The original mega-kvlt and trve metal act, Cirith Ungol are a lot like the evil demigod, Sauron. They both had mysterious beginnings before erupting onto the scene to create a lasting legacy. And both simply refuse to die and stay dead. After 3 iconic albums in the 80s, these mystical heavy metal maestros took a long hiatus, only to reappear 5 years later with fourth album, Paradise Lost. That would spell the end of the original run, with them soon breaking up, seemingly for good. But as Sauron’s eye rose to the sky 3000 years after his “death,” Cirith Ungol exploded from the void 19 years after disbanding with 2020s Forever Black. And what a welcome return it was, with their sound and style largely intact and the material heavy and maurading. 2023’s Dark Parade kept the war party in the field with another high-quality outing that proved Cirith Ungol was still a potent beast on a second career tear. Sadly, in 2024 the band announced they would be performing their final shows and calling it a day. It seemed the standard bearers of trve metal had finally come full circle and all their tales were told. 2 years on, however, Cirith Ungol come back from the grave once again with All the Shadows, albeit without either founding axe Gregory G. Lindstrom or longtime guitarist Jimmy Barraza. Why won’t these grizzled vets stay dead? We have no answers. Will you be glad to have them back? That we can address.
As a major Ungol head since my teams, I rejoiced muchly when word reached me that we were getting another album. The opening title track gave me even more reason ot celebrate, as it’s 100% pure Ungolcore as heavy and mighty as anything they ever conjured. One-of-a-kind frontman Tim Baker still sounds unbelievably powerful, his odd but awesome vocals still oozing with grit, grease, and pig squeals. This is exactly the kind of classic metal war march I crave from these guys and it hits like a runaway siege engine full of dragonfire. “Shallow Reflection” goes back to Ungol’s doomy roots and borrows more than a little from classic Black Sabbath to craft a brooding slab of trve doom fury. Baker’s insane bellowing here is worth the price of the album, and this is the big dose of classic metal glory that all posers need in their feeble lives. “Empty Tomb” is even more like vintage Ungol. This one could have appeared on their legendary King of the Dead opus and fit in like a dagger through the ribs. It’s a thing of ugly beauty. Also of note is the 7-plus-minute “On Broken Wings,” which is like an old school trve doom ballad that finds Tim Baker singing cleanly and softly in a way he rarely does. Soon it’s back to his signature “pig monster in pain” bellowing, and the transition from soft to oink makes his excessive over-the-topness feel even more impactful.
Unfortunately, there are some bumpy moments scattered across All the Shadows. While “This Mortal Stain” is solid with cool moments and contains some of Baker’s most insane vocals ever, the song never fully gets on track. “Turning Blind” is heavy but clunky and awkward and feels half-baked. At just under 41 minutes, it feels like the band struggled somewhat to piece together an album as massive as their last few. I’m happy to get the good stuff, but there’s more chaff with the wheat this time.
The core of the Cirith Ungol sound has always been the oddball vocal attack from Tim Baker. Despite being 70 years of age, the man still sounds like the real monster lurking behind the Minotaur in the maze. His massive, raspy bellows are the stuff of legend, and his kinda-sorta pig squeal is as freaky as it was in the early 80s. He brings life to the best stuff here and keeps the lesser bits from completely face-planting. He’s a special talent. The absence of both Gregory G. Lindstrom and Jimmy Barraza definitely took a toll on the writing and, to an extent, the classic sound palette of Cirith Ungol. While it’s clear the band took pains to get new slinger Armand Anthony (Night Demon, ex-Gygax) to fit his playing into the classic Ungol style, there are moments where things feel more like a copy than the real Magilla.
I’ll be a die-hard Cirith Trooper until the end of time and I still spin their classic albums regularly. There was never a band quite like them, and that always made them feel extra special. I want to like All the Shadows more than I do, but shortcomings aside, it’s still a solid addition to their mighty catalog with some potent Ungol chunks amid the Cirith slurry. If you’re new to the band, this might not be the best place to start, but fans should find plenty to love here. May Cirith Ungol live forever. The world needs them.
