“Bay Area Thrash Metal – Made in Sweden” – that’s what MEZZROW stands for. Since their reunion in 2021, the band has been celebrating both a rebirth and a second wind. With “Summon Thy Demons” (2023) and “Embrace The Awakening” (2025), the quintet from Nyköping released two highly recommended albums that seamlessly continue what began with their […]

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In support of their next self-titled album release, Colorado-based doomers Khemmis announce a string of headline fall shows in Europe. Celestial Sanctuary will be joining them as main support.
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Eternal heavy metal underdogs Armored Saint are back in the limelight again with 9th album, Emotion Factory Reset. Yep, that’s a pretty crappy title, and the album art has zero to do with said crappy title, but whatever. It’s the music that matters, and I absolutely wore out their 2020 effort Punching the Sky. It ended up as my number 2 album of that year, and in hindsight, it should have been number one. It was especially cool to see these ancient vets crafting one of their best albums so late in their career, and because they’ve always been so easy to root for since the early 80s, I did and still do. While I hoped for the same magic to continue here, I’m realistic enough to know that topping Punching the Sky was going to be a major uphill struggle. Instead of trying to redo the last album, Emotion Factory Reset finds the Saint a bit less fiery and adrenalized, with much of the material more in line with a classic L.A. hard rock sound and safe dad rock than actual heavy metal. It’s still recognizably Armored Saint, but it doesn’t hit with anywhere near the same impact and force as their last one did. Getting olde is a bitch. I should know since I’m fookin’ ancient.

The album opens promisingly with lead single “Close to the Bone.” It’s close in sound and style to what you’d expect from these guys, teeming with metal-meets-hard-rock energy. It could have fit on their early albums as well as their last 2 and it’s a legitimately badass tune. John Bush sounds great as always, and the guitars shred and riff all over the place. It reminds a lot of “Missile to Gun” off Punching and that’s a good place to be. It even has a stanza that reeks of Voivod, which no one saw coming. Unfortunately, this is the album’s high-water mark, which quickly becomes apparent. There are scattered other noteworthy moments like the aggressive “Hit a Moonshot,” which brings back some of the youthful vitality from the 80s, and closer “Epilogue” also features the more reliably rowdy Saint sound with a coolness factor absent for much of the album. Also worth mentioning is “Buckshot,” which is a weird mixture of grunge and radio rock, like a fusion of Live and early ’90s Pearl Jam. It has a slick, laid-back charm, and it would make for good summer beer-drinking music on the back deck with your idiot friends.

The rest of Emotion Factory Reset offers inoffensive, safe dad rock like “Every Man-Any Man,” and “Not on Your Life, but the drop in memorability and impact from the god stuff is stark. Worse, these kinds of tunes are intermixed with less lively and much more generic rockers like “Compromise” and “It’s a Buzzkill,” which hit like sub-par Aerosmith filler. That means you get roughly half an album’s worth of quality Armored Saint music with a lot of half-baked, underwhelming padding duct-taped between the keepers. It ends up feeling like another version of their 2010 La Raza outing, which few want or need.

The individual performances are all fine, with John Bush being his usual charismatic frontman, and he makes the album a better listen than it would be otherwise. Phil Sandoval and Jeff Duncan supply some interesting and occasionally badass riffs and harmonies, and a few choice moments that make me remember why I’ve stuck with the band through most of my life. But these highlights are dampened by too many tracks that feel like phoned-in radio rock without much soul or grit. That’s not why I come to the Armored Saint parade, though I get that folks mellow with age.

It’s unpleasant to report that Emotion Factory Reset is such a drop-off from Punching the Sky, but here we are. I’ll take the good stuff to put on my Armored Saint playlist and move on from these parts. I still love these guys, and I’ll always support them, but I definitely hope for a rebound next time out. The Saint still marches, just not as fast or as far as it used to. Circle of life.

