard and loud in all the right places. And you could tell too, as the crowd popped OFF throughout. And while I do still think they talk a little too much between tracks, I know a lot of people are into that, and they were certainly saying some great stuff. On top of that, it was another perfect set, giving us the very best of their two albums. They are still such a unique and interesting sound, it makes it impossible not to get on board with it, and the fact that they very much bring it live too makes it even better. I was always a fan, but this definitely won me over to the band in an even more massive way. Another band I need to see again like yesterday.

After that were The Pretty Reckless. Another band that it’s been almost a decade since I’d last seen, and it’s kinda sad that in all that time, they haven’t gotten much better live. I’m sorry y’all, I just don’t get it. And still, I find it hard to put my finger on exactly why that is. The band are all talented, and Taylor has a great live voice. She’s not the best front-person in the world, but I’ve certainly seen worse, and from bigger artists. I think that might be it though; they throw their weight around like they are the biggest band in the world. They drag everything out so much, stretching their 10 track setlist by easily 10 minutes than the studio versions to make everything interractable. Don’t get me wrong, they have some damn good songs, but I hate to say that if it wasn’t for Momsen being the face of the band, I don’t think they’d be nearly as big as they are if they had the same tracks still. She’s a rockstar through and through, standing out among an industry now of more clean-cut, calmer musicians, but I’m not sure that’s necessarily a good thing. They’re certainly good, and I know that their fans there loved it, but I sadly kinda found myself thinking ‘just get on with it’.

Social Distortion didn’t have nearly a big enough crowd on the Opus stage. They definitely had some stiff competition from the other stages, but the punk legends don’t venture over here all too often, and just put out a banger of a new album, they deserved more love! They still sound great live too, even with Mike’s recent health issues. However, while I did dig the new album stuff, I have to say as my first time seeing them, I was a little let down they didn’t do literally anything off their massive, self-titled album. It’s what got me into the band all those years ago, and I was excited to finally hear some of it live. Clearly I just need to hear a longer set from them, as they sounded great and put on a good show, I just wanted more!

Possibly my favourite band at this point were up next, Ice Nine Kills. This was a weird one for me, honestly. We saw them back in December and they were incredible! However, something here felt slightly off at times, though I’m 90% convinced it was the sound. The vocal mix, for once, was actually impeccable. I’ve never heard Ricky and Joe so loudly, and they filled in around Spencer excellently. However, and it’s the same complaint as I had all weekend, the main stage was just too damn quiet. They’re a heavy-ass metalcore band with pretty brutal breakdowns and almost death metal parts, yet we were at the first crowd-breaker and none of it really hit.

However, the band and the stage show of course killed it, just as always. A set packed full of incredible songs, be it off Welcome to Horrorwood, their recent singles or even a cheeky NOFX cover. Each one was complete with costume changes, props, extras and pyro, proving that they are truly one of the best live bands around today. I didn’t even mind that it was essentially the same set that we’d seen from them in the winter, because it’s all so good live and on track that it’s impossible not to love! Plus, Hannah Greenwood coming out to do Grace’s parts on ‘Twisting the Knife’ was amazing, she absolutely KILLED it all weekend (pun intended). It’s another case of if I was down the front, I’d have had even more fun, and it is a shame that the sound was so quiet that being further back had a big impact. But, even still, this was one of the best sets of the weekend!

After INK, we finally chilled out a bit. It was tetting warm and we couldn’t decide on who to see, so we kinda milled around, catching bits of whatever we fancied. Ash didn’t stand out to me much beforehand, and were simply fine live. We watched a bit of a meat smoking show, that was good fun and took me back to years of Long Roads. We caught the last two tracks of Mastodon, curious how they would sound without Brent. Honestly, I wasn’t digging it too much until ‘Crack the Skye’, and then that and ‘Blood and Thunder’ were excellent and I was really into it. They’ve never been the biggest band for me, but I’d happily see them again at another festival. Oh, and we popped up to Dogtooth early and caught the last few from the criminally underrated Spineshank. They killed it, and were honestly my biggest surprise of the weekend!

Creeper set two, Dogtooth tent. Now, I will happily hold my hands up and say that their packed out set at Trees the other year is one of my favourite live music experiences of all time. And fuck, the boys (and Hannah) only went and did it again, didn’t they? There is something about Creeper in a slightly more intimate, darker venue that makes it somehow even better, and it helps that the crowd were all in right from the start. And, while we got a fair bit of the same stuff as Friday’s set, the extra 20 minutes certainly helped! ‘The Ballad of Spook & Mercy’ is one of my favourite tracks they’ve ever done, and hearing it live is always amazing. And to hear new tracks like ‘The Crimson Bride’ and ‘The Black House’ live was amazing, too. Heck, we even got the live debut of Sanguivore closing ballad ‘More Than Death’, which I never thought we’d ever get live. Will absolutely blew everyone away with it and, to absolutely no one’s shock, made the wife cry again.

