You know how sometimes you find a really good biscuit behind the sofa, and you don’t even remember putting it there, but you take one bite and it’s like--BOOM!—jammy centre, crunchy edge, everything amazing all at once, and you shout “YES PLEASE!” even though you’re entirely alone and probably meant to be vacuuming? Well, "Go!" by ROULETTE is just like that! Except with fewer crumbs, more guitars, and absolutely no raisins, which is ideal.

From the very first track, I knew I was in for a treat. It’s got that sort of big, zoomy sound that makes you want to leap onto a moving car and shout encouraging things at people doing stunts. You can really feel the drums in your knees, and the guitars are doing that lovely thing where they sound like they’re about to burst into flames, but in a polite and very Swedish way.

And the SINGING! I don’t know who taught this man to do that with his voice, but I hope they got a medal and a chocolate orange. He hits notes that made my ears go all fizzy—like pop rocks in a glass of lemonade—and then he swoops down into the sort of growly bits that make you want to phone your mum to say, “Hi, love you, everything’s fine, but I’ve just heard something AMAZING.”

There’s this one song—I think it’s called “What Are We Looking For” or possibly “Strangers” or maybe “Please Mind the Gap” (No, hang on, that might’ve been something else)—but anyway, it really goes for it. Just when you think it’s finished being brilliant, it pops back up with a solo that made me throw a cushion across the room in celebration. The cat didn’t like that, but sacrifices must be made in the pursuit of ROCK.

There’s this one with a keyboard bit that sounds like lasers doing jazz hands. I didn’t even know I needed that in my life, but I did. Ten out of ten.

The whole album is like being invited to a very loud party on a spaceship piloted by Bon Jovi, and everyone’s wearing leather trousers but no one’s being weird about it. It’s proper melodic rock, but not in a “Dad’s had two lagers and wants to talk about Boston” kind of way—more, “Let’s build a time machine and high-five 1986” sort of thing.

In conclusion: if this album were a dessert, it would be a triple-layer cake filled with fire and determination and probably some kind of highly flammable jam. I loved it. I played it three times in a row and then accidentally saluted my stereo. Honestly, I haven’t been this excited since I discovered you can fry cheese.

​So yes—Roulette’s "Go!" is spiffing. Loud, shiny, and extremely good at making you feel like your hair is longer than it is. I give it seven guitars, a drum kit, and a massive Swedish flag made entirely out of joy. [Editor: Is that out of 10 Matt or out of a Keenan & Kel outro?] GO get it! (See what I did there? Because of the name? Oh well. I'll see myself out.)

Words: Matt Denny

Good day and hello, fellow music fanatics! Today we will be talking about the solo debut from MARK ACEVES, who those of you in the know will recognize as the bringer of the low end thunder for the heavy rock juggernaut known as ZED. What you may not know is that Mark is a man of many talents, as he is a multi-instrumentalist, a fantastic singer, and one hell of a songwriter. Mark; as the Bandcamp description says,

“...Breaks free and steps into the spotlight with his solo debut "Magnum Dopus" "— a loud, unfiltered testament to loss, love, rebellion, and refusing to go quietly.
Written fast and raw between January and April 2025, "Magnum Dopus" captures the energy of a life lived with fists clenched and heart wide open.”

Following the death of Zed's drummer, Sean Boyles, the band went into a hiatus as they grieved his loss. Mark was extremely close to Sean, both personally and as musicians, so this album can be seen as his tribute to him, while also honouring the important people in his life. I believe that this pushed him to create something special, because that's precisely what "Magnum Dopus" is. 

I asked Mark to supply his thoughts on what he accomplished, and he was kind enough to share this with us …

“This album is really close to my heart because at its core it's both about the people I love, and it's about themes and ideas that are things I believe in. Things that I've had to put into practice to make it through to the next day at different points in my life. I use this album to honour my father and friend/drummer Sean Boyles who both passed away within a year of each other. I use this album to tell my wife how much I love her, and to give my kids some words of wisdom and love for when I'm no longer here to tell them. And then I use this album to remind myself that when the chips are down, and I'm on the floor, bloodied and beaten by life's punches, that I still need to get back up and fucking keep fighting. Even if I fail, I will know I did everything I could to rise above and keep putting one foot in front of the other. And I hope others can get that same inspiration from it.”

So let's talk about a few of the highlights on this album FULL of highlights. 

“Still Ain't Dead” contains the lyric, “You're not gonna live it until the day that you start” which is one of the most powerful messages on this album. Not only for the way it's worded and sung, but also because it also reeks of the positive nature that permeates the entire album. It's blunt in nature, but it's also an absolute truth that we all, as humans, must realize before it's too late. 

“Just Your Disguise” is probably the most catchy of all of the tracks on "Magnum Dopus", especially the chorus. Plus, Mark's bass tone is absolutely massive, and captures the sound and vibe of this album perfectly … gritty and raw, but perfectly so!!!

“Daisies” sounds as if Kurt Cobain wrote it, as it has the overall vibe that NIRVANA's Insecticide album does … which, as a side note, is my preferred Nirvana album. It's bouncy and memorable, like all of the great songs of the past 50 years. 

The last track, “For My Children”, is also the most emotional, as it was written for his children. The lyrics spell out his hopes and dreams for them, as well letting them know how much he loves them. I've watched Mark post about his kids for several years now, and he's one hell of a Dad, those kids are super lucky to have him. 

There's not a single song on here that feels phoned in, which, in my opinion, is because of the importance of the reasons behind this album existing in the first place. There's zero filler to be found, each and every sound that you will hear is precisely what is needed to make each song great. 

