Blog
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SCHATTENVALD – Visions from the Depths of the Forest
An interview with SCHATTENVALD about Alle Hernach and the dark visions behind the album With Alle Hernach, SCHATTENVALD has not only revisited its past, but also breathed new life into its most essential pieces. The early songs have been reborn in their definitive form, with a stronger concept and a distinctive atmosphere, while the album […] -
Naughty Naughty Release ‘Lucky Thirteen’ Via FnA Records
In a nutshell, Naughty Naughty was a band that had every element to be one of the giants in rock music! It all started in 1988 when Jimmi Jaax and Brian Skupien (R.I.P.) began writing and demoing songs together. Even though they were in different bands at the time, they realized that they both had […]
The post Naughty Naughty Release ‘Lucky Thirteen’ Via FnA Records appeared first on ROCKPOSER DOT COM.
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Sugar Horse – ‘NOT A SOUND IN HEAVEN’
It’s time. That slow, creeping sense of dread. The feeling that plans were being made, that schemes were being hatched, and that something evil is brewing in the depths of Brighton. Yes, Sugar Horse are back with their third full-length record. If you’ve followed their career, you’ll be excited. You know you’ll have no idea just what you’re about to get yourself in to. Brace yourself.
Listening to a Sugar Horse record can be like opening a jigsaw puzzle, looking at all the scattered pieces and wondering how in the world they fit together. Helpfully, on ‘Not A Sound In Heaven’, they’ve made it easy by making the most straightforward record of their career.
The effect is that you’re no longer gasping ‘what-on-earth-are-you-doing?’ at their audacity but giving a slow nod of appreciation instead. You recognise the choices they make, the ways the songs unfold and the sounds they are painting with. And for the first time, it feels like they’ve done what you expected. That is surprising, but also reassuring. It has a Sugar Horse sound. It has the Sugar Horse sound. The hard part is trying to define it. You can throw around genres like shoegaze, post-metal, blackgaze and even indie rock. They’re all accurate, as it’s all of those things. Yet none of them come close to doing it justice. Sugar Horse’s music is more of a feeling than anything, like a bad trip on a handful of really interesting mushrooms.
For this new record, the band has taken the drastic step of constructing their own studio. This is a sensible idea. It adds certainty, creates control, and it gives them time. It has also allowed them to record their creations live and to capture a tangible sense of weight. This is particularly useful for a band whose whole schtick is tone, detail and substance. You can hear this in all sorts of ways, like on ‘Secret Speech’, where the bass has such a grubby attack that it feels like the amp is going to blow at any second. There’s also the drum sound on ‘Company Town’, which echoes like the oncoming apocalypse. Then there are those guitar tones on ‘Fire House‘ that you can almost shake hands with. It all sounds great.
The new surroundings also seem to have changed something else. Although the vocals shift styles in strange and alluring ways; singing, bellowing or screeching, there is a stronger emphasis on melody here. While Sugar Horse have never shied away from an uplifting harmony or two, the way clean singing is threaded through the songs makes the record feel more accessible than their previous work, even though their choices remain so strong. Most obviously, the title track could almost be a 1980’s power ballad, but evil; really evil.
All records are inspired by something and the influences here are really interesting. They quote numerous tomes of socio-political commentary, speeches by philosophers and Marxist texts. While this doesn’t make the music better than ditties about love or scientific epics, it does give the album a sense of focus, an underpinning idea. Amusingly, it’s probably why so many of the songs become a dark, punishing void – the world is neither stable, nor optimistic, and the philosophical texts give these songs a dark and introspective edge.
As the name suggests, ‘Fire Graphics’ sounds like it was recorded during the Great Fire Of London. After a slow, thumping opening, burning, buzzing sounds enter, creating a fiery backdrop for Ash Tubb to sing over, only for the foundations to give out and the whole thing to collapse into a swaying stomp. Across the record’s runtime, it’s notable how often they return to these ideas. The smoky, foggy sound of ‘Secret Speech’ is also held together by a massive pounding stomp, although this too blows up into a sort of nightmarish aftermath.
The most esoteric track here, ‘Ex-human Shield’, features an incredible left turn as it switches from screeching over thumping drums to a heavenly choir. It’s an exercise in tonal whiplash, especially as it then drops back to the heaviest possible, detuned pounding. Why this works is less of a mystery than on their previous records. The choices are foreshadowed, their mental wheels a little more exposed, and it all makes you feel clever, so they take a massive swing…
In Jeff Vandermer’s novel ‘Annihilation’ (and Alex Garland’s film adaptation) scientists explore something called The Shimmer – a strange, multifaceted entity that shifts and changes with uncertain intent. Solely by entering its area, you become part of its strange, feral and evolutionary self. ‘History’s Biggest T-shirts’ is that. The band’s previous album ‘The Grand Scheme Of Things’ spent its final twenty-five minutes exploring a gently shifting soundscape and this song feeds from the same DNA. However, locating it in this album’s centre gives it an odd character. It’s a ten-minute epic that grows like a tumour, until it becomes a horrible, screamy mass – and it is incredible.
