The latest issue of the Full Pelt Magazine is here, and you can download your copy for free below!
Volume 25 features our cover starsĀ The MysterinesĀ as reveal details of their sophomore album. We also reviewĀ new albums from The Snuts, Gen and the Degenerates and Blackout Problems, and we review The Zutons live in Norwich!
Our News Report has all the latest music news including live announcements fromĀ Liam Gallagher, Kings of Leon, Bullet For My Valentine, Trivium, Alice Cooper, The Pearl Harts, Greta Van Fleet, Royal Blood and Radar Festival!
Plus all the best new releases includingĀ Kasabian, Kings of Leon, Paul Weller, Frank Turner, Linkin Park, Sum 41, Daytime TV, Crossfaith, The Cruel Knives, TheCityIsOurs, Between You & Me, Susan Santos, Raven Numan and The Struts!
Finally, we round up the latest additions to ourĀ āDiscoverā New Music PlaylistĀ includingĀ Major Moment, Caroline RomanoĀ andĀ DeadWax!
Festival season is in full swing and rock fans once again descend on Upcote Farm in Cheltenham for 2000trees! A true music fans festival, this year there is an absolute smorgasbord of the best new and established acts to savour across three full days of relentless entertainment.
However, before the event proper begins though those with early entry have an additional evening of music on tap in the beautiful forest area. The āForest Stageā has always been a unique and special feature of this festival which is now on its fifteenth iteration.
Wednesday
The privilege of opening the festivities this year goes to Snayx who, despite playing whilst many are still pitching their tents, still attract an eager and excited crowd. The band are able to seize upon this excitement to whip the crowd up even further with their brand of punk rock. A benchmark is set for the weekend early here and thankfully the organisers have a bill curated to ensure that the quality never drops!
The other stage in operation today is the small āThe Wordā stage which over the weekend will host various activities such as further bands, live podcasts, comedians and more. Over the next few hours we are able to catch delighted spots from B-Sydes, Masca, Polyanna and Gaz Brookfield.
Over on the āForest Stageā though, the handful of selected bands combine to deliver a highly memorable evening. Delaire the Liar are up next and are able to continue to build their growing reputation with another assured performance.
A real special moment follows as one of the most talented yet underappreciated bands of the last decade Press To MECO play their final show. Such a moment really deserved a bigger stage and longer setlist but those present are able to bathe in those glorious riffs one more time with an emotional āA Test of Our Resolveā a highlight of the whole festival.
Next are a band just getting started. Saint Agnes are tipped as the future of rock music by some, and again on the evidence of their set tonight those people are very much correct! Debut album āBloodsuckersā canāt arrive soon enough; thankfully we only need to wait on July 21st!
The latest Tigercub album is already out and next up the band bring āThe Perfume of Decayā to life with a solid showing as the forest area begins to fill up in anticipation of the nights two headline acts.
Both Holding Absence and Bob Vylan will play two sets over the weekend but before gracing the main stage, they both thrill those packed into the woods! Holding Absence are first and they captivate the crowd with a cleverly selected mix of rarities and fan favourites. This band continues to grow and evolve and itās scary how good they could be.
Bob Vylan also continue to elevate the game with their headline set tonight they bring carnage to the forest! A spectacular off the cuff collection of on point punk rock more than whets the appetite for their main stage appearance, even showing that they arenāt too far away from being able to headline the biggest stage next time they play the festival.
THURSDAY
Each night the now infamous silent disco takes over the site as the party continues into the early hours, but come Thursday morning the arrival of the rest of the attendees ensure even the first act of the day, Blush Puppy on the āForest Stageā get a good turnout. The duo perform a delightful run-through of adapted favourites which starts the first full day off perfectly.
With the outdoor stage, three tented stages and the āForest Stageā all rotating throughout each day an avid music fan can fill their boots with live music and literally catch non-stop music for nigh on sixteen hours a day if they wanted to. We donāt quite have that stamina but we give it a good go and are rewarded by great sets from Kite Thief, Beach Riot and Gaffa Tape Sandy.
Following that run we then head to first catch recent āDiscoverā New Music Podcast guests CARSICK over on the āNEU Stageā. The group proceed to smash through their set to the delight of those present with the likes of āAnaconda Frankā showing real bite.
Another act to impress early in the weekend are Lake Malice in āThe Caveā. The group have been winning over all who see them this summer and their future appears to be very bright indeed.
Lambrini Girls, Graphic Nature and the official debut of new group Unpeople who have formed from the ashes of Press To MECO all follow and continue to hot run of great sets. Unpeople in particular are able to really tease what is to come and make a fantastic first impression.
The main stage soon literally takes centre stage as first Kid Kapichi and then Bob Vylan deliver two of the sets of the weekend. Kid Kapichi are effortless in their delivery of impassioned punk rock which sees an endless sea of crowd surfers on an inflatable burger! Bob Vylan then reinforce the message that their headline set sent last night, that the duo are as advertised ā the most important band in the world!
We then head back to the two larger tented stages, firstly for Jim Lockey and the Solemn Sun who preview their upcoming new album āColourā. The record will arrive on July 28th and the band really do a good job of convincing those in attendance that despite the decade plus wait for a new album, the wait will be worth it. All the new material this evening sounds absolutely massive. Then in āThe Axiomā, The Joy Formidable deliver a delightful little set that evidences the eclectic mix of rock music presented at 2000trees.
Soon enough itās time for the final run of bands that will close out day one. Skindred are well established as a great live act and tonight they have the crowd at their whim. The Newport Helicopter needs no introduction either as the crowd make the most of the groups big finale.
Back in the big tent next for Eagles of Death Metal who give a festival friendly, crowd pleasing set including the likes of āI Only Want Youā, āComplexityā, āCherry Colaā and āI Want You So Hard (Boyās Bad News)’.
Finally itās over to the returning Soft Play (the artists formerly known as Slaves) to close out the day. The duo pick up where they left off and play as if theyāve never been away. Itās great to have the band back and fans revel in the likes of āCheer Up Londonā, āFeed the Mantarayā and āThe Hunterā.
