Dinosaur Pile Up - I've Felt Better (Mascot Records) [Matt Bladen]
During the COVID pandemic Dinosaur Pile Up frontman Matt Bigland found himself isolated away from his loved ones and suffering with Ulcerated Colitis, a disease that saw him in admitted to hospital in the middle of the pandemic, with a life threatening illness, on a ward of six people as only three made it out.
It’s a hell of a reason as to why it's been so long since the last time Dinosaur Pile Up released a record. Matt has had to re-evaluate what he wanted out of life, balancing that closely on the edge of life, experiencing being more vulnerable than ever he's ever been he needed an outlet, the two double shot of the raging ‘Bout To Lose It and the pop punk title track extolling these feelings of being sick and tired of being sick and tired. Of course the introspection and sadness is counterpointed by Dinosaur Pile Up’s bouncy alt rocking which has a punk snarl and a grunge moodiness, Sick Of Being Down having a strong Nirvana influence.
In the interim between the records he's got back his wellness, married his girlfriend Matt's love for his wife spurring him on to get better and while there's a lot about this record that is harrowing or unsettling, there's a strong theme of love across release, Big You And Me and Quasimodo Melonheart for instance both have a strong theme of affection and togetherness (the latter doing it with some Elvis Costello style). Their fifth album which is a record of defiance, resilience and acceptance, triumph over adversity. It’s also catchy as all hell, choruses are immensely singable, and the music makes you want to move and join in with the fun of Punk Kiss or Big Dog.
If their last album was make or break, then I've Felt Better is an album inspired by the lowest ebb and has them performing without fear, an attitude of doing what they want musically and having no one to please but themselves. I’ve Felt Better is a record of relief, the Beastie Boys meets Beck rap vocals and clever lyrics meets classic metal of My Way or the transitional Sunflower summing up the renewed focus of Dinosaur Pile Up on their most personal record yet. 8/10
It’s a hell of a reason as to why it's been so long since the last time Dinosaur Pile Up released a record. Matt has had to re-evaluate what he wanted out of life, balancing that closely on the edge of life, experiencing being more vulnerable than ever he's ever been he needed an outlet, the two double shot of the raging ‘Bout To Lose It and the pop punk title track extolling these feelings of being sick and tired of being sick and tired. Of course the introspection and sadness is counterpointed by Dinosaur Pile Up’s bouncy alt rocking which has a punk snarl and a grunge moodiness, Sick Of Being Down having a strong Nirvana influence.
In the interim between the records he's got back his wellness, married his girlfriend Matt's love for his wife spurring him on to get better and while there's a lot about this record that is harrowing or unsettling, there's a strong theme of love across release, Big You And Me and Quasimodo Melonheart for instance both have a strong theme of affection and togetherness (the latter doing it with some Elvis Costello style). Their fifth album which is a record of defiance, resilience and acceptance, triumph over adversity. It’s also catchy as all hell, choruses are immensely singable, and the music makes you want to move and join in with the fun of Punk Kiss or Big Dog.
If their last album was make or break, then I've Felt Better is an album inspired by the lowest ebb and has them performing without fear, an attitude of doing what they want musically and having no one to please but themselves. I’ve Felt Better is a record of relief, the Beastie Boys meets Beck rap vocals and clever lyrics meets classic metal of My Way or the transitional Sunflower summing up the renewed focus of Dinosaur Pile Up on their most personal record yet. 8/10
Mob Rules - Rise Of The Ruler (RPM-ROAR) [Simon Black]
You know what fills me with more dread when I start listening to a new record? A spoken word introduction to a ower metal fantasy concept album. And this is coming from a guy who loves power metal, used to love a good D&D campaign back in the day, whose favourite series of books include Tolkien and Donaldson and whose TV streaming platforms are pretty much dripping with the post-apocalyptic.
The trouble is that halfway through my fifth decade orbiting this benighted rock, there isn’t much that hasn’t been attempted before when it comes to music. To the point of excess when it comes to this kind of cookie-cutter power metal, because there must be a hundred albums a year of this style of stuff coming out every year, so it’s really hard for anyone to make a dent in the market when there are dozens of bands ploughing very similar furrows for a share of a limited appeal market. Which is kind of ironic here in the UK, because power metal is very much a central European thing and has struggled even more to break into the UK.
