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Live Reviews

Download Festival

Donington Park, Castle Donington

Thursday 8th to Sunday 11th June 2023

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DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL 2023 REVIEW

This weekend is a celebration of twenty years of Download Festival. Stepping into the void left by Monsters of Rock not just at the hyped spiritual home of rock Donington Park but to the whole UK rock/metal scene, Download has become its own monster.

This year is truly monstrous as the event is fully sold out with record breaking numbers of attendees coming to partake in the celebration. Those celebrations get off to a rough start though with unprecedented traffic problems souring the event for many before it even properly begins.

📸 Live Nation UK PR

Once the music starts though a lot if not all of those problems subside. There is a stacked bill for the anniversary party including two nights of Metallica, a closing set from Download icons Slipknot but most vitally a new headline act Bring Me The Horizon.

The gap between Monsters of Rock and Download caused a vacuum in ability for bands to hit headline status with many acts from that era missing out on that status, Korn being one such act often thought of as passed over. Think about it, if they’d headlined at Donington Park in the late nineties, they’d no doubt still be that rank higher than they are now.

In the early years of Download, a number of bands had an opportunity to cement themselves at the top level, think Audioslave, Linkin Park, System of a Down and My Chemical Romance.

Playing alongside stalwarts like Iron Maiden, Metallica, Black Sabbath and Kiss gives bands credibility and elevates their stock. 2009’s Slipknot set is still heralded as the best example of the ‘bump’!

The problem is since then only Avenged Sevenfold in 2014 have really been given that opportunity and Download has become a bit of a clichéd round robin of the likes of Def Leppard, Rammstein, Aerosmith and other favourites already mentioned.

Perhaps then the most important booking in a celebration of the past is the look to the future with Bring Me The Horizon finally getting the top spot. Whilst Download probably should’ve got in before Reading and Leeds, it’s hopefully a sign of a subtle change of tact from the festival.

That’s because the line-up is also graced this year by the likes of Hot Milk, Nova Twins and Bob Vylan in prominent slots. Mixing this with the likes of classic Download bands Disturbed, Alter Bridge, Halestorm and Skindred gives the line-up a fresh but familiar feel.

Sadly beyond the bookings of Metallica and Slipknot plus the additional day there isn’t much done to make this year feel special for those who have made Download Festival part of their lives.

Whilst the organisers could have done more both in terms of that something special and in certain ways just the very basics, they have provided a top tier line-up, so let’s take a look at the highlights!

THURSDAY

Cancer Bats get the ball rolling on day one for us over at the second stage (now dubbed the Opus stage). The band get those that have made it into the arena pumped up with a early set packed full of ragers that ultimately ends prematurely when the sound is cut during ‘Hail Destroyer’!

Soon thereafter, Mammoth WVH get proceedings underway on the main stage (or Apex as it’s now called!). In some ways it’s fitting having the Van Halen name on this stage, in others it’s very ironic as the legendary band are often referred to by lead booker Andy Copping as one that got away.

Wolfgang and co show that with or without the last name, they have the talent needed to conquer stages like these. From start to finish it’s an excellent showing that places the band on the potential list for future festival stars.

Next up on the Opus stage are Hundred Reasons who are riding the wave of their stunning return album, ‘Glorious Sunset’. The band open with the title-track before running through a series of classic tracks much to the delight of those gathered. Hopefully this isn’t a victory lap for the band as creatively and onstage they are as good as they’ve ever been!

As we focus on the future of the festival, two names often linked to future headline status are Halestorm and Alter Bridge. It’s fine booking then to see the bands back to back next on the Apex stage.

Halestorm deliver another flawless set that seems to finish before it begins given their short allocated slot. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though given the old saying of leave the fans wanting more. Halestorm certainly do that and with a headline date pencilled in at Wembley Arena this December, the next time the band grace Donington you’d hope to see them in the sub-headline spot.

That’s the spot filled by Alter Bridge who have played in this position multiple times before; a sense perhaps then of always the bridesmaid and never the bride! Today though the band give it their all to show what they have to offer.

Watching the crowd, the set seems to be really well received which is a good sign. The band after all are always technically superb, so if enhancing that audience connection is the missing piece to progression then today’s set will have gone a long way to creating that link!

All that’s left on this special Thursday then is the first of two headline performances from the biggest metal band on the planet, Metallica. The two sets will be completely unique, giving fans the chance to see far more than a standard Metallica set list.

Night one has a good mix of hits like ‘Creeping Death’, ‘Fade To Black’, ‘Nothing Else Matters’, ‘Sad but True’ and ‘Master of Puppets’, deep cuts such as ‘Leper Messiah’, ‘King Nothing’ and ‘Orion’ plus new material from ’72 Seasons’.

FRIDAY

Friday is a huge day for the future of heavy music with a number of hotly tipped bands performing on the main stage including headliners Bring Me The Horizon.

We start on the Opus stage though with a debut UK festival appearance from Mexicans The Warning. The sister trio deliver an assured performance which belies their position on the bill. The set is another case of leaving the audience wanting more and you have to imagine that they’ll be back very soon.

Nova Twins take to the Apex stage soon after and absolutely own the stage. The duo are able to show just why they have so much hype with a performance that should be talked about as one of the best of the weekend.

Hot Milk have the unenviable task of following the pure energy that was Nova Twins, and thankfully for the band and the crowd they are up to the task. With a debut album on the way the band are on the cusp of something special and this set will again not doubt be one of those “I was there” moments.

The effortless cool of Demob Happy delights the Avalanche stage next as they showcase their stunning new album, ‘Divine Machines’.

Back on the Apex stage with the run of younger bands, next up for us are Neck Deep who are perennial contenders for bigger things. Today they have tens of thousands of people singing back the likes of ‘December’ and you have to consider Neck Deep’s set another victory for the new breed of Download band.

It’s a short and sharp blast from the past next as we pop to the Avalanche stage for the return of The Blackout. The band perform like they’ve not been away and receive a hero’s return from the audience. With the tease of more live dates to follow, it looks like The Blackout are back and back with a bang today!

It’s a quick bolt over to the Opus stage next for Within Temptation who are clearly playing a slot below their stature. The performance the band give is headline worthy not just of this stage but of the main stage. The band has a wealth of experience and use all their tricks to deliver a masterful set full of their best crowd pleasing hits.

By the time Evanescence grace the stage, the mass of humanity in attendance is a clear indication that the band should have been on the main stage. Viewing points are few and far between but wherever you are stood the band sonically deliver. A mixture of old and new is greeted well regardless but it’s mega hit ‘Bring Me to Life’ that has the entire place singing their hearts out.

It’s then time for that set. Bring Me The Horizon take over the main stage and prove any remaining doubters wrong. Making Metallica appear average, the band give their all both aesthetically and musically and produce possibly the greatest headline performance in the twenty years of the festival.

As we said earlier, the band should have been given this slot years ago, but if they had then this moment wouldn’t have existed. Their show tonight is the proof needed that the next wave are ready now and the gatekeepers need to move aside.

This set is historic not just for the theme of the weekend or for the stature of Bring Me The Horizon, it’s historic as a watershed moment for this festival. New headliners of the future should personally thank Bring Me The Horizon for breaking through that proverbial ceiling!

SATURDAY

On to Saturday now and nobody mention the weather! A celebration of twenty years of Download would have fittingly seem some rain and mud, and from this point on the festival is so hot that many would probably have willing traded the sun for some rain.

After last night it almost feels an anti-climax for the festival to continue, but another Metallica set should never be scoffed at. Thankfully there are still some fresh new bands breaking through lower down the bill today, and first up we catch Static Dress who seemingly channel the energy of Bring Me The Horizon with the fantastic opening Opus stage set.

One of the best bits of a festival for a publication passionate about new music is stumbling across a surprise gem on one of the side stages. This year that is ANTISAINT who simply storm the small Dogtooth stage with a ferocious set and definitely leave with more fans than they had going in.

The new look FEVER 333 then take to the main stage and deliver another memorable moment with Jason Aalon Butler scaling one of the massive towers erected in the main arena. That moment though shouldn’t take away from the already phenomenal set the band had delivered.

Lake Malice are next for us back in the Avalanche stage who are able to continue the run of top tier performances we’ve caught thus far. Whilst some of the organisational elements of the festival have been lacking, the music has been of the highest calibre and Lake Malice are another band you suspect will be back in a bigger spot sooner rather than later.

Next on the Apex stage are Ice Nine Kills, whose theatrics create a spectacle on the main stage, but musically they feel a little flat, perhaps being the first underwhelming set of the weekend.

Clutch who follow then also suffer both through technical difficulties and the energy sapping heat which probably negatively impacted Ice Nine Kills as well. The lack of enthusiasm from the crowd doesn’t help and it’s probably a good thing we are headed to a tent next.

We are set now for another one-two punch, this time in the Avalanche tent with Kid Kapichi and Bob Vylan on tap. It’s Kid Kapichi up first and they instantly raise the intensity levels with opener ‘Sardines’. Each song that follows is just as rewarding and by the time the band finish with ‘Smash the Gaff’ they’ve done just that!

One of the most exiting acts on the bill this weekend are Bob Vylan. The mention of ceilings earlier is relevant because this duo haven’t just smashed ceilings they’ve proceeded to stamp the shards into dust. Their performance to a packed crowd today is further evidence that new acts can make Download their home. That’s exactly what Bob Vylan do here as to repeat another cliché they completely own the stage.

It was always going to be hard to follow that suckerpunch and next on the main stage with the intense heat still sapping all energy, Disturbed deliver a plodding set. The set list is fine, the performance is far from phoned-in but with the audience struggling and the band following the ferocity of Bob Vylan, Disturbed feel distinctly average today.

We then head to the Opus stage expecting Placebo to also struggle to engage the tired and weary crowd. After all this is the third day which would traditionally be the home straight, and Placebo are not known for their crowd pleasing set list choices.

Pleasantly though those making the effort are surprisingly rewarded not just with an energised performance from the band but also a excellent set of songs including a very rare outing for the superb ‘Nancy Boy’. On their day Placebo can be an incredible live act and today they are at the peak of their powers which re-energises the previously zombified crowd.

It’s then time for night two of Metallica’s no repeat weekend. There are some great choice cuts in the set tonight such as a tour debut for ‘Whiplash’ plus ‘Until It Sleeps’, ‘Wherever I May Roam’ and Thin Lizzy cover ‘Whiskey in the Jar’! The finale of ‘One’ and ‘Enter Sandman’ ensures that the hits are accounted for as well as Metallica deliver another slick and graceful set.

SUNDAY

The final day feels like a step too far, most definitely compounded by the unrelenting heat, but once again when lost in the music all those issues somehow disappear – the power of music!

Bloodywood start the day off with an engaging performance on the Apex stage, before our recent Podcast guests Blind Channel deliver on their promise to bring the energy to Download. The sight of many metalheads singing along to a rendition of Anastacia’s ‘Left Outside Alone’ is a real sight to behold and set closer ‘Dark Side’ has everybody with their middle finger in the air.

Lorna Shore then suffer again from a lack of enthusiasm from the crowd and their sound getting swallowed up by the enormous space. Joey Valence & Brae though have neither issue in the Avalanche tent with a rambunctious and fun-filled slot.

As the heat and the excesses of the weekend catch up on the crowd it’s telling that for this afternoon outdoor sets like The Amity Affliction and Avatar whilst technically great feel like a struggle. Whereas tented sets from Joey Valence and Brae and the brilliant The Meffs are able to revive the crowd and thrive on their rejuvenation.

Thankfully things start to cool as clouds begin to take over the sky as we get ready for Dinosaur Pile-Up on the Opus stage. Sadly technical difficulties shorten their set to just five songs, but those five songs sound fantastic!

I Prevail have a huge slot on the main stage and make a good impression although you do again feel something is just lacking today. Not to flog a dead horse any further but it may be the low energy levels today or the enormity of the stage swallowing the heavier sound but it’s hard to truly get into their set today.

Thankfully the smaller outdoor Opus stage seems to have a lot of energy and Bad Religion are able to take advantage of that next with a typically slick run of punk rock anthems. Opening with ‘American Jesus’ the band able to hold your attention throughout before finishing with a rousing rendition of ’21st Century (Digital Boy)’.

Next up on this stage are Ghost who really should be headlining the main stage at this point. Musically and theatrically they are on another level and you have a sense of the Bring Me The Horizons about then. Hopefully Download Festival will strike while the iron is hot because everything about their performance today is perfect.

