Many of our readers know that Counter Culture has always been as interested in musical history as in the music itself. The two are inseparable: every song carries a lineage, every band emerges from a scene, and every scene grows out of a cultural moment.
This week’s list reflects that. We’ve been thinking a lot about UK fanzines, papers and magazines — the lifeblood of grassroots music culture. Before social media, these publications were how fans discovered new bands, argued about genres, and built entire subcultures.
We’ve already noted the big national titles — Melody Maker, New Musical Express and Sounds — plus the legendary punk fanzine Sniffin’ Glue and Other Rock ’N’ Roll Habits. But we know there were dozens more: regional punk sheets, goth newsletters, metal quarterlies, folk journals, indie zines, and everything in between. If anyone can help expand this list, we’d be delighted.
With that in mind, here’s this week’s selection — moving freely between punk, country folk, disco‑turned‑alt‑rock, glam, industrial, black metal and more. As always, the joy is in the contrasts.
Ad Hominem – Totalitarian Black Metal
Ad Hominem emerged in the early 2000s as part of the second wave of European black metal, a movement defined by raw production, ideological provocation and a deliberate rejection of mainstream metal aesthetics. The project is largely the work of Kaiser, a French multi‑instrumentalist who favours harsh, martial rhythms and deliberately confrontational themes. Totalitarian Black Metal is one of his signature tracks: cold, repetitive, and intentionally abrasive. It sits firmly within the lineage of bands like Marduk, Darkthrone and Gorgoroth, but with a distinctly French sense of nihilism. For listeners trying to understand black metal, this track shows the genre’s fascination with extremity — musically, aesthetically and philosophically.
Oliver Anthony – Take Me Home, Country Roads
John Denver’s 1971 original is one of the most recognisable American folk‑country songs ever written — a nostalgic hymn to rural life that became an unofficial anthem for West Virginia. Oliver Anthony’s version slows the tempo dramatically, stripping away Denver’s bright optimism and replacing it with something more weathered, intimate and emotionally heavy. Anthony rose to prominence through viral recordings made in rural settings, often accompanied only by his resonator guitar. His reading of Country Roads feels closer to Appalachian porch music than Nashville polish — a reminder that great songs can be reinterpreted as personal statements rather than museum pieces.
Cake – I Will Survive
Gloria Gaynor’s 1978 disco classic is one of the great empowerment anthems — bold, brassy and defiantly upbeat. Cake’s 1996 cover turns the entire concept on its head. Where Gaynor belts, Cake mutters. Where disco strings soar, Cake inserts dry trumpet lines, clipped guitar and a funk‑rock shuffle. The band, formed in Sacramento in the early 90s, became known for their deadpan delivery and minimalist arrangements. Their version of I Will Survive is almost anti‑heroic — a slacker’s survival anthem — and it became one of their most recognisable tracks. It’s a perfect example of how 90s alternative bands loved to deconstruct the pop canon.
Chelsea – Twelve Men
Chelsea were part of the first wave of British punk, forming in London in 1976. Frontman Gene October was a key figure in the early scene, helping establish the punk club The Roxy and giving the movement a physical home. The original lineup included Billy Idol (then William Broad) on guitar, Tony James on bass and John Towe on drums — three musicians who would soon leave to form Generation X, one of the most commercially successful punk bands of the late 70s. Twelve Men captures Chelsea’s raw, street‑level sound: fast, jagged and unvarnished. It’s a reminder that punk wasn’t just a musical style — it was a network of people who moved between bands, clubs and fanzines, shaping a cultural moment that still resonates.
Death In Rome – Love Will Tear Us Apart
Death In Rome specialise in neofolk reinterpretations of famous pop and rock songs, often transforming them into dark, melancholic acoustic pieces. Their cover of Joy Division’s 1980 classic is one of their most striking. Where the original is icy, post‑punk and emotionally fractured, Death In Rome’s version leans into European dark folk traditions — minor‑key guitar, martial percussion and a sense of ritualistic solemnity. It’s not a parody; it’s a reframing. Joy Division’s despair becomes something older, almost mythic, as though the song has been unearthed from a forgotten folk tradition rather than Manchester’s Factory Records.
Riley Green – Think As You Drunk
Riley Green is part of the modern neo‑traditional country movement — artists who blend contemporary Nashville production with the storytelling sensibilities of 80s and 90s country. Think As You Drunk fits neatly into that lineage: conversational lyrics, a touch of humour, and a melody that feels instantly familiar. Green’s work often explores small‑town life, personal flaws and emotional honesty, and this track continues that tradition with a wink and a nod.
Paul Heaton – Favourite Kind Of Idiot
Paul Heaton has one of the most distinctive careers in British pop: first with The Housemartins, then with The Beautiful South, and later as a solo artist. His songwriting blends sharp social observation with dry humour and a melodic sensibility rooted in classic British pop. Favourite Kind Of Idiot showcases Heaton’s trademark lyrical wit — affectionate, exasperated and politically aware without ever becoming preachy. Musically, it continues his long tradition of pairing upbeat arrangements with bittersweet themes.
Little Mix & David Guetta – Heartbreak Anthem
Released in 2021, Heartbreak Anthem is a collaboration between Little Mix, French DJ David Guetta, and Swedish producer Galantis. It arrived during a transitional moment for Little Mix, shortly after Jesy Nelson’s departure, and became one of their biggest late‑career hits. The track blends Euro‑dance production, polished vocal harmonies and a message of resilience — not wallowing in heartbreak but acknowledging it and moving forward. It’s a reminder of how seamlessly modern pop can merge UK vocal groups with continental dance producers.
The Monochrome Set – Jacob’s Ladder
Formed in 1978, The Monochrome Set were part of the post‑punk and art‑pop landscape that grew out of the collapse of punk’s first wave. Their music was witty, literate and stylistically eclectic — closer to the Velvet Underground or early Television than to the more abrasive post‑punk acts. Jacob’s Ladder shows their flair for angular guitar lines, arch lyricism and a kind of detached elegance. They never achieved major commercial success, but their influence on indie pop — especially the C86 generation — is substantial.
Nimrod – Night Of The Witches
Nimrod were a short‑lived but intriguing British hard rock outfit active in the late 70s. Their sound sits somewhere between proto‑metal, occult rock and the theatrical edge of early NWOBHM. Night Of The Witches is a cult favourite: riff‑driven, melodramatic and steeped in the era’s fascination with supernatural imagery. Bands like Nimrod helped bridge the gap between 70s hard rock and the heavier, faster metal that would explode in the early 80s.
Sweet – The Ballroom Blitz
Sweet were one of the defining bands of British glam rock, though they’re still underrated compared to contemporaries like Slade or T. Rex. Released in 1973, The Ballroom Blitz is based on a real incident: the band were bottled offstage during a gig in Scotland. Rather than sulk, they turned the chaos into a theatrical, high‑energy anthem. The harmonies are extraordinary — especially the soaring high notes — and the track’s mix of bubblegum pop, hard rock and camp theatrics became a blueprint for glam’s entire aesthetic. It remains one of the great live‑wire singles of the era.
Throbbing Gristle – Don’t Do As You’re Told, Do As You Think
Throbbing Gristle were pioneers of industrial music, forming in 1975 out of the performance art collective COUM Transmissions. Their work challenged every convention of rock: noise over melody, provocation over comfort, experimentation over accessibility. Don’t Do As You’re Told, Do As You Think encapsulates their ethos — anti‑authoritarian, confrontational and sonically abrasive. TG’s influence on later industrial, electronic and experimental artists is immeasurable. They didn’t just create a genre; they created a philosophy.
