Review: Thundermother – Live’n’Alive Napalm Records – April 17th, 2026 Reviewer – Jason Hopper I’ve been a fan of Thundermother since the release of 2022’s ‘Black and Gold‘ (review here), a fantastic album that I believed had the potential to break the band in the States. Instead, most of the band split and sole remaining member, […]
The post Review: Thundermother – Live’n’Alive appeared first on ROCKPOSER DOT COM.
Masca have a sound that toes a line between delirium and euphoria, which sort of sums up the human condition right now, but also their own journey as a band. Having been born out of the pandemic, and then making this debut while vocalist/guitarist Christina Maynard was pregnant and recording between throwing up, they captures chaos, family, friendship and figuring out your shit.
The three Bristolian musketeers have their fingers in many pies on Love Letters. There are minuscule details in every crevice: rhythms that change from sluggish to speedy, weird little instrumental quirks and fuzzed-up guitars, even vocals from Christina that range from Kate Bush wails to punky commands.
From opener Act My Age, it’s clear that through their weird funky rock style, they’re working their way through the overwhelm of choice and discovering who you are. Love Letters and Oxytocin feel related, as the former asks ‘Am I running out of time?’ with the latter demanding ‘Soothe me, soothe me’.
Its most spritely offering is DWIW, which channels a punky spirit, honed even further when Christina stepped in to tour with IDLES as their guitarist in 2022. Thick bass provides a bed for wiry guitar as they dig into claiming back your own time from a job you hate by pulling a cheeky sickie. Relatable and hugely fun, it feels like hitting the pub rather than clocking in.
Masca are authentic to the point where it’s quite difficult to compare or pigeonhole them, and Love Letters is like a kooky soundtrack that would play out down the rabbit hole in the world of Alice In Wonderland. This is a band with an acquired taste, but that’s what makes them quite an exciting bunch to watch bloom into something even bigger.
Verdict: 3/5
For fans of: YONAKA, Sløtface, Biffy Clyro
Love Letters is released on April 3 via Cold Hard Bangers
Posted on March 30th 2026, 9:40a.m.
In 2026, the band Sonata Arctica will return with the “30th Anniversary World Tour”, a global tour celebrating thirty years of their career with their most beloved tracks and some rare gems chosen for fans around the world, as singer and songwriter Tony Kakko explains:
“The best way to celebrate thirty years of Sonata Arctica’s music is to take to the stage with you. It will be a special tour, with a setlist that encapsulates the essence of these thirty years of music, and in the meantime we are also working on our twelfth album. It will be a tour to remember!”
The support act will be Alterium, a new Italian power metal band led by Nicoletta Rosellini (formerly of Kalidia and Walk in Darkness), joined by musicians from Kalidia, Draconicon and Altair. Formed in 2022, they made their debut with the album “Of War and Flames,” produced by Lars Rettkowitz (Freedom Call): a blend of epic choruses, powerful riffs and captivating melodies.
The tour will stop in Italy for two exclusive dates:
📍 23 April 2026 – Orion Club, Rome
📍 24 April 2026 – Live Club, Trezzo sull’Adda (MI)
Get your tickets by clicking here.
The post NEWS: Alterium to open two Sonata Arctica shows in April first appeared on FemMetal – Goddesses of Metal.
ADULT.: Kissing Luck Goodbye (Dais) LP/DL/CD Out now (Order HERE) On Kissing Luck Goodbye, revered synth-punk power couple ADULT. strategically sharpen and reshapen consumer goods common to everyday life into spear tips, and along with it – the intestines of the industry are eviscerated as conquerable ploys for the collective mutiny to hack to pieces. For […]
The post ADULT. : Kissing Luck Goodbye – Interview & Album Review appeared first on Louder Than War.
ADULT.: Kissing Luck Goodbye (Dais) LP/DL/CD Out now (Order HERE) On Kissing Luck Goodbye, revered synth-punk power couple ADULT. strategically sharpen and reshapen consumer goods common to everyday life into spear tips, and along with it – the intestines of the industry are eviscerated as conquerable ploys for the collective mutiny to hack to pieces. For […]
The post ADULT. : Kissing Luck Goodbye – Interview & Album Review appeared first on Louder Than War.
Norwegian prog rock band Sykofant released their “Leaves” project in two virtual EPs: “Red Sun” (2025) and “Leaves” (2026) and a single final physical release. Let me say that both installments are beautiful, full of well found melodies, unpredictable changes and skillful solos. This is my favourite track from their second EP, the final song. It’s simply perfect in its own, fascinating way. Acoustic and electric instruments, perfect vocal harmonies (a foursome choir is credited), rhytmic shifts and robust guitar solos are just a few of this 16-minute track’s highlights.
