IST IST: I Am The Fear

IST IST, fresh from announcing a 10th Anniversary Gig in Manchester for 2026 release new single I Am The Fear, with LTW getting the opportunity to premiere ‘I Am The Song Stuck On Repeat … I Am The Fear’ warns IST IST frontman Adam Houghton, his baritone oozing with its trademark ominousness. But rest assured, there’s nothing to worry about. I Am The Fear is piled high with oscillating synth strokes, meteoric basslines, and stacked guitar tones, the…

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Synthetic Villains: Smoker’s Children – Album Review

Synthetic Villains : Smoker’s Children (Flood Of Sound Recordings) DL | ST Out now Synthetic Villains’ ninth album delivers instrumental electronica that recalls a time when children lived in a world of imagination and danger from their relatives. Synthetic Villains return with their ninth album of instrumental electronica. Over the previous eight albums, they have veered between drone and synth-pop, creating soundscapes of whimsy, repetitious textures and memory-inducing musical prompts. Richard Turner, the man behind the Synthetic Villains,…

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C.O.G: Machina Carnaria Nolite Te Bastardes Carborundorum

  C.O.G.  Machina Carnaria Nolite Te Bastardes Carborundorum EP Streaming | CD Out Now C.O.G. return with more death cult driven industrial music from the South coast. Nathan Brown reviews. Fronted by Barry Coward, formerly of local heroes Ad Nauseam, Portsmouth’s C.O.G. continue in a similar vein to their previous release. Taking their name from the Californian cult Children Of God, they dwell on the darker side of humanity. Individuals who have the power to make their followers…

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Takeda: In Venus’ Train – Album Review

Takeda: In Venus’ Train (Drongo Records) Out Now   Norwich quartet Takeda release the debut album In Venus’ Train, a journey through the band’s unique folk-meets grunge sonic approach. Packing poetic lyricism with themes of love, loss, religion, and coming of age through imagery of mystical figures from folk-lore and biblical metaphors, the nine track release balances an affecting sense of genuine emotion with haunting melodies and striking musicianship which melds folk sensibilities with gritty, fuzzy grunge intensity.…

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The Pale Fountains: The Complete Virgin Years

The Pale Fountains: The Complete Virgin Years Cherry Red Records  4 CD box set  Out now available here    The Pale Fountains should have been massive in the eighties, and you can judge for yourself as their two albums get a long overdue release.  One of the fascinating things about being a music fan is why offensively mediocre bands like Coldplay can fill stadiums, and others who produce great work like Liverpool’s The Pale Fountains end up as…

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The Dissidents/D.O.V.E.: A Better World

The Dissidents/D.O.V.E. – A Better World LP | CD | DL | Streaming Out 19 Sept 2025 available here The latest Grow Your Own is a lesson from America in how to write great catchy melodic modern anarcho-punk with women playing a leading role. It also sends out a beacon of hope in these dark times, says Nathan Brown. Already being acquainted with The Dissidents via their split EP with Vitriolic Response and D.O.V.E. via their album on…

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Solar Eyes: Live Freaky! Die Freaky!

Solar Eyes: Live Freaky! Die Freaky! (Fierce Panda) Vinyl | CD | DL Released 26 September 4.0 out of 5.0 stars4.0 The new album from Birmingham’s Solar Eyes takes them onto a whole new level of twisted freakbeat. Amy Britton reviews…   If ever there was an album title that let us know what a wild ride we are in for , its “Live Freaky! Die Freaky!” If Birmingham’s Solar Eyes’ eponymous debut album lay a foundation for…

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