On a balmy Falkirk Friday night we are joined by some of the best alternative stoner rock Scotland has to offer. The Rock Bottom, an up and coming venue providing the music scene with a place to grow in the heartlands. The crowd was ready from the get go and only getting busier through our the night. Our first band on the list was Kurnel Fist, a 3 piece stoner rock outfit hailing from Dundee. Providing us with gloriously beefy bass lines, thundering riffs and a melodic flow big enough to summon wizards to this humble establishment. You would struggle not to get on board with this band, an excellent opener and just a great start to a loud evening. Our second band on the bill was Fuz Caldrin, a personal favourite and their first time in the rock bottom, hopefully not their last as the most local of the bands. A 4 piece neolithic alternative stoner fuzz band hailing from the bathgate hills! Providing us a with a true half hour of power! A particularly engaging high octane fuzzy horror trip, featuring references to the shining and the devils rejects. Fuz was also joined by Robot Death Monkey's, Shaun for their final song of the evening, a creature feature. Band numero 3 gracing the stage was the Zealous Chieftans, coming all the way down from the north east and still pulling a crowd. This 4 piece stoner rock band were dishing out fast paced spacey jams and the loud high energy head bangers that were just what the doctor ordered for a Friday night! The Chieftans were also joined by Shaun, of robot death monkey fame (check these guys out too, Edinburgh based and a hell of a lot of fun on stage). Our final act of the evening, Earthcaster. Another 4 piece from Fraserburgh blowing the top off The Rock Bottom with their catchy riffs and doomy stoner sounds! Technically excellent and just rounding off the night brilliantly, was genuinely a show not to be missed. Again, just an excellent night of pure Scottish stoner rock. At £5 per head on the door, you're seriously not going to get a better deal. Keep supporting local venues and bands, keep turning up and Scotlands music scene is only going to get louder! 

It was a good day for Dan Byrne. His solo career had been a bit of a slow burn, working away in the shadows and small halls while perfecting his craft, before writing and recording this first solo album. He’s been working his wee socks off promoting it in advance with a big social media campaign, radio support and a sell-out UK tour. Finally, his big day had arrived and he spent it in Scotland, shuttling between the excellent Assai shops in his girlfriend’s home town of Glasgow and the magnificent capital city, where he had big boxes of CDs to sell and sign, and a queue of punters happy to take them off his hands. As a bonus, there was a short in-shop acoustic set and an entertaining Q&A. It was just Dan and his hat and his guitar, plus that big voice that had no problem filling the room. The song ‘Praise Hell’ was familiar from his upgraded and sold-out show at The Voodoo Rooms earlier in the year, followed by ‘Saviour’ which he started with a bit of ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ as an intro. Both demonstrated Dan’s incredible vocal talent. Vocally, he is grounded in that blues-infused classic rock style reminiscent of Paul Rogers and David Coverdale, but with a distinctly modern twist and infusions of country, soul and modern rock. ‘She’s the Devil’ was next up. This was one of Dan’s big “gateway” songs – video clips have had over 5m views on social media and he’s had a lot of air-play on Planet Rock too, all of which he described as “mind-blowing for a little lad from Liverpool.” The chat and Q&A between songs was very entertaining. Dan revealed that he attended his first ever gig at 6-years-old and it was in Scotland; a 3-day Fish Convention at Haddington Corn Exchange, no less! When pressed, he did confess that his musical ‘guilty pleasure’ was ‘One Love’ by Blue, which he had enjoyed performing on the ‘SingStar’ karaoke console game at home as a youngster, along with ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’ by The Darkness. Dan also revealed that he had written all of the songs on the album himself, over a three-month period, although he was at pains to stress that he was not a ‘control freak’ and his band had added a lot, but as a first-time solo release, it was very personal for him and important that he expressed himself fully.  He finished the show with one of his best: ‘Death of Me’. On the record, it is a massive tune with an arrangement reminiscent of a Bond theme and he belts it out like “Adele with balls”, but it also worked very well in this stripped-back environment. It does not take repeated listens to get into this album – it is an instant classic right out of the case. The blues-rock base is a solid anchor but it is not predominantly retro in style. ‘Sober’ has an almost AOR sound, although the lyrical story is far from “soft and fluffy.” As with most of the songs he played in-store, there are a few “devil woman” stories on the album – I’m not sure how autobiographical they are, but it sounds like Dan’s love life has not always been smooth, or maybe he has dated all of the members of female occult-lite metal band Dogma? In any event, this first collection of songs is a very strong offering. All of the hard work and paying-of-dues has resulted in a very fine album indeed, and hopefully Dan will have another very good day this week when the chart placings are announced. He deserves it.