FRIDAY
Friday begins with an early run of Beauty School, RXPTRS, The St. Pierre Snake Invasion, BLACKGOLD and New Pagans all of whom play their rules well and make the most of their short sets.
After an overcast first couple of days, today is a scorcher and the heat is intense as LostAlone arrive on the stage. The band donāt let that phase them though as they pull out all the stops to get the crowd engaged. Itās mission accomplished by the time they deliver the double header of āThe Final Call For Foreverā and āThe Last Drop Of Foreverā.
2000trees do very well to bring together the best new music from home and abroad and the next run of Militarie Gun, Zulu, Microwave and Kublai Khan TX shows the keen eye for upcoming talent that the organisers have.
Itās this mix of new with the established acts that perfectly balances out the line-up and Hell Is For Heroes are a great nostalgic party next on the main stage. The quality overall is again on show when you can then head immediately to the āNEU Stageā for an excellently run set from As Everything Unfolds, before returning to the main stage for a very enjoyable Dinosaur Pile-Up show and then jumping straight to the always intense Cancer Bats in āThe Caveā!
Bullet For My Valentine are the act who close out the night with a huge headline performance. Attracting one of, if not the biggest crowd of the weekend, the band are in confident mood as they showcase their headlining credentials. Older tracks such as āScream Aim Fireā and āHearts Burst Into Flamesā naturally receive big reactions, but itās telling newer tracks also are well received.
A surprise AxeWound reunion with Liam Cormier is another festival highlight before āTears Donāt Fallā and āWaking the Demonā ensure that come the next morning everyone is talking about how great Bullet were tonight!
The festival has been a whirlwind as per usual for 2000trees and itās a testament to the quality of line-up that to this point there hasnāt been a bad performance. Of course some ultimately standout more than others such as that headline set last night or Bob Vylan destroying the forest but the chilled out atmosphere amongst attendees is reflected by the respect the bands pay the crowd. The reciprocal ambience creates a synergy that elevates every aspect of this event.
SATURDAY
Come Saturday the crowd may be sapped from the previous days heat but over on the āForest Stageā Xtra Mile Recordings acts (and previous āDiscoverā New Music Podcast guests) Hannah Rose Platt and Guise are serenading the early crowd with their beautiful music. They are both well received despite the heat being supplemented today by a lot of the wet stuff!
Xtra Mile Recordings has a great relationship and past with 2000trees and new Xtra Mile favourites (and double Full Pelt Podcast guests!) PET NEEDS attract a big crowd to āThe Axiomā next. This is no doubt due to some guerrilla advertising from their fans, but everyone that ventures into the tent leave hailing the band as one of the bands of the weekend.
One of the elements that makes the āForest Stageā so special are the sets from acts playing on the biggest stages which are often acoustic and unique. Next, Electric Six frontman Dick Valentine does a great job of distracting the audience from the deteriorating weather with a highly fun acoustic set.
After catching Dead Poet Society and Enola Gay strutting their stuff we are then able to catch Electric Six themselves who attract another big crowd to the main stage. The crowd lap up the likes of āGay Barā and āDanger! High Voltageā as youād expect, and the band do their job with aplomb.
One Step Closer then cement their hype in āThe Caveā before Black Honey demonstrate why they are one of the best newer live acts in the country. Tracks from new album, āA Fistful of Peachesā sound massive as the band achieve another of those more memorable sets of the weekend.
The reshuffled Dream State then show that they still have a big future ahead of them in āThe Caveā before Deaf Havana battle through a torrential downpour which decimates their crowd at the main stage. We brave the rain until the end before heading into the forest for a short but very fun set from Lynks.
Talking to people across the site, the opinion is unanimous that this has been a spectacular weekend. You feel as the weekend comes to a close that it canāt get any better, but then Hundred Reasons deliver perhaps the best set of the weekend. The band get the audience onboard from opening number āIāll Find Youā and never lose them despite more heavy rain. One of the moments of the weekend comes when Enter Shikari man Rou Reynolds joins the band for a superb āSilverā.
Jamie Lenman then plays his latest masterpiece āThe Atheistā in full over in the forest before Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes come out of hibernation to finish the festival with a welcome career-spanning set.
Whilst the band may lack a certain volatility of their early days they donāt lack in swagger or controlled ferocity when required. The final run of āMy Townā, āDevil Inside Meā, āJuggernautā, āLullabyā and āI Hate Youā is the perfect way to bring an incredible weekend of music to a close.
2000trees has established itself at the heart of the summer as a trusted and respected event. From their humble beginnings to now fifteen events later, the festival lays on the infrastructure but the audience makes the event the special weekend that it is!
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
This week we are starting by rounding up the best live announcements from the past week and we begin with Halestorm.
Ahead of their performance at Download Festival the band have already revealed that they will return to the UK for a special one-off show at Wembley Arena.
It was a big week this week for Skinny Lister who had both new music and new tour dates to share.
Alongside a full UK tour later this year, the band debuted new single, ‘Down On The Barrier’, which you can check out below!
Speaking about the message behind their euphoric, enlightening new track frontman Dan Heptinstall says:
“Music is a kind of religion to many gig-goers, and in āDown On The Barrierā weāve tried to capture that feeling. The church in this case is the venue, the sermon is the song and the preacher the artist. Itās a nod to those almost spiritual moments when we gather to enjoy some communal rockānāroll worship, as well as a healthy dose of support, release and camaraderie. See you down on the barrier!”
Another hot ticket later this year will be the ‘This Is How It Feels’ tour from Lottery Winners.
Announcing the tour the band said “Weāre going to be throwing everything at this, with special guests and special production and doing our best to make it a special experience. So, please come. Bring a friend. Letās spread the word and get these venues bouncing. We love you all so much! X”
After their appearance at Slam Dunk Festival, Yellowcard have revealed details of a new EP, ‘Childhood Eyes’ which will be released on July 7th.
