Author: Editorial Team

Grammy-nominated guitarist and singer Samantha Fish will release Paper Doll Live via Rounder Records on Friday June 12th, her first official live album, capturing the electrifying stage presence that has made her one of the most compelling performers in modern blues and roots music.

A leading guitarist of her generation, Fish is known for her bold musicianship, emotional depth, and fearless song writing. A multi-award-winning festival headliner, she has built her reputation on explosive live performances that blend raw guitar power with deeply expressive vocals. Following the critical success of her Grammy-nominated album Paper Doll, the new live record showcases the intensity and chemistry that define her shows night after night.

“Truly, this is for the fans,” Fish says of making her first official live record. “We’ve had numerous requests over the years. Paper Doll felt so great on stage — it felt like the perfect time to showcase the band and our live show.”

Recorded at the historic Bijou Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee, Paper Doll Live captures a band fully locked in and feeding off a packed crowd. The venue’s natural warmth and acoustics created an ideal setting for the recording, elevated even further by the addition of Nashville gospel legends The McCrary Sisters, whose soaring harmonies bring added depth and emotion to the performance.

“Their voices lifted every song,” Fish says. “I love beautiful backing vocals — they pack an emotional punch. I’ve been a fan of them for years, so that was really special for me.”

Fans travelled from across the country to attend the recording, creating an atmosphere of anticipation and celebration inside the theatre.

“Our fans aren’t afraid to travel,” Fish says. “When we announced the show, people got excited. I think that build-up always helps make a better show.”

The result is a performance that feels both ferocious and communal — a moment where the band, the songs, and the audience meet in real time. While the studio album Paper Doll marked a breakthrough in Fish’s artistic confidence, the live setting strips away polish and leaves only instinct.

“There’s a fire that comes across in live performance that doesn’t always translate in studio albums,” Fish says. “The stage lays all of that bare.”

Songs evolve and expand in the live environment. Outros stretch. Studio fade-outs become powerful climaxes. Tracks like “Lose You” build with relentless momentum, while “Sweet Southern Sounds” allows Fish to lean into her hypnotic North Mississippi-inspired guitar phrasing. The title track “Paper Doll” lands as a defiant anthem night after night, igniting crowds with its refusal to conform.

And when the band launches into a blistering cover of MC5’s “Kick Out the Jams,” the room detonates.

For Fish, the difference between studio and stage is elemental. “The studio is where you build and create your sound,” she says. “The stage is where you execute all of that. Having a crowd takes you out of your head and gives you something to play off.”

Emerging from Kansas City’s blues lineage and shaped by influences ranging from Prince and Leonard Cohen to the legends of Mississippi Hill Country blues, Fish has long treated performance as her proving ground. From cold-calling bars as a teenager to headlining international festivals, she has developed a live show that balances catharsis and control, boldness and vulnerability.

With Paper Doll Live, she isn’t reinventing herself — she’s documenting the power of what she and her band do every night. “I just wanted to capture what we do every night,” Fish says. “It wasn’t about chasing something new. It was about capturing the thing that has connected so deeply over the years.”

Paper Doll Live can be pre-order here.

The post SAMANTHA FISH Captures Live Energy On Upcoming Live Album “Paper Doll Live” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Today, while gearing up for their spring tour supporting Sevendust, Atreyu are excited to unleash their new single, “Children Of Light,” featuring the legendary Max Cavalera. The new track is taken from Atreyu‘s upcoming album, The End is Not the End, set for release on April 24, 2026 via Spinefarm.

On the new single, Atreyu comments: “‘Children of Light’ was created with a primal spirit in mind. A ‘festival’ song. Heavily inspired by classic Sepultura, though it seemed like an untouchable ask, we wanted Max involved. We’re honored to share this song with a legend.”

