Midsummer recently announced its return after four years with a new lineup and a heavier modern hard rock/metalcore sound. Fueled by personal struggle and creative rebirth, the band’s new era merges emotional storytelling with massive riffs, aggressive energy, and cinematic atmosphere. Its newest single, “Paralyzed” is an emotionally driven modern rock track about being stuck in […]
Roman Candle have shared a new song, focusing on the disillusion of the life handed to you by the music industry as members of a band.
Titled ‘Bite Harder Than You Bleed’, it showcases the band’s feelings on how quickly things change when you’re suddenly at the centre of attention within the music industry. Presenting via a dizzying blend of banshee howls and razor-sharp riffs, a perfect distance between hardcore battery and screamo vulnerability, it’s a caustic way to state your case.
It serves as a reminder to never let the world around you try to dilute what makes you who you are. And when music and art is concerned within that, it’s a case of not letting those who haven’t lived this be the ones to tell you if it is worthy enough or not.
Vocalist Piper Ferrari had this to say about the song, stating, “‘Bite Harder Than You Bleed’ came from this place of being completely jaded with the music industry—the pressure to act the same, think the same, and worship the same idols. It’s that ‘kill your idols’ moment where you realise even the people you look up to are just as hollow, anxious, and bruised as you are. Lines like “falsely shallow, hollow, refusing to follow” and “your idols hate you too” were me processing how disheartening it can feel, but also how freeing it is to acknowledge it. The song is basically my reminder that you have to bite harder than you bleed—push back, stay sharp, and refuse to let the world wear you down.”
The track is the band’s second of the year, following on from ‘Can We Watch Something Happy?’ which arrived last month.
Seattle-based indie rock band instant crush is excited to announce the release of the deluxe edition of their acclaimed debut album I’M SORRY I DIDN’T BITE MY TONGUE out March 13 on Share It Music (pre-order). The expanded release features six new tracks – three new studio recordings and three previously unreleased demos – together with the original album release tracklist. Today the band […]
Seattle-based indie rock band instant crush is excited to announce the release of the deluxe edition of their acclaimed debut album I’M SORRY I DIDN’T BITE MY TONGUE out March 13 on Share It Music (pre-order). The expanded release features six new tracks – three new studio recordings and three previously unreleased demos – together with the original album release tracklist. Today the band […]
THE MAGUS, the Luciferian project helmed by Necromantia co-founder and ex-Rotting Christ musician The Magus, was formed in 2022 following the dissolution of the legendary Greek Black Metal band Necromantia, after the death of Baron Blood in 2019. Daemonosophia is their second studio full-length, the follow-up to 2023’s Βυσσοδομώντας.
On Daemonosophia, he is once again joined by long-time collaborators El on guitars and Maelstrom on drums. This release is promised to deliver a more aggressive and dynamic sound than the previous album, while maintaining the devouring dark atmosphere the project’s music is known for.
The Magus explains that “the new album is a journey to Demonhood. The Truth lies Below not Above. The Six are Three. The Unholy Trinity. The Three are One. The Absolute. The Infernal pact.
“Musically, it is more edgy and vengeful, more aggressive and dynamic. Still theatrical and horrifying in nature, hellish and complex in performance. And as always there are these diabolically diverse moments that will surprise and will make you feel unease…but Lucifer has many names and many faces. In some parts, collaboration with top-level musicians and vocalists was deemed necessary to achieve maximum impact.”
THE MAGUS – Daemonosophia. “Musically, it is more edgy and vengeful, more aggressive and dynamic.”
After the brief but sinister mood-setting opener, Pater Noster, the attention-grabbing Pseudoprophetae bursts forth, initially as a blackened sensory assault with squealy thrashy leads. The vocals are scathingly acidic, and the overall vibe becomes blacker as it progresses. I love the ebb and build to this piece as it creates so much atmosphere. A superbly constructed, enthralling piece.
