Category: news

New York-based hardcore/metalcore representatives Merauder shared a couple of short video clips from the studio, apparently working on new material. We can expect more info soon. Stay tuned.
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Rise Against and Alkaline Trio have teamed up for a split single, which features each of the bands tackling an iconic song from the other’s catalogue.

With the two legendary Chicago punk bands currently preparing to embark on an extensive US tour together, the release comes as a celebration of their long-standing friendship.

Tackling tracks from each other’s catalogue,s it features Rise Against covering Alkaline Trio’s ‘Private Eye’, whilst Alkaline Trio deliver their rendition of Rise Against’s ‘Re-Education (Through Labor)’.

Take a listen to both of the tracks below.

Speaking on the full-circle nature of this project, Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba has shared:

“It’s so much fun and such an honor to be swapping cover tunes with a band we’ve known personally and loved since we both formed and came up from our shows at the Fireside Bowl in Chicago. To see Rise Against become the band they are today has been a blast to track and to be a small part of through the years. To reconnect with this band and these people once again the way are via tour and this release feels the way it did when we first started: it’s almost completely for the love of each other and each other’s band. It feels like a tradition we started decades ago that naturally comes back to us, we are grateful to say.”

And Rise Against’s Tim McIlrath has said:

“The connection between Alkaline Trio and Rise Against actually pre-dates both bands’ inceptions, so we’ve all been there for both the awkward first steps and the flashes of promise. We have an understanding and appreciation of each other’s bands that could only come from being from the same scene. To still be standing this many years later is a testament to the fertile Chicago musical soil we come from and are proud to represent. We had so much fun sinking our teeth into their legendary song ‘Private Eye’.”

Alkaline Trio and Rise Against will hit the road together throughout September and October for a run of shows across the US.

Take a look at the full list of dates below.

SEPTEMBER

22: DALLAS, TX South Side Ballroom
23: AUSTIN, TX Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park
25: CLEARWATER, FL The BayCare Sound
26: ST. AUGUSTINE, FL St. Augustine Amphitheatre
27: RALEIGH, NC Red Hat Amphitheater
30: NEW YORK, NY The Rooftop at Pier 17

OCTOBER

1: BOSTON, MA MGM Music Hall at Fenway
3: ASBURY PARK, NJ Stone Pony Summer Stage
4: PHILADELPHIA, PA The Fillmore
6: ST. LOUIS, MO The Factory
7: WAUKEE, IA Vibrant Music Hall
9: COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA Harrah’s Stir Cove
10: MILWAUKEE, WI The Rave / Eagles Club
12: MORRISON, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre
14: PHOENIX, AZ Arizona Financial Theatre
15: ALBUQUERQUE, NM Revel Entertainment Center
17: LAS VEGAS, NV Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort
18: SALT LAKE CITY, UT The Union Event Center
20: SEATTLE, WA WAMU Theater
22: SAN FRANCISCO, CA The Masonic
23: IRVINE, CA Great Park Live

The post Rise Against And Alkaline Trio Release Split Single Covering Each Other’s Songs appeared first on Rock Sound.

Marshall has announced the Made of Loud Tour, a new live music initiative combining touring, venue investment and community support to champion the independent venues and local scenes that keep live music alive. The 16-date UK tour will be headlined by Cancer Bats, with support from Knives and Ignite. It launches alongside Cancer Bats’ new album, Give Me Dirt, and coincides with the tenth anniversary of Marshall Records.

The initiative arrives as grassroots venues continue to face significant challenges. According to the Music Venue Trust Annual Report 2025, 30 grassroots music venues permanently closed during the year, while 175 UK towns and cities no longer receive regular touring shows by professional artists.

At the heart of Made of Loud is direct investment in independent venues. Marshall is working with venue owners to fund projects intended to deliver long-term benefits, including dressing-room and green-room refurbishments, backstage improvements, custom stage backdrops, venue branding and infrastructure upgrades.

The venues receiving support include The Joiners in Southampton, The Cavern in Exeter, The Fleece in Bristol and The Craufurd Arms in Milton Keynes. Each has identified a project tailored to its own needs and ambitions.

“Marshall have always been good to us, supporting events and supplying equipment that helps give new and upcoming bands the best possible start, whether it’s their first ever show or part of a wider tour,” Craufurd Arms owner Max Harvey said.

“That’s what grassroots venues are all about. Live music is the lifeblood of our community, and we’re passionate about nurturing the culture and the scene here in Milton Keynes. It’s great to see Marshall putting something back into independent venues through Made of Loud.”