Everything about the set was honestly perfect. The sound was great, the band performed masterfully, the crowd was packed in to the rafters with genuine fans and, outside of me maybe wanting an older track or two sneaking in again, the setlist was amazing. The band have very quickly made Download their home the last few years, and this capped off one hell of a weekend for them. Looking back, this may very well have been my favourite set of the weekend, maybe even of the year. Goddamn.

And with that, the final band of the weekend took to the stage. A lot has been made about Linkin Park finally being the first female fronted band to headline the festival, and honestly it’s about fucking time. However, and don’t kill me for saying this, I wasn’t really feeling the set. They played a massive set packed full of career spanning hits to a packed out crowd, a lot of whom seemed to be loving it. And the From Zero stuff, from ‘Two Faced’ to ‘IGYEIH’ and plenty in between, sounded awesome! However, as much as I wanted to enjoy the older stuff, Emily’s voice just isn’t cut out for it. She wasn’t awful at the Thousand Suns or ‘Burn it Down’, but anything from the early stuff didn’t hit at all for me. I felt nothing when she sung the Hybrid Theory or Meteora tracks; it was all very one-note with no real emotion there. It made it feel even more like a Mike cash grab than it did before. The stage show was interesting, though there was far too much down time between songs, and the chemistry between Mike and Emily on the rare times they did interact with the crowd felt forced. If you enjoyed it and it scratched that LP itch for you, that’s awesome, but it sadly did not do that for me. We left during ‘Numb’, it was just too sad.

<- Day 2

Features, Reviews

Download 2026: The Big Bad Review – Day 2!

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Having a sunburnt, pregnant wife tagging along, we got in a touch later than hoped on the Saturday. However, we made it in for most of the amazing As Everything Unfolds on Opus, and what a way to start our day! The alt rock/metalcore rising stars owned the massive stage right from the jump, proving that they very much deserved to be up there. It’s crazy too, as they were originally supposed to be on the much smaller Dogtooth stage later on, but swapped with Drowning Pool because their flights were delayed. It proved to be a fantastic decision on both counts, as I think AEU got heaps of new ears and exposure from this move. Seeing ‘Gasoline’ live was awesome, as it’s become honestly one of my favourite tracks from this year so far. But the whole set was amazing, and the band played their asses off throughout!

Over to the Dogtooth tent for the first time of the weekend, we saw proggy, middle-eastern infused metal band Lowen. By far the quirkiest band for us of the weekend, it was damn interesting to watch. They were all insanely talented musicians, and I loved the video and images they had playing behind them, really adding to the atmosphere of it all. While it’s not typically my sort of style in a live environment, I had a good time watching them and have listened to them a few times on track since coming home. They are well worth seeing if you are into this side of metal music, and would honestly go down a storm in the European market! Nina has such an interesting voice and she fronts the band spectacularly, while the rest of the band back her up and make their wall of sound absolutely massive. They definitely have a new fan in me!

Over to the Apex stage, we caught emo-metal legends Black Veil Brides. The last time I saw them properly was here back in 2012. Back then, they were so hated they were getting bottles and mud balls hurled at them. The metal world has softened on them since then, and we’re fairly receptive to the band this time around! The crowd for them was pretty massive, and the front half were hanging on every note. However, something about it just didn’t land for me. Maybe it was because we were a touch further back and, for as big as the new main stage is, it isn’t very loud. Or maybe it was because they did a setlist primarily consisting of new tracks, bookended by a few classics. It’s not exactly a bad thing, and their fans certainly seemed to enjoy it, but it didn’t hook me in for too long, despite how talented the band all are.

Because of that, we instead headed over to see our friends, the mighty Those Damn Crows. It had already been too long since we’d last seen them, it being the very start of 2025. They were excellent at Winters End and, to the surprise of I’m sure no one, they were also excellent here! The bands sound and energy is built for huge festival stages like this at this point, and they put on the set to prove it. From ‘Find a Way’ to ‘Sin on Skin’, their awesome, extensive back catalogue was on full display. My only slight complaint is that we didn’t get much off their recent chart-topping album, God Shaped Hole. However, that was most likely because they didn’t have a huge amount of time. It just means that they’ll have to do a headline tour soon as well as the Shinedown support, so we can see a full set… Shane is a truly excellent frontman, getting the crowd going as well as coming across genuinely sincere and likeable. And the rest of the band played their asses off throughout, just as they always do. Another fantastic set!

