If there’s anyone in metal who thinks their story is worthy of a memoir, it’s Dave Mustaine. And rightfully so — the dude was at the center of the thrash metal scene when it was blowing up in the early 80s. He was a member of Metallica (not sure if you knew that) that ended up getting kicked out, leading to him creating Megadeth. That’s kind of a big deal and I’m sure it will play at least some part in his forthcoming memoir, In My Darkest Hour.
Set for release on September 8 through Da Capo, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, the book was written by Mustaine with Joe Layden. Da Capo Executive Editor Ben Schafer said the book was a raw and real look into Mustaine’s lived experience.
“In My Darkest Hour is Dave Mustaine at his most revealing, vulnerable, and true. With lacerating honesty and soulful reflection, he speaks to the universal human experience of facing serious illness and how it changes a person, their family and friends, and one’s relationship with creativity. Da Capo is proud to publish Dave Mustaine’s most unblinking memoir to date, one that isn’t only for Megadeth fans.”
A lot of the memoir’s focus, it seems, will be on Mustaine’s 2019 diagnosis of a squamous cell carcinoma at the back of his tongue. That threatened his ability to talk, let alone be the vocalist for an iconic thrash metal band. Having already stared down the barrel of losing his musical ability in the early 2000s with a freak arm injury, he once again fought to get his musical abilities back.
“One of most harrowing experiences of my adult life has been my seven-year journey through cancer treatment and onward into remission. This story is considerably more than just go to the doctor, get diagnosed, get treatment and hopefully I live happily ever after. This was a journey of me saving myself, staying alive, keeping my family together, and continuing to make music through it all.”
If all of that sounds intriguing to you, you can preorder your copy of In My Darkest Hour: A Memoir today.
Canadian band Goreworm blends elements of technical, melodic, and brutal death metal and somehow make it work. It might take a few listens to get the hang of their sound but it pays off in the end – it’s some solid, challenging, and fascinating music. Two of their songs are currently streaming on the channel and there’s […]
NEW GUS G. SINGLE “NOTHING CAN BREAK ME” FEATURING DORO PESCH STREAMING NOW;
“STEEL BURNER” ALBUM AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER
Internationally acclaimed guitarist / composer and FIREWIND mastermind Gus G. will release his fifth solo album, ‘Steel Burner’, on April 24, 2026. The album marks his first solo release in five years and captures a powerful fusion of modern instrumental Metal and carefully curated vocal collaborations.
While we wait for that, another track off the album will now be released for streaming and as a video – “Nothing Can Break Me”, featuring none other than the Metal Queen herself, DORO PESCH!
“It was awesome to work with Gus. We’re friends for a long time. He’s such an amazing guitar player. We always planned to do something together, and now it finally happened. I’m totally excited about the song.”
– Doro
“Doro is an icon, the Metal Queen. Everybody knows that. Having the opportunity to collaborate with her on a track is something I wished would happen for a long time.
“Nothing Can Break Me” is a powerful Metal anthem about perseverance. I’m really proud of this one.”
– Gus G.
Following an extended period of post-pandemic touring, ‘Steel Burner’ represents a renewed creative focus on Gus G.’s solo vision. The album showcases his signature guitar style – combining technical precision, melody, and intensity – while expanding its emotional and thematic range through collaborations with some of the Metal scene’s most legendary and respected voices.
The album’s title track, “Steel Burner,” was the catalyst for the entire project. Originally commissioned for a company that manufactures industrial machines used to shape metal, Gus G. drew inspiration from a machine fittingly named Steel Burner. The track’s energy became the foundation for the album’s concept and ultimately its title.
While instrumental tracks highlight Gus G.’s evolution as a composer and guitarist, ‘Steel Burner’ also features several standout vocal songs. Doro Pesch appears on new single “Nothing Can Break Me,” a powerful metal anthem focused on inner strength, perseverance, and resilience.
“No One Has to Know,” featuring Dino Jelusick, delivers a modern hard rock approach while addressing the artificial lives and personas often portrayed through social media.
Matt Barlow (Iced Earth, Ashes of Ares) brings his unmistakable intensity to “Dancing With Death,” an epic metal track with a contemporary twist that explores the darker theme of addiction.
Additional collaborations include Ronnie Romero (Rainbow), whose work with Gus G. originated from their recent joint world tour and resulted in two tracks on the album, further shaping its collaborative direction.
Reflecting on the upcoming release, Gus G. comments:
“This is my first solo album release in 5 years. As I’ve been pretty busy in the post-pandemic world with heavy touring, I always had the idea to put out another solo album at some point. This time around, I felt I wanted the best of both worlds – being able to explore guitar instrumental music, but also collaborate with singers I love and am a fan of.”