One of the coolest aspects of "Magnum Dopus" is that it feels REAL. I think that is due in part to the DIY approach that Mark took, as well as his performances and the overall tone of the record when taken as a whole; some of this is from the excellent mix, which Mark was also responsible for. So head to Bandcamp, or wherever you listen to music, and give this album a bit of your listening time. You will not be disappointed in doing so!!! [8]

Words: Tom Hanno

By the gods of thunder and circuitry, I have found it. A land uncharted. A kingdom carved from distortion and fire. They call it "Re-Evolution". The natives go by the name DEVILSKIN, and I believe I’ve stumbled upon their magnum opus. This is not a recording; this is a living, breathing beast built from anguish, muscle, and melody.

My first encounter sounded primal and exacting, it surged through me like a blood oath. No preamble. No mercy. It felt as if I had stepped barefoot into a ritual I couldn’t comprehend. Jennie Skulander’s voice summoned gods I do not know by name. She doesn’t sing; she conjures. From delicate echoes to banshee wails, she maps the terrain of pain and triumph without a compass.

The terrain shifted and a sandstorm of riffs and percussion, scorching and relentless. I ducked for cover and found none. The album continues like an oasis, but even its waters shimmered with unrest. I began to understand, this album is built on contrast. Rage and grace live in twin towers here, each echoing the other’s scream.

Themes emerge of grief, addiction, phobia, decay. They’re not presented as artifacts to be examined. They’re alive, stitched into every note. DEVILSKIN aren’t storytellers. They are the storm and the wreckage, the ghost and the grave. Somehow, this doesn’t collapse under its own weight. It rises. "Re-Evolution" does not wallow in despair, it devours it, digests it, and builds something stronger from its bones.

The instrumentation is staggering. Paul Martin’s bass feels tectonic, shifting the very ground beneath this strange new world. Nic’s drumming isn’t just rhythm, it’s language. As for Nail, his guitar doesn’t merely shred. It paints. Cinematic, chaotic, sacred.

The production by Dave Rhodes is not a studio trick. It’s cartography. Every drum hit, every breath of feedback, every gasp in the silence, it all feels placed with ritualistic intent. The landscape is dense, yet navigable. Foreign, but familiar in that way danger sometimes is.

I came expecting metal. I found "Re-Evolution". A culture. A movement. An awakening.
If you dare tread here, tread carefully. There is no safe passage. Only fire, truth, and the most glorious noise I’ve ever survived.

Score: 9 / 10 – "Machete in Hand, Shirt Long Torn Off" - Words: Matt Denny

They say that nice guys finish last...nice guys get walked over, nice guys get overlooked; but not every nice guy is arguably the hottest property in rock and roll right now. Finish last? (Firstly, that’s the gentlemanly thing to do). Some nice guys are just truly getting started, because they are beginning at breaking point...sick and tired of the snapped synapse that is the music industry. Sick of the disconnect between corporate greed and the common man. Sick of the bullshit. They want to make the world better... 

Artists with good intentions DO come and go...BOB GELDOF tried the whole “Band Aid” thing, and it was literally like putting a Hello Kitty plaster over a glioblastoma. Forty years later Bob, you’ve re-released the same track more than once with fresh line-ups, gradually getting less Christmassy and more cringeworthy, (Which is a good thing to be fair as you were the musical equivalent of colonialism to an extent) and yet mosquito nets to this day still save more mosquitos from dying of aids than your aid does saving children dying of starvation. DAVID DRAIMAN, I hope your label and PR team leaves you dangling like your stupid fucking chin tusks, for personally signing missiles that’ll undoubtedly kill civilians you tactless cunt. Down with the sickness? You’re just down in everyone's estimations. U2 once hacked us to give us a free album on iTunes...hacked is a strong word, sorry...let me rephrase that; RAPED. U2 forced an album on us without consent, I guess that’s how The Edge gets off? I digress... 

Jokes aside, today we’re here to appreciate and learn about YUNGBLUD. Real name Dominic, Yungblud has never shied away from controversy or criticism, be it in his early image and fashion sense on stage, or the sheer honesty of his song writing, to even starting up his own festival to ease the chokehold on extortionate organizers, and, from his emergence on “21st Century Liability”, this Yorkshire-born youngster has grown into one of the most vitally important artists in rock and alternative music. He champions the people, he’s an empath, he cares about community...he cares A LOT, and not many so unashamedly put the people first. 2025 found Yungblud scoring another number one album with “Idols” ...and before we jump into this headfirst, BILLY IDOL once said “Rock isn’t art, it’s the way ordinary people talk”, so let’s talk... 

The opening track “Hello Heaven, Hello” is a beautifully ballsy move at just over nine minutes long. There's no short, sharp introduction to this album, we dive straight into the grandiose with an ambitious indie-rock opera, and you know immediately this is going to be something different, something special. It’s a journey of self-discovery, and he’s asking if you’re along for the ride. It’s a track about finding your truth, your identity and the tribulations you persevere through; the ambitions you nurture and the goals you aspire to in the face of negativity and adversity. Amidst an up-beat indie rock core sound we have wonderfully arranged orchestral pieces, hard rock riffs, vocal vitriol and a true longing for life. We take elements of QUEEN, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”, BLACK SABBATH, OASIS, THE VERVE...it’s truly a modern rock masterpiece. Yungblud proves you don’t have to play heavy to go hard, as the emotions and eccentricities here are raw and real. This is a superb song... 