Richard Hupka wrote and recorded BULLET-PROOF’s new single ‘Scorpion’ at his home studio, joined by bassist Alessandro Gatti and drummer Željko Marinković. Mixing was handled by Alessio Garavello at Rogue Recording Studios in London. The Italian heavy/thrash metal band will release the track on 30 October 2026, with availability on Spotify and other major digital […]
The excitement around the new Dio Rules project has been growing steadily since their first shows earlier this summer. Now they are back on the road again with three Halloween dates this weekend, the first of which, Jergel’s in Warrendale, MetalTalk will be reporting from. We covered the inception of the band with Andrew Freeman in May, and now we reached out to guitarist Angus Clark to find out more about this fascinating journey.
Angus Clark has 25 years with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, which is about as big a rock production as you can get. The shift to DIO Rules was, he said, the result of “A bunch of different things that conspired to come together to make it happen.
“I always had a passion for all the music that Ronnie James Dio has made. I saw the Mob Rules tour at Madison Square Garden. After recognising that Ronnie James Dio was the new singer in Black Sabbath, I went and found out what he had done before. So I grew up on all that material.
“Then, Ronnie started the Dio band. I saw the Holy Diver tour at the Beacon Theater in New York, which is an under 3,000 cap theater. A legendary venue, but small. It was literally in my neighbourhood. Within a year, he was back at the Garden. I saw the Last In Line tour at the Garden. I even saw the Sacred Heart tour, in LA with Viv and later back on the East Coast with Craig.
“That was my burn-in period, 13 to 17. When you make this bond with the material, it never lets you go.”
For Angus, his work with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra is still going strong, and they are getting ready to go back on tour. He had been getting calls about projects that were ‘tribute’ in style. He was the guitarist in the musical Rock of Ages and performed shows with them, “at the Performing Arts Centre level.” Essentially an ’80s show, he became familiar with that touring circuit.
“I’d also been playing with Mark Martel, the singer for the official Queen tribute, Queen Extravaganza,” Angus said. “I had learned this whole Queen repertoire, and it’s really fun to dig into this repertoire and really nail it.”
There the seeds were sown. “I always loved those Dio solos when I was growing up. But what if I actually really did it? If I was going to do my own thing, I would do the music of Ronnie James Dio. The most influential hard rock/Heavy Metal singer ever in terms of downstream influence. You can point to guys who have more legendary chart-topping status. Ozzy, of course, is a massive figure in my life. But there aren’t many people who took the Ozzy thing and started singing like that or made that the foundation for where they went.
“Whereas Ronnie James Dio, he is the model on which so many other careers have been built, to my way of thinking.”
During the pandemic, Angus Clark modified the three guitars. “I had this Vivian Campbell replica done. A flat black top Les Paul. I had this beat-up SG Junior done in the style of Tony Iommi, and I have this white Strat. I can’t build these guitars and not do something with them.”
Angus began putting the band together. Noticing that Last In Line did not appear to be doing much, through some friends, he was able to put the call in. “It was a dare myself to do this kind of a thing,” he smiled. “I listened to the [MetalTalk] interview. The timing was the timing. There was nothing on the calendar. Andrew wasn’t sure what else there was, and it didn’t cost him anything other than some time to cut the demos.
“Then he was in New York for some Lynch Mob dates. I had him come do the performance video with us and I was just lucking out.”
There was no need for Plan B. “Exactly,” Angus says.
DIO Rules Announce Halloween Weekend Shows And 2027 Tour Dates
Fellow Trans-Siberian Orchestra/ Rock Of Ages guitarist Joel Hoekstra put Angus in touch with Kathy Wagner as Panzyler Entertainment Group. “I called her, and I went over what it was about and why I was passionate about it,” Angus says. “That really resonated with her. She took a risk, really. Because, until you see the band and you see the crowd that shows up for this band, it might not click for you what’s going on.
“But we have an underserved market of people who know every word to these songs, and they want to have that communal moment of being there and feeling it done with the right quality, the right amount of integrity and all that musicianship. But also just the love for the material and the music and Ronnie.”