Ahead of the release the band have shared the title-track, which you can check out above!
About the new single, William Ryan Key said: “I woke up in the middle of the night with the chorus ringing in my head. I grabbed my phone off of the night stand and started typing away, squinting in the dark. This was months before we even started demoing the EP. When we started writing I threw the idea in the hat at the last minute, picked up a guitar to try and put music to the melody in my head for the first time, and Childhood Eyes was born. This is a song about being defeating, let down, and deceived time and again, but still managing to find your creative soul and carry on. I think it captures the spirit of Yellowcard, both old and new.ā
Another band with new music following their appearances at Slam Dunk Festival was Trophy Eyes.
The band shared their new single, ‘Life In Slow Motion’, which you can check out above!
āāLife in Slow Motionā is my assessment of life itself, and the way we as humans navigate life and time here on Earth.ā says John Floreani. āSearching for meaning in chaos, I found myself seeing signs in number patterns and small examples of beauty in ordinary life; a hug at the bar exchanged between friends, a crinkled photo of a loved one kept close, a kindness or a smile. What they mean, I canāt say, but sometimes if you look hard enough and sit quietly enough, life reaches out and speaks to you.ā
The release comes ahead of new album, ‘Suicide and Sunshine’, which is out on June 23rd.
Currently touring stadiums with Arctic Monkeys, this week also saw The Mysterines share their latest new track, ‘Begin Again’, which you can check out above.
Grian Chatten shares ‘Last Time Every Time Forever’
Grian Chatten had more new music to share this week as he debuted new single, ‘Last Time Every Time Forever’, which you can check out above!
Chatten says: āāLast Time Every Time Foreverā is a weak kneeād 99th lap around a hellscape town of your own making. Itās haunted by seagulls and hoarse-throated slot machines from the 1980s and it breaks its own promise on every listen.ā
The track comes from upcoming debut solo album, ‘Chaos For The Fly’, which is out June 30th.
‘Discover’ New Music Podcast alumni ANGER PARTY shared their latest new single this week.
Bringing this section of our News Report to a close is, ‘Save Myself’, which you can check out above!
“No matter how many times our intuition tells us to leave, no matter how much ourindiscretion speaks for itself, sometimes weāre inexplicably drawn to people that never fail todisappoint and betray us. āSave Myselfā tells a story of inner turmoil, treading the fine linebetween yearning for somebody that will never earn our affections, and having the selfrespect to realize that weāre better off alone.ā – Guitar / Vocals – Owen Claxton.
Norwegians Fixation share new single, ‘Flat Earth’.
The band states, “Flat Earth is a track that delves into the minds of people who persuade themselves into believing conspiracy theories. People that are so centered around their own perception of the truth that they refuse to see it any other way. The lyrics sums it up: Ā«Even if they see it, they probably wonāt believe it.”
Kings County – ‘Holding On’
US band Kings County share new single, ‘Holding On’.
Singer Rob Dexter says, āāHolding On” was the song we needed to write. After our last release in 2022, we were constantly performing live for months and knew we had to get back to writing or we would become complacent. You are as good as your last song and “Holding On” was a pivotal moment for us. We needed to raise the bar and that’s exactly what we did with “Holding On”.ā
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
We start this week with the return of Greta Van Fleet, who have shared new single ‘Meeting the Master’, which you can check out above.
The track will feature on their newly announced upcoming album, ‘Starcatcher’, which will be released July 21st.
On the single, the band notes, āāMeeting The Masterā peers into an esoteric world heeded by the word of a wise teacher. Sung in the voice of a devout believer, and eventual group exclamation, the song details the love these fervent followers have for their teacher and their firm belief in his vision. Itās an exotic spiritual journey. A dark comedy that inevitably ends in chaos.ā
With regards to the album, āWe didnāt really have to force or be intense about writing, because everything that happened was very instinctual,ā Jake says. āIf anything, the record is our perspective, and sums up where we are as a group and individually as musicians.ā
Throughout the ten-song collection the band explores the duality of fantasy versus reality and the contrast between light and darkness. āWe had this idea that we wanted to tell these stories to build a universe,ā says Wagner. āWe wanted to introduce characters and motifs and these ideas that would come about here and there throughout our careers through this world.ā
The band took multiple concepts from critically acclaimed second album The Battle at Gardenās Gate and brought them into Starcatcher, although Samās take on the new recordās big ideas hint instead at new beginnings. āWhen I imagine the world of Starcatcher, I think of the cosmos,ā he says. āIt makes me ask a lot of questions, like āWhere did we come from?ā or āWhat are we doing here?ā But itās also questions like, āWhat is this consciousness that we have, and where did it come from?āā
This week also saw Peter Gabriel share the latest taste of new album, ‘i/o’, with the release of the title-track.
Speaking about the new track, Gabriel says:
āThis month the song is “i/o” and “i/o” means input / output. You see it on the back of a lot of electrical equipment and it just triggered some ideas about the stuff we put in and pull out of ourselves, in physical and non-physical ways. That was the starting point of this idea and then trying to talk about the interconnectedness of everything. The older I get, I probably don’t get any smarter, but I have learned a few things and it makes a lot of sense to me that we are not these independent islands that we like to think we are, that we are part of a whole. If we can see ourselves as better connected, still messed up individuals, but as part of a whole, then maybe there’s something to learn?”
‘i/o’ as a potential album title has long-been known within fan circles, and is now the name of the current project, the album and the forthcoming tour, but as Gabriel says, āIt’s been around for a long time as a title for this project. I always knew I was going to write a song called “i/o”, but the title came first.ā
Therapy? continue to build to the release of new album, ‘Hard Cold Fire’ on May 5th. This week saw the band share new single, ‘Poundland of Hope and Glory’, which you can check out above.
The band say, āThis track started out as a hard take on how people lose themselves in narratives to the point that the myth takes on greater importance than the fact. Just like the old adage about the liar repeating the lie so much that they eventually believe it themselves, the culture around us is bursting with fairy stories we tell ourselves.ā
There was also new music to savour this week from Holding Absence as they debuted their latest single, ‘A Crooked Melody’, which you can check out above.