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Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Metal Blade
Websites: armoredsaint.com |armoredsaint.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/thearmoredsaint | instagram.com/thearmoredsaint
Releases Worldwide: May 22nd, 2026

The post Armored Saint – Emotion Factory Reset Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

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Braveheart is an energetic power metal track full of dashing guitars, bright intense vocals and intriguing synth melodies. The song is a story of courage, sacrifice, and curiosity — following a man who journeys into space to save humanity, facing fear and death for the people he loves. The song represents a slightly lighter side of the band […]

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We don’t get enough events in the world of jittery DIY indie rock, but here’s one! Toronto rockers Kiwi Jr. released Chopper, their most recent album, in 2022. Last year, they followed it with the one-off single “Hard Drive, Ontario.” Today, the band announces plans for a new album called Blowin’ Up. It’s coming this…

The post Kiwi Jr. Announce New Album <em>Blowin’ Up</em> Feat. Protomartyr, Stef Chura, Fred Thomas, Alvvays’ Kerri Maclellan, & More appeared first on Stereogum.

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Global folk-metal phenomenon THE HU have officially entered their next era. The band—Galaa, Jaya, Enkush, and Temka—proudly announced today that their highly anticipated third full-length album, HUN, will arrive on July 24 via Better Noise Music. To celebrate the news, the pioneers of “Hunnu Rock” have unleashed a boundary-breaking new single, “Lost Soul,” featuring a powerhouse guest performance from Nothing More vocalist Jonny Hawkins.

A Global Volley of Styles: “Lost Soul” (feat. Jonny Hawkins)

“Lost Soul” marks the first-ever collaboration between the Gold-certified Mongolian group and Hawkins. The track is a percussive, groove-heavy soundscape that mirrors the unforgiving extremes of the Mongolian climate. It seamlessly blends traditional Mongolian throat singing and chanting with Hawkins’ melodic English affirmations in the chorus.

Regarding the collaboration, Galaa commented: “Hunnu Rock transcends through culture. To be not lost on your life journey, not losing your values, and having the courage to face life obstacles are messages we are sending through this song and our next album, HUN.” Hawkins added that the experience was “unlike anything I’ve done before,” praising the band’s deep commitment to their craft.

Check This Out – ‘GALA’ From THE HU On THE LOADED RADIO PODCAST

‘HUN’: 11 Tracks of Legend and Lore

The upcoming album finds The HU at the peak of their creative powers, expanding the scope of their signature sound across 11 tracks steeped in Mongolian legend. While the digital version of the album will feature the version of “Lost Soul” with Jonny Hawkins, the band has meticulously crafted the record to function as a gateway into their world.

“We took our time to do this right,” the band shared. “We are also focusing on the performances and working out a brand-new setlist. We want to play bigger venues so we can do extensive production and bring in amazing elements of our culture.”

‘HUN’ Official Track Listing:

1. Warrior Chant
2. Lost Soul*
3. The Men
4. Echoes of My Father
5. Shadow
6. Horsemen
7. Greed
8. The Real You
9. Grey Hun
10. Universe
11. Second Face *Jonny Hawkins version is Digital Only

Massive 2026 Tour Cycle: From Iron Maiden to Rob Zombie

The HU are currently in the midst of a high-profile U.S. run with Apocalyptica and The Rasmus, which continues through early June. However, their 2026 schedule is just heating up. The band is set to join Iron Maiden for “EddFest” at Knebworth Park in July before embarking on a massive late-summer amphitheater tour supporting Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, and Orgy.

Following their North American dates, the band will head across the Atlantic for a comprehensive UK and European headlining tour with Skald throughout September and October, hitting legendary venues like London’s O2 Academy Brixton and Paris’ L’Olympia.

Get ticketing information at this location.

FAQ: The HU – ‘HUN’ New Album Details

When does the new album ‘HUN’ come out? The digital and CD versions will be released worldwide on July 24, 2026. Special vinyl variants and a Napalm Records exclusive box set will follow on September 11, 2026.

Who sings on the song “Lost Soul”? The song features lead vocals from Galaa and Jaya (throat singing) and a guest appearance by Jonny Hawkins of the American rock band Nothing More.

What other projects has The HU been involved with lately? The band recently appeared on “Pray to the Sun” for the Netflix series One Piece and is well-known for their contribution to the Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order soundtrack.