One aspect of this lineup I do love is Mark Klett, who not only plays keyboards, but plays second guitar as well. Not every song needs a keyboard on it. “Exactly,” Angus says. “That was one thing that I think was always confusing about Sabbath. They were always committed to having the keyboard player, whether he was offstage or kind of like almost invisible. Not having that person actually play guitar, there would be an organ sound or something like that filling in the gaps.
“Similarly with Ozzy. It’s the same thing. It was Don Airey. I know Jeff Nicholls was doing Sabbath for a long time. Dio had a keyboard player. They all conformed to the same thing.
“I don’t need a keyboard on a live version of a Sabbath tune where there was no keyboard on the record. Mark is an awesome guy. We toured together in Trans-Siberian Orchestra. We’re gonna do the live versions of these Rainbow tunes, including the Blues with the keyboard solo and everything.
“[I said] You’re gonna have your moment on that, and we’re gonna do some of the harmony leads from either the DIO or Sabbath eras where there was some harmony stuff. Then we do Kill The King where he’s playing keys, and I’m playing guitar, and we’re doing all the arpeggios and harmony. So it’s great.”
Kill The King live works very well for DIO Rules. There is so much going on behind the obvious guitar work. Working from On Stage, Angus was able to isolate the keyboard parts and sent them to Mark. “There is some stuff that was surprising,” he says.
“With Matt Starr on drums, he is just amazing, and his recall ability is so fast and tight. He learns stuff so quickly and then it’s bang on. Then, with Winston Roye on bass, who I’ve worked with for probably 15 years now, it gelled really quickly. A couple of days in the rehearsal room and cool.”
It was that first rehearsal when it gelled so quickly that Angus says he felt DIO Rules would work. “We rehearsed without Andrew because we’re all based in the New York area and Andrew is in Las Vegas.”
The last rehearsal before the debut gig was the only rehearsal with Andrew, though Matt was unable to be there. They rehearsed with recorded drums. “The very first time we were all in a room together was the day of our first gig at Rams Head, Annapolis.”
The logistics are what they are. “It wouldn’t be the same band if I wasn’t calling guys that were in demand. Every time we come together to play, it’s a special thing, and we want the audience to know that and feel it. Everybody’s at the top of their game, so it’s really great.”
In the video of this interview, you can see the three guitars that Angus put together. I love the almost obsessive attention to detail. I really get that. How far down the rabbit hole did he actually go?
“It’s not really practical to use vintage amps for this kind of thing, but I have a lot of white strats,” Angus laughs. The Blackmore strat is specifically outfitted. The rosewood fingerboard, the large headstock, and the choice of pickups are very specific.
The Viv guitar is a relatively new Gibson Standard 50s. “I am actually going a little farther down the rabbit hole because I did just acquire a 1977 Les Paul Deluxe, which is literally built five weeks after Vivian Campbell’s guitar. But I haven’t done the cosmetics with it yet, so that’s another project. Now that I actually have a band to do this…”
The Iommi guitar is a relatively recent SG Special. “I had it refinished and upgraded the electronics and the bridge. These pickups are actually JD pickups, so they’re very unique. They were made in Birmingham and ordered from John Diggins’ son, who now runs the company. That’s the deepest thing.”
Three different guitarists. Blackmore has the almost classical precision, Iommi practically invented Heavy Metal, and Vivian brought a different kind of fire to Dio. Is there a style that comes more naturally, or one maybe pushes Angus as a player?
“They all push you in different ways,” he says. “I feel most comfortable on the Vivian stuff. He’s very Gary Moore influenceed, but then he has a lot of scalar stuff. I was vibing on the Rainbow In The Dark solo when I was a kid. Ritchie is one of those things where you think you know it, and then you try to really learn it, and it’s like, ‘Whoa!’ There’s a whole level of technique that he does that regular guitar players don’t do, and you have to kind of train yourself away.
“If I’m playing Kill The King, and I’m doing verbatim licks, or something on my own, I immediately think, ‘Well, that doesn’t sound right.’
