Tierra Whack can really, really rap. The Philadelphia artist is a super-inventive visual stylist with a ton of bright art-pop ideas, so it can be easy to overlook the fact that she’s got bars. It’ll be a lot harder once you hear her new record Whack’s Museum. When she announced the impending release a couple of weeks ago, Whack referred to Whack’s Museum as a “rap mixtape.” She wasn’t kidding.
In the modern streaming era, where major albums are overblown with tracks to increase streaming numbers and metal albums are giant opuses with ten-minute songs, it’s a relief to see a release with a runtime under 25 minutes. For most extreme metal, that’s about all our bodies can physically handle from nonstop head thrashing. If you want to amp yourself up quickly, put away the energy drink, the line, or the self-help tape, and listen to these albums.
Flip a coin on this metallic hardcore split and either way, you’re getting heads with pissed off eyebrows etched in. Both bands create a pit with zero moshing and all ducking – every fist aimed directly at your skull. Cockring’s dense and heavy atmosphere is relentless, panging with metal (the material, not the genre) as deep bass strumming clangs like steel doors and the dour tone in the guitar resemble jangling bells, all underneath a snarling, cutthroat growl. When All Beat Up tornadoes into the split, each song spirals back and forth between warning and frustrated acceptance at the state we’re in. Even vocally, yells punch out like a megaphone preacher warning of the end, all coming down to a cover of The Cure’s “Pornography” with a vocal performance akin to Jacob Bannon on Converge’s “Aimless Arrow”. This kind of album keeps the dental industry afloat.
Vomit Mass starts their album with 73 seconds of building white noise, granting you time to enter a dark alley before you start running for your life. The tempos are so fast that you begin to worry about the physical health of their drummer. Revving guitars cut through the air, wailing and soloing, forcing themselves to strum faster as vocals bark over top, creating a war between bandmates. While slow buildups and a cover of Venom’s “Schizo” may lull you into thinking that the band might relax, they’re used as moments to catch your breath before their deafening extremity breaks the speed of light.
Without a second of warning, Threat Modeling spears into this EP with disorienting guitars and ferocious drum blasting. Powerviolence and metalcore come together on Threat Modeling perfectly, with 2000s-nostalgic guitar tones and vocals spruced up by ear-piercing feedback that resembles The Chariot at 2x speed. As the music whirls to the ground, lyrics about senseless war and murder of thousands in the name of wealth and religion strike. You’ll have to sit with Threat Modeling 10 times before your head stops spinning to truly understand how wonderfully composed it is.
Too thrash for choruses, too hardcore for solos; Yambag hits the axis of musical genres at an unpredictable angle. Not content to ever let you in on what they’re going for, the band picks up scraps of an idea, shoves the bones in the mix, and tosses the meat in the trash with no smellable rot. It’s all fast all the time, laughing at anyone who tries to dance to the two-step rhythm on “Unconditional Hate” that’s abandoned after two seconds for powerviolence tempos. Yet, in this topless blender of ideas, everything comes out coherently: structured to disorient. Are Yambag powerviolence? Hardcore? Thrash? They’re fast-paced heavy music; that’s all you need.
A powerviolence trio fronted by Peter Pawlak (Spy, Worse) that manages to fit 10 guitarless songs into six minutes. What sounds absurd for most genres is normal for powerviolence. Each short burst of music (with only one song lasting over a minute) allows for every member to shine. A dense bass groove sets the tone between blasts of garbage can drums topped by Pawlak’s grizzlier-than-ever screams. It’s a repetitive structure but the sprint/collapse/repeat fashion makes a perfect pattern for fusing your body into one giant muscle, as long as you can fit your workout into six minutes.
British heavy metal architects Saxon have officially blown the doors off the international concert circuit by announcing the first massive leg of their “Gods Of Thunder” world tour. The New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) pioneers revealed they are resurrecting one of the most legendary, high-octane stage props in rock history: their iconic, 30-foot mechanized Eagle. The historic production overhaul promises to deliver a staggering visual spectacle across the United Kingdom and Ireland, marking a massive return to the band’s multi-platinum arena-era theatrical roots.
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Want an in-depth audio breakdown of Saxon’s historic tour announcement and the incredible engineering secrets behind their giant metal Eagle? Host Scott Penfold dives deep into the band’s touring history, the technical constraints of modern venues, and what to expect from the setlist on today’s episode of the Metal Breakdown Daily! Catch all the breaking rock news by streaming directly inside the free Loaded Radio App available on Apple iOS and Google Play.
