Back catalogue: Metal

Review: Originally released in 2002, Alive Or Just Breathing would serve as the acclaimed sophomore full-length from Massachusetts metalcore legends Killswitch Engage. Noted for initially marking the end of their tenure with original vocalist Jesse Leach, who would depart and be subsequently replaced by Howard Jones until 2012 before his eventual return; the album is considered a landmark in the scene due its ability to highlight the commercial viability of a melodious metal meets post-hardcore style, which had remained a niche underground subgenre up until this point. Produced by guitarist/ drummer/overall mastermind Adam Dutkiewicz before switching his sole focus to guitar, the crunching grooves, saccharine melodies and staggering confidence displayed quickly cemented the band's legacy, whilst lead single 'My Last Serenade' remains their most popular hit to date.

Review: Returning with their highly anticipated follow up to 2019's Atonement, while marking the sixth overall full-length to feature original vocalist Jesse Leach (who re-joined following the departure of his initial replacement Howard Jones for 2013's Disarm The Descent), the ninth album from melodic metalcore heavyweights Killswitch Engage serves as a triumphant victory lap of their sonic saga thus far. Self-proclaimed to be their most collaborative endeavour to date, the seasoned veterans deftly balance their complex, chugging anthemics and pioneering lead lines of the incomparable Adam Dutkiewicz with saccharine hooks and earnest bombast, while Leech's frenetic switching from gravel-throated shouts to vulnerable clarity add poignancy to cuts such as the triumphant lead single 'This Consequence' tackling "everything the past five years has thrown at us as a band, as humans, and society as a whole". Be prepared for a glorious return to form from one of the genre's most integral foundation builders..

Review: Originally released in 1996, Ear Candy would serve as the sixth full-length from often unfairly slept on progressive metal-oriented hard rock titans King's X. Following on from the commercial success of their 1994 predecessor Dogman, the album would be the band's last for Atlantic Records as it failed to hit the same numbers, yet that blessing in disguise would eventually give them a new lease on life with Metal Blade. Long out of print, the wonderful people over at Music On Vinyl have given the record its overdue flowers with their reliable numbered 180-gram audiophile treatment on lush purple wax, restoring the highly technical yet accessible fluidity of bangers such as 'Sometime' and 'Picture', with the latter being an updated version complete with new lyrics of an older cut titled 'The Door' originally written under their previous moniker Sneak Preview, while 'A Box' features guest vocals by Glen Phillips of California jangly alt rockers Toad The Wet Sprocket.

Review: Kentucky metallic hardcore heroes and now with the release of 2024's You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To, easily the heaviest and most abrasive act to ever be nominated for a Grammy, Knocked Loose have been on a remarkable upward trajectory over the past half-decade thanks primarily to 2019's sophomore declaration of venomous intent A Different Shade Of Blue. Building off the beatdown blueprint of their 2016 debut Laugh Tracks, their sophomore follow-up dialled the controlled chaos up to maximalist levels with more frenetic compositions, bowl-rupturing breakdowns and a haunting atmosphere reminiscent of modern arthouse horror cinema, with internet circles dubbing their style as "A24-core", inspired by the film production house of the same name. Led by the despairing, throat-shredding howls of vocalist Bryan Garris and his macabre, esoteric lyricism that makes cuts such as 'Trapped In The Grasp Of A Memory', 'Mistakes Like Fractures' and 'And Still I Wander South' so simultaneously poetic yet anxiety-inducing, their underdog success story seems so unlikely and bizarre. From performing at Coachella to appearing as the live act on The Jimmy Kimmel Show, the shape of punk to come is here and more uncompromising than normies could have ever expected. At six years old, revisiting their second full-length serves as a reminder that they've always been this mean and unwilling to accommodate for more delicate sensibilities.

Review: Taking its name from the 2022 record, Requiem, Korn return one year on from their last LP, finished during the pandemic then held on to until people stopped banging on about viruses and vaccines as much, Requiem Mass is a recording of the band's livestream event from Hollywood's United Methodist Church in Los Angeles. A focal point of which was 'Worst Is On Its Way', arguably the fan favourite track from the most recent studio effort.

Those who were watching, or have seen subsequently, will remember the performance well. That moody, candlelit stage, orchestra set in the backdrop with metal titans front and centre. You might not necessarily see that here, because this is an EP not a visual product. But the sense of atmosphere and listening to one of dark rock's most impressive outfits in full flow is unmistakable.

Review: Opening on the grinding powerhouse of 'I', Kosmik Sun present three tracks of epic, cinematic heavy rock-metal which gives a nod to the likes of Mogwai and Explosions In the Sky. Albeit here things seem to have taken more of an influence from darker places, with each part of the triptych casting an eerie spell over the listener, transporting them to psychedelic, doom-laden otherworldly places. The side project of German aficionado Eugen Kohl, best known for the Crypt Witch project, Kosmik Sun also features members of Coven Spell and Devil Leaf, which, if nothing else, should let any newbies know exactly what they're in for. Steeped in deep stoner atmosphere, not to mention exceptional, gritty musicality, this is intensity for thinking people and it never lets up.