Wolfsbane – ‘Live Faster’ (Self Release)

Wolfsbane – ‘Live Faster’ (Self Release)

Somewhere back in the mists of time, Tamworth terrors Wolfsbane were one of the bright young hopes of a burgeoning UK rock scene. Along with the likes of The Dogs D’amour, The Quireboys and The Almighty, they graced the covers of the UK music magazines and were destined for big things. With a fierce live reputation and a dedicated fanbase affectionately known as ‘The Howling Mad Shitheads’, it seemed Blaze Bayley and the boys could not fail; then they signed to Def American Records, the label run by the legendary Rick Rubin, mastermind behind The Beastie Boys and others. A producer who had turned around the careers of Slayer, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and The Cult to name but a few. But somehow, he managed to zap all the live energy from Wolfsbane’s debut album ‘Live Fast, Die Fast’.

While they redeemed themselves on the following Brendan O’Brien produced mini album ‘All Hells Breaking Loose…’, sadly the stars never aligned for the band, Blaze jumped ship for Iron Maiden and the rest as they say, is history.

Now, some 40-odd years later, Wolfsbane plan to right the wrongs and have completely re-recorded that debut album in full.

I always thought of Wolfsbane as the British Van Halen. My first introduction was their Friday Rock Show session, Blaze sounded like Roth and Jase Edwards had the guitar histrionics to match Eddie Van Halen, the live feel of those songs matched the energy of the Californian legends. Maybe if Dave & Eddie had started their days on a council estate a few miles from Birmingham, they too would’ve sounded just like Wolfsbane. In 2025 this re-imagined ‘Live Fast, Die Fast’ sounds raw, tight and exciting. With the same running order and the song structures staying faithful to the original recording, what stands out most is the production.

With that familiar hammer-on intro, ‘Manhunt’ fills the speakers like an old, lost friend. Is it faster? It sounds fast! The main change here is the drum sound, while the original was snare-heavy and polished, the drums overpowering and in your face, here the instruments all gel as they should. Next up, ‘Shakin’ sounds great, real ‘live in the studio’ vibes here. It’s the song that remains the most Van Halen-like to me. A classic tune given the sound it so rightly deserves.

With face-melting guitars and a killer hook, ‘Killing Machine’ was a live favourite back in the day, and it still holds up. ‘Fell Out Of Heaven’, again, has Roth vibes in the vocal department and another killer chorus, yet in my mind I still prefer the Friday Rock Show version.

Elsewhere, the live energy is captured magnificently by Jase Edwards’ stellar production, even the big MTV single ‘I Like It Hot’, with its sheen removed, is still as commercially pop-tastic as I remember. My only gripe would be the token ballad ‘Tears Of A Fool’, which would have been all well and good if they were The Dogs D’amour, but it didn’t fit the feel of the album in 1989, and it still doesn’t in 2025. Maybe they shoulda banged on ‘Paint The Town Red, instead.

While this re-recorded version of ‘Live Fast, Die Fast’ is unfinished business for the band, and is steeped in nostalgia, the songs stand the test of time and remind those who were there what a great band Wolfsbane were back in the late 80’s.

‘Live Fast, Die Fast’ remains a testament to the fact that not all the most exciting bands came from the Sunset Strip back in the late 80’s, some came from the Midlands too. Do yourself a favour and get reacquainted with a lost gem.

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Author: Ben Hughes

Hot Milk – ‘Corporation P.O.P.’ (Music for Nations)

Hot Milk – ‘Corporation P.O.P.’ (Music for Nations)

Hot Milk’s full-length debut from 2023 was my co-album of the year alongside the debut by James and the Cold Gun. Before their debut, they had released several EPs which showcased a band developing sharper edges. Their debut album ‘A Call to the Void’ showcased their diversity and felt more like an album that was looking inward than this new one, where they turn their rage towards the current state of the world. What hasn’t changed is the band crafting songs with huge hooks that should appeal to a wide variety of music fans.