This transitions wonderfully into “Idols Pt.1” and there are almost James Bond elements here with the string instrumentation. We’ve got another track about diversity and emancipation. Girls and boys are irrelevant here; a gender-fluid ideology of who you really are at heart, and who you aspire to be...it’s a pained track about acceptance and empowerment. We can be our own idols; we can look into ourselves to find strength and belief and we shouldn’t let other people suffocate our dreams. Everyday people, believing in themselves and it's a sweet little melodic indie-pop number. 

This then blends wonderfully into the single “Lovesick Lullaby” and the Brit-Pop elements really shine through here. It gives off BLUR “Park Life” vibes with it’s almost narrated verses and light guitar notes, coupled with the simplistic, melodic chorus hooks. The switch between electric and acoustic guitars, the backing gang vocals; it all amounts to this brief but brilliant little track full of character, tackling self-doubt and insecurity. It’s like Dom is having fun with his own vulnerability and personality and acknowledging stifled yet tumultuous emotional dilemmas.  

We go straight into the sombre next as we have one of the most emotionally hard-hitting tracks you’ll hear this year, or ever, courtesy of “Zombie”. A truly heart wrenching track about coming to terms with loss, protecting your loved ones from hurt, mental health, and knowing time is precious. It’s about loving unconditionally in the face of hardship and truly knowing that there are people out there that care. There’s a genuine sense of sadness oozing from the guitars here that tearfully carry Yungblud’s tender vocal delivery and it’s a genuinely beautiful ballad; easily an album highlight. 

Similar can be said for personal album highlight of mine “Monday Murder”, which carries this jovial, melodious acoustic led guitar tone. It’s light, airy and houses an almost blissful ignorance to the chaos of the world, an apathy to the conflict. It’s touching in its melancholy to the point it acts as a prayer for healing, and a yearning for change. We could go on further about the enormity of the emotional aspects of this album, with simply stunning tracks like “Ghosts” and “War” too, but we’d be here all day. Go and appreciate the album for yourself, not just take my word for it. 

YUNGBLUD here has delivered not just a number one album, with some attention-grabbing singles like a pop star, with a cool image...he doesn’t ACT cool, that’s just Dom. He’s delivered an album so raw in genuine emotion, so real and relatable in lyricism, so undiluted in its undeniable passion for growth and togetherness, he’s cemented himself as a Bonafide 21st century rock star.  

His aura, his honesty, his dedication, his presence, his charm, his down-to-Earth character...he is legitimately the modern-day rock star the genre and the community NEEDS. “Idols” speaks to every single one of us; we have an idol locked away in all of us, our best self, be it emotionally guarded by walls from trauma, or a lack of confidence, or doubt...this album is a rallying cry for everyone of us to live. Truly LIVE. In just a few short years, his attitude and passion for not just performing, but the people, has seen Yungblud go from a 21st century liability, to absolutely essential listening. [10] 

Every morning I drag my arse out of bed at 6:12 sharp, scrape toast crumbs off the passenger seat, and spend the next ten hours being screamed at by people who think their Vauxhall Astra’s bumper has feelings. So when someone says "BORN OF OSIRIS are back", I don’t exactly drop the polisher and start moshing in the garage.

Still, I gave "Through Shadows" a go during my lunch break, wedged between a Peugeot 308 with a caved-in door and an Audi that stinks of wet dog and despair. And I’ll say this—if you’ve ever sanded filler while listening to the soundtrack of a cosmic nervous breakdown, you’re already halfway there.

The opener "Seppuku" comes in swinging like a hammer to the ribs—tight, clinical, a bit like when the dent’s so bad you know your soul’s going to leave your body before the shift’s done. "Elevate" tries to get fancy with its clean vocals and time signatures, but it just reminded me of when a customer asks for a "quick fix" and then freaks when you quote them for three days’ work and a full respray.

"Through Shadows", the title track, is full of talk about darkness and light and finding yourself, which is rich coming from a band that sounds like a Terminator meltdown in a spiritual retreat. Still, fair play, it’s the kind of track that’d fit perfectly if I ever lose it and drive straight into the river with the torch still in my mouth.

I liked "Inverno" for the riffs, mostly because they drowned out Gary in the next bay going on about his third divorce. "A Mind Short Circuiting" is what I imagine my brain sounds like after eight Red Bulls and a flat battery on a Ford Mondeo.

​They’re at their best on "Torchbearer" and "Transcendence", where everything feels like it’s about to collapse under its own weight—but in a good way, like a write-off that somehow looks better than it did new. "Blackwater" closes the album out with enough melodrama to power a thousand TikToks, but I’ll admit: it stuck with me. Like the stink of fibreglass dust and frustration in my nostrils.

BORN OF OSIRIS aren’t here to make your day better. They’re here to soundtrack the slow, grinding entropy of modern life—and if that isn’t metalcore’s true purpose, I don’t know what is. Will I listen again? Probably. At least it makes more sense than the quote I just gave to a bloke wanting his bumper "perfect" for under a tenner.

Rating: 7.5 Crushed Panels Out Of 10. (Would weld again, preferably while ignoring Gary. - Words: Matt Denny.

They said not to listen. They said it would trigger episodes. They said, “That music isn’t for you.” But they don’t know what’s in my head. They don’t know, her.
 
I heard the first track "Regeneration" through the crack in the wall. The orderly dropped his little radio. I watched him bleed from the ears, just a trickle, but he didn’t notice. I noticed. I always notice.
 
Then the forest came. Not real trees, just noise wrapped in leaves. Wires swinging from the sky. "Into the Wilderness", yes, I know that place. Been there. Lost a toe to it. Still hear it walking behind me when the lights buzz. The song plays, and I remember what it felt like to forget my name.
 
