AGNOSTIC FRONT, Wisdom in Chains – Concert Review February 24, 2026 – Budapest, Dürer Kert At the end of February, Dürer Kert hosted a rather neat little hardcore event: Agnostic Front came to present their new album here, while frontman Roger Miret also signed copies of his book for fans during an official meet & […]
There’s a specific kind of American band that always sounds like it’s been driving all night, even when it’s standing perfectly still. The rhythm section has road dust in its pockets. The harmonies feel like the front porch light got left on. The songs smile at you, but they’re squinting, like they’ve seen how the sausage gets made.
Selfish Things have shared their first new music in four years, and it serves as a stark look at the first hurdles of recovery.
The song is titled ‘Sunlight’ and finds vocalist Alex Biro even more confessional and stark than he has ever been before, which is saying something. Musically, the song is alt-rock at its most atmospheric and lingering, whilst lyrically it delivers a stream of consciousness in quick time. A mesh of thoughts, feelings and outbursts that are so often associated with isolation, which in the case of Biro, this comes from the start of his sobriety journey. Now four years clean and working as a sober coach and counsellor within the music industry, returning to the band in this way feels like a way to not just finally put those demons to bed but also show others what is possible. That it may feel awful now, but it does get better, even if it isn’t the way you think it will.
Here’s what he had to say about the song, explaining, “I don’t believe in being dishonest in my recovery. ‘Sunlight’ came out of a weekend six months into my sobriety when I’d come to realize that being sober didn’t mean happiness, peace, or calm. They don’t tell you in the hospital that things typically get worse in the first year before they get better. You’re left to take stock of how far you fell from who you were meant to be, and how much you let those you loved (and by proxy, your friends, bandmates, and fans) down in the process of self-immolating”.
“I had never wanted to live and die more at the same time. I had never felt the searing reality of how far I’d fallen from the mountain I’d climbed. ‘Sunlight’ to me is an attempt to triumph over the void of the hole I’d created in my own spirit”, he added. “A meditation on what it means to be painfully human in front of the world. To be fallible, to make mistakes, and to drink the dirtied water from a well you poisoned yourself.”
The song follows on from 2022’s ‘Newman’, which sounds a lot like this.
The legendary Social Distortion have announced the details of their 8th full-length, which is also their first in 15 years.
It’s going to be titled ‘Born To Kill’ and will be unleashed on May 08 via Epitaph. It follows on from 2011’s ‘Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes’ and is the band’s first body of work since vocalist/guitarist/founder Mike Ness recovery from cancer.
The band have released a video detailing Mike’s journey and how it led to the creation of this record.
The artwork looks like this:
You can also hear the first taste of the record right now in the form of the title track. A rollicking, rallying, righteous piece of classic American punk-rock brilliance, it is everything that has made the band such an institution over the last 40 years. As anthemic, powerful and defiant as you would expect, it feels even more poignant knowing what the band have been through to make it a reality.
The band are going to be making their way around Europe this Summer, and here is where you will be able to catch them.
JUNE
03 – OSLO Sentrum Scene 04 – SOLVESBORG Sweden Rock 05 – NÜRNBERG Rock Im Park 07 – NURBURG Rock Am Ring 09 – BERLIN Columbiahalle 11 – HRADEC KRÀLOVÉ Rock For People 12 – NICKELSDORF Nova Rock Festival 14 – DONINGTON Download Festival 16 – LONDON Koko 18 – CLISSON Hellfest 20 – VITORIA-GASTEIZ Azkena Rock Festival 23 – MILAN Carroponte 24 – ZURICH Halle 622 26 – MUNSTER Vainstream 27 – COPENHAGEN Copenhell 29 – AMSTERDAM Amsterdamse Bos Theatre 30 – HAMBURG Docks
JULY
02 – BELFORT Les Eurockéennes 03 -WERCHETER Rock Werchter 04 – DRESDEN Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion
Emerald Moon is an impressive French retro rock band with unashamed 70’s antecedents, sprinkled with elements of Classic Rock, rock-blues and harmony guitar arrangements which owe much to Thin Lizzy and even Wishbone Ash. They also employ a funky undertow … Continue reading →
Tennessee deathcore heavyweights Whitechapel have confirmed they’re heading back across the pond in early 2027 for a proper rager of a tour. Dubbed the “Burn Forever European Tour”, the trek is set to be a massive run of shows with a stacked support bill featuring 200 Stab Wounds and Tribal Gaze. For the UK and … Continue reading Whitechapel and Sylosis team up for massive 2027 UK and Ireland co-headline tour
As a rising hip-hop star turned multi–platinum album singer, he established himself in pop-punk and alternative rock around the world. Colson Baker, also known as Machine Gun Kelly, performed his first gig at The O2 Arena in London during his Lost Americana tour.
