Same old question: should we like bands like Unifaun that explicitly revive classic prog bands’ style? Well, the answer is simple to me: yes, if they know how to write good songs and to play them. This is the case with Swedish duo Unifaun, whose only album to date include some very good and very Genesis oriented songs. This Swedish duo includes singer and multi-instrumentalist Nad Sylvan of Steve Hackett live band fame and keyboardist Christian Thordin, AKA Bonamici.
Above: the dark original 2008 cover art. Below: the Genesis-oriented 2023 reissue painting.
Their self-titled album features many musical solutions related to the ex Charterhouse pupils, but with a distinctive nordic and slightly folk taste I appreciate. The track I choose here is a prog ballad full of dreamy passages and based on really good melodies. The overall effect is mostly similar to Genesis’ “Selling England by The Pound” era. Is this a good reason to despise such a song? I don’t think so, but let me know your opinions.
Good Day Noir Family,
A slow, cinematic haze introduces “Elixir”, and the track settles into a space that feels mysterious, nostalgic, and slightly unsettling.
Elixir is Scirii’s Single Out Now
Instead of rushing toward a hook, Scirii allows the mood to unfold patiently. The listener is invited into an intimate yet distant world, like a memory recalled through fog.
There is something gently spooky in the melody, especially when her voice enters, floating with the calm confidence of a siren calling from the dark.
In the verses, Scirii’s vocal performance becomes the emotional anchor of the song. Not because of sheer power, but because of restraint and intention. Her phrasing and emotional delivery bring to mind Lana Del Rey, not in tone but in approach. However, Scirii moves in a darker and more gothic direction, shaping her own identity rather than echoing a reference point.
Layered backing vocals emerge and expand the atmosphere. These harmonies feel ancient and ritualistic, almost suspended outside of time. The track gains depth without losing its intimacy. The chorus does not explode in a traditional sense. It opens gently, pulling the listener deeper into the emotional core of the song.
Production-wise, “Elixir” shows a clear artistic vision. While the arrangement stays minimal, every element feels intentional. Additionally, subtle electronic textures and reverberant details support the vocal line rather than competing with it. The result is a song that breathes, allowing silence and space to carry as much weight as sound.
“Elixir” leaves a lingering sensation rather than a clear resolution. Still, that lingering quality feels intentional. In fact, it strengthens the song’s emotional impact. Scirii proves she understands how to guide emotion through subtle choices instead of obvious gestures. This single marks her as an artist with a strong sense of identity and a willingness to explore darker emotional territories with elegance and control.
Elixir is Scirii‘s Single Out Now!
Enchanting!
Elixir is Scirii’s Single Out Now
Scirii is a London-based alt-pop artist creating cinematic, psychologically charged music where obsession, vulnerability, and power coexist. Blending dark pop and dream-pop textures, her songs feel like intimate scenes rather than simple narratives, pulling listeners into heightened emotional states.
Influenced by haunting alternative pop and surreal lyricism, Scirii explores love as devotion, danger, and transformation. With a background in Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience and Grade 8 vocal training, she writes, produces, and records her music independently from her bedroom studio, crafting immersive worlds for late-night listeners drawn to emotional intensity.
Good Day Noir Family,
Listening to Maybe I’m Wrong for the first time feels like entering a conversation that is already emotionally charged, yet still searching for answers.
Maybe I’m Wrong is Jeremy Engel’s Single Out Now
Jeremy Engel opens the track with a clean, expressive guitar pattern that sets a reflective tone.
However, the calm never feels static. Instead, the arrangement hints that something deeper is about to surface.
Soon after, the drums step in with purpose, adding momentum without overpowering the intimacy of the opening. At that point, Engel’s voice takes center stage, and it becomes clear that interpretation is his greatest strength. He doesn’t simply sing the lyrics; rather, he inhabits them. As a result, the listener is drawn directly into the emotional heart of the song. The vocal delivery is raw, yet controlled and deeply personal.
There are moments where his tone recalls Billy Corgan, especially in the way vulnerability and tension coexist. At the same time, the melodic sensitivity brings to mind the introspective elegance often associated with Ké, although Engel maintains a clear identity of his own. These echoes never feel derivative. Instead, they act as familiar signposts within a very personal landscape.
As the song develops, subtle string arrangements emerge, lifting the chorus and giving it a wider emotional frame. The track grows without losing its sense of restraint. The strings add weight, yet they never tip the balance toward excess. Meanwhile, the rhythm section continues to support the narrative rather than dominate it. Because of this careful balance, the song remains grounded even as it reaches for something bigger.
Moreover, the structure of Maybe I’m Wrong mirrors its lyrical uncertainty. The verses feel introspective and searching, while the chorus opens up with a sense of release that still carries doubt. Instead of offering resolution, the song embraces ambiguity. As a result, it feels honest and relatable rather than polished for easy answers.
This single stands out as an alternative rock ballad built on emotional clarity rather than volume. Jeremy Engel proves that intensity does not require noise, only conviction. For listeners drawn to reflective songwriting with a strong melodic backbone.
Maybe I’m Wrongis Jeremy Engel’s Single Out Now!
Introspective!
Maybe I’m Wrong is Jeremy Engel’s Single Out Now
Luxembourgish singer-songwriter Jeremy Engel weaves his journeys through Ireland, New York and beyond into cinematic folk-rock. Recognized by Rolling Stone Magazine, his songs merge authenticity and emotional power. He continues to grow his audience through live performances.