Like Moths To Flames debut ‘Predestination Paradox’
Like Moths To Flames have released their first new music in two years with return single ‘Predestination Paradox’, which you can check out above.
“I think there are a lot of things that we all commit to, where we know how it will end,” says LMTF’s Chris Roetter. “This song is meant to portray the experience of learning that almost everything has an inevitable expiration date. We never know how much time we are offered or how much time is left, yet we still immerse ourselves in these deep relationships.”
2000trees announce Soft Play as their final headliner!
We move our News Report on now to the best festival announcements from the past week and up first is 2000trees.
This week saw a wave of additions to the line-up including headliners Soft Play making their live return. Also added to the line-up were Dinosaur Pile-Up, Hell Is For Heroes, Gaffa Tape Sandy, Haggard Cat and more.
They join the likes of Bullet For My Valentine, Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes, Bob Vylan, Holding Absence, Deaf Havana, Hundred Reasons, Skindred and many more.
The second wave of acts for Y Not Festival were revealed this week including Sea Girls, The Pigeon Detectives, Yonaka, Cassyette, Gengahr, Feet, Peaness, The Hara, DEADLETTER, Daisy Brain and more.
They join a bill featuring the likes of Royal Blood, Kasabian, Paul Weller, The Wombats, James, DMA’s, The Charlatans, KT Tunstall, The Murder Capital, Kid Kapichi, Beans On Toast and many more.
Our News Report looks now at the best live announcements of the past week and we kick off with Royal Blood who have revealed two intimate warm-up shows in amongst their packed summer.
Bristol-based rock multi-instrumentalist Lucky Thief shares his new single, ‘Silencer’.
Speaking about the inspiration behind the single, Lucky Thief explains, āSilencer is about being unable to control how we speak. So many people have opinions that are narrow minded, selfish and ill-considered; This song airs my frustration with them. It also looks at how hard it is for me to stay quiet, if I feel something deserves to be said, I will not be silenced.ā
Harker – ‘Wasting Time’
Brighton, UK punk rock powerhouse Harker have released a new single titled ‘Wasting Time’.
The band comment, “‘Wasting Time’ is about the breakdown of communication in modern life – it’s easy to misunderstand and mislead when you only talk through a digital screen. Talk to your loved ones in person, debate face to face, and know when to set your boundaries if it’s not working. ‘Wasting Time’ is a back to basics, 4 chord postpunk pop ruckus track – heavy hooks and fuzzed out guitar walls, just how we like it.”
Cape Crush – ‘Sandwich Wars’
Cape Crush, hailing from Massachusetts, have unveiled their new single, ‘Sandwich Wars’.
Vocalist Ali Lipman, says “‘Sandwich Wars” is an emo pop anthem I wrote about not apologizing for yourself. I wrote it from the point of view of giving advice to a younger version of yourself. It was inspired by the advice of my former roommate Chelsea who left earth too soon about not being so quick to blame yourself. Our house was called Club Sammich, which is where the Sandwich Wars title comes from. It’s got some personal imagery in, but hopefully it conveys that your mistakes don’t define the person you become. I think Sandwich Wars is the band’s favorite song on the EP. This came together as a full band song with James really driving home the riffs and all those little musical moments that keep you listening (like the car crash), Jake’s bass and backing vocals in the last chorus, and Cody’s energetic beats. We love playing this one and we hope people enjoy listening!”
Watch Episode 42 of our ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast with guests ANGER PARTY!
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
We start this week with the best new releases from the past week and up first are Enter Shikari with their new single, ‘Bloodshot’, which you can check out above.
On the track, lead vocalist and producer Rou Reynolds explains:
āEvery day, I seem to be asking myself āIs this article biased?ā, āis this claim true?ā, āShould I be more furious about this issue? Or less furious?ā, āAm I being manipulated? Provoked? Radicalised by my own ātribeā?
Bloodshot is about how hard it is to find truth, and how easy it is to stop thinking for yourself and simply repeat your āteamāsā mantras.
Everyoneās so fucking angry with everyone else and itās exhausting. It seems like social mediaās main purpose these days is to hypnotise us to hateā.
The track comes of ahead of their upcoming new album, ‘A Kiss For The Whole World’, which is out April 21st.
Our News Report continues with the brand new single from DevilDriver! You can check out ‘Through the Depths’ above, with the single coming ahead of new album, ‘Dealing With Demons Vol.II’, which is out May 12th.
Frontman Dez Fafara says aboutthe single: “‘Through the Depths’ is a conversation between a higher power and humans regarding the power of thinking ideas into existence, but being very careful of being arrogant behind those wants and needs.
The first lines give this away: āAttention attention, youāre seeking, you’ve asked for, itās given” (the higher power says)
Then the lines of the chorus are that same higher power speaking to humans, saying: ‘through the depths to the ascension, nothing you wouldnāt do for my attention, held to the fire itās not my crime, you’ve pinned it on me for the last time.’ Meaning – donāt blame the Gods (pin it on them) for your fuck ups. Meaning – put it out there and take steps to attain goals and take accountability.
This track is the essence of ‘Dealing With Demons Vol. II’, and the conversations within the record get way deeper than even this.Enjoy.”
This week saw Therapy? debut their new single, ‘Joy’, which you can listen to above. The group also revealed that new album, ‘Hard Cold Fire’, will arrive May 5th!
Singer Andy Cairns says “Joy started with a term from ‘Waiting for Godot’, by Samuel Beckett, this wonderful line: ‘habit is a great deadener’. I just love that word, ‘dead-en-er’. It’s an amazing word. People get themselves into these habits, and the next thing you know, their life is over and they’ve only lived in a very small circle of experience, often through choice, which is scary.ā
Another band having a great week this week were James and the Cold Gun who unveiled their new single, ‘My Silhouette’, which you can of course check out above!
The band also revealed that their debut album will arrive on July 28th.
