Category: news

  • LIVE: Download Festival 2026 – Sunday

    All good things must come to an end, but we’re not done yet. Who can even think about saying goodbye when Spencer Charnas is running around in a Joker costume, RØRY’s baring her soul and Linkin Park are making history in front of our eyes? Don’t forget your sunscreen – it’s Download Day Three. 

    Words: Kate Allvey // Photos: Emma Stone and Download Festival

    Unpeople

    A reward for the early risers, Unpeople are here to show off the harsher side of their sound. We’ve got a brand new blast of joy in the form of unreleased track ‘Bottle It’ and angelic harmonies on ‘Moon Baboon’, all from the band who know full well that they don’t really fit into today’s lineup, and don’t give a damn about it. ‘Clouds’, the first single from their upcoming album, is both as light and as shady as its namesake; a good omen for the future from Unpeople.

    Kublai Khan TX

    No one can sleep through this set. Everything Kublai Khan TX do feels so necessary, whether its the infernal riffs of ‘Supreme Ruler’ or the circle pit that radiates from the first drop on ‘Low Tech’. Vocalist Matt Honeycutt flexes his muscles as we shake the last of the stiffness from our bodies. “About three days ago I broke my back in Prague”, he confesses, channeling his pain into a mighty growl that rips through ‘The Hammer’ before transforming his anguish into rage for new song ‘The Mountain of Corsicana’.

    RØRY

    RØRY lays her soul bare throughout a performance that sees many reaching for their tissues to wipe away their tears. ‘Anti-Repressant’ sets the tone for turning personal struggles into danceable anthems, and if we aren’t feeling something deep inside by the time she offers up ‘Alternative’ then we haven’t been listening hard enough. RØRY, on paper, makes for an unlikely main stage star, but the representation and sheer guts that she brings to the Apex today are beyond admirable.

    Dogstar

    The combination of getting to see Neo from the Matrix in real life while listening to some comforting Dad Rock proves an irresistible draw that overwhelms the Opus stage. The sweeping, grungy ‘Joy’ makes way for the Bowie-influenced ‘Exalted’, and we’re thankful for the calming, driving-rock respite that Dogstar offer.

    Bloodywood

    The IYKYK band of the weekend open with a roar from Jayant Bhadula and a blazing ‘Dana Dan’. Bloodywood are a powerhouse that opens pits which never close for their entire set. No one could have predicted a couple of years ago that Indian folk-metal would provide the Download moment that we’ve all been craving. ‘Berkhauf’ hides a serious message behind a thin covering of banging, unrelenting determination and ‘Nu Delhi’ is already an absolute anthem. Bloodywood will definitely be returning to Download by very popular demand within a few years, and likely far higher up the bill. 

    Magnolia Park

    They’re in their vampire era and moving far beyond their pop punk origins. Magnolia Park have sold their souls to the video game cutscene devil and now they’re producing darker, more intense and delightfully sinister metal in the form of ‘High’ and the dangerous, delicious ‘Cult’. As Joshua Roberts leads our voices from the pit, we realise that the signs of their dark turn were there all along, and they’ve now progressed to making music that is absolutely perfect for this festival and this space. 

    Social Distortion

    Mike Ness and co have circled back to their old school sound and the elder punks have still got the spark that made them great. Opening with ‘Born To Kill’, they focus on what they do best; raw riffs lit by drawling vocals which sound like the desert sun. ‘No Way Out’ meanwhile – their song about “growing up in a not-so-perfect situation” – is a blast of the energy that made their debut so striking all those years ago. In fact, when they mix the new tracks into classics, like ‘The Creeps’ and ‘Mommy’s Little Monster’, we realise we’re watching Social D as they always should have been, and it’s tremendous. 

