Author: Editorial Team

Swedish gothic doom outfit Draconian will release their new studio album In Somnolent Ruin on May 8 through Napalm Records. The record arrives as one of the band’s most personal works so far, unfolding across nine tracks that move through a dreamlike atmosphere while leaning on the poetic writing of vocalist Anders Jacobsson.

The album also marks the return of longtime singer Lisa Johansson, who handled vocals on the band’s first five albums. The first taste of the record is the single “Cold Heavens,” a track that deals with the idea of finding no comfort in heaven, where the line between life and death offers no relief.

Draconian guitarist, vocalist and keyboardist Johan Ericson explained how the song came together: “In need of a more up-tempo song, ‘Cold Heavens’ was the final piece written for In Somnolent Ruin. The intention was to create a simple, straightforward track to balance the album’s longer compositions and add versatility. Lisa’s laid-back vocals take center stage, guiding us through a bleak, cold landscape before giving way to Anders’ more spiteful and desperate delivery. The song ends with a sense of resignation, leading into the album’s next track.”

Six years have passed since Draconian released its previous album, Under A Godless Veil, which became the band’s most successful release to date. A lot has shifted since then while the band’s identity remains intact. Guitarist Niklas Nord (Myteri, Deathtrap, The Random Victims) joined in spring 2022, and the group later confirmed the return of Lisa Johansson, who once again shares vocal duties with Anders Jacobsson. Her comeback follows several festival appearances with the band in recent years. Johansson originally stepped away from Draconian in 2011 for personal reasons.

The current lineup also includes drummer Daniel Johansson (Antikult, ex-Wormwood), who became a full member in 2025 after Jerry Torstennson departed. Before that, Johansson had worked with the band as a session drummer starting in 2019. Another notable shift finds longtime member Daniel Arvidsson now handling bass after moving over from guitar in 2022. In Somnolent Ruin is the first Draconian album where he appears in that role.

With a career stretching back to the mid-1990s and a debut album, Where Lovers Mourn, released in 2003, Draconian have built a reputation for slow-burning doom arrangements, layered melodies and lyrics that read like bleak poetry. Their music often leans into themes of inner conflict and isolation, guiding listeners through dark emotional territory before offering a sense of release.

The journey on In Somnolent Ruin opens with “I Welcome Thy Arrow,” which sets the tone through haunting melodies and the interplay between Johansson’s and Jacobsson’s voices. Songs like “The Monochrome Blade” and “The Face Of God” raise the tempo while pushing the vocal dynamics further.

“Anima” brings in Swedish musician Daniel Änghede, adding extra emotional weight as the track explores darker impulses and the feeling of losing direction. “Asteria Beneath The Tranquil Sea” works as a short bridge between “I Gave You Wings” and “Cold Heavens,” the latter focusing on the uneasy space between life and death while delivering one of the album’s most intense vocal performances.

Later in the record, “Misanthrope River” begins with a long instrumental section and narration from Simon Bibby, slowing the pace while reflecting the grind of everyday struggles. The album closes with “Lethe,” named after the river of forgetfulness in Greek mythology. Those who drank from it would lose their memories. As Jacobsson delivers the final lines — “Oh, shooting star… Drown in me! Drink. Forget. Repeat.” — the album ends on a bleak but fitting note.

Even with that theme of forgetting, In Somnolent Ruin stands as the kind of record that lingers long after it ends. For Draconian, it continues a long-running exploration of darkness, emotion and atmosphere that has defined their sound for decades.

In Somnolent Ruin is available to pre-order here in the following formats:

• 2 CD 36-page Earbook incl. In Somnolent Ruin & Bonus CD with 2 Tracks only available with this format (exclusively available via Napalm Records Mailorder)
• 2 LP Gatefold Picture Vinyl incl 24 pages 12’’ booklet (exclusively available via Napalm Records Europe Mailorder)
• 2 LP Gatefold Splattered Black Smoke/White Orange Black Vinyl incl 24 pages 12’’ booklet (exclusively available via Napalm Records Mailorder)
• 2 LP Gatefold Gold Vinyl incl lyric sheet (exclusively available via Napalm Records Mailorder)
• 1 CD Digipak
• Digital Album

The post DRACONIAN Shares First Single “Cold Heavens” From Upcoming Album “In Somnolent Ruin” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

In just under a month, on April 10, OPVS Noir Vol. 3, the final part of Lord Of The Lost‘s OPVS Noir album trilogy, will be released. Today, the Hamburg-based band presents another preview in the form of their new single, “My Funeral,” which, as usual, cannot be pigeonholed into any genre and embodies the authenticity for which Lord Of The Lost are appreciated by fans and beyond. The lyrics declare black to be the “happy color” with a dose of irony and define pink as the new color of mourning, which is visually underlined by the accompanying music video.

With nearly half a million listeners on Spotify, their appearance at the Eurovision final in 2023, followed by a number-one album and international tours with Iron Maiden, Lord Of The Lost are proving themselves to be one of the most exciting and successful acts on the scene right now. OPVS Noir Vol. 3 represents the creative peak of a band whose repertoire leaves no room for stagnation. The year started with shows in the USA, Canada, and Australia, and now continues with the upcoming headline tour across Europe. The tour kicks off on Thursday, March 12, in Oslo, Norway.

