Surprises are rare and wonderful. When music decides to just show up and strut and rock and roll and stomp with swagger, swing and raw energy all over you, that’s the rarest surprise and Michael Monroe does not disappoint with his brand new studio album, Outerstellar, set for release via
Silver Lining Music on February 20th 2026.
“Rockin’ Horse is a cool, rockin’ song that we made a great fun video for with the fantastic director Leigh Brooks,” comments Michael Monroe. “We got into different characters on the so-called ‘Waking Up With Michael Monroe’ TV morning show, with me as the host.
And it’s the first time you have ever seen me without make-up (!). Great fun and good times. Hope you enjoy it!”
‘What ‘genre’ is Michael Monroe?’ Oh, go and throw yourself back into the shoebox you restrict yourself to if you need a genre… How about ‘sweet smelling leathery sweat wrapped in one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll voices?’ How about ‘harmonies and vibes swimming in silk scarves and lounging on a beaten sofa in leather pants, with the AM hours alive and the melodies so, so intoxicating?’ And how about ‘attitude! Which screams carefree, not carelessness, confidence, not arrogance, a cocksure sense of self-bathed in the sheer joy of playing the religious experience of real rock ‘n’ roll.’
From loud crashing guitars to harmonicas, to gorgeous acoustic moments, you’ll sing, you’ll dance, you’ll shiver, you’ll shake, and you’ll smell this wonderful exhilarating record in all its weathered biker jacket incense-coated glory and you’ll also realize that whatever the hell is going on in the world right now, when you put this album on, it’s an instant escape to carefree days and an emancipation from worries, fears and woes.
It is EXACTLY what rock ‘n’ roll in its truest sense is meant to be, and Michael Monroe is handing you permission to get lost in the love of it. In fact, just stop reading this, get off your ‘Rockin’ Horse’ and go see Michael Monroe on tour at your first opportunity! In support of the release of Outerstellar, Michael Monroe and the band will embark on a UK co-headline tour with Buckcherry, kicking off in Southampton on February 24th. For a full list of upcoming shows and tickets, visit: michaelmonroe.com – more dates to be announced.
2025:
24 Nov Rock Beyond Rock Vol. 2, Osaka (JP)
25 Nov EX THEATER ROPPONGI, Minato City (JP)
2026:
24 Feb The 1865, Southampton (UK)
25 Feb O2 Ritz, Manchester (UK)
27 Feb KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton (UK)
28 Feb Northumbria Institute, Newcastle (UK)
1 Mar SWG3, Glasgow (UK)
3 Mar Tramshed, Cardiff (UK)
4 Mar The Foundry, Torquay (UK)
6 Mar Rock City, Nottingham (UK)
7 Mar O2 Forum, London (UK)
8 Mar Chalk, Brighton (UK)
3-7 Apr Underground Garage Cruise, Miami (US) to Cozumel (MX)
Outerstellar will be available on Limited Edition 12” White Viny, 12” Turquoise Vinyl, 12” Black Vinyl, CD Digipak, Digital Download, Streaming and special D2C bundles. Available to pre-order now at Here
Imagine Silver Ginger 5 hooks baked into a power pop or guitar pop band that utilises all band members providing lead vocals at times across 15 brilliant songs that each have their own identity but still sound like the same band… This isn’t punk. It’s not metal. It is one of the best albums of the year for me. The Happy Fits have been around for over 7 years, with their debut album dropping back in 2018. I had never heard of them until I saw the lead video for this new album. There were some line-up changes, and I believe this is the debut of this formation of the band. I have not yet dug into their previous material, but will in time. These 15 songs deserve their own time to shine and showcase what a diamond they have released.
