Author: Editorial Team

British blues-rock artist Joanne Shaw Taylor returns today with her latest single, “The Trouble With Love,” out now via Journeyman Records, alongside an accompanying official music video. The track stands as one of Joanne’s most emotionally resonant releases to date, capturing the intensity, contradiction, and addictive nature of love in all its forms.

Built around a driving groove and lifted by Joanne’s signature guitar tone, “The Trouble With Love” moves between tension and release, mirroring the emotional push and pull at the heart of the song. Her soulful vocal performance carries the weight of that experience, while the arrangement builds into soaring moments that underline both the beauty and chaos that love can bring.

“I always had this song as the heart of the album,” Joanne shares. “Love is such a powerful emotion that we’ve been writing songs about it for hundreds of years. For this song I wanted to try and document the push and pull of it, the highs and the lows. And yes, the trouble it can cause.”

Anchored by a memorable hook and elevated by Joanne’s searing guitar work, the track balances introspection with energy, turning a deeply personal theme into something universally relatable. The accompanying video further brings that tension to life, visually capturing the emotional cycle that defines the song.

“The Trouble With Love” arrives as the latest preview of Joanne’s forthcoming studio album, due out later this year. It follows recent singles including the defiant blues-gospel anthem “Hell Or High Water” and the collaborative standout “What Good Is My Love?” featuring Orianthi. Together, these songs point toward a body of work that continues to expand Joanne’s sound while staying rooted in the emotional honesty that defines her songwriting.

The upcoming album builds on the momentum of Joanne’s critically acclaimed Black & Gold, which drew widespread praise upon its release. Classic Rock awarded the album a 9/10 rating, while Powerplay Magazine highlighted its “pop appeal and smoothness.”

Guitarist Magazine noted that it “reinforces Joanne’s place in the firmament of today’s brightest stars,” and American Blues Scene called it “a deeply personal experience, showcasing the depth of Joanne’s artistry.” Together with the Black & Gold (Deluxe Edition) and a run of acoustic reinterpretations, the album marked a defining chapter in Joanne’s career.

The new single arrives as Joanne continues her Spring 2026 U.S. Headline Tour, now in its final stretch. The remaining dates will bring her electrifying live show through the Southeast, with upcoming stops in Greenville, SC, Cornelius, NC, Orlando, FL, West Palm Beach, and Ponte Vedra, before wrapping with a sold-out appearance at Sound Wave Beach Weekend in Miramar Beach. Known for her commanding stage presence, fiery guitar work, and emotionally immersive performances, Joanne continues to captivate audiences with a set that blends new material with fan favourites from across her catalogue.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit here.

The post JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR Turns Love’s Highs and Lows Into Fire on New Single “The Trouble With Love” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

W.A.S.P. frontman Blackie Lawless has spent more than five years working on his upcoming memoir, according to a new report from journalist Matt Wardlaw of Ultimate Classic Rock.

The book, titled Tales From The Square Mile, focuses on his time living in Hollywood and the impact that environment had on both his life and the wider music scene. As Blackie Lawless explained, “What it’s about is that square mile that I was living in in Hollywood at the time, and the influences that the town itself would have on not just me, but the music industry,” he explains in a new conversation with UCR.

The process has taken longer than expected, with Blackie Lawless pointing to the amount of research involved. “It’s really consumed most of my time and it’s been way more work than I ever thought it was going to be. It’s easily as much work as making a record, but probably more… since we came home last November, I have really, really buckled down and started working on this.”

He also noted that the scope of the book grew as he got deeper into it. “I’m probably halfway done now, but the amount of research that it took to get a lot of these stories correct is really time-consuming. I find that there will be times where it’ll take me six or seven hours to write two paragraphs because of the amount of research that’s going on. Because when I first started this, like probably everybody else, I would have thought it would have been my singular story. That seemed reasonable at the time, but the more I got into it, the more I realized it was not just my story.”