Ghost are so good that you also feel it unnecessary to watch Slipknot, but as soon as the band hit the stage you are glad that you stayed. The history between the band and festival is huge and it’s great that they are one of the few acts that seem to properly acknowledge that this weekend.

A standard (which is great) Slipknot set follows with some sentimental set choices and an enthralling stage show. It’s really fitting for Slipknot to close out what has been an intense weekend of celebration.

Download Festival
📸 Live Nation UK PR

The busiest and longest ever Download Festival will last long in the memory for reasons both good and bad. As we said at the start, this festival is a true monster now and has enough dedicated customers to ensure that it will never go down as its predecessor did. It has however become rather soulless and corporate and it feels like the identity it created over the first decade or so could be lost.

Hopefully the event will use this success to both maintain its heritage but also to now really push for the future headliners and top acts to come through. So, congratulations Download on twenty phenomenal years, and here’s to many many more to come!

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Read our review of Slam Dunk Festival

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Every week we roundup the best music news from the past week!

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News Report

Bring Me The Horizon announce new UK Tour

Welcome everyone to a another edition of our weekly music News Report!

We start this post-Download Festival week with a plethora of new tour announcements and none came bigger the Download headliners Bring Me The Horizon!

Following their enormous set the band confirmed details of a new UK Tour set for January.

Support will come from Bad Omens, Cassyette and Static Dress.

The band also revealed that they will release new album, ‘Post Human: Nex Gen’ on January 12th!

Tickets and pre-orders are here.

Read our review of Bring Me The Horizon live in London

Hot Milk reveal headline tour dates

Fresh from a huge slot on the Download main stage, Hot Milk have revealed the details of a long awaited headline tour.

Taking place in November, support comes from Witch Fever and Modern Error.

The band will release their debut album ‘A Call To The Void’ on August 25th.

Tickets and pre-orders are here.

Read our review of Fall Out Boy live in London

Stray From The Path set UK Tour

Stray From The Path also used their Download performance to launch a new UK Tour which will take place in November.

Support comes from Make Them Suffer, Void of Vision and Knosis.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of ‘…Life Is But A Dream’ from Avenged Sevenfold

Pixies reveal special UK dates

It wasn’t just Download performers announcing new tours last week and we turn now to Pixies.

The band have announced a run of special shows celebrating their ‘Bossanova’ and ‘Trompe Le Monde’ albums.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of Pixies live at BST Hyde Park

The Charlatans are heading back out on the road

The Charlatans have announced a brand new UK Tour taking place later this year.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of ‘Council Skies’ from Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

Vistas announce new UK Tour

Another band announcing new UK tour dates for later this year were Vistas.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of Arctic Monkeys live in Coventry

Millie Manders and the Shutup confirm new tour dates

The final tour announcement in our News Report this week comes from recent The Full Pelt Music Podcast guest Millie Manders and the Shutup!

Millie and co will be heading our across the UK this October and November.

Tickets are here.

Watch Episode 17 of The Full Pelt Music Podcast with guest Millie Manders and the Shutup

The Full Pelt Music Podcast – Episode 17 – Millie Manders and the Shutup

Find Full Pelt Music on YouTube!

News Report

Greta Van Fleet share ‘Farewell For Now’

Greta Van Fleet – ‘Farewell For Now’

Our News Report now looks at the best new releases from the past week and up first are Greta Van Fleet.

The group this week debuted new single, ‘Farewell For Now’, which you can check out above.

The single comes from upcoming new album, ‘Starcatcher’, which is out on July 21st.

“On ‘Farewell For Now’ we express the sentiment of our longing to stay on stage and savour the magic created by the audience-music phenomena,” notes bassist Sam Kiszka. “But we must pack up and go to the next place to do it all over again; as always, we’ll be back soon.”

Pre-order your copy here.

Listen to ‘Farewell For Now’ on our Spotify Hot List!

YUNGBLUD shares ‘Lowlife’

YUNGBLUD – ‘Lowlife’

YUNGBLUD this week shared new single, ‘Lowlife’, which you can check out above.

More here.

Read our review of YUNGBLUD live in London

PJ Harvey debuts ‘I Inside The Old I Dying’

PJ Harvey – ‘I Inside the Old I Dying’

Ahead of new album, ‘I Inside The Old Year Dying’, PJ Harvey has shared new single, ‘I Inside The Old I Dying’, which you can check out above.

The album is set for releases on July 7th, and to celebrate Harvey has revealed new tour dates.

On the single PJ Harvey says: “This delicate and beautiful song eluded us until the very last day in the studio. Over the previous five weeks we had tried so many times to capture it and failed, and/but then John reinvented the feel of the guitar pattern.  As he was demonstrating it in the control room, Flood handed me a microphone and pressed record whilst I sat next to John trying to work out how to sing to it. The result somehow captures the ethereal and melancholic longing I was looking for.

In the lyric everyone is waiting for the savior to reappear – everyone and everything anticipates the arrival of this figure of love and transformation.There is a sense of sexual longing and awakening and of moving from one realm into another – from child to adult, from life to death and the eternal.”

Pre-order your copy here.

Check out our two Podcasts

K.Flay debuts ‘Shy’

K.Flay – ‘Shy’

This week saw K.Flay announced that new album, ‘Mono’, will be released on September 15th.

Accompanying the news was new single, ‘Shy’, which you can check out above.

On the single, K.Flay says, “In my music, I’m so comfortable being loud and brazen, but in my personal life, I can be a bit shy. Especially when it comes to romantic relationships. I wrote this song after I’d just met my (now) girlfriend. And I sent it to her out of the blue. I guess I only know how to flirt through songs? It worked though.
 
“Dave Hammer produced this one and he and I have this crazy energy between us. I think when we get together to make music we’re able to disregard the ‘shoulds’ and be purely creative together. A lot of the guitar parts were just freestyle takes, us messing around, but there was a wildness to them that hit us both in the right places.” 

On the album, “I started making this record as a person with two working ears. I finished it with only one and this is also the first record for which, from start to finish, I was sober.
 
“MONO is about navigating loss, about looking your aloneness in the eye and deciding not to drink or vape or have sex or watch a television show, but to stand there and accept it, to understand its power. There is only one person on this earth with your mind, your creativity, your perspective. You’re a first and last pressing, a 1 of 1, and 1 is a scary number, but life is scary and funny. And sad. And beautiful. I hope this record is a reminder of that, and how we are all experiencing our aloneness together.

Pre-order your copy here.

Listen to our Spotify Hot List!

Philip Seth Campbell debuts ‘Magical West’

Philip Seth Campbell – ‘Magical West’

Our News Report continues with new music from former The Temperance Movement frontman Philip Seth Campbell.

This week Campbell debuted new single, ‘Magical West’, which you can check out above.

Campbell has announced that his new album, ‘City Lights’, will be released on September 1st and a UK Tour will take place later this year.

Support for the tour comes from Alice Faye.

Speaking of the new record, Campbell explains: “”City Lights” is everything I know. The album flowed naturally, each song informing the next. It’s half new songs and half older unfinished pieces. I’ve been writing it since I was 16, all through my 20s and my years in London, through moving home to The Temperance Movement, touring, resting and having a family.”

Speaking of his varied career and the bumpy road he’s traversed to get to this point, Campbell adds: “A new band here, a new project there, a change of direction again and again until, suddenly there was calm and the time to think. In a small studio just outside Glasgow, with pictures of Bowie, Jagger, Neil Young and Tom Waits, I recorded an album about my whole life. I had no desire to shed my skin. I was perfectly comfortable in it for the very first time.” 

Pre-orders and tickets are here.

Check out our ‘Hard & Heavy’ Playlist

James and the Cold Gun share ‘Bittersweet’

James and the Cold Gun – ‘Bittersweet’

‘Discover’ New Music Podcast alumni James and the Cold Gun have shared their latest single, ‘Bittersweet’, which you can check out above.

The track features on upcoming their self-titled debut album, which is out on July 21st.

Speaking on the album, frontman James Joseph says, “We can’t wait to get this album out into the world, it’s a no frills rock and roll ripper recorded ourselves in the garage where we first started jamming as a band, we think it’s a great introduction to what we’re about at our core, loud, energetic guitar rock…”

Pre-order your copy here.

Watch Episode 18 of our ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast with guests James and the Cold Gun

‘Discover’ New Music Podcast – Episode 18 – James and the Cold Gun

Read our review of ‘False Start’ from James and the Cold Gun

News Report

As always we conclude our News Report with the latest additions to our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist!

News Report
Grove Street – ‘The Path to Righteousness’

Grove Street share, ‘The Path to Righteousness’, the title-track of their debut album.

“The Path to Righteousness represents and explores escapism & the importance of having outlets or vices to help forget about the struggles of life, and the paradoxical irony of how escaping every day life improves every day life,” says guitarist Sandy.

While drummer, Josh, adds, “the track itself came together pretty organically in the practice room. I remember listening to Suicidal Tendencies and Power Trip at the time and wanted to capture a hybrid of groove and fast thrashy vibes. We wanted the last section to build and then finish strong and heavy. The repetitive vocal hook was added last minute in the studio, but it fast became my favourite part!” 

Rituals – ‘Living Blind’

Rituals share their new single, ‘Living Blind’.

On the track, the band says:

“The release of Living Blind feels like a turning point in Rituals. Lyrically based on the lack of awareness for others issues, problems and grief. Living in a world in which people only take and fail to give to one an another. With our debut Download Festival performance, tours in the UK and Ireland and our biggest ever sold-out headline in Newcastle…There’s never been a better time for the band to be releasing this track.”

News Report
News Report
Any Given Sin – ‘Cold Bones’

Any Given Sin share ‘Cold Bones’ from debut album, ‘War Within’.

As a military vet often faced with the horrible news of duty’s permanent scars, frontman Victor Richie dug deep inside himself for the lyrics. “I wrote it by myself on the piano,” he recalls. “I was in the military for seven years, and I had a lot of friends commit suicide. We lost too many of our buddies in Iraq and Afghanistan. This song is about those people, but it could be for anyone who has lost a friend under similar circumstances.”

Listen, Follow and Discover your new favourite act now with our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist

Then find out the stories behind the songs on our ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast!

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Read our review of The Pearl Harts live in Norwich

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News Report

Halestorm set for Wembley Arena

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.

Support will come from Black Veil Brides.

Grab your tickets here.

Read our review of ‘Back From The Dead’ from Halestorm

Sleep Token also set to take over Wembley Arena

News Report

Another band taking over the world famous Wembley Arena in December will be Sleep Token.

The groups meteoric rise continues and tickets to the event sold out very quickly this week.

More here.

Read our review of ‘Take Me Back to Eden’ from Sleep Token

Bowling For Soup announce new UK Tour

Following appearances at Slam Dunk Festival, Bowling For Soup and Less Than Jake have announced a new UK Tour set for next February.

Support will comes from Vandoliers.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of ‘Pop Drunk Snot Bread’ from Bowling For Soup

Kids In Glass Houses are back with new tour dates!

Another band making waves at Slam Dunk Festival were the reuniting Kids In Glass Houses.

The band have now announced a UK Tour celebrating the 15th Anniversary of ‘Smart Casual’.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of Slam Dunk Festival

Bob Vylan reveal UK Tour

Continuing the tour announcements in our News Report is Bob Vylan. The duo will be heading out for a UK Tour in November.

Special guests for the shows will be Kid Bookie and Panic Shack.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of Bob Vylan live in London

Static Dress unveil UK Tour

Also fresh from conquering Slam Dunk Festival are Static Dress and they’ll also be hitting the road this November for a UK Tour.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of ‘Toxic Positivity’ from The Used

Massive Wagons announce new tour dates

Massive Wagons are next up in our News Report as they extend their ‘Triggered’ tour.

Part 2 of their UK Tour will take place in November.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of The Pearl Harts live in Norwich

The Murder Capital unveil new live dates

The Murder Capital have also revealed new UK live dates for this November as part of ‘The Clown’s Reflection’ tour.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of ‘Gigi’s Recovery’ from The Murder Capital

Skinny Lister announce new UK Tour

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!

Skinny Lister – ‘Down On The Barrier’

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 “Down On The Barrier” we’ve tried to capture that feeling. The church in this case is the venue, the sermon is the song and the preacher the artist. It’s a nod to those almost spiritual moments when we gather to enjoy some communal rock’n’roll worship, as well as a healthy dose of support, release and camaraderie. See you down on the barrier!”

