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Photo Credit: Jenny Lund

Edited by Anselm Anderson

The Funeral Portrait has jumped headlong into 2026 with today’s release of their first-ever live album, Live From Suffocate City via Better Noise Music, available to stream/download and purchase as a CD/Blu-ray combo and on vinyl in their signature green and purple here. To coincide with the album, the band is bringing the track “Stay Weird” to cinematic life with today’s video.

“‘Stay Weird’ has always been our love letter to the beautifully strange souls who’ve supported this band from day one,” declares frontman Lee Jennings. “Hearing The Coffin Crew scream it back at us in Atlanta during our ‘Suffocate City Town Hall Meeting’ was unreal. That night captured everything we stand for—individuality, belonging, and the freedom to be exactly who you are. I’m beyond excited that this live album lets the world feel that energy.”

“Stay Weird” is the follow-up to the live video of their breakout single, “Voodoo Doll,” released on October 31.

On Live From Suffocate City, fans are invited to step inside the chaos and catharsis of The Funeral Portrait’s first-ever “Suffocate City Town Hall Meeting,” captured live from their sold-out hometown show at The Masquerade in Atlanta, GA in 2025. The exclusive Blu-ray documents the band’s legendary performance in front of a packed house of diehard fans. It’s a thrilling night of raw emotion, high-energy theatrics, and fan-favorite anthems.

Fans were already treated to an early glimpse of the live album with the August 22 release of the four-track Dark Thoughts EP. In addition to the live track, three other versions of “Dark Thoughts” are featured: the original version, a version featuring vocals by Danny Worsnop of Asking Alexandria, and a new remix of the song.

The Greetings From Suffocate City album was originally released September 13, 2024. It consists of 14 tracks of theatrical, dramatic, unapologetic, full-throated flair with guest appearances from Bert McCracken of The Used, Spencer Charnas of Ice Nine Kills, Danny Worsnop of Asking Alexandria, and Amanda Lyberg of Eva Under Fire.

The deluxe edition, Greetings From Suffocate City – From Beyond The Abyss: Deluxe Edition, was released June 13 via Better Noise Music, with digital, CD, and vinyl copies available here. It contains 24 songs including tracks from the Casanova EP and the From Beyond The Abyss EP, as well as “Holy Water” feat. Ivan Moody of Five Finger Death Punch, “Hearse for Two” feat. Lilith Czar and three brand new songs: “Skinny Lies,” “Evergreen,” and “Lost Boy.” The vinyl and CD two-disc deluxe packages feature 21 tracks, one of which is exclusive to the physical formats (“Friends Like These”).

The album campaign for Greetings From Suffocate City began in August 2022 with the release of “Voodoo Doll” when they were an opening band in 300-400 person venues (or smaller). Throughout 2025 they performed 176 shows and drew the biggest crowds at major festivals including Warped Tour and Louder Than Life, touring all year with bands like Ice Nine Kills, The Used, Underoath, In This Moment, and they performed their first-ever European tour with The Rasmus.

2026 stands to be another big touring year for The Funeral Portrait. They’re set for two hometown “Suffocate City Town Hall Meeting” shows in Atlanta, GA on January 16 (tonight) and 17 before heading out on the “Alienation” tour with Three Days Grace along with I Prevail starting February 21 in Fort Wayne, IN. Tickets for all shows are available on the band’s official website.

The post THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT Shares Live Video For “Stay Weird” From Their First-Ever Live Album “Live From Suffocate City” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Swedish evil thrash mob Venthiax unleash their debut mini-album via Dying Victims Productions on February 27th. Let’s get into it!