“Iommi, the very first guitar solo I ever learned was Tomorrow’s Dream from the Vol. 4 album. But his playing evolved a lot through the Dio era, so I feel very comfortable on it. But there again, there are some compositional choices that he makes as a soloist that are like, ‘Whoa!’ You think you got it, and then you’re like, oh, no, I don’t got it.
“So Viv’s kind of the most like mine. Ritchie and Tony are a stretch in order for me to do anything freewheeling that sounds right in the ballpark. I’ve got really close on the tones, I think. Attention to detail is what makes a band like this really stand out.”
DIO Rules Announce Halloween Weekend Shows And 2027 Tour Dates
Every Ronnie James Dio fan will have a different idea on the setlist, you imagine. One Night In The City is, I suggest, an awesome song that always came across well live. “I’d like to get it in the set,” Angus says. “I think there’s gonna be opportunity to move things around. The first three shows we had Voodoo from the Mob Rules album in the show, and we had Die Young from the Heaven and Hell album.
“But we changed it because we wanted to put Children Of The Sea in. You’re trying to balance slow tunes and faster tunes and you want to make the set work. It is all classic tunes. Then Andrew was like, come on, we gotta put Stargazer in. All right, Stargazer’s in. Now, the show is a little too long.
“I think we’re going to take Straight Through The Heart out. But it’s amazing doing Stargazer. We finished playing it the first time, and somebody in the audience shouted, ‘You should never not play Stargazer.’ The audience has spoken.”
Even I can get carried away, so it must be difficult. I suggest, with Mark there, Lonely Is The Word would be great as he could cover the acoustic guitar in the solo section. I am glad I do not have to worry about the setlist or how long it is.
“I love One Night In The City,” Angus says. “I’m glad you brought that one up. And, of course, either Lonely Is The Word or Over And Over. Either of those big outro tracks. I just love the hypnoticness of the rhythm section and just how completely out there Tony goes in those moments.”
We could be here hours, as I reminisce about turning the volume up on those songs as the long fades kick in. “There’s the riffs at the outro of Mob Rules,” Angus says. “I’m nerding out on all that stuff.”
DIO Rules are now moving further afield. Jergel’s in Warrnendale is Thursday, followed by Penn’s Peak, “which is a really large venue for where we’re at, and then we’re getting to Connecticut, which is where Matt Starr is from. So it’s nice to finish there to kind of get some of his hometown folks involved. That’s on Halloween night. So this is really exciting.
“Then next year we’re gonna do this run around Chicago/Milwaukee. It is gonna be challenging in a whole different bunch of ways because I think we’re gonna have to fly.”
Of course I then have to ask about bringing it all across the pond, which Angus would be up for. He was recently over here touring in Jon Anderson’s band. “We were there for four weeks, and we pretty much got around everywhere you can name,” he says. “That was another opportunity where I was learning material that I loved when I was 13. But now I’m getting to play with Jon, and as soon as he opens his mouth, it’s like the album.
“It’s like the album comes to life in front of you. It was an exceptional experience. London audience was amazing. All, all the audiences were really kind. You could tell they were getting their money’s worth from that experience.”
One thing that struck me when I was talking with Andrew Freeman was his sense of responsibility towards the music. Angus has tremendous emotional investment in it as well. “What I’ve always really appreciated about Andrew is that he is making the material his own,” Angus says. “He sings it with conviction. I think with Ronnie’s lyrics, if the singer isn’t really connected to it and singing it with conviction, it just all falls apart. Andrew is right there. He’s inhabiting the role.
“This is something that was pointed out when he was doing Last In Line. That timbre of his voice may not be like you’re hiring a sound-alike. You’re seeing a person that is nailing it and is bringing you the energy and the intensity. The delivery is such that you’re connected with it, and that’s the main thing.
“I think that’s what we’re doing as a band, but that’s what I really appreciate about working with Andrew. We’re doing a tribute to Ronnie, and we all appreciate what Ronnie did, what he accomplished, and what this music is both to us and the fans.
