news – Page 1750 – PROX Intake

That Sacramento, CA, alternative metal legends, Deftones, haven’t yet headlined a major UK festival, despite being one of the most influential and unique bands of their era, is staggering. That a band can release an album as good as last year’s Private Music a quarter of a century after the seminal White Pony, whose effect on alternative music is still being felt; and a band whose seventh record, Koi No Yokan, would have been rightfully widely lauded as the masterpiece it is, were it not for the spectre of its Millennial predecessor.

While the jury’s still out on the uneven Gore, Adrenaline is very much of its time, and the self-titled had the unenviable task of following White Pony, I would argue Deftones haven’t a bad album in their discography, possibly down to the time spent between each recording.

Last year’s shows at the Eden Project, Crystal Palace and a very damp Piece Hall in Halifax proved that Deftones were still a formidable live act and a big draw; a sold-out Co-Op Arena in Manchester attests to that, with tickets flying off the digital shelves as soon as they went on sale.

Town planners in Manchester seem to like putting venues next to the city’s football stadia. The Victoria Warehouse is beside Old Trafford and the Co-Op is on the Etihad campus, next door to City – who just so happen to be playing here this afternoon. And there’s reported traffic disruption across the city; oh, and it’s St Valentines Day. Such is life.

New York post-hardcore band, Drug Church, have the dubious honour of getting the evening started with a huge amount of the twenty-three-thousand-plus crowd are still winding their way through Co-Op’s barrier queuing system. It’s just how it is when you have to move that many people into an enclosed space quickly and efficiently.

The band have but half-an-hour to distract the growing crowd from the future delights and focus on the Pure Noise released material in their catalogue. Mixing a So Cal Punk sound with alternative rock finds the band in a similar ballpark to the headliners; Myopic, Slide 2 Me, both from 2024’s Prude album tick the alt boxes, whereas Demolition Man – from the same record – has some Bad Religion vibes going on. Million Miles of Fun has an earworm progression, and closer, Weed Pin, has a driving rhythm that just won’t stop.

Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography

No stranger to Manchester – having headlined the city’s Outbreak Festival a couple of times over recent years, Florida-rapper, Denzel Curry, hits the stage like he’s tonight’s bill-topper; and the Arena, for three-quarters-of-an-hour at least, indulge him. In return, Mr Curry delivers a razor-sharp set of heavy hip-hop beats that fill the cavernous venue, rattling the foundations of the building.

In all honesty I have extremely limited points of reference when it comes to hip-hop in general and when it’s played live, so I’m going to defer to those who know better: the Co-Op crowd. Judging by the reaction of those around me, Mr Curry was a superstar; he gets the whole of the arena up and moving with a host of admittedly unstoppable beats, the interaction between him and his DJ felt totally organic.

I recognised variations of Drowning Pool’s Bodies and the closing Bulls on Parade from Rage Against the Machine, and even with my limited appreciation of the genre, I really did enjoy the time I spent with Denzel Curry tonight.

Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography

It’s always interesting to note the demographics of an audience, as it’s very often reflective of the appeal and, ultimately, the longevity of a band. Scanning the arena this evening and there’s some of the widest variation of age and apparent musical preference as you’d hope to meet at a show.

Not only is Deftones presenting their new record tonight, with seven of private pusic’s tunes being aired, but they are taking a comprehensive journey through their recorded history, with only Gore and the self-titled being bypassed.

It’s sort of like shooting fish in a barrel – what with the voracity of the fandom – but the band open the set with Around the Fur’s Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away), which turns the anticipation into physical fervour, with the front portion of the crowd becoming instantly animated. The stage set is simple but effective with a full-sized digital screen projecting relevant images as searing lamps throw sharp light out into the arena.

Locked Club is the first new tune and comes in early, fitting between …Drive and the proceeding Rocket Skates like it’s always been there. Foregoing the fact that he’s on the wrong side of fifty, Chino bounds about the huge stage like it 1999 all over again, maintaining that level of energy throughout the performance.

Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography

Diamond Eyes gets the voices raised before Ecdysis arrives from a blood red stage. White Pony’s Digital Bath finds the stage turned Matrix-green as Chino straps on a guitar; the way the song is constructed is to tease a resolution which, when it does arrive triggers a huge release from the crowd.

Advance Private Music single, My Mind is a Mountain comes with some fierce guitar work, courtesy of Stephen Carpenter stand in, Lance Jackman, and Abe Cunningham goes medieval on his kit on Souvenir. There’s an irresistible groove to Swerve City that never gets old and it’s followed by my favourite of the band’s songs, Rosemary, and it seems like I’m not alone in that opinion.