IST IST share new single ‘Nothing More Nothing Less’
The new music continues thick and fast in our News Report and up next are Manchester’s IST IST. The group this week shared their latest single, ‘Nothing More Nothing Less’, which you can listen to above.
Chiming with the overarching concept of upcoming album, āProtagonistsā, out March 31st, the single finds the band stepping into the shoes of a character trapped in a complex relationship and at odds with her true feelings.
Frontman Adam Houghton explains: āāNothing More Nothing Lessā is a simple love song really written from a womanās perspective who isnāt exactly sure what she wants.ā
Closing out the new releases in our News Report this week are Problem Patterns and their brand new single, ‘Who Do We Not Save?’, which you can check out above.
Commenting on the single, the band say: āOur healthcare system has been falling apart for years due to cuts, and the pandemic only sped up the process. We constantly see campaigns telling people to ask for help, especially in regards to mental health, but the reality is that the services we need are under too much pressure. The line āWeāre one or two paychecks awayā refers to the fact that many of us will be in a lot of trouble if privatisation becomes reality here. The title itself is lifted verbatim from Dominic Cummingās photo of the white board used to plan the UK governmentās early response to COVID. We thought it would be fitting to use it for the singleās cover art, too.ā
Our News Report moves on now to the best tour announcements from the past week and up first is the legendary John Fogerty.
This week saw Fogerty announce his return to the UK with two special arena shows in Manchester and London in May.
āAs of this January, I own my own songs again. This is something I thought would never be a possibility. After 50 years, I am finally reunited with my songs. I also have a say in where and how my songs are used. Up until this year, that is something I have never been able to do. I am looking forward to touring and celebrating this year! I want to thank Concord for helping to make all of this happen. And, I am excited for new ideas and a renewed interest in my music ā¦ like a revival.ā said Fogerty.
The rejuvenated Funeral For A Friend will be back on the road this October for a very special tour celebrating the 20th Anniversary of their debut album, ‘Casually Dressed and Deep In Conversation’.
Along for the ride will be very special guests Dashboard Confessional.
Another band coming to UK venues later this year is Highly Suspect who have revealed a run of dates this September. They’ll be bringing The Picturebooks along with them as special guests.
We move our News Report now across to the best festival announcements of the week. Following their bigger line-up reveal last week, 2000trees have now introduced Bullet For My Valentine as headlining this year’s event.
They join the likes of Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes, Hundred Reasons, Skindred, Eagles of Death Metal, Deaf Havana, Bob Vylan, Electric Six, Empire State Bastard, Holding Absence, Black Honey, Cancer Bats, The Joy Formidable, Tigercub, Dream State, Press To MECO and so many more!
Maryland rockers Any Given Sin present their new single, ‘Calm Before The Storm’ ahead of their forthcoming debut album.
āItās a song about perseverance,ā says the front man Victor Ritchie. āYouāre standing up to whateverās in front of you.ā Guitarist Mike Conner adds, āYouāre not just surviving a traumatic experience though – Youāre also becoming stronger because of it.ā
Bellwether – ‘Hurricane’
Sydney based Pop Punk band Bellwether have shared their new single āHurricaneā featuring Brooklane.
āHurricane was inspired by the titular character of the Naruto series and is about wanting to prove the people who didnāt believe in you or dismissed you wrong, and blow them away. While we took a lot from Naruto for the song, we also used our experience in the music industry to ensure that we were being honest and sincere in our performance and why weāre so excited to show off this track – To let people know weāre here and to show off our worth as artists.ā – Heath Joukhadar (guitarist)
Hematite – ‘Run Devil Run’
Hematite release ‘Run Devil Run’, the final single before their debut EP ‘Speak of the Devil’.
āThis song was written at a time of my life when I felt like I couldn’t slow down or hell would catch up with me. That maybe if I keep pushing through the flames I won’t get burnt. It’s kind of a take on how we donāt check in on ourselves until it’s too late. Until there’s hell to pay. The reality is once you put yourself into so many fires, you either burn out or become the flame yourself, burning everything around you. In this song, I felt like I was doing both.ā -Hematite
Somehow itās already been almost a year and a half since Bullet For My Valentine released their self-titled seventh album. The record arrived in late 2021 and we now find ourselves in early 2023! Time has certainly flown by, but finally the band are getting to head out around the UK in support of the album.
WATCH ‘DROWNING’ FROM ATREYU ON YOUTUBE
Tonight that sees the band kick off the UK leg of the tour at the Corn Exchange in Cambridge. Opening up proceedings are revamped Californian metallers Atreyu who receive a huge reception as they take to the stage.
The band of course has a long history and clearly many in the room are fully aware; soon enough though even those that werenāt already familiar with the band are on board as well. Drummer turned front man Brandon Saller orchestrates the crowd superbly as the group run through the likes of āBecoming the Bullā, āSave Usā, ‘Drowning’ and āBlowā. By the time they exit the stage, the reaction is even greater than when they arrived.
WATCH ‘VORTEX’ FROM JINJER ON YOUTUBE
Anticipation is clearly high also for our next act, Ukraineās much hyped Jinjer. Led by singer Tatiana Shmailyuk, the group instantly command the attention of the packed venue and show just why theyāve had so much attention in the last few years.
The time that the band spend onstage tonight feels short, which is usually a good sign; and itās evident from the confident performance that the band feel at home and indeed belong on big stages. As far as their job tonight is concerned, by the time that they leave the stage theyāve got the crowd riled up and ready for our headliners but theyāve also left them wanting more Jinjer ā which is precisely the outcome needed from their main support slot.
WATCH ‘KNIVES’ FROM BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE ON YOUTUBE
By the time Bullet For My Valentine hit the stage, the crowd have already been treated to a fantastic evening and to an extent the pressure is on for a band who have been much maligned by metal fans in recent times.
Each of their last three albums have been hailed as a return to form, but surely that actually indicates that the band have been delivering consistently good music? Their live shows have certainly continued to deliver the goods and despite being under the weather tonight is no different.
