The brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Charlie Anderson, Weft’s album ‘The Splintered Oar’ isn’t a record that’s easily categorised. Across five fairly lengthy, mostly instrumental numbers, the Panopticon violinist takes in elements of folk metal, melodic black metal, dark folk, prog metal and even an element of alternative country to create a musical journey that’s full of twists. It is a record that won’t be loved by a mass audience, but it’s ultimately one that feels very rewarding in terms of depth and variety.
Listen: King Of Cups are on the ‘Naughty List All Year’
Throughout the second half of 2025, US punkers King of Cups have been teasing a forthcoming album. Each of the singles have shown the band in a position of musical strength: ‘Let The World Burn’ introduced elements of emo and power pop into their pop punk core; ‘Waited’ leaned further towards a world of emo/alternative rock with the help of a few heavier riffs and some Linkin Park-esque keys, and ‘Lighthouse’ – arguably the best of the record’s three pre-release tracks – augmented a stronger emo influence with some great harmonies, but without losing the King of Cups crunch.
THE FEAR – Christmas Time EP
Alternative metallers The Fear had a very successful 2025. Not only did they release their debut ‘Falling Forward’ to a raft of online praise, but the band also got to tour in support of nu metal legends Snot. Not content with that, they also found time to record a bunch of festive tunes which, released as the ‘Christmas Time’ EP pretty much the moment December reared its very cold bonce, showed that the lads not only had a serious work ethic, but also a sense of fun.
Listen: Laptop receive a ‘Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis’ on new cover tune
During the last quarter of 2025, alternative band Laptop released a couple of really interesting singles. Taking the energies of OK-Go, a huge influence from new wave and the quirky, melodic charm of Beck, their best work has managed to catch the ear of many a music fan immersed in cult sounds.
BEAUTY IN CHAOS – God’s Gonna Cut You Down / Get Down Moses
On their previous releases, recorded as collaborative affairs with The Mission’s Wayne Hussey and The Awakening’s Ashton Nyte, the music from Beauty In Chaos took on a distinctly goth influence. This double shot from Michael Cirovolo and friends takes on an entirely different guise. Not only does Cirovolo take the helm instead of enlisting a high profile guest vocalist but, musically, the material takes a huge swerve into a musical landscape that fans mightn’t expect.