Rolling drums and lethal riffing fire on all cylinders with clanky bass lines cutting through the mix. The gratifying blend of thrash metal harkens back to the German scene of the 80s with that Swedish edge from bands like Nifelheim creeping in. My first impressions are certainly that this is a band whose direction is carefully and meticulously decided upon. Instrumentally they are extremely tight and the songwriting balances the evil with the epic for an explosive attack of pure hellfire. Unafraid of melody, there is a primitive but catchy venom coursing its way through the veins of these songs as the maniacal vocals haunt the foreground of the mix without overshadowing the ripping instrumental work. The more melodic riffing captures the spirit of Desaster’s more anthemic pieces. From the ferocious onslaught to the more mid-tempo grooves, there is no denying the pacing of their songs is classic in execution with enough variation to keep surging forward with power.

As we forge onwards, the pacing continues to tear flesh with the same formula that has served them well so far. “Speed Metal Mayhem” stands out as an especially fun song that I imagine being killer live, while the rest of the b-side keeps things engaging. What impresses me most is that the playing feels very refined for such a young band. The material feels rehearsed and natural in the playing of all three members rather than a plodding cacophony of amateurish knock-offs. Of course this style is hard to be particularly original with, and I don’t think they’re trying to reinvent the wheel by any stretch, but that’s just fine – playing evil and bestial thrash metal because you’re passionate about it is more than enough for me to be convinced. Speaking of passion, I recommend bassist Wendy’s fanzine Black Pages which she traded a copy for my own Shrieks From The Abyss when meeting at Thrash Nightmare festival in 2024. Underground spirit and the old ways still rule over modern means! Anyways, back to the record; there’s not much more I can say than it’s a fierce hailstorm of molten thrashing mania that will grab the throat of the underground dwellers who aren’t afraid to rage.

A succinct blast of strong thrash metal. Having cut their teeth with a demo, EP and two live releases; Venthiax aren’t work-shy and show a promising step forward with their Dying Victims Productions debut MLP. If the Germanic thrash metal with a blackened edge such as Desaster, Nocturnal and so on appeals then this will definitely be up your street. Keep an eye and ear on these Swedish bangers.

For over a decade, NMB has stood as one of progressive rock’s most enduring and unified collectives. With their latest studio album, L.I.F.T., set for release on February 27th, 2026,

Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy, Eric Gillette, Bill Hubauer, and Randy George are returning with a work that embodies vision, passion, and inspiration. Written and recorded during a period of major transition, L.I.F.T. captures the band’s creative chemistry at its most instinctive and inspired.

Today, the band is pleased to reveal the second single from the album, titled “Hurt People,” and you can watch the video below.

Neal Morse comments: “At some point in my life, I heard the phrase ‘hurt people hurt people, meaning that those who are doing damage to others are damaged themselves. Anyway, the phrase always stayed with me. When we were writing ‘L.I.F.T.’, we were at the point in the story arc where the person has his or her break in belonging, and we were working on this heavy section. Mike and Eric were playing this heavy stuff, and I started singing “hurt people hurt people” over what they were doing. It didn’t fully come to life until Eric sang it (what a vocal! – not to mention guitar solo!), which didn’t happen till months later, but when it all came together, wow.”

Conceptually, L.I.F.T. stands toe to toe with NMB’s greatest works, like their much-acclaimed concept album Similitude Of A Dream, combining emotional depth with the band’s trademark progressive rock grandeur.

“In short, L.I.F.T. is a prog concept album that follows the journey of someone seeking to belong to something greater than themselves,” Morse explains. “It starts with feeling connected to the world and life, then there is a break in belonging, after which comes the turmoil and desperate cry, leading to a return to that place of profound connection.”

The album title came late, though its meaning remains intentionally vague. “We thought it could stand for different things,” says Randy. “It’s kind of whatever the listener wants it to be.”

True to the band’s collaborative spirit, L.I.F.T. began with the usual whiteboard full of ideas, with columns under each member’s name filled with riffs and snippets. However, few of them made it onto the final album. “We hardly used any of the ideas on the board,” says George. “Most of it was written right there in the room, more so than in the past.” While Bill Hubauer contributed a few early sketches, and Morse improvised piano pieces that evolved into key themes, much of the music took shape spontaneously.

