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  • Now & Then: Margo Price’s Days Of Unrest and the reach of Van Lear Rose

    Margo Price has never treated country music as neutral ground, and Days Of Unrest removes any remaining doubt. Released as a July 4 weekend protest mixtape, it puts her in conversation with the folk-protest tradition while keeping one boot in country music. The “Then” album is Loretta Lynn’s Van Lear Rose, a 2004 record that made plainspoken country songwriting feel newly urgent. 

  • DEAR SEATTLE Announce Regional Headline Tour With SEAHAVEN

    Sydney punk rockers Dear Seattle are hitting the road this August, announcing an extensive regional Australian headline tour with special guests Seahaven (US). Tickets are on sale now via Destroy All Lines. Kicking off in Western Australia on Friday 28 August, the tour will visit venues across the country, making stops in Bunbury, Scarborough, Adelaide, […]

  • Festival Review: Breaking Bands Festival 2026 – Sunday

    It’s the final day of the final Breaking Bands before its metamorphosis into Ascendancy. There’s not really the Sunday sluggishness about the site and, if anything, people are more raring to go the deeper into the weekend we get. For some of us, including me, camp is packed up, ready to go home once the … Continue reading Festival Review: Breaking Bands Festival 2026 – Sunday

  • Road To Bloodstock 2026: Descendancy

    It’s that time of year again where we talk to as many bands as we can who are raring to blow you away at Bloodstock! Descendancy will be rocking the New Blood stage on the Saturday… Simple things first – where are you guys from? Barnsley, South Yorkshire, home of the UK’s first bottle bank, … Continue reading Road To Bloodstock 2026: Descendancy

  • Festival Review: Tons Of Rock 2026 Day 3 – Oslo, Norway (26th June 2026)

    It was a busy start to the day as my friend and I had to check out of our hotel and leave our luggage there before heading up to the festival site. The first act of the day was the majestic Faroese singer-songwriter Eivør on the Vampire stage, who I really love. She has such … Continue reading Festival Review: Tons Of Rock 2026 Day 3 – Oslo, Norway (26th June 2026)

  • THE SICKNESS STARS Share ‘Chant of Willpower and Fame’

    Founded by Chester Illed in 2022 in Normandy, France, The Sickness Stars is a project born during the Covid-19 pandemic. Its core mission is to explore the deepest vulnerabilities within any line of thought, whether individual, societal, or existential. Initially rooted in punk rock and experimental sounds, the band self-released their electro-acoustic debut album Into […]

  • Οι Voivod live στο Eightball Club και στο Gazarte, Δευτέρα 3 Αυγούστου και Τρίτη 4 Αυγούστου

    https://www.metalourgio.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Voivod-live-in-Greece-2026-concert-poster-768×432.png

  • Dez Fafara Talks DevilDriver’s New Album ‘Strike And Kill’, Returning to their Early Sound and More on The Loaded Radio Podcast

    Dez-fafara-devildriver-podcast-2026

    Groove metal pioneer Dez Fafara has checked in with the Loaded Radio Podcast to break down DevilDriver’s highly anticipated new album, Strike and Kill. In an exclusive, wide-ranging discussion with host Scott Penfold, the iconic frontman sheds light on the deliberate creative decisions driving the new material, including a calculated sonic pivot back to the relentless DevilDriver early sound. As the California metal juggernaut prepares to launch their heaviest record cycle in over a decade, Fafara opens up about the dynamic shifts within the band’s camp, the structural realities that modern heavy music acts face on the global touring circuit, and some legendary personal encounters with late Type O Negative mastermind Peter Steele.

    🎧 STREAM THE FULL WEEKLY INTERVIEW PODCAST NOW:

    On this week’s full broadcast episode of the Loaded Radio Podcast, host Scott Penfold sits down for an intimate, unscripted conversation with groove metal legend Dez Fafara. We are tearing into the industrial mechanics of their savage new record Strike and Kill, detailing the return of former classic era members, and revealing what it takes to physically survive as a touring band in 2026. Download the free Loaded Radio App on Apple iOS and Google Play right now to stream the uncut audio broadcast natively.

    Going Back to the Throat: Unlocking the Original DevilDriver Sonic Formula

    For the tracking sessions of Strike and Kill, Fafara and his crew did not want to mimic the current mainstream metal production trends. Instead, the focus turned completely backward toward the razor-sharp, double-bass-driven aggression that defined the band’s landmark mid-2000s catalog like The Fury of Our Maker’s Hand and The Last Kind Words.

    During the podcast interview, Dez details how the songwriting process for Strike and Kill organically triggered that classic, punishing groove. Rather than over-polishing the tracks or leaning too heavily on digital studio trickery, the band tracked with raw, unfiltered hostility as the primary objective. This foundational return to their heavy roots acts as a definitive artistic statement for the band’s 2026 campaign, reminding the heavy music landscape exactly who pioneered this brand of modern American metal.

    Revolving Doors and Returning Blood: Old Members Re-enter the Fray

    A significant portion of the internal spark behind the new record comes from structural changes within the band’s inner circle. Fafara discusses the logistical and creative realities behind DevilDriver original members return, explaining how welcoming seasoned legacy personnel back into the lineup completely revitalized the studio environment.

    Having veteran players who intimately understand the DNA of the band’s rhythm section and riff structures drastically altered the tracking process at the rehearsal space. Instead of spending months coaching new players on the specific groove patterns that make a DevilDriver song click, the returning veterans instantly locked in, creating a natural bridge connecting their historic past to the modern technical assault found on Strike and Kill.

    Also Recommended – GROOVE METAL’S GREATEST HITS: The 13 Albums That Defined the “Power Groove” Revolution

    devildriver-2026

    Goth Rock Royalty: Hilarious and Vivid Peter Steele Memories

    Beyond the immediate album details, the conversation takes a nostalgic, highly engaging turn as Dez digs into his personal vaults to share vintage Peter Steele Type O Negative stories. Fafara spends time recounting the incredible, larger-than-life character of the late gothic metal icon from their shared decades spent navigating the elite global festival rosters and backstage corridors.

    The stories painted a human portrait of Steele—capturing the perfect intersection of his pitch-black, brilliant sense of humor, his imposing physical stature, and the surprisingly gentle, fiercely protective nature he extended toward his genuine peers in the touring community. For longtime fans of 1990s and 2000s road culture, these unfiltered accounts provide a rare, fly-on-the-wall perspective of metal’s golden era.

    The Hard Truth: What Bands Absolutely Need to Survive in the Modern Era

    Fafara didn’t pull any punches when the topic shifted to the brutal economic architecture of the modern touring landscape. When pressed on how to make it in a music band today, the veteran vocalist laid out a strict, zero-nonsense blueprint for younger artists trying to break through the digital noise.

    According to Dez, raw musical talent is no longer enough to keep the lights on. Today’s heavy bands require an airtight, disciplined mixture of unrelenting work ethic, fierce independence from predatory industry contracts, and a deep, authentic connection to their core fanbase. He emphasizes that navigating the skyrocketing costs of tour buses, crew wages, and venue merchandise cuts requires bands to operate like lean, highly organized corporations from day one if they expect to survive long enough to build a real legacy.

    Check This Out – The 13 Best Nu Metal Bands: The Genre-Defining Powerhouses That Shaped a Generation

    Dez Fafara is the Ultimate Blueprint for Metal Survival

    Look, I’ve been sitting across from rock and metal musicians for 25 years on commercial radio, and you can tell instantly when an artist is just reading from a promotional script. Dez Fafara does not have a script. The guy is a walking masterclass in heavy music survival.

    When you hear him talk about bringing classic era members back into the camp for Strike and Kill, you realize this isn’t a desperate grab for nostalgia—it’s a tactical veteran deployment. He knew that to capture that explosive, early 2000s groove metal fire, he needed the exact guys who helped mix the concrete in the first place. Hearing his insights on the modern industry should be required listening for any kid picking up a guitar right now. Dez has survived the Nu-Metal bubble, major label collapses, and massive lineup shifts, and he’s still standing at the top of the mountain because he treats this subculture with absolute respect.

    devildriver-strike-and-kill

    TL;DR

    • The New Monster: DevilDriver’s upcoming album Strike and Kill marks a deliberate, aggressive return to the band’s historic early sound and songwriting formula.
    • The Reunion: Legacy lineup alumni have officially returned to the camp, injecting authentic old-school chemistry directly into the studio tracking process.
    • Peter Steele Lore: Dez shares exclusive, humorous, and deeply humanizing backstage stories about his time spent on the road with the late Type O Negative frontman.
    • The Industry Blueprint: Fafara lays down hard-line advice for up-and-coming heavy music acts on how to financially and structurally navigate the modern touring market.

    FAQ

    When does the new DevilDriver album Strike and Kill come out?

    The album is available now. The full details, tracklist, and tour dates are being rolled out alongside the band’s current 2026 promotional cycle via Napalm Records.

    Where can I listen to the full Dez Fafara interview?

    The entire unedited conversation with host Scott Penfold is embedded directly above via the native player, and is available for download on the free Loaded Radio App for iOS and Android.

    LEAVE A SCAR: Are you ready for DevilDriver to bring back the raw, crushing groove of their early albums? Drop your thoughts on Dez Fafara’s industry advice in the comments section below. Follow Loaded Radio for continuing coverage and daily rock and metal news updates.

    The post Dez Fafara Talks DevilDriver’s New Album ‘Strike And Kill’, Returning to their Early Sound and More on The Loaded Radio Podcast appeared first on Loaded Radio.

  • U.S. Death/Thrash Crew, NINTH REALM, Releasing Damnation’s Veil in August!

    Maryland-based Death/Thrash crew, Ninth Realm, will release their sophomore album, Damnation’s Veil, on August 28th, via Transcending Obscurity Records.

    Damnation’s Veil is a consistent blend of death-thrash, metallic hardcore, black metal and traditional heavy metal. The album will be available on CD, vinyl, and digital formats.

    Ninth Realm has released three singles from the album. Those are:

    “Cohorts of the Abyss” (Official Video) – youtu.be/eJBk9XkyIVA

    “Damnation’s Veil” – youtu.be/-aXKRZdFlZk

    “Rituals in Thar’amath” – youtu.be/-aXKRZdFlZk

    Photo Credit: Michael Burke

    Line-up:
    (l-r in above photo)

    Amelia Morris (Bass)
    Charles House (Rhythm Guitar)
    Ben Hageage (Vocals)
    Joey Burke (Drums)
    Liam McMahon (Lead Guitar)

    Tracked between April and July 2025, the production process for Damnation’s Veil was split between recording drums, guitars and bass with Matthew Michel at Viva Studios (Goetia, Antichrist Siege Machine, Infant Island, Left Cross, Blood Monolith) in Fairfax, VA, while vocals were handled by Sebastian Philips (Exhumed, Mammoth Grinder) at his home studio in Dundalk, MD. 

    In other news, Ninth Realm has announced an album listening party and album release show, both of which will take place in Washington, D.C.. The Damnation’s Veil album listening party happens on August 29th at Lyman’s Tavern. The album release show will take place on on October 9th at Pie Shop.

    Pre-order Damnation’s Veil:

    ninthrealm-label.bandcamp.com/album/damnations-veil

    linktr.ee/transcendingobscurity

    Track Listing:

    1. Valigeth

    2. Damnation’s Veil

    3. Cohorts of the Abyss

    4. Imbued in Hellfire

    5. Rituals in Thar’amath

    6. Orphaned Throne

    7. Wyrd of Strideborne

    8. Beyond the Void

    9. Vengeance Unto Rot

    10. All Hail Treachery

    11. Twilight’s Blade

    Credits:

    Cover art by Jerry “Wyrmwalk” Hionis (Frozen Soul, Morgul Blade, High Command, Inhuman Nature, Troncale, Wrecking Ball, Maul) 

    Influences on this record include: Iron Age, Bolt Thrower, Mercyful Fate, Power Trip, Celtic Frost, Bathory, Dissection, Autopsy and Candlemass.

    BIO:

    Ninth Realm is a death-thrash band founded in Maryland and the surrounding DMV area. Formed in 2019, the band has released six individual recordings, including a demo, two EPs, a promo tape, and a full-length album, as well as several splits and compilations with other bands. Drummer Joey Burke and lead guitarist Liam McMahon started the project while in college at the University of Maryland.

    Conceptually, the band draws from Joey’s original dark fantasy world, Tythorin; a setting shaped by themes of vengeance, fate, grief, trauma, and the indomitable willpower of the human spirit.

    instagram.com/ninthrealmmd

    ninthrealmmd.bandcamp.com

    Transcending Obscurity Records

    Source: ClawHammer PR

  • Reviews: August Burns Red, Guilt Trip, Child, Okay You Win (Spike & Rich Piva)

    August Burns Red  – Season Of Surrender (Fearless Records) [Spike]

    You pretty much know what you’re getting with August Burns Red at this point. This is their tenth album, and they aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel. Honestly, they shouldn’t. If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. 

    This record delivers exactly what we’ve come to expect over the last two decades: massive breakdowns, complex guitar leads, and a lot of energy. For a band that has been doing this for so long, the consistency is actually pretty impressive.

    Opening with Legions, featuring Mike Hranica from The Devil Wears Prada, the album starts with a lot of momentum. It’s heavy, fast, and has that classic mid-2000s metalcore feel. Jake Luhrs’ vocals are front and centre, sounding as powerful as ever. 

    It’s followed by The Nameless and Behemoth, which keep the pace moving without giving you much time to catch your breath. JB Brubaker’s lead guitar work on Behemoth is particularly sharp, showing that they can still write technical parts that don’t feel like they’re just showing off.

    One thing I really liked on this release was the guest features. Jamie Hails from Polaris shows up on Sonic Salvation, adding some great contrast to the vocal delivery. Later on, Make Them Suffer bring a different flavour to Cerebral Malfunction. 

    It’s a good way to shake things up on a ten-album-deep discography without losing the core identity of the band. It keeps the middle of the album from feeling like a repeat of what came before.

    Even the shorter moments work well here. Tear Of The Clouds is a brief, atmospheric breather that clocks in at under a minute, but it sets up Whispers Like Splinters perfectly. 

    That track, along with S.O.S., keeps the intensity high as the album heads toward the finish line. Dustie Waring’s rhythm guitars sound massive throughout this entire stretch, giving the breakdowns a lot of physical weight.

    The standout track for me is the closer, Forged By Failure. It’s nearly seven minutes long and shows how the band can still build a great, atmospheric build-up before hitting you with a massive breakdown. 

    It’s a great way to close out the record and feels like it’ll go down incredibly well live. You can already picture the crowd reaction when that final section kicks in.

    At the end of the day, Season Of Surrender doesn’t rewrite the metalcore rulebook, but it doesn’t need to. It’s a solid, reliable, and incredibly heavy record from a band that still knows exactly how to write a great riff. If you’ve liked them before, you’ll like this. 8/10

    Guilt Trip – Armour Of Angels (Roadrunner Records) [Spike]

    Manchester has a way of producing bands that just know how to graft. But while the Gallagher brothers made a career out of sneering in parkas.

    Guilt Trip have spent the last decade building something infinitely heavier. This is their third full-length record, Armour Of Angels, and it is a massive, metallic hardcore steamroller.

    You might have seen the headlines about their recent Adidas collaboration. Oasis did the three-stripes thing too, but you can bet Guilt Trip’s version of it comes with a lot more bruises. 

    This is a band that has stayed entirely true to the heavy, metal-worshipping strain of hardcore that got them out of sweaty basements and onto massive festival stages.

    The album kicks off with One By One and immediately sets a bruising pace. This isn’t just standard hardcore; it’s a massive, riff-heavy blend that feels like the tough-guy stomp of 90s New York metalcore mixed with the razor-sharp guitar tone of classic Pantera. When vocalist Jay Valentine yells “Go!” on the opener, you know exactly what kind of ride you’re in for.

    The guitar work from Jak Maden and Sam Baker is the real star of the show here. Tracks like Cut From God and Burn are absolutely festooned with squealing harmonics, chugging breakdowns, and solos that actually feel like they belong there rather than just showing off. 

    The second half of Burn is a total fretboard workout that is going to test the chops of a lot of bedroom players.

    They also aren’t afraid to stretch their legs a bit. On Dirt, they introduce some clean vocals that actually work without robbing the track of its grit. Veins is another standout, a sprawling, multi-layered highlight that builds into a massive, heavy-handed wall of sound.

    And then you’ve got Resurrected, which features Sonny Sandoval from P.O.D. on guest vocals. It’s a wild, late-90s crossover that has absolutely no right to work as well as it does, but the contrast between the vocals is brilliant and it absolutely rips.

    There’s an intermission in the middle to let you catch your breath, but otherwise, this is a relentless, front-to-back beating. It’s the kind of record that makes you want to throw a pint across a crowded room.

    Guilt Trip have delivered a massive step forward from their last record, Severance. It’s heavy, honest, and proudly Northern. If you’re into big riffs, massive pits, and zero compromise, this is going to be on your turntable for a very long time. 9/10

    Child – Rebirth (Heavy Psych Sounds) [Rich Piva]

    I am not sure there could be a better name for the fourth album from the band Child. Rebirth sees the Australian band get a bit more down and dirty in the blues and get even deeper lyrically then before, creating one of the blues rock records of the year so far.

    Heavy Psych Sounds did us all a favor by repressing the previous releases from Child, that are all excellent, with Rebirth being a perfect addition to their already amazing discography. 

    Woman Like You is pure blues rock beauty, both vocally and with that filthy guitar tone, and of course a woman who left and left him very, very damaged. 

    The pace picks up on Forgot How To Love with a riff that leans into the stoner rock territory but those vocals and the melody is some vintage Child blues goodness. Heavy Load has a Southern Harmony Black Crowes mixed with Skynyrd thing going on, which is obviously awesome. 

    Damned Heart’s riff lets you know you are in for some heartbreak which is confirmed when the vocals kick in. Rebirth has a very clear production value to it that in some spots if you turned up the clean more it would be a bit too much, but they never do go over the edge. 

    I mentioned “Child blues goodness” earlier, and here we are again with I Tried, which fits right in that slowed down Skynyrd territory. The most blues of the blues is on the closer, Cold Shoulder, which wraps up this, what I am hearing at least, bluesy concept record on love and loss and filthy riffs.

    Actually, that is how I will describe Rebirth in one line. A record filled with love, loss, and filthy riffs. More killer blues rock from Child, a band that has perfected it, all the way from Down Under. 9/10

    Okay You Win – End Of Days (Blues Funeral Recordings) [Rich Piva]

    The guys in UK’s Okay You Win have been kicking around London’s underground rock scene for years now, honing their craft in various bands, waiting for the right time and combination in a band for them to really make their mark and take all their hard work to the next level. 

    This is what you hear from their debut record, End Of Days, brought to us by Blues Funeral. End Of Days doesn’t sound like your ordinary debut album. What it sounds like is four guys who totally get it, and gelling to make an excellently executed and brilliantly written banger with zero skips, killer riffs, and next level lyrics.

    Just take the opener, Smoke. There is this grunge meets stoner thing that on paper may sound like you have heard it before, but between the guitar tone, the vocals, and how expertly recording it is, Smoke stands out as one of the killer tracks of the year. 

    I love the way the guitar chugs on The Greatest Lie, and how the band expertly changes speed and vibes on Beat Me Down. This Damned Place has this smokey stoner blues thing with some of my favorite lyrics on the record, while the title track is here to simply rip up the place via that riff and my favorite vocal performance by Dave Kirk on the record. 

    Speaking of ripping it up, Red Flag does just that, kind of reminding me of Soundgarden’s Kickstand. Ryan O’Hare’s guitar work here is next level stuff and both floats and punches you in the face. The grungiest track is Ten Year Trip, where the band is on full display, with the rhythm section of Rodrigo Barradas and Antonio Peci absolutely locked in. 

    The seven minute closer, Own It, ends the debut perfectly, hitting on all the high notes mentioned, with Kirk’s vocals and lyrics once again standing out.

    If you didn’t know any better you would not think this could be a band’s debut, but End Of Days skips the part about the promise of a new band or a good start. Okay You Win are here right from day one in the big leagues, fitting in perfectly and leaving us all wanting more. 9/10