Known for his beef with Eminem and for dating arguably the most beautiful woman on the planet, this 35-year-old has received a lot of negative press. But when you remove the media and peel away the persona, there is so much more to Machine Gun Kelly.
The stage name Machine Gun Kelly, or MGK, is derived from the nickname of Prohibition-era gangster George Kelly Barnes. Starting the gig with a bang, the song Outlaw from his latest album felt poignant. Flashes of his branded red and pink colours lit up the iconic stage. This song took the crowd on a metaphorical road trip, with sing-along lyrics, spirited energy and the feel of an adventure.
MGK has a way with words. Regardless of whether you enjoy his pop rap, hip hop, or post-punk sound, he is a true storyteller. From the 35 songs MGK performed at The O2, there was a flow of rapid rap, rebellious energy, and a raw, vulnerable stream of consciousness that flowed like harmonious diary extracts, yearning to be understood.
Rising star and guitarist Sophie Lloyd was also seen performing. Since joining MGK on tour in 2022, Sophie has been involved in some fantastic projects. As you focus on her performance, the fan-favourite track Bloody Valentine bursts into action. Everyone immediately cannot help but visualise the incredible music video – you know the one! This song was a huge hit during the 2020 lockdown and remains the anthem that energises and brings smiles to fans’ faces.
In the midst of the gig, a medley of British icons was featured, ranging from Phil Collins and Freddie Mercury to The Beatles. This could have seemed like an afterthought to fill time, but with seven studio albums to his name, that was not the case. This homage to British music only made him all the more charming.
As a classic pop-punk genre, MGK is characterised by his fast-paced, energetic tempos and emphasis on storytelling. His pop punk songs show prominent influences from other punk-variant genres, which were inspired by 1960s innovative pop bands such as The Kinks, The Beach Boys, and The Beatles.
There were personable, touching moments throughout the gig where MGK made minor mistakes, ones most would not have noticed. However, he did not hesitate to expose them, making him more real, more human.
Maybe this was his defence mechanism, and having received much negativity, he calls himself out before anyone else can. To the crowd, this only made him more likeable, engaging, and even endearing. The entire gig felt like a portrayal of his life, championing great songwriting alongside his anti-authoritarian stance. But with such clever songwriting, depth, and an arrangement of wordplay and complexity, it makes him a true artist.
Misunderstood, criticised, and frequently ridiculed, Machine Gun Kelly’s true talent lies in awe-inspiring lyrics, breaking down cleverly chosen words into syllables that leave an impact. Turning his most intimate thoughts and exposing them, poetically, to the world.
Love him or hate him, there is no doubt that his storytelling, persona, and goofy, shy kindness make him a special artist. Personable, playful, and passionate, this gig was a rendition through all his mistakes, his flaws and his inner demons.
To the passing of his father, to his undeniable love for his Twin Flame, this entire gig took you on an emotional, expressive, poetic journey.
Emerald Moon is an impressive French retro rock band with unashamed 70’s antecedents, sprinkled with elements of Classic Rock, rock-blues and harmony guitar arrangements which owe much to Thin Lizzy and even Wishbone Ash. They also employ a funky undertow … Continue reading 