The End is Not the End is undeniably Atreyu‘s heaviest album ever and their most adventurous. “We realized what made Atreyu great in the beginning was that we didn’t sound like anyone else,” frontman Brandon Saller explains. “We didn’t really make sense anywhere. We weren’t an emo band, a metal band, a punk band — but somehow it all worked. We kind of just carved our own path.”

Guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel, bassist Porter McKnight, drummer Kyle Rosa, and Saller created several of The End is Not the End‘s songs on creative trips.

“Tokyo made us feel like kids again,” Saller says. “We’d write for a few hours in the morning, then go out and get lost in all this inspiration. The first song we finished was “Dead”, and we knew we were onto something.”

After the Japanese sessions, the band and their producer decamped to San Juan Island off the coast of Washington, where isolation became a creative accelerant. “It was the polar opposite of Tokyo. We didn’t leave the house for four days and wrote some of the heaviest songs on the record.”

The result is an album that feels simultaneously classic and unfamiliar, aggressive and unselfconscious, deeply emotional and unconcerned with trends. Produced by Matt Pauling, Atreyu‘s tenth album is vibrant, inventive, and beautifully aggressive.

“It’s our heaviest, most metal record we’ve made,” Saller points out. “But it’s also the biggest musical journey we’ve taken in years.”

The album moves seamlessly from soaring melodic heft to muscular metallic weight, with cinematic shades and atmosphere, all tied together by a driving, raw intensity. Tracks like “Dead,” “Ghost in Me,” “Children of Light (featuring Max Cavalera),” and“Afterglow” sound both timely and timeless.

The End is Not the End can be pre-oder here.

Atreyu recently announced a spring tour supporting Sevendust kicking off April 20th in Indianapolis, IN before concluding in Knoxville, TN on May 20th. For the full list of dates, and/or to get tickets, please see here.

Since forming around the turn of the millennium, Atreyu have pushed well beyond their DIY roots—earning multiple RIAA Gold records, Top 20 Billboard 200 debuts, and spots on major film and video-game soundtracks. Their latest album, The Beautiful Dark of Life (2023, Spinefarm), debuted in the Top 10 on Billboard’s Top Hard Rock Albums and has already racked up over 75 million streams, with singles like “Gone” and “Watch Me Burn” lighting up rock radio and flagship playlists like Spotify’s “Volume” and Apple Music’s “The Riff.”

The post ATREYU Unleashes New Single “Children Of Light” Featuring MAX CAVALERA appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

With just weeks to go until the release of their ferocious new album House Of Cards, Australian heavy icons The Amity Affliction share a fresh teaser of what is to come with the powerful single “Heaven Sent”.

The release of this new track sees The Amity Affliction step further into blistering new territory as songwriters and a creative unit — the single standing as a prime example of the unwavering intensity marking the House Of Cards era.

Following on from singles “Bleed” and “House Of Cards,” the latest from The Amity Affliction take the listener back into a personal memory Joel Birch found himself revisiting during the songwriting process. The impact of trauma experienced as a young person, the way it can shape us in good ways and bad; ultimately, the choices people make in navigating their way through such times in pursuit of peace.

Birch’s songwriting, evidenced right throughout House Of Cards, draws heavily on different moments of struggle and overcoming; “Heaven Sent” focuses on the relationship between himself and his stepfather.

As he explains: “This is one of the darker songs on the album, the first line references one of a handful of memories I have from when I was really young and my stepfather still smoked. He put his cigarette out on my arm at a party and then played it off as an accident. My mother was busy getting drunk and brushed it off and told me to keep it moving, basically. The rest of the song is a snapshot of my home life in some ways and the way the abuse was cyclical in nature and always prefaced by or followed by ‘I love you,’ which obviously creates some strange and unhealthy ways for a young person to understand their relationship to a parent.”

2026 has already proved to be a busy and fruitful one for The Amity Affliction; the preparation of this new album coinciding with an extensive tour of regional Australia, and the development of an international touring schedule that will see the band return to stages across North America, Europe and the UK.