    Dinosaur Pile Up

    Let’s keep it direct. We like fuzzy distortion and we like it when it’s really loud. That’s what Dinosaur Pile Up offer us, and considering they’re competing with the mighty Ice Nine Kills, the Avalanche stage is packed for ‘Bout To Lose It’. ‘Sick Of Being Down’ gives voice to an unrefined teenage desperation, and it’s perfect for the kind of song that you’d want to put on loud and mosh out to in your bedroom. ‘Stupid Heavy Metal Broken Hearted Loser Punk’ and ‘My Way’ are huge anthems for the disenchanted masses, maintaining the brilliantly elemental purity which sticks out in a crowded lineup. 

    Ice Nine Kills

    Who doesn’t love cinematic horror masterpieces featuring ska legends? Reel Big Fish’s brass section jump in for ‘Ex-Mortis’, a highlight in a show that never provides a millisecond without action. ‘The Great Unknown’ ignites the pit with dark euphoria, and there’s the thundering, hypnotic ‘Funeral Derangements’ to keep us going. Ice Nine Kills are possibly the only band with more costume changes than Axel Rose and while we love the anthem that is ‘The Shower Scene’, there’s a song even more surprising than seeing Spencer Charnas running around brandishing a knife. It’s their very straight, very devoted cover of NOFX’s ‘Linoleum’ that allows them to drop their masks for a second, and we are astonished by our glimpse behind the scenes. 

    Tom Morello

    A curated journey through the Rage Against The Machine guitarist’s life, politics and influences, backed by his son and bursting with hope for the resistance? What more could we want on a Sunday afternoon! Morello’s cover of Springsteen’s ‘The Ghost Of Tom Joad’ is a steely compassion for the common man, and while we’re kicking it to ‘Killing In The Name’, his heartfelt tribute to Chris Cornell during ‘Like A Stone’ is one of the most touching moments of the whole weekend. Morello believes in the power of the people, and delivering an intelligent and not-so-subtle anti-fascist message for half an hour fills us with the desire to make the world a better place. 

    Mastodon

    Emerging into the sunset like ancient gods, Mastodon open with the fiery, tunnelling ‘Tread Lightly’ .The heavy prog end of the metal spectrum always deserves representation at Download, and songs like ‘The Motherload’ flow like a timeless prophecy that keeps the Opus slopes enraptured. Newer tracks like ‘Your Ghost Again’ prove that after nearly three decades, the band are still able to craft thundering aural labyrinths that delight and provoke. Mastodon’s set feels like the bonus chapter to Tom Morello’s curated exhibition, and it’s one that we can’t get enough of. 

    Letlive.

    There’s always a place for in-yer-face post-hardcore, especially when accompanied by a hefty dose of class consciousness and almost-latin rhythms. ‘A Weak Ago’  is rowdy and inspiring, with Jason Butler’s satisfying growl making Letlive’s set feel purposeful and deliberate. There’s so much more to them than you’d expect on a surface level, and ‘Muther’ is oddly inspiriting and respectful in between the riffs. Letlive leave us with the impression that they’re a band raring to do good in the world and know just how they want to do it.

    A Day To Remember

    At this point, we’re split into three camps with each claiming the title of ‘the real closer of the weekend’. A Day To Remember prove to be strong contenders for the title, with ‘The Downfall Of Us All’ providing a lightning bolt of energy to open a set that’s simultaneously packed on and offstage. Their talent of being able to balance tough and fun sends our phones up to capture ‘Right Back At It Again’ before the huge rush that comes with ‘Bad Blood’. We wave as confetti falls, the ‘end of camp’ energy thick in the air, with crowd surfers stacked on top of crowd surfers, as the Opus explodes into one final mad jump to round off Download 2026.

    Creeper

    Of course, if A Day To Remember are just too jolly for you, then the Creeper cult are always waiting with arms open and fangs poised. Twice as many are in the crowd compared to their first set of the weekend, but now crammed into half the space, and ‘The Ballad Of Spook And Mercy’ has every single one of us eating from the palms of their leather-gloved hands. ‘Parasite’, or “one for the lovers” as frontman Will Gould calls it, has an even more majestic showing than before, and the outpouring of emotion from us all on ‘Prey For The Night’ shows the absolute devotion that Creeper are able to command.