‘Lovesick’ starts with something of a curveball in the slow dreamlike ‘Do You See Me?’ where the band utilises adding layers to the song. The backing vocals are sublime, and the song becomes more powerful as it goes. ‘Everything You Do’ was the first song by the band I ever heard. It was a middle-of-the-night YouTube rabbit hole video that I put on repeat to hear it several times in a row. There is an Abba feel at the beginning, and the song just screams fun out of every pore. One of the cool things The Happy Fits have done to give them a unique sound is to replace the bass with a cello. Calvin Langman’s playing gives a unique feel to the songs, and on ‘Everything You Do’ he sings with such reckless exuberance that the listener cannot help but smile. Add in the scream by Raina Mullen after the minute mark and her lead vocals near the end to make it a song that should have been a huge hit in the late spring. ‘Cruel Power’ was another early single and was something of a grower for me. So much so, it is now one of my favourites on the album. The vocals become the showcase for much of the song, and the rhythm through the verse works perfectly. This song can make the crowd at a club dance and the crowd at a live show jump up and down. The band’s latest single, ‘Lovesick #1 (Misery)’ follows and is another brilliant song. The slow torch/ ballad gives way to a rocker that again showcases the vocal power the band has with Mullen getting the lead for most of the song. An awesome guitar solo by Nico Rose elevates the song even further. ‘The Nerve’ ends side A of the first vinyl and initially felt like a runt in the litter, given the first four songs. Multiple listens, though, demonstrate this is another rocking gem with Langman confessing to a lover ‘baby I’m a piece of shit and I’m the fucking worst.’ It is another huge chorus, and the up-tempo beat gets the listener moving.
After the initial five songs, it may take you a little bit to flip the first album over to dig into the flipside, as you keep dropping the needle back down to hear the first batch again. When you do flip it to side B, you are greeted with the infectious ‘Miss You’. At times, it feels like the verses could have been something Blondie would have done, and the chorus is as huge as an IMAX screen with some ’80s touches while still sounding current. This song is another one where the cello replaces the bass, giving the song a different, more cinematic feel. The gentle tempo of ‘I Could Stare at You for Hours’ provides an excellent touch and change of pace. As they did on the album opener, they utilise layering during the song to help it build, but here they utilise the build to let it all fall away and build again. The band pivot with ‘Sarah’s Song,’ which has struck me from my first listen as something like the Beatles with the harmonies shining brightly. It is a beautiful pop song where the beat conjures up images of the band performing in a field of flowers while the lyrics subvert expectations with lines like ‘and you know all the roses that bloom inside your mind, they all root from sordid sources and the thorns they leave behind.’ The band turn up the tempo again with ‘Shake Me’ (not a Cinderella cover). This is another vocal showcase that gets the foot moving and will have the listener singing along to the chorus quickly. Closing out side B is the brilliant ‘I Still Think I Love You.’ This is an instant power pop classic. The hook in the pre-chorus is huge, and the chorus is even bigger. This became one of my favourite songs when I first heard the album, and nothing has changed in that regard.
The third and final side of the vinyl has absolutely no let-up, with the previous single ‘Wild in Love’ getting it started. I have not spoken of Luke Graydavis on drums yet, but his playing across the album is stellar. Here, he also provides lead vocals. I love that all four members get to showcase their voices across the album. ‘Wild in Love’ has a different feel than the rest of the album, with a slightly electronic feel. The band get back to a pure rock approach on ‘Black Hole’ where the cello again provides some great riffs to add a hint of heaviness to the song. This is another early single and really gives an idea that the band knew they had recorded a classic album by putting two singles on the final side of the vinyl. ‘Superior’ brings back a torch song approach. The orchestration builds and builds throughout to deliver another excellent song. ‘Wrong About Me’ utilises a slow acoustic approach paired with a gorgeous melody. It would have been easy to make this the last song on the album, where it would end with this one really serving as a quiet note to draw the album to a close. If it were not such a great song, it could easily get lost on the album. The listener gets pulled into the song, and it sets up the epic closer ‘I Remember.’ The excellent guitar work by Mullen and Rose again showcased with the record mixed perfectly. The up-tempo beat is given time to manifest itself as everything in the song builds over the first two minutes. The vocal harmonies are beautiful throughout the song, and they end the album on arguably the best song on the album.
Fifteen songs, not a miss in sight. Fifteen beautiful, killer songs that showcase a band where pure magic is happening. The chemistry in the band is so impactful, I expect to see it bleeding out of the vinyl as it plays. One of the reasons I have not explored the back catalogue yet us I cannot get enough of these 15 songs. This is also the first album with Nico and Mullen, so it feels like a debut album to me, as their marks are all over these songs. As I said at the top, this is not a punk or metal album. What it is thoug,h is an album of the year candidate filled with the sounds of rock, pop, power pop, and incredibly huge hooks. These songs are timeless and essential.