Today, following the success of their recent single “Dead,” Atreyu return with “Ego Death,” a bruising but cathartic new track that digs into the idea of shedding who you were to become who you’re meant to be. Built on crushing riffs, a surging groove, and a massive, melodic hook, the song balances the band’s heaviest instincts with […]
(EN) Every month, Still in Rock publishes a playlist with the best of Monday’s Delusions articles. Here is the one for January 2026. // (FR) Chaque mois, Still in Rock sort une playlist avec le meilleur des articles Delusions publiés chaque lundi matin. Voici celle de janvier 2026.
Birmingham metalcore architects ERRA have officially unveiled their next full-length album, "silence outlives the earth", set for release on March 6 via UNFD. The announcement arrives alongside "further eden," a fresh track that dives into lighter roots than their previous music.
The 11-track album—which includes previously released singles "gore of being" and "echo sonata"—explores themes of existence and the human condition with the philosophical depth fans have come to expect from the progressive metalcore quintet.
"'further eden' was a song that Clint started and we built upon in the studio," Cash explained. "The pentatonic leaning roots the song into a lighter energy than we typically employ, and the song feels like a fresh form of expression from the band. We were specific about wanting the music video and accompanying visuals to reflect that lightness."
ERRA will also launch a six-week co-headlining North American tour with Currents on the album's release date, kicking off March 6 in Baltimore. The run has already generated serious buzz, with Chicago's House of Blues date completely sold out and low ticket warnings posted for Baltimore, Raleigh, Cleveland, Buffalo, New York, Denver, Anaheim, and Seattle stops.
Fans can stream "further eden" now, and pre-order/pre-save "silence outlives the earth" at https://erra.lnk.to/silence. With tour dates spanning from Baltimore to San Antonio and a sound that continues to evolve while maintaining the band's core intensity, ERRA's spring 2026 stands to be one of their most ambitious chapters yet.
ERRA Upcoming Tour Dates 2026
3/6 – Baltimore, MD @ Nevermore (LOW TICKETS)
3/7 – Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz (LOW TICKETS)
3/8 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
3/10 – Tampa, FL @ Ritz Ybor
3/12 – Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl
3/13 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues (LOW TICKETS)
3/14 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore
3/15 – Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom (LOW TICKETS)
3/17 – Toronto, ON @ History
3/18 – Montreal, QC @ Mtelus
3/20 – Worcester, MA @ Palladium
3/21 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza (LOW TICKETS)
3/22 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Roxian Theatre
3/24 – Cincinnati, OH @ Bogarts
3/25 – Grand Rapids, MI @ The Intersection
3/27 – Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall
3/28 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues (SOLD OUT)
3/31 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
4/1 – Minneapolis, MN @ Uptown Theater
4/3 – Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theater
4/4 – Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall (LOW TICKETS)
GRAMMY® Award–nominated metal icons SEVENDUST return with their powerful new single “Is This The Real You.” The track showcases the unmistakable sound that has propelled the band to the top of rock radio throughout their career. The band announced their first taste of the new year, a week after the announcement of their upcoming 15th studio album, ONE.
SEVENDUST once again delivers a driving, emotionally charged anthem that blends aggression, melody, and authenticity. “Is This The Real You” is available now on all digital streaming platforms. ,
SEVENDUST guitarist John Connolly explains.“It was as honest, natural, and pure as any song can be. If you really want to know what Sevendust sounds like in 2026, ‘Is This The Real You?’ gives you a good idea,”
The accompanying music video, directed by Paul Ribera, further highlights SEVENDUST’s ability to captivate through striking visuals. The animated clip follows a sharply dressed character who possesses the power to compel people into actions they wouldn’t normally take. As the story unfolds, each character is confronted with a hidden side of themselves, mirroring Witherspoon’s haunting chorus question: “Is this the real you?” The video transitions panel by panel with dramatic zooms, building toward a dark, devilish finale.
About SEVENDUST:
Comprised of Lajon Witherspoon (vocals), Clint Lowery (guitar), John Connolly (guitar), Vince Hornsby (bass), and Morgan Rose (drums), SEVENDUST has made countless fans feel a part of something special. For over three decades, the group’s community hasn’t been passive. Members of the “7D Army” make a strong commitment to being part of this family, as evidenced by sold-out shows worldwide and innumerable tattoos of the band’s logo and lyrics. Since 1994, the iconic Atlanta quintet have quietly built a legacy, encompassing sales of nearly eight million albums, a GRAMMY® Award nomination for “Best Metal Performance,” three Top 15 entries on the Billboard 200, hundreds of millions of streams, and the fierce loyalty of millions of listeners in every corner of the globe. Along the way, they’ve shone as an outlier equally comfortable on tracks with members of Deftones, Creed, and Periphery to Xzibit and Daughtry.
The music video for “Is This The Real You” can be seen HERE:
ONE proves why SEVENDUST remain a vital force nearly three decades into their career. From the driving opening riff of the title track “One” to the dreamy, atmospheric vocal outro of “Misdirection,” the album takes listeners on an emotional journey that only SEVENDUST can deliver. Tracks such as “Unbreakable” and “We Won” stand confidently alongside the band’s most iconic material.
ONE arrives May 1st via Napalm Records, and the album is available for pre-order now.
One Unbreakable Is This The Real You Threshold We Won Construct Bright Side The Drop Blood Price Misdirection
Renowned as one of the most powerful live bands in modern metal, SEVENDUST are preparing to hit the road in support of One. Their U.S. headline tour kicks off on April 16 in Carterville, IL, and runs through May 20, concluding in Knoxville, TN. Atreyu, Fire From The Gods, and American Adrenaline will join as support. The band will also open for ALTER BRIDGE at two special U.S. dates: April 26 in Atlanta, GA, and May 21 in Nashville, TN. Additionally, SEVENDUST will appear at major festivals including Welcome To Rockville and Sonic Temple.