    Linkin Park

    For the first time in Download history, a frontwoman is headlining the festival. There are few more worthy of that honour than Emily Armstrong, and Linkin Park’s set is one huge reminder that times are changing and we must evolve along with them. Of course, they drop iconic bangers that hit you right in the centre of the teenage heart but their mature, sensitive and heavily electronic set is one that’ll light up your synapses from back to front, especially when their entire ninety minutes onstage feels like a mantra for growth and change.

    Opening with ‘The Emptiness Machine’ is a strong statement. We’re here for the new Linkin Park, and they’re ready to display their latest incarnation with maximum emotional release from the very start. Somehow, their constructed electronic direction feels more raw and real than we remember, and classics like ‘Crawling’, when stripped of their MTV gloss, hit so much harder. ‘Numb’ is enough to bring a tear to your eye, as it does for a fair swathe of us. Closing Download with the breathtaking catharsis of ‘In The End’ is as close to a perfect moment as we can hope for as we slam our demons away for another day, free from our pain before the long trudge back to camp. Linkin Park prove to be the “goldilocks” headliner; not too rough, not too slow, just right to end our weekend on the darkest depths and the most dizzying of highs. 

    KATE ALLVEY

  • I Prevail Team Up With Amira Elfeky On Pulsating New Track ‘PARADISE’

    I Prevail have shared a new track which sees them collaborating with one of the most exciting artists currently taking over the scene.

    The track is called ‘PARADISE’ and sees the band crossing streams with Amira Elfeky, who brings an ethereal and electrifying atmosphere to the band’s brutal and beautiful compositions.

    The way that the pair bounce off each other through every ebb and flow that the track produces is sensational to witness, going from guttural hedonism to ethereal boosts and bangs in the flick of the wrist. It’s the sort of song that plays on both parties’ strength in abundance, and the result is something rather special.

    The band had this to say about the collaboration:

    “We’ve been fans of Amira for a while. She has such a distinct sound and style. The opportunity to write together came up super organically and we instantly connected on this crazy concept for a song.  We all saw the vision for it almost right away. That’s a rare and beautiful thing when it happens. We still don’t think we know exactly what we made. We never had to stop to think about it. We just made it.”


    It’s the first new music from I Prevail since the release of their album ‘Violent Nature’, which dropped last year. Here is the gripping title track from that very record.

    Amira is set to support the band when they make their way across the UK and Europe later this year, alongside Polaris. Here are all the dates.

    SEPTEMBER

    19 – LEEDS O2 Academy
    20 – GLASGOW O2 Academy
    22 – MANCHESTER O2 Victoria Warehouse
    25 – LONDON Alexandra Palace
    26 – BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy
    30 – BRUSSELS Ancienne Belgique

    OCTOBER

    01 – TILBURG 013
    03 – DÜSSELDORF PSD Bank Dome
    05 – STUTTGART Porsche Arena
    06 – PARIS Zenith
    08 – ZURICH Halle 622
    09 – MILAN Alcatraz
    10 – VIENNA Wiener Stadthalle
    12 – WARSAW Stodola
    13 – BERLIN Velodrom

    The post I Prevail Team Up With Amira Elfeky On Pulsating New Track ‘PARADISE’ appeared first on Rock Sound.

  • QueenMilk Returns With ‘Hold the Fire’

    After a musical hiatus, and having shaken the Latin American hard rock scene in 2023 with three singles -in addition to sharing the stage with Deep Purple, Kiss, and Mr. Big, among others-, QueenMilk has just released their new single, ‘Hold the Fire’. This new composition marks an evolution in the band’s sound, drawing deep […]

    The post QueenMilk Returns With ‘Hold the Fire’ appeared first on ROCKPOSER DOT COM.