Tickets are here.

Watch Episode 6 of The Full Pelt Music Podcast with guests Skinny Lister

The Full Pelt Music Podcast – Episode 6 – Skinny Lister

Read our review of Skinny Lister live in Norwich

Lottery Winners set new UK Tour

Another hot ticket later this year will be the ‘This Is How It Feels’ tour from Lottery Winners.

Announcing the tour the band said “We’re 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. Let’s spread the word and get these venues bouncing. We love you all so much! X”

Tickets are here.

Read our review of ‘Anxiety Replacement Therapy’ from Lottery Winners

Pet Needs will be back out on the road

The final tour announcement in our News Report this week comes from Pet Needs!

The band will be continuing their never ending tour later this year with support from Glitchers.

Tickets are here.

Watch Episode 11 of The Full Pelt Music Podcast with guests Pet Needs

The Full Pelt Music Podcast – Episode 11 – Pet Needs

Read our review of Pet Needs live in Norwich

News Report

Foo Fighters share ‘The Teacher’

Foo Fighters – ‘The Teacher’

We move our News Report on now to the best new releases from the past week and start proceedings with Foo Fighters.

The band released new album, ‘But Here We Are’, this week but prior to that they shared new single, ‘The Teacher’, which you can check out above.

More here.

Read our review of ‘But Here We Are’ from Foo Fighters

Queens of the Stone Age share ‘Carnavoyeur’

Queens of the Stone Age – ‘Carnavoyuer’

Queens of the Stone Age also had new music on offer this week. The band shared their latest single, ‘Carnavoyuer’, which you can check out above!

The track comes ahead of brand new album, ‘In Times New Roman’, which is out on June 16th.

Pre-order your copy here.

Listen to ‘Carnavoyuer’ on our Spotify Hot List!

Bring Me The Horizon debut ‘AmEN!’

Bring Me The Horizon – ‘AmEN!’ feat. Lil Uzi Vert, Daryl Palumbo, Glassjaw

Bring Me The Horizon continue to drop new music sporadically and this week saw the band share ‘AmEN!’.

You can check out the track featuring Lil Uzi Vert and Daryl Palumbo of Glassjaw above.

More here.

Listen to ‘AmEN!’ on our ‘Hard & Heavy’ Playlist!

Pendulum x Bullet For My Valentine debut ‘Halo’

Pendulum & Bullet For My Valentine – ‘Halo’

Pendulum this week shared their new collaboration with Matt Tuck of Bullet For My Valentine.

You can check out ‘Halo’ above!

More here.

Yellowcard share ‘Childhood Eyes’

Yellowcard – ‘Childhood Eyes’

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.”

Pre-save here.

Listen to ‘Childhood Eyes’ on our Spotify Hot List!

FEVER 333 debut ‘$wing’

FEVER 333 – ‘$wing’

FEVER 333 returned this week with a new look line-up and brand new single, ‘$wing’, which you can check out above!

More here.

Listen to ‘$wing’ on our ‘Hard & Heavy’ Playlist!

Trophy Eyes share ‘Life In Slow Motion’

Trophy Eyes – ‘Life In Slow Motion’

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!

“‘Life in Slow Motion’ is my assessment of life itself, and the way we as humans navigate life and time here on Earth.” says John Floreani. “Searching 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 can’t say, but sometimes if you look hard enough and sit quietly enough, life reaches out and speaks to you.”

The release comes ahead of new album, ‘Suicide and Sunshine’, which is out on June 23rd.

Pre-order your copy here.

Listen to ‘Life In Slow Motion’ on our ‘Hard & Heavy’ Playlist!

The Mysterines share ‘Begin Again’

The Mysterines – ‘Begin Again’

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.

More here.

Listen to ‘Begin Again’ on our Spotify Hot List!

Grian Chatten shares ‘Last Time Every Time Forever’

Grian Chatten – ‘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: “’Last Time Every Time Forever’ is a weak knee’d 99th lap around a hellscape town of your own making. It’s haunted by seagulls and hoarse-throated slot machines from the 1980s and it breaks its own promise on every listen.

The track comes from upcoming debut solo album, ‘Chaos For The Fly’, which is out June 30th.

Pre-order your copy here.

Listen to ‘Last Time Every Time Forever’ on our Spotify Hot List!

Empire State Bastard debut ‘Stutter’

Empire State Bastard – ‘Stutter’

Another track from Empire State Bastard emerged this week as the band shared ‘Stutter’, which you can check out above!

The band have also shared news that their debut album, ‘Rivers of Heresy’, will be out on September 1st.

Pre-order your copy here.

Listen to ‘Stutter’ on our ‘Hard & Heavy’ Playlist!

Lacuna Coil debut ‘Never Dawn’

Lacuna Coil – ‘Never Dawn’

Our News Report continues with Lacuna Coil, who shared new single ‘Never Dawn’ this week, and you can of course check it out above.

More here.

Listen to ‘Never Dawn’ on our ‘Hard & Heavy’ Playlist!

As December Falls debut ‘Little By Little’

As December Falls – ‘Little By Little’

It really is a packed News Report this week, and next up are As December Falls.

The band this week shared their new single, ‘Little By Little’, which you can check out above!

Pre-order ‘Join the Club’ here.

Listen to ‘Little By Little’ on our Spotify Hot List!

ANGER PARTY debut ‘Save Myself’

ANGER PARTY – ‘Save Myself’

‘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 we’re inexplicably drawn to people that never fail todisappoint and betray us. ‘Save Myself’ 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 we’re better off alone.” – Guitar / Vocals – Owen Claxton.

More here.

Watch Episode 42 of our ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast with guests ANGER PARTY

‘Discover’ New Music Podcast – Episode 42 – ANGER PARTY

Listen to ‘Save Myself’ on our ‘Hard & Heavy’ Playlist!

As always we conclude our News Report with the latest additions to our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist!

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Fixation – ‘Flat Earth’

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: «Even if they see it, they probably won’t believe it.”

Kings County – ‘Holding On’

US band Kings County share new single, ‘Holding On’.

Singer Rob Dexter says, “’Holding 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”.”

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News Report
Martiné – ‘Oxytocin’

Copenhagen’s Martiné shares debut single, ‘Oxytocin’.

“My inspiration for this song was the very powerful hormone Oxytocin, which is also released when falling in love or by physical touch. The lyrics reflect how to embrace the power of one’s femininity and learn how to use that to set boundaries. It is definitely a song about being in control and not getting blinded by Oxytocin” – Martiné

Listen, Follow and Discover your new favourite act now with our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist

Then find out the stories behind the songs on our ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast!

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Read our review of ‘DARKFIGHTER’ from Rival Sons

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Enter Shikari announce 2024 UK Tour

Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report.

We start this week with the best tour announcements and following the success of their new album, ‘A Kiss for the Whole World’ hitting number one, Enter Shikari have revealed a huge tour for early next year.

£1 from each ticket sale being donated to the Music Venue Trust in support of grassroots venues in each city the band will be touring through.

Lead singer and producer Rou Reynolds comments on the initiative:

“Grassroots music venues in the UK are under existential threat. Every time we lose another one we lose a vital part of our culture. Bigger venues that benefit from the productive pipeline that grassroots venues provide need to support these smaller venues, as do the artists that have come up through them. Enter Shikari stands with Music Venue Trust in their efforts to bring more solidity and community to our brilliant UK live music scene”.

Support on the tour will come from Fever 333 and Noahfinnce.

Reynolds comments on what could be in store:

“We cannot wait to step things up and present a huge new show to everyone. And we’re really looking forward to playing Wembley Arena for the first time! (Enter Shikari are on their way to Wembley. Can you imagine what we’re gonna do to it?).

I’m buzzing to see the supports every night, too. We’ve known Jason for many years now, so can’t wait to see the next step for Fever333, and we had a great time with Noah on our residency tour earlier this year so simply had to have him back.”

Tickets are here.

Read our review of ‘A Kiss for the Whole World’ from Enter Shikari

Def Leppard also announce intimate show supporting Music Venue Trust

Rock icons Def Leppard have announced their most intimate show in the UK or Europe in 35 years.

The band will play a hometown show at The Leadmill in Sheffield with a % of ticket sales going to the Music Venue Trust.

Joe Elliott says “Sheffield is in the very DNA of this band! We are ecstatic to be starting the European leg of our world tour at home at Bramall Lane! When thinking of a warm up, it made sense to do a special set at The Leadmill, in the city where it all started. We know there are a lot of small music venues struggling across the UK, so we wanted to give back to what gave to us. The net proceeds from the evening will go directly to Music Venue Trust in an effort to keep UK clubs alive…and to coincide with the release of our symphonic record, “Drastic Symphonies”, on the 19th of May. It’s all very special!”

Ben Hartley, Live Promoter from The Leadmill says, “We’re absolutely delighted to be welcoming a band as legendary as Def Leppard onto our stage. The fact that a local act that has gone on to play stadiums across the world is willing to come back home and support us in a time of need (as well as thousands of other integral grassroots venues across the UK) speaks volumes of their character. This will be the first time they’ve played The Leadmill, so it’s wonderful to be adding another chapter to Sheffield’s musical history.”
 
Mark Davyd, CEO and Founder of Music Venue Trust, says “It’s fantastic to get this support from such an iconic and legendary group as Def Leppard. The UK’s Grassroots Music Venues are facing an incredibly tough year, currently one is permanently closing every week. It’s going to take a huge collective effort to turn that around and it’s so important that artists get involved and lead the fight we need to stop closures”.

More here.

Read our review of ‘Diamond Star Halos’ from Def Leppard

Judas Priest set up UK Tour

This week also saw metal masters Judas Priest announce a long coming headline tour of the UK.

Revealing the dates the band said “we are thrilled to start this world tour in the renowned traditional homes of heavy metal and can’t wait to see our amazing family of Priest maniacs!”

Joining the band will be very metal guests Saxon alongside Uriah Heep.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of Bullet For My Valentine live in Cambridge

Bring Me The Horizon debut ‘Lost’

Bring Me The Horizon – ‘Lost’

We move our News Report on now to the best new releases from the past week and up first we have Bring Me The Horizon.

The soon to be Download Festival headliners this week debuted their latest single, ‘Lost’, which you can check out above.

More here.

Listen to ‘Lost’ on our Spotify Hot List!

The Hives share ‘Bogus Operandi’

The Hives – ‘Bogus Operandi’

Next up is the return of The Hives!

The group shared their new single, ‘Bogus Operandi’, this week and you can check it out above.

The track is the first single to be taken from their newly announced album, ‘The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons’, which is out August 11th.

Pre-order your copy here.

Listen to ‘Bogus Operandi’ on our Spotify Hot List!

Trophy Eyes share new single ‘Kill’

Trophy Eyes – ‘Kill’

Australian punk rockers Trophy Eyes have released new single, ‘Kill’, ahead of their appearances at Slam Dunk Festival later this month.

You can listen to the single above, which comes from upcoming new album, ‘Suicide and Sunshine’, which is out June 23rd.

“All’s fair in love and war,” says John Floreani. “We all carry the scars of love lost. They become visible in the things we do, our actions and our words. Like machines we continue, only now worn and rattling. Capable of our primary function, but with a little less grace each time. Some people use love as a weapon, and ‘Kill’ is about those people.”

Pre-order your copy here.

Listen to ‘Kill’ on our ‘Hard & Heavy’ Playlist!

Like Moths To Flames debut ‘I Found The Dark Side of Heaven’

Like Moths To Flames – ‘I Found The Dark Side of Heaven’

Next in our News Report is ‘I Found The Dark Side of Heaven’, the new single from Like Moths To Flames, which you can check out above.

“Over the last few years, a lot of us have felt like shells of our former selves,” says Chris Roetter. “This is for the people who feel like they’ve been pushed so far away that no one sees them. I think it’s easy to feel forgotten about and like you didn’t matter. Some of my darkest days were an abyss that was never ending. When it’s difficult to find anything to pull you out, sometimes you just have to accept that you’re stuck.”

More here.

Listen to ‘I Found The Dark Side of Heaven’ on our ‘Hard & Heavy’ Playlist

Heavy Lungs debut ‘Dancing Man’

Heavy Lungs – ‘Dancing Man’

Heavy Lungs this week released their brand new track, ‘Dancing Man’, which you can check out above.

