Watch: Vancouver pop punks Chief State share new video for ‘April Showers’

Posted on February 24, 2026 by Real Gone

At the end of 2025, the release of the ‘No Brakes’ single found Vancouver’s Chief State in great form. Sounding like a tribute to the melodic punk sounds of the late 90s, the track fused the thunderous rhythmic qualities of peak No Use For A Name with the poppier edges of Sum 41, utilising strong harmony vocals throughout. Although a really melodic chorus should’ve been the track’s best feature, the already impressive performance boasted an even better middle eight where the pop punk riffs gave way to something a little sharper, showing how tight the band’s rhythm section could be.

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HOWLING BELLS – Strange Life

Posted on February 23, 2026 by Real Gone

Twelve years is a long time between releases, but Kate Bush doesn’t have the monopoly in disappearing for that long, since ‘Strange Life’ – the first new Howling Bells album since 2014 – marks a long overdue return for the Aussie dream pop trio. Despite the passing years, the record’s eleven tracks actually sound like a perfect continuation from previous releases, and although this may seem a little safe, it results in an album that fans will take to in a heartbeat, and will introduce those who missed the band the first time around to a set of songs that’s almost guaranteed they’ll backtrack.

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LOWSUNDAY – Ghost Machine White EP

Posted on February 22, 2026 by Real Gone

In terms of taking a break, twenty six years is a long holiday by any band’s standards, but that’s exactly how long Lowsunday were AWOL between their second and third releases. The musical landscape may have changed a great deal since the death of the 90s, but the first sounds shared by this Pittsburgh based alternative/shoegaze/goth band at the end of 2025 found the musicians sticking rigidly to what they do best. In many ways, the resulting ‘White EP’ is all the better for that. Yes, the five tracks sound very retro, but in fairness, the strong gothy element in their sound was already retro by 1999. What the five tracks on this EP achieve – whether deliberately or otherwise – is to bring a massive pang of nostalgia which, coming at a time when the world feels as if it’s heading into even darker places, is certainly most welcome.

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Watch: Divided By Design share new video for ‘Collapsing Reality’

Posted on February 21, 2026 by Real Gone

When it comes to “bringing the riffs”, Divided By Design really don’t mess around. ‘Collapsing Reality’ (taken from the band’s current album ‘Stages To Osiris: Rebirth’) moves through various complex moods, exploring different aspects of very technical progressive metal, providing a brilliant showcase for each of the musicians, but particularly capturing guitarist Liam Stephenson in absolutely blistering form.

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Listen: Axel Rudi Pell shares new track ‘Sanity’

Posted on February 20, 2026 by Real Gone

Here’s a great new recording from a familiar name. Axel Rudi Pell has maintained a prolific presence on the European metal scene since the 80s, and although on the basis of the current single ‘Sanity’ he’s still very much living in that decade, the results are very strong.

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