Speaking of fantastic sets, Drowning Pool were up next. After their set-switch earlier in the day, they were now packed into the smaller Dogtooth tent, and I’d rarely seen a crowd as big trying to watch a band in there! The last time I’d seen the band was at Rescue Rooms when I was just a teenager, so to say I was hyped would be an understatement. Especially with the recent re-addition of Ryan back at the front! He sounded better than he has in a few years too, I know he seemed to be struggling a little last time we saw him with Soil. We’ll get the elephant in the room out of the way first: they only had time for four songs. However, those four songs were all excellent, and brought me back to my youth in a big way. A Sinners-full set of the heaviest hitters from that album, and the crowd hung on every note. As a big ‘Mania X8 guy, ‘Tear Away’ will always be a huge song for me, and they played it amazingly on Saturday. Then, of course, sending the crowd home in a frenzy from the massive ‘Bodies’ was absolutely the right call, it being the main reason most were near that tent to begin with. I’m really hoping this means that they’ll be back sooner rather than later, and hopefully finally start getting more of the love they deserve in the UK. Too short, but an excellent set!

As we left the tent, we managed to catch the back half of Babymetal’s set. It once again wasn’t the first time we’d seen them, and while I once again enjoyed previous sets, this was by no means a bad one! We came over from the solos of ‘METALI!!’ onwards, and got treated to four more excellent songs after that! While I do still think Callboy do ‘RATATATA’ better live, it’s still a lot of fun to hear, especially two days in a row. And the one-two punch of ‘Headbannggerrr!!’ into ‘Road of Resistance’ to close was awesome! The trio put on such an amazing, energetic show between them, while they are backed by some truly awesome musicians, playing some incredible stuff. If you haven’t seen them live already, they are an absolute must!

After a brief changeover, Trivium took to the stage. The band have been a powerhouse live for over 20 years now, so it’s no surprise that this was also a storming set. Matt’s vocals are somehow better and more powerful than ever, and the bands cohesion and talent individually and as a group is incredible. You can really tell they still all really enjoy playing together. It was a classics/anniversary tour-heavy set, with the likes of ‘Gunshot to the Head’, ‘Dying in your Arms’ and ‘Down from the Sky’. As an almost life-long Trivum fan, it certainly tickled that itch. However, we had seen a similar set before. And, incase anyone hasn’t heard, I LOVE their last two albums, and to only get ‘Catastrophist’ off them was a little sad. Still, I get it, it’s a festival, so play the ones people know. I know they mentioned a tour for ’27, hopefully it’s near the release of their upcoming album and we get some stuff off it live this time! However, it’s a minor gripe really, as I did enjoy their set a hell of a lot! Each song was excellent and played to perfection. If I was down in the pit it would have most likely been one of my favourite sets of the weekend, no question. One of the best live metal bands around today!

We then took a slow stroll over to Opus to see the black metal legends Behemoth. I’ve recently become a fan of them on track, and my god did they blow me away here! Everything about it, from the sound to the production to their live skill was impeccable, and made them feel MASSIVE. They fully owned the stage, and made an incredibly solid case as to why they’re headliners in Europe and at the likes of Bloodstock. The setlist was perfect, too. Whether it was the heavy-hitters from the bands magnum opus, The Satanist, the title track from their latest album or even a cheeky Bathory cover, it was all so damn good. They made it feel like their darker genre of music belonged at a typically lighter festival, and most definitely turned some heads. Nergal is a fantastic frontman and conducted his brutal symphony to perfection.

After a short pause, Opus headliners of the day Architects took the stage by storm. The crowd were raring to go right from the offset, and the set proved that the band could arguably be headlining the festival as a whole the next time they’re there. The crowd were so into it, in fact, that the opening half was rather stop start due to those pesky pits getting a little too hairy and security intervening. ‘Blackhole’ and ‘Impermanence’ in particular were a pain, but both restarted and went just as hard afterwards. I’ve seen some saying that Sam [Carter] didn’t handle it very well, but if anything it just revved him up to go even harder the rest of the set. Even with it being the most stop-start set of the weekend, it just goes to show how much the Download crowd love the band, and how hugely popular they have become.

The setlist was rather perfect for me, too. Being Sky Earth heavy was amazing, as I LOVE THAT ALBUM. ‘Blackhole’ when it was finally played fully, was a particular highlight, but opener ‘Elegy’, ‘Seeing Red’ and the Florent Salfati-featuring ‘Brain Dead’ were all just as awesome. And, we still got some of the very best of their back catologue between. From ‘Deep Fake’ to ‘Gravedigger’, ‘Black Lungs’ to the touching Tom tribute of ‘Doomsday’ and now-perennial closer ‘Animals’ it was all SO GOOD. Hell Sam’s voice even held up a lot better live than I expected it to from recent clips, and he is such a good frontman these days. His and Adam’s lows combined still itch my brain in the best way. They were one of my most anticipated bands of the weekend and they certainly didn’t disappoint!