‘(How Do I) Make the Devil Fall Asleep’ kicks off the album with a beat that should get the live crowd’s fists in the air before Han’s vocals take control for the first verse over minimal instrumentation. Jim’s vocals then enter, and the intensity continues to grow until they reach a modern rock style chorus. Part of Hot Milk’s trademark has been the gift of having Han and Jim on vocals. They each have their own strengths individually and are easily identifiable from other vocalists, but the other magic is the way they blend together. The intensity continues with the rapid-fire intro of single ‘Insubordinate Ingerland’ where the band delivers killer hooks, a well-placed spoken word bit, and some intense vocals from Jim at the end. I anticipate this will be a live staple. Another single, ‘The American Machine’ follows and has become one of my favourite songs from the album. A modern sounding punk approach that tears into American policies regarding healthcare and the military. The shouty vocals of the chorus give way to a break in the song where the assault is given a reprieve before returning to a rage by the end of the song.

 While there is no let-up, the band channels a different means for the assault with ‘Hell Is on Its Way.’ A dance beat and electronic effects provide the skeleton of the verses, with the song reaching some rhythmical fury over its two-minute running time. It takes some of the early poppiness of the band and sends it through a metal blender to make it sharper and angrier. Another of the early singles follows, with ‘Swallow This’ being another modern-sounding rock song where there is more musical space in the verses to allow the vocals to be showcased. The chorus has more bite than some of their other songs. Han provides a spoken word bridge here that transitions the song into even more intensity before the chorus closes it.

A brief reprieve is provided through ‘Machine Elves (Interlude)’ that again showcases the early pop side of the band. I appreciate how they have kept that in their DNA and cleverly mixed it into their current music. This segues directly into the pounding start of ‘Chase the Dragon.’ The pre-chorus provides a solid hook and transitions into an even catchier chorus. It’s simply an outstanding song that deserves to be heard. The first single from the album ’90 Seconds to Midnight’ storms out of the gate and provides a great introduction to the album with a sonic assault akin to a straight-ahead Wildhearts’ rocker. The siren-style backing vocal in the chorus is an excellent touch, and Jim’s screams are on point.

The uniquely titled ‘Sunburn From Your Bible’ comes out of the speaker with a beat that feels a bit like Rage Against the Machine. I can see the waves of people bouncing up and down in the live setting. The song comes from a similar musical pool as their earlier song ‘Split Personality.’ Changing approach, ‘Warehouse Salvation’ channels back into their ability to deliver some killer pop songs with a song that could be seamlessly entered into a dance club’s rotation. I am interested to see how this one sounds live as the band has demonstrated an ability to make these songs more intense in the live setting. While not something in my usual mix of musical styles, this one has become one of my favourites with repeated listens. Hot Milk are masters of delivering a mix of styles while losing none of their authenticity or identity.

‘Sediments (Interlude)’ provides an electronic style break that sets up what I assume will be a future single in ‘Asphyxiate.’ This is as close as they get to revisiting something in the same musical approach to ‘Breathing Underwater’ from their debut. This song is made to be blasting out on pop and rock radio stations. The chorus is extremely catchy and one listeners will be singing in no time. Even though this is only their second album, their catalogue of songs is already extremely deep, and this album has provided an album’s worth of songs that deserve to be in their setlist. ’Payment of Pain’ suffered from following ‘Asphyxiate’ on initial listens, but has connected with me on multiple listens. The electronic elements in the mix give the song added depth, and the build in the back half of the song takes the song to another level. The distant backing vocals remind me of ‘I Was Made for Loving You’ by KISS. Closing out the album, ‘Sympathy Symphony’ is the most recent single released. Keyboards and an electronic beat usher in this slow builder. The transition from the chorus to strings provides a great connection between the first half and the second half with the album closing on a pretty epic note.

Hot Milk has delivered another album of the year contender for me, in a year with several very strong contenders. This album didn’t connect with me as immediately as their debut did, but it is stronger with every listen. ‘Corporation P.O.P.’ has more depth than the debut on a musical and lyrical level. Hot Milk has continued to evolve while retaining the essence of who they are. They should continue to see their audience multiply during this album cycle. If you spend a little extra for the Japanese version of the CD, you will also get non-album blinder ‘Where Does the Light Get In?’ and two live tracks.