Looking ahead, Blackie Lawless is aiming to finish the book sometime in 2026. “I’ve got my fingers crossed with this, I’m hoping it’s done before the year’s out. We’ve got a lot of stuff. Again, the first five years of me doing this book was doing a lot of research. Now I’m at a point where I feel like I can start to sprint with it. A lot of the things that I did that took all the time to uncover the research, that’s been done now. So now I can just, you know, get into the daily process of writing, and it’s starting to go pretty quick now.”

Alongside the writing process, W.A.S.P. recently announced the 1984 To Headless 2026 U.S. and Canada tour, featuring Kk’s Priest as a special guest. The run begins September 10 in California and wraps on October 31, with the band set to focus on material from their first four albums.

VIP packages will also be available here, giving fans access to a meet-and-greet with Blackie Lawless, a personal photo, autographs, entry to a traveling W.A.S.P. museum with updated items, and a Q&A session.

The post BLACKIE LAWLESS Shares New Details On Upcoming Memoir appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Former Skid Row frontman Erik Grönwall has released the official music video for his new solo single, “Born To Break”. The track is taken from his upcoming album Bad Bones, which is set to arrive on May 22.

Known for his strong vocal range and commanding presence on stage, Erik Grönwall built his reputation with Skid Row and H.e.a.t., and also spent time on the road in Europe and Japan performing with guitar icon Michael Schenker. With Bad Bones, he shifts focus to his own material and perspective.

The album is made up entirely of original songs and centers on a more personal direction, with an emphasis on direct songwriting and individual expression.

Speaking about the release, Erik Grönwall said: “I’ve had the honor of fronting some great bands, but now it’s time to tell my own story. Bad Bones is about owning who you are and not apologizing for it. I’ve always walked my own path, no matter what people thought. I’ve never followed the norm — and I’m not about to start now.”

The post ERIK GRÖNWALL, Ex-SKID ROW Singer, Drops “Born To Break” Video From Upcoming Solo Album “Bad Bones” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

On November 14, 2025, Kirk Hammett, guitarist for Metallica, sat down for a live discussion with music journalist Sean Sennett at the State Library of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. The event was part of his The Collection: Kirk Hammett book tour and focused on his career, along with the stories behind the guitars featured in the release.

On Thursday, April 2, Kirk Hammett uploaded the full 90-minute conversation to his official YouTube channel, giving fans access to the entire session. Alongside the video, he shared the following message: “I am thrilled to share Kirk Hammett The Collection: LIVE in Sydney, Australia November 14, 2025 at the State Library of New South Wales.

“In 2025, during [Metallica‘s] M72 tour, I took the book LIVE in seven cities to share and discuss the rich history and artistry behind each of these unique and rare instruments.

“Every picture tells a story and thanks to Ross Halfin and his exceptional photography, every picture in this book is worth a million words!

“Thank you to Gibson for making my passion for Greeny and guitars a reality.

“I hope you enjoy the LIVE journey as much as I did.”

Released through Gibson Publishing, The Collection: Kirk Hammett is a high-end hardcover book that documents the guitars Kirk Hammett has used across recordings and live performances. It dives into the background of each instrument, many of them rare and closely tied to key moments in Metallica’s history.

The book is available worldwide through Gibson’s official site and at Gibson Garage locations, offered in three versions: signed and numbered Custom and Deluxe editions, along with a standard hardcover.

The post METALLICA’s KIRK HAMMETT Releases “The Collection: Live in Sydney” Book Tour Video appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Shinedown has shared a new track, “Outlaw”, taken from their upcoming eighth studio album Ei8ht, set for release on May 29 through Atlantic Records.

The single lands shortly after another major moment for the band, who picked up Rock Artist Of The Year at the iHeartRadio Music Awards on March 26. It marks their second straight win in that category and adds to a growing list of milestones.

Speaking after the win, the band took time to acknowledge their audience and team: “Rock artist of the year… two years in a row?!! THANK YOU iHeartRadio THANK YOU SHINEDOWN NATION. Thank you everyone. We are so incredibly grateful and proud of this band, of this community, of this team… MUCH LOVE.”

“Outlaw” builds on a strong run of releases from Shinedown, following tracks like “Dance, Kid, Dance”, “Killing Fields”, “Three Six Five”, the chart-topping “Searchlight”, and “Safe And Sound”. The new song leans into a more stripped-back approach, with a gritty, roots-driven feel that still carries the band’s intensity while opening up the sound of Ei8ht.