“As I said, I see these audiences. They know every word, and they just want to connect with the singer and the band in that way, so that it’s just this communal thing of like, yeah. This is the feeling that I wanted to get from being here. I knew about Andrew because I had seen him with Last In Line and now that I’m working with him, it’s ten times as true. It’s just all there. It’s amazing.”
For me, this is an important point. Sure, there are plenty of other Dio tribute bands out there, but the approach that DIO Rules have is something I respect and this makes it something unique.
“I think that’s true,” Angus says. “We’re not doing a look alike thing. There’s a place for that. I can see where people want to get lost in the fantasy of it. I did the lookalike guitars. But I just think it’s a touch that’s just kind of like an ode. We want to bring these elements together so that you are there, but you realise that it’s a band. We’re all fans.”
I can’t help it, so we go off on a Craig Goldy tangent, through Lock Up The Wolves and Doug Aldrich. You can see that part in the video, but suffice as to say, when Angus says, “If I was gonna do a song from the other eras, I think I like Sunset Superman,” I don’t disagree. But then it could be Hey Angel. “There’s good tunes on all the records.”
With 25 years with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, for Angus Clark, there are still goals. “Is there something I haven’t achieved yet? I’ve never done anything with Tony Iommi, right? That would be incredible.”
There is talk of the DIO Rules lineup writing some original music under a different name. “I’ve made records,” Angus says. “I had a Metal band called Daredevil Squadron. We have two records. I had a kind of a Progressive Metal band in the ’90s called Naked Sun. There’s one record.
“Some fan of Jon Anderson had it posted on Facebook. I didn’t know anybody still had that record. There’s probably at least a couple more original artist projects that I’d like to do in the near future while I’m still a viable stage performer. [laughs]
“Playing music that I love for people that want to see it, that’s the main thing. That’s what brings me joy and that’s what I really get out of doing DIO Rules. Same thing, Trans-Siberian Orchestra. It’s my 25th year, but it’s 30 years of the Orchestra. We’re carrying forward a legacy for Paul O’Neill, who passed away a number of years ago. So that’s very important. I encourage everybody to come see, if you’re in the States, TSO this holiday season. It’s gonna be an amazing show.”
Angus has to clear out the Yes material and get the TSO material back in his mental space. But first it is DIO Rules. “We have new t-shirts,” he says. “We will have them at the shows. Follow us on the Facebook page, send comments. As I said, should we do One Night In The City?
“It is probably time to start hearing from the fans about what they would like to hear in the set list.”
Now there is an invitation.
DIO Rules Tour Dates 2026 And 2027
Looking ahead, DIO Rules have announced shows at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, Illinois, on Friday 8 January 2027 and Shank Hall in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Saturday 9 January. Further dates are being developed.
29 October 2026 – Jergel’s Rhythm Grille, Warrendale, PA
30 October 2026 – Penn’s Peak, Jim Thorpe, PA
31 October 2026 – Broad Brook Opera House, Broad Brook, CT
Public Works has revealed the details of their new EP, set to be released on the legendary Hopeless Records, and you’re going to absolutely love it.
Titled ‘Forklift Certified’, which is already brilliant, it will be released on February 26, 2027.
The artwork looks like this:
And the first single is out now in the form of ‘Boy Scout’, and it is about as preppy, vibrant and meta as pop-punk gets. The realisation that there are things in your past that you aren’t going to be proud of, but they are ultimately the things that have shaped you into the person you are today, for better or for worse, it’s a feeling we can all relate to.
But to then present in a manner that feels as playful and poignant as this is a whole other kettle of fish. It’s a sign of the talent that sits at the core of Public Works, and this is only the tip of the iceberg.
UK metal titans MALEVOLENCE have announced a fourteen date run of the UK and Ireland in February next year. The UNITED KINGDOM OF CHAOS ‘27 (and IRELAND OF CHAOS) Tour kicks off in Southampton on 4th Feb, working it’s way through England, Wales, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland, ending in their hometown of Sheffield on the 20th.
“This tour is an intentional celebration of the beautiful heavy music scene that we have right here, right now on our little island and the amazing artists that it has cultivated.” declares the band. “A proper UK run with a full UK line up in support, and a bonus show for our brothers and sisters in Ireland and Northern Ireland.”