āKnivesā, āOver Itā and āPiece of Meā get the audience on side from the beginning before ā4 Words (to Choke Upon)ā steps things up a notch. The pace of the set from here is relentless with a good mix of old and new material on offer from the band.
There is a nice surprise with the inclusion of rarity āHearts Burst Into Fireā which does a good job of getting those phones up in the air. There is also plenty that gets the crowd moving as well with the likes of āScream Aim Fireā and the final run of āYour Betrayalā, āTears Donāt Fallā and āWaking the Demonā all sounding absolutely massive tonight.
Whilst the career trajectory for the group may have slowed down, through their recent releases and shows like tonight, Bullet For My Valentine have shown that they still have plenty left in the tank!
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report, where we roundup the best news from the past week. This week we start off with tour announcements and the above run of dates from You Me At Six.
The band will be joined by Waterparks, The Maine and Bears In Trees for the tour that finishes up at Alexandra Palace in London.
The fantastic Beans On Toast this week revealed another lengthy trek around the UK for early next year.
Speaking about the upcoming tour Beans says:
āFolk music is an age-old art form, and itās more relevant than ever in these wild and crazy modern times. You can expect an inspiring and entertaining gig, a relaxed and fun affair that leaves you feeling like you’ve met up with an old friend, and you’re all the better for it.ā
Kodaline have announced a special intimate run of UK shows in support of their forthcoming stripped-back live album ‘Our Roots Run Deep’, out October 14th.
Speaking about the tour the band say, āWe canāt wait to be back in the UK to bring you some super intimate shows to celebrate the release of Our Roots Run Deep with some of our favourite Independent Music stores around the country. These will be some of the smallest shows weāve done in a long time and we cannot wait to see you there.ā
Marking the announcement they have also released the new single āWherever You Areā taken from the album. You can check it our below.
Regarding āWherever You Areā vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Steve Garrigan says, āāWherever You Areā is a song I originally wrote as a present for my girlfriend. Itās a newer song from our fourth album One Day At A Time. Itās connected with a lot of people around the world and has been fun to play live at festivals and full band shows. It was great to hear the crowd singing along to this acoustic version in such an intimate setting. Itās a moment we wonāt forget.ā
Continuing about the album the band say, āThis album is something weāve wanted to do for a very long time, itās also something entirely new to us. Itās a stripped-down acoustic show with no click, which basically means, itās very raw and unfiltered. We wanted to try and capture the energy and atmosphere of the night as best we could. It was an intimate show recorded in one of our favourite venues in the world, in Dublin City at home in Ireland. We hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed playing it.ā
Burn It Down Festival adds Wargasm as special guests
Our News Report turns now to festivals and Torquay event Burn It Down, who this week added Wargasm as special guests.
They join a stunning line-up featuring Trash Boat, Deaf Havana, Static Dress, Our Hollow Our Home, Cassyette, VUKOVI, Tigercub, Death Blooms, As December Falls, Salem, Haggard Cat, IOTA and many more!
Smith/Kotzen announce new release ‘Better Days… And Nights’
New music releases now as our News Report continues. We start with the Smith/Kotzen collaboration and their news this week that they will be releasing ‘Better Days… And Nights’ on September 16th!
The release will comprise five previously unreleased live tracks, plus for the first time ever on CD, the four studio tracks featured on their sold out, limited edition 12ā vinyl EP, ‘Better Days’, released in conjunction with Record Store Day in November 2021.
Adrian Smith comments, āI think everyone in the band was extremely happy with how our very first tour turned out. We were all naturally a little anxious as weād never played live together before but once we got out there, everything fell into place really easily and we all had a tremendous amount of fun. I canāt wait until we can do it again and get to play in many more places next time round.ā
Richie Kotzen adds, āWe spent a lot of time discussing which of the songs from the live show to include on this CD. We wanted to capture an accurate snapshot of the special vibe we all felt on the tour and I think weāve achieved this in the songs weāve selected, and hope our fans will agree. Weāre looking forward to seeing everybody again on future tours.ā
The Hunna have announced their brand new self-titled album to be released on October 28th. The album is preceded by new single, ‘Trash’, which you can listen to above.
āWe had so much fun writing the lyrics,ā recalls vocalist and guitarist Ryan Potter. āAll of us were together, joking around and letting loads out. Even though it has got an angst to it, we donāt take life too seriously, weāre just having fun.
āWeāre not calling anyone specific out, itās just overall industry suckiness. It highlights things weāve experienced in the industry over the years and things we see going on and hear about now. Thereās a lot of bad shit that still goes on in the industry and a lot of it gets swept under the rug. But weāre in the position where weāre on our fourth album, we feel refreshed and confident and this is what weāre going to say. You either like it or you donāt, itās cool either way. We are who we are.ā
Charlotte Wessels shares new single ‘Human To Ruin’
Charlotte Wessels will release her new album, ‘Tales From Six Feet Under Vol II’ on October 7th. This week saw Wessels share the second single from the album, ‘Human To Ruin’, which you can check out above.
On the song, Charlotte comments,
āWith ‘Human To Ruin’ I wanted to make a song that has an old school symphonic feel to it, but at the same time doesnāt get too polished or āprettyā to reflect the theme of the track. The vocal processing on the choruses is inspired by 90ās grunge and the instrumental middle part gives off something psychedelic, all in all itās quite eclectic.
Thematically, the words in ‘Human To Ruin’ are the things you say to yourself when you feel undeserving of love, or when you feel like you want love just for selfish reasons. I felt compelled to indulge in this feeling without nuancing it, because when you exaggerate a feeling like that, or make it larger than life in a song, it allows you to shout out the frustration on the one hand but it also reminds you that it is probably not all THAT bad in reality.ā
Next in our News Report, we head to The Wonder Years, who continue to build towards their new album, ‘The Hum Goes On Forever’, which is released on September 23rd.
This week the band shared their latest single, ‘Low Tide’, which you can listen to above.
