You might have heard everyone raving and rejoicing that pop punk is “finally” back. A new generation of teenagers are reviving the genre’s beloved years through viral trends on TikTok while artists such as Machine Gun Kelly and All Time Low storm the mainstream front with it. While critics will dispute that it never really died, no one’s asking how the hell it even survived? Gatekeepers, allegations and breakups — pop punk has barely made it out alive. Here’s how it did. Pop Punk Never Died, S

Last October, Fever 333 released ‘Wrong Generation’, a knockout EP that coupled hard truths with a genre-defying blend of hip-hop, rock and metal. It spoke to the seedy underbelly of racial inequalities in the present day, demanding a call to action for revolution and unity against bigotry. It was written in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, where Fever 333 frontman Jason Aalon Butler spent 13 days marching on the streets for the Black Lives Matter movement. On the 14th day, he returned ho

Though progress is slow, awareness and activism inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement in recent years has marked a turning point, particularly for alternative culture. Social media is a great place to start challenging what we perceive as the alternative norm. Marley is a YouTuber and the CEO of Glam Goth Beauty , and a pioneer for many young Black women and non-binary alternative beauty lovers. On Instagram, her beauty brand has a reach of 50.5k followers and champions alternative people

If you had Bring Me The Horizon’s 8-year-old track re-entering the charts because kids on TikTok were setting their mirrors ablaze on your 2021 bingo, congrats! “Can You Feel My Heart,” taken from the Sheffield band’s 2013 fourth studio album Sempiternal, has spontaneously climbed back onto the charts thanks to the help of TikTok youngsters and a lot of hairspray. But, of course, you can’t have fun on the internet without gatekeepers swooping in to swiftly drop-kick your enjoyment. Days after t

Whether they’re immersed in true crime podcasts or creating horror in their music videos, genre-splicing Canadians Spiritbox – named, quite literally, after a device that supposedly helps you contact ghosts – immerse themselves in all things unusual. “It’s weird but I’ve always been interested in dark stuff,” says vocalist Courtney LaPlante. “I think it’s an anxiety thing; it’s a way for me to explore things that make me anxious, but in a ‘safe’ way.” Following their 2017 self-titled debut that

Take some catchy nu metal riffs, throw in a bit of riot grrrl flare and wash it down with a healthy dosage of post-apocalyptic angst and you’ve got the cataclysmic but charismatic Wargasm. Joint forces of scene veteran and guitarist Sam Matlock and international model and bassist Milkie Way, the unstoppable pair dub themselves as “angry music for sad people” and are packed with nihilistic grooves that resonate with today’s unpredictable times. “I don’t know how people function in music without

Alternative music's complex history with uplifting Black art is creating a space where only the few can thrive ‘Emo Rap’ and ‘Trap Metal’ have become rock and heavy music's buzzwords...and it’s never been easier to rile up online trolls by saying your favourite rock artist is Juice Wrld. Gaining legitimacy and respect from music critics has been an uphill battle: some would rather relegate these intricate genre-blends to nothing short of “mumble rapping” or “screaming over a trap beat”, comple

Ghostemane has been at the forefront of trap metal since his Oogabooga debut in 2015. Fusing genres like some kooky scientist and with a grotesque visual aesthetic, the Florida-born artist defies the idea that trap metal is just “screaming over a trap beat.” His eighth studio album details the greatest emotional turbulences of Ghostemane’s life – losing his father at 17 and finding escapism in hardcore punk music – blending techno, industrial, rap, metal and more. Anti-Icon pays a lot of respect

Between riding the success of third album Macro and landing some of their biggest festival spots to date, including a set on Download’s main stage, life was pretty hectic for Jinjer pre-pandemic. Now they’ve got your attention (and with no tours to jump on this year), we got vocalist Tatiana Shmaylyuk to face all of your devilish questions. What was the metal scene like in Ukraine growing up, and now? Becca England (email) “I’m not sure… The metal scene is ‘eh’ in Ukraine. There’s a couple of

Nu metal’s heyday seems like a fragmented memory. After its decline through the mid-2000s in the wake of third-wave emo and the metalcore boom, the genre’s growth became stagnant, save a few massive names who clawed their way out of the pit in time. Two decades down the line and ‘nu core’ is breathing new life into the genre – just with less of the baggy pants and liberal use of hair gel. That’s where we find Pennsylvania’s Tallah, who are taking nu core by the helm in an effort to “make metal d