  • Nozfest 2026 Set To Return With South Of Salem Headlining Southampton Festival

    South Of Salem - Castell Roc, Chepstow Castle - 21 August 2025. Photo: Georgia Brittain/MetalTalk

    A few tickets remain for this year’s Nozfest, the one-day New Wave Of Classic Rock festival held at The 1865 in Southampton. Now in its seventh year, the festival is the brainchild of JodieBowie, and its success has meant it is sold out each year.

    This year, Nozfest plays host to Chris Payn & The Parade, Mikey Ball & The Company, Molly Karloff, The Rattlebacks, Thieves of Liberty, Beth Blade & The Beautiful Disasters, Juliet’s Not Dead, and Sweet Electric.

    15augAll DayNozfest 2026, SouthamptonThe 1865 Event Organized ByNozfest

    Main support for this year is The Karma Effect, and the headliners are South Of Salem. 

    This year’s Nozfest will be held on 15 August 2026, and those last few tickets can be found at nozfest.org.

    Nozfest 2026 Festival Poster
    Nozfest 2026 Festival Poster
    The post Nozfest 2026 Set To Return With South Of Salem Headlining Southampton Festival first appeared on MetalTalk – Heavy Metal News, Reviews and Interviews.
  • Saxon / Gods Of Thunder World Tour SFor 2027

    Saxon - Eventim Apollo - 15 November 2025. Photo: Steve Ritchie/MetalTalk

    Saxon have announced the first set of dates for their Gods of Thunder World Tour in 2027. Further international dates are set to be revealed in the coming months. The band will revive their legendary 30-foot mechanised Eagle for all UK and Ireland shows, with the exception of Cardiff due to venue restrictions.

    Originally constructed in the early 1980s as Saxon prepared to tour their seminal album Denim And Leather, the iconic Eagle was built by Midlands-based company LSD using airport runway landing lights. It made its first appearance during a pre-tour rehearsal in London before becoming an enduring symbol of the band.

    Towering above audiences during Saxon’s massive arena tours, the emblematic Eagle quickly became Saxon’s mascot and inspired the title of their acclaimed 1982 UK Top 5 live album, The Eagle Has Landed, leading to fans requesting its presence ever since. 

    “We wanted to make the Gods of Thunder UK & Ireland tour extra special,” Biff Byford said, “And what better way than to fly our beloved Saxon Eagle again… Get ready for take-off.”

    February

    13feb7:30 pmSaxon, WolverhamptonCIVIC HALL Event Organized BySaxon

    14feb7:30 pmSaxon, GlasgowO2 ACADEMY Event Organized BySaxon

    16feb7:30 pmSaxon, BelfastTELEGRAPH BUILDING Event Organized BySaxon

    17feb7:30 pmSaxon, DublinOLYMPIA THEATRE Event Organized BySaxon

    19feb7:30 pmSaxon, ManchesterO2 APOLLO Event Organized BySaxon

    20feb7:30 pmSaxon, NewcastleO2 CITY HALL Event Organized BySaxon

    21feb7:30 pmSaxon, SheffieldCITY HALL Event Organized BySaxon

    23feb7:30 pmSaxon, CardiffTHE GREAT HALL Event Organized BySaxon

    24feb7:30 pmSaxon, BristolBEACON Event Organized BySaxon

    25feb7:30 pmSaxon, SouthamptonO2 GUILDHALL Event Organized BySaxon

    27feb7:30 pmSaxon, LondonEVENTIM APOLLO Event Organized BySaxon

    The post Saxon / Gods Of Thunder World Tour SFor 2027 first appeared on MetalTalk – Heavy Metal News, Reviews and Interviews.
  • Massive Wagons And Terrorvision Announce Roar Of The Roses UK Tour 2027

    Massive Wagons - Maid Of Stone Festival 2024. Photo: Robert Sutton/MetalTalk

    Massive Wagons and Terrorvision have joined forces for a co-headline tour in 2027. The nine-date Roar Of The Roses tour will see both bands playing complete headline sets, with the bands alternating the closing slot each evening.