“Grassroots venues are closing faster than they are opening,” Marshall Group CMO Nick Street said. “The Marshall Made of Loud Tour funds real improvements in the venues, upgrades that will still be there long after the tour ends.

“Marshall would not exist without independent venues and the musicians who play them. This is us listening to what they actually need and acting on it.”

The tour also reflects the values of Cancer Bats, whose two-decade career has been built within the independent music scene. The band will help spotlight the venues, promoters, staff, volunteers and fans who continue to shape grassroots music culture.

“We are so excited to kick off the first-ever Made of Loud Tour,” Cancer Bats’ Liam Cormier said. “We’re playing some of our all-time favourite cities across the UK in the best venues. These independent spaces are what keep the UK scene alive and kicking, and we’re so stoked to be hitting so many of our favourite spots.

“On top of all that, we are bringing an amazing bunch of bands with Ignite and Knives. This is going to be the best tour ever.”

“We would never be in the position we’re in without playing independent venues,” Knives said. “These are the places where we learnt how to be in a band, what type of music we wanted to make, and met so many people who have been integral to our journey.

“Moles in Bath had to close in 2023, and we were gutted, as it was one of the first venues we ever played. That’s why Made of Loud means a lot to us. It’s so good to see a company directly support our music scene, and it’s encouraging to know there are people in our corner who make us feel heard.”

A dedicated content series will explore the importance of independent venues, the challenges they face and the impact of Marshall’s support. Marshall will also revisit venues after the tour to examine the programme’s long-term impact.

The post Marshall Launches Made Of Loud UK Tour To Support Independent Venues first appeared on MetalTalk – Heavy Metal News, Reviews and Interviews.

Kelly Osbourne has opened up about the last time she spoke to her dad Ozzy Osbourne before he died.

Ozzy passed away on July 22, 2025, just 17 days after he played his last ever show at the Back To The Beginning gig at Villa Park in his hometown of Birningham.

In an emotional interview with on the We Need To Talk podcast, Kelly reveals that doctors had warned Ozzy not to play the Back To The Beginning Show

“They told him, ‘If you do this show you’ll die’, but he chose to do it anyway” she tells host Paul C Brunson. “Because it meant more to him than anything.”

Asked what her last conversation with her father was, Kelly says: “He sat me down, and this was about three days before he died, and he goes, ‘You can live the rest of your life knowing there was one man on this planet who truly loved you.’ I started to cry and said, ‘Please don’t talk like this.’ Cause he said, ‘You know I’m not going to be here forever.’”

She adds that the Back To The Beginning shows, which also featured Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Tool and several other rock and metal A-listers, came from Ozzy’s desire to say goodbye to his fans, and credits her mother, Sharon, with making it happen.

“My mom allowed him to die the happiest I’ve ever seen him,” says Kelly. “All he wanted before he left this planet was one last show. My mom worked he arse off to make that happen, and it was one of the most incredible moments in music in music history.

“There’ll never be anything like that again. It was all the people who got to be who they are because of him coming to pay tribute to him, and he got to say goodbye. And then he let go.”

Sharon Osbourne recently told Metal Hammer that a film of the Back To The Beginning show would be released this year, featuring appearances from all the bands who played, including Black Sabbath and Ozzy himself.

“It’s coming. It will be out this year,” Sharon says. “The most precious thing that people can give you is their time, and they all took time out of their summer to come and do this show. Everybody deserves to be seen and heard.”

She also confirmed to Metal Hammer that Ozzfest would return in 2027 – and that it would take place at Villa Park.

“It’s going to be at Villa Park again,” said Sharon. “Whether it’ll be two nights [in Birmingham], that’s up for the fans to tell me.”

At the time of going to press, no date or festival headliners had been announced. “Of course we’re speaking to people,” she told Metal Hammer. “I can’t let that out yet, but it’ll be soon.”

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Few artists are able to exude a charismatic presence on stage that radiates outward through the crowd. And fewer still are able to capture that palpable quality in a recording.

Keb’ Mo’ (Kevin Moore) is one of those extraordinary individuals who manages to do just that, with his new album, The Breakdown. It is a masterful work of acoustic art, matched by “miraculous” themes of hope, love, and redemption.

The album features 10 tracks of simple melodies with clear, rich vocals backed by minimal instrumentation. It presents deep soulful tunes and lyrics which are readily embraced by listeners who are open to the intimate, transcendent offerings.

Moore recently suffered a heart attack and a divorce. The album is a reflection on personal physical and spiritual well-being and recovery. “Every Step of The Way,” the second track, in particular, celebrates his new outlook on life, reflecting on his gratitude for his renewed life journey.