It feels like an eternity since ‘Bring Me The Head Of…’ the last album by Newport punks Bad Sam was released into the world back in 2017, but when it comes to Dean Beddis and Richard Glover, the musicians behind this latest version of the band, it’s always been about quality tunes and never mind how long it takes to write them, which as a result means ‘Trauma’ is packed with 10 cuts of premium punk pomp from da Port….albeit with a 2025 twist.
Taking the live insanity of the Bad Sam line ups that have gone before and distilling it down to singer Beddis and bassist/guitarist/producer Glover might have been considered a risky move by some as the intensity of the band live had always a joy to behold – even if it was like taking your life into your own hands at times. Here though with ‘Trauma’ the “brains” behind the band have momentarily paused operations, observed what is going on around them, and then tweaked the Bad Sam songwriting formula to return angrier than ever before.
There’s been demo tracks released over the past couple of years on Bandcamp, tracks like ‘Pedigree Poor’ and ‘Terrable Dance’ (rechristened ‘Monster’s Dance’ for the album) which hinted at what might be coming, and there’s also been a handful of chaotic local low key gigs that have seen the duo breaking in the new material to ascertain what songs best fit their twisted vision of the future, and as a result ‘Trauma’ is an all out attack on the senses, a record that actually makes you stop and think…”what the fuck is going on in this world?”
‘Emotional Hostage’ kicks things off in fine style as Slayer-esque riffage blends perfectly with industrial drum loops over which the immediately recognisable Beddis barks out his warning of living your life always looking for a return to “the good old days”.
‘Pedigree Poor’ quickly follows, remixed and rabid, it’s a grimy real-life tale of living well below the poverty line. This track demanding you to listen to it on headphones to truly absorb the avalanche of sounds that underpin this anthem for the less fortunate in our society.
Elsewhere, ‘The Van’ sounds just how Public Enemy jamming with a hardcore crossover band should have always sounded, whilst ‘Turn You Off’ is the first of a trio of tracks on ‘Trauma’ that are the closest to the Bad Sam sound of old, with a more straight-ahead punk rock approach.
As ‘Trauma’ reaches its midpoint ‘Silent Death’ comes out of leftfield sounding not unlike err Leftfield and Lydon and it’s almost Gothic chorus would instantly fill a club dance floor if the youth of today still did such things. Recent single ‘Popcorn And Blood’ is a banger too, taking the Killing Jokey dark vibe further and giving it a savage lyrical twist courtesy of Beddis and his views on death tourism. Meanwhile if it’s a throbbing slab of industrial punk all about societal peer pressure you are looking for then you need look no further than ‘Perpetual Consumption’.
‘Trauma’ enters its final trio of songs with ‘Monsters Dance’ staggering out of the speakers like the perfect soundtrack to a zombie parade from a classic George A. Romero film. Then it’s time to return to the more direct Bad Sam sound of old via ‘Salute The Media’ and (the awesomely titled) ‘Tupperware Death Party’ that close the album down in spectacular full pelt punk rock fashion.
The bio that comes with this advance stream of the album sees Rich Glover comparing the band’s sound on ‘Trauma’ as having the energy of Reagan Youth mixed with the power of LARD, and whilst he’s not a million miles off with that description I think there’s actually loads more going on here than he gives himself and Beddis credit for, as ‘Trauma’ is a record that defies categorisation, and in 2025 we absolutely need bands like Bad Sam producing records like this, exciting, challenging, and above all, essential.
It would be Kriminal not to pick up a copy on vinyl or CD when ‘Trauma’ is released on the 28th of November, or you can preorder a copy NOW via the Bandcamp link below.
Gothenburg’s drunk’n’roll/hardcore-punk wrecking crew Spøgelse are back to remind you what punk is supposed to feel like: loud, raw, and one beer away from total collapse. Their second album, Spøgelse II, lands this October via Welfare Sounds & Records, packing fifteen tracks that hit like a fist to the jaw for anyone sick of polished, overproduced punk.
