Back catalogue: Metal

Review: It's difficult to describe to those too young to have been there and to those too old to give a toss, just how rife the anticipation was for the sophomore full-length from nu-metal giants Linkin Park following on from the global success of their multi-platinum selling debut album Hybrid Theory in 2000. Following what felt like an eternal three years, both shortened and lengthened by the bloated remix album Reanimation, 2003's Meteora was nothing short of lightning striking in the same place twice. Debuting at number 1 on the Billboard 200, certified 8xPlatinium and currently ranked as the 8th highest selling album of the 21st century, to call the band's second album a success seems like a very muted understatement when anthems such as 'Somewhere I Belong', 'Faint', and, 'Numb' are still some of the highest charting and most world-renowned metal singles to ever blare out across the airwaves. While musically drifting further away from their nu-metal beginnings with each subsequent project, both Meteora and its predecessor belong to a subset of genre-defining classics that appear to become more embraced and less maligned with age, as the nu-metal subgenre becomes less of a dirty word. It also goes without saying that the incomparable vocal presence of late frontman Chester Bennington as well as his vulnerable and cathartic lyricism take on a far more bleak and oppressive shade with the folly of hindsight.

Review: Following the tragic passing of frontman Chester Bennington in 2017, many presumed the natural end of nu-metal turned alt rock giants Linkin Park. Rattling their fanbase with news of a resurgence with Dead Sara vocalist Emily Armstrong, as well as new drummer Colin Brittain (replacing Rob Bourdain who opted not to join the reunion), From Zero nods to the band's original moniker of Xero while also ushering in this new era for the group, whereas sonically, the band do their best to simultaneously pay credence to their heavier origins whilst naturally progressing towards their newfound vision. Their first full-length since 2017's pop-oriented One More Light may come as a shock to many devout to the Bennington era, but the earnestness in composition sees a retrospective embracing of nu-metal motifs yet modified and extrapolated to embolden this entirely new compositional framework. Attempting to compare to prior releases is naturally par for the course yet won't do much to alter this new musical trajectory, as From Zero swells with the breath of an entirely fresh project that owes humble countenance to the Linkin Park of yesteryear. At 11 tracks clocking on at just over a half-hour, the mission statement is one of succinct brevity and urgency, but whether it truly fills the Bennington shaped void is down to each unique set of ears.

Review: .It seems like half a lifetime ago that Linkin Park exploded from the underground nu-metal scene into the mainstream conscious with their debut album, Hybrid Theory. In actual fact, that was only the year 2000, a time when the sub genre itself was dominating charts and day time radio. As with many bands, though, it would be the difficult second with which they cemented their status as key proponents of the scene. Unleashing angsty lyrics, disarmingly addictive hooks and arrangements born out of hip-hop as much as rock, Meteora, LP number two, produced hits like 'Faint', 'Numb', and 'Somewhere I Belong'. Tracks that defined an era, in these circles at least, Lost Demos sees the group collate a wealth of material from that time - much of it previously unreleased - for an essential retrospective.

Review: It is now a full two decades since legendary American rockers Linkin Park dropped their second game-changing nu-metal album Meteora. The record spawned a further run of big singles such as 'Breaking the Habit,' 'Somewhere I Belong', 'Faint' and 'Numb. It has been certified multi-platinum, platinum, or gold in 15 countries and to mark the occasion it gets a special 20th anniversary reissue here having sold well over 16 million copies around the world. This vinyl version comes with an insert as well as all the original hard-hitting guitars, drums and visceral Chester Bennington vocals that the band is so well known and loved for.

Review: London based rising star and guitar virtuoso Sophie Lloyd has covered an immense amount of ground since graduating with a first-class honours in Popular Music Performance from BIMM Music Institute London. Combining her ludicrous ability with a stringent work ethic and adept understanding of social media marketing, her platform has increased majorly thanks to her epic "shredley" videos as well as covers, originals, tutorials and appearing alongside hip-hop/pop megastar Machine Gun Kelly during his recent UK/EU tour. Finally arriving at her long-gestating debut full-length, the cleverly titled Imposter Syndrome offers up a dream come to sonic life with the help of a rolodex worth of guest vocalists spanning from the incomparable Lzzy Hale of Halestrom to Matt Heafy of metal giants Trivium to Michael Starr of glam absurdists Steel Panther; all doing their utmost to match Lloyd's frenetic mastery, while like any shredder worth their salt knows, the earworm riffs and face-melting solos always shine brightest when in service to well-crafted songs, which the album pumps out with retro-fitted swagger and well-earned confidence.