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Biffy Clyro

The Myth of The Happily Ever After

Biffy Clyro The Myth of The Happily Ever After

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BIFFY CLYRO – THE MYTH OF THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER – ALBUM REVIEW

How does the saying go? Eat. Sleep. Release Album. Tour Album. Repeat? Well, it’s something like that normally isn’t it, but a certain pandemic has thrown best laid plans out the window for artists.

Take Biffy Clyro as a prime example. The release of ‘A Celebration of Endings’ was set to see the band play an arena tour which was even announced to the public. Alas the tickets never even went on sale due to the impact of the pandemic. Then the ‘Fingers Crossed’ tour was announced, a run of intimate dates that fingers crossed would go ahead.

Read our review of ‘For Those That Wish To Exist’ from Architects

Well, even that got postponed until the end of this month. Now before even that tour gets to happen we have another album from the band! ‘The Myth of The Happily Ever After’ is said to be the sister album for ‘A Celebration of Endings’. The fact is the band will now be touring the albums hand in hand so how do the records sit with each other?

Biffy Clyro have never really had a set formula, the very thing that identifies their sound is their lack of boundaries, their quirkiness and willingness to experiment. ‘A Celebration of Endings’ was already an album packed with musical nuance and ‘The Myth of The Happily Ever After’ gleefully continues to ebb and flow.

This is a band that has been pretty prolific both in quantity and quality for some time now, so it’s no surprise that this is another solid album which only adds to their legacy. It’s unlikely to be held up like Simba by Rafiki as the future king, but that’s due to its unique birth and relationship to its predecessor.

WATCH ‘A HUNGER IN YOUR HAUNT / UNKNOWN MALE 01’ ON YOUTUBE
Biffy Clyro – ‘A Hunger In Your Haunt / Unknown Male 01’

The description as a sister record feels right. This is a continuation of the creative process for ‘A Celebration of Endings’ and is basically the second record of another double album for the band. When held together the two albums are certainly up there in terms of the bands releases.

‘A Hunger In Your Haunt’, ‘Witch’s Cup’ and ‘Unknown Male 01’ lead the way for the record and ensure the likely dynasty for the album in future set lists. All in all this is another Biffy Clyro album that earns your attention and continues the bands momentum on their path to glory.

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Watch The Full Pelt Music Podcast on Youtube with guests Press To MECO

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News Report

We roundup the best music news from the past week!

News Report

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:

New additions for Reading & Leeds Festivals

Reading & Leeds News Report

Welcome to another edition of our News Report, where we roundup the best music news from the past week. We start this week with festivals and the behemoth that is Reading & Leeds Festivals. The twin events take place in just two weeks!

This week organisers revealed that Dinosaur Pile-Up, Loathe and Holding Absence will join a bill already including Biffy Clyro, Liam Gallagher, Wolf Alice, Yungblud, Fever 333, Creeper, Wargasm, Bob Vylan, Yonaka, Boston Manor and Demob Happy.

Check here for more details.

Read our review of ‘American Noir’ from Creeper

Bloodstock Festival drop first 2022 names

Bloodstock Festival News Report

Bloodstock Festival this week revealed the first names for their 2022 edition, before the 2021 edition was even over!

Huge names on the bill include Lamb of God, Mercyful Fate, Testament, Bury Tomorrow, Static-X and Butcher Babies.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of Download Pilot Festival

Biffy Clyro head to Margate

Biffy Clyro have a busy summer lined up as they headline Reading & Leeds Festivals alongside shows in Cardiff and Glasgow. A new addition to their schedule is a special show at Dreamland in Margate which was announced this week.

More information on all shows here.

The Dead Daisies set for UK Tour

Rock collective The Dead Daisies are set for a UK Tour later this year. Announcing the tour, it was also revealed support will come from The Quireboys (except Cardiff).

Tickets from here.

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes debut ‘Go Get A Tattoo’

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes – ‘Go Get A Tattoo’ feat. Lynks

We turn to the latest new releases now in our News Report. The incomparable Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes this week debuted their latest single, ‘Got Get A Tattoo’ which features Lynks.

The track will feature on their upcoming album, ‘Sticky’, which you can pre-order here.

Hear ‘My Town’ from Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes on our Spotify Hot List!

Trivium unveil new single ‘Feast of Fire’

Trivium – ‘Feast of Fire’

American metal lords Trivium have this week unveiled their latest single, ‘Feast of Fire’ which you can check out above. The song comes ahead of their new album, ‘In The Court Of The Dragon’ which you can pre-order here.

Listen to ‘Feast of Fire’ on our ‘Hard & Heavy’ Spotify Playlist

Introducing the ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast!

At Full Pelt Music we are eager to put the spotlight on new music. We recently debuted our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist on Spotify where we feature some of the hottest fresh talent from across the globe.

Now, we are proud to announce the accompanying ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast! Yes, we’ll be talking to some of those bands being spotlighted by our Playlist.

You can find the latest episodes here, or catch the video edition here.

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Read our review of ‘Pressure Machine’ from The Killers

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We roundup the best music news from the past week!

Full Pelt Music Weekly News Report

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:

Whitesnake, Foreigner & Europe combine for huge UK Tour

Whitesnake News Report

We start our weekly News Report with the classic rock tour of 2022. Not 1, not 2, but 3 iconic rock acts will be joining forces in May next year for an enormous UK arena tour.

Whitesnake, Foreigner and Europe all on one bill means that there will be plenty of anthems to sign along to. Tickets will be available here.

Read our review of ‘The Battle at Garden’s Gate’ from Greta Van Fleet

The Raven Age set for December Tour

The Raven Age News Report

This week was a big news week for The Raven Age. Firstly, the band revealed December tour dates including a date at Powerhaus in London. Tickets can be found here.

