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Saw X Review

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Acting as a direct sequel to the original 2004 film that started it all; Saw X tells the story of an increasingly frustrated John Kramer, struggling to come to terms with his terminal cancer diagnosis. Ultimately seeking out an experimental medical procedure in Mexico, there’s newfound hope for John, but things don’t exactly go to plan and it soon unravels into a quest for vengeance.

As the series hits double digits, you’d be forgiven for being sceptical that the John Kramer story can still deliver, but Saw X is arguably the best that the franchise has ever had to offer. It’s dark, it’s disturbing, and the initial setup for how the story plays out is genuinely rather impressive and engaging. It’s the longest film in the series, but at no point does it feel like it outstays its welcome.

Saw X feels logical, it’s different, and with Tobin Bell more central than ever and putting in an absolutely incredible performance as John Kramer; this feels like an extremely special moment in the series, celebrating the franchise in style and doing it extremely proud.


By taking things back to the start, Saw X is able to wipe out a lot of the fluff that came later in the series, put the focus on John Kramer, and provide you with a logical backstory and reasoning as to why he feels that the various characters depicted here need to face the consequence of their actions. With some extremely brutal displays of gore and intensely gruesome depictions of torture; Saw X feels like a triumphant return for the franchise, bringing things back to basics and simultaneously showcasing Tobin Bell’s craft at his absolute charismatic best.

Whether you’re a franchise veteran or entirely new to the series; there’s something here for everyone, and Saw X can just as easily be viewed in isolation as it can be appreciated by long-term fans wanting to go a little more inside the mind and processes of the Jigsaw Killer, John Kramer.

Saw X is available to buy and rent now through Lionsgate UK, and if you’re a fan of horror or have ever had any love or appreciation for the franchise; this one is definitely well worth checking out.

Rating: 4/5

Random Hand – Lifejackets Review

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Having played over 2000 shows throughout their 20 years, Random Hand are a band that have worked incredibly hard at perfecting their craft, with their experience definitely very much on display here as they blast their way through Lifejackets.

Taken from their forthcoming fifth studio album which officially drops on September 29th, Lifejackets lyrically address the disparity between the top and the bottom in this country, with far too many people fighting just to try and survive in the current financial climate.

With its big chunky guitar riff, well placed horn section, and incredibly catchy chorus; Lifejackets has a great deal of depth and… buoyancy about it, and if this is at all a sign of what’s to come from their self-titled studio album later this year then we should certainly be in store for something truly special.

There’s a heightened level of maturity on display from the band here, a confidence in themselves and their craft that absolutely radiates from the track. Random Hand sound incredibly assured and this is something that’s absolutely fantastic to hear.

It’s been eight years since the band last released a studio album, Lifejackets provides a very tasty hint of what’s to come next though, and if you’re at all a fan of ska punk then I definitely highly recommend giving this one a listen.

Bring Me The Horizon – AmEN! ft. Lil Uzi Vert & Daryl Palumbo (Glassjaw) Review

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We wondered if Bring Me The Horizon would ever release a heavy single again, and I guess we now have our answer. AmEN! is the heaviest song that the band has released in a long time, complete with a rapped verse from Lil Uzi Vert, and even features the legendary Daryl Palumbo of Glassjaw and Head Automatica fame. In fact, Palumbo’s inclusion makes a huge amount of sense as the song certainly has a distinctly Glassjaw feel about it in places.

AmEN! comes complete with the obligatory huge chorus that we’ve come to expect from the band in recent years, vocal touches from Daryl Palumbo that add extra depth, and the Lil Uzi Vert feature also sits extremely well in the mix. What I didn’t expect to think going into the track, however, is that I would have liked to have heard more of Lil Uzi Vert in there. I had my reservations about how they could possibly make this collaboration work, but honestly, they probably actually ended up using him a little too sparingly here.

You can hear touches of Post Human: Survival Horror era Bring Me The Horizon in this one, a huge helping of Glassjaw, and Oli Sykes shows a great deal of range and variation with his vocal delivery. The clean chorus sounds incredibly modern and massive, whilst some of the growls that he musters here wouldn’t have sounded out of place on Count Your Blessings.

Similarly to with their last single LosT, there’s a lot going on in this one. It’s a very different tone and approach, but there’s a similar sort of chaotic energy that takes a little bit of time to adjust to. On first listen I actually found the experience somewhat overwhelming, providing an attack on my senses that I didn’t quite know how to take. With repeat listens I’ve grown to love it though and can definitely see myself listening to this one a whole lot more in the future.