Like many of the artists we cover, most of our team at Rockfiend (myself included) have day jobs, sometimes these take over and our writing has to wait. This is the back story to this review appearing six weeks after release. Some might question the point of publishing a later review given how many words have already been written by others. Is there any point? Can I add anything or simply repeat others? Well, writing later has some advantages, it can offer different perspective and also asks other questions. And if the music is good it shouldn’t just have a short shelf life to be reported within a few days. So, am I still listening to the album 6 weeks on? Yes, most definitely. Does it live up to the hype? Absolutely. There were many positive reviews which were rightly deserved, but for me it’s probably better than the hype which can sometimes be based on some hastily included over-stated words which are overtaken by tomorrow’s review of another artist. Whereas, The Sideshows continue to dominate my listening (alongside my daily infusion of Bruce) and ain’t going anywhere soon. It’s a bit like the ‘winner stays on’ wrestler throwing all comers out of the ring. Not the mass arena and TV style of wrestling which owes as much to acting and pantomime as sport, but the wrestling shown here in the U.K. in the 70’s on ITV on a Saturday afternoon when we were kids and wrestlers such as Giant Haystacks, Big Daddy and Mick McManus, wearing leotards or speedos, threw others out of the ring and maintained their place (and we destroyed our or our friends’ Mums’ living rooms replicating the action on TV). That’s the type of album that The Sideshows have produced. Let’s see if that gets used for PR purposes! For anyone looking for a simpler description, how about “almost perfect fast, melodic and soaring punky rock’n’roll played by pros”. Or as Yoda might say, “Brilliant, this is”. Enough prattling … on to the music. Starting with the punk and rock pedigrees, they don’t come much more experienced than this - Sami Yaffa (Hanoi Rocks, Joan Jett, New York Dolls, Michael Monroe and two unexpectedly superb solo albums), Rich Ragany, while not a household name, one of the most respected singers on the thriving power pop and punk scene for so long dominated by The Wildhearts and their off-shoots (solo artist, The Loyalties, Role Models and Rich Ragany & the Digressions) and Simon Maxwell (Yo-Yos, The Loyalties , Role Models and most of Rich’s projects). Simple straightforward three piece of guitar, bass and drums, and based on songs initially written by Rich and then fleshed out and developed by the three of them in Sami’s studio in Mallorca. Album opener and first single ‘Brand New’ introduced the world to The Sideshows back in November and created much anticipation. Fast, frenetic, melodic and trashy, ‘Brand New’ is a massive song and statement of intent. Initially, I was also uncertain if Rich or Sami was singing lead vocals as the vocal style on this song was quite different and reminded me of PIL-era John Lydon before going into more melodic territory. Released with it was ‘The Start’ a song which, beginning with atmospheric guitar over a rumbling descending bass line, is deserving of its own Goth dance before switching from dark to light with soaring sing out loud chorus. However, as good as these were, I was initially a slow-burner with The Sideshows and it took hearing both on the album in their rightful places for them to fully click. And I love them. I know, I’m an old fart and still prefer listening to albums in their entirety and in the order intended than listening to songs in playlists. ‘Brand New’ is followed on the album by ‘We’re Such a Shame’. Urgent, insistent and multi-chorused, it’s also the first song on the album to make me wonder if Rich has some unfinished business with the Digressions who sadly disbanded after releasing three pretty wonderful albums which were amongst my favourite new albums in the last few years. ‘I Feel It’ captures the raw power of The Stooges before the glorious ‘Say Goodbye On a Night Like This’ which is the most Digressions-like song on the album and on which you can almost feel the heat of the Mallorcan sun as they throw open the windows in the studio. And for those who appreciate magical moments in songs which unexpectedly elevate them from good to great, look no further than what I think are Sami’s backing vocals adding “a night like this” in the closing bars of the song. ‘This Could Be Everything’ is one of those songs whose mainly bass and drum openings is so simple and