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...

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...

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...

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 ...