If you’re a fan of Bring Me The Horizon’s heavier side then the chances are that you’ll see this as a real return to form. Glassjaw fans should also be pleased and will definitely hear the bands influence in this one, and even if you prefer the cleaner side of Bring Me The Horizon’s sound then there should still be more than enough chorus for you to get your teeth into here.

AmEN! is an extremely impressive single from Bring Me The Horizon and if you’re lucky enough to have tickets for Download Festival then I’m sure it’ll sound absolutely huge live.

Pendulum & Bullet For My Valentine – Halo Review

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Having previously collaborated with In Flames on 2010s Self vs Self, Pendulum have long been a band with one foot in the metal scene, and once again they explore their heavier side here as they team up with Bullet For My Valentine frontman Matt Tuck on this latest single.

Halo is extremely fast out of the gates, distinctly Pendulum in sound, and Matt Tuck’s slightly harsher vocals combine brilliantly with the clean vocal sound of Pendulum’s own Rob Swire. The collaboration sounds extremely natural and these two artists work incredibly well together here, creating a huge sounding drum’n’bass track with a delightful metallic twinge. If you were a fan of the aforementioned Self vs Self, then Halo should surely be right up your street and is definitely a track that you should be immediately adding to your rotation.

Pendulum will soon be performing at Download Festival, and Halo should surely receive an absolutely almighty reception from the Donnington crowd in attendance. It’s big, it’s bold, it’s ballsy, and Halo is a single that absolutely captures Pendulum at their brilliant best.

Busted x Hanson – MMMBop 2.0 Review

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After previously releasing Loser Kid 2.0 and Meet You There 2.0, I kind of figured that this trajectory would continue and Busted would once again reimagine one of their own previous songs here, but 26 years on from its original release; Hanson’s MMMBop has now been given the 2.0 treatment as Busted continue to celebrate their 20th anniversary by this time teaming up with the band that they’re set to tour with later this year and collaborating with them for an updated version of this 90s classic.

Whilst a Hanson song is probably not what most people were expecting, what these two bands have produced here is actually genuinely really good, and Charlie Simpson’s vocals in particular sound like they always should have featured on the track. Charlie is obviously an incredibly talented vocalist (as evidenced in him having won the most recent series of The Masked Singer), and it’s great to hear him performing such a prominent and impressive role within the track. The song sounds big, it’s well produced without sounding overly polished, and it’s very possibly actually my favourite of the three singles that they’ve put out so far.

As someone that was never a huge fan of the original growing up, MMMBop 2.0 is a song that I never knew I needed but am definitely very happy to have. The lyrics hit so much harder as an adult, the content of the track is so much more relatable, and Busted and Hanson have definitely done a very good job here of breathing new life into it and making it feel fresh.

Year 3000 2.0 featuring the Jonas Brothers remains the dream, but once again Busted have put out a very solid piece of music here, they’ve worked extremely well with Hanson, combined their talents nicely, and MMMBop 2.0 is definitely a track that I highly recommend listening to.

Bring Me The Horizon – LosT Review

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One thing you definitely can’t accuse Bring Me The Horizon of is remaining static with their sound. Throughout the years this is a band that has constantly been reinventing itself, melding different genres and shifting their approach.

This is definitely something that remains true with LosT, with its hyper-pop tinges and heavy leaning towards pop punk, LosT also comes complete with a breakdown thrown in for good measure, taking you on a chaotic journey that at times runs the risk of sounding slightly… Lost.

There’s a lot to unpack with this one, a cacophony of sound that takes time to adjust to and work out where you stand. For me, however, after multiple listens I finally found that I was really enjoying what the band had put together here, appreciating the absolute bricolage of sounds.

As someone that loved 2020s Post Human: Survival Horror, LosT feels like a very natural progression from that, and should sit well alongside Die4U and Strangers on the next album. Die4U also had some strong hints of pop punk, so it’ll also be very interesting to hear how fully they explore that sound with the next release.

Love it or hate it, LosT is definitely doing things differently and Bring Me The Horizon continues to keep pushing boundaries. It’s energetic, it’s fun, it’s a little bit crazy, and on a personal level I’m definitely finding great enjoyment in it.

