Category: news

After years of being snubbed, the metal icons are finally getting inducted. Continue reading…

The Press Release: Today, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation announces its 2026 Inductees in the following categories: Performer Category: Phil Collins Billy Idol Iron Maiden Joy Division/New … Continue reading The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 2026 Inductees Are: →

The wait is officially over. In a reveal that felt more like a long-overdue correction than a standard announcement, Iron Maiden has been named as part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

The announcement took place tonight on ABC’s American Idol, following a high-octane performance of “Rebel Yell” by Billy Idol and Carrie Underwood. While the 2026 class features a diverse array of icons—including Oasis, Sade, and Wu-Tang Clan—the inclusion of the “Beast” is the undisputed headline for the global heavy metal community.

The Metal Exclusion Ends: Iron Maiden’s Path to Cleveland

For over a decade, Iron Maiden’s absence from the Hall was the focal point of the “Rock Hall vs. Heavy Metal” debate. Despite being one of the most successful touring entities in the world and the definitive architects of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, the band had been repeatedly passed over by the voting body.

In 2026, the Hall finally yielded. Iron Maiden enters in the Performer Category, a move that validates the tireless work of the “Maiden England” era and the band’s indestructible legacy. Interestingly, this induction follows the recent news of a former member being quietly added to the nomination ballot, suggesting the Hall finally did its homework on the band’s extensive history.

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TL;DR: The Class of 2026 at a Glance

• Performer Category: Iron Maiden, Oasis, Phil Collins, Billy Idol, Joy Division/New Order, Sade, Luther Vandross, and Wu-Tang Clan.
• The Snub: New Edition—who led the fan vote with over 900k tallies—failed to make the cut.
• Musical Excellence: Honors for Rick Rubin and Jimmy Miller (Producer for Motörhead and The Rolling Stones).
• Early Influence: Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, and Fela Kuti lead a diverse field.

Get your 2026 Iron Maiden tickets here.

2026 Rock Hall Inductees: The Full Breakdown

The Performer Category

The 2026 class represents a massive “catch-up” year for the 1980s and 90s.

• Iron Maiden: The “Gods of Metal” finally get their due.
• Oasis: The Gallagher brothers are in, fueling massive speculation about a potential reunion performance at the ceremony.
• Phil Collins: Inducted as a solo artist (joining his previous induction with Genesis).
• Billy Idol: The punk-rock poster boy officially enters the pantheon.
• Joy Division/New Order: Recognizing the foundational roots of post-punk and synth-pop.
• Sade / Luther Vandross / Wu-Tang Clan: Representing the Hall’s continued push into R&B, Soul, and Hip-Hop excellence.

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Special Awards: Musical Excellence & Early Influence

The Hall also announced significant wins in the “behind-the-scenes” categories. Rick Rubin—the man who bridged the gap between Slayer, Beastie Boys, and Johnny Cash—receives the Musical Excellence Award. He is joined by Jimmy Miller, the legendary producer behind Motörhead’s most iconic tracks and The Rolling Stones’ classic run.

In the Early Influence category, the Hall honors the “Queen of Salsa” Celia Cruz, Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, and rap pioneers Queen Latifah and MC Lyte. Gram Parsons also receives a posthumous nod for his role in birth of country-rock.

Information Gain: Why the Fan Vote Failed New Edition

The most controversial “Information Gain” from the 2026 reveal is the total collapse of the Fan Vote power. Despite New Edition collecting over 900,000 votes and finishing in the top spot, they were entirely excluded from the induction class.

In the 2026 ecosystem, the fan vote counts as exactly one ballot among over 1,000 industry voters. This reveals a growing chasm between the “People’s Choice” and the “Committee’s Vision.” Other fan favorites like Pink, Shakira, and INXS (who finished 3rd, 4th, and 6th in voting) were also left in the cold, while icons like Mariah Carey and The Black Crowes will have to wait at least another year.

For Iron Maiden fans, however, the fan vote was never the issue—it was the perceived bias of the nominating committee. By finally inducting Harris, Dickinson, and company, the Hall has arguably saved its own reputation among rock purists.

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The 2026 Ceremony: What to Expect

The 2026 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place this fall. All eyes will be on Iron Maiden to see if they follow through on their previous “we don’t care” stance, or if they will grace the stage for a performance of “The Number of the Beast” that would likely go down as the loudest moment in Hall history.

