Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Who said music has nothing to say these days? In an age of plastic people distracted to the point of distraction from the shocking atrocities, privilege, inequality and prejudices that are frogmarching society into a death trap of a future, Benefits stand out like a beautiful sore thumb - battered, bruised, and British, they are the epitome of an 'issues band' and we welcome any opportunity to listen and write about them.

Like some sort of rabid Idles, here the Middlesbrough one man crew make noises that defy logic, twisted cacophonous bars of ravenous distorted sound, and then layer council estate spoken word over the top. Angry enough to make you feel like there is still hope, and innovative enough to make you wonder whether - in an increasingly risk-averse music industry - enough people will get to know and love them. Make sure you do.

Review: This is a special and unique coming together that sees Turnstile join forces with the brilliant Toronto jazz ensemble and production team BADBADNOTGOOD. They have worked on reimagining songs from the former's well-received 2021 album Glow On and the results bring all new perspectives and dynamics to tunes like 'Mystery', 'Alien love Call' featuring Blood Orange and 'Underwater Boi.' Both Turnstile and BADBADNOTGOOD are untouchable in their fields right now with rave reviews for their records as well as their live shows. This is another standout project.

Review: Originally distributed through SST Records in 1986, I Against I served as the seminal third full-length from Washington D.C. hardcore punk legends Bad Brains and is still the band's highest selling album to date. Noted for branching far beyond the already expanded parameters of reggae-infused punk, and embracing elements of soul, funk and alternative metal, the album was a shock at the time to the devout fans who were spoiled by the refinement of their sound on Rock For Light, yet in the decades since, the LP has been cited as an integral influence by members of Cro-Mags, Sepultura, The Dillinger Escape Plan and Rage Against The Machine to name a small handful, while artists such as Machine Head, Jeff Buckley and Lamb Of God have even covered the iconic title-track. Newly remastered with updated artwork, this Punk Note edition is a vital collection piece for both newcomers and fanboys who've already spun their OG copy to death.

Review: The highest selling album from reggae-tinged hardcore punk pioneers Bad Brains arrived courtesy of SST Records in 1986, and marked the band's further decimation of genre parameters. Following on from the major success of their refined sophomore endeavour Rock For Light, which cherry-picked some of their preceding self-titled debut LP's strongest cuts to re-record under the tutelage of The Cars' late, great Ric Ocasek, by the time it came to enter the studio to lay down what would grow into the iconic I Against I, the band had begun to embrace more outsider influences from the realms of soul, r&b and even funk metal; all genres that would inform the sonic makeup of their third full-length. With the title-track covered from everyone from Jeff Buckley to Lamb Of God to Denzel Curry, the utter sonic fearlessness exuded throughout scoffed in the face of hardcore purists who lambasted the effort upon release, while its insidious influence can still be heard today from Rage Against The Machine all the way up to hardcore's modern day flag flyers Turnstile.

Review: Following the major success of 1983's seminal sophomore effort Rock For Light, in which reggae-hardcore heroes Bad Brains would work studiously under The Cars' Ric Ocasek, and even re-record some of their self-titled debut LP's strongest cuts such as 'Sailin' On' and 'Banned In D.C.'; the hard left turn of their now acclaimed third full-length I Against I initially shocked many a hardcore purists upon its initial 1986 release. Arriving courtesy of SST Records, the album showcased an even further disregard for genre or scene parameters than the band had exuded up to that point, absorbing elements of funk, soul, r&b and, most notably, alternative metal, with the material falling somewhere in line with the likes of Living Colour, yet a far scuzzier version. While early reception was somewhat maligned and controversial, with the band even back-peddling on 1989's Quickness, there's no denying the sprawling influence the record has had in the decades since, with covers of the title-track coming from Jeff Buckley to Denzel Curry, while its sonic presence can be heard all the way up to modern hardcore stalwarts such as Turnstile. Not to mention the iconic lore behind the vocals to 'Sacred Love' being recorded by H.R. over the phone from prison while serving time on a marijuana distribution charge. How can you get any more hardcore punk reggae than that?