Commenting on the new track, front man and vocalist Danny Nedelko says: “‘Dancing Man’ came about from a conversation that left me and George crying on the floor with laughter at rehearsal. The end result is an abstract tale about a sinister character. Nice to see another in-joke make it through. Sadly not all of them do. But we will save that for the inevitable next EP.”

The official video that accompanies the single was directed by Clump Collective. “They are absolutely extraordinary and have made a myriad of amazing videos,” say the band. “They are our dear friends and actually shot the video for our song ‘Jealous’ a while back too, so this was a very welcome homecoming. We shot it all in a day at their Bristol studio. Two dogs were present; they were very encouraging. The whole concept is centred around 5 outfits and dancing. The result is a surreal ride into the sinister realm of ‘Dancing Man’.”

More here.

Listen to ‘Dancing Man’ on our ‘Hard & Heavy’ Playlist!

Grian Chatten shares new single ‘Fairlies’

Grian Chatten – ‘Fairlies’

Fontaines D.C. vocalist Grian Chatten shared his second solo single, ‘Fairlies’, this week and you can of course check it out above.

Chatten also revealed that his debut solo album, ‘Chaos For The Fly’, will be out June 30th.

Grian on ‘Fairlies’: “I wrote ‘Fairlies’ in intense heat. Partly in Jerez, Spain, partly in LA a couple of days before a Fontaines D.C. tour kicked off. It was a quick write, and I believe I celebrated each line with a beer.”

On the album: “I was walking along Stoney Beach at night and it came to me on the waves,” recalls Chatten. “I just stood there and looked at them and I heard the whole fucking thing. Every part of it, from the chord progressions to the string arrangements.”

“I just thought: I want to do this myself. I know where we as a band are going next and that’s not where I want to go with this. I’ve got a couple of exaggerated aspects of my soul that I wanted to express,” he says.

“The rest of the band are all creative and songwriters in their own right, too. I didn’t want to go to them and be like, ‘No, every single thing has to be like this.’ I didn’t want to compromise with these songs in that way.”

“A lot of the album was written with just me and a guitar and I really like the idea of it being boiled down to those elements. That feeling of having the song in the palm of your hand, that control of having it with just you and a guitar,” he says. “There’s an intensity as a result of that.”

Pre-order your copy here.

Read our review of ‘Skinty Fia’ from Fontaines D.C.

Coach Party share ‘All I Wanna Do Is Hate’

Coach Party – ‘All I Wanna Do Is Hate’

Finishing up the best new releases of the past week is, ‘All I Wanna Do Is Hate’ from Coach Party, which you guessed it, you can check out above!

The band have also announced details of their debut album, ‘KILLJOY’, which is set for release on September 8th.

Pre-order your copy here.

Listen to ‘All I Wanna Do Is Hate’ on our Spotify Hot List!

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Zac and the New Men – ‘That’s OK

South Wales, Alternative Pop Rock Band Zac and the New Men have unveiled the their new single ‘That’s Ok

“‘That’s Ok’ is a love letter to someone who is struggling, a reminder that they are not alone. It’s a song about being there for each other, no matter what. We wrote this song to show people that even when things get tough, they don’t have to go through it alone. Love is a powerful force, and we hope this song will bring comfort to anyone   who is struggling.” – Vocalist, Zac.

Hannah Rose Platt – ‘The Mermaid and the Sailor’

Hannah Rose Platt has shared new single, ‘The Mermaid and the Sailor’, featuring Ed Harcourt.

Hannah explains: “The Mermaid and the Sailor is a hypnotic ‘Sailor’s Lament’ framed as a conversation exploring addiction, between the Sailor (the addict) and the mermaid (his addiction) whose siren song constantly tempts him back into the water. Featuring bewitching vocals from the magnificent Ed Harcourt!”

Harcourt says: “Hannah is a consummate storyteller and as soon as I heard her songs I was happily bewitched…  I think we’re both very similar in the fact that we are obsessive film aficionados & therefore think in a more visual way in our approach to the music and the sounds. What I love about working with Hannah is that she is very free and totally open to my delusional bouts of grandeur and hopefully you, the listener, will hear the love and the pathos and the dark humour that we have managed to commit to tape in equal measure. Congratulations Hannah and I can’t wait for the world to hear this dazzling humdinger.”

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News Report
Cold Culture – ‘Faded’

Danish newcomers Cold Culture share their debut single, ‘Faded’.

“A lot of people feel the same way I do; anxious and lost. I even got to a point where I couldn’t recognise myself in the mirror anymore. We wanted to write a song that describes those thoughts and feelings as well as depression, anxiety and the feeling of being numb. ‘Faded’ is our way of describing those emotions and issues you may experience during your life”

Mads Zelasny  – Vocalist

Listen, Follow and Discover your new favourite act now with our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist

Then find out the stories behind the songs on our ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast!

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Download Festival line-up update

Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!

Up first this week is the latest news from Download Festival who this week added additional bands whilst also confirming the stage splits for each day.

The Metallica, Bring Me The Horizon and Slipknot headlined event will also now feature the likes of State Champs, Puscifer, Hundred Reasons, Static Dress, Cancer Bats and more.

Tickets and info here.

Read our review of Download Festival 2022

News Report

Queens of the Stone Age announce UK return

We move our News Report onwards now to the best tour announcements from the past week and we begin with the UK return of Queens of the Stone Age.

The rock icons will play huge outdoor shows in Halifax, Margate and Cardiff this June with support from Coach Party.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of ’72 Seasons’ from Metallica

Limp Bizkit set summer UK shows

The summer is taking shape nicely and Limp Bizkit this week confirmed their plans to get back to the UK.

The band will play two special shows in August at The Piece Hall in Halifax and then at Gunnersbury Park in London.

Support comes from KennyHoopla and Joey Valence & Brae with special guests Pendulum and Deijuvhs also hitting up the London date.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of ‘Still Sucks’ from Limp Bizkit

Greta Van Fleet announce new tour dates

Following the announcement of new album, ‘Starcatcher’, last week, this week has seen the news that Greta Van Fleet will be back out on tour later this year.

The UK will see the band tackling arena shows in London, Manchester and Glasgow with support from Mt. Joy.

Tickets are here.

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

BABYMETAL announce headline UK shows

Next up as the tour announcements continue are BABYMETAL who will return to the UK for shows in London and Wolverhampton this November.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of Paramore live in London

Atreyu reveal UK Tour

Our News Report continues with Atreyu who have also announced when they will return to the UK. Alongside their EU tour the band will play a run of eight dates in the UK this November.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of Atreyu live in Cambridge

Danko Jones set for UK Tour

Continuing the theme of bands announcing their return to the UK, Danko Jones have revealed a full EU and UK tour for this Autumn that will finish at the Garage in London.

Support comes from Radkey.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of Danko Jones live in Birmingham

InMe to celebrate 20 years of ‘Overgrown Eden’

InMe have revealed Manchester and London shows to go alongside their already announced appearance in Bristol.

The shows will see the band celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of their album, ‘Overgrown Eden’.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of Hundred Reasons live in London

WSTR announce new tour dates

WSTR also had new tour dates to announce this week with the band set to head around the UK this September.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of ‘A Kiss for the Whole World’ from Enter Shikari

The Bottom Line reveal new tour

The Bottom Line will be heading out on the road this November. Support comes from Beauty School.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of Fall Out Boy live in London

Fatherson unveil new live dates

Fatherson are next up in our News Report with the band set for a handful of shows in September.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of Fatherson live in Cambridge

Madness reveal new arena tour

The legendary Madness will return to UK arenas later this year for their ‘C’est La Vie’ tour.

Support will come from the Lightning Seeds.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of ‘Who On Earth’ from Sean McGowan

Dream Wife reveal new tour

We segue our News Report now from tour announcement to new music as Dream Wife unveiled both this past week.

As the group get ready for the release of new album, ‘Social Lubrication’ on June 9th, they’ve set up a full UK tour set to take place in October.

Support for the tour will come from Ash Kenazi.

The band also had more new music on offer with new single, ‘Orbit’, which you can check out below.

Dream Wife – ‘Orbit’

On the single the band explain, “Written through the joy of jamming together and locking into the groove like a multi limbed space age organism, Orbit has a dance rock edge from the early noughties of bands like New Young Pony Club and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Lyrically, it was inspired by post-lockdown London coming back to life and sharing a space through friendship and community. And how each day you never know what’s in store for you or how a stranger can become someone close to you – for a day, a heartbeat, a phase, or a lifetime.”

Tickets and album pre-orders are here.

Read our review of Y Not Festival 2022

News Report

Foo Fighters return with ‘Rescued’

Foo Fighters – ‘Rescued’

Where else could we start as our News Report moves on to new releases other than the return of Foo Fighters.

Their first new music since the tragic passing of Taylor Hawkins, Dave Grohl and co this week debuted ‘Rescued’, which you can check out above!

Not just that tough, the band also revealed that they will release a new album, ‘But Here We Are’, which will arrive on June 2nd.

Pre-order your copy here.

Listen to ‘Rescued’ on our Spotify Hot List!

Florence + The Machine share ‘Mermaids’

Florence + The Machine – ‘Mermaids’

Florence + The Machine this week shared their new single, ‘Mermaids’, which you can check out above.

The track features on the Complete Edition of latest album, ‘Dance Fever’.

More here.

Listen to ‘Mermaids’ on our Spotify Hot List!

Bloc Party debut ‘High Life’

Bloc Party – ‘High Life’

Whilst currently out on tour with Paramore, Bloc Party have this week debuted their brand new single, ‘High Life’, which you can check out above!

The deluxe version of their latest album, ‘Alpha Games’ is out now.

More here.

Listen to ‘High Life’ on our Spotify Hot List!

Skindred debut ‘If I Could’

Skindred – ‘If I Could’

Next up we have Skindred who have this week shared their new single, ‘If I Could’, which you can check out above.

The track comes from new album, ‘Smile’, which is out on August 4th.

Frontman Benji Webbe recalls that the track was inspired by lockdown and how much he hated 2020 and the effect it had on the world. “On the other hand, 2023 is a different story,” he says. “We’ve released new music and we’re still to drop another few monsters from our album ‘Smile’. We’ve got the KISS tour coming, and we’ve also got our headline tour supporting the new album. So 2023, to me, looks like a very exciting time to be in Skindred. I’m very optimistic about the future!”

Pre-order your copy here.

Listen to ‘If I Could’ on our ‘Hard & Heavy’ Playlist!

Sleep Token share ‘DYWTYLM’

Sleep Token – ‘DYWTYLM’

The mysterious Sleep Token continue their rise with their latest single, ‘DYWTYLM’, which you can listen to above.

The track comes from upcoming album, ‘Take Me Back To Eden’, which is out May 19th.

Pre-order your copy here.

Listen to ‘DYWTYLM’ on our Spotify Hot List!

Beartooth debut ‘Sunshine!’

Beartooth – ‘Sunshine!’

Our News Report continues at pace with Beartooth who also had new music on offer this week. You can check out their latest single, ‘Sunshine!’ above.

More here.

Listen to ‘Sunshine!’ on our ‘Hard & Heavy Playlist!

Spiritbox share ‘The Void’

Spiritbox – ‘The Void’

Spiritbox are up next in our News Report with their latest single, ‘The Void’, which you can of course check out above!

More here.

Listen to ‘The Void’ on our ‘Hard & Heavy’ Playlist!

The Amity Affliction debut ‘Not Without My Ghosts’

The Amity Affliction – ‘Not Without My Ghosts’

This week also saw The Amity Affliction release their latest single, ‘Not Without My Ghosts’, which features Phem, and you guessed it – you can check it out above!

The new album of the same name will be out on May 12th.

You can pre-order your copy here.

Listen to ‘Not Without My Ghosts’ on our ‘Hard & Heavy’ Playlist

James and the Cold Gun debut ‘Something to Say’

James and the Cold Gun – ‘Something to Say’

It was a big week for James and the Cold Gun as they announced that their self-titled debut album will arrive on July 21st!

Accompanying that announcement was new single, ‘Something to Say’, which you can check out above.

Speaking on the album, frontman James Joseph says, “We can’t wait to get this album out into the world, it’s a no frills rock and roll ripper recorded ourselves in the garage where we first started jamming as a band, we think it’s a great introduction to what we’re about at our core, loud, energetic guitar rock…”

Pre-order your copy here.

Watch Episode 18 of our ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast with guests James and the Cold Gun

‘Discover’ New Music Podcast – Episode 18 – James and the Cold Gun

Listen to ‘Something to Say’ on our ‘Hard & Heavy’ Playlist

Militarie Gun share ‘Very High’

Militarie Gun – ‘Very High’

Another band approaching the release of their debut album is Militarie Gun who will release, ‘Life Under The Gun’ on June 23rd!

