Author: Editorial Team

Iconic has dropped “Tears Keep On Falling,” the second single from their sophomore album II, due July 31 via Frontiers Music Srl. A visualizer is streaming now.

The lineup is essentially a hard rock fantasy draft: Nathan James (Inglorious) on vocals, Michael Sweet (Stryper) and Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake) on guitars, Marco Mendoza (Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake) on bass, and Tommy Aldridge (Whitesnake, Ozzy Osbourne) behind the kit.

“I loved singing this song in the studio,” James said. “Such a great chorus and I really hope the listeners enjoy it as much as I do.”

Sweet was equally enthusiastic: “I’m really proud to be a part of such an iconic band, no pun intended. It takes me back to the glory days, when rock ruled radio, and it was topping the charts. We created this album to remind people of those times. Here’s to ‘Tears Keep On Falling.’”

Mendoza sold it as a power ballad that hooks from bar one: “‘Tears Keep On Falling’ is a powerful rock ballad; it will get your attention as soon as you hear it, from the first verse. Nathan‘s vocals are amazing, and Michael and Joel‘s guitars are on fire… Tommy A is at the helm, driving! Enjoy!”

Hoekstra credited the rhythm section for the track’s foundation: “It was killer to lean into the groove that Tommy Aldridge and Marco Mendoza gave us for this one. It was also great fun to play the harmony lead lines with Michael Sweet and finally to hear Nathan James belt out the vocals like only he can.”

II builds on the chemistry of the debut with sharper intent — heavier, more direct, and clearly more comfortable in its own skin. Opener “Cry No More” sets an aggressive tone; “Tears Keep On Falling” demonstrates that the band can dial things back and still land a punch. James‘s voice sits at the top of the entire enterprise, and the record makes sure you know it.

At the heart of the album lies the electrifying guitar partnership of Hoekstra and Sweet, delivering a masterclass in soaring melodies, blazing solos, and muscular riffs that perfectly balance technical brilliance with pure hard-rock attitude. Beneath them, the rhythm section of Aldridge and Mendoza drives the record with thunderous authority, creating a groove that is both massive and relentless.

The post ICONIC Supergroup – Featuring MICHAEL SWEET, JOEL HOEKSTRA, MARCO MENDOZA & TOMMY ALDRIDGE – Stream “Tears Keep On Falling” Single Ahead Of New Album “II” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Arizona thrash veterans Sacred Reich have wrapped recording on their new album, Into The Abyss, and are now in the mixing phase with legendary producer Bill Metoyer. The album — their first since 2019’s Awakening — carries 11 tracks, was recorded at The Focusrite Room in Mesa, Ariz., and is tentatively slated for late 2026 via Metal Blade Records. Production was handled by engineer John Aquilino and the band themselves.

The band shared the news on social media this week with characteristic flair: “Recording studio or bridge of the Starship Enterprise? We recorded at The Focusrite Room in Mesa, Arizona, on a one-of-a-kind Focusrite desk. It sounds incredible. The new album ‘Into The Abyss’ will feature 11 tracks. It was engineered by John Aquilino and produced by John and Sacred Reich. We are mixing now with Bill Metoyer. Can’t wait for you all to hear the record.”

Into The Abyss marks Sacred Reich‘s recording debut with new drummer Eduardo Baldo, a Brazilian musician who most recently played with Los Angeles-based Red Devil Vortex. Baldo joined after longtime sticksman Dave McClain departed the band last October — the second time McClain has left the fold, having originally been a member from 1991 to 1995 (recording Independent and Heal before joining Machine Head) and rejoining in late 2018 for Awakening. The band welcomed Baldo officially last December after he proved himself on their European dates with Hatebreed in November: “He’s a great dude and fits right in with us. We are excited to move forward with Baldo behind the kit, bringing his own style, enthusiasm, and power.”

Awakening, produced by Arthur Rizk and engineered by Aquilino, was Sacred Reich‘s first studio album in 23 years when it came out in 2019. Seven years on, Into The Abyss promises to pick up where it left off — just with a new drummer and a studio that apparently looks like it belongs on a starship.

