In anticipation of their upcoming new album being released this Friday, Bodysnatcher have released their latest single, “Plague of Flies”. The track arrives ahead of the band’s fourth full-length album, Hell Is Here, Hell Is Home, scheduled for release on April 10th via MNRK Heavy. Read more…
Back in 1978, upon the release of their self-titled debut, Village Voice rock critic Robert Christgau panned Van Halen for making music that “belongs on an aircraft carrier.” It’s one of those lines that was legible as a diss to Christgau’s urbane readership, but probably came across as a salutation of the highest order to the legions who got it.
Right now, a lot of people get Archspire.
242,473 monthly listeners on Spotify.
562,000 YouTube views on “Carrion Ladder,” the lead single for their forthcoming fifth full-length album Too Fast to Die.
More than $280,000 raised on Kickstarter to fund and independently release Too Fast to Die, with a remarkable $125,000 raised in less than 12 hours.
It’s difficult to determine what constitutes success for a technical death metal act, ‘specially in a media environment that resembles a porcelain figurine spiked onto a travertine countertop. And yet, it’s hard to deny that 16 years after the release of their debut EP, “All Shall Align,” Archspire have kinda “made it.” Harder still to deny that they’ve earned it.
This is a very, very talented band. Even judged by the exacting standards of their genre peers, the Vancouver, B.C. quartet sits comfortably in the upper percentile w/r/t speed, dexterity, and complexity. But, Archspire’s greatest skill – beyond the sweep arpeggios, land-speed-record-defying blast beats, and even the mind-bogglingly red-lined yet articulate vocals of Oliver Rae Aleron – is their ability to serve their fans.
They make music to breathlessly utter “holy fuck” to. To “guess the BPM” in the comments. To inspire terabytes of play-throughs, tutorials, and gobsmacked reaction vids.
Just listen to “Carrion Ladder,” which provides the full-spectrum Archspire experience. It begins a cappella, with Aleron’s M134 Minigun vocal delivery setting the table for an explosion of mondo-techicale instrumentation that makes me wonder if my instruments ever dream of growing legs and running off to the home of a real musician. This track is a monster-truck vaulting over 12 flaming school buses before getting swallowed by a Greenland shark, then being shat out in the form of a vending machine that only dispenses Four Loko.
There’s a lot of that feeling in the opening rounds of Too Fast to Die …
The vocal battery at 4:30 of “Liminal Cypher” that would make John Moschitta Jr. blush.
The bass solo break into a near-symphonic eruption of tremolo at 1:00 of “Red Goliath.”
The attack of everything faster, louder, and trickier than everything else, and all at once, at about :30 of “Limb of Leviticus”
Archspire are savvy enough to recognize they’ve got to work some slow and sweet into their repertoire to round these moments into form, so we get the rib-sticking melodic refrain in “Red Goliath” and the symphonic black metal surge in “The Vessel.”
But just as Cristgau’s “aircraft carrier” dig read as praise to Van Halen fans, my description of Archspire’s strengths may scan as weaknesses to the readership of Last Rites. I say “effortless mastery” and you ask “what about the raw, bloody, and embodied human effort that lowers the interpretive drawbridge between artist and listener?”
Release date: April 10, 2026. Label: Self-Released.
After being utterly impressed by the initial barrage of Too Fast to Die, I kinda find myself across a divide from Archspire, wondering what it is they have to tell me other than “we are exceptionally fuckin’ sick at technical death metal.” As the album proceeds, the eyes-widening and jaw-clenching moments are lost in a concrete mixer of monochromatic hypercompetence. To narrow the critique just a little more, Archspire’s style of uber-techy and plenty-melodic riffing paired with a pristine but clinical modern production simply cannot help but land as a touch safe and a tad anodyne to ears that yearn for something a little more ripped and torn around the edges.
One man’s critique is another fan’s selling point. So, if I were to say something like “Archspire’s music belongs on an aircraft carrier,” it doesn’t follow that I’d discourage you from hopping on board. And just because I haven’t fully seen the light, doesn’t mean you won’t feel the heat.
