It’s been close to a decade since the world last heard of BROKEN HOME, an ’80s band who emerged in the aftermath of British MR. BIG’s breakup to release two albums and proceed to the brink of oblivion, where the … Continue reading
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Independent U.K. undergrounder’s, Unmother, have been holding a mirror up to urban dystopian dehumanization since forming in 2019. Their 2021 debut, Lay Down the Sun, garnered significant underground acclaim that, according to the promo kit, established Unmother “as a restless and forward-thinking presence within the scene.” Foregoing the nature-scapes and mythological motifs of other post-black metal outfits, Unmother draws inspiration from the streets and, with their sophomore effort, State Dependent Memory,1 examines “urban isolation, inner dislocation, and moral decline, reflecting a world formed by concrete environments and social erosion.”2 After swapping their first “V” vocalist, Venla,3 for their second, V. (VOAK), Unmother prepares to take the next step on their evolving musical journey. Does State Dependent Memory offer a solution that might save our base, dehumanized society, from itself, or will it amount to so much piss in the wind?
State Dependent Memory crackles with gritty, asphaltic energy, casting Unmother as conscientious agitators, decrying societal urban decay in veins similar to acts like Chat Pile or Ashenspire, even if avoiding any direct auricular comparison. Departing from the rawer, denser claustrophobia of Lay Down the Sun, Unmother sought slightly warmer sonic climes on State Dependent Memory, weaving undulating post-metal textures into its mostly traditional black-metal framework. Sure, plenty of blast beats and tremolos (“My Armor,” “Bear Hug”) remain, courtesy of drummer B. and guitarists Azoso and Declwa (who also handles bass). Still, it’s what Unmother does with the spaces between that adds the most character, which begins with the varied vocal approach of V., who, like Attila Csihar, possesses a wider range of barks, croaks, shouts, and screams than his more one-dimensional predecessor, whose hissier, raw-blackened rasp overpowered much of Lay Down the Sun for me. Without dulling any of the sharp edges that, well, make them edgy, Unmother benefits from their take on “post” as a counterpoint to tradition.
State Dependent Memory tips the scales of orthodoxy with atmospheres that are as hypnotizing as they are abrasive. Pensive and creepy, the leads that skulk through the shadowed alleys of “Modern Dystopia” are effective and shroud the track with an almost Marilyn Manson-like pall, while Declwa’s bass notes thrum and throb like slow-strobing traffic lights on a dark, misty night. Venla makes a guest appearance here as well; his croaking rasp at this dose ups the fear factor and complements V.’s tortured delivery. Satisfying, too, is the eerie, haunted-jewelry-box melody and desperate howling of V., which make up the slower-paced interlude within the trad-black assault of “Bear Hug,” offering a sprinkling of Shining-like glitter. Ironically, the most black metal track on State Dependent Memory is Unmother’s cover of “Αττική – Βικτώρια” (“Attiki Victoria”) by Greek synthwave outfit ΟΔΟΣ 55, which distills the eight-minute-long original’s main melody down to a viscerally efficient, tremolo-forward beast. It’s poppy, new-wave-esque movements, filled with an almost hopeful melodicism, are set effectively against V.’s pleading screams and shouts.
Angeliki Mourgela’s mix and Roland Rodas’ master capture the essence of Unmother’s talents. With a foggy production that reminded me of Mayhem’s Ordo ad Chao, I enjoyed Lay Down the Sun but had to strain to pick out much of its instrumental intricacy. State Dependent Memory doesn’t suffer the same issue, as each instrument glows brightly in its own space, with B.’s varied drum performance and Declwa’s excellent bass work being the biggest beneficiaries. And while I can’t say Unmother wasted any of State Dependent Memory’s thirty-eight-minute runtime, closing the album with the no-burn instrumental “Magda” was a miss. The track fades in with some reflective, organ-like synths, foreign-spoke voice samples,4 and gently plucked guitar lines bolstered with tension-building but delicately strummed chords, which all continue to build slightly over the next four minutes and twenty seconds only to fade out again. No satisfying payoff, just a segue to silence. Whether this move was intentional or not, the addition of another well-executed track proper could have avoided such a deflating ending.
Acerbically moody, Unmother possesses a maturity that belies their short existence. This quartet of relative unknowns continues to carve their mark into the U.K.’s underground metal scene, and if State Dependent Memory is any indication, they may not be toiling down there for long.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320kb/s mp3
Label: Independent
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: February 20th, 2026
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Louder Than Life returns to the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky, USA, from 17-20 September 2026 for its 12th edition and this is the biggest lineup in the festival’s history.
Produced by Danny Wimmer Presents, the four-day event will feature nearly 200 bands across seven stages, with the following top-billed artists:
Saturday is also set to spotlight a prominent female-dominated stage lineup at a major U.S. Rock festival, featuring Halestorm, In This Moment, Lindsey Stirling, Orianthi, Icon For Hire, Kami Kehoe, and Diamante.
Organisers also tease a Mystery Guest band making their live debut at Louder Than Life, plus a Very Special Guest, described as “one of the biggest Heavy bands of the modern era,” to be announced at a later date.