Currently on tour with Taj Mahal and Anne Harris, he is no stranger to collaborations and on this one, Moore is accompanied by The Soweto Gospel Choir for an uplifting reworking of his gospel tune, “Hand It Over.” And, along with a cappella master group Take 6, he reflects on the modern woman on “Don’t Make ‘Em Like They Used To.” These two tracks are the only ones featuring more than Moore and his acoustic guitar.

The first track, “Fussing and Fighting,” is an upbeat tune accompanied by National Steel guitar. Even though it describes conflict between men and women, it manages to carry the hope that people can still connect in a human, meaningful way at a time when division seems to be the prevailing trend.

“More Yesterdays” is a further exploration of his continued journey following his health scare. He vows to enjoy life more and stop wasting time on trivial matters. In it, he promises a constant reminder: ‘I tell myself: Lighten up, You might have more yesterdays than tomorrows.’

The fifth track, “We Make Love,” affirms that humans can create meaningful, intangible things like love, peace and compassion and not just material goods. Co-written with John Lewis Parker, they cleverly draw comparisons between the conditions and places where we can produce these ethereal, important qualities to those of manufactured goods.

Co-written by Jill Colucci, Rita Coolidge and Moore, “Walking On Water,” invokes the spiritual path of finding what’s important and recognizing the illusion that seeking ‘solid ground’ is the ultimate goal.

“Living In The Moment” is a beautiful tune backing the often forgotten tenet of focusing on the present, even if you’re ‘In love with some who loves someone else.’

In “Stitched Up Heart,” he recounts the “angelic” female surgeon who saved him and his pre-operative quip that he was falling in love with her.

The album closes with the promise of hope and the possibility that miracles can happen and may be closer than you think, in “One Day Away,” a song co-written with Colin Linden.

Listeners can take comfort while letting the powerful positivity of these lyrics wash over them. Destined to stimulate introspection, self-examination and pursuing important goals, this warm and dulcet collection can instil calm and a sensation of pure, peaceful joy.

The Review: 10/10

Can’t Miss Tracks

– Walking on Water
– Stitched Up Heart
– More Yesterdays
– One Day Away
– Hand It Over
– Fussing and Fighting

The Big Hit

– Fussing and Fighting

The post Keb’ Mo’: The Breakdown Review appeared first on Blues Rock Review.

Avantgarde black metal unit Urarv has unleashed “Dødheimsgard”, the first single from their upcoming full-length effort Nychta Psychis, which hits the streets on October 16th via Darkness Shall Rise Productions.
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On Monday night, Angine de Poitrine made their US television debut performing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy

Following a huge summer of live shows, VILLANELLE have shared a bouncy, garage rock single overflowing with raw energy.

Following the arrival of the band’s debut EP ‘Measly Means’ back in May, the new track is titled ‘Some Chew Lip’.

An injection of pure rock ‘n’ roll energy, it’s easy to imagine any crowd losing their minds as this blares through the speakers. Made to get your pace quickening and your feet moving, it’s a loud, sweaty slab of catharsis, the kind that VILLANELLE have already become experts at supplying.

Speaking on the track, frontman Gene Gallagher has shared:

“‘Some Chew Lip’ is about someone who you love who is a very unique character who is acting up like an idiot.” 

Have a listen below.

After a summer that included a run on the Vans Warped Tour and an appearance at All Points East, VILLANELLE will be rounding out 2026 with another North American run before returning home for their biggest UK headline shows to date.

Check out their full list of upcoming shows below.

SEPTEMBER

18: DALLAS Dos Equis Pavilion
19: ATLANTA Shaky Knees Festival
22: TULSA BOK Center
24: LOS ANGELES The Echo
28: CALIFORNIA Ohana Festival
28: ARIZONA Valley Bar

OCTOBER

1: DALLAS House of Blues
2: AUSTIN 3Ten
4: AUSTIN Austin City Limits Festival

NOVEMBER

17: GLASGOW King Tuts
19: MANCHESTER Gorilla
23: LONDON Scala

The post VILLANELLE Drop Bouncy Single ‘Some Chew Lip’ appeared first on Rock Sound.

Album Review: Big Country Redux – Eastworld

Reviewed by Gareth Pugh

I’ve always had a massive soft spot for Big Country and their 1983 debut, “The Crossing”, was one of the very first albums I ever bought and still gets a regular spin to this day. The year 2026 marks 25 years since we tragically lost the band’s founder, vocalist, guitarist, and main songwriter, Stuart Adamson. Coincidentally, it is also the 40th anniversary of their third album, The Seer. To celebrate Stuart’s fantastic musical legacy, the remaining members of Big Country (now performing as Big Country-Redux) are releasing a brand-new album “Eastworld”. Led by co-founder Bruce Watson, the record features reworked and reimagined versions of some of Stuart’s less well-known songs, including tracks he co-wrote with Bruce and former bassist Tony Butler.