This week the group shared the latest single from them ahead of that album. You can check out ‘Very High’ above.

The record is inextricably linked to Shelton’s past. “I grew up in a household with family members struggling with addiction,” he explains. “It was an oppressive force. We were always wondering, ‘Is it going to be a good day or a bad day? Are the cops going to come today? What am I going to come home to after school?’”

On the album, “This is what I thought we sounded like all along,” Shelton laughs. “It’s always felt like a melody-forward band to me, but I think now we’re finally achieving what I was always setting out to do.”

Pre-order your copy here.

Listen to ‘Very High’ on our ‘Hard & Heavy’ Playlist

Willie J Healey shares new single ‘Little Sister’

Willie J Healey – ‘Little Sister’

Willie J Healey has shared his latest single, ‘Little Sister’, which you can listen to above.

The track features on upcoming album, ‘Bunny’, which is due for release August 25th.

Willie says “The whole era is something that I love. Long before making ‘Twin Heavy’, I had always listened to funk, soul and R&B, but for some reason it never translated into my own music. Really my inspiration was just the feel of things.’’

He goes on to say about ‘Little Sister’ specifically “We recorded it in New York, just one take, it was magical. I remember spending a couple of hours learning and messing around with it and then it was done. I really just enjoy playing music that makes you feel really good.”

Pre-order your copy here.

Listen to ‘Little Sister’ on our Spotify Hot List!

Lottery Winners debut ‘Letter To Myself’

Lottery Winners – ‘Letter To Myself’ feat. Frank Turner

Lottery Winners had more music to share this with as they debuted their new single, ‘Letter To Myself’, which features Frank Turner. You can listen to the track above.

The band are set for the release of their new album, ‘Anxiety Replacement Therapy’, on April 28th!

Pre-order your copy here.

Read our review of Frank Turner live in Cambridge

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As always we conclude our News Report with the latest additions to our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist!

News Report
Lambrini Girls – ‘Lads Lads Lads’

With just a month to go until their debut EP ‘You’re Welcome’, out 19th May, Lambrini Girls share new single ‘Lads Lads Lads’ about toxic masculinity.

“In order to be a lad, make sure to follow the following guidelines: excessive drinking, harassing anyone with a pulse and starting fights. Most importantly, make sure to never talk about your feelings as this simply cannot be associated with manliness. Lad culture is the shit stain on the bathroom floor and toxic masculinity is the toilet paper that refuses to unstick from the shoe of society. Nobody wins.” says the band.

headcage – ‘false gold’

Alternative Post-Hardcore band headcage have shared their brand new single ‘false gold’.

“With this track I’m trying to lay down the premise of always wanting more from life, as in wealth, status or fame but ultimately realising the people and culture that those things predominantly exist in are not the world I come from or identify with in any way, shape or form. To put it simply, it’s something I’ve always wanted for so long, and is also something I hate”. – Vocalist, Leyum Pattinson.

News Report
News Report
Grove Street – ‘Lessons of the Past’

Recently signed to UNFD, get yourselves acquainted with Grove Street via recent single, ‘Lessons of the Past’!

“Grove Street becoming a part of UNFD felt like it was meant to happen,” says guitarist Sandy. “A label that fully believes in us and wants to nurture our growth as a band is a rare thing to be seen. This band started out as fun between friends, we never had any expectations of reaching the levels we have and with UNFD behind us we can push those levels even further.”

Speaking of the track, the band share, “Lessons of the Past focuses on police brutality, abuse of power, systemic oppression and racism. People not taking a stand against these things only encourages them to manifest further, and we as people must do better to hold those in power accountable.”

Listen, Follow and Discover your new favourite act now with our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist

Then find out the stories behind the songs on our ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast!

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Read our review of ‘Love, Chaos’ from The Pearl Harts

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News Report

Every week we roundup the best music news from the past week!

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News Report

Download Festival adds another 40+ bands

Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!

We start this week with the 20th Anniversary of Download Festival which just got a whole load bigger! Yes 40+ new acts have now joined headliners Metallica (x2), Bring Me The Horizon and Slipknot across the special four day event.

Newly announced acts include Alter Bridge, Halestorm, Neck Deep, Bob Vylan, Jinjer, Hot Milk, The Amity Affliction, Empire State Bastard, Dinosaur Pile-Up, Deaf Havana and more!

Also on tap will be the likes of Architects, Evanescence, Within Temptation, Pendulum, The Blackout, Nova Twins, Disturbed, Placebo, Ghost and so many more!

Final tickets are here.

Read our review of Download Festival 2022

News Report

Trivium announce UK Tour

Sticking with the live (and heavy!) side of the business next we move our News Report on to the best tour announcements from the past week!

Getting us started are metal titans Trivium who will return to the UK in late Summer for an intimate tour of some often forgotten towns and cities!

The ‘Goblins and Wizards’ tour will commence in Cambridge, conclude in Southampton and feature support from Bleed From Within and Orbit Culture!

Tickets are here.

Read our review of ‘In the Court of the Dragon’ from Trivium

You Me At Six reveal intimate warm-up dates

Ahead of their appearances at this August’s Reading & Leeds Festivals, You Me At Six will perform two intimate warm-up shows in Leicester and Bournemouth.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of ‘Truth Decay’ from You Me At Six

Miss Vincent & The Nightmares reveal co-headline tour

Fans of Miss Vincent and The Nightmares are in for a treat as the two bands team up for a special co-headline UK Tour this April!

Tickets are here.

Watch Episode 7 of our ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast with guests Miss Vincent!

‘Discover’ New Music Podcast – Episode 7 – Miss Vincent

Read our review of ‘A Funeral for Youth’ from Miss Vincent

News Report

Bury Tomorrow debut ‘Heretic’

Bury Tomorrow – ‘Heretic’ feat. Loz Taylor

Our News Report moves now to the best new releases from the past week and we get things started with the latest single from Bury Tomorrow!

‘Heretic’ featuring While She Sleeps frontman Loz Taylor debuted this week and you can check it out above. It was also revealed that Bury Tomorrow will join WSS at their huge Alexandra Palace show in September.

The track comes from upcoming new album, ‘The Seventh Sun’, which is out March 31st!.

Speaking on Heretic, lead-singer Dani Winter-Bates states “Heretic is here, and we knew from day one of recording that this song was something we wanted the world to hear immediately. It’s right up there with the most aggressive and visceral tracks on the album, with an inherently dark feel, both lyrically and musically, which allowed us to delve into some of the more brutal elements of The Seventh Sun. All in all, we’re extremely proud to showcase this track and can’t wait to see what people think.”

Dani continues “from the off, we knew this song merited a guest vocal spot, and Loz Taylor of While She Sleeps sprang to our minds straightaway. Already an absolute legend in our eyes, working with him on this track has only confirmed that status further. His voice incorporated perfectly and has undoubtedly taken the song to the next level – we couldn’t be happier.”

Pre-order your copy here.

Read our review of Bury Tomorrow live in Norwich

The Raven Age share ‘Parasite’

The Raven Age – ‘Parasite’

The Raven Age have announced that their third studio album, ‘Blood Omen’, will be released on July 7th. To coincide with that announcement, the band unveiled their new single, ‘Parasite’, which you can check out above!

‘Parasite’ is bolstered by a blistering solo from guest guitarist Andy James of Five Finger Death Punch. “I’ve known the lads in The Raven Age for years now,” says Andy. “I really like the direction they are heading with this third record and enjoyed doing a guest solo for ‘Parasite’. It’s a heavy but memorable track that hits you right between the eyes.”

For the Essex quintet’s “all-important third album”, as George Harris puts it, they have expanded on every level. 

This motivation is written into the album’s concept. Following the theme of its two predecessors, the raven motif looms large, this time centering on the overthrowing of old masters, with the band’s Raven King character coming to prominence. Even in the artwork, things are bolder, a close up of The Raven King, says George, “taking his rightful place on the throne.”

The theme weaves itself throughout ‘Blood Omen’, kicking off with ‘Parasite’ as MJ explains, “There’s the legend about the ravens in the Tower Of London, that if they were ever to leave, the monarchy falls. Without being too political, ‘Parasite’ is hinting at these dark notes of the hierarchy, the bottom feeders that tend to run everything and then screw everything up. Our Raven King, he’s basically ascending to the throne to bring down the monarchy, bring down the establishment, weed out the parasites, as it were.”

“It’s a heavy track,” MJ continues, “We knew we wanted to come back with a real punch between the eyes. It’s the full introduction to our Raven King, and it touches on elements of everything to come. It really shows where we’re going on this album.”

The album also sees the recorded debut of new guitarist Tommy Gentry, the prodigiously talented axeman – whose previous work includes stints with Marco Mendoza and former Judas Priest six-stringer KK Downing.

“Tommy was in our sights from day one,” says George. “He’s, without doubt, the most talented musician I know. Not only is he an amazing guitarist, he’s a grade eight pianist, he can score orchestral music, and all that brings something to the table.”

Pre-order your copy here.

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The Hold Steady share new single ‘Sixers’

The Hold Steady – ‘Sixers’

‘The Price of Progress’, the latest album from The Hold Steady is out on March 31st. This week the band continued to preview the record with new single, ‘Sixers’, which you can check out above.

‘Sixers’ was written in the first days of the pandemic,” says frontman Craig Finn. “It’s basically a song about knowing your neighbors. Two young professionals meet up in their building late on a Friday night and spend the weekend partying together. They try to find a love connection, but it’s not quite there. It’s hard to make friends when your job is so demanding. Tad and Steve chime in with some beautiful guitar harmonies.

Pre-order your copy here.

Listen to our two Podcasts

The View return with ‘Feels Like’

The View – ‘Feels Like’

This week saw The View return with news of their first new album in eight years! ‘Exorcism of Youth’ will be released on June 9th and was preceded this week by the single, ‘Feels Like’, which you can check out above!

Frontman Kyle Falconer says, “Working with Youth on our third album ‘Bread and Circuses’ was one of the best experiences of my career so we jumped at the chance to revisit the opportunity with him in Spain. To be able to go into the studio again as a band with added experience was just magical.” 

On the single Falconer adds, “This one felt anthemic from the get go. Even though under the surface it’s about somewhere everyone’s been in their life before: regret of losing someone amazing due to your inner demons and seeing them moving on with their life, when you’re stuck in a ‘nightmare not a dream.’ When I first sat down to write it I had Holden Caulfield from ‘Catcher in the Rye’ in mind. It’s playing out in his mind and it’s his own paranoia destroying him from the inside out when in reality she’s the perfect woman.” 

Pre-order your copy here.

Read our review of ‘Uncertain Joys’ from The Subways

Ryan Hamilton unveils “Asshole”

Ryan Hamilton – ‘Asshole’

Texan singer-songwriter Ryan Hamilton has shared his latest single, ‘Asshole’, which you can check out above. The track comes from upcoming album, ‘Haunted by the Holy Ghost’, which is out March 10th.

A music video for the track features World Champion Barrel Racer, Ryann Pedone & Conor the badger. Ryan says, “It’s not everyday you shoot a music video with a badger! Why a badger? Because badgers are assholes. They’re adorable assholes. Haha. So proud of this song. The self sabotaging title will keep it off most radio stations… which is a shame, because it deserves to be a big hit.”

Pre-order your copy here.

Watch Episode 15 of The Full Pelt Music Podcast with guest Ryan Hamilton

The Full Pelt Music Podcast – Episode 15 – Ryan Hamilton

Find Full Pelt Music on Youtube

The Dollyrots share ‘Still Holding On’

The Dollyrots – ‘Still Holding On’

The Dollyrots have released a brand new UK single titled ‘Still Holding On’ to kick off their first ever UK co-headline tour with Don’t Panic and special guest Royals.

You can listen to the track above!

““Still Holding On” is the first song we’re releasing off our newest recordings, from the first full album sessions since 2019! It’s a hint of a flavor for the next LP to be released later this year. Since we’ll be touring the UK this month we thought we’d give our friends here a treat and release it exclusive to the United Kingdom.”” says singer Kelly Ogden.

More here.

Read our review of ‘Pop Drunk Snot Bread’ from Bowling For Soup

Millie Manders and the Shutup share ‘Rebound’

Millie Manders and the Shutup – ‘Rebound’

This week saw Millie Manders and the Shutup share their new single, ‘Rebound’, on Valentine’s Day! You can of course listen to the track above!