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The post SACRED REICH Are Done Recording New Album “Into The Abyss” And Are Now Mixing — ” It Sounds Incredible” The Band Says appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

DevilDriver frontman Dez Fafara sat down with Jai That Aussie Metal Guy to talk through the band’s 11th studio album, Strike And Kill, which arrives July 10 via Napalm Records. The record features the return of original bassist Jon Miller after a 12-to-15-year absence, alongside guitarist and producer Gabe Mangold, guitarist Alex Lee, and drummer Davier Ortega Perez.

On what direction the album took, Fafara told Jai (transcribed by Blabbermouth): “When I first got the music, I was just intrigued by what we were writing. And I think that everybody knew it was time to kind of go back to start a little bit… Once we started writing, we all kind of said, ‘What’s the direction?’ And I said, ‘Look at the logo, man. The logo will tell you what we fucking need to write.’ Like, period.”

On the fan reaction to the first single “Dig Your Own Grave,” and what’s coming next, Fafara said: “People are loving this. And I go, ‘Great. Let’s give them more of the same.’ So the next single that’s coming is very old school, almost first-, second-record old school… We didn’t decide to, like, ‘Let’s go back to start.’ We just said, ‘Let’s write something heavy and groovy like what we are,’ and that’s what came out. So I think people are really gonna enjoy the second and the third single. But the best thing is this: when you get the record, you’re gonna listen to it in its entirety, and at the end, you’re gonna be, like, ‘I wish we had more.’ But there’s already 13 tracks… I mean, even the label said, ‘Look, we’re good with 11,’ and I said, ‘Okay, these other two songs. You wanna leave them off?’ And they were, like, ‘Oh, fuck no.’ I said, ‘Well, then there you go.’ If people are gonna spend money, let’s give ’em their money’s worth.”

Fafara described the experience of hearing the finished album for the first time in the car, driving through the mountains of California with no phone signal: “The first time that I listened to the record in its entirety was about two weeks ago. I had no signal on my phone, which, for me, is a miracle, and I was, like, ‘Great.’ I got no phone calls for 45 minutes, and we put the record on. And when it was done, I actually said to my wife, who was driving, I go, ‘That’s it?’ And she’s, like, ‘Yeah, that’s it, man. You guys got 13 tracks.’ And I was, like, ‘I want more.’ So that’s a really good thing, I think, for sure to have. And this thing is back on track. And wait till you see it live, man. It is a no-nonsense throwdown.”

When Strike And Kill was first announced in April, Fafara said in a statement: “My headspace hasn’t changed. I have not become complacent or soft in my view of the world or in my music. Metal is our outlet as listeners and writers, so on this record, we focused on ‘getting it all out’ lyrically and backing those lyrics with savage, relentless music that fuels the heavy California groove like no other. DevilDriver has never sounded like any other band; we do our own thing in our own way, and I’m the most proud of that.”

Lead single “Dig Your Own Grave” was described as being about “how one wrong decision, one wrong move can see your whole world turned upside down,” with Fafara adding: “It can also refer to how your decisions can fuck someone else. This is why there’s the line ‘Six feet ain’t deep enough for you,’ because only a deep, deep hole is fitting for what you’ve done or tried to do to others.”

DevilDriver hits the road for a western U.S. run with Upon A Burning Body and Ov Sulfur beginning Aug. 14 in San Diego, Calif., wrapping Sept. 5 in Anaheim, Calif., with stops in Dallas, Chicago, Salt Lake City, and Reno along the way.

The post DEZ FAFARA On DEVILDRIVER’s “Strike And Kill” Album: “It’s A Nonsense Throwdown, People Are Going To Love It” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

In an interview with Charlie Kendall‘s Metalshop, Tesla bassist and founding member Brian Wheat delivered a refreshingly candid breakdown of the economics of being a legacy rock band in 2026. No chest-puffing here — just a pragmatic guy who also manages the band and clearly does the math.

On why Tesla rarely puts out full albums of new original material, Wheat said (transcribed by Blabbermouth): “It takes a lot of time to do a record, and that means that’s time that we have to spend off the road. And what people don’t — I don’t think they realize is that Tesla‘s not wealthy guys. But when we play, that’s how we earn our living. We have to go to work. We’re not so wealthy that we could just stop. We were never that big of a band. We weren’t as big as [Def] Leppard or Mötley [Crüe] or Metallica or Guns N’ Roses. We were the next level down. I called them the ‘A bands’, and we were the ‘B band’.”

