Grave Noise Interviews

Higher Walls are a London based hardcore quartet that fuses blisteringly fast guitar work, polyrhythmic drumming and technical bass, to create a sound unlike any other band on the London hardcore scene.

Formed in 2020 by Jordan Kaad (Vocals), Radu Ghidirim (Guitar) and Stefan Babara (Drums), Higher Walls have built a catalogue of heavy hitting technical music that is proudly grounded in the traditions of bands such as Raised Fist, Terror and Antagonist A.D. Whilst also blending the ferocious energy of bands similar to Trap Them, Gaza & Nails.

The band were joined by Chris Sparrow (bass) in 2024 and, with a refreshed outlook, released the Tear Them Down EP - setting the bar tremendously high for the quality and passion toexpect going forwards. They have exceeded all expectations with their new EP No End which isthe best representation of the band to date, which includes six tracks of intense hardcore, with themes ranging from the bleak landscape we currently find ourselves in globally, to the people in power as well as future generations finding it difficult to make positive change.

We reviewed the EP, stating that:

I love this EP. It’s as simple as that. I love the intensity of it, the venomous approach Higher Walls have, the chaos they unleash, and how they aren’t your traditional hardcore band, even if they have plenty of traditional moments. Six tracks, six absolute ragers, and six examples of why this is going to be up there as one of the best EPs of the year.

You can read the full review here: https://www.gbhbl.com/ep-review-higher-walls-no-end-self-released/

We recently spoke to guitarist Radu Ghidirim and bassist Chris Sparrow about the new EP, delving into the creative process and what got them to this point. We talk about what this EP represents, how it has shaped their future, the hardcore scene in general, playing live, and so much more.

Find out more here: https://higherwalls.bandcamp.com/

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Contact: [email protected]

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/gbhbl

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5A4toGR0qap5zfoR4cIIBo

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/hr/podcast/the-gbhbl-podcasts/id1350465865

Intro/Outro music created by HexedRiffsStudios

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKSpZ6roX36WaFWwQ73Cbbg

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For UK alternative metal band, Acres, 2025 has already been a significant year, and their momentum shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. Not only are they due to head back to the US for a massive tour with The Devil Wears Prada but they will release their brand-new album, ‘The Host’, on May 2nd. 2025, via Solid State Records.

The US is becoming a bit of a second home for the band, as not only were they recently there touring with The Plot in You, but in October 2024, they hopped over the pond to record become ‘The Host’. This with none other than The Plot in You frontman Landon Tewers behind the board as producer.

Acres has always strived to create something fresh and new, and that is once again proven by this new album. An album that sees the band expand their sonic palette and deliver some of their most anthemic music yet.

We delved into the background of the album, learning more about the creative journey Acres have been on, and what Landon Tewers was able to get out of them. We also talk about the US tours, their growth, personal satisfaction with what they’re doing right now, and so much more.

Find out more here: https://www.solidstaterecords.com/acres

Website: https://gbhbl.com/

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/gbhbl

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Threads: https://www.threads.net/@gbhbl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GBHBL_Official

Contact: [email protected]

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/gbhbl

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5A4toGR0qap5zfoR4cIIBo

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/hr/podcast/the-gbhbl-podcasts/id1350465865

Intro/Outro music created by HexedRiffsStudios

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKSpZ6roX36WaFWwQ73Cbbg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hexedriffsstudio

Born out of persistence, the crossover group Headcount blend the speed and articulation of the thrash genre with the undisputed no-BS approach of hardcore. In the short time they’ve bene around, they’re released two singles, the first of which ‘Powertrip’, we described as:

Fast, furious, and freaking fun, Headcount’s crossover sound will be very familiar to those who enjoy a bit of thrash and hardcore slammed together. Stompy and mean, the song’s attitude might be aggressive in tone, but Headcount are inviting everyone into the pit to take part in a good old-fashioned stomp along. It’s a hard request to deny as this track kicks all kinds of ass.

The second single ‘Persistence’ was just as good as we described that as:

Momentum is building, the train is picking up speed, and destruction is inevitable. Headcount’s latest single is a mean sounding track. Where hardcore intensity runs headfirst into a metallised ideology and an innate ability to be anthemic, even when heaviness is still front and centre. Headcount are mean, but you’ll love them for it, especially when tracks like this are on offer.