SAXON: “GODS OF THUNDER” 2027 TOUR ROUTING
The Eagle Has Landed: Resurrecting a Multi-Platinum Metal Mascot
The impending deployment of the “Gods Of Thunder” trek stands as an incredibly significant developmental marker for traditional heavy metal staging. Alongside the tour routing, Saxon confirmed the complete revival of their celebrated “Castles & Eagles” stage architecture. The configuration represents one of the most structurally ambitious live presentations ever deployed by the group, seeking to bridge the gap between golden-era nostalgia and cutting-edge modern touring logistics.
The centerpiece of the entire run is the legendary 30-foot mechanized Eagle, a prop that holds a near-mythic status among alternative music purists.
“We wanted to make the ‘Gods Of Thunder’ U.K. and Ireland tour extra special,” iconic frontman Biff Byford commented passionately. “And what better way than to fly our beloved Saxon Eagle again… Get ready for take-off!”
The operational logistics for the run are tightly scheduled, with official public ticket sales launching on Friday, June 26 at 9 a.m. local time via the band’s official distribution portal at www.saxon747.com. Production insiders have noted that due to strict physical structural limitations and low overhead clearance parameters inside The Great Hall in Cardiff, Wales, the mechanized Eagle will be omitted for that singular performance, though the rest of the high-intensity stage show remains completely intact.
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Runaway Lights and Rehearsals: The History of the Steel Mascot
To truly understand why the return of this steel titan has triggered a massive wave of excitement across heavy music journalism networks, one must track back to the dawn of the 1980s. The Eagle was originally dreamed up and commissioned as Saxon prepared to support their seminal, multi-platinum masterwork, Denim And Leather.
The manufacturing history behind the prop reads like a classic rock-and-roll DIY masterclass. Built by the Midlands-based industrial fabrication company LSD, the giant eagle structure was uniquely outfitted using heavy-duty, high-intensity landing lights sourced directly from commercial airport runways.
The massive device made its physical debut during a high-profile pre-tour production rehearsal sequence in London before instantly solidifying its place as the definitive visual identity of the band. Towering ominously above audiences as it tilted, swooped, and illuminated the arena floor, the emblem rapidly evolved into Saxon’s official live mascot.
The prop’s widespread popularity directly inspired the title and concept of their highly acclaimed 1982 live record, The Eagle Has Landed, which quickly fought its way into the U.K. Top 5 album charts. For the next four decades, fans across the globe have continuously flooded the camp with requests to bring the metallic beast out of retirement.
The strategic decision to deploy a high-yield, logistically complex stage prop comes at a highly fascinating time for legacy rock artists. In an era where post-pandemic inflation, skyrocketing trucking fuel costs, and complex venue insurance premiums have forced many independent metal acts to strip down their live presentations to bare backdrops, Saxon’s decision to run a heavy mechanized show is a bold statement of financial and creative confidence.
By delivering a premium, visual-heavy experience, the band successfully maximizes real-world consumer intent, transforming a standard nostalgia concert tour into an unmissable theatrical event.
With their current studio lineup operating at absolute peak performance, this historical retrospective tour ensures that the NWOBHM flame continues to burn blindingly bright.
FAQ: Saxon’s “Gods Of Thunder” Tour & Mechanized Eagle
What is the Saxon stage Eagle made of? The iconic 30-foot mechanized stage prop was originally manufactured in the early 1980s by a Midlands-based company called LSD. It famously utilizes authentic, high-power commercial airport runway landing lights to create its signature blinding visual aesthetic on stage.
Why isn’t the Eagle appearing at the Cardiff tour date? Due to strict architectural restrictions, ceiling clearance limits, and rigging weight parameters inside the Great Hall venue in Cardiff, the 30-foot mechanized eagle cannot be safely deployed. The band will still perform their full musical setlist at this stop.
When do tickets go on sale for the Saxon 2027 tour? Official public ticket sales launch on Friday, June 26 at 9 a.m. local time. Fans can secure their entries directly through the band’s primary portal at this location.
TL;DR
The Grand Return: British heavy metal icons Saxon have formally announced part one of their “Gods Of Thunder” world tour, hitting the United Kingdom and Ireland in February.