“There are so many incredible places to play that are often forgotten in favour of the big hotspots like Manchester & London. We are seizing the opportunity to delve a little deeper and give these cities the attention they deserve.”
“See you all this winter. Love Malev x”
Support comes from Manchester HC Heroes GUILT TRIP and Leeds HC Punks BODYWEB.
The full run of dates is as follows:
4th Feb 2027 – Southampton – Engine Rooms 5th Feb 2027 – Liverpool – Content 6th Feb 2027 – Torquay – Arena 7th Feb 2027 – Cardiff – Tramshed 9th Feb 2027 – Brighton – Chalk 10th Feb 2027 – Norwich – Epic Studios 11th Feb 2027 – Hull – Asylum 12th Feb 2027 – Nottingham – Rock City 13th Feb 2027 – Wolverhampton – KK’s Steel Mill 14th Feb 2027 – Newcastle – NX 16th Feb 2027 – Dublin, IRE – Academy 17th Feb 2027 – Belfast – Limelight 19th Feb 2027 – Edinburgh – Liquid Room 20th Feb 2027 – Sheffield – O2 Academy
Tickets go on sale Friday Oct 30th 10AM GMT with a special artist pre-sale Wednesday Oct 28th 10AM GMT available to those signed up to the mailing list at https://mlvltd.com/
Oct. 27, 2026, Umeå, Sweden – Meshuggah return to North America in 2027, celebrating the groundbreaking band’s fortieth anniversary with an extensive tour that sees the genre-defying Swedes make their debut at Red Rocks Amphitheatre and includes outings at Oakland’s Fox Theater and the Brooklyn Paramount.
Tickets for the newly announced dates, produced by Live Nation, are on-sale this Friday, Oct. 30 at 10 a.m. local time, with an artist pre-sale beginning today at 10 a.m. pacific/1 p.m. eastern. Tickets are available at Meshuggah.net/tour. Special guests include Testament and Blood Incantation.
Citi cardmembers in the U.S. will have access to pre-sale tickets beginning Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 12:00 p.m. eastern through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete pre-sale details visit citientertainment.com.
Few bands have altered the vocabulary of heavy music as fundamentally as Meshuggah. Since forming in Umeå, Sweden, in the late ‘80s, the band has continually pushed the boundaries of metal, developing a sound built on complex rhythms, dissonance, repetition and crushing physicality that has influenced generations of musicians. Landmark albums including Destroy Erase Improve, Chaosphere, and Nothing helped redefine the possibilities of the genre, while songs such as “Future Breed Machine,” “Rational Gaze,” and “Bleed” have become touchstones for generations of musicians.
Meshuggah’s influence can he heard across progressive and technical metal, as well as in the work of countless artists inspired by their approach. Yet their music has always stood apart from the movements they helped shape. A 2018 GRAMMY-Award nomination for Best Metal Performance for “Clockworks” recognized their impact, while 2022’s Immutable reaffirmed their place at the forefront of modern metal, topping both the U.K. Rock & Metal Albums chart and Billboard’s Top Hard Rock Albums chart.
The Forty-Year Anomaly Tour dates:
February 12 Toronto, ON Coca-Cola Coliseum
February 13 Laval, QC Place Bell
February 16 Detroit, MI The Masonic Temple Theatre
February 17 Chicago, IL The Salt Shed
February 19 Minneapolis, MN The Armory
February 20 Kansas City, MO The Midland Theatre
February 21 Omaha, NE Steelhouse
February 23 Chesterfield, MO The Factory
February 24 Nashville, TN The Truth
February 26 Virginia Beach, VA The Dome by Rutter Mills
February 27 Baltimore, MD The Paramount
February 28 Pittsburgh, PA Citizens Live at The Wylie
March 2 Philadelphia, PA The Met
March 3 Brooklyn, NY The Brooklyn Paramount
March 5 New Haven, CT College Street Music Hall
March 6 Boston, MA MGM Music Hall at Fenway
April 15 Vancouver, BC PNE Forum
April 16 Portland, OR Theater of the Clouds
April 17 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre
April 19 Salt Lake City, UT The Union Event Center
British heavy metal legends Saxon unleash ‘Medusa’, the second single from their forthcoming studio album Gods of Thunder, due for release via Silver Lining Music on 22 January 2027. Pre-orders are available here.
