CONCERT REVIEW: Clutch – 1000Mods – Bokassa Live at O2 Academy Birmingham


Having witnessed a good few mega-budget arena and stadium spectacles this year, it felt right to see the year out with something more stripped back and back to basics. No castles and cannons, no ten-foot mascots wandering around the stage, no massive walls of flame or cornea-melting explosions, no IMAX-style projection screens, and no revolving stages. In fact, when Norwegian openers Bokassa walk out, the stage is still littered with cables, various electrical items, and even the odd toolbox. If you wanted no-frills entertainment, then you’ve come to the right place. 

Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Cold In Berlin – Wound


Despite being from London, Cold in Berlin once again lives up to their name, as it conjures, stark, wintry urban landscape at night. Wounds (New Heavy Sounds) finds the band going further down the path they wandered down on their previous album, which found them more fully committing to their crossover into doom. The opening track of their new album blurs the lines even further, carrying a darker, more pulsating beat. Vocalist Maya belts things out with the expected intensity of her aching alto. The hypnotic pulse of “12 Crosses” shares some common ground with grunge from the nineties, as more exotic flourishes of atmosphere are also employed. Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Yawning Man – Pavement Ends


If you have ever eaten a gummy and thought:

“This is not doing shit!” Continue reading