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Now any home can be a motor city madhouse. Continue reading…

If you’re like me, and you love some slide guitar, commsummate musician and sideman Rick Vito has an offering for you. Vito, who was a member of Fleetwood Mac from 1987 until 1991, and who toured or sat in on recordings with the likes of Bonnie Raitt, John Mayall, John Fogerty, Bob Seger (Vito played […]

British duo Kulk is excited to announce the signing of a new deal with Church Road Records and concurrently released a brand new single, “Ache”. Check it out.
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Less than a year after announcing they were stepping back, Angra are done resting. The Brazilian progressive power metal institution has confirmed the end of their hiatus and unveiled The Holy Land Tour — a second-half 2026 run built around the 30th anniversary of Holy Land, their landmark 1996 sophomore album.

When the band went quiet in August 2025 following the conclusion of their Temple of Shadows 20th anniversary tour, guitarist and de facto bandleader Rafael Bittencourt had put the expected timeline at two to three years. It lasted less than one. The band framed the break as a “sabbatical period” rather than an indefinite pause from the start, and apparently, the reset didn’t take long.

Their return statement sets the tone for what this tour is meant to be: “Some stories do not end. They simply wait for the right moment to continue being told. After a period of silence, reflection, reunions, reorganization, and reconnection with our own roots, Angra announces the end of its hiatus and its return to the stage in the second half of the year to celebrate a fundamental chapter in our history: the album Holy Land.”

“When Holy Land was born, in 1996, the idea was bold: to tell the story of the birth of Brazil through music. To blend heavy metal, orchestration, and Brazilian rhythms to speak about the meeting of cultures, identity, and discovery — not only of a territory, but of who we are. Nearly three decades later, we realize that this story is still alive. In the songs. On the stages. And above all, in the people who have walked with us throughout all these years.”

“Revisiting Holy Land now is not simply about performing a classic album. It is about returning to Angra’s roots. It is about reconnecting with the creative force that brought us here. And it is about celebrating with the fans who turned this music into part of their own lives. The end of the hiatus also marks a new beginning. We return with the same adventurous spirit that has guided us since the beginning: to explore, create, and connect worlds through music. This tour will be more than a celebration. It will be a journey. A celebration of our origins. And a reunion with everyone who helped build this story.

“The journey continues. See you on the road.”

The first confirmed dates are in Brazil: Bangers Open Air on 04/26, a side show at Espaço Unimed on 04/29 celebrating the 25th anniversary of Rebirth, and a further date on 05/22. The Bangers Open Air show brings Bittencourt and Andreoli back together with Rebirth-era vocalist Edu Falaschi, guitarist Kiko Loureiro, and drummer Aquiles Priester — a reunion that alone will send a significant portion of the fanbase into orbit. A September date in France is also confirmed, with wider tour announcements expected to follow.

The broader Holy Land tour dates are still to be announced in full.

The post ANGRA Are Back, Announcing “Holy Land 30th Anniversary” Tour: “The End of the Hiatus Also Marks A New Beginning” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Posted on March 25th 2026, 12:35p.m.

You hear it all the time. That same phrase. ‘They don’t make music like that anymore.” Honestly, they do. Whatever it is, whatever you like, there is a band out there somewhere doing your thing, you just have to look for it. The Casualties are a hardcore punk band, and they have made a hardcore punk record. If that’s what you’re looking for you need to check out ‘Detonate’.

Take a look at the album cover. It depicts a white skull with a mohawk on a black background. It fits in with the finest punk tradition, bringing to mind imagery of bands like the Misfits and literally the band’s favoured clothing. Again, it is clear where this belongs and where you’d find it in a record shop. The music is presented in the style of bands like Biohazard or Agnostic Front and Sick Of It All – heck, it’s a new record from a band who have been releasing music since the early 90’s, it’s in the tradition of The Casualties. Not only are bands doing your thing, this band is literally still doing your thing. Importantly, they’re still doing it well.

Some people hate surprises. They will give you very specific instructions at their birthday. ‘Detonate’ is much like that; like a gift you’ve specifically requested. The songs are built around chord riffs that are raucous and punk. You know exactly what’s under the wrapper, but that’s okay, if it’s exactly what you want.

