A hardcore punk rager of a debut album from this Midlands crew!
Metalcore-style riffing and chunky breakdowns certainly have their place in hardcore, but ultimately the genre’s origins lie in punk, and kudos to Grail Guard for planting their flag firmly in punk territory – ripping through ten tracks in just over twenty minutes. The band are based in and around the Midlands, and originally formed in 2022; this is their debut album.
Much of ‘Still No Future’ is informed by frontman Riaz’s British-Indian heritage; in particular, the racism and xenophobia that he and his family have experienced over the years. “Invited into this country/To do jobs you wouldn’t do” he roars on the early ‘Our Streets’, backed by an abrasive guitar attack reminiscent of the Dead Kennedys. It’s fierce, confrontational stuff with a message that needs to be heard, and sets the tone for much of what comes after.
On the likes of ‘Cruel Britannia’, ‘Still Fucked Up’ (complete with great gang vocals!) and previous single ‘Anxieties’ they don’t waste a word – or a note. No wonder Riaz complains about being unable to sleep on ‘Insomnia’ – it’s rare that we hear a band (and especially their vocalist) sound quite as fired up and brimming with righteous rage as Grail Guard do here. Even when they slow things down a tad for the closing ‘Rats’, they still utterly slay.
At times, we’re reminded of Gallows’ sophomore album ‘Grey Britain’; not only because of the musical vitriol within, but also in terms of how unflinchingly they address the current state of this country. ‘Still No Future’ is hardcore that hasn’t just been written and recorded, but also lived – and that’s what makes it so essential. Keep an eye and ear on this lot – we certainly will.
‘Still No Future’ is released on 6th March via TNS Records – pre-order it HERE.
- People Just Like You
- Our Streets
- Insomnia
- Cruel Britannia
- Still Fucked Up
- Anxieties
- Safe Space
- Alan
- The Rotten
- Rats
Follow Grail Guard on Their Socials:
Need more Punk In Your Life?
Live review: The Baboon Show + special guests The Headlines – Mejeriet, Lund, Sweden 18/4/26
It is always a raw, sweat-soaked and utterly uncompromising night when The Baboon Show and The Headlines join forces. To put these two explosive, high
Live review: Panic Shack at Zeche Carl, Essen, 16/4/26 – Riot Grrrl, No Brakes Attached!
Right at 9pm, the four Welsh women of Panic Shack backed by a drummer hit the stage at Zeche Carl. And from that moment on,
The Restarts/Śmierć, London New Cross Inn, 18th April 2026
Near the beginning of their headline set, The Restarts vocalist Kieran highlights the number of women on this evening’s bill, and he makes a good
Exclusive Video Premiere – you’ll want to ‘Turn Up The Radio’ for Public Service Announcement!
Punk nostalgia abounds in this rock ‘n’ roll banger of a brand new single from High Wycombe’s Public Service Announcement! ‘Turn Up The Radio’ is
Album review: Midnight Feature – ‘Hex Rentals’
Opening track ‘Final Girl’ wouldn’t sound out of place on the seminal soundtrack to ‘The Return of the Living Dead’. ‘Vampires and Other Creatures’ is
Album review: The Arrivals are back after a lengthy hiatus with ‘Payload’
Sixteen years since the release of their last album, The Arrivals are back with ‘Payload’, At points you get a feel of the influences, but
I spend my days teaching English to foreign students, and my evenings attending as many gigs as possible. Raised mainly on a diet of 90s third-wave punk, my tastes have grown to include just about anything from trad ska to thrash metal. The Ramones are my musical gods.
Did you know that we are 100% DIY? We run our own game. No one dictates to us, and no one drives what we can or cannot put on our pages – and this is how we plan to continue!