Which is why it’s so incredibly refreshing that even with the initial “Please No” sense of dread instilled by that intro track, that I really should have known better and trusted that a set of old pro’s like Mob Rules would have this in hand. It may drip all the power clichés and tropes, but this band has been around in one form or another since 1994 and know what they are doing. Although vocalist Klaus Dirks may be the last man standing from that original line up, he’s still got an experienced set of hands behind him and one that knows how to keep thing to the point in the songwriting department.
After thirty years self-referential nostalgia gets very tempting for any artist trying to recapture their peak, and this release apparently picks up and closes the story started with their debut Savage Land in 1999 (and indeed it’s sophomore a year later), so I’m not going to dip into the story. These things are best left to time and repeated spins to unpick, but what rides high is the well-crafted and catchy anthemic structures to the songs. Dirks doesn’t have a massively over the top vocal range, but what he delivers he does with guts, gravitas and sheer powerful confidence, and he’s very much the melodic focal point of what this band are delivering.
The trouble is that halfway through my fifth decade orbiting this benighted rock, there isn’t much that hasn’t been attempted before when it comes to music. To the point of excess when it comes to this kind of cookie-cutter power metal, because there must be a hundred albums a year of this style of stuff coming out every year, so it’s really hard for anyone to make a dent in the market when there are dozens of bands ploughing very similar furrows for a share of a limited appeal market. Which is kind of ironic here in the UK, because power metal is very much a central European thing and has struggled even more to break into the UK.
Which is why it’s so incredibly refreshing that even with the initial “Please No” sense of dread instilled by that intro track, that I really should have known better and trusted that a set of old pro’s like Mob Rules would have this in hand. It may drip all the power clichés and tropes, but this band has been around in one form or another since 1994 and know what they are doing. Although vocalist Klaus Dirks may be the last man standing from that original line up, he’s still got an experienced set of hands behind him and one that knows how to keep thing to the point in the songwriting department.
After thirty years self-referential nostalgia gets very tempting for any artist trying to recapture their peak, and this release apparently picks up and closes the story started with their debut Savage Land in 1999 (and indeed it’s sophomore a year later), so I’m not going to dip into the story. These things are best left to time and repeated spins to unpick, but what rides high is the well-crafted and catchy anthemic structures to the songs. Dirks doesn’t have a massively over the top vocal range, but what he delivers he does with guts, gravitas and sheer powerful confidence, and he’s very much the melodic focal point of what this band are delivering.
That said, this album continues the trend the band have adopted of a twin guitar attack, although I do struggle to find many stand out songs that are going to pull in a new following, although Dawn Of Second Sun comes pretty darned close. That said, it does what concept albums need to do and frequently fail to deliver which is a consistent and sustainable listening experience, running from start to finish without feeling drawn out and overwrought. That said a couple more stand out anthems would not hurt… 7/10
Burning Witches – Inquisition (Napalm Records) [Cherie Curtis]
Burning Witches brings us Inquisition which has 12 tracks of glorious and loud power metal, each track is flourishing and mighty. Main vocalist Seraina Telli has outstanding vocal sustain and the deep, raspy vocals are met with high harmonies creating addictive hooks and luxurious texture.
In For The Kill and Mirror Mirror are both fast paced and has interestingly layered, they have catchy vocals with piercing guitars and whammy slides that reminds me of early Iron Maiden. In The Eye Of The Storm features high personality guitars which builds upon the mythic narrative of the album then we are met with collective beats from the entire band which creates a dynamic build up to an unforgettable chorus.
Release Me, is a personal favourite from this album. It’s a bit slower than the rest however its consistent with the power. Each beat is deliberate and heavy, and the vocals are clean and affecting. Inquisition is not an album to be taken lightly, it demands to be listened too and there isn’t a dull moment. Burning Witches has given us another standout album and it’s going to be a crowd pleaser. 8/10
Burning Witches – Inquisition (Napalm Records) [Cherie Curtis]
Burning Witches brings us Inquisition which has 12 tracks of glorious and loud power metal, each track is flourishing and mighty. Main vocalist Seraina Telli has outstanding vocal sustain and the deep, raspy vocals are met with high harmonies creating addictive hooks and luxurious texture.