"What’s In The Box?" Don't ask that. Never ask that. It’s teeth. It’s always teeth. Psychoberrie told me herself. She leaned in close, almost too close, singing like she’d carved the lyrics into the walls of her cell with a spoon. Not a pretty voice. But necessary. "Macabaret". This one made me laugh. Not funny ha-ha. The other kind. The kind they give you more pills for. My bed floated. The drain in the corner started clapping. I had visitors in my mirror, mouthing things they won’t write down.
 
"Blood Is The New Black" gave me nosebleeds. I smelled burnt perfume and the ends of dreams that never made it to morning. It left handprints on the inside of my skull. "At The Window" didn’t scare me. I’m never scared. I make others scared. This one, however, understood me. It spoke my name. I leaned against the glass and watched the others scream. I was calm. I knew she’d come for me soon.
 
And the rest? "I Spit On Your Grave", "Darkest Desire", "Amoeba Of Madness", played, moments. Stuff you forget until it’s too late. Like the smell of bleach. Or how the floor feels when it’s covered in feathers. Or fingers. There are three interludes. I counted them. Three. Same as the locks on my door. Coincidence? You think so? Then you haven’t been paying attention.
 
This is a message. A coded one. Smuggled in under the disguise of noise. Psychoberrie is trying to reach us. She’s been inside longer than anyone. She’s mapped the place. She knows the holes in the walls.
 
I give it thirteen out of thirteen. No decimals. Decimals lie. - Words: Matt Denny

The last couple of years have been hectic as all hell for CARLA HARVEY...from getting into a long-distance relationship with ANTHRAX drummer CHARLIE BENANTE, leaving her bread-and-butter band BUTCHER BABIES, starting her own band by the name of THE VIOLENT HOUR, and also becoming a part of legendary Belgian electronic ensemble LORDS OF ACID...she's tested more waters than Flint, Michigan's department of health and safety. Matt Denny sits down with both Carla and Charlie to get the low down on everything from the crazy, to the creative and even down to the collectibles...

MATT: BEFORE WE GET STARTED ON THE NEW MUSIC, HOW ARE YOU NOW FINDING YOURSELF BALANCING YOUR NON-MUSICAL PROFESSIONAL LIFE, WITH THESE NEW MUSICAL PROJECTS?

CARLA: "It’s honestly a bit trying. I’m currently in a hotel room in Phoenix where I’m doing my 9-5 job and taking my lunch break to talk to you. Then I have a show tonight with The Lords Of Acid as their Acid Queen. But I really thrive on being active. I guess I’m just wired that way.

Even before I had this job now (Grief Specialist, end-of-life Doula, and Thanatologist) I was always busy doing something, whether it was drawing, or writing. I don’t like to sit still. Having a day job keeps me grounded and I’m passionate about it as well.

Musicians generally have to have a job when they go home nowadays. I prefer having a job rather than couch surfing (laughs). It’s just the nature of the business as things have changed and it is hard to sustain your life of of the income that you  make as a band. 

It's incredible to be able to go on tour and play music for people but the older that you get too, you start thinking about things like stability and health insurance and all these things. In the States these things are very real and I don’t thrive on not having things. I’m better when I’m comfortable, a roof over my head and a nice meal".

OK, SO, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE NEW EP AND THE WRITING...

CHARLIE: "The first song we worked on was "Sex And Cigarettes". I had the music for that for years and I really didn’t know who to apply it to, and once we confirmed that this was to be Carla's next project/new band, that was the first song that we worked on and that went really well. Then it kinda went to the next song which was "Hell or Hollywood". I would just have these songs, these riffs and Carla would ask ‘What Is That?’ and I’d say, ‘well it’s nothing right now but it’s going to be something’ and she’s like ‘could that be for me’ and I’m ‘Of Course’ so that’s the way it went".

WHAT CAME FIRST? THE MUSIC, OR THE LYRICS?

CHARLIE: "The Music"...

CARLA: "To be honest I have lyric books that I’ve had my whole life so I’ll pull something. I cut the "Sick Ones" from a journal from 1997. So those little snippets of lyrics that I have  from throughout the years that I’ve always wanted to use. But I have to kind of assess the song and feel. I immediately know what I want the song to be about when I hear it and then I’ll write the lyrics from there.

It was a very cool and organic process writing with Charlie. He’d get his guitar out most mornings after we’d have coffee and he’d start playing something and as he said I’m like ‘What is that riff for? Can I use that for my project?’ and I think Charlie could see that I was in a dark place after the band I’d been in for 15 years and started which was my baby was kind of gone from me. I didn’t know what I was going to do next and he helped the process by starting to write the songs with me and not letting me get too down in the dumps or take too much time away from being a musician".

WAS THERE A DEFINING MOMENT, WHERE YOU THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA? WHERE THE INCEPTION OF THE VIOLENT HOUR CLICKED FOR YOU?

CARLA: "I don’t know if there was a single moment, I just knew that music wasn’t over for me. I think Charlie knew that and he gave me this great gift of writing this EP with me". 

CHARLIE: "I had finished with the Anthrax record. All the writing and all that,  but I had so many songs laying around an this gave me a chance to dust them off. I love writing in this type of way. I would often say this, with Joeys voice; when I hear Joeys voice I immediately write those type of songs. When I hear Carla’s voice I immediately start writing THESE type of songs. Which is very strange but, it does things to me..."

ARE YOU NERVOUS WHEN IT COMES TO SHARING IDEAS TOGETHER?

CARLA: "I think I’m more nervous than he is. Most of the day he’s my fiancé, it’s Charlie. But I’m quite aware that he is also a prolific writer and musician. But when you’ve been together for the best part of 10 years your relationship  outside of creating music is quite different.