Pre-order House Of Cards here.

The post THE AMITY AFFLICTION Drops Final Taste Of Upcoming Album With New Single “Heaven Sent” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Denver’s colossal heavy metal band, Khemmis, is back with their massively anticipated fifth album, due out June 12th via Nuclear Blast Records. The self-titled record — the follow-up to 2021’s heralded Deceiver — represents Khemmis in their truest form: disciples of the riff. Adorned with artwork from Christopher Remmers and featuring eight tracks of unadulterated, monolithic metal, Khemmis is a celebration of heavy music, bound by the camaraderie and shared passion that was reignited during its recording.

Commenting on the impending album, guitarist/vocalist Ben Hutcherson states: “We decided early in the songwriting process that we wanted to write a tight, high-energy album that retained the essential ‘Khemmis sound’ while also embodying the joy of creating, experiencing, and loving heavy metal. Ours have always been deeply personal songs born from tragedy and sorrow; while the songs on Khemmis are still undeniably dark—I don’t think we’re capable of writing ‘happy’ music nor can we disentangle our music from our own personal experiences—they are not mined from our suffering. Instead, this record is a celebration of the music world that has sustained us, both individually and collectively, and has also gifted us with community and a sense of meaning. In many ways, we have reconnected with the energy and excitement from our earliest days as a band, an unabashed desire to play loud, heavy music. That exuberance is infused with a profound sense of gratitude to be able to create art with each other and to share it with the world.”

To celebrate the album, Khemmis has revealed the album’s lead track and first single, “Invocation of the Dreamer,” which is accompanied by a music video directed by Frank Guerra.

Adding about the new song, Hutcherson says: “We knew that this song had to be the first single in much the same way we knew it had to be the album opener—it is an undeniable ripper. “Invocation of the Dreamer” kicks the front door in, flips over your coffee table, and sets your living room on fire. It has everything you’d expect from a Khemmis song—big riffs, harmonized guitars, infectious vocal melodies—along with a slew of surprises, including blastbeats and a scorching bass break.”

Khemmis is available for pre-order now, including a ‘Deluxe Edition’ of the record offered by the band, which features exclusive extras—a behind-the-scenes photobook, an autographed promo photo, and more—directly from their website.

Khemmis will perform a special one-off show with Acid Bath in May before embarking on a headlining tour in early summer with support from Necrofier and Wretched, followed by an excursion with Monolord soon after. Tickets are available here.

After eleven years of albums and global touring, Colorado’s Khemmis have cemented themselves as pillars of modern heavy metal. Yet as they approach their fifth full-length, the band found something newly vital: the simple joy of creating heavy music together. Formed with no expectations, the group’s longevity has become its foundation, with guitarist/vocalist Ben Hutcherson describing the band as a rare source of stability and camaraderie. Since their 2015 debut Absolution, followed by the acclaimed Hunted, Desolation, Doomed Heavy Metal MLP, and Deceiver, Khemmis have built a legacy of towering, spiritual doom that continues to resonate with fans worldwide.

Despite changes—including members relocating and bassist David Small joining in 2022—the band emerged more focused than ever. Recording again at Flatline Audio in Colorado, the lineup of Hutcherson, Phil Pendergast, Zach Coleman, and Small leaned into renewed trust and chemistry, with distance paradoxically strengthening their bond. The addition of Small invigorated the rhythm section and encouraged experimentation, while the band rediscovered the excitement that defined their early days. That renewed energy fueled a collaborative atmosphere rooted in confidence, inspiration, and the shared thrill of simply playing heavy metal.

The post KHEMMIS Announces New Self-Titled Album And Shares First Single/Video For “Invocation Of The Dreamer” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

The melodic hard rock band Hardline have released the video for the title track “Shout” from their new album out April 17.

Singer Johnny Gioeli says: “‘Shout” as the title of this album is EXACTLY what it is…. The idea that created the title comes from the millions of ideas in my head that simply don’t stop. At times, I want to release them all in one massive scream. Here comes…. ‘SHOUT!’”