Stay tuned to Loaded Radio for full coverage of the 2026 Rock Hall Induction Ceremony and exclusive interviews with the inductees. Stream us 24/7 here.

The post ‘UP THE IRONS’: Iron Maiden Finally Storms the Gates of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2026 Induction Class appeared first on Loaded Radio.

The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame has announced its inductees to the class of 2026 and heavy metal fans will surely feel vindicated by the inclusion of one of its biggest and most enduring names, Iron Maiden. While the event has often received criticism and mockery from fans of metal, and rock as a whole for some of the inclusions, Iron Maiden's inclu… Read More/Discuss on Metal Underground.com

He's been eligible for nearly 20 years. Continue reading…

UCR's writers collect their thoughts on the new class. Continue reading…

This week on the Loaded Radio Podcast, we welcome one of the most honest and compelling voices in modern heavy music: Joel Birch of The Amity Affliction. In an era defined by sudden lineup shifts and internal volatility, Birch joins host Scott Penfold to pull back the curtain on the most challenging chapter of the band’s 20-year career.

From the raw details of the 2024 split with longtime clean vocalist and bassist Ahren Stringer to the creative fire fueling their upcoming 2026 studio album, this is a deep-dive into the “Survival Mode” of an Australian powerhouse.

The Ahren Stringer Fallout: A Necessary Evolution?

For the first time in such granular detail, Joel discusses the emotional and professional “tipping point” that led to the departure of Ahren Stringer. While the split sent shockwaves through the fan base, Birch explains the complexities of maintaining a band’s health while navigating personal differences that had spanned nearly two decades.

“There’s a point where you have to decide if the machine can keep running or if it’s going to break everyone involved,” Birch hints during the interview. He opens up about why the band chose to continue, the weight of the “legacy” they’ve built since 2003, and his unwavering love for the live stage—a place he describes as his primary form of catharsis and connection.

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TL;DR: Loaded Radio Podcast

• The Guest: Joel Birch (The Amity Affliction).
• The Core Topic: The aftermath of the Ahren Stringer split and the band’s “Forward Motion.”
• New Music: First-hand insights into the 2026 album release cycle and the new single “House of Cards.”
• The News Segment: Host Scott Penfold breaks down the Jay Weinberg/Slipknot retrospective, the Eric Morotti/Suffocation departure, and the surprise Evanescence album rumors.

Fans looking to catch The Amity Affliction live in 2026 can click here for ticketing info and availability.

Information Gain: The Amity Affliction’s ‘Third Act’ in 2026

In 2026, The Amity Affliction has moved beyond the “metalcore” label into something far more enduring. With the recent success of their live film and the impending release of their newest LP, the “Information Gain” here lies in the band’s structural resilience.

Most fans are focused on the “Who” (the lineup), but Birch focuses on the “Why.” By discussing the band’s commitment to their sound—even without a founding pillar like Stringer—Birch is defining the band’s “Third Act.” This era is marked by a darker, more experimental sonic palette that reflects the internal struggles of the last two years. For listeners, this interview provides the “Contextual Truth” behind the headlines, proving that The Amity Affliction isn’t just surviving; they are being “re-activated” for a new generation of heavy music fans.

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Heavy Metal News: The Weinberg, Morotti, and Lee Files

Following the exclusive sit-down with Joel, the second half of the podcast sees Scott Penfold diving into a “Moshpit of News.” We look at Jay Weinberg’s recent Rolling Stone interview where he labels himself a “scapegoat” in the Slipknot camp, and we analyze the “Technical Void” left by Eric Morotti’s departure from Suffocation.

Furthermore, we break down the major reveal of the week: Evanescence has officially confirmed their new album, ‘Sanctuary’, arriving June 5. We analyze the lead single, “Who Will You Follow”—produced by Jordan Fish and Zakk Cervini—and look at what this heavy, atmospheric shift means for the band’s 2026 world tour. It is a loaded hour of analysis that connects the dots between the biggest stories in the genre today.

LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE BELOW:

 

The Veracity of the Voice

What sets this episode apart is the lack of “PR polish.” Joel Birch has never been one to hide behind a mask, and his transparency regarding the band’s current internal health is a rare find in the 2026 media landscape. Whether you are a “die-hard” Amity fan or a casual observer of the metal industry’s inner workings, this conversation serves as a definitive document on what it takes to keep a legacy band alive when the foundation starts to shift.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the Loaded Radio Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your heavy metal fix. Stream us 24/7 here.