ALTER BRIDGE European What Lies Within Tour 2026: 30.01.26 AT – Vienna / Gasometer 31.01.26 HR – Zagreb / Bocarski Dom 02.02.26 IT – Rome / Atlantico 03.02.26 IT – Bergamo / ChorusLive Arena 05.02.26 CH – Zurich / The Hall 06.02.26 FR – Lyon / Halle Tony Garnier 08.02.26 ES – Barcelona / Razzmatazz 1 10.02.26 PT – Lisbon / Sagres Campo Pequeno 12.02.26 ES – Madrid / Palacio Vistalegre 13.02.26 FR – Bordeaux / Arkea Arena 15.02.26 LU – Luxembourg / Rockhal 17.02.26 DE – Oberhausen / Turbinenhalle 18.02.26 FR – Paris / Zenith 20.02.26 DE – Munich / Zenith 22.02.26 NL – Amsterdam / Ziggo Dome 23.02.26 BE – Brussels / Ancienne Belgique 25.02.26 UK – Newcastle / Utilita Arena 26.02.26 UK – Manchester / AO Arena 28.02.26 IE – Dublin / 3Arena 02.03.26 UK – Glasgow / OVO Hydro 04.03.26 UK – London / The O2 05.03.26 UK – Nottingham / Motorpoint Arena
SEVENDUST 2026 US Tour Dates
16.04.26 US – Carterville, IL / Walker’s Bluff Casino Resort 17.04.26 US – Riverside, IA / Riverside Casino & Golf Resort 18.04.26 US – Larchwood, IA / Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort 20.04.26 US – Indianapolis, IN / Egyptian Room at Old National Centre 21.04.26 US – Lexington, KY / Manchester Music Hall 22.04.26 US – Birmingham, AL / Iron City 24.04.26 US – Mobile, AL / Soul Kitchen Music Hall 25.04.26 US – Destin, FL / Club LA 26.04.26 US – Atlanta, GA / Coca-Cola Roxy* 28.04.26 US – Dallas, TX / House of Blues 29.04.26 US – Oklahoma City, OK / Diamond Ballroom 01.05.26 US – Denver, CO / Summit 02.05.26 US – Albuquerque, NM / Sunshine Theater 04.05.26 US – Wichita, KS / The Cotillion 05.05.26 US – Springfield, MO / The Regency Live 06.05.26 US – Fayetteville, AR / Ozark Music Hall 08.05.26 US – Daytona Beach, FL / Welcome To Rockville 09.05.26 US – North Myrtle Beach, SC / House of Blues 11.05.26 US – Norfolk, VA / The NorVa 12.05.26 US – Harrisburg, PA / XL Live 14.05.26 US – McKees Rocks, PA / Roxian Theatre 15.05.26 US – Columbus, OH / Sonic Temple 16.05.26 US – Baltimore, MD / Nevermore Hall 17.05.26 US – Sayreville, NJ / Starland Ballroom 19.05.26 US – Charlotte, NC / The Fillmore 20.05.26 US – Knoxville, TN / The Mill & Mine 21.05.26 US – Nashville, TN / The Pinnacle* * Opening for ALTER BRIDGE
“Transcend Into Oblivion” Full-Length To See Release February 27th On Metal Blade Records
Photo by Brian Sheehan
Watch / stream NECROFIER’s “Fires Of The Apocalypse, Light My Path III” HERE
“Fires Of The Apocalypse, Light My Path III” is the latest single from Houston, Texas-based black metal alchemists NECROFIER. The track comes by way of the band’s smoldering new full-length, Transcend Into Oblivion, set for release February 27th on Metal Blade Records.
Since 2018, NECROFIER has applied a spicy Texan intensity to the icy atmospheres of mid-’90s Norway and Transcend Into Oblivion deploys their modus operandi with more power, conviction, and ingenuity than ever before. Here NECROFIER crafts a modern classic of the form, where tempestuous squalls of extremity are punctuated by sinister, melancholic, otherworldly melodies, twinkling in the gloom like will-o’-the-wisps on a black night.
Of course, the USA has had a black metal scene since the early ’90s, developing in its own obscure, eccentric directions. But NECROFIER are among a gathering spearhead of US bands taking the genre’s ancient Scandinavian roots and replanting them on a wide American prairie. “Black metal in America has always been different than in Europe,” vocalist/guitarist Bakka asserts, “but I think there’s been a siren song in the US for this style of black metal to be created here. Something in the zeitgeist has pulled it forward, and bands like Uada, Hulder, Lamp of Murmuur, Blackbraid, and Cloak have all been really carrying the torch. Some of the reason is that America is starving when it comes to it; we rarely see European black metal tours. I think it created something where we and the others had to walk the left-hand path so we can have this in America.”
As is evinced by Transcend Into Oblivion‘s song titles, themes and lyrics are conceptually linked with the number three playing an especially significant role on this, their third LP, a three-act structure comprising three three-part suites, separated by three instrumentals. Notes Bakka, “Transcend Into Oblivion is based on a Luciferian Dark Night Of The Soul. ‘Fires Of The Apocalypse, Light My Path’ is the awakening. The first three songs are experiences and dreams that were happening as this change began, and I questioned everything I was doing. It starts feeling as though a new fire has been lit, but it grows dark as we venture into the second act, ‘Servants Of Darkness, Guide My Way.’ This is the struggle and torment that comes along with the awakening. Realizing things from the past are no longer true and you see the world in a different way, and it isn’t easy. This leads into Act III, ‘Horns Of Destruction, Lift My Blade.’ This is the rebirth or accession. You have been transformed; you are not who you were before. You see the world differently and you take what is yours.”