Secondly, the band announced that their new album, ‘Exile’ will be released on September 17th, with new single ‘No Man’s Land’ out now. Pre-order the album here.

Finally the band will play a special livestream event, ‘The Year The World Stood Still’, on Thursday 16th September. The band will be joined by a string quartet and pianist and the night will include a live Q&A with The Raven Age. Tickets available here.

Listen to ‘No Man’s Land’ on our Hard & Heavy Spotify Playlist!

Black Orchid Empire announce October Tour

Another tour announcement this week saw Black Orchid Empire reveal a run of dates for October this year. The tour will finish up at the legendary Black Heart in Camden. Tickets are available here.

Read our review of Seasick Steve live at Norwich Arts Centre

Rews joins the #ReviveLive bill

Rews News Report

The fantastic Music Venue Trust continue to work tirelessly to #ReviveLive music. This week the line-up for their special run of shows in combination with The National Lottery got bigger. One act set for a run of shows is Rews who will play five shows in September.

Tickets available here.

Read our review of ‘Seize the Power’ from Yonaka

Against The Current announce UK Tour

Against The Current this week announced the ‘Fever’ tour will be hitting the UK in 2022. Starting off in Brighton the UK leg will conclude with a show at the Electric Ballroom in Camden.

Tickets are here.

Reading & Leeds Festivals announces headliner change and new additions

In our sole News Report piece of festival news this week, Reading & Leeds Festivals have updated their line-up ahead of the events next month. The BBC Introducing stage is back and will feature sets from the likes of Lauran Hibberd, Calva Louise and some special guests.

There has also been a rejig of the line-up with a number of acts no longer able to appear due to logistical reasons. They sadly include headliners Queens of the Stone Age. The good news however is that Biffy Clyro will be stepping in to once again headline the double event.

Read our review of Download Pilot Festival

The Joy Formidable release new single

The Joy Formidable – ‘Interval’

Onto new releases now in our News Report. First up is The Joy Formidable who this week released their latest single, ‘Interval’.

The release comes ahead of their new album ‘Into The Blue’ which arrives on August 20th. Pre-order your copy here.

Listen to ‘Interval’ on our Spotify Hot List!

Valeras debut ‘The Other Side’

Valeras – ‘The Other Side’

Finally this week, Valeras have released another new track, ‘The Other Side’. More information from the band here.

This song also leads the latest additions to our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist on Spotify. Also added this week are ‘Candyland’ from Unprocessed and ‘damn’ from Ada Lea! Listen, follow and discover your next favourite act here.

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Read our review of ‘Watch Me Break Apart’ from Dead Nature

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News Report

We roundup the best music news from the past week!

Full Pelt Music News Report

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:

Lost Evenings to return to Camden Roundhouse

Lost Evenings News Report

We start our News Report this week with our sole Festival entry. Frank Turner has announced that his festival, Lost Evenings, will return home to the Roundhouse in Camden.

Featuring multiple stages and various other activities the four day event will feature four unique sets from the man himself. Joining Turner on the main stage will be Grace Petrie, Emily Barker, Jamie Lenman, Pet Needs, Nova Twins, Lottery Winners, Skinny Lister and Guise!

For more information, head over here.

We recently launched The Full Pelt Music Podcast, and our first guest was Frank Turner! Watch and Listen here.

Read our review of ‘Fractured Party Music’ from Pet Needs

The Darkness return with new album and tour

The Darkness News Report

We have a few tours to tell you about in this weeks News Report including this huge one from The Darkness. The band have unveiled a massive run of dates for later this year. Support for the tour comes from Iron Maiden leader Steve Harris and his band British Lion.

Tickets will be available here.

That’s not the only news from Lowestoft’s finest however, as the band also announced a brand new album will arrive on October 15th. You can pre-order ‘Motorheart’ here.

Read our review of ‘Blue Weekend’ from Wolf Alice

Biffy Clyro announce huge Cardiff show

Biffy Clyro News Report

Biffy Clyro have announced that they will be heading to Cardiff Bay on September 16th. They will be joined by very special guests Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes at what promises to be a huge show.

Tickets will be available from here.

Listen to ‘My Town’ from Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes on our Spotify Hot List!

Blackberry Smoke to return to Europe in 2022

Blackberry Smoke News Report

Southern rockers Blackberry Smoke will be returning to Europe in early 2022. The run of dates will conclude in the UK with shows in Birmingham, Glasgow, Belfast, Dublin, Manchester and finally London.

Tickets are available here.

Read our review of ‘The Ides of March’ from Myles Kennedy

Vukovi set for UK Tour

Vukovi have announced a massive tour around the UK set for this October. The tour is set to be a highlight of the touring season as the band will be joined by both Press To MECO and Delaire The Liar!

You can grab tickets here.

Listen to ‘Another Day’ from Press To MECO on our Spotify Hot List!

Black Spiders reveal short run of dates

The reformed Black Spiders have announced a handful of dates around their appearance at Steelhouse Festival. The band will grace stages in Chester, Leeds, Southampton and Milton Keynes.

Tickets are available here.

Volbeat return with two new songs

Volbeat – ‘Wait A Minute My Girl’

Volbeat kick off our new music section of our News Report. The band have released not one but two new songs this week. ‘Wait A Minute My Girl’ and ‘Dagen FĂžr’ arrive ahead of the bands latest album.

Your listening options are here.

Read our review of ‘Nowhere Generation’ from Rise Against

Creeper announce new EP and single ‘Midnight’

Creeper – ‘Midnight’

Creeper conclude our News Report this week. The band returned to their old ways with a number of cryptic posts before announcing their latest EP, ‘American Noir’.

The EP will arrive on July 30th and you can listen to the single, ‘Midnight’ on our Spotify Hot List. Pre-orders are available now from here.