The post A NEW CHAPTER: The Amity Affliction’s Joel Birch Details Band Survival and 2026 Plans on The Loaded Radio Podcast appeared first on Loaded Radio.

Clock DVA have unveiled a new two-track release of “Sensorium”, pairing a remastered version of the original with a new DVATION 2026 version ahead of the June 5th, 2026 reissue of Thirst. The expanded edition of the band’s 1981 second album arrives via The Grey Area of Mute on double thirst-red vinyl, CD, and digital as the second installment in Mute’s ongoing Clock DVA reissue campaign.

This latest preview follows the campaign’s first teaser from February 3rd, when Clock DVA shared “4 Hours” in both 2026 remastered and DVATION 2026 form. That was a fitting place to begin: “4 Hours” was the only single originally lifted from Thirst, with “Sensorium” on the b-side, so the current rollout reunites one of the album’s defining pairings while showing how the material has been retooled by the present-day incarnation of the band.

Watch the video for the DVATION version of 4 Hours below:

The DVATION material is more than a simple remastering exercise. Rather than merely cleaning up the past, Adi Newton and current DVA collaborator Maurizio Martinucci have used the reissue to create updated versions of both tracks for 2026, extending and reanimating them through the lens of the project’s current form. The result is less a museum piece than a continuation: Clock DVA revisiting one of its key transitional works and pulling it forward into the present.

Listen to Sensorium and its new DVATION version below:

Originally released in 1981 on Fetish Records, Thirst captured Clock DVA at a crucial turning point. Where White Souls in Black Suits leaned deeper into improvisation, tape manipulation, and jazz-inflected abrasion, Thirst sharpened that approach into something leaner and more song-based without losing the band’s experimental unease. The record remains one of the clearest early examples of Clock DVA’s ability to splice post-punk rhythm, industrial menace, mutant funk, and avant-garde tension into something genuinely alien.

The new edition expands the original nine-track album with live recordings of “The Opening” and “Remain Remain” from the Lyceum, the original single mixes of “4 Hours” and “Sensorium”, and the new DVATION 2026 versions of both tracks. Physical editions also restore the original sleeve notes by Genesis P-Orridge, while the vinyl arrives as a limited double LP in thirst-red wax.

Recorded at Jacobs Studio in Surrey and produced by the band with Ken Thomas, Thirst still sounds like a record caught between systems: part art-damaged post-punk document, part industrial omen, part blueprint for darker electronic mutations still to come. With “4 Hours” and now “Sensorium” resurfacing in remastered and newly reconstructed forms, the reissue feels less like archival housekeeping than a fresh activation of one of Sheffield’s strangest and most forward-looking catalogues.

Listen to 4 hours and Senorium and their DVATION versions below, and pre-order the remastered Thirst here.

Clock DVA formed in Sheffield in 1978 under the direction of Adi Newton and emerged from the same fertile experimental climate that also produced acts such as Cabaret Voltaire. Across early landmarks like White Souls in Black Suits and Thirst, the group fused treated tapes, punk-funk rhythms, free-jazz impulses, industrial abrasion, and noir electronics into a sound that stood apart even within the post-punk underground. In later years, Newton steered the project further into cybernetic, electronic, and proto-EBM terrain on releases such as Advantage and Buried Dreams. Reactivated in the late 2000s, Clock DVA continues to perform and revisit its catalogue, with The Grey Area of Mute now retracing that evolution from the beginning.

Follow Clock DVA:

• Official Link Hub
• Bandcamp
• Instagram
• Facebook

The post Sheffield Industrial Post-Punk Legends Clock DVA Share “Sensorium” Single From “Thirst” 45th Anniversary Remaster appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

We have a new set of acts heading into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Hall Of Famer Lionel Richie and Ryan Seacrest made the announcement during tonight’s HOF-themed American Idol episode. The 2026 class of Hall Of Fame inductees includes eight acts — or nine, depending on how you’re counting: Oasis, Iron Maiden, Phil Collins, the Wu-Tang Clan, Sade, Luther Vandross, Billy Idol, and the combination of Joy Division and New Order.

The post Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame 2026 Inductees Include Oasis, Iron Maiden, Phil Collins, & Joy Division/New Order appeared first on Stereogum.

Billy Idol, Phil Collins, Oasis and Iron Maiden are among the 2026 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees. Continue reading…