“This is my pandemic depression song. I feel like everyone gets one.”. The Wonder Years vocalist Dan Campbell describes the band’s new song out today with unflinching honesty.
“Itās searching for some semblance of normalcy through small, newly formed rituals. Itās being unsure if Iāll ever get to do the thing I love again, if live music will ever come back. Itās deciding to just give up and then deciding not to give up and then deciding to give up again in alternating intervals. Itās watching old movies and unconsciously thinking āOh my god, where are your masks?ā when people are in public places because a deep anxiety now exists within me that may never fully leave. You know, all the normal stuff.”
Glaswegian rockers Gun have this week released a brand new version of their seminal single, ‘Word Up’, which you can listen to above.
Itās the latest track to be cut from their upcoming album, āThe Calton Songsā, out 14th October.
Jools Gizzi says of the album:
āWhen the pandemic hit we realised that it was the perfect time to try and counteract the bleakness that was all around. It felt like we couldnāt write anything, or of course tour. Out of that darkness came a desire to completely rework these songs that we know the fans love, and bring a different, stripped down vibeā.
Whilst Dante Gizzi adds:
āItās ironic that those feelings of negativity led to something so positive, a celebration of our career up to nowā.
noyou have shared the first single, ‘The Way You See Me’, from their upcoming debut EP, ‘This Game We Started’!
“‘The Way You See Me’ tells a story of long lost relationships and their eventual reunion, from the perspective of a not so perfect person. Friends, Family & lovers, will things be the same after time has had its way with us? Or has the distance changed us too much?ā- NOYOU front man Connor Jobes.
Final Stair – ‘Headgames’
Final Stair release their very intimate single, ‘Headgames’.
The band comments: āIstvan, the band’s singer, fell into a severe life crisis a few years ago and suffered from extreme panic attacks and an intense anxiety disorder that took complete control of his body, soul and everyday life. He was guided only by the fear of fear. This vicious circle ended in alcohol and depression and in mind games that made him a helpless person. He developed into a small, helpless boy who could no longer cope with his life.
This song tells the story of this disease on the one hand, but also contains the strength to overcome it and to learn to live with it. With this song, the band wants to draw attention to the fact that there are many people among us who suffer from depression and similar illnesses. With “Headgames” they want to say: you are not alone!ā
Oxbowlake – ‘Louis Theroux’
Oxbowlake unleash their latest track, ‘Louis Theroux’, on the world.
“Our latest single āLouis Therouxā was released Friday 22nd July.
We wrote it in lockdown 2020 and it was inspired by the thought of partners not coping spending too much time together and arguing over watching too much TV! When some of their most magical moments were probably snuggled up watching TV together!
Recorded and produced by George Marriot of Pet Needs and includes group chants of āTheroux Therouxā by Johnny Marriot, their partners and ourselves.”
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report, where we share the best music news from the past week. We start this week with a real smorgasbord of tour announcements.
First up, is the above special set of shows from Ash. The band will play 3 ‘Free All Angels’ 21st Anniversary Shows in Manchester, Birmingham and London this September!
Drummer Rick McMurray had the following to say: “We’re delighted to announce that we will be commemorating the 21st anniversary of the release of our 2001 classic, Free All Angels. Not least because we will be joined by the fourth member of Ash, guitarist extraordinaire, all-round Shining Light, the one and only, Charlotte Hatherley. Can. Not. Wait.”
Another band celebrating a special anniversary is Idlewild, who this week announced 20th Anniversary shows for ‘The Remote Part’ in Manchester and London.
The band also announced a reissue of the seminal album on vinyl, which is available for pre-order now.
Bullet For My Valentine also announced a huge UK Tour this week. Taking place early next year, the band will also be stopping off at the Roundhouse as well as a massive Swansea Arena show.
We move our News Report on now to festivals and we begin with Steelhouse Festival in Wales.
This week the event finalised their line-up with Europe and Von Hertzen Brothers joining the party.
They join the likes Ace Frehley, Michael Schenker, Inglorious, Graham Bonnet Band, Orange Goblin, Black Spiders, Green Lung, The Hot Damn! and many more.
Manchester’s Neighbourhood Festival has this week unveiled the line-up for this October with The Snuts, Everything Everything and Sundara Karma at the top of the bill.
Also playing are the likes of Lauran Hibberd, Louis Dunford, Ten Tonnes, The Goa Express, The Skinner Brothers, Anorak Patch, Courting and more.
We move on now to the new releases of the past week in our News Report. We start off with Skid Row who have unveiled the video for their new single ‘The Gang’s All Here’, which you can watch above.
āāThe Gang’s All Hereā for me represents the brotherhood of this band. And with the addition on Erik our bond is more solid than ever. Our fans have always been part of the family, so when it was time to shoot a video, we handed the camera work over to them. After all, they have the best perspective to capture the excitement of a Skid Row show.ā – Scotti Hill
āIām so fāing psyched to finally release this video! This video is by the fans for the fans. A big shout out to all the fans who made this video happen. Thank you!ā – Erik Grƶnwall
The song is the title track of their upcoming album which is released on October 14th.
October Drift release new single ‘Webcam Funerals’
October Drift released their latest single, ‘Webcam Funerals’, this week ahead of their new album, ‘I Don’t Belong Anywhere’ on September 23rd. You can listen to the track above, and pre-order the album here.
“I donāt want to go into too much detail out of respect,ā begins Kiran, ābut this song was written at the time of losing a friend during the height of the pandemic and lockdown. She passed after a long battle with cancer. Her son, a very close friend of mine, was living with me at the time of the funeral.
I watched online from my front room, while many others did the same from their homes. This song was a response to the strangeness and sadness of friends and family members not being able to be at the funeral or there for each other at that time.”
Kiran talks further about the track and album with us on The Full Pelt Music Podcast, which you can watch below.
TV Priest have shared new single, āIt Was Beautifulā, taken from forthcoming album ‘My Other People’ out 17th June. You can listen to the track above.