Warming to the subject of streaming economics — a topic no musician seems to tire of — Wheat continued: “So we still have to go out there and earn our living. And, to be quite honest with you, people don’t buy records like they used to, when we used to put our records. They just don’t. You get paid really shitty rates by this thing, Spotify. Terrestrial radio, you make four cents a play. So when I look at the thing strategically, and I manage Tesla — I have for the last 20 years or so — you go, ‘Okay, what are the priorities?’ It just goes back to the people still wanna see us play live.”

Wheat also explained the calculus behind protecting vocalist Jeff Keith‘s voice: “Do I wanna put two years on his voice in the studio, and then that’s two years he could’ve been singing, because he’s getting older. And when the voice goes, it doesn’t give you a warning — it just goes.”

Wheat had earlier discussed how the band’s shortened sets have helped preserve Keith’s voice over the decades: “We used to play two-and-a-half-hour shows. And now we do 100 minutes. And I think part of that is what contributes to Jeff‘s voice still being in such great shape… I feel so lucky that Jeff, his voice is still in such great shape.”

The band’s next release is Homage, a covers album due July 17 via Frontiers Music Srl, honoring artists that include Elvis Presley, Freddie Mercury, Sam Cooke, and James Brown. Tesla will support the release on “The Return Of The Carnival Of Sins” tour alongside Mötley Crüe and Extreme, running July 17 through Sept. 26 across the United States.

The post BRIAN WHEAT Says TESLA’s Band Members Are Not Wealthy Guys: “When We Play Live, That’s How We Earn Our Living” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

For one night, The Parker Playhouse transformed into a full celebration of Queen’s legendary catalog as Gary Mullen & The Works brought One Night of Queen to Fort Lauderdale. More than just a tribute performance, the two-hour production captured the energy, theatricality, and communal spirit that made Queen one of the greatest live bands in music history.

From the moment the opening notes of “One Vision” filled the theater, the audience—spanning multiple generations—was fully engaged. Families, longtime Queen fans, and younger listeners shared the same excitement, singing along from the very beginning. The atmosphere felt celebratory throughout the night, less like a seated theater show and more like a full arena-rock experience condensed into an intimate venue.

Gary Mullen’s performance anchored the evening. His energy never faded, constantly interacting with the audience while balancing humor, charisma, and vocal power. That enthusiasm spread through the entire room—even staff members working throughout the venue could be seen smiling, singing along, and enjoying the performance. Rather than simply imitating Freddie Mercury, Mullen focused on channeling the joy and theatrical presence that defined Queen’s live shows.

The first set moved through classics like “Tie Your Mother Down,” “A Kind of Magic,” and “Another One Bites the Dust,” while “Under Pressure” and “Who Wants to Live Forever” brought a more emotional dynamic to the night. “Killer Queen” and “I Want to Break Free” kept the crowd fully engaged before the band closed the first half with “Now I’m Here.” After a 20-minute intermission, the second set raised the energy even further.

“I Want It All,” “Somebody to Love,” and “Don’t Stop Me Now” turned the theater into a full crowd singalong, while “Love of My Life” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” reminded everyone just how timeless Queen’s songwriting remains. By the encore—featuring “Radio Ga Ga,” “We Will Rock You,” and “We Are the Champions”—the entire venue was on its feet singing together.

What makes One Night of Queen work so well is that it understands the core of Queen’s appeal: the music was always meant to bring people together. Gary Mullen & The Works succeeded in recreating that feeling for two hours, delivering a performance filled with joy, nostalgia, and genuine appreciation for one of rock’s greatest catalogs.

For Queen fans old and new, this show is an easy recommendation.

The post CONCERT REVIEW: GARY MULLEN & THE WORKS Delivered A QUEEN Experience That Fort Lauderdale Will Not Forget appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Between The Buried And Me will perform at The Caverns on Friday, June 19. The venue is a fully operational concert space built within a natural limestone cave system in Grundy County, Tenn., named to Billboard‘s 2026 Top Music Venues list for what the publication called its “Wow Factor.”