Born in the deep Swedish woods but raised on Gothenburg afterparties, Spøgelse have spent the past five years cramming into beat-up cars, dragging gear across highways, and spilling beer on every stage reckless enough to host them. Their mission hasn’t changed: fast riffs, feral live energy, and no compromises.
Spøgelse II is my first taste of the band, so it’s a good jumping-off point, knowing I only have to dig a little for the back catalogue. No Bubblegum pop punk happening here. Right from the starting line its thunderous unleashing of hellfire and fury, and that just the opening three quarters of a minute it takes to put you right in the cross hairs of what Spøgelse are all about. It’s the fury of early Damned married to Motorhead with the volume stuck on eleven, no time to fuck about, otherwise these beers will get spilt and go warm. ‘All Go’ crashes into ‘Terrible Head’ before we all have a ‘Meltdown’.
Crash, Bang, Wallop, I love it when some punk bands just cut loose and fuck shit up and head down a Zeke path blasting out the tunes that get them excited, and if you dig it, then hop on for the ride, if not then don’t forget to shut the door on your way out. The guitars sound like they’re being flogged into oblivion with some brutal riff-a-rama being handed out. It’s a fine art to play this fast ‘Sober Curious’, ‘Beer’ ‘, Speedfreaks’. There’s a theme developing here, kids, so just don’t try this at home, leave it to the experts.
The energy is relentless, but the songs are of quality Hell, they even indulge in a bit of Thrash riffage on ‘Kick Them Where IT Hurts’ in all its prog-like length of just over two minutes, to be fair it might well be my favourite track on a very impressive album. The grunt on the bass guitar of ‘In My Way Again’ is stinkingly good. You also get your money’s worth as there are fifteen tracks on offer here, and as we head towards the inevitable come down when it’s all come to a shuddering halt, we get some pro skating lyrics before their tongue is firmly planted in their cheeks for ‘To Fat For Satan’
Stay pissed. Stay punk. But place this rampant mofo on your turntable to help you along the way, best zeked up punk album I’ve heard in quite a while, go get a copy, kids, it’s a beast. Cheers.
Tønsberg, Norway — After more than a decade of carving their own unruly path, The Mansters return with ‘Snapshots from a Shitshow’, their most confident and unapologetic album to date.
Once firmly planted in hardcore, The Mansters have gradually stripped away genre constraints, letting instinct, irreverence, and raw energy lead the way. Sure, it’s still pretty rapid, and to the lazy listene,r it would still be simply hardcore without substance, but as soon as the needle drops and you get balls deep into the opener, there is a whole lot more besides going on under the hood of this hot rod rocket ride.
If there is a Scandinavian sound to a lot of these bands, then so be it. There is comonality between the harder edges of Turbonegro, Zugly and the mighty Gluecifer, and to absorb all of that and more, the result is a melting pot of goodness that spans the full spectrum of punk, metal and everything in between. Intense, melodic, raw, and Joyful, often all at once.
‘The World is My Ulcer’ sets the tone. A great sounding record would be the first thign I noticed before the songs unleashed some great playing and really well written songs. ‘to the shoegaze-tinged closer, ‘Snapshots from a Shitshow’ delivers a self-aware, chaotic ride through punk, hardcore, and rock and to manage that to such a high standard isn’t easy nor is it easy to dish up such a strong set of songs. ‘Lessons In Giving Up’ has a wonderful gurgling bass thump with an excellent melody. The band don’t take themselves too seriously and takes aim at themselves, society, and everything in between.
Lyrically, the album dives into common themes but delivers them with a sense of humour and self-awareness, giving the record a warmth and big heart vibes. Living in the modern age, of course, it’s all about ‘I Should Be Getting More Likes’ (you and me bot,h guys, you and me both). Playing on words and song titles or well-known phrases seems to be a theme in that part of the world, so of course, there’s a song called ‘Run To The Pils.
In an era of noise and posturing, The Mansters prove that punk still thrives when it’s honest, self-aware, and free from pretension. Oh, and an album bursting with top tunes, so it’s a win-win there then go search this record out, it won’t disappoint pinky promise.
