Reviews

Philadelphia shoegaze standard-bearers Nothing return in 2026 with A Short History Of Decay, a record that feels less like a reinvention and more like a reaffirmation of everything they’ve quietly perfected over the past decade […]

Three decades have passed since Mansun first injected a dose of grand, prog-inflected eccentricity into the waning days of Britpop. In 2026, ex-frontman Paul Draper returns with Mansun Retold, a project that resists the easy […]

The January blues are well and truly over. One of the first major live series of the year — where huge artists return to intimate venues — is back, and XS Noize once again found […]

After more than three decades together, Kula Shaker recently notched up an impressive achievement with their eighth album, Wormslayer, entering the charts just outside the top 10 — their third-highest chart position to date. Whether […]

The most incendiary force in modern deathcore, Lorna Shore, stormed the iconic Alexandra Palace for a night that felt less like a gig and more like a statement. Completing the bill were genre heavyweights Humanity’s […]

Scottish band Helicon were formed in Glasgow’s East Kilbride by brothers John-Paul and Gary Hughes. They are a collective of musicians whose experimental sounds blend psychedelia, sitar, electronica and guitars to create a fuzzed-up wall […]

Manchester’s post-punk titans IST IST have never been a band to do things by halves. Rising from the city’s underground with a fiercely independent DIY ethic, they’ve spent years carving out a sonic identity as […]

On 3 February, Ash returned to La Scala for a blistering, high-energy London show. Packed wall to wall, the venue buzzed as the trio tore through a career-spanning set, seamlessly weaving in new material from […]

British rock band Marmozets delivered an electric, sweat-soaked performance at Rescue Rooms on 26 January, turning the packed venue into a wall of noise and movement. Demand was so intense that security were forced to […]

Belfast’s Consolers haven’t spent their first year in the spotlight trying to deconstruct the DNA of alternative rock. Since their April 2025 arrival, they’ve been far more interested in the visceral payoff of a massive […]

With their third studio album, Secret Love, South London’s Dry Cleaning have officially moved beyond the initial hype of the post-punk revival, evolving into a band willing to risk their established formula. Released via 4AD […]

Kula Shaker have never been a band in a hurry. Their history is dotted with long gaps between albums, sometimes stretching close to a decade. Since 2022’s 1st Congregational Church Of Eternal Love And Free […]

They say things come in threes. Since 2024, Cast have been a three-piece, and Yeah Yeah Yeah is their second album in that leaner setup. It’s also the second time they’ve worked with producer Youth, […]

The Mary Wallopers returned to Belfast on 23 December fresh from five consecutive nights at Glasgow’s Barrowlands, and if there was any risk of fatigue, it never showed. From the opening song, pints were flying, […]

On 13 December, Bradford proudly celebrated the strength and legacy of the Yorkshire heavy music scene with Wool City Rockers, staged at the city’s newly refurbished Bradford Live. The line-up brought together three iconic bands […]

Fast-rising Irish band Gurriers stormed the stage at Belfast’s Limelight last night, opening their set to Frankie Valli’s Can’t Take My Eyes Off You. As the unmistakable chorus rang out, the room erupted into a […]

On 12 December, American rock heavyweights Three Days Grace brought a surge of energy and emotion to Manchester’s O2 Apollo. With the announcement that original vocalist Adam Gontier had rejoined the band, curiosity surrounded how […]

On 6th December, Finnish rock icons The Rasmus returned to Nottingham as part of their promotional Weirdo tour. Their latest album of the same name dropped earlier this year, and the band arrived eager to […]