Vocalist Charlie Drinkwater says of the single, āāIt Was Beautifulā is a love song about the past, present, and future. A reminder that love is the most essential thing. The words came fast; it was recorded in a single emotive session, the first song we wrote together after my family had gone through a difficult experience and I think you can hear that in the kind of melancholy euphoria that plays out as the song progresses. In some ways itās a coda to the whole album; a reminder to guard your hope fiercely.ā
APHYXION have released their latest single, ‘Not Gonna Make It’, which you can check out above.
The band elaborate on the theme of the track:
“‘Not Gonna Make It’ is a song about broken love ā a sad reflection of a relationship that once was – and trying to clutch at a straw while drowning in emotions. We never really touched the subject of love in our songs before. While our lyrics have constantly been circling around dystopic subjects both on a worldly and on a personal level, we simply wanted to embrace our emotions and thoughts from a new perspective.
While trying to leave a very black and white way of seeing things, we want to explore the polarity of emotions ā where both love and hate co-exist because of their mutually dependent nature.ā
We close this segment of our News Report with the latest single from Just Mustard. You can listen to ‘Seed’ above, and order their new album, ‘Heart Under’here.
As always we close out our News Report with the latest additions to our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist! Joining this week:
The Native – ‘Changes’
The Native return with their latest single, ‘Changes’, ahead of the band’s upcoming EP.
Singer Charlie Noordewier says, ā‘Changes’ is about breaking out from the mundane cycle of life that so many find themselves stuck in, and pushing back against the people that put you down for trying to do something different.ā
Chappaqua Wrestling – ‘Full Round Table’
Chappaqua Wrestling have shared their first new single of 2022, and first with new label EMI, āFull Round Tableā.
The band explains: āWe wrote Full Round Table as a reaction to the endless negativity put in our faces about our generationās future. So much news is greeted with the response of how screwed we are – hopeless views from unhelpful people.
Negativity about youth is relative per generation but today it feels stronger. We want to ignore the cynicism, get together, appreciate what really matters, and not let people tell us what we can’t do. The Full Round Table is full of our friends, and thatās not changing.ā
Fixation – ‘More Alive’
As Fixation prepare to release their debut album, they return with new single, ‘More Alive’.
āI wanted to highlight the negative effect social media can have om human relations. It’s harrowing how we spend more time maintaining our online facades, than taking care of our real-life relationships.
With āMore Aliveā we hope to bring attention to this topic and help our listeners make conscious decisions on how they interact with social media.ā – Jonas Hansen / Vocals
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE – BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE – ALBUM REVIEW
Bullet For My Valentine were the chosen ones, designated as metalās big hope to take the genre into the future. They were tipped for festival headline slots and to carry the mantle that would inevitably be left by the Metallicaās of the world.
Well, that was the mid-2000ās and the album run of āThe Poisonā, āScream Aim Fireā and āFeverā had them on the verge of achieving all that was foretold. Sadly, it hasnāt been smooth sailing since that point. Their recent headline slot at the Download Pilot Festival proved that they are still a force to be reckoned with onstage, so where did it go wrong.
The momentum killer appears to have been a very hit or miss output of recordings over the past decade. There have been some great moments but also far too many forgetful or even cringeworthy ones.
Line-up changes have also played their part, but the current line-up has been together long enough now to provide some stability on that front. So as this line-up releases their second album, āBullet For My Valentineā, what does the future hold.
The band can perennially play decent sized venues and festival slots, but if they want to take that leap and fulfil the prophecies they need to at least steady the ship. This album returns to the heavier and more aggressive sound of the bands formative years which certainly helps them.
WATCH ‘RAINBOW VEINS’ ON YOUTUBE
Whilst there is a slight Bullet-by-numbers feel to the album, that comfort is what is needed from them right now. The likes of āKnivesā and āRainbow Veinsā help to elevate the record and place it in the middle range of any ranking of Bullet For My Valentine albums.
Fans of the band will be happy with the album and critics of the band wonāt have much to criticise. The ship has been steadied, now letās see what the band do next.
We roundup the best music news from the past week!
Every week we roundup the best music news from the past week in our News Report. To stay up to date with the biggest news be sure to follow us on our social channels:
Hundred Reasons return for tour team-up with Hell Is For Heroes
Welcome to another weekly News Report where we roundup the best music news from the past week. Starting proceedings this week is the news that Hundred Reasons are back!
The band has only played a handful of shows in the last twelve or so years, but now the band is set for nine shows in early 2022. Contemporaries and fellow rarities Hell Is For Heroes will provide support, making this an unmissable tour for fans of early 2000’s rock music.
This week saw Don Broco announce a short run of intimate dates that will serve as warm-up shows for the bands headlining Slam Dunk Festival appearances.
Joining an already sold out Bedford show are stops in Oxford, Bristol and Bournemouth. Tickets are available here.
Moving onto festivals now in our News Report and first up is Lincolnshire event Call of the Wild. The festival has announced the line-up for their 2022 edition set for 19th to 22nd of May at Lincolnshire Showground.
On the bill are Ricky Warwick & The Fighting Hearts, The Treatment, Massive Wagons, Raging Speedhorn, Revival Black, The Dust Coda, King Creature, Florence Black, Howling Tides, Hollowstar, Empyre and many more.
Our News Report turns now to new music releases, and word that the legendary Iron Maiden will soon be releasing their 17th studio album! ‘Senjutsu’ will arrive September 3rd.
The double album was previewed by lead single ‘The Writing On The Wall’ last week, which you can listen to on our ‘Hard & Heavy’ Spotify Playlist here.
Bullet For My Valentine also have a new album on the way. Their self-titled release will arrive October 22nd. This week the band continued to prepare for the new arrival with the debut of new single ‘Parasite’.
Tremonti this week released new single, ‘If Not For You’. A new album is also on the way with ‘Marching In Time’ coming September 24th. Pre-order the new album here.
Finally this week new music from a great young band. Dead Man’s Whiskey have just released their latest single, ‘Breakout’ which you can check out above.