The Metallic Beast: The band is officially bringing back their legendary, 30-foot mechanized stage Eagle, a historical prop built from airport runway landing lights that hasn’t toured at this scale in decades.
The Venue Exception: Due to layout and weight restrictions, the giant Eagle production will be fully operational at every single venue on the itinerary except for the Cardiff, Wales date.
Ticket Metrics: General public box office operations officially open on Friday, June 26 at 9 a.m. local time via the band’s direct web portal.
The classic heavy metal spectacle is back, and it’s flying at maximum altitude. As Saxon prepares to hoist their legendary runway-lit steel bird over arenas across the U.K. and Ireland, they are proving that true showmanship never goes out of style.
Are you grabbing tickets to see the “Castles & Eagles” production live, or do you think legacy bands should leave the giant 1980s props in the warehouse and focus strictly on the music? Fire off your favorite Saxon album tracks, concert memories, and thoughts in the comments section below!
Hellfest 2026, Clisson, France. Thursday. Breaking Benjamin take the stage in riffy fashion, showing that melody and attitude will get you pretty much everywhere.
Is this writer a BB fan? No. Is this impressive? Fuck yeah. It is riffy and emotional and, overall, a good show, even if all you get in terms of visuals is a backdrop on the LED screen and a bit of dry ice.
Breaking Benjamin – Hellfest 2026. Photo: Luke Vaughan/MetalTalk
The crowd that is here for them, standing at the front, loves it. The rest are pretty much unfazed. Still, a massive crowd. Hellfest, after all.
And then, the second part brings the sing-alongs. And Awaken sounds impeccable.
Also, could they not finish on Diary Of Jane? Of course, they could not.
Was it perfect for the time of day? Absolutely.
Breaking Benjamin – Hellfest 2026. Photo: Luke Vaughan/MetalTalk
Igorrr – A Truly Special Performance
Last year at Hellfest, a tradition was started. I did not start it, but I sure as hell did not stop it. Our guys started asking in the morning: “What’s Bogdan’s weird band of the day?”
I was surprised to hear that question today, but I can safely say that title would have to go to Igorrr, in the best possible way. I have been meaning to see Igorrr for ages, and I was extremely happy to see them on the lineup this year.
Igorr – Hellfest 2026. Photo: Bogdan/MetalTalk
Inevitably, one thinks about whether something that combines so many styles of music is even possible to perform well in a live setting. There is so much going on there, but it does work great live. The two voices, soprano and harsh, complement each other in the tastefully done light show. The atmosphere is just amazing, the audience reacting to something truly special.
Gautier Serre’s project is an eclectic combination of Metal, classical, opera, electronic and who knows what else. Blastbeats over opera? Check. A massive moshpit to go with that? You know it!
It is surreal, powerful, melodic and harsh, all at the same time. And it is impossible to not pay attention to.
With the monk-like giant figure they have on stage, the whole thing has almost ritualistic power to it. If rituals had kickass riffs, I mean.
Why this combination works together is probably beyond anyone’s guess. But it does.
Hellfest 2026. Photo: Luke Vaughan/MetalTalk
HELLFEST 2026
Prepare to be consumed by the relentless energy of the most influential bands in Heavy Metal as they ignite the Hellfest stages with blistering performances. The immersive atmosphere of Clisson will immerse you in a dark, captivating experience like no other.
With its unparalleled lineup and unwavering commitment to the spirit of metal, Hellfest 2026 promises an unforgettable journey into the depths of sonic mayhem. Read all the Heavy Metal News at MetalTalk.
Welcome to this weeks edition of Devil’s Island! Every week we maroon a band or artist on the island and see what they get up to, how they cope with being all alone on a small island in the middle of the ocean. It’s not your average desert island and we’ll see just how each person copes with the extreme conditions.
This week when we arrived at Devil’s Island we find NAME sat on the beach. The island is far from their home, so how did they end up here and how did they cope with life on Devil’s Island?
Find out now…
Welcome to The Razors’e Edge and our somewhat lovely, warm desert island. Don’t worry about it’s name I’m sure it’s not as bad as that would suggest.
You’re marooned here on this island, but before you ended up shipwrecked you chose one album that you couldn’t live without. Which album did you each chose and why?
PG: I’d be clinging to Powerslave – partly for the obvious nod to The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, but also because if you’re going to be cursed by the sea, you may as well have a soundtrack that understands the weight of it.