‘Corporation P.O.P.’ is now available.

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https://hotmilk.co.uk

Author: Gerald Stansbury

Bruise Control, The Diaz Brothers – ‘Slugfest’ ‘In The Park’ – Abertillery Rugby Club, Abertillery. 28.06.25

Bruise Control, The Diaz Brothers – ‘Slugfest’ ‘In The Park’ – Abertillery Rugby Club, Abertillery. 28.06.25

Once again, I find myself venturing East across the mountain tops of South Wales to the beautiful, picturesque setting that is Slugfest 2025 to witness the finest free punk rock n roll festival anywhere in the UK, possibly the world. To be fair the effort that goes into putting this multiple-genre festival over four days is remarkable and for the bands to play and be on board with the fundraising is heartwarming in 2025 when the world is heading to hell in a handcart Slugfest is a shining beacon of hope that at least some people understand community and mixed with having a good time. I wanted to catch Pizzatramp, but once again failed in my attempt to arrive mid-afternoon, so I settled for arriving fashionably later in order to catch Manchester’s Bruise Control. Having reviewed the album and not managed to see them live yet, it was a must-capture set, and they didn’t disappoint, not for a second.

Bruise Control goes at it like it’s going out of fashion, and it needs a good seeing, too. Bruise Control write banging, rapid punk rock n roll tunes. Bruise Control are fucking shit hot. Now, some might say all those are subjective, but anyone who’s heard the album and seen them live can easily testify that the quotes are in fact correct and true. They live it at breakneck speed and do it with a smile like a Cheshire cat. They are tight as fook and tonight they kicked off with ‘Be Like You’ and it was the jump off for a short but oh so sweep Slugfest debut. We’ve reached ‘Useless’ and ‘Strength’, and before you know it, the frontman has only a pair of daisy dukes on and is climbing in and out of the window, barking at people on either side of the frame like his life depends on it.

They go down a storm and wind their set up with a triple treat of ‘Taxman’, ‘Jumping Ship’ and ‘HMRC’ before they leave the stage having found a new set of fans who now adore them and spread the word of Bruise Control a little further south and into deepest darkest Wales. Please come again, chaps. South Wales needs more Bruise Control – Job done – Fantastic stuff.

Time for some refreshments and a wander into the bar to catch some Thrash Metal titans running through a version so tight it was like some heavy metal rizlas on a large doobie doing ‘Madhouse’ by the mighty Anthrax. Joyo. Nailed it, you metal bastards.

Outside, it was time to catch Sunderland’s finest, The Diaz Brothers, who are out and about supporting their brand new sophomore album ‘The World Is Yours’. They sound fantastic, tight as fuck and the harmonies get absolutely nailed even at breakneck live speed with all the possibilities of getting fucked up in a nice tight dark room and its a first time for me seeing the band who’ve impressed me no end since hearing the new album and its ‘Hourglass Full Of Quicksand’ that’s up second hammering home how damn good this band are. The riffs are sharp, and they glide effortlessly through the set, it’s followed in quick fashion by its bedfellows on the LP, the restrained ‘As I Tear’.

After the polite introductions, we get treated to more from the debut album with ‘Empty Bar Stool’ sounding like a fuckin giant as the intro twists and turns before going off like a rocket. ‘I See No Justification’ is like a juggernaut it’s at this point, a few handbags are thrown on the dancefloor, but things are quickly calmed down, and we can finish the set with a blistering ‘Hating Nation’, and we are done. The two bands I came to see had delivered in spades exactly what I wanted and reaffirmed my love for punk rock n roll in fine fashion. Two very different bands, but two of the best bands I’ve had the pleasure of hearing for quite some time. The UK is alive with the sound of music, and Slugfest once again delivers some of its finest. I make myself the promise that next year I will do more days and will get there earlier to see more bands. Long live SLugfest, and hopefully it won’t be too long before I clap eyes on Bruise Control and The Diaz Brothers again. My advice is if they are playing and you can by any means make it – treat yourself and fill up on Punk Rock it’s good for you.