Now, as well as working on new music, the band has been busy building up their profile in the live environment, and it’s the future that we focus on in this interview. As well as looking at how and why Headcount came about, their debut live show at The Dev in Camden, London, their ambitions, and so much more.

Find out more here: https://linktr.ee/headcountxvr

Website: https://gbhbl.com/

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/gbhbl

Ko-Fi (Buy us a coffee): https://ko-fi.com/gbhbl

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Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gbhbl.com

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@gbhbl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GBHBL_Official

Contact: [email protected]

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/gbhbl

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5A4toGR0qap5zfoR4cIIBo

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/hr/podcast/the-gbhbl-podcasts/id1350465865

Intro/Outro music created by HexedRiffsStudios

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKSpZ6roX36WaFWwQ73Cbbg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hexedriffsstudio

Two years since the release of their debut album ‘MCLXXX’, it’s time for the Kraken to rise once again. The new album, ‘March of the Gods’, will be released on April 18th, 2025.

A staggeringly good and hugely addictive chunk of hard rock heaviness and groove, King Kraken have outdone themselves here. March of the Gods is an album of the year contender, and a must listen for just about everyone.

Read the full review here: https://www.gbhbl.com/album-review-king-kraken-march-of-the-gods-self-released/

Years of hard work, relentless gigging, and growing as artists has resulted in this and the future has never looked brighter for the five-piece. Which is something that is discussed with vocalist Mark Donoghue and rhythm guitarist Pete Rose in this interview. Where we really dig into the guts of the new album, and how King Kraken got to this point. It’s a hefty interview, but when you’re dealing with a band like King Kraken, it has to be, doesn’t it!?

Find out more here: https://www.kingkraken.co.uk/

Website: https://gbhbl.com/

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/gbhbl

Ko-Fi (Buy us a coffee): https://ko-fi.com/gbhbl

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Threads: https://www.threads.net/@gbhbl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GBHBL_Official

Contact: [email protected]

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/gbhbl

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5A4toGR0qap5zfoR4cIIBo

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/hr/podcast/the-gbhbl-podcasts/id1350465865

Intro/Outro music created by HexedRiffsStudios

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKSpZ6roX36WaFWwQ73Cbbg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hexedriffsstudio

For over two decades, Caliban has stood as one of the defining forces in metalcore. With their upcoming album ‘Back from Hell’ that is scheduled for a release 25th April 2025, the German band continues to evolve their sound while staying true to the intensity and emotion that have defined their career.

Led by founding members Andreas Dörner (vocals) and Marc Görtz (guitar), the band’s current lineup includes new vocalist and bassist Iain Duncan, whose clean vocals, songwriting skills and diverse perspective and experience bring a fresh dimension to their already powerful dynamic. Complemented by longtime drummer Patrick Grün and guitarist Denis Schmidt, Caliban’s formidable lineup is poised to deliver a relentless and emotionally charged experience that reaffirms their status as metalcore pioneers.

Back From Hell explores themes of inner struggle, resilience, and catharsis, blending their signature crushing riffs and guttural vocals with atmospheric melodies and modern production.

We spoke to Marc and Iain about the new album, digging into the detail around it and how it came to be. We speak about the time, the effort, the energy, and everything else that went into it and how to move forward, they had to embrace aspects of their past. Caliban’s future has never looked brighter.

Find out more here: http://www.calibanmetal.com/

Website: https://gbhbl.com/

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/gbhbl

Ko-Fi (Buy us a coffee): https://ko-fi.com/gbhbl

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Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gbhbl.com

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@gbhbl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GBHBL_Official

Contact: [email protected]

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/gbhbl

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5A4toGR0qap5zfoR4cIIBo

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/hr/podcast/the-gbhbl-podcasts/id1350465865

Intro/Outro music created by HexedRiffsStudios

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKSpZ6roX36WaFWwQ73Cbbg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hexedriffsstudio

Hailing from Turku, Finland, Svarta Havet are set to release their sophomore album, titled ‘Månen ska lysa din väg’, via their new label home Prosthetic Records on May 9th. On ‘Månen ska lysa din väg’, the self-described dyster (gloomy) post-hardcore group cast a critical eye over the negative effects of Western colonialism, capital greed and convenience at the cost of sustainability, presenting a rallying cry for change whilst never losing sight of the light that this world has to offer.