I love the engaging and atmospheric build to Daemonosophia. Firstly, you get deep, male chants building into clean female vocals, courtesy of guest vocalist Lambrini Gioti, that complement and contrast with The Magus’ acerbic, raw vocals, adding a duality to the piece. Coursing over straightforward riffing, this changes into something far more complex as the pace ramps up for the mid part of the track. Dropping back to the twin delivery in the latter stages of the piece, a more haunting and complex undercurrent is maintained.
The Six In Three Is All One is a haunting driver from the offset with a sharp, discordant edge to the riffing, which I really like. The Magus’ acidic vocals tear through, the pace paring back to a very dark, haunting mood as the main body of vocals becomes more dominant. But that discordant feel and sharpness are largely maintained throughout, with the pace rebuilding and ebbing to the close, making a great piece.
Next is The Era Of Lucifer Rising, which is a Luciferian interpretation of the Rotting Christ Thou Art Lord classic, heavily reinterpreted to reflect The Magus’ personal philosophy. I do love this piece. It is slow and smouldering, as well as hugely reflective yet powerful both musically and lyrically. This is a piece that I am sure will resonate with many people.
You could be forgiven for thinking Magia Obscura was going to be a reflective otherworldly piece as it opens. But half a minute in, it opens into a raw black assault on your senses as waves of crushing riffs surge towards you alongside acerbic vocals. But that reflective melodic element returns as a haunting undercurrent. I love the otherworldly spoken element midway, as it adds an air of mysticism, and the lead work is haunting and extensive, but cleverly understated so as to just build on the mystical atmosphere.
The Magus describes the next piece, Amelia, as his personal inner tribute to King Diamond and this aspect is reflected in the solos and keyboard work. Again beginning with a reflective opening, rapidly ramping up to a piece awash with sumptuous soaring leads and all the more impactful for the deep haunting repeat of “Amelia” alongside the acidic vocals. It is a superb listen.
Possibly my favourite track, The Chapel of Iniquities, is a piece that engulfs you entirely. It is eerily otherworldly to open, developing into ritualistic tribal drum rhythms that set your head spinning, expanding into an intense and all-encompassing wall of cold black riffing. This is made all the more engaging and dramatic by the extreme degree of the ebb and flow, which moves between the reflective and all the way to a crushing wall of black riffing.
The atmosphere builds in dense layers as an unearthly spoken element is delivered alongside the acidic raw vocals, with the haunting keyboards building further on the atmosphere. I like how the lead work has to battle with the riffs for its place within the track. This is four and a half minutes of intensely filled excellence.
Penultimate piece, The Pact, is more straightforward but in true Magus style harbours its own set of intricacies, and I love the almost cinematic swathe of lead work towards the close.
Final piece La Llorona Negra features guest vocals from Ioanna Zacharopoulou, and it is inspired by La Llorona, which The Magus saw performed by the legendary Amanda Galas over a decade ago. Her performance so blew him away that it kindled the desire within him to do his own interpretation eventually.
The result is excellent. Opening with piano and Ioanna’s vocals, the guitars and drum work do not arrive until midway. When they do, the intent is complex and crushing. I love the dramatic contrast between Ioanna’s haunting, clean delivery in the first half of the track and The Magus raw, caustic delivery in the second half. These two polar opposite aspects complement each other perfectly.
The Magus collaborated with Mexican artist Nestor Avalos, known for his work with numerous bands, including Exodus, Deicide and Rotting Christ, on the album cover art. This depicts “an Infernal Triptychon portraying six (yes) infernal entities: Lucifer/Samael in the centre, Leviathan/Tiamat to the left and Belial/Satan to the right. Each of them portrays its qualities, and all six lead to one.
“We were working for months together to achieve the perfect result in the finest detail. Nestor himself is involved in the occult arts, so he understood perfectly what we wanted, and indeed, he created a majestic painting of infernal wisdom and occult meanings, giving prominence to the Luciferian tradition and the music of the album.”
More simply put, the three/six entities represent wisdom, action and will.
Released on 20 February 2026 via The Circle Music, Daemonosophia is a powerful offering that speaks volumes and is available to pre-order in CD and vinyl formats, along with a limited luxurious box set and merch bundles. For more details, visit thecirclemusic.lnk.to/Daemonosophia.