Read our review of ‘Salem II’ from Salem

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News Report

We roundup the best music news from the past week!

Full Pelt Music Weekly News Report Roundup

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:

Download Festival makes huge additions to 2022 line-up

Download Festival line-up News Report

This week has been full of ups and downs for the UK Festival industry. We have seen numerous cancellations, but also many line-up announcements. We are going to concentrate on the positives as we begin a festival heavy edition of our News Report.

First up, a festival that has already moved to 2022. This week Download Festival announced the bulk of the artists joining headliners Kiss, Iron Maiden & Biffy Clyro!

The main stage will host the likes of Korn, The Pretty Reckless, Rise Against, Theory, Monster Truck, Wayward Sons and Those Damn Crows.

Read our review of ‘Death by Rock and Roll’ from The Pretty Reckless

Hitting the second stage will be The Distillers, The Darkness, Airbourne, Skillet, Lacuna Coil, Massive Wagons and The Last Internationale.

The Avalanche stage features Funeral For A Friend, Boston Manor, Holding Absence, Wargasm, Jamie Lenman and Salem.

Read our review of ‘The Greatest Mistake of My Life’ from Holding Absence

Whilst sinking their teeth into the Dogtooth stage will be Blues Pills, British Lion, Bokassa, Venom Prison and Lotus Eater!

Pick up your tickets here.

Y Not reveals massive line-up

Y Not line-up News Report

Staying in Derbyshire, and Y Not Festival has announced a massive line-up for this year. Taking place over the weekend of July 30th to August 1st, the event will be headlined by Stereophonics, Bombay Bicycle Club and Blossoms.

Also featured at the top of the line-up are Manic Street Preachers, Fontaines D.C., Levellers, James, Frank Turner, Jake Bugg, Circa Waves and Pale Waves.

Read our review of ‘Who Am I?’ from Pale Waves

Plus an incredible supporting bill featuring The Futureheads, Dinosaur Pile-Up, The Snuts, Black Honey, Dream Wife, Vistas, Beans On Toast, InMe, Ferocious Dog, REWS and Zuzu!

Read our review of ‘Written & Directed’ from Black Honey

Grab remaining tickets from here.

Tramlines announces sell out line-up

Tramlines line-up News Report

Tramlines festival has this week announced a huge line-up for 23-25 July. Such a huge line-up that the Sheffield event has now completely sold out. You can however register for ticket alerts here.

Headline acts The Streets, Royal Blood and Richard Ashcroft are joined by a host of established and new acts. Friday brings sets from The Kooks, Jake Bugg, Pale Waves and The Pigeon Detectives.

Saturday will feature Blossoms, Vistas and Lauran Hibberd. Whilst Sunday will close out the event with The Fratellis and The Snuts amongst others.

Read our review of ‘Half Drunk Under A Full Moon’ from The Fratellis

Boardmasters follows sell out trend with line-up reveal

Boardmasters line-up News Report

The trend of festivals selling out also continued with Boardmasters. The Cornwall event revealed a line-up headlined by Foals, Gorillaz and Jorja Smith before immediately selling out.

Also joining the line-up are Sam Fender, The Kooks, The Snuts, Blossoms, Slowthai and Gengahr. The festival is sold out, so check here for any ticket information.

Read our review of ‘W.L.’ from The Snuts

Victorious Festival makes additions to line-up

We said that our News Report would be festival heavy this week, and we meant it. As we continue to report on the best announcements of the past week we head to Portsmouth.

Victorious Festival has this week added additional names to its line-up. Fans can now expect to see the likes of Nile Rodgers & Chic, Frank Turner and Lottery Winners.

They join an already packed event headlined by Madness, The Streets and Royal Blood! Pick up tickets here.

Read our review of ‘Typhoons’ from Royal Blood

More bands and an extra stage for 110 Above

Leicestershire now, and 110 Above Festival. The event has added even more names whilst also announcing a new stage. The Elizabeth Stage will be headlined by Fickle Friends, Black Honey and The Snuts!

Headlining the main stage will be Sports Team, The Amazons and Sundara Karma. For tickets you’ll want to head here.

Black Deer keeps getting bigger

Black Deer Festival in Kent continues to grow bigger and bigger. The event which takes place 25th – 27th June 2021 has this week made further additions to an already stellar line-up.

Added are Jake Bugg, Ginger Wildheart & The Sinners and many more. They join the likes of Frank Turner, Imelda May, Band Of Skulls, Emily Barker and Broken Witt Rebels.

Grab your tickets here.

Steelhouse Festival draft in The Darkness!

With previously announced headliners Anthrax unable to make it, Steelhouse Festival has moved quickly to draft in The Darkness as a more than worthy substitute.

They join the likes of Europe, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, Therapy?, The Wildhearts and Those Damn Crows in Wales this July.

Tickets? You’ll find them here.

Clapham Common set to host ALT+LDN

The final festival of our News Report is an interesting new event for Clapham Common. Taking place on Monday 30th August the rock and hip-hop crossover event features an eclectic bill.

On the heavy side of things at ALT+LDN are Architects, Machine Gun Kelly, Sleep Token and Bob Vylan. More info over here.

Read our review of ‘For Those That Wish To Exist’ from Architects

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes begin new era

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes ft. Joe Talbot – ‘My Town’

On to the new music portion of our News Report. Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes have kicked off their latest era with a brand new track featuring IDLES man Joe Talbot. You can listen to ‘My Town’ here.

Listen to ‘My Town’ on our Spotify Hot List!

The Subways release the powerful ‘Fight’

The Subways – ‘Fight’

The Subways returned this week with a new single with a powerful message. Check out ‘Fight’ here.

Listen to ‘Fight’ on our Spotify Hot List!

Garbage unveil title track to new album

Garbage – ‘No Gods No Masters’

The iconic Garbage continue to gear up for the release of their upcoming album ‘No Gods No Masters’ on June 11th. This week saw the group release the title track of said album.

Pre-orders are here.

Listen to ‘The Men Who Rule The World’ from Garbage on our Spotify Hot List!

Bruce Dickinson hits the road for a very special tour

Finally as we finish our News Report for another week. Legendary Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson is scheduled to hit the road this August for a very special tour. The spoken word tour will feature an audience Q&A session and you can grab tickets here.

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Read our review of ‘Coral Island’ from The Coral

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Magazine

News Report

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:

Slam Dunk unveil line-up for rescheduled Festival

Slam Dunk Festival Poster

The trend of festivals selling out continues following the recent government roadmap announcement. We again start our News Report this week with the pick of the festival news.

Up first is Slam Dunk Festival. The organisers had already announced that the twin event would move to the 4th and 5th of September at Leeds Temple Newsam and Hatfield Park. Now they have unveiled a line-up that includes headliners Sum 41 and Don Broco!

Also on the festival bill is a collection of some of our favourites including Reel Big Fish, A, Dream State, Normandie and Wargasm. Pick up your tickets here.

Read our review of ‘Dark & Beautiful Secrets’ from Normandie

Bloodstock brings in Kreator

Bloodstock Festival Poster

Another event cementing their 2021 line-up this week is Bloodstock Festival. Having lost Mercyful Fate from the Saturday headline slot, the organisers have moved quickly to bring in Kreator to fill that spot.

They join the already announced Judas Priest, Skindred and Saxon. Pick up your ticket here.

Steelhouse Festival reveals their final three

Steelhouse Festival Poster

We also saw this week the final three acts announced for a fantastic looking Steelhouse Festival. The Wildhearts, Bernie Marsden and Wayward Sons join the likes of Anthrax, Europe, Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons, Therapy? and Those Damn Crows.

Rockers rejoice and grab your tickets here.

Read our review of ‘We’re The Bastards’ from Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons

Black Deer deliver strong line-up

Black Deer Poster News Report

Our final festival coverage this week goes to a stunning line-up from Black Deer Festival in Kent. The event is set to feature performances from Van Morrison, Saving Grace, Frank Turner, Imelda May and Emily Barker.

You can grab your tickets here.

Read our tribute to Frank Turner’s Independent Venue Love series

Enter Shikari reveal rescheduled tour with new dates added

Enter Shikari Poster News Report

It isn’t just festivals maneuvering in the wake of the governments roadmap. Tours have been also been adjusting to those plans. This week has seen more rescheduling from the likes of Biffy Clyro and Enter Shikari. The latter even adding in five additional dates!

Lincoln, Hull, Bristol, Liverpool and Leeds will now also get to witness the majesty of Enter Shikari with Dinosaur Pile-Up and Nova Twins in tow. Grab any remaining tickets here.

Fatherson plan huge UK tour

Fatherson poster News Report

Another tour announced this week will see the incredible Fatherson hit the road for a lengthy trek around the UK. This promises to be one not to miss and you can pick up your tickets here.

Read our review of ‘Fractured Party Music’ from Pet Needs

Korn announce massive livestream event

Korn has announced details of a massive global livestream event taking place on Saturday 24th April 2021. Announcing the event frontman Jonathan Davis said “We hope you take part in this experience with us. And though it is not the same as performing live with you here, we still want to bring you some great music and a fun show.”

The show promises “hits, rare and sought-after deep cuts and select tracks from their latest album”. The event will be shot in downtown LA on the set of Stranger Things! Interest piqued? Grab your tickets here.

Read our blog ‘Livestream: Good or Bad for the Music Industry’

Yonaka drop new single ‘Ordinary’

Yonaka – ‘Ordinary’

We move now into our new music section of our weekly news roundup. This week we were treated to the second single from the upcoming second album from Yonaka. ‘Ordinary’ is further evidence that the new album will be very special.

Listen to ‘Seize The Power’ on our Spotify Hot List!

Gary Numan unveils ‘I Am Screaming’

Gary Numan – ‘I Am Screaming’

Gary Numan has also released the second single from his upcoming album. ‘I Am Screaming’ will feature on ‘Intruder’ which is due for release on May 21st.

Pre-order your copy here.

Listen to ‘Intruder’ on our Spotify Hot List!

Danko Jones ready new album

Danko Jones – ‘I Want Out’

Finally this week, news from Danko Jones. The band will be releasing their tenth studio album, ‘Power Trio’, on August 27th. In announcing the album, the band also unveiled the first single ‘I Want Out’.

Pre-order your copy here.

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Read our review of ‘The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy’ from Rob Zombie

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News Report

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:

Download Festival postpones again and unveils 2022 line-up

Download Festival line-up News Report

Last Week the government announced their roadmap out of lockdown and into some form of normality. That roadmap paved the way, hopefully, for the return of music festivals after June 21st.

As such this week has seen many festivals selling out as fans rush to book up their first festival since 2019. Many festivals have announced their plans for 2021 and we will cover some of those in this News Report. Sadly for some, the date of June 21st has meant the need to postpone for a second year.

One such festival is the rock/metal giant Download Festival. Unable to go ahead this year, the Donington event has announced that it will return in 2022. The three day event takes place from Friday 10th to Sunday 12th June, and will see headline sets from Kiss, Iron Maiden and Biffy Clyro.

This is truly one not to be missed, and you can pick up your tickets here.

Read our review of ‘For Those That Wish To Exist’ from Architects

Isle of Wight makes move to September

IOW Festival News Report

Another legendary festival whose dates were incompatible with the governments roadmap was Isle of Wight Festival. Thankfully for the islanders, there was scope for the event to move to later in the year.