An ode to toxic online dating, as Millie explains: “Rebound reflects my experience with online dating, but most people I have spoken to have had similar and worse experiences with it. I wanted to write a song that was in solidarity with those on the receiving end of a rebound relationship and let them know they were never the problem.”

The comes ahead of the bands upcoming UK Tour in April.

Tickets are here.

Listen to on our Spotify Hot List!

Chris Shiflett shares ‘Black Top White Lines’

Chris Shiflett – ‘Black Top White Lines’

The steady stream of fantastic new music in our News Report continues to flow from iconic Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett. You can check out his latest solo effort, ‘Black Top White Lines’, above now!

More here.

Listen on out Spotify Hot List!

REWS debut ‘Misery’

REWS – ‘Misery’

Our News Report continues to run through the best new releases of the week with the excellent new single from REWS!

You can check out ‘Misery’ above which comes ahead of new album, ‘Meridians’, which is due November 3rd!

Pre-order your copy here.

Listen on our Spotify Hot List!

Lottery Winners share new single ‘Money’

Lottery Winners – ‘Money’ feat. Shaun Ryder

The fantastic Lottery Winners continue to prepare for their upcoming album, ‘Anxiety Replacement Therapy’, which is out April 26th!

This week the group shared new single, ‘Money’, which features non-other than Shaun Ryder! Check out the video above.

Pre-order your copy here.

Read our review of Neck of the Woods Festival

Pet Needs share video for ‘Ibiza in Winter’

Pet Needs – ‘Ibiza in Winter’

This week also saw Pet Needs revealed as the special guests on Lottery Winners upcoming UK Tour. That wasn’t the only news for Pet Needs this week however, as they also debuted their video for ‘Ibiza in Winter’, which you can check out above!

New album ‘Primetime Entertainment’ available here.

Watch Episode 11 of The Full Pelt Music Podcast with guests Pet Needs!

The Full Pelt Music Podcast – ‘Episode 11’ – Pet Needs

Read our review of Pet Needs live in Norwich

Sean McGowan shares ‘Man Up’

Sean McGowan – ‘Man Up’

Also with new music on offer this week was Sean McGowan who shared his latest single, ‘Man Up’! Listen to the track above.

More here.

Read our review of Xtra Mile Recordings 20th Anniversary in London

News Report

As always we conclude our News Report with the latest additions to our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist!

News Report
Spyres – ‘Sleep Forever’

Glasgow four-piece Spyres return with their new single, ‘Sleep Forever’.

Vocalist/guitarist Keira McGuire explains:

“Sleep Forever is a song about blocking out the realities of life and living in your own world, not wanting to grow up, becoming an adult which puts an end to teenage daydreams and fantasies.”

FUDGE.- ‘Y.F.F.G.’

FUDGE. release their new single, ‘YOUR FALL FROM GRACE’, taken from their forthcoming ‘THAT’S JUST IT, THIS IS NOW’ EP!

Commenting about ‘Y.F.F.G.’ singer Cam says: “It’s different to our usual songs but it’s a fan favourite and shows a very atmospheric, abstract vibe and I see it as a rebellious love song. The feeling I get from this song is the same as the almost surreal sensation you get when you’re on your own late at night or early morning. That may sound strange but some of you might get what I mean.”

Guitarist Otto expands: “I call this our quiet song. I wrote it whilst someone was sleeping in the same room as me, so I picked something sweet sounding and played it with compassion. Luckily, the outcome was one of our most palatable songs for the listener and, honestly, one that I never meant to write but am grateful that I did.”

Drummer Angus adds: “You get to hear Cam’s sensitive side on this song, which is usually hidden behind his radginess. It’s a lot smoother in its ebbs and flows and playing drums to this is actually quite a relaxing experience because, for once, I can sit back and let the song do the work. For that reason, it’s bigger than its constituent parts. A bit of a banger in other words.

News Report
News Report
IKONIK – ‘Wall of Stone

‘Wall of Stone’ is the debut single from IKONIK, the brainchild of Copenhagen’s Katrine Wachmann.

“‘Wall of Stone’ is a song about commitment issues and being stuck in a relationship that is going nowhere, though knowing that vulnerability might be the only way to make a relationship work. Whatever the listeners get from this song I’m just truly humble, amazed and excited that IKONIK is off on its wings and ready to fly out into the world”.

Listen, Follow and Discover your new favourite act now with our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist

Then find out the stories behind the songs on our ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast!

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Read our review of Black Star Riders live in Ipswich

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Features

The Year In Review 2022

Full Pelt Music looks back on 2022 for our Year In Review

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It’s been another big revival year for the music industry following the pandemic years, and it’s been another year of growth for us at Full Pelt Music! We’ve reviewed 67 albums, 7 EP’s, 6 festivals and 38 gigs in 2022 as some level of normality or even stability has returned to our industry.

That said, there are still many issues facing the industry with livelihoods, venues and organisations at risk for a plethora of reasons. Whilst government action is required in many places, what we as fans can do is support the industry with our money. Times are tough for us all, but purchasing an album, buying a t-shirt, nabbing a ticket and grabbing a drink whilst at a gig does so much to support the industry that we love.

Our two great Podcasts have continued to grow and highlights this year came from guests such as Blood Red Shoes, The Treatment, Skinny Lister, Daytime TV, Pet Needs, The Ninth Wave, Sunflower Bean, James and the Cold Gun, Guise, October Drift, BERRIES, Asylums, As Sirens Fall and Jamie Lenman! We’ve already got some fantastic guests lined up for 2023, so ensure you subscribe and follow us across Social Media!

In our now annual end of year awards we’ll be giving out seven hotly contested awards looking at both the recorded and live sides of the industry. Adding to our well established Album of the Year award this year will be the new EP of the Year award. We’ll also once again be revealing our Single of the Year. All awards have seen fierce competition, as once again it’s been a high quality year for new releases.

On the live side of things, we’ll announce both our Gig and Festival of the Year awards. This year of course provided our first full calendar of music since 2019! We were able to witness many great performances this year and we can’t wait to share with you are favourites.

Lastly we’ll look at the artists who’ve had special years as we award our Artist and ‘Discover’ New Artist of the Year awards. So without further ado, let’s work through those award catagories!

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

It has been a truly magnificent year for album releases and getting a spot anywhere in our Top 50 was hard enough but in particular the Top 10 was incredibly tightly fought. You can read the full list here.

‘IMPERA’ from Ghost was able to take the crown this year but any of the top 10 could’ve taken that spot. ‘Reeling’ from The Mysterines in particular would likely have won in any other year, but the majesty and magnificence of ‘IMPERA’ proved unbeatable.

Winner:

‘Impera’ by Ghost

The contenders:

‘Reeling’ by The Mysterines, ‘FTHC’ by Frank Turner, ‘Skinty Fia’ by Fontaines D.C. & ‘The Price of Life’ by Bob Vylan

Previous Winners:

2021 – ‘Blue Weekend’ by Wolf Alice
2020 – ‘Ultra Mono’ by IDLES

EP OF THE YEAR

For the first time this year, we are separating EP’s out of our main award and giving them their own pedestal. That alone is the truest compliment to the quality of EP’s on offer this year.

Again, all EP’s in our top 5 are worthy of the number one spot, but it’s ‘coming of (r)age’ from As Sirens Fall that pips it. Catchy as hell single, ‘heaven (spat us back out)’, helps elevate the release to be crowed our first ever EP of the Year.

Winner:

‘coming of (r)age’ by As Sirens Fall

The contenders:

‘False Start’ by James and the Cold Gun, ‘SCP’ by Oakman, ‘Tyrants’ by IOTA and ‘BLACKGOLD’ by BLACKGOLD

SINGLE OF THE YEAR

We look now at our Single or Song of the Year. In considering the award this year we’ve considered the ear worms that have stayed with us after live performances. We’ve also pondered which songs instantly struck a chord and created a buzz of excitement for the albums and live shows that would follow.

Songs which fell into both of these considerations competed for the award and it was again a tight decision, but ultimately for us this year ‘Dangerous’ from The Mysterines has not just ticked both boxes but also remained on heavy rotation throughout the year despite being an early arrival in 2022. That’s why that track is our 2022 Single of the Year!

Check out the winning single below:

The Mysterines – ‘Dangerous’
Winner:

‘Dangerous’ by The Mysterines

The contenders:

‘Talk Hard’ by Jamie Lenman, ‘Compliance’ by Muse, ‘Wicked Ways’ by Halestorm, ‘Spillways’ by Ghost

Previous Winners:

2021 – ‘Test of our Resolve’ from Press To MECO
2020 – ‘Obey’ by Bring Me The Horizon feat. Yungblud

FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR

2022 was the first full festival season since 2019 and what a return it was. All eyes were on Glastonbury once again, British Summer Time curated a stunning line-up, Download Festival breathed fire and 2000trees was able to remind everyone what’s so great about smaller festivals.

Our winner this year though is Reading & Leeds who went big, sold out and delivered an action packed weekend even with the huge loss of Rage Against The Machine amongst others. Always a perennial contender for this award, 2022 felt like the year the event reclaimed its identity.

Read our review of Reading Festival Saturday

Winner:

Reading & Leeds

The contenders:

Glastonbury Festival, British Summer Time, Download Festival, 2000trees Festival

Previous Winners:

2021 – Download Pilot Festival
2020 – Wild Fields Festival

GIG OF THE YEAR

We’ve reviewed many gigs this year but in reality there could only ever be one winner. Rammstein’s tour is less of a concert and more of an experience; one that everyone, fan of the band or not, should experience at least once.

Beyond that there was still some incredible, top tier gigs in 2022 and our contenders are all worthy of glory, but Rammstein are currently on a whole different level.

Read our review of Rammstein live in Coventry

Winner:

Rammstein @ Coventry Arena

The contenders:

Royal Blood @ O2 Arena, London, Ghost @ Resorts World Arena, Birmingham, Muse @ Eventim Apollo Hammersmith, London, The Killers @ Carrow Road, Norwich, The Hella Mega Tour @ London Stadium, London, Creeper @ Roundhouse, London, Idlewild @ O2 Kentish Town Forum, London

Previous Winners:

2021 – Bring Me The Horizon @ O2 Arena, London
2020 – Frank Turner @ Arboretum, Nottingham

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Artist of the Year now and for this award we look for somebody who has had a huge, perhaps even career-defining year. Previous winners Frank Turner and Biffy Clyro have done so by delivering incredible feats, far above the norm.

This year was a big year for many acts, but we’ve gone for Bring Me The Horizon as a band that have had a career-defining twelve months. Long tipped as festival headliners at a major event, many felt that the time would never come for one of the best live bands on the planet. Big releases, sold-out tours, no matter what the group did they never seemed to be given that torch, that is until this year!

Watching Bring Me The Horizon step up and headline at Reading & Leeds this summer felt like a real moment, not just for the band but for the whole scene. For any metal band, let alone one once considered so unfashionable to headline the biggest festivals in the UK is massive.

Already announced to finally headline Download Festival in 2023, 2022 will forever be linked for Bring Me The Horizon to taking that final career-defining set. Throw in their genre-defying collaboration with Ed Sheeran, 2022’s Artist of the Year had to be Bring Me The Horizon.

Winner:

Bring Me The Horizon

The contenders:

Ghost, Rammstein, Biffy Clyro, Muse

Previous Winners:

2021 – Biffy Clyro
2020 – Frank Turner

‘DISCOVER’ NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR

As a publication we always want to put new music at the heart of what we do, and that’s why our final award is perhaps our most important! Our ‘Discover’ New Artist of the Year is awarded to the act we’ve chosen to highlight on our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist and Podcast who we feel has made the biggest impact this year.

At the beginning of 2022 we put the spotlight on new Colchester act PET NEEDS as they continued to promote their debut album, ‘Fractured Party Music’. From that point on the band never looked back with a world tour, a second album (‘Primtime Entertainment’) and a sold out hometown show all under their belts.

They even found the time to become the first (and only at the time of writing) band to progress from our ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast and appear on The Full Pelt Music Podcast! Yes, fighting off some stiff competition for the ‘Discover’ New Artist of the Year award in 2022 is PET NEEDS!