effective you want to keep going back to the start, and with yet another soaring melodic chorus rising above. As a reviewer you can find yourself looking for other words to use to avoid repetition. But sometimes you just need to say it as is and soaring, melodic choruses above fast rock’n’roll / punk are such a feature of Rags’ songwriting that they’re hard to ignore. ‘Rock’n’Roll Owes Me An Apology’ picks up the pace before the need for a new Goth dance to be created is highlighted again by the start of ‘The Start’. The melodic choruses, harmony and backing vocals (what else did you expect?) continue in the more mid-paced and alt-pop leaning ‘Smoke Show’ and the more urgent ‘Our Love in the Shadows’. Closing the album is Rich’s heartfelt tribute to his late friend Scott Sorry who tragically died last year. Known to music fans for playing in The Wildhearts and Sorry and the Sinatras, Scott and Rich were close friends who in addition to having shared a life in music (good and bad) had autistic sons and shared this familial experience and were there for each other when times were hard. Despite the sad nature the song musically remains upbeat with another sing out loud chorus, but this time mixing melody and melancholy. For those of us who’ve been part of the respective musical careers of Sami Yaffa and Rich Ragany, this was a collaboration which has caused genuine excitement and anticipation. Add in Simon Maxwell from the legendary Yo-Yo’s (and Rich’s regular collaborator since) and things get even more interesting; not so much a super group as a collaboration of equals. I’m not a huge sports fan, but am aware of ‘Fantasy Football’; if there was a ‘Fantasy Rock/Punk’ The Sideshows would be up there. And as for the “almost perfect” in my comment earlier? Very few albums are perfect and also I’d loved the mix of sounds on Sami’s two solo albums and in particular the ska and reggae influences and skanking. I’d wondered if beneath the more familiar glam/punk bass playing surface was a Rude Boy waiting to get out and if we might get some skanking in The Sideshows. While this sadly didn’t happen, I was interested to see that since the release of The Sideshows’ album Sami has released another solo project, ‘Dubhuman’, with his long-time friend Janne Haavisto under the names of Captain Yaffacake and Brother Shubie. Described as an experimental dub and reggae album and completely different to how we’ve heard him before, this reached Number 6 in the charts in Finland. Maybe I wasn’t so wrong after all and we might get some skanking next time. Great stuff, gents. GMcA

Following from an extremely successful 2025 and a very busy 2026, 6x Platinum and 8x Gold-certified, record-breaking Finnish rock outfit The Rasmus are thrilled to announce an extensive headline European and UK tour in 2027, with Skarlett Riot as special guest on all the UK shows. With a global touring experience spanning decades, the 23-date tour will allow the band to further showcase key tracks from the new record Weirdo, as well as classic hymns and hidden gems taken from their catalogue. Frontman Lauri Ylönen comments: “‘Weirdo’ album has resonated deeply in our fanbase. It’s about being accepted the way you are. This has also been visible at the live shows as the fans have been dressed up to show their inner weirdos. It’s been a very fun and uniting feeling!” Lauri also adds: “We can’t wait to see all our dear friends who me missed the last time we toured Europe!” Over the past year and throughout the current one, The Rasmus have brought and will continue to bring their latest record Weirdo on the road, taking their unforgettable stage show to audiences worldwide. Last summer The Rasmus played a charity concert in Ukraine, not only as the headliner of the Atlas Festival , but also as the only foreign artist at the event. Over 110,000 people were in attendance, and there was a comprehensive security system and evacuation plan for the audience and performers in just a few minutes if it was necessary. Thankfully the festival went off without any issues and they were able to raise over $2.5 million Ukraine’s air defenses. Here is a short documentary about the experience . Currently on tour in the US, The Rasmus will come back to the old continent to join the European summer festival circuit, performing at: Nova Rock (AT), Resurrection Fest (ES), Masters Of Rock (CZ) to name a few. Later in 2026 the band will embark on a full South American tour playing iconic venues in 11 cities, including: Bogotá, Panamá, Lima, Santiago, São Paolo and Buenos Aires.