Back after eight years, the band has a mission. The record is very clear about what it is and what it’s doing. Guitarist Jake Kolatis puts it simply when he says: “We’re tired of this division” – that’s it. That’s the record’s raison d’être. It tries its absolute best to do just that.

Firstly, it uses music’s ability to bring people together. Secondly, it allows David Rodruigez to avoid the tired lyrics that can drag down this type of music. Put simply, if you’re playing generic hardcore, yelling a stock phrase does you no favours. There are already hundreds of other songs with that same sentiment, probably better ones too. Last year’s Biohazard album put an interesting twist on the idea of “F*ck The System” but that didn’t stop it feeling tired. This mostly sidesteps that pitfall and while it’s not going to win any literature prizes, it does have a theme and a solid approach that is damned effective.

While ‘Brick By Brick’ is actively political, the theme of togetherness unites songs like ‘Now and Then’ or ‘Few The True’, and is an active part of their choruses. It’s an undercurrent throughout the album, except comically, with the closing track ‘Wake Up, Kill, Repeat’, which doesn’t quite share this sentiment and arguably undermines the message.

That sense of community is enhanced by the carefully deployed ‘Woahs’ on songs like ‘The Empire Falls’ or ‘Now And Tomorrow’. Again, the trick – one that makes the record so strong –  is not over-using it. By spacing out the ones that do, it keeps things feeling fresh.

Subtlety is not one of the band’s calling cards and the whole record has the same momentum as a cavalry charge. There is one reason for this – the drums. The entire record is powered by Marc Eggers’ rapid pounding, a sound that crackles with energy. Songs like ‘Ashes Of War’ or ‘Streets Of Hatred’ also feature turbulent breakdown sections which give him the chance to thrash around, stirring things up even more. Helpfully, the mix leans toward a bassy sound rather than a snappy one. The thub-thub-thub of toms and bass drums sits low, leaving space for the other instruments to cut through at higher frequencies, making it feel slightly dangerous. It’s a great choice.

Maintaining a straightforward hardcore punk sound requires working from quite a limited toolbox. There are only so many tricks they can use. Wisely, they deploy each element sparingly. This means that you get a neat bit of shredding on ‘The Empire Falls’, a long expressive yell on ‘Detonate’, and a huge pick scrape across ‘People Over Power’ – and yes, when written down, these might appear to be a little hackneyed. But combined with strong song structures, they add a little spark each song needs.

The song ‘Eye For An Eye’ makes great use of repetition. It’s a fist-pumping song that’s designed as a sing-along. Using the same statement again and again functions as a kind of hook, and it lasts for just long enough to make its point without getting tired. Each instrument drops in and out to add variety, which is a neat, understated songwriting trick. Similarly, on ‘The Empire Falls’ and ‘Ashes Of War’, they use a marching sound to reinforce the lyrics’ military themes, another neat trick.

All the songs linger around two-and-a-half minutes in length, with only ‘Few The True’ creeping past the three-minute barrier, and for good reason. It’s a song that shifts the tone somewhat, taking its foot off the gas for just long enough to feel different. Sitting eighth in the track listing at just over halfway, it breaks the flow without throwing a broom through the spokes – another wise choice.

Other than the songwriting, the album’s greatest strength is the production. Put simply, it sounds great. It’s a simple approach, gutsy and unobtrusive. The guitars bite, the rhythm section rumbles and the vocals sit neatly on top. You can practically taste David Rodruigez’s snarling, slightly snotty voice as he rips through the songs which is – quite something.

The Casualties know exactly what they’re doing. The only way to make a mark on a well-trodden path is to wear heavy boots. ‘Detonate’ is a consistently great hardcore punk record. As its name suggests, it goes off.

