Category: news

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…

Some very long waits have finally been rewarded this year. Continue reading…

Billy Idol, Luther Vandross and Wu-Tang Clan will also be inducted, while New Edition, Mariah Carey and Melissa Etheridge failed to make the final cut.

In 1992 Love/Hate wanted to get their career back on track. What better way than by fastening their frontman to a homemade cross attached to the most famous landmark in Los Angeles?

10 songs which shaped Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland’s life and music

On March 20, 2026, Ben Brandt released Solid Ground, his debut solo record, produced by blues rockstar JD Simo. The record features Brandt’s guitar and vocals, Theodore Pecchio on bass, Adam Abrashoff on drums, and, occasionally JD Simo on supporting guitar. Solid Ground is just over half an hour long, divided up into 11 tracks, with the tracks being segmented into three parts, separated by short, sweet instrumental jams, which happen to be some of the strongest work on the album.

The bad news: the album’s mixing could be better, especially when it comes to vocals. In several tracks, the lyrics were so difficult to make out that I tried a few different audio output sources, wondering if I had a speaker problem at first. On each track featuring vocals, it seems like a different mixing choice plagues the readability of Brandt’s words. Sometimes his voice is simply not prominent enough against the (often stellar) instrumentation (such as in “Burning Bridges”), and others there are effects added to the vocals that muddy the clarity (“Under the Weight of Us”). This is unfortunate, because Brandt is a fine singer with a pleasant high quality to his voice that contrasts nicely with distorted guitar.

The good news: vocal production aside, Solid Ground is an enjoyable blues rock listen with some interesting structural choices and fun melodies. The decision to divide the album into three sections with the instrumental jams (“Matthews Tire Pt. 1, 2, and 3”) gives the album a consistent soundscape. These jam tracks are very short, less than two minutes each, and each has a distinct musical flavor. The mixing on the “Matthews Tire” tracks is muted, which gives the interesting sensation of listening to a band from outside the room through a door. They are just long enough to create a sonic snapshot, a musical impression, and then deliver you right back into the meat of the album.

The standout tracks for the album are by far “Parasite Blues,” a faster rock-heavy track with a fun melody and solid backbeat, and “The Seeker,” an introspective personal number that feels like classic 1970s blues rock set to a crunchy muted fuzz rhythm and chimey lead guitar. Overall, the record takes several cues from ‘70s blues rock, from arrangement to drumming which works well within the simplicity of the composition.

The instrumentation on the record is excellent, especially the rhythm section. The bass and drums are absolutely holding down the fort, helping Brandt and Simo to shine on guitar. The only note I’d make is that the album could’ve benefitted from a horn section and/or some solid keys work to build a thicker sound.

Overall, Solid Ground is a respectable debut effort from a young blues rocker with plenty of room to grow. The structural choices indicate a sharp musical mind that has definite future potential in the genre, even if held back a bit by unfortunate production woes.

The Review: 7/10

Can’t Miss Tracks

– Fine Line
– The Seeker
– Parasite Blues

The Big Hit

– Parasite Blues

The post Ben Brandt: Solid Ground Review appeared first on Blues Rock Review.

The bittersweet tremors
uneasy, beautiful
Say you are true to it
Heroes fade, love is real 

Real love is a strange, stubborn animal. It does not flinch when the mascara runs, when the rent is late, when your grand ideas turn to ash in your hands and you’re left standing there in yesterday’s shirt, full of bad habits and half-broken hymns. It knows the difference between a performance and a person. It sticks around for the unphotogenic hours, the cracked voice, the cowardice, the comeback. While the whole cheap carnival collapses in sparks and plaster, that love stays low and steady in the walls like old wiring, carrying a current strong enough to light the ruins and call them home.

Joy Forever return with Love Is Real, sounding like a band that has stared down the plastic pageant of modern life and decided to answer with a bruised, bare-knuckled article of faith. This is a dark, urgent track, but urgency here is not some gym-rat cliché about momentum and force. It feels more like the sound of somebody arriving at a truth after wasting years on counterfeits, kissing the wrong lips, chasing the wrong dreams, and finally finding peace.

The rhythm section hits first, a hard, hurrying throb of bass and drums that gives the song its backbone, while those heavy breath-ins make the opening feel almost alarmingly close, like you can hear the body trying to steady itself before the spirit says something risky. Mikolas Rendl sings from up close too, sounding like a man standing in the wreckage, picking through the busted furniture of memory, trying to salvage one clean conviction from all the foolishness and fear.

Then the guitars come in, circling and smearing the edges, and the song starts to feel beautifully unstable, like grief and grace sharing the same seat in the same speeding car. There is a grunge-scarred weariness in its bones, but also a reach toward something larger, something that might survive our talent for misunderstanding one another. By the time it blows open into that shoegaze-bent ending, the song has swollen into a kind of spiritual crash-out, a glorious overload where pain, hope, and exhaustion all get their say.

 “It’s not meant to be a love song that feels safe,” admits Rendl. “It’s more about that stubborn feeling that something real still exists, even when everything around you feels chaotic or fake. LOVE IS REAL. It feels defiant. Like saying it out loud because you need it to be true.”

Listen to Love Is Real below:

Joy Forever are a Hamburg-based post-punk four-piece whose music feels lived-in rather than lacquered over. With roots stretching across the Czech Republic, Peru, and Germany, the band brings a broad, unsettled European perspective to songs preoccupied with social strain, alienation, capitalism, and the fragile business of staying human in modern city life. Their sound pulls together bruised guitars, cold gleam synth work, and vocals that carry both ache and urgency without slipping into melodrama.

Their debut EP, Brand New Faces, was recorded in Brighton with Theo Verney and mastered by Felix Davis at Metropolis, a fitting route for a band whose music feels both intimate and international. What Joy Forever offers is not revival for revival’s sake, but something more immediate: songs for people trying to keep hold of their nerve, their tenderness, and their sense of self while the world keeps asking them to become less real.

Listen to their latest single, Love Is Real, on Bandcamp below and purchase it here. You can also stream it here.

Follow Joy Forever:

• Spotify
• Instagram
• Bandcamp
• YouTube

The post “I Seek the Beauty Within Me” — Hamburg Post-Punk Outfit Joy Forever Share Defiant Anthem “Love is Real” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.