Slugfest

Diaz Brothers – Serial Bowl Records

Bruise Control

Pics: Veej / Johnny Hayward

Author: Dom Daley

Durry -‘This Movie Sucks’ (Big Pip Records/ Thirty Tigers)

Durry -‘This Movie Sucks’ (Big Pip Records/ Thirty Tigers)

Rock? Punk? Pop-punk? Indie? All the above? At the end of the day, it will be up to others to try and wrap a genre around this band if you want to put a label on them. For me, this is simply an outstanding band that writes killer songs that affect the heart and soul of the listener. Durry began during the pandemic as a brother (Austin- vocals & guitar) and sister (Taryn- guitar & backing vocals) combo who became a four-piece band with the addition of Ashley (bass) and Dane (drums). One of their early songs became popular on TikTok and pushed the band’s popularity. As someone who still thinks of a clock when I read TikTok (sic), I found Durry (or Durry found me) when they started releasing the pre-release singles from this album. It gave me the benefit of diving backwards into their first album and the earlier versions of those songs while eagerly anticipating this album. Their debut had a glossy pop sheen to the rocking songs and delivered some killer lyrics about life. The band has come back with a second album that easily avoids the second album curse or jinx by building on what they have done and expanding on it to create an album of the year contender.

Lead track ‘Bully’ gets the tempo going from the start and showcases a less polished production that wastes none of its two minutes. Austin screams out the words to be heard over the music as the band addresses bullies online by pointing out that sometimes the ones pushing back can become bullies as well. The humour they can inject into their lyrics is showcased immediately. Durry reminded me of n old band from San Diego called the Rugburns when I first heard them. The Rugburns were punky but also had these wonderful mellower songs filled with lyrical stories about characters they created. I would add the Refreshments/ Roger Clyne as another similar artist who writes in a similar manner. There is an exquisite talent to this approach, and Durry delivers the goods. The band keeps the rocking going with the nugget-styled ‘Monopoly Money.’ Austin’s vocals make me feel like I could almost sing along with him and be close enough in tune to be okay. The song has a nice bridge that feeds right back into a frenetic chorus.

Changing tempo and approach, the title track allows us to look back over our lives and wish things could have gone a little differently. The build into a chorus that would have sold millions of albums in the 90s explodes from the speakers. Austin’s lyrics again hit a sweet spot where they can be sad or tragic while planting a smile on the listener’s face. Looking back nostalgically will be revisited later through a slightly different lens. The quirky ‘Porcupine’ provides a midtempo rocker with an animal-filled chorus that has been a tongue twister I am still learning- not every band throw hippopotamus into a chorus. I think most of us have experienced those nights where there is no sleep to be had because the brain won’t be quiet. The build and release of ‘More Dumb’ works perfectly with clever lyrics about space dust, language creation, and the meaning of life, with perfect background vocals in parts singing ‘dumb, dumb, dumb…’

Shambolic rocker ‘Start a Band’ reminds us that we can all go start a band, and knowing how to play an instrument should not be a hindrance. Ashley and Dane could have easily lost control of this rhythm, but instead let us feel like we are in control as we bounce off the walls. The poppy ‘Wannabe’ pulls everything back under control and reminds me the most of their debut album. The chorus expands as the song goes, and Austin reinforces that we are all we need to be. ‘Polaroid’ feels a bit like an ’80s rocker that hits right in the feels. When we look back at all our photographs, do we mean all the smiles that we see, or do we also see all the darkness and challenges behind them as well?

‘Idk I just Work Here’ should be an anthem for anyone who has ever worked a retail job. This song is wacky and wonderful. One of Durry’s huge assets is Taryn, who tears it up on the guitar but also helps deliver some killer backing vocals that take songs to a whole other level of excellence. The song should also serve as a reminder to all of us on the other side of the counter that the person across from us may not care as much about the state of our pizza as much as we do (watch the video). This song should have been a huge summer hit with kids at their summer jobs. ‘Good Grief’ keeps us rocking with an anthem for living life to the fullest and making our guardian angels work overtime.

