Album Review: The Black Keys

Album: Attack & Release
Label: V2/Cooperative Music

When I first heard that The Black Keys were going to be working with producer Brian Burton aka Danger Mouse on their follow up to 2006’s ‘Magic Potion’, I was both slightly hesitant and unconvinced about the Keys’ new direction—I wanted another album of fuzzy blues rock from the double […]

Interview: Ungdomskulen

Ungdomskulen, a Norwegian trio of uber-geeks, are currently melding rock and dance together to produce some staggeringly vibrant and compelling sounds. They can be found supporting The Young Knives up and down the UK on the back of their latest release, ‘Cry Baby’, and John Skibeat managed to yank the band’s Kristian Stockhaus away long […]

News Round-Up 28/03/08

Having released ‘Scream Aim Fire’ on the 28th January and lead single of the same name a week before on the 21st, Bullet For My Valentine continue their march towards world domination with the release of single numero 2, ‘Hearts Burst into Fire’, on March 31st through Columbia Records. ‘Hearts Burst into Fire’ blends the […]

Interview: Turisas

Finnish Viking metal, folk rock, battle metal or just plain comedy romping? Labeling a band like Turisas is hard-going. Their influences are wide-ranging and seem to come from many different art forms. They utilise clever orchestration, multiple instrument parts and inject pomp and vigour into everything they do. Yet they don furs and leather, smear […]

Gig Review: As I Lay Dying + GOTK + Veils

Venue: Barfly, Cambridge
Date: 24 March 2008

Veils are first-up and are immediately confronted with a venue that’s at capacity. Seems the world and his wife want to hang around for this Manchester quartet of metal-heads and they are duly rewarded. They play rapid, death metal with elements of thrash and hardcore thrown in for good […]

Album Review: Elle Milano

Album: Acres Of Dead Cadets
Label: Brighton Electric

The Brighton trio, Elle Milano, have produced this debut album themselves in a self-built studio which is no mean feat considering how delightfully crisp the end product is. It shows they aren’t lacking in either courage or talent. From the first bars of ‘Laughing All The Way To The […]

Editorial: Apr 2008

April is upon us and building work has begun here at Sonic Towers. We’re adding a portcullis, some ramparts and pallisades to keep out unwanted spam. There’s also a pressing need for a third turreted tower where we can house all the new reviewers our lovely ad seems to have attracted. Yes, we’re putting the […]

Album Review: Suicide Silence

Album: The Cleansing
Label: Century Media

Now this is scary shit! Even the album artwork gives me the heebie-jeebies. But then it would, it being the work of the legendary Dave McKean, best-known for his graphic novels and Neil Gaiman collaborations. The band lurking menacingly within are Suicide Silence, a pummeling mixture of death metal, grindcore, hardcore […]

Album Review: Sylosis

Album: The Supreme Oppressor
Label: In At The Deep End

Brutal and yet also coyly melodic, Sylosis are so much more than their simple self-assessment as ‘Shredding from Reading’. This UK quintet are a mix of crunching guitars, ball-busting vocals and battering double-kick and snare combinations. Then just when you think you’ve got them pinned they throw […]

Album Review: Romeo Must Die

Album: Defined By Enemies
Label: In At The Deep End

The grim graphic novel artwork adorning the album’s cover only hints at the crushing intensity of Southend-On-Sea’s Romeo Must Die. Yes, even Southend-On Sea has metalheads! This is old school thrash colliding head on with mighty metalcore riffage. With the vocals and basswork of ex-Stampin’ Ground […]