‘Steel Burner’ was mixed and mastered by acclaimed producer Dennis Ward (Helloween, Pink Cream 69), delivering a clear, powerful, and contemporary sound that complements both the album’s instrumental complexity and vocal performances.
With his 5th solo album, Gus G. delivers a confident and forward-looking statement – an album that honours Metal’s roots while embracing modern themes, production, and collaboration.
TRACKLIST ALBUM:
01. Steel Burner
02. Nothing Can Break Me (Featuring Doro)
03. Dancing With Death (Featuring Matt Barlow)
04. Advent
05. What If
06. Frenemy (Featuring Ronnie Romero)
07. No One Has To Know (Featuring Dino Jelusick)
08. Confession
09. My Premonition (Featuring Ronnie Romero)
10. Closure
LINE-UP ‘STEEL BURNER’:
GUS G.: All guitars, bass, keyboards, drums
DORO PESCH: Vocals on track 2
MATT BARLOW: Vocals on track 3
RONNIE ROMERO: Vocals on tracks 6 and 8
DINO JELUSICK: Vocals on track 7
ANDREA ARCANGELI: Bass on tracks 6 and 8
DENNIS WARD: Bass on track 2
Previously the tracks “My Premonition”, “Advent” and title-track “Steel Burner” have all been released as digital singles.
The full album will be available for streaming from all major platforms on April 24th 2026.
‘Steel Burner’ on physical formats will be available as a tri-fold digipak CD and on high quality gatefold-sleeve vinyl LP (several colour options available) from Metal Department on April 24th 2026. Pre-orders are live from various retailers now.
London’s Modern Woman are releasing their new album Johnny’s Dreamworld at the beginning of May. They’ve already shared “Neptune Girl” and “Dashboard Mary.” Today, they’ve dropped the third single “Daniel” with a video by Joel Kerr. The prior singles have an anthemic push to them, where as “Daniel” is a more subdued. It’s a quiet…
Stalwart 70s hard rock meets 80s metal maestro and wizard of the 6-string, Axel Rudi Pell, has proven a pillar of consistency in the 37 years since breaking away from German AOR band Steeler to forge his own destiny by his own name.
Some might argue that his unyielding loyalty to the same style that typified the likes of Dio, Deep Purple and Rainbow during the early to mid-1980s has put him into a creative box, but a more apt analogy would be an expansive yet highly familiar orthodoxy that comes with the liturgy of a medieval cathedral that was born from a bygone age and endured into the present.
Granted, the concept of orthodoxy might seem counterintuitive for a musical genre that originally signified rebellion against the established order, but what is any kingdom if not an order born out of a revolution that seeks to build better structures upon the ruins of the old? Then again, Pell’s career is less one of creative destruction and more one of crafting highly similar palaces of sound upon a predetermined canvas, of which 2026’s Ghost Town is his latest.
For the newly arriving catechumen, the highly stylized approach by which Axel draws heavily from the established lore of Tony Iommi, Ritchie Blackmore, and, to a lesser extent, the early work of famed Swedish Neoclassical virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen during his 1983 stint with Alcatrazz.
A misty backdrop of atmospheric synthesizers, mostly consisting of choirs and strings, but also the occasional Hammond organ courtesy of keyboardist Ferdy Doernberg and a tastefully driving rock groove produced by longtime kit veteran Bobby Rondinelli and bassist Volker Krawczak round out the instrumental arrangement surrounding Pell’s guitar driven creations, culminating in a sound that functions as a mystical union between the AOR sound of 1985 and the heavier 2nd wave power metal sound of the late 1990s. Sitting atop this sonic nod to the dark side of high fantasy is the gritty yet highly tuneful growl of Johnny Gioeli, which carries an uncanny resemblance to Ronnie James Dio’s genre-defining voice meshed with a slightly lighter attack that occasionally channels Scorpions helmsman Klaus Meine.
As with any new auditory grimoire unleashed by this outfit, differentiation occurs at an extremely subtle level given Pell’s highly consistent formula, but this same approach of sticking to what is expected also accentuates a few noteworthy surprises. The obligatory instrumental prelude “The Regicide” hints at a few upcoming changes at the periphery by utilizing a less static chord progression beneath a bluesy clean guitar line that comes off as less mysterious and more gallant in character.
What ensues soon after are the first entries of an album that tones down the epic exploits of prior album, Risen Symbol, and also the prolific balladry of earlier entries for a streamlined collection of up-tempo bangers. The mercilessly catchy and driving foray of “Guillotine Walk” lays down the melodic lead guitar lines and boisterous chorus fanfare like it’s going out of style, presenting yet another brilliant bridge between Axel’s 80s AOR beginnings and the 90s power metal revival. Subsequent anthems like the heavier crunch of title entry “Ghost Town”, the cruising anthem with a surprisingly busy bass display courtesy of Volker “Holy Water”, and the steady stride of “Steps Of Stone” tread the same stylistic path with slight variations but the same dose of immersive magic.