“Last year, we took over Kentucky Kingdom and broke Rock festival records,” Danny Wimmer said. “This year, we’re back to deliver the ultimate Rock escape. Louder Than Life is your playground – ride the coasters, catch legendary and emerging bands, enjoy incredible food and bourbon, and dive headfirst into the Rock experience you’ve been waiting for. It’s time to let loose and have fun. We’ll see you soon.”
Passes are on sale now via the official festival site. Options include 4-day and single-day tiers across GA, VIP and Angel’s Envy Top Shelf VIP, plus bundled options including the Exacta Pass (Louder Than Life and Bourbon & Beyond), LoudINK Pass (Louder Than Life and Inkcarceration), and the Traveler’s Pass (Louder Than Life, Inkcarceration and Sonic Temple).
All Louder Than Life passholders also have free access to select amusement rides inside Kentucky Kingdom, open exclusively to festival attendees.
Electric Six are heading back to Australia, and according to frontman Dick Valentine, there’s “no reason not to do it.” Big, profitable shows, short flights between cities and a guaranteed good time keep the band returning Down Under. This run promises refinement over chaos. “We’re respectful, polite… and we have a good time,” Valentine laughs, […]PVRIS’ Brian MacDonald and The 1975’s Ross MacDonald have revealed that they are to do something extraordinary for the charity Nordoff and Robbins.
The pair, alongside their two friends Darren and Matt, are set to cycle 1100 miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats, from the most westerly point of mainland England to the northernmost point of mainland Scotland, over the space of two weeks. It’s not an easy feat, by far the ultimate cycling challenge there is in this country, nicknamed ‘LEJOG’, but they are doing it for a very good cause.
That is to raise money for Nordoff and Robbins, who train music therapists to help everyone from people with dementia reconnecting with family to autistic children to find their voices. It costs £19,000 to train a therapist over two years, and the work they do is absolutely vital and incredibly life-changing.
Ross had this to say about the challenge and raising money for such a special cause, stating, “I believe that music therapy really changes people’s lives. I’ve seen firsthand what Nordoff and Robbins do, using music as therapy. It breaks down barriers, and it transcends language. And it’s something that everyone can connect with in their own way. My life is taken up massively by touring and being in a studio, and this challenge is pretty much the most opposite thing I could think of doing. I get to do this amazing ride with three of my closest friends. It’s going to be beautiful and horrendous, but will ultimately end with us achieving this incredible personal goal and hopefully raising loads of money for Nordoff and Robbins.”
Whilst Brian added, “The motivation to fundraise for Nordoff and Robbins came from a WhatsApp from Ross. I was on tour and he messaged me saying, ‘do you want to do a big cycle ride? I know you cycle.’ I’m like, ‘barely, but, yeah!’ He explained about Nordoff and Robbins, and then I did my own research, and I just fell right into it and saw how amazing the music therapy work they do is. I’m grateful to be playing a small part in fundraising for this great cause. I’m going to be doing it for the people that will benefit so much from what we can get in terms of donations. That’s going to fuel me more than all the electrolytes, gels and carbs combined.”
You can donate to the pair right here.
The post PVRIS’ Brian MacDonald and The 1975’s Ross MacDonald To Cycle 1100 Miles For Charity appeared first on Rock Sound.
Released on 27 February 2026, WROC finds Jesuit-era etiquette that becomes blazing riffs, odd harmonies, big hooks and a rock ‘n’ roll finale in a wild concept curveball. Approach this Paul Gilbert album with an open mind, and you will not be disappointed. In Part Two of this interview, he delves into his songwriting and declares MetalTalk’s Taylor Cameron as “my therapist right now,” as he discusses the setlist for the upcoming tour.
WROC features not only great lead playing, but also interesting and unique melodies in the rhythm playing. For this album, Paul Gilbert says the melody really was first, so the first guitar part was just figuring out how to support the melody. “What I see as sophisticated pop writing is The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Elton John, Carpenters, Todd Rundgren, and growing up with that stuff from my parents’ album collection and also what was on the radio in the ’70s.
“I’m never satisfied with it until I find something that’s surprising. I always want that surprise chord in there. So that’s not guitar technique as much as it is songwriting technique. I’m trying to be my version of Burt Bacharach, Brian Wilson, or McCartney in coming up with some interesting chords that support the melody. I try to leave myself a space for some improvisation, but a lot of the songs I play the vocal melody on the guitar. That is, for me anyway, something that can be really challenging, because you’re kind of naked when you do that.
“You can’t cover it up with flourishes, and if you get a note wrong, it’s really obvious. So, to me, playing a melody on guitar is kind of a high-pressure gig, but it has such good rewards. It really plants itself in the ears of the listener. I love the challenge of guitar. A lot of times, I’ll play it on slide, and that wasn’t something that I did as a kid. It came much later in my journey as a guitar player, but now it feels really good, and most of the time I get it right.”
“For example, the song, If You Soak Bread In The Sauce, is, on the face of it, a bouncy pop song. But when I’m playing that slide part, it’s a tricky slide part and really challenging to get right.
