One of the hottest young bands in UK metalcore, High Wycombe’s As Everything Unfolds are signed to Century Media (Arch Enemy, Lacuna Coil, Napalm Death) and have toured with Bury Tomorrow. Their new album, Did You Ask To Be Set Free?, is a powerful exploration of grief with filmic scope, inspired by the soundtracks and imagery of The Shining, Blade Runner and plenty more. Talking to Metal Hammer, singer Charlie Rolfe reveals that that love for the cinematic extends to her music taste, as well, with such larger-than-life rockers as My Chemical Romance and 30 Seconds To Mars defining her formative years. Here’s her playlist of the music that made her.
My Chemical Romance – Welcome To The Black Parade (The Black Parade, 2006)
Weirdly, The Black Parade is not my favourite My Chemical Romance album, but it was the album that got me into them when I was 11, and made me realise that music can be theatrical and exciting. I remember watching the music video for Welcome To The Black Parade and thinking, ‘What the fuck is this? I love it so much!’ My Chemical Romance was one of those bands that were known as, ‘Parents hate them!’ My parents loved them. When I saw the band in July, they came with me!
Paramore – Misery Business (Riot!, 2007)
I remember seeing Paramore’s Misery Business music video. Everyone wanted Hayley Williams’ haircut and to be Hayley. She was the alternative it-girl. She opened my eyes to say, ‘I can be in a band and be cool, experimental and alternative.’ She had that chaotic feminine energy. My poor hairdresser at the time: I was 14 years old saying, ‘I want this haircut.’ There’s some horrific photos of my attempt! I’ve always liked that Paramore are not afraid of admitting their growth and mistakes. With Misery Business, Hayley came forward and went, ‘I said misogynistic stuff because I didn’t really understand what I was doing, what internalised misogyny was, and now I understand.’
Flyleaf – I’m So Sick (Flyleaf, 2005)
With Flyleaf’s I’m So Sick, I remember that first scream that Lacey Sturm does and I was like, ‘Oh, we can do that?’ I know Lacey’s super into her religion. I am not a religious person; I respect all religions, I just don’t personally practise. But there’s something about somebody singing about what they believe in. Listening to I’m So Sick, you’re like, ‘Wow, she really believes everything she’s saying, to the point where she’s physically shaking… How do you get to this point of belief in something, and it’s so convincing?’ When I write music, I want to write about something that matters to me so much that when I sing it, it’s convincing to people. As a songwriter, you can’t teach authenticity, and that’s what drew me in with Flyleaf.
Enter Shikari – Sorry, You’re Not A Winner (Take To The Skies, 2007)
Enter Shikari are local heroes for us and have been on my radar for the majority of my life. That song teaches you that there’s no rules. You can do whatever the fuck you want. And the ‘clap, clap, clap!’ It was such a cultural moment! In 2011, I saw them at the Electric Ballroom and discovered moshing. Imagine being at a Shikari show with no phones out, no one’s being funny about being pushed around – everybody was there to have a good time. That’s what I correlate Shikari with: ‘home roots’. Every time Sorry, You’re Not A Winner comes on, I can’t skip. It’s the law.
Asking Alexandria – The Final Episode (Let’s Change The Channel) (Stand Up And Scream, 2009)
The Final Episode is one of those songs that we look back on now and think, ‘What were we all doing?’ But at the time, Asking Alexandria were leading the charge on that new era of metalcore. Pretty boys, but a bit rough around the edges. They were the first ‘heavy’ band that I ever listened to, and if I hadn’t, I might not have found loads of other bands.
Depeche Mode – Never Let Me Down Again (Music For The Masses, 1987)
Growing up, my parents always played Depeche Mode – I’m pretty sure they’ve got all of their vinyl. With my attention span, I need to get better at listening to music and not always wait for the hook. I think that listening to Depeche Mode, especially Never Let Me Down Again, taught me that. Enjoy the moment, the build-up and the craft of the music. I don’t like the instant gratification side of music now, as I’m becoming an old boomer!
Busted – She Wants To Be Me (A Present For Everyone, 2003)
I love Busted. She Wants To Be Me was a slightly punkier song. I remember dancing around my bedroom with my cargo trousers and vest top on, and being like, ‘Wow, I want to be in a band!’ Charlie Simpson has one of the best voices in music, in my opinion. I went to see them at Wembley with my friend. It really takes you back to those formative moments, where you forget about the admin, and think about the dream of being in a band. You think, ‘What I’m doing now is all I ever wanted when I was seven years old.’
Avril Lavigne – Unwanted (Let Go, 2002)
Avril Lavigne was the first female singer where I was like, ‘Oh, she’s an alternative singer, doing rock music.’ Back in the 2000s, you had to be a girly-girl and I didn’t want to be. Then, Avril came along and it was like, ‘That’s what I like!’
30 Seconds To Mars – The Kill (A Beautiful Lie, 2005)
The Kill is a ‘no skip’ song. My list seems to be associated with music videos, because I discovered a lot through music video channels. I liked the idea of the video taking influence from the film world, which was the main inspiration for our recent album, Did You Ask To Be Set Free?. Our track Set In Flow is based on Blade Runner, Gasoline is based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Find Another Way is based on Donnie Darko. The Kill was a big concept-driven influence.
Rolo Tomassi – Party Wounds (Cosmology, 2010)
Rolo Tomassi are a mathcore band from Sheffield. Because they’re mathcore, it’s fucking weird. Not my thing necessarily, but I think I was so into it because of Eva [Korman, vocalist]. I mentioned Party Wounds at my old band’s practice and my drummer gave their album, Cosmology, to me. I was like, ‘Oh my God!’ Eva was doing drawn-out screams, lows, highs. They weren’t a big band and I liked it, because I thought, ‘This is an achievable thing.’
This article originally appeared in Metal Hammer issue 415, July 2026, which you can order now. Did You Ask To Be Set Free? is out now via Century Media.
