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Having reformed after an eight-year hiatus in 2013, we finally have an entire album of new material from these Canadian hardcore veterans. Predictably, despite numerous line-up changes over the years, Torture Culture is exactly what you would have both expected and hoped for from a band that embraced the world of hardcore with such affection. So there’s obviously a shedload of street aggro stomp and chugging guitars, but you’ll also find a dreamy melodic female vocal on Total Surrender and some more technically impressive riffing on opener Headless that actually has much more in common with the thrash of the latest Power Trip album than it does Madball or Bane. These little extra flavours scattered among the always-engaging, traditionally minded hardcore approach certainly makes Torture Culture an album that manages to keep its listener engaged throughout. Well worth the wait.

Since blagging his way onto the Hammer team a decade ago, Stephen has written countless features and reviews for the magazine, usually specialising in punk, hardcore and 90s metal, and still holds out the faint hope of one day getting his beloved U2 into the pages of the mag. He also regularly spouts his opinions on the Metal Hammer Podcast.