Of today’s single, “Fires Of The Apocalypse, Light My Path III,” Bakka further elaborates, “As you question everything you know to be true, life starts to become difficult. You start to realize that your new path is not without consequences and you will have to make changes because you already started the journey and there’s no going back.”
Watch NECROFIER‘s video for “Fires Of The Apocalypse, Light My Path III” HERE.
Watch NECROFIER‘s previously released video for “Servants Of Darkness, Guide My Way I” HERE.
Transcend Into Oblivion was recorded at Southwing Studios and House Of Thorns in Houston, Texas, produced and engineered by Joel Hamilton with assistant engineering by Chris Kritikos, and mixed by Joel Hamilton at Studio G in Brooklyn, New York. The record features artwork by José Gabriel Alegría Sabogal (Whoredom Rife, Mephorash, Exhumation, Beheaded) and will be released on CD and digital formats as well as 2xLP w/ etching on Side D + four-page insert and DLC in the following color variants:
Cosmic Storm (Clear Brown Black Marbled) – (US)
180g black – (EU)
Enchantment (Cloudy Clear/Red Marbled) – (EU – Ltd. 500)
Transcend (Gold W/ Black Splatter) – (EU – Ltd. 300)
Cursed (Black Powder Splatter) – (EU – Ltd. 200; Band Exclusive)
Transcend Into Oblivion Track Listing:
01. Fires of the Apocalypse, Light My Path I
02. Fires of the Apocalypse, Light My Path II
03. Fires of the Apocalypse, Light My Path III
04. Behold, the Birth of Ascension
05. Servants of Darkness, Guide My Way I
06. Servants of Darkness, Guide My Way II
07. Servants of Darkness, Guide My Way III
08. Mystical Creation of Enlightenment
09. Horns of Destruction, Lift My Blade I
10. Horns of Destruction, Lift My Blade II
11. Horns of Destruction, Lift My Blade III
12. Toward the Necrofier
NECROFIER will play a special one off show with Acid Bath, Obituary, and High On Fire in March as well as San Luis Metal Festival and Maryland Deathfest in May. Stay tuned for additional live dates, including a full European tour, to be announced in the weeks to come.
NECROFIER Live:
3/28/2026 White Oak Music Hall Lawn – Houston, TX w/ Acid Bath, Obituary, High On Fire
5/16/2026 San Luis Metal Festival – San Luis Potosí, MX
5/22/2026 Maryland Deathfest – Baltimore, MD
As punk rock has evolved over the last thirty years, its influence has bled far beyond music. Punk rock’s DIY, community-driven spirit has found its way into academic, arts, sports, and countless other corners of life. Punk rock has always been about connection. While shows have been the traditional way of bringing people together, Mike Felumlee (Smoking Popes) and his wife, Stephanie Wysocki have found a different way to build a scene by forming the Punk Rock Pinball Association.
Their goal is to help grow competitive pinball by making it fun for beginner and mid-level players, not just pros, while also helping members build new friendships. As you’ll read below, Mike and Stephanie are looking to expand the Punk Rock Pinball Association into new communities. If you’re interested in starting up a group in your own scene, stick around until the end of the interview for links and details on how to become a Scene Rep.
Dying Scene (Forrest Gaddis): Thank you very much for this interview. I had actually seen the Facebook group first. I’m not even in the area. I thought it was a group where people go and talk about pinball. I actually just joined a league myself out this way.
Mike Felumlee: Oh, cool.
My wife and I are a few weeks into it. I always wanted to try it, but scheduling wise it didn’t work out. Now that my littles aren’t little anymore, my wife and I can go and do this like once a week.
Stephanie Wysocki: Well, I’m glad to hear that you’re doing a league. How’s the league going?
It’s been good so far. I’m doing okay. It’s been years since I’ve played this much pinball. If I’m at an arcade, I always jump on a machine. I just haven’t played this much consistent pinball in years.
Stephanie Wysocki: That’s super cool. You’re the exact type of person who Mike and I started the podcast and Facebook group. As people’s kids get older and leave the house, and you’re kind of in this new stage of life, pinball is a really great thing to do with your partner or by yourself. If you’re just looking to meet new friends, we’ve found that pinball people are just a really welcoming bunch. You also tap into like-minded people and even people who aren’t like-minded. It’s a really cool way to engage with humans again. I feel like there’s a lack of that these days.
Mike and I moved down to Central Illinois, and we tried really hard to find our people or just some friends. It’s hard as adults, and we tried all kinds of weird things. When the Jaws pinball machine came out a couple of years ago, it’s my favorite movie. We’d been saying for years, “If there’s ever a Jaws pinball, we’re getting it.” So we did. It just basically opened up this whole new world of friendly, competitive pinball that we didn’t know existed. In the best way possible, it kind of changed our lives.
Mike Felumlee: Yeah, it’s kind of become our lives because we just started our Punk Rock Pinball HQ, which is like a club here in Bloomington. We have like twelve or thirteen of ours over there.
Stephanie Wysocki: We kind of started this collective, basically. It’s a bunch of our pinball friends. We’ve all contributed games to this space, and it’s our club/training facility. We all want to go to state next year. We host tournaments and leagues, and it’s kind of like a member, what do you call it?