I was nervous at first. I’m more comfortable now with it. I think I just want him to like what I’m doing. In some instances I like something ands he doesn’t then I have to stick up for myself and say ‘No. This is what I think the lyrics should be’, and so I’ve gotten a little bit more aggressive, wouldn’t you say Charlie? We both have very strong opinions. I think. But I do let him take the lead on the music side of things and he lets me take the lead on the vocals and the lyrics". 

CHARLIE: "Absolutely. I think you’ve gotta choose your battles and, if I’ve learned anything from being in a band  with the Anthrax guys. I would bring in  a full song, sometimes the way I interpret the song is different in the way they may interpret it.  So, if I give them a demo, here’s the way it is. Sometimes I’m very adamant about I really want it to be like THIS. The feel of this is like this. But for the most part, I let them do whatever they want because they’re great at what they do. So, I have to give a little to that.

I say ‘ Here, what can you bring to the table with this one?’ and for the most part like 85-90% they get it right. So with Carla, knowing the type of music that drives her, I wouldn’t giver her something she’s going to hate. Why would I do that? (laughs) It’s a waste of time. So if I write something in the realm of  this type of thing, I know it’ll excite her and inspire her. I think that’s the most important thing is inspiration". 

HOW HAVE THINGS CHANGED CREATIVELY FOR THIS NEW EP?

CARLA: "I’m digging deeper into myself and just exploring all sides of myself. I was a kid from the Midwest that loved Rush and Lynrd Skynrd, Guns N Roses and also Pantera and things like that.  But I loved classic rock. There’s just so many things that I wanted to dive into. Just who I was back when I was a 13 year old kid and just pay homage to that kid who would be completely in awe of her life right now.

I wanted to write about things that didn’t have a place in my last band. "Hell Or Hollywood" is about the move to Los Angeles and how it felt  when I first stepped onto Sunset Boulevard in 1998 as a young girl who drove across the country by herself. I wanted to write about these things that were a huge part of my life. I wanted my story to shine through on these songs". 

DO YOU FIND IT FREEING NOW, IN A WAY, BEING AWAY FROM THE EXPECTATIONS OF BUTCHER BABIES?

CARLA: "This is the first time in 15 years that I have a blank sheet in front of me that’s mine and my own completely. The one thing I had to get over was what people would want from me, because I’d been doing some masculine guttural vocals for so long. I had to get it out of my head that’s all people wanted to hear and I had to think back to what I love and what I wanted to do and be excited by it.  Looking at that blank slate and thinking I can do what I want now. At first it was  really scary but in the end it became the most liberating feeling that I hadn’t had in a long time.

I remember being in a room, writing "Sex and Cigarettes" and thinking to myself ‘OK. It’s going to be okay. I’m going to be okay’ and the whole vibe for writing music came back to me in that instant".

CHARLIE: "I think the most important thing for a vocalist is you want to be as versatile as possible. I always take it back to The Beatles and Paul McCartney. There are things that he does with his voice where you think it could be another singer. Paul can sing rather softly or he can put a lot of rasp onto it as well.  And Carla can sing where she can also use her voice (which I call an instrument) can make it deepen, and as Cookie Monster as she wants (Carla laughs in the background) if she wants to, as that’s a whole other style that she has and she created  for females and I think that if the time comes like in "Sick Ones" where she brings it out just a little bit more in the high pitch type of way. But there’s going to be a song or two on the next EP which she may bring out that instrument. It just depends".

CARLA: "I’m currently on tour with The Lords Of Acid and it’s a whole different style of singing. Almost pop R&B in a way. So this year there has been a lot of growth and it’s really nice to hear that people are enjoying the other side of me".

HOW HAVE YOU MANAGED, REGARDING NOT WRECKING YOUR VOICE, THROUGH THE COOKIE MONSTER STYLE VOCALS, WHEN THERE ARE QUITE A FEW THAT HAVE? WHAT TRICKS DO YOU USE?

CARLA: "It hasn’t wrecked mine as over the years I’ve learnt not to do it from my throat but from my diaphragm. As a singer you use your whole body and it became second nature to do those screams on tour. Especially with all the running around and jumping around and still being able to do them. So now I have to learn how to do the same thing with singing so hopefully that becomes natural. So far it’s been going well on this tour.

So I drink water and tea all day long, as right now I’m doing an hour and a half set by myself as a vocalist for the first time in years. So I’m the only singer and it’s quite different but I have a little nebulizer that I use. I gently hum throughout the day. I drink a lot of throat coat tea and I try to be as quiet as I can be through the day. I’m not as much fun on this tour (laughs). I have to alienate myself and just shut up all day. I’m more worried about being great for that hour and a half that I’m on stage than I am about partying (laughs). You gotta do what you gotta do".

WHAT DO YOU DO TO GET READY FOR A SHOW?

CARLA: "On this tour I do some high kicks and jumping jacks. I still do the cookie monster growls as it seems to loosen my voice. I like to be a little nervous before I go onstage so I get worked up and then when I’m up there I can just lose myself completely.

I feel like I’ve really transcended on this tour and I’m able to totally lose myself in the performance. I don’t know why it feels so different right now. Maybe I’m just happier than I have been in a long time as there’s just so much fun stuff going on right now in my life and it feels really great".

CHARLIE:  "I listen to music, do my warm ups and play along with it. With Pantera I go into Philips room and see what he’s doing and Rex comes in my room and Zakk come in and we just kinda do that thing  and jam a little. With Anthrax I kinda do the same thing. I like to be alone and zone out and warm up and get ready.

