She Wants Revenge have announced the details of their first body of work since 2011, and shared a striking new track to celebrate.
The record is set to be called ‘The Loved’ and will be released on February 12 2027. It serves as the follow-up to 2011’s ‘Valleyheart’, and comes hot on the heels of a 20th-anniversary edition of their self-titled debut album.
And you can hear the first taste of the record right now in the form of ‘BLACK WAX / OUR LOVE’, a galloping, gritty, grandiose piece of thoughtful and thrilling synth-rock. Embodying as much post-punk dirt as modern sensibility, it’s a welcome return and one that sets the standard for what is still to come.
Adam Bravin had this to say about the tune:
“We’ve always been fascinated by the contradictions in love: How something can be beautiful and destructive at the same time, and how you can know something isn’t good for you and still find yourself drawn to it. There’s a certain darkness in ‘Black Wax,’ but there’s also an energy and a sense of defiance that we love. It feels like a natural evolution of what SWR has always been about, without trying to recreate something we’ve already done.”
Whilst adding this about the video that accompanies it, which he directed:
“I wanted the video to feel less like a literal interpretation of the song and more like a fragment of a film you walked into halfway through. Something beautiful but unsettling, where the imagery carries as much emotional weight as the music. I’ve always loved the idea of leaving things unresolved, allowing people to bring their own experiences to what they’re seeing.”
The band will be heading out on tour across the UK and Europe early next year. Here are the places and dates you can catch them:
JANUARY 2027
29 – BUCHAREST Control Club 31 – WARSAW Palladium
FEBRUARY 2027
01 – BERLIN Kesselhaus Berlin 03 – COLOGNE Kulturkirche 05 – UTRECHT Tivoli De Helling 06 – PARIS Trabendo 07 – BRIGHTON Concorde 2 09 – LONDON Electric Ballroom 10 – BRISTOL Fleece 11 – MANCHESTER Club Academy 12 – GLASGOW SWG3 Warehouse 14 – DUBLIN Whelans
Gnod is a musical collective from Salford, that features Paddy Shine, Chris Halsam, Marlene Ribeiro, Alex Marcote and Andy Blundell, amongst other collaborators. Because of the experimental nature of their music, it allows for wide departures in tone, energy and feel. Chronicles Of Gnowt (Vol 2) is an unrelenting journey through a vivid and nightmarish landscape.
Vocals are raw, shrieked over the top of a wall of distorted guitar and bass. The drum pierces the gloom with sharp assaulting snare, while also providing a deep pulsing beat beneath. This is not an easy journey to undertake.
Even track 3, the first reprieve from the sonic assault, is shattered by the barks of The Traveler Returns. Strangled – the final track – is a 12min drone of guitars, bass and drum, that builds a driving cacophony. This is accentuated by by the poetry and performance of Lauren McLean. There is a groaning inevitability to the track, punctuated at minute 2 by an air raid siren, that then continues as the press of the noise builds and builds.
As long as the track it, it still doesn’t overstay its welcome. This sentiment is reflected throughout the whole record. For as much as you are able to dwell in each track, the record is only 5 tracks long so it is over almost as soon as it begins. Knowing that this is the second volume of a tryptic being released this year, and how much of a departure this is from Volume 1, I cannot wait to see what volume 3 brings. 8/10
Fallen Sanctuary – The Gathering Of Dreams (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]
After AFM Records called it a day many of their signed acts had difficult choices to make, signed somewhere else? Release independently?
Well for Austrian/Italian supergroup, they decided on the latter deciding to crowd fund their sophomore record The Gathering Of Dreams, which is now with us and promises more melodic power metal inspired by the European legends of the genre.
It’s the follow up to their debut Terranova in 2022, and for the band comprised of vocalist Georg Neuhauser (Serenity, Warkings), guitarist/vocalist Marco Pastorino (Serenity, Temperance), bassist Gabriele Gozzi (Eternal Idol) and drummer Dario Capacci (Trick or Treat), it’s a different style to the more Symphonic or Teutonic sounds of their day jobs.