Mike Felumlee: It’s like a private club where you have to be a member to enter. We have a monthly tournament where you can pay for a one-day membership to play. We’ve got a weekly league that’s all members. Six of us have keys. We have a Discord where we’ll post, “Hey, we’re going to be there tonight from like five to seven.” Then other people will show up and play together. So yeah, that’s been really fun. We started that at the end of November.
How did you get into pinball?
Stephanie Wysocki: Growing up, going to arcades or hanging out in small rock venues, there were always pinball machines around. And who doesn’t love pinball? The nostalgia of it was super strong for us. So, like I said, when Jaws came out, we got it. We also discovered that there was a bar here in Bloomington that had a handful of pinball machines and they were doing weekly tournaments.
I was really intimidated to go play a pinball tournament. Like, who am I to do this? I’m not a professional and don’t really practice. Mike and I went with low expectations, and we met some really awesome people. We started going every week and every month. Then we started going to other towns around here and joining other tournaments that were happening, and just really got bit hard by the pinball bug.
It’s that feeling of playing a game and knowing that you can do better. You just want to hit start again, but we weren’t good when we started. It wasn’t a huge group of people playing, maybe around ten, twelve people. We were at the bottom a lot. Mike is super competitive. I didn’t know that I had such a competitive spirit in myself as well, but I do.
We just kept going back for more. The cool thing about pinball, anywhere you meet friends, is no one’s going to let you win. So when you do beat somebody, it feels really good. You accomplished it because you fought hard and hit all the right shots.
My wife has social anxiety. The first week in the league, we were in the same group. Then later, she realized we wouldn’t be in the same group the next time. She did okay by herself. I was proud that she was able to come out of her shell a bit and play with other people.
Stephanie Wysocki: That’s very cool. I feel like 98% of the people you come in contact with playing pinball are super friendly. They will help you out. They’ll tell you what you’re trying to do. To know what you have to do is one thing, but to execute it is a totally different thing.
Mike Felumlee: I think pinball tournaments or leagues are really good for people with social anxiety because it gives you something to talk about. I have some social anxiety meeting new people. If you’re just out to dinner, what the hell do you talk about? If you’re in a pinball league, you can say, “Oh, what am I trying to do on this game?”
Now you’re talking about what you’re trying to do in the game. It’s a pretty easy way to interact with people, even if you’re introverted or have anxieties. It gives you common ground with this person you don’t know. We’re both trying to figure out what shots we’re trying to make in this game to score points.
As I’ve been playing more, I’ve found games that I’m better at than others. I prefer this machine over that machine. Rather than saying, “Oh, look, it’s Batman or The Simpsons,” I now play machines even if I’m not completely into the theme at all.
Stephanie Wysocki: Oh my gosh, totally. Like the themes. I’m not a fan of the Foo Fighters, but that game is super fun. It’s a really, really fun game to play.
I’m the same with Metallica, not a fan. I played it the other day in a league and I ended up winning that game. Out of all the machines.
Mike Felumlee: We’re not Led Zeppelin fans. I’m starting to like them more because we have the pinball machine and we really like that one. Before we became crazy about pinball, I wouldn’t have considered a Led Zeppelin pinball machine in my house. Then we played it at a handful of places and got a really good deal on it. So, like, yeah, we like Led Zeppelin now, I guess.
Was there a specific moment that led you guys to create the Punk Rock Pinball Association, or was it just something that naturally evolved?
Mike Felumlee: I started the group because I had visions in my head. I was inspired by Punk Rock Bowling. Decades ago, when I was briefly in Alkaline Trio, I got to participate in the Punk Rock Bowling tournament. I was in their band and on that team. I thought it was really super fun and cool. So I thought, “What if we did a punk rock pinball thing?”
I just started the group, and then we started doing the Punk Rock Pinball podcast, which is on our YouTube channel. I still want to do a big Punk Rock Pinball tournament that involves a lot of people in bands. It’s all people in bands and on record labels. You had Fat Wreck Chords there, and Epitaph, and a NOFX team, I think. That was my initial vision: let’s have a big thing where there’s a rock show and a pinball tournament with bands. I also wanted to have a leaderboard because of the ongoing leaderboard for the tournaments here. I’m like, why don’t we just do this where anybody in the country can sign up through our website, and they can host Punk Rock Pinball tournaments as well?
Hopefully, somebody in your area will start doing it. You can earn your punk rock pinball points and you can show up on our leaderboard. It’s just a fun way to see the history of how you’ve performed. Right now, it’s just a national leaderboard, but we’re going to break that down before too long, where we’ll have leaderboards for different areas. If you look at the IFPA, the International Flipper Pinball Association, the big sanctioning body of competitive pinball, they have statewide leaderboards and they have state championships in every state. I thought it would be cooler in a more punk way to do that more by scenes versus like a state.
You know how in punk rock, Chicago was Chicago, but we had our northwest suburb scene, and there was a western suburb scene. It kind of makes it a little bit more local. In the future, there’ll probably be a Southern California punk rock pinball scene. You can see where you rank in Southern California and you don’t have to worry about anybody else in the state. If there’s multiple scenes, like if big stuff starts happening in San Diego, maybe you’ll have a San Diego scene and an Orange County scene.
I want to break it down pretty granular, like that. So all these little scenes can have their own kind of championships and stuff like that. Eventually, do like a national championship where we do have a couple of big punk bands and a hundred-plus players, hopefully. That’s like the ultimate pie-in-the-sky vision.