I will tell you this though, With these Metallica shows I’ve been getting a little nervous before some of the shows and I’ve been doing a shot or two just to kinda ease the nerves and it has been helping. But the one show we did in Tampa it was like 97 degree and it was so hot.  So the Crown Royale was coming back up on me. I was burping it up and it was gross".

IF THE VIOLENT HOUR WAS A COMIC BOOK SERIES, WHAT WOULD THE TAG LINE BE AND WHO IS THE TRAGIC VILLAIN?

CARLA: "That’s actually a loaded question because it kinda IS going to be a comic book series. I love comics. I write comics and I’m a huge fan of comics and have been since I was a kid. Comics and music has been my life. So I do have a masterplan with The Violent Hour. BUT I don’t want to reveal any of it right now though, as it’s a really important story to me so I can’t reveal to much of it for now". 

CHARLIE: "The logo itself has a silhouette of a female and that’s probably going to play a key role in this comic book". 

I THOUGHT THE COVER WAS GIVING OFF VERY "CHARLIES ANGELS" VIBES...

CHARLIE: "Oh, good!"

CARLA: "That was Charlie's idea for the cover!"

CHARLIE: "Well yeah...a little James Bond, a little Charlie's Angels, a bit of Austin Powers..."

HOW DID YOU GET INTO DOING THE COMIC BOOKS?

CARLA: "I went to art school before I moved to LA. I’d always wanted to draw comics. I almost went to the The Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art for comic book drawing in New Jersey, but, ended up a college for creative studies and they put me in automotive design instead of what I wanted to do. So, I dropped out and moved to LA to be a rockstar. But I’ve always drawn. I’ve collaborated with Z2, I’ve put out my own comics, I wrote a series about my former band which was successful. It’s a life long dream to keep writing comics as well".

WHICH HAS BEEN THE MOST EXCITING PLACE YOU FEEL YOU'VE GOTTEN TO EXPERIENCE PLAYING LIVE?

CARLA: "Oh my. Why don’t you take the lead on this Charlie!".

CHARLIE: "I’m not kissing your ass just because you’re from the UK. But, the first time we played England, I still remember it like it was Yesterday. We played a venue called the Hammersmith Palais and Lemmy came to the show. I’ll never forget that. It’s just one of those moments that I finally felt ‘Wow, we’re maybe doing something good here’. The crowd in England for us throughout the years have been so loyal. I have to say England has been like home to us especially as we got to play Donington.

For me, growing up,  reading Sounds or Kerrang magazine it was always Donington was the thing to play. Then all of a sudden Anthrax are playing Donington. It was huge. That was a huge thing for us. It was 1987 and I can tell you the bill. Bon Jovi headlining, Dio, Metallica, Anthrax, Cinderella and W.A.S.P. back when it was one day. I loved it when it was one day!". 

OH I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN, ONE AND DONE FOR WANT OF A BETTER EXPRESSION, LIFE WAS SIMPLER BACK THEN!

CHARLIE: "Over here we have a thing called Costco, where you can go and buy things in bulk. That’s basically what the festivals have become". 

YOU'RE BOTH AVID COLLECTORS OF COMICS, MUSIC MEMORABILIA, LEMMY'S POKER CHIP FOR EXAMPLE, THE LIST GOES ON. WHAT IS THE STRANGEST COLLECTIBLEYOU HAVE IN YOUR HOUSE RIGHT NOW?

 CARLA: "We have so much ‘stuff’"...

CHARLIE: "Tell him about the first time you came over here and what you saw!" (Laughs).

CARLA: "We were dating long distance for some time. The first time he flew me out to come see him, I walked into his house and there was a life size Stormtrooper in the foyer. I was like ‘THANK GOD!. Finally, a guy that’s  going to get me.’

Because I have so much stuff everywhere. So many collectables and little things I’ve had throughout the years. He has all the same stuff.  We’re like 2 collectable packrats. But when you meet someone who gets you, like for Christmas last year he got me 2 giant KISS dolls. Which era dolls did I get for Christmas? I don’t remember...",

CHARLIE: There was this company called Art Asylum in the 90’s that put out  these huge KISS dolls and they did a series of Love Gun and Destroyer and they play music too.. They’re awesome!" 

CARLA: "Wait, They play  music?! I didn’t know that!. I need to take them out of the package. That’s exciting. I can’t wait to get home and play with my toys! (laughs). We connected instantly because of things like that, and the rest is history..."

CHARLIE: "It’s KISStory, not history". (laughs)

THAT'S WHAT WE LOVE TO SEE! ANYWAY ON THAT NOTE, THANK YOU BOTH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO CHAT WITH US TODAY, IT'S VERY MUCH APPRECIATED, AND BEST OF LUCK TO THE BOTH OF YOU WITH THE VIOLENT HOUR...BEFORE I DO GO, QUICKLY, CHARLIE...DO YOU HAVE ANY UPDATES ON THE NEW ANTHRAX ALBUM YOU CAN SHARE WITH US?

CHARLIE: "Not really. It’s ALMOST done. This last song that we’ve recorded, the title is called "Watch It Go" and it’s probably the most intense song we’ve done since 'Gung Ho'"...

"The Violent Hour" EP Comes Out On July 25th Courtesy Of Megaforce Records.

"Grizzly". How deliciously inelegant. A brute of a record. Not so much music as it is an uninvited rupture in the time-space continuum, like a chainsaw burrowing its way through a church organ mid-hymn. If pain had a DJ, he’d spin this at full volume in a crumbling ballroom while the chandelier trembles in horror.