    “It’s hard to put this tour into words,” Baz Mills says. “Going out on a co-headline run with Terrorvision feels incredibly special. We’ve all been fans for years, but for me it goes right back to seeing my pals band covering Perseverance when I was about 16. I’d never heard lyrics like it, and it was a true badge of honour if you could sing along to it and know all the words. Since then, I’ve taken so much inspiration from them, it’s unbelievable.

    “Whenever I’m looking for ideas, attitude, or perspective, I often find myself asking, ‘What would Terrorvision do?’ For me, they are everything a rock band should be, in the very best possible way, bright, bold, funny, and as lively as it gets.

    “This tour feels like something that was always meant to happen. Massive Wagons and Terrorvision together on The Roar of the Roses Tour, bringing everything great about the north together!! Lancashire and Yorkshire taking on the UK. One Love.”

    The announcement comes as Massive Wagons are preparing to release a new single via Reaper Records ahead of their eighth studio album, due in 2027. Tout tickets are on general sale from 10 AM on 3 July 2026. For more details, visit massivewagons.com.

    Massive Wagons - Terrorvision - Road Of The Roses Tour Poster
    Massive Wagons – Terrorvision – Road Of The Roses Tour Poster

    January

    28jan7:30 pmMassive Wagons – Terrorvision, SouthamptonO2 Guildhall Event Organized ByMassive Wagons

    29jan7:30 pmMassive Wagons – Terrorvision, LondonO2 Kentish Town Forum Event Organized ByMassive Wagons

    30jan7:30 pmMassive Wagons – Terrorvision, NottinghamRock City Event Organized ByMassive Wagons

    February

    01feb7:30 pmMassive Wagons – Terrorvision, NewcastleNorthumbria University Event Organized ByMassive Wagons

    02feb7:30 pmMassive Wagons – Terrorvision, GlasgowSWG3 Event Organized ByMassive Wagons

    04feb7:30 pmMassive Wagons – Terrorvision, WolverhamptonKK’s Steel Mill Event Organized ByMassive Wagons

    05feb7:30 pmMassive Wagons – Terrorvision, ManchesterO2 Victoria Warehouse Event Organized ByMassive Wagons

    06feb7:30 pmMassive Wagons – Terrorvision, LeedsO2 Academy Event Organized ByMassive Wagons

    07feb7:30 pmMassive Wagons – Terrorvision, BristolProspect Building Event Organized ByMassive Wagons

    The post Massive Wagons And Terrorvision Announce Roar Of The Roses UK Tour 2027 first appeared on MetalTalk – Heavy Metal News, Reviews and Interviews.
  • Revenant Announce Their Debut Album Kickstarter Campaign

    Rising and kinetic rockers Revenant are thrilled to announce their debut album Kickstarter campaign. “It’s been a rollercoaster ride since we released our first EP in 2024, and since then we’ve built up quite a legion of loyal people with ‘The Revenant Ones’. We’re excited to share the journey of our debut album with our […]

    The post Revenant Announce Their Debut Album Kickstarter Campaign appeared first on ROCKPOSER DOT COM.

  • “Right now, songwriting and pop music is crap.” Metallica’s Kirk Hammett hammers the current state of pop and reveals the “fantastic” first gig he ever went to

    Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett has criticised the state of the current pop scene in a new interview. Speaking to The Irish Times during the metal legends’ stayover in Dublin where they played two huge shows as part of the latest leg of their ongoing 72 Seasons world tour, Kirk took aim at the more straightforward ways in which people are able to make music now, chiefly thanks to the huge advances in technology over the last two decades.

    “I kind of lament those days when people had to really struggle to learn, because it’s all in the struggle,” he explains. “And it’s all in the determination and being inspired at the same time that forces you to come up with your own stuff and eventually your own sound and style. I just worry about, how things are so perfect these days, the musicianship. It’s great that all these guitar players have all this vast knowledge of technique at their fingertips. I wonder where it’s leading to.