Inspired more by Sonata Arctica and Stratovarius, the tracks are filled with pace, 90’s keyboard sounds, shreddy guitar gallops and anthemic choruses where Georg’s vocals carry the majority of the tunes, as Marco adds harmonies and co-leads for a couple of tracks.
Both are very established and extremely good singers in their own right, so this balance works really well with the melodic power metal style of The Gathering Of Dreams, as both also handle the production, again with experience behind the desk for numerous artists as Aldo Lonobile of Secret Sphere taking the mixing and mastering.
It makes for a grandiose version of those early 2000’s record that grew power metal in Europe, the band name even coming from Serenity’s second album in 2008, before they focussed almost exclusively on historical concepts, so there’s plenty of veteran instinct behind the band and this record, which can be heard across the eleven tracks.
While the debut established what Fallen Sanctuary bring to the table this second record cements their melodic power metal sound heavily influenced by the bands I mentioned earlier, The Gathering Of Dreams feels very retro in its style but brings it all bang up to date. 8/10
Runemagick – After Chaos: Nocturnal Vigil (Hammerheart Records) [Myrto-Panagiota Zacharof]
One man band Runemagick’s new album is a listen for eclectic tastes. Despite the cover artwork, that sets the tone for Viking/Pagan/Celtic references, Runemagick do not have significant references, poignant regarding lyrics or sound or vocals, other some shamanic sounds. The album comprises of 8 songs, with the opening track After Chaos, setting the tone.
A 13 minute song matched only by the outro Into The Endless Continuance of 12 minutes , both songs being an amalgam of slow doom/death metal sound interchangeable with slightly faster tempo , death metal deep vocals , long musical pauses between the actual singing parts where the band is showing their technical prowess.
It’s definitely an interesting listen, however the length of the songs makes them hard to follow, they sound more like soundtracks to a story existing in the psyche and mind of their creator or pieces of music compositions than actual songs. The records second track Rune Magick Unbound has a promising atmosphere at the start, with a clear sound production, stronger doom metal influences, building momentum with drums, vocals from the abyss and heavy riffs, only to drag along for almost 9 minutes, leaving the listener a bit confused.
A similar pattern is followed in the third song namely Nocturnal Vigil, a song closer to the classic death/black metal tone, continued by Urdu’s Cosmic Weave and The Abyssal Continuum with a great start, lots of tempo changes that only end up deflating the listener due to long length and the so many different tunes trialled in each song. Formless Dawn and The Vast That Knows No Shape are in my opinion the prominent songs of the record, very slow rhythm, nicely changing past the first two minutes and locals literally from the darkest abyss.
Overall, a record that would appeal to listeners that appreciate long slow heavy atmospheric music. 4/10
My opinions on death-doom have changed a lot since I began listening to more extreme music, initially I was definitely not a fan, preferring the two subgenres separate, then with time and experience the combination really grew on me. I was very excited to see that Musipedia of Metal had sent me Slay Kill Erase for this reason.
Unfortunately this album isn’t completely for me, but regardless there are definite strong sides to this album. Coming in at about 73 minutes this album will take a while to get through, but with the average song runtime just barely exceeding 10 minutes none of them overstay their welcome.
This album is comparatively more doom inspired, with sludge and death metal elements scattered throughout, thematically focussing on epic/high fantasy vibes, which may be right up the alley of Crypt Sermon fans. The title track has some clean vocal segments that I personally don’t enjoy too much, but the growls are simply outstanding.
I may be placebo-ing myself due to the recent release of Runemagick’s most recent album, but I can see resemblances in the guitarwork, which is absolutely not a complaint. Rise Of Resistance has some interesting balancing between the riffs and post-metal segments, with pleasant tones and possible Candlemass influences throughout.