We’re about halfway through the set and Chino make his first real address to Manchester, with a heart-felt thanks for turning out in such numbers to support the band. Well, I don’t have the arrogance to speak for twenty-three thousand people, but you’re welcome back at any time, especially with shows as good as this. The new duo of Cut Hands and Infinite Source prove the range of Deftones’ creativity, c.2025, and the beautifully languid Sextape finds those multiple voices raised once again.

Hole in the Earth’s eco-message is well received, but it’s on the White Pony classic Change (In the House of Flies) that Manchester voices are heard most loudly. Chino, guitar strapped on stands at the back of a scorching orange stage, a shadow only, as the music does the talking.

Genesis and final newbie of the night, Milk of the Madonna, take us to the end of the main set, but the band aren’t gone for long and return with Cherry Waves, whose lush melodies equal parts hypnotise and mesmerise and, from where I standing, the rear projection of a ballet dancer appears to be perched atop Abe’s cymbal.

It’s back to the beginning for the closing tunes, with a fiery My Own Summer (Shove It) and 7 Words allowing those of an age to relive their mis-spent youths. It’s a raucous finale to what has been a phenomenal show, from a band who refuse to be pigeon-holed and have the creative freedom to just do their thing.

I know it’s only mid-February, but already Deftones have just laid one huge marker down for the Year. Can’t wait to see the other bands challenging for the title.

Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography

Full Gallery Here!

Photo Credits: Tim Finch Photography

For all the latest news, reviews, interviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebook, twitter and instagram.

The post Live Review: Deftones – Manchester appeared first on The Razor's Edge.

February 16, 2026

Playlist: Sirius XM’s “Dark Wave” — hosted by Slicing Up Eyeballs (2/15/26)

This week’s “Dark Wave,” hosted by Matt Sebastian, featured music by Revolting Cocks, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Gang of Four, 39 Clocks, The Cramps and more.

February 16, 2026

VOILÀ, YORKE: The Triffid, Brisbane, 15/02/2026

Words & Photos by: Cecilia Pattison-Levi Special thanks to Destroy All Lines The Triffid was the venue for VOILÀ’s Magic Word Tour performance, and the band smashed it out. VOILÀ were powerhouse magicians as they delivered a total concert experience. The lines for this last sold-out concert at The Triffid were huge. The fans came […]

February 16, 2026

Delusions of February 2026 – Part 3

Every Monday morning, Still in Rock kicks off the week with an article featuring a bunch of new releases. At the end of each month, I dedicate a playlist to the best of these articles (link). Don’t miss out and join Still in Rock on Facebook (here), WhatsApp (here), and Instagram (here). Cheers.

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Tacoblaster – Digital Fun-Zone!

LP, Les Disques du Paradis / Flippin’ Freaks, 30 January 2026

[garage pop]

In one sentence: Tacoblaster’s slacker vibe channels the golden glow of the 2010s; what a delight!

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Landowner – Normal Returns To Normal

Single, Exploding in Sound Records, 3 February 2026

[post-punk]

In one sentence: Landowner are crafting the most cathartic post-punk of the past few years, what momentum!

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Shintaro Sakamoto – Yoo-hoo

LP, Zelone Records, 23 January 2026

[japanese pop]

In one sentence: Following in the footsteps of Japanese pop’s greats, in all its splendour.

***

Radium Dolls – Wound Up

LP, 30 January 2026

[indie rock]

In one sentence: Pist Idiots have found new friends, they are calledRadium Dolls and they are seriously cool.

The post Delusions of February 2026 – Part 3 appeared first on Still in Rock.

February 16, 2026

Review TRIUMPHER “Piercing the Heart of the World”

Triumpher was founded in Athens, Greece in 2019 and launched a promising debut album, “Storming the Walls”, in 2023. This brought the band to the attention of No Remorse Records, the label that launched Triumpher’s second full-length album, “Spirit Invictus”. With “Piercing the Heart of the World”, the Greek quintet continues its metallic adventure in… Continue Reading →

February 16, 2026

Album Review: Sylosis – The New Flesh

Reviewed by Oli Gonzalez

Not quite veterans but certainly not newcomers to the scene, Sylosis are in an interesting stage of their career now. This is as they find themselves on the eve of releasing their 7th album via Nuclear Blast Records, “The New Flesh”. Stylistically, they’ve always been a mixed bag. With a sound heavily rooted in thrash, especially in the early days, the more recent metalcore influence has been impossible to ignore. “Conclusions Of An Age” represented an exciting progressive twist on the thrash metal genre from early in the career, whereas their more recent work has been more geared towards this metalcore style. No matter what genre label, their music always packs a punch and has been responsible for many a headbang and neck snapping groove.