OUT SEPTEMBER 4, 2026 VIA FRONTIERS MUSIC SRL

Set for Release on August 28th via Frontiers Music Srl

As I cruise through my mid-40s and find that I’m now closer to 50 (albeit just!), I’m delighted to say that I’m still excited and enthralled to hear the crunch of power chords in heavy metal, the shredding guitar solos in hard rock and of course, the sentimental highs elicited from a worthy rock power ballad! Writing for Rockfiend, it would be worrying if I was straying from the genres that make up most of the soundtrack to my life! But there is definitely a mellower side to me in middle age and musically, I find that the soothing tones of country music is increasingly becoming my guilty pleasure. Perhaps it’s being brought up in a house full of Glen Campbell, John Denver and Bobby Goldsboro records. It could be that Mrs Griffiths loves the music and as a dutiful husband I have to indulge her likes and passions on occasion. Or maybe it’s because country really is the new rock n roll!  Judging by the almost sold-out crowd at Glasgow’s SEC Armadillo on a Monday night to see country star Carly Pearce on her Inside the Dream tour, Scotland continues its tradition as being a country mad…er… country! Hordes of ticket holder were truly into the spirit of the event with the venue awash with Stetsons, tassels and cowgirl boots. Even Mrs Griffiths wore her cowgirl boots whilst I dug out a denim jacket to keep up the western theme! This was the second time I had seen Carly Pearce live having seen her in Glasgow last year. I was back for more, this time in a bigger venue which can often take the edge away from an artist, so I was interested to see how the night of music next to the River Clyde would pan out. Before the main act, the support slot was filled by sister duo Tigirlily Gold (apparently pronounced Tie-Girl-Lilly), playing an acoustic set to the Glasgow audience. With an album already under their rhinestone adorned belts, as well as having previously played in the city at the nearby Hydro Arena at Country 2 Country in 2024, many in the crowd were already aware of their music and stood up clapping and singing along throughout. It was a half hour set of radio-friendly polished country-pop that brought a real feel-good vibe to proceedings and as well as their own songs, included an innovative part where the audience could help to pick a cover song from a choice of three by voting via the Set.Live website. I believe the winner was a song by The Chicks. I fear that may have been the only person who voted for ‘Hold On’ by Wilson Phillips! I’m sure this won’t be the last time that the sisters will appear in Glasgow and they’ll see a decent crowd if they ever tour here as a headliner. Plus… I now know who Leroy is and why he’s a bad, bad man! Kentucky-born Carly Pearce arrived on stage to a rapturous welcome that was akin to a homecoming! Well… there is a Glasgow in Kentucky, so it kind of is! With a minimalist stage set of seven large spotlight lamps and country fair-style bulb string lights above, she started the set with a brand-new song, ‘How Long’. With a sludgy, swampy guitar riff, you could almost smell the Cumberland River in country’s Tennessee heartland, with a driving-rock vibe that is perhaps a tad heavier than some of the singer’s more established songs. This hard rock and metal writer was immediately hooked and if the yet unreleased new album sounds anything like this, we’re in for a treat! The catchy ‘Rock Paper Scissors’ from the Hummingbird album and the wonderful ‘Next Girl’ followed and by that point, Pearce had the audience in the palm of hands. The laidback sound of ‘Should’ve Known Better’, the oh-so-wonderful yet heartbreakingly sad ‘We Don’t Fight Anymore’ (originally recorded with Chris Stapleton after Pearce messaged his wife on Instagram to persuade him!) and the melodic beauty of the chorus to ‘Never Wanted to be that Girl’ completed a trio of top country ballads that led to a surprise cover of the Fleetwood Mac song ‘Dreams’, with the Glasgow choir in full voice at the chorus. ‘Fault Line’ led to a… well… fault, when the sound died midway through. Unfazed, the Glasgow choir reassembled to help Pearce finish the song before a flurry of activity by the stage crew as they desperately tried to work