With artwork created by longtime collaborator Thomas Ewerhard, the L.I.F.T. will be available as a Limited 2CD Digipak (incl. instrumental versions), Standard CD Jewelcase, Gatefold 2LP & as Digital Download. Pre-order it now here.

The sessions were engineered by longtime collaborator Jerry Guidroz, with all drum tracks recorded on-site before each member continued working individually from home studios. For the first time, NMB worked entirely outside their familiar recording environment, at Eric Gillette’s studio in Tulsa, adding a layer of uncertainty to the process. “It was strange not being in the usual studio,” George admits. “But hearing the final mixes, it all came together beautifully.”

Mixing once again fell to longtime collaborator Rich Mouser, who has been refining NMB’s complex sound for years. As George explains, the band sends him the tracks and lets him work independently: “We just let him do his thing.” Despite the enormous amount of detail in the arrangements, Mouser once again delivered a mix where “everything lives.” The drums, in particular, stand out. Mouser will experiment by removing or combining elements “to see what it sounds like if this isn’t there.” The result is another brilliant showcase of the band’s trademark sound.

L.I.F.T. is everything the NMB fan could hope for and will surely live on in the great canon of the band’s outstanding career as one of their best.

The post NMB Share Music Video For New Single “Hurt People”, From Upcoming Studio Album “L.I.F.T.” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Sevendust had announced its fifteenth studio album, One. The highly anticipated release from the quintet — Lajon Witherspoon (vocals), Clint Lowery (guitar), John Connolly (guitar) ,Vince Hornsby (bass), and Morgan Rose (drums) — will arrive on May 1 via Napalm Records.

Building on Sevendust‘s unmistakable sound while continuing to evolve, One proves why the Grammy Award–nominated metal icons 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 “Is This The Real You” and “We Won” stand confidently alongside the band’s most iconic material.

Sevendust once again worked with producer Michael “Elvis” Baskette at Studio Barbarosa in Gotha, Florida. Baskette had previously worked with Alter Bridge and Slash, among others.

The writing sessions for the new Sevendust album once again took place at the farmhouse of Lajon and his wife, Ashley.

The first music from One will be released soon, and the album is available for pre-order now.

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 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. Check out the itinerary below, and get your tickets here.

The post SEVENDUST Announce 15th Studio Album “ONE” + U.S. Tour With ATREYU, FIRE FROM THE GODS & AMERICAN ADRENALINE appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Legendary metal pioneers Sepultura have announced their final ‘Celebrating Life Through Death’ North American tour, marking the end of an era. After more than 4 decades, 14 gold records, and tours across 80 countries and diverse cultures, Sepultura has become one of the most influential metal bands of our time, serving as Brazil’s emissary to the rest of the world.

Hailing from Belo Horizonte, the quartet will spread Brazil’s colours and rhythms for a final time. This farewell run will feature an explosive lineup, including special guests, Thrash legends Exodus, hardcore heavyweights Biohazard, and newcomers Tribal Gaze, promising a powerful celebration across North America.

Kicking off on April 29 in Montclair, NJ, the ‘Celebrating Life Through Death’ tour will visit major cities across the U.S. and Canada, including Montreal, Detroit, Chicago, Denver, and Los Angeles, before concluding on May 29 at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. Along the way, Sepultura will also perform at major festivals, including Welcome to Rockville and Sonic Temple.

Tickets will go on sale on January 23^rd at 10:00 local time, and  VIP packages are on sale now from this location.