Chris Harms shares thoughts about “My Funeral”: “The message of the song – that black is our ‘happy color’ and that I want my funeral guests to adhere to the ‘dress code: pink’ – is actually no joke. It’s a shame that when I eventually kick the bucket, I’ll only be able to attend this pink funeral service lifelessly.”

Lord Of The Lost bring their ambitious album trilogy to a brilliant finale with OPVS Noir Vol. 3. A direct continuation of OPVS Noir Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, which were both unveiled in 2025, it gloriously expands on the genre-defying band’s opus. The most out of the box of the three, the third and final part of their latest journey has the six-piece end this chapter of their career on a fulminant high note, intertwining heavy guitars and dark electronica with compassionate messages and cinematic orchestrals.

Following the captivating Blood & Glitter, which brought them to the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 and a #1 chart entry in their native Germany to go along with it, Lord Of The Lost once again demonstrate their unmatched diversity on OPVS Noir Vol. 3. Initiated by beautiful cello melodies, “Kill The Lights” is an overture like no other, setting a dark mood, but also unafraid to switch it up to make room for catchy and reassuring “I’m A Diamond.” Stomping “I Hate People” invites horror punk icon Wednesday 13 to an industrial duet about equality, after which gentle “The Shadows Within” hits twice as hard with its symphonic arrangement.

Next, Chris Harms and parting Kissin’ Dynamite frontman Hannes Braun deliver “La Vie Est Hell,” before going back to “Square One.” “When Did The Love Break?” is a heartfelt song of lost love – the addition of whimsical vocals by Ambre Vourvahis of Xandria drives the emotions of this universal topic right home. After “Your Love Is Colder Than Death,” Lord Of The Lost teams up with Damien Edwards of British glam rock band Cats In Space for the captivating duet “Take Me Far Away”, before the album closes with a ballad, “The Days Of Our Lives” – the sweeping track simultaneously being the closest Lord Of The Lost have ever been to a cinematic soundtrack. The happy ending is skipped, almost making it sound like a goodbye…

OPVS Noir Vol. 3 is available to pre-order here in the following formats:

• 1-LP Liquid Vinyl Purple-Black with 12-page booklet – Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive (strictly limited) – SOLD OUT!
• 1-LP Gatefold Splattered Silver/Black with 12-page booklet – Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive (strictly limited)
• 1-LP Gatefold Cristallo with 12-page booklet – LordShop exclusive (strictly limited)
• 1-LP Gatefold Recycled Black
• 1-CD in paper sleeve for everyone that already own a OPVS Noir Collectors Edition (= Earbook or Wooden Box Set)
• 1-CD 6-page Digisleeve with 16-page booklet
• Music Cassette Noir with silver print – Napalm Records Mailorder & LordShop exclusive (strictly limited) – SOLD OUT!
• Digital Album
• Deep Dive Edition, containing OPVS Noir Vol. 3 Digisleeve with 16-page booklet, USB Stick incl. 8 so called “audio stems” per song, so you can deep dive into listening to the vocals only, the guitars only, the drums only, and so on. Also perfect for musicians to create your own playthrough versions or for audio engineers to create remixes. CD and USB stick bundled in a cloth bag – Napalm Records Mailorder Europe & LordShop exclusive

The post LORD OF THE LOST Announces Album Trilogy Grand Finale “OPVS Noir Vol. 3” And Shares New Single “My Funeral” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Hard rock veterans Spread Eagle are thrilled to announce the release of their upcoming new album The Brutal Divine, out on June 12, 2026, via Frontiers Music Srl. To coincide with the announcement, the band shares the first single and accompanying video for “Street Noise”.

Spread Eagle is set to embark on The Brutal Divine Tour 2026 later this month, with dates across the US, UK, and Europe throughout the summer. For the full list of dates, please see below and get tickets here.

The band stated: ‘””Street Noise” is an obvious choice to kick off The Brutal Divine. It sets the aggressive tone of the album and hints at what’s to come. On this song, Ray West does a great job channeling the energy of our day-to-day dealings in NYC.”

The Brutal Divine is Spread Eagle’s long-awaited fourth studio album and a fierce new chapter in the band’s uncompromising legacy. Known for their raw energy, streetwise attitude, and explosive live performances, they once again prove why they remain a vital force in modern hard rock.

The band described the new record as “an emotionally and musically heavy body of songs showcasing a unique command of power, dynamics, and melody. We have harnessed the energy of years of non-stop touring and turned it into a metal/punk thrill ride of an album.”

“Lyrically, The Brutal Divine challenges us to question our views and ask if we’re truly as free-thinking as we may believe. Once that question is posed, the album progresses towards uplifting messages of hope and community”, they continued.