    “I hope it leads to a better quality of pop music, popular music, and just a better quality of songwriting,” he muses. “Because right now, songwriting and pop music is crap. I’m hoping that all these great musicians who can teach themselves through the internet step up and put all that great learning and all that great inspiration into creating new stuff, new songs, the future of music, and at a higher standard than what it is now. Because I’ll say it again, K-R-A-P. Crap. Sorry for all you pop fans out there.”

    Elsewhere in the interview, Kirk pays tribute to hugely influential, Dublin-based rock icons Thin Lizzy, who put on the first show Kirk ever attended as a fan when still a young teenager.

    “I saw Thin Lizzy when I was 14-years-old in San Francisco,” he says. “It was the first concert I ever saw. And I couldn’t believe that was the band on stage. The guys that I would stare at on the album cover were actually up there on stage.

    “These people were real. To me, they’re like comic book superheroes, come to life. I’ll never forget that concert. And Phil Lynnott, Brian Robertson, Scott Gorham, Brian Downey…it was amazing I have to say. It was fantastic.”

    Metallica’s 72 Seasons tour will climax with a historic residency at the Las Vegas sphere later this year.

  • LIVE REVIEW: Linkin Park, The Pretty Reckless & More Deliver Power & Passion At Rock In Rio Lisboa

    Photo by Samuel Martins

    There can’t be many places in the world where you can get married by someone dressed as Freddie Mercury, celebrate by watching an aerial stunt show from the top of a big wheel, then round out your night seeing Linkin Park deal out hit after hit to a crowd 100,000 people strong.

    That’s precisely how you could have spent your time at Rock In Rio Lisboa over the weekend though.

    Transforming Lisbon’s Parque Tejo into the ‘City Of Rock’ for four days throughout June, as the festival returned for its 11th year, Rock Sound was there to capture the fun – and there was a hell of a lot it to be had.

    Since the inception of the multi-day festival in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro back in 1985, Rock In Rio has grown exponentially. Branching out to Lisbon for the first time in 2004, over the years it has expanded to include so much more than music, and this year is no different.

    Even before stepping on-site, you could swing by historic pastry shop Pastéis de Belém for a collaboration with Linkin Park, with queues snaking around Lisbon’s streets in hopes of grabbing exclusive goodies from the band.

    Once you make your way to the grounds of the City Of Rock, though, good luck trying to cram everything on offer into your schedule. There’s an airshow that plays out like the ultimate half-time show each day, lighting up the sky with a demonstration of synchronized loops, dives and pyrotechnic effects. There are immersive experiences all throughout the iconic Route 85, celebrating four decades of music and culture. Just a short walk away, you’ll find the School of Rock, a space dedicated to platforming the next generation of talent with performances by students from across the globe.

    You can hop on the giant wheel for views of the festival site and the Tagus River, there’s a zip line travelling directly in front of the main stage, and there’s even a whole area dedicated to Portugal’s love of football, broadcasting the World Cup matches on a huge screen.

    Then, of course, there’s the music. On the festival’s opening day – dedicated to the pop universe and its biggest chart-topping stars – we saw Katy Perry top the bill with a set that found her dancing with aliens, fending of calls from her exes on prop phones, and crowd-surfing in a giant inflatable water bottle.

    It was a triumphantly fun way to kickstart Rock In Rio Lisboa 2026, but the festival’s second day moved the spotlight over to the rock world. Rounding out with Linkin Park headlining to a crowd of 100,000, here’s a run through of every artist we managed to catch throughout the day.

    Grandson

    “No matter what they try to tell you… You are not alone, and you should not be afraid,” Grandson declared mid-way through his opening set on the festival’s main stage, setting the tone for an hour of politically charged rap-infused rock ragers. Taking aim at everything from the militarisation of technology (‘AUTONOMOUS DELIVERY ROBOT’) and nationalism (‘LITTLE WHITE LIES’) to society’s role in pushing people to commit unspeakable acts (‘Darkside’ and ‘YOU MADE ME THIS WAY’), frustration flows through every moment of Grandson’s time onstage, but it’s served up in a way that encourages community over complacency. Emphasising the importance of standing together, channelling our anger into forward motion, and picking one another up when we fall – there’s no better way to kickstart a day celebrating the immense power of rock music.

    Photo by Andre Saudade

    The Pretty Reckless

    If you managed to catch The Pretty Reckless at Download earlier this month, you know that they’re essentially the perfect festival band. Embodying an unstoppable rock-and-roll energy and with enough devilishly anthemic tracks to more than comfortably fill their hour-long stint on the World Stage, from the second Taylor Momsen and co. step onstage – it’s clear they’ve not come to play around. From the rousing stomp of ‘Death By Rock and Roll’ to the gorgeous sensuality of early cuts ‘Miss Nothing’ and ‘Make Me Wanna Die’, everyone in the field appears transfixed, captivated by the sheer rock power radiating from the four musicians before them. A stunning display of the type of mystifying, unifying wonder this music is capable of creating, it’s further proof that The Pretty Reckless are at the top of their game right now.

    Photo by Hugo Moreira

    P.O.D.

    When you can launch into a set with a song loaded with the kind of fervent energy and rousing singalongs that ‘Boom’ boasts in abundance, you’re onto an absolute winner, especially when you’re faced with an audience as enthusiastic as this. With the evening’s antics in full swing by the time the Californian nu-metal icons take to the Palco Music Valley stage, the likes of ‘Satellite’ and ‘Youth Of The Nation’ transport us straight back to 2001, whilst newer cuts ‘Afraid To Die’ and ‘I Got That’ showcase the punchy, scream-along choruses that dominate 2024 album ‘Veritas’. With temperatures soaring to 32 degrees in Lisbon, warming up is almost the last thing Rock In Rio Lisboa needs, but as the crowd disperses after a last roaring rendition of ‘Alive’ – P.O.D. have ensured that vibes are at an all-time high.

    Photo by Lucas Coelho

    Cypress Hill

    There’s something about Cypress Hill firing out a whole hour of psychedelic rock-infused hip-hop tunes as the blazing Portuguese sun goes down that feels almost magical. Stepping onto the World Stage right before Linkin Park, over three decades on from their formation, the Californian crew are still going strong. Whilst that’s partly thanks to their 1996 hit ‘Illusions’ bringing a new generation of fans into the fold with its recent TikTok resurgence, it’s also down to the fact that they have so many absolutely undeniable songs in their arsenal, ready to deal out to a crowd more than ready to play. Powering through the high-octane haziness of ‘I Wanna Get High’ and ‘Hits From The Bong’ and the almost playful fury of ‘Can’t Get The Best Of Me’ and ‘(Rock) Superstar’, despite B-Real having to cut things short due to a crowd injury after ‘Insane In The Brain’, the quartet proved exactly why they belong in front of crowds this size.

    Photo by Andre Saudade

    Linkin Park

    Since joining the band back in 2024, Emily Armstrong has said that ‘Waiting For The End’ is her favourite Linkin Park song, and when you see her perform it tonight – it’s incredibly easy to believe. Powering through the final few shows of a relentless touring schedule, as the ‘A Thousand Suns’ cut reaches its emotional climax, her voice cracks as she raises a hand to wipe at her eyes. In front of her, there of plenty of people doing the exact same thing.

    That simple collective reaction speaks volumes about the magnitude of this moment, capturing so much of what this band has come to mean to the 100,000 people stood in this field. With some having set up camp at the barrier from the minute the festival’s gates opened, it’s a reminder that Linkin Park is a family, and everyone is welcomed to join.

    Closing out Rock In Rio Lisboa’s first weekend with an unstoppable headline set, that spirit of unity soars through the band’s entire set. Early classics ‘Crawling’ and ‘One Step Closer’ are met with raucous response from the seemingly never-ending sea of bodies, whilst the likes of ‘Two Faced’ and ‘Up From The Bottom’ spark similar chaos, closing out with shouts of, “we love you, Emily!”.

    With an incredibly well-deserved break from touring ahead, Linkin Park’s return to Rock In Rio Lisboa emphasises that no matter how much has changed, their core message will always remain the same. Rock music is about togetherness. It’s about supporting each other through the darkest and brightest moments. It’s about trying to focus on what unites us, rather than what divides us. And in 2026, we need that more than ever before.

    Photo by Andre Saudade

    Rock In Rio Lisboa will return this weekend, with Rod Stewart headlining the World Stage on June 27 and 21 Savage closing things out on June 28.

    The post LIVE REVIEW: Linkin Park, The Pretty Reckless & More Deliver Power & Passion At Rock In Rio Lisboa appeared first on Rock Sound.

  • The clock’s ticking to save up to 30% on Metallica, Motörhead and Ozzy tees before Prime Day ends tonight

    We’re now into the final day of Amazon Prime Day, but if you’re quick, there’s still time to get a sweet discount on a fresh pile of rock and metal t-shirts. We’ve already had a look at some brilliant Sleep Token merch deals, but if your loyalties lie elsewhere, I’ve got you covered.

    Let’s kick things off in the US, where you can get this Black Sabbath World Tour 1978 Sketch t-shirt with a 20% discount – down from $24.99 to £19.99.

    If you’re in the UK and have been enjoying seeing Metallica on the latest leg of their M72 tour and want a throwback t-shirt, then there’s 30% off this ...And Justice For All tee, which is down from £20 to just £13.98.

    Prime Day: Rock and metal t-shirts – save up to 30%
    There’s still time to grab a nice discount on a selection of rock and metal t-shirts this Prime Day. Take a sift through and see if anything else catches your eye – then get it quick, because Prime Day will soon be over.View Deal

    There are loads of cut-price tees on Amazon, but let’s focus back in on the US for a bit.

    Def Leppard are one of the biggest rock bands on the planet and I can recall going into my local HMV back in 1987 and buying Hysteria on cassette. I also saw them on that tour in Edinburgh, but I’m getting side-tracked by nostalgia! If you want to display your love of that era of the band, then this classic Hysteria t-shirt is down from $29.99 to $23.99.

    Prefer your rock a little more classic? Then how about this Led Zeppelin 1975 US tour t-shirt? It’s down from $24.99 to $20.79 and it’s one of my favourite designs in this list of Prime Day t-shirt discounts.

    If you’re after something a little more straightforward, then this AC/DC red logo t-shirt should fit the bill – and it’s down from $25.99 to $20.79. Meanwhile, Motorhead fans can get their fix with this awesome Snaggletooth design, which has been reduced from $24.99 to £19.99 and it’s a bona fide classic look.

    Let’s take a look at the UK side of things again, and you really can’t go wrong with a Pink Floyd The Dark Side Of The Moon design. It’s down from £24.99 to 18.99 for Prime Day.

    We’re still getting over the loss of The Prince Of Darkness so if you’d like to pay homage to Ozzy, you can get your hands on a Diary of A Madman tee at Amazon, with the price cut from £24 down to £20.28.

    Another classic logo design is on display with this no-nonsense Linkin Park tee, with the price cut from £24.99 to £20.99 making it a must-have for fans of the band.

    My final pick goes to the band of the moment: Rush. Geddy and Alex are on tour right now with drummer Anika Nilles and keyboardist Loren Gold – and the four of them are delivering spectacular shows. They won’t be in the UK until next year, but while we wait, you can relive the good old days with this America 1977 Tour t-shirt – down from £24.99 to £20.99.

    For more Prime Day discounts, take a look at Louder’s Prime Day music deals page, our Prime Day turntable deals, and don’t forget we’re also collecting our favourite Prime Day vinyl deals too.