Review: Few have ever matched the rawness and visceral hip-hop energy of the Beastie Boys, have they? To catch them live is no doubt one of the most explosive musical experiences of the last 50 years. If you never have, fear not, because an album like this one takes you back in time to be there in the flesh, in this case at Club Citta in Kawasaki, Japan in September 1992. It was a performance broadcast live on radio and it comes now on nice heavyweight vinyl with plenty of lesser-known tunes in amongst some of the bigger moments. A real must for collectors and fans alike.

Review: If you're not a Blink 182 fan the fact the American pop punk rockers put out a Greatest Hits album in 2005 might be quite surprising considering they only rose to international chart repute at the turn of the century. Delve into their story, though, and you realise by the time they put out this compilation - coinciding with their split and, in the label Geffen's words, "indefinite hiatus" - they'd actually already been going for more than a decade.

Nevertheless, it's impossible not to acknowledge that it was the landmark albums Enema of the State and Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, respectively landing in 1999 and 2001, that saw them really break into the mainstream conscious. As such, excerpts from that era, for example 'All The Small Things' and 'What's My Age Again?' represent the biggest hitters here, however it's hard to ignore just how infectious every upbeat, angst-laden track is.

Review: Following on from last year's triumphant return to pop-punk glory that was Blink-182's ninth overall full-length One More Time (yet seventh with original vocalist/guitarist Tom DeLonge and first since 2011's Neighbourhoods), the band return to remind fans that the extensive good will they've been awarded by their devout followers on this comeback is very much reciprocated. Too early to drop another full-length, yet clearly rejuvenated to the point that new material keeps rearing its head during their continuing global tour, the trio opt to meet themselves in the middle with One More Time Part 2, which is essentially a mega deluxe version complete with ten bonus tracks, adding an additional half hour of new material (a new album in pop-punk terms). Boasting refined anthems such as 'No Fun' and 'All In My Head', while making room for darker synth-laden moments such as 'Can't Go Back' and even more Box Car Racer indebted buzzsaw post-hardcore in the form of 'Everyone Everywhere', this definitive collection offers far more than a forgettable batch of cutting room floor B-sides, and provides a comforting notion that this (one more) time around, Blink are back for themselves and the creative reward as much as for the fans and the payday.

Review: Calling on major chords for their riffs, emotional angst for lyrical delivery and motoring juggernauts for basslines, the driving rhythms of Boilermaker were hard to ignore once you found them back in the 1990s. Emerging from the San Diego guitar scene at a time when Gen X was obsessed with post-hardcore, the trio - Terrin Durfey, Tim Semple, and Richard Sanderson - described their counterpoint as 'Leucadia-core'. If you need a lesson in what that means, Not Enough Time To Get Anything Halfway Done is probably the best place to begin. Three albums, a stack of singles and rarities. In total, 41 tracks spread over a sprawling four LP box set with a 24 page book to read while immersing yourself. And yes, there's a test at the end to check you actually paid attention. (Juno legal disclaimer: there is no test).

Review: In the midst of the 90s math-rock/shoegazing scenes marrying themselves to the progressive Midwest emo movement that had stemmed from hardcore and grunge, one short-lived act too pissed off to play ball was The Brides. Referred to in the underground circles as "Chicago's Best Band of the 1990s", their approach was simplistic and singular: jagged edged, lo-fi cutthroat punk rock too fuzzy to be called garage yet refusing to recognise the hardcore aggression of latter days. Suburban Vermin 1996-98 catalogues the entirety of the band's brief discography, including their eight previously unreleased 1997 legendary demo tracks, blistering 7" cuts as well as previously unheard alternates and live demo takes. Nasty, arrogant - and better than every band you listen to - The Brides were the last stop off the cliff of ballsy punk n' roll, and this studious compilation is sure to wet the beak of any fans of the likes of Crime, Viletones, Pagans, Weirdos, or Heartbreakers.