Fronted by the unmistakable voice of Ray West, the band delivers a powerful collection of songs that balance grit and melody, aggression and soul. Guitarist Gianmaria “Jommy” Puledda injects the record with razor-sharp riffs and soaring harmonies, while Rob De Luca on bass and vocals and Rik De Luca on drums, form a thunderous rhythmic backbone that drives every track with authority and groove.

Produced by Rob De Luca, The Brutal Divine captures the band at their most focused and dynamic, blending their classic hard rock roots with a darker, heavier edge. The album channels the intensity and authenticity that first put Spread Eagle on the map, while showcasing a band that continues to evolve without losing its identity.

With a full slate of live dates planned in support of the release, Spread Eagle is ready to bring The Brutal Divine to stages around the world – where their music truly comes alive. This is hard rock delivered with conviction, attitude, and fire.

The Brutal Divine is available for pre-order here.

The Brutal Divine 2026 Tour:

US Dates:

Mar 20 – Thomasville, PA @ Racehorse Tavern
Mar 21 – Corona, NY @ Juan Bar Metal Night
Mar 27 – New Bedford, MA @ The Vault
Apr 2 – New York, NY @ Arlene’s Grocery
Apr 3 – Albany, NY @ Empire Live
Apr 4 – Bristol, CT @ Bleachers Bar
Apr 9 – Tampa, FL @ The Brass Mug
Apr 12-16 – Monsters Of Rock Cruise – Dominican Republic
Apr 17 – Casselberry, FL @ The Green Parrot
Apr 18 – Ft Myers, FL @ Stet’s Bar
Apr 19 – Davie, FL @ Cagney’s House of Rock
May 3 – Halethorpe, MD @ Fish Head Cantina
Jun 6 – Charlotte, NC @ Amos Southend
Jun 12 – Clifton, NJ @ Dingbatz
Jun 13 – Newark, DE @ Halftime
Jun 19 – Norton, WV @ RimRocks Fest

EU Dates:

Aug 29 – Issenheim, France @ Rockfest
Sep 10 – Frankfurt, Germany @ Huhnerstall
Sep 11 – Lichtenfels, Germany @ Paunchy Cats
Sep 12 – Wroclaw, Poland @ Klub Muzyczny Liverpool
Sep 13 – Reichenbach, Germany @ Bergkeller
Sep 18 – Grebbestad, Sweden @ Rode Orm
Sep 23 – Southampton, England @ The Brook
Sep 24 – St Albans, England @ The Horn
Sep 25 – Isle of Wight, England @ Strings
Sep 26 – London, England @ New Cross Inn
Sep 27 – Derby, England @ The Victoria Inn
Sep 28 – Birmingham, England @ Subside
Sep 30 – Newcastle, England @ Trillians
Oct 1 – Edinburgh, Scotland @ Bannermans
Oct 2 – Buckley, Wales @ The Tivoli
Oct 3 – Harrogate, England @ The Den
Oct 4 – Stockport, England @ The Spinning Top

The post SPREAD EAGLE Announces New Studio Album “The Brutal Divine” And Shares First Single “Street Noise” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

American death metal pioneers Six Feet Under will unleash their Next To Die full-length on April 24th through Metal Blade Records.

That sonic devastation shines on lead single, “Unmistakable Smell Of Death,” which sees guitarist Jack Owen owning his blast and fast riffs with dynamic pull-offs and stop sections. “This song began musically before I had any lyrical ideas in mind,” says Owen. “I dug through my riff archive for some blast and fast riffs and updated them with some pull-offs and stop sections. The middle section riffs were also from my riff archive. I do scratch leads on my demos, but Ray [Suhy, guitarist] always does a much better job with the leads.”

“Lyrically, I’m writing from the perspective of a killer who toys with a victim and unties them, allowing them to fight. He underestimates their ability to fight, and they get the better of the killer, ultimately impaling and beheading him. The ‘Unmistakable Smell Of Death’ is now that of the killer!”

Next To Die marks a new creative high for Six Feet Under, its dozen songs marking the band’s fifteenth album since 1995’s Haunted. “It started out as an album full of death metal songs with speed and aggression,” says Owen. “Then [vocalist] Chris [Barnes] had the brilliant idea to keep half of those death metal songs and add some groovier songs in the vein of the early Six Feet Under material. Chris emphasized tempo, so keeping with the beats per minute for early SFU classics, I wrote a side of tasty groove-laden music with Chris doing all the lyrics.”

The creative collaborative approach sees Next To Die essentially broken down into two different sides – Death and Groove – resulting in an aural masterwork that satisfies Six Feet Under as artists, while also offering something for every fan.

The record was produced by Owen and Barnes and mixed and mastered by Mark Lewis of MRL Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, and follows 2024’s Killing For Revenge. It’s the third record that Barnes and Owen have created together since reuniting in 2017. “We don’t discuss lyrical themes, we each write what we’re feeling,” explains Barnes. “We each just write what we find interesting.”

Six Feet Under was initially formed as a side project for Barnes during his final years with the band that he co-founded, Cannibal Corpse. It became the frontman’s sole focus in 1995, coinciding with the release of their debut, Haunted. The current lineup of Barnes, Owen, lead guitarist Ray Suhy, bassist Jeff Hughell, and drummer Marco Pitruzzella makes for a devastating unit.