“A bit like Sleaford Mods, but if Jason Williamson had spent the 80s and early 90s rolling about beer-soaked punk rock stages and community centre floors as front man of the legendary Cowboy Killers, and Andrew Fearn was a prolific bass player having toured the world gig circuit as part of the mighty Dub War. OK, nothing like Sleaford Mods then.”
“A glimpse into a dystopian future with executions as a public distraction and the industry of entertainment and souvenirs built around them.”
A sonic shift from previous albums, bringing to mind the garage hardcore of Reagan Youth combined with the “Power of Lard”
Roots firmly in punk underground, previous albums “Working Class Holocaust” and “Bring Me The Head Of..” have sold out direct from Beddis’ Newport record shop and label Kriminal Records. This is the first material to make it onto streaming sites.
TRAUMA, the Welsh duo’s third albu,m is now pre-selling HERE
Killer Hearts are a blood-soaked, leather-clad, electrifying Rock N Roll band based out of Houston, Texas. Formed in 2015 and led by brothers Brandon Barger on guitar and Jerrie Boy Barger on vocals, Killer Hearts have been spreading their Southern Sleaze all over the US for the better part of the last decade.
It’s 2025, and Rock n Roll is crying out for the sleazy underbelly to rise up. It’s been way too dormant recently. Think The Black Halos, Dead Boys, even pre-Apetite Guns n Roses. There was an air of danger about Rock n Roll, it wasn’t meant to be liked by your parents. It was made by people who were raised on giving zero fucks but had enough suss to pick up a guitar and know how to translate the songs their forefathers had handed down. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Killer Hearts. Long hair, inked bodies, low-slung guitars and an attitude to make you think twice. No fancy artwork, just something that paints a picture as to what you might expect from the music contained in the sleeve.
Drawing influences from the proto-punk and early Glam Rock of the 70s while adding in some riffage and guitar work reminiscent of early NWOBHM, Killer Hearts’ sound is a sonic melting pot of all of the above. Hell, they had a split with The Fuckin Hip Priests and covered Doctor Doctor, so these cats have paid their dues up to now.
The album kicks off with a peacock riff-a-rama opener of ‘Time To Bleed’ imagine touring with Motorhead and The Black Halos and taking something home from each of them. A great hook and stinking delivery all fist pumping and snot looking for a fight and finding one. Five minutes give or take a few seconds is a brave opener before the cocksure strut of the title track is punk n roll at its finest.
To be fair, most of the album skates around the four minutes and some mark, but each track contains a napalm grenade of energy. ‘High Temptress’ is a thumping ball of energy, jabbing the listener’s eardrum, demanding your attention. They’re not reinventing the wheel here, nor do they claim to its just great songs played with energy, conviction and purpose and their steadfast belief in the evil powers of rock n roll.
‘Warpath’ is probably the closest this ship of pirates sails to NWOBHM, with some meaty riffage pounding away with big gang vocal chorus just for good measure. Hang on, flip this bad boy over, and the duel guitars scream into action on the bombastic ‘Bedlam For Heartbreak’ just as you are getting comfortable, they change course for a very handsome trip down some Lords OF The New Church tracks as ‘Burning Mask’ has plenty of phase and tribal beats before a lush chorus to get lost in. ‘Demolition Love’ adds a touch of classic Alice Cooper and it’s fair to say early Kiss to the mix with more proof that Killer Hearts have Rock n Roll coursing through their veins on an absolute banger of a track.
Closing the record with the smash and grab of ‘Dance To Destroy’ sounding like the UK Subs jamming with Motorhead, it’s a rapid closing track just to let you know they’re not leaving quietly, it’s burn it down and leave town quickly. Killer Hearts have just delivered an excellently rounded slice of hard-rockin’ punk n roll that leaves nothing to chance and shows that sleazy Rock n Roll is alive and well and still kicking and screaming, leaving a beautiful trail of destruction behind itself. Get hold of this record or just ask your local record store to get a copy in, or else you’re sending the boys round. Buy IT!
FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCES TOGETHER SINCE 1995 SET FOR NEW YORK CITY’S WEBSTER HALL ON MAY 2-3, 2026 AND LONDON’S O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN ON MAY 23-24, 2026
COPPER BLUE – THE SINGLES COLLECTION TO BE RELEASED BY BMG ON RECORD STORE DAY BLACK FIRDAY, NOV 28
LIMITED EDITION 4LP VINYL BOX SET COLLECTS CLASSIC SINGLES, B-SIDES, AND MORE WITH ORIGINAL ARTWORK AND TRACKLISTINGS LOVINGLY RESTORED
SUGAR – the iconic alternative rock trio led by Bob Mould alongside bassist David Barbe and drummer Malcolm Travis – return today with their first new music together in over three decades, ‘House of Dead Memories‘. Recorded at Tiny Telephone Oakland in June 2025, the song is available everywhere now via Granary Music/BMG
In addition, SUGAR will celebrate ‘House of Dead Memories’ with their first live performances together since January 1995, set for New York City’s Webster Hall on Saturday, May 2nd (tickets here) and Sunday, May 3rd, 2026 (tickets here) and London’s O2 ForumKentish Town on Saturday, May 23nd and Sunday, May 24th, 2026 (tickets here).
Next month will also see SUGAR’s essential 1992 debut album, Copper Blue, commemorated with Copper Blue – The Singles Collection, a limited edition 4LP box set to be released by BMG on Record Store Day Black Friday, November 28th. The new box set collects such anthemic favourites as ‘Changes‘, ‘A Good Idea‘, and ‘If I Can’t Change Your Mind‘, all originally released on 12″ vinyl in the UK via Creation Records backed with beloved B-sides like ‘Needle Hits E‘ and ‘Clownmaster’, as well as live recordings from SUGAR’s 1992 performance at Chicago’s Cabaret Metro. Copper Blue – The Singles Collection now sees those classic releases returning to vinyl with original artwork and tracklistings lovingly restored. In addition, ‘Helpless‘ – previously released only on CD – is presented here on 12″ vinyl for the first time alongside updated B-sides, finally joining its companions in its full glory.
“SUGAR was a meteorite,” says Bob Mould. “I spent all of 1991 writing and performing new material at solo shows. David and Malcolm had never met but I was certain we three would work well together.
“SUGAR was a workhorse. After weeks of rehearsal in early 1992, we spent three months recording Copper Blue and Beaster. By summer 1992, the musical climate was perfect for what we created.
“SUGAR was a phenomena. No one could have predicted the results. We held onto the wheel and did our best to enjoy the wild ride. Sugar was part of a pivotal era in popular music, and a special time in my life.”
Having already placed his indelible mark on the future direction of rock with Hüsker Dü, Bob Mould teamed with bassist David Barbe and drummer Malcolm Travis to found SUGAR in late 1991, making their live debut early the next year at Athens, GA’s famed 40 Watt Club. Named by NME as its 1992 Album of the Year, SUGAR’s now-classic debut album, Copper Blue, immediately proved a sensation, earning worldwide acclaim and landmark status for the melodic strength and intensely cathartic popcraft of songs like ‘A Good Idea’, ‘Helpless’, and the alternative rock radio hit and MTV favourite, ‘If I Can’t Change Your Mind’. The trio quickly found themselves performing on increasingly larger stages, including a legendary show-stealing set at London’s Great X-pectations Festival in Finsbury Park.
David Barbe recalls, “Since we last played in 1995, I have worked on hundreds of records and engaged with music people all over the world. When the subject of SUGAR comes up, it is like a misty legend that they either remember from a long time ago or have only heard about. I am excited for fans to experience it in the real.”
“The return of SUGAR is a moment that I’ve been dreaming about for a very long time,” says Malcolm Travis. “What we managed to accomplish in the short span of time we were in existence still boggles my mind. There was so much packed into that period….the travel, the shows, the recordings and getting to meet so many people who loved and supported us. To get back to working together again with Bob and David is such a gift and I’m looking forward to what the future has in store for us.”