SEPULTURA North American Tour 2026 With Exodus, Biohazard & Tribal Gaze

04.29  US   Montclair, NJ @ The Wellmont Theater
05.01  CAN Montreal, QC @ MTELUS
05.02  CAN London, ON @ London Music Hall
05.04  US   Detroit, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
05.05  US   Louisville, KY @ Old Forester’s Paristown Hall
05.06  US   Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl 
05.07  US   Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade 
05.08  US   New Orleans, LA @ The Civic Theatre
05.10  US   Daytona Beach, FL @ Welcome To Rockville *
05.11  US   Charleston, SC @ Music Farm
05.12  US   Greensboro, NC @ Piedmont Hall
05.13  US   Reading, PA @ Reverb
05.15  US   Chicago, IL @ Ramova Theatre
05.16  US   Columbus, OH @ Sonic Temple *
05.17  US   Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave  
05.19  US   Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom
05.21  US   Denver, CO @ The Ogden Theatre
05.22  US   Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot 
05.23  US   Boise, ID @ Shrine Social Club
05.25  US   Las Vegas, NV @ House Of Blues 
05.26  US   San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park 
05.28  US   Berkeley, CA @ UC Theatre
05.29  US   Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern

The post SEPULTURA Announce Final North AmericanTour With EXODUS, BIOHAZARD & TRIBAL GAZE appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Every metal fan has some version of the same childhood memory. You finally get your hands on an album you have been hyped about for weeks, you press play, and within 30 seconds someone in the house appears like they were summoned by the kick drum. Suddenly you are defending your life choices over a riff.

To be clear, not every parent hated metal. Some were secretly cool. Some even liked it. But if you grew up around the classic “turn that noise off” energy, these albums probably lived in the danger zone. This list is ranked from “annoyed sigh and a lecture” to “this is getting confiscated immediately.”

12. Metallica, Master of Puppets (1986)

The album you swore was “art” while your parents called it “too loud.”

For a lot of parents, Metallica was the first time “hard rock” crossed into “what is this aggression?” territory. The title alone sounds like something you do not want your kid listening to, even if the reality is way more nuanced than the panic made it seem.

The funny part is this is the one that often ages into respect. Many parents who hated it at first eventually turned into the same people saying, “Okay, they can actually play.” It just took a few decades and a lower volume setting.

11. Pantera, Vulgar Display of Power (1992)

The cover alone looked like trouble on a bedroom shelf.

Pantera did not do subtle. This album sounds like a fight scene, and if your parents were already suspicious of metal, this one basically confirmed every fear they ever had about it. The aggression is the point, and Pantera delivered it with zero apologies.

If you grew up with the “music should be nice” household rule, this album felt like contraband. The riffs hit like bricks, the vocals sound like a warning, and the overall vibe screams “do not play this when adults are awake.”

10. Slipknot, Iowa (2001)

The album that made your parents ask, “Why are they wearing masks?”

Slipknot was a whole new level of scary for a lot of families. Even if your parents could survive old-school metal, the image, the chaos, and the intensity of Iowa felt like something from a horror movie. This was not “rebellious teen music.” This was “are you okay?” music.

And honestly, if you were a teenager blasting this, you probably were not okay. That is why it resonated. It is heavy in a way that feels personal, and that is exactly what made parents uncomfortable.

9. Ozzy Osbourne, Blizzard of Ozz (1980)

The classic “devil music” argument starter pack.

Ozzy’s solo era brought riffs, theatrics, and enough controversy to fuel a thousand parental lectures. Even if your parents could admit the songs were catchy, the Ozzy mythos came with so much baggage that it often turned into a moral panic at the dinner table.

This is one of those albums where you probably got in trouble just for having it. Not for what it actually is, but for what your parents thought it represented. Which is very on brand for Ozzy’s whole career.

8. Judas Priest, Stained Class (1978)

The one your parents did not understand, and definitely did not trust.

Judas Priest helped define the look and attitude of heavy metal, and that was enough to trigger suspicion from parents who already thought the genre was a bad influence. The sound is sharp, intense, and unapologetically heavy for its time.

This is also a band that has been caught in the crossfire of moral panic more than once, so the “Priest” name alone could set people off. If your parents were the type to judge by headlines, this one probably caused problems fast.

7. Iron Maiden, The Number of the Beast (1982)

The album that made your parents stare at the cover like it was cursed.

If you grew up in a religious household, this one was a guaranteed conversation. The title, the imagery, the whole vibe, it practically begged for misunderstanding. Maiden were theatrical and tongue-in-cheek in a way that fans understood, but parents often did not.