STEW: This question is pure evil. Every band says “we have a lot of influences,” but ours are scattered across decades, genres, and several mental breakdowns. So picking one album feels like choosing a favourite fracture.
But if I’m grabbing one as the ship goes down, something that reflects the dark, heavy DNA of what we do, it’s This Heathen Land. It’s got the riffs, the atmosphere, the occult swagger, the big melodic moments, the heaviness, the storytelling – basically everything we lean into as a band. If the rescue boat hears Mountain Throne echoing across the island, they’ll know exactly what they’re dealing with.
There’s also a bar on this here island. But alas each of you only get to choose one drink for the entirety of your stay. What’s your tipple of choice?
STEW: It has to be Maiden. No debate. The only problem is narrowing it down. I’d go old-school and pick Killers.
It’s got that perfect creepy early-’80s energy, and the artwork is iconic in a way that never really gets old, you could stare at it long enough to forget you’re stranded, which is probably the point.
PG: Leviathan — a record that doesn’t just reference the sea, it becomes it. Obsession, scale, and inevitability wrapped in riffs that feel like they’re circling something you shouldn’t name. And the artwork leans straight into the madness with the Moby Dick connection.
There’s also a bar on this here island. But alas each of you only get to choose one drink for the entirety of your stay. What’s your tipple of choice?
STEW: I’d love to say something noble like whisky under the stars, but realism kicks in fast on a desert island. So I’m going IPA – something hoppy, citrusy, vaguely convincing as hydration.
PG: Cheap lager – honest in its mediocrity, which becomes its own kind of reliability.
Your suitcases were lost when your ship sank, but you each managed to salvage one item of band merch. What’s the merch and for what band?
PG: I didn’t think in terms of “merch” once things went under, but a battered Maiden shirt made it through, already halfway destroyed before the ocean even got involved. Less an item of clothing now, more a reminder of a life before this place decided to exist.
STEW: Honestly, knowing us, it’s stickers, specifically Garrow Hill ones.
When the island sun starts cooking everything alive, we just go full survival mode: emergency application. One sticker per person, turning us into slightly sunburnt walking adverts for poor life choices.
You’re sat on the island thinking “I’m stuck here on this island with my bandmates for eternity”… who would you rather have been shipwrecked with?
STEW: Dave Murray.
Calm, quiet, unbothered, the exact opposite of panic energy. He seems like the kind of person who’d share supplies without turning it into a ceremony, laugh politely at everything, and generally just not make the situation worse. Which is ideal.
PG: I’d go leftfield and choose Maynard James Keenan.
Because he wouldn’t ask how to leave the island, he’d ask why we ever assumed we should. Slightly quieter insanity tends to pass the time better.
There’s a walkman in your pocket, on the tape inside is the recording of the one live show that stands out for you. It could be any show, from any band, anywhere in the world. What show is on that walkman?
PG: Has to be Monsters of Rock 1988. It wasn’t just a show or a festival, it feels like a moment stamped into time that everything since has been trying to catch up with.
STEW: It’s a split personality situation.
Non-metal answer: Alchemy by Dire Straits, because the whole band sounds like they’re mentally connected.
Metal answer: Live After Death.
Not perfect, not polished, but completely unstoppable. Maiden at full, ridiculous, world-conquering force. The kind of energy that makes you want to shout things at the ocean for no reason.
You’re getting desperate, you decide the only course of action is to put a message in a bottle and hope someone finds it. Your message could be to any member of any band, but should be the most suitable for a rescue attempt. Who is it?
STEW: At this point on Devil’s Island, we’re sunburnt, dehydrated, and questioning everything. So I’m sending it to Tobias Forge. If anyone can navigate a cursed island situation with theatrical precision and possibly arrive with an unnecessary level of ceremony, it’s him.
PG: Corey Taylor – because he’s the only one who would read “stranded on a cursed island” and not assume it’s a prank first. And realistically, he’s also the kind of person people would notice is missing and actually come looking for.
You’ve been stuck here a while and food supplies are running low. There’s only one thing for it… which fellow band member gets sacrificed to help the others survive?
STEW: Sorry, P.G… it’s you. Not personal. Just logistics catching up with optimism!
PG: This is where things get… practical. We’d like to say we drew straws. We didn’t!