On the way out of the arena, we caught a couple of songs from mainstage headliners Guns n’ Roses. Now, I’ve seen them three times before since their reunion, I knew what I was getting into. Still, hearing Axl murder some of my favourite minutes in all of music in the close of ‘Coma’ still hurt just a little. We caught that, a big widdly solo from Slash (expected) and then watched ‘Sweet Child O Mine’ from the back. It was exactly what I expected it to be. A slightly thinner crowd going nuts for one of the four songs from the three plus hour set that they actually wanted to see. The band are still pretty tight; Slash still noodles with the best of them, even if his technicality is slipping now that he’s *checks notes* SIXTY. And Axl was… also present. I don’t want to clown too hard on the guy as he is a legend and performs long-ass sets on the regular at his age, it’s no mean feat. Heck, he still has the energy of a toddler… he just also has the voice of one. Still, I know plenty of people who enjoyed it and got some nostalgia out of it, and good for them! They still put on a great show, no matter their sound, and are truly one of the biggest bands ever. It’s just not for me any more, nothing will top that first show back for me. I am, however, jealous of those who got to see them do ‘Dead Horse’ live, I do love that song!

<- Day 1

Day 3 ->

Features, Reviews

Download 2026: The Big Bad Review!

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The first time I had been to Donington for a full weekend since 2019, the line-up was so good it was impossible to pass up! Three days of insane rock and metal music among 90k+ likeminded people, what could possibly be better than that?! From rising stars to legends and everything between, it was one of the most stacked weekend in recent memory. There really was something for everyone! We saw so many amazing bands across the weekend, there was no way we weren’t letting y’all know what we thought! Strap yourselves in boys and girls, it’s a long one!

Sadly we missed Native James due to it taking a little longer than expected to get into the arena, something about running out of wristbands. However, we made it in to get a prime spot in the Avalanche tent for hardcore newcomers Silly Goose. Thank god we did too, as they were fucking awesome! Their blend of old-school nu-metal and more modern hardcore was infectiously fun, and they put on one of the highest-energy sets of the weekend right off the bat. The packed-out tent gave that energy right back to the band, too! They didn’t have long, but made more than the most of the time they had, and won over more than a few new fans in the process, I’m sure. I immediately want to see them grace the UK again ASAP, seeing them in a smaller venue would pop off. A fantastic start to our weekend!

Headed across to the Apex stage, we caught the last half of P.O.D.. A band that I’ve caught briefly at Graspop before, this was the closest we’ve been able to watch them before. The nu metal legends are still at the top of their games live, both sounding and performing awesomely. Their set was short but sweet, rattling off the very best of their discography. ‘Youth of the Nation’ took me back to my childhood, while ‘Alive’ had the whole crowd singing along instantly. And yet still, they managed to squeeze in a new one, ‘Drop’ fitting perfectly alongside the rest. Sonny is a fantastic frontman, still having the energy and stage presence that would put someone half of his age to shame. And the rest of the band backed him up amazingly, them sounding remarkably close to how they do on track. It was slightly lower energy after the craziness of Goose, but still a great set!

Switching stages again, we finally got to see the mighty Paleface Swiss tear apart the Opus stage. I’ve been wanting to see them since I first got into them a couple of years ago, and even more so after last year’s album. I’d seen videos and had hyped myself up plenty in my head beforehand, yet still they blew me away. Their rise has been undeniable over the last four years of live shows, and for clearly good reason! Firstly, the energy was off the charts, the four twenty-somethings bringing so much energy and fire (metaphorically and literally) to the stage. Marc is such a force up on stage; he’s charismatic and entertaining and how his vocals can do what he does on track live for a full set honestly blows my mind. And as for the rest of the band, they are all so insanely talented, and put on such an incredible show individually, as well as together.

The setlist too… *chefs kiss*. Marc coming out to start off saying “we’ve been told we can’t ask for a pit but…” and then them immediately launching into ‘Hatred’ was fantastic, and it only kept on being awesome from there! Whether the brutality of ‘The Orphan’ and ‘Please End Me’ to the surpising sentimentality of ‘Everything Is Fine’, it was all awesome, if expectedly too short! The crowd went nuts from start to finish too, hanging on every single note. Honestly one of the sets of the weekend for me!

Long-time readers here know that we are certainly partial to some country, so Lakeview were a must for us. Especially after the carnage of Paleface! To say it may not typically be their sort of crowd too, the duo and their band knocked it out of the park! They are surprisingly heavy live, or at least heavied it up for this show in the best way. Every drop and riff hit HARD, and it contrasted extremely well with Jesse and Luke’s southern drawls. ‘Wrong Side of the Track’ was probably my favourite track of the setlist, but every song hit just as hard. They really held the crowds attention too; I was shocked at how full the tent was and barely anyone left throughout. I’m already desperate to see them again, so hopefully they hit the country festival scene next year!