Next To Die comes swathed in the cover art of Sandy Rezalmi and will be released on CD and digital formats as well as vinyl in the following color variants:     

• 180g Black (US)
• Red w/ Black Smoke (US)
• Bone Brown Marbled (EU – Ltd. 500)
• Blue Grey Marbled (EU – Ltd. 300)
• Blood Splatter (EU – Ltd. 300)
• Bone White Green Splatter (EU – Ltd. 200)

Find all preorders here.

Six Feet Under will return to stages this Summer on a North American headlining tour. Set to begin on July 8th in Detroit and run through August 11th in Chicago, the tour features support from Kataklysm and Wormhole.  

Comments Barnes, “July and August are gonna get ultra brutal on our headlining tour of North America in support of our new album Next To Die, with our old friends in Kataklysm, and special guests Wormhole. Very psyched to get back on the road in the States, and really, really looking forward to playing Canada on this tour. I think it’s our first time in Canada in decades… You do not want to miss these shows! See you all this Summer!”

The North American journey will follow the band’s previously announced European headlining tour this June with support from Embryonic Autopsy.

Presales begin Thursday, March 12th, password: GRAVE. General on sale date is Friday, March 13th. See all confirmed dates below. 

The post SIX FEET UNDER Announce New Album “Next To Die; Stream New Single “Unmistakable Smell Of Death” & Announce North American Tour With KATAKLYSM appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Corrosion of Conformity have unveiled the video for “You Or Me,” the latest single from their upcoming double album Good God / Baad Man, due April 3rd via Nuclear Blast. The clip was directed by visual artist Costin Chioreanu, with additional footage shot by Mike Holderbeast.

The band offered their own take on the collaboration: “Deep from within the forests of Romania and the twisted mind of our dear friend Costin Chioreanu comes his twisted visions put to Corrosion‘s music. It’s a match made in purgatory. There’s some special additions from [director] Mike Holderbeast‘s crew as well.”

The band said the “You Or Me” quote came from the band Lucifer, who described the track as “a blistering, Sabbed out track” and “an angry acid trip into the origins of the human condition since the dawn of man. In these primitive times, it’s clear to say they haven’t learned much. So, Black it’s Blue.”

Pre-orders are underway at this location.

The single follows “Gimme Some Moore,” the album’s lead track, which featured backing vocals from Ministry‘s Al Jourgensen and Madonna guitarist Monte Pittman.

Good God / Baad Man was produced by Grammy winner Warren Riker (Fugees, Down, Cathedral), recorded at Blak Shak Studios in Riffissippi, USA, Dockside Studios in Maurice, Louisiana, and Barry Gibb‘s home studio in Miami, Florida. Cover art is by New Orleans artist Scott Guion.

The album arrives as a double record, and that format was a natural outcome of the writing process. “As we went on, we had such a crazy plethora of songs, it was almost like two different directions,” vocalist and guitarist Pepper Keenan explains. “We knew we had to split it into two different albums. Then we came up with this concept.”

Each half has its own identity. “Good God leans toward the heavier/pissed end of the spectrum. Baad Man is more on the throwdown rock scope. As we went along, it became clear which songs went on which album.”

Warren Riker had his own take on the project: “Our producer kept calling it Dark Side Of The Doom,” Keenan recalls. “In my head, it’s a weird love letter to all things rock ‘n’ roll.”

The record marks the band’s first since 2018’s No Cross No Crown, a period shadowed by loss. Drummer Reed Mullin passed away in January 2020, and bassist Mike Dean later departed amicably. Keenan and guitarist Woody Weatherman regrouped, hunkering down at Keenan‘s Mississippi home and absorbing everything from Discharge to ZZ Top to Black Sabbath before the writing began. “With a lot of these songs, we’re trying to make Reed Mullin proud,” Keenan says. “He was a badass and a one-of-a-kind drummer. And the stakes were high.”

The current lineup features Stanton Moore on drums — who previously appeared on 2005’s In The Arms Of God — and bassist Bobby Landgraf, known from his time with Down and his own band, Honky.

Good God / Baad Man is available for pre-order on digipak CD, digital, and vinyl in the following formats:

• Gatefold 2xLP w/ Belly Strip – Black Vinyl (Retail)
• 2 Separate Jacket LPs w/ Belly Strip – LP 1 Blue / LP 2 Red (Mail Order + Band Exclusive)

The post CORROSION OF CONFORMITY Drop “You Or Me” Music Video From Upcoming “Good God / Baad Man” Double Album appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Canadian metal maverick Devin Townsend has built a career on distinct creative worlds—heavy records, atmospheric detours, character-driven releases—each with its own logic and weather system.

His latest release, The Moth, is different. It arrives without a pre-existing template, not as a pivot for novelty’s sake, but as a culmination: a project conceived from the beginning as orchestral, choral, and theatrical in scope, with the scale required to underline the emotional transformation at the heart of the concept.

