Sound Mouth.

If you think you know Neck Deep, it may well be time to think again. The Wrexham pop punks are gearing up to release an album markedly different to any of their previous offerings, with All Distortions Are Intentional being tied together conceptually by an as-yet-unclear narrative set in the fictional world of 'Sonderland'. Not to be confused with Sunderland, of course. If this all sounds a bit out there for a band like Neck Deep, not usually noted for straying from the pop punk formula, then that's the idea. The five-piece are reportedly aiming to reinvent themselves on this new record, with lead single 'Lowlife' being the first glimpse into this brave new world. Musically, Lowlife doesn't actually stray too far from what fans may expect from the band, being fun, bouncy pop punk with a real earworm of a hook. So far, so familiar. Lyrically, however, this is uncharted territory, with inexplicable lines like 'I like some purple with my tangerine' and...

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...

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...

Now that the summer of 2019 is over, I've been in a retrospective mood, so it felt appropriate to look back on some of my favourite tracks of the last month. August was a pretty busy and diverse time for new releases, so I limited myself to my five favourite tracks to keep things concise. Get this stuff in your ears! Foals - 'Black Bull' The Oxfordshire indie giants are really spoiling us this year. Following the March release of Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost - Part I , perhaps their best album to date, the band have recently dropped the first single from the upcoming Part II record. 'Black Bull' is a rough and raw bulldozer of a track , probably the heaviest Foals have ever released, and I absolutely love it. 18th October can't come quick enough, nor can a chance to hear this hard rock rager live. The 1975 - 'People' Foals are not the only band to have dipped their toes into heavier sounds lately, with indie-pop megastars The 19...

Between Foals dropping a new single, Tool finally adding their discography to streaming services, and Slipknot releasing their brand new album, last week was a big one for rock and metal. As always, I'm here with a round-up of how rock's biggest names have fared across the UK charts this week and there's plenty to talk about, so let's get stuck in! 'Rewind, Replay, Rebound', the new album from American metallers Volbeat has received something of a mixed response since its release last week, but that didn't stop it from nabbing the top spot on the Rock & Metal Albums Chart . The album also managed to make an impressive impact on the main UK Albums Chart, coming in at a very respectable number 7 in a testament to the band's growing popularity. As mentioned, Tool finally moving with the times and making their entire back-catalogue available for streaming was a huge moment in the world of metal. Unsurprisingly, the decision is already paying off for...

It's no secret that Liverpool has been a hotbed of amazing music for decades, and right now the scene is hotter than ever, producing so many great and diverse artists that it can sometimes be hard to keep up. With that in mind, welcome to the first instalment of Liverpool Sounds , a new article series here on Sound Mouth where you can find out which Liverpool bands you need to hear right now! This week's spotlight is on the recently-formed indie quartet Idle Lies , who have just dropped their debut single 'In the Shadows'. Recorded at Liverpool's iconic Parr St. Studios, this is a straightforward yet instantly catchy indie/soft rock track with an effective vocal hook and laid-back vibe, making it a great addition to any indie summer playlist. I dle Lies cite Arctic Monkeys and The Beatles as two of their biggest influences, while the strong vocals and smooth lead guitar in this new track also have a certain Dire Straits quality about them. Anyo...

After taking a break for a few weeks, the Weekly Rock Chart Round-Up has finally returned with a bunch of big new releases to talk about! Let's take a look at how rock's biggest names are fairing across the UK charts... On the albums front, two big names releasing albums in the same week made for a unpredictable race for the top spot of the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart. Pop punk veterans Sum 41 dropped perhaps their heaviest, most overtly metal-influenced album to date with 'Order in Decline', which was preceded by several fairly popular singles yet failed to take the top spot . Forcing Sum 41 to settle for the number 2 position was the pleasure of Swedish power metal outfit Sabaton , whose latest war-obsessed record also managed to debut at an impressive 11 on the main UK Albums Chart. Meanwhile, Sum 41 only just managed to crack the top 30, coming in at 29, significantly lower than 2016's '13 Voices' LP. I usually focus entirely on albums f...

The 2019 edition of Truck Festival is happening this week and I couldn’t be more excited! In anticipation of what will actually be my first-ever festival experience (yes, really), I’ve chosen six of the acts I’m most eager to see and, if you’re going, who you should be sure to see too! This ranges from well-established headlines to future stars and underground favourites, showing why the stacked line-up is perhaps the very best any UK festival has to offer this summer. Wolf Alice Given the mix of indie, hard rock and alternative pop across the Truck bill, Wolf Alice are the perfect choice for a headliner. The indie quartet have enjoyed a meteoric rise in their young career, releasing two critically-acclaimed albums so far, with 2017’s sensational ‘Visions of a Life’, being one of my favourite albums of recent years. Few bands are able to pull off as diverse a sound as Wolf Alice, relaxing you with dreamy indie-pop one minute and slapping you in the face with high-energy punk roc...

In the last five years, few bands in the rock/alt. pop scenes have seen quite as quick a rise to stardom as that of Massachusetts trio PVRIS. Their 2014 debut album White Noise saw the band begin to move away from their early metalcore sound and embrace more electronic and synth-pop elements to pretty significant success. 2017 follow-up All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell saw the band rise to even greater heights as the record broke into the UK top 5 and reaffirmed PVRIS as one of the hottest alternative acts of this decade. After a recent break from the limelight, its safe to say that a third album from the band will be arriving amongst a swarm of anticipation, especially with the first single, 'Death of Me', just dropping last week. The best way I can quickly sum up this brand new track is to describe it as quintessentially PVRIS , and that's definitely a good thing! The band have continued to drop more traditional rock elements like guitar riffs and live dr...

It's been almost two years since Welsh pop punks Neck Deep released their last album, The Peace and the Panic , which proved to be their most successful release to date and firmly positioned them in the upper tier of modern British rock. The band have just dropped a brand new single entitled 'She's a God', so I thought this would be a good opportunity to write my first track review for Sound Mouth. Neck Deep have never been the most revolutionary or experimental band in their genre, so it should be unsurprising that 'She's a God' sees the band stick with the sugary-sweet pop punk sound that put them on the map. However, this lack of innovation isn't necessary a bad thing. The track is very much in the vein of 'In Bloom', the breakout single from The Peace and the Panic , with its hooky, pop-friendly chorus and sentimental lyrics being the defining features. The band obviously know their strengths and play to them , while Ben Barlow's...