Artists
Data Select Party
"...maybe what minus the bear would sound like if their sole goal was to get you shaking your moneymaker, this band is a wonky grooved winner." - Kerrang
Tortuga
Tortuga are a dirty, riff heavy hardcore band comprised of ex-members of UK hardcore legends November Coming Fire. They possess a sound that appears to sit at a stark crossroad between the elemental power of Cult of Luna, the churning complexity of Breather Resist or Botch and the punk attitude of Fucked Up and Hot Snakes.
The Ergon Carousel
3/5 of Narcosis, and dudes who used to be in Carmen and Beecher. Possibly faster than Narcosis and maybe with more (awesome) defined riffs, Ergon could maybe be Narcosis 2.0, but are still fucking amazing already.
Devil Sold His Soul
"Darkly atmospheric, a heartrending desperation infuses the music from start to finish as each song shifts between glacial melodic lulls and devastating crescendos over insistent, hypnotic rhythms. Thrilling unique and utterly brilliant." - Dan Slessor
the_Network
Myspace
"...there are bruises, there is broken equipment, there is sweat, there is tension and there is reckless abandon. Moost of all, there is a fucking iron-willed passion." - Ryan J McKenney. Believe what this man says. the_Network do not fuck about. If Ion Dissonance, in their prime, had thrown away all their Meshuggah and technical death metal records and gotten an education from Drowningman and All Else Failed instead, you would arrive somewhere loosely marked 'the_Network.'
Dananananaykroyd
Website / Myspace
Hailing from Glasgow, Dananananaykroyd is the sound of Black Flag listening to far too much awesome indie-pop. Or, if the band is to be believed, the sound of self-proclaimed 'fight-pop'. Regardless - this six-piece, that incorporates 2 drummers into their line-up, produce songs that are as catchy as anything on Domino, yet as gritty as anything on SST in its prime.
Mirror! Mirror!
Myspace
Having beavered away for a couple of years on their local midlands scene, these self-proclaimed 'baby-faced as-sass-ins' have recently taken things up a notch with plaudits from The Klaxons amongst other luminaries. If The Rapture had been hardcore kids in their youth they may have produced something as musically thrilling as Mirror! Mirror!
Throats
Myspace
Finally, after a couple of years of pleading from Holy Roar, this country has produced a band that can stand toe-to-toe with Breather Resist, Coliseum and many of the bands on Black Market Activities. Think the energy of Converge and early Breather Resist married to the RIFF POWER of Curl Up And Die, Coliseum and Doomriders. We hope that Throats help bring an end to all the shit metal this country is producing.
Maths
Myspace
With a serious lack of passionate, visceral, TUNEFUL, real screamo in this country, along come Maths. That such a wall of epic, dense, well-written rock can come from such a young entity consisting of just drums, guitar, bass and vocal is incredible. They also possess one of the countrys best young drummers in our opinion. Think of bands such as Saetia, City of Caterpillar, Orchid and Jeromes Dream and you are close, but this has infinitely more appeal.
Cutting Pink With Knives
Myspace
Cutting Pink With Knives inject a variety of influences from 80s rock, hip-hop, pop and dance music to arrive at a sound that is undeniably their own. Unquestionably pop, enviably concise, Cutting Pink With Knives lodge themselves deep within your cranium without wasting a single second.
Chronicles of Adam West
Myspace
Chronicles of Adam West are adamant they are not a grind band. So whatever you feel like calling them, be it tech-death-avant-rock-metal, just make sure it's not grind. Despite having only been together a relatively short amount of time, COAW have managed to forge a name for themselves as purveyors of relentless tech-metal with death-tinges, which crosses over to lands normally inhabited by something far more experimental or even prog. Comparisons with the likes of Meshuggah, Psyopus and co may seem fair but only hint at what this band are capable of, as anyone who's a fan of other genre-bending UK bands such as Rolo Tomassi and even The Murder Of will find something in COAW they can enjoy.
Chariots
Myspace
With an album released on BSM in '04 and some chaotic live performances, Chariots proved that a British band could have a pretty impressive take on the emo violence genre. Comparisons with Orchid and Pg.99 might come close but never really explained what was special about the Watford mob, who momentarily disbanded just as more hearts were won to the cause. A temporary reformation, with a new line up, has produced their swansong. With 'The Inner Life' EP, Chariots have produced the farewell record which has redefined their boundaries once again, and makes their demise all the more sad. Taking any of the genre names which may have been associated with Chariots before to another plane altogether, their sound remains crushing and intense whilst taking in a far wider scope, involving atmospheric instrumental interludes and post-rock passages which combine with something altogether more heavy, beautiful and sinister. Fans of anything from Envy and Yaphet Kotto to Shikari and His Hero is Gone should take note. Don't be too late again.
Gallows
Website / Myspace
Gallows seem to need no introduction right now, and there's little that can be said about them that hasn't been paraphrased far more slickly by the music press already. Ignore the hype, Gallows make some of most furious, uncompromising and incendiary heavy music the UK has seen in a while. Their sound is a rock 'n' roll explosion with a punk rock attitude and one the hardcore kids can bop their heads along to aswell. The most important British punk band since The Clash? OK, maybe don't ignore the hype. As they might've got it right this time...
Bloody Panda
Website / Myspace
Bloody Panda was birthed in the cold sub-chambers of grim New York City in 2003 A.D. A thirst for new musical perversions besieged guitarist/firebreather Rothenberger and 4-string undulationist Camphire and the Doom Gods answered by bestowing upon them the Archpriestess of Doom, Yoshiko OHara. Vokillist OHaras demo (Spiral) became the basis for early musical collaboration. Songs were composed strictly on the last day of the Earths existence, and high peaks of scorn were exhibited thusly. Keymaster/Necromancer Black McDowell further fortified the project and the undying funeral that is Bloody Panda was hence born. Battleskins are being provided by Dan Weiss, renowned tabla and drum master of depths unknown.
Phoenix Bodies
Website / Myspace
Phoenix Bodies play some of the heaviest music to be created without a bass player. Their unique line-up gives them a signature sound that does not commonly exist throughout hardcore or punk rock. Seeing them play live is a bit like getting tarred and feathered. The guitars provide the thick soupy mess that coats your body, while the singers ridicule you by yelling in your face, and the drums hit you with sharp, stinky bird coverings.
Kayo Dot
Website / Myspace
Rolo Tomassi
Website / Myspace
Rolo Tomassi may have been referred to as the north of Englands best kept secret, although theyre not going to be a secret for much longer. With five tracks and a short piano piece clocking in at just under 25 minutes, the band are set to smash any preconceptions you may have had about a) extreme and spazzy music and b) the band themselves and their age. Far more evolved than the constraints of jazzy noise or synth-screamo, Rolo Tomassi leap confidently from genre to genre. Moments of oddly-timed chaos flow comfortably into sanguine prog-rock workouts, otherworldly, alien noises sit happily alongside bass-led doom riffs. Its eclectic stuff - without ever sounding disjointed.