This review has been a little shorter but sadly this album isn’t for me, however if you prefer death metal to play a more supplementary role, enjoy fantastical soundscapes with clean and growling vocals then this album is definitely for you! 5/10
This one arrived recently in the post unexpectedly from Nick. Another of the burgeoning Bad Dog Promotions promoted releases which regularly find their way to me. Not being familiar with Nick’s work, I discovered from his web site that he’s a fellow “dee dar.” If you don’t know what a “dee dar” is……look it up. […]
It wouldn’t be spooky season without Creeper playing at least one show during the Halloween period. For the last few years, they’ve made it their mission play at least one show in the month of October, this year bestowing four dates upon us across the country.Tonight is Manchester’s turn, and judging by the sea of black and white painted faces at the barriers tonight, the crowd are champing at the bit for an evening of gore and horny Dracula music.
First up is Atlantan four-piece Starbenders. Heavily influenced both audibly and visually by the glam rock of the ‘70s, singer Kimi Shelter, clad in leather and velvet, croons her way through the bands short but sweet opening set. It’s early, and the crowd is still pretty sparse due to the queues outside, but those who are in the room give the band a warm welcome, waving their arms as they cheer and singing along.Never was there a crowd more willing to indulge Shelter when she asks them to take part in a “whimsy pit,” a softer, more lighthearted version of the mosh pits we’ve all come to know, love and fear.‘Chantilly Boy’ comes with one caveat; she implores us to always let our freak flags fly, and the crowd are only too happy to oblige. Shelter takes the opportunity to share the joke she’s been telling every night so far this tour (“I’d say you all look dead out there, but you’d take that as a compliment”). After a mere thirty minutes, Starbenders end with the aptly named ‘Saturday’, with the words “I dream of you on a Saturday night” echoing out across the crowd.
Hailing from Venezuela, France and New Zealand respectively, Calva Louise are up next. By far the heaviest band on the stage tonight, the three piece make their way through a fusion of genres, from post hardcore to electronic infused rock.‘El Umbral’ is one of two songs sung in singer Jess Allanic’s mother tongue of Spanish, the other being their latest single ‘La Promesa’, which she dedicates to her home country of Venezuela and the tragedies it’s faced this year. She’s ridiculously multi talented, not only moving between playing both keys and guitar, but seamlessly transitioning from soft, melodic vocals one minute to throat ripping screams the next. Backlit by a neon sign of their logo, Ben Parker beats the drums like his life depends on it. Though the audience were a little slower to warm to the main support than they did the openers, there’s a sea of heads banging along by the time they end with ‘Oportunista’.
Despite the fact they don’t take to the stage for another half an hour, the Creeper show begins as soon as Calva Louise leave the stage. As the crew set up a huge white drop curtain that will soon become a spectacle in itself, a ‘radio station’ plays over the speakers, the DJ spinning the likes of Rocky Horror, Meatloaf, Judas Priest and Ozzy to get the show on the road. He takes a call from Darcia, everyone’s favourite vampire familiar, and she tells us all to be on the lookout for a dangerous figure, a woman in a hood and leather gloves, and we must report to security as she’s armed and dangerous.
As the DJ announces the band that have “come all the way from the mouths of hell,” a spotlit shadow appears behind the curtain. Introducing himself as the ‘Official Live Events Censor’, the shadow declares this show has now been rated “U for Universal.” The crowd boos as he tells us there won’t be any raunchy or sexual content, no senseless gore or violence, and certainly no sacred blasphemy. The boos quickly turn to cheers as another shadowy figure appears behind him; The Mistress of Death, clad in an executioners hood and wielding a battle axe. The lights turn the curtain blood red, the Mistress strikes, and the censor is no more.
