Game – Lollipop Chainsaw – June 15th
Suda51’s mind must be a terrifying place. His latest game puts the player in control of stereotypical American cheerleader Juliet Starling, who, when faced with a zombie apocalypse at her high school, turns out to be rather handy with a chainsaw. It could be subversive and wonderful, but it could just as easily be a terrible, fetishistic mess of guts, blood and cleavage shots.
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Album – Japandroids, Celebration Rock – 5th June
Japandroids are yet more proof that Canadians make all the best tunes. The Vancouver-based duo’s début ‘Post-Nothing’ was a powerful and refreshing piece of fuzz-soaked noise rock, but they’ve developed as songwriters and lyricists since then too. If early album cuts like ‘Younger Us’ are anything to go by, Celebration Rock will be making many end-of-year lists.
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Album – Rush, Clockwork Angels – 12th June
Imminent environmental catastrophe, international terrorism, the constant nagging feeling that you’ll die unloved and alone – these are all things that can ruin your day. But you’ll never have to worry about them again, because Rush, the greatest rock band ever, are releasing a steam-punk themed concept album. Everything’s going to be all right after all!
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Album – Stalking Horse, Specters – 28th May
Neil ‘Wu’ Widdop made one of the most overlooked gems of the past ten years (The Baby Machine) as part of the now defunct Leeds four piece This Et Al, but his new solo effort looks set to be just as impressive. Ably assisted by super-producer James Kenosha, he’s crafted ten wonderfully dark songs that sound like the music Radiohead would have been making had Thom Yorke never discovered dubstep.
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Game – Sonic 4, Episode 2 – Out Now!
The first episode of Sonic’s 2D reboot was released in 2010 to strong sales and a warm critical reception. But the big surprise was that 2010 marked the year finally, after ten horrible years, found his feet in 3D. So do we really need more 2D Sonic? Well yes, if the trailers are anything to go by, as Episode 2 seems to have benefited from the lessons SEGA learned whilst working on his latest 3D adventures.
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Film – Prometheus – June 1st
June sees Ridley Scott make his long-awaited return to the Alien series with the kind-of-but-not-quite prequel to the original film. The Alien name has been tarnished a little recently thanks to the dreary Predator cross-overs, but with an impressive cast and Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender and Idris Elba this looks set to be a return to form for the franchise.
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