Shout will be released on April 17 through Steamhammer worldwide in the following configurations:

• CD DigiPak
• LP, 140 g, black vinyl, padded inner sleeve, coloured insert
• Exclusive CD/LP Bundles with a shirt only at the Steamhammer shop
• Download / Streaming

Shout ca be pre-order here.

The post HARDLINE Shares New Video For Title Track “Shout” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Yes, who is Steve Howe, Geoff Downes, Jon Davison, Billy Sherwood and Jay Schellen, are proud to announce their 24th studio album Aurora which will be released on the 12th June 2026 via InsideOutMusic/Sony Music.

As Howe explains: “Making this record was joyful, a chance to play, explore and give everything to the music. It’s always been about collaboration, somebody can write a song, but until everybody puts their contribution in it isn’t really a Yes song. We’re not trying to echo the past; we’re carrying the spirit of Yes forward and turning it into something new”.

The band is also launching the first single from the album, and a beautiful animated video for the title track, created by Matt Hutchings (Greg Lake, Oasis, Iron Maiden).

Aurora will be available as a Limited Deluxe 180g Light Green 2LP+2CD+Blu-ray Artbook & Poster, as well as a Ltd Deluxe 2CD+Blu-ray Artbook, both featuring the stunning artwork of Roger Dean and Freya Dean, as well as a bonus disc of instrumentals, and a blu-ray featuring Dolby Atmos, 5.1 Surround Sound & 24bit stereo mixes (by Curtis Schwartz). The album is also available as a Gatefold 180g 2LP + LP-booklet, Special Edition CD Digipak & as Digital Album. It can be pre-order now here.

When Yes first began sketching out ideas for what would become Aurora, the process was loose and exploratory. There was no preconceived concept at the start, just a collection of musical fragments that gradually began to find one another and take form. Among these early sketches was a piece titled “Aurora,” and it quickly became clear that the name carried certain gravity. It suggested light, emergence, and a sense of vastness, qualities that resonated deeply with the band. Jon Davison remembers how “the title immediately resonated with Steve Howe and sparked visual inspiration for artist Roger Dean, setting a conceptual tone that would guide the project.”

Work on Aurora began almost as soon as the Classic Tales of Yes tour ended in 2024. The idea of a new album surfaced quickly and with the label’s encouragement, the band had the time to develop material organically. Rather than gathering in a single studio for months, they embraced a modern workflow; ideas were born in home studios, shaped independently, and then woven together through constant collaboration. Downes and Howe often acted as the central creative axis, with Howe, as producer, serving as the point through which all ideas eventually flowed.

Across Aurora, each track carries its own character. Some echo the classic Yes approach, others push into new territory, but together they form a cohesive whole that honors the band’s heritage while embracing forward motion. With their 24th studio album, Yes demonstrate not just longevity, but a sustained curiosity, a desire to keep exploring, keep refining and keep discovering their capacity to create.

The post YES Announces 24th Studio Album “Aurora” And Shares Video For Title Track appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Einar Solberg of Leprous is set to release his upcoming second solo album Vox Occulta, on 24th April, 2026. A bold, heavy and symphonic statement, the album was recorded in collaboration with the much-sought-after Norwegian Radio Orchestra.

Today, Einar is pleased to present a new track titled “Vita Fragilis”, a song created alongside the aforementioned orchestra. The video gives a glimpse behind the scenes at the orchestra recording the parts.

Einar comments: “‘Vita Fragilis’ was done together with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra. A cinematic and progressive track with no normal verse/chorus structure, and the longest stretch of harsh vocals I’ve done in a while. Curious how odd time signatures sound with a full symphonic orchestra?”

