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When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, as the old adage goes. When Harvey Freeman, frontman for hardcore heroes Graphic Nature, was assaulted on a train in London last year, he was left with both physical injuries and more lasting damage to his mental health. What emerged from the incident is ‘Who Are You When No One Is Watching?’, an album that’s equal parts confessional, catharsis and scream into the black void of injustice.  “Lyrically, it’s a journey through a lot of different emotions I’ve personally been through in the space of 12 months,” he explains. “How I dealt ..read more

“I wanna play a big tune in a little room, I wanna fuck things up and kill the moon,” says Jonathon Fraser – AKA Northbound – on ‘Big Tune (Fuck Off Forever)’, and with a goal like that, you have to appreciate his ambition. He’s shared bills with Simple Plan, The Home Team and Knuckle Puck in his seemingly permanent state of being on tour, but Fraser’s fourth album, ‘Juniper’ comes after several years of laying low and almost accepting his status as a pop-punk also-ran. It’s a “statement of return,” according to the artist, and it feels both fresh and familiar with each stroke. If your era is ..read more

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As the final day of Download dawns, we remind ourselves that it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and we’re on the home stretch. With an abundance of tremendous music ahead of us and brightening skies above our heads, let’s celebrate the finest of the worlds rock and metal scene and cheer for ourselves for rising above the annoyances of yesterday. Before we start “rollin, rollin, rollin” ourselves back to the real world, we’ve got a full day of tremendous acts to catch! Words: Kate Allvey.  Images: Penny Bennett and Download Festival Code Orange “Wake the fuck up,” screams Code Orange vocalist ..read more

VOWER’s EP ‘Apricity’ is an interesting prospect, a debut release that’s attracting considerable hype among some while barely registering among others. That’s because it is the new project by members of some of the most criminally underrated bands the UK has produced in recent years; Black Peaks, Palm Reader, and Toska. They may never have ended up headlining arenas, but each has its special place in the collective heart of the UK’s heavy music scene. Indeed, watching any of these bands at ArcTanGent or 2000 Trees could sometimes feel like a headline act in its own right. One particularly ..read more

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After what was frankly a pretty miserable start to June, the season seemed to change rather suddenly with a mini-heatwave thrusting London into the familiar stickiness of British summertime in the city. Thankfully the notoriously hot O2 Forum Kentish Town feels just about bearable as the house lights dim and the bright sunshine of a midsummer evening is all but forgotten as all eyes adjust to the minimally, moodily lit stage for opening act VOWWS. The now-LA-based Australian duo are joined by a drummer for these live shows, which should, in theory, add variation and weight to the synth-drenche ..read more

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The name Terminals implies a group reaching their end, but this is the beginning. After giving us a taste with last year’s ‘Capsize/Exist’ single, they are launching themselves properly with a debut EP. Fittingly, they’ve called it ‘Baptise’ because it really is an immersive experience. The trio’s sound is based on post-rock, using layers guitar arpeggios and effects used to create a big beautiful canvas that they combine with a soaring vocal to give it a sweeping sense of space. It’s a huge sound, similar to band like Gates but they also have a love for mixing in down-tuned guitar riffs and a ..read more