In For The Kill and Mirror Mirror are both fast paced and has interestingly layered, they have catchy vocals with piercing guitars and whammy slides that reminds me of early Iron Maiden. In The Eye Of The Storm features high personality guitars which builds upon the mythic narrative of the album then we are met with collective beats from the entire band which creates a dynamic build up to an unforgettable chorus.
Release Me, is a personal favourite from this album. It’s a bit slower than the rest however its consistent with the power. Each beat is deliberate and heavy, and the vocals are clean and affecting. Inquisition is not an album to be taken lightly, it demands to be listened too and there isn’t a dull moment. Burning Witches has given us another standout album and it’s going to be a crowd pleaser. 8/10
Sugar Spine – Violent Heaven (Prime Collective) [Spike]
This EP is a five-song sprint, sixteen minutes of bruising, genre-blurring modern hardcore that feels more like a fist to the jugular than music. Sugar Spine emerge from that sweet-sounding name with snarling ferocity, blending metalcore, deathcore, and chaos with no apologies.
Opener Burnt Beyond Recognition pulls zero punches. It’s an immediate roar of frustration, a compact anthem for those waking up numb. Next, Stomping Ground doesn’t let tension out. It gets tighter, and more pummelling. It is perfect for a pit or headphones turned uncomfortably loud.
By the time To Fade Quietly hits, featuring Half Me, the EP shows it’s more than aggression. It layers in melody and grief, grinding rhythm under emotional gravitas. It feels like admitting loss and then doubling down with broken machines and sobs in guitar form.
Chrome Coloured Ribcage shifts gears, slipping into a nu-metal groove without wearing the tan-pant clichés. It nods toward Slipknot-era approaches, but always-within Sugar Spine’s vocabulary. And finally, Violent Heaven, the title-track, brings it home: widescreen chorus, clean vocals that hang in the mix like smoke, and enough heaviness to feel ritualistic.
Production feels sharp and urgent, everything is audible but never over polished. There’s grime on those guitars, venom in the vocals, and just enough clarity to catch the weight behind each riff. If your attention span is shorter than a hangover memory, this grabs you fast and doesn’t let go. It’s raw, compact, and fully committed. It’s a late-night drive in a thunderstorm, or the sound of unresolved anger crystallized in song.
Relentless, vivid, and emotionally bruising. Violent Heaven isn’t just hardcore, it’s survival music for when everything else feels lost. 9/10
This EP is a five-song sprint, sixteen minutes of bruising, genre-blurring modern hardcore that feels more like a fist to the jugular than music. Sugar Spine emerge from that sweet-sounding name with snarling ferocity, blending metalcore, deathcore, and chaos with no apologies.
Opener Burnt Beyond Recognition pulls zero punches. It’s an immediate roar of frustration, a compact anthem for those waking up numb. Next, Stomping Ground doesn’t let tension out. It gets tighter, and more pummelling. It is perfect for a pit or headphones turned uncomfortably loud.
By the time To Fade Quietly hits, featuring Half Me, the EP shows it’s more than aggression. It layers in melody and grief, grinding rhythm under emotional gravitas. It feels like admitting loss and then doubling down with broken machines and sobs in guitar form.
Chrome Coloured Ribcage shifts gears, slipping into a nu-metal groove without wearing the tan-pant clichés. It nods toward Slipknot-era approaches, but always-within Sugar Spine’s vocabulary. And finally, Violent Heaven, the title-track, brings it home: widescreen chorus, clean vocals that hang in the mix like smoke, and enough heaviness to feel ritualistic.
Production feels sharp and urgent, everything is audible but never over polished. There’s grime on those guitars, venom in the vocals, and just enough clarity to catch the weight behind each riff. If your attention span is shorter than a hangover memory, this grabs you fast and doesn’t let go. It’s raw, compact, and fully committed. It’s a late-night drive in a thunderstorm, or the sound of unresolved anger crystallized in song.
Relentless, vivid, and emotionally bruising. Violent Heaven isn’t just hardcore, it’s survival music for when everything else feels lost. 9/10
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