An album over a decade in the making, The Moth finally arrives on the 29th May 2026. This 24-track record began as a vague vision more than a decade ago. It existed in the back of Devin Townsend’s mind as his “life’s work”. Then, about six years ago, after an acoustic show in Amsterdam, Townsend was approached by the head of the North Netherlands’ Orchestra and Choir with an offer: bring orchestral grandeur to Devin’s extensive discography.

Townsend’s response was immediate—and telling. If those forces were going to be assembled, he wanted to spend them on something new: this original work that had been circling him for years, waiting for a door to open. That was the moment The Moth stopped being an idea and began to become a reality.

Today, to coincide with the announcement, Devin is also pleased to reveal the first introduction to the world of The Moth, in the shape of the track “Enter The City”. The song is accompanied by a video created by Studio Sparks, which you can watch now below.

Pre-order now here.

As Devin explains, The Moth is “a loose story following someone who realises that old patterns of behaviour are no longer serving them. By digging in and sitting with themselves, an internal conflict is revealed, one they may have been resisting or unconsciously rationalizing for years”, and ‘Enter The City comes towards the beginning of that story arc.

The Moth consists of 3 distinct parts across its release. In addition to the main album, The Moth – The Afterlife highlights the grandeur of the orchestra & choir, in what might be considered a purer version of the The Moth experience. The Moth – The War is a recording of the live musical debut that took place in March 2025 in the Netherlands, showcasing the raw emotion of performing The Moth for the very first time.

If The Moth has a central gravitational theme, Townsend names it plainly: true self-acceptance. Something sturdier than slogans, closer to a practiced willingness to face what is uncomfortable without turning away. As Devin explains: “The most obvious metaphor for change within the concept of this project was a moth: from caterpillar to an entirely different creature—one so drawn to the light that it burns itself away. What remains is immutable—only the spirit.”

At the hardest moments, when abandoning the project might have seemed rational, Townsend points to the team as the decisive factor. A host of incredible musicians and contributors participated throughout the course of this process, as well as the North Netherlands Orchestra & Choir and orchestrators Joseph Stevenson & Niels Bye Nielsen.

Long-time band members Darby Todd, Mike Keneally, and James Leach played a huge part, as well as guests including Steve Vai, Anneke van Giersbergen, Lynn Wu (Ou), and artists Travis Smith & Eliran Kantor, plus key creative consultation from Mike St-Jean.

The technical teams that worked tirelessly included co-mixer Chris Edrich, recording engineers Ben Searles & Jacob Hermann, Atmos mixer Ron Searles, Mastering engineer Troy Glessner, choirs in various countries throughout the world, and peripheral individuals who helped land this behemoth of a plane.

The Moth will be available on several formats, including Ltd Deluxe 3CD+Blu-ray Artbook that includes the album on CD1, The Moth – The Afterlife on CD2 & The Moth – The War (Live) on CD3. The Blu-ray includes the full The Moth – The War live film, as well as Dolby Atmos & High Resolution Stereo Mixes of The Moth and The Moth – The Afterlife. It will also be available as a Limited 2CD Edition (including The Moth-The Afterlife on CD2), Standard CD Jewelcase, and as Gatefold Triple-Gatefold 180g 2LP & Fold-Out LP-booklet, as well as digitally.

The post DEVIN TOWNSEND Announces Ambitious, Orchestral Metal Opus “The Moth”; Share Music Video For First Single “Enter The City” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson sat down with Argentine journalist and rock specialist Gustavo Olmedo on his podcast “Quemar Un Patrullero” for one of his more candid conversations yet — covering his complicated brotherhood with Dave Mustaine, the fallout over The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!, and why he has no interest in re-engaging the fight.

Ellefson spoke warmly about the moments of genuine closeness he shared with Mustaine after rejoining the band in 2010.

“When I went back to Megadeth in 2010, [Dave and I] were close — we were really close. I was helping him with some personal things. He became a good friend to me during that time. So there were periods of closeness as men, as brothers. And I found those opportunities were always the best when it was just Dave and me, when there wasn’t another person in the room. We didn’t have to sort of be on stage performing for anyone. It was just me and him being brothers, [at] Starbucks drinking coffee, whatever. And those moments were genuine, they were sincere, they were heartfelt,” Ellefson said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth)

That closeness, however, had its limits. When the band began work on what became The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!, Ellefson sensed the shift.

“[Dave] didn’t wanna use any of my music [for that record]. I could tell he resented me. He wanted me off that album. And I finally wrote a song [that was originally going to be included on it]. It was a ballad that I’ve kept, ’cause I had Kiko [Loureiro, then-Megadeth guitarist] play the guitar on it. And it was a very good song — I think an extremely good song that has a place somewhere. But it didn’t make the record.”

He went further, describing a specific collaboration that ended with his contributions stripped from the final product.

