Mad About Rock

  Brit alternative rock duo LOST VELVET drop their debut album Dark Cells, out on Friday 4th September. Mixed by Michael Patterson, whose credits include Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross and Puscifer, Dark Cells finds LOST VELVET somewhere between post-rock atmosphere, shoegaze haze and industrial unease — combining distorted guitars, darkwave textures, subtle electronics and intertwined vocals. We exclusively caught up with the band and asked for this track by track breakdown of the album: 2003 “2003” blends shimmering guitar, enthralling piano and commanding drums into an almost euphoric dream-pop pull before collapsing into waves of dark rock, dissonance and unsettling tension. Built around sharp dynamic shifts between light and heavy, the track captures the spiral of unspoken thoughts and the feeling of becoming lost inside your own head." Dark Cells “Dark Cells” is the heaviest and most immersive track on the album, combining thunderous guitars, hypnotic dual vocals and shadow...

  We exclusively caught up with Brit alternative rock trio VEINS who are poised to drop their long-awaited debut album, 'A New Forever', due Friday 5th June. The band have given us this track by track breakdown of the album: “ Criminal is about how life can shift in an instant. Perceptions change with the press of a button. Good becomes evil, and public opinion rules, regardless of the facts. In a world where clickbait is king, reality becomes distorted and the truth is ignored". " Reign Down is about defying the hand you’ve been dealt. Inspired by frontman Stevie Rees’ sister’s battle with neurofibromatosis type 2, a genetic disease causing tumors on the brain and spine, the song explores survival, resilience, and the relentless urge to embrace life fully, cherishing every fleeting moment." "I Keep Falling is inspired by the short film Nuit Blanche by Arev Manoukian. It captures a fleeting, magical moment between two strangers, revealing an intense yet...

We have ALFONSO CONSPIRACY, the savage new project fronted by multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Max James, who drops his powerful debut album, The Explicit//The Exploited, on Friday 5th December. Max exclusively talks about the record and gives us this unique track by track breakdown: “The Explicit//The Exploited is an album of two halves, literally. After years of re-releasing old songs, remixes and different projects, it came to taking the next step with Alfonso Conspiracy. I wanted to stare at the two things that have impacted me most in the eyes. I address trauma, play devil’s advocate and tell my story all in one. It is something I genuinely struggle listening to from start to finish, and wanted that feeling to come through not only with the lyrics but within the music also. Viral Infection "Viral Infection sets the theme both musically and lyrically. I like the idea of never really knowing what’s in store for you pressing play on my music. Predictability sells too well, an...

  EDIT THE TIDE are on the rise and are loaded with their stunning new EP, 'The Space Between Seconds', out Friday 21st November. We exclusively checked in with the potent alt-metallers and asked the band to give us an exclusively track by track breakdown of the EP: ECHOES "The knowledge that we are such insignificant beings in such a vast universe poses the question “what is our purpose on Earth?”. Are we echoes of the past, will we ever truly know what’s out there or is there a meaning to the mixed-up chain of events we call life?" THE COST OF STANDING STILL "Corruption and austerity are now part of our daily lives whether we like it or not. Why are we wasting time fighting against each other when we should be standing together as one. It’s time for us to stop letting cynicism cloud our judgement and turn our focus to the real villains." Check out the new video 'The Cost Of Standing Still' that was released today 14/11/25: DANCING WITH SHADOWS ...

  Fast rising Irish rock outfit MIRRORGLASS are turning heads and tuning hearts with their explosive, anthemic sound — a fusion of classic hard rock grit and modern energy. The Cavan-based band are set drop their debut album, 'Handle With Care', out Friday 12th September, and we exclusively caught up with MIRRORGLASS frontman, Joshua Bowles, and asked him to give us a track by track breakdown of the album: Hey Honey! "This one was written in early 2023. I remember I was watching a video of John Notto from Dirty Honey. He was just talking about his gear and jamming on some riffs and I remember just loving every bit of it and thinking to myself, I want to write a riff like that. I’d written many songs up to that point, but I hadn’t cracked that “classic opening riff” in a song yet. So, not long after that, I grabbed my guitar and started jamming on some songs. I was really into playing “I Believe In A Thing Called Love” and “The Boys Are Back In Town” at the time. So those i...

  Energetic alt trio ORCHID SYMMETRY are set to light up the scene again with their self-titled new EP, Orchid Symmetry, which is out this Friday 5th September. With that in mind, we exclusively spoke to the band and asked them to give us a track-by-track breakdown of the record: Like the Sun "Like the Sun lures you into a false sense of lust and physical intimacy. But beneath the surface lies something far more unsettling: a reflection on the blurred line between pleasure and destruction, longing and the blood-warm thrill of holding life, and the end of it, in your hands. It speaks to the shadow we all carry, that quiet place where craving and control, ecstasy and cruelty, begin to intertwine." Feeding the Wolves Pt 2 "'Feeding the Wolves'' is feeding your fears. It is something we all have to tackle: the fear of the uncertainty surrounding the challenges we face and ultimately the fear of the unknown. When it feels like the whole world is against you, yo...

  Brit alt-metallers OUR NORTH continue their swift incline with their explosive new EP, 'Everyone For Themselves', out on Friday the 4th July 2025. We caught up with vocalist and guitarist, Dan Feast, and he exclusively gave us their track by track breakdown of the EP: CHOKED TO DEATH "The song reflects a point in life where we face financial struggles, working tirelessly just to make ends meet, yet feeling like we’re not getting anywhere. My dad suffered a severe workplace accident, while my mum worked tirelessly to keep our household running. I recall starting my first job and giving my entire monthly earnings to support her." SOMETHING TO BE "Have you ever felt like you’re not ready to give up on something, but society pressures you to walk away? The message of this song is simple: don’t let go of what you love doing." VIOLENT RULES “Violent rules” is another way of saying “one rule for one, and another for everyone else.” It’s about someone who’s willin...

  British Geek Rockers Midland Railway released their melodic and quirky self-titled debut album on February 14th 2025. The album touches on some unconventional topics, from Pokémon to serial killers. In this exclusive feature, we uncover Midland Railway's debut album as the band reveals details on all songs, track-by-track! Enjoy the wild ride!  1 - She Loves Ted Bundy The album opener and lead single. This song began life as a joke idea about my girlfriend's serial killer / Ted Bundy obsession. She actually does own a Ted Bundy mug, and had gone through a phase of photoshopping Ted Bundy's face onto everything, including the cats in the album art. This song was incredibly popular from the very first time we played it, and it seems we accidentally tapped into something a lot of people (mostly women) can relate to well. It is the song people seem to know best, and long may they enjoy it.   2 - Bedroom Analysis This one is way darker. It was the first song I ever wrote...