Formed in 2018, Svarta Havet - translated as “black sea” - were born from the Finnish DIY punk and hardcore scene, with the members bonding over a shared affinity for punk music and community-first ideals with a focus on antifascist, feminist, trans and queer politics.

‘Månen ska lysa din väg’, translated in English as “The moon will light your way” and a direct quote from album track Göm dig, was recorded in January 2024 at Waiting Room Studio in Tampere, Finland, with producer Mikael Neves.

We spoke with vocalist Lotta and guitarist Joakim about the new album, about their evolving sound, and how they are writing with more nuances these days. As political as ever, but sharper, we discuss their expressions, as well as what this album says about them, and so much more.

Find out more here: https://svartahavet.bandcamp.com/album/m-nen-ska-lysa-din-v-g

Website: https://gbhbl.com/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/GBHBL_Official

Contact: [email protected]

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/gbhbl

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5A4toGR0qap5zfoR4cIIBo

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/hr/podcast/the-gbhbl-podcasts/id1350465865

Intro/Outro music created by HexedRiffsStudios

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKSpZ6roX36WaFWwQ73Cbbg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hexedriffsstudio

Parisian alt-rockers Storm Orchestra will release their brand-new album 'Get Better,' on April 11th, 2025, via Mascot Records. The album touches on societal issues, relationships, and the inner struggles that we all have, along with the dark side of your personality.

Clearly in a very inspired and creative place when it came to writing this album, Storm Orchestra (Maxime Goudard – vocals/guitar, Adrien Richard - bass, and Loïc Fouquet - drums) have crafted a hefty record filled with accessible dance flooring filling alt-anthems, passionate rock head bangers, thought-provoking melody-driven listens, and so much more here. It’s not hyperbole to call this album the sound of a band fully finding what makes them distinct.

We spoke to Maxime in this interview, learning more about the album and the work that has gone into making it a reality. We also discuss the creative process, the highs and lows of it coming into existence, how driven Storm Orchestra are, and so much more.

Find out more here: https://lnk.to/stormorchestra

Website: https://gbhbl.com/

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/gbhbl

Ko-Fi (Buy us a coffee): https://ko-fi.com/gbhbl

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GBHBL

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Threads: https://www.threads.net/@gbhbl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GBHBL_Official

Contact: [email protected]

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/gbhbl

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5A4toGR0qap5zfoR4cIIBo

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/hr/podcast/the-gbhbl-podcasts/id1350465865

Intro/Outro music created by HexedRiffsStudios

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKSpZ6roX36WaFWwQ73Cbbg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hexedriffsstudio

Slovenia’s most awesomely audacious, genre defying metal pioneers Within Destruction will release their new album ‘Animetal’, on April 11th, 2025, via Sumerian Records.

‘Genre-defying’ – those are the words every fan of Within Destruction should be well aware of, especially those that have been there since the beginning. You simply cannot put this band in a box, and shouldn’t want to, as their creativity comes from their freedom to do what they want.

The album is heavily inspired by anime both lyrically and sonically, with a heavy focus on some of the plots and protagonists within the genre. The album plays out like a dystopian neon-lit fever dream, weaving more melody into their sound than ever before while retaining a firm grasp on the spine-tingling metallic aggression that put them on the map in the first place.

In this interview, we spoke to guitarist Howard Fang about the new album, going into detail about the creative process and the experimentation that has led them to this point in time. We talk about their personal satisfaction with what they’ve created here, early reactions to songs, fan expectations, and so much more.

Find out more here: https://sadboikroo.com/

Website: https://gbhbl.com/

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/gbhbl

Ko-Fi (Buy us a coffee): https://ko-fi.com/gbhbl

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Threads: https://www.threads.net/@gbhbl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GBHBL_Official

Contact: [email protected]

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/gbhbl

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5A4toGR0qap5zfoR4cIIBo

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/hr/podcast/the-gbhbl-podcasts/id1350465865

Intro/Outro music created by HexedRiffsStudios

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKSpZ6roX36WaFWwQ73Cbbg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hexedriffsstudio

Hailing from Nottingham, Those Once Loyal have been on quite the journey since last releasing music. One of the reasons being due to a revolving door of bassists, but this has now led to them finally having a solid line up.