Review: Bring Me The Horizon were once known as Nottingham's emo-fringed MySpace deathcore scene kids, but the near two decades since have seen them balloon into the latest gateway mainstream metal outfit, taking the reins from the likes of 30 Seconds To Mars and Linkin Park before them. Returning with the highly anticipated sequel to their 2020 nu-metal-centric 'Post Human: Survival Horror' EP, their seventh album (and first proper full-length since 2018's Amo) Post Human: Nex Gen does its utmost to level up on every front just like a true sequel should. Condensing practically every sonic well the group have previously toe-dipped into one noxious bucket of hallucinogenic fluidity, the material here might make numerous nods to their metalcore and post-hardcore beginnings, but that's only to calm the trip with familiarity before being utterly doused in swathes of everything from pop-punk to trap, hyperpop, nightcore and even Anime music. Best described as "ADHD maximalism", the band and project make no qualms over its self-professed over-stuffed, chaotic, messy, obnoxious, overwhelming nature, though it's nearly impossible not to be impressed by the effortless fusions on display at every sonic turn. Their final work with longtime keyboardist/programmer/producer Jordan Fish, while offering a bevvy of dichotomous features from the likes of Aurora, Lil Uzi Vert, Underoath and Daryl Palumbo of Glassjaw and Head Automatica, the Post Human saga continues to rage through the mainstream and underground metal and punk circles like a coked-up unicorn, simply too farcical to be fucked with. Where the trip takes us on Part 3 is, for now, anyone's absurd guess.

Review: The debut studio album from Brigend crew Bullet for My Valentine emerged in 2005 on Visible Noise Records and catapulted the Welsh band to success, going on to sell more than two million copies worldwide. Here it is again, celebrating (almost) two decades of life in a flurry of hard, jagged riffs and distinctively screamo-flavoured vocals courtesy of Matthew Tuck. The band reputedly formed to cover Metallica and Nirvana songs and while their sound doesn't ape either of them, they all share a cunning knack for combining memorable hooks and sonic brutality. Choose your Poison.

Review: Seven years after Bullet For My Valentine first formed under the name Jeff Killed John, they finally dropped a debut album. Gone were the Nirvana and Metallica covers that had defined the band's first incarnation, and in was a more melodic and poppier take on thrash and heavy metal. Going on to sell in excess of 1.6million copies between its initial release in 2005 and 2018, it remains BFMV's most commercially successful outing, earning them gold certification by the US RIAA and UK BPI, and platinum in the eyes of Germany's BVMI. If all this is news to you, perhaps we should start with some references. One for fans of Funeral For A Friend, Alexisonfire and more glossy emo-hued metal groups, it doesn't take long to realise why praise was heaped on The Poison, and the musicians, for their powerhouse riffs and unapologetically loud aesthetic.

Review: Following a near-decade of inactivity, Buzzcocks made their glorious return in 1989 majorly making up for lost time with new material and numerous tour dates, with their now iconic performance at L'Arapho Club in Paris on April 12th 1995 often regarded as a prime example of the group at their slightly seasoned peak. Immortalised on the live album known simply as French, this captured performance only featured the first 20 songs of that night's initial setlist, with the remaining ten cuts from their three encores later released in 1999 as the originally fan club-only Encore Du Pain, where old school fan favourites such as 'I Don't Know What to Do With My Life,' 'Orgasm Addict' and 'Ever Fallen in Love?' would appear. Though the pair would ultimately be compiled into the French et Encore Du Pain double live collection, this singular LP is all about the encores of that evening, clearing up any doubts about Buzzcocks delivering a lazy, cash-grabbing 10-song set of 3-minute cuts to an avid, paying fanbase. Think of this as more arriving late to a legendary set just in time to catch all of the most highly anticipated golden oldies of the night.