Let’s just say whoever suggests “we’ll be fine” one more time is suddenly volunteering!
Finally, when the ship sank you each managed to save one person from the wreckage. That person is the one musician that has influenced your career the most, shaped your way of thinking and your outlook on life. Who did you save?
STEW: Sebastian Bach.Yeah, he can be chaotic, but his voice and absolute refusal to do anything at less than 110% left a mark early on. He helped shape that idea that vocals can be theatrical, aggressive, and melodic all at once. Along with Bruce Dickinson, he opened the door to that mindset.
PG: Not because he shaped my entire outlook, but purely as a musician and for the way he built his parts through the ‘80s, it has to be Nicko McBrain. One of the finest drummers to ever leave these shores!
L-R – Shawn Hillman (Fretless bass) | Miguel Marcheterre-Pina (Guitar) | André Dubien (Vocals) | Photo Credit – Jade Weeles & Miguel Marcheterre-Pina
Debut Album Theasterion Out July 2026
Montréal’s rising technical death‑metal force Volubilis announces the release of their second single, “Le Flamboiement Stellaire,” the follow‑up to their first single “Ashes & Embers” and the latest preview of their upcoming debut conceptual full‑lengthTheasterion, arriving July 10th, 2026.
Founded in 2020 by Afro‑Canadian multi‑instrumentalist and world‑builder Miguel Marcheterre‑Pina, Volubilis has evolved from a pandemic‑era bedroom project into one of Canada’s most promising new progressive and technical metal acts. Joined by André Dubien (vocals), Jacob Collins(drums), Alexis Rioux (guitar), and Shawn Hillman (fretless bass), the band has quickly gained recognition for its intricate musicianship, ambitious storytelling, and immersive sci‑fi universe.
“Le Flamboiement Stellaire” serves as the album’s opening chapter, both musically and narratively. Written with the intention of becoming a tech‑death anthem, the track explodes with prestissimo riffing, melodious solos, and relentless blast beats. It is also the only song on the album written in French, grounding the band’s conceptual universe in Québec’s metal identity.
“Le Flamboiement Stellaire was written to purposefully become a metal hit. With prestissimo, intricate riffs, melodious solos and blasting drums, the song is an homage to tech‑death’s best acts. We insisted on writing lyrics in French to make it a veritable testimony of Québec’s vernacular metal,”says Miguel Marcheterre‑Pina
Lyrically, the single introduces the prophecy at the heart ofTheasterion, the foretelling of a catastrophic supernova, the political fracture it creates within a human colony, and the mercenaries who flee to the hostile planet Theasterion in search of survival.
Listen to “Le Flamboiement Stellaire” at the following links:
Track Listing: 1. Le Flamboiement Stellaire (5:16) 2. Theasterion (6:30) 3. Homo Cumulus (5:48) 4. Ashes & Embers (4:50) 5. The Prism (4:01) 6. Unukhalai Supernova (6:24) Total Album Length: 33min
A sweeping sci‑fi epic told through six tracks,Theasterion blends technical death metal, progressive structures, neoclassical flourishes, and cinematic world‑building. The album explores humanity’s collapse, interplanetary survival, and the enigmatic Homo Cumulus, an anthropoid species native to Theasterion.
Musically, the record pushes Volubilis’ songwriting into more complex, immersive territory, with influences ranging from Beyond Creation, Vale of Pnath, and Obscura to Ne Obliviscaris and neoclassical composition.
Album pre-order/pre-save available at the following links:
Album Band Line-up: Miguel Marcheterre-Pina – Rhythm, lead and acoustic guitars, composition, concept art, lyrics. Shawn Hilman – Fretless Bass, Contrabass André Dubien – Vocals, lyrics on songs 03 & 06. Jacob Collins – Drums Alexis Rioux – Guest solos on songs 01, 02, and 03. Michelle Gao: Violin, viola on song 06
Live Band Line-up: Miguel Marcheterre-Pina – Guitar, backing vocals Shawn Hilman – Fretless Bass André Dubien – Vocals Jacob Collins – Drums Alexis Rioux – Guitar
Vindicta put out a clapback at their Dogma past, Motionless In White go gothic metalcore and Sleep “return” (of a sort) in this week’s best new metal song round-up
Vindicta put out a clapback at their Dogma past, Motionless In White go gothic metalcore and Sleep “return” (of a sort) in this week’s best new metal song round-up
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