One of our favourite bands were up next on the Opus stage. Creeper have been killing it the last couple of years or so, and this was yet another great example of that! Right from opener ‘Mistress of Death’, the band sounded on top form, somehow even more polished than I had heard them before. And the Nosfera-two stuff somehow grows on me more and more every time I hear it live. ‘Headstones’ always goes hard, but the big high point for me was ‘Razor Wire’. Hannah’s vocals and emotion throughout brought my wife to tears, so that alone should show just how good it was (she is pregnant though so it’s maybe slightly easier…). However, Will has evolved into one of the best frontmen in the game right now, though more on him later, and between them they are sure to catapult Creeper into the stratosphere sooner rather than later. The crowd were once again into it too, and ‘Cry to Heaven’ is such a good closer that everyone went nuts for it. If you haven’t yet seen them, what are you playing at? They’re on the road a lot the rest of the year, so get your asses to a show, you won’t be disappointed!

After a very short rest for us, the mighty Electric Callboy graced the Apex stage. We have caught them at multiple festivals the last few years, and always have a good time with them. Download was no exception! The new stuff, ‘TANZNEID’ and ‘Let the Good Times Roll’, came across better live for me and certainly got me hyped for the upcoming album. Between those and tried-and-true classics like ‘Pump It’, ‘MC Thunder II’ and the Babymetal-featuring ‘RATATATA’, it was one hell of a setlist. Heck, we even got some Electric Bassboy in the middle, dubstepping up some Drowning Pool and Blink 182. It was awesome!

I do think I’ve seen them slightly better, it’d take a lot to top their Graspop set for me, but they are such a phenomenal live band that we still had a blast throughout. It was just a shame ‘Mindreader’ got cut short due to an issue in the pit (sadly a running theme of the weekend, more on it later). However, Kevin and Nico are such consummate professionals that they stopped immediately, getting the issue sorted and right back to the music. Their dynamic together is always so fantastic to watch, and their live vocals just keep getting better and better. It won’t be long before they are headlining festivals of this size, mark my words!

We quickly high-tailed it back over to Opus to catch the latter half of Daughtry. Somehow we hadn’t seen them live before, but they were every bit as great as I expected them to be! Chris’ vocals are so damn powerful, and just as amazing live as they are on track. And the setlist was top-class, too. We got plenty of heavy newer stuff off SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM, yet still got the radio classics in ‘Over You’ and ‘Heavy is the Crown’. The crowd were more than happy to sing along to the ballads, too! They felt like good old-fashioned hard rock music live; go out there, rock the joint with a tight set and let the music do the talking. I’d happily see them again, and would love to see a full set from the quintet! Hopefully we get a rare UK headline tour soon! Especially when the wind was a little troublesome with the sound all day.

Cypress Hill felt like a bit of an odd-one-out on paper, but packed out the place and had the crowd pumping throughout. Over an hour of West Coast hip-hop from some of the best to ever do it. Their back catalogue is incredible, from ‘When the Shit Goes Down’ to ‘Dr Greenthumb’, ‘(Rock) Superstar’ to ‘How I Could Just Kill a Man’ to their megahit ‘Insane in the Brain’, and it all sounds just as good live as it did on track! However, they didn’t just stop there. We also got two awesome covers: RATM’s ‘Bombtrack’ and instant crowd-favourite ‘Jump Around’. B-Real and Sen Dog play off each other perfectly and sounded awesome, while DJ Muggs and Eric Bobo back them up so well. It may not have been to everyone’s tastes, but they most certainly won some people over during their set, and had the crowd in the palm of their hands throughout. I’m glad I finally got to see them live, and they certainly didn’t disappoint!

After a short break, the mighty Limp Bizkit took to the stage to finally headline the festival, 23 years after they were first supposed to. We saw them at Graspop a couple of years back and loved it and, while it was a fairly similar setlist to then, I still had an absolute blast. The band strolling out and getting the hype to a fever pitch with some ‘Thieves’ riffing before launching into current open-closer ‘Break Stuff’. Whether it’s their massive hits like ‘Nookie’, ‘Rollin’’ or ‘Take A Look Around’ to smaller tracks like the newer ‘Dad Vibes’ and ‘Livin’ it Up’, it was a great setlist. Add to that their massive covers of ‘Faith’ and ‘Behind Blue Eyes’, bringing out the awesome Lauren Sanderson to rock ‘Hot Dog’ with them or bringing some fans on to sing ‘Full Nelson’, and it was a hell of a lot of fun. Hell, we even got ‘Eat You Alive’, which we at least didn’t get from the last set!