“Dave and I even had a really close moment. We were writing the lyrics for the song that became ‘Soldier On!’ He eventually took my lyrics off of it and then used the song without [my lyrical contributions]… He wrote the music — it was his song — but I was invited to write the lyrics for it, which I did. And he decided to call it ‘Soldier On!’ We collaborated from there, which I say, well, look, when Dave got fired from Metallica, at least they kept his words and his music and they paid him and gave him credit. Dave wasn’t so kind to me. He kicked me out, took my performances off the record, and took my lyrics and everything off the record. So I think I have a horse in that race when I speak about how properly Metallica handled things and how I think improperly things were handled on my behalf. ‘Cause I saw it; I lived it.”

For Ellefson, the real ending came years before his public dismissal. He considers the 2016 album Dystopia — and the Buenos Aires show in late 2017 — as his true farewell.

“My farewell with Megadeth was really in 2018. That was my farewell. That was my farewell tour. I feel like I played on the last great Megadeth record, which was [2016’s] Dystopia. Dave announced from the stage in Buenos Aires in November 2017, he said, ‘We’re gonna go home and start working on a new album.’ So I feel like that was kind of a good closure for me with Megadeth, which is why I’ve moved on and done so much other stuff. I don’t have bitterness in my heart. I almost feel like I was set free to not have to deal with that anymore. Whereas Dave had bitterness toward Metallica, I don’t have bitterness toward Dave or Megadeth. I really don’t.”

Ellefson also addressed his firing in May 2021, which came days after sexually explicit messages and video footage involving him were posted online. At the time, he denied any allegations of grooming and filed a police report in Scottsdale, Arizona, citing unlawful distribution of explicit imagery. He acknowledged exchanging messages with a Dutch woman he maintains was 19 at the time of their first virtual encounter, who recorded and shared footage without his knowledge.

His account of the phone call that ended his tenure in the band is blunt: “[The Megadeth camp] called me to fire me. And I told ’em, ‘Guys, there’s nothing here. There’s no reason to let me go. This is all just nonsense on the Internet. It’s all it is. It’s nothing at all. And I will maintain that position all along,’ and I have.”

“At some point, you could just keep going after people on the Internet and trolls and all this kind of shit. It’s endless. There is no Internet police, there’s no Internet human resources, where you can go and say, ‘Hey, this guy said this’ and ‘this person said this’, and da, da, da, because you should, because it’s highly defamatory. And defamation is when something harms your reputation, maybe even prevents you from getting more work. Those are real things. And the fact that it can happen on the Internet, which is kind of a fake place. It’s not even real. It’s kind of a fake place, yet that could somehow come over to your reality. I’m fortunate that the fanbase stood by me. They said, ‘Dude, that is bullshit. How dare you do that to Ellefson?’”

He also took issue with Mustaine‘s public statement at the time, which referenced “aspects of David‘s private life that he has kept to himself.”

“The statement that was put out, what Dave personally signed, was deflectionary, to kind of keep it away from him. And I said, ‘There’s nothing to keep away. There’s nothing here.’ I mean, my own legal team even said, ‘Hey, if you wanna open up on the Internet and blast that guy, you have our [blessing]’. And this is a top-level law firm in Phoenix, and they said, ‘We have never seen something so unconscionable’ as a legal word, meaning unconscious, not thinking, with no, basically, human heart. ‘You have our blessing.’

“There’s a Bible scripture. It says, ‘Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.’ And that’s where I went with it. I said, ‘I could tangle with this guy again, and I could fight with this guy as I did with the lawsuit,’ which I had every right to do, given what happened then. And Dave did not win the lawsuit. We settled out of court. That was another one. It was just another opportunity to try to kick me. And it’s, like, no, we settled out of court. And I ended up in a far better position than had I not done that, so I’m glad I went through that process, as horrible as it was.”

That 2004 lawsuit — in which Ellefson sought $18.5 million from Mustaine, alleging he was shortchanged on profits and denied ownership of Megadeth Inc. after the band dissolved in 2002 — was eventually dismissed, clearing the path for his return in 2010.

More recently, Mustaine told SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk” that a farewell tour reunion featuring all surviving former members was off the table “because of the behavior of one of the band members in the past.” Ellefson made clear he considers that a veiled shot at him — and he has no patience for it.

“To have it end where it did, and then [for Mustaine] even recently to say, ‘Oh, because of what one person did, I can’t bring anyone back.’ You know what? F*ck off. Just f*ck off. Who is that one person? It wasn’t me, ’cause I didn’t do anything that would prevent me from coming back at all. At all. And so this sort of deflectionary thing, to sort of get on some moral high ground, it’s, like, gimme a break. Really? And look, I had rock stars much bigger than Dave coming to my side and coming to my aid, standing by me, saying, ‘Man, just let me know if you need anything at all. That’s really fucked up.’ It’s fucked up about how I was handled being discarded. People saying, ‘I’m really disappointed that they chose business over brotherhood,’ ’cause at the end of the day, the brotherhood will always last beyond the business of owning a rock band — especially something we started and built together.”

Ellefson closed with a line that sums up where he stands: “So, with that said, at one level, again, I could call a lawyer, I could go back into defamation lawsuits, and I have every right to — trust me. But at the same time, there are two ways to win in tug of war. I either pull you over the line or I just drop the rope and let you fall on your ass. [Laughs] And that’s what I’ve chosen to do — drop the rope. Drop the rock.”