When Kiki Wong joined the Smashing Pumpkins in 2024 as a replacement for Jeff Schroeder, it was a dream come true. Like the Pumpkins’ leader, Billy Corgan, Wong is a meathead at heart. But, like many of us, she also grew up loving ‘90s alternative rock… like the Pumpkins. This is to say that Wong, with her high skill level, endearing personality, and cooler-than-cool vibe, was a perfect fit for the machine that is the Smashing Pumpkins. And so it was to be, but as wild as it sounds, Wong has social media to thank. She admits that she never
Twenty One Pilots have officially added their track ‘Drag Path’ to streaming services and attached a cute but vital video to it.
The song was originally released as part of ‘Breach: Digital Remains’, an expanded version of their 2025 album ‘Breach’ that was available to purchase for one week only. Though thanks to the song’s virality, especially on TikTok after being used on over 75,000 videos, and with there being no official version of the song available, the band have decided to let it run free. But with a slight change.
The version of the song that can now be listened to is a different edit than what was on ‘Breach: Digital Remains’, meaning that those who purchased it last year still have their own special version of it. Though that doesn’t stop what we hear now from being any less affectingly beautiful. A delicate, building, devastating look at the lasting effects of grief, it’s a song that sits heavy on the heart, but one that reminds you that everybody has their own scars to bear and stories to tell.
And the video that accompanies it is unlike anything the band have put their name to previously. Directed by Tobias Gundorff, it is a beautiful stop-motion epic, one that, despite the clay being used to bring the cutesy creatures to life, is an incredibly human watch. Inspired by a video of his that Tyler Joseph had an affinity for over a decade ago, it is an expansive on an idea as well as a full-circle moment. It’s heartbreaking, curious and strangely beautiful, very much like life itself.
Death inspires me like a dog inspires a rabbit.
Check it all out below.
The band are due to bring their fantastical world to the big screen later this month. ‘Twenty One Pilots: More Than We Imagined’ will hit cinemas from February 26, and IMAX from February 25, for a limited time. Tickets will be available to secure from January 15 from right here.
You can check out our interview with the director, Mark Esleman, below:
Twenty One Pilots are also set to make their return to the UK for an exclusive show at All Points East on August 30. On top of their headline performance, they will also be joined by the likes of Wunderhorse, REN, BBNO$, PVRIS, Nova Twins, Dead Pony, Kid Kapachi, and LEAP. Tickets are available right now from right here.
Adoption for celebrities has a double effect. Sure, it is a personal decision, but at the same time, it is also a public example that can shape cultural awareness.
Musicians and other public figures have powerful platforms that influence how families are viewed.
When well-known artists speak openly about:
Adoption
Foster care
Caregiving
Family building takes many forms. Some artists pursue formal legal adoption through agencies or international programs.
Others open their homes to children in need through foster care or long-term caregiving.
There are many stories about celebrities who’ve decided to adopt children in the US.
Today, we will focus only on the best-known ones. Details include who they adopted, how it happened, and how adoption shaped their households.
1. Lionel Richie
Adoption became a defining moment in Lionel Richie’s personal life, reshaping his understanding of fatherhood and long-term responsibility
Lionel Richie is a legendary singer-songwriter and producer known for songs such as Hello and All Night Long.
His career spans decades, with major influence in pop and R&B music, shaping radio, touring, and songwriting standards across generations.
Family life became part of his public story when he and his first wife, Brenda Harvey, welcomed Nicole Camille Richie, born Nicole Escovedo, into their home at a very young age.
Nicole’s biological parents were friends of Lionel and were facing financial hardship at the time.
Richie decided to provide stability, structure, and long-term care.
Legal adoption was finalized when Nicole was nine years old, making her officially part of the Richie family.
Nicole Richie later became a television personality and fashion designer, building her own public identity. Household later expanded with two biological children:
Miles Brockman Richie
Sofia Alexandra Richie
Richie has spoken openly about fatherhood and personal growth. He once said that Nicole taught him how to fall in love, describing her arrival as a defining shift in his emotional life and priorities.
2. Madonna
Madonna is a global pop icon often referred to as the Queen of Pop.