With the wind at their back, SUGAR unleashed Beaster in 1993, making a momentous debut at #3 on the UK’s Official Albums Chart as well as at #4 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart in the US. Though recorded during the same sessions that yielded Copper Blue, the six-song mini-album evinced a more visceral energy and dark melancholy than its predecessor, highlighted by such pulverising expressions of sacrilegious fury as ‘Judas Cradle‘ and ‘JC Auto‘. 1994’s second full-length LP, File Under: Easy Listening once again made an explosive arrival among the top 10 on the UK Official Albums Chart, this time landing in the upper reaches of the overall Billboard 200. The album saw SUGAR pushing boundaries yet again on songs like the country-flavoured ‘Believe What You’re Saying‘ and the incendiary ‘Gee Angel‘, tackling a wider range of musical approaches without sacrificing their signature intensity and unrestrained power. Despite their successes, SUGAR called it a day following a Japanese tour in early 1995. A series of live recordings, reissues, and anthologies served to magnify the band’s legacy over the three decades since, confirming SUGAR as incontrovertible masters of high-volume guitar-fueled rock for the ages. The original members of SUGAR reconvened in June 2025 to record ‘House of Dead Memories’, the first new SUGAR song in over three decades.
“The long pause is over. I’m excited to hit the PLAY button. See you in 2026!” – Bob Mould
“Can’t wait to bring it to the people in 2026….fasten your seatbelts folks.” – Malcolm Travis
“I am really looking forward to these shows. It will all get real when I feel Bob’s amp shaking my pants legs again.” – David Barbe
ALBUM LAUNCH GIG CONFIRMED FOR OCTOBER 23RD AT THE 229, LONDON. TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE:
Featuring thirteen tracks of future-drenched psychedelic Sci-Fi laden punk-rock n’ roll, following on from their (astounding) debut “SawnOff Shotgold” which landed a mere 5 short years ago, Circle 60 return once more with their new opus “Gods Of Dimension”, due for release October 24th via Octophonic Records.
CIRCLE 60 – once described as “a neuer Klang sonic assemblage of psychedelic-punk art and Sci-fi melodics” are composed of members and collaborators of Gorillaz, Muse, Delakota, Penguin Cafe, Senseless Things, Loup GarouX and more. Taking their “kaleidoscopic katalysts” from early British hallucinogenic pop and raw punk abandon – they deliver a “heady messy concoction of neural disturbance and explosive rock action, Verstehen?”
Today, listeners are treated to another sweet taste of the album’s charms in new single ‘The Sonic Invisible’. It’s an explosive melee that effortlessly manages, in less than three minutes, to perfectly encapsulate Circle 60’s union of punk frenzy and swirling garage psychedelia.
“The Sonic Invisible track is inspired by an underground club night that takes place in various clandestine locations around the UK. “A spiral staircase navigating your mind” – its members believe that there is a cogniscient force that pulses throughout, and outside of, all creation – an all-pervasive vibration that penetrates the totality of existence,” explains Circle 60’s spokesperson, The Octopus. “It is beyond thought and beyond definition. And it’s undetectable – unvisible – to us, physically, but most recognisable as…music. The Sonic Invisible is the very sound and essence of existence itself. We felt it was important to get its name out there. With music.”
Circle 60 were birthed out of the irradiated glow of late-night sci-fi reruns and cemented over their mutual love of discordance, technology and big filthy punk hits. The band – made up of Cass Browne, Morgan Nicholls, Ade Emsley and Des Murphy – are veterans of too many bands and numerous genres, but were compelled to combine everything they knew and loved into this one pure musical and unmedicated chemistry. And an overwhelming desire to make new technology scream. It’s rarer than Haley’s comet to get these four unique talents to collide at the same time, but it seems their time is now.
Early demos were sent to The Damned’s Captain Sensible who immediately stopped baking his Sourdough loaves and sent them something back hurtling through the crackling ethernet, in the form of a blistering set of guitar lines. This became “Mother Laudanum” – the first cut transmitted from the new album (watch the video HERE), which came accompanied with its own highspeed “tear-up-round-Paris” video. But of course, this was just a warning.
