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Square One Magazine • 31st October 2023

THE MENZINGERS - SOME OF IT WAS TRUE —

The Menzingers’ reputation definitely precedes them in the punk rock scene despite not being the most mainstream of artists. They are a constant reminder that the scene is alive, well beyond the mainstays and radio-friendly acts we hear so much from today, and have seen them perfect their profession as they work their way through infectious albums one after the other. 2017’s After the Party was a real milestone for The Menzingers - its choruses were top-notch and the relatable lyrics were spot o

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Square One Magazine • 31st October 2023

ALBUM REVIEW: Starbenders - Take Back the Night —

Is it glam rock? Is it goth? Is it punk? No, it’s all of the above or at least it's trying to be. The question is, does it succeed? The ‘it’ in question is Atlanta band Starbenders' third record Take Back The Night. Be warned before listening to this album, it is not for the faint at heart as it takes a deep dive into some pretty dark days for the band, but then hey, that's rock ‘n’ roll. It can be said that this group of extraordinary musicians have definitely been to the school of rock. They

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Square One Magazine • 31st October 2023

ALBUM REVIEW: HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS - LOST LIGHTS —

Emo nostalgia is big business these days with many older emo’s screaming “It was never a phase mom!” and handing over fistfuls of cash to relieve the glory days of the genre. Whether that is buying anniversary albums or attending reunion concerts the popularity of the genre is on the rise. Bring on the kings of emo, Hawthorne Heights, with their new EP Lost Lights. The question everyone’s thinking though is, can they still cut it? Will these tracks ever be as infamous as the emo anthem ‘Ohio is

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Square One Magazine • 11th September 2023

REVIEW: HARMONY - DYSTOPIA GIRL —

The music video for ‘Good Things Take Time’ sets up the character of the singer's 'dystopia girl'. Harmony takes on the role of a preacher and delivers a church service to a congregation of true-to-themselves baddies in praise of their being hot and making it through tough times, and she leads them into hopping into the back of a truck and spending the day on misadventures filled with esoteric dalliances that make one feel alive. The single glimpses into moments of spiralling fatalism but shines

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Square One Magazine • 3rd September 2023

ALBUM REVIEW: THE WORD ALIVE - HARD RESET —

The Word Alive have been around for along time and they have found their place within the scene with hard work, resilience and the ability to adapt. After countless releases the band share their seventh, Hard Reset, an album that will be exactly that - a reset of what we know and already love about the band. When talking about the album vocalist Telle Smith said, “We wanted to take the essence of the band—the heaviness, the atmospherics, the experimental elements, and the melodic side—and put e

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Square One Magazine • 25th August 2023

ALBUM REVIEW: HOT MILK - A CALL TO THE VOID —

In music reviews, it’s often said that an album is long-awaited but it seems like for this particular record that is an understatement. The scene has been waiting with bated breath to hear the debut album from Hot Milk for quite some time. They’ve given us three self-produced EPs to date each one more addictive than the last, with a constant stream of releases. The band want us to know that amongst these releases and other accomplishments they have been “giving themselves space to find themselv

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Square One Magazine • 21st August 2023

ANNE-MARIE - UNHEALTHY —

Before listeners know it, they’re propelled into the much-radio-played ‘PSYCHO’ featuring Aitch. An interpolation of the 90’s hit ‘Mambo No.5’ creates what is a scarily catchy song. So once you hear it, it’s likely to be stuck in your head for a long time. But that doesn't make it a particularly great song, just a persistent one! It's not the only catchy song to borrow from others' music, ‘OBSESSED’ is one such example of lifting musical classic Oliver’s ‘I’d Do Anything’ and using familiar lyr

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Square One Magazine • 21st August 2023

POINT NORTH - PREPARE FOR DESPAIR —

Point North has finally brought us the much-awaited sophomore album or rather, unleashed it on us. The album is much heavier than you may expect from the trio, Prepare For Despair has a dark streak that's satisfyingly catchy. The band have no regrets about going for a heavier sound, in fact, it seems like the most natural progression for them. “We’ve always been an ever-changing band,” vocalist Jon Lundin shares. “Every release holds its own spot in our discography. Lately, I’ve produced a lot

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Square One Magazine • 7th August 2023

ALBUM REVIEW: SLACKRR - SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE —

We live in a complicated world, things are ever-changing and nothing is straightforward anymore. If only we could go back to simpler times when songs had that feel-good factor, music was for dancing to and pop-punk was pure. Never fear, SLACKRR is here with a new album, Set The Night On Fire. The album, their third full length, opens up with a strong track that immediately drags the listener into their world and sets them up for the rest of the record. The title track tune starts with some supp

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Square One Magazine • 31st July 2023

A CONVERSATION WITH... SLACKRR — Square One Magazine

“We're, a three-piece, pop punk, melodic punk band, from the south coast of the UK,” said a laid-back man comfortably slumped backwards in his chair. He looks pretty pop punk indeed, complete with a red flannel-style shirt and a backwards dad hat. Scotty Perry from Slackrr’s warm and welcoming smile twists slightly as talk turns to the new album Set The Night On Fire out today, August 4th. “Every time we go to do an album something interesting always happens. We think it's going by like far too

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Square One Magazine • 29th July 2023