IAN KENWORTHY

The decade where music hit its groove. Continue reading…

Before their new long player La Tourbe Des Rêves officially comes out this Friday through I, Voidhanger Records, French doomsters Dionysiaque are streaming the second and final single titled “Aaron”.
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Some bands need no introduction; somehow, Lion’s Share do. Hailing from Sundsvall, Sweden, guitarist Lars Chriss and keyboardist Kay Buckland formed the group in 1987 and, between 1995 and 2009, cranked out a smattering of respectable, high-octane heavy metal records before seemingly falling off a cliff. Lion’s Share were never condemned to obscurity,¹ but they never reached the level of acclaim their fans believe they deserved. Now, seventeen years after 2009’s Dark Hours, Lion’s Share attempt to swing back with Inferno, something Chriss claims as “the strongest, heaviest and most focused Lion’s Share record of our career.” There’s a lot working against Inferno: seventeen years between albums could either stoke the flames of ambition or see them snuffed out, and vocalist Nils Patrik Johansson most recently came off a plain bad solo record in War and Peace. But can Lion’s Share overcome these challenges and stumbles to claim the throne they deserve with Inferno?

Lion’s Share raise their Inferno through the ancient metal magiks of the early 80s. Ruled by the riff as first envisioned by the likes of Exciter, Diamond Head, and Dio, Inferno sneers at any notion that heavy/proto-thrash doesn’t deserve consideration this side of 2000. For the most part, Inferno’s throwback nature proves engaging. “The Lion’s Trial” evokes Dio’s “Holy Diver” with its dramatic synth intro and anthemic structure, while “We Will Rock” teeters the line of homage and plagiarism of Dio’s “We Rock,” borrowing heavily from its chorus riff and vocals. Inferno flirts with select 90s innovations, like Primal Fearesque power metal in “Live Forever” and “Another Desire” and brooding groove in “Pentagram” and “Baptized in Blood,” which catches similar waves as Bruce Dickinson’s The Chemical Wedding. The only break from the formula is closer “Run for Your Life,” which blends doom riffs with symphonic elements and full-on hair metal sleaze into a ridiculously fun package. Inferno sees a band that doesn’t just mimic the sounds of old but realizes them authentically.

Lion’s Share sound spry as ever on Inferno. Vim drives Inferno, bestowing it great volumes of speed (“We Will Rock”), brawn (“Pentagram”), dirt (“Another Desire”) and drama (“Run for Your Life”). Inferno’s biggest surprise is Johansson, who sounds simply robust, and his Dioisms feel more like a feature and less like a caricature than on War and Peace. I think because Lion’s Share is riff-centric, NPJ doesn’t have to carry the material himself and put too much pressure on his voice. When Inferno does call on him to take the lead, the results range from the strained hiccup of “Live Forever” to the chest-pounding victory of “The Lion’s Trial.” But the highlight of Inferno is Chriss’ soloing, which evokes the gnarly excess of Vivian Campbell and Eddie Van Halen in their shreddy melodicism. Lion’s Share may have been away from the studio for some time, but age doesn’t seem to have taken its toll on Inferno.

Lion’s Share don’t do much you’ve never heard before, but Inferno is just too fun not to feel like a total victory. There’s little bloat on Inferno, bar some over repetition on “Chain Child” and “Live Forever,” and the mix is clear and dynamic enough for what Lion’s Share do. The hooks are massive without being overbearing: I’ve been humming “Baptized in Blood” and “The Lion’s Share” all week, and “We Will Rock” escapes the knock-off label with a ridiculously catchy verse all of its own. Inferno’s lyrics are silly but delivered so convincingly it rarely comes off as corny but more tongue-in-cheek: when “We Are What We Are” calls for a heavy metal revolution, or NPJ describes himself as the “Anti-Social Warrior” on “Inferno,” I laugh with Lion’s Share. Overall, Inferno crackles and rages with simple heavy metal goodness.

Lion’s Share are so easy to root for, and Inferno proves why. Good songs, good performances, excellent solos, and an undying allegiance to their craft make Inferno a blast all around. With how good “Run for Your Life” turned out, however, it makes me wonder if Inferno could’ve ascended beyond mere enjoyability if Lion’s Share went in more adventurous directions in their songwriting. But there isn’t a whiff of pretension on this thing, and I get the sense that this is exactly the record these guys wanted to make. Lion’s Share are probably not going to take the world with Inferno, but if you like your metal loud, beefy, and dated circa 1981, it’s just the record you want to hear.

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Rating: Good
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mps
Label: Metalville Records
Websites: lionsshare.org | lionsshare.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/lionsshareband
Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2026

The post Lion’s Share – Inferno Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

New Idea Society has taken on differing shapes and forms over the years, but at its heart is the