The Caverns has steadily built a reputation as a destination for heavy and experimental music. Previous performers inside the cave include drone pioneers Sunn O))) (two appearances), Blood Incantation, GWAR, guitarist Buckethead (three shows, with a fourth scheduled for Aug. 7), and cult sludge act Acid Bath.

General manager Joe Lurgio said, “The Caverns is a venue for all genres of music, and that certainly includes metal. Could there be a more perfect place for a metal show than surrounded by rock inside a prehistoric cave?”

Between The Buried And Me‘s June 19 Caverns show falls near the end of the band’s current 31-date U.S. headlining tour in support of their 2025 album The Blue Nowhere (InsideOut Music). The run opened May 15 in Richmond, Va., and closes June 20 in Winston-Salem, N.C., with support on select dates from Imperial Triumphant, Fallujah, Thank You Scientist, and The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die. Tickets and additional information are available at The Caverns’ website.

Formed in 2000 in Raleigh, N.C., Between The Buried And Me has released 11 studio albums, from their 2002 self-titled debut through The Blue Nowhere, earning a Grammy nomination in 2019 and consistent year-end recognition from outlets including Consequence, Revolver, and Loudwire. The band’s current lineup is vocalist and keyboardist Tommy Rogers, guitarist Paul Waggoner, bassist and keyboardist Dan Briggs, and drummer Blake Richardson.

The post BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME To Play Inside A Prehistoric Cave At The Caverns On June 19 appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

U.K. thrash metal veterans Acid Reign will release their new album, Daze Of The Week, on May 15 via Back On Black. The record marks the band’s first studio effort since 2019’s The Age Of Entitlement, and comes with a newly assembled lineup built around vocalist and sole remaining original member Howard “H” Smith. The music video for the second single, “Sorrowsworn,” is out now.

Smith said: “In all my 41 years in this band — yes, 41! — I have never been more excited by the prospect of anything than releasing Daze Of The Week on the unsuspecting thrash metal public. It’s been two years in the making and at times I thought it might never even see the light of day. Every note of every performance in every song has been lovingly captured by our sixth member, producer Jayce Lewis, and we couldn’t be happier with the results.” He added: “This one is for every single thrasher around the world who thought that albums like this couldn’t be made anymore. They can, we have, you’re welcome.”

On navigating significant lineup changes in the years since The Age Of Entitlement, Smith said: “There were times, specifically when Marc [Jackson] and Cooky left at the same time, I really did wonder if it was time to call it quits. That was quickly followed by, ‘No way. No way am I letting circumstance dictate when this band’s career ends. We will decide.’ Being in a legacy band is a privilege. If a 15-year-old me was told we’d still be putting albums out all these years later it would have blown his tiny mind!”

Daze Of The Week introduces what Smith calls Acid Reign 3.0: lead guitarist Matt Smith, rhythm guitarist Darren McGillivray (whose own band Wrath Of Man had supported Acid Reign before he joined), and drummer Johnny Grimley, a touring veteran previously with Shrapnel who had briefly stepped away from drumming for health reasons. Pete Dee remains on bass alongside H. Producer Jayce Lewis flew in from New York and described the band as sounding “reborn.”

On his new bandmates, Smith was effusive: “Matt has been here for four years already. I can honestly say he is the best guitarist I have ever worked with. No offense intended to any I’ve played with in the past, but he is in a different league, as well as being a beautiful human being.”

Formed in 1985 in Harrogate, Yorkshire, Acid Reign are considered part of the “Big Four” of British thrash alongside Onslaught, Sabbat, and Xentrix. The original band released two full-length albums — The Fear (1989) and Obnoxious (1990) — following their 1988 mini-album debut Moshkinstein, and split in 1991 after a final show at the London Marquee. They returned from a 24-year absence and headlined the Sophie Stage at Bloodstock 2016 in a record-breaking appearance before releasing The Age Of Entitlement in 2019.

The post ACID REIGN Returns After Seven Years With “Daze Of The Week” — Music Video For New Single “Sorrowsworn” Out Now appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

American thrash metal pioneers Flotsam And Jetsam are gearing up to unleash their explosive Napalm Records debut album, Rats In The Temple, on 28th August 2026.