“But fortunately, we had enough time to rehearse, where I mostly had everything together and had a fighting chance of getting it right in the studio. We did everything live. That’s one thing I’m so happy about. Not only did we finish the record, but we got everything on video. All 13 songs, supposedly, even the Japanese bonus track, we got all that documented on video.
“So when you see the videos come out, that’s the real take we’re not miming it. That’s the actual footage of us doing it in the studio. I did go back and fix up the vocals because by that time, we had rehearsed all week, and my voice was getting kind of rough. But it matches up right.”
WROC is based around the singular theme of George Washington’s Rules of Civility. If there were to be a further concept album, Paul says that “Ben Franklin’s Almanack or a book of recipes”, would be interesting ideas.
The longer and more interesting point is how he feels about the writing process for this album and how this compares with his earlier solo albums.
“It was a nice way of writing,” Paul Gilbert says of WROC. “This is funny, what I’m about to tell you. When I first started doing interviews, the interviewers would ask me what’s the concept? What is this? What are the songs about? I would have no idea because it really had very little meaning to me.
“I wanted it to have great guitar playing. I wanted to have music with great energy. I didn’t care what the singer was singing about, and often I didn’t even know. I wasn’t even paying attention. But that question was asked so much that I would kind of brace myself for it. It was like, ‘Oh, I’d better ask or find out so I have an answer for the journalist.’
“So, me doing these interviews for this album is kind of wonderful because I actually have an answer.
“Every music listener has different areas that they focus on. Some might focus on the texture, the production, or others may focus on the melody and the chords. There are so many different elements that people can enjoy in a song. Nobody is the same.
“I like all those elements to a varying degree, and I want them all to be as good as possible. I think for me, having that concept, I’m smiling right now, and that’s what it makes me do.
“So to me, doing these interviews, it’s kind of wonderful. Because if somebody says, ‘What’s the album about?’ I actually have an answer. I surprised myself that I could actually make a concept album. I never really had the idea that I could do that. I didn’t know if I could do it on my own, so having the book to pull from was really helpful.”
There will be an American tour to support the new album. I feel that WROC tells a story, so are there plans to play it in its entirety for the live show, and should we expect any surprises?
“Well, I’m driving myself crazy right now,” Paul smiles, “trying to figure out the set list because you always have to have that balance between new stuff that people might know or they might not. And the songs that I know everyone’s likely familiar with, and trying to make it flow as a whole concert.
“So basically every morning after I do my drumming, I’ll run through ideas and see how it kind of flows as a story. It’s so hard to be objective about it. I’ll tear my hair out because as soon as I’m like, ‘oh this is great’, I’ll think, but will they like it?
“There’s been a lot of second-guessing going on, so that’s been my world at the moment. By the time we get to the tour, it’ll be really good cause I’ll have tested it out on myself, and we’ll have rehearsed it. I trust the band’s reaction.”
The lineup for the tour is the same as the album, with the exception of Nick D’Virgilio. “He’s such a busy drummer,” Paul Gilbert says. “So I’ve got Jeff Martin, who I’m very excited about. He was the original singer of Racer X, but he’s also a great drummer. He’s played drums in Badlands, UFO, Michael Schenker, and George Lynch, and he’s played drums with me a lot in the past.
“He’s also one of my best friends in the world, so it’ll be nice to have him on the tour. He’s funnier than anybody, and he’s really into the music. I have to calm him down sometimes. I have to tell him that I already have enough ideas. But I’m looking forward to that.
“You’re my therapist right now, I’m sort of telling you my problems. I love cover songs so much. If you’re a classical musician, that problem is solved because you never do original material. You’re playing Bach or Mozart, and for me, my Bach and Mozart are Led Zeppelin and Robin Trower.
“I love to do that stuff, and it’s so tempting to say I’ll play three songs of my own and then a Zeppelin medley the rest of the night. So I have to balance that desire because I don’t want to be a cover band either. It’s fun to play other people’s songs because they’re just so good.
“It’s like, why would I play my own song when I could play a Beatles song instead. But of course, the audience came to see me, and hopefully they’re happy to hear my stuff.”
Over the span of Mr. Big’s career, they released 10 studio albums. Does Paul Gilbert have a B-side track that is his favourite or that he wishes you could have played live at some point? Something only fans who have listened to the albums in their entirety may know?
“Well, the first song comes to mind, and we might have played it live, I can’t remember, but probably not. There’s a song called Living Like A Dog. It’s this nasty blues rock song.
“I just remember that it came together really smoothly. Eric (Martin) came over to my house, and I had already recorded the music for it, and he just stepped up to the mic and sang it on the first take. That was a fun one.”
Paul Gilbert releases WROC on 27 February via Music Theories Recordings. Pre-orders are available from lnk.to/PaulGilbert. Paul Gilbert’s US Tour begins on 21 April in Denver. Full dates and tickets are available from PaulGilbert.com/tour.
You can read Part One of the interview here. The MetalTalk WROC review is available here.