Review: The end of the initial, near decade-long Buzzcocks hiatus that occurred in the mid-nineties, has been captured and immortalised on 'French'; a live album recorded in France (shock horror) at L'Arapho Club in Paris on April 12, 1995. Featuring a career-spanning set, the band exude invigorated energy as they rip through the likes of 'Ever Fallen In Love...', 'What Do I Get?', and even dust off the impassioned, 'I Believe', for a thunderous rendition. Hearing the pristine line-up under the microscope of a bygone era is truly an audible feast for casual and major fans alike.

Review: With Buzzcocks reforming in 1989 after a near-decade of inactivity, they would get to work on new material with their fourteen year gap follow up to 1979's A Different Kind Of Tension with 1993's Trade Test Transmissions, while touring in abundance to make up for lost time. The peak of this resurgent reformation era is highlighted as such in their cult status live album French; captured at L'Arapho Club in Paris on April 12th 1995. Boasting a 20-song set made up of classic fan favourites such as 'I Don't Mind' and 'Get On Your Own', as well as latter-day bangers including 'Isolation' and 'Energy', the collection notably omits the ten tracks from the band's three subsequent encores of the night, released separately in 1999 as originally the fan club-only available Encore Du Pain. While the two have been previously paired together on the French et Encore Du Pain double live CD compilation, this single LP reissue is of the initial French setlist, while the same label has repressed Encore Du Pain in tandem for completionists to hoard the entire epic two part set on wax.

Review: When Buzzcocks returned in 1989 following almost a decade of inactivity, they made up for lost time with new material and plenty of touring, with their performance at L'Arapho Club in Paris on April 12th 1995 serving as one of the prime examples of the band at their slightly seasoned peak. Captured and immortalised as the French live album, this release only featured the first 20 songs of their initial set, while the remaining ten cuts from the three encores of the night would be released in 1999 as the originally fan club-only Encore Du Pain, with this set boasting old school fan favourites including 'I Don't Know What to Do With My Life,' 'Orgasm Addict' and 'Ever Fallen in Love?' While the pair would eventually be compiled as the French et Encore Du Pain double live album, this singular LP is all about the encores and clears up any doubts pertaining to Buzzcocks being the type of lazy cashgrabbers that would only churn a 10-song set of 3-minute cuts to a paying audience.

Review: Following the Buzzcocks 1989 reformation, the band would make up for nearly a decade of inactivity with extensive touring as well as finally delivering a follow up to 1979's A Different Kind Of Tension 14 years after the fact with 1993's Trade Test Transmissions. The pinnacle of their initial resurgence era is no better illustrated than on their cult classic French live LP; recorded at Paris' L'Arapho Club on April 12, 1995, that sees the band offering up a hefty 20-track set packed to the brim with iconic fan favourites such as 'I Don't Mind' and 'Get On Your Own', whilst also making room for later bangers including 'Isolation' and 'Energy'. While the collection notably eschews the ten final songs from the evening's three subsequent encores, these would eventually be released separately as 1999's (originally fan club-only available) Encore Du Pain. Although the two have been previously combined to make up the French et Encore Du Pain double CD compilation, this singular LP is a reissue of the initial French setlist, while the beautiful people at Reissued Sounds have also repressed Encore Du Pain in tandem, making both sets available on wax for completionists.

Review: Following their reformation in 1989 after a near decade-long hiatus, Buzzcocks enjoyed a welcomed resurgence throughout the 90s, never illustrated better than on the French live album captured during their performance at L'Arapho Club in Paris on April 12th 1995. While only the initial 20-song set would be featured, in 1999 the band would release the (at-the-time fan club only) Encore Du Pain, offering up the 10 final tracks from their three encores at the very same show, featuring fan favourites such as 'I Don't Know What to Do With My Life,' 'Orgasm Addict' and 'Ever Fallen in Love?' The pair of releases would eventually be collated into the French et Encore Du Pain double live album, but this single LP restores the Encore Du Pain tracks to their singular nightcap greatness. It also clarifies that Buzzcocks weren't the type of cheap bastards to only deliver a ten-song performance to a paying, sold out crowd.