Since the release of their 2023 EP 'Relentless Cycle' they have played many shows around the Midlands area, something that has helped get their name out there and seem them play higher profile shows such as with Atreyu, Heart of a Coward, Attila, Rxptrs, High on Fire, Cane Hill and Kill the Lights.

If all of this wasn’t enough, they also landed a spot at the prestigious festival, Bloodstock Open Air, playing the Jägermeister stage in 2023.

Now, they’re back, and ready to unleash new music. Starting with a new single called ‘Glass Hands’, out on April 11th, 2025, alongside a video.

Glass Hands is a song that perfectly encapsulates the combination of modern hardcore bands with the driving aggressive riffs of 00's metalcore to create a song with a driving rhythm that blends both eras of metal together and shows how evolution and history can be one! Lyrically, the song uses themes of control and manipulation, to which lines such as "One day your influence will lose its hold. You'll never ever have control" Pertaining to the idea that egocentric control will lose its grasp in time.

Pre-Save it on Spotify here: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/thoseonceloyal/glass-hands

We spoke to guitarist and backing vocalist, Oscar Gutkowski about the new single, and the journey that Those Once Loyal have been on to get to this point. We look at the past, but focus on the future, what makes it so exciting, while having some fun along the way.

Find out more here: https://linktr.ee/thoseonceloyal

Website: https://gbhbl.com/

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/gbhbl

Ko-Fi (Buy us a coffee): https://ko-fi.com/gbhbl

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GBHBL

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Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gbhbl.com

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@gbhbl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GBHBL_Official

Contact: [email protected]

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/gbhbl

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5A4toGR0qap5zfoR4cIIBo

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/hr/podcast/the-gbhbl-podcasts/id1350465865

Intro/Outro music created by HexedRiffsStudios

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKSpZ6roX36WaFWwQ73Cbbg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hexedriffsstudio

Kicking off in Las Vegas in April 10th, before heading over to the UK and EU, ‘Oppressing the Masses for 35 Years’ will see Bay Area thrashers Vio-Lence playing their iconic album in full, which celebrates its 35th anniversary this summer. The set will also include songs from the band’s back catalogue.

The line-up for the shows are now complete, with the recent additions of former Falling in Reverse guitarist Max Georgiev, bassist Jeff Salgado (Psychosomatic), drummer Nick Souza (Hatriot) and returning to Vio-Lence, guitarist, Ira Black. Alongside original vocalist Sean Killian.

April 2025

10th Backstage Bar & Billiards - LAS VEGAS, N

11th The Teragram Ballroom - LOS ANGELES, CA

17th Underworld - LONDON, ENGLAND

18th Castle and Falcon - BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND

19th Blitz - PRESTON, ENGLAND

20th Slay - GLASGOW, SCOTLAND

21st Opium - DUBLIN, IRELAND

22nd The Live Rooms - CHESTER, ENGLAND

23rd Corporation - SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND

24th The Patriot - CRUMLIN, WALES

25th KEEP IT TRUE FEST, KÖNIGSHOFEN GERMANY

26th Sala X - SEVILLA, SPAIN

27th Porta Caeli - VALLADOLID, SPAIN

29th Sala Boveda - BARCELONA, SPAIN

30th Urban Rock Concept - VITORIA, SPAIN

May 2025

1st Revi Live - MADRID, SPAIN

2nd Sala Rebullon - MOS, SPAIN

3rd RCA Club - LISBON, PORTUGAL

9th Diggers – BAHRAIN

We chatted to vocalist Sean Killian about the tour, going in the details about touring, in particular overseas. We also talk about what’s driving him, both on and off the road, the performer inside, getting a band together for this tour, the impact of ‘Oppressing the Masses’ within Europe, what the future might look like, and so much more.

Find out more here: https://violence.indiemerch.com/

Website: https://gbhbl.com/

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/gbhbl

Ko-Fi (Buy us a coffee): https://ko-fi.com/gbhbl

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GBHBL

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gbhbl/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gbhbl.com

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@gbhbl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GBHBL_Official

Contact: [email protected]

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/gbhbl

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5A4toGR0qap5zfoR4cIIBo

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/hr/podcast/the-gbhbl-podcasts/id1350465865

Intro/Outro music created by HexedRiffsStudios

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKSpZ6roX36WaFWwQ73Cbbg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hexedriffsstudio