From the very first track— "Banditos" you are bludgeoned. There’s no foreplay. No seduction. Just snarling, sweaty biceps of sound, throttling you like a giddy executioner late for his next appointment. The vocals are less SINGING and more the undulations of a taxidermized warthog possessed by a demon with too many molars.

The guitars do not shred. They eviscerate. Chunks of riff fly off into the ether like severed limbs. Somewhere between track four and five — "Babayak" perhaps — I lost track of my surroundings and awoke in a corridor drenched in red light, clutching a femur and weeping softly.

Alexander Shikolai is a man in the throes of exquisite anguish, howling as if someone set fire to his memories and handed him the ashes in a gift box. His gutturals reach sub-basement levels of human vocal capacity. If the Mariana Trench could scream, it would sound like this.

The drums are as if a meat grinder became sentient and drank 4 cans of Monster. Somewhere, an ancient tribal god is dancing naked in the woods to this madness.

Amidst the carnage, the chaos, the pantomime of pulverisation, there are moments. Strange, shimmering moments of something more theatrical. Almost cabaret, if you squint through the blood. I caught a whiff of it in "Rodina", its like a dying ballerina gasping during her final pirouette before being stomped by a jackboot made of distortion.

"Grizzly" wants your spine. And perhaps your ticket stub. It is repulsive. It is glorious. It is the soundtrack to a dental surgery conducted during an earthquake, attended by feral aristocrats in latex.

Let us raise our goblets to the grotesque. SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL have delivered unto us an opera of agony. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must return to the laboratory. There’s an experiment screaming in D minor...

This album scores at 8 selfish lines snorted by a cocaine bear before pre-drinks, out of 10.

Words: Matt Denny

Every now and again, a band will come along and even if not outright revolutionise the industry, will flip it upside its head. They make such an impact, that people have no choice than to sit up and take notice. It doesn’t matter what genre they fall under; that’s an afterthought. What matters is the connection they create with their audience, how they break the status quo, and how that band ascends from being A band, to being THE band. There are plenty of examples of such boundary pushers over the decades...even if we stick to the UK for the sake of this write-up. 

Whether it’s THE BEATLES or BLACK SABBATH, either super-popularising the idea of rock ‘n’ roll or the latter creating heavy metal out of it...whether it’s SEX PISTOLS or SPICE GIRLS, bringing unashamed, gritty, socio-political realism to punk or bringing “Girl Power” to the forefront of pop music...the UK, despite its small size, has always punched above its weight. This isn’t about chart success and streams, this is about artists who despite everything, became icons. These artists stood for something. Alright sure the Spice Girls were manufactured, but the reason they were was valid, and by fuck did it work. “Girl Power” wasn’t just a gimmick...if you enjoyed a “Brat Summer” last year with CHARLI XCX, well you can thank Baby Spice and co for that inspiration. People forget.  

But what happens when over the years, sounds, influences and ideas have blended beyond genre boundaries? What happens when the genre gene pool has become a metaphorical punch bowl, where you can add in whatever you want to create something unique, or even undeniable? It might not be to everyone's preferred tastes, but a lot of people are going to drink it. That’s where today’s band comes in; SLEEP TOKEN.  

Formed in London in 2016, the anonymous masked and cloaked outfit, fronted by Vessel, (A characterised ideology) released a couple of EPs before originally being picked up by Spinefarm Records, and have gone from strength to strength, to strength. In just a decade give or take, this alternative ensemble has sold out tours, gotten to number one in the UK album charts and have just recently headlined the Saturday of Download festival. That’s no mean feat let me tell you. KORN headlined the Sunday for the first time in their career this year, and they’ve been around since 1994! So, what’s the hype around this new cult of Sleep Token? Well, we’re about to attempt to find out...in theory, in practice and maybe even in vain. Nevertheless, now aligned with RCA Records for album number 4, this, is “Even In Arcadia”... 

The album, on face value at least sort of follows up thematically from 2023’s “Take Me Back To Eden”, as Arcadia itself refers to ancient Greece, and its own area of natural, peaceful beauty; simplicity, contentment and harmony. Vessel is clearly looking to write, and perform in order to channel himself, for a sense of purity and togetherness from not only his own sense of self preservation and worth, but his audience wanting a safe space too. He’s an incredibly poignant lyricist, so let’s get into that.  

Opening track “Look Into Windward” laments of an inner turmoil; facing the struggles or challenges of success, creation and identity. Instead of sailing with the wind, which let's admit outright, the band very much are in terms of success, Vessel see’s things differently. He’s sailing INTO the wind, pushing against the flow, any sense of natural order and fighting an uphill battle. From the very first verse we get a sense of tired tribalism. “Will you listen, just as my form starts to fission, losing this war of attrition just as I drift away”. Vessel is growing, evolving and wants to drive the art forward, and this could be interpreted as a frustrated acknowledgement of the division they create between fans of alternative music. They can’t escape an endless, thick air of negative criticism surrounding them from certain demographics. 

Lines like “I’ve got eyelids heavy enough to break diamonds” highlight Vessel's tiredness of it all, while the hypnotic, almost mystic repetition of the line “Will you halt this eclipse in me?” is the pained cry of an artist just looking to bare his soul, and not be overwhelmed and overshadowed by cynical and sardonic gatekeeping. All this is delivered with a wonderfully lulling, poetic often orchestral timbre, balanced by a fleeting bombardment of heavy riffs and percussion, really hammering home the metaphor of sailing against the wind. Potentially. A lengthy but lovely opener. 