The album features ten new recordings delivered with vigour and passion by the band’s current line-up, and alongside Bruce, the band includes his son Jamie Watson (guitar/vocals), Chris Stones (bass), and temporary members Tommie Paxton (vocals/guitar) and Reece Dobbin (drums), the last two borrowed for a year from the tribute band Restless Natives, Paxton faces the impossible task of emulating original frontman Stuart Adamsona and has succeeded admirably, especially on rousing tracks like “Kiss the Girl Goodbye” and “The Hostage Speaks,” which successfully revive the band’s signature E-bow, bagpipe-guitar sound.

While diehard fans will recognize these tracks, Bruce fleshes out more obscure cuts like “Normal” and the closer, “Pan-American Irish Girl,” and leans into a more jovial, late-career aesthetic. The band also takes bold risks with deeper cuts; “Winter Sky”, originally a stripped-back Celtic inspired B-side to “Just a Shadow”) is reimagined as a rootsy, Cajun-tinged track complete with accordion and violins. The title track—another “lost” B-side—benefits immensely from a full-band arrangement and a dark mid-section. However, the standout is the emotionally charged “Troubled Man.” featuring guest vocals from Belly and Lorna of Pistol Daisies, its melancholy arrangement and vocal contrasts give the song profound depth and feeling.

This album is a bittersweet listen, it’s enjoyable, but it feels more like a covers band with one original member than the real Big Country. Stuart Adamson was the heart and soul of Big Country—it was his dream, vision, drive, and immense talent that drove their success, and I am glad Bruce has added the “Redux” suffix to their name, as it perfectly reflects the band’s current state. I wish Bruce and company all the best, but this project feels like the final embers of a dying fire, likely to appeal only to die-hard fans and completists.

For all the latest news, reviews, interviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebook, twitter and instagram.

The post Album Review: Big Country Redux – Eastworld appeared first on The Razor's Edge.

[Album artwork by Tomáš Mitura]

What I love most about Sněť is that it dips its toes into but never fully commits to doom. That is, Sněť is not a death/doom band. Rather, Sněť is a riffy Czech death metal band that riffs and riffs some more for good measure. That Sněť flirts with doom is not manufactured so much as a natural byproduct of playing a heavy, walloping kind of death metal that mostly just wants to pulverize you, the listener. And that’s exactly what Sněť accomplishes on their sophomore effort, V bažinách vědomí.

V bažinách vědomí roughly translates to “in the pools of consciousness,” which is an objectively cool title. And if the album title wasn’t a strong enough hint, you should know that all ten of its tracks are in Czech, not English. That most can’t understand a word Rad Zdechlin is spewing—because it’s in Czech, and not because it’s being spewed—won’t stop them from appreciating the sense of dread it imbues. In fact, maybe it’s better most of us don’t know what Zdechlin is saying. The inherent mystery is part of the charm, and I appreciate that Sněť sticks to their linguistic guns. Great death metal speaks for itself. And Sněť’s V bažinách vědomí is great death metal.

Sněť’s follow up to Mokvání v okovech—its notably strong debut—is biting, serious, haunting, heavy, and, at times, hypnotic. It’s also pretty unrelenting. The fervent bounce of “Kladivo ve tme” is as obvious an example of this dynamic as any of the other nine songs. Brief. Intense. Thoughtfully executed. Sharp guitars. Riffs like needles. This is how death metal ought to be. Sněť understood and executed the mission.

The slower moments—like the one about a minute and a half into “Ve stinu slunce”—are the aforementioned doom flirtations, in the tradition of Autopsy, Asphyx, and Obituary. Lesser bands draw these slower passages out to no end. But not Sněť. These are, appropriately, moments of relative reprieve from the general assault of most of V bažinách vědomí.

One word I keep coming back to here is “serious.” Sněť plays serious death metal that is meant to be taken, listened to, and consumed seriously. And everything about V bažinách vědomí—the production, riffs, drumming, album and song titles, and atmosphere—is a product of this seriousness. That it sounds natural, and not clinical, is a serious credit to Sněť, who as a collective seem uniquely committed to seeing that vision through. Though I was somewhat familiar with Mokvání v okovech, this new one delivers a fiercer Sněť with a bigger appetite and tighter songwriting.

 

The post Snet – V Bazinach Vedomi Review appeared first on Last Rites.