“Searchlight” also marked another high point, reaching No. 1 on both the Mediabase Active Rock chart — their 24th — and the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, where it became their 22nd No. 1, extending their records on both.

In support of the new material, Shinedown will head out on the “Dance Kid Dance Act II” world tour. The run is set to cover North America, Europe, and Australia, hitting 12 countries across 60 dates, including some of the biggest venues they’ve played so far.

With over 8.3 billion streams globally, 15 platinum and gold singles, and every album certified either platinum or gold, Shinedown continues to operate at a high level. Their catalog has moved more than 10 million albums worldwide, backed by a consistent connection with listeners through direct and relevant themes in their music.

Pre-orders for Ei8ht are available here.

The post SHINEDOWN Releases Lyric Video For “Outlaw” From Upcoming “Ei8ht” Album appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Swedish melodic metal outfit Cyhra are marking their tenth anniversary with the announcement of their fourth studio album, Requiem For A Pipe Dream, due 06/05 via Reigning Phoenix Music. The news comes alongside the release of the new single “Bleed With Pride.”

Vocalist Jake E, who co-founded Amaranthe before launching Cyhra in 2016 alongside guitarist Jesper Strömblad (formerly of In Flames, now of The Halo Effect), says the track is rooted in a personal reckoning with the past.

“‘Bleed With Pride’ is about learning to trust your scars instead of hiding them. For a long time, I carried the weight of the past like something that needed to be buried. But the truth is, those wounds kept me honest. They became my compass. This song is about the internal war — the silent thunder you fight inside — and choosing not to let it drown you. If I’m going to bleed, it’s not out of shame anymore. It’s with pride. Because every scar means I survived, I rebuilt, and I kept burning.”

Pre-order the album here.

The single sets the tone for an album built around themes of resilience, identity, and the cost of holding on to something after it slips out of reach. The title frames that tension deliberately — a requiem marks an ending, while a pipe dream is something believed in against the odds. On this record, the two collide.

Requiem For A Pipe Dream was shaped during a period of uncertainty for the band, and the material reflects it. The ten tracks move between vulnerability and force, cycling through doubt, anger, acceptance, and forward momentum, with heavy riffs and driving rhythms underpinning the more expansive melodic elements that the band built their name on.

Cyhra have covered significant ground since their 2017 debut Letters To Myself, which earned strong reviews and landed them on a North American tour alongside Sabaton and Kreator. Their 2019 follow-up, No Halos In Hell, pushed further into melodic territory, with “Out Of My Life” accumulating around 11 million streams on Spotify.

A European run with Battle Beast, UK dates with Delain, festival appearances at Bloodstock Open Air and 70000 Tons Of Metal, and headline shows in Finland and Japan followed. Guitarist Marcus Sunesson joined in 2020, and the band’s third album, The Vertigo Trigger, arrived in 2023, supported by dates across Scandinavia.

The current lineup is Jake E on vocals and keys, Euge Valovirta on guitars and bass, Jesper Strömblad on bass and guitars, Marcus Sunesson on guitars, and Alex Landenburg on drums.

The post CYHRA Announce New Album “Requiem For A Pipe Dream”, Share Lyric Video For New Single “Bleed With Pride” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Alice Cooper has wasted no time finding cover for Nita Strauss while she takes maternity leave — and the replacement he’s landed is a 22-year-old shredder from Newcastle, England named Anna Cara.

Cara makes her live debut with Cooper tonight (04/02) at the first of three special “Welcome To Our Nightmare” shows in Las Vegas, a collaboration with illusionist Criss Angel running through 04/04 at his theatre inside Planet Hollywood.

From there, she’ll be out on Cooper‘s U.S. “Alice’s Attic” tour from 04/14 through 05/09, followed by a return to Las Vegas for three more Criss Angel dates (05/22-24) and a European leg running 06/13 through 07/12.