As well as the beautiful orchestration, Einar is joined by drummer Keli Guðjónsson (Agent Fresco), violinist Chris Baum (Bent Knee), guitarist Pierre Danel (Novelists), bassist Jed Lingat, as well as guitarists Ben Levin (ex-Bent Knee), and John Browne (Monuments). The album was mixed by Adam Noble (Nothing But Thieves, Biffy Clyro) and co-produced with David Castillo.

The album sees Solberg taking a deeply personal approach, having been an avid fan of classical music and soundtracks for more than 20 years. The lyrics are personal as well, and they make Vox Occulta something of a thematic follow-up to 16. Where Solberg’s solo debut revisited the death of his father and his past struggles with anxiety, this set is a warts’n’all portrait of himself and how he views the world in 2026.

Vox Occulta will be released as a Limited CD Digipak, Gatefold white/black 2LP & a very limited Gatefold transparent red 2LP, as well as digitally. It can now be pre-order now here.

Official merchandise and special collector’s boxes are available here.

The post EINAR SOLBERG Of LEPROUS Shares “Vita Fragilis” Featuring The Norwegian Radio Orchestra appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Frontiers Records presents the new single “My Guardian Angel,” a new version of the song originally recorded by Place Vendome in 2009. The band featured Helloween and Unisonic vocalist Michael Kiske, Dennis Ward on bass and production, Kosta Zafiriou on drums, Uwe Reitenauer on guitars, from the band Pink Cream 69, and Gunther Werno on keyboards from the band Vanden Plas.

Featuring Maestrick’s vocalist Fabio Caldeira, the new track is part of the upcoming XXX Anniversary Compilation, a special project celebrating 30 years of passion, creativity, and unforgettable music. The record is set for release on May 22, 2026, and will be available only on CD on the label’s webstore.

Fabio Caldeira comments: “Participating in Frontiers’ 30th anniversary is already something truly special, but being chosen to perform a song originally sung by Michael Kiske – one of my greatest vocal heroes – makes it an even greater honor. I sincerely hope you enjoy it.”

Starting from an idea of Serafino Perugino, the XXX Anniversary Compilation brings together some of the greatest melodies and voices from the world of melodic rock. This special release celebrates the label’s rich legacy by revisiting iconic tracks from the Frontiers catalogue, reimagined with dynamic new performances from an extraordinary lineup of guest vocalists.

Each track has been recorded exclusively for this anniversary project and showcases the powerful reinterpretation of beloved Frontiers classics through the voices of today’s standout rock artists.

Aldo Lonobile, Head of A&R Europe at Frontiers Label Group and producer of the record, comments: “Producing the 30th anniversary record for Frontiers Records has been both an honor and a responsibility. This label has built a legacy on passion and vision, and, with this album, we wanted to celebrate that history in a meaningful way. Having a mix of established and new generation of Frontiers artists reinterpret the iconic tracks that shaped our identity is more than a tribute – it’s a bridge between eras.

“With a tracklist discussed together with the Frontiers President Serafino Perugino, this record is a celebration of where we come from, and a powerful statement of where we’re headed”, he continued.

Under the expert production of Lonobile – who also performs part of the guitars on the album – the performances are backed by a stellar lineup of musicians: Alessandro Mammola (guitar), Andrea Arcangeli (bass), Cristian Timpanaro (bass), the keyboards team – Alessio Lucatti & Antonio Agate, Alfonso Mocerino, and Fortunato Grillo on drums, delivering powerful new arrangements that bring renewed energy to these fan-favorite tracks.

XXX Anniversary Compilation isn’t just a compilation – it’s a tribute to 30 years of rock excellence, a heartfelt thank you to the artists, fans, and collaborators who have been part of the Frontiers Records story.

Pre-order XXX Anniversary Compilation here.

The post FRONTIERS RECORDS Presents Cover Of PLACE VENDOME’s “My Guardian Angel” Featuring FABIO CALDEIRA appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Social Distortion are back with new material, dropping the track “Partners In Crime” as the second preview of their upcoming eighth studio record, Born To Kill. The song follows the release of the album’s title track and gives a clearer sense of what the band has been building toward after a long gap between releases.