The irony is that many Maiden fans are the most loyal, nerdy music lovers on earth. But tell that to a parent who sees “666” and decides the debate is already over.

6. Mötley Crüe, Shout at the Devil (1983)

The album your parents hated before they even heard a single note.

This one had everything that freaked parents out in the 80s: the title, the look, the attitude, and the sense that it was designed to shock. Even if you played it quietly, it still felt loud because the whole aesthetic was louder than life.

If your parents were already nervous about metal, Shout at the Devil was the kind of album that made them think you were one eyeliner purchase away from ruining your future.

5. Marilyn Manson, Antichrist Superstar (1996)

The album that caused instant panic in almost any household.

Even parents who tolerated Metallica or Maiden tended to draw a hard line at Marilyn Manson. The name alone was enough to spark arguments, and the era around this album came with so much controversy that it became a cultural lightning rod.

A lot of fans played it because it felt forbidden. Parents hated it because it looked forbidden. And both sides, in their own way, were kind of right. This album was meant to provoke, and it succeeded.

4. Megadeth, Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying? (1986)

The one that sounded like your parents’ worst case scenario for metal.

Megadeth had that sharp, biting, angry edge that felt more intense than a lot of mainstream metal at the time. The cover art, the title, and the overall political bite made it feel like trouble, even if the trouble was mostly just loud guitars and cynicism.

If you were a teen with this album, it probably came with a whole image. Your parents did not see “great musicianship.” They saw “this kid is going to start arguing at Thanksgiving.”

3. Slayer, Reign in Blood (1986)

The album that made parents walk into your room like, “Turn it off. Now.”

This is where we enter the serious zone. Slayer have always been one of those bands that people either love or fear, and Reign in Blood is basically the purest distillation of why. It is fast, aggressive, and utterly unapologetic.

Even if your parents were not paying attention to lyrics, the sheer intensity of it could make them uncomfortable. It sounds like chaos with precision, and if you did not grow up with extreme music, it can feel genuinely alarming.

2. Venom, Black Metal (1982)

The album title that did not even try to calm anyone down.

Venom were not subtle, and that is why their legacy is so massive. But if you were a kid with an album literally called Black Metal, your parents probably did not care about genre history. They cared about what it looked like you were bringing into the house.

This is the kind of record that made parents think you were joining a cult, even if you were really just a music nerd falling in love with raw, nasty riffs. Unfortunately, that distinction rarely mattered in the moment.

1. Cannibal Corpse, Tomb of the Mutilated (1992)

The undisputed heavyweight champion of “my parents are going to lose it.”

Let’s be honest. If your parents found this album, you were finished. The name alone sounds like a crime scene. The artwork, the aesthetic, the reputation, everything about it reads like a test designed to fail any adult who is not already deep into extreme metal.

This is the album that got hidden under the bed, kept behind other CDs, or played only when nobody was home. And if you somehow owned it as a teenager, you probably still remember the exact fear of hearing footsteps in the hallway while it was playing.

The post 12 Metal Albums Your Parents Hated the Most, Ranked appeared first on Metal Shout.

After dominating 2025 with their explosive new album I Feel The Everblack Festering Within Me (named one of the best of the year by Kerrang, Metal Hammer and Loudwire), Lorna Shore is ready to do it all over again in 2026 with a massive global tour that kicks off January 23 in Germany and heads into the spring with newly announced dates just added for North America.

Lorna Shore will be joined by Paleface Swiss and Signs Of The Swarm for the North American run, which begins April 17 in Buffalo, NY and runs through May 22 in Montclair, NJ, alongside festival appearances at Welcome To Rockville and Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival. See the full tour dates below.

Tickets for the North American dates will be available starting with an artist presale beginning Tuesday, January 20 at 9AM ET. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning Friday, January 23 at 9AM local time at LiveNation.com. For more info and tickets you can also visit lornashoreband.com.