Before landing one of the most high-profile guitar gigs in rock, Cara had already built her résumé working alongside Marc Storace of Krokus and Tommy Henriksen — a guitarist who pulls double duty with both Cooper‘s touring band and Hollywood Vampires. She’s also developed a following through her Instagram videos.

Strauss, who has been with Cooper since 2014 — when she stepped in for Orianthi ahead of a mammoth Mötley Crüe tour after being recommended by Kip Winger — was the one who put Cara‘s name forward in the first place.

Cooper said: “Nita found a brilliant British female guitarist to fill in for her while she is on maternity leave. Anna Cara is a beautiful, dynamic shredder in the vein of Nita but with a style of her own. She will fit in with our gang perfectly while Nita is away and we can’t wait for the sick things to meet her. Welcome to the show, Anna!”

Strauss added: “When I was asked in an interview who I thought was the best up-and-coming guitarist, I had no hesitation in answering ‘Anna Cara.’ Anna‘s precision and soulful, emotional playing will make her an amazing asset to the Cooper tour! Working with Alice for 12 years has been the experience of a lifetime, and I look forward to seeing you all back on the road (with a +1 along for the ride!) Until that time comes, I know that the show is in good hands and the fans are in for a treat!”

Cara herself described the opportunity in straightforward terms: “This is like a dream come true, to join Alice and his great band. Back when I started playing guitar at 14, I was watching Alice Cooper live shows on YouTube, dreaming of joining one day! Nita Strauss is a tough act to follow, and she’s been so encouraging to me this past month, so I am looking forward to showing everyone who I am and what I can do.”

The post ALICE COOPER Taps Newcastle Shredder ANNA CARA As NITA STRAUSS Stand-In: “She Is A Beautiful Dynamic Shredder With A Style Of Her Own” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Storming ahead into their next chapter, Nevermore has solidified their new line-up with their first live show in over fifteen years. The legendary act performed for a sold-out IF Performance Hall Beşiktaş audience on April 1 in Istanbul, Turkey, the home country of their new vocalist Berzan Önen, and the birthplace of bassist Semir Özerkan.

An event eagerly awaited by fans was cemented as a night to remember. While honoring the band’s well-established history, Nevermore look to the future with a passionate vigor for the next evolution. Following the success of yesterday’s show, Nevermore will join Judas Priest this September for the final seven shows of their Faithkeepers Tour.

Tour Dates:

09/11 — Bern, Switzerland @ Festhalle Bern
09/12 — Strasbourg, France @ Zenith
09/14 — Lyon, France @ LDLC Arena
09/15 — Bordeaux, France @ Arkea Arena
09/17 — Paris, France @ Arena Zenith
09/18 — Brussels, Belgium @ Forest National
09/21 — London, UK @ Eventim Apollo

Over the summer months, ahead of their run with Judas Priest, Nevermore are set to appear at shows and festivals in Latin America and across Europe. Explore dates and purchase tickets here.

04/24 – Santiago, Chile – Teatro Cariola        
04/26 – São Paulo, Brazil – Bangers Open Air              
04/28 – São Paulo, Brazil – Carioca Club Pinheiros   
04/26 – Plovdiv, Bulgaria – Hills of Rock           
04/28 – Rasnov, Romania – Rockstadt Extreme Festival
04/30 – Budapest, Hungary – BARBA NEGRA Blue Stage
08/01 – Wacken, Germany – Wacken  
08/03 – Pratteln, Switzerland – Z7 Open Air    
08/05 – Jaromer, Czechia – Brutal Assault
08/08 – Derbyshire, United Kingdom – Bloodstock Open Air
08/09 – Kortrijk, Belgium – Alcatraz Festival
08/11 – Warsaw, Poland – Progresja [with Savatage]
08/12 – Leipzig, Germany – Parkbühne [with Savatage]
08/13 – Bonn, Germany – KUNST!RASEN [with Savatage]
08/15 – Carhaix Plouguer, France – Motocultor Festival

An esteemed powerhouse in heavy metal, Nevermore recently unveiled their signing to Reigning Phoenix Music and introduced new members Jack Cattoi on guitar, Semir Özerkan on bass, and vocalist Berzan Önen in a documentary directed and produced by Ola Englund.