As for the performance itself, it was amazing! Fred is one of the most charismatic people around, and barely even needed to do anything to hold the crowds attention throughout. His vocals are iconic and hold up still to this day. Meanwhile, DJ Lethal, John Otto and newcomer on the bass Richie Buxton all kill it as always. Meanwhile Wes Borland is a guitar god at this point, and such an amazing performer in his own right. And, while I’ve seen some people complaining about the between-songs stuff, I quite liked Lethal playing easy-listening classics, it kept the crowd pumped and kept the fun, party vibe going. Once again, however, we had the set paused mid-way through a song due to crowd issues. The ending of ‘My Way’ got cut, and I feel like we lost another song with how long the pause was, too. I completely respect Fred for stopping the show to make sure people were okay, but it became a running theme of the festival, sadly. However, until that point, it was awesome, the crowd were fully in, and it was a fantastic set. Spoiler alert, it was my favourite headline set of the weekend, and I already want to see them again!

Day 2 ->

Features, Reviews

Phoenix Lake and Friends Rock Saltbox!

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Nottingham locals Phoenix Lake headlined a packed line up at Saltbox, hot off the release of their debut album ‘Seraphina: The Fall From Eden’. Friday night drew a good crowd to the bar-venue in  Nottingham, and with four bands taking the stage that evening it wasn’t long before that crowd
got energetic.

Opening the night and getting room on the right level were 7eventh Sea, another Nottingham based metalcore band with heavy riffs and high energy breakdowns. Their thirty minute set was impressive from start to finish, their track ‘Falsified Dreams’ was a particular standout from the set. Vocalist Stee Owen had a commanding stage presence and skilled vocals to back it up, and drummer Aaron Gregory was incredibly tight throughout the dynamic and technical set. Fans of  Lorna Shore and While She Sleeps keep an eye on these lads over the next few years.

With the room filling as more people arrive, Aethoria took the stage next. Hailing from Ipswich this  hard rock group are a perfect accompaniment to headliners Phoenix Lake. Very similar in style and sound, but with their own attitude and a good hit with the crowd in the room. After some initial technical problems with the microphone, vocalist Mecia had the room in the palm of her  hands for the rest of their time on stage. A confident band with a solid sound, raising the energy once again in the room.

The crowd are raring to go by this point two solid sets down and two bands left to perform, next up: Black Lakes from South Wales. Entering the stage draped in black cloaks and kilts alike the
five piece metal group started strong with some high energy tracks. It appeared a good portion of the crowd were fans and had come down to check them out, and their energetic frontman knew how to play to the crowd well. While they performed well I think due to the strong showings of the other bands Black Lakes were the weakest set of the night. Their strong start felt like it waned as the set progressed, leaving me expecting more of a band this high in the billing.

Any feelings of disappointment were quickly dispelled when headliners Phoenix Lake took the stage. Coming out to a roaring crowd the Nottingham band felt the hometown love in Saltbox as they tore into their hour long set. Vocalist Lana Phillis doesn’t have to rely on just her impressive vocal talents to hold her own on stage with the rest of the band, interacting seamlessly with the crowd and letting the other band members take their moments to shine. A healthy dose of tracks off the new album was to be expected as the band tours the UK to promote its release.

Luckily for us the album is brilliant and the new songs sound great live. The group obviously revelled in having a home town crowd show so much support, it will be great to see what lofty heights the four piece can reach off the back of the album. Phoenix Lake are on the road around the UK throughout April and the beginning of May, be sure to check them out as they rightfully show off what they have created together! A truly amazing night packed full of incredible music!

Written by Owen Hathaway.

Features, Reviews

Cam and Amélie Farren Rock the O2 Institute!

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This is one we’ve been waiting for for a while! We booked tickets all the way back in August when it was announced, we have been excited ever since. We hadn’t seen the country megastar since The Long Road a few years back, but then she honestly put on one of the best sets I’d ever seen, so we snapped up tickets as soon as we could; there was no way we were missing her. Plus, the downstairs of the Institute is such a quirky little room that always has some really great sound, especially when it’s full like it was the other night, so we were surely in for a good time!

I wasn’t actually really familiar with Amélie at all heading into this, bar a track or two I’d checked out in the days prior. Honestly though, she blew me away here, and certainly has a new fan in me! She was the perfect mix of folk-country, rock and 90s/early 2000s pop. There was everything from Alanis Morissette to The Cranberries to Paula Cole to Ingrid Andress. All the sounds blended together perfectly, and her great vocals and amazing lyric writing also added so much to that. Her songwriting skills are fantastic, and it’s easy to see why she was paired up with Cam for this tour. And, kudos to her for going up on stage on her own in front of a packed out crowd, playing all her own music and using a track for the other instruments; when supporting a full band that is no easy feat! However, that is my only one vague negative(ish): I’d have loved to have seen this with a full band. I completely get the logistical and sadly now financial nightmare of having a band on tour with you, but I can only imagine her songs somehow being even better with instruments performed live, and I feel like she could have been able to do more without having to focus on the backing as much. Still, it’s a minor gripe as it was still a great set, and she won a lot of the crowd over pretty quick into it! Definitely one to keep an eye on!