Her career includes decades of chart-topping music, reinvention, and cultural influence across music, film, and fashion.
Motherhood became an important part of her life as her family grew through both birth and adoption.
She adopted four children from Malawi over time. Adoption timeline includes:
David Banda, adopted in 2006
Mercy James, adopted in 2009
Twins Estere and Stella, adopted in 2017
Madonna also has two biological children:
Lourdes Leon
Rocco Ritchie
Connection to Malawi developed into long-term philanthropic work.
She founded Raising Malawi, an organization focused on supporting children and strengthening local communities.
Efforts have included funding educational initiatives and improving access to essential services.
Madonna has spoken about both the rewards and the challenges involved in international adoption, especially raising children across cultures and continents while maintaining a demanding global career.
3. Sheryl Crow
Choosing adoption as a single parent, Sheryl Crow redefined family life by prioritizing stability, privacy, and intentional parenting
Sheryl Crow is a Grammy-winning American singer-songwriter known for hits like All I Wanna Do and If It Makes You Happy.
Her music career brought widespread recognition and commercial success across multiple decades.
Motherhood entered her life through adoption as a single parent. She made a clear and intentional decision to build her family in that way.
While some single parents pursue assisted reproductive treatments such as IVF with egg donation, Crow chose adoption as her path to motherhood.
Her adoptions include:
Wyatt Steven Crow, adopted in 2007
Levi James Crow, adopted in 2010
Process required commitment and patience.
Crow has spoken about home studies, background checks, interviews, and long waiting periods that are part of domestic adoption.
Life shifted significantly after her sons arrived. She relocated:
Moved her primary residence from Los Angeles to Nashville
Chose a quieter setting to raise her children with greater privacy
Crow has described adoption as a life-changing experience that reshaped her priorities. Career remained important, yet motherhood became central to her daily focus and long-term plans.
Sia is an Australian pop singer and songwriter known for major hits such as Chandelier and Cheap Thrills. Distinctive vocals and creative performances brought her global recognition.
In 2019, she adopted two boys who were both 18 years old at the time. Choice to adopt older teens aging out of foster care drew attention because many families focus on infants or young children.
Sia has spoken publicly about structure and consistency in parenting.
She stresses the importance of clear expectations, emotional availability, and long-term commitment rather than temporary help.
Her parenting philosophy centers on stability and accountability while giving her children room to grow.
5. Steven Curtis Chapman
Steven Curtis Chapman is a contemporary Christian music singer-songwriter and five-time Grammy winner.
Themes of faith and family frequently appear in his songwriting.
Chapman and his wife, Mary Beth, adopted three daughters from China. Their daughters are:
Shaohannah Hope Yan
Stevey Joy Ru
Maria Sue Chunxi
Tragedy struck in 2008 when Maria Sue Chunxi died in an accident. The family chose to speak openly about grief, faith, and healing while continuing their advocacy work.
Chapman and Mary Beth also have three biological children, creating a large household shaped by both birth and adoption. Adoption became central to their identity as parents and public figures.
Advocacy efforts expanded through creative and nonprofit work.
His public platform has encouraged many families to consider adoption and to invest in orphan care efforts.
6. Thomas Rhett
International adoption broadened Thomas Rhett’s view of family, reinforcing values of service, patience, and global awareness
Thomas Rhett is a popular country music artist known for numerous chart-topping songs and energetic performances.
Family life became widely discussed after he and his wife, Lauren Akins, adopted Willa Gray from Uganda in 2017. Lauren first met Willa during a trip to Uganda and felt an immediate connection.
The couple decided to move forward with adoption after believing she was meant to be part of their family.
International adoption required multiple steps, including:
Legal approvals in Uganda
Coordination with United States authorities
Travel and court appearances before finalization
Family later grew to include four daughters. Children in their household are:
Willa Gray, adopted
Ada James
Lennon Love
Lillie Carolina
Adoption influenced their charitable involvement and public advocacy.
Rhett and Akins often discuss how parenthood shifted their priorities toward service, generosity, and global child welfare awareness.
