Author: Editorial Team

Z2 has announced The Mandrake Project: Year Two, the next installment of the graphic novel saga co-created by Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson and writer Tony Lee. The 184-page volume picks up where the first book left off, sending Necropolis into a near-death experience that propels him into a parallel world where the dark secrets of his family tree — and the forces controlling his fate — come into full, disorienting focus.

Dickinson teased the new volume: “Oh, just hold on to your proverbial hats, folks… This one gets REALLY weird!” Lee added: “You thought the first book was going to get us sued and bring out the pitchforks? You haven’t seen anything yet!”

Beyond the graphic narrative itself, Year Two includes an extensive series of interviews and essays documenting Dickinson‘s 2025 solo tour in support of The Mandrake Project album, along with behind-the-scenes insight from the creative team on how this chapter of the saga developed. The book opens with an introduction by Sacha Gervasi, director of Anvil! The Story of Anvil. It also contains a feature article on Wilhelm Reich, the sociologist and mystic whose controversial work led to his imprisonment by the FBI; Reich died in federal custody in 1957.

The oversized 12″x12″ deluxe and platinum editions are housed in a die-cut slipcase bound with a sealing ribbon and gilt paper edging, and include four new foil collector cards and a new edition of the antiqued metal “Mandrake Project” medallion. Both signed editions will be available directly from Z2 here. A standard 9″x9″ hardcover edition without slipcase will be available through Z2‘s retail partners, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, HMV UK, and independent comic and music shops worldwide.

Z2 editor-in-chief Rantz Hoseley said: “I thought I knew the limits and boundaries of Bruce‘s mad vision for this world, but one thing ‘Year Two’ has made brutally clear… there are no limits to where the story will go! And, let me just say, we are all the luckier for it!”

Dickinson is the vocalist of Iron Maiden and a multidisciplinary figure whose work outside music includes a career as a commercial airline pilot — flying three configurations of Iron Maiden‘s Ed Force One, including a 747 — as well as a BBC radio show, a podcast, television documentaries, films, novels, memoirs, film scripts and comics. He has also competed internationally in fencing and co-created a multi-million-selling beer with Robinsons Brewery. He has developed the mythology behind The Mandrake Project for over a decade.

Lee is a No. 1 New York Times bestselling author and comics writer with credits at DC, Marvel, Hachette, IDW, Del Rey and Z2. He is known for his long run on IDW’s Doctor Who comic beginning in 2008, the 2012 Doctor Who/Star Trek crossover series, audio dramas including Confessions of Dorian Gray and Robin of Sherwood, and writing for BBC One and ITV Studios. Pre-orders for The Mandrake Project: Year Two are available at Z2Comics.com/BruceDickinson.

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Static-X has canceled its remaining tour dates for 2026, citing serious medical issues affecting an undisclosed member or members of the band. The announcement came via social media on Monday, May 18.

The band’s statement read: “Due to serious medical issues, Static-X will be forced to cancel our remaining tour dates in 2026. The situation is unavoidable and requires immediate attention. We are very sorry for the inconvenience, and we promise to return to the stage, bigger, stronger and faster in 2027. We appreciate your continued love and support and look forward to seeing you all again very soon! Sincerely, Static-X.”

Static-X‘s most recent releases are Project Regeneration Vol. 1 (July 2020) and Project Regeneration Vol. 2 (January 2024), both featuring the original lineup of Campos, drummer Ken Jay, and guitarist Koichi Fukuda alongside the masked frontman Xer0, widely believed to be Dope singer Edsel Dope. The lineup honors the memory of late Static-X frontman Wayne Static, who died in November 2014.

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Listenable Records has released a limited deluxe edition of Gojira‘s landmark 2005 album From Mars to Sirius — a double gatefold zoetrope picture disc featuring exclusive, never-before-seen band photos. The first pressing is limited to 3,000 copies worldwide and is available to order now.

Released in September 2005, From Mars to Sirius was Gojira‘s third studio album: a concept record addressing environmental collapse, life, death, and planetary rebirth through a space travel narrative. It has since been named one of Rolling Stone‘s “100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time” and remains one of the most cited metal records of the 21st century.

Gojira‘s momentum has only accelerated since. In February 2025, the band won the Grammy Award for “Best Metal Performance” for “Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça Ira!)” — a version of the French Revolution-era standard “Ah! Ça Ira!” that Gojira performed at the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony, making them the first metal act ever to perform at the Games.

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The third annual Bon’s Birthday Bash will take place Thursday, July 9, at The Cutting Room in New York City, the only U.S. tribute event officially authorized by the Bon Scott estate. The event falls during Bon‘s 80th birthday week — the late AC/DC frontman was born July 9, 1946, in Forfar, Scotland.

