Articles by: Emma Johnston

Emma has been writing about music for 25 years, and is a regular contributor to Classic Rock, Metal Hammer, Prog and Louder. During that time her words have also appeared in publications including Kerrang!, Melody Maker, Select, The Blues Magazine and many more. She is also a professional pedant and grammar nerd and has worked as a copy editor on everything from film titles through to high-end property magazines. In her spare time, when not at gigs, you’ll find her at her local stables hanging out with a bunch of extremely characterful horses.

Articles by: Emma Johnston

Porcupine Tree: Closure / Continuation cover art

Porcupine Tree's gorgeous comeback album is an elegant and accomplished treasure

By Emma Johnston published 24 June 22

Closure/Continuation is the much delayed eleventh album from progressive figureheads Porcupine Tree

Canadian post-hardcore kings Alexisonfire have made a comeback album to be proud of

By Emma Johnston published 24 June 22

It's 13 years since Alexisonfire released Old Crows / Young Cardinals, but new album Otherness is a grand return

Brian Jonestown Massacre: Fire Doesn’t Grow On Trees cover art

Brian Jonestown Massacre: still frayed, still imperfect, still out on their own

By Emma Johnston published 24 June 22

Anton Newcombe and Brian Jonestown Massacre return with another set of down-and-dirty rock’n’roll

If you like deep-thinking Canadian art-rock, then Motherhood might be for you

By Emma Johnston published 24 June 22

Motherhood's fourth album Winded explores the natural world as it mirrors human suffering

Fantastic Negrito's new album was 270 years in the making: its story changed his life

By Emma Johnston published 3 June 22

Fantastic Negrito's fourth album White Jesus Black Problems is a story of intrigue and bravery written across the centuries

Justin Hawkins is thinking about buying a castle for The Darkness to live in

By Emma Johnston published 20 May 22

From writing advertising jingles music in a London bedsit, to headlining Wembley Arena fronting The Darkness, a lot has happened to Justin Hawkins

The Pineapple Thief: Give It Back cover art

The Pineapple Thief provide hours of spot-the-difference fun on Give It Back

By Emma Johnston published 13 May 22

Old favourites The Pineapple Thief get a whole new lease of life on non-standard collection Give It Back

Puppy are proof that rock is alive and begging for your attention

By Emma Johnston published 6 May 22

UK alt.rock finds its new pack leader with London three-piece Puppy’s second album Pure Evil

Motorhead and the song that helped changed the face of British television

By Fraser Lewry last updated 8 May 22

It's a performance that's passed into legend: cult comedy The Young Ones, University Challenge, and Motorhead pretending to fire on all cylinders

Stone Axe revisit the past again on love letter to classic rock Stay Of Execution

By Emma Johnston published 18 March 22

Classic rock revivalists Stone Axe plunder the archives one last time on odds-and-ends album Stay Of Execution

Eric Gales: the problem with politics and the redemptive power of the blues

By Emma Johnston published 15 March 22

With his substance-abuse years well behind him, and more acclaim and successes ahead, Eric Gales is shaping up to be the 21st century superstar bluesman

Bernard Butler: People Move On cover art

Britpop's greatest guitarist Bernard Butler shines anew with People Move On box set

By Emma Johnston published 11 February 22

Former Suede guitar wrangler Bernard Butler reinvents his own past with expanded version of debut solo album

Rolo Tomassi: Where Myth Becomes Memory cover art

Rolo Tomassi show genre-shattering ambition on Where Myth Becomes Reality

By Emma Johnston published 4 February 22

Free-ranging British rockers Rolo Tomassi head out on an epic journey through sound on sixth album Where Myth Becomes Reality

Refused's Dennis Lyxzén leaping into the air onstage

The 10 essential post-hardcore albums

By Emma Johnston published 19 January 22

The game-changing post-hardcore albums you need in your life…

Twin Atlantic's Transparency: euphoric, funk-flecked, irrepressible

By Emma Johnston last updated 10 January 22

Glaswegian rockers Twin Atlantic look inwards and get funky for a lockdown special

Dooms Children: rehab, redemption, and the healing power of the Grateful Dead

By Emma Johnston published 19 December 21

Having sunk into a dark hole of depression, Alexisonfire guitarist/Gallows frontman Wade MacNeil found the light with his psychedelic new project, Dooms Children

Ice Nine Kills: "People say, 'Oh they're cheesy.’ It's supposed to be!"

By Emma Johnston published 7 December 21

How Ice Nine Kills turned their horror movie obsession into a cross-media empire on The Silver Scream 2: Welcome To Horrorwood

The Darkness: still profoundly silly, still exactly what we need

By Emma Johnston published 19 November 21

Lowestoft’s finest The Darkness have a lust for (alien and robot) life on album seven Motorheart

Gov't Mule pay loving tribute to rock'n'roll's origins on Heavy Load Blues

By Emma Johnston published 12 November 21

Warren Haynes’s southern rockers Gov't Mule get the blues: the Heavy Load Blues

Mastodon mix beauty and beastliness on Hushed And Grim

By Emma Johnston last updated 4 November 21

Twenty years in, Georgia’s prog-metal heroes Mastodon continue to amaze with album eight, Hushed And Grim

The Myth Of Happily Ever After cover art

Biffy Clyro's The Myth Of Happily Ever After: glorious, instantly recognisable weirdness

By Emma Johnston published 22 October 21

Lockdown experimentation from ever-inventive Scottish trio Biffy Clyro takes on a life of its own on The Myth Of Happily Ever After

The Dead Deads are the 21st century rock'n'roll band you've been waiting for

By Emma Johnston published 5 October 21

Meat the Dead Deads, the trio taking from Kiss’s book on how to make it in the world of professional badass rock

Backxwash press pic 2021, by Chachi Revah

Backxwash: "I had planned I was going to die at the end of the year"

By Emma Johnston published 24 August 21

Fierce, fearless and boundary-smashing, Backxwash is the sound of 2021 - and her story is every bit as unique as her music

Perry Farrell: the soundtrack of my life

By Emma Johnston published 18 August 21

Jane’s Addiction and Porno For Pyros main man Perry Farrell picks his records, artists and gigs of lasting significance, and reveals how he accidentally leaked David Bowie's phone number

Introducing Rich Ragany and The Digressions: darkness dressed up to party

By Emma Johnston published 12 August 21

Meet the former Role Model who’s making happiness from heartache with his new band, Rich Ragany and The Digressions

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