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“Whatever you’re going through, this is pure escapism”: Inside LEAP’s debut album Entropy

As rising rock’n’roll quartet LEAP gear up to drop their debut album Entropy this Friday, the band unpack what’s going on throughout its 11 tracks…

VENUS GRRRLS: “We’ve not had a conventional journey… We’re all just really proud to still be here doing this”

In the same way their namesake planet spins in the opposite direction to most, Leeds-based witchy rock outfit VENUS GRRRLS are anything but normal. As they head out on their biggest tour to date, they tell us how beating cancer and being slowed by the pandemic have only made them ambitiously “stubborn”…

In pictures: Abyssal Festival is the ultimate celebration of the UK stoner and doom underground

Here’s what went down at this year’s awesome Abyssal Festival, featuring Slomatics, Trippy Wicked, Uncoffined, Mastiff, Vnder A Crvmbling Moon, Sugar Horse and more…

“We were laughing at one of the titles because it was so miserable”: Paradise Lost on three decades of turning woe into iconic metal

After 35 years, Brit metal legends Paradise Lost still haven’t cheered up. Disarmingly jolly frontman Nick Holmes explains how, on new album Ascension, “it’s misery compounded”, and how he’s actually less like Victor Meldrew than his mates…

Agriculture: “As artists, we’re interested in finding the profound and the divine in everyday life”

Agriculture are one of the boldest bands in American black metal, but their grandstanding music is founded in the simple beauty of the world around them. On second album The Spiritual Sound, they’re digging deep through the spectrum of beauty and horror, stress and serenity swirling within…

“We wanna create this universe for people to step into”: How Castle Rat are putting the fantasy back into metal

All hail Castle Rat, the sword-wielding Brooklyn band making larger-than-life heavy metal with glorious gusto. As second album The Bestiary is unleashed, frontwoman Riley Pinkerton tells their story from low-budget beginnings to big-screen ambitions…

“There are no borders when it comes to music”: The story of BABYMETAL’s breakthrough

Before BABYMETAL took over the galaxy, they were three kids and a fox. With the release of their debut album and first tour with Lady Gaga, they began to break the shackles of the Earth, counting Bring Me The Horizon and Metallica as fans. The birth of a phenomenon? The start of an entirely new shape of things to come…

“The thought of not doing this anymore became f*cking terrifying”: Why YONAKA are stronger than ever

YONAKA have just made their emphatic return with new single Problems. But as vocalist Theresa Jarvis reveals, the band have gone through some “rocky patches” to get here. Now, she promises, this is “just the beginning…”

“Humour can really accentuate anger or frustration”: Why Liquid Mike are in full flow

Meet Liquid Mike, the prolific power-pop-punks specialising in angsty yet fun bangers. Fresh from the release of sixth album Hell Is An Airport, mainman Mike Maple reveals how he ensures he’s always “firing on all cylinders…”

Sprints: “We’re heading towards disaster, but disaster always comes back around to rebirth”

While the world seems to crumble around us, Sprints have had their own internal hurdles to overcome, all while experiencing widespread critical acclaim. The Dublin noise-rockers explain how “melancholy” new album All That Is Over helped reshape self-consciousness into confidence, finding flickers of hope in these perilous times…

“It’s been a minute – this is the ideal way to come back”: Good Charlotte on their long-awaited UK return at Slam Dunk

Returning for what will be their first UK appearances in over seven years, Good Charlotte are set to headline Slam Dunk Festival 2026. Fresh off the back of excellent eighth album Motel Du Cap, vocalist/guitarist Benji Madden looks ahead to a pair of “special” shows more than worth the wait…

Dying Wish: “It’s incredibly nihilistic. I had to reckon with the fact that art is supposed to be honest and uncomfortable”

A “time stamp” of what’s going on around us right now, Dying Wish are about to unleash their full, furious power on new album Flesh Stays Together. Vocalist Emma Boster reveals what it’s like having more eyes on the band than ever, the importance of finding common ground in society, and how she’s learning to use her platform…

“It’s a punch in the face – in a good way”: Why Coach Party’s new album Caramel hits the sweet spot

Their 2023 debut Killjoy showed big promise, and since then Isle Of Wight quartet Coach Party have been finetuning their live shows and pushing hard for a breakthrough. Now, second album Caramel will take them on a one-way trip to alt.rock glory…

Delilah Bon: “The problem isn’t young girls wanting to be a princess… It’s the idea that you need a prince”

As the founding mother of brat punk, Delilah Bon is perceived as one of the most rage-driven artists out there. Though her music so far has been nothing short of fierce and sparky, her new PRINCELESS PRINCESS EP is powered by a little more whimsy…

In pictures: My Chem, Deftones, blink-182 and more rule at Shaky Knees

Shaky Knees Festival 2025 took over Atlanta’s Piedmont Park at the weekend, with rock royalty, brilliant up-and-comers and everything in between…

ten56.: “When you sing about something 500 times, you stop reliving it. Writing these songs was the first step towards getting better”

Scourging second album IO marks the culmination of a decades-long journey out of darkness for ten56. frontman Aaron Matts. Things are better now. But knowing the spiral of abuse, anguish and addiction he’d been caught in is absolutely integral to understanding the music he makes today…

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