Do you have any bands that participate in tournaments out your way?
Stephanie Wysocki: In April, we’ve got a thing.
Mike Felumlee: We have the band Off With Their Heads coming down to play a show here in Bloomington. Ryan does all of our merch. He prints all the punk rock pinball merchandise. We’re going to have a tournament at our HQ where people can pay to get into the tournament, which gives them a ticket to the show. Then they also get to play pinball against Off With Their Heads in a tournament. Toys That Kill is also playing that show.
That’s a good lineup.
Mike Felumlee: We’ve recently hooked Deanna from Sincere Engineer. She’s now like an avid pinball player. We had her come down to be on the podcast, and she did a little music session on our YouTube. On the podcast, she’s like, “I don’t like pinball that much. I don’t get it.” Then we had her play some games at the house and we showed her some games. It was midway through our second game on Cactus Canyon when she’s like, “I get it.”
Stephanie Wysocki: She’s so cute because now I don’t know, let’s say September, maybe she went to Europe and toured a little bit. She was posting pictures in the Facebook group of her playing pinball in different places in Europe. They’re on tour right now. I think they’re in Florida. They’re stopping everywhere and playing pinball, which is so cool. The vision is like we want to bring more people into pinball, and having those bands is certainly a cool way of helping us do that.
Mike Felumlee: Yeah, their singer, Jon, just came out last weekend. We had a big monthly tournament. He came and stayed at our house and played. We had a double header. So, I’m guessing the first Punk Rock Pinball National Championship will probably have to include performances by Sincere Engineer, the Dopamines, and Off With Their Heads, for sure. I haven’t really gotten going with tournaments where it’s like all people in bands playing in a tournament. I could, but we haven’t had the penetration I want amongst people in bands.
I’ve started figuring out how to get more involvement there because I know there’s guys in the Jeff Rosenstock band that play. There’s guys in the band Pup that play a lot. I just don’t know those guys. So, somehow we’ve got to get some of those bands involved to make it more of a band thing about it. Most people playing Punk Rock Pinball Association tournaments are just regular pinball players. I would very much like to have a band-only division. We’re probably going to need a little help on the PR side of that to get more recruitment.
Stephanie Wysockyi: Mike has been working really hard on our website along with a fellow from the Kansas City pinball scene named Nick Greenup. Nick has been kind of the brains behind bringing a lot of these leaderboards and stuff to life based on Mike’s vision. They’ve collaborated on it. But if you go to punkrockpinball.com, there is a page in there about the association. It has all the information on how to become a scene rep or a tournament director. It’s all right there.
How do you determine what’s an approved venue?
Mike Felumlee: If you go on the website, we do have guidelines if you’re hosting a Punk Rock Pinball Association event. It has to be open and inclusive to everyone. You can’t discriminate based on gender identity, race, sexual preference, or any of that. As long as it’s a safe and open space for everyone, then it’s pretty good with us. If we hear otherwise, we would yank that. There’s a link to a form on the website where anybody that wants to host an approved venue or tournament can fill out this form. It’s got some questions on there; they have to acknowledge that they’ve read and understand what our rules and guidelines are about. From there, once people fill out that form, I give them a login to the website, and then you’re free to go in and create your events, post them, submit your results, and get your people on the leaderboard.
You mentioned you’re trying to have this be like the Punk Rock Bowling of pinball, when you do the tournaments are you doing shows to coincide with the tournaments or is it just really just focusing on the pinball when you have your tournaments?
Mike Felumlee: The Punk Rock Pinball Association tournaments are mostly just pinball tournaments that would otherwise be IFPA sanctioned, or leagues are fine as well. You can also run an IFPA tournament with the Punk Rock Pinball Association at the same time, but we do have some gimmicks planned, like the event we’re doing with Off With Their Heads, which includes a tournament followed by a show. I play in the Smoking Popes, and we’re trying to do something in Arizona.
We’re playing at the Yucca Tap Room, which shares a space with the Electric Bat. It’s like our 35th-anniversary tour. During the day, there’ll be a Punk Rock Pinball tournament, and then at night, The Popes will have our show in the evening. So, wherever possible, I like to pair a Punk Rock Pinball tournament with a rock show. There aren’t a lot of venues or a lot of pinball places. They are usually at a brewery or an arcade. The Electric Bat happens to be the most ideal place.
It’s just awesome because there’s a huge opening, and you can see into the Electric Bat while you’re playing on the stage. You can see into the pinball area. There are two different businesses, but there’s a shared wall. It’s probably a fifteen-foot-wide doorway that’s just open so you can walk in and out between the Electric Bat and the Yucca Tap Room. For a punk rock show plus a pinball tournament, it’s probably the best place in the United States to have that happen.
What’s the hardest thing about running the Punk Rock Pinball Association?
Stephanie Wysocki: I would say there’s no roadmap for this. The IFPA is kind of like the MLB of pinball, and we’re really focused on fun, almost like a minor league to the IFPA. We’ve looked to them for some of the rules and how things are set up. They’ve been around for, I don’t know, I think a couple decades. They’ve been doing this for quite a while, but there’s no roadmap for this. We’re kind of figuring it out as we go and trying to be proactive in other ways regarding how we want to structure this and make it different. As far as challenges, I think it’s just that we don’t know what we don’t know, which is probably the biggest challenge; which is maybe not a challenge. Maybe that’s a positive, that we’re just kind of writing the rules as we go.
