It may only be January, but a contender for gig of the year has been thrown down. . .

The sheer expanse and accomplished nature of Brutus’ sound is truly extraordinary to experience.

With their phenomenal latest album SKIN, Ho99o9 continue to prove that they are one of the most exciting, vibrant and forward-thinking bands out there at the moment, so the chance to see them tear it up in a live setting was a tantalising prospect. Hav …

Still something of an unknown quantity Objections prove themselves worthy headliners.

This was one of the most intense, important, relevant multimedia performance art installations you will ever see. The musicians as both aural creators and canvas for a stream of projections. Visual art, sonic sculptures, nuanced intelligent interrogations of neoliberal capitalism and its baleful effects. An alarm call for a soporific society. A destruction of the Ideological State Apparatus.

A mere half-week remains before Barcelona is to host the triumphant return of the sweet, heavy and blissful sounds of AMFest.

Seeing these two musicians in such a venue was, in short, a wonderful experience. The crowd were respectful and totally absorbed by the music. Both acts were faultless, despite them both playing different sets in a very different setting than they are probably used to. It was intimate, very personal and a pleasure to be able to spend a few hours enjoying the music.

When artists offer humble acknowledgement of how well they’re being treated by the crew and how nice it is to play for such a welcoming audience it just underlines what a special festival this is.

With no backline, no intro tapes and no dancing mascots, hoods aside, this is as stripped down and unfiltered as metal gets.

Last Wednesday, audiences proved their hard-earned loyalty to sinister sounds. After two years of pushbacks, the post-black outfit Regarde Les Hommes Tomber was finally able to hold its album release show to a sold-out crowd of hungry metal ghouls.

Joseph Norman and Emma Filtness went to Roadburn Festival this year. Read their very detailed thoughts and review of this year’s festival edition.

There have been many influential albums in extreme music over the years but very few, if indeed any, have been as influential as Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing by Discharge. The amount of punk, hardcore, metal and more bands influenced by this re …

It is clear that Fucked Up are loving being back onstage and playing live again and for everyone in attendance, the opportunity of witnessing an album such as David Comes To Life played in full with such energy and fun has been an experience in itself.

The Lovely Eggs hit the stage with little fanfare, blasting straight through four tunes from their last album I Am Moron before stopping for breath. It’s been two years since the album came out. Two long years that this show has been kicked down the ro …

Our London-based writer Joe Norman will cover Roadburn Festival for Echoes and Dust this year. So, read his preview to get the excitement going, or to check out some of Joe’s recommendations.