Alongside today’s tour announcement, Lorna Shore also releases the latest taste of their critically acclaimed new album with the single and video for “In Darkness.” See the music video, directed by David Brodsky for My Good Eye, HERE.

Says frontman Will Ramos of the song, “’In Darkness’ is about growing up feeling distant from everyone, a song about anxiety and being an outcast (as many of us metal fans grow from). It’s a song about embracing that outlandish and ostracized feeling. Knowing that we have grown in the shadows, the darkness of the world, but accepting that through that darkness we have become.”

I Feel The Everblack Festering Within Me, out now via Century Media Records, is Lorna Shore’s fifth album and the first in three years since 2022’s Pain Remains and continues the band’s reputation as one of the most impressive extreme metal acts to emerge in recent memory.

The quintet, also including lead guitarist Adam De Micco, drummer Austin Archey, rhythm guitarist Andrew O’Connor and bassist Michael Yager, have hit the viral Spotify charts, racked up hundreds of millions of streams, embarked on highly successful tours and in the process, galvanized a significant fanbase that hangs onto the band’s quest for stylistic inversion. But by virtue of physical onslaught and wanting to divine truth from their music, Lorna Shore have kept themselves fired up by torching the metal rulebook at every turn, practically demanding that other genres step up their game.

I Feel The Everblack Festering Within Me is now available in multiple formats including digital, CD and limited-edition vinyl variants. Fans can stream the album HERE and find their preferred physical and digital retailer HERE. Fans can also shop a merch collection, available HERE.

LORNA SHORE 2026 GLOBAL TOUR

European Dates with Whitechapel, Shadow Of Intent, Humanity’s Last Breath

• 01/23 Frankfurt, Germany @ Jahrhunderthalle
• 01/24 Leipzig, Germany @ Haus Auensee
• 01/25 Prague, Czech Republic @ O2 Universum
• 01/27 Warsaw, Poland @ COS Torwar
• 01/29 Budapest, Hungary @ Arena
• 01/30 Wiener Neustadt, Austria @ Arena Nova
• 01/31 Munich, Germany @ Zenith
• 02/01 Padova, Italy @ Kioene Arena
• 02/03 Zürich, Switzerland @ Samsung Hall
• 02/04 Lyon, France @ Halle Tony Garnier
• 02/05 Paris, France @ Zenith
• 02/06 Brussels, Belgium @ Forest National
• 02/08 London, UK @ Alexandra Palace
• 02/09 Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy 1
• 02/10 Manchester, UK @ O2 Victoria Warehouse
• 02/12 Amsterdam, Netherlands @ AFAS Live
• 02/13 Düsseldorf, Germany @ Mitsubishi Electric Halle
• 02/14 Hamburg, Germany @ Inselpark Arena
• 02/15 Copenhagen, Denmark @ K.B. Hallen
• 02/17 Gothenburg, Sweden @ Partille Arena
• 02/18 Oslo, Norway @ Sentrum Scene
• 02/19 Stockholm, Sweden @ Hovet Ice Hall
• 02/21 Helsinki, Finland @ Ice Hall
• 02/22 Turku, Finland @ Logomo

North American Dates with Paleface Swiss & Signs Of The Swarm

• 4/17 Buffalo, NY @ Buffalo RiverWorks
• 4/18 Grand Rapids, MI @ GLC Live at 20 Monroe
• 4/19 Madison, WI @ The Sylvee
• 4/20 Omaha, NE @ Steelhouse
• 4/22 Bozeman, MT @ The ELM
• 4/24 Edmonton, AB @ Edmonton Convention Centre
• 4/25 Calgary, AB @ Grey Eagle Event Centre
• 4/27 Winnipeg, MB @ Burton Cummings Theatre
• 4/29 Green Bay, WI  @ EPIC Event Center
• 5/1 Waukee, IA @ Vibrant Music Hall
• 5/2 East Moline, IL @ The Rust Belt
• 5/3 Wichita, KS @ The Cotillion
• 5/4 Kansas City, MO @ The Midland Theatre
• 5/6 Memphis, TN @ Graceland Soundstage
• 5/7 Dothan, AL @ The Plant
• 5/8 Daytona Beach, FL @ Welcome to Rockville*
• 5/9 Birmingham, AL @ Avondale Brewing Company
• 5/11 Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
• 5/12 Myrtle Beach, SC @ House Of Blues
• 5/14 Gary, IN @ Hard Rock Live Northern Indiana
• 5/15 Columbus, OH @ Sonic Temple*
• 5/16 Bethlehem, PA @ Wind Creek Event Center
• 5/18 Virginia Beach, VA @ The Dome
• 5/20 Syracuse, NY @ Sharkey’s Event Center
• 5/21 Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount
• 5/22 Montclair, NJ @ The Wellmont Theater