Mike Felumlee: I think as it gets bigger, a big challenge I foresee is that, for example, the IFPA has almost 200,000 players. We currently have about 500 players, and we’ve had about fifty tournaments in the last month and a half. We have about forty or fifty more scheduled, but if you look at the IFPA, there are probably 500 tournaments a day. This involves thousands of people from all different types of backgrounds who have all different types of expectations and needs. So inevitably, if enough of your tournaments happen, bad things might happen at one of them.
There was an IFPA event earlier in the year in North Carolina where some shit happened. Then you have to try to deal with that in a way that’s going to appease as many people as possible. I think we haven’t really had to deal with that yet, but I foresee that we will at some point. I think that’s going to probably be the hardest part, making tough decisions to please as many people in your community as you can, knowing that you’re not ever going to be able to please everybody.
How do you differ from the IFPA in terms of rules?
Mike Felumlee: Our scoring format is much simpler. There are two big differentiators. For one, IFPA has very specific tournament formats that you’re allowed to run. For instance, there’s a format called Amazing Race, where everybody starts on one machine, and if you score the lowest on that machine, you’re out. You go to the next, and whoever scores the lowest on any specific machine is out of the deal. The IFPA has decided that for 2026, if you have an Amazing Race tournament, it’s not worth as many IFPA points as a match play tournament.
Like we’re getting into the nitty-gritty of like only shit that pinball people are going to understand here. There are some really fun formats that the IFPA, for maybe justifiable reasons, kind of nerfed the scoring. Whereas with the Punk Rock Pinball tournament, the scoring is entirely based on how many people are playing in the event. If you have a hundred people in your tournament and you win it, you get a hundred PRPA points. The person that got 50th gets fifty PRPA points, and so on down the line.
It doesn’t matter for us because with the IFPA, the big factor is how many meaningful rounds were played, and the more meaningful rounds played, the more points it’s worth. It’s not dependent upon the number of players, but that’s part of it. They have a very complicated formula. Our formula basically says it doesn’t matter how many meaningful rounds you played. You could play five, you could play fifteen, you could play twenty. Your tournament’s worth the same amount of points, and it’s based on how many people played in the tournament.
Stephanie Wysocki: It’s really interesting because our leaderboard right now: the top three players are people from our scene, and it wasn’t like this for a while. It was a whole gaggle of people in Kansas City dominating the leaderboard. The gal who is at the top of the leaderboard right now is grinding any PRPA event within, I don’t know, probably eight hours. She’s driving to it and playing it. She’s a pretty solid player too. Is she the best player in our scene or any scene? No, but she’s grinding, and she grinded from the bottom quarter of the playfield all the way up to the top.
Mike Felumlee: She’s tied for first right now.
Stephanie Wysocki: So, the fellow that’s tied with her in first, he just went to the state finals. He’s a very, very good pinball player. She played nineteen events; he’s played eleven.
Mike Felumlee: There have been forty Punk Rock Pinball Association events so far, and she has played in nineteen out of the forty. That’s why she’s tied for first. She hasn’t won a single one. The way we constructed our point system, we wanted to really reward players that travel all over the place and are grinding to play the most. They’re hardcore, and people like that are what drive a competitive pinball community. You need these people that just show up all the time because the biggest challenge we all have is participation and getting more players. Pinball is such a tiny niche thing. We wanted a point structure that’s going to reward people that just go and play everywhere.
Stephanie Wysocki: Part of the reason we started this collective is that when you’re a pinball player, when you go out and play at different venues or locations, you’re kind of at the mercy of those locations. Having a healthy business, staying open, and having space for pinball. We’re about two hours south of Chicago and about two and a half hours from Indianapolis and St. Louis. We’re kind of in the middle of nowhere in a lot of ways. It’s a proper town, but there weren’t many places to play. One of our main locations closed, and we were driving an hour to go to another town to play with other people at a venue, and then that place closed too. We have a really special community that has been built here. We kind of took things into our own hands and started the collective for that very reason: it’s so fun to play with other people, and we took our destiny into our own hands.
What’s your favorite machine to play?
Mike Felumlee and Stephanie Wysocki:Jaws.
What’s your least favorite?
Mike Felumlee: Shrek.
Stephanie Wysocki: Shrek, yeah. It’s garbage.
Mike Felumlee: Yeah it sucks don’t bother. It’s the exact same machine as the Family Guy machine. I hate them both equally. I like the Family Guy theme better, but the game just to shoot is not fun.
Stephanie Wysocki: It’s not fun; it seems like it would be. The designer is my favorite pinball designer, Pat Lawler. I love him. He did Ripley’s, Funhouse, and Addams Family. Yes, but Shrek he shit the bed on.
Mike Felumlee: I mean he’s done many, many pinball machines they can’t all be hits. Look at songwriters, every song they write isn’t a hit.
Stephanie Wysocki: He has a lot of good ones but that one is garbage.
Mike Felumlee: My second favorite right now is probably (Star Wars) The Fall of the Empire. The designer of that one is John Borg, and he’s probably one of my favorites. He also did Metallica, Monsters, The Walking Dead, and Guardians of the Galaxy.
His machines are typically really fast and pretty challenging. Metallica plays fast, and there are lots of shots that will shoot the ball back at your face if you miss. I feel like a lot of his games have a similar feel to Metallica. Fall of the Empire and Guardians of the Galaxy all feel similar. I like the feel of those John Borg games.
For more information and to become a scene rep, contact Mike and Stephanie through the Punk Rock Pinball website.
Concrete answer first: Britpop reshaped British music in the 1990s by pulling guitar bands back into the cultural center, making British identity, accents, and everyday life commercially powerful again.