The film provided an enticing insight into the band’s rehearsals, and an open discussion by guitarist Jeff Loomis and drummer Van Williams on their decision to bring Nevermore back.

The post NEVERMORE Announce European Shows Supporting JUDAS PRIEST This September appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Tesla will release Homage, an album of soul and R&B covers, in July via Frontiers Music Srl. Built around the vocal abilities of frontman Jeff Keith, the record features interpretations of classics by Sam Cooke, Etta James, and James Brown, alongside a new original Tesla track, “Never Alone”.

Guitarist Frank Hannon confirmed the details in a recent interview with Evan Toth, saying (via Blabbermouth): “Tesla is releasing an album of R&B classics that showcase our lead singer’s voice, singing Sam Cooke and Etta James, and James Brown. It’s called Homage. And that album is gonna come out in July. It’s a very interesting record, and it’s got some really cool songs on it, as well as a new Tesla song called ‘Never Alone’.”

Hannon had first flagged the project during a November 2025 appearance on SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk”, explaining the thinking behind it to host Eddie Trunk: “Well, you were talking about [Tesla frontman] Jeff Keith being a singer who can still sing compared to a lot of our other comrades from our era. And so we’re doing a collection of songs that showcase Jeff Keith‘s singing ability. And it’s coming out really great, man. Some really obscure classic songs that you would not expect to hear from Tesla. And it’s centered around his ability to sing and his soulfulness in his voice.

“[Tesla bassist] Brian Wheat has been working really hard at producing it. These guys were just in the studio for a week. I did some recording in Las Vegas in my hotel room with Jeff, and we’re working on it. It’s a work in progress.”

Hannon also revealed the tracklist would include Tesla‘s take on Supertramp‘s “Give A Little Bit” — a song the band has been playing live recently — as well as a new version of Climax Blues Band‘s “I Love You”, which has racked up significant streaming numbers and become effectively part of the band’s regular repertoire. He said:

“That’s one of the new ones we’re doing. And we’re doing another version of [Climax Blues Band‘s] ‘I Love You’, which got millions of views on Tesla‘s Spotify, I think, or YouTube or something. So that’s almost like one of our own hits, the song ‘I Love You’. But there are some really obscure tracks on this new batch of recordings — songs by The Temptations… Jeff picked most of ’em. And Brian, as I said, Brian‘s been spearheading this project.”

This summer, Tesla will support Mötley Crüe on “The Return Of Carnival Of Sins” tour alongside Extreme. The band’s most recent release was the six-song EP All About Love, out in November 2024, which included four versions of the title track, a live take on “Walk Away”, and an instrumental, “From The Heart”, written by Hannon.

The post TESLA To Release Soul And R&B Covers Album Homage In July — Plus New Original Track “Never Alone” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Sepultura have shared “Beyond The Dream”, the second single from their upcoming farewell EP The Cloud Of Unknowing, due out on 04/24 via Nuclear Blast Records. The four-track release is described as the band’s most diverse and emotionally resonant work, and functions as a closing statement on four decades of music.

“Beyond The Dream” marks the fulfilment of a long-held ambition for the band to work in the ballad format. To realise it, Sepultura brought in Sérgio Britto and Tony Bellotto of Brazilian rock institution Titãs — longtime collaborators and composers of the classic “Polícia” — whose melodic sensibility shapes the track alongside the band’s own identity. The result is framed as both an emotional and historical milestone for the group’s final chapter.

The EP’s first single, “The Place”, was released in late February. Vocalist Derrick Green said of that track: “This song deals with immigrants who have come to a place seeking refuge and start a new life. Once assimilated into a false sense of security and relentless propaganda, they began to act out against what they hate about themselves. The transition begins to escape from self-hatred and the lashing out against people who believed in the same ideas. I feel the lyrics truly follow the transitions of the song. Starting with disappointment and arriving at anger.”