After boldly bisecting their record, the second part maintains its momentum with the title track, a song that mixes heaviness with shininess in a way that feels like a planet being crushed to dust and sprinkled across the cosmos. The understated epic ‘You Can’t Say Dallas Doesn’t Love You’ swells like a swarming beehive, bringing the journey to a climax. It doesn’t outstay its welcome, meaning the record is relatively short for the style, but this works in its favour. It’s focused, heavy and to the point.
Their debut ‘The Live Long After’ was a masterclass in strange tension and release, while their second was a more esoteric exploration of the universe’s darkness. This, with its clean vocals and shuffling drums, leaves you with the disconcerting feeling that Sugar Horse have made a pop record. They never make things easy, but this is the sound of cool, confident geniuses.
Listening to ‘Not A Sound In Heaven’ is like foiling a villain’s master plan. It’s a dastardly web of complex ideas that is a joy to unpick.
IAN KENWORTHY
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Watch Robert Plant and Saving Grace breathe new life into a Led Zeppelin classic on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Robert Plant and his band perform Led Zeppelin on US talk show -
“Its venom did a number on my system.” The Pretty Reckless’ Taylor Momsen has been bitten by yet another animal on the AC/DC tour
The Pretty Reckless vocalist sought medical treatment before their set in Mexico City -
Petrolbreath Release A New High-Octane Single
Operating out of the Helsinki area since 2019, Petrolbreath unleash their new single ‘C’est La Vie, Motherf*er‘ – a relentless, straight-to-the-point hit that offers no comfort and no excuses. The track dives into responsibility and consequences: that moment when everything has gone wrong and there’s no one left to blame. No saviors. No excuses. Just your […]
The post Petrolbreath Release A New High-Octane Single appeared first on ROCKPOSER DOT COM.
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Listening Now : Fukushima Dolphin – Space Lift
Space Lift by Fukushima Dolphin rides on a driving, dance-infused pulse, blending indie rock energy with a loose psychedelic edge. The groove is immediate and infectious, pulling you forward while the slightly off-kilter lyrics add a playful, almost surreal twist beneath the surface. There’s a raw, live feel to it—especially in the lead guitar work—which keeps things from feeling too polished.
It’s vibey, a bit unhinged in the best way, and constantly in motion, balancing catchiness with a subtle sense of chaos.
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UFO The Wild The Willing And The Innocent 2026 Deluxe Edition Review
The Wild The Willing And The Innocent, for me UFO’s finest album, gets a beefy remastering accompanied with a live disc of their performance from the Hammersmith Odeon in 1981 on the tour. In addition to the double CD version, there’s also a triple vinyl set. The CD version includes three extra tracks – seven […]
The post UFO The Wild The Willing And The Innocent 2026 Deluxe Edition Review first appeared on New Wave of British Heavy Metal. -
Xdinary Heroes Announce UK/EU Headline Tour
After bringing their insatiable live show to the rest of the world in 2025, Xdinary Heroes have revealed that they are making their way over to the UK and Europe later this year.
The band will be playing five shows on the New Xcene tour in support of their upcoming mini-album ‘DEAD AND’, which will be released on April 17 at 1PM (KST) / 0AM (ET) / 5AM BST.Here is where you are going to be able to catch them:
MAY
31 – MANCHESTER Ritz
JUNE
02 – LONDON Kentish Town Forum
04 – PARIS Bataclan
07 – FRANKFURT Batschkapp
09 – MILAN Fabrique
Tickets will be going on sale from April 16 at 12pm from right here.Xdinary Heroes were winners of the Fan Power Award at the Rock Sound Awards 2025. The six-piece talked us through their creative journey and celebrated the fan community at the heart of it all, alongside brand new photos.
Get your magazine, posters and an exclusive t-shirt at SHOP.ROCKSOUND.TV.
The post Xdinary Heroes Announce UK/EU Headline Tour appeared first on Rock Sound.
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Mob Rules – 5-Track EP Due In August, Details Available
German power metal veterans Mob Rules have announced a new EP, titled Stories From Verdant Vale. Comprised of 5 new songs, it is set for release on August 21st, 2026 via ROAR. Alongside unveiled details, the band has also debuted the first single “Master Of The Black Crow”.
Read more…