“Gods of Dimension” is an exceptional collection of superlative melodics, wildly gifted guitars, unfathomably talented bass and drums that would make Keith Moon himself scratch his head in complete bafflement. It’s real life-affirming frequency-filling stuff, designed to race the blood and lift the soul. Gods of Dimension explodes like a black hole swallowing a Moog synthesizer, spitting out choruses that sound like a riot big enough to sink a falling starship. And the message is delivered with crystal clarity: each track written and recorded at 432Hz, this single-loaded shotgun 12”, thirteen-track smart-bomb has been designed to cover every frequency known to man – the very loudest, clearest and most pristine piece of vinyl achievable. Circle 60 aren’t trying to paint the future —they’re trying to destroy the concept of time altogether. They’ve already outlasted several civilizations. Yours could be next.
Their last live activity – due to support The Who at arenas in Manchester and Dublin – got shutdown mere days before the concerts due to the wonderful gift of global lockdowns and Covid-19. The more suspicious would claim a deliberate sabotage of their mission.
But – now – they’re ready once more. They will be live. Their one and only album launch show now announced! – “Turn On, Tune In, Turn Tables”
Circle 60 play “Gods of Dimension” at the “The Sonic Invisible” 229 Great Portland St, London W1W 5PN on October 23rd.
When the title dropped, it was game over. Of course, this was going to be a killer album packed with cowpunk goodness, wicked solos, awesome licks and tricks and lyrics that would make me smile, smirk and howl. Twelfth studio album deep in almost four decades, I swear, as soon as the needle drops and ‘Maybe I’m just messing with you’ kicks me square in the temple, I’m hooked. Great tempo, familiar lick and gritty spaghetti vocals that hit the bullseye right from the get-go.
What next for these supersuckers? Well, how about a melodic mid-tempo rocker? Again, it’s a great hook for number two, and this one hits you between the eyes. Is it legal for a band to be this far into their rocky rockin’ career and still make records that sound this fuckin’ monsterously good? Already I’m punching the air and firing off my guns all at once, can I get a hell yeah! And a yee haw! Those supersuckers are killing it. If you ain’t digging this, then listen to Eddie when he says Go fuck yourself. Me I’m all in and loving life and loving the new long player from Supersuckers so all that’s gone to shit in the world, there are pockets of sunlight filtering through the cracks, and music can be one. Always with a great turn of phrase and married it to some memorable earworm guitar playing, it’s a comfort and the lifeblood to hear records this badass.
Let’s ease back a little and not get overexcited; it’s a marathon, not a sprint, so let’s get a shuffle on as ‘Unsolved Problems’ eases into my head and I can’t shift it. Gentle earworms are dangerous, like audio crack, be careful kids. On another point, whilst I remember, Eddie sounds magnificent on this record after his health issues, he sounds stronger than ever and sings like a seasoned pro, bloody marvellous.
Don’t become complacent or feel lulled into a false sense of security because Eddy and the boys turn it up and remind us it’s time to put it down.
The record ebbs and flows as we relax a little and Eddie whispers sweet nothings in our ear, and he explains how he tried to write a song. And boy did he write a song, in fact, he’s written a whole bunch of em right here right now. The playing on a Supersuckers record has never been this focused has it? At times it’s blistering, and I love the tone of those acoustic guitars on ‘Meaningful Song’, proving that these boys can turn their hand to whatever they like and pull it off.
If you’re umming and ahring, then stop right now. Buy this record because the Supersuckers are on fire and on this evidence are as good, if not better than ever. They don’t need to write another ‘Born With A Tail’ or ‘Pretty Fucked Up’, been there done that. What you get for your hard-earned is eleven tunes of varying degrees of awesome, be it cowpunk shuffle, acoustic porch torches, or rock out with your cock out. Supersuckers do it better than most and leave a bloody awesome-looking trail of destruction behind them, and we can revisit this particular crime scene anytime we want. Now put that there song ‘Volunteer’ back on, grab a beer (and one for yourself) and turn it up. Hell, there’s even a stonkin take on Lee Harvey Oswald’s ‘Rocket 69’ (that reminds me to play that most excellent ‘Blastranaut’ album just because I can, and it fits right in amongst all this awesomeness.
Edward Carlyle Daly III, “Metal” Marty Chandler (guitar), and Christopher “Chango” von Streicher (drums) take a bow, you motherfuckers are trippin good, and I urge anyone who loves rock n roll to buy this motherfuckin’ record.
Recent Comments