Winners:

PET NEEDS

The Contenders:

BERRIES, As Sirens Fall, Oakman, James and the Cold Gun, Daytime TV, MOSKITO

Previous Winners:

2020 – Miss Vincent

So, that’s it! Another year in the record books, it’s been another difficult year and it has again been particularly tough on the music industry. That said, we’ve had a full year of live music for the first time since 2019 and the creative juices remain flowing with some absolutely stunning new releases over the past twelve months.

Below you can enjoy some of our favourite gig photos of the year courtesy of our wonderful photographer Denis!

All 📸 (c) Denis Gorbatov / Full Pelt Music

We hope you’ve enjoyed our The Year in Review 2022 and we wish you a very Happy New Year. Here’s hoping 2023 is a good one!

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Every week we roundup the best music news from the past week!

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News Report

Download Festival reveals 20th Anniversary line-up

Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!

We start this week with festival announcements and where else could we start other than the monster 20th Anniversary line-up announcement from Download Festival!

Extended to four days this year the event will feature two unique headline sets from Metallica, the return of Donington icons Slipknot and a well deserved top billing for Bring Me The Horizon.

Other big slots are taken by the likes of Alexisonfire, Architects, The Distillers, Disturbed, Evanescence, Ghost, I Prevail, Parkway Drive, Pendulum, Placebo, Simple Plan, Ville Valo and Within Temptation.

It doesn’t stop there and also playing will be the likes of The Blackout, Fever 333, Kid Kapichi, Nova Twins, Seether and Witch Fever.

Tickets are selling fast and are available here.

Read our review of Download Festival 2022

Airbourne to headline Steelhouse Festival

Welsh rock fans are in for a treat when Airbourne bring the party on Saturday night at next years Steelhouse Festival!

The Aussies will headline the event which also features The Answer, Blues Pills, Kris Barras Band, Florence Black, The Cruel Knives, Austin Gold and more, with plenty more to be announced.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of Airbourne live in Norwich

Arctangent reveals initial wave of acts

Bristol’s Arctangent has revealed a wave of acts set for next August’s event including deafheaven playing ‘Sunbather’ in full.

They are joined by the likes of Pigs x7, And So I Watch You From Afar, Loathe, Brutus, Scalping, Svalbard, Conjurer and many more.

Tickets are here.

Listen to our ‘Hard & Heavy’ Spotify Playlist

South Facing bill revealed for 2023

Crystal Palace Bowl in London will once again host South Facing festival next summer and this week Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and more were amongst the first acts revealed.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of The Snuts live in Norwich

News Report

Peter Gabriel announces first EU tour in nearly a decade!

We stay with the live side of things next as our News Report moves onto the best tour announcements from the past week!

Peter Gabriel has revealed his first European tour in nearly a decade including UK dates in Birmingham, London, Glasgow and Manchester.

Gabriel said of the tour: “It’s been a while and I am now surrounded by a whole lot of new songs and am excited to be taking them out on the road for a spin. Look forward to seeing you out there.”

Tickets are here.

Read our review of ‘The Car’ from Arctic Monkeys

Peter Hook & The Light reveal additional UK dates

Peter Hook & The Light will be bringing his ‘Joy Division: A Celebration’ tour back to the UK again next April.

Hook will be performing the albums ‘Unknown Pleasures’ and ‘Closer’ plus an opening set of New Order material.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of ‘Songs From Planet Earth’ from Deux Furieuses

Primal Scream & Happy Mondays to team up in Margate

We continue our News Report with news that Saturday 5th August will see Dreamland in Margate taken over be a co-headline show from Primal Scream and Happy Mondays.

Tickets are here.

Find Full Pelt Music on Youtube

James announce 40th Anniversary Tour

In celebration of their 40th Anniversary, James have announced a new UK ‘James Lasted’ Tour complete with 22-piece orchestra and gospel choir!

Tim Booth says “There are a number of great bands who have been around for 40. But to get here and to be having the best time of our lives. To be part of a supportive loving family that still has something to say and new ways to say it. To be turned on by every gig and song. To fall in love over and over again, Groundhog Day, with our bandmates and audience. Damn. That’s time well spent.

We should have recorded the orchestra tour first time round, as many of you have reminded us. Well, we’ve done it now. And here comes the tour. The Orchestra and Gospel singers expand our palette, heighten the tenderness, heighten the celebration and, despite their numbers, somehow leave us feeling more naked and raw. It will be different, probably each night, because we are James and Joe knows how to dance with us. And because you are different, each night. Please leave your phones behind, come and play in the moment.

Jim Glennie says “Has it really been 40 years? In some ways it feels like yesterday and in others, many lifetimes. I’ve lived a blessed existence, being in a band I’m supremely proud of with musicians that would grace any stage. A family of brothers and sisters, willing to support each other musically and emotionally. We are bloody minded and independent to the core. Uniquely challenging, always pushing ourselves into the new and taking risks collectively and individually, looking for transcendence. With love, trust, and acceptance we grow. Somewhere in a parallel universe, James are the biggest band on the planet. Here’s to another 40 years.

Tickets and album pre-orders are here.

Read our review of ‘Signs of Life’ from Asylums

Razorlight announce ‘best of’ Tour

News Report

Our News Report continues with the news that Razorlight will hitting the road in April next year for a special ‘best of’ tour.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of the self-titled album from The Hunna

Daughtry reveal UK Tour

Daughtry will be returning to the UK in March for a run of dates that will conclude at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of Sum 41 live in London

British Lion set up new UK run

Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris will once again be taking British Lion on the road in the UK next January. Joining them for these shows will be Coney Hatch and Airforce.

Steve Harris comments, “We’re excited to be touring the UK again especially as we’ll be visiting many places we’ve not had a chance to play before. It’s fantastic that we’ve got long-time friends Coney Hatch coming over from Canada to join us. We had great fun when they were our special guests on the British Lion Canadian shows in 2018. And we’re happy to have our old mates Airforce back out on the road with us too. Everyone is really looking forward to this tour and we can’t wait to see everyone.”

Tickets are here.

Read our review of Iron Maiden at Download Festival

Dirty Honey announce ‘California Dreamin’ Tour

Rockers Dirty Honey have announced a UK/EU Tour taking place early next year.

Prior to the tour, in January 2023, the band are set to release a brand new, re-recorded version of album track ‘Heartbreaker’.

“Some songs really come to life after they’ve been performed a bunch of times. You can really see an audience react to a line being sung a certain way or a riff grooving that you didn’t think of while recording in the studio. Over time we realized the song took on a new life on the road in both North America and Europe and we wanted to capture that energy….” – Marc Labelle, vocalist of Dirty Honey, talking about Heartbreaker 2.0

Tickets are here.

Read our review of Dirty Honey supporting Rival Sons

Dream State reveal UK tour dates

A refreshed Dream State have revealed their first UK Tour with their new look line-up.

Tickets are here.

Read our review of Pulled Apart By Horses live in Norwich

Pet Needs expand their ‘Primetime Entertainment’ Tour

Pet Needs have announced additional dates for their ‘Primetime Entertainment’ Tour, with the new shows taking place early next year.

Tickets are here.

Watch Episode 11of The Full Pelt Music Podcast with guests Pet Needs

The Full Pelt Music Podcast – Episode 11 – Pet Needs

Read our review of ‘Primetime Entertainment’ from Pet Needs

News Report

Skindred announce new album ‘Smile’

Skindred – ‘GIMME THAT BOOM’

We move our News Report on now to the best new releases from the past week and we begin with Skindred!

The group this week announced new album, ‘Smile’, will be released August 4th. The band also shared new single, ‘GIMME THAT BOOM’, which you can check out above.

The track is based on a frustrating encounter lead singer Benji Webbe had with an overfamiliar fan.
 
“I was out shopping one day and I could hear someone building up asking me for a picture,” Webbe recalls. “The person didn’t care who I was with or what I was doing – they just wanted their picture. In this day and age, people want you and they expect to get you on tap, constantly giving you that ‘boom’ so they can get their Instagram Likes up. It’s important to remember that people can’t give you that ‘boom’ all the time. People think because they follow you on social media, they own you.”

Pre-order your copy here.

Read our review of Download Pilot Festival

The Dead Daisies share ‘Born To Fly’

The Dead Daisies – ‘Born To Fly’

Ahead of their UK Tour next month, The Dead Daisies have released new single, ‘Born To Fly’, which you can listen to above.

“Doug & I got together in New York earlier in the year and worked on a riff that I had written previously.  Doug had a chorus that just fitted, we messed around with the melody and came up with the name ‘Born To Fly’.  This is a straight-up rock song.  For me it’s literal, I was born to fly.  However we’re all born to fly in our own way.” – David Lowy

Tickets are here.

Listen to our ‘Hard & Heavy’ Playlist

REWS share ‘The World That You Left Behind’

REWS – ‘The World That You Left Behind’

This week saw REWS share new single, ‘The World That Left You Behind’, which you can check out above.

“Ah! I’m ecstatic about finally releasing this song!! It’s got so much energy, riff’s for days and a great message!! I wrote it with a great friend of mine from NI, Cahir O’Doherty (New Pagans). It is a song that journey’s through how we can support those people in our lives who get carried away with negative thoughts and feel utterly lost and alone. Hopefully the song will provide a nice audio net for people to fall into at times of need, so they know they aren’t alone!” – Shauna

More here.

Read our review of REWS at Y Not Festival

The Bottom Line debut ‘Fake Love’

The Bottom Line – ‘Fake Love’

The Bottom Line have debuted their latest single, ‘Fake Love’, which you can check out above.

More here.

Listen to our Podcasts

Black Honey announce 3rd album ‘A Fistful of Peaches’

Black Honey – ‘Heavy’

Our News Report continues with the news that Black Honey will release their third album, ‘A Fistful of Peaches’, on March 17th.

You can check out their new single, ‘Heavy’, above.

Pre-order your copy here.

Read our review of Black Honey live in Norwich

Dream Wife debut ‘Leech’

Dream Wife – ‘Leech’

Finally, our News Report brings you ‘Leech’, the brand new single from Dream Wife, which you can of course listen to above!

More here.

Read our review of Dream Wife at Y Not Festival

News Report
News Report

As always we conclude our News Report with the latest additions to our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist!

News Report
Dissonants – ‘Grave Mind’

Dissonants have shared their huge new single ‘Grave Mind’.

‘Lyrically, Grave Mind is more conceptual than our previous work. I wrote the track from the viewpoint of someone on their deathbed looking back on their life and wondering if, now that it’s over and coming to a close, they can be happy and at peace. For this track we wanted to draw less from our own experiences and look at concepts such as mortality and happiness, and how one can affect the other’. – Frontman Benjie Allen.

News Report
M(h)aol – ‘Asking For It’

M(h)aol will release debut album, ‘Attachment Styles’ on February 3rd. This week they shared new single, ‘Asking For It’.

On the track singer Róisín said, “I wrote it initially in 2016 then revisited it in 2020. I was shocked by how much internalised victim blaming there was in the lyrics. I rewrote it, then we recorded it and it was released to raise money for Women’s Aid in 2021. The album version is a lot angrier than the 2021 one and almost satirical insofar as it’s highlighting how ludicrous the notion of anyone ‘asking for it’ is.”

News Report
Chasing Kites – ‘Shiver’

Bath-based indie-rock four-piece Chasing Kites return with their fourth single ‘Shiver’.

Speaking about the writing process, vocalist and lyricist Matt Donnelly explains, ‘’Shiver came together extremely quickly. I’d had the lyrics lying around for a very long time and felt they fit perfectly with the sonic side of the track when the melody was written. As we built on the skeleton of the song, our aim was to take us back into the realms of indie rock through powerful injections of energy in the choruses, while maintaining our commercial sound throughout.’’

Watch Episode 21 of our ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast with guests Dissonants

‘Discover’ New Music Podcast – Episode 21 – Dissonants

Listen, Follow and Discover your new favourite act now with our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist

Then find out the stories behind the songs on our ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast!

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Read our review of Bury Tomorrow live in Norwich

Categories
Live Reviews

Reading Festival

Saturday 27th August 2022

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READING FESTIVAL – SATURDAY – FESTIVAL REVIEW

Reading & Leeds Festivals are the traditional end of the UK Festival season, and this year is a milestone year as a full calendar takes place for the first time since 2019. Let’s not dwell on why, instead let’s head straight into the action on a packed and hot Saturday at Reading Festival.

Sold out well in advance, Saturday at this year’s event is a particularly hot ticket with a stunning line-up throughout and topped by Arctic Monkeys and Bring Me The Horizon.