nspired by the terrifying Gorgon of Greek mythology, whose gaze could turn mortals to stone, ‘Medusa’ strikes with a killer riff and classic heavy metal power. With Biff Byford’s unmistakable vocals leading the charge, Saxon bring the ancient legend roaring to life with a sound that hits like a bolt from the gods themselves.
“A step into the world of Greek mythology ‘Medusa’, a god who could turn you to stone with a glance! Epic metal, epic story! Enjoy” exclaims Biff Byford.
To celebrate the single’s release, Saxon have launched a competition to win a signed guitar themed around ‘Medusa’. The single’s artwork was once again created by acclaimed artist Peter Sallai. Official ‘Medusa’ merchandise is also available. Visit here for more information and full competition details.
With ‘Medusa’ landing today, anticipation for Saxon’s forthcoming album and 2027 Gods of Thunder – World Tour is reaching fever pitch. The band have now revealed that legendary Los Angeles heavy metal veterans, Armored Saint, will join them as special guests for the UK and Ireland leg of the tour, bringing together two powerhouse names in heavy metal for an unmissable run of shows.
To mark the Gods of Thunder album release, band members Biff Byford, Doug Scarratt and Brian Tatler will host a series of exclusive HMV in-store signing sessions across the UK, giving fans the chance to meet them, have their albums signed and capture the moment with photos.
For full details, including dates and ticket information, visit this LINK
The excitement doesn’t stop there, with Saxon also announcing additional European dates for 2027 as the Gods of Thunder – World Tour continues to take shape. Fans attending the Brussels, Zürich, Cologne and Tilburg shows can look forward to Saxon’s spectacular ‘Castles & Eagles’ production. The selected shows will feature the return of the band’s iconic eagle, measuring nine metres wide and spanning twelve metres with its wings fully extended, complete with landing lights and intense lighting effects as it soars above the band. Tickets available from www.saxon747.com
“We’re bringing the gods of thunder tour across to Europe, it’s gonna be awesome! Can’t wait to open the heavens and bring on the metal.” says Biff Byford.
EUROPE – NEWLY ANNOUNCED Gods of Thunder – World Tour Part 2 1 MAR – ANCIENNE BELGIQUE, Brussels (BE)* 3 MAR – GROßE FREIHEIT 36, Hamburg (DE) 5 MAR – AMAGER BIO, Copenhagen (DK) 6 MAR – HOUSE OF CULTURE, Helsinki (FI) 8 MAR – SENTRUM SCENE, Oslo (NO) 10 MAR – CENTRAL CLUB, Erfurt (DE) 11 MAR – ARCHA+, Prague (CZ) 12 MAR – BARBA NEGRA, Budapest (HU) 14 MAR – LÖWENSAAL, Nürnberg (DE) 16 MAR – IM WIZEMANN HALLE, Stuttgart (DE) 17 MAR – VOLKSHAUS, Zürich (CH)* 18 MAR – ALCATRAZ, Milan (IT) 19 MAR – VIPER THEATRE C/O TENAX, Florence (IT) 20 MAR – KESSELHAUS, Munich (DE) 22 MAR – HUXLEYS NEUE WELT, Berlin (DE) 23 MAR – E-WERK, Cologne (DE)* 24 MAR – 013 POPPODIUM, Tilburg (NL)* *Castles & Eagles Production
UK – PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED Gods of Thunder – World Tour Part 1 (Castles & Eagles Production) 13 Feb – CIVIC HALL, Wolverhampton (UK) 14 Feb – O2 ACADEMY, Glasgow (UK) 16 FEB – TELEGRAPH BUILDING, Belfast (UK) 17 FEB – 3OLYMPIA THEATRE, Dublin (IE) 19 FEB – O2 APOLLO, Manchester (UK) 20 FEB – O2 CITY HALL, Newcastle (UK) 21 FEB – CITY HALL, Sheffield (UK) 23 FEB – THE GREAT HALL, Cardiff (UK) 24 FEB – BEACON, Bristol (UK) 25 FEB – O2 GUILDHALL, Southampton (UK) 27 FEB – EVENTIM APOLLO, London (UK) Tickets available from www.saxon747.com
review by Gerard Cosloy photos by Angela Betancourt
For starters, I would like sincerely apologize to Deterioration, Left To Suffer and the venerable Crowbar for missing their sets ; I’d been on the phone all evening with Kalshi customer support—it seems someone ran up several thousand dollars of charges to my credit card making trades last weekend on whether or not James Hetfield would use his Sphere platform to make a political statement. The bad news is, my dog’s college fund was cleaned out. On the bright side, I had exactly enough cash left over for Sanguisugabogg’s BLUEY ON A STABBING SPREE shirt, so it’s not a total disaster.