A CONVERSATION WITH... THE WORD ALIVE — Square One Magazine

“I think you can expect the unexpected,” said frontman Telle Smith talking about the band’s upcoming album. “I don't think that anyone fully knows, even from the singles released, what this album fully entails and what it is going to sound like,” he continued. No doubt this is going to be an interesting chapter in the bands story and there is an air of mystery surrounding the album. “So, I'm really excited,” he smiled as if he knew a secret we didn’t. “I think people are gonna listen to it and

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Square One Magazine • 19th July 2023

EP REVIEW: YELLOWCARD - CHILDHOOD EYES —

Recently at a sold-out show at Camden Underworld, London, Yellowcard frontman Ryan Key told a hyped-up crowd gathered to hear Ocean Avenue in full, that the new EP was coming soon. Claiming he thought the crowd would like it, with a hint that it may be a return to an older sound that was much loved by fans. Yellowcard had a long run-up of teasing before the first single off the EP dropped, and much to the excitement of listeners there was definitely a ring of something sweetly reminiscent of th

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Highwire Magazine • 18th April 2023

Waterparks – Intellectual Property

The Texas trio that is Waterparks are back with their first record on Fueled By Ramen but fifth studio album Intellectual Property. At 11 songs and just over half an hour of music, the genre-defying album is a mix that involves embracing the pop in pop punk, electronic elements, rock, and hip-hop. Inspired by their many past eras of the last 12 years, this album has evolved into something special, a little more vulnerable than previous records. Frontman Awsten Knight, lead guitarist Geoff Wigin

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Highwire Magazine • 4th April 2023

I Prevail, Trash Boat + Blind Channel at OVO Arena Wembley, London

After a three-year wait, the show we were starting to think would never happen was finally upon us. Michigan-based band I Prevail was finally in London and about to perform in the upgraded venue Wembley Arena. First, however, their support acts were ready to rock the crowd despite being a little different from those on the tour posters when fans booked tickets all that time ago. Originally promised Dream State and Wage War, the audience ended up with Blind Channel and Trash Boat. Far from a dis

Highwire Magazine • 14th March 2023

Dizzee Rascal at The O2 Arena, London

Dizzee Rascal fans, old and young alike, descended on The O2 en masse on Wednesday 8th, March to be a part of the 20th anniversary of his debut album, Boy in da Corner. In fact, the mix of fans gathered for what was to be a breathtaking night was surprising, with a large number of them no older than the album itself. It just goes to show Dizzee’s influence on the scene and the vital part he has to play in Grime history. Before the Boy in da Corner festivities could begin, however, we were trea

Highwire Magazine • 8th March 2023

Story Of The Year – Tear Me To Pieces

The world of music is definitely on a nostalgia kick, and so it’s no surprise to see bands like Story Of The Year jump on the bandwagon, as it were. We’re not complaining, though; being transported back to the days of myspace and the warped tour is a welcome look back on the music that shaped a genre. After all, ‘Until the Day I Die’ is still hailed as a classic. This new album, Tear Me To Pieces, is the first since original bassist Adam Russell rejoined forces with Dan Marsala, Ryan Phillips,

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Bring the Noise UK • 4th June 2022

FESTIVAL REVIEW: Slam Dunk South, Hatfield, 04/06/2022

Slam Dunk Festival is always a great day out, and over the last few years they’ve had it tough, what with Covid and cancellations. They pulled off a magnificent ending to last year’s very short festival season, on their delayed festival in September. This year they found they had some last-minute cancellations yet again including The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Used, Motion City Soundtrack and Spanish Love Songs. But they weren’t going to let that stop them and neither were the legions of fans

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Bring the Noise UK • 21st May 2022

LIVE REVIEW: State Champs, Heart Attack Man, Between You & Me, Electric Ballroom, London, 12/05/2022

State Champs came through London on the Kings Of The New Age tour and stopped by Camden not just once, but two days in a row. Proving themselves capable of filling the Electric Ballroom twice over was one thing, but bringing enough energy to really rock the place is quite another. Still, State Champs are known for their electric performances so where better to show off their skills. As the crowd trickled in, the first support act took to the stage and the night was underway. It’s rare that you

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Bring the Noise UK • 21st May 2022

LIVE REVIEW: My Chemical Romance, Placebo, Barns Courtney, Cassyette, Stadium MK, Milton Keynes, 21/05/2022

It’s been almost a decade since legends My Chemical Romance announced their split, one that would break the hearts of their legions of fans. When they finally came back for their reunion, Covid got in the way and delayed their re-emergence even further. This May at the Stadium MK, young fans and elder-emos came together to worship at the stage that may as well be their altar, for the return of their beloved MCR. MCR had decided to bring as many different acts on the road with them as possible,

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Bring the Noise UK • 31st March 2022

ALBUM REVIEW: Set It Off – Elsewhere

Set It Off are back with their new album Elsewhere, an album that promises to take listeners on a ride through an unseen side of the band. Previously known for their own cinematic style of pop-punk, Set It Off did start to sway towards dropping the punk part and aiming for pop perfection. Though this album blurs the lines of genre and perhaps makes them even harder to pigeonhole, which in the industry is often no bad thing. The record opens with Skeleton, a track that starts off gently but buil