Frontman Mike Ness explained the meaning behind the new single, saying, “‘Partners In Crime’ is about finding your voice, especially if you weren’t allowed or if it didn’t matter. And finding comfort in others who share the same sentiment, angst and rage. Strength in unity.”

Set for release on May 8 through Epitaph Records, Born To Kill arrives after a 15-year stretch without a new Social Distortion album. The record brings together 11 tracks rooted in the band’s established mix of grit, melody, and reflection, shaped by decades of experience.

This is also the first album since Ness went through cancer treatment, and that context carries into the tone of the material. The songs lean into a sense of forward motion while staying grounded in the band’s core sound.

The album opens with a clear statement of intent, with references that point back to key influences. Lines across the record nod to Lou Reed (“rock ‘n’ roll animal gonna come your way!”), Iggy Pop and The Stooges (“The agenda is, yeah, to search and destroy”), along with a later reference to David Bowie (“it’s a rock ‘n’ roll suicide”) within “Partners In Crime”. The influences are direct, but they’re folded into the band’s own identity rather than overshadowing it.

Elsewhere, songs like “Tonight” and “The Way Things Were” lean into a more reflective side, echoing the emotional weight found in earlier tracks like “Story Of My Life” from Social Distortion and “I Was Wrong” from White Light, White Heat, White Trash. That thread continues in a line that sums up the band’s long-standing outlook: “I wrote a song with a stolen riff / If you ain’t got a song you ain’t got shit.”

After more than four decades, Social Distortion continue to refine what they do, balancing the raw edge of punk with a sense of perspective that comes from time and experience. Born To Kill looks set to carry that forward without straying from the foundation they built years ago.

The post SOCIAL DISTORTION Unveils “Partners In Crime” From Upcoming Album “Born To Kill” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition has now a new official trailer out via Trafalgar Releasing, offering another look at the upcoming feature-length documentary centered on Iron Maiden.

The film, which documents one of heavy metal’s most enduring careers, is scheduled for a limited theatrical run starting May 7, 2026. It follows the band’s path across five decades, capturing both the scale of their success and the groundwork that built it.

Directed by Malcolm Venville (Churchill At War) and produced by Dominic Freeman (Spirits In The Forest – A Depeche Mode Film), the documentary traces Iron Maiden from their early beginnings through their rise into a global force.

The film also brings in outside perspectives, with appearances from figures like Javier Bardem, Lars Ulrich, and Chuck D, all reflecting on the band’s impact across music and culture.

When the project was first previewed in February, artwork by Albert Quirantes gave fans an initial visual identity for the release.

The timing lines up with the band’s current Run For Your Lives world tour, a two-year run that has already included a major hometown show at London Stadium, not far from where the band first took shape.

Formed in 1975 by bassist Steve Harris, Iron Maiden built their reputation steadily, starting with their self-titled debut Iron Maiden in 1980. Over the years, they have released 17 studio albums, along with a large catalog of live releases and singles, moving more than 100 million records worldwide.

Their touring history is just as extensive, with nearly 2,500 shows played across 64 countries. For a stretch of those tours, the band traveled aboard Ed Force One—first a Boeing 757 and later a Boeing 747—flown by vocalist Bruce Dickinson.

Among their recognitions are a Grammy Award and a Brit Award, along with more recent acknowledgment alongside The Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd through their own Royal Mail stamp collection.

Outside music, their Trooper Beer brand has passed 40 million pints sold and is now available in 68 countries, with localized versions in markets including the U.S., Germany, and Brazil.

The band marked its 50th anniversary in 2025, celebrating with the ongoing Run For Your Lives tour and additional releases such as their first official hardcover visual history, Infinite Dreams.

The post IRON MAIDEN Unveils New Trailer For “Burning Ambition” Documentary appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.