The curtain drops, revealing the band as they launch into ‘Blood Magick (It’s a Ritual)’. With their trademark black and white face paint and blood staining their mouths, the band dominate the stage, with frontman Will Gould strutting round the stage, staring down the audience. Guitarists Ian Miles and Lawrie Pattison play off against each other perfectly, their joint solos on ‘Lovers Led Astray’ taking centre stage as they leap onto the risers to blast them out. Tonight’s setlist is comprised of the best tracks plucked from the bands last two albums, ‘Sanguivore’ and ‘Sanguivore II’, with the likes of ‘Parasite’ and ‘Headstones’ leading the charge.
Things quieten a little with ‘The Ballad of Spook and Mercy’, as Gould’s deep commanding voice rings out over the room, painting pictures with his words, before crescendoing into the climactic chorus. Another figure appears on the stage, this time to hand Gould a black telephone so he can receive a call from Darcia, imploring him to be on the lookout for a dangerous figure in the crowd, before promptly hanging up. He takes to the throne to ponder the danger as the rest of the band launch into ‘Black House’, with Gould remaining on the throne, all the while singing the lyrics into the handset.
It’s not just Gould that gets to revel in the theatrics tonight. After ‘Teenage Sacrifice’, a casket is wheeled onstage by two women in matching leotards and signature Creeper make up. They stand guard either end of the casket, as the lid is lifted amidst a sea of smoke, and Hannah Hermione emerges, flail in hand, to rip her way through ‘Razor Wire’. It’s a joy to see Hermione come out from behind the keys more often, and we can only hope there’s more opportunities in future songs for her to grace the front of the stage. After almost an hour, it’s time for their set to come to an end. Gould thanks us for engaging in this communion with them, and rewards us with the much lauded ‘More Than Death’, before ‘Cry To Heaven’ closes out their set, giving the crowd the opportunity to sing along one last time.
Creeper have truly cemented themselves as one of the best live bands in the UK right now. Their onstage phantasmagoria, gore and beheadings could very easily come across as a gimmick, and yet it never feels cheesy. They’re paying homage to the likes of Alice Cooper and 80’s horror, and they do it with conviction. As the rest of the band leave the stage, Gould is finally captured by the Mistress of Death, and she drags him over to the guillotine that’s now been wheeled onstage. Flanked by the aforementioned pallbearers, Gould’s head is forced into the lunette as the Mistress brandishes her axe menacingly and cries “Off with their heads!” The rope is cut, the blade drops, and Gould is brutally beheaded. The audience is left speechless regardless of whether this is the first time they’ve seen this part of the show or not, as we all try to work out how, moments later, Gould reappears for the encore with his neck unscathed.
The encores have varied this tour, with the band playing different ones each night. Tonight we’re treated to a mix from their back catalogue with ‘Annabelle’, ‘VCR’ and ‘Down Below’.The only constant has been their final song of each show, in the form of the beloved ‘Misery’. Roses are held aloft as tears flow freely, streaking the white paint that adorns so many faces in the crowd tonight as they take their last opportunity of the evening to sing along with them.
Creeper are a self professed cult. Their fans are self professed cult members. And thankfully, there’s no sign of them being deprogrammed anytime soon.
Justin Moore’s career grew from the small-town traditions of Arkansas into a long run of country radio hits. Born in Poyen, Arkansas, Moore developed a sound shaped by traditional country storytelling, Southern rock guitars, and songs about family, hometown life, and the places that made him who he is. His earliest singles led to the 2009 self-titled debut, which introduced audiences to “Small Town USA,” “Backwoods,” and the sharply humorous “Back That Thing Up.” The second album, Outlaws Like Me, arrived in 2011, bringing “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away,” “Bait a Hook,” and “Til My Last Day.” His next
I am not sure where Mechanix sits in the ranking of UFO albums. It followed what is rated by many as one of their best, The Wild, The Willing And The Innocent. Mechanix has plenty of moments, although the filler of Eddie Cochran’s Somethin’ Else, which is the second track on the album, was a real curveball at the time. Listening to it 44 years later, that song really does not irritate in the way it did back then, and it showed that UFO were able to go outside of the expected and challenge the standard format.