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I like the way they merge their own ideas with many ’70s and ’80s influences spanning from Yes to Pink Floyd and from neo-prog to prog metal. Such a diversified palette brings to a refreshing, personal, lively interpretation of the deepest progressive rock roots. They have a stunning way to create sonic worlds and to exploit all instruments’ tones to enrich each and every mood shift. Highly recommended, IMHO.
Norwegian prog rock band Sykofant released their “Leaves” project in two virtual EPs: “Red Sun” (2025) and “Leaves” (2026) and a single final physical release. Let me say that both installments are beautiful, full of well found melodies, unpredictable changes and skillful solos. This is my favourite track from their second EP, the final song. It’s simply perfect in its own, fascinating way. Acoustic and electric instruments, perfect vocal harmonies (a foursome choir is credited), rhytmic shifts and robust guitar solos are just a few of this 16-minute track’s highlights.
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I like the way they merge their own ideas with many ’70s and ’80s influences spanning from Yes to Pink Floyd and from neo-prog to prog metal. Such a diversified palette brings to a refreshing, personal, lively interpretation of the deepest progressive rock roots. They have a stunning way to create sonic worlds and to exploit all instruments’ tones to enrich each and every mood shift. Highly recommended, IMHO.
26th March 2026
Support: Cage Fight, Tooth & Dagger
Photos: Tim Finch
We look back at the epic Employed to Serve show, through the eyes of our photographer Tim Finch!
All photo credits: Tim Finch Photography
The post Live Gallery: Employed To Serve – Wolverhampton appeared first on The Razor's Edge.
26th March 2026
Support: Cage Fight, Tooth & Dagger
Words: Cat Finch
Photos: Tim Finch
There’s something about KK’s Steel Mill that brings out the best in a lineup, and this stacked bill was no exception. With Tooth & Dagger, Cage Fight, and UK heavyweights Employed to Serve, the night felt like a showcase of modern metal in all its ferocious forms.
Opening duties fell to Tooth & Dagger, who wasted no time in setting a confrontational tone. Their blend of metallic hardcore came across raw and unpolished in the best possible way, with jagged riffs and punchy rhythms cutting straight through the early crowd murmur. There was a sense of urgency to their set, like every second counted, and by the time they wrapped up, the room had filled out nicely, drawn in by sheer intensity alone.
Cage Fight took that energy and amplified it tenfold. From the moment they launched into ‘One Minute’ the floor erupted into movement, with a surge of bodies colliding in a tightly packed pit. Their sound melds part hardcore stomp and part thrash-laced aggression with each track landing like a hammer blow.
Despite missing Will Chain on bass, their performance was tight, commanded from and centre by vocalist Rachel Aspe. Her presence, her vocal growl, the menace in her eyes adding to the intensity of the performance.
Much like the other nights on the tour, ‘Pig’ featured Justine Jones of Employed to Serve on vocals, her performance adding weight to the important lyrical content. Songs like ‘Respect Ends’ and ‘Guillotine’ showcased their ability to balance groove with outright hostility, while ‘Pick Your Fighter’ and ‘I Hate Your Guts’ leaned hard into their no-nonsense attitude.
Closing on ‘Hope Castrated’, Rachel joined the fans in the pit, the fans circling her as her growls hit peak venom. Cage Fight left the stage having firmly cemented themselves as one of the most exciting live acts in the UK heavy scene right now.
By the time Employed to Serve hit the stage, the atmosphere inside the sweaty small room at KK’s was electric. Opening with ‘Treachery’ they immediately asserted dominance, whilst ‘Atonement’ and ‘Beneath It All’ kept the momentum surging. The crown now crowd fully locked in, a sight to behold as the room sang every lyric back at them.
Mid-set cuts like ‘Force Fed’ and ‘Sun Up to Sun Down’ highlighted the band’s dynamic range, and ‘Familiar Pain’ and ‘Good for Nothing’ drew particularly strong reactions, with the crowd throwing themselves into the pit with abandon.
As the set pushed into its latter half, ‘We Don’t Need You’ and ‘Breaks Me Down’ ramped up the intensity even further, before ‘Now Thy Kingdom Come’ and ‘Mark of the Grave’ brought a darker, more ominous edge.
Closing stretch ‘Whose Side Are You On?’ into ‘From This Day Forward’ was nothing short of explosive. Sammy’s razor sharp riffs, enhance the threat of the back line, whilst Justine stands tall, driving the live performance forward.
At The Razor’s Edge we’ve seen a lot of Employed to Serve shows over the years, from opening arenas for Gojira, to the main stage at Bloodstock and the pyro heavy performance at Damnation. Yet tonight, in the finest heavy metal venue in the country, they raised their game further, this was something special and we were lucky enough to witness it.
Photo Credits: Tim Finch Photography
The post Live Review: Employed to Serve – Wolverhampton appeared first on The Razor's Edge.