A small group of bands did most of that work. Without Oasis, Blur, Pulp, and Suede, Britpop would not become a movement. Without the rest, it does not become a culture.
This was not just about hit songs. Britpop influenced how people dressed, spoke, argued about class, and even how young musicians carried their guitars to rehearsal in battered cases on the bus. It turned ordinary British life into something worth singing about again.
Britpop emerged in the early 1990s as a response to two pressures at once. On one side was American grunge, which dominated global rock with angst-heavy themes and deliberately anti-glam aesthetics. On the other side was the long shadow of 1980s British pop, which many younger musicians felt had drifted away from everyday reality.
Britpop bands reacted by doing something simple but radical. They wrote songs in their own accents. They sang about council estates, cheap holidays, dead-end jobs, class anxiety, sex, boredom, and aspiration. Guitar music became direct again, built on melody rather than abstraction.
It mattered that these bands looked reachable. They felt like people you could run into outside a pub, not distant rock gods. That sense of closeness is one reason Britpop connected so deeply with listeners.
Oasis, Turning British Guitar Music Into a Mass Event
Source: YouTube/Screenshot, Oasis didn’t just lead Britpop – they made it massive
No band shaped the scale of Britpop more than Liam and Noel Gallagher and their band Oasis. Before Oasis, British guitar bands had success. After Oasis, they had cultural dominance.
Their 1994 debut,t Definitely Maybe arrived loud, confident, and unapologetically British. It became the fastest-selling debut album in UK history at the time. One year later, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? pushed Britpop into stadiums, producing songs that still define the decade.
Oasis mattered because they removed the distance between underground credibility and mainstream success. Their songs were simple, loud, and built for crowds. Their attitude was confrontational and familiar. They did not present music as art school commentary. They presented it as belief.
For many young people, Oasis were the first band that made picking up a guitar feel worthwhile again. You could imagine saving for your first instrument, carrying it to practice in a scuffed guitar case, and believing that something might come of it.
If Oasis represented confidence and volume, Blur represented observation and detail.
Blur’s breakthrough album Parklife turned ordinary British routines into sharp pop narratives. The songs were full of small scenes, overheard conversations, and subtle social commentary. Damon Albarn wrote about modern Britain as it actually felt, awkward, funny, and often uncomfortable.
Blur played a key role in defining Britpop’s identity as something distinctly local. Their songs referenced British habits, spaces, and class differences without needing explanation. This grounded the movement and made it feel real rather than theatrical.
The famous chart battle between Blur and Oasis in 1995 symbolized more than rivalry. It represented two visions of British culture colliding in public.
Pulp, Class, Desire, and Social Reality
Pulp arrived later than most Britpop acts, but when they broke through, they changed the emotional tone of the movement.
Their album Different Class did not glamorize youth culture. It examined it. Songs like “Common People” confronted class tourism and aspiration head-on. Jarvis Cocker wrote with empathy and discomfort, often exposing social divides rather than smoothing them over.
Pulp mattered because they proved Britpop could be intelligent and critical without losing popularity. They gave voice to people who felt unseen by both mainstream pop and rock excess.
Their success expanded Britpop beyond youth rebellion and into adult reflection.
Suede, The Spark That Lit the Fuse
Before Britpop had a name, Suede were already there.
Their self-titled debut in 1993 was the first Britpop album to reach number one. It introduced themes that would become central to the movement: urban isolation, sexuality, desire, and longing. Suede’s sound was darker and more dramatic than many of their successors, but their influence was foundational.
They showed that British guitar music could be emotional, stylish, and modern without copying American trends. Many bands that followed built on the space Suede opened.
The Verve, Britpop’s Expansive Edge
The Verve often sat slightly outside the Britpop label, but their impact on the era is undeniable.
Urban Hymns became one of the biggest British albums of the decade, selling over ten million copies worldwide. “Bitter Sweet Symphony” turned introspection into something universal.
The Verve mattered because they broadened Britpop’s emotional range. They brought in psychedelia, spirituality, and existential themes that contrasted with the sharper social commentary of their peers.
They helped British guitar music travel globally without losing its identity.
Elastica and Supergrass, Energy and Precision
Source: YouTube/Screenshot, Elastica and Supergrass brought Britpop speed, wit, and youthful spark
Bands like Elastica and Supergrass gave Britpop its speed and sharpness.
Elastica stripped songs down to their essentials, pulling from post-punk minimalism and injecting it into mainstream charts. Their debut album became one of the fastest-selling British debuts ever.
Supergrass captured youthful energy with technical skill. Their early work felt spontaneous, fast, and joyful, reflecting the excitement of a generation discovering its own voice.
Together, these bands kept Britpop from becoming bloated too quickly.
Why Britpop Burned Out So Fast
Britpop’s decline was built into its success. By the late 1990s, the movement became overexposed. Media hype replaced substance. Some bands chased larger sounds and lost focus. Others collapsed under internal tension.
As electronic music and global pop trends shifted, Britpop no longer felt urgent. But its short lifespan did not reduce its importance.
The Lasting Legacy of Britpop
Britpop normalized the idea that British life was worth documenting in music. It reshaped how guitar bands approached songwriting, identity, and audience connection.
Even today, many UK artists trace their confidence and creative freedom back to that era. Britpop proved that local stories could have national and even global relevance.
It also left behind something quieter but just as important. The belief that music does not need permission to matter. Sometimes it starts with a cheap guitar, a few chords, and the decision to carry it forward, case and all, into the world.
