Probably one of the most divisive acts in modern metal right now other than maybe Poppy, Babymetal came to Manchester at the weekend in support of their latest album, ‘Metal Galaxy’. Playing at Manchester’s premier venue, The O2 Apollo, which has been host to an incredible list of some of the biggest band’s from around the world, our Jase W was convinced that this was going to be a good one….
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You can easily predict a good portion of the reviews that will emerge online for the debut release from Florida’s 14 North. Post-grunge has become fairly synonymous with – well, bollocks – or at the very least a dull semblance of the instigating genre that preceded it. Just watch the Metal Evolution episode on grunge and you’ll witness a sliver of the vitriol that it inspires. All this to say that many bands who are tarred with the label aren’t really given a fair shake. Hopefully 14 North are ready to hold out against the storm of potential detractors, as ‘What Is The Feeling?’ is an enjoyably streamlined debut that focuses on efficiency in songwriting over self-indulgence.
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Pengshui claim to straddle the genres of grime and punk, delivering the vocals typical of the first delivered with the energy and attitude of the latter. Vocalist Illaman has even gone so far as to suggest grime is new wave punk. It’s a bold claim, but this three-piece formed in London have the musical experience which to lend them some credence. Illaman is possibly king of crossovers having been a member of Foreign Beggars, initially an underground Hip Hop group that evolved into dubstep as well as rap band Problem Child. Fatty (bass) has a dubstep history in Submotion Orchestra and drummer Pravvy Prav has worked with various rappers such as Jehst and Maverick Sabre. This self-titled album is their first full length offering…
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To mark their return to the Über Kingdom for the first time in more than 45 years, southern boogie legends Foghat are treating us to two classic re-issues from the latter days of their extensive back catalogue, in the shape of what was surprisingly only their second live album and a long out-of-print studio album from the turn of the last decade.
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Now and again, something just a little bit special lands on the doormat at ÜRHQ. Something that just makes us sit up and pay it that smidgeon of extra attention. Despite arriving in a package of other nefarious and less worthy offerings, this, the eighth album from Berlin’s Vlad In Tears, is just such an example: a gothic rock masterpiece that both pushes the boundaries and appeals to the imagination, while worming its way into your aural cortex with the efficiency of a Ceti eel.
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