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Artist Bio: THE HU

First gaining international attention in 2019, The HU have become global ambassadors for Mongolian culture. By blending heavy metal instrumentation with traditional throat singing and the morin khuur (horsehead fiddle), they created the genre “Hunnu Rock.” The band has achieved Gold certification and performed on the world’s largest stages, bridging the gap between ancient Eastern tradition and modern Western rock.

STAY LOUD: Catch the full breakdown of The HU’s new album announcement on the Loaded Radio Daily Podcast with Scott Penfold, or stream the best in hard rock and heavy metal 24/7 at LoadedRadio.com.

TL;DR:

Mongolian folk-metal band THE HU have announced their third album ‘HUN’ arrives July 24. A new single “Lost Soul” featuring Jonny Hawkins of Nothing More is out now, ahead of massive summer tours with Iron Maiden and Rob Zombie.

Is The HU’s collaboration with Nothing More their best crossover yet, or does the original ‘Hunnu Rock’ sound better without Western guest vocals? Let us know in the comments.

The post Hunnu Rock Unleashed: The HU Announce Massive New Album ‘HUN’ and Drop Hypnotic Single ‘Lost Soul’ appeared first on Loaded Radio.

The “super DIY” US band crowd-funded their second album last year

Norwich, UK post-hardcore band Other Half take inspiration from a specific range of mostly American bands from the ’90s and 2000s, groups that played sharp-edged, visceral, explosively angry music for dive bars and basement shows. One of those bands is Hot Snakes, no longer a going concern due to the 2023 death of frontman Rick…

The post Other Half Share Loving Hot Snakes Ripoff “Give Them The Girl” In Tribute To Rick Froberg appeared first on Stereogum.

The idobi Radio Summer School Tour is fast approaching, and it’s been revealed that they are teaming up with a special charity once more.

That is the Save The Music Foundation, whose work focuses on “empowering students, schools, and communities to reach their full potential through the power of making music”.

So, for every ticket sold throughout the tour’s run, $0.50 will be donated to the foundation.

Hallie Cross, Director of Creative Marketing at Save The Music, had this to say about the partnership:

“Save The Music is honored to be a beneficiary of The Summer School tour for the third year in a row. Since our collaboration started, proceeds from Summer School ticket sales have benefited hundreds of students, spanning across fifteen communities nationwide.”

And if that wasn’t enough, a new initiative is in place that will see a local band open every single show throughout the run.

So that means the perfect night out featuring Honey Revenge, South Arcade, Games We Play, Winona Fighter and Chase Petra will also include the next best thing, kicking things off.

Here are those names and those dates:

JUNE

19 – SAN DIEGO The Observatory North Park – Earth To Cheska
20 – LOS ANGELES The Belasco – Sour Tongue
21 – PHOENIX The Van Buren – Diva Bleach
23 – DALLAS House of Blues – Moonstone
24 – HOUSTON House of Blues – Haunter
26 – LAKE BUENA House of Blues – Pretty Pity
27 – ATLANTA Buckhead Theatre – Sarah And The Safe Word
28 – CHARLOTTE The Fillmore – Lacy Dooms
30 – SILVER SPRING The Fillmore – Set For Tomorrow

JULY

01 – NEW YORK Irving Plaza – Sage
02 – PHOENIX The Phoenix Concert Theatre – Drives The Common Man
05 – NEW HAVEN Toad’s Place – Cheem
07 – BOSTON Citizens House of Blues – Ringpop!
08 – ALLENTOWN Archer Music Hall – Twist It
10 – MCKEES ROCKS The Roxian Theatre – Carmela Donna
11 – CLEVELAND House of Blues – Truss
12 – CINCINATTI Bogart’s – Better Anyway
14 – DETROIT St. Andrew’s Hall – Last Night Saved My Life
16 – CHICAGO House of Blues – Guardrail
17 – MINNEAPOLIS Uptown Theater – Lake Drive
19 – DENVER Summit Music Hall – Capture This
20 – SALT LAKE CITY The Depot – Misdemeanor
22 – SEATTLE Showbox SODO – Foxcult
23 – PORTLAND Crystal Ballroom – Laughing About Nothing

The post Summer School Tour Partner With Save The Music Foundation For 2026 Run appeared first on Rock Sound.