*Festival Dates

The post LORNA SHORE Adds 2026 North American Tour Dates, Kicking Off April 17 With Support From Paleface Swiss & Signs Of The Swarm appeared first on Go Venue Magazine.

In a new interview with Chile’s Futuro, Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy weighed in on the news that Rush’s surviving members, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, recruited fusion drummer Anika Nilles to cover the drum chair for their surprise “Fifty Something” reunion tour.

For Portnoy, it lands on two levels: lifelong fan excitement and a personal connection to Neil Peart, who shaped his playing and later became a friend.

“It’s extremely exciting. I, as a fan, can’t wait to see how they do this and what it’s gonna be like. Neil Peart was not only one of my biggest drum heroes, but he was somebody that I was honored to become friends with in the last decade or so of his life. So, yeah, as a fan of the band and as a friend of Neil’s, I’m very happy to see them doing this, and I can’t wait to hear what they do,” he shared (via Blabbermouth).

He also talked about Nilles specifically. Portnoy said he hasn’t caught her live yet, but he went straight to the clips after the announcement: “I have “never seen” Anika play in person, but like everybody else in the world, as soon as the announcement was made, I started pulling up videos on YouTube and saw her playing with Jeff Beck and doing the jazz fusion kind of stuff she does,”

“She’s obviously a tremendous drummer, so I’m really curious to see how it sounds,” he said.

One thing that’s followed Portnoy around for years is the hypothetical: would he ever step in with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson if they asked? He said that question came up constantly, and he’s relieved the band went another direction, because the weight of expectation would be brutal.

“Before [Lee and Lifeson] announced their return, it was a question that I would get asked in almost every single interview for the last decade: ‘Would you ever play with Geddy and Alex? Would you ever?’ Of course. Those guys are my heroes. But in all honesty, I’m kind of glad that they didn’t even ask me, because that would be way too much pressure, way too much pressure. So, it’s much better this way. I get to enjoy it like a fan,” Portnoy revealed.

The respect behind that answer connects to how Portnoy has talked about Peart for years. In an older interview, he broke down exactly what grabbed him early on, down to obsessing over kit details like other people obsess over something else.

“I spent 20 to 30 years idolizing him and being his biggest fan. And all those years, it was mainly the drum kit — the drum kit was such a fascination for me. He always built such amazing kits and put so much thought into it. I’d always get the tour programs where he’d write about the kit and what the new things were on it, and I would just look at those photos. Most other kids were looking at Playboy centerfolds; I was looking at Neil Peart drum kits. And then, obviously, his playing — it goes without saying. I learned how to really develop parts and orchestrate drum parts to build, change, and develop within the song. So that was the biggest thing for me as a fan. And then later on, once I got to know him, I was so inspired by what a gracious person he was,” he remembered.

And when Portnoy described Peart the person, he didn’t lean on mythology. He talked about boundaries, privacy, and how kind Peart was once you were in his circle.

“He had this reputation that he was sort of quiet and isolated and private, and he was, and it was very important for him to guard that. But once you were somehow allowed into that inner circle, he was always so sweet and kind and generous. He’d always send me holiday e-mails,s and he would always send me his new books and stuff like that. It was a relationship that I’ll always cherish, and I was honored to have.”