Performing on the night are Corey Glover of Living Colour, Constantine Maroulis, Steve Brown of Trixter, Jimmy Kunes of Cactus, and additional vocalists to be announced. The house band features Paul McGilloway on lead guitar, John Jackson on rhythm guitar, Ivan Bodley on bass, and Kenny Soule on drums. Rock radio personality Terrie Carr will host the evening.

The show will also feature a Morrison Hotel Gallery pop-up presenting never-before-seen photographs of Bon Scott by rock photographer Steve Joester, with prints available for purchase. Tickets are on sale here.

The Birthday Bash arrives on the heels of Bonfest 2026, which took over Bon‘s hometown of Kirriemuir, Scotland from May 1–3. Now in its 20th year, the festival drew fans from across Europe and around the world for a weekend of music, processions, and tributes. Among the weekend’s defining moments was the traditional “It’s a Long Way to the Top” procession — a callback to AC/DC‘s 1976 Melbourne flatbed truck performance — during which Bon‘s friend Gabby, who was present for the original filming, joined the march through Kirriemuir.

AC/DC‘s 2026 North American “Power Up” tour launches July 11 — just two days after the Birthday Bash — at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., giving fans a natural run of Bon-adjacent celebration across that week.

Scott spent his childhood in Kirriemuir before the family emigrated to Australia in 1952. He played drums in the Fremantle Pipe Band before fronting early acts The Spektors, The Valentines, and progressive rock outfit Fraternity. He joined AC/DC in 1974 and recorded six studio albums with the band before his death in February 1980.

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Cedric Bixler-Zavala, vocalist for The Mars Volta and At the Drive-In, went after Spotify on Instagram this week after Backline — a mental health and crisis support service for music industry workers — announced a partnership with the streaming platform for a mental health and songwriter summit in Nashville, Tennessee.

In a post shared via his Instagram story, Bixler-Zavala addressed Backline directly: “With Spotify? How are we supposed to take you fucking serious? Ain’t nobody at Spotify give a fuck about mental health. Fuck outta hear with this shitty propaganda. This is like forced religious arbitrations with your gremlin abusers. Wake. The. Fuck. Up. While they sit there listening to your humanity, Spotify contributes financially to death of children via military war applications they invest in.”

The anger is rooted in a controversy that flared in 2025, when it emerged that Spotify co-founder and executive chairman Daniel Ek had led a $693.6 million funding round for Helsing through his venture capital firm Prima Materia. Helsing develops AI-based military applications, and that association prompted a wave of artists to pull their music from the platform in protest. Bixler-Zavala‘s remarks are among the latest to connect Spotify‘s ownership ties to those military investments.

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Tesla have released their version of Queen’s 1977 track “Spread Your Wings”, giving fans another preview of the upcoming covers album Homage, due out July 17, 2026 through Frontiers Music Srl.

The new record sees Tesla revisiting the music that influenced the band long before its rise in the hard rock scene. The album collects interpretations of classic songs tied closely to the group’s musical background and early club days in California, where the band originally built its reputation performing covers before shifting toward original material.

Bassist and keyboardist Brian Wheat explained why “Spread Your Wings” stood out among Queen’s catalog: “‘Spread Your Wings” for me was the song I always wanted to record by QUEEN. I always felt it was the one song they had in their catalog that should’ve been a massive hit, but wasn’t because it was overshadowed by “We Are the Champions” and “We Will Rock You” on the ‘News Of The World‘ album. It was also a song written by John Deacon, who was the band’s secret weapon and whom not many people talk about, the quiet one, shall we say.”

More than four decades after forming, Tesla continues drawing from the same influences that shaped their sound in the beginning. The band has often pointed to artists such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones as major inspirations, following a similar path of learning through playing songs from earlier generations of musicians.

Beyond revisiting classic material, Homage also gives vocalist Jeff Keith room to tackle a wide range of styles. The album includes tributes to performers including Elvis Presley, Freddie Mercury, Sam Cooke, David Ruffin, Etta James, and James Brown.

The project also arrives more than 20 years after the band released the Real To Reel series, which later inspired the writing of the original Tesla song “Never Alone”.

Speaking about the new album, Tesla said: “Our new album, Homage, is a thank-you note written in sound. An offering to the great singers and songs that shaped the music we grew up listening to, and the songs we would eventually write. We hope you all enjoy this as much as we did making it. Thank you for all the years — keep it real and keep on rockin’!”

Pre-order Homage here.

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The Smashing Pumpkins will hit the road this fall for a North American tour marking the 30th anniversary of Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness.

The run, titled The Rats In A Cage Tour, will cover 27 dates across the U.S. and Canada. According to the announcement, the band plans to perform “two unique sets” each night. One set will feature Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness performed in full, while the second will pull material “from nearly four decades of unruly hits and dark treasures.”

Led by Billy Corgan, The Smashing Pumpkins are set to launch the tour on September 30 in Columbus, Ohio. The final show is scheduled for November 12 at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California.

