Certainly one of the UK's most powerful, visceral and hopeful prospects for world domination in recent years has been hardcore/strop-rockers Gallows. Positively elbowing their way out of Hertfordshire's stifling world of Carpet Rights, new towns and roundabouts, the sound of the crowd got louder and larger as time went by - a band truly on the brink. Frontman Frank Carter became a regular target for music-press snappers, all sneers, tattoos and latent menace, a perfect model for championing as an alternative to a sea of twee talent-shows and gobby grimers.

After years of performing on various tours and festivals such as Vans Warped, Sonisphere, Soundwave and Reading/Leeds, as well as a great support slot at Rage Against The Machine's Finsbury Park show and, not forgetting, two spot-on albums in 'Orchestra of Wolves' and 'Grey Britain', time took its toll in 2011 and Carter walked. Alexisonfire vocalist Wade MacNeil was installed as Frank's capable replacement and that was that. The band are busy putting together new material, while Mr Carter has been finding love. Pure Love. That's his new project with ex-Hope Conspiracy guitarist Jim Carroll, by the way.

This pairing is perhaps an altogether different option to what Gallows were becoming - Pure Love's new single, 'Handsome Devils' Club', due out on 22nd July, is a straight-edged rock song in the traditions of early Foo Fighters or even The Pixies, which isn't wholly surprising when you learn of Gil Norton's presence in the producer's chair. Norton has previously worked on Grohl's band's 'The Colour and the Shape' and 'Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace', as well as Black Francis' outfit's 'Doolittle', 'Bossanova' and 'Trompe Le Monde'. They say that a producer shouldn't leave his own footprint on a record but instead enhance the footprint of the band, but Norton does have an impressive history with doing both.

The fruits of Pure Love's labours will be released later in the year - meanwhile, Carter and Carroll are out on the road next month for a stretch of live action which starts in Birmingham on 18th July, followed by Liverpool, Bath, Cardiff, Wrexham and York on 25th. We will have tickets to all shows from 9am on Friday 22nd June. Demand to hitch a ride on Carter's new carousel of sharp rock and roll will be high.