But where were UFO in 1982? A triumphant headline show at Reading in 1980, when the NOWBHM flooded the festival, saw Neil Carter make his debut for the band, and although the multi-instrumentalist had been credited in 1981’s The Wild, The Willing And The Innocent, it was only on Mechanix where Carter made his proper recording debut.
By 1982, the band were still able to sell out Hammersmith Odeon in the UK, but their stock across the pond had dropped, and they found themselves second fiddle to Ozzy Osbourne on his US tour.
It was the final album with Pete Way, before his return in the ill-fated late ’80s line-ups, but ironically, their highest charting studio release.
UFO frontman Phil Mogg looks back on Mechanix, the album he jokes he may still be paying for. Photo: Ross Halfin
Mechanix opens with The Writer, a cheerful dig at music journalist Garry Bushell. Phil Mogg said, “It was done with tongue in cheek. I love Garry. He’s a fixture”. It is a hard-rocking riff, with Mogg in imperious form, and the band rolling along. Yes, Carter adds keys and saxophone, but keys had been a quintessential part of the UFO sound, whilst the sax brought a new dimension.
It was the sax that brought the most disgruntlement and ultimately was a contributory factor in the departure of bassist Pete Way. “On some numbers he would accept it, but not on Somethin’ Else,” recalled Phil.
For Neil, it was a challenge of different magnitude. “I feel slightly guilty, because it was such a bone of contention with Pete. But it was Gary Lyons [producer], with me being the puppet. I don’t think I would have gone with the saxophones if it had just been my decision. But I loved Aerosmith and the way they used horns, but I didn’t really understand the saxophone back then.
“I wanted it to sound like Aerosmith, not like Showaddywaddy. To this day, people still hold me responsible for Pete leaving. Well, that’s not why Pete left, but it was one of the things he didn’t like, the poppiness appearing.”
Mechanix may have a poppier feel, but UFO have always been a band where melody and quality were as important as the riff. A fine example is the next track, Back Into My Life. A Mogg/Way composition, it is as good a rock ballad as you will hear, with Phil’s emotive delivery rightly heralded as one of the band’s best.
And the album showcases the consistency of Paul Chapman once more. After his work on No Place To Run and The Wild, The Willing And The Innocent, Tonka was firmly established in UFO, and his work on Mechanix is excellent throughout.
For 12-year-old me, it was one of the first UFO albums I heard, and the middle three tracks are amongst my all-time favourites. Appearing in succession, we get Doing It All For You, We Belong To The Night and the attempt at the pop single, Let It Rain, all three involving Carter, Mogg and Way in the writing.
UFO – Hammersmith Odeon on 28 January 1982
Great early ’80s hard rock with that instantly recognisable blend of keys and searing guitar work. They all appear on the Hammersmith 1982 recording which accompanies this release.
We Belong To The Night in particular became a firm fan favourite thanks to its thumping opening riff, and it became the 14th most played track in the band’s catalogue. No mean feat coming several years after classics like Lights Out and Doctor Doctor. And despite the definitive ’80s keys, Let It Rain is a great lighter rock song with Phil on fire, although the fade-out is dreadful. And as Phil says, if you came straight from Strangers In The Night to this, “it would be a stride”.
Mechanix cannot match The Wild, The Willing And The Innocent for consistency, but every song on it has something to enjoy. Feel It has a good crunch, with Chapman’s flourishes a highlight. Dreaming also kicks along with an invigorating pace and more fine work. It is one of the final songs that demonstrates the strong link between drummer Andy Parker and Pete, whose bass pushes the tempo from start to finish.
The remastered version throws in the extra bonus of Heel Of A Stranger, the Japanese bonus that features on the B-side of Let It Rain as well as the single edit of Back Into My Life. Heel Of A Stranger should really have been where Somethin’ Else sat on the album.
Overall, Mechanix is an album that sits around number seven or eight in my rankings. The fact that it got to Number 8 in the UK album charts upon release is a reminder that UFO were a huge UK band. They may have been coming down from the heights of the late ’70s, but a listen now to the album reminds you that UFO always made great music.