The legends from Arizona have been a fixture of the metal scene for the better part of the last four decades. With modern renaissance records like The End of Chaos (2019) and I Am the Weapon (2024), capturing the glory of their inceptional material, the Kerrang! championed classic Doomsday for the Deceiver (1986) and No Place for Disgrace (1988), it’s no wonder they’re still raising hell for their throngs of dedicated fans along festival circuits internationally.

Rats In The Temple lunges out full force with 13 rabid onslaughts of ornate guitarmonies, pummelling double bass kicks, hypnotic bass grooves, and exalted frontman Eric A.K. Knutson’s unmistakably haunting wail. As the temple is besieged by vermin, Flotsam And Jetsam line the walls with grim tales of death, abuse, betrayal, and war, inviting listeners into a dark world not too distant from our own.

Frontman Eric A.K. Knutson said about the album: “This record is a BEAST, truly our best effort to date!! Do yourself a favor. Dim the lights, grab a drink, put the headphones on, and crank this up. You will not be sorry you did!!!”

Pre-order Rats In The Temple here.

Rats In The Temple opens strong with the stadium-ready hooks and dizzyingly precise performances of “Harvesting The Hate” and “Damnation”, before delving into thrash virtuosity on “Absolution”. The iconic guitar duo of Michael Gilbert and Steve Conley paint vividly ghoulish images on tracks like “Blame The Knife” and “Rats In the Temple”, then continue to flex their metal muscle on “The Ghost Behind My Door” and “First on the Spike”, invoking pure first-wave excellence with a pummeling modern menace.

“The Edge of Nowhere” builds inescapable suspense before firing listeners out of a gun, full throttle into “Last Rites”, another standout track for the band. The legendary rhythm duo of drummer Ken Mary and bassist Bill Bodily take center stage on the anti-war anthem “A Taste For War”, their methodical syncopation invoking images of tanks and boots on the ground. “Her Blood Your Pain” brings ornate, medieval guitarmonies before “Anthem For The Broken” goes full balls to the wall, and “Going Down That Way” hits listeners with heavy riffs and even heavier truths. Rats In The Temple remains enthralling throughout, giving listeners entry to numerous of the band’s metal chambers, sampling a refined and eclectic serving of influences.

Churning like magma beneath the Earth, Flotsam And Jetsam have only been growing more and more fiery with time, and Rats In The Temple sees the band exploding to the surface in a magnificent and awe-inspiring blaze. For fans new and longstanding, you cannot escape them; they’re through the walls.

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Motionless In White has announced Decades, the band’s seventh studio album, due July 17 via Roadrunner Records. Alongside the announcement, the band released a lyric video for lead single “Playing God,” which features a guest appearance by Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor. Additional guest spots on the album include Skylar Grey and Dark Divine‘s Anthony Martinez.

The quintet — vocalist Chris Motionless, guitarists Ricky Olson and Ryan Sitkowski, drummer Vinny Mauro, and bassist Justin Morrow — recorded Decades in upstate New York and Los Angeles with co-producers Drew Fulk and Justin “JD” deBlieck. The album draws on the band’s full stylistic range — metal, hardcore, goth, industrial, and electronic — while pushing into new territory.

On “Playing God,” Motionless said, “I can’t believe how aggressive Corey sounds. It’s an observational commentary on toxic Internet culture and the people who perpetuate it. The Internet has gotten worse and worse to the point where only negativity, hatred, and lies are at the forefront of everything you see. It’s very frustrating because I thought social media was supposed to be a mechanism to connect, but all it does is divide.”

Pre-order the album here.

Reflecting on the band’s longevity and the new record’s identity, Motionless said, “We were never afraid to take risks. This band has not only lasted two decades, but we’ve also outlasted all of the obstacles we’ve faced. We’re still grinding. No matter how far we expand the universe that is Motionless In White, we’re going to preserve the heart, soul, and roots of where we came from. We are never going to abandon heartfelt, emotional, and heavy songs. We are never going to abandon what mattered to us the most when we started. We’re finding new ways to emphasize those stories with exciting sounds and looks, but the vision is the same. It’s always been this grand, dramatic, and theatrical entity. I’m proud we haven’t gotten comfortable.”