Emo’s, for those who’ve not been, is a charmless, character-free aircraft hanger on our city’s southeastern side and aside from the brand name, cannot be confused with the deeply beloved punk dump that operated downtown for ages. Were Columbus’ Sanguisugabogg capable of teleporting themselves back to those halcyon days, they’d undoubtedly be right at home in said squalid, chaotic environment. Semi-plagued with a FOH mix I will charitably describe as boomy-as-fook, the band managed, regardless to trundle their way thru a smattering of career highlights showcasing their considerable range (songs about tearing someone’s face off, killing people, killing people and turning them into furniture, etc.) While this was my first time seeing them since the recent exit of Cedrik Davis and Cody Davidson’s transition from drums to guitar, this was not appreciably different than their last headline appearance in Austin some 11 months ago (OK, there was at least one more fight and I would like that officially noted at setlist.fm). There’s no denying they bring the brutality with wit and panache, I just wish it was twice as loud (and perhaps it is just that on other occasions—also, I cannot hear for shit)
Superficial similarities aside, Dying Fetus’ presentation was a study in contrasts and deft execution—the level of technical proficiency is off the charts (assuming there’s a chart for such things) and IN SPITE OF THIS they’re as deliberately bludgeoning as any rival you care to cite. Guitarist/vocalist John Gallagher—the lone remaining founding member—is all business (singing about unmitigated carnage is his business and business is growing at steady clip, as the saying goes). The cliché “foundational band” gets tossed around for ensembles working atop paper mache far too often but in this case, it couldn’t be more true. We’re beyond lucky to be living and breathing in a world where Dying Fetus cast such an immense creative shadow, which is slightly ironic given the subject matter extols the virtues of well, stuff that’s the opposite of living and breathing.
Sanguisugabogg and Dying Fetus galleries by Angela Betancourt
The original mega-kvlt and trve metal act, Cirith Ungol are a lot like the evil demigod, Sauron. They both had mysterious beginnings before erupting onto the scene to create a lasting legacy. And both simply refuse to die and stay dead. After 3 iconic albums in the 80s, these mystical heavy metal maestros took a long hiatus, only to reappear 5 years later with fourth album, Paradise Lost. That would spell the end of the original run, with them soon breaking up, seemingly for good. But as Sauron’s eye rose to the sky 3000 years after his “death,” Cirith Ungol exploded from the void 19 years after disbanding with 2020s Forever Black. And what a welcome return it was, with their sound and style largely intact and the material heavy and maurading. 2023’s Dark Parade kept the war party in the field with another high-quality outing that proved Cirith Ungol was still a potent beast on a second career tear. Sadly, in 2024 the band announced they would be performing their final shows and calling it a day. It seemed the standard bearers of trve metal had finally come full circle and all their tales were told. 2 years on, however, Cirith Ungol come back from the grave once again with All the Shadows, albeit without either founding axe Gregory G. Lindstrom or longtime guitarist Jimmy Barraza. Why won’t these grizzled vets stay dead? We have no answers. Will you be glad to have them back? That we can address.