Fans looking to secure tickets early will have several pre-sale options. Citi cardmember and Verizon Access pre-sales begin Tuesday, May 19 at 10:00 a.m. local time. A Live Nation All Access pre-sale follows on Wednesday, May 20 at 10:00 a.m. local time.

General ticket sales start Thursday, May 21 at 10:00 a.m. local time here.

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Behemoth have teamed up with Massacre Records for the worldwide physical release of I, Scvlptor. The release will arrive on September 4, 2026, in several formats including CD, LP, cassette, and a limited-edition box set.

According to the announcement, I, Scvlptor contains eight previously unreleased tracks and stands as a separate body of work in the band’s catalog. Pre-orders will open on June 1, 2026, alongside the unveiling of the cover artwork and complete track listing.

Massacre Records label manager Thomas Hertler commented on the partnership, saying: “Behemoth are one of the most powerful and iconic forces in extreme metal, and we could not be more honored to bring I, Scvlptor to their fans on CD and vinyl worldwide. This is a landmark moment for our label, and we are fully committed to giving this release the presentation it deserves.”

Frontman Adam “Nergal” Darski also shared details about the upcoming release: “‘I, Scvlptor‘ is Behemoth‘s latest full-length release — an autonomous work that bridges our past with what is new and fresh. It features brand-new, previously unreleased tracks that embody the full force of our live energy, intensity, and the fire that has driven this band for decades. We also revisited our earliest material, reshaping it with a modern edge while preserving its ancient spirit. ‘I, Scvlptor‘ is equally a tribute to the artists and bands without whom Behemoth would never have existed. Get ready for 40 minutes of a sonic pilgrimage forged at the highest level!”.

Over the last two decades, Behemoth have continued expanding their reach far beyond the Polish underground scene where they began. The band has consistently pushed extreme metal forward while maintaining the intensity and vision that established them as one of the genre’s defining acts.

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L.A. Guns will release Live From the Guild Theatre, a new live CD and DVD, on July 3 via Cleopatra Records. The set was recorded on July 10, 2025 at The Guild Theatre in Menlo Park, Calif., during the band’s run in support of their 2025 album Leopard Skin.

The release captures the lineup of singer Phil Lewis, guitarist and band founder Tracii Guns, bassist Johnny Martin, guitarist Ace Von Johnson, and touring drummer Shawn Duncan tearing through fan favorites including “Electric Gypsy,” “One More Reason,” and “The Ballad of Jayne.”

Live From the Guild Theatre can be found here.

Leopard Skin, released in April 2025, marked L.A. Guns‘ return to Cleopatra Records and was the band’s fifth studio effort in seven years since Lewis and Guns reunited in 2017. It followed 2023’s Black Diamonds, which was the fourth studio album since that reunion, coming after The Missing Peace, The Devil You Know, and Checkered Past.

L.A. Guns formed in 1983 and have sold over six million records. Both their 1988 self-titled debut and 1990’s Cocked and Loaded were certified gold. Cocked and Loaded contained “The Ballad of Jayne,” which peaked at No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 25 on the Mainstream Rock charts. Drummer Steve Riley, who had led a parallel version of the band under a separate legal arrangement, died in October 2023 at age 67.

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Gabi & the Fly, the new heavy metal project from Calgary, Alberta vocalist Gabriella Lindland and Matt “Piggy D.” Montgomery — former Rob Zombie bassist and current Marilyn Manson guitarist — has released its debut five-song demo, Initiation of Decay, exclusively on Bandcamp. A video for the track “Devil’s Chain” is also out now.

The duo draws from sludge, grind, industrial metal, and extreme music to build a sound rooted in aggression and atmosphere. Lindland comes out of Calgary’s underground heavy scene, where she developed her vocal style across bands spanning sludge metal, crust punk, and grind. Montgomery brings his two decades of experience in horror-driven rock and metal to the collaboration. Initiation of Decay serves as the first look at the band’s sound ahead of a forthcoming debut full-length. A limited pressing of 100 CDs is available as part of an exclusive merch bundle while supplies last.

Montgomery is best known for his 18-year run as bassist for Rob Zombie, joining in 2006 as the replacement for Rob “Blasko” Nicholson, who departed to join Ozzy Osbourne‘s touring band. His debut performance with Zombie came on May 24, 2006 during a Late Show With David Letterman appearance. He played bass on four Rob Zombie studio albums: Hellbilly Deluxe 2 (2010), Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor (2013), The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser (2016) and The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy (2021). Nicholson rejoined Zombie in 2024 following Montgomery‘s departure.

Montgomery played his first show with Marilyn Manson in August 2024 at the opening of Five Finger Death Punch‘s summer 2024 arena tour. Beyond Zombie and Manson, he has collaborated with Alice Cooper, John 5 and Wednesday 13, and is a member of The Haxans alongside New Years Day singer Ash Costello.

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