out what had gone wrong. Being a consummate professional, the singer chose not to leave the stage, instead taking time to speak to some young fans from the edge of the stage. But of course, that turned into an impromptu meet and greet with half of Glasgow for around 15 minutes. Bravo, Carly! Bravo! It’s great to see someone who appreciates their fans. To loud applause, the show started again with a piano-led rendition of ‘Every Little Thing’ and another tearful country ballad, ‘If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay’, a recently released track with Riley Green. Before playing ‘Church Girl’, there was an immensely profound moment where Peace proclaimed her faith and expressed her thanks to God for her career, explaining that she genuinely believes that Jesus Christ is there for each and every one of us. I’ve never been a fan of mixing politics or religion with music or when artists virtue signal from the stage, even though I have my own faith. But when it is expressed in such a stark and honest manner, without preaching or forcing beliefs onto others, it can have a very strong impact. It was pleasing to hear a few claps of support and no moans or groans from those who don’t share her beliefs. It was a simple moment of sharing something intimate with fans, whilst pushing the point that some religious people (and non-religious people) can be incredibly judgemental and that it’s important to rise above the noise and be who you are. It’s pretty much the lyrical message of ‘Church Girl’ and an important life lesson, irrespective of beliefs. ‘Truck on Fire’ raised the tempo, with women of all ages on their feet dancing around whilst another new track, ‘Same Circus’, was a take on Pearce’s own past experiences of relationships. ‘You Can Have Him’ and another newbie, ‘Dream Come True’ led to main set closer ‘I Hope You’re Happy Now’, with the whole venue standing and singing along. An encore of ‘Happy for Myself’ and the brilliant ‘What He Didn’t Do’ brought the evening to a close, with Pearce taking a well-deserved bow with her band of “four big brothers”. What an evening it was! Carly Pearce is a true talent in country music. Her faultless voice and undeniable songwriting skills have a knack of burrowing into the souls of her audience because she sings about real life and things people can relate to. Pearce herself noted that every time she returns to Glasgow, the venues get bigger, so perhaps she’ll be moving a few hundred yards to the Hydro Arena the next time she’s in town! It was special night of songs about breakups, heartbreak, shame, alcohol, trucks, fun times and God and Jesus thrown in for good measure! It’s what country music should be like and it was a privilege to witness such a special performance. Carly Pearce completes her UK Tour with dates in Belfast and Dublin (I know… it’s Ireland!) before heading back to United States for dates throughout the summer.

TORONTO, CANADA (May 15, 2026) -- Crimson Glory recently released their brand new album “Chasing The Hydra”, the first new album in over 26 years. For fans who demand the highest quality audio for their music, CHASING THE HYDRA is now available as a 24 bit hi res audio download on Bandcamp at https://bravewordsrecords.bandcamp.com Crimson Glory shared their thoughts on the response to the new album, “Greetings to Crimson Glory fans around the world, whom we affectionately refer to as, ‘The Crimson Militia.’ Right now we'd like to take a second to say just how floored we are at the reactions to our brand new record, Chasing the Hydra, our first in 2.5 decades. It should be known that one of the goals in making our comeback album was to bridge the gap, so-to-speak, between both our debut and the followup, Transcendence, and our new record. We've learned throughout the years that albums 1 & 2 were the top picks according to you guys, the fans. For this reason, along with a simmering yearning to go back to our roots, it was important for us to accomplish that goal. Just sayin', we are honored by all the very positive feedback, which of course will drive us to bring it even harder live! We will see YOU on tour! \m/“ “Chasing The Hydra” is currently charting at #3 on Sentinel Daily’s Top 30 Album Chart. 

OUT JUNE 12, 2026 VIA FRONTIERS MUSIC SRL