The EP was recorded with drummer Greyson Nekrutman, the 23-year-old who stepped in as Eloy Casagrande‘s replacement in February 2024 after Casagrande departed to join Slipknot. Guitarist Andreas Kisser had previously teased the sessions, explaining how they came together: “It was very spontaneous. We had a situation where we played the 70000 Tons Of Metal [cruise in January 2025], and we stayed in Miami. ‘We have this studio. We have a few ideas. Okay, let’s do it.’ [Laughs] And it was great. No pressure from labels, no due date… But it’s great… We did it in our time with no rush… And it’s great. Because of the farewell [tour] idea, we can do that as well, to plan something like that, or not plan something like that, plan as less that we can to really to challenge ourselves artistically to work something like that.”

On whether the decision to wind down Sepultura was connected to a desire to work outside the constraints of extreme metal, Kisser pushed back on the premise: “I never felt kind of locked in the Sepultura world to write [in a specific style]. We were always very fearless in doing whatever we wanted. I mean, Nation is a very different album, A-Lex, all those albums that were inspired by books and stuff. It is, I think, more of the routine of being in a band like Sepultura. 40 years — 40 years, man. Have you ever done something for 40 years, like your job? Think about it. [Laughs] It’s an amazing achievement inside the entertainment business to have such a band for so long, and ups and downs, to have a following.

“Every time we were doing albums, we were playing, we had a deal with the record label, regardless of the formation, regardless of the time we were in. We played for 10 people, then we went back to play big places and stuff. It’s a beautiful history. It’s a beautiful history of art and life. And I was kind of feeling like getting in that mode of doing another album, doing another tour, it’s kind of too predictable. I mean, an artist has to be not in their comfort zone. If you’re there, you’re fucked, because you’re going to lose touch with reality. You’re gonna start living in this bubble of what Sepultura should be,” he added.

“There’s no ‘should’. There’s a new Sepultura every day. We can do anything we want musically, because we conquered that. Sepultura is this. It is not thrash metal. It’s not heavy metal. It’s not dark metal. It’s not Brazilian metal. It’s Sepultura metal. That’s why we have a name, right? [Laughs] Otherwise, why have a name? This is Sepultura. That’s what we are — very free. We’re not scared or to take risks. Art is risky. If you do something new, you’re gonna take risks. There’s no other way. And that’s where you learn, with your mistakes or with your errors and everything.”

“But it’s great to stop in a great momentum without fighting, without an external factor breaking up this band. It’s on our own terms. We chose that very peacefully, a conscious decision. We took two years talking about working out, preparing this, and now we are enjoying ourselves. It’s amazing. And why not? I mean, it’s a privilege to have that, to have that possibility, to stop while we can or to stop in this momentum. And then the future is the future. Let’s see. [Laughs]”

Kisser has also outlined his vision for the band’s final concert, planned for October 2026 in São Paulo: “The idea is to do it around October 2026 in São Paulo, Brazil. A big Sepul-fest type of show, a party with bands that are important. And as a part of Sepultura‘s history, we like to invite every member that was a part of Sepultura, including the Cavalera brothers [Max and Iggor], to be a part of the concert, to play, to jam. I mean, it’s totally irrelevant to discuss the past, who is right, who is wrong. We’re never gonna get to a point — we’re gonna have two different views of it, and that’s fine. This is irrelevant. Let’s jam for the fans, to ourselves, to our families [who had] never seen us together.”

“But not only them — Jairo [Guedz], Eloy Casagrande, Jean Patton and Roy Mayorga, musicians that were a part of Sepultura in very specific and important moments that kept Sepultura flowing and going regardless of our problems and our challenges that we had. So hopefully that will happen. They are gonna be invited. If you wanna be a part of this party, you are welcome. If not, that’s fine.”

The band’s ongoing farewell tour, “Celebrating Life Through Death”, wraps its final North American leg on 05/29 at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. The run kicks off 04/29 in Montclair, New Jersey, and includes festival appearances at Welcome To Rockville and Sonic Temple, with support from Exodus, Biohazard, and Tribal Gaze. Sepultura are also recording 40 songs across 40 cities for a live compilation documenting the farewell run.

The post SEPULTURA Stream “Beyond The Dream” — First Ever Ballad & Second Single From Final EP “The Cloud Of Unknowing” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.