The post MIKE PORTNOY Says He’s “Kind Of Glad” He Wasn’t Asked To Join RUSH For Their Upcoming Tour: “The Weight Of Expectation Would Be Brutal” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

After dominating 2025 with their explosive new album I Feel The Everblack Festering Within Me, Lorna Shore is ready to do it all over again in 2026 with a massive global tour that kicks off January 23 in Germany and heads into the spring with newly announced dates just added for North America.

Lorna Shore will be joined by Paleface Swiss and Signs Of The Swarm for the North American run, which begins April 17 in Buffalo, NY, and runs through May 22 in Montclair, NJ, alongside festival appearances at Welcome To Rockville and Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival. See the full tour dates below.

Tickets for the North American dates will be available starting with an artist presale beginning Tuesday, January 20, at 9 AM ET. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning Friday, January 23 at 9 AM local time at LiveNation.com. For more info and tickets, you can also visit this location.

Alongside today’s tour announcement, Lorna Shore also releases the latest taste of their critically acclaimed new album with the single and video for “In Darkness.” See the music video, directed by David Brodsky for My Good Eye,  below.

Says frontman Will Ramos of the song, “’In Darkness’ is about growing up feeling distant from everyone, a song about anxiety and being an outcast (as many of us metal fans grow from). It’s a song about embracing that outlandish and ostracized feeling. Knowing that we have grown in the shadows, the darkness of the world, but accepting that through that darkness we have become.”

I Feel The Everblack Festering Within Me, out now via Century Media Records, is Lorna Shore’s fifth album and the first in three years since 2022’s Pain Remains, and continues the band’s reputation as one of the most impressive extreme metal acts to emerge in recent memory.

The quintet, also including lead guitarist Adam De Micco, drummer Austin Archey, rhythm guitarist Andrew O’Connor, and bassist Michael Yager, has hit the viral Spotify charts, racked up hundreds of millions of streams, embarked on highly successful tours, and, in the process, galvanized a significant fanbase that hangs onto the band’s quest for stylistic inversion.

But by virtue of physical onslaught and wanting to divine truth from their music, Lorna Shore have kept themselves fired up by torching the metal rulebook at every turn, practically demanding that other genres step up their game.

North American Dates with Paleface Swiss & Signs Of The Swarm:

4/17 Buffalo, NY @ Buffalo RiverWorks
4/18 Grand Rapids, MI @ GLC Live at 20 Monroe
4/19 Madison, WI @ The Sylvee
4/20 Omaha, NE @ Steelhouse
4/22 Bozeman, MT @ The ELM
4/24 Edmonton, AB @ Edmonton Convention Centre
4/25 Calgary, AB @ Grey Eagle Event Centre
4/27 Winnipeg, MB @ Burton Cummings Theatr
4/29 Green Bay, WI  @ EPIC Event Center
5/1 Waukee, IA @ Vibrant Music Hall
5/2 East Moline, IL @ The Rust Belt
5/3 Wichita, KS @ The Cotillion
5/4 Kansas City, MO @ The Midland Theatre
5/6 Memphis, TN @ Graceland
5/7 Dothan, AL @ The Plant
5/8 Daytona Beach, FL @ Welcome to Rockville*
5/9 Birmingham, AL @ Avondale Brewing Company
5/11 Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
5/12 Myrtle Beach, SC @ House Of Blues
5/14 Gary, IN @ Hard Rock Live
5/15 Columbus, OH @ Sonic Temple*
5/16 Bethlehem, PA @ Wind Creek Event Center
5/18 Virginia Beach, VA @ The Dome
5/20 Syracuse, NY @ Sharkey’s Event Center
5/21 Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount
5/22 Montclair, NJ @ The Wellmont Theater

*Festival Dates

The post LORNA SHORE Share Music Video For “In Darkness”, Announce 2026 North American Tour Dates With PALEFACE SWISS & SIGNS OF THE SWARM appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.