Sound Mouth.

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...

After taking a break last week, I'm back again with my weekly round-up of how rock's biggest names and breakthrough stars are fairing on the UK charts! There's loads to talk about this week, from new releases to chart-affecting factors like Glastonbury hype, Metallica 's UK tour and Kerrang! Awards fallout, so let's get stuck in! First up, let's talk about American metal quartet Baroness. They scored their highest chart position to date when their great new record Gold & Grey debuted  at No. 1 on the Rock & Metal Albums Chart last week. The album is now down to 8, with the new LP from classic rock supergroup Hollywood Vampires now taking the top spot in Baroness' absence. Metallica 's recent UK live dates received huge praise from fans and critics last week, with the continuing Metallica-fever having impacted the chart in a big way. The thrash veterans currently have five albums in the rock top 40, including a re-entering Hardwired ...

Music award shows can often seem like superficial affairs, with industry big wigs congregating to pat each other on the back for winning awards chosen by an elite group of voters. However, the Kerrang! Awards flies in the face of this tradition, with its nominees and winners being determined by fan votes. These awards may not be as globally revered or capture as much mainstream attention as the Grammys or even the Brit Awards, but their status remains high in the rock community, with the fan voting adding an extra air of legitimacy and excitement. The 2019 Kerrang! Awards ceremony is just over a week away, so in anticipation of the biggest awards show in rock , I thought I would share my picks of the nominees. Architects have the most nominations this year (Photo credit: Ryan Johnson) The most interesting category for me this year is Best British Breakthrough , which is genuinely hard to predict. IDLES seem a safe bet, given that they have amassed a very impressive foll...

Welcome to the debut installment of my weekly UK Rock Chart recap! Every week I will be covering the most significant developments for rock artists on the UK charts, focusing in on new releases from the hottest artists the genre has to offer . If this proves popular then I will be sure to start a pop top 40 recap series in the future, so let me know what you think! But for now, let’s take a dive into this week’s biggest chart stories… The incredible new album from industrial metal titans Rammstein is continuing to perform strongly, sitting atop the Rock Albums Chart for a second consecutive week. The self-titled LP is having a similarly good time over on the main albums chart, having dropped down to 23 after debuting at 3 last week. That was highest UK debut of Rammstein’s career , while managing to remain in the top 25 for a second week is an impressive feat for any metal band, so props to them! Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes are enjoying their fourth week in the Rock ...