The island will now get its music fix from 16-19 September. There is no confirmed line-up yet, however organisers have stated they will be trying to keep as much of the existing line-up as possible.

Pick up your tickets for the festival here.

Read our review of ‘When You See Yourself’ from Kings of Leon

Neighbourhood Weekender also makes move to September

Neighbourhood Weekender News Report

September has featured a handful of late festivals in recent years, but September 2021 looks set to be festival central. Another festival making the move to the ninth month is Neighbourhood Weekender.

The event has already provided fans with its revised line-up that features a fantastic mix of old favourites and new artists. Headlining the event will be Gerry Cinnamon, James and Catfish And The Bottlemen. They are joined by the likes of The Coral, The Wombats, The Pigeon Detectives, Miles Kane, Shed Seven and Lightning Seeds.

There is also a plethora of young artists including some of our favourites such as Pale Waves, The Murder Capital, The Mysterines, Zuzu, Lauran Hibberd and Sports Team.

You can pick up any remaining tickets here.

Read our review of ‘Nature Always Wins’ from Maximo Park

Standon Calling unveils huge line-up

Standon Calling News Report

Standon Calling will celebrate its 15th Birthday in style as the festival returns over the weekend of 22nd-25th July. With huge sets from Bastille, Hot Chip, Primal Scream and Craig David’s TS5 the event is set to be a party to remember.

Also appearing across the weekend will be the likes of De La Soul, Mystery Jets and Bob Vylan. Grab your tickets here.

Splendour is on in Nottingham

Finally from the festival announcement portfolio this week is Nottingham event Splendour. The day event returns to Wollaton Park on Saturday 24th July. The event will feature performances from Richard Ashcroft, Supergrass and Rick Astley.

For tickets head here.

Black Honey announce UK Tour

Great news this week from the Black Honey camp as the band unveiled a new UK Tour for later this year. The band will release their new album ‘Written & Directed’ on March 19th. If you pre-order that album before March 9th you will get priority access to tickets.

Pick up your copy here.

Listen to ‘Believer’ from Black Honey on our Spotify Hot List!

Danko Jones announce 25th anniversary livestream shows

Canadian rockers Danko Jones have announced details of two very special livestream events to celebrate their 25th anniversary. The European stream will take place on Saturday 13th March and you can grab your tickets here.

Read our review of ‘You’re Welcome’ from A Day To Remember

James announce 16th studio album!

James – ‘All The Colours Of You’

The iconic James are back with their 16th studio album. ‘All The Colours Of You’ is out 4th June, and is preceded by the title track as its lead single.

You can pre-order your copy here.

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Read our look at Frank Turner’s Independent Venue Love series

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Features

The Year in Review 2020

Photo by Expect Best from Pexels

Full Pelt Music looks back on 2020 for our Year in Review

What a year to pick to review. It’s been a year like no other and not for good reasons.

On a personal level as detailed within my first blog, ‘The Reluctant Blogger’, I was made redundant from a job I loved, just before Christmas and during a global pandemic! Not nice, but realistically I wouldn’t be writing this blog on this website if that hadn’t happened! The decision to return to writing about music also allowed me to take a look at the relationship between music and my mental health in ‘Mental Health, Music and Me’.

For the world it has been a year of pain, struggle and despair. From the fires of Australia to the flooding of the UK early in the year and now again just before Christmas; there has been no restpite in the year of the coronavirus. Unprecedented is the word of the year, but with Brexit and the ongoing pandemic looming large, the word for next year is probably uncertain.

Everybody has struggled this year, personally and professionally. This struggle is not limited to the music industry but our industry has struggled greatly. The live side of the industry is built on bringing people together and of course that has not been possible since March. The recorded side of the industry has also struggled with delays in recording, producing and distributing.

Recovery for the grassroots of the industry is far from guaranteed. The stark and sad reality is that many musicians and hard working crew members will have needed to have sought alternative employment and the actuality here is that many will never return to the music industry. The fact is many government schemes setup to alleviate the financial pressures on individuals and businesses simply bypassed these people.

Unfortunately the pandemic has also hastened the plight of many grassroots, independent music venues.  We have sadly already lost many venues and there are still many more at imminent risk of permanent closure. We have written extensively about the issues surrounding our industry in our blog ‘Why We Need To #SaveOurVenues’, and we encourage you to get involved in the initiatives highlighted.

This is of course a creative and innovative industry and through struggle we evolve. Much like the loss of my own job bred this website, the loss of touring and live shows has seen the evolution of the livestream. Many musicians have embraced technology and sought new ways to engage with their audiences. We have looked at the rise of this phenomenon in our blog ‘Livestreams: Good or Bad for the Music Industry’.

When looking back on 2020 in the future, the memories will fill everybody with dread. There has however been some fantastic musical highlights despite everything else. We recently revealed our Album of the Year in our ‘2020 Album of the Year’ blog; and the Top 20 list was highly competitive.

2020 has produced some incredible music and that’s where we are going to focus this end of year review. In order to celebrate the successes of a very difficult year we going to look at the following awards – Album of the Year, Single of the Year, Gig of the Year, Festival of the Year and Artist of the Year!

Album of the Year

As mentioned we recently listed our Top 20 Albums of the Year here. This was a highly competitive list as 2020 saw some truly phenomenal releases.

Full Pelt Music’s Top 20 Albums of 2020

We said “It has been a crazy year, and this list has been heavily influenced by that. As mentioned the top of this list is massively impacted by new music I heard during the height of the initial lockdown. ‘Ultra Mono’ was an album that I was already extremely excited to hear; and the stream of songs released during Lockdown only served to raise that excitement to a fever pitch.

Thankfully IDLES didn’t disappoint and when the album arrived it was a pure masterpiece. It shows a natural progression on the bands first two records and grows the bands sound. It still captures what made us all fall in love with the band but by incorporating new elements into the bands sound the album shows that IDLES are no one trick pony.