We are in the arena bright and early for surprise opening act Wargasm who storm the main stage with a set packed full of energy and attitude. The band appears to be on a world conquering mission, and nobody can argue their work ethic. It’s also damn hard to argue with their captivating stage presence and musical outlay.

WATCH ‘FUKSTAR’ FROM WARGASM ON YOUTUBE
WARGASM – ‘Fukstar’

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We then head into the ‘Festival Republic’ Tent for the next couple of acts. With the new two main stage structure at Reading & Leeds Festivals the separate ‘Pit’ and ‘Lock-up’ stage has sadly been a much missed casualty. There is much less choice now for the music connoisseurs amongst the crowd; which isn’t a problem with a stacked line-up like today but is very evident on Friday and Sunday.

This change does mean there is less cohesion in the line-up with heavy rockers Static Dress followed by lad rock upstarts The Skinner Brothers in the tent. Despite their difference styles both deliver energetic and well-received performances for the early risers.

There is more indie-fuelled sing-a-long action next back on the main stages with The Lathums pulling in a decent crowd. Whilst there is nothing earth-shatteringly new about what they do, The Lathums do this modern stock-indie reasonably well.

WATCH POPPY PLAY ‘BLOODMONEY’ AT READING FESTIVAL
Poppy – ‘BLOODMONEY’

Whilst there were no moulds broken on one main stage, over on the other is Poppy, an artist who has broken every mould she’s been in. Yes, originally a Youtube sensation, then a bubblegum pop idol and now a heavy metal phenomenon, Poppy crosses many boundaries. Today she oozes rockstar appeal as she owns the stage with their eclectic musical offerings, proving along the way that she retains a very bright future.

A bright future is also ahead for Sueco, who attracts a good sized audience in the tent next for his debut UK performance. Over the next thirty minutes Sueco has that crowd in the palm of his hands as he runs through fans favourites including TikTok sensation ‘Paralyzed’.

Enter Shikari are a band more concerned with the future of the planet than that of their career and they take a main stage next for a politically charged call to arms with epic musical accompaniment. New single, ‘The Void Stares Back’ including guests Wargasm sounds absolutely huge as do tracks from previous album, ‘Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible’.

WATCH ENTER SHIKARI PLAY ‘{ THE DREAMER’S HOTEL }’ AT READING
Enter Shikari – { The Dreamer’s Hotel }’

Read our review of Enter Shikari live in London

A passionate speech is curtailed through either a power failure or for the conspiracy theorists – censorship. Either way even with a stifled end to their set, the band show once again that they are one of the best live acts on the planet.

We’ve mentioned the stacked line-up today and part of the reason for such excitement is the collection of a number of bands in the best live act conversation. Next up on the other main stage are Fontaines D.C. who receive a hero’s welcome by swelled crowd.

WATCH FONTAINES D.C. PLAY ‘BOYS IN THE BETTER LAND’ AT READING
Fontaines D.C. – ‘Boys In The Better Land’

Read our review of ‘Skinty Fia’ from Fontaines D.C.

New album, ‘Skinty Fia’, takes centre stage as the band deliver the likes of ‘I Love You’, ‘Jackie Down the Line’ and ‘Roman Holiday’. A young fan coming out the crowd to ace guitar on ‘Boys in the Better Land’ provides one of the highlights of the festival, and the band leave the stage having proven themselves to be in the pool of future headliners.

Another band no doubt destined to headline Reading Festival in the not too distant future is Wolf Alice. Whether rocking hard on ‘Smile’, serenading us with ‘Safe From Heartbreak (If You Never Fall in Love)’ or showing their all round brilliance on ‘The Last Man on Earth’, Wolf Alice are a band that can literally do it all.

WATCH WOLF ALICE PLAY ‘HOW CAN I MAKE IT OK?’ AT READING
Wolf Alice – ‘How Can I Make It OK?’

Read our review of Wolf Alice live in Norwich

A twelve song set absolutely flies by this evening and with a rammed field of fans left desperate for more, surely a full headline show from the band is a must next time they come to town.

That’s one thing Reading & Leeds Festivals have always excelled at – giving new headliners their shot. That’s exactly what they do next with heavy hitters Bring Me The Horizon finally being given the main stage headline festival set they earned years ago!

What those who gather for the performance are greeted with is a band at the peak of their powers, both creatively and as a live act. The band proceed to deliver a memorable set for all the right reasons. This is a victory for Bring Me The Horizon and for heavy music and the band do all in their powers to fulfil all expectations.

WATCH BRING ME THE HORIZON PLAY ‘BAD HABITS’ WITH ED SHEERAN AT READING
Bring Me The Horizon – ‘Bad Habits’ feat. Ed Sheeran

Read our review of Bring Me The Horizon live in London

The setlist is flawless, the visuals are stunning, the crowd interaction is on point and the band sound incredible; this is a real moment. A moment made even bigger by the band bringing out Ed Sheeran for a dose of ‘Bad Habits’ to the ear-piercing sound of teenage girls screams.

This is the sort of performance that you don’t want to follow but that’s just what Arctic Monkeys have to do next. Being one of the most hotly anticipated acts of the weekend and one much craved by fans in recent years, surely this would be easy for megastars such as Arctic Monkeys.

WATCH ARCTIC MONKEYS PLAY ‘R U MINE’ AT READING
Arctic Monkeys – ‘R U Mine’

Sadly for those in attendance what the band deliver is a lukewarm showing. The opposite of Bring Me The Horizon, the setlist is poor, the visuals are basic, the crowd interaction is nearly non-existent and the sound is too low. A stunning day such as this needed a big finish and that should in hindsight of been Bring Me The Horizon.

Arctic Monkeys are a huge act with a back catalogue you can hold against anybody else, but today it feels like a phoned in effort. It isn’t a bad show by any stretch of the imagination; it’s a good show that should’ve been a great show.

Hopefully the band can rediscover their spark with new album, ‘The Car’ on the way, but tonight belongs to a different Sheffield band!

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Categories
Magazine

News Report

Every week we roundup the best music news from the past week!

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News Report

Bring Me The Horizon debut new single ‘sTraNgeRs’

Bring Me The Horizon – ‘sTraNgeRs’

Welcome all to another edition of our weekly music News Report. This week we start with the best new releases from the past seven days.

Up first are Bring Me The Horizon who this week debuted their latest single, ‘sTraNgeRs’, which you can check out above.

More here.

Read our review of Bring Me The Horizon live in London

The Cult share new single ‘Give Me Mercy’

The Cult – ‘Give Me Mercy’

The Cult have announced the October 7th release of new album, ‘Under The Midnight Sun’.

To celebrate, the band have also shared their new single, ‘Give Me Mercy’, which you can listen to above.

Ian Astbury comments, “I was absolutely enamoured with this piece of music Billy had written, and it perfectly fit these thoughts I’d been having about our culture’s need to move past assumptions of duality.  We need new language because words can’t express where we’re going.” 

Billy Duffy adds, “‘Give Me Mercy’ has all the hallmarks of the new classic Cult to my ears … fresh yet familiar.”

Pre-order your album here.

Listen to ‘Give Me Mercy’ on our ‘Hard & Heavy’ Playlist

The HU debut ‘Black Thunder’

The HU – ‘Black Thunder’

There was also new music on offer this week from The HU. The band continue to build towards their second album, ‘Rumble of Thunder’, which is out September 2nd.

You can listen to their latest single, ‘Black Thunder’, above.

Vocalist Gala shared, “’Black Thunder’ is the crown jewel of our second album. The music video is split into two parts and conveys the core values of men through visuals. Our producer Dashka chose a unique location in Mongolia to shoot the video, where we had a great time riding the horses in the vast grassland of our countryside. We hope that our pride in our culture shines through, as we aimed to bring viewers joy and a piece of our culture through this video.”

Speaking on their next studio album, he continued, “Our second album will include ‘Black Thunder’, along with many new songs. We can’t wait for you to listen and enjoy it as much as we enjoyed recording it.”

Pre-order your copy here.

Listen to ‘Black Thunder’ on our ‘Hard & Heavy’ Playlist

Massive Wagons share new single ‘Fuck the Haters’

Massive Wagons – ‘Fuck the Haters’

It was a big week for Massive Wagons as the band shared their latest single, ‘Fuck the Haters’, which you can click through to listen to on Youtube above.

The track will feature on their brand new album, ‘TRIGGERED!’, which is out October 28th.

Pre-order your copy here.

Read our review of Download Festival

Wargasm debut ‘Fukstar’

Wargasm – ‘Fukstar’

Momentum continues for Wargasm as the band debuted their latest single this week. Listen to ‘Fukstar’ above.

More here.

Listen to ‘Salma Hayek’ from Wargasm on our ‘Hard & Heavy’ Playlist

News Report

Levellers announce Acoustic Tour

We move our News Report on now to the best tour announcements from the past week, and we start with a special acoustic tour from Levellers.

The band comment, “We are really excited to be recording a new acoustic album, going through some of our old material, rearranging it for today and doing some new stuff too. Also massively pleased to introduce new member Dan Donnelly to the recording world, and to be working with members of the ‘collective’ again – and some new guys. Then we’re looking forward to touring it! Going around the country’s most beautiful old theatres and some unique and different other venues too. Hopefully see you all there!”

Tickets are here.

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Stray From The Path announce intimate album release shows

To mark the upcoming release of their new album, ‘Euthanasia’, set for release on September 9th, Stray From The Path, have announced a celebratory tour of intimate album release shows for October.

Speaking of tour, guitarist, Tom Williams, says, “We are stoked to return back to the UK and mainland Europe to do some small and intimate album release shows for our new record, ‘Euthanasia’.

By the time we get there, it will be almost three years since we’ve been back. We’ve dropped ‘Guillotine’ and ‘III’ and our UK/EU people have been wanting us back ASAP, I’m glad we can get back there for them.

We’re bringing with us a brand new album, two amazing up and coming bands in Vatican and Guilt Trip, and three years of too much time spent away from some of our favourite places on earth.”

Tickets are here.

Listen to The Full Pelt Music Podcast

The Xcerts announce UK Tour

Our News Report continues with the news that The Xcerts will be returning for a UK Tour this September.

The shows are part of the Music Venue Trust‘s #ReviveLive series, meaning Lottery players can get a second ticket for free!

Tickets are here.

Read our review of Jimmy Eat World live in London

Normandie announce special London shows

Normandie this week announced a series of special London shows for this November.

Across three dates the band will play each of their three albums at the capitals OMEARA venue.

Remaining tickets are here.

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

Working Men’s Club announce November Tour

Also announcing a tour this past week were Working Men’s Club who will be out on the road this November.

Tickets are here.

Listen to our ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast

Tom Chaplin announces UK Tour

Our final tour announcement in this week’s News Report comes from Keane frontman Tom Chaplin. He will be touring the UK this October.

Tickets are here.

Listen to our Spotify Hot List!

News Report

As always we conclude our News Report with the latest additions to our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist!

The Native – ’20 Something’

The Native share their brand new single ‘20 Something’.

Frontman Charlie Noordewier says, “This song is about a person who is ruining their life with addiction. It started as self medicating at weekends trying to escape from their job and slowly declined into more drink and drugs. They’re working a hard job all week and then blowing all their cash at the weekend to distract themselves from their unhappiness – rather than escaping from the rut they have created.”

Jack Valero – ‘Hollow Warmth’

Jack Valero has shared his second single, ‘Hollow Warmth’.

Jack says, “This continues the abstract motifs of the previous video with a little bleak humour added in. It’s supposed to be a classic breakup narrative, but with a dark twist that can be interpreted in many different ways.

We touch on the ideas of isolation again, but this time dive more into the sometimes dark privacy of a person. It can be taken metaphorically or literally, but either way it should make you feel like you’re getting a peek into someone’s very private world and maybe make you feel a little uncomfortable.”

Humour – ‘yeah, mud!’

Humour share their debut single, ‘yeah, mud!’, an early live favourite, with the band saying the following on the themes behind the track:

This song was one that just came to us. I think it came together in less than an hour and everything just seemed to fit first time. A lot of the lyrics are inspired by an old book Andreas read. In this book a soldier realises he’s about to die and writes his mother a note.

I think it’s interesting to think about what you might have to say if you realised you were going to die in a few minutes, and what you’d then say to your mother. Lots of pressure to come up with something important.”

Listen, Follow and Discover your new favourite act now with our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist

Then find our the stories behind the songs on our ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast!

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Read our review of the Hella Mega Tour