It's that time of year again - 2010 is coming to a close, and we're left looking back on what's been another fantastic 12 months in the world of heavy music. Over the past few weeks, we've harassed our contributors into making some tough choices - no doubt shedding a few tears along the way [...]
The Chariot Long Live Good Fight Music 22 November 2010 By Mike Strata It's no coincidence that the cover art for The Chariot's latest slab of furious dissonance looks more like something one would expect from a hardcore band than a band that is routinely (and quite unflatteringly) labelled as metalcore. The Chariot has always [...]
Comeback Kid Symptoms + Cures Victory Records 31 August 2010 by Mike Strata For a moment there it looked for all the world like Comeback Kid were heading down the same career path as late 90s/early 00s melodic hardcore heroes Stretch Arm Strong. Fast, catchy, posi sound? Check. Breakout album leading to more "mainstream" success? [...]
Nachtmystium Black Meddle Part II: Addicts Candlelight Records 07 June 2010 by Mike Strata From Disaronno's whisky adverts to Andy Gray's frantic babbling on a Sunday afternoon, the slogan "expect the unexpected" has become so old and tired it makes Zsa Zsa Gabor look positively perky. However, when it comes to describing the audio output [...]
Bison B.C. Dark Ages Metal Blade 13 April 2010 by Mike Strata Good band names are, clearly, very hard to come by, and whilst "Bison b.c." may not be top of the band-name class, they certainly deserve some extra points for choosing a name which perfectly evokes their sound. Whether their inspiration comes from the bovine beast of the same [...]
Last month Between The Buried And Me went to Japan for the first time ever, with their buds The Red Chord playing in support. Our man in Japan, Mike Strata, went along for the ride. And he kicked all their asses at Mario Kart. What do progressive/tech/death metal, preposterous amounts of Mario Kart, masturbation and the delights of [...]
Converge Axe To Fall Epitaph Records 19 October 2009 by Mike Strata There is a massive temptation to greet every new release from Massachusetts' favourite sons with a foam-at-the-mouth kind of hysteria usually reserved for teen idols. The devotion inspired by Converge is built on the rock-solid foundation of an almost flawless back catalogue, and so the band find themselves in the rather unenviable position of being expected to deliver a classic album every single time. [...]
The Red Chord Fed Through The Teeth Machine Metal Blade Records 27 October 2009 by Mike Strata Amongst the hordes of glowering, sour-faced "deathcore" bands, The Red Chord have always stood out - as much for being eminently likeable as for their incredibly technical blasts of feral noise. So much so, in fact, that to tag them with the "deathcore" label is to [...]
Paramore Brand New Eyes Fueled By Ramen 28 September 2009 by Mike Strata Contrary to popular belief, Hayley Williams' incomprehensibly cringe-inducing appearance on the latest Set Your Goals album did not bring about the end of music. We're all still here, the hits keep on coming, and a few months on from Ms Williams last indiscretion we have a new Paramore album to digest. Whether the release [...]
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