Somehow itâs already been almost a year and a half since Bullet For My Valentine released their self-titled seventh album. The record arrived in late 2021 and we now find ourselves in early 2023! Time has certainly flown by, but finally the band are getting to head out around the UK in support of the album.
WATCH ‘DROWNING’ FROM ATREYU ON YOUTUBE
Atreyu – ‘Drowning’
Tonight that sees the band kick off the UK leg of the tour at the Corn Exchange in Cambridge. Opening up proceedings are revamped Californian metallers Atreyu who receive a huge reception as they take to the stage.
The band of course has a long history and clearly many in the room are fully aware; soon enough though even those that werenât already familiar with the band are on board as well. Drummer turned front man Brandon Saller orchestrates the crowd superbly as the group run through the likes of âBecoming the Bullâ, âSave Usâ, ‘Drowning’ and âBlowâ. By the time they exit the stage, the reaction is even greater than when they arrived.
WATCH ‘VORTEX’ FROM JINJER ON YOUTUBE
Jinjer – ‘Vortex’
Anticipation is clearly high also for our next act, Ukraineâs much hyped Jinjer. Led by singer Tatiana Shmailyuk, the group instantly command the attention of the packed venue and show just why theyâve had so much attention in the last few years.
The time that the band spend onstage tonight feels short, which is usually a good sign; and itâs evident from the confident performance that the band feel at home and indeed belong on big stages. As far as their job tonight is concerned, by the time that they leave the stage theyâve got the crowd riled up and ready for our headliners but theyâve also left them wanting more Jinjer â which is precisely the outcome needed from their main support slot.
WATCH ‘KNIVES’ FROM BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE ON YOUTUBE
By the time Bullet For My Valentine hit the stage, the crowd have already been treated to a fantastic evening and to an extent the pressure is on for a band who have been much maligned by metal fans in recent times.
Each of their last three albums have been hailed as a return to form, but surely that actually indicates that the band have been delivering consistently good music? Their live shows have certainly continued to deliver the goods and despite being under the weather tonight is no different.
âKnivesâ, âOver Itâ and âPiece of Meâ get the audience on side from the beginning before â4 Words (to Choke Upon)â steps things up a notch. The pace of the set from here is relentless with a good mix of old and new material on offer from the band.
There is a nice surprise with the inclusion of rarity âHearts Burst Into Fireâ which does a good job of getting those phones up in the air. There is also plenty that gets the crowd moving as well with the likes of âScream Aim Fireâ and the final run of âYour Betrayalâ, âTears Donât Fallâ and âWaking the Demonâ all sounding absolutely massive tonight.
Whilst the career trajectory for the group may have slowed down, through their recent releases and shows like tonight, Bullet For My Valentine have shown that they still have plenty left in the tank!
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
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!
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.
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 âHeretic is here, and we knew from day one of recording that this song was something we wanted the world to hear immediately. Itâs 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, weâre extremely proud to showcase this track and canât wait to see what people think.â
Dani continues âfrom 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 â we couldnât be happier.â
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!
âParasiteâ is bolstered by a blistering solo from guest guitarist Andy James of Five Finger Death Punch. âI’ve known the lads in The Raven Age for years now,â says Andy. âI really like the direction they are heading with this third record and enjoyed doing a guest solo for âParasiteâ. Itâs a heavy but memorable track that hits you right between the eyes.â
For the Essex quintetâs âall-important third albumâ, as George Harris puts it, they have expanded on every level.
This motivation is written into the albumâs concept. Following the theme of its two predecessors, the raven motif looms large, this time centering on the overthrowing of old masters, with the bandâs Raven King character coming to prominence. Even in the artwork, things are bolder, a close up of The Raven King, says George, âtaking his rightful place on the throne.â
The theme weaves itself throughout ‘Blood Omen’, kicking off with âParasiteâ as MJ explains, âThereâs the legend about the ravens in the Tower Of London, that if they were ever to leave, the monarchy falls. Without being too political, âParasiteâ 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.â
âIt’s a heavy track,â MJ continues, âWe knew we wanted to come back with a real punch between the eyes. Itâs the full introduction to our Raven King, and it touches on elements of everything to come. It really shows where weâre going on this album.â
The album also sees the recorded debut of new guitarist Tommy Gentry, the prodigiously talented axeman â whose previous work includes stints with Marco Mendoza and former Judas Priest six-stringer KK Downing.
âTommy was in our sights from day one,â says George. âHe’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.â
‘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.
ââSixersâ was written in the first days of the pandemic,â says frontman Craig Finn. âItâs 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 itâs not quite there. Itâs hard to make friends when your job is so demanding. Tad and Steve chime in with some beautiful guitar harmonies.â
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, âWorking 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, âThis one felt anthemic from the get go. Even though under the surface itâs about somewhere everyoneâs been in their life before: regret of losing someone amazing due to your inner demons and seeing them moving on with their life, when youâre stuck in a ânightmare not a dream.â When I first sat down to write it I had Holden Caulfield from âCatcher in the Ryeâ in mind. Itâs playing out in his mind and itâs his own paranoia destroying him from the inside out when in reality sheâs the perfect woman.”
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, âItâs not everyday you shoot a music video with a badger! Why a badger? Because badgers are assholes. Theyâre 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.”
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!
ââStill Holding Onâ is the first song weâre releasing off our newest recordings, from the first full album sessions since 2019! Itâs a hint of a flavor for the next LP to be released later this year. Since weâll be touring the UK this month we thought weâd give our friends here a treat and release it exclusive to the United Kingdom.”â says singer Kelly Ogden.
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: âRebound 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.â
The comes ahead of the bands upcoming UK Tour in April.
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!
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
Glasgow four-piece Spyres return with their new single, ‘Sleep Forever’.
Vocalist/guitarist Keira McGuire explains:
âSleep 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.â
FUDGE.- ‘Y.F.F.G.’
FUDGE. release their new single, ‘YOUR FALL FROM GRACE’, taken from their forthcoming ‘THATâS JUST IT, THIS IS NOW’ EP!
Commenting about ‘Y.F.F.G.’ singer Cam says: âItâs different to our usual songs but itâs 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 youâre on your own late at night or early morning. That may sound strange but some of you might get what I mean.â
Guitarist Otto expands: âI 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.â
Drummer Angus adds: âYou get to hear Camâs sensitive side on this song, which is usually hidden behind his radginess. Itâs 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, itâs bigger than its constituent parts. A bit of a banger in other words.â
IKONIK – ‘Wall of Stone‘
‘Wall of Stone’ is the debut single from IKONIK, the brainchild of Copenhagen’s Katrine Wachmann.
ââWall of Stoneâ 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 Iâm just truly humble, amazed and excited that IKONIK is off on its wings and ready to fly out into the worldâ.
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report, where we share the best music news from the past week. We start this week with a real smorgasbord of tour announcements.
First up, is the above special set of shows from Ash. The band will play 3 ‘Free All Angels’ 21st Anniversary Shows in Manchester, Birmingham and London this September!
Drummer Rick McMurray had the following to say: “We’re delighted to announce that we will be commemorating the 21st anniversary of the release of our 2001 classic, Free All Angels. Not least because we will be joined by the fourth member of Ash, guitarist extraordinaire, all-round Shining Light, the one and only, Charlotte Hatherley. Can. Not. Wait.”
Another band celebrating a special anniversary is Idlewild, who this week announced 20th Anniversary shows for ‘The Remote Part’ in Manchester and London.
The band also announced a reissue of the seminal album on vinyl, which is available for pre-order now.
Bullet For My Valentine also announced a huge UK Tour this week. Taking place early next year, the band will also be stopping off at the Roundhouse as well as a massive Swansea Arena show.
We move our News Report on now to festivals and we begin with Steelhouse Festival in Wales.
This week the event finalised their line-up with Europe and Von Hertzen Brothers joining the party.
They join the likes Ace Frehley, Michael Schenker, Inglorious, Graham Bonnet Band, Orange Goblin, Black Spiders, Green Lung, The Hot Damn! and many more.
Manchester’s Neighbourhood Festival has this week unveiled the line-up for this October with The Snuts, Everything Everything and Sundara Karma at the top of the bill.
Also playing are the likes of Lauran Hibberd, Louis Dunford, Ten Tonnes, The Goa Express, The Skinner Brothers, Anorak Patch, Courting and more.
We move on now to the new releases of the past week in our News Report. We start off with Skid Row who have unveiled the video for their new single ‘The Gang’s All Here’, which you can watch above.
ââThe Gang’s All Hereâ for me represents the brotherhood of this band. And with the addition on Erik our bond is more solid than ever. Our fans have always been part of the family, so when it was time to shoot a video, we handed the camera work over to them. After all, they have the best perspective to capture the excitement of a Skid Row show.â – Scotti Hill
âIâm so fâing psyched to finally release this video! This video is by the fans for the fans. A big shout out to all the fans who made this video happen. Thank you!â – Erik Grönwall
The song is the title track of their upcoming album which is released on October 14th.
October Drift release new single ‘Webcam Funerals’
October Drift – ‘Webcam Funerals’
October Drift released their latest single, ‘Webcam Funerals’, this week ahead of their new album, ‘I Don’t Belong Anywhere’ on September 23rd. You can listen to the track above, and pre-order the album here.
“I donât want to go into too much detail out of respect,â begins Kiran, âbut this song was written at the time of losing a friend during the height of the pandemic and lockdown. She passed after a long battle with cancer. Her son, a very close friend of mine, was living with me at the time of the funeral.
I watched online from my front room, while many others did the same from their homes. This song was a response to the strangeness and sadness of friends and family members not being able to be at the funeral or there for each other at that time.”
Kiran talks further about the track and album with us on The Full Pelt Music Podcast, which you can watch below.
The Full Pelt Music Podcast – Episode 10 – October Drift
TV Priest have shared new single, âIt Was Beautifulâ, taken from forthcoming album ‘My Other People’ out 17th June. You can listen to the track above.
Vocalist Charlie Drinkwater says of the single, ââIt Was Beautifulâ is a love song about the past, present, and future. A reminder that love is the most essential thing. The words came fast; it was recorded in a single emotive session, the first song we wrote together after my family had gone through a difficult experience and I think you can hear that in the kind of melancholy euphoria that plays out as the song progresses. In some ways itâs a coda to the whole album; a reminder to guard your hope fiercely.â
APHYXION have released their latest single, ‘Not Gonna Make It’, which you can check out above.
The band elaborate on the theme of the track:
“‘Not Gonna Make It’ is a song about broken love â a sad reflection of a relationship that once was – and trying to clutch at a straw while drowning in emotions. We never really touched the subject of love in our songs before. While our lyrics have constantly been circling around dystopic subjects both on a worldly and on a personal level, we simply wanted to embrace our emotions and thoughts from a new perspective.
While trying to leave a very black and white way of seeing things, we want to explore the polarity of emotions â where both love and hate co-exist because of their mutually dependent nature.â
We close this segment of our News Report with the latest single from Just Mustard. You can listen to ‘Seed’ above, and order their new album, ‘Heart Under’here.
As always we close out our News Report with the latest additions to our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist! Joining this week:
The Native – ‘Changes’
The Native return with their latest single, ‘Changes’, ahead of the band’s upcoming EP.
Singer Charlie Noordewier says, â‘Changes’ is about breaking out from the mundane cycle of life that so many find themselves stuck in, and pushing back against the people that put you down for trying to do something different.â
Chappaqua Wrestling – ‘Full Round Table’
Chappaqua Wrestling have shared their first new single of 2022, and first with new label EMI, âFull Round Tableâ.
The band explains: âWe wrote Full Round Table as a reaction to the endless negativity put in our faces about our generationâs future. So much news is greeted with the response of how screwed we are – hopeless views from unhelpful people.
Negativity about youth is relative per generation but today it feels stronger. We want to ignore the cynicism, get together, appreciate what really matters, and not let people tell us what we can’t do. The Full Round Table is full of our friends, and thatâs not changing.â
Fixation – ‘More Alive’
As Fixation prepare to release their debut album, they return with new single, ‘More Alive’.
âI wanted to highlight the negative effect social media can have om human relations. It’s harrowing how we spend more time maintaining our online facades, than taking care of our real-life relationships.
With âMore Aliveâ we hope to bring attention to this topic and help our listeners make conscious decisions on how they interact with social media.â – Jonas Hansen / Vocals
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes to headline Marshall Hootie
Welcome everyone to a special Easter edition of our weekly music News Report. We hope that you’re having a cracking weekend, and we have a cracking line-up for you as we begin with the latest festival announcements.
Marshall will be hosting a special celebration of their 60th anniversary this May. Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes will be headlining the Marshall Hootie in Viaduct Meadow, Hanwell.
They will be joined by Hot Milk, Crashface and Lyoness! Tickets are available here.
This week saw Bloodstock Festival revealed their updated line-up following a number of inevitable changes as live music continues to get back on its feet.
The line-up features the likes of Behemoth, Mercyful Fate, Lamb of God, Killing Joke, Bury Tomorrow, Jinjer, Butcher Babies, Sleep Token and Ferocious Dog.
We move quickly on to the best new tour announcements from the past week as our News Report continues. We start with some very special intimate shows from Bloc Party.
The album release shows take place this June in Brighton, Bristol and Norwich, and you can find more info here.
Fusion metal pioneers Dub War this week debuted their new single, ‘War Inna Babylon’ and you can listen above. The track features guest vocals from Roger Ranking of The Beat.
This song comes ahead of their new album, ‘Westgate Under Fire’ which arrives August 5th.
Speaking on the track and collaborating with Ranking Roger, Webbe says, “The original song by Max Romeo was in my family record collection as far back as I can remember. When meeting Ranking Roger, we discussed how punk rock and dub reggae had a massive influence on our lives. This song for us both was a massive hit, and we spoke about doing a collaboration and reviving the original with that Clash/The Ruts British punk rock energy to it.
Sadly, not long after we got to record the song with Roger, he passed away. But this song is one that we are very proud of, and we didnât just do a cover – we really made this unique cover of âWar Inna Babylonâ our own.â
As always we close out our News Report with the latest additions to our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist on Spotify. This week we have doubled up on the additions to celebrate Easter with the best new music!
‘MIRRORS’ – JUST MUSTARD
Dundalk five-piece Just Mustard share new single, ‘Mirrors’ taken from upcoming album, ‘Heart Under’.
Guitarist and “Mirrors” co-vocalist David Noonan says of the single: â”Mirrors”” was one of the final songs to be written for Heart Under, the lyrics and music arrived together in what felt like one moment and we wanted to keep the feeling of one thought or moment constant throughout the songâ.
‘INSTRUCTION MANUAL’ – ALL BETTER
Brighton’s alt-punk trio All Better join the playlist with their single ‘Instruction Manual’. The song features on upcoming debut album, ‘How To Be Alone’ which arrives May 6th.
‘RESTITUTION’ – MODES
Kent metallers MODES feature with their new single, ‘Restitution’.
MODES frontman Ted Berry reveals that the new singleâis a song that stems from difficult times that we have seen our closest friends and loved ones go through. Needing to give them support and a shoulder to lean on, while feeling that we can’t explain how or why we know what itâs like to be there because in that moment it’s not about us ,it’s about helping themâ
‘BLESSED BE THY’ – WITCH FEVER
Witch Fever return with new single, ‘Blessed Be Thy’.
Bassist Alex Thompson says of the track, âit just goes heavy”, as it boasts a crunchy wall of noise akin to bands like Show Me The Body and Gilla Band
Alex adds, âit was literally the last song we wrote before we went into the studio but came together really quickly. I think it still has an essence of some of our older material, so itâs a good way to bridge the gap.â
‘I KNOW WHEN YOU LEAVE’ – GUISE
Ahead of the release of their debut album ‘Youngest Daughter’, ‘I Know When You leave’ is the latest offering from London-based GUISE is a dazzling, vocal harmony led track that sees the foursome joined by singer-songwriter Emily Barker.
Discussing the story behind the heartfelt new track Jessicaexplains âI wrote the words to âI Know When You Leaveâ on a bus in Italy, and the tune came to me later back in London, Separation from the person I love is a pretty normal part of my life, but that doesnât make it easy all the time; things are generally just a bit worse when weâre apart, and thatâs what this is about.â
‘BLACKMOSS’ – SCRUFFY BEAR
Playlist and Podcast alumni Scruffy Bear return with new single, ‘Blackmoss’.
âThe world is a proper heavy place. I hate that everything is spun so negatively and we are trained to look for the worst in people and situations. Blackmoss is trying to work through the mud of confusion that everything is in and not getting too bogged down with it, but also learning to be open to other peopleâs experiencesâ – Lead singer Georgy Eaton
Welcome to another edition of our weekly music News Report. We are starting off this week with the latest festival news including a brand new event set for May!
Neck of the Woods will take place in Norwich this Spring and will feature a headline performance from The Kooks. The headline act announced details this week of their latest studio album. ’10 Tracks To Echo In The Dark’ will arrive July 22nd, and you can pre-order your copy here.
The Kooks will be joined in Norwich by the likes of DMA’s, Sea Girls, Lottery Winners, Yonaka, NOISY and The Goa Express.
One piece of tour news this week in our News Report and it comes from American rockers Godsmack. The band will make their way across to the UK and Europe next October for a rare run of dates over here.
Glasgow, Manchester, London and Birmingham will welcome the band as part of the tour. Find your tickets here.
Our News Report moves on now to the latest music releases from the past week. We stay America for our first artist, as Shinedown reveal the release details for their latest album, ‘Planet Zero’.
The album will arrive April 22nd, and you can listen to the title track above.
There isn’t long now until Stereophonics release their latest album, ‘Oochya!’. Whilst the album arrives on March 4th, this week the band previewed another track entitled ‘Forever’.
You can listen to that track above, and you can pre-order the album here.
Feeder also had new music to debut this week with the single ‘The Healing’ arriving ahead of new album ‘Torpedo’. Listen to the track above before the album arrives on March 18th.
