Diaries of Doom

Following two EPs in 2019, Birmingham hardcore trio Creature have returned with ten minutes of aural assault to deliver  Haunt . With stark lyricism dealing with austerity, complicity, and the state of the nation, the band accompanies this with filthy, to-the-point, in-your-face metallic hardcore. It's not for the  faint-hearted, nor is it meant to be. All four songs whizz by in less than three minutes each, though there's a lot going on in a short time. Musically, it's a really interesting listen, with unconventional structures and off-time rhythms for starters. Each member has time to shine; take the interesting bass work in the 'Grey Ghosts' chorus, or t he sludgy guitar bends around the halfway mark of 'All', the dynamic drum performance over 'Creeping', just to name a few moments. 'Lines' starts off math-y and frenetic before unexpectedly launching into some of the catchiest vocal hooks across the whole EP.  It's a huge musical state...

Phon have been going for less than a year, but the future looks bright for the Worcester trio, based on the strength of their debut EP. Their live shows are energetic, pretty sweaty in my own experience, and risk moderate short-term hearing loss - but are very good. They bring the sounds of the alternative rock greats of the 90s in with a stoned-out, hardcore-infused context - meaning that the likes of Sonic Youth and the Melvins are just as sonically important to Phon as Nirvana or Soundgarden.  Cat Zen Jamma bursts with jaunty basslines, pounding drums and catchy vocal hooks throughout its runtime, which feels all too short by the time it's over. I'm particularly keen on the bass guitar riffs over 'Julia Roberts (Stars In Eat Pray Love)' or 'Fade', which use open strings in conjunction with frets high up the neck to create quite a specific sound, locking in really well with the laid-back drum grooves. At times, the guitar seems to act as a second bass - with ...

My introduction to Sergeant Thunderhoof seems, in hindsight, relatively late - it's not a band name you forget easily after hearing it for the first time, but I only really began taking note after hearing their cover of Alice Cooper's 'Halo of Flies' around the tail end of last year. Leading up to that point, they'd released a few full-length albums through their own label after forming as a band in 2013. Playing trippy, groovy heavy rock around the UK in the decade or so since, most enthusiasts of underground doom or stoner in this country will be well-acquainted with The Hoof  by now - and frankly, after the release of This Sceptred Veil , their monumental album number four, there's no excuse not to be. Recorded with Josh Gallop (Phoxjaw) at Stage 2 Studios in Bath and mastered by Tony Reed of Mos Generator fame, This Sceptred Veil is noticeably darker and heavier than anything they've released before. All the stoner, progressive and psychedelic-tinged ele...