Above all other releases this year and those that feature in this list, this was the album that we needed this year. In a year where we have all been knocked down one way or another, IDLES and ‘Ultra Mono’ has been a call to arms, to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down and keep going.”

WINNER: ‘Ultra Mono’ by IDLES

The Contenders: ‘A Hero’s Death’ by Fontaines D.C., ‘Post Human: Survival Horror’ by Bring Me The Horizon, ‘Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible’ by Enter Shikari, ‘A Celebration of Endings’ by Biffy Clyro, and ‘Sex, Death & the Infinite Void’ by Creeper

Single of the Year

It’s been a good year for both Bring Me The Horizon and Yungblud, with both releasing stunning new records. Yungblud recently hit the number one spot with ‘weird!’ which we reviewed here, and Bring Me The Horizon silenced their doubters with ‘Post Human: Survival Horror’ which we reviewed here.

It shouldn’t therefore be so much of a surprise that their collaboration together is our standout single of the year. Accompanied by an over the top video, ‘Obey’ is a rip roaring tale of corruption and brainwashing, so perfectly fitting for 2020!

WINNER: ‘Obey’ by Bring Me The Horizon feat. Yungblud

‘Obey’ – Bring Me The Horizon feat. Yungblud

The Contenders: ‘Model Village’ by IDLES, ‘Space’ by Biffy Clyro, ‘Trouble’s Coming’ by Royal Blood, and ‘Protect The Land’ by System Of A Down

Gig of the Year

I was lucky enough to catch some fantastic shows early in the year, you know BC (before Covid!), and Stereophonics, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Kaiser Chiefs and Fontaines D.C. all deserve special mention.

For my Gig of the Year however I’m again looking to the Covid era.

When life has drastically changed and you’ve been deprived of the opportunity to do something you love, you learn to savour those moments more. For me, as somebody that in 2019 attended some 93 gigs, the loss of live music was devastating. Of course, many people have endured much worse in 2020, particularly at the height of the initial national lockdown; for me however, I was just desperate for live music.

The opportunity to watch real, live music again thankfully emerged (if only for a short time) at the end of summer. Frank Turner lives by the moto “Always on Tour”, and he wasn’t going to let a global pandemic get in the way. An innovative location for a socially distanced gig was Nottingham Arboretum, basically a bandstand in a park. The result was a stunning if unusual setting for a gig which came to life when night fell and Turner serenaded the sold out crowd with his biggest hits.

A great supporting cast including Tash Bird, Holly Carter and Beans On Toast helped to make this show one to remember. The musicianship on show was fantastic, as was the togetherness and gratefulness of an audience desperate to once again forget life’s stresses and enjoy an evening of music. It was a powerful evening that brought tears to many an eye, and that’s why it wins our Gig of the Year award.

WINNER: Frank Turner @ Nottingham Arboretum (20/09)

Nottingham Arboretum

The Contenders: Stereophonics @ Kentish Town Forum (21/01), Kaiser Chiefs @ Brighton Centre (30/01), Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes @ Alexandra Palace (15/02), and Fontaines D.C. @ Norwich UEA (24/02)

Festival of the Year

The coronavirus pandemic completely obliterated the 2020 festival season, as early optimism that some festivals would survive was eventually swallowed whole by this horrible virus. With social distancing in place, festivals just were not possible. But didn’t I say that the music industry is the most creative and innovative industry? Whilst some promoters attempted to arrange socially distant shows, tours and festivals, few succeeded; with even Live Nation cancelling a huge programme of drive in shows.

I was lucky enough however to venture to two such festivals at the Norfolk Showground near Norwich. A mixture of entertainment was laid on in a specially designed arena with socially distanced ‘pods’ maintaining the necessary safety measures. Brickfest was a one day festival focussing on covers band with a handful of original acts like headliners Bad Touch thrown in. The day was a huge success given the circumstances, as was our 2020 Festival of the Year – Wild Fields Festival!

Wild Paths Festival debuted in Norwich last year with acts gracing venues across the fine city. This year the event embraced the outside arena and rebranded as Wild Fields Festival over two days was an eclectic line-up on offer. The first day featured great sets from many young artists including Lauran Hibberd, Indoor Pets, Another Sky and headliners Gengahr.

Even through the greatest adversity the power of the arts shines through and Wild Paths was a shining example of how to put on a safe, fun and thoroughly entertaining festival during a global pandemic.

WINNER: Wild Fields Festival

Brickfest at the Norfolk Showground, also host of Wild Fields Festival

The Contenders: Brickfest

Artist of the Year

Our final award is for Artist of the Year. In a such an unprecedented and difficult year this award is going to an act that has considerably contributed to making the year better. Fantastic new music has played a hugely positive role in improving a hard year. With this in mind that means that IDLES, Biffy Clyro, Enter Shikari, Bring Me The Horizon, Fontaines D.C. and Yungblud are all in the running for this award.

Beyond that however real live music when possible has been an even greater high than normal. As such Frank Turner enters the running as an act I somehow managed to catch live this year some four times including the aforementioned Gig of the Year.

But this year is different, new albums and live shows whilst normally the lifeblood of our industry almost feel insignificant when you look at the horrors witnessed across society, both inside and outside the music industry. One saving grace for many this year has been the arrival of the music livestream. A number of those already mentioned have dabbled if not excelled in this activity.

Our winner however has taken this new outlet to heart. They have provided joy and distraction to thousands of people during what must be a record setting number of livestreams. More than that, they have managed to raise an amazing amount of money for a cause I have already championed in this blog. That cause is of course the Save Our Venues campaign and our Artist of the Year is clearly that man again, Frank Turner!