Closing out the album, Durry has delivered two more classic songs that contemplate what life is and what we do with it. The slower ‘The Long Goodbye’ feels a bit like Green Day’s ‘Good Riddance.’ The acoustic guitar gives way to a powerful lyric about the game of life we all play. This will be a song the band won’t need to sing onstage, as all of us in the audience will do it for the band. The band could have closed the album here and delivered an amazing album with a highly emotional closing moment. The band instead injects some humour into the rocker ‘Slug Bug.’ The song provides another look back at our lives, but with a wink and smile to tell us that our best days are ahead and not behind, as we might think. It leaves us with an uplifting message as we then reach to play the album all over again. As a bonus, we get one more golden rocker, ‘Fake Media’, with something of an electronic dance beat hidden after ‘Slug Bug’ on the CD. The vinyl packaging is also very cool as you can build your own VHS Durry case in keeping with the movie theme.

Durry have delivered a killer album that should continue to attract new fans in droves. Effortlessly blending genres and time periods while sounding fresh and made for all moments past and present, this is a timeless album that will provide years of enjoyment. It’s an instant classic for me that has become even better with repeated listens. Not sure why you are still reading when you should be finding this album to add it to your collection… on record and CD.

‘This Movie Sucks’ is available now.

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Gerald Stansbury   

Saxon Cancel summer shows

Saxon Cancel summer shows

SAXON ANNOUNCE CANCELLATION OF 10 SUMMER 
SHOWS & FESTIVAL APPEARANCES WHILE SINGER 
BIFF BYFORD UNDERGOES EMERGENCY PROCEDURE


Heavy Metal legends Saxon are sorry to announce the immediate cancellation of 10 Summer shows and Festival appearances while singer Biff Byford undergoes an emergency procedure. 

The recovery period for the operation will sadly mean the immediate cancellation/postponement of 10 shows across a six-week period.  As a result, the band will regretfully now not be performing at the below scheduled shows including their much anticipated upcoming performances at Wacken Open Air, Pol’And’ Rock, Summer Breeze, Ekenäs, Area 53 and Öland Rock Festivals.

A spokesperson for Saxon’s management company said: “Saxon were so looking forward to performing at all the below Summer festivals and events, but the health and wellbeing of the band obviously has to come first. It goes without saying that all in Saxon are gutted that they will be unable to perform but look forward to hopefully being back on stage in time to play both Trutnoff Open Air Festival in Czech Republic on August 23rd and Neuborn Open Air on August 29th.  The band are also very much looking forward to their upcoming tours of both Spain, France and the UK later this year too.”

Saxon will still be performing as planned at Rockharz Festival in Ballenstedt in Germany on July 2nd. 

JUL 12 – Area 53 Festival, Leoben (Austria)
JUL 24 – Lokomotivat, Ekilstuna (Sweden)
JUL 25 – Öland Rock Festival, Borgholm (Sweden)
JUL 26 – Garden, Linköping (Sweden)
JUL 27 – Furuvik, Gävle (Sweden)
JUL 29 – Turbinenhalle 2, Oberhausen (Germany)
JUL 31 – Pol’And’Rock Festival, Czaplinek (Poland)
AUG 1 – Wacken Open Air, Wacken (Germany)
AUG 9 – Stallörsparken, Ekenäs (Finland)
AUG 16 – Summer Breeze Festival, Dinkelsbühl (Germany)

Saxon are sorry for any inconvenience caused to fans and ask for everyone’s patience and understanding at this time. The band are currently working with all the promoters of the above events to see as to whether any of these shows and appearances can be rescheduled.

Area 53 Festival in Leoben (Austria) has already confirmed that the band will now be appearing at their 2026 edition instead. More details to follow.

The 3 club shows in Sweden on July 24th (Ekilstuna), 26th (Linköping) and 27th (Gävle) have all sadly been cancelled with immediate effect.  Tickets buyers should contact their point of purchase for a full refund.

Details of any other rescheduled shows will be announced on Saxon’s website in due course. 

For more information and updates go to www.saxon747.com