The title track, “Even In Arcadia” starts off with the gentle tickling of a xylophone, almost like a windchime; quaint and peaceful, before this genuinely beautiful, flowing piano instrumentation wraps itself around your ear drums like a comforter. Vessel’s vocals here perfectly match the emotion of the track, softly crooned with a subtle vibrato, allowing an essence of vulnerability, as he sings of uncertainties in life. A deeply personal and private track of penance, but as the Gods sharpen their blades, he knows he still has wrongs to right and, there’s a powerful feeling of inner conflict and readiness for the battles that still lay ahead. As the track escalates, the added violins provide stunning orchestral accompaniment to an already opulent track, and it’s simply sublime. In places there’s an air of CELLDWELLER here at its most atmospheric and cinematic, and it’s easily an album highlight. 

Promotional singles like “Caramel” celebrate the unity and togetherness Sleep Token have amassed in their incredibly devout fanbase. Vessel is asking here for everyone who understands and appreciates, to follow...to literally stick to them like caramel. It’s going to be a messy journey, there will be obstacles, there will be hardship, but the key is unity. Lines like “Right foot in the roses, left foot on a landmine” highlight the almost trepidation felt, juggling success and criticism, just as “Wear me out like Prada, devil in my detail” showcase the cut-throat trend-based, fashionable aspects of the music industry, and how they face it head on. The personal battles don’t stop there either, as we have lyrics like “Can I get a mirror side-stage? Looking sideways at my own visage, getting worse, every time they try to shout my real name just to get a rise from me”. People are too obsessed with the who and the why...and they ignore the what and the when. What’s important here, is you have a band producing quality music, with a real deep connection with the fans, and many people want to dissect instead of digest, and play sleuth instead of living in the moment.  

Depth of song writing isn’t the main issue with Sleep Token thought...it’s their approach to music in general. As an alternative band, they’ve picked up momentum within the pages of say, Metal Hammer and Kerrang! etc, but because they aren’t primarily a metal band, or a rock band, they generate a lot of heat, especially in social media comment sections and posts. Sure, they are pigeonholed within such categories because of the fact they do utilise some truly crushing metalcore instrumental breakdowns and fills, but it’s part of a bigger picture. They incorporate a plethora of inspirations from acoustics, to orchestral, to contemporary pop, to indie, to hip-hop, to jazz, trap and R&B... they aren’t afraid to mix it up, bolder than the vast majority, and it works. 

​The issue Sleep Token have, is that, I believe, they’ve fallen into a trap of being the modern equivalent of Nu-Metal. Think about when LIMP BIZKIT became huge, Fred Durst was rapping over down tuned guitars and heavy tracks, bridging genre gaps. Really pissing metal fans off, because they became HUGE. LINKIN PARK did the same on albeit a more serious note, but the combination worked, and the sales of “Hybrid Theory” speak for themselves. Times have changed, styles and tastes have changed, but what Sleep Token are doing is blending genres, just like those aforementioned bands, and doing fucking well by doing so, because they write good songs, and people are relating. Old school metal fans don't like that, too many years of headbanging and warm cans of Red Stripe to be cognitive of evolution. How dare bands that don't fit into their idea of whatever the fuck they think is correct succeed. The absolute audacity! 

I’m not saying this as a new fan, there are elements to this that I am personally not a fan of, for transparency, but I respect the fuck out of Vessel and the band for doing what they are doing, the way they want to do it. Ignore the mystique of the masked personas and the cult-like charms they invoke, that’s been done to death let’s be honest. What matters is this lot have captured something special in the way they write and incorporate multiple influences, to mould this honestly captivating narrative in song. Time will tell how long they can keep the masks on, how the industry will affect their integrity and how far they can truly go within this gimmick and concept, but for the mean time, let’s simply appreciate Sleep Token for what they are. Young, talented songwriters and performers who are on top of their game. Black Sabbath just bowed out in spectacular style in Birmingham...and like it or not, Vessel may very well be the new Prince Of Darkness. These aren’t to be slept on. [8] 

I don’t know how to explain it without sounding dramatic. It’s not dramatic, though. It’s just how it is. You live with a thing long enough and it stops being a crisis, it’s just part of the day now. That’s what this album reminds me of. Not the noise, exactly, though there’s plenty of it. It’s the PRESSURE of it. The way it settles in and won’t move.

I forgot I had headphones on. Thought something was wrong with the wiring. Not in the music, in ME. Chris Wiseman doesn’t build songs. He just lets them HAPPEN. It doesn’t rise or fall or follow rules. It just, shows up in your chest. Makes a mess and stays there.
I don’t know what’s going on in Ben Duerrs head, but he sounds as if he’s arguing with a ghost that never shuts up. “Flying the Black Flag” knocked something loose. He sounds done. Not angry, just, past it. He’s probably said it too many times and no one ever listened right. That kind of tired doesn’t sleep off.

There’s a track, “Infinity of Horrors”. I didn’t even get halfway through before I had to stand up. Not even because it was loud— it wasn’t, not really. It just felt TOO MUCH like something I’ve had to sit through in real life. Not war. Just waiting rooms. Tests. Being watched and not told. They get that feeling down cold.

The symphonic parts, don’t feel majestic. That’s not what this is. It’s not BEAUTIFUL, It’s what your insides are trying to convince you it’s fine when it isn’t. You know those mornings where you almost believe you're okay until the headache kicks in sideways? That. That’s what the pretty bits sound like.

I’ve played it three times now. Not because I like it. I don’t even know if I do. I just, keep checking it. Like a bruise you thought was healing but turns out it’s spreading. It doesn’t end when it ends. It just goes quiet.

I can’t give this a straight score as the mirror just blinked at me. Words: Matt Denny.