After a short break, the headliner soon took the stage! I have to say right off the bat that ‘Slow Down’ was one of the most unexpectedly perfect set openers I’ve ever heard. It was simple yet so damn effective, setting the tone of the evening fantastically with the chilled-yet-poignant vibe and the killer harmonies. From there, we got a full whistle-stop tour of her fantastic new album; all the highs and painfully lows. Whether it’s slower, melancholic numbers like ‘Everblue’ or ‘Hallelujah’ or the lighter later numbers like ‘Kill the Guru!’ and ‘Look at the Pretty Girls!’, Cam and her band really took the crowd on a journey. Heck, we even got the beautiful lullaby she wrote for her sister/daughter, ‘Meet you By the River’, a touching, memorable moment of the set that I may have shed a tear over. Leaving out only two from the release (damn I would have loved ‘Wherever You Are’), it was awesome to hear so much love given to her new release. ‘Alchemy’ was another big highlight, as was ‘Kill the Guru!’.

Then we reached the back third of the set and she busted out the very best of her greatest hits. From bangers off her debut like ‘Mayday’ and ‘Hungover on Heartache’ to massive single ‘Til There’s Nothing Left’ and even a version of ‘AMERICAN REQUIEM’, the song she wrote for Beyoncé, it was all awesome. The two late-stage highlights had to be her big hits, though. ‘Diane’ is the perfect live track, whipping the crowd up into a frenzy as they sung along to every word. Then you have the emotion-filled ‘Burning House’, her breakout song and a track that the audience hung on every note of. Having seen both live before, I find it hard to believe either will get old, as I loved them both here, too! And that’s not even mentioning the tear-jerking, beautiful encore of ‘Village’ a song that will never not reduce me to tears, and when done so beautifully live I don’t even mind!

And hell, we haven’t even talked about her band, yet! On top of Cam’s incredible performance, all three of her band-mates also played their asses off throughout. Be it drums or multiple guitars or keys, as well as the absolutely stunning, powerful harmonies, they were all so good. Also, playing a cheeky bit of ‘Crazy Train’ during a big song-ending solo while in Birmingham was a master stroke, I hear you Simon! They all complimented Cam perfectly, who really put her all into the performance. A true storyteller, she’s perfectly introduce each song as it was coming up, giving it some backstory as well as being so endearing and comical, holding the crowd in the palm of her hand throughout. And, on top of that, she is a criminally underrated vocalist, singing hear heart out through her entire set, it sometimes sounding somehow even better than on track. As much as I enjoyed her the other year, knowing more of her stuff this time made it even more special!

So, there you have it, folks. An amazing night of live Americana and country music, performed by two incredible artists! Amélie warmed the crowd up perfectly, while Cam put on every bit as incredible a show as I was expecting heading in. I can’t recommend either artist enough, either on track or live, so check them out as soon as you possibly can. As much as we’ve literally just seen her and just had a new album from her, I am already ready for more Cam, that’s how good she truly is! It’ll surely be a night we won’t soon forget!

Features, Reviews

Mika and Jack Jarrett Blow the Roof Off the AO Arena!

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I would say that this is a bit out there for Overtone, but we already have one review of the wonderful man on here! Still, I wasn’t planning on reviewing this. However, both acts put on such a great show that there was no way I couldn’t rave about it! So, let’s dive right into the show, shall we?

My one gripe of the evening to start things off… why were doors at six if nothing was going to happen until eight? It’s an awful lot of time to drag people into a venue for and just leave them waiting around. They could have easily had a second support band on in this time!

Speaking of support, Jack Garrett was actually someone I wasn’t too interested in heading into it from the tiny bit I’d checked out beforehand. However, talk about winning me over! He is insanely talented, both as a musician and a performer, and I think he got more than just me on his side, as the whole crowd was loving it by the end. Being a one-man-band will never not be impressive, and Jack did it in such a fantastic, fascinating way that it was hard to take my eyes off him while he was blowing my mind. From drums to guitar to keys to vocals, we got a bit of everything, and he was a virtuoso at every bit of it! And, on top of that, he’s an excellent songwriter, as I loved each one he played! His unique blend of indie, pop and blues was infectious, and impossible not to love. To the point where, honestly, I’d have LOVED it with a whole band. The loop pedal stuff is certainly impressive, but I think it lost a little bit of the emotion of the tracks at times, and at times it was clear he was struggling with his stage levels of it all. I completely get wanting to do it all yourself, but I’d have somehow loved it even more with him being a vocalist/guitarist/occasional pianist, with other band members also taking the rest of the parts. Still, it was a great set, and he definitely has a new fan in me!

