Tribulation Has Become Life: The Occult Magic of 'Where the Gloom Becomes Sound'

Photo: Ester Segarra Johannes Andersson grew up in a fairytale. Born in the countryside, a mile away from the small Swedish town of Arvika, he was raised by a potter mother and painter father. There was a workshop in the barn out back and an easel in the master bedroom upstairs. While his parents created, his neighbour would take him fishing by the lake, or he’d pick wild mushrooms.

Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Tuesday, 26 January 2021

Now And Next: Stereoboard's Ones To Watch In 2021

td#right {display:none !important;}   It feels like we’re stuck in a holding pattern. Looking ahead is a dangerous business when the present is as perilous as it is. But in 2021 there will be new music, new stars, new favourites. Here are 10 artists to keep an eye on in the coming months as we plot a way out of this whole thing.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Thursday, 07 January 2021

The List: Stereoboard's Best Albums of 2020

td#right {display:none !important;} Well, that was weird, wasn't it? 2020 will not be fondly remembered (aside from one particular bloke losing a big job) and 2021 is starting its race with some ground to make up, but as we locked down and stayed home the soundtrack was excellent at least. So much good music made its way into the world over the past 12 months, reminding us of what we have to cherish and also what we potentially have to lose. Here's our pick of the best of the best with a reminder: the artistic and creative industries cannot be allowed to wither and die. Support your local record shop. Support your local venues. Keep going.  

Written by: Stereoboard | Date: Monday, 14 December 2020

Heavy Hearts: The Bands That Made Metal A Rare Bright Spot in 2020

Clockwise: Code Orange, Loathe, Svalbard, Respire, Sharptooth, Misery Signals After COVID-19 brought the world to its knees, 2020 deserves to be a write-off year. However, despite the horrid lack of gigs, the last 12 months have been some of the best for new metal music this century.

Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Wednesday, 02 December 2020

The Tailspin Continues: Pallbearer Confront Grief on 'Forgotten Days'

Photo: Ebru Yildiz & Jacob Slaton On the front cover of Pallbearer’s fourth album, a mother looks on in heartbreak with a baby in her arms, as her parents fade away in the background. You could not find a more fitting image to underscore ‘Forgotten Days’.

Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Wednesday, 21 October 2020

Devon Allman Talks the Allman Betts Band Coming of Age on 'Bless Your Heart'

Parents can be a tricky presence in our lives. To most of that simply means suffering countless embarrassments at their decidedly uncool hands during our teenage years.  But when said folks happen to be legendary musicians who formed one of history’s most influential bands, that’s a whole different ball game. Especially if you’re looking to follow in their sizable footsteps.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Monday, 07 September 2020

Bring it On, Come What May: Gregory Porter is Here to Help Us Rise

Photo: Amy Sioux Life is tough. We’re facing an extraordinarily challenging time right now, with the Covid-19 pandemic serving as the latest trial to test  humankind. We can’t avoid or ignore problems like this. But we can choose how to respond. We can stay positive as the storm encircles us, and we can rise above adversity and fight.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Thursday, 27 August 2020

A Ride on the Boardwalk: Inside Nicole Atkins' Eclectic New LP 'Italian Ice'

Photo: Barbara FG After absorbing Nicole Atkins’ eclectic new album ‘Italian Ice’, you might wonder if the New Jersey songwriter possesses psychic abilities. And it’s not just that the material boasts some eerily prescient lines that resonate with the current pandemic crisis despite being penned over a year ago. It’s also down to the way she assembled a seemingly incompatible group of musicians in order to craft a boundary-pushing, timeless sound with foresight that indicates an almost prophetic vision guided her creative hand.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Thursday, 04 June 2020

Farewell The Old: Caligula's Horse Discuss the Vibrant, Introspective Metal of 'Rise Radiant'

Photo: Rachel Graham It’s 6:30p.m. in Brisbane, Australia, and, for Sam Vallen’s baby boy, it’s showertime. He doesn’t seem to like showertime. “Excuse him, he’s having a bit of a cry,” the youngster’s father apologises, safely sealed away in his home studio the next room over. “Whenever he’s having a shower, it’s a very crazy and chaotic time.”

Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Thursday, 21 May 2020

Tragic Idols: Paradise Lost On Encapsulating Three Decades Of Doom With 'Obsidian'

Photo: Anne C. Swallow This year has been shit. From COVID-19 to the Australian wildfires to ‘murder hornets’, it seems the only thing 2020 has wanted to do is spread panic and hopelessness worldwide. People are scared. Nick Holmes is also grimly fascinated.

Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Tuesday, 12 May 2020

Introducing The Hirsch Effekt: The Eclectic Metal Trio That Can't Be Pigeonholed

Photo: Christoph Eisenmenger For over 50 years, the key appeal of heavy metal has been its grassroots aggression. Early progenitors such as Black Sabbath, and even blues-adjacent rock bands including Led Zeppelin and Cream, connected with their audiences not because of their technical ability, but rather their gloomy yet exciting approach resonating with the angst of the working class.

Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Wednesday, 06 May 2020

Surrounded By Music: Introducing Garage-Rockers Cruel Hearts Club

"Artists who are mothers used to be a minority, a novelty and a rarity. It's just not that way anymore. We want to be represented as prevalently as male bands."

Written by: Milly McMahon | Date: Monday, 04 May 2020

Band Together: How The Music Industry Is Reacting to Covid-19

Photo: Craig Thomas/TallBoy Images It would be an understatement to say that the impact of the coronavirus on the music industry has been swift and devastating. As more and more gigs, festivals and album releases get postponed or cancelled by the day, many of us have had to cut our losses and realise that this escalating situation is ever-changing, with no real end in sight.

Written by: Sophie Williams | Date: Friday, 24 April 2020

Introducing Irist: The Ambitious Crew Out To Push Metal Forward

Photo: Susy Irais Reyes “Ultimately, I want our legacy to be that we pushed the heavy metal genre forward,” Irist frontman Rodrigo Carvalho says, laying out his band’s mission statement in one simple sentence.

Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Monday, 30 March 2020

The Best Buzz: Leif Erikson Pose Some Serious Questions

London-based guitar outfit Leif Erikson have made a habit of creating elegant sounds. On their latest EP 'Question Time', the band explore the current socio-environmental climate, discussing the changes to our planet and the responsibility we have in seeking a halt to the destructive curve we are riding.

Written by: Milly McMahon | Date: Wednesday, 18 March 2020

Some Very Good Years: Getting Reflective With The Shires

When poised to move forwards and embrace exciting new opportunities, it’s often worthwhile to look back and take stock first. We have to know where we’ve been to appreciate where we’re going. Following a short hiatus that saw them recharge and reflect, the Shires are set to return with ‘Good Years’, an album that meditates on their journey so far while also being tailor made to catapult the duo to even greater heights in future.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Tuesday, 10 March 2020

Sonic Architects: Introducing Haunt The Woods

Haunt The Woods are ready and willing to treat lovers of progressive, folk-flavoured rock with a gift basket of epic emotional and textural vistas. The Cornish four-piece arrive armed with a grandiose sound that’s as pensive and melancholic as it is raging and explosive.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Monday, 09 March 2020

Tired of Tears: How My Dying Bride Overcame Adversity to Make 'The Ghost of Orion'

If their name doesn’t give the game away, My Dying Bride are an extremely miserable bunch. As of 2020, they’ve been peddling depressive doom metal for exactly 30 years, and are responsible for 13 albums packed to the brim with melancholia.

Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Thursday, 05 March 2020

With The Force Of A Thousand Guns: Inside The Night Sabaton Seized Command of Wembley

td#right {display:none !important;} Photo: Hannah C - @wtchfndr Sat in his band’s dressing room at London’s Wembley Arena, Sabaton frontman Joakim Brodén looks oddly…normal. Over the past 15 years, the singer has worn onstage attire that's become iconic among his fans: aviator sunglasses, loose urban-camo trousers and a black battle vest, complete with steel abs and pectoral muscles.

Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Tuesday, 03 March 2020

Wet Plate Portraits: Chris Farren at Le Pub

td#right {display:none !important;} Photo: Gareth Jarvis People make important breakthroughs every day. Using a process that dates back 150 years, photographer Gareth Jarvis captured this shot of Chris Farren at Newport’s Le Pub midway through his UK tour, answering one of life’s most pressing questions: would Chris Farren have been hot in cowboy times? To repurpose his stage patter: hell yeah, baby. Chris Farren: born hot in 1986. Chris Farren: born hot in 1886.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Monday, 02 March 2020