In 2020, Frank Turner has probably played more real shows and more livestreams than anybody else. He has recorded and released new music including collaborations with NOFX and Jon Snodgrass. He has produced the fantastic new Beans On Toast record. He has thoroughly entertained and provided much needed distraction from the real world to thousands; and he has raised an incredible amount of money for charity.

In reality Turner deserves a medal, but what we can give him is our Artist of the Year award!

WINNER: Frank Turner

Artist of the Year – Frank Turner

The Contenders: IDLES, Biffy Clyro, Enter Shikari, Bring Me The Horizon, Fontaines D.C., and Yungblud

2020, a year we will all be hoping to forget very quickly, but there has been some great music released. All focus now however is on 2021 and those vaccinations. We hope that sooner rather than later we will be able to safely gather again in those venues and fields to watch our favourite artists in the flesh.

There will also likely be an avalanche of new music coming our way with artists having been isolated with their creatively for company. Let’s just hope that not every song is about lockdown!

Categories
Features

Album of the Year 2020

Photo by Andrea Turner from Pexels

Who is going to make the Full Pelt Music Top 20 Albums of the Year List?

2020 – a year we would all much sooner forget. Certainly not the year we had all envisaged. Real life has been traumatic and upsetting for many. The effects of the virus have been disastrous for the music industry, with the collapse of live music and many delays and production issues for albums.

You’d think therefore that selecting an Album of the Year list would be difficult due to a lack of new music! We are however talking about the most creative and adaptable industry and in fact compiling this list has been hard for the opposite reason. Even through all the sadness and despair this year, we have been graced with some amazing new music.

More so, the uniqueness of this year has created a special connection to the music released during the most troubling times. This is therefore a highly competitive list and all 20 entries deserve high praise!

We have been counting down the list as part of our #AdventCalendar of music over on our Twitter Page. Be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by clicking the icons below!

Finally, before we talk through our Top 20 Albums of the Year, a special mention to Yungblud and his new album ‘Weird!’ which we recently reviewed here. Released after the compilation of this list, the album is a stunning piece of work and had it been released earlier would have been competitive at the top of the list! But, now to the countdown…

20

HAYLEY WILLIAMS
‘Petals For Armor’

In a year that doesn’t seem to want to end, January seems a lifetime ago when Paramore’s Hayley Williams announced her debut solo album ‘Petals For Armor’. By the time that album arrived, the world had descended into chaos and all touring plans had been cancelled. When the album did emerge in May it represented a ray of light in dark times, and showed Williams has a lot to offer outside of Paramore.

we suggest you check out:

Hayley Williams – ‘Simmer’

19

DOVES
‘The Universal Want’

When Doves returned from an eight year hiatus in 2018 the band initially basked in that reformation glory. Thankfully for fans though it hasn’t taken long for the band to head back into the studio and the resultant album ‘The Universal Want’ is a timely reminder of what we had been missing.

we suggest you check out:

Doves – ‘Prisoners’

18

AC/DC
‘Power Up’

After a tumultuous few years with the tragic loss of Malcolm and departures of Cliff, Phil and Brian, AC/DC could have been easily forgiven for riding off into the sunset having had one of the greatest careers of any heavy rock band. But then that wouldn’t be the AC/DC way of doing things would it? Instead we get another classic AC/DC album in ‘Power Up’ with Williams, Rudd and Johnson back in tow!

we suggest you check out:

AC/DC – ‘Shot In The Dark’

17

REWS
‘Warriors’

The Shauna Tohill led REWS have somehow managed to equal if not surpass their debut album with sophomore release ‘Warriors’. Packed with punchy, catchy, bouncy rock and roll, we challenge you not to throw your heart and soul into this album just as Tohill clearly has.

we suggest you check out:

REWS – ‘Birdsong’

16

THE STRUTS
‘Strange Days’

With The Struts you should always expect the unexpected. This is not a band that plays by any kind of rule book. So why wouldn’t they team up with guests as diverse as Tom Morello, Phil Collen & Joe Elliott, Albert Hammond Jr and yes the actual Robbie Williams? ‘Strange Days’ solidifies The Struts reputation as the future of rock.

we suggest you check out:

The Struts – ‘Strange Days’

15

ALL TIME LOW
‘Wake Up Sunshine’

‘Wake Up Sunshine’ is somehow the eighth studio album for All Time Low, which makes me feel very old. Thankfully this isn’t an album that rests on any laurels and the band continue to deliver the goods with another very solid album added to that back catalogue.

we suggest you check out:

All Time Low – ‘Monsters’

14

THE KILLERS
‘Imploding The Mirage’

By now we know exactly what to expect from The Killers and thankfully their first album without lead guitarist Dave Keuning still delivers that classic feel. With the likes of Lindsay Buckingham instead contributing on ‘Imploding The Mirage’, there is even an air of freshness to their sound.

we suggest you check out:

The Killers – ‘My Own Soul’s Warning’

13

PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS
‘We’re The Bastards’

When Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons released their debut album, to the surprise of many they delivered a classic rock masterpiece. Any doubters thinking they couldn’t do it again have now been proven wrong with the release of ‘We’re The Bastards’ In our recent review (here) we stated “The bands fans are the loyal kind hence their lyrics proclaim “…’cause we’re the bastards, and you’re a bastard too…”.  If you’re in to good old fashioned rock and roll, give this album a listen and you too will be in that club”.

we suggest you check out:

Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons – ‘Son Of A Gun’

12

GREEN DAY
‘Father Of All…’

‘Father Of All…’ may not sit highly amongst the bands back catalogue if we are being honest, but an average Green Day album is still a very good album in the grand scheme of things. Despite this album pre-dating national lockdowns the album has remained on rotation throughout the year which is a testament to its real qualities.

we suggest you check out:

Green Day – ‘Oh Yeah!’