Motionless added: “Decades is definitely heavier than some of our past albums. Our current world breeds more aggressive energy, anger, and resistance.”

Decades tracklist:

• “Decades”
• “log_in//crash_out”
• “R.I.P.” (feat. Skylar Grey)
• “Fight Like Hell”
• “Playing God” (feat. Corey Taylor)
• “All That I’ve Ever Known”
• “Blood Rave” (feat. Anthony Martinez)
• “Love At First Bite”
• “Count Back From Zero”
• “Blood Pact”
• “Afraid Of The Dark”
• “Sunglasses At Night”
• “Hollywood” (bonus track)
• “Fight Like Hell” (feat. Outlier) (bonus track)

Motionless In White is currently on a North American arena run with Bring Me The Horizon. The band’s next headlining outing, “The Sweat And Blood Tour,” kicks off July 14 in Bridgeport, Conn., and runs through Aug. 15 in Sterling Heights, Mich., with support from Lorna Shore, Fit For A King, and Static Dress. The run — the band’s first U.S. headline tour in nearly three years — includes their first-ever headline performance at Red Rocks.

The post MOTIONLESS IN WHITE Announce New Album “Decades”, Share Lyric Video For “Playing God” Featuring COREY TAYLOR appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Fans waiting for Dream Theater to follow up on 2025’s Parasomnia can stop refreshing their feeds, at least for a while. In a new interview with Brazilian journalist Igor Miranda, singer James LaBrie laid out the band’s rough timeline for the next album, and “rough” is very much the operative word.

Asked whether the band had begun discussing a follow-up, LaBrie said (transcribed by Blabbermouth): “Whenever we approach a new album, it’s where we feel that we’re all presently sitting in life, what is affecting us, what is inspiring us, and most importantly, what do we feel should be the next chapter in Dream Theater as far as another album, its music, what is it going to represent, and something we can stand behind 100%. So we usually slowly transition to that when we know that we’re gonna go into the studio, when we know we’re gonna be writing a new album. That’s when we start having the conversations, as, ‘Hey, what do you guys think about maybe this kind of an album or…?’ And then at the same time, even regardless of all the conversations we have, each guy will come in with seeds of ideas, and we throw that on the floor. ‘Here we go, man.’ It’s there. Which do we feel is something that’s really cool and something that we can build on, something that we feel is going in the direction that we’ve been discussing? And so it’s kind of like that.”

He continued: “Right now, the focus is on this world tour. We’re gonna be on the world tour until — what? — mid-May. And that’s the focus. Then we’re gonna take a break for a little bit. And then probably late ’26 or early ’27, we’ll get into starting to write and record a new album. And then hopefully late ’27 or early ’28, we’ll go back out with a new tour. And this is just — this is all not concrete. But this seems to be the idea at this point.”

Drummer Mike Portnoy expressed the same uncertain tune back in December. Speaking to Troy Culpan of Australia’s May The Rock Be With You, Portnoy said: “Well, we have to wait, ’cause it’s been a long tour. We’ve been out for a year now at this point. We started in October of 2024. And here we are, a year later now, and by the time we get down to Australia [in February 2026] and wrap up the tour cycle a few months after that, it’ll have been a year and a half on the road. So, that’s the focus right now. But once the tour cycle wraps and concludes by next spring or so, we’ll probably take the summer [of 2026] off, ’cause it’s been a long road, and then start thinking about a new album after that.”

In the meantime, last November, the band released Quarantième: Live À Paris via Inside Out Music/Sony Music, documenting their Nov. 23, 2024, concert at the Adidas Arena in Paris during the 40th-anniversary European tour. Parasomnia itself — an eight-song, 71-minute set recorded at the band’s DTHQ studio on Long Island, N.Y., produced by Petrucci and mixed by Andy Sneap — came out Feb. 7, 2025 via InsideOut Music.

The post JAMES LaBRIE Says DREAM THEATER Will Probably Start Writing And Recording A New Album Around “Late ’26 Or Early ’27” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.