Having seen Mika at a smaller venue, I had no idea what to expect heading into this. However, I certainly wasn’t expecting the AMAZING show that we got! Starting the show descending from the heavens in a giant industrial hamster wheel was definitely not on my 2026 bingo card. Neither was him strapping himself into it later on and spinning around above the crowd mid-song. However, both added so much to the show, as did the rest of the mechanical stage theming. Add to that the pyro, confetti and the giant inflatable megaphone and rainbow, and it was one hell of a stage show!

As for the music itself, it was just as good as you’d expect it to be! His backing band are absolutely phenomenal musicians, complimenting the main man perfectly while also putting on a good show in their own right, when they could. And, as for Mika, he still has one of the best voices in the game today. His vocal range, even live, still blows me away each time, and his charisma is magnetising. He has more energy and flexibility than I do, and I have a solid 14 years on him! As, setlist-wise, it was everything as good as when we last saw him. Opening with two off his latest album was a slight gamble, even though that’s what the tour was and it sounded incredible. But the moment ‘Relax’ hit, the crowd were locked IN dude, bouncing around and singing along to the very end. And, because of that, I felt like the rest of Hyperlove was received better after. Tracks like ‘Spinning Out’ and ‘Excuses For Love’ were amazing live, and fit perfectly around crowd favourites like ‘Lollipop’ and ‘We Are Golden’. Add to that we got him bring back ‘Popular Song’ (because of course), him taking to the stands during ‘Big Girl’, and the one-two-punch of ‘Grace Kelly’ into ‘Happy Ending’ to close out the main set, and it was a tour de force of everything Mika does brilliantly. By the time ‘Yo Yo’ hit, the crowd was spent, in the best way possible! And absolutely phenomenal set!

And there we have it, yet another incredible night of live music so far this year. Both artist were completely different but phenomenal in their own way, and had the crowd in the palms of their hands through the whole night. How this was Mika’s first time headlining arenas in the UK I do not know, but that man owned the stage as if he’d been on there his whole life. I cannot recommend either artist enough, both on track and live, and have listened to both plenty over the weekend!

Features, Reviews

Preacher Stone, Revenant and Eddie & The Wolves Rock the Old Cold Store!

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An apt name for a venue, as it was bloody cold last Friday when we arrived at the venue (part of the INCREDIBLE Castle Rock Brewery). However, we had three awesome rock bands to warm us up with, and they did exactly that! Somehow it was my first time seeing both Preacher and Revenant, though I’d been a fan for years, so to say I was excited was an understatement! Let’s dive right into the night’s fun, shall we?

Eddie & The Wolves opened the show and killed it if I do say so myself. Those who came down early saw, I’d like to thing, a good hard rock set! As usual, I’d like to thank everyone that came down to watch us, brought our merch, gave us such kind words, you’re all the reason the four of us do it. And, while I’m happy to tongue-in-cheek type here that we put on ‘the best set of all time, and anyone who missed it will never see something so glorious’, I just hope that we gave people an enjoyable half an hour! I had a blast up on stage, and I know the other three did too, and it sounded good to us, at least!

Next up were the incredible Revenant. They’ve been building a lot of momentum over the last couple of years with a handful of great EPs, and that momentum truly carries over to their stage show. The four-piece filled the room with their energy, and sounded just as good live as they do on track. Opening on the run of maybe my two favourite tracks from them, ‘Public Service Announcement’ into ‘Best Medicine’, before blasting through a lot of the rest of their awesome three EPs, it was one hell of a setlist. And the band put their all into playing each and every track! The bands stage presence as a whole is undeniable, and Sugarman held the crowd in the palm of his hand throughout. The band have put in the work to get to where they are at, and it couldn’t happen to a more deserving bunch!

After a short break, the legendary headliners took to the stage. The North Carolinan Southern rockers have really been embraced over here in recent years, which reflected perfectly in their ability to pull off a headline tour like this to a packed out, adoring crowd. I still spin By the Horns now, so for it to get so much love in the set (I mean, it was the tours namesake) was awesome. However, having never seen them live before, getting to hear the classics was also amazing! From ‘Old Joe’ and ‘Writing on the Wall’ to ‘Olf Fashioned Ass Whoopin’…’ and ‘Not Today’ we got a great spread of their back catalogue, a journey through the bands whole career. Ronnie is still one of the best frontmen in the genre some nearly 20 years into the band, and the rest of the guys compliment him perfectly. Special shoutout to drummer Josh Wyatt, he blew me away not just in his solo but throughout the whole set, what a phenomenal talent! The whole band were excellent from start to finish though, playing their asses off and keeping the crowd singing and clapping along throughout!

And there you have it folks, another great night for underground (ish) rock music! What more could you ask for? Three incredible bands working their ass off, a good venue, a great crowd, and surrounded by great beer! All the wins! I cannot recommend any of the bands or the venue enough, check them all out our as soon as you possibly can. I already need to see Revenant and Preacher again, and hopefully we can get a run-back of the whole tour sometime in the future!