Myrath – Wilderness Of Mirrors (earMusic) [Matt Bladen]
Whether this is the same Wilderness Of Mirrors that Mr Derek K Dick aka Fish held his Vigil, on his 1990 solo album I don’t know, but it is the seventh studio album by Tunisian-French progressive metal band Myrath.
Since their debut Hope on 2007 they have been taking the metal world by storm with their fusion of progressive power metal and North African traditional music that has put them in the ‘Oriental Metal’ category but Myrath have always been a band who have been a lot more than that as the years have gone by.
They’ve never dropped the North African influences but their strongly defined power metal beginnings have softened into more other styles as they have added AOR, modern metal and more to their sound without moving too far away from where they began.
If anything they’ve just gotten more expansive and cinematic with what they do, witnessed here by the opening epic The Funeral, the theatrical Les Enfants Du Soleil and mega ballad Soul Of My Soul.
Both of these tracks remind a lot of Kamelot who also manage to balance the baroque sound of film music and the numbers of various metallic elements. This album follows a compilation of their earlier years which perhaps gained them some new fans and new appreciation for their older material for anyone that may have only joined the party on Karma.
That album was the first to feature new keyboard player Kevin Codfert (then as a session member) whose background in Adagio brought in the more dare I say ‘Western’ symphonic sounds rather than just the Arabic styles.
Myrath still have plenty of their heritage on Still The Dawn Will Come, Edge Of The Night, and Until The End which features Elize Ryd of Amaranthe, employing a host of guest players to bring qrageb, saz and even their own orchestra. However with you can hear these more recent influences on The Clown, Breathing Near The Roar and Echoes Of The Fallen.
This Wilderness Of Mirrors, is more like a metropolis of glass. A clear, direct message of the band Myrath are in 2026. A cinematic, symphonic experience, built on their cultural musical history, that will have you wanting to replay it over and over. 9/10
Godsticks – VOiD (Kscope) [Matt Bladen]
After being holed up in the studio for 18 months, British prog act Godsticks return with the follow up to their 2023 This Is What A Winner Looks Like, and in the words of band founder/vocalist/guitarist Darran Charles their “toughest and most demanding record”.
It’s definitely their most instant as it begins in earnest with M.I.A and Hold Back both driven by that chugging, modern meets retro sound Godsticks are known for, not quite in the aggressive crush of Tesseract and not quite the melodic beard stroking of Rush.
Godsticks have always sat in their own field in the UK prog scene with a heaviness that gives them some headbanging grooves, virtuosity that allows them to wield some technically impressive solo sections but also an ear for composition where the song is at the core of what they do.
VOiD is a an album of frustration, obsessed by disillusionment, the overwhelming movement towards disenfranchisement and the world’s continuing drift towards division, the erosion of the centre ground, with the band offering a solution to these issues as retreating to your own little void.
In this case it’s a void containing some of the bands heaviest and complex tracks the band have produced with Charles shares the writing with drummer Tom Price and guitarist Gavin Bushell, who have both been a major part of the band for a few album cycles now. Price a drummer of skill, precision and power whilst Bushell’s guitar playing provided harmony and counterpoint to Charles’.
His vocals still a unique prospect in the progsphere and while they though VOiD is the debut record for bassist Francis George who has added his own dynamic to the band locking into some modern polyrhythmic grooves that lend themselves to the themes of dread and paranoia.
There’s a lot of great noises coming from this VOiD of Godsticks, dive in and find your own solace in some top tier heavy progging from these South Wales veterans. 9/10
Vanir – Wyrd (Mighty Music) [Mark Young]
Hardly a week goes by without a melodic death metal release dropping into my in-box. I’m not sick of as a musical movement but I am fatigued by it.
Finding bands that can do it at a level where I am enthused by them are hard to come by and in a lot of cases it’s definitely me, not them as being the problem. With this in mind, lets hear what Vanir have to say.
Against The Storm is their opening gambit and does a suitably good job of getting things going. It’s built from the tradition methods associated with this genre and in its favour is that it doesn’t look backwards at any point.
This is there statement of intent; this is who we are and this is what we do. If you dig this, then you will almost certainly dig the rest of this album and from that respect it succeeds. It tells you everything you need to know, how they go about things and how everything will unfold for you.
Never Surrender takes that concept and ups that ante by bringing some devilish melodic guitar as a means of raising interest. In its build, its much like Against, its front facing and heavy, which is what you want from them. It’s not saying anything new, but then I’m not sure there is anything new to be said.
Putting that to one side, it continues to bring the riffology, which for me is all that matters at this point. Those melodic touches that dropped here and there are done in a way that they don’t become overused, they are tastefully deployed and we are onto Braavalla which wisely goes for build that is slower but no less engaging.
Seeing Amon Amarth noted within the FFO section, this swinging, Viking hall arrangement is welcome with a quality central riff line that must be mint to play as a guitarist. Three songs in and I think we have a good handle of things here. We know that based on these they can do the fast and medium paced melodic builds without losing any of the energy.
For me, these songs should be delivered in short kinetic blasts of energy, they lose some of that impetus once they go past 5 or more minutes. Boudica starts off in restrained fashion before launching in a way that is similar to Braavalla. The way its chorus lines are constructed mark it out as being this albums centre point.
Ostensibly it’s a fine song but because it loops through the same lines twice it feels overlong. It has the potential to go better once its deployed live, but on here its slightly flat.
Da Lammet Brød Det 6, Segl with its spoken narration arrives in a hurry, and successfully mixes between the two tempos, both frenzied and controlled bringing in melody lines that again are tasteful but have that thing about them that raises the material to a higher level.
They don’t forget to bring that bottom end or the machine gun drumming resulting in the Vanir train getting back on the right tracks in terms of harnessing that aggression once more. Helgrinidir recognises this need and brings it’s A-Game.
They stick within the core themes associated with melodic death metal and rather than confining themselves they come up with a cracker. Its one of those with the almost ever-present double bass that propels it forward at every turn.
Mor & Ære completes the resurgence, making sure that the ending is as good as the start, and then we are into the end game with De Forbandede År and Nine. Of the former, this has a stilted rhythm to it, and hits like it has traditional form, updated to suit. It shares a lot of common ground to the ones before it, but its not as direct as Helgrinidir as an example.
Still, its not a ballad or an instrumental interlude which really would have upset me. It’s the sound of a band that is comfortable with how they go to work, and this is crystallised with Nine. If you imagine someone asking a guitarist, play me something that will make me nod my head, it would sound like this. And that is a consistent theme for this album, riffs that make you nod your head again and again.
Nine does it with what is a simple build, its just that its done with an energy and an eye on getting you up and moving. In that respect, Vanir have been successful. I mentioned earlier that there is a little bit of fatigue setting in when it comes to things melodic. Vanir have crafted a decent set of songs that will be consumed with glee by fans of this music.
From a personal view, it hasn’t quite removed this but I found a lot to like here and I think you will too. 8/10
SolNegre – Anthems For The Grand Collapse (Meuse Music Records) [Mark Young]
Anthems For The Grand Collapse came at me from out of the mist and I’ll be honest took me by surprise. A new band on me, and it’s a welcome introduction to them with an album that snuck in, gradually cajoling you in and then once it gets those hooks in you that is it, you stay until the end.
Seeing it tagged as being Death/Doom, initially I’m not that excited to press play as it can be such a mixed bag but this is quality. It has the virtue of sounding like no one else I’ve heard but keeps within what I consider ‘Good’ sounds like. Of course, you and will differ, but stick with me and I’ll try to justify myself.
The Axiom – Song For The Inert Part II is the expansive jumping off point. Its gives you a plain indication of how things are going to play out here; Everything is delivered so that it is massive in scope, the doom pace meaning that they have the time and space to do it.
Its amazing to think that 9 minutes passes by so quickly in its company with each component part seated so there is just a natural flow. And the lead break around 5minutes is just chef’s kiss. Its both emotionally driven and technically minded, flurries of notes put together before they bring the big riffs out.
The thing that strikes here is the way that they have constructed it, its in perfect synch and a cohesive whole. And what’s more they just casually start things off with it. This approach remains in place as we progress through it, the general vibe is to stay within that specific Doom lane in terms of tempo, which I admire.
They don’t try to change things around in an effort to sound different, they just rely on the sheer strength of their songs. For All That Could Have Been, sitting at the mid-point continues to entrance, using all the tricks to keep you in place.
Piano led moments that break into their big-riff changeovers, clean into guttural vocals and just sublime, introspective parts that allow you to take a breath and start afresh with them. It’s a powerful statement that again passes the 9 minute mark without feeling like it.
I should also note that amongst this display of strength we have a song of beauty, In the Stillness Of The Womb is a gentle, driven piece where guest vocals are provided by Gadea Es Ineseta, and they are breathtaking. Delivered in a way that befits the build, it’s an example of how devastating a song like this can be when approached in this manner.
It’s a favourite of mine on here, probably my standout moment in all honesty because it feels here as everything has aligned in the right way.
They end as they came in, with another epic slab of melodic Death Doom. A Path Of Aloneness (I & II) is their goodbye and provides the right climax following the introspection of the track before. It’s a masterclass in how to do epic songs, and I think that much is evident based on the content here.
It’s a build that attempts to bring its title to life as a self-contained tale. This is the thing; you could take any of the songs from here and listen to them in isolation and they would not lose anything. Each is built to machine tolerance, slotting in and out as the album moves through its gears. They rely on the little, deft touches to make each one fly and its something to behold, especially on this final track.
It does all you would expect from this genre, but its unique to them, at least as far as I can tell. It’s a fantastic release, and hopefully it’s the start of something special for them. 9/10
Myrath – Wilderness Of Mirrors (earMusic) [Matt Bladen]
Whether this is the same Wilderness Of Mirrors that Mr Derek K Dick aka Fish held his Vigil, on his 1990 solo album I don’t know, but it is the seventh studio album by Tunisian-French progressive metal band Myrath.
Since their debut Hope on 2007 they have been taking the metal world by storm with their fusion of progressive power metal and North African traditional music that has put them in the ‘Oriental Metal’ category but Myrath have always been a band who have been a lot more than that as the years have gone by.
They’ve never dropped the North African influences but their strongly defined power metal beginnings have softened into more other styles as they have added AOR, modern metal and more to their sound without moving too far away from where they began.
If anything they’ve just gotten more expansive and cinematic with what they do, witnessed here by the opening epic The Funeral, the theatrical Les Enfants Du Soleil and mega ballad Soul Of My Soul.
Both of these tracks remind a lot of Kamelot who also manage to balance the baroque sound of film music and the numbers of various metallic elements. This album follows a compilation of their earlier years which perhaps gained them some new fans and new appreciation for their older material for anyone that may have only joined the party on Karma.
That album was the first to feature new keyboard player Kevin Codfert (then as a session member) whose background in Adagio brought in the more dare I say ‘Western’ symphonic sounds rather than just the Arabic styles.
Myrath still have plenty of their heritage on Still The Dawn Will Come, Edge Of The Night, and Until The End which features Elize Ryd of Amaranthe, employing a host of guest players to bring qrageb, saz and even their own orchestra. However with you can hear these more recent influences on The Clown, Breathing Near The Roar and Echoes Of The Fallen.
This Wilderness Of Mirrors, is more like a metropolis of glass. A clear, direct message of the band Myrath are in 2026. A cinematic, symphonic experience, built on their cultural musical history, that will have you wanting to replay it over and over. 9/10
Godsticks – VOiD (Kscope) [Matt Bladen]
After being holed up in the studio for 18 months, British prog act Godsticks return with the follow up to their 2023 This Is What A Winner Looks Like, and in the words of band founder/vocalist/guitarist Darran Charles their “toughest and most demanding record”.
It’s definitely their most instant as it begins in earnest with M.I.A and Hold Back both driven by that chugging, modern meets retro sound Godsticks are known for, not quite in the aggressive crush of Tesseract and not quite the melodic beard stroking of Rush.
Godsticks have always sat in their own field in the UK prog scene with a heaviness that gives them some headbanging grooves, virtuosity that allows them to wield some technically impressive solo sections but also an ear for composition where the song is at the core of what they do.
VOiD is a an album of frustration, obsessed by disillusionment, the overwhelming movement towards disenfranchisement and the world’s continuing drift towards division, the erosion of the centre ground, with the band offering a solution to these issues as retreating to your own little void.
In this case it’s a void containing some of the bands heaviest and complex tracks the band have produced with Charles shares the writing with drummer Tom Price and guitarist Gavin Bushell, who have both been a major part of the band for a few album cycles now. Price a drummer of skill, precision and power whilst Bushell’s guitar playing provided harmony and counterpoint to Charles’.
His vocals still a unique prospect in the progsphere and while they though VOiD is the debut record for bassist Francis George who has added his own dynamic to the band locking into some modern polyrhythmic grooves that lend themselves to the themes of dread and paranoia.
There’s a lot of great noises coming from this VOiD of Godsticks, dive in and find your own solace in some top tier heavy progging from these South Wales veterans. 9/10
Vanir – Wyrd (Mighty Music) [Mark Young]
Hardly a week goes by without a melodic death metal release dropping into my in-box. I’m not sick of as a musical movement but I am fatigued by it.
Finding bands that can do it at a level where I am enthused by them are hard to come by and in a lot of cases it’s definitely me, not them as being the problem. With this in mind, lets hear what Vanir have to say.
Against The Storm is their opening gambit and does a suitably good job of getting things going. It’s built from the tradition methods associated with this genre and in its favour is that it doesn’t look backwards at any point.
This is there statement of intent; this is who we are and this is what we do. If you dig this, then you will almost certainly dig the rest of this album and from that respect it succeeds. It tells you everything you need to know, how they go about things and how everything will unfold for you.
Never Surrender takes that concept and ups that ante by bringing some devilish melodic guitar as a means of raising interest. In its build, its much like Against, its front facing and heavy, which is what you want from them. It’s not saying anything new, but then I’m not sure there is anything new to be said.
Putting that to one side, it continues to bring the riffology, which for me is all that matters at this point. Those melodic touches that dropped here and there are done in a way that they don’t become overused, they are tastefully deployed and we are onto Braavalla which wisely goes for build that is slower but no less engaging.
Seeing Amon Amarth noted within the FFO section, this swinging, Viking hall arrangement is welcome with a quality central riff line that must be mint to play as a guitarist. Three songs in and I think we have a good handle of things here. We know that based on these they can do the fast and medium paced melodic builds without losing any of the energy.
For me, these songs should be delivered in short kinetic blasts of energy, they lose some of that impetus once they go past 5 or more minutes. Boudica starts off in restrained fashion before launching in a way that is similar to Braavalla. The way its chorus lines are constructed mark it out as being this albums centre point.
Ostensibly it’s a fine song but because it loops through the same lines twice it feels overlong. It has the potential to go better once its deployed live, but on here its slightly flat.
Da Lammet Brød Det 6, Segl with its spoken narration arrives in a hurry, and successfully mixes between the two tempos, both frenzied and controlled bringing in melody lines that again are tasteful but have that thing about them that raises the material to a higher level.
They don’t forget to bring that bottom end or the machine gun drumming resulting in the Vanir train getting back on the right tracks in terms of harnessing that aggression once more. Helgrinidir recognises this need and brings it’s A-Game.
They stick within the core themes associated with melodic death metal and rather than confining themselves they come up with a cracker. Its one of those with the almost ever-present double bass that propels it forward at every turn.
Mor & Ære completes the resurgence, making sure that the ending is as good as the start, and then we are into the end game with De Forbandede År and Nine. Of the former, this has a stilted rhythm to it, and hits like it has traditional form, updated to suit. It shares a lot of common ground to the ones before it, but its not as direct as Helgrinidir as an example.
Still, its not a ballad or an instrumental interlude which really would have upset me. It’s the sound of a band that is comfortable with how they go to work, and this is crystallised with Nine. If you imagine someone asking a guitarist, play me something that will make me nod my head, it would sound like this. And that is a consistent theme for this album, riffs that make you nod your head again and again.
Nine does it with what is a simple build, its just that its done with an energy and an eye on getting you up and moving. In that respect, Vanir have been successful. I mentioned earlier that there is a little bit of fatigue setting in when it comes to things melodic. Vanir have crafted a decent set of songs that will be consumed with glee by fans of this music.
From a personal view, it hasn’t quite removed this but I found a lot to like here and I think you will too. 8/10
SolNegre – Anthems For The Grand Collapse (Meuse Music Records) [Mark Young]
Anthems For The Grand Collapse came at me from out of the mist and I’ll be honest took me by surprise. A new band on me, and it’s a welcome introduction to them with an album that snuck in, gradually cajoling you in and then once it gets those hooks in you that is it, you stay until the end.
Seeing it tagged as being Death/Doom, initially I’m not that excited to press play as it can be such a mixed bag but this is quality. It has the virtue of sounding like no one else I’ve heard but keeps within what I consider ‘Good’ sounds like. Of course, you and will differ, but stick with me and I’ll try to justify myself.
The Axiom – Song For The Inert Part II is the expansive jumping off point. Its gives you a plain indication of how things are going to play out here; Everything is delivered so that it is massive in scope, the doom pace meaning that they have the time and space to do it.
Its amazing to think that 9 minutes passes by so quickly in its company with each component part seated so there is just a natural flow. And the lead break around 5minutes is just chef’s kiss. Its both emotionally driven and technically minded, flurries of notes put together before they bring the big riffs out.
The thing that strikes here is the way that they have constructed it, its in perfect synch and a cohesive whole. And what’s more they just casually start things off with it. This approach remains in place as we progress through it, the general vibe is to stay within that specific Doom lane in terms of tempo, which I admire.
They don’t try to change things around in an effort to sound different, they just rely on the sheer strength of their songs. For All That Could Have Been, sitting at the mid-point continues to entrance, using all the tricks to keep you in place.
Piano led moments that break into their big-riff changeovers, clean into guttural vocals and just sublime, introspective parts that allow you to take a breath and start afresh with them. It’s a powerful statement that again passes the 9 minute mark without feeling like it.
I should also note that amongst this display of strength we have a song of beauty, In the Stillness Of The Womb is a gentle, driven piece where guest vocals are provided by Gadea Es Ineseta, and they are breathtaking. Delivered in a way that befits the build, it’s an example of how devastating a song like this can be when approached in this manner.
It’s a favourite of mine on here, probably my standout moment in all honesty because it feels here as everything has aligned in the right way.
They end as they came in, with another epic slab of melodic Death Doom. A Path Of Aloneness (I & II) is their goodbye and provides the right climax following the introspection of the track before. It’s a masterclass in how to do epic songs, and I think that much is evident based on the content here.
It’s a build that attempts to bring its title to life as a self-contained tale. This is the thing; you could take any of the songs from here and listen to them in isolation and they would not lose anything. Each is built to machine tolerance, slotting in and out as the album moves through its gears. They rely on the little, deft touches to make each one fly and its something to behold, especially on this final track.
It does all you would expect from this genre, but its unique to them, at least as far as I can tell. It’s a fantastic release, and hopefully it’s the start of something special for them. 9/10
“The last time I played Bristol was at the Louisiana,” says Dan Byrne halfway through his set. “Now you guys are selling out an upgraded venue.” Byrne is incredibly appreciative. As he says several times, it means the world to him, but the proof is in the sold-out signs across the UK on this current run.
Dan Byrne – Exchange Bristol – 5 April 2026. Photo: Paul Hutchings/MetalTalk
You will not find a nicer person than Dan Byrne. His ascent has been a slow and steady one, but with the release of his debut solo album, This Is Where The Show Begins, coming for new label Frontiers on 22 May 2026, do not be surprised to hear his name a lot more over the next few months.
A staple at Steelhouse Festival, but with a wider portfolio which started several years ago with the now defunct Revival Black, Byrne is set to launch further into the stratosphere.
Dan Byrne – Exchange Bristol – 5 April 2026. Photo: Paul Hutchings/MetalTalk
He is always thankful, maybe almost to the point of irritation at times, but on Easter Sunday, this little community-run venue in Bristol is packed to the rafters by the time he hits the stage. Such is his appeal.
He has changed his image, too, and for the better. Less flamboyant, the frilly shirts and leather look trousers are replaced by dark trousers, black t-shirt and leather cut, complete with scorpion design on the rear. He looks more like a rock star and is starting to have the clout to support the revision to how he looks.
Dan Byrne – Exchange Bristol – 5 April 2026. Photo: Paul Hutchings/MetalTalk
Of course, part of the reason for that is his partners in crime who bring the noise. Colin Parkinson is renowned for his bass work with Inglorious, amongst many others, and provides the solid low-end anchor together with drummer for hire Max Rhead, son of the same-named promoter and Steelhouse head honcho, whilst Glenn Quinn adds the cutting guitar edge.
Dan Byrne – Exchange Bristol – 5 April 2026. Photo: Paul Hutchings/MetalTalk
New songs litter the set, eight of the ten on the new release to be precise, whilst ballad Easier sees the diminutive frontman take out an acoustic guitar for a reflective moment mid-set.
She’s The Devil, Praise Hell and opener Saviour have big, chunky riffs, and sound great, whilst older songs such as Like Animals and the anthemic Death Of Me ensure his early EP Beginnings is also represented.
Dan Byrne – Exchange Bristol – 5 April 2026. Photo: Paul Hutchings/MetalTalk
It is surprisingly crunchy, and with Parkinson’s heft throbbing through the slightly too loud PA, Quinn’s guitar is lost to those stage right. A move to the back towards the end allows more balance, and it is a pleasing sound.
Dan Byrne may be a bit of a poster boy for Planet Rock and the new wave of classic rock movement, but it is deserved based on his fantastic set of pipes, which once more provide the suggestion that he could go places.
If he had been born about 30 years earlier, I would have guaranteed it.
Dan Byrne – Exchange Bristol – 5 April 2026. Photo: Paul Hutchings/MetalTalk
The interesting inclusion of Audioslave’s Show Me How To Live sees the band intensify the Metal element, and whilst Byrne is not Cornell, he gives it a good go.
It is a singalong to finish, Hard To Breathe and Death Of Me firm fan favourites to end a fine night of music carefully curated by the Steelhouse team.
Dan Byrne – Exchange Bristol – 5 April 2026. Photo: Paul Hutchings/MetalTalk
Muddibrooke
Derby’s Muddibrooke had the unenviable job of following Jayler at Steelhouse in 2025, and tonight they come in after a rousing set from Kit Trigg. They give it a good go over 40-odd minutes. Their alternative rock laced with social commentary goes down well with most of the assembled crowd, who give enthusiastic support.
Muddibrooke – Exchange Bristol – 5 April 2026. Photo: Paul Hutchings/MetalTalk
Brooke, Anna and Morgan do not always seem fully in sync, and some of the endings to tracks like ADHD, Devil, and You Don’t Own Me are a little rudimentary.
The set clearly has a message, but with every song seemingly touching a different genre individually, from Punk to Grunge and Alt-Rock, combined with their still slightly awkward transitions between songs, it all feels a little disjointed, and I struggled to connect.
Muddibrooke – Exchange Bristol – 5 April 2026. Photo: Paul Hutchings/MetalTalk
Yet there is a little spark here and there that indicates why Luke Morely has agreed to produce their debut album. I am keen to hear how this translates to record, it may prove me wrong, I hope they do.
Brooke is kind of marooned behind the mic stage, although she does make a couple of forays to centre stage. It is to their detriment that she can’t really let rip with her vocals reminiscent at times of a smouldering Sheryl Crow with added rasp and bite.
Muddibrooke – Exchange Bristol – 5 April 2026. Photo: Paul Hutchings/MetalTalk
Anna is bouncing around like a toddler on Haribo and does at least provide a more focal point. A minor criticism, but one I have noted before.
Overall, the trio do level out, although they sit in bronze place for me on the night.
Kit Trigg
Solid at Steelhouse on the difficult Sunday morning slot, Kit Trigg and his band were a welcome addition to the bill and open the evening with a decent set that has everyone up and moving.
He is hamstrung by the small stage and his vocal/guitar duties, but the boy can shred and write a catchy pop/classic rock-tinged song.
Kit Trigg – Exchange Bristol – 5 April 2026. Photo: Paul Hutchings/MetalTalk
They are clearly enjoying their opening slot on this tour, full of vigour and bounce, and Kit Trigg is thankful of the large crowd who are in early. Later in the evening, they are witnessed jumping around during Dan Byrne’s set.
Kit Trigg – Exchange Bristol – 5 April 2026. Photo: Paul Hutchings/MetalTalk
Snake In The Grass and Bound For Glory get people nodding, whilst he is still hitting hard in the feels with his song for his much-missed friend Will, slowing the tempo before building it back up again.
Kit Trigg – Exchange Bristol – 5 April 2026. Photo: Paul Hutchings/MetalTalk
Shirts off for the final song, much to the delight of the ladies in the front row. Will we see Trigg at any level bigger than here? It is difficult to say, but for now, he is doing okay, and he is worth a watch at the various festivals, including Maid Of Stone, this summer.
The Maine are about to release their new album ‘Joy Next Door’, and have made their way onto national television as part of its promo.
The band have made an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show and delivered a stirring rendition of the album’s lead single ‘Die To Fall’. A reminder that, even 20 years in, there are still chances for you to do things that you never thought you would.
The performance itself is beautiful, showcasing the song’s layers of heart, soul and vigour, with vocalist John O’Callaghan putting in a rigorously bold display, and somehow standing still for the duration of the track. It’s a wonderful way of showing just how far the band have come, both musically and physically, and sets up the album’s release perfectly.
A band called The Maine, live and direct to your living room. It doesn’t get better than that. Have a watch for yourself.
‘Joy Next Door’ will be released on April 10 via Photo Finish Records.
Drummer Pat Kirch had this to say about the record as a whole, stating, “Every album of ours has a color that represents it, and Joy Next Door is the green era. The green grass on the album art feels like it matches perfectly with the organic instrumentation and imperfections left intact on the album.”
The band will be heading out on the road in support of the record on both sides of the Atlantic. Here are all of the tour dates.
MARCH
24 – LAS VEGAS Brooklyn Bowl 25 – PHOENIX The Van Buren 27 – SAN DIEGO The Observatory North Park 28 – LOS ANGELES The Novo 29. -SAN FRANCISCO Regency Ballroom 31 – SEATTLE The Showbox
APRIL
01 – PORTLAND Roseland Theater 03 – DENVER Ogden Theatre 09 – MINNEAPOLIS First Avenue 10 – CHICAGO The Salt Shed – The Shed 11 – DETROIT The Masonic – Jack White Theatre 12 – COLUMBUS Kemba Live! 14 – PITTSBURGH Stage AE 15 – TORONTO History 17 – PHILADELPHIA Franklin Music Hall 18 – BOSTON House of Blues Boston – Music Hall 19 – WASHINGTON 9:30 Club 21 – BROOKLYN Brooklyn Paramount 23 – CHARLOTTE The Fillmore Charlotte 24 – NASHVILLE Marathon Music Works 25 – ATLANTA The Masquerade – Heaven 26 – LAKE BUENA VISTA House of Blues 28 – ST. PETERSBURG Jannus Live 30 – HOUSTON House of Blues Houston – Music Hall
MAY
01 – AUSTIN Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater 02 – DALLAS The Bomb Factory
SEPTEMBER
17 – COLOGNE Live Music Hall 18 – AMSTERDAM Paradiso 19 – BERLIN SO36 20 – LUXEMBOURG CITY den Atelier 23 – GLASGOW SWG3 TV Studio 24 – BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute 25 – LONDON Roundhouse 26 – MANCHESTER Academy