Some of it was just greater than others.
It is live that UFO were always at their best and the recording that accompanies this new release is a demonstration of that. Following on from the Hammersmith Odeon recordings on The Wild, The Willing And The Innocent remaster, Mechanix features the show from 28 January 1982, at the same venue.
The second of two nights, it is captured almost in its entirety and mixed by Brian Kehew. Missing just the encore of Doctor Doctor, the set features those middle three songs from Mechanix as well as classics such as Love To Love, Only You Can Rock Me and Too Hot To Handle.
Why Mystery Train is there is beyond me, but it was a staple of their set at this time.
It is well worth giving this live recording a listen, and many of my age will no doubt have heard some of it on the BBC In Concert series at the time.
A more mature band than on Strangers In The Night for sure, less dangerous but maybe a little bit more assured, with Tonka once more proving just how underrated he was with some virtuoso guitar work.
Things dropped badly after this tour, with 1983’s Making Contact [my first live contact with the band] prompting the first of several splits.
Regardless, this remastered package with a gem of a live recording is still well worth grabbing.
The expanded edition of Mechanix – Out on 4 December 2026
Originally released in 1982, Mechanix marked a pivotal chapter in UFO’s evolution, capturing the band as they transitioned into a new era. This definitive reissue has been newly remastered at AIR Mastering, bringing renewed clarity and punch to the original recordings.
The package is enriched with previously unreleased photographs, offering a visual snapshot of the band during this period. New liner notes by David Hann provide fresh insight into the album’s creation and legacy, drawing on exclusive interviews with key band members, including Phil Mogg, Andy Parker, and Neil Carter.
A major highlight of this edition is the inclusion of a newly mixed live recording from Hammersmith Odeon on 28 January 1982, restored by renowned producer Brian Kehew.
Capturing UFO onstage at London’s legendary Hammersmith Odeon, this performance showcases the band’s raw energy and musical firepower on the eve of the release of Mechanix.
This expanded edition of Mechanix stands as both a historical document and a compelling reminder of UFO’s enduring place in hard rock history. Released on 4 December 2026 via Chrysalis, pre-orders are available from ufo.lnk.to/MCHX. MetalTalk will have an interview out soon with Brian Kehew, plus a look back at the album. You can read more on UFO here.
Mirrortalk have shared a fresh track from their upcoming EP ‘Where Does Everyone Go When I Need Them Most?’, and it is a real smorgasbord of sounds.
Titled ‘Calm On The Surface’, it’s a track where the band have really pushed and pulled at creating something that feels unique to them. Bridging gaps between shoegaze haziness, chunky metal riffing and quintessential British rock quirks, it refuses to be tied down to just one thing. The sort of combination of musical influences that feels only possible because of the route offered up to the band during their upbringings, it’s as nostalgic as it is fiercely fresh.
Mat Coffey shares, “’Calm On The Surface’ is about loss. It’s about the constant desire to seem okay, the front we put on, and the vulnerability we hide. But it’s also about how to draw strength from those you miss. Being calm on the surface and being truly calm are very different; this song seeks to help bridge the gap between the two.”
‘Where Does Everyone Go When I Need Them Most’ is set for release on November 27 via Hassle Records.
Mat had this to add about it:
“Mirrortalk has always been built on a desire to combine all the music we loved growing up; but ‘Where Does Everyone Go When I Need Them Most’ is our greatest nod to that yet. Elements of metal and hardcore, shoegaze, and pure rock have gone into every track, making it feel like a new offering that is grounded in some familiarity for people who are fans of the same music as us.
Throughout our other releases we have tackled a lot of topics around mental health and self-battling. This continues through this release, but also touches on some other personal notes we hope people can feel connected to. “Where Does Everyone Go When I Need Them Most” is the best reflection of our direction, and we just hope people want to come along”