11

BOSTON MANOR
‘Glue’

Nobody should be surprised at the quality of Boston Manor’s albums anymore. With the release of their third album ‘Glue’, the band have now delivered three high quality albums with plenty to unpack.

we suggest you check out:

Boston Manor – ‘Liquid’

10

HAIM
‘Women In Music Pt. III’

With ‘Women In Music Pt. III’, Haim have let it all hang out with a statement of an album that takes listeners on a musical journey of wonder. Taking elements of various genres and given them that now classic Haim twist, this album is a stunning piece of musicianship.

we suggest you check out:

Haim – ‘Now I’m In It’

9

PVRIS
‘Use Me’

With the release of third album ‘Use Me’, PVRIS have continued their evolution into something majestic, enormous and vital. The bands growth had been put out there for all to see and this album just encapsulates the power of Lynn Gunn.

we suggest you check out:

PVRIS – ‘Dead Weight’

8

BLACK STONE CHERRY
‘The Human Condition’

On ‘The Human Condition’ we get the Black Stone Cherry that we all love, just doing what they do best. Full of head banging and foot stumping this record sees the band confirm that they are here to stay, and that they have plenty left in the creative tank.

we suggest you check out:

Black Stone Cherry – ‘Again’

7

TRIVIUM
‘What The Dead Men Say’

‘What The Dead Men Say’ is a stunning piece of work that captures a band that has hit their peak. Trivium have mixed the lessons learnt from their past with their recently rejuvenated vigour and have come out the other side with an album that stands up that anything that they have previously released.  

we suggest you check out:

Trivium – ‘Catastrophist’

6

CREEPER
‘Sex, Death & The Infinite Void’

The release of ‘Sex, Death & the Infinite Void’ was a rocky road for Creeper, and not just because of a global pandemic. Various internal struggles and personal demons had to be overcome before Creeper could make their grandiose return. Sadly this return coincided with a certain virus which hampered the typical over the top promotion of a Creeper release. Thankfully for the band the record itself is brilliant enough to shine through even the darkest times.

we suggest you check out:

Creeper – ‘Born Cold’

5

BIFFY CLYRO
‘A Celebration Of Endings’

As we hit the top five Albums of 2020, things are very tight. A terrible year has thankfully seem some amazing music emerge to see us through. Biffy Clyro are another band whose plans were destroyed by this horrible virus, with tours cancelled and the album delayed. The early single releases from ‘A Celebration of Endings’ however provided much joy in the early period of lockdown.

When the full album finally found his way into the public domain, little did fans realise the treat that was in store for them. Biffy Clyro always evolve with each release, but they somehow manage to retain that Biffyness to their music. This is a unique band and ‘A Celebration of Endings’ is a unique record that mixes both the beautiful and the heavy as only Biffy Clyro seem to be able to.

we suggest you check out:

Biffy Clyro – ‘End Of’

4

ENTER SHIKARI
‘Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible’

Another band whose releases were a small positive in the huge negative that was the first national Lockdown was Enter Shikari. It was clear from the start that ‘Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible’ was going to be a very special album. The connection felt now with certain tracks only serves to ensure that this album will forever be seen as one of, if not the best Enter Shikari album.

All the normal quirkiness is there, along with the more mainstream elements incorporated into 2017’s ‘The Spark’.  In fact, on this album Enter Shikari may have actually made the perfect Enter Shikari recipe and in turn the perfect Enter Shikari album!

we suggest you check out:

Enter Shikari – ‘satellites**’

3

BRING ME THE HORIZON
‘Post Human: Survival Horror’

Yes, ‘Post Human: Survival Horror’ is technically an EP, but it is just so outrageously good that it had to feature and feature high. Precursors such as ‘Ludens’ and ‘Parasite Eve’ had promised something special but I don’t think anybody predicted anything this good.

When we recently reviewed the record (here) we told you “This new EP takes the best elements from throughout their career and combines them in one stunning masterpiece of an album.”. Bring Me The Horizon prove with this album that the best is still to come!

we suggest you check out:

Bring Me The Horizon – ‘Obey’

2

FONTAINES D.C.
‘A Hero’s Death’

The battle for the number one spot this year was fierce. Actually, the battle for the top 5 was fierce this year. Fontaines D.C. are the band that gets the number two spot, but this album deserves Album of the Year. ‘A Hero’s Death’ shows that the band are no flash in the pan and builds on the basis of debut ‘Dogrel’. This album actually feels a step above that debut album, and is another that has created a huge personal connection during this tough year.

This record has already rightfully brought the band much acclaim and we can’t wait to hear these songs live. Fontaines D.C. are an unstoppable songwriting force and with ‘A Hero’s Death’ they have placed their claim to be the band of their generation.

we suggest you check out:

Fontaines D.C. – ‘I Don’t Belong’

1

IDLES
‘Ultra Mono’

It has been a crazy year, and this list has been heavily influenced by that. As mentioned the top of this list is massively impacted by new music I heard during the height of the initial lockdown. ‘Ultra Mono’ was an album that I was already extremely excited to hear; and the stream of songs released during Lockdown only served to raise that excitement to a fever pitch.

Thankfully IDLES didn’t disappoint and when the album arrived it was a pure masterpiece. It shows a natural progression on the bands first two records and grows the bands sound. It still captures what made us all fall in love with the band but by incorporating new elements into the bands sound the album shows that IDLES are no one trick pony.

Above all other releases this year and those that feature in this list, this was the album that we needed this year. In a year where we have all been knocked down one way or another, IDLES and ‘Ultra Mono’ has been a call to arms, to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down and keep going.

we suggest you check out:

IDLES – ‘Model Village’

So, there you have it, the Top 20 Albums of 2020 as considered by Full Pelt Music. We are sure that your lists will be different to ours and we want to hear them, so why not share yours with us on social media!