Wilmette – Hyperfocused Review

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Wilmette will officially release their debut album Hyperfocused on August 4th, and as we wait in eager anticipation for their long-awaited debut to finally drop; we now have a tantalising taste of what’s to come in the form of the albums title track.

Clocking in at just over two minutes in length, Wilmette wastes very little time getting things going with Hyperfocused, hooking you right in from the very first note with a frantic bombardment of highly energetic pop punk. The accompanying music video is extremely bright and bold, and the music is equally so, with the band absolutely blasting through it and very much demanding your full, undivided attention.

There’s a supreme level of style and musicianship on display here, some silky smooth vocals, an extremely strong hook, and a drumbeat that packs an incredibly heavy punch.

It’s fast, it’s frantic, it’s extremely well composed, and if Hyperfocused is at all a sign of what’s to come from their debut album? Then we’re undoubtedly in for an absolute treat with that one!

Your Broken Hero – Red Light Kisser ft. Jordan Pundik of New Found Glory Review

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Matt Cutshall has truly been living out his best life in recent years, filming videos with the likes of Ronnie Winter (The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus), Ryan Key (Yellowcard), and even Tony Hawk, producing some truly fantastic content alongside his partner Arielle Vandenberg.

It started out as nostalgic parody, but the boundaries have very much been blurred at this point, becoming a real life emo icon and using Kickstarter to help fund a full length album.

Red Light Kisser is the latest offering from Your Broken Hero’s forthcoming debut album, featuring Jordan Pundik of New Found Glory fame, and co-written and produced by Andrew Goldstein, a man that’s helped pen and produce some huge hits in the past including Blackbear’s Hot Girl Bummer and All Time Low’s Monsters.

There’s a huge amount of sheen and polish to the production here, Jordan Pundik’s vocals sit extremely well in the sound, and the references to the likes of Taking Back Sunday and Silverstein can’t help but raise a nostalgic smile. It’s catchy, it’s well put together, and with a chorus that’s sure to be lodged in your brain for weeks to come.

Matt Cutshall has done himself proud here, putting together a piece of music that easily could have been a huge hit 20 years ago, yet also feels at home in the current wave of emo revival.

It was never a phase, and Red Light Kisser is an absolute emo banger.

Busted x Neck Deep – Meet You There 2.0 Review

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If you never knew that you needed to hear Busted working together with Neck Deep? You’re definitely not alone. That’s exactly what’s happened here with Meet You There 2.0 though, and the end result is truly magnificent.

Taking a song originally so acoustic and mellow, Busted have completely rearranged and put a whole new spin on this soon to be 20 year old ballad, with a drumbeat that hits incredibly hard, a fantastically well put together bassline, and Charlie Simpson’s vocals combining absolutely beautifully with those of Neck Deep’s Ben Barlow.

It’s well composed, builds extremely well, and although it took a few listens for me to really fully get this new take on Meet You There as it is just so different in tone to the original; as a huge fan of Neck Deep that also absolutely loved the original A Present For Everyone version, this new take on the track definitely does the original justice, whetting the appetite perfectly for the further new music to come from the band.

With Loser Kid 2.0 already out there and Meet You There 2.0 now having followed; the signs are certainly looking strong that Busted’s 20th anniversary will be celebrated in style, and it’ll be very interesting to see what song they select to reimagine next.

You can check out the official lyric video for Meet You There 2.0 below:

Machine Gun Kelly – Concert For Aliens Review

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Not only does Travis Barker feature on drums for this one, but there is in fact a real blink-182 vibe cutting right through the very heart it. Concert For Aliens has such an unashamedly Enema of the State era blink sound and I for one am very much here for it!

There’s just such a strong sense of excitement and lust for life exuding from the song. It’s an extremely fun listen, great to bounce along to, and although it will probably never win any awards for originality? It’s a very good pop-punk song nonetheless and if you’re a fan of the genre then it’s definitely well worth giving this one a listen!

If Matt Skiba ends up leaving blink-182 and Tom DeLonge isn’t the one that steps up to replace him, could this be something close to how the future of blink-182 may sound? Who knows…

One thing’s for sure though; Machine Gun Kelly’s Concert for Aliens has me extremely excited to hear his Tickets to My Downfall album in its entirety, a sure sign that this latest single has served its purpose, stepping up the hype very nicely as we edge ever closer to that album’s September 25th release date.

You can check out the official video for Machine Gun Kelly’s Concert For Aliens below: