Category: news

  • Slipknot’s Shawn Crahan Recalls First Time Seeing Joey Jordison

    Shawn Crahan recalls what it was like seeing Joey Jordison play for the first time prior to the drummer joining Slipknot. Continue reading…
  • Instagram’s “Great Bot Purge” Here’s Why Celebrities are Losing Millions of Followers

    Instagram's "Great Bot Purge" Here's Why Celebrities are Losing Millions of Followers

    Instagram executed one of the most sweeping account cleanups in the platform's history on May 7, 2026, wiping out millions of bot, spam, and inactive followers in a single overnight wave.

    The sudden drop occurred during what insiders are describing as a swift overnight sweep, part of Instagram's aggressive new effort to scrub spam, inactive accounts, and "non-organic" followers from the platform. Many major Instagram accounts from musicians to celebrities have been hit hard, dropping millions of followers in the last 24 hours.

    Beginning on May 6, Instagram launched the platform-wide cleanup with a goal of removing bots, spam, and inactive accounts to give advertisers and creators more accurate audience metrics. The scale was big enough to give it a nickname: users across Threads and X quickly dubbed it the "Great Purge of 2026."

    Meta confirmed the action through a spokesperson, describing it as a routine process, and clarifying that active accounts will remain unaffected.

    The losses at the celebrity level were staggering and illustrate just how deep bot infiltration has burrowed into even the most-followed accounts. Kylie Jenner reportedly shed over 15 million followers, Ariana Grande lost approximately 7 million, and Taylor Swift dropped around 5 million. K-pop juggernauts BLACKPINK and BTS were among the hardest hit in the music world, losing approximately 10 million and 7 million followers, respectively.

    Instagram's "Great Bot Purge" Here's Why Celebrities are Losing Millions of Followers
    Photo by Maxim Hopman / Unsplash

    The silver lining is that bot accounts don't like, comment, or share—meaning that removing them makes your active audience a larger percentage of your total count. In the eyes of the algorithm, a smaller, highly engaged audience is far more valuable than a massive, dormant one. By purging bot and inactive accounts, Instagram also creates a more authentic audience, showing real, human followers rather than inflated "fake" accounts.

    The purge wasn't announced in advance, and its timing aligns with Instagram's broader 2026 push to clean up engagement metrics, satisfy advertisers who pay based on real reach, and respond to regulatory pressure around social media authenticity. Unlike previous minor cleanups, the May 2026 sweep utilized advanced AI to target accounts linked to third-party growth services and click farms, as well as profiles flagged for coordinated inauthentic behavior.

    Interestingly, while Instagram sentiment has been low across the board, engagement on Threads has skyrocketed as users flooded the platform to vent— turning a chaotic morning for Instagram into a massive win for its text-based sibling app.

    If your band's page took a hit today, Meta recommends heading to Settings > Account Status to check if your reach has been restricted, disconnecting any third-party follower tracker apps, and doubling down on original content, which aligns directly with Instagram's expanded creator policy that began rolling out May 5, discouraging accounts that primarily repost content from others.

    The follower count was always a vanity metric. Engagement was always the real currency. Today, Instagram just forced everyone to reckon with that—whether they were ready to or not.

    Was your Instagram account affected by these changes? Let us know!


    Thanks for reading!

  • BAKKEN ANNOUNCE NEW FULL-LENGTH ALBUM CONSENT TO DECEPTION – @thebeast

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    BAKKEN ANNOUNCE NEW FULL-LENGTH ALBUM CONSENT TO DECEPTION
    Out June 12, 2026
    Ireland heavy metal outfit Bakken are back in full force with their long-awaited third studio album, Consent To Deception , set for release on June 12, 2026.
    Formed in 2011, Bakken have built their name the old-school way, grinding it out DIY , playing loud, and letting the music do the talking. Their breakout debut Death of a Hero (2012) put them on the map, followed by the hard-hitting This Means War in 2020, cementing a loyal global following drawn to their high-energy, politically charged brand of thrashy power metal .
    Now in 2026, the band return with what they call their most ambitious and unfiltered record yet.
    Blending the precision of classic heavy metal with the speed and bite of thrash metal and the soaring melodies of power metal , Bakken continue to carve their own lane. Fans of Judas Priest , Metallica , and Helloween will feel right at home, but don’t expect a copy-paste job. This is sharper, louder, and a lot more personal.
    Band Statement
    “It took six years, 1000s of recording tracks, a very patient producer, huge amounts of work, masses of unnecessary drama, we’re barely alive, our partners are barely talking to us, but we think we’ve managed to create a genre-less heavy metal masterpiece. (But that could just be the fatigue talking)”
    About the Band
    Bakken describe themselves as thrashy-power metal with a mission, combining relentless energy with politically charged lyrics focused on positivity, peace, and respect for all living things. Or in their own words, “grab a beer and celebrate the glory of heavy metal with us.”
    Album Credits
    Produced by Neil Haynes at Parlour Studios
    Mastered by Artem Music
    Management: Mome
    Label: None ( DIY release )
    Availability
    Consent To Deception will be available on all major streaming platforms.
    Presave / Stream: https://bakken.hearnow.com/
    Bakken are not here to play it safe. They’re here to turn the volume up and let it rip.

    Connect: 
    Website: https://bakkenmetal.com/
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bakkenband
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bakkenband/?hl=en-gb
    Twitter/X: https://x.com/bandbakken
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8tKhauFxdGnkmD6O1B_WqQ
    Bandcamp: https://bakkenband.bandcamp.com/
    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6QeDMqJzK4SRoN3nmamENw
    Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/bakken/292120882
    Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bakkenband.bsky.social
    Contact
    Simon Pickett & Frank Levi
    bakkenband@gmail.com
  • Khemmis Premiere “Beneath The Scythe” Video

    A new band-exclusive vinyl variant of their new album has also just been launched.

    The post Khemmis Premiere “Beneath The Scythe” Video appeared first on Theprp.com.

  • Motionless In White Are On The Cover Of Rock Sound

    Motionless In White take to the cover of Rock Sound in preparation for the release of their savage and celebratory new album ‘Decades’.


    Chris Motionless takes a moment to appreciate the journey on the band’s latest LP, celebrating their accomplishments while acknowledging the hardships and rough roads that led them here over the past two decades. With soul-baring, autobiographical lyrics and key guest appearances from friends and heroes, Chris explains how the support of their devoted fan community helped drive the band towards the creation of ‘Decades’.

    Get your magazine alongside a world-exclusive glow-in-the-dark t-shirt, only at SHOP.ROCKSOUND.TV


    You can also pick up the magazine with special solo Chris, Justin, Ricky, Ryan and Vinny covers, exclusively from SHOP.ROCKSOUND.TV

    The post Motionless In White Are On The Cover Of Rock Sound appeared first on Rock Sound.

  • New Video Game Mixtape Puts You In The Role Of An Aspiring Music Supervisor

    Mixtape, a new video game out today, tells a classic teen-movie coming-of-age story, following three kids who are trying to make it to a mythic party on their last day of school, avoiding getting caught along the way. It’s the latest game from Beethoven & Dinosaur, the Melbourne studio previously responsible for the music-themed platform game The Artful Escape. And as the title implies, music is pretty central to Mixtape, too.

    The post New Video Game <em>Mixtape</em> Puts You In The Role Of An Aspiring Music Supervisor appeared first on Stereogum.

  • Dominum Releases New Music Video “Doctor Doctor”

    Modern metal sensation Dominum has unveiled another taste of their upcoming album "Night Is Calling," set for release on 3rd July via Napalm Records. The infectious anthem, entitled "Doctor Doctor," is driven by crushing riffs and irresistible hooks, showcasing the band’s signature blend of theatrical horror themes and massive sing-along choruse… Read More/Discuss on Metal Underground.com
  • Xandria To Release New Album “Eclipse” In August; Unveils New Music Video “The Shannon’s Home”

    Chart-topping German symphonic metal icons Xandria will release their new studio album, "Eclipse," on August 7, 2026, via Napalm Records. The upcoming full-length features eleven tracks that represent the most diverse body of work in the band’s discography so far: every song has its own identity—a journey full of discoveries—yet they all belong to … Read More/Discuss on Metal Underground.com