Sound Mouth.

13th February 2020 marks fifty years since Black Sabbath released their seminal self-titled album, laying down the blueprint for the entire heavy metal genre in the process. To commemorate what  is surely one of the most important albums in the history of British music, I thought I would share my review of one the band's final shows, originally written for Liverpool Student Radio in January 2017. Since LSRadio has since been revamped and all the old articles lost, I may share some more of my old work here in the future. For now, read on to experience 'The End' from my 18-year-old perspective... Black Sabbath @ Manchester Arena Gig Review Over the course of rock history many bands have claimed to be on the verge of retirement, deciding to embark on a so-called “Farewell” tour before taking a final bow and saying goodbye to the road. However, music fans worldwide can be forgiven for doubting the sincerity of any major band’s retirement claims, given the tendency o...

January may now be almost over, but I couldn't let the month pass without finally sharing my picks for my favourite albums of the preceding year. Given how strong and varied 2019 was for music, it was difficult to limit this list to an easily-digestible ten record selection, so there's also a few honourable mentions towards the end. Some picks may surprise you or seem out of place alongside each other, but that's part of the fun. Let's get to it... 10 . The Darkness - Easter is Cancelled  This may seem like an unexpected start to a 'serious' year-end list, but hear me out on this one. I went back and forth on this choice more than any other, debating whether this sixth LP from the glam rock revivalists really deserved a top 10 spot or would be a mere honorable mention. However, recently returning to the album left me with no doubt. Easter is Cancelled is comfortably The Darkness' best effort since their still-brilliant 2003 debut Permission to Land, seei...

After posting last month's Top Tracks feature so late, I promised myself that I would get the November article out much sooner. Well, since today is the last of the month, I've just managed to keep that promise. But, before you take a look, be sure to check back here some time in December for my upcoming Top 10 Albums of 2019 list. It's going to be a big one! Until then, read on to find out what you should be listening to as we inch closer to the end of the decade... Dua Lipa - Don't Start Now The perfect comeback track for one of the biggest artists in pop, Dua Lipa has unsurprisingly stuck with the infectiously catchy dance-pop sound which brought her huge success last year through collaborations with Calvin Harris and Silk City. 'Don't Start Now' is in many ways familiar territory for Lipa, especially with the lyrics about thriving in the aftermath of a break-up, yet the undeniable groove and funky chorus bassline also feel refreshingly differ...

October was a pretty busy month for me, so that's why I'm only just getting round to posting this month's Top Tracks feature, along with the fact that there was such an influx of new music last month that this has been my hardest list to compile yet. Still, I persevered and finally my work is done! Read on to hear about my picks for the top five tracks of October... The Darkness - Heavy Metal Lover Well this was a surprise. The Darkness were the first rock band that I ever loved, with their debut album Permission to Land still holding a firm place amongst my favourite albums. Since their 2011 reunion, the band have released a string of fairly strong albums, but their latest effort, Easter is Cancelled, is quite possibly their best since that glorious debut. One of the standout tracks is undoubtedly 'Heavy Metal Lover', an audacious and confidently daft mix of tranquil balladry, tongue-in-cheek lyrical witticisms and blistering thrash metal riffs that onl...

From the Human League to Def Leppard, Arctic Monkeys to Bring Me the Horizon, Sheffield has produced some of the biggest and best acts in British music over the last few decades. This trend shows no sign of stopping any time soon thanks to rising indie-pop outfit The Seamonsters. After releasing a string of strong singles and establishing an eye-catching visual aesthetic, the band has today dropped their latest offering, How to be Famous . Building from an effects-smothered guitar riff, through a subdued pre-chorus, and then letting loose on the punchy, infectious main hook , this is undoubtedly The Seamonsters' most confident and effective track to date. The quintet have cited early Blondie and Aztec Camera as key influences here, yet the inspiration taken from New Wave never causes How to be Famous to come of as trite or stale. Rather, The Seamonsters have again displayed their ability to echo the past whilst forging a sound that feels completely unique and refresh...

September may have seen Green Day and Blink-182 dropping some of their most embarrassingly bland material to date, but there was also enough greatness from across the music spectrum that I could have easily made this month's list even longer. Either way, I've stuck to my usual five picks of the very best tracks of the past month. If you haven't heard these yet, get them in your ears! Foals - The Runner This second single from the upcoming Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost - Part II is a more than worthy follow-up to last month's excellent 'Black Bull'. While not quite as furious as that track, 'The Runner' sees Foals continue to deliver on their promise of heavier material for this new album with a formidable, fuzzy lead riff and production that packs a hefty punch. The chorus is a straightforward but hugely effective showcase for Yannis Philippakis' soaring vocals, while the frontman's conceptual lyrics are, as ever, owed your atte...