“The New Flesh” marks a shift in songwriting philosophy, with frontman Josh Middleton explaining that the band have been thinking about “what’s going to be fun for us to play and what’s going to land better”. He also added how they want to reminisce their teenage years and rediscover how it felt to jam together, thus wanting to write with that approach. As such, “The New Flesh” will be written more for the band themselves and not necessarily for the masses. How will this manifest then? Let’s find out.

‘Spared From The Guilotine’ stands as one of the lead singles on the album, and offers a forceful throwback to their older thrash roots. This is achieved through the densely layered distorted riffs, pinched harmonics, and just sheer full throttle intensity. This is not the only song with this more minimalist, back to basics thrash metal energy flowing gracefully through. The opening segment to ‘All Glory. No Valour’ stands as one of the fastest on the album and a safe bet to cause the most chaotic circle pit when unleashed in the live arena. Where will you find the metalcore elements, you may ask? ‘Circle Of Swords’ will give you your fix of punishing breakdowns and brutal drops!

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Middleton described his admiration for Slipknot’s ‘People = Shit’ as it’s ‘super heavy but it’s an anthem’. As such, “The New Flesh” delivers songs in a similar vein; forceful ballads with anthemic choruses. This is achieved in ‘All Glory, No Valour’ and ‘Lacerations’, with the latter providing one of the bigger soaring choruses. The subtle addition of the background synthesised strings adds an orchestral and epic undertone, and magnifies the gravity of the song. Given Middleton’s time in Architects, perhaps that’s where some of this influence came from? ‘Mirror Mirror’ offers a more hardcore feel to the vocals, especially with the gang style vocals and the call and responses, like you’d associate with the likes of Hatebreed. The end product being catchy as hell vocal lines determined to imprint themselves on your subconscious.

Now, time for a curveball. There seems to be a trend in the world of metal at present. A trend of providing at least one cleaner and acoustic guitar oriented anthem. Conjurer and Orbit Culture offered this in their respective 2025 releases “Unself” and “Death Above Life”. Sylosis follow in this vein but this certainly isn’t catching on trends. Instead, this is a much more emotional and touching number, one in which Middleton verbalises his feelings of guilt for leaving his young children at home for long periods whilst on the road. Perhaps best captured in the harrowing and deeply touching vocal line:

“what if I was everywhere at once?”

A rhetorical question. A radio friendly tune with a much slower pace that adds much welcome breathing space and positively affects the flow of the album. This just proves that Sylosis are going to continue to throw curveballs and you can expect the unexpected.

The album finishes with ‘Seeds In The River’, exploring different textures with the slower and introspective passages, through to neck snapping fast and thrashy. More thought provoking and bordering nihilistic lyrics are thrown to us:

“we are all seeds in the river”

Though there are certainly things to marvel at, especially with a glorious solo acting as the crescendo for the song.

Now, I may be looking at this through rose tinted glasses as I love “Conclusions Of An Age”, having discovered the album during my formative years. Anything else may will always be in that shadow. But objectively speaking, “The New Flesh” is their most expansive and sophisticated work yet! Incorporating all the best components of what’s worked in their nearly 20 years of existence, Sylosis can no longer be considered up and coming, but rather true titans of British metal.

For all the latest news, reviews, interviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebook, twitter and instagram.

The post Album Review: Sylosis – The New Flesh appeared first on The Razor's Edge.

February 16, 2026

SUPERHEAVEN Add Second Melbourne Show

Superheaven’s long-awaited return may be still months away, but that hasn’t slowed down the response to tickets moving out the door. With Perth selling out on announce and being upgraded to Magnet House, many of the other shows have followed suit and a second show has just been added for Melbourne. TOUR DATESThursday 30 April: The […]

February 16, 2026

STORY OF THE YEAR Release New Album ‘A.R.S.O.N.’

Story Of The Year has released their seventh studio album, A.R.S.O.N., out everywhere now via SharpTone Records. A.R.S.O.N. is where energy, emotion, and precision collide. It proves that Story of the Year thrives in the tension between rage and restraint, destruction and rebirth, channeling catharsis with deliberate control. An acronym for All Rage, Still Only […]

February 16, 2026

MISS MAY I Share First New Track of 2026 With ‘Die on the Vine’

Ohio metalcore favourites MISS MAY I are thrilled to share the first taste of new music for 2026 and they drop the video for new single Die on the Vine, which is full of galloping guitars, plate-shifting breakdowns, and memorable melodies. “Die on the Vine captures a mid-life reckoning — coming to terms with how […]

February 16, 2026

Category: news

Live Gallery: Deftones – BP Pulse Live, Birmingham

Deftones

Denzel Curry

Drug Church

Fans

Live Review: Deftones – Co-Op Live, Manchester

Album Review: Sylosis – The New Flesh