Naturally, Axel is not one to dwell on one template for an entire album, and as he breaks away from the dominant formula of swift yet simple bangers, the awaiting twists in the tale begin to manifest. The most auspicious shift occurs via the mid-paced rock anthem “Breaking Seals”, which lands squarely into what can be best described as this band’s take on Accept’s mid-80s niche, topped off with a nasty guest duet between Gioeli and none other than Udo Dirkschneider himself, matching Dio-like pizzazz with AC/DC-like shrieks that sound quite witchy side by side.
Volker takes a break from playing the role of Ian Hill yet again for another distinctive bass performance on the early 80s Black Sabbath-inspired slow march of “Sanity”, and the high speed fury that was the order of the day during this band’s mid to late 90s power metal phase makes an explosive return via “Hurricane”, showcasing that even at 70 Rondinelli can make a mighty racket.
The epic balladry with a Middle Eastern edge makes an appearance via the moderately scaled “The Enemy Within”, and then takes a longer and wider dynamic character on the closing hurrah “Higher Call”, all the while Pell’s master craftsmanship as guitarist and composer remains at the fore.
Insofar as this longstanding heavy metal institution is concerned, change is something that is best taken in extremely small doses amid a near-endless sea of familiar tropes, and Ghost Town stands at the center of an expansive discography where the valleys are few and the peaks differ only slightly in height. Those whom have boarded this train at any point between the mid-90s and the mid-2010s know exactly what to expect, and though the former group might notice a lack of asides into Neoclassical instrumental fair or funky 70s rock interludes compared to the days when Jeff Scott Soto was at the microphone and Jorg Michael of Running Wild and Stratovarius fame was behind the drum kit, the overall flow of magical odes adorned with otherworldly lyrics remain constant.
There are many castles bearing the name of Axel Rudi Pell towering high in various lands, and this one trades in the elaborate flying buttresses and Gothic flourishes for a Romanesque juggernaut of fist-pumping rockers beneath a blood red, overcast sky at twilight’s hour.
Release Date: March 20th, 2026 Record Label: Steamhammer Genre: Heavy Metal
SOULBURN turn loose the melodic crusher and opening track ‘The Braveheart of Nightmares‘ taken from their forthcoming new full-length “Quantifying Cosmic Doom” as the first advance single in the shape of a music video. The fifth album of the Dutch metal extremists has been slated for release on June 12, 2026. Pre-sale link: https://spkr.store/collections/soulburn SOULBURN comment: “The single edit of ‘The Braveheart of Nightmares’ retains the unique, dark, and journey-like feel […]
Swedish heavy metal force TUNGSTEN have unveiled the official music video for their powerful new single “The North Will Rise,” featuring a guest appearance from Tony Kakko of SONATA ARCTICA. Blending epic melodies, thunderous rhythms and soaring vocals, the track showcases the band’s signature mix of classic heavy metal spirit and modern precision.
Driven by an anthemic atmosphere and cinematic intensity, “The North Will Rise” stands as a perfect display of TUNGSTEN’s trademarks: powerful songwriting, massive hooks and a larger-than-life energy that feels tailor-made for festival stages. This track is a toast to the north, an electrifying hymn that captures the icy beauty and resilience of those lands. With Tony Kakko’s contagious melodies and Mike Andersson’s raw power, “The North Will Rise” is destined to be a loud, unifying call for all who love the north!
TUNGSTEN lead singer Mike Andersson says; “It’s such an honor to have Tony onboard on this song. He did a tremendous job. I think our voices fits perfectly together which makes “The North Will Rise” extra special. Lyrically it’s kind of a hymn to our part of the world in the north. We hope the metal community and the fans of Sonata Arctica and of course Tungsten will like this song and crank it LOUD!”
Tony Kakko adds; “Catchy like the cold in January on a viking ship crossing a nordic, half frozen sea! Truly a song to unite the people and friends of the North! Very proud and happy to join my friends in Tungsten singing together with Mike on this amazing new track. The melodies are just contagious……Consider yourself warned!”
A relentless barrage of technical precision and sheer brutality that leaves no room to breathe “Cryptopsy far from simply perform — they dominate, overwhelm, and annihilate.” — Rockflesh More than three decades into their career, Montreal’s CRYPTOPSY continue to assert their dominance as one of extreme metal’s most formidable live acts. Following a period of renewed creative intensity […]