7. Tina Turner
Long-term caregiving within marriage showed that parental bonds can form through responsibility and presence, not only legal adoption
Tina Turner was an iconic singer and performer widely known as the Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll.
Powerful vocals and commanding stage presence defined generations of music fans.
During her marriage to Ike Turner, she helped raise two of his sons, Michael Turner and Ike Turner Jr. Although no formal agency process defined the arrangement, she accepted the role of mother within their household.
Her connection to Michael and Ike Jr. extended over many years. Even after separating from Ike Turner, the sense of responsibility toward family remained significant in her life.
Her experience demonstrates that adoption can also take shape through marriage and sustained caregiving rather than paperwork alone.
Rita Marley is a Jamaican singer and a member of the I Threes.
She is also the widow of Bob Marley and an influential cultural figure in her own right.
Commitment to children expanded dramatically through her work in Ethiopia.
She adopted 35 children and helped care for hundreds more through schools and community programs across Africa.
Not every relationship involved formal legal adoption, yet her role as a parental figure has been widely recognized.
Her long-term dedication created an extended family network built on care, mentorship, and sustained support for children who needed stability and opportunity.
The Bottom Line
Musicians listed above demonstrate that adoption can take many forms. Some pursued formal legal processes through domestic or international programs.
Others stepped into caregiving roles that shaped children’s lives for years.
Public visibility allows these artists to normalize adoption and encourage support for foster care and orphan care initiatives.
Family is defined by love, responsibility, and commitment rather than biology alone.
Occupying a musical space somewhere between 80’s Hardcore and 00’s indie rock, Manchester DIY punks, Bruise Control, have been spitting bile at the state of the world as they see it for some time now, attracting the attention of bands such as Amyl and the Sniffers, Press Club and Civic, as well as finding themselves on festival stage at 2000 Trees, Beard Theory and Rebellion and, of course, the TNS Records annual spring celebration: Manchester Punk Festival.
The band’s new record is another self-titled release, following on from the four-track EP of 2019, 2026’s edition is six-tunes in which Bruise Control tackle ideas of apathy, anger and the daily struggle to survive in an unforgiving world seemingly devoid of any hope.
Clocking in at around fifteen-minutes, or so, the EP wastes no time in laying out the issue at hand. Be Like You comes in with a fat bass and jangly guitars, revealing a punk attitude with its raw and aggressive stance. In fact, those vibes colour the whole of the experience, as it feels as though the Bruise Control lads rocked up to the studio, plugged in and this is what happened. Left Behind has an even more stripped back sound as it mourns the loss of communities torn apart by ‘progress’ – whatever that means – and does so in a defiant and confrontational rage, combining an indie feel with a modern punk sound.
Yet for all their ire and angst, both tunes aren’t without a danceability at their cores. It’s as if the resultant demolition of communities can only be countered by the indomitable nature of the human spirt, finding joy among the tragedy.
If You’re Not Mine is the most musically aggressive tune on display, with the combination of blistering drums and spat vocals, it offers no respite from the society collapsing around us; Gone to Ground is built on the foundations of an edgy riff and a scream-a-long chorus, as we all become King Lear, raging against elemental forces far beyond our control.
The raw and unpolished production is a perfect blend of style and substance, allowing the music to grow in momentum and immediacy, reminding all who hear of the urgency of the situation.
Spinner’s Mill is the closest to the Indie sound of Bruise Control, though it isn’t without a ferocious intention but it’s the closing, and longest, track on the EP that really stand out for me.
Jumping Ship is the lowest tempo tune on offer, but it certainly isn’t the runt of the litter; rather its simmering resentment can be heard in every note, submerged just below the surface of the tune. There are even some Oi!-like tendencies audible, and the earworm riff in the final third means Bruise Control 2026 draws to a close while leaving itself lodged firmly in the mind.
Previously a trio, this EP is the first-time vocalist, Jim Taylor has committed himself to tape in the Bruise Control cause, and the energy sparking from the quartet on these half-a-dozen tunes suggests a long and successful future for Bruise Control.
Only problem will come if suddenly everything gets better and there’s nothing to be angry about; but I can’t see that happening anytime soon, can you?