The post DAVID ELLEFSON Fires Back At DAVE MUSTAINE Over ‘Past Behavior’ Remarks: “F*ck Off. Who Is That One Person? It Wasn’t Me” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Whitechapel is pleased to announce their return to European shores in January 2027. Sylosis, labelmates 200 Stab Wounds, and Tribal Gaze will join them.

Comments Whitechapel‘s guitarist, Alex Wade. “We are excited to announce the Burn Forever European Tour 2027. This will mark a long-overdue full European headlining run featuring some of the sickest names in modern metal. On the mainland Europe dates, we will be headlining, while all of the UK dates we will be coheadlining with Sylosis, with them closing. We look forward to seeing everyone out there, new fans and old, don’t miss it!”

Later this month, Whitechapel will join Slaughter To Prevail for a month-long North American tour with several one-off headlining shows scattered throughout. In May, the band will appear at Welcome To Rockville and Sonic Temple festivals before playing a trio of headlining dates with support from labelmates Entheos, Tracheotomy, and Mauled. See all confirmed dates below.

In conjunction with the European tour announcement, Whitechapel today unveils their new video for “Nothing Is Coming For Any Of Us,” from their critically lauded Hymns In Dissonance full-length.

Whitechapel w/ Slaughter To Prevail, Attila:

• 3/21/2026 The Pinnacle – Nashville, TN
• 3/22/2026 The Pageant – St. Louis, MO
• 3/23/2026 The Midland Theatre – Kansas City, MO
• 3/25/2026 The Fillmore Auditorium – Denver, CO
• 3/27/2026 The Complex – Salt Lake City, UT
• 3/28/2026 Revolution Concert House – Boise, ID
• 3/29/2026 Paramount Theatre – Seattle, WA
• 3/30/2026 Roseland Theater – Portland, OR ** Off-date w/ I Declare War, Misery Whip, Eartheater
• 4/01/2026 Channel 24 – Sacramento, CA
• 4/02/2026 Hollywood Palladium – Los Angeles, CA
• 4/03/2026 SOMA – San Diego, CA **Off-date w/ Carnifex, Rev3rent
• 4/04/2026 Brooklyn Bowl – Las Vegas, NV
• 4/06/2026 Tulsa Theater – Tulsa, OK
• 4/08/2026 The Coca Cola Roxy – Atlanta, GA
• 4/09/2026 The NorVa – Norfolk, VA **Off-date w/ Inter Arma, Üga Büga
• 4/10/2026 Franklin Music Hall – Philadelphia, PA
• 4/11/2026 The Fillmore – Silver Spring, MD
• 4/12/2026 Roxian Theatre – Pittsburgh, PA
• 4/14/2026 Hammerstein Ballroom – New York, NY
• 4/15/2026 The Palladium – Worcester, MA
• 4/16/2026 Wally’s – Hampton, NH **Off-date w/ Blood Tithe, Iron Gate
• 4/17/2026 L’Olympia – Montréal, QC
• 4/18/2026 HISTORY – Toronto, ON
• 4/20/2026 Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom – Chicago, IL
• 4/21/2026 Vibrant Music Hall – Waukee, IA
• 4/22/2026 Myth Live – Minneapolis, MN
• 5/10/2026 Welcome To Rockville – Daytona Beach, FL *festival date
• 5/14/2026 Sonic Temple – Columbus, OH *festival date

Whitechapel w/ Entheos, Tracheotomy, Mauled:

• 5/11/2026 Club LA – Destin, FL
• 5/12/2026 2 Minglewood Hall – Memphis, TN
• 5/13/2026 Headliners Music Hall – Louisville, KY

Whitechapel w/ Sylosis, 200 Stab Wounds, Tribal Gaze:

• 1/22/2027 Hellraiser – Leipzig, DE
• 1/23/2027 Batschkapp – Frankfurt am Main, DE
• 1/24/2027 Trix – Antwerp, BE
• 1/26/2027 The Academy – Dublin, IE *
• 1/28/2027 SWG3 Galvanizers – Glasgow, UK *
• 1/29/2027 Electric Ballroom – London, UK *
• 1/30/2027 Manchester Academy 2 – Manchester, UK *
• 1/31/2027 O2 Academy – Bristol, UK *
• 2/01/2027 XOYO – Birmingham, UK *
• 2/03/2027 Trabendo – Paris, FR
• 2/05/2027 Sala Lab/Wagon – Madrid, ES
• 2/06/2027 Razzmatazz 2 – Barcelona, ES
• 2/07/2027 Rayonne – Lyon, FR
• 2/09/2027 Magazzini Generali – Milan, IT
• 2/10/2027 Z7 Konzertfabrik – Pratteln, CH
• 2/12/2027 Live Music Hall – Cologne, DE
• 2/13/2027 Große Freiheit 36 – Hamburg, DE
• 2/14/2027 Tivoli Vredenburg – Ronda – Utrecht, NL
• 2/16/2027 Roxy – Prague, CZ
• 2/17/2027 Arena – Vienna, AT
• 2/19/2027 Backstage – Munich, DE
• 2/20/2027 Metropol – Berlin, DE
• 2/21/2027 Amager Bio – Copenhagen, DK
• 2/23/2027 Rockefeller – Oslo, NO
• 2/24/2027 Fallan – Stockholm, SE
• 2/26/2027 Tavara-asema – Tampere, FI
• 2/27/2027 Aeeniwalli – Helsinki, FI
• 2/28/2027 Helitehas – Tallinn, EE
• 3/01/2027 Spelet – Riga, LV
• 3/02/2027 Progresja – Warsaw, PL

*Coheadlining with Sylosis

The post WHITECHAPEL Announce European Headlining Tour For Early 2027, Share New Video For “Nothing Is Coming For Any Of Us”  appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Jon Anderson and The Band Geeks have announced the second leg of their 2026 YES Epics, Classics, and More Tour, adding 12 shows to the already-announced 10-date April/May run.

Leg 2 kicks off on 06/23 at the Celebrity Theater in Phoenix, AZ, and wraps on 07/22 at the Palladium Times Square in New York City.

The band has also expanded their fall UK and Sweden run with four additional UK dates in Oxford, Portsmouth, Brighton, and Nottingham, following strong fan demand.

All dates are listed below.

2026 Tour Dates

US Leg 1:

• 04/17 – Ridgefield, CT @ Ridgefield Playhouse
• 04/19 – Ridgefield, CT @ Ridgefield Playhouse
• 04/21 – Patchogue, NY @ Patchogue Theatre
• 04/23 – Red Bank, NJ @ Count Basie Theatre
• 04/26 – Rochester, NY @ Kodak Center Theater
• 04/28 – Hershey, PA @ Hershey Theater
• 04/30 – Lansdowne, PA @ Lansdowne Theater
• 05/02 – Lansdowne, PA @ Lansdowne Theater
• 05/05 – Troy, NY @ Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
• 05/07 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Theatre

US Leg 2:

• 06/23 – Phoenix, AZ @ Celebrity Theater
• 06/25 – Anaheim, CA @ Grove of Anaheim
• 06/27 – Thousand Oaks, CA @ Fred Kavli Theater
• 06/30 – San Jose, CA @ San Jose Civic
• 07/03 – Monterey, CA @ Golden State Theater
• 07/05 – Napa, CA @ Meritage Resort and Spa
• 07/08 – Denver, CO @ Paramount Theater
• 07/11 – St. Louis, MO @ The Factory
• 07/15 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theater and Ballroom
• 07/17 – St. Charles, IL @ Arcada Theater
• 07/19 – Des Plaines, IL @ Des Plaines Theater
• 07/22 – New York City, NY @ Palladium Times Square

UK & Sweden:

• 09/06 – Brighton @ Dome
• 09/08 – Portsmouth @ Guildhall
• 09/10 – Oxford @ New Theatre
• 09/13 – Nottingham @ Royal Concert Hall
• 09/15 – Birmingham @ Symphony Hall
• 09/17 – Bath @ Forum
• 09/20 – London @ Palladium
• 09/22 – Liverpool @ Philharmonic
• 09/26 – Manchester @ Opera House
• 09/28 – Glasgow @ Royal Concert Hall
• 10/01 – Gateshead @ Glasshouse
• 10/03 – Stockholm @ Cirkus
• 10/05 – Malmö @ Slagthuset

The post JON ANDERSON AND THE BAND GEEKS Announce Second Leg of “YES Epics, Classics & More” 2026 U.S. Tour appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

The Amity Affliction continues to tease the arrival of their much-anticipated new studio record, House Of Cards, with the reveal of a blistering new single, “Bleed”.

Released as the band continues their extensive tour of regional Australia, the latest from The Amity Affliction lands with impact: A ferocious stride forward for the group into a brand new era of artistry.

Where previous single House Of Cards was an emotionally weighted insight into the relationship songwriter Joel Birch and his siblings shared with their mother, “Bleed” has manifested itself into an avenue for Birch to look at public perceptions and personas, versus the reality he exists in every day.

As he explains: “This song is a bit of a ‘fuck you’ to people online who leave comments like they know me personally, or know anything about what’s happening in my life, and a bit of a reminder to myself that I am not beholden to that idea, and I am the person I know myself to be. ‘I bleed the way I bleed…’ is my way of saying that I am the way I am not the way I am perceived to be by people who don’t actually know me and have formed or projected an idea of me onto me by way of social media.”

The release of “Bleed” further positions the House Of Cards era as one of the most exciting and defining for The Amity Affliction — a band that has been driven by the desire to navigate new creative territory, music that empowers both them as a unit as well as their community of fans who have been with them throughout all their previous chapters.

House Of Cards, the first full-length record to feature clean vocalist Jonny